Eating Out

Mounjaro Journey – Week 36 (5mg every 5 days)

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An industrious week. I’ve caught up with friends, chatted to an online group about my weight loss using Mounjaro, organised a small “team” to carry out a floor repair, and rounded things off with a nice dinner out and a bit of pie purchasing — because balance is a crucial part of life.

Talking about Mounjaro with people who have no experience of using it was interesting. Unsurprisingly, they wanted to hear about the reported side effects: gall bladder issues, pancreatitis, muscle loss, hair loss and even vision loss. As I tried to convey, these side effects are rare and are often linked to rapid weight loss rather than to the GLP-1 medication itself.

My own weight loss has been steady — around 500g to 1kg (1–2lb) a week — which is generally considered an ideal rate. I certainly haven’t experienced any of the more alarming side effects. Those I have had (tiredness and extreme thirst) were either short-lived or entirely manageable.

I do sometimes wonder why the media seems so focused on the negatives of GLP-1s. Presumably, headlines sell better than nuance. Among the GLP-1 users I interact with, the overwhelming narrative is positive — not just physically, but emotionally as well. People talk about enjoying appetite suppression, but more than that, the relief of being free from the constant food noise that used to dominate their thoughts.

On to my floor repair project.

As a Trustee for a charity, we’ve recently been given use of a neglected retail unit in a shopping mall until it’s repurposed (for apartments, I believe). The space is rent-free and we only pay utilities, so technically we could ignore the state of the floor — and the water dripping through the ceiling from the mall roof above. While I wasn’t prepared to investigate the roof leak (we’ve had a lot of rain recently), the floor felt like something we could tackle.

Previous tenants had ripped up joints between sections of laminate flooring, leaving a groove around 2cm wide and 1cm deep running almost the full length of the unit — about 25 metres in total. The charity staff had done their best to make the space welcoming, and that mattered because members of the public visit the unit for free NHS Health Checks and wellbeing support.

This is a partnership between the local health and voluntary sectors, aimed at people who are often harder to reach — those from different ethnic backgrounds, ex-military, ex-prisoners, people facing financial hardship. Alongside health checks, visitors can also get support with other aspects of life that impact their wellbeing.

The challenge was to create a repair that cost very little (there’s no budget) and would last until we eventually have to vacate the premises. I supplied the materials, tools, and food to keep morale high. My partner, my sister, and my personal assistant Sam worked solidly for five hours — with a break for a healthy lunch and a drink — and the results looked surprisingly good. Fingers crossed it holds up for the next three or four months.
The lunch out was in the company of two friends I’ve known — and kept in touch with — since secondary school, which always adds an extra layer of warmth to any meal. We ate at the Rising Sun, where I chose the pork escalope “schnitzel”, served with green beans, crème fraîche potatoes, brown butter, parsley and a lemon sauce. Once again, it was acceptable rather than amazing — perfectly fine, but not something I’d rush back for.

Thankfully, dessert redeemed the whole experience. A forced Yorkshire rhubarb crumble with rhubarb and elderflower ice cream was absolutely spot on, and as ever, the company was excellent — which really is the main event.

As we’d parked the car directly outside Sweeney & Todd’s Pie Shop,

it seemed positively churlish not to pop in and buy a few pies for the freezer. One pie will easily do both of us, so we chose three fillings between us: steak and ale, steak and mushroom, and lamb and mint.

The shop has been there forever. I distinctly remember visiting in my twenties — over forty years ago — and it hasn’t changed at all. But the pies are legendary, so why would it? Some things don’t need updating.

As for cooking this week, it’s been a good one: lovely trout fillets (so quick and easy they’ll definitely be repeated), blueberry air-fryer muffins (one bowl, 12 minutes), and a one-pan meal of red Thai curry chicken dumplings.

Video to follow.

