Dalyan – 7th & 8th February

It was weigh day on Wednesday 7th February and I was not feeling confident as I got on the home scales. I was 0.15kg (0.3lb) lighter which was hardly anything. My measurements for my bust and waist remained the same as last week but my hips had reduced by 1cm. I had finally reached all the target measurements I had set for myself, but still with 2.5kg (5.5lb) to lose. In total I had lost 5cm from my bust, 12cm from my waist and 6cm from my hips so I was really pleased. I was no longer a size 16 and size 14 was baggy on me – I think I’d gone down 2 dress sizes in about 15 months!
I had tea and 1 slice of wholemeal toast with a cheese triangle for breakfast. I had a video call with Captain Caveman and we discussed flights, money and banking stuff. I’d found a one-way flight with Thai Airways from Istanbul for £419 which would be better than most of the other options. Captain Caveman said he would book it for me and pay for it, so I sent him the info. He was in Hoi An, ready for the Tet holiday, looking after a friend’s dog, Rocco. He was also going to be meeting up with Caroline and was having a few days off.
Before Fat Club, I’d drank a litre of water and had the tomato and lentil soup for lunch. The new road improvements near Çağrı were looking good as I walked to see my fellow Slimming World friends. When I stepped on Carol’s scales I was relieved to find I’d lost 0.2kg (0.4lb). It would do but I needed to make more effort if I wanted to get to the next milestone within the next month. I drank another 1.5 litres of water at Fat Club and we got to do some positive sharing of what we’ve all been trying, to keep fitter and healthier.
On the way home, I didn’t even go for a drink and decided that today’s treat day was not going to be rewarded with a Wine Wednesday, as it so often is. Instead, I popped to the shop and bought the following (prices in lira);

Migros Supermarket
Plastic bag 0.25
Apples 24.74
Chickpeas 29.90
620g chicken 104.78
Total spent 159.67 lira (£4.14)

Bakery
Bread 10.00
Simit 7.00
Total spent 17.00 lira (44p)

Today’s weigh day treat was bread based with a couple of slices of fresh bread and a simit, an apple, 6 olives and some cheese. I never used to eat apples or chickpeas but I was getting much less fussy as I was getting healthier.
Dinner was a Fakeaway chicken stir-fry which I added a teaspoon of black bean sauce to and added chopped omelette in to the steamed rice. Another litre of water was forced down and some rose tea as I totted up my first week of February spending. My budget of the £10 per day equivalent had certainly been tight and I really wasn’t sure I could keep this up longer term. This week I’d spent 3,693.07 lira (£95.76) even though I’d had 2 zero spend days. I was over by £25.76 and I wasn’t sure I could recoup it next week but I wasn’t defeated just yet.

On Thursday 8th February I was still on a mission to not drink any alcohol and perhaps wait until after work on Friday. I think Captain Caveman was either getting bored of my ultra tight budget updates or felt sorry for me, as he called me to ask how much money I needed to make the residency minimum. I told him the figure, less what I was due to get paid next week. Captain Caveman was able to transfer money to me almost instantly, even from Vietnam, and I was very grateful. He was also a bit out of sorts as he’d been on the Thai Airways website to book that flight and it wouldn’t let him use his Vietnamese bank card. After the call, I googled if there were system issues and there had been several reports, he would try again tomorrow.
At 12 noon I did Zumba and enjoyed it, more soup was had for lunch with bread and butter (which I synned). Before dinner time, I’d had 2 litres of water, a tangerine, an apple and some chestnuts, all on plan. I had another Fakeaway for dinner, this time with sweet and sour sauce. I added extra red and white cabbage to my egg rice to get more speed in to the meal.
I managed a bit of Christmas cake and another litre of water before an early night. I’d had 26 syns today but was doing ok compared to previous weeks.

Dalyan – 3rd & 4th February

It was Dalyan’s weekly market on Saturday 3rd February and I did need a few provisions. I walked the long way round, calling at the bank for some cash and noticing that the pavement repairs were coming on near Çağrı.
Here’s what I bought at the market (prices in lira);

Onions 12.50
Peppers 42.50
Mushrooms and tomatoes 65
Eggs and pumpkin 75
Strawberries 100
Total spent 295 lira (£7.66)

Next, I called in to Şok supermarket where I bought some containers and a cheap birthday gift for a total of 109.40 lira (£2.84) for a party later. At Bim supermarket I bought more for the birthday gift, bread and chocolate milk for a total of 89.00 lira (£2.31).
Back home, I had more of the soup with veggie pasta in and a mini falafel taco with veggies and tahini.

That evening I got my gladrags on as we were off out for Aimee’s birthday, she’s Jamie’s best friend from the UK. At Bistro Blue there were Aimee, Scott, Jamie, me, Sioned, Ünal, their 2 kids, Katrina, Mehmet and Ann. I gave Aimee her small present which was a selection of my favourite Turkish chocolate bars for her to try. Jamie, Aimee, Ann and I all ordered the surf and turf which was very nice. I decided to stick to ordering a glass of wine so that I didn’t get sharing a bottle as I was pacing myself. I had just 2 red wines and the main course which came to a total of 1,160 lira (£30.13) including a tip. I thought that was a reasonable price although it wasn’t a huge portion.
I thought we were all going home after the food we went to Ozzy’s where the drinks flowed. I stuck to just 2 more wines, 220 lira (£5.71) but realised it might be time to leave when Jamie brought up a story about a broken fire extinguisher toy. I, sensibly, chose to skedaddle about 1am with the excuse that I had the Sunday walk to get up for in the morning.

I was awake before 9am on Sunday 4th February as I was getting ready for the Sunday walk. This time Carol (from Fat Club) was organising it so we had to meet at 10am at the Jandarma roundabout, out of town. This was a 20 minute walk from me so I was already quite warmed up by the time I met the others. I didn’t really feel like going after a late night but I thought I’d make the effort. I’d had strawberries and a lemon and green tea for my breakfast so I was ready for some exercise.
The walk was good but, crikey, it was the most I’ve ever done in one go – 4 hours 15 minutes I was walking for and I was done in by the time I got home.

