HELP! All ladies of a 'certain age'-please respond

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HELP! All ladies of a 'certain age'-please respond

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  • Done Bay. Must fly…..P

    I am so glad to see the recipes pour into the loaca recipe thread. I love trying new foods. Keep it up!

    https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-loaca-recipe-thread/

    thanks, Purple, so sorry you missed your train. Happy fasting. B 🙂

    Hi All LOACA
    Yippity Yip! Weighed in after fasting and I’m still going down. The scales do not lie!!! I’ve only done five fasting days and lost 8lb (over two weeks). Two inches off my waist as well which is beginning to look like a waist again! and is actually the statistic I most wanted to change from a health point of view. I know some of this will be water and I’ve had a much needed cup of tea after weighing but I won’t be back on the scales till Saturday morning so I’m happy with that.

    Hope all LOACA are staying cheerful.

    Hi Lizzypopbottle

    That’s fabulous, well done. All your hard work is definitely paying off. I’m now maintaining, I find I fluctuate a bit and weight is fairly constant but my measurements are still slowly getting smaller. As our leader says Onwards and downwards and I think for those maintaining it is sideways! Ali x

    Ali
    I didn’t put calories on my recipes because it depends on what ingredients you use and how much. I would hope people using these recipes know a fair bit about calories and, if not, should learn to gauge them. It is a basic skill to develop with this WOL as the world is always going to offer you food without calorie counts. My idea was to give the general feel for the recipe concept so that people can do it their own way. I adjust to suit. 200 cals if I am eating twice, 400 cals if it is my only fast meal.
    PVE

    Hi Ali

    I’m sorry I don’t know the calorie count of the chicken and vege soup recipe. Like Purple, I figure anyone using the recipe will have an idea how many calories are in the amount of chicken they are using, and there’s almost nothing in the vegetables. For example, when my sister makes this soup, she merely waves the chicken at it. Hehe! You get my drift, she uses half the amount of chicken that the recipe says to use. Bon appetite! B

    Hello everyone

    Like most of us been up & down the scale many times. I am just approaching my 50th birthday. I have 3 auto immune conditions, from Hashimoto’s (underactive thyroid caused by last pregnancy), also coeliac (gluten free) and glucose intolerant, diabetes usually is the third member of the group to join Hashimoto’s & coeliac. Considering that I feel very well. I am trying to swim 5 times a week and do lots of walking as work from home as website designer so sat on my butt a fair bit.

    There seems to have been a change of thought with Drs regarding Thyroxin and my dose was dropped from 225mg to 100mg last year and I put back on the 20lb I had lost such a pain in the butt. They have now put it back up to 150mg as far too low.

    I have always done low carb high fat which suits me as I never eat processed food cook everything from scratch, the most time consuming being when I crave scampi and have to hand breadcrumb each piece individually. LOL

    Although I usually eat a high fat diet I do have low cholesterol

    Lately low carb does not seem to be working as well so I have moved over to the 5:2 diet.

    I am on my first fast day so wish me luck; I plan to brush my teeth as soon as I have had my dinner so I will not be too tempted to eat.

    I really could do with a diet buddy if anyone fancies. I have been using my fitness pal app. I have not counted calories for about 30 years so I was so shocked when I started weighing stuff especially butter.

    I am aiming to loose about 28lbs.

    Best of luck to you all

    Kathy

    Hi BooBoo and everyone including newbies. Out playing bowls again this afternoon, just checking in to make sure you are all doing well on fasting or feasting. See you later.
    JIP
    Ps Boo do you know you are mentioned on the chatterbox thread nice to famous.JIP

    Hey JIP!

    I am just checking in here for the first time since yesterday afternoon; we went out for our walk much later than usual because it was so very hot. It was the worst walk we have ever had; the heat just made it unbearable and this was 7.30pm at night!

    Then we watched the entire opening ceremony of the Glasgow Commomwealth Games and so didn’t do my usual posting on here.

    Funnily enough; I’ve just left a message on the Chatterbox Thread, after scanning down the ‘recent posts’ list but no I haven’t read the thread because I don’t fit the criteria unfortunately!

    Will have a look though; out of curiousity!
    BooBooxx

    Hello All Ladies Of A Certain Age!

    Hello – How are you all doing?

    Wow, it’s another very hot day here so I don’t think we will even consider our usual walk today. Yesterdays was a nightmare even at 7.30 at night.

