Day 17 – Lake District UK – NFD

Good morning everyone

Bimbling day today, Easter weekend in the lake district is usually pretty busy with traffic so we don’t stray very far. Will make do with a relaxing Sunday at home, that won’t be too much of a struggle though!

Take care all

Day 16 – 16:8 CD

The weather improved and we went out for more yard work yesterday afternoon. Today is cooler and sunny so we have a day in the yard again today, but made a good start yesterday so that is nice.

Feeling good about eating more healthy since my return and tomorrow I jump back in 5:2. I’m going to do 800 days and if I don’t see the trip weight go away by the end of April then I’ll revisit my decision and plan for May to be 5:2 500 if necessary.

Most of my trip weight was probably the result of too many chips/crisps and fries/chips – my big weaknesses. None of those things in my home, so I’m thinking that should sort that out. I did allow myself four holiday peeps (pink bunnies). Pure sugar, I know, but they are one of the few highly processed sweets I allow myself and I only eat one package each spring. It is like a taste of childhood and I get a lot of joy from having them.

One of the internet cooking videos my husband watches recently did a thing on why veggies taste better in restaurants (tons of oil mainly) and how to improve the taste at home without excess use of fats and oils. Following the tips, my roasted veggies yesterday were very yummy. My cooking skills continue to slowly improve – and I must admit internet cooks and Alton Brown are largely the reason 😄.

Still cell phone challenged, getting better with this one, but the lack of home button and need to swipe (a task beyond my motor skills) for navigating means I am mainly using it to read the board here and (gasp! Lol) as a phone. I’m learning to live with it as we try to save up for a new phone but one that still incorporates a button press. Unlikely to be soon, or even this year. And if we abandon Apple, the Apple Watch I inherited will no longer work, I understand. Sigh. I’ll adjust, and have really already adjusted.

But, now to work – it is a beautiful day here- perfect for spending outside! Have a great day everyone!

Day 18 Melb Aust NFD

Happy Easter to everyone still on that Easter timeline (here it’s Easter Monday). I’ve been quietly persevering still with losing weight. I was 2 kgs down on the start of the month yesterday, but only 1.4 kgs down this morning. Why? I wasn’t “naughty” yesterday. Well, no matter, it will settle itself down over time. My aim each month is for a loss of 4 kgs, but I’m always happy if I just lose 2, and I think I’ll be there for this month.

Sorry, I’m not up on how everyone is doing. I’ve had a nasty head cold recently (NOT Covid, fortunately) so still not as much energy, including emotional energy, as usual.

However, keep on keeping on for Amazing April.

Day 18 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – FD

Much-needed FD today, to go with the slight hangover 😳

So that’s all the guys fasting today; any ladies joining us…?

“It’s just food, right?” ~ funshipfreddie

Pocket list of Monday 🐰🥚
@i-hate-lettuce
@funshipfreddie
@northgeorgia – WFD

Day 18 – USA/GA – WFD

Oh no. Today’s weigh-in: 219 lbs. This is what I weighed on Jan 1! Yikes, the heaviest I’ve been all of 2022. My goodness. 10 lbs gained in a week. Yes, it’s a lot of bloat, but there is also a lot of carelessness in there from the holiday period. In all honesty, I could have fasted Saturday but decided not to. Lesson learned.

This week I can only afford a couple of FDs, but I may squeeze in a third one on Friday. No B2B days possible, though. My big thing is to get back in the right mindset on NFDs. I have successfully eliminated potato chips and most artificial sweets from my diet. But sugary drinks have snuck back in — maybe not soft drinks so much, but sports drinks (the subconscious mind is sneaky at the grocery store). Also, I don’t buy ice cream, but I’ve indulged in cereal. I think it’s time to say good-bye to my cereal craving. It’s no better than candy. I’ll wean myself off the two servings I have left over the next two weeks, and start replacing that craving with oatmeal made with milk and a banana when the craving hits. Still not great, but getting better.

