Cate's Diary
- Thread starter Cate
- Start date
Cate
Long term member
I always do lots of research, Em, no matter what it's about. It was good to ask at the vets & the expense of having his teeth cleaned properly also inspired me to look after his teeth better.
I have been very careful today & just took myself away from what looks like it will be a very good book- The Rose Code, by Kate Quinn, about Bletchley Park.
I took Arch for a shortish walk this morning, got his 2nd lot of meds into him unsuspectingly (YAY!) & had a delicious lunch- 3 dolmades, 4 cherry tomatoes, a stick of celery, 3 snow peas, 4 rice crackers with 25g cheese & 1 pickled onion, followed by 10 grapes, some pineapple & a kiwi fruit. Yum!
When G gets home from golf (current, soon to be old) club we will have a pot of tea.
I had a mock G & T before lunch as I want then gone. They are not nice & are taking up valuable fridge space. Our garage fridge is much smaller than our last one.
Dinner will be vegetable & chicken soup, followed by something- not sure yet as I have spare calories(200).
It's wonderful you are starting to feel better after eating cleaner. I love when doing something good is it's own reward! I am feeling better paying attention to mostly veggies and protein, and just using the healthy fats to make sure I feel full enough not to want many non-veggie carbs.
Thanks for all the info on Archie and what helps his teeth. My cat loves wet cat food, so I see why her teeth are like that. I think I'll try cooked chicken, too. She really likes that. And I forgot about Greenies. Anyway, all really good info to ponder!
Glad you are being careful with your knee. It sounds like you should leave the furniture lifting to G for a while! I threw out a lot of food that is in theory nice and maybe should be saved, but that we just don't eat. It feels really good to start fresh with all stuff we like that's good for us. I had a huge double fridge at the last house and now am using my mom's single fridge that is at least 1/3 freezer. It is interesting pairing down because I can use this as a reason to eat less and savor what meals we make. The less is more thing is a nice change.
I like that you snuck the medicine for Arch in quickly. We have to wrap our cat in a mummy-tight blanket to get pills in her, so there isn't a possibility to sneak things in!
Your book and food sound really good. Hope you can savor taking it easy!
Thanks for all the info on Archie and what helps his teeth. My cat loves wet cat food, so I see why her teeth are like that. I think I'll try cooked chicken, too. She really likes that. And I forgot about Greenies. Anyway, all really good info to ponder!
Glad you are being careful with your knee. It sounds like you should leave the furniture lifting to G for a while! I threw out a lot of food that is in theory nice and maybe should be saved, but that we just don't eat. It feels really good to start fresh with all stuff we like that's good for us. I had a huge double fridge at the last house and now am using my mom's single fridge that is at least 1/3 freezer. It is interesting pairing down because I can use this as a reason to eat less and savor what meals we make. The less is more thing is a nice change.
I like that you snuck the medicine for Arch in quickly. We have to wrap our cat in a mummy-tight blanket to get pills in her, so there isn't a possibility to sneak things in!
Your book and food sound really good. Hope you can savor taking it easy!
Did the burning feeling in your right knee start before or after the ram incident? It could "just" be that your right leg was/is taking all the strain from getting up and such or it could be that favoring your left leg is throwing your back off and aggravating your nerves.
Cate
Long term member
I think that would be a very sensible thing to do too. I wasn't really lifting much, but it was the twisting at the same time that hurt
It sure is!
I had also read online that you should wash your hands thoroughly after hiding the pill as they will be on the lookout if they know it's there somewhere. I prepared about an hour beforehand. I wrapped some chicken around the pill & then covered that with melted cheese around it to make a small ball. Then I put it in a clean bowl with a little more cheese & a little more chicken & chilled it all. After getting back from our walk I prepared my lunch, casually put his bowl down & sat down & ate mine without even giving him a glance. I didn't go check until he had polished it off & walked away. I sti;; half expected to see it there somewhere, but was really chuffed that it was gone
It started well before LaMa. It's just to the right of my right knee & is fairly constant. *sigh* My right leg sometimes just collapses. My back has been aching too. I know that my whole body is out of whack.
Floater
Well-known member
I'm sorry that you are dealing with pain... Yay for medicating Archie with no fuss! Nera is generally more receptive if I don't try to hide any pills, I just cuddle and scratch her beforehand and explain to her that she needs to take the pill (not that she understands human speech, but she gets the sentiment on some level), and let her sniff it, and then gently open her mouth and put the pill as far back onto her tongue as I can, gently hold her snout and lift her head upwards so she swallows. Treats and praises come after, of course. If I try to sneak her meds in her food, she eats everything but the med and gives me a martyr's look for trying to bamboozle her.