I squeezed in beans on toast, strawberries, quark and honey for my lunch and a little sit down before my next lot of excitement, 15 minutes later.
Vanessa popped round for a cup of tea and she remembered I was getting short on Yorkshire tea bags and brought some. We had a few cups of tea and a good old natter, putting the world to rights! She left just before 4.30pm for her family WhatsApp chat and I had a video call with a freshly shaven Captain Caveman. He was in a hotel and was off for a few days over the Tet holiday (Vietnamese new year).
We discussed flights and we both were thinking the return flights were a bit expensive for my budget, I’d perhaps wait for at least another payday before booking anything.
After the call, I went to the shops. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Ginger 16.09
Cream cheese 34.00
Onion powder 46.90
672g chicken 117.53
Total spent 214.52 lira (£5.60)

I’d found a new recipe I wanted to try out and it turned out really well, the chicken and mushroom pasta could be a new favourite. I had some fruit cake and cheese as an evening snack which meant I was now on 202 syns so far this week, but I’d only had 10 today. I’d have to be very careful on tomorrow’s outing.

Dalyan – 30th & 31st January

Tuesday 30th January started with me being in a great mood, it would not end that way!
Captain Caveman had gone in to Son Doong this morning and would be back on Friday. He’d got some famous guests on the tour this time and I was a little bit jealous. One was a famous Dutch DJ and one was a famous racing driver for Formula 1. I asked if I would be able to send some questions to ask the F1 guy and Captain Caveman agreed that he would try his best.
For breakfast I had 1 slice of wholemeal toast and a cup of Yorkshire tea, which were getting dangerously low! Before Zumba I had a small snack of cheese, olives and cashew nuts. Zumba went better and I was really enjoying it. I popped to the shop on my way back and here’s what I bought (prices in lira);

Migros Supermarket
2 onions 4.62
1 red pepper 11.36
Tomato paste 30.00
Jasmin rice 39.50
All spice 53.90
2 Ginger ales 86.00
Olive oil soap 87.66
Total spent 313.04 lira (£8.11)

The ginger ales were to take over to Kate’s as she had organised a gin afternoon for the Aussies. I’m not a gin and tonic kind of person as I hate tonic, hence why I took the ginger ale. When I arrived Mark, Kate, Amanda, Greg and Linda were all having a drink. I’d took the bottle of Adil gin which we had bought to have with the Aussies when Captain Caveman was here, but then we were both ill. Kate offered me a glass of the prosecco they were already drinking and I obviously said yes, leaving the gin and ginger ales on the side. Linda and I had a good chat as she had cancelled the pencilled in dog sitting for next month. I was fine with that as we hadn’t firmed up the booking due to a slight flight overlap with Jamie. I put it to the back of my mind and sat chatting with everyone, still feeling quite positive. I even had one of Amanda’s biscuits and a slice of Kate’s lemon cake. The weigh-in tomorrow was not going to be good!
Kate had cooked a curry and asked if I’d like to stay for some so I joined the table and had a very small amount. I was having a nice time, I even joined in playing Uno, when the subject turned to Linda using a free pet sitter from a Facebook group, rather than me (the ‘experienced’ dog-sitter at the table). Again, I was not upset with Linda’s decision, I’d already pointed out why I didn’t do it for free and the level of commitment and priority I give to the pets. Unfortunately, Amanda offered to do any dog sitting that Linda required for free, which I wasn’t thrilled about, but there was nothing I could do as Kate was also endorsing the idea. I walked home with the Aussies at gone midnight after plenty of prosecco. I’d learned a valuable lesson this evening, house and petsitting was not going to be a viable money earner for me when I had friends who would offer it for free instead. I went to bed feeling like I needed a plan B, but it had certainly taken my mind off the fact that it was pay day tomorrow.

When I woke up on Wednesday 31st January, and decided I would have an easy day. January had been a very tough month for me, it looked like February was not going to be much better unless I made some tough decisions and changes. Jamie popped round for a cup of tea and he agreed. On more positive notes, today was pay day and I had been paid – on time, the correct amount and drama free!
I did a delayed weigh in at home and took my measurements, not expecting it to be good. I had lost 0.25kg on my home scales, 1cm from my waist, no change to bust and 1cm on my hips. I was 2.7kg off my weight target but I had reached my goal for waist size, having lost 12cm overall.
At Fat Club, Carol’s scales were not kind to me and I had stayed the same for the second week in a row. On the way home, and as I’d got paid, I bought myself some treats, here’s what I bought and prices in lira;

Şarküteri
Coconut milk 65
Sweet & Sour sauce 75
Brie 175
Camembert 175
Total spent 490 lira 12.73

£4.55 for some cheese was expensive but it was £6.88 in Migros so I got the bargains while I could.
I had chicken curry with nan bread for a late lunch then batch cooked some sweet and sour chicken, which I had for dinner.
Instead of having a wine as a treat this Wednesday, I had mac n cheese balls and some chestnuts as I watched Netflix. I totted up my spending for the whole month and it had been a whopping £462.16, making me £152.16 over the January budget of £310, £10 per day. Could I get through February only spending £280!? I doubted it, but I was going to do my best.

Dalyan – 25th January

When I came downstairs on Thursday 25th January, it looked like there had been a crisp fight on the kitchen table. Then I remembered I’d bought some salt and vinegar crisps and a fresh loaf on our way home last night. I’d made a crisp sandwich and eaten half the loaf. I checked the Dairy Milk chocolate and I’d also had 4 squares of that. I totted up my syns and I had consumed 102 in just one evening! I was never going to shift the last few kilos at this rate! I had a word with myself as I cleaned the kitchen, put the washing on and generally tidied up. I had a cup of Yorkshire tea and watermelon for breakfast! At 12 noon I was off to Zumba again, I was determined to be good and lose some weight this week!
Zumba was intense, it cost 150 lira for an hour (£3.90) which is pretty good. Next, I went shopping, here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Fataç hardware store
1 paint brush 25 lira (65p)

Migros Supermarket
Plastic bag 0.25
Penne Pasta 9.67
Vegetable pasta 14.92
662g Chicken thighs 115.78
846g Chicken breasts 118.36
Total spent 258.98 lira (£6.73)

I went to the bank but the ATM wasn’t working. Next, I met Sarah, who was baking and selling scones and crumpets. I bought 6 crumpets, 4 fruit scones and 4 cheese scones for 360 lira (£8.83) but made myself put most of them in the freezer so that I could limit when I ate them. I remembered I had forgotten the mushrooms so I bought 400g of them at Migros for 57.90 lira (£1.50). For lunch I had beans on wholemeal toast then later ate one of the cheese scones with a bit of butter on – they were very nice. I made a slow cooker Slimming World chicken in red wine and had some of it with pasta for dinner, the rest would batch up for fridge or freezer. I also cooked some eggs in to an omelette which I chopped to add to rice, this was so that the eggs didn’t go past their sell by date and I could freeze the omelette if I wanted to. I managed to only have 15 syns today and had a tangerine when I got peckish in the evening. I’d spent twice the daily budget, though, and tomorrow I’d agreed to go out in my lunch hour.

