Day 21 – 16:8 CD

Successful FD’s behind me for the week.

Making stew today. Out of season, lol, but all the fixings are in the freezer. It is a good filling FD 800 meal or a good quick meal anytime. I thicken it with almond flour instead of wheat flour. This time I will add some chia seeds and ground flaxseed too. An experiment.

On a big lol note: I had an audience again for my hooping exercises- the same neighbors had their trees trimmed. 😂

Lots of laundry- it’s hairball time for the cats. Couch covers are worth their weight in gold – but it is important to remember to check before sitting down! 😼

Well wishes to all

Day 21 Ohio, US — NFD

This was a normal eating day.

@mariaelena How did your experiment with the seeds in the stew turn out?

@stitchincarol The FD’s help me to get the “full” signal at the first meal after the fast. That signal right now seems to get much weaker as the day progresses, but I’m hoping that as time goes on, it will last all though the day.

@northgeorgia Does 300 miles take you into Florida? By the way, I’ve lived in both Rome and Athens (Georgia, that is!)

@daffodil2010 Hope your granddaughter had a great party!

Day 22 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – NFD

Weigh in: 165

Morning all. FD didn’t happen…too many pastries and a slice of birthday cake for dinner. Cannot believe the little Grandaughter is 6..

But I have to say, and it’s because this is a safe place, but the child’s has put on a lot of weight and is looking quite chubby, even the dreaded f-word…fat 😨 I don’t say anything, but her parents have split up (amicably) so she spends a lot of time going between different houses and different rules…..and it seems she is being allowed snack and snack. Seeing all her little friends yesterday, she is by far the biggest child and I really fear she is being set up for a lifetime of misery.

Oh it’s terrible. I know her Mom tries to curb the constant looking for snacks, but she can wear you down. It’s not her fault the poor mite. When I was 6 I would have eaten any snack given…..except there were no snacks and even fruit was an occasional treat.

This modern world and its food dangers.

Have a good Friday

Day 22 – Friday – Gold Coast Queensland Australia – NFD – 2nd post

@funshipfreddie loved the BBC news clip…. ha ha!
Hey, are you doing GLOBLE? I do my daily WORDLE but also addicted to GLOBLE…. my geography has improved exponentially and particularly with Africa as every third day it is one of the no less than 54 African countries! A bonus trivia for today.

Maybe we should send GLOBLE to the BBC 🤣🤣

Day 22 – 16:8 CD

@stitchincarol I’ve been thinking about your post and the question of Feeling full. And I’ve been thinking of the opposite – feeling hungry. Me, I walk around mostly in a state of feeling not hungry (very different from full, tho I might politely say I’m full of I decline an offer of food.) if I am not at all hungry, I try not to eat. But I am often both ‘not hungry’ AND have a taste for something. Historically that was my danger zone. I’m getting better managing it. Telling myself to wait for the next meal to eat xxx.

But the feeling full (but not too full) sensation is elusive to me – The only tips I have (that help me with satiety) are fats and potatoes. If I have an adequate (not too much) amount of fat at my meal, I feel sated. On nights that are less fat heavy, potatoes never fail me. This knowledge has been exactly what I needed in my arsenal this time round. If I have a taste for a certain snack, I tell myself I can have it as desert. But only after I’ve had a salad or potato with my regular dinner. So if I still have that taste, by then a little is all I need.

@matpi I am astonished to say the experiment went perfectly. Adding flax and chia seeds resulted in no taste/flavor change, a slight added thickening funniness (chia) as if I had okra in the stew. And a potassium/fiber/ omega 3 punch that is welcome in my dietary intake (I do not eat seafood or fish). I will have eight to ten servings I can freeze and it will be tonight’s dinner. (I always eat braised meat dishes after a stint in the refrigerator overnight – I think the taste is more flavorful that way.)

@jaifaim LOL, I guess we’ll know if those neighbors build a treehouse how much the word has spread! I have been working hard the past few months on balance exercises (because I’m a naturally clumsy dyspraxic) and I think it is paying off – being able to walk and move side to side while hooping is becoming much easier.

@funshipfreddie Goodness- how wonderful not to even think about snacking on a FD. I wish that happened more often to me.

