Cabbage Soup Diet starts Today

Normally after each Winter Season, I go on the Cabbage Soup Diet as it gives me a kick-start to loose the few extra kilos I pick up over Winter. I've picked up almost 5kg this winter which is a record for me. Usually its only a couple. Urgh!

Let me first tell you that this diet isn't recommended for everyone as I use my own version of it and I do it because it works for ME. I don't use it as a detox programme at all. I do it purely to get the weight loss started before I go on to a regular sensible eating programme to get in shape before summer starts.

I make my soup quite spicy by using Chilli Beef Stock and adding a couple of spoons of curry powder. The normal Cabbage Soup is quite bland and you get sick of it by Day 3. I only eat the soup (as much as you want) fruit and vegetables. I don't do the complete programme eating certain things on certain days. I just live on raw foods and the soup. The only thing I can't seem to give up during the 7 Days is my cuppa tea with one sugar. I still have that every now and then to take the sugar cravings away.

So my soup looks nothing like the bowl below which is on their website.

I also take a appeteit suppresant during this time (otherwise you will get hungry) usually Duromine or Dischem's Slimming Dragess. Because eating 10 bowls of cabbage soup a day can cause havoc with your farting power. Explosiveness in the boardroom is a no-no so I normally limit myself to three bowls a day.

I have warmed My Boerewors (aka hubby) that I'm back on the diet this week. This usually prompts him to roll his eyes and peg his nose with his fingers and say "Geez you gonna fart me out the bed again". Yip, deal with it! What would you prefer - a smelly fart or two or a fat wife? This normally clams him up, followed by lots of "wafting" of the duvet up and down on the bed to let the invisible evils out.

I liquidize my cabbage soup to make it thicker and because I'm not fond of celery I don't want to see "chunks" of it so I divide my pot of soup into two batches, blend the one half and then combine them together again so I have some chunky bits that I like (carrots and cabbage) with the thickness of a blended soup. Make sense?

My Own Cabbage Soup Recipe:

• Head of cabbage
• Bag of carrots
• Bunch of celery
• Two Green Peppers
• Bunch of spring onions
• Packet of White Onion Soup
• Punnet of Mushrooms
• Four Tomatoes
• Black Pepper
• Two teaspoons of Curry Powder
• Three Chilli Beef Stock cubes

1. Chop everything up and boil slowly for a couple of hours.
2. Divide into two equal portions.
3. Blend one portion and combine again.
4. Remember to drink at least 2 litres of water a day.
5. Eat raw fruits and steamed veggies inbetween your bowls of soup for a bit of variety

Wish me luck!!! Will keep you all posted as I intend going to gym at least three or four times this week and I will weigh in today at gym to get my start weight and will refrain from weighing myself until Sunday again. I will be writing a diary of how I'm feeling this week so that you can see each day's progress.

See you again tomorrow.

Hysterical : The tears were rolling down my face!

Stumbled across this guy, Ray William Johnson, on YouTube and he is hysterical. He has a forum called =3 aka Equals Three. Would love to get access to it - aparently you need to be a VIP to get in and all-and-all. Och well will just have to be happy with what he posts on YouTube.

Cold Friday Nights At Home with Guitar Hero World Tour

I asked Riaan if we could just stay home on Friday night with a bottle of wine and XBOX 360, playing Guitar Hero World Tour once the girls had gone to bed. Thats just what we did.

However, we were surprised by friends who joined us which made it even more fun, as it added more flavour to our band. The newly fixed drums were broken in again and both guitars didn't stop jammin' all night.

We had a good night filled with laughs, music, wine and friends. Thanx for popping by guys! You know who you are.

What more could anyone ask for on a Friday night to chill out?

Painting Box Cars : Saturday Fun

Saturday was FREEZING and pouring with rain so we stayed indoors and the girls and I spent a few hours on Saturday turning ordinary cardboard boxes into Wearable Box Cars.

We first painted the boxes and left them to dry and then made holes for the shoulder straps and put some thick elastic through to make them "wearable". We cut out black cardboard circles for the wheels and cardboard shapes for the lights, handles and grill at the front.

We had lots of fun getting messy...

Megan's car had a yellow star on the side and even an exhaust pipe!

Kaylin's car had a grill and mags!

Sunday afternoon Ronel, Werner and Morné popped around for a visit and the boys enjoyed playing with them too.

Werner (looking a bit like Rodney Robot)

Morné getting his turn

Lookin After Claire Jane

What a little angel!

I finally got the opportunity to babysit my niece, Claire Jane who is now 5 weeks old and what a wee darlin'. She is such a little cutie pie and so content...

KK and Megan enjoyed it so much and were like bees around a honey pot. They couldnt' leave her alone.

Here's some shots we took of our evening and early morning together.

All the girls

A special moment - Megan is TOTALLY besotted and so gentle with Claire.

A real wee mummy.

Kaylin - dead chuffed to also be able to get a snuggle

KK sharing a kiss with Claire

Claire Jane getting her nappy changed.

Claire Jane having her supper