Weight this week: 56.1kg (about 8st 11.5lb)
Last week: 55.9kg (about 8st 11.2lb)
Weekly loss/gain:  +0.2kg (about 0.25lb)
Goal weight: 55kg (about 8st 9lb)

Mounjaro Journey, 26 weeks, 7.5mg

flidfit Eating Out, Eating Out, Mounjaro, Recipes

Yay! The correctly sized glazed units finally arrived and were fitted into the sliding doors, and we’ve finally got our view back into the garden. It feels so good to see outside again after weeks of looking at wooden panels. We then spent the next few days dusting, vacuuming and clearing the last of the building-work debris, before moving all the furniture, houseplants, lamps and ornaments back to where they lived before the chaos started. The house finally feels like home again.

Enjoying our lovely view out to the garden.

Just one meal out this week, taking Mum to meet her nursing friends. I was delighted to see “light bite” options on the menu – including fish and chips! I never choose it normally because portions are usually enormous, but this was absolutely perfect and came with peas and homemade tartar sauce. I swerved the desserts and enjoyed a cappuccino instead. Mum had a lovely time, and the journey there and back was easy in the winter sunshine.

It’s been a slightly frantic week, juggling a lot of time-critical tasks, the main one being sorting staffing payroll for November and December. As I’m off on holiday for two weeks and not back until 22nd December, I wanted everything set up and scheduled before we go. I also needed to find time to complete the second edition of my “13-Year Weight Loss Journey”, which took a fair few hours of editing, but it’s now done. Please do take a look and let me know what you think – I really appreciate the feedback.

Slow Cooker Camp Fire Stew

I’ve also managed to put together two cooking videos this week: a Slow Cooker Camp Fire Stew and High Protein Blueberry and Cottage Cheese Pancakes. The pancakes didn’t look perfect, but they tasted very good and kept me feeling full until dinner time, so that’s a win in my book.

We’re off on our winter sunshine holiday soon and I really can’t wait – both for the warmth and to see how Mounjaro works for me when I’m away from my usual routines and environment. It’s going to be interesting!

Weight this week:  58kg (about 9st 2lbs) Last week 58.3kg (about 9st 2½lbs)

Loss:  300g (about ½ pound)

To goal: 1kg (about 2lbs)

Weight loss over the past 6 months (whilst using Mounjaro)

Mounjaro Journey, 25 weeks, 7.5mg

flidfit Eating Out, Mounjaro

Another week has rolled by — and with it, a fair bit of chaos, anticipation, and some very strange dreams!

Hopefully, today marks the end of the building saga. All being well, the new glass will finally arrive (hopefully in one piece and the right size this time!) and be fitted, and our builder is popping back to sort out the last little snagging bits. I can’t pretend we’ll miss having the house full of tradesmen… it will be lovely to have our space back again.

I’ve also been planning the next episode of my Weight Loss Journey on YouTube. The script is pretty much there… but actually recording it? Impossible! Between the drilling, banging, door slamming and general chaos, it’s been far too noisy and disrupted to even think about hitting “record.” I mean, a bit of background sound might add atmosphere, but I’m not sure anyone wants an unsolicited guest appearance from a power drill halfway through my heartfelt narration!

Food-wise, it’s been a sociable week. I’ve eaten out twice, catching up with friends, and both times ended up choosing a salad — one crispy beef with cashews, and the other a crispy duck salad. Both delicious. I even had a dessert, which is rare for me, but there was a tempting spiced orange panna cotta with a brandy snap calling my name… and honestly, it was worth it!

Crispy Beef salad with lotus root crisps and cashews
Crispy Peking Duck salad with Mixed Leaves, Carrot & Mooli Ribbons, Spring Onion, Cucumber, Sesame Dressing & Plum Sauce

Other food discoveries this week – Warburtons crumpet “thins” – 61 calories each.  Every bit as good as a regular crumpet.  And I made my first ever rock cakes (or should I say the lovely Sam made them for me!)  162 calories each – I enjoyed 2.  I think Mike and the builders may have looked after the remaining 10 between them.

Rock cakes – really simple to make with store cupboard ingredients. 162 calories each.
Warburton Crumpet thins. 61 calories and every bit as nice as a regular crumpet!

