My eating has got out of hand.
I’m eating way more than I’m burning off (despite all the daily walking) and coupled with enjoying several bottles of ale a week, when I jumped on the scales yesterday, although shocked, I wasn’t surprised to see the needle where it was.
Everything has been feeling tighter, my joints are aching again and I’m feeling tired.
I’ve put on 27 lbs since I last weighed myself back in Nova Scotia before the weighing scales broke!
I’m back up to 270 lbs
I know I have to give myself time to grieve, but life has been so full of immediate challenges these past few months that it is hard to sit and take time to make sense of things. All I know is that we need to move forward, get jobs, build a home, feel safe.
I get moments where the grief pushes through as I think of many things. I’ll have a little weep and move on to the next chore. It’s all part of life.
I miss my life in Nova Scotia and my friends. I miss my dog.. (oh but he has landed on his feet and has just spent a week on the beach on Prince Edward Island)
Trams in Nottingham the other day..
BUT let me tell you that those feelings are counter-balanced by my exciting new life here in Nottingham. I love my new home, I’ve got some awesome friends who have helped me a lot (thank you Ben and Bertie) and I have a bit of a social life too! I can hop on the bus to the city and enjoy wandering around the town and soaking in the vibe. It’s rather an exciting one…
Just joined Nottingham Hackspace– lots of plans!
I’ve started meeting people and going places and enjoy weekly pottery sessions with my friend Bertie and have just joined “Nottingham Hackspace” which I’m really excited about.
My small container garden is growing well and soon I will have tomatoes and zucchini. I’ve harvested my rhubarb (to make a wartime rhubarb wine recipe) and soon I will be cutting and drying my herbs. It looks like I have a crab apple tree and very soon I will have elderberries and rose-hips and my cupboards are full of jam and chutney jars waiting for harvest time. From now until the spring I will be clearing the back area of the garden to put in a proper Victory Garden and I’m really excited about that.
Em Hobbit now has a school. She’ll be attending Colonel Frank Seely School in a neighbouring village called Calverton which specializes in Maths and Computing. She already has her school tie and blazer badge and it’s going to seem strange seeing her in school uniform.
Last week much of the Midlands had flash flooding after weeks of no rain. Just a few houses down from us our local community centre’s retaining wall collapsed under the pressure. See the video I filmed below..
Over 10,000 views in 2 days.. I guess a collapsing wall is big news!!
Yesterday I sent out my CV and reference letter’s to the Editor of the Nottingham Post, Mike Sassi. I enjoyed my time working for Lighthouse Media Group in Nova Scotia and I’d love to continue my career in this area so I’ve asked him to keep my details on file.
I started back to eating 1940s today and weekly weigh-ins will resume. As tempting as it is to just keep eating and comforting myself in this way I need to be fit and healthy and mobile and happy. I have a wonderful opportunity to build my life again and a challenging but exciting future.
I won’t let that slip through my fingers, not this time…
C xxxxx
PS Made an awesome malted loaf yesterday- recipe to follow!
Best wishes on your new life! The weight gain is only a temporary blip, you know that you can get back to your normal routine and get to where you want to get, only you need to make small allowances for settling- in time!
Looking forward to reading more about your progress with your wartime garden (and everything else too)!
All the best, you brave woman!
It happens (me too) Glad to see that dog has fallen on his paws. Portion control is the word(s). LIked the trams video – last time I was in Nottingham they were not there, it was some time ago!
Sometimes it’s hard to keep to an eating regime – life can get in the way. But you can do it Carolyn, look at what you’ve achieved so far! xxx
You are bloody awesome and can’t wait to see you xxxxxxxx
Sorry not welcomed you back till now, been offline a while, glad u settling in ok, look forward to seeing your posts and maybe bump into you! Xx
Life can interrupt even the best laid plans, but you’ve got such a positive outlook, I bet you can achieve anything you set your mind too 🙂 Looking forward to seeing future posts.
Try to cut yourself a little bit of slack. You’ve had a major life upheaval and are trying to adjust to new people and places. I have no doubt that you will “land on your feet” just like your dog has because you are a determined woman. 🙂 I am so excited about seeing what you do with your garden and house and hope you show us more of what life in Nottingham is like. I soooo want to go to England some day. Right now I’m just going to live vicariously through you, LOL!