Dalyan – 23rd January

I was looking forward to getting back in to some form of regular exercise class so I’d signed up for Zumba with Maria on Tuesday 23rd January. While still in bed, I spoke to Captain Caveman who was at Oxalis on his day off because he’d left his house keys in the hotel in Dong Hoi and couldn’t get in the house.
For breakfast I had overnight oats with frozen berries and a cup of tea. I was up and about early so I also had a mid-morning snack of 5 black olives and 5 barbecued green olives with 30g of cheese.
Before Zumba class at noon, I went to the bank and, on the way, I noticed that the road between Çağrı and the bakery was being taken up to be replaced and improved. Zumba was good but I did find it quite difficult, I’m not great at getting the feet and arms doing what they should at the same time. I was starving after an hour’s class so I polished off the leftover wrap from yesterday when I got home for lunch. I followed it with a tangerine, 3 pieces of melon and 4 squares of Dairy Milk chocolate, which I’d only just opened!
In the afternoon I popped out for some shopping which I needed, here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Balcı Pharmacy
1 pack tampons 93
3 packs contraceptive pill 810
Total spent 903 lira (£23.52)

Migros Supermarket
Milk 22.50
Mozzarella cheese 30.00
Chocolate milk 39.90
Cashew nuts 56.00
Ale 75.00
Total spent 223.40 lira (£5.82)

Even though I’d spent more than the daily budget today and yesterday, I was still on track and they were things I needed to make another fruit cake and a casserole so, along with rather expensive women’s products, all was justifiable to me.
At 6pm I had a video call booked in with my parents and we had a good catch up and a laugh. They were missing Dalyan but were doing fine in a chilly Sheffield. My Slimming World friendly dinner tonight was chicken stir-fry with egg noodles and a bit of black bean sauce. It was really tasty and meant my total syns for the week stood at a substantial 244. That was not ideal but was 47 less than last week and I was hopeful for a small loss at Fat Club tomorrow.

Dalyan – 20th January

I woke up early on Saturday 20th January and checked my messages; Jamie was coming home today and would be back around 4pm. He didn’t need me to be in when he got back, he had a key, so I said I’d leave about 2pm. I had a cup of tea and dog cuddles on the sofa, I just had a banana and tangerine for breakfast. I packed my bags, stripped the bed and had a general tidy up after feeding Norman and Edna. I made a quick trip back home with food stuff that needed putting in the fridge, then called at the shop. As I’d been leaving, Norman had been unsteady on his legs but wouldn’t settle in his bed. He was trying to walk around but fell over and I was worried he would hurt himself, so I hurried back. Here’s what I picked up at the shop, with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Jellies 10.50
Pot noodle 15.25
2 packs of tuna 139.50
1 pack of pistachios 74.50
Total spent 239.75 lira (£6.24)

When I got back, poor Norman had took a little tumble, only sideways on the floor, but he couldn’t stand himself back up. Edna was a little distressed and tried to tell me what had happened. I scooped Norman up and gave him a check over to make sure he wasn’t in any pain. He was very pleased to see me and I was glad I was gone for less than hour. I had the pot noodle and jellies for my lunch, given I had taken all my food back home already, but I didn’t want to leave Norman.
I had a video call with Captain Caveman who had checked in to the new Minh Quang hotel in Dong Hoi, a contender for somewhere for me to stay when I got to Vietnam.
I got a message from Greg to ask if I was back home yet as they wanted to come to get their table. We’d had it for a year when they were selling it last year and it hadn’t sold before they went back to Australia. I’d since been using it as a desk for work but Captain Caveman, unbeknown to me, had told the Aussies he didn’t want it and to come get it. I said I’d be home by 5pm for them to collect it, they were taking it to their villa so wanted me to come with them to see it.
I left Norman and Edna, putting their bed near the door so that Norman wouldn’t fall again, and rushed back to meet Amanda and Greg. I left my coat and some dirty washing as I couldn’t carry everything in one go and didn’t think I had time to make 2 trips. Back home I moved things from the table and moved the furniture around so that the table was near the door, ready to collect. All that with a minute to spare, it was Saturday and I’d not even had chance to go to the market today.
By 5.30pm I was still waiting so I messaged to find out where the Aussies had got to. They were downstairs in their apartment, doing some DIY, when they came up they decided that they didn’t want to take the table tonight, but at last I would be getting to see their new villa. Greg poured us all a gin and tonic with edible floaty beads in, Amanda had been baking biscuits (actually scones in England) which were healthy and tasted really good. The place looked amazing and it was much bigger than it looked from the outside with a really lovely feel to it. I didn’t stay too long ( 2 biscuits and 2 gins!) because I got a text from Jamie saying he needed me to go back to his, something I had to get tonight from his place which was edible. Bless him, he is such a good friend and it meant I could pick up my coat too as it was rather chilly! I said my goodbyes to Amanda and Greg, arranging for table moving tomorrow.
It was 9pm when I got in, I made overnight oats, ready for my breakfast and was determined to have a lay in tomorrow. That night, my bed felt like the comfiest place I’d ever been and I was glad to be home, for the next 13 nights anyway.

Dalyan – 18th & 19th January

I spent most of the day with Norman and Edna on Thursday 18th January, starting with selfies and breakfast, sofa snoozes and short walks. It was pretty cold but there was a glimmer of sunshine at one point, before it looked like it might rain. I remained eating healthily; tea and toast for breakfast, pumpkin soup with pasta for lunch and a chicken stir-fry with bulgur wheat for dinner. I managed to also batch cook some potato and broccoli soup for another time.