I need to drink a lot more water, and eat a lot less carbs. It’s getting to be salad season, so that ridiculously big salad idea might be a good thing to add. I need to start diving into the deep freeze to thaw nice cuts of meat to tempt me to make something protein and vegetable based for meals. I’m supposed to be headed to the 200s, not back to the 220s! OK, not a happy morning, but the warning is flashing red, and time for changes to be made.

Pocket list of Monday 🐰🥚
@i-hate-lettuce
@funshipfreddie
@northgeorgia – WFD

Day 18 – FD 800

First fast day this month after returning from trip. I want to shed the couple of pounds I put on while away and possibly 5 more. I’m brushing the ‘I never want to exceed this weight’ and it makes me very uncomfortable to be so near it that I think my true maintenance goal needs to be about 7 lb lower than I currently am.

Much of the weekend was simply beautiful weather, just a bit too humid, I can work with that! It was a perfect time to clear yard brush, weed, rake, clean gutters etc.

I’m joining the fellas today for my regularly scheduled Monday fast!

Have a happy day all!

Pocket list of Monday 🐰🥚
@i-hate-lettuce
@funshipfreddie
@northgeorgia – WFD
@mariaelena FD 800

Day 18 – Rural Nebraska, USA – CD

So was it yesterday’s one-glass-too-many or the one-handful-too-many that kept me awake until four a.m. (and this was after getting up a little before six!) and gave me gastrointestinal woes this morning? sigh…. You’d think I’d learn, LOL!

The day was lovely, however: the music went well, the friends are dear, and the food was tasty. I even managed to land a lovely high C (as opposed to a screechy one, you understand) on the last chord of one of our hymns, so that makes it a lovely day all in itself–@songbirdme, I’m sure you understand that, LOL! Today, DH and I are “playing.” Dunno just how much adventure he wants, but I know that oysters on the half-shell are on the plan, although I may stick to a chilled white wine for those oysters instead of my usual beer; as long as I can easily and willingly avoid the carbs of beer, I’m going to do so. And oysters are shockingly low in calories, so it’s a great treat even when minimizing caloric input.

@fastingto58kgs So sorry you’ve been feeling so unwell; I hope you improve soon!

@matpi I’d like to elaborate just a bit on the thought of an invitation for the organist: only if you actually know the people so that you’d be invited either way. The same for the pastor. One very graceful way for the couple to decide is, when meeting with the organist a month or two before the wedding to choose the music, simply say, “We’d love to have you join us for the reception afterward; shall we send you an invitation with details?” Then I/the pastor (DH in my case) could easily say, “Yes, that would be lovely” or “Oh, thank you so much, but something else has come up that would keep me from coming, but I so appreciate the offer!” I’ve been invited to weddings where it felt so strange because I didn’t know the couple at all outside of helping them choose music.

@northgeorgia Thinking about being 280 two years ago really puts 217 into perspective, doesn’t it? And the fact that you aren’t headed back up, but that this is just a blip on the Easter radar is stellar. Helping your mom will be a great help to you, I would think. Is the rest of your family overweight, or are some naturally thin?

@betsylee Nice loss so far this month, however that number settles!

Nice to read the comments/woes from all the rest of you. I’m certain we’ll all manage a reset today or tomorrow. Have a grand one, everyone; I have some almost-100-year-old china to go handwash: my dad was 47 when I was born, and his sister was 16 when he was born, so her wedding china is from 1929, and is what she gave DH and me when we married. It’s a treasure that I adore and use regularly. 😍

Day 18 Ohio, US — MFD
Day 17 — NFD

Fasting went well today, better than can be said of the weather. We had snow today! The weather forecasters called it a flurry, but it was enough that on the walk from a store back to my car my coat was completly covered with snow. Happy April!

@ccco Glad you’re back! My deepest sympathy about your brother.

@stitchincarol Thanks for the clarification. I had always assumed that the bride and groom would just make the invite as an added way of saying thanks apart from any honorarium.

@jaifaim Hope you got everyhitng done!

@northgeorgia I too have had to cope with the cereal monster. One thing that helped was an article in the Harvard Medical Newsletter. The author of the article presented a “rule of 10” for carbs. If you take the grams of fiber and multiply by 10 (just add a 0) that number should be greater than the total number of carbs. That’s supposed to be the approximate ratio in natural whole grains. I’ve found some cereals that have that ratio and no more cereal monster!

