barbiee:
@mpvGoddess.. How long did you wait for cgfns to receive your credentials? I sent mine on the 12th of may but they are yet to receive them.. Does it normally take this long?

I am just wondering.....can it not be tracked? That way, you know it's been delivered and you can even see the name of the person that picked it up

Hi Guys.....just wondering. I have a job offer in Watford and other invites for interview in both London and Northampton of which i am sure i would get the job. I have been googling cost of living ni watford and it appears to be on the high side especially rent.

Whoever that has good information about watford and northampton should provide.......I am just wondering which of them is a better city to settle in. I am tired of the current city where i live already so i am happy to move but deciding on where to move to is my challenge.

Potatoe chips, ripe plantain and egg +tomatoe sauce.

Potatoe and plantain were not fried but baked abi grilled in the oven. .......cutting down oil intake.

EfemenaXY:
Then for the sake of this thread, I'll claim to be Igbo.

Nna, where are all my Igbo brothers & sisters? Make una back me up. In no particular order:

Cococandy
Edwife
Chillisauce
Njokusboy
Ihedinobi
Queen47
Smartmom
Ifyalways
Lofty900
5minsmadness
Byvan03
Etc

Nne.......A big amen to the prayer. It baffles me how people make it seem like its only Igbos who like money.

Who on this planet earth doesn't like money?

Umunnem, God bless our hustle jare.

Rice, stew, ripe plaintain and lamb chops

Sweet potatoes, fish and egg sauce.

EfemenaXY:





Did you eat ALL of that by YOURSELF??!!

How were you able to get up afterwards? Kia! That would send me to sleep for the whole weekend oh! Oya send the complete picture. Where's the missing pounded yam / Eba / Amala / Fufu??

Going for a 1hr run. Damiso, Queen47, where are you ladies?

Morning all.

Happy Sunday y'all

@Efe....I am here ooo, been following from the sidelines.

How have you been, family and work?

Chillisauce:

Its called cabofish recipe.

Cat boli and fish.
Thank me later

Lol at cabofish. You no serious at all.

I dont know what type of combo this is

Grilled abi roasted plantain and catfish pepper soup.

justwise:


Yes students are still allowed to work 20hrs a week during term time and full time during summer holidays. Though only university students. Not the same with college students

Thanks.

Hi Justwise


Just a quick question.....please, do you know if students still get the 20hours work permit.

I know i read on UKBA site that the new rule affects college students but someone told me his friend wasnt given.

Wanna know which is true really.

Those that were issued visa after the new rule, were you all given 20hours work permit?

EfemenaXY:


Size 8?? This girl, I seriously envy you oh!

I think my case is that of Slow 'n Steady. The weight is coming off, but ever so slowly, but then again, that's to be expected since I haven't really changed my exercise routine that much (and I've had few cheat days too.. )

Exercise-wise, it's still do the daily (Mon - Fri) 30 mins sit-up / lower abs workout + 30 min run (3 miles). Took yesterday off to give my body some rest and slept for a good 10 hrs last night. I tell you, having a good night's sleep is soooooooo important, and your body even burns a lot of calories that way too. Anyway, I decided to spice things just a teeny-weeny bit more and did a 1 hr run after my 30 mins workout. One thing I'd like to say is that doing that 30 min workout first, kinda loosens the knee muscles. I also make sure immediately after my run, I spend 5 - 10 mins stretching my lower 'n upper body. That way, there'll be no after effect muscle pains from running. You should try that too.

Weight this morning: 68.6 kg - t'is tough sha but if peeps like our matron Naijababe (kudos to her!) can cruise at 62kg, then I see no reason why Efe can't. Me sef, my aim is to hit 60kg.

Breakfast this morning was the usual concoction of a large glass of squeezed lime and lemon in hot water, some cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, and an extra 500ml bottle of water.

Happy Sunday to all our fitness ladies on here. (And guys too...)

Well done. Slow and steady is the way. Actually, its been same with me....was never even big from the time i began trying to loose weight. I am always weight conscious so i dont get to that point where it looks hopeless loosing it. Used to be a size 8 top and 10 down but suddenly i got to 10 up and before i knew it, i was heading to 12 down, that was when i knew i had to do something drastic. I bought only 2 size 12 pants and kept repeating them cos i knew i wasnt gonna remain there for long. Again, knowing that i had nothing to wear was enough motivation to work hard so i can wear my clothes.