    I’d like to say Thank You to the LOACA’s who took the time to congratulate me on the ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY of the LOACA THREAD.
    I like to be congratulated too! And it was a big issue in my opinion; still no more big celebrations coming up for a while – JUST the little (but main) issue of trying to lose weight!

    So Thank You to the LOACA’s who gave me awards – for a change! I’m the one always handing them out so it was nice for me to get one or two.

    Hey JIP! – My Deputy Chief Captain!
    Thank you for your kind words; you are very good to me and this thread and it is much appreciated. Like some of our LOACA’s from over the pond; you also have a lovely way with words – I really like the ‘like a jigsaw from all over the world…..‘ very poetic and very apt.
    Did you notice? I filled in my profile a lot more! Well, I never seem to be able to ‘do’ short anything!
    Don’t ever leave this thread please JIP! – it will be a poorer place without your humour, funny stories and encouragement to everyone on here.

    Hi Purple – My Deputy Deputy Chief Captain!
    At one point I thought you were just going to say ‘well done’! (It is more than some people managed!…..)
    Thank You so much for my wonderful (and totally deserved!) award of ‘Honorary Chief Inspirer for Sustainable Weight Loss and Continued Health into the Later Years Southern Cross Star’!
    It will go on my virtual mantelpiece along with the others…..
    Loved your little ditty too!
    Thanks Mate and to all the other Aussie Girls!

    Hey smiffy – Head Girl! (Newly promoted! As of yesterday!)
    Thank You for my ‘Consistent Support, Encouragement and Enthusiasm for Ladies Of A Certain Age’ Award!
    I like that very much and it has gone onto my virtual mantelpiece along with the others!
    Well done on wearing the shorts in public; it’s those kind of yardsticks that really bring home the fact that you are much smaller and therefore not as conscious of how you look.
    Shout up when you hit the 20lbs mark! And obviously hubby could go onto the zillion other threads on here! You might have to edit what you say in future!

    Hey LUV2 – Lunchtime monitor contender!
    Thanks for the Happy Birthday wishes and I thought too at one point that this thread shared the same birthday as our beautiful Prince George but he was born on the 22.07.14!
    I’m so pleased you Yanks love him; we certainly do along with his beautiful mother and handsome father. They are such an attractive family but seem to be lovely people too. I am very fond and proud of them. I bought a newspaper the other week ONLY because it had a special photo magazine of their visit to Oz in it.
    I decided that was the day; I OFFICIALLY became a Lady Of A Certain Age!

    Hey bayleafoz – Lunchtime Monitor contender!
    Thank you for seconding my Aussie Award from the Aussie Contingent on this thread! You are a great bunch of girls and add a great deal to the humour and information and let’s not forget, the all important, CHAT on this thread. It would be a poorer place without you all; so please stick with us.
    P.S. Whereabouts are you visiting in the UK?

    Hi Cheeseplease – Top Poster!
    Thank you for your amusing little ditty and your kind words; it is nice to be appreciated!

    That’s all I can manage for the moment; we are heading ‘home’ for a long weekend so must get our stuff organised.
    Be Good everyone
    ONwards and Downwards!
    BooBooxx

    A bit late in the day to catch up with the discussion of Lorraine Kelly’s stance on ageism in fashion but I’ve been away in that sexiest of cities, Berlin. It was fun going to museums and being allowed in at reduced rate on my Uni of London student card. Only in one place was it refused by a snooty madam who insisted students must be under 30! Sorry lady, I didn’t even start my first degree until I was 36, so yah, boo, sucks to you!

    In Berlin, you see a lot of mature and very mature women looking fabulous in the simplest, still youthful but not mutton-dressed-up outfits. For me ‘mutton dressed up’ usually means ill-fitting clothes that pretend that the spare tyre wasn’t there, accompanied by a face made up with layers of what looks like polyfiller. Nothing to do with colour or style.

    Sadly you also see large numbers of ginormous people of elephantine proportions, of all ages and genders who would make all of us on here wonder what we were worried about. Beer and sausages may have something to do with it. (Not guilty, your honour. It was too hot for such stuff and I actually came home about a kilo lighter after all that walking.