@linda.b Kangaroos can’t walk backwards? Wow, fun fact! I love nifty pieces of trivia like that!

Had some good sleep the past few nights and am in a good mood and reved up to go! My sister recommended some CDB sleep aid drops to me and they seem to be doing a good job. Sleeping through the night is difficult with the constant reoccurring hot flashes, but I seem to be getting deeper sleep between them with the CDB drops.

Ok, sending happy thoughts to everyone, enjoy your Friday!

Day 22 – Rural Nebraska, USA – CD

Yesterday’s WFD went well, although I again resorted to gum to get through the last couple hours. It’s worth pointing out I needed gum not because I was so hungry–I wasn’t–but because I so longed for SOME flavor in my mouth, and for something to chew. It’s amazing to me that chewing is such a treasured part of a body’s daily routines.

I weigh 139.8 this morning. We’re going to the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha today, and then out for the oysters we didn’t do on Monday. With some of the Easter leftovers for lunch–not much!–I’ll be “safe” from snacking since I won’t be in the house. Fridays are always when I feel we ought to eat nicely, so I usually get carried away with eating; having a controlled Friday will feel like a miracle.

@linda.b What a fun piece of trivia about kangaroos! I will most definitely use that.

@matpi Sadly, at some point last week, I was eating planned food, realized I felt full enough…and kept eating. The longing for food was stronger than my longing for getting thinner. You can bet I’m going to be watching for that feeling to show up again, and will react appropriately next time!

Thanks, @i-hate-lettuce, for taking the time to describe so beautifully your day. I could hear and smell and feel it.

@daffodil2010 Oh, that’s such a shame. I know several children who are in similar situations, and it breaks my heart as well. Food dangers, indeed.

@funshipfreddie Comical about the BBC, especially since she was talking about “the east coast” when the only coastline involved was a TINY snippet on the west coast! As to feeling full, I seldom eat because I’m too hungry not to; I eat because I want the flavor, I want the chewing, I want the experience. It’s a sensory thing. And if you just keep nibbling, you can ingest lots of calories long before you feel “full.” I love wine for the same sensory reasons: I love holding the glass and using a finger to secure the stem as I tip it up and the sound and the sensation of sipping. (The taste is nice, too, but it’s not what drives me to enjoy wine.) (And, I love beer because I love beer; there’s nothing sensory about it, LOL.) So how do you take all that love of sensory and limit calories? It’s a challenge!

@mariaelena I used to serve/have potatoes or rice at every meal, and that does really help with the feeling of completeness and fullness…with a willingness to be done eating. I’m still figuring out what my body needs to successfully get and remain thin, and am certain what I do to get thin will not necessarily be what I do to remain thin. At least I hope it’s different, because I want bread back in my life as a regular occurrence rather than an occasional guest. By the way, can you give specifics about your hula hooping? I’m toying with doing it, and with a little research yesterday, realized I don’t have any idea where to start.

Thanks, everyone, for the thoughts on being full, and how we recognize that. My definition of the word isn’t “stuffed” but “enough food is in me that I’m content to stop eating.” One thing I’ve learned for certain is that I’ll never get “full” when I nibble; to be “full,” I require a plate and a lovely variety of textures and flavors. A dinner, in other words. I don’t always act on that knowledge, but I know it to be true for me. That’s what will make today a good day eating-wise, because I can control lunch, and then leave the house for the afternoon, and my next eating opportunity will be in a restaurant where a plate is involved and nibbling on nuts will not be. 😂😂😂

I have an event tomorrow morning that will include a breakfast of sweets and calories, so today I will work on strengthening my RESOLVE to swerve it all.

Have a grand one, everyone!

Day 22 – UK – CD

Sadly my planned B2B FDs did not materialise – yesterday ended up a TDEE day and today a CD but I will take that!

Joined DD and her friend for a Beagle meet (3 🐶🐶🐶 in total) at Silecroft beach and her friend’s mum joined as well so Daughters, Mothers and Beagles enjoyed a windblown but warm walk on the beach for over an hour, lots of play and aroooing by the beagles – We then went for another walk with her Archie for another hour before enjoying a very yummy iced coffee overlooking the sea – perfect weather for it too 😎 covered nearly 8km!