@betsylee Hope you shake the remnants of that cold lickety-split!

Pocket list of Monday 🐰🥚
@i-hate-lettuce
@funshipfreddie
@northgeorgia – WFD
@mariaelena FD 800
@ccco
@matpi

Day 19 – UK – FD

Hi all. @ccco I’m so sorry to hear of your brother’s passing. I’m thinking of you & your family. @jaifaim – I’m also so sorry to hear of your family bereavement. These are such horrible times to go through. Sending you both lots of love.

I am back today on a Tuesday that feels like a Monday thanks to the long Easter bank holiday here in the UK. It’s been indulgent and I feel like I am yet to gain any control this month, so today is the day when I turn that around and have one good day. So far so good – currently in the ZBC with only one grumble of the stomach. Lunch is soup and dinner this evening is a F800 recipe. I am like a stuck record on these FDs 😂🙈.

I’ll be honest, I’ve not stepped on the scale in a week and I’m way too scared to. Maybe I’ll have some more courage tomorrow after the FD! My focus this week is increasing my steps and doing a couple of short conditioning sequences to help get my muscle strength back on track. The spell of being ill combined with long hours working at the desk has meant I’m starting to feel quite out of shape! I want to get back into cardio but I need to get my base level of strength back up before I start enrolling on aerobics classes.

Anyhoo, I must dash – I really should be prepping for a meeting in a couple of hours!

Pocket List Day 19 🍋
@babs_b

Day 19 – USA/GA – NFD

Weigh-in: 214 lbs. Looks like it may be a dud month for me, but anyway, I keep pressing my body to lose weight, regardless. Tomorrow will be a FD, and unless I can miraculously do Friday as another FD, I won’t have another until Sunday. Got to get back on course after this past weekend’s glut.

@matpi Thanks; I haven’t heard of that before. I may give it a go, but lately, whenever I give into the craving, I don’t have a portion of cereal, I have four (two big bowls). So, I might have to take drastic measures haha

Day 19 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD

checking in for accountability

@ccco – welcome back, & so sorry to hear you lost your brother.

@jaifaim – my condolences to you too.

@northgeorgia – you’re doing great! 🎯 And still 11 days to go 💪

The snake charmer has now morphed into… the mouse murderer?! 😱 Boo Boo seriously freaked me out this morning when she proudly deposited a very dead mouse right by my foot! I managed to dispose of the poor thing while it was still intact. What’s wrong with this cat? It’s not like she’s starving; she’d eaten twice this morning before she went out on her murderous rampage. 🤔

Sending RESOLVE to today’s fasters ⚖️

Day 19 – Rural Nebraska, USA – WFD

Yesterday’s fun adventures and oysters on the half shell didn’t happen: I just never felt better than blah and fell asleep on the sofa to boot. DH was just as happy to stay home, so we had sandwiches with some lovely bread and leftover ham and called it good. I feel much more human today, and the china is all washed up and put away so the new week may now commence!

I’m imagining today’s water fast will be a challenge given the amount of candy I’ve over the last two days, and the beer and the two pieces of bread I had last night–that’s lots of carbs! On the other hand, it will be so lovely to get my insides all emptied out, and I’m looking forward to the contrast. Plus, DH is under firm instructions to get the remaining candy out of the house and to his office, LOL!

@matpi What a great tool for determining if cereal is at all healthy; thanks! And snow?? Yup. Spring in the midwest, LOL!

@jaifaim My condolences on your family bereavement.

@ccco My condolences to you on the loss of your brother.

@babs_b As I type, it’s midafternoon for you, and I’m hoping RESOLVE kicked in with determination and that you make it through this first FD in awhile; you’ll feel so glorious when you wake up tomorrow after a successful day today!

@funshipfreddie Well, you’d rather have the mouse dead at your feet than scurrying around in your kitchen cupboards, wouldn’t you? That Boo Boo is one amazing cat, and needs a treat of congratulations!