At 3.30pm I heard from Greg, who was back from a fishing trip with Sonuç, he sent me directions to their new villa, which I still hadn’t found the time to visit yet. I was on my way to pick up my laptop, ready for work tomorrow, and to grab some things from the supermarket which I had seen on offer. Here’s what I bought with the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Mung beans 14.17
Black eyed peas 16.12
Bulgur wheat 18.56
Chickpeas 22.42
700g chicken breasts 118.98
Total spent 190.25 lira (£4.97)

Şarküteri
Black bean sauce 85.00 (£2.22)

Carrying the shopping, my laptop, charger, and some stuff from home, I decided I would walk the route back to Jamie’s via The Aussies’ new villa. They had been wanting me to see it since their arrival on New Year’s Eve and I still hadn’t got round to it. The directions seemed easy but with no WiFi on my phone, I wouldn’t be able to check. I got to the location and I took some photos of where I was, I couldn’t see the villa but I watched a woman argue on the phone as it started to rain and go dark. I walked back to my temporary home, got wet and cold and was disappointed I couldn’t find it. When I checked my messages, Greg was in Lukka drinking tea and Amanda had fallen asleep so the villa viewing was postponed for another day.
I cooked and ate my stir-fry then watched a bit of TV with the dogs, while having a glass of white wine and a small piece of fruit cake.

I started my day on Friday 19th very early with tea and toast so that I could get on with my 8 hour working day. After breakfast, Norman wanted to go back to bobos with me but there was no time for that, instead he and Edna had sofa cuddles under a blanket while I worked.
Mid morning I let the pooches out on the garden and I had a banana and some water. At lunch I sat outside for a bit while my pumpkin soup with pasta warmed up.
I finished work at 6pm, emailed my boss with an update then walked and fed Norman and Edna.
I had the same meal as last night again for dinner; chicken stir-fry with bulgur wheat and chickpeas. Later, I resisted the urge to drink wine or go out, with it being the weekend, but I did have some chestnuts for a mini treat. Jamie was due home tomorrow so it was my last night with Norman and Edna – I’d not told them yet though as I didn’t want them to get too excited that Little Daddy was coming back.

Dalyan – 17th January

I got weighed at Jamie’s on Wednesday 17th January but I was quite a bit heavier than I expected and I hoped it wouldn’t be as much of a gain at Fat Club later. I did my measurements and found I’d put 1cm on my bust and waist, my hips had remained the same. I had tea and toast with 2 cheese triangles for breakfast then got peckish mid morning and ate a small wrap!
I was very jealous, and proud, of Norman when he did a massive poo right outside the back door, all on his own. I managed to catch him before he stepped or fell in to it which saved cleaning up what could have been a terrible mess. He was almost out of tuna so I popped to the shop to get some, along with some essentials. Here’s what I bought and the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Milk 23.00
2 Quark 39.90
Tuna 69.75
Grated mozzarella cheese 69.90
Total spent 202.55 lira (£5.30)

At Fat Club I was so pleased to find that Jamie’s scales were wrong and I’d actually lost 0.4kg (0.9lb), definitely not to be sniffed at. Obviously, I then had to go and ruin my luck by eating 62 syns in a couple of hours of my new week! Ghislaine and I decided to nip to Ozzy’s bar for a cheeky drink after Fat Club. I’d already had my 1.5 litre of water at the group which hopefully meant I wouldn’t shovel food and drink down like it was going out of fashion. Vanessa, Matt and the Aussies also came to join us for a drink or two. I ended up having 3 white wines and tucking in to the free crisps which Ozzy always makes sure are topped up. It was amazing to see that he had now refurbished the bar, and made the whole entire inside area, no smoking. Ozzy had put up a sign and was telling people to smoke outside only. I was really liking that he’d took the advice on board and acted on it.
Back at Jamie’s for dog walking and feeding, Norman managed to eat from the bowl on the floor, instead of me holding it – another improvement to his health.
As it was treat day, I had a burger for dinner with cheese and sauce! I really enjoyed it but tomorrow I had to focus. I only had 2.4kg to lose to hit my target!

Dalyan – 10th January

It was great to wake up back in my own bed on Wednesday 10th January, I’d missed it a lot. I had planned on sleeping in and had not set an alarm but I woke up about 8am. It was still not fully light so I stayed in bed planning my day. I knew I needed to adopt the right attitude today, I also needed to get back on the healthy eating and continue to exercise. I knew that mentally, I needed to look after me more, too. I started the day with getting weighed and measured as it was Fat Club later. It wasn’t as bad as I’d expected with only a 0.5kg gain since I last got weighed at home. My bust and hip measurements remained the same and I had lost 2cm from my waist. That was pretty good considering my syn intake, but then I had been walking 2 big dogs every day, even in the rain! I had some dried figs for breakfast, the ones my mom had given me. They can count as a Healthy B option, instead of bread, and I used to do this when I reacted badly to gluten. I had the sausage from the left over Ela’s Kitchen breakfast, for lunch then I went to face Carol’s scales at Fat Club. I was flabbergasted to see I had lost 0.8kg, back to my pre Christmas with Josh and Martha weight! I was back to my usual habit of ordering a big bottle of water (1.5 litres) and taking the hour at Fat Club to drink it all. It’s only 40 lira (£1.05) which is the same price as a cup of tea.
After a successful Fat Club, I took myself off to the shops for a restock and proper big shop, which would take more than one trip to carry it all. I noticed there had been quite a few price increases as I tried my best to get the offers and bargains, using all the different supermarkets available. Here’s what I bought with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
1 lemon 2.69
1 Dido chocolate bar 9.50
Gherkins 22.50
6 eggs 44.90
Ground ginger 47.90
3 Quark 59.85
Fabric Softener 67.50
Cheese slices 87.90
Chicken breasts 111.95
Beef burgers 116.91
Chicken thighs 125.47
Mince beef 154.90
Total Spent 851.92 lira (£22.42)

Şok Supermarket
2 Pasta 18.00
Baking powder 32.00
Mozzarella 46.50
Sweetcorn 56.90
Toilet roll 68.00
Mac n cheese balls 84.90
Total spent 306.30 lira (£8.06)

Bim Supermarket
Popcorn kernels 12.50
Burger buns 28.25
Hamburgers 62.50
Diced beef 150.00
Total spent 253.25 lira (£6.66)

A101 Supermarket
3 packs of Taco wraps 37.50
BBQ Sauce 49.90
Total spent 87.40 lira (£2.30)

Yaman Büfe 2 off licence
1 bottle of red wine 129.50
2 bottles of white wine 439.00
Total spent 568.50 lira (£14.96)

I had spent a grand total of 2,107.37 lira (£55.45) but it did mean I could do lots of batch cooking and be frugal with the housekeeping. Good news came from my boss, that his replacement bank card had arrived from the UK and he was able to set up payment for my wages. I was so glad to hear that I would finally be getting paid early next week.
Before dinner, I put the ingredients for another Christmas fruit cake in the slow cooker, it would be ready just after midnight. My meal this evening was an attempt at fake fast food, called a Fakeaway in Slimming World circles. A Big Mac, using the fresh burgers from Migros and a homemade sauce. I adjusted the recipe from the airfryer Bored of Lunch book and it cost me 14 syns but it was worth it!