    Lorraine is absolutely right. I’ve always thought that what suits a stylish young woman in, say, her mid-30s can with a few minor adjustments – colour, cut, cover-up for the wobbly bits (especially the dreaded bingo wings, my own biggest bugbear) – look great on her mum, her gran and her great-gran. BTW if you are 60, 70, 80 or 90 with a nice butt, and you feel good in the pale pink trousers, then go for it. I would look like the back end of a pig. In fact, I look rubbish in pastels which has meant this season I’ve bought nothing new apart from more great earrings.

    What really sends me expletive deleted bonkers is the depiction of mature women in images like this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26654759 – pensioner perms, pastels, droopy cardies. This was meant to represent people over 55, would you believe.

    Many, many men and women in their mid-50s look like people did in their mid-30s a generation or two back. I have given strict instructions to all my younger friends and rellies if ever I start to look like this, they should take me out and shoot me! To be fair, although the Beeb clearly doesn’t get it, a lot of commercial advertising targeting 60-pluses shows good-looking people who may have grey/white hair but are seriously cool – SpecSavers being one example.

    Hello again I am back, played bowls and won so thanks for keeping your fingers crossed, it worked. We won 4 out of 4 games in four days and in this heat it’s an achievement we are all over 60 it’s a senior citizen game. Shame it’s is a great pass time, I can recommend it if you are looking for an enjoyable game.
    Nice to hear from you again hermajtomomi where have you been? I agree with the too much makeup bit, I only wear eye make up and lipstick, I have a mark on my face and it cannot be hidden and if I try it’s seems to draw attention to it. So it’s a good cream and take me or leave me, the mark only appeared after I was 50 so although I notice it when I look in the mirror I do not worry about it’s called vitiligo and it’s over one eye, I look like a reverse of a panda. Is this too much information. Lol. My friends and my big sis say they do not notice it but I think they love me and want to make me less worried about it, but a couple of years ago I saw a coloured guy ( sorry if that is not the thing to say ) but he had a birth mark on the whole of one side of his face and I thought I should not worry about mine. BooBoo I am sure you would have noticed it when we met but like I said I should be grateful it did not come earlier in my youth when I would have been very conscious of it. Hubby is back from his game of bowls, we are like ships passing in the night, as least we have no time to argue, this married life can be wonderful. Got to go he demands his supper, mmm. OW’s and DW’s as Boo says. JIP.

    Hello All Ladies Of A Certain Age!

    This is just a quick post now; I have spent ages just trying to log in!

    So Hello and Welcome to this thread to KathyR and Jackie T!

    Hi Jackie T – I am glad to see that you’ve already been welcomed by some of our crew; join in and get to know people. They are a great bunch and will support and encourage you.

    Hi KathyR – I sympathise greatly with your health issues; particularly your thyroid problems. I have an underactive thyroid but it is untreated because it doesn’t show up in my blood tests….
    However if you look back a bit you will see I have managed to lose 20lbs in a year; I know that’s not much to some people but to me it is a miracle. So I have high hopes for you; get involved on here and have company on your FD journey!

    To everyone else; we are off for a long weekend at ‘home’ tomorrow!
    So it is highly unlikely I will be posting until I get back.
    Will my trusty LOACA’s please mind the fort and CHAT for England?

    Thank You in advance!
    Be Good this weekend – I won’t be!
    ONwards and Downwards!
    BooBooxx

    Hi everyone,
    Belated congratulations Booboo on your wonderful anniversary and well deserved awards. You keep the wheels of the wagon trundling along. Been busy being a farmers wife and I now have a little unwanted (by his mother) twin calf to raise. He’s 5 days old and I think his name is Kenneth. Have you checked when the daily temperature is at it’s lowest Boo? – for a few years I have walked each weekend with my neighbour, we started off with an afternoon/evening walk but during the summer the heat of the day is still pretty hot at 8pm and even at bedtime it can still be stifling so in the summer we walk early morning, say close to sunrise which is usually the coolest time of day (summer or winter brrrr).
    VM

    Hi Boboo, I hope you have a lovely weekend, it’s lovely how and what we all call home. It’s where our hearts are, mine is Wales. Hope you all have a smashing weekend
    Keep up the good work.
    Hello newbies, welcome on board. 5-2 is the the way to get there. Happy fasting and feasting JIP.

