**Trigger warning – Eating disorder** With my 6 month health/weight and challenge update coming up in a couple of WEEKS, I won’t go too in depth right now BUT I just wanted to let you know that I TRULY believe living on wartime rations is literally saving my life when I think back to my emotional and physical state 6 months ago.

Life has been super tough, especially the last few months and if it hadn’t been for the focus of this challenge and the early physical benefits of weight loss that came with it, I’d be in a very miserable place right now. Is it too dramatic to say I may well have not been able to cope? I will never know that (thank goodness) and every day I wake up to a bowl full of porridge and a large cup of tea, I’m feeling happier and stronger and feel there is so much hope on the horizon to be cured of my obesity, once and for all.

It’s also been nearly 6 months since I have binged or ate all day to fill a bottomless pit of a stomach. I’m not sure whether that was an insatiable physical hunger, or was it filling an emotional void? When overeating throughout the day causes you to expel your stomach contents during the night (often nausea, occasional vomiting) you know this is not good and so in January this year I really felt undertaking a year living on WW2 rations would help me focus on not only something that I find really interesting, it would help me get back to a NORMAL pattern of eating. For me this is the traditional “Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and small evening snack with NO eating between meals.”

Had this been easy? Now it is, to begin with, for that first month or so it was difficult as I was so used to eating all day and eating large amounts of junk food in addition to huge meal portions. But I’ve learned that if you eat three generous meals a day that contain wholefoods and plenty of veg so you feel satiated, this soon becomes a habit. I’ve kept that habit for nearly 6 months now, I’m so very proud of that achievement.

With the 40+ lbs weight-loss to date, I’m now able to enjoy long walks again and although my joints still ache at times (I am 57 and menopausal), this is improving and I’m working hard on ensuring nutritionally I am eating foods that will hopefully help. I am also taking daily Omega 3 supplements (Algae oil) and a Vit D3. I don’t take any other supplements and luckily I am not on any prescribed medications.

Thank you so much for all your support through the blog, on our Facebook group and through YouTube and other social channels. I appreciate EVERY SINGLE MESSAGE.

Much love, C xxxxxx

Flicking through the Daily Telegraph Wartime Recipes book, I came across a 1940’s ad for Weetabix which included a recipe for a dish called “Weetabix Cheese Savoury”. Being highly curious about any dish that sounds rather strange, I gave it a go this afternoon, even testing it out on my eldest daughter. Hope you enjoy the video and the recipe!

Ingredients

• 4 Weetabix
• Leftover vegetables
• 1/2 pint of white sauce
• Grated cheese to taste

Method

Remains of cooked cauliflower or other cooked vegetables. Cut a little off the top of each Weetabix or slice in half. heat through under a grill. Mix the cooked vegetables with sufficient sauce to moisten, add seasoning and grated cheese to flavour. Put the Weetabix from under the grill into the bottom of a pie dish. Pile on the vegetable and sauce mixture, cover with Weetabix crumbs and grated cheese and brown under the grill. Serve at once in a hot dish.

My additions.

I added in plenty of seasoning to the vegetables and a knob of margarine too in addition to the white sauce. I also added a teaspoon of Marmite to add a richer flavour. I also added spring onions to the top before grilling.

I only used 3 Weetabix for mine and 1/2 lb of vegetables and I ate the whole pie.

Definitely enjoyed this and will make it again!

C xxx

Dear all, the last few months have been incredibly difficult BUT I’ve continued sticking to WW2 rationing.

My weight is now at 259 lbs (18 st 5 lbs) and my starting weight on January 8th of this year was over 299 lbs (21 st 4 lbs). Although I am still very overweight, this weight loss has already had a huge impact on my life. I now can walk to and from work without any pain in my back and my general joint aches and pain, while still there, are much improved from what they once were.

Simple wholefoods, very little refined sugar and lots of vegetables are without a doubt, boosting my health and well-being and at the end of June I will be doing a 6 month blood test to check my cholesterol and protein levels in my blood as well as several other levels for liver, kidneys, iron, Vit B12 etc. My hope is that my cholesterol levels will continue dropping (they were high at the beginning) and that my other levels will continue to remain in the good or optimum range.

Thank you so much for all your support during these difficult times. Earlier this week I was able to say good-bye to a much loved family member at her funeral. She will never be forgotten.

Much love,

C xxxxxxxx