Dalyan – 5th & 6th January

On Friday 5th January I was hoping to hear news from Rhodes that meant I’d be getting paid next week. My last wage had been just over 5 weeks ago, on 29th November, and things were looking pretty bleak. I had a bad feeling and I was preparing myself for more disappointing news as, assuming it did arrive and was picked up from the post office today, it was still the weekend. The wages wouldn’t reach my account until Wednesday, next week, which was the day before my birthday. I decided to try to remain positive, optimistic and hopeful as I walked each dog in the misty, cold morning weather. I had buttered toast for breakfast and made a shopping list. I needed to get the bus in to Dalyan to go to get some provisions.
A friend got in touch to ask if I could pencil her in for a 2 week dog sit next month and we said we’d meet up to discuss further. She sent me the requirements and dates for her dogs and I sent back some info. I also had Jamie’s dogs booked in for February so I needed to check if there was any overlap on flight times.
At lunchtime I got an update from my boss about my wages, it was not good news! I read the message but couldn’t reply as I’d not topped up the credit on my phone and was on my way to the bus stop. The Post Office was closed until the 10th January so I would have to wait another 5 days, which was not going to be easy.
Here’s what I bought at the shops with the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
3 packs of crisps 76.50
1 pack jellies 17.50
Total spent 94.00 lira (£2.48)

Bim Supermarket
Bread 7.50
Dido chocolate bar 9.75
Naan breads 34.75
671g chicken 106.69
Total spent 158.69 lira (£4.19)

Yaman Büfe
1 bottle of rosé wine 150 lira (£3.96)

This shopping trip was a little different to usual because I was replenishing the crisps and jellies Captain Caveman and I had eaten at Villa Infinity and I was stocking up on bread products to go with soup, stews and curry. I’d thought, as it was the weekend, I would treat myself to the wine, which was on offer, and my favourite chocolate bar.
I ate left over chicken and stuffing for my lunch then had some fruit.
For dinner I had some of the wild boar stew but I wasn’t really in the mood, I didn’t even open the wine.

I woke up early on Saturday 6th January and decided that I couldn’t let not getting paid get me down any more. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could physically do to get the money any quicker. I walked both dogs who got quite dirty and wet, as it had rained last night. It was good therapy having Big Boy and Lucy to look after and they definitely were getting more and more used to me. I made a chicken tikka masala from scratch and popped it in the slow cooker. I’d not seen my parents since Captain Caveman’s leaving drinks at Waterfall on Tuesday so I’d invited them over to Villa Infinity. My mom had suggested that we meet when I came to the weekly Dalyan market and that we could either walk or get the bus over and go to Günlüklu restaurant on the way back. Dad’s not keen on going to other people’s houses so Mom had said they might not come to see the dogs but just go to Günlüklu and I said that was fine. I’d eat the curry if Dad couldn’t be persuaded once I saw them. I got the bus in to Dalyan and went to the market where I splashed out 70 lira (£1.85) on a cheese and mushroom gözleme for breakfast. The price had increased by 17% since I last had one a few weeks ago, but it was still worth it. My mom had changed her mind about coming to the market as they didn’t need anything. They were leaving in 3 days so asked me to get them some rocket and tomatoes for a dinner party they were going to tomorrow.
Here’s what I bought at the various stalls and the prices in lira;

Mushrooms and pumpkin 75
1kg of mixed dried fruit 250
Rocket and tomatoes 50
Total spent 375 lira (£9.89)

I dropped some stuff off at home and decided I should get weighed and measured, seeing as I hadn’t for a couple of weeks. I was 0.65kg less than at the last Fat Club weigh-in but I’d put 2cm on my waist.
I went over to my parents’ at 12.30pm thinking I was going to pick them up for us to go to Günlüklu for lunch. I’d misunderstood as Dad was making lunch at home for them both. I stayed for a bit while they ate and then we went to get the bus.

At Günlüklu my parents had a couple of Efes beers and I had 2 glasses of wine, I didn’t realise the wine was 180 lira (£4.75) for a small glass, twice the price of a beer, and should have checked the cost of a bottle. Dad was up for the curry so the three of us walked to the corner shop to get some wine on the way.
At Villa Infinity, Big Boy and Lucy really enjoyed having some visitors and were very well behaved and friendly. The wine and the curry with naan breads went down a treat and we had a good laugh. Dessert was a Dido chocolate bar each, and my parents hadn’t had them before. It was just what I needed to cheer me up and the dogs didn’t want Ma & Pa to leave. Big Boy kept pretending he wasn’t tired or falling asleep but he was shattered.

Dalyan – 30th & 31st December

I woke up on Saturday 30th December and went downstairs to check on Norman and Edna. After a wander around the patio, Edna wolfed down her breakfast but Norman was not too eager to eat, he also was refusing to drink any water, which was odd. After several cups of tea and a back to bobos on the sofa session it was time to go to the market.
Captain Caveman had come over from Villa Infinity so that we could shop together but he could take what was needed at Bill & Jaxx’s house and I could keep the rest at Jamie’s.

Here’s what we bought at the Dalyan weekly market but I didn’t make a note of all the individual prices.
2kg Tangerines
2 onions
Spinach
3 red peppers
1 green pepper
2 apples
6 bananas
Spent 145 lira (£3.87)

Gözleme x2 110 lira (£2.93)

When we got back, Captain Caveman and I took the dogs for a walk, to the Waterfall. They like it in there and Norman loved a nosey from his pushchair as to what was going on. I just had a soft drink because I felt rubbish but I was trying to chivvy myself up a bit for tonight’s party at Ghislaine’s. I went back to Jamie’s and Captain Caveman went back over to see to Big Boy and Lucy. Unfortunately, Norman had had an accident in his pram and needed another wash.
Captain Caveman came back before 7pm, all dressed up and ready for a party. I felt worse and couldn’t go but I packed off Captain Caveman with 2 bottles of fizz and 3 bags of marshmallows. Mark & Kate and Carol & Ian were going to be there so he’d know other people and he does love a curry.
I ended up having my homemade pumpkin soup and an early night, napping on the sofa with the dogs. I really hoped to be better for tomorrow, as there was a Sunday walk, it was New Year’s Eve, I’d not seen my parents since Christmas Day and our friends, the Aussies, were arriving.