Of course, this method is not perfect either - in general, it takes a couple of tries before de-wormers go down the hatch instead of on the floor, as they taste bitter - but all dogs are individuals!I'm hoping little Archie will have a swift recovery <3
Cate
Long term member
Thanks, Floater. The pain is.....a pain & I will be glad when the day comes that I don't have any. Hopefully, losing weight will reduce it. I think I need at least one knee replacement, but I'm hoping things just settle down. It does wear you down a bit as it restricts what I can do. It varies each day.
I think most bigger dogs are easier to give meds to. Arch never wolfs down his food & is a delicate, picky eater. I'm glad I managed to fool him. He is a cunning little fella. He's as fit as a trout & I'm not sure what the meds were for. I assume they were antibiotics just to make sure there was no infection after the dental work. They're done now.
After bouncing back up just half a kilo a couple of days ago, I'm back down 1, so 3.5kg lost so far in 9 days. A great start. It will be slower from now on. I was really hungry last night & I had a boiled egg about 9 pm & then I was still hungry so had a dolmade at about 10. I obviously didn't have enough protein with my meals. I think having dolmades with my lunch (high carb) triggered my hunger & also gave me a belly ache. After 10 days without having starchy carbs, the rice in them affected me adversely. My stomach still hurts a bit.
I am not missing wine one little bit. It has done me good doing Dry July & taking a break here & there. I know I'm not physically dependant on alcohol & for that I'm grateful.
Breakfast this morning was Greek-style yoghurt, fresh mango & some almond meal.
I think most bigger dogs are easier to give meds to. Arch never wolfs down his food & is a delicate, picky eater. I'm glad I managed to fool him. He is a cunning little fella. He's as fit as a trout & I'm not sure what the meds were for. I assume they were antibiotics just to make sure there was no infection after the dental work. They're done now.
After bouncing back up just half a kilo a couple of days ago, I'm back down 1, so 3.5kg lost so far in 9 days. A great start. It will be slower from now on. I was really hungry last night & I had a boiled egg about 9 pm & then I was still hungry so had a dolmade at about 10. I obviously didn't have enough protein with my meals. I think having dolmades with my lunch (high carb) triggered my hunger & also gave me a belly ache. After 10 days without having starchy carbs, the rice in them affected me adversely. My stomach still hurts a bit.
I am not missing wine one little bit. It has done me good doing Dry July & taking a break here & there. I know I'm not physically dependant on alcohol & for that I'm grateful.
Breakfast this morning was Greek-style yoghurt, fresh mango & some almond meal.
Cate
Long term member
We'll be heading into the "big smoke" tomorrow to get our annual eye checkup. I know I must need new glasses or my cataracts have grown. I have cataracts in the middle of both eyes. They wait until they are a certain size before doing anything about them. I'm going to use the frames from the time before last as I really liked them. They have multiple colours. I was talked into trying them on by the optometrist & she & G thought they really suited me, & after about 2 weeks so did I.
I am also going to get a haircut. It is way overdue.
I'm not sure if we'll take Arch yet. You can't leave him in the car & it will be much quicker if we leave him home. I'll see how I feel in the morning. My inclination is to leave him at this stage & get home as soon as we can.
I may not come into the forum in the morning so thought I would post now instead.
I put my Christmas tree up today & have also put some fairy lights around the big window behind the tree to light it up as a frame for the tree. It took me quite a while. It's a fence paling tree. The GK's will be here tomorrow night & I want them to have some kids joy as I don't think they have a lot in their lives.
G & I have been doing lots of Spring cleaning.
I'm quite knackered tonight. I did some gardening yesterday & it was quite hot. Arch's yard is a lot tidier. I have been digging up herbs & putting them in pots so any snakes will be more visible.
tomorrow to get our annual eye checkup. I know I must need new glasses or my cataracts have grown. I have cataracts in the middle of both eyes. They wait until they are a certain size before doing anything about them. I'm going to use the frames from the time before last as I really liked them. They have multiple colours. I was talked into trying them on by the optometrist & she & G thought they really suited me, & after about 2 weeks so did I.I am also going to get a haircut. It is way overdue.
I'm not sure if we'll take Arch yet. You can't leave him in the car & it will be much quicker if we leave him home. I'll see how I feel in the morning. My inclination is to leave him at this stage & get home as soon as we can.
I may not come into the forum in the morning so thought I would post now instead.
I put my Christmas tree up today & have also put some fairy lights around the big window behind the tree to light it up as a frame for the tree. It took me quite a while. It's a fence paling tree. The GK's will be here tomorrow night & I want them to have some kids joy as I don't think they have a lot in their lives.
G & I have been doing lots of Spring cleaning.