@linda.b – ‘kangaroos can’t walk backwards’ I too wonder how they discovered that..? 🤔
@stitchincarol – lovely to end up with some nice jewellery to wear and enjoy from your workshop
@i-hate-lettuce – I know the area you mentioned but not specifically the tarn – sounds lovely with amazing views too!
@daffodil2010 – lovely to have this space to say and share as it helps us to offload 🤗
@jaifaim – yes we are here and that is what has stopped my weight from going too much above the top of maintenance range!
@northgeorgia – you will get back in control and will get lower numbers – you know you can do this 💪 most of us also find it hard to maintain some control on NFDs…….just persevere and you will be rewarded!
@stitchincarol – my downfalls are fresh sourdough🍞- nice 🧀 and of course🍷🥂- If any weight creeps back on I cut back on these and the extra 1-2 kg disappear soon enough – now just to learn to control these temptations 🤣
@ccco – it seems you are the only one fasting but a few of us are on CDs so we are with you today trying to stay in control 🤗

Pocket List Day 22
@ccco

“If I quit now, I will soon be back to where I started. And when I started, I was desperately wishing to be where I am now”

Day 22 Ohio, US — MFD

The morning weigh-in was a shocker: 186 lb (84.4 kg)! I hypothesize (hope?) that the majority of that gain is water weight, since the arm where I got the tetanus shot is still quite swollen and sore. I’ve also noticed that the outflow of water has been much reduced over the last couple of days. So perhaps the reaction to the shot has caused a body wide inflammation? Because of the reaction, my exercise time has been way down. In any case, a third FD seemed in order. With any luck the scales will be kinder tomorrow morning.

@ccco It looks like you and I are holding down the fasting fort today!

@mariaelena One thing I’ve done to have some bread in my life is to use what they call around here “Light” Bread. It’s sliced bread, but with only half the calories that regular bread has. With lots of vegetables in a sandwich made from this “light”bread, it’s quite as satisfying as a regular bread sandwich.

Pocket List Day 22
@ccco
@matpi

Day 23 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD

@mariaelena – I’m not saying I don’t feel hungry on FDs; just that it’s become routine now. I know what I’m going to eat & when, so peeking in the fridge & ‘fancying something’ just doesn’t happen on FD’s.

@stitchincarol – I understand what you mean re wanting the sensory experience; just eating to entertain ones taste buds really. And it’s the same with drinking too; well, sort of. But I also think habit is the biggest culprit. I only drink after dinner, & I sometimes find myself wolfing down my meal just to get it out of the way so I can have a drink. Which can’t be good?! And the whole glass experience, I get that too. If I’m just having soda I’ll sometimes still put it in a wine glass, thinking I can trick my brain into believing I’m still having a drink. Doesn’t quite work. If only it was that simple! 🤨

@linda.b – I tried the Globle game – thanks! Yesterday I got to Libya, which I think was about 700 kms from the actual answer; & I’m still not sure what the answer was, duh? I need a lot of practice!

@i-hate-lettuce – I’ll check out those breathing exercises, thanks.

Happy St George’s Day to my fellow English fasters 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Have a good weekend everyone ⛅️ 🌈

Day 23 – Rural Nebraska, USA – CD

May I talk about the weather? First of all, do you non-Americans know Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma”? (I’m sure those of us in the States know it on some level.) It’s a great musical, and one of the most famous songs from it, also “Oklahoma” (which happens to be two states south of me) has the line “…and the wind comes sweeping down the plain.”

Well, the wind is sweeping right now. Has been sweeping for two weeks now, and swept very vigorously last night. Do you realize how loud the wind can be when sweeping??

On top of that, the temperatures shot from a cool 53/11 on Easter to 89/31 yesterday. And the low last night? It’s 6am and it’s still only down to 71/21.

Ugh.

That’s summer sleeping weather, and to add in the noise of the wind? Ugh, ugh, ugh.

