Midweek Catch Up 04/02/26
Hello again, I am so sorry that I have been a little lax in my midweek updates. There have been so many things going on here; it’s just been one extra thing I haven’t managed to juggle. Anyway, here we are, and I have quite a lot to share.
Health Update
Menopause
I have recently had my injection again, and now I am very much lactose intolerant. That said, they are keeping my horrible cycles away, so I will take that. Have you read the nightmare I have had with cycles before? I have a possible diagnosis of endometriosis, I think, but it is unclear at the moment.
Mental Health
My mental health has been a bit up and down lately. There have been the ups of wedding planning and then the general downs, such as flashbacks and things. That said, I feel pretty reasonable on the whole.
Weight Loss
I have lost more weight now and up to 16.5lb in 4 weeks, so that is good. I am doing it by myself without any injections or clubs etc so I am pleased with that.
Life
Ben is still struggling with his operation recovery, which, of course, means we are still regularly at the doctors for his dressing changes and such. All this is really quite draining if I am honest, and that has probably not been helping my mental health either. That said, he has it much worse, bless him.
Wedding Planning
We have been taking massive strides forward in wedding planning. I have found the perfect dress, we have chosen a photographer, car, and florist, so it is all coming together nicely. The save-the-date cards have gone out too, so I will be able to share them with you in the next few days, as Vistaprint kindly gave me some credit to review theirs! I am not having bridesmaids, but I am having some special ladies as my something blue. Have you seen that on my TikTok, Facebook or Instagram? I will share a blog post about that, too!
Book Reviews
I have read a few books over the last month, some good, some not so good! I will include links so that you can check them out if you wish.
The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell – this was one of my Christmas presents, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A young couple disappeared one night, leaving their baby with her mum, and no one knows what happened to them. The little boy grows, and there is no sign of the couple until someone new moves into a house near where they disappeared from, and clues start to appear. This was a true page-turner, and whilst there were elements that were predictable, I really enjoyed it. I would give it 9/10.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro – this is the first book I have read by Kazuo Ishiguro, as I was intrigued, as a few people at book club had read his books and enjoyed them. I found this book very different to my usual choices. It was very well written, and Ishiguro is definitely a literary genius writing in such a captivating way. The book is narrated by Kathy, who looks back on her childhood at Hailsham, an apparently caring English boarding school. As Kathy and her friends Ruth and Tommy grow older, it becomes clear that they are clones raised solely to become organ donors, and that their lives have been carefully controlled to make them accept this fate. The novel is a quiet, haunting look at friendship, love, memory, and how people cope with loss and mortality. Overall, whilst I enjoyed it and it was well written, I personally would give it 7/10 as I am not sure it has overly inspired me to read any of his other books, but a good story nonetheless.
Dear Debbie, by Freida McFadden – As you may have noticed, I am quite a fan of Freida McFadden’s books, and this is the latest release. It only came out on 27th January, and I got it right away and read it in a few evenings. I did really enjoy this book, but must say it wasn’t my favourite of hers. A twisted thriller where Debbie, the writer of a problem section of the local newspaper, starts to take things into her own hands and payback people who have done her wrong in some way. There are lots of twists along the way, and at some points you are cheering her on, and others you are shocked. A great book, and I would definitely recommend it to other fans of her books. I would give it 8.5/10.
Latest from the Blog
I have been busy writing you new posts in the last month (and forgetting to do the midweek catch-ups!), so here are some of them you might find useful or interesting.
Nutrition and recipes:
- Everything you need to know about lentils
- Fibremaxxing – the truth of the TikTok trend
- Pasta alternatives
- How to make a healthier Yorkshire Pudding Wrap
- 15 Protein shake recipes
- Cajun loaded potato wedges recipe
- Healthy Indian Snack Ideas
- Pancake day ideas and tips
- The best low-fat cheeses
- Foods for slow-release energy
- High protein breakfast ideas
- How to make dried herbs and spices last longer
- Vegan 5 bean chilli recipe
- Substitutions for curry leaves
- Alternatives to wine in cooking
Me time and love yourself tips:
Diet-related posts:
- Ozempic Diet Plan Tips
- Calorie counting for weight loss
- Our favourite Slimming World “free foods”
- The truth about metabolism
- Why slow weight loss is actually good
- How many calories does walking really burn?
Lifestyle posts
- How to start a weight loss blog
- 100 Things you didn’t know about me
- Vinted scams to watch out for
- How to talk to your family about funeral planning
- DIY Valentine’s gifts