I'm quite knackered tonight. I did some gardening yesterday & it was quite hot. Arch's yard is a lot tidier. I have been digging up herbs & putting them in pots so any snakes will be more visible.
Yay for 3.5 kg down! That's a very decent chunk of weight, congratulations. Glad to hear you aren't missing the wine. That must make things easier.
Good thinking to replace the dolmades with something higher in protein: at 1200 kcal/day it's so important to keep an eye on the protein.
Good thinking to replace the dolmades with something higher in protein: at 1200 kcal/day it's so important to keep an eye on the protein.
Cate
Long term member
Thanks, LaMa. I hopped on the scales again this morning(they're getting less scary
) & that loss has held. I'm not missing wine at all. I do need some more breakfast options as bread makes breakfast much easier. I had Greek yoghurt again this morning with fresh mango, LSA, almond meal & 4 pistachios. We're out of eggs or I would have had an omelette.I avoided the dolmades altogether yesterday. I always try to keep my protein up, but nuts are so high in calories, so I had some jerky last night when I got hungry. I find it too salty though. I was glad that I hadn't bounced up again.
We got up early & are having a leisurely coffee after breakfast. We'll leave Arch at home & get home as soon as we can. I woke up actually feeling a bit slimmer this morning & looked in the mirror when I got dressed & felt happier with how I looked. 3.5 kg is 7.7 lbs (over half a stone) so that does make a bit of difference. I'm so happy that I am on the way back to being slim again. It has taken me a long time to get this momentum back, but I'm so glad I have.
I think we'll head soon. Maybe we won't get any fresh fish today & shop before our appointments. The market is open tomorrow & the fishmonger will be there with lots of fresh fish.
I hope you have a happy trip to the big city! I am amazed at how much you are doing with sore knees. I know with my mom, she had a collapsed arch on her foot and that messed up her knees. I can't wait until you get your knees checked out to see what the issue is so your knees get releif, but also as you pointed out so the rest of your body doesn't have to try to compensate and become sore and out of place. She also had cataracts and the surgery was not painful and she was so amazed - not only could she see much better, but all the colors were way more vibrant. As an artist, she was so happy to see vivid color again!
I agree iwith LaMa about not missing wine. So wonderful you had practice giving that up so it wasn't a struggle. Love how happy and positive you are feeling, and so happy the weight loss makes you feel better!
I agree iwith LaMa about not missing wine. So wonderful you had practice giving that up so it wasn't a struggle. Love how happy and positive you are feeling, and so happy the weight loss makes you feel better!
Cate
Long term member
We had a really good trip to the city thanks, M. We had a list, including finding a frame for a small painting R brought back from Peru years & years ago & the place I had my last painting framed at was still there. It was fun picking out the right frame & the right board behind it. I think I have a knack for that sort of thing. When we pick it up I will take a pic of it & the Mexican one I have in my bedroom. This one is so cute. R will be thrilled when he sees it.
I had a great haircut- the best I have had for years. G & I both had eye appointments. His eyesight is almost perfect. My eyes have changed in a strange way. My old glasses work better with the old prescription & my eyes work better long distances without any. I thought I was going bonkers. It looks like my cataracts are the problem & I am now booked in to see an eye specialist in early January. I came away feeling good. If they think that is the problem I'll get onto a list to get them done. I would love to be able to see things more clearly.
I also bought G his C'mas present- a watch. He loves it!
I have always enjoyed drinking wine, but am really grateful that it hasn't become an addiction. I love how we take so much pleasure from one another's happiness. I really appreciate my WLF friendsI agree iwith LaMa about not missing wine. So wonderful you had practice giving that up so it wasn't a struggle. Love how happy and positive you are feeling, and so happy the weight loss makes you feel better!
I love how we take so much pleasure from one another's happiness. I really appreciate my WLF friends
Same. Looking forward to those pictures.
Cate
Long term member
If I forget about the photos, please remind me. I may not get the picture back before Christmas, but I hope I do.Thanks, Em. It was a really good day, followed by our son, D & the 2 teenage GK's coming for dinner & staying the night. They're all still in bed now, which is why I'm on here briefly. I decorated my tree with all the wonderful decorations G's brother & his wife have bought on their O/S trips & also made for each of the great nieces & nephews over the years. I also put up fairy lights to frame the window behind it. It looked magical last night & all 3 took photos. They loved it.
I have tried to make my tree photo smaller to post it, but forgot how I did it last time
I'll try later today as I hear someone's up.
I have had a really good cry this morning as it looks like our younger son, R's old dog may have to be put to sleep. He went to the emergency vet last night & he may have organ failure. R is devastated. I'll talk about it later as I don't want to cry again just as the kids come out.
Cate
Long term member
About 14, LaMa. They’re still not sure what is wrong exactly & have done lots of blood tests. Tomorrow R will know more & see if the decision needs to be made.