    Hi Violet
    It’s the same in Oz. Every Summer we have to walk in the early morning. It’s the only cool time when temps get above 30 C. B

    Hi Boo

    It was me on the Chatbox thread, saying ” in the words of Boo, onwards and downwards.” It’s such a great saying 🙂 Have fun on your long weekend 🙂 B

    Well played, JIP. Isn’t it great to be active? B

    Hi Hermaj
    Nice to have you ‘back’ from Berlin.
    Re the recipe thread…you might have missed it, but Precious has asked that chatter stay on this thread and only recipes on the other to make it easier to find the food ideas.
    I added the Chilli Fish as I was running out the door yesterday morning and then missed the train;(
    I will do the hard yards today to calculate the calories, but it all depends on how much of everything you use. It was the general flavours of it that is so great. Play around with it.

    The fish is easy for you to work out and the veg are minimal cals, the Shiritaki noodles count very low, so it is the sauces and oil you used that raises it. I have been doing this WOE long enough to know if I limit the oil to almost none, keep the sauces to the minimum and think about the amount of fish (50g on a fast day when I’ve eaten something else, 100g if it is my only meal). I never go over 400 cal if it is my only meal. And we are both maintainers. We are very strict to have less than 400 cals on our two fast days and we both, now, only eat dinner. We find we can then really enjoy a decent feed before we go to bed. I am sleeping much better on fast days since I started this regime.
    More later. P

    Well played JIP. No walking for me today. An exciting sound on my tin roof…rain! Only an Aussie can understand that!
    I guess I’ll just have to stay tucked up in my warm bed and listen to it 😉 P

    Hi Hermaj
    Thanks for posting the BBC good food link on the LOACA recipe thread. I will look them up next time I feel like some inspiration. These recipes are going to be a good source of food as go through the years on this WOL. 🙂

    Boo
    We are staying with my brother who lives in a village to the North of Oxford. We hope to have day trips into the Cotswolds, my favourite nearby area. And we are visiting relatives in London, staying in Hampstead.

    B 🙂

    Hi Purple
    Our posts crossed. I don’t mean to undermine Boo’s guidelines. If we post the links only to interesting food, it will certainly help someone like me. I would not find that BBC site on my own. Hope that’s ok, Boo. 🙂 B

    Yes Bayleaf. Directing to food sites (eg SBS in Aust) is appropriate on the recipe thread, but I think Boo was trying to reduce the conversations. You KNOW how long and complicated the conversation threads get!!!!!! 🙂 P

    Hi bayleaf,

    If you are in Hampstead – a lovely part of North London – you are only a couple of miles away from us. We’re in Hornsey. Enjoy your visit.

    Hi JIP,

    Where have I been? I’ve bin in Berlin, and very nice it was too although with temperatures in the 30s it was a wee bit too hot. It did mean we didn’t eat vast quantities and together with a lot of walking it meant we came back none the heavier. Prior to that I kept a low profile while I finished off a large translation assignment before leaving.

    Like you, I go easy with the make-up, just the eyes really. We are often advised that when we pass 40 or so we should avoid glossy eye-shadow. I couldn’t agree more but sometimes matte eye-shadow is hard to find. If I do come across some in brown, grey or very dark blue I scoop up a handful just in case.

    Hi again, Hermaj 🙂
    Shiritaki noodles are Japanese yam noodles. They are also called miracle or zero noodles in other parts. Rice or egg noodles are very high in calories. These log in at about 7 cals for a huge filling amount.
    They can be purchased in Asian providores (ask for them) and also in some supermarkets. They come in a little pouch of liquid and are very cheap. You have to rinse them really well as they stink! Then either soak them briefly in hot water or, as I do, stir them directly into the flavoursome dish you have prepared.
    We find them very satisfying on a fast night and they seem to aid our sleep…we feel more full.
    Last night, for our fast dinner (two of us), I cooked up onion, leek, garlic, chilli, celery, basil and carrot. Added a slop of passata, dried Italian herbs and chopped up a 100g packet of smoked trout. Stirred in the noodles and voila, a substantial meal. As the trout is only 120 cals each, the whole thing comes in very low. I don’t count the cals any more as I know this is WELL below 400. That’s the huge advantage of only eating dinner. It is very hard to eat too much. We also finish it off with a handful of blueberries, a teaspoon of Greek yoghurt, cinnamon and a few almond flakes. Slept like babies…. well, actually, a lot better than MY babies!
    Today I hit a new PB of 58.3kg, so I must be on the right track 🙂
    Hope this helps. P

