#21 - Become Pescetarian* for a month - Started 3/1/16 - Concluded

Happy New Year :-)  Thought I'd chuck myself in at the deep end and get this one out of the way.  Although, if tonight's tea is anything to go by, it's going to be a lot better than I anticipated.  *I have decided that I am going to eat fish and shellfish sparingly.  I know it's not 'proper' to do so, but there we go.  I've amended the blog post title because there'll always be one who'll delight in telling me I am not eating a vegetarian diet...

My husband and daughter have been following this with me (of their own accord) up to now (Thursday 7th January at time of posting).  Since Sunday I have had one packet of crisps (cheese and onion!), one apple, and a couple of handfuls of chopped walnuts as snacks.  That is literally all that has passed my lips aside from my food.  And anyone who knows me will tell you that is unheard of.  I am a snacker, especially at night, I am always on the hunt for something after tea, while I'm sat reading or comping.  I've been so full after my tea that twice I've been unable to finish my plate, let alone want anything later.

I also bought a spiraliser from The Works at a bargain price of £13.00 at their 'Offer of the Week' price, and using the £2.00 I had earned on my reward card.  So, I am looking forward to trying some different veggies spiralised.

Veggie Bolognese, Celery Soup, Veggie Fajita Pizza, Sweet Potato hash with poached egg and spinach

Prawn Pasta, Prawn Curry and Egg fried Rice, Indian Burger with Sweet Potato fries and Courgetti, Kedgeree

Update - After ten days of following the diet, I gave up on it.  Not because I couldn't do it, I was actually eating better, and - as I thought it - healthier than ever.  I wasn't snacking between meals, I wasn't craving junk food.  I was so full I was leaving food on my plate.  The problem, however, was in the scales.  I initially lost a few pounds but suddenly put them back on - and some!  I had to weigh up (no pun intended) whether I could do this for another two and a half weeks, and how much weight I could potentially put on and decided it wasn't worth the risk.  I knew that had I followed the healthy eating plan I usually do, I'd have lost between 7 - 10lbs in those 10 days.  If I had lost weight, then it would have been a different matter altogether.

I'm glad I did it though, even though I cannot properly count it as a list win, I'm going to anyway.  It gave me the incentive to cook properly again, I had to actually think twice about what I was going to make.  I cooked some really nice meals, the veggie bolognese I think outclasses a meat one, and the Butternut Squash and Bean chilli I made tasted even nicer the next day.  So I've also got some keepers in the recipe department, and I think our family are going to adopt at least Meat Free Monday.  But it might be on a Wednesday.  Or Sunday. 

#18 - Stop Drinking Wine - Update

Well, well, well.  The 4th of November 2015 was a bit of a double whammy for me.  Not only the day I quit Facebook, but also the last time I had a drink of wine.  Actually, the last time that alcohol passed my lips?  Do I feel better for it from an allergy perspective?  Hard to tell, because I have a stinking cold so I'm still bloody sneezy and snotty.  I think my skin has cleared up though, it's not as blotchy and rashy as usual.  And waking up in the morning and not wasting a whole day feeling dog rough?  Priceless.

I am going to have a few drinks at Christmas, I just don't know at the moment if it's worth touching wine?  We shall see.  But nearly five weeks wine free, that's good by my standards :-)

Update - I had two bottles of wine on New Year's Eve *cough - amongst other things - cough*

#14 - Deactivate Facebook for at least a month - Update

Deactivated at noon, 4th November 2015.  Whether I can last a month remains to be seen. Ideally, it will be a permanent thing.  Still, it's a start.

Update - Monday 7th December, and I am still off it, and I am loving it!   I feel free from it at last, and I don't feel like I am missing out on anything.  I like not being privy to the racism and homophobia and vague statuses to make people fish for information or to glean sympathy - you know, general fuckwittery that makes me go all 'grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!'   Long may it last.

Update - I went back on for 24 hours just before Christmas, as I have a lot of friends there who I am not in touch with any other way.  I said 'Merry Christmas', that I'd been off it for 7 weeks, and I was back for 24 hours only.  Hopefully that sorts out all the people who take offence and think I've deleted them or blocked them.  Nice to have the option to do that occasionally, but I am still glad to be off it, and am not tempted to go back.