Here, see what it looks like (we’re a bit south and to the east of where it’s circling together; click on it a couple of times of Omaha shows up, and we’re just to the west of that): http://hint.fm/wind/

Okay, back to 5:2. DH and I had an absolutely perfect day yesterday, but I managed to add in more food–including nibbling–than I’d planned on. Funny how I can do two WFs each week, but haven’t yet found the RESOLVE to control myself on Fridays. We’ll see if I do better today.

@brightonbelle Yeah, I can get through cold weather okay without beers, but hot weather? That’s asking a bunch, LOL!

@at What a lovely time you had with DD, her friend and her mum!

@matpi That’s no fun to see an unexpectedly high number on the scale, but I’m sure it’ll drop quickly as your arm recovers. I imagine my number is ugly-high also, but it’s because of yesterday’s ill behavior and it’s not unexpected, so I just haven’t bothered to find out! 😂😂😂

@i-hate-lettuce Loved the information, and loved the breathing exercise (I did it) so thanks! I’m going to make an effort to do it daily; breathing can’t be anything be good for me!

@funshipfreddie Yup, “entertaining one’s tastebuds.” It’s a challenge. It was lovely when our kids were young; I was so determined to teach them good eating habits (no snacking between meals, very little juice, very little candy, veggies at every meal) that it was tough for me to sneak nibbles, which is likely a large part of why I maintained a decent weight for the years we were raising children.

@northgeorgia Nice weigh in today!

Lots to do today, but all fun stuff. Well, reasonably fun, LOL. Have a grand one, everyone!

Day 23 USA (Illinois) NFD

Flowing along with weather variations that are keeping us on our toes! Snow, rain, sun, wind, 20’s up to 70’s (-5 C to 25 C) but very typical for spring here. DH was happy to get the lawn fertilized, so now it goes over to mowing!

@i-hate-lettuce — I just had to examine your Wim Hof breathing exercises. If I understood and experimented correctly with it, much of the work is very similar to singing. We singers have often said how good it is for health! https://takelessons.com/live/singing/health-benefits-of-singing

@stitchincarol – do I dare try Nerdle? I am already hooked on Wordle, Quordle, and Antiwordle! Then again I do Brain Candy daily as well as Trivia Crack and Question-of-the-day. Enough, right?!

Onward and downward.

Day 23 – 16:8 CD

Ate well within limits yesterday. Got in some extra exercise as Apple Watch had a special earth day challenge. I swear, there is an audience for an exercise gamification app, the small things I have found are very motivational but limited.

@Ihatelettuce – I’m going to try that breathing technique- I do Pranayama breathing a few time a day now.

We inherited a platform bed frame from relatives doing some redecorating- I’m excited because it will allow for underbed storage. As our mattress is propped against the wall we were reminded how much our Manx cats love to climb. They will be so disappointed when we finish everything and put the bed back in place on the new frame. They have been so adorable to watch.

And, although we deep cleaned a few weeks ago, it is always a shocker to see underneath the bed. How did that Kleenex box and a unopened bag of cotton balls end up under there? The seamstress measuring tape, well sure, I can see the cats were playing with that but hmmm.

Stew on the menu again today. Was delicious yesterday. Lol, it is way more veggies than meat – but I diced the stew meat small, so more browning in the meat meant it still tastes like my mom’s traditional meat stew. Healthier without sacrificing taste, I’ll take that win.

Have a great weekend all!

Day 23 Ohio, US — NFD

An amazing day: Beautiful sun and a high temperature of 85 F (29 C)! And just a week ago we had below freezing temperatures and snow! More good news: the weigh-in this morning was 184 lb, so probably my hypothesis was correct. The arm is still swollen, but perhaps water stored elsewhere in the body has gotten cleaned out.

@jaifaim I too like crunchy food. At one time my favorite dessert was Grape Nuts cereal sprinked on vanilla ice cream. My friends complained that my eating that was for them like listening to someone eating ground glass. (Although I can’t imagine how they could have listened to someone eating that!)

@stitchincarol In the 1960’s version of Jules Verne’s “Around the World in Eighty Days” Phineas Fogg and company traverse the US midwest on a railway flat car propelled by the wind in a sail they installed on the car. Really and truly, that wind is no fiction!