So, here i am, almost totally back to comfortable size 8 top and i am back to my 10 down, although the scale keeps showing what suits it. Not bothered witb its reading anymore really.

Meanwhile, i ordered 2kg weights from amazon this week and they are here...lol

tchidi:


Iru

Is Iru same as dawadawa? Anyway, its definitely different from ogiri

tchidi:
So, here's an amazing way of cooking egusi soup.... awesome!!!!!

Yea, thats actually how egusi is cooked in my house.....the soup comes out with the egus in small lumps kinda.

Been trying to make it but my hands just cant kix the egusi well enough till it starts bringing oil since i dont have a mortal and pestle

Moca dear....i am really speechless.
Dont know what to say to you at this very moment.
I pray God gives you strength to pull through this very trying time.
Stay strong nne.

FannySwindler:
queen47. Thanks for the explanation. Will make an attempt soon. I think...my mistake is over blending it.

You are welcome.

FannySwindler:
Queen47. Your Akara looks nice. How do you go about it? Need to make some this weekend.

Thanks.

After peeling the beans.

Blend with 1/2 onion and pepper (hot one) - I added a lil slice of red pepper to add a bit of colour to it so it doesnt come out looking white

Put in a bowl and add salt and stir for a while ( the commercial sellers do this in a mortar but i improvised with a bowl since i dont have one.

Put your oil on fire and let it heat a bit but not too hot

Scoop your blended beans mixture and add in the oil.

Allow to fry and then turn it to the other side and fry aswell.

Enjoy your home made akara

I just wanted to eat akara so badly this morning. So, i had to prepare it.

Actually, this is my first try

EfemenaXY:




A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Queen oh! I stepped on the scale 3 days ago and guess what? My reading was 69.99kg!!!

And a day later, it came further down to 69.0kg!! ***Dancing Azonto here***

But I know what's caused it sha ....STRESS!

So much stress from work to meet deadlines and hand in deliverables. Been doing very early morning starts, finishing late nights and not getting more than a couple of hours sleep. But you know what, the more stress I got, the more I exercised like crazy. I mean I had to. The environment I work in, it's not uncommon for people to turn to cocaine or commit suicides. So my own stress relief na to hit the streets and work it all out.

I never for once missed my 30 mins lower-abs workout / sit-ups and 30 mins run every morning. Still do my 30-45 min swim class and 1 hr run on Saturdays too.

Breakfast has been nothing other than a squeezed lime and lemon in a very large glass of warm (almost hot water), 4 or 5 cherry tomatoes, and sometimes, a couple of cucumber slices. Lunch at work has religiously been cold salads. All greens available - lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli, shredded carrots, sweet corn, grilled chicken pieces, mackerel, chick peas, green peas, and half a spoon of pasta - if space still remain to add am. Oh, and a teaspoon of olive oil. Then two bananas for tea and a litre of water for the whole afternoon. We've even got a scheme going: buy 4 get the 5th one free. Got my fifth free 1ltr bottle of Evian water today.

More fruits in the evenings and anything else - but definitely no rice / yams / poundo, etc anymore.

69.0 kg...Yayyy!!

CC: Chillis / Chilisauce, I don enter the 60's group oh!

Chai....congrats dear. I am happy for you but at the same time jealous. The scale reading has been going up for me but i am fitting into my clothes that i couldnt fit in to before.... i no know whether na this JM woman work out.

In fact, i have not even done it since friday or so but i started running again same friday (40mins/day). I am amazed at how good i am getting at running. You know, when i first started running, i could hardly go 5minutes without resting. I will be totally outta breath. But now, i can go 30 minutes non stop.

Today, i did 35mins run plus level 2 JM workout. I wanna push myself a bit more and shake things up a bit.

Goodnews is that i wore my size 8 top to work today.

Its just this scale i dont understand. I am just gonna stop weighing myself abeg....i no wan vex

My yesterday rice

naijababe:


Awon fitness winch

Hahaha....i still be learner ooo.

Wetin we go call the likes efemenaxy and that other lady....e be like her monika na babe2( some thing like that).