    Hi President BooBoo

    It has just hit me that you have promoted me to Lunchtime Monitor. I am utterly overwhelmed!! Thank you so so much for this recognition of my modest contributions. 🙂

    We are just here now emerging from an early morning fog into glorious sunshine. We will top out at 13 C today, but it will feel warmer because there is sunshine and no breeze. The man is here grinding off the adhesive that was used to stick down the old tiles. After today, the work to lay the new tiles will be much quieter. 🙂

    We are off to celebrate Christmas in July tonight. MidWinter. Our generation of Anglo heritage was raised on roast meals and plum pudding for Christmas in the sweltering heat. All of us on starting our own families seem to have decided to adapt to the Summer heat and have BBQ and salads etc. so our only chance to have a Christmas nosh up with friends is in July. 🙂

    Wow, Purple, a new PB of 58.3 kg. Weigh to go! Big congratulations! Well done on your WOE. B 🙂

    Congratulations Boo, on the thread and the twenty pounds! I award you “The Good Friend Award”, not as fancy as the Southern Cross, but a hope that you still treasure it! xxP

    Hi Hermaj
    V envious of your Berlin visit – lots of great art? Zero noodles are sold in Holland & Barratt or other health food shops, or possibly online. They tend to sell out fast so I usually buy a few packets. They need to be rinsed and dressed in a tasty sauce as they taste of nothing at all on their own.

    Purple, congrats on your PB – inspirational!

    Bayleafoz have a lovely visit, we have visited the Cotswolds and Oxford itself many times in Harry Hymer motorhome, lovely area. Love the idea of your out of season Christmas – what a good idea.

    Thanks Cheesy. Big family do tomorrow. Have to go through the wardrobe to find something to show off the weight in 😉
    Hermaj, the noodles are available lots of places here, but it takes determination to find them. Basically, if they are noodles packaged in a bag of liquid and the energy rating is really low, you’ve got the right ones. They come in different shapes …spaghetti, thin noodles, fat noodles etc. It is the very low cal that you look for.
    Maybe the Fast Diet folk should import them to the UK. There is an obvious market.
    Off to bed. ‘Night all. P

    Hello all – Head Girl here! Thanks for the appointment BooBoo. I will do my best to live up to it! Enjoy your weekend.

    It has been such a busy few days that I still haven’t been able to catch up on all the postings. I’m writing this because I have been forced to put my feet up – some nasty insect found the back of my knee particularly tasty and as a result most of the back and sides of my leg have become inflamed and swollen and I started to feel very unwell. Anti-histamine tablets haven’t touched it so it was off to A&E where they gave me antibiotics and told me to rest it with an ice pack. Still, if gives me chance to catch up a bit here.

    Well done Luzzypopbottle. Stick with it – hope the scales are positive again tomorrow.

    Hi Kathrynr. I’m sorry you have all these health issues, and it’s great you are carrying on fighting. It’s so frustrating and disappointing when we re-gain weight we have lost. I’ve done if all my life, and I guess so have most if the other LOACAs, otherwise we wouldn’t be here. Good luck in your perseverance.

    Hermaj – glad you enjoyed Berlin. You were spot-on with your comments about how we should look at this age. I was appalled to see the perceived images of ladies over 55 on your link. My 88 year old Mum looks better than that! Whilst I am not into heavy makeup – which I think can make an older woman look like a man in drag – I do wear tinted moisturiser, a subtle bit of matte shadow and pencil eyeliner as I have quite large eyes and fleshy lids, concealer under my eyes and whatever lipstick I can lay my hands on at the time. I wear brown mascara, but not the sort that thickens and extends – that’s a bit too much. I like to think I dress in a modern but fairly conservative way, and like to ‘dress up’ my outfits with scarves or striking costume jewellery. I still have my hair coloured (dark blonde) every 4 weeks. Although we are principally on this diet for health reasons, I am sure we are all conscious of the way we look, and want to look. We only have one life, and sadly we are all heading towards the wrong end of ours, and I for one am determined to look the best I can for as long as possible.

    Zero Noodles are available in the UK – I get them at Holland & Barrett or Boots, and they are wonderful – I can’t recommend them highly enough for great stirfries on a F D.

    Purple – well done on the PB. That’s fantastic!

    Bayleaf – have a great trip. You will be in a lovely part of the world.