@songbirdme I’ve missed your chatter, so I’m glad you’ve simply been busy and there are no troubles in your life. And, LOL, I’ll bet you and your DH sat all by yourselves at a table at many of those receptions because you didn’t know anyone, right? 😂😂😂 Yeah, weddings are far more fun for family and friends than for clergy and musicians.

It’s another gloomy day today, although the high is supposed to be 56/13, so at least it’s not bitterly cold as it was most of last week. Part of me feels really grumpy, but then it occurs to me that my life is still pretty swamped with upcoming events, and if the weather were lovely I’d be itching to get out in my yard, so I suppose it’s actually a really good thing to have gloomy skies. That’s my new attitude, and I’m sticking to it!

Have a grand one, everyone! Suppose @i-hate-lettuce went fishing early this morning? It’s unusual not to have his “Good morning everyone” greeting me when I check in to post.

Pocket List Day 19 🍋
@babs_b
@brightonbelle
@jaifaim
@stitchincarol WFD

Day 19 – 16:8 CD

Getting back to regular routine, M&W fasting and being mindful and trying to make healthy eating choices other days. Dealing with moderate sweet cravings, and making room for dark chocolate or lemon cream covered almonds. It is important for me to weigh and portion those treats out or I would just not stop when I should. Still, sweets moderation is far easier for me than moderating salty snacks, which is why we have none of those in the house.

So sorry to hear of the family losses, my deepest sympathies.

Wishing everyone well.

USA. Day 19. FD

I would say my FD was very successful and I am thinking my month is going to be successful, as well. I realize my rapid weight loss is probably water weight (- 5 lbs. so far) but it is inspiring! 🤗

Day 20 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – FD

Weigh in :164.2
That’s a woo hoo as we just came back from our boating holiday yesterday and no brakes applied on the eating and drinking and yet I managed not to put on weight ☺️

I have all Easter weekend posts to catch up on so will do that tonight.

Thanks @jaifaim for the beating tips….we did stay in Terminbarry and took the walk to Clondara, we Loved boating, it was such fun. Nerve wracking at first, but when you realise how slow the boat goes, and how well marked the river is, it was great fun. Locks were good. Me jumping off with the stern line to tie up the boat….well….at one stage in the early part of the trip, I jumped off like a gazelle, but forgot the rope 😆

Once you realise that most people in the hired crafts are blind beginners too, it’s a laugh. Everyone so friendly. We didn’t make any mistakes, DH became super hot at berthing the boat…..we will do this again for sure.

Have a good Wednesday FD 🐫
@daffodil2010

Day 20 – USA/GA – WFD

Weigh-in: 216 lbs. +2 lbs isn’t bad for a NFD bounce-back. I’ll see the results after today’s WFD. I may dare to fast on Friday (eeek, that will be tough!), but I have a feeling here on this horrible unexpected mid to high 210s mountain peak, I may be able to see the 200s valley in the clearing.

I found a “cereal” patch to quit the habit haha! You’ve heard of a cup of soup? Well, why not a cup of cereal? That is the serving size after all! Funny to pour a mug of cereal with milk, but it actually worked! Something about holding a mug of it makes me not see it as part of a nutritious meal, but as the nasty sugary treat it is. I did not refill it.

I postponed lunch yesterday, only accepting a half-handful of nut snack mix from a coworker. I went home a bit early, running some work-related errands on the way home. So, it was almost OMAD, but actually ended up being a big meal (Easter leftovers, yes…except for a slice or two of ham, they’re all gone now) and a smaller meal 3 hours later. I am going to start the strict meal time habits and reinstating some occasional ZBCs. I might even skip lunch on some NFDs if I’m not really hungry. I’ve forgotten to listen to my real hunger and just got back into habits.

Pocket list – day 20
@daffodil2010
@northgeorgia

Day 20 – Rural Nebraska, USA – CD

Yesterday’s WFD wasn’t too tough, and I succeeded other than three pieces of gum in the evening. I hate to do that, since they do actually stop the fast–or at least, so I’ve read–but better three pieces of gum than three handsful of nuts that lead to a glass of wine that leads to buttered bread that leads to…you get the picture. 😂😂😂😂 And this morning, I was down 3.2 pounds, LOL, so that was lots and lots of water weight I had on my body.

