MargieH

Den, even small changes can help. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed..... changing food habits takes time. Some men round here go to Slimming World, some with their wives and some alone. Early last year, the pastor at our church walked the 3 miles each way to a local class every week and he has lost about 3 - 4 stone. He wanted to lose weight because he decided to climb the 3 peaks for a charity. He did it and said he'd never have made it at his starting weight of c 13 - 14 stone. I think having a specific goal can help. His wife didn't go to the SW classes but joined in with adapting their diet and she, too, lost about a stone and climbed the 3 peaks with him.

It's not really HOW MUCH food you eat - it's the TYPE of food you eat. Unfortunately, the things to avoid are the ones our bodies usually love..... fat and sugar (salt, too, but that's not associated per se with weight gain,unless it's on crisps (fat) or chips (fat) etc I suppose all you can do is avoid too much cheese, jam, chocolate, cakes, biscuits and puddings etc, unless you have made these yourself and can replace the sugar ingredient with a sugar substitute or drastically reduce the fat content. Grilling rather than than roasting or frying meat is good as well. Obviously, eat more fresh fruit and vegetables and only put a tiny smear of butter etc on your bread - bread is fine, and spuds are too, providing you don't put fatty sauces or fillings on them (plain jackets are the way to go) Walking (fairly brisk, not just ambling) or swimming is really good to use up some excess calories, as long as you don't reward yourself with a Mars Bar afterwards! Sounds a bit depressing, doesn't it.... but it depends whether you want to really lose weight or just dabble for a while... Basically, you just need to consume less calories than you are using each day and change the way you look at food for ever! Don't lose much more than 1kg (2.2lbs) each week as this is just about right, and only weigh yourself once a week at the same time, as weight can fluctuate during the week All easy to say,of course.....

That's where we got our Scamp from as I wrote 5 hours ago!

BK I know where he's buried, does that count?

I think you are right, CT. We bought our mongrel puppy, Scamp, from the market in about 1950. He and his siblings were in a little cage and, looking back, were barely old enough to have been taken from their mum. He was tiny and shivered on my knee all the way home on the bus. I can't remember exactly but I think mum had to just give him milk and gravy at first. We didn't know any better in those days, but I'm pleased they don't still sell puppies like that! He cost 7/6 btw..

My mum used to boil a sheep's head from the butcher for my dog, Scamp, in the late fifties. It smelled dreadful, but he liked it! He also ate the scraps from our meals. I remember mum buying a tin of Chappie as a treat for him, but he actually rolled in it!! He often roamed by himself and followed me to school one morning (with a bit of encouragement from me..). He did go out on a lead as well, but whenever I took him to the park and let him off, he often went home by himself...

One of our cats got a tick once, but I don't walk through long grass or undergrowth these days, so I'll probably be alright! hope you haven't got Lyme disease , Loppy x

I can't see the photos either - have you put them on Fb? I can enjoy them on there..

Loppy and Oz... I appreciate that your spiders are a bit of a different case from the ones here in the U.K. But seeing as I'm extremely unlikely now to visit either of your two countries * I'm not too worried.... *. Our passports expired last year I liked the little song about the spider on the toilet seat btw

I just gently pick (any size) spiders up and carry them in my closed cupped hands outside. They tickle a bit but I don't mind. They aren't pests and I can't understand arachnophobia. I know I'm probably in the minority on here, though!

Brew, is it the book 'The Cricket Match' by Hugh De Selincourt? I've just googled it and there are several for sale online.

Sorry to hear the news about your neighbour, Mary. I expect her husband will need a lot of support after this sudden death. Do they have children?

My grandson and I used to dig up worms from one side of the garden and carry them to the other side. We called it giving the worms a little holiday... he was about 3 or 4 at the time. @radfordred I liked your snail story. I never realised you understood snail language. I only understand a bit of cat language, although I don't speak it ...lol @Stavertongirl Have you tried asking it nicely to leave?

FLY, I think you are a kind person, taking the little creature on his 'holidays'. I hope he/she made some new friends there ..... OK. I. know I'm anthropomorphising (is that really a word? iPad says it is but it looks funny.....)

You're not 'cruel' nonna - you took the little mouse into the fields! Well done..