Historically, New Year’s Eve has not been the best time for me as I’m usually sick. Sunday 31st December was no different and I woke up feeling terrible. I’d hardly slept from coughing all night and when I finally got to sleep, Edna had come scratching at my door at 5am. I was coughing a lot, my body ached and I had to use an inhaler once I started coughing as I couldn’t breathe properly.
When I eventually went downstairs at 7am, Edna had been sick on the rug and on the sofa, which is not like her. So now we were the poorly trio and it was time for cups of tea and back to bobos on the sofa, after all the scrubbing and putting a wash on. Both dogs were off their food and I forced down a banana so that I could take my medication. I called in sick to Captain Caveman’s Sunday walk which was his last until next October. He’d organised the walk so that it finished at Günlüklu restaurant but I wasn’t fit enough to make it and didn’t want to pass on my germs.
I spent the day with Norman and Edna, forcing Norman to drink water as I think he was dehydrated. After a very short walk, we sat out on the patio and had a little sunbathe, while dosed up on flu medicines and drinking cups of tea.
Kate had arranged a New Year’s Eve bash at Tapa bar for this evening and I thought nearly all of our Dalyan friends were going. I’d likely be in my pyjamas by the time it went dark, cuddled up with the dogs. Even my parents were going to stay in as they weren’t well either. The Aussie’s, Amanda and Greg, had messaged to ask where the party was and where we were all meeting up but the best I could do was send them the invite to Tapa for tonight.
In the afternoon I tried to get in touch with Captain Caveman and couldn’t, I assumed he’d gone to Günlüklu and carried on having a new year drink there but when he did respond he’d gone to bed feeling poorly after the walk. He was flying back to Vietnam in a couple of days and really could do without getting ill for his journey.
I had nothing planned for dinner and really couldn’t be bothered to make anything, I was down to my last Strepsil, which were giving me a dodgy tum and I had no hot lemons left. I decided to go to the chemist but when I got there it was already closed for new year. There would have been an alternative open but I couldn’t walk that far. I decided to go to Migros and see what they had in the freezer section for dinner and I thought some sucky sweets might help my cough and sore throat.
Here’s what I bought from the shop with prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
2 Dido chocolate bars 15.75
2 packs of wine gums 21.00
1 chocolate Magnum 25.00
1 Ginger Ale 43.00
1 box of frozen pizzas 95.92
1.6Kg whole chicken 115.06
1 bottle of Prosecco 279.90
Total spent 595.63 lira (£15.88)

I was impressed with a decent bottle of fizz for less than £7.50 and a full sized Magnum ice-cream only being 67p. I wondered why I hadn’t had one before now, as I ate it on the way back to Jamie’s – it soothed my throat better than a Strepsil. I saw Fikri and he wished me a happy new year, which was nice, as he rode past on his motorbike. I popped the stuff in the fridge and had one of the frozen pizzas for dinner, they weren’t bad. I had no intention of drinking the fizz tonight but I thought my parents and Captain Caveman may want to pop by tomorrow to raise a glass to the new year. I had fell asleep watching TV but woke up before midnight and went to bed.

That’s another year of my Shenanigans done, it finished the way it started; snuggled up with a pet in someone else’s house.
What a year it had been, it’s hard to remember sometimes how much happens.
Overall, I ended 2023 weighing 4.7kg (10lb) lighter than I started it, which I was pleased about.
2024 looked to be a little uncertain, with a few challenges to suss out but I was hopeful things would work out in my favour.
With Captain Caveman and my parents leaving in January, I was gearing myself up for a quiet Dalyan winter. My priority was to earn enough money to keep my residency and continue on the Slimming World plan to keep the weight off. I didn’t make any new year’s resolutions, as I never stick to them, but I did make a note to prioritise my health a bit more.

Dalyan – 21st & 22nd December

Some of the guests in the house were feeling a bit delicate on Thursday 21st December. Poor Martha had spent a bit too much time in the bathroom last night after a bit too much gin and wasn’t feeling too great. I decided to make banana, egg and blackberries in to Slimming World style muffins and I also had my overnight oats for breakfast. Josh had gone to the shop for croissants, Captain Caveman had gone Bumming. We decided on an easy day and night today, we needed to save ourselves for Christmas Eve on the beach and I still had to make a fruit cake.
I was already on over 50 syns from yesterday but chose to eat crisps! Captain Caveman came back, showered then popped to the shops as I’d decided we were having curry tonight. Here’s what Captain Caveman bought and the prices in lira;

Migros Supermarket
Onions 7.80
Red Cabbage 16.74
Carrots 44.65
Filter coffee 76.90
Spray oil 89.90
Bananas 92.15
862g chicken 111.97
Total spent 440.11 lira (£11.89)

We had lentil, pumpkin, chickpea, and spinach curry with steamed rice and it tasted ok. Josh fancied a beer at Lukka after, under duress Martha and I agreed. While the men had beers, Martha and I managed to force down a hot chocolate, which was gorgeous.