We’ve got another meal out this week, too. We’re taking Mum to meet two friends she did her nursing training with in the 1950’s — women she’s known for decades. They don’t live too far from us (Portsmouth).  We’re meeting halfway in a pub. Their adult children (who are around our age) will be there too; we all used to meet up during school holidays when we were younger. The last time we were together was sadly for a funeral, so it will be lovely to see them all in far nicer circumstances. And yes… I’ve studied the menu, and ham, egg and chips might be happening!

My Mounjaro dreams have been doing their own thing lately — incredibly vivid, detailed, and not always pleasant! I’ve woken up a few times feeling very relieved that they were just dreams.

Does anyone else get those incredibly clear, almost cinematic dreams? Mine often involve strangers… it amazes me what the brain can conjure up when I’m asleep.

And now — just two weeks to go until our holiday! I’m curious (and hopeful!) to see how Mounjaro will influence my holiday eating and, crucially, the usual post-holiday weight gain. Normally I can gain around 7lbs in two weeks, despite being mindful. I never go wild with food or drink, but it’s impossible to track calories accurately, and I’m less active because I’m relying on my wheelchair more during the day.

What gives me hope is how much Mounjaro has changed my appetite. Alcohol doesn’t appeal at all, sweet things don’t tempt me, and my appetite is reduced. I just don’t feel the need to snack between meals. So we’ll see! At worst, a small gain… at best, maybe nothing at all.  Now that would be a result!

Either way, I’m very ready for sunshine, a comfortable spot to sit in the warmth, and losing myself in my Kindle.

Weigh in this week:

Weight this week:  58.3kg (about 9st 2lbs) Last week 58.7kg (about 9st 3lbs)

Loss:  400g (about 1 pound)

To goal: 1.3kg (about 3lbs)

Mounjaro Journey 17 weeks, 2 x 5mg

flidfit Eating Out, Eating Out, Mounjaro, Vegan / Plant based, Vegeterian

Another good week… I’m a little late posting an update as I have been celebrating my birthday (63!) and my sister and brother-in-law are staying for five days.  They live about a 3-hour drive away, so we are treating their stay as a mini-staycation and have been enjoying days out.  We were joined by my daughter and her boyfriend for two days – they travelled all the way from Leeds (about 4 hours away) to join in the birthday celebrations.

These included a boat trip along the River Thames, a lovely walk in the sunshine along the river to Caversham for lunch at Vegivores, a vegan restaurant, and a morning trip to a local museum – The Museum of English Rural Life.

Food choices have been good – I prepared all of our evening meals in advance and put them into the freezer.  A fish pie, a carrot, lentil and beef bolognese and a Moroccan spiced minced lamb with stuffed roasted peppers.

We took packed lunches (salad for me) and our vegan restaurant lunch was carefully selected – a vegan macaroni cheese and delicious tahini crunch salad – shredded rainbow veggies, tahini dressing, sesame, mint and lime.

 

Of course, there was (birthday) cake, homemade butternut squash spiced cake.  I enjoyed one slice, and the rest was eagerly consumed by everyone else over the staycation.

I took 2 x 5mg injections from my 10mg pen 5 days apart.  I could feel hunger pangs returning on day 4!

I realise the feeling-hungry sensation was a daily occurrence before Mounjaro… and I most certainly don’t miss it.

As the maximum effect of the injection occurs around 48 hours after administration, it’s helpful to time it before the food noise becomes too overwhelming and hunger pangs become too unbearable.

Weight loss this week – 600g (approximately 1.3 lb), so my current weight is 61.4kg, down 10kg from my starting weight on June 2nd.

Just 4.4kg away from my target weight.

Mounjaro Journey – 15 weeks 7.5mg

flidfit Disability, Eating Out, Eating Out, Exercise, Mounjaro, Pain, Travel

Ever since I started taking Tirzepatide, many of those whom I’ve told ask me the very same question.  “What happens when you stop taking it?”

