Lost a Stone eating like a Child!

“inch by inch I got rounder and rounder”

Swore the dryer was shrinking my clothes and bought new ones in a larger size, inch by inch I got rounder and rounder until last Christmas, when I weighed myself and to my horror I was the same weight as my boyfriend Aghhhh!

  

So, I decided “that was it!”

I had to make some dramatic changes to my eating habits and the old expression….”eat like a King in the morning and a Pauper in the evening”……echoed in my mind.

"I just ate my largest meal too late"

I didn’t eat badly or even unhealthily I just ate my largest meal too late, so I returned to my childhood meal timetable and ate my largest meal at lunchtime with a small breakfast and a traditional teatime favourite in the evening.

“lost 1 stone straight off the bat”

To my delight, I only have to cook two main meals a week, which meant more time in the evening. I froze portions for my work lunchtimes and prepared salads to break up the week, and of course, I had all those childhood teatime favourites like beans on toast, egg salad or tuna sandwiches and fish fingers.

I still have large bunch on Saturday and Sunday mornings with sausages or rashers or salmon with eggs, salad and fruit. And weekend treats popcorn, drinks and teatime treats.

Yes, I did go to the gym but nothing too full on, only two nights at aqua aerobics (without himself obviously) but we both lost 1 stone straight off the bat, and loads of extra time on weekday evenings.

So, its win win…and something everyone should give a go to lose some extra pounds

Bridgestone Best Restaurant Winner 2012

The Chameleon restaurant

“Wickedly delicious food”

Tucked between the river and Temple Bar, the Chameleon restaurant is a quietly acclaimed prizewinning eatery. I admit on first seeing the restaurant’s exterior, I thought its heavy frontage with dimly lit interior, and leafy window dressing, had more in common with the ‘smoke’ houses of Amsterdam. As it turns out, the Chameleon has an Opium Room, where diners can sit on brocade cushions at low tables but the similarities stop there, no illicit goods on sale here only wickedly delicious food.

The Chameleon reclaimed the ‘Bridgestone Best Restaurant in Ireland’ prize 2012, and its’ numerous awards decorate the restaurant entrance. Once inside you are greeted with rich coloured walls, a dark wooden interior with warm flickering candles and soothing music.  

The restaurant specialises in contemporary Indonesian food, which is served in a unique way, instead of serving a main dish or a number of courses, your meal comprises of a selection of small portions served at the same time. This serving practice is called rijst-tafel or rice table, adopted from the Dutch, who colonised the islands.

At first, the menu may appear a little cryptic but the restaurant staff are always happy to explain the menus, which offer 6 to 8 dishes, divided into meat, fish and vegetarian options. Guests ordering from a meat dish menu can expect a combination chicken satay, cucumber and mango salad, sweet chilli squid rings and more. The fish menu includes black tiger prawns with chillies, shallots and pineapple, and the vegetarian, sweet potato spring rolls with coriander and spicy mango dip.

The mixture of spices and flavourings results in each bite containing a delightful explosion of tastes, which are not overpowering or hot, but are harmonious combinations of complementary foods and seasonings. Your taste experience is enhanced further, with a selection of condiments and jasmine rice served with each dish. Your table is dressed with a food warmer by friendly and approachable staff, and there is a selection of modest to expensive wines available. The overall dining experience is best promoted as a couple’s indulgence or girlie treat, and one you shouldn’t miss.  

Celebrating What Truly Matters

“What truly matters….” I jotted down a few ideas and drew a circle around love and three lines to the words, my heart, my friends and my family, but how am I going to make that into a Power Whiskey competition story winning entry? Deciding to percolate story ideas, I took a shower. While washing my hair I noted we needed shampoo for my other half and that the bathroom cleaning would weather my pal’s visit tomorrow, and would probably last the dinner organised for my sister and her new fiancé.

Sitting down at my computer, I firstly made a plan and lay out the characters and stories I wanted to include in the story….but where do I start? Do I talk about recent times and expose my partner by telling the tale of mistakenly wearing one of my shoes to the pub and only noticing this by chance under the table, and organising a speedy taxi home. Or the regular threat to include his speedo style swimwear during holiday packing, which sets me screeching with laughter and only, provokes a catwalk modelling session.  

My eye is now drawn to the almost empty whiskey bottle on the counter top which is the source of his late night or evening tippling’s. Always two fingers neat with two pieces of ice. That reminds me of the drunken night my pal and I, having no mixer, thought it would be brilliant to make ice cream whiskey floats….not recommended.

I notice the breakfast and lunch dishes piling up and think that maybe the washing up will give me a chance to collect my thoughts. But I hate doing the washing up, I always soak the sink, floor and a pet hate of mine, my sleeves ends. While taking off a layer, I focused on the motivational fridge magnets my mum bought, you know the ones ‘don’t dream it, be it’, kind of sentiment, not a tribute to the ‘Rocky Horror’ chorus.

My mind now reaches back to the variety of instruments we as children were encouraged to learn and how they were rejected these one by one. But my mum is now playing guitar something she hoped we would master and that she is now truly enjoying herself. I always laugh loudly seeing her pluck the guitar strings, while committing the family to silence and asking us to identify the song, while we smothered sniggers.  

Of late, I have been cutting back trying to save money, so that’s buying less and reducing the household’s electricity use. That generally means baking at home, wearing extra layers, home invites to friends and family, and whiskey bought for himself and being saved for treats and in ‘celebrating what truly matters’.