Friday 22nd December was our 12 year anniversary, according to me as I go by the actual date. Captain Caveman, on the other hand, likes to mark it as the Thursday before Christmas. He still said Happy Anniversary to me and brought me my cup of tea in bed, I had started to feel quite under the weather now and I looked pretty rough.
I’d not been able to justify paying to have my hair done until now, but I was getting quite desperate so I was going to splash out. I had an orange from our tree for breakfast then drank cinnamon tea and a lemon & green tea to try to alleviate my cold symptoms.
Captain Caveman went to Bridge Club, Josh and Martha were heading out to the tea gardens and asked me to come along. I actually wanted to go back to bed but I showered, got ready and joined them. I do like the Kaunos tea gardens and, as it is council owned and run, the prices are really good. Captain Caveman joined us after Bridge too and it was a nice lunchtime visit. Here’s what we had;

2 large Turkish teas 20
1 Nescafe coffee 25
1 cheese toastie 45
1 Efes Malt beer 75
1 Menemen 75
2 spinach pancakes 130
Total spent 370 lira (£10)

Captain Caveman went to the barbers for a shave, I headed over to Emrah’s new hairdressers for the first time since he moved. As I was leaving home I’d noticed the water was off and, unfortunately, it was the same at Emrah’s. It didn’t stop him and he simply got on with dying my hair, this time I’d gone for something a bit warmer and a mix of 2 colours. It was raining hard outside and as I sat catching up on my blog, Michele came in for a trim. We had a chat and she mentioned that she was after photos of the shelter sponsored dogs wearing a Christmas hat, for a Facebook post. I volunteered Captain Caveman and I to go up, as long as she could lend us a Christmas hat.
My hair price had gone up to 1,000 lira (£27), he’d dyed it, cut it, added a few layers, blow dried then curled it and I was pleased with the colour too. The cost was still very reasonable if you compared it to the UK but was probably 5 times the cost of where I get it done in Vietnam. It’s always the rule that after a hair appointment, it’s compulsory to go out so, despite it raining heavily, we were off out. We’d arranged to meet Nanny Kay at Lukka bar but she cancelled due to the weather. Instead, we decided to try Filo which is a relatively new place that I’d not been in yet. We walked past Heybe towards Retro bar and found that Filo was closed. As the 4 of us turned around Michele and Nick drove up with the Christmas hat and gave it to Captain Caveman. We went in Lukka bar where we were the only people, the rain meant most people were staying indoors. We played pool and learned how to do some slower and harder shots. I had only one glass of white wine because I prefer the red but I was finding red wine a bit too harsh on my sore throat.
For dinner we went to Jiks where Vanessa and Brad joined us. They had been in Tapa with the pool gang but ordered their food to take away and had a drink with us while they waited. The pizzas were really nice and the waiter didn’t mind when we all did swaps or asked for certain toppings. It was a good night, I’d been able to show off my new hair and the rain had not spoiled our fun.

Dalyan – 19th December

It was all go on Tuesday 19th December and we were both excited for Josh and his girlfriend to arrive in Dalyan that afternoon. Today was also Daisy’s 25th birthday with a party booked at Tapa from 2pm.
The cleaner was not at our apartment at 8.30am, as agreed, so we waited to see if she turned up. She was late as the office wasn’t open for her to collect the keys any earlier but no harm done. Captain Caveman and I decided we would go to a cafe or somewhere for a hot beverage, maybe some breakfast, before he went to Bridge Club. After walking round Dalyan to find nowhere open yet we bought 2 chocolate croissants for 37.90 lira (£1.02) from Migros and walked round the streets eating them.

When Captain Caveman left, I waited for Kaunos tea gardens to open and had a tea. I messaged Jamie to see if he fancied meeting up and I had a second breakfast with him, at Ela’s Kitchen. As tomorrow was weigh day, I tried to make as sensible a choice as I could. The beans on toast that I ordered was a very generous size and I was pleased id managed to resist Sev’s sausage.
By 11.30am I was on my way to my parents’ place as arranged so that I could go to Jiks with Dad, while Mom went for her hair cut. Captain Caveman would meet us at Jiks for lunch. Ma finished early and we all ate together; Dad a burger and the rest of us had pizza which was great – my diet was well and truly blown! While there, Jamie messaged to ask if I would be able to take 2 bed side lamps to Tapa for Janet. He was selling them for a friend, Janet, who was going to be at Daisy’s birthday party, where we were going to go for one, before Josh and Martha arrived. Of course I agreed and we carried them over to Tapa where the Dalyan gossip started that Jamie must have sold his house because he was getting rid of some lamps!

Daisy’s 25th birthday party at Tapa was busy with lots of friends. My parents had a cold but had managed to muddle through and I had a bit of a sore throat coming. We’d already said we weren’t staying long as we needed to get back to greet Josh and Martha who were on the plane. Captain Caveman left first with instructions to ring me when he knew that Josh was in the taxi. He forgot, so when I got back home our guests were already there!
It was great to see Josh again after a year and it was impressive to see he’d really done well for himself. Captain Caveman and I liked Martha straight away as she was really lovely – it takes a special kind of person to agree to a week in Dalyan with us lot (as I’m sure you can imagine). I just hoped we wouldn’t be spoiling her Christmas holiday and that she could get through the Dalyan shenanigans. We decided to ease Martha in gently with a trip to the Waterfall so we could have a drink together and get to know each other a bit better. She had a good sense of humour and it was obvious we were going to have a great week. Jamie popped in for one with Norman and Edna and he wasn’t too pleased that Dalyan Dwellers thought those lamps were his – surely they knew he had better taste in décor! We asked my parents, who had also left Tapa when I did, if they wanted to join us to meet Martha and welcome Josh back. Dad had already got bored at home waiting, so they had gone back to Tapa. The four of us decided to go to join them where we introduced Josh and Martha to everyone, some people Josh had already met. We had a couple of drinks and decided we were going to go for a meal as we were all peckish and I’d already booked Simple for the 6 of us. Daisy didn’t want us to leave and Josh, the not so devout vegan, managed to eat a slice of chocolate birthday cake as we were departing.

Simple was lovely, just the 6 of us indoors, with Onur the chef making us very fresh and tasty food. Josh and I had the vegan pumpkin soup, the others had the chicken soup – all were delicious. Martha and I had the pulled beef burger (with chips), Captain Caveman had a chicken quesadilla and the rest had the Asian noodles (meat for my parents, veggie for Josh). All the food was excellent although the noodles were on the spicy side.
Simple is not licenced for alcohol but we were able to get beer and wine from next door. The prices were reasonable to say it felt like a private dining experience. Unfortunately, my 2 breakfasts, a pizza lunch, a few wines and a loaded burger meant that I had completely gone over the top on the syns this week. We went back to Tapa to rejoin the birthday shenanigans which were now getting even more lively. It had been a great day and we had more excitement planned for tomorrow. Fat Club was going to be a bit more like a confessional for me tomorrow, having had 548 syns.

