Originally Posted by Caz8NZ

Ahh i do sympathise totally! Maybe i'm trying to lead a horse to water here as you've probably in NZ far longer than I!!!

I find Countdown quite ridiculous for some veggies when its off season. I've sometimes made the effort to go to the fruit and veg shop instead and low and behold....instead for $4 for a pepper, its $2! instead of $4 for a cucumber - its $2!

My flattie goes to the markets all the time and she was eating avocado last night and I commented about not wanted to spend $2.50 on it this time of year -she gets them for $1 each!

I think the key in NZ is really trying to eat seasonally as much as you can. I've given up finding fresh sugar snap beans (mmm)! and just adapting your recipes accordingly. What about frozen beans etc for your stir frys? and frozen peas! yum!

I use the website http://www.healthyfood.co.nz/ alot. together with Weightwatchers recipes
I also buy the Healthy Food Guide Magazine and its got great recipes in there - very seasonal too.

There's a couple of yummy sounding ones i've just seen that I'm going to try - Greek style meatball tray bake and Ravioli vege bake - both freeze well so I can eat 2 portions and freeze 2!

As for my determination erm
yes - right - well - lets see how i go! but you gotta aim high!

Originally Posted by bourbon-biscuit

It seems common in the first couple of years of emigrating to suffer a bit health wise (common- not universal, before we get 100 posts about how much fitter folks feel since arriving). I think it's a mix of your body getting used to a new climate and new germs but also cumulative stress levels starting to seriously take their toll.

Originally Posted by Vitalstatistix

I've been here for 5 1/2 years

Originally Posted by Vitalstatistix

I do go to the fruit & veggie shops & will do that later today. I'm quite a fussy eater which doesn't help, don't like cheese, butter, marg (unless hidden in cake or biccies!), ham, raw tomatoes, lamb unless it's very lean & so on

What's really bad is that I went to catering college, have a degree in home economics & hundreds of cookery books

You'll be fine & I'm prepared to nag you if that will help!

Originally Posted by bourbon-biscuit

Maybe you are allergic to NZ, then?

Originally Posted by Caz8NZ

See I should know better ha ha

but erm - no cheese, butter, ham, tomatos or lamb - OMG. that sounds like my hell! ha ha! I'll eat nearly anything (although I did refuse starfish and crickets in China - I did however eat Ducks Beak - a delicacy in Laos)

I do need nagging - I managed to loose an additional 5kg when I got to NZ, and then over the summer, through a lot of socializing its creeped on again - and of course a bit more!

I find it easier in winter strangely to loose weight as I'm quite happy cooking and making soups, stews and curries, which can actually be really healthy! Oh - and I hibernate a bit more and not so tempted to go out so much!

Bought myself the 10kg bag of potatoes going cheap in countdown last night so that will be potato soup, into a stew or two, a potato curry.....i'll look like a blooming potato by the time I finish the bag!

Originally Posted by Vitalstatistix

No, it's me that should know better

I made potato (Parmentier) soup for my 'O' level domestic science!! I passed.

Perhaps we should both get off the computer & get exercising

Originally Posted by Caz8NZ

this is my first attempt to upload a pic - not sure if this will work

Originally Posted by bourbon-biscuit

Maybe you are allergic to NZ, then?

Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles

I never gave it a second thought about it being anything to do with being in NZ but I have had untold ear problems, since being here also. I had wondered if it might be something in the water or humidity.

Other things I never did before coming to NZ was have to figure out ways to avoid having to rub noses (hongi) with guys at the office.

I also never felt the need to keep emergency stocks of water or food supplies, far less concern myself too much about the joys of living with weak infrastructure and the power surges and outages that all too often occur.

Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles

Another thing that I would never have done before I came to NZ was send a Memo.

Another of those 'Life on Mars' office moments that comes with working among cantankerous old codgers that should have long since been put out to pasture.

Honestly, there are people here that still write Memos!

Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles

Another thing that I would never have done before I came to NZ was send a Memo.

Another of those 'Life on Mars' office moments that comes with working among cantankerous old codgers that should have long since been put out to pasture.

Honestly, there are people here that still write Memos!