The short answer is, I don’t know.  Taking Mounjaro long-term at a reduced dose may enable me to maintain my weight in the future.

What I do know is that the extra boost I get from the drug in terms of appetite suppression and switching off my “food noise” has really made a massive difference.

The use of Mounjaro to assist my weight loss journey is just one small step or strategy helping me to stay on track with my weight loss journey.  A journey that has been over 13 years long.

13 years is a long time to be diligently logging food, weighing every item that one eats and drinks, keeping within a daily calorie limit and never really taking one’s eye off the ball.  Social occasions, days out and holidays present a challenge.  I need to stay on track and continue as best I can with my journey.  One bad day or a week’s holiday cannot derail me.

Of course, I do relax a little when I’m on holiday, but I soon realised that I can’t really ever take my eye off the ball…. I used to, but then I came to recognise that it’s very easy to gain weight that has taken me a great deal of time and effort to lose.
Inevitably, I am eating and drinking more when I’m away from home.  I’m unable to weigh my food portions.  I am also moving less.  Without my gym ball, my daily exercise routine doesn’t happen.   I am much more reliant upon my wheelchair.  At home, although I’m not particularly mobile, I still move about when doing housework, walking from room to room, preparing meals, etc.  Each day starts with my exercise, about 45 minutes of stretching and bouncing.

The other thing I have recognised this week is the huge wealth of valuable knowledge and experience I have around losing weight when you have a physical disability that severely impacts on your activity levels.  It’s time to share that with – whoever wants to hear about it – and I am sure that there are many out there who (like me!) have used their impairment / illness / lack of mobility as an excuse as to why they are overweight and why they can’t lose their additional weight.

When I started on my weight loss journey, the road ahead was long, and of course I wanted to lose that weight quickly and without effort.  Once I accepted that it would take time and I could reap the benefit of my effort and see regular small weight losses, things became much easier.  I just accepted that I needed to do my best every day and to keep on keeping on, things became easier.

That was my starting point.  A severely obese (BMI of 44), very short, disabled woman who ate to excess and didn’t move at all.  I sat in front of my computer or in front of the TV.  Then went to bed to sleep.
If anyone had told me in 2012 that I’d lose 4½ stone in 18 months and would be exercising daily, I’d never have believed you.  Of course, written like that, it seems an incredible achievement.  I never set myself a specific goal.  I didn’t go from zero to one hundred in days or even weeks and months.  I began slowly – doing what I was able to do and gradually increasing the amount I moved.  My confidence grew in my ability to set and achieve weight loss and fitness targets.
A little corner of our garage provided me with my own gym
I have covered my introduction to exercise in the very early days of my blog.  I had a few sessions with a personal trainer from the Physio clinic I attended to explore cardiovascular exercise that I could manage.

From there, I progressed to strength training and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) in my own home gym equipped with a treadmill and other small items of gym equipment.  A little corner of the garage provided me with the perfect gym – just a few steps from my front door.

During 2014, we cared for a terminally ill relative who lived with us for the final 14 months of their life.  The garage gym provided me with a welcome respite from the situation.  Whatever the weather, I could be “at the gym”.  I didn’t have to worry about traffic, suitable weather or finding a parking spot.  I could fully immerse myself in my exercise session.

This was to stand me in good stead for dealing with the period of the two Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020.

I started to run!  I gradually built up my stamina to walk for sustained periods initially (on the treadmill, whilst holding on to a support bar.  Later I began to walk faster and then run using the Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill, which was available at a private hospital just a 10-minute drive from my home.  Running was something I had never done.  The last time I ran was at secondary school, not wishing to end up too far back in the very long lunch hall queue….