Dalyan – 18th December

We had splashed out on getting a cleaner in on Monday 18th December. Our original plan was to have been going to the Köyceğiz weekly market on the yellow boat so that we could have a nice day out with a trip to the market for a few treats, however, with not getting paid I’d thought better of it. We decided we would go next Monday instead, with Josh and his girlfriend and make a bit of a day of it.
Instead, I went over to Vanessa’s for a nice cup of tea and a catch up. Her son, Brad, had arrived in Dalyan for Christmas and we all got treated to one of Vanessa’s bacon sandwiches with brown sauce – lovely.
Captain Caveman had gone Dogging but messaged me at lunch time to say he was at my parents’ place, to keep out of the way of the cleaner at our apartment. I said my goodbyes to the Grubb family and went over to Ma & Pa’s.
By 1.30pm, the 4 of us were on our way to Ela’s Kitchen for lunch. Captain Caveman ordered the large English breakfast and I chose to have a second breakfast with a small fry up, giving my egg and tomatoes to Captain Caveman. My parents ordered chilli con carne which I thought was a brave move, given that spicy food doesn’t agree with Dad. The food was absolutely delicious although the chilli had tons of fresh chillies in which I had to help Dad take out of his meal as he couldn’t see all of them. They said they still enjoyed their meal and was great without all the chillies in it.

After our meal, Captain Caveman and I went to the hardware store where he picked up a tool for mending our door handles and I found some cute yellow wellies. Both were 250 lira (£6.76) each, which I thought was cheap for wellies but expensive for fancy pliers. Winters in Turkey can be very wet and I didn’t have any suitable footwear to handle rain so they would come in handy. Our next stop off was to Migros and the off licence for a few bits;

Migros Supermarket
1 Onion 2.48
Bleach 23.75
2 Quark 39.90
15 eggs 60.00
Total spent 126.13 lira (£3.41)

Yaman Büfe 2
2 bottles wine 259.00 lira (£7)

When we got home, the cleaner had not been and I was not too pleased. We’d been out all day so that she could get it done and our guests arrived tomorrow. I would have to do it myself and started stripping the beds as I messaged to check what happened. For some reason, it had been booked for next week but I was told that the cleaner could still be there at 8.30am tomorrow. I was hesitant as we had stuff to do and I didn’t want the bedding, floors and rugs to still be wet, when our guests arrived. I was not feeling too well but was ready to tackle it when Captain Caveman said to confirm the cleaner for tomorrow, so I did.
We noticed the woman, who we thought was the cleaner at B4, was actually staying in the apartment and had the dog on the balcony. It had started barking at anyone walking past now and seemed strange that the dog wasn’t inside. We do have a rule of no animals on the complex but given that some people encourage and feed the cats, a dog didn’t make much difference. After sorting out the bedding ready for the cleaner and guests, I got on with organising a meal out for tomorrow night. I’d asked my parents if they fancied joining the 4 of us and suggested YOLO restaurant as both Captain Caveman and I had it on our list to go to and lots of friends had recommended it. They had been once and didn’t enjoy it so I went in to town to take photos of some restaurants’ menus. That way I could see where might be good for the 6 of us to have our first meal. Another one of the places I really wanted to try was Simple, and I called in to ask about the menu. Onur, the owner and chef, had worked in Koh Rong (Cambodia) and Backyard No.9 (Dalyan) so I already knew he was good. He was in the process of updating the menus so he let me take a photo of the one on his phone.
Once I had all the menus, I suggested Simple to my parents and they agreed to give it a try.
Captain Caveman made us pasta for dinner and we had a power cut just as the food was ready. It didn’t last too long and we had candles at the ready to eat our food by.

Dalyan – 16th & 17th December

Of course I was hungover (again) on Saturday 16th December and it was raining heavily. I spent all morning in bed and felt bad when we couldn’t even make it to the weekly market. When I did venture downstairs, I made myself an egg and banana pancake, with persimmon and quark for a very late breakfast.
There was a Christmas treat auction being held at River House at 2pm but I was in no fit state to make it. Even if I were physically able to attend, I really didn’t need to break my diet for excessive treats that I hadn’t budgeted for anyway so I wasn’t too bothered about missing it.
It was date night for our 12 year anniversary tonight and we decided we would just go to Lukka bar, with the weather being so wet. I’d tried to get booked in for my hair doing but I couldn’t get an appointment until next Friday. At Lukka I ordered soda water while Captain Caveman insisted on a bottle of red wine. I was absolutely begging for mercy as Çetin, the waiter, poured us a glass each of the red Buzbağ wine. For starters Captain Caveman wanted pâté but they didn’t have that, instead he had cheesy garlic bread, I had garlic mushrooms. Both starters were great and Captain Caveman even shared his starter with me. For main course he had pepper steak and I went for one of my old favourites, sweet and sour chicken. Both came with homemade chips which were nice and we enjoyed our food. I only managed about a glass of the wine while Captain Caveman drank the rest. I started to feel quite unwell before we had left to go home and I even had to go home before Captain Caveman, with some leftovers in a bag. Our anniversary celebration night out cost us just less than £50 in English money equivalent.
Back at home, I felt quite unwell and thought I might spoil date night by having to have an early night by myself. By the time I’d come out of the bathroom, Captain Caveman was on the sofa, fast asleep and snoring, it was only 9.15pm!

My parents and I joined Captain Caveman on his weekly walk on Sunday 17th December. It was a sunny day for the 12km so I could just about manage that. As we left home I noticed that the person who was staying in the apartment opposite us, had a German Shepherd dog and it was on the front balcony, barking. Captain Caveman and I assumed the Turkish woman who was inside was the cleaner who had brought her dog to work with her.
After the walk Captain Caveman, my parents and I had lunch at the Kefal tea gardens. I was good and had 2 big Turkish teas while the others had beers. I accidentally ordered a chicken döner sandwich instead of a cheese and onion toastie but it was rather tasty. It did mean that I’d gone over 300 syns for the week now so Wednesday’s Fat Club weigh-in was certainly looking a bit dicey.
Here’s what we had and the prices in lira;

2 çay 20
1 chips 50
1 chicken döner sandwich 65
2 cheese toasties 90
2 mixed toasties 100
4 Efes Malt 300
Total spent 625 lira (£16.90)

Not a bad lunch for less than £5 per person on average.
That evening, I made enchiladas for dinner using up lots of defrosted leftovers from various meals out. It was lovely but I was ready for an early night as it would be a busy day off work tomorrow.