@ihatelettuce Do you find the fitbit useful for health improvement? I’ve been thinking about getting one, but am not sure just what I would do with it. It may be like my salad spinner. I got one and after the novelty wore off, it just sat in a cupboard for several years. Then something clicked and now I use it three or four days a week!

Day 24 – Lake district UK – NFD

Good morning everyone

Successful day yesterday, the plant nursery we have used for years has closed due to owners retirement, so the hunt had been on for a new source of summer bedding plants. Yesterday Mrs I-h-l and I headed out on a route to take in a few nurseries, the second one we went to, (ironically very quick and easy to get to, a quick hop down the motorway) fit the bill perfectly! A proper plant growing nursery, no shop or cafe, just plants, stacks of them, sensibly priced and family run, our greenhouse is now full, a great find!

Finished the day off with a visit to the village hall and sports field joining in with their fun day, although we didn’t join any of the fell races we did help out with the beer drinking 😉

@songbirdme – get what you say about singing, but for those with a poor singing voice, this version is a bit quieter 😉 and of course was particularly useful after treatment when I could hardly speak and couldn’t swallow etc also good for helping with pain control.

@matpi – re fitbit, the ‘kids’ bought us one each for Christmas a few years ago. As much as anything else it encourages you to get your backside off the settee and go out for a walk or just be busy. We reckon to do 5 to 7 k steps a day minimum (but at a good pace ie MOAM walk) other than that anything up to 15 or occasionally 20k, it’s surprising how we clock up the miles. There are a range of things you can monitor, heart and sleep patterns amongst them. So yes, we use/wear them all the time and not only that, they also tell the time 😉

Take care all

Day 24 – USA/GA – FD

Weigh-in: 216 lbs. That’s a pound lighter from last Sunday, and 2 lbs heavier than my lowest Sunday weigh-in. Wasn’t so well behaved yesterday, and I’m up 4 lbs in a day. I’ve examined my calendar and plan a change of tactic similar to what I did this past week. I won’t do a B2B WFD this week. I’ll space out my WFDs to today, Tuesday, and Thursday. Although I have an event on Thursday afternoon, it’s only for a couple of hours and I plan to leave for home afterwards — it’s a bit of a haul, so it’ll be 7:30 or so when I get home. Then I’m taking Friday off. The ADF approach should see me through Friday. Then probably B2B WFDs to start off the month of May!

It’s been disappointing to hit the low 200s in early March, only to find myself back in the mid-210s now. In fact, I have only hit 209 (and nothing lower) just once this month. The trend has been weight gain in fact. But the past few days are showing a slight decline, so hopefully the gain has peaked. Next month has a few events: Mother’s Day, a family reunion, and Memorial Day. I’m going to have to be aggressively strategic in preparation.

Pocket List – Day 24 🍌
@funshipfreddie
@northgeorgia

Day 25 – Monday – Gold Coast Queensland Australia – FUN DAY (FD) 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️

ANZAC DAY here and, although I was actually up at 5.00am, three neighbours thoughtfully rang me at 5.10am to check I was up! O ye of little faith! Is it because I’m now a single lady that maybe I can’t be trusted? Oh noooooo! They just wanted to give a hand setting up (they said 🤣🤣) … surprisingly because guess what?….. yup it was raining👿👿🌧🌧🌧🌧🌧🌧.. of course! I know, I know that in a couple of years I’ll be the very one complaining about the next drought and lack of rain! But, for goodness sake, we are waterlogged! Enough of the rain for now!😜

So there we stood at dawn, huddled under our umbrellas (thank goodness everyone has fake candles these days🤣) … even the kookaburras didn’t rally until the Reveille at the end ….. Strangely (not!) not as big a turnout as previous years but the stalwarts always turn up with staunch determination and all of us collectively willing the rain to STOP! (but it didn’t!)
A previous neighbour gal pal friend turned up with her little Frenchie 🐕 (Louie), we used to walk together in the early mornings when she lived hereabouts, so, after our ANZAC service, we set off for a tramp like old times…. in the rain 🌧🌧🌧 with our brollies. Luckily, we found the one and only local coffee shop open and enjoyed a light breakfast and much needed cuppa☕☕ before setting off again … in the rain…🌧🌧🌧🌧
Home now, drying out, washing to be done… and some work in the office coming up this afternoon (coz that’s what new single ladies who don’t have a life do🥰🥰🥰 ) .. upside of it is that will be prepared for tomorrow… ha ha.😉

So I’ll start the Pocket List for the 25th
(the 2nd last FD for me for AMAZING APRIL… will you join me today?
@linda.b

Day 25 – Lake district UK – FD

Good morning everyone

Off out early to another lake I’ve not visited for a few years, quick call in for today pocket list.