This week, I’ve started vlogging…. I am aiming to share aspects of my weight loss journey with those who may be looking for inspiration or ideas.  I’m using CapCut and YouTube, but – be warned – I’m learning new skills along the way.  Rather like this Blog, it will be a bit rough and ready as I get to grips with how to achieve what I want and the capabilities of the software, which is streets ahead of my own video-making capabilities!
Weight loss this week:
Last week’s weight:  62.7kg, this week 62.0kg
This week’s loss: 0.7kg (1½lb)
Total loss since starting Mounjaro, 2nd June 2025: 9.4kg (1½ stone)
Total loss in 13 years and 7 months:  – 27kg – down to 62kg from 89kg (4st 3½lb)

 

 

 

 

 

Mounjaro Journey – 13 weeks in, 10mg

flidfit Eating Out, Mounjaro

 

It’s been a lovely, relaxing week with just the right mix of social events and routine things.  I had the opportunity to catch up with my Mum and took her to her local pub The Bull for lunch.  I “shared” a starter of pâte, chutney and toast (I had a third of it), then a chicken kebab with flatbread, Greek salad and tzatziki.  I have to say, the tzatziki I make myself is far superior (and tastier!).  As I had taken advantage of the “3 courses for £23” – which I knew would be far too much food, I selected the Eton Mess for dessert.  Oh my, that was far too sickly and sweet for my taste.  So after two small spoonfuls, I passed it over to OH, who polished it off!  I’d only selected the 3-course option, as many of the main courses were £17/£18 and I knew I wouldn’t be able to consume a whole meal.

Talking of sweet things, since starting this journey, I haven’t consumed any chocolate!  Although this isn’t something that features regularly in my diet, I do enjoy the odd chunk.  I am not enjoying sweet things (thanks to Mounjaro) –  just seeing a picture of something that is sweet or thinking sweet treats (cakes, chocolate, desserts) makes me feel quite nauseous!  

Saturday evening, despite the rain showers, we ventured out to BunkFest at Wallingford.  This large, not-for-profit event is a free-to-attend, family-friendly community festival held annually in Wallingford, Oxfordshire (about a 30-minute drive from Reading).  It combines music, dance, a beer festival, food and entertainment. We went last year, specifically to see The Mark II.  They’re an amazing 7-piece band blasting out soul and Motown.  We love them!  I ate some Thai food, which was “ok” but very salty – the weight jumped right up the following morning!  My drinks were lime cordial and soda, as well as plenty of water.

I’ve moved up this week to the 10mg dosage of tirzepatide – so far, so good.  I have been experiencing very slight nausea after I’ve eaten dinner in the evening.  I’m planning to take a dose from my 2.5ml pen today and will see how that affects my appetite – I am planning to “top up” with a 5ml dose later in the week (5 days) if required.  At some point, in the not-too-distant future, I’ll be experimenting with reducing dosage (micro-dosing).  I’m keen to see whether I am still able to reap the benefits of the appetite suppressant, keep the food noise “switched off” and rid myself of the slight nausea. The Voy app allows me to visually monitor the amount of Tirzepatide in my system.  If anything, I’ll be under-dosing rather than over-dosing.  

I did some measurements!  Here are the results:

Very pleased indeed to see the centimetres coming off the places where I’d most like to see it disappear from!

Weight loss this week: 600g (1lb)

Total loss since 02/06/25:  7.5kg / 16 ½lbs

Still to go: 7kg – yay!  I am over halfway to my goal weight.

 

 

 

Mounjaro Journey – 12 weeks in, 7.5mg

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This week has been much quieter from the point of view of having fewer social activities planned.  Enjoyed a coffee in the garden in 24 degrees this morning – on a Bank Holiday Monday too!

I have some support to assist me in doing the sort of everyday things that most people can do without any difficulties – my disability affects my dexterity, limits my mobility and my reach.  As I get older (63 next month!) I am slowing down more and more.  If only my ageing body were able to achieve all the things I plan in my head!  That’s where the valuable practical support provided by my wonderful PA Sam (Samantha) comes in handy.

Two mornings a week, I spend three hours working alongside Sam, who is a human whirlwind.  She helps me cook, clean, do the laundry, recycling… and this week also some sewing repairs and a trip to get my car cleaned inside and out.  I find myself feeling exhausted after she’s been, but in a very fulfilled way.  Sam came to work for me shortly after the Covid lockdown in July 2020. We work well together.