    JIP – great bowling! I don’t know why I thought you lived in Brecon. I’m sure the mark you mention is not noticeable. I have a scar on the side of my nose which i am very conscious of, but if I ever have cause to mention it, people say they hadn’t known it was there, and I think they mean it. We worry because we know it is there, but others looking at us have the whole person to take in, if you know what I mean, and small areas like that often go unnoticed.

    Hi to everyone else – Violet May, how is little Kenneth? We have a field of mums with calfs next door to us, they’re gorgeous.

    Off for another antibiotic. I will try and look at the new recipe thread, though tonight am very tired.

    Night all and Good Morning Down Under

    Smiffy x

    Hello everyone.
    Hi Smiffy hope you are feeling better soon. The little blighters get everywhere.
    Been very busy today, it was a day at home with hubby very unusual for us. So we got a lot of things done around the house, garden and garage. Dead tired now and just off to bed so G-Day down under and good night UK etc.
    Have a good weekend all.
    JIP. Happy fasting and feasting .

    Hi Smiffy and JIP
    Sorry to hear about your bite S. I hope it settles down quickly.
    Last spring, because I was lighter and feeling energetic, I tackled the wilds of my garden. Over a week I was attacked on three different occasions by massive bull ants and hornets. Very painful.
    I’ve given up weeding. “Someone else” can do it when he retires 😉
    Sleep well UK pals. P

    Hi Smiffy

    I echo PVEs comments, I usually end up bitten all over when on holiday, so wish me luck! I’m off next week for 11 days all inclusive to Majorca with my daughter. I’m slipping in a few more fasts before I go so I can not worry too much, have to watch all that free alcohol as they are empty calories even though they do taste great. Hoping for lots of veggies, a little meat and some salad. Should be loads of swimming, walking and even a bit of exercise if I feel energetic. Bought my first bikini for over 20 years, feeling fairly brave so will probably wear it. I’ll have to switch off the notification before I go and catch up once back, may take a little while!

    Don’t know how long you have coloured your hair, but I’ve done it since I was in my early 20s, so a long, long time. Recently I’ve found the usual colour too dark so my hairdresser suggested natural dark blonde, it now looks like I have expensive salon low lights. I’m still loathed to go grey even though I must be over 50% of the way there.
    Ali x

    Have a great holiday Ali.
    Pity you won’t be able to post pictures of you in your bikini…. “She was afraid to come out of the water ….” 😉 P

    Hi PVE

    LOL, just in case it’s lots in translation – laughs out loud. You’ll have to imagine it, no pics allowed. Ali x

    Wow Ali, a bikini!!! That is not going to be on my shopping list, I will stick to my pink chino’s for the Wow factor. Don’t forget what I said about odourless garlic capsules 99 p for 60 start taking them ASAP. Antihistamine which I take all year round it helps with runny nose when I play my bowls on the grass. Caution only take in the morning if are drinking alcohol but you could get a good dose in before you go. I hope you have a smashing time, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Now that leaves you plenty of scope. 5-2 will be waiting when you get back. I want to go on hols in Sept, we do, book today gone tomorrow. It’s great when you get old. Some thing to be said for old age. LOL bugger the wrinkles. Bring it on. JIP

    Stop laughing Ali! I was serious 😉
    JIP, have you tried eating local honey (ie from local hives so the bees have gathered pollen from local plants) to overcome your hayfever?
    All that talk of ‘local’ reminds me of the League of Gentlemen skit! P

    Thank you, Purple, Cheeseplease and (I think) bayleaf for your info re Japanese yam noodles. My first port of call will be Holland & Barrett as we have a branch quite close by. I’ll also see what I can find online if necessary.

    Another alternative would be to save the lovely chili swordfish for a non-fast day. Every day, fast or otherwise, I eat a low-cal, low-carb lunch, so I would have room for it with a modest serving of brown rice, while my other half has a considerably higher CDEE so could certainly manage it.

    I have you down as someone interested in the arts, Cheeseplease, in which case you and all the other arty-farties like us would love Berlin. There was one disappointment. The Neue Nationalegalerie, whose permanent collection includes a large number of turn-of-the-20th-century German paintings which are very special to me, was hosting a special exhibition and had consigned the permanent stuff to the basement to make room for it. It’s the second time they’ve done it when we were visiting so I still haven’t been able to show them to my hubby ‘for real’.