Took yesterday off.
Day 8 done today. Still doing level 1 and 2 per day

cococandy:
not for now

Hehehehe.....

naijababe:


She is the one that pushed me to get back into gear today o. Kai, I have joined team Natalie again

Lol @ pushing you to get back into gear.

You ladies motivated me first

Push ups was another thing i am found a bit difficult. I first started with Anita's, but i am getting better at it and have switched to Nat's

damiso:







I felt that way too esp at the walking push up I swear the sweat that engulfed me after just like 20 seconds no easy.

and to think queen 47 did level 1 & 2 plus jogging.

Hahaha...i no jog again ooo. No time to jog.
The walking push ups appear to be the most challenging of it, i didn't find it easy at all the first 2 days but it got easier with time. The twist jumps (abi wetin she call am) is another one that i didn't find easy as well.

Meanwhile, i took today off because i felt really sick last night. My butt and shoulders hurt from all those ones done in squat positions. But, I am so tempted to hit the gym later at night, i might very likely fall for it. Just go do about 30mins run, i should burn like 300 calories or so from it.


Oh well, i fitted in to my size 8 top yesterday.

The ministry must continue. I have to become a perfect UK size 8 before i start maintaining

cococandy:
I want to eat banga rice with scent leaf and Chinese pho tai rice and ayamase rice and Indian curry rice and fish stew rice and concoction rice with crayfish and jollof rice and beans mixed together

Cheiiii.....nne, i thought we were eating healthy?

opella:
Day 12, level 2 day 2 done. First pix, day 1 JM workout ( 6 months post partum), 2nd pix Day 12 JM workout.

i no see the pinsure oooo. A girl needs motivation

damiso:
So am not the only one with lethargy setting in ..

Still on day 17 and not returned to JM since Friday ..
Been running and jogging though and was able to clock about 50 km last week( I think it's about 35 km actually don't trust those apps)

Will move to level 2 this evening .. Woke up mega late this morning

Naija parties ehn and healthy eating are like poles apart. Let me report myself small sha Now I know God is delivering me small small I was quite busy with the children and eventually sat down to eat like 5pm my friend got me rice and ayamase and I told her Lai Lai can't eat all that she said I will eat with you . The oil was just making my tummy queasy I gave up after a couple of spoons I had puff puff sha managed it with water through out .you know puff puff is do filling but gosh I felt guilty through out.

I need to return to JM sharply I can feel the 5/6 puff puff(yes that many ) in my hips

I refuse to see the ayamase. I cannot fall for it.....hahahaha.

I never knew this delicacy untill a Ghanian friend mentioned it as the only Nigerian meal he eats. I actually told him that there is no such Nigerian food till he took me to an African restuarant where i ate it. Na so i fall in love with the thing. I was practically craving for it every day. I had to advise myself biko.

naijababe:


Na you biko...............I went parrying on Friday, woke super late on Saturday. Took Sunday off par usual and woke late today too and I can't bring myself to exercise in the evening

My spirit cannot give up now o, Damiso, my mouth is watering. I don't really feel guilty about the odd infraction.....my stomach seems to have shrunk and I probably would not finish the portion in your pic.

Hahaha....weekends are usually really challenging to this race especially with all these owambe here and there. So, you are forgiven for giving yourself a weekend off. Now, get back to work, this ministry must move to permanent site.


Shh....dont tell anyone, i have lost an inch around my waist line. So, my calculation is i may be loosing 1inch per week around my waist line, in fact, half inch per week is even okay for me. Cheeii, i can imagine my ukwu nwanyi owerri by the time i am 4-5inches down my waist line.

Ah, i've lost count ooo
Today is either my 6th or 7th day
But, it is my 3rd day of doing level 1 and 2 together.

I shall keep this ministry going till the end....Amen

Oh, your baby is cute

Congrats Moca

EfemenaXY:




Wetin the flesh do you na?

Try not to run for too long. You'll damage your knees. I've drastically cut down from doing the 2hr run to just 30mins, and even then, I hope I'm not doing too much by running 5 days a week. It's good to keep fit and healthy but make we do am with sense oh!

Abiooo.... you are right jare.
I will just do what i can. Thanks.
Have a lovely evening. Sleep calleth