My sister also works to support me and spends a day with me every other week.  This is wonderful, because as well as having support for more time-consuming tasks (pruning roses, trip to the recycling centre with a car load of rubbish…), we get to exchange news and have a proper chat, putting the world to rights.

I love spending time with my sisters.  I have two of them.  We have come to recognise in recent years that the close relationship we enjoy as sisters isn’t what most families have.  We are very close in age (three years between oldest and youngest), all of us have quite different personalities, and each has very different strengths and weaknesses.  The most important thing we share is solidarity and honesty.  I would do anything for my sisters, and they would do the same for me.  We acknowledge and celebrate our differences.  Together, we create a formidable team that works well together, working collaboratively to support our Mum, who is 90 and has dementia but still lives in her own home.  More importantly, we support one another.

Back to Mounjaro.  Side effects…. I’d be interested to hear whether anyone else using Mounjaro has vivid dreams?  My dreams are wild and wacky and often involve traumatic events!  I’m always glad to wake up to the fact that it was all just a dream.  Perhaps it’s because I’ve been waking at around 4-5 am, and then drift back into a restless REM sleep.  My dreams involve total strangers, but I can see these people in vivid detail.  This may well be down to the medication.  Thankfully, they don’t leave me too traumatised, and I do wake up feeling refreshed.

One social event this week – a trip to a local venue, Park House, which is close by on the University of Reading campus.  A lovely old house with plenty of outdoor seating.  It’s always busy, but mostly university staff and members of the public, rather than students (and often large social groups).

My choice of food was a puy lentil, quinoa, lemon & sumac salad with seared rump steak.  Although the description sounded good, the food sadly didn’t match up.  Thankfully the company was excellent! I drank 2 pints of stout which made up for the disappointing meal!

There were around 12 of us altogether and the conversation was good – gardening, travel, food loves (and hates).  Bees and bee propolis.  I was given a jar of honey by one lady who has bee hives, and some propolis was delivered the following day to allow my partner to make a propolis tincture.  Propolis has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.  In return for the propolis, she’ll get a bottle of the tincture he makes.

My final week on 7.5mg, my 10g pen is in the fridge; I’ll be taking my first dose today.

Weight loss progress – a week ago I was 65.6kg (10 stone 3lbs) and today at weigh-in I was 64.1kg (10st 1b), so a loss of 1.5kg.  Total loss of 7.2kg and over halfway to my goal weight of 57kg.

Mounjaro weight loss chart. I weigh myself every morning (when at home)

 

This is the entire 13+ years of my weight loss journey. The start of taking Mounjaro is the sharp decline at the end (June 2025)

 

 

Mounjaro Journey – 11 weeks in, 7.5mg

flidfit Disability, Eating Out, Mounjaro, Travel

I’ve not got as many images to share this week as I ate out a lot…. I feel it a little anti-social to start photographing one’s food.  But it was all delicious.

This will be my last week on the 7.5ml dosage, and we’ve been hit with the news that there will be substantial price increases for Mounjaro sometime in September.  Some reports are suggesting as much as 170% with the cost for the highest dose rising from £122 to £330.

My next injection pen will wing it’s way to me this week, increasing from 7.5ml to 10ml.  I am fortunate not to have experienced any side effects so far and am hoping this will continue.  So… depending on the hike in cost, it may be time to switch to Wegovy?  I’ll cross that bridge once I need to.

One thing for sure is that weight loss medication is making a difference to me. Mounjaro mimics the GLP-1 hormone (glucagon-like peptide-1), which tells your brain to let you know you’re full and slows down how quickly you digest your food. It helps me feel fuller for longer and reducing cravings.

Wegovy only works on GLP-1, whereas Mounjaro works on GLP-1 and the GIP hormone (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide).

The price increase is not something to concern myself with just yet!

I reported last week that I had two big social weekends, one immediately after the other, and this weekend was my second such weekend!  I was responsible for organising a weekend for 14 friends visiting Reading from Canada, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden and… Oxford.