    I’m glad that Smiffy and others are with me in decrying the portrayal of older women. Unfortunately, I have had people argue that it’s ME who is the unusual one and most women of my age (74 in years, considerably less in outlook, still in there pitching, working and studying, and DEFINITELY not into old-ladyism!) look like those sad old biddies. I got a very dear and very beautiful friend, 50 next year, to admit that while this might be true in her native rural Scotland, it was not so in the cities in Scotland, or anywhere else in the UK. In any case, her 70+ mum still has the figure of a 30-something and lovely thick hair in her natural colour and always looks great.

    Worse still, my husband thinks the Beeb uses images like that because they represent the majority of 55-plus women. What planet does he live on?! Needless to say, shouting matches have ensued! Him Indoors also claims that women – including me – are gullible fools to spend our money on skincare as it’s not going to make any difference to our ageing complexions. More shouting matches! He says he wouldn’t notice and wouldn’t give a monkey’s if I stopped taking reasonable care of myself and rejects the argument that we are not necessarily trying to look younger, but making the most of what we have. I might be tempted to ‘let myself go’ for a month or so to see what he says. But what stops me is that would lose me my self-respect and self-confidence. Men! What are they like!

    Finally, Violet May’s Kenneth reminds me of two visits to a rare breeds park in the West of Scotland. On the first one, we met a dear little Highland calf named Duncan, who had been found orphaned and injured – he and his mum fell from a cliff edge – and was being nursed back to health. The following year we visited to find that Duncan was now a very large young gentleman with the long horns and big fringe typical of his breed, living in his own very large meadow.

    How disappointing to miss the paintings in Berlin, hermaj. We’ve had that situation on a couple of our trips to Europe and it takes us 23 hours and a LOT of money to get there! There are so many galleries I need to see and so little time when we are over there… 🙁

    Regarding the fish dish, you could simply serve the swordfish with a lettuce and capsicum salad on a fast day. The noodles bulk it out in winter. We save all our calories until dinner. If you do that, you can afford 100 cal of rice noodles. I love the flexibility of this WOE!
    Enjoy your Saturday P

    Hi PVE
    I forgot to say what a brilliant result that your hands/wrists were pain free over the winter. Congratulations! It’s news like that that drives me to keep going when my tummy is rumbling. The reading on the scales pales into insignificance when set alongside the effect of fasting on pain management.
    Liz

    Hi Cheese and Smiffy, thanks for your kind wishes for our trip. B 🙂

    Yes, P. It must be so annoying for to come all the way from Oz and find the things you want to see just aren’t there. One time in Berlin, the same gallery was completely given over to Andy Warhol. It also happened in New York when we found the whole Guggenheim given over to Armani. Still, it’s worth visiting for the building itself.

    One such story had a happy ending. I’m an Edward Hopper freak and having done a dissertation on his work for the conversion course that preceded the MA I was dying to wallow in his paintings. On arrival in NYC we learnt that the Whitney, which has the world’s largest single collection of Big Ed’s work, had got the builders in and the Hopper section was closed.

    The collection was in fact on tour and one freezing cold January day we managed a day trip to Paris and back on Eurostar to catch it there.

    Back from vacation & back to where I started, I am soooo down because I was very good on vacation other than not drinking enough water everyday. Oh, well, my measurements are still good, so I will not be obsessed by the high number on the scale. I only want to lose 5-7 pounds, but my weight will decrease a little and then right back up again. Anyway, I will just start again & remember to drink water.

    bayleaf, thanks for the tip about finding the new recipe thread…..much appreciated. Was never sure how to access some of the new threads folks were referring too. Thanks! LTC

    Don’t be downhearted, dmh, just get back to it. A friend and I went out for one day’s shopping and an evening with a dvd and a glass of wine. Just that wrecked my progress by 2lb gained even after a fast day but I’m determined to keep going. You can do it!
    Liz

    Lizzie and DMH: over and over we have had ladies show a bump up in lbs on the scale after a splurg or holiday, only to have the gain disappear just as fast with a return to better eating and resuming their fluid intake.

    After celebrating a 20 lb loss 2 weeks ago I have not seen the scale budge an smiggen since (possibly due to some long overdue feasting last weekend. For me carb intake means a 2 lb water retention bump the next day).

    I know this is not a lack of progress as pants that I could have just barely buttoned or zipped 2-3 weeks ago are now looser.

    I also had a bit of a freak-out moment this week when by boss asked me to attend a high level meeting outside the office with the head of an insurance group we deal with a lot. Our office dress code is professional but suits are not necessary. This would need a suit.