Today is a fun day. A friend and her adult daughter are staying with me because there’s a three-day craft event at a camp just four miles away. We can make silver jewelry, learn needle felting, basket weaving, or a MASSIVE variety of other crafts, and we know how fun it is because we did it in 2019. Covid put the kabosh on it the last two years, so we’re so delighted to get to go again. My piano-teaching commitments only allow me to be there today, but that will still be a delight. Avoiding the huge meals that come with my daily fee? THAT will be a challenge.

@funshipfreddie No way–450 deaths so far???? Oh, what horror. I’m so, so sad for you and your adopted country.

@i-hate-lettuce Yup, far better. 🤗 How lovely that your DS and DIL are coming for a visit; it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?

@northgeorgia Most of all, I admire your persistence and determination. You are doing wonderfully, despite this blip of higher scale numbers.

Okay, I must scoot. Have a great day, everyone.

USA. Day 20. FD

I am so tired from my long trip that I almost forgot to log in!

Adding myself to today’s pocket list.

Pocket list – day 20
@daffodil2010
@northgeorgia
@mariaelena
@ccco

I hope everyone is having a great day! 🙂

Day 21 – Lake district UK – FD

Good morning everyone

Quick call in, off for a long walk to a club fishery today, out of the way and 20 minutes hike from the road. Never been there before but has been on my bucket list for years. Breakfast on a FD, need the energy 😉

@kittymom78 – welcome to the forum, great bunch here.

@funshipfreddie – weather, how things are changing throughout the world, hope you and those close to you are all safe and well.

Take care all

Pocket list day 21 –
@i-hate-lettuce

Day 21 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – FD

@kittymom78 – welcome to the forum!

@matpi – thanks for the YouTube link. I’ll check it out later. Re the death toll from the recent storm; it’s not yet the worst in SA history. In September 1987 (when I first arrived in SA) 506 people lost their lives during a storm that lasted for 5 days.

@flourbaby – it’s an enormous mess & it’s going to take months if not longer to repair the damage. And the lost lives, irreplaceable. Love the quote!

Happy 96th birthday to HM the Queen! (maybe she fasts & follows this forum, which is why she’s lived so long? 🤷‍♂️)

Let’s make it a good one, Thursday fasters! Stronger together 💪

Pocket List – Day 21
@i-hate-lettuce
@daffodil2010
@flourbaby
@funshipfreddie

Day 21 UK FD

Morning , aiming for a good day , I’m gradually upping my exercise but once you take a break it’s hard to re establish a habit 💪
Pocket List – Day 21
@i-hate-lettuce
@daffodil2010
@flourbaby
@funshipfreddie
@at
@brightonbelle

Day 21 – UK – CD

Hi everyone. I was in meetings all day yesterday so didn’t get a chance to check in! The meeting involved lunch but I went for pretty good choices and only ate a half portion where I was full, so that’s a good sign that I’ve managed to curb the insatious appetite that has been dominating this past week..!

I thought I’d brave the measuring tape this morning (the scales seemed way too scary still) and was pleasantly surprised when all my measurements came in exactly where they were the last time I measured many weeks ago. So, with the new-found bravery, I hopped on the scale and saw I’d dropped 1.5lb since last week. This does seem like a new plateau region for me, which is half a stone lighter than where I was at the beginning of the year. So this is good. Now it’s the push to move that plateau down by another half stone.

@kittymom78 – welcome to the forum!
@funshipfreddie – I’m glad you’re safe. I’ve seen the storms reported on the news over here, truly awful.
@brightonbelle – I hope your week’s going well! Gradually upping the exercise is the best way to do it, I’m doing the same. The average daily step count is slowly increasing 👍
@at I’m with you on needing to exercise the fasting muscles! The bank holidays have thrown me off this week
@jaifaim – I’m joining you on a CD today, mainly because I grabbed myself an oat flat white this morning without realising what day it was so those extra cals will take me over the FD800.

Have a fab day all