Take care all

pocket list day 25
@linda.b
@i-hate-lettuce

Day 25 – USA/GA – NFD/ZBC

Weigh-in: 212 lbs. Going for an OMAD today or at least restricting my window to about 4 hours this afternoon/early evening. I want to see what happens with an occasional OMAD thrown in between WFDs does for me. Last WFD was yesterday, and next one will be tomorrow (then Thursday).

Have a fantastic day!

USA. Day 25. FD

Pocket List Day 25

@linda.b
@i-hate-lettuce
@jaifaim
@brightonbelle
@ccco

Day 25 – Rural Nebraska, USA – Whatever I want

I’m trying something. I don’t have a name for what I’m trying, but I’m trying it, because I’m sick to death of my weight fluctuating by five pounds or more each and every week, and having zero RESOLVE on Fridays and Saturdays. My only rule? If I want it, I eat it, and in the process I try to recapture the Always-Aware-of-Restraint that I had for the first forty-plus years of my life. I’m currently up 8 pounds since last Friday morning. No, I haven’t eaten 28K calories since then, so I haven’t actually gained 8 pounds…I’ve probably gained one actual pound because of the extra calories; the rest is just bulk/water weight. Will I regret this decision? Maybe. But my choices have been far too extreme–WF on Thursday, eat like a wild woman on Friday–so I need to focus on reasonable. And while I focus on that, I’m not leaving the forum, because I still want to lose weight, and still love 5:2, but I sure don’t love my current way of living it.

@mariaelena Did you actually pay $20+ for your hula hoop? And do you just have a round one, or do you have the kind with a ball attached it? I’m astonished that hula hoops are no longer $3, LOL!

FD -USA – New Jersey
Day 25th of the month
(8th day on 5:2)

Love reading all these posts. Had planned on a FD yesterday but the boyfriend bought home pizza, so I gave in, (not intended) and switched up a fasting day to today. Learning the ropes again, but I think I’ll leave the fasting days to during the week. (Now I know the dangers of “giving in” but coming off a successful week of doing 5:2, I also considered how successful I’ll be today – Monday- and realized the odds were very much stacked in my favor so I switched it up.). Anyone else do the same?

Got on the scale on Saturday and I think I’m down about 2 pounds. I know the first week can be a “big” week, but was really happy. I’ll wait till this Friday or Saturday to confirm it’s not a fluke! Just Kidding. I”m also getting pounded by Allergies up here. I love spring, but this is bad. Trying to maintain the workout schedule but it’s hard when you feel like crap. I’ll be nice to myself…..I’m sure what I need is rest.

Have a lovely week! 🙂

Day 25 FD 800

On track. More (of the mostly veg) stew on the menu today.

@stitchincarol – I don’t recommend the type with the ball attached, they are pretty new to the market and I know nothing about them. I picked up my starter hoop at goodwill, but yes, they cost about $20 new. They are much sturdier and stronger than child $3 hoops – which are so light and flimsy, I’m only recently strong enough to keep a child “play” hoop up around my waist for a full workout. The nice thing about the padded weighted ones, is they usually disassemble (mine does) so I can remove a section for a smaller lighter one so it is like getting two different hoops for one price.

If you have a sporting goods store near you you might be able to go in and see how different they are from the typical play hoop. They are really more of a piece of workout equipment than the typical hula hoops you probably remember – which weigh a few oz at most and have about 1/4 inch diameter compared to 1-2 pounds and approx 1 inch diameter.

Honestly if I had tried with the play hula hoop to start I don’t think I would have been successful at keeping the hoop moving. Even now 6+ mos in, I fail some days the light play hoop going and revert back to the padded weighted one.

Got to run here. Crazy busy agenda today. Well wishes to all!