My decorations look lovely & today I bought a beautiful hand/crafted Xmas banner. I’ll put things up gradually. It’s mainly for the GK’s but also they cheer you up. I don’t have any tacky stuff left- only good stuff & some nostalgic stuff.
My decorations look lovely & today I bought a beautiful hand/crafted Xmas banner. I’ll put things up gradually. It’s mainly for the GK’s but also they cheer you up. I don’t have any tacky stuff left- only good stuff & some nostalgic stuff.
Cate
Long term member
Poor R. A had total kidney failure(an infected gall bladder) & couldn't pass urine yesterday. H drove him to the vet last night & R held him while he was put to sleep. He was absolutely devastated. It happened so quickly. I couldn't sleep last night worrying about R. We're all upset because we know what that dog meant to him. I haven't heard from him this morning yet. I am so glad that H is with him, but tomorrow she will go to work & he will be home on his own.
Edit: I messaged him & we have exchanged quite a few. I almost forgot to come back here. I have asked him to try to do something nice today & to eat healthily & go for a nice walk with H. I'll keep reminding him as I don't want him spiralling down again &
I have been putting my calories in MFP before I consume anything, so I can adjust quantities back or add something in to get them up to almost 1200. I switch things in & out all the time. For me, it works better. Yesterday I found that more difficult.
We bought a really unusual steel cabinet/cage/stand thingy at the market yesterday, which we both loved & I just rearranged my plants to fit it in. I love it. Once again, I'll take some photos when I work out how to make them smaller to fit in with the forum *sigh*
Note to self- photos of the new stand, 2 framed pics & my Xmas tree.
G just went out brush cutting, so I had better get moving. I may go down to D's house & bring back a heap of stuff to wash & give to the op shop, rather than it go to landfill. I found some treasures yesterday that I will keep & some I will give away, but I do hate seeing waste & there's just too much stuff there for D to deal with. The boys left his house in a state.
Anyhow, I had better get on the move.
I just answered G's phone & had a big laugh with one of his golfing buddies. He's a scream. That felt like good medicine!
Edit: I messaged him & we have exchanged quite a few. I almost forgot to come back here. I have asked him to try to do something nice today & to eat healthily & go for a nice walk with H. I'll keep reminding him as I don't want him spiralling down again &
I have been putting my calories in MFP before I consume anything, so I can adjust quantities back or add something in to get them up to almost 1200. I switch things in & out all the time. For me, it works better. Yesterday I found that more difficult.
We bought a really unusual steel cabinet/cage/stand thingy at the market yesterday, which we both loved & I just rearranged my plants to fit it in. I love it. Once again, I'll take some photos when I work out how to make them smaller to fit in with the forum *sigh*
Note to self- photos of the new stand, 2 framed pics & my Xmas tree.
G just went out brush cutting, so I had better get moving. I may go down to D's house & bring back a heap of stuff to wash & give to the op shop, rather than it go to landfill. I found some treasures yesterday that I will keep & some I will give away, but I do hate seeing waste & there's just too much stuff there for D to deal with. The boys left his house in a state.
Anyhow, I had better get on the move.
I just answered G's phone & had a big laugh with one of his golfing buddies. He's a scream. That felt like good medicine!
One Christmas tree, two framed pictures, three photos of the new stand... It's turning into a memory game very curious about the new stand: it sounds super cool but I can't picture it at all!
So sorry to hear about R's dog. I can see why you would be worried about him spiraling. Do H and he live together?
very curious about the new stand: it sounds super cool but I can't picture it at all!So sorry to hear about R's dog. I can see why you would be worried about him spiraling. Do H and he live together?
Cate
Long term member
Hi, LaMa. They don't live together, but he will possibly spend more time at her place now. I had a really good talk with him today about needing to make sure he doesn't spiral down & suggested he take up a sport or jogging as he usually is walking his dog. He thought he would start cycling again. He has a great bike & he loves to ride. We discussed where he might be buried too & he thinks he'll take up a friend's offer to bury him on their property with a dog that A spent half his life with. It sounds like a good solution. I hope it happened this afternoon. He'll let me know.
The cabinet is super cool & very hard to explain. I'll take a pic of it soon. Here is my tree, with the window frame, lit up with fairy lights, to go on with. I could email this to myself & it would post, but my others won't. This one was taken on D's Android phone, which used to be mine, but I didn't like it & went back to an iPhone.
The cabinet is super cool & very hard to explain. I'll take a pic of it soon. Here is my tree, with the window frame, lit up with fairy lights, to go on with. I could email this to myself & it would post, but my others won't. This one was taken on D's Android phone, which used to be mine, but I didn't like it & went back to an iPhone.