Thank you all xxx I’m still grieving for the Hobbits Dad too. We may have been separated for 4 years but his death just a few months ago just makes me feel so sad for what he had to go through and it’s difficult coming to terms with the fact that he is never going to be there anymore. A combination of stresses…. am resilient though and got to get right back on track xxxxxxx
Carolyn we all go “off the rails” a bit now n then. Just had three weeks in UK and went into vacation mode, ate anything, anytime. Actually more like ate everything all the time. Hate to think what I put on. And drank, whoa, drank like a fish!
But back home now and on the straight and narrow from day one. At least you still have perspective and the ability to recognise when you are going astray.
Hope to see some new recipes coming our way!!!
Carolyn, everything is totally understandable, considering what you’ve been through. My own father-in-law passed away last week in the UK. My partner and youngest son have gone back for the funeral (flew out yesterday) – I’ve stayed here in NZ – too expensive for us all to go (I also have an elder son at university). Last night was my first night on my own for a very long time – had a few drinks and ate quite a bit.
Look forward to some more updates and recipes – sausage stovies is now a firm favourite in our house. As I’m solo at the moment, I was thinking of what to make myself – it seems a chore but I’m going to try Oaty Mince tonight from Nellie B’s site. http://nelliebswartimerationing.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/mince-made-with-oats.html.
Look after you and the “hobbits” – don’t beat yourself up. You’re strong, and you’ll get there.
You actually are an inspiration to me on so many levels. Truly if you had been through all of the life stresses you have experienced in the recent few months, and didn’t comfort yourself with food, I would think you were Wonder Woman come to life. I keep telling myself I will get back on the 1940’s program, and keep falling short (my undoing is red licorice!), and the only excuse I can come up with is life in general. I lost my dear husband in 1999, and found ball room dancing. That plus portion control turned the tide. If I can get my finances remedied, maybe I can get back to it.
Blessings to you as always,
Kaaren in SoCal
Many people are reading your wonderful blog… you are much admired!
We are with you every inch of the way in spirit.
Our love to you, Carolyn.
Jane in New York
You’ve helped me so much over the last 2 years. I’ve been lurking on this blog, reading and trying out lots of your recipes. You’ve helped me to lose 20 kilos in the last year. You’re a special lady.
I’ve sent you a little something to try and help out.
I’m based in Bath, if there is ever anything I can do to help, please get in touch.
Take care, keep fighting, and know that there are a lot of people out there rooting for you!
Rachel
Dear Rachel- thank you sooooo much 🙂 I’ll spend it on ingredients for a special recipe and let you know when I put it up which one it is!! Popping down to the shops in a moment and will see what rations/wartime supplies would have allowed me in the baking section 🙂
That’s very kind of you, thank you for your support
Carolyn xxxx
Good to see you posting again, Carolyn. I’m looking forward to new recipes and hearing how you are getting on. Good luck in your job hunt, when Em starts school I’m sure she will quickly make friends and settle well. We’re all thinking of you, sending hugs. xx
Good luck with everything; be very gentle and kind to yourself; make positive plans now for the autumn and winter days to come; you will be fine. ((hugs)) from NZ.
Long-time reader but not sure I’ve ever commented! Anyway, I’ve always been wondering how people preserve frugally. Sugar isn’t cheap and takes quite a lot of it to do things like rosehips or elderberries (jam’s a bit more economical, luckily). Any advice as sometimes it feels like it costs /more/ than just sourcing the same nutritional value from the supermarket!
Way less sugar can be used in jams and cordials etc if the products are stored in the fridge after they are made (or frozen- freezer jam uses a lot less sugar). The ones with less sugar also have a shorter shelf life if stored in the fridge rather than frozen.
With regards to the experiment, I find that I only get through half of my sugar ration per week and during harvest time, the amount of sugar distributed to people in the UK through rationing was increased so people could preserve by jam and chutney, pickling etc.
And you are right .. a LOT of sugar goes into these things doesn’t it!!
C xxxx
I think we humans have a tendency to overeat to self-medicate, when the chips are down.
One good thing is coming out of it, though. You are providing positive proof for us that Wartime Rations work. When you’re on them, you drop weight like crazy; when you go off them, the scales start tipping upward.
The bad times will pass, Ms. Ekins. It seems like they always do. We’ll be thinking of you.
Thank you George (I love the way you speak!)
But yes- it really proves to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that using Wartime Rations as a guide to eating really does seem to work very well.
C xx