Myself and my partner stayed at the hotel with everyone else so that we could fully participate in the programme of events that I’d planned.

I was a little apprehensive about everything going according to plan and without any mishaps or emergencies.  I’d done everything in my power to ensure this!  Most of the group are damaged as a consequence of the drug Thalidomide, which is how my own impairments were caused.  Six of us are wheelchair users!  So getting everything right was imperative.

Terry Dixon, Terry’s Walkabouts explains how locks work and describes the route of the Kennet and Avon Canal.

It all went brilliantly – from start to finish.  We had a brilliant private walking tour of Reading, which took in Reading Abbey, the Harris Arcade, and we heard all about Huntley and Palmers Biscuit factory production, learned about the Kennet and Avon Canal which runs through the centre of Reading and how locks operate.

I ate breakfast in the hotel each morning, drank alcohol, ate lunch and enjoyed dinner in restaurants.  I most definitely was eating far less than pre-Mounjaro – I even left food on my plate.  Even though it was all very delicious, I just felt full long before my plate was empty.  I enjoyed a Beetroot and rose syrup iced latte (sounds interesting I thought… must give it a try!)

Beetroot and rose syrup latte. Matcha latte.

And my weight??? I’m 65.2kg so slightly down from last weeks 65.9kg. Earlier in the week the scales gave me a 64.9kg reading – given all the socialising, I am very happy with a small loss!

This week things are back to normal so I can crack on with eating well, eating less and shifting some more weight!

 

 

Mounjaro Journey – 10 weeks in

flidfit Disability, Eating Out, Eating Out, Mounjaro, Travel

Wow, this was a social week!  I’m not used to eating out very often, but the next couple of weeks are quite full-on in terms of being away from home and eating meals out.

On Friday evening, I was invited to join a friend and his wife, who were visiting from Germany and were passing through Reading on their way from London to Exeter.

As a wheelchair user, I prefer to use venues that I know work well for me, in terms of travelling into the centre of town (by wheelchair, a 20-minute “run”) and which have plenty of space around tables and a decent accessible loo.

I settled on Cote Brasserie, which also offers great value for money.  I’ve never had a bad dining experience, and the food is “good enough”.  I settled on the “Prix Fixe” menu (two courses for £21.50).  My choices were the “Poulet au Bacon”, a marinated chicken breast in garlic, thyme & smoked paprika, with a smoked bacon velouté and salad vierge served with frites.  Not bad for 625 calories.  Then I chose two scoops of ice cream for around 200 calories.  Other desserts sounded more appealing, but in my view, just not worth 400-600 calories!  I drank two Blood Orange & Grapefruit sodas (around 100 calories each).

Saturday to Monday, I travelled to Bedford, two nights away with a group of amazing women.  These are disabled women whom I got to know when all of our children were just a few years old – they are now all approaching or already in their 30s (the children that is….!). Bedford was lovely (a market town on the banks of the River Ouse).  The weather was fab.

Together with others, we established a national organisation (charity) to support disabled people who were or who were planning to be parents.  That’s not “parents of disabled children” but where the parents themselves face challenges and barriers because of their impairments. Being a new parent is challenging enough without the added complication of an impairment.

Now I could devote a whole blog post to just how invaluable this organisation was to disabled parents who might otherwise have been isolated and alone in working out how to overcome the many barriers they faced – not just the physical, but almost more importantly, the attitudinal attitudes towards anyone who may need support to be the parent(s) they want to be.  BUT…. that’s not what this Blog is all about…  these women I count amongst the strongest, most capable and supportive bunch of people you will ever meet, and I love catching up with them all.

So…. food was enjoyed, alcohol was consumed.  The sun shone brightly and we talked (a lot!)  I travelled home to my next Mounjaro injection.

Scores on the doors……. weight is 65.9kg today, so up from 65.4kg (500g) last Monday.  I’d have been surprised to see a loss, to be honest.  This will likely be mostly food in transit.  Usually, following a weekend of eating more calories and moving less, the damage is worse!