    I long ago grew too large to fit in the 2 suits I still own, and realized I would have to endure the much dreaded (and always disheartening) shopping trip for a decent blazer or jacket.

    Surprise ! Went shopping yesterday and was thrilled to find I was wearing a much smaller size and found & bought 3 (count them…..3 !!!!) mix and match suit tops to go with pants I already had. And on sale big time. I have since come to my senses and have decide to return 1 of them ( I mean really….do NOT need 3 even if they are on sale. Note to self: get real).

    This was a huge morale bump for me, especially when I fully expected to be drowning my sorrows at the end of the day with a big glass of wine to take the sting out of the expected sad shopping experience.

    I am a bad one for not always following my own advise….but PLEASE do a reality check with your tightest clothes and do NOT just go by the scale. We often hear that the scale doesn’t lie. YES IT DOES ! Or it at least tells little white lies.

    I find the clothes will tell me faster if I have lost, and the scale will confirm it often as much as a week or two later. If you have been eating reasonably or even had a small binge, you are probably fine and just seeing water retention. After all….you would have had to have over eaten 7,000 calories more than your daily maintenance level to honestly have gained 2 lbs. (NOT easy to do without also having been taken to your local hospital after you exploded with fork in route to mouth).

    Take the long view ladies…..the long view. All good things will come to those who wait (and diet).

    Hi everyone
    Yes the long view – fasting from now to eternity. However not so bad really.
    Your sucess stories inspire me, the last I read was from LUVTCOOK. I am still doing the 4;3 with my husband and he with his BMI of 25 is losing more than I am. After nearly 4 weeks, I have lost 1.5 kg only.
    Wiwi Kiwi

    Thanks ladies. I am very susceptible to insect bites and they nearly always cause a reaction, but I’ve never had anything like this before. The duty nurse at the hospital was very impressed at the extent of it! The antibiotics are certainly making me feel better today but they did warn me that the redness and swelling which is now almost the length of my leg, may get worse before it gets better!

    Ali – like you, I have been colouring my hair since my 20s and the hairdresser doesn’t need to put in the highlights these days! I’m sure I am very grey underneath, judging by the roots if I ever have to go an extra week between visits. Have a great holiday in Majorca. After I got divorced at 27 in 1978, I took myself off there for a week’s holiday all on my own to cheer myself up. I was very nervous, and had never flown before, but I had an absolute ball – but that’s another story! I envy you in your bikini – I’m afraid those days are long gone for me!

    Purple – I might well follow your example about getting ‘ someone else ‘ to do the gardening – he never gets bitten!

    Hermaj – I think your husband is fairly typical! They sometimes forget we are fundamentally women! On the subject of looking young and making the most of ourselves, I have a very dear friend who is 81 and doesn’t look a day over 50, yet I know someone else who is 66 and could easily pass for 10 years older, which is sad because she could so easily ‘update’ herself. By the way, I loved the story about Duncan.

    Dmh – don’t be too despondent. Those last few pounds are always the hardest. The important thing is you had a great vacation! Just get back on the wagon and I’m sure you will soon see the result you want. It’s probably mainly water retention anyway, the same with Lizzypopbottle and her 2lbs after a glass of wine. Any additional carbohydrate causes short term fluid retention. It will disappear. Since I started writing this, I see that several have said the same thing, so chin up and forwards girls! You too tangatakiwi.

    LUVTCOOK – what a fantastic shopping trip and morale boost. You are so right about the emphasis on the inches lost rather than the pounds. Tonight I tried on some pale turquoise cut-off jeans I have had for about 4 years and only worn a handful of times, and I’m sure I was at least half a stone lighter at the time, but they fit a treat! Enjoy your new outfits – I’m sure you’ll impress!

    I’m on a FD but didn’t think I should skip any meals on these antibiotics so have just had 3 very low cal ones. Off to Wales again tomorrow – washing machine and ‘proper’ (ie king sized) beds being delivered next week . Bliss! I shall also wear the turquoise jeans – just right for paddling in the shallows. We plan a very early start to miss the holiday traffic so it’s off to bed for me. I still haven’t looked at the recipe thread – will definitely try and do it while we are away, provided I can get a signal.

    Night Night Northern Hemisphere Ladies, and G’day Down Under. Not sure what time it is for you in the US!

    Smiffy x

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