Mounjaro Journey – 9 weeks in

flidfit Eating Out, Eating Out, Fakeaways, Healthy Swaps, Mounjaro, Recipes, Uncategorized

After my Blog post last week, where I expressed my slight disappointment about the lack of movement on the scales, I thought it would be prudent to take body measurements.  I’m so pleased that I did!  Whilst the scales haven’t moved much in the past month, the inches (or centimetres) are disappearing.

I have to say I was quite astonished – especially at the 8cm from my waist!  It’s given me faith in the process that my excess pounds are slowly disappearing!

I’ve lost 0.9kg this week (just under 2lbs), which brings my total loss in 9 weeks to 6.1kg (13½lbs).  I’m fairly confident that I’ll be hitting that 1 stone barrier over the coming week.

This week, I’ve discovered some great recipes to help increase my daily protein intake – simple and quick.

I came across a recipe for “sheet kebabs”.  Now I love a kebab, but threading chunks of meat onto a skewer and then getting them back off the skewer once they’re on my plate provides somewhat of a challenge with just three fingers, no thumbs, and shortened arms.  I usually end up wearing the marinade or losing half of my chunks of meat across the table top.  The “sheet kebab” method involves mixing all of the ingredients in a bowl and then pressing the meat mixture into a lined baking tray or dish, scoring it into (kebab-sized) lengths and cooking.  No skewers involved at all!

This preparation method meant I could dispense with all of those challenges (and mess).  I used pork mince, but chicken, lamb or beef would also work well.

Indian Spiced Sheet Pan Kebab – 99 calories each

Pork, Mince, 5% Fat – 454g

Red Pepper, Raw – ½ Med / 70g

Red Onions, Raw – ½ Med / 75g

Garlic, Raw – 3 Cloves/9g

Ground Cumin – 1½ Tsps / 7.5g

Ground Coriander, Ground -, 1½ Tsps / 7.5g

Cornflour – 1½ Tsps / 7.5g

Ground Garam Masala – 2 Tsps / 10g

Olive Oil, Extra Virgin – 7ml

Fresh coriander – 1 bunch / 20g

Method

Preparation:  Peel and finely dice the red onion.  Peel and mince the garlic.  De-seed and finely chop the red pepper.  Chop the fresh coriander.

In a large mixing bowl, using your hands (or someone else’s hands in my case…), mix together the spices, cornflour, red onion, garlic, red pepper and fresh coriander.  Ensure that they are well combined.

Line a baking dish (approx. 20cm x 20cm) with baking parchment.  Transfer the mince mixture to the dish and press it out evenly to fill the tray.

Use a knife to score the meat into 8 thin strips, about 2-3cm wide.  Adjust according to the shape of the pan you are using.

Then score each strip diagonally to create a decorative pattern.  This helps the meat to cook evenly and crisp up a little.  Use a brush to brush over the oil.  The oil will ensure better browning.

Preheat the grill to medium.

Place the tray under the hot grill and cook for 6–8 minutes, or until the top is browned, caramelised, and cooked through.  No need to flip.

 

Nutrition Data Per Serving (one kebab strip)

Calories (kcal) 98.6

Protein (g) 0.9

Carbohydrate (g) 3.6

Fat (g) 3.6

Fibre (g) 12.9

Fruit & Veg 0.3

Serve:
Slice or lift out the kebab strips and serve inside pitta breads or wraps with salad and a mint yoghurt dip or tzatziki. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

Tips
Try it with a spicy sweet chilli sauce or mango chutney for extra punch.  I had a few kebabs left over, so I chopped them into cubes and served them as meatballs (meatcubes!) with a Moroccan spiced sauce the following day.  Delicious!

Next weekend I have the challenge of a weekend away with some girlfriends – we are staying in a hotel and eating out 2 nights in a row.  My exercise will be limited as I don’t really fancy transporting my gym ball away to a hotel!  But I am determined to remain in control of my eating… I will make sensible choices.  I love a challenge.

Life is for living and weekends away are part of that.