Raven – Well done on your great and, hopefully, rewarding work in the garden and you will certainly benefit from it over time. If you don’t feel like fasting for physical or emotional reasons, then don’t. This wol is flexible and adaptable and as I’ve said before; we adapt it to our needs, not the other way around. With regard to your family situation, I think you should be very proud of the way you have become a real and loving mother to your step-children and they are lucky to have you. I hope your son finds someone special soon. I am in awe of the exercise you are doing too – I have toyed with doing the Fast exercise and strength programme, but can’t quite summon up the will to do so. Best wishes for a better end to your week.

Oh Raven! Tough times for you and your son. 🙁
He will move on, and ugly as it sounds, it’s better to move on from a relationship that’s going nowhere, changing two lovely people and leaving them angry and depressed. May they both find peace in their new paths.
Yes, families are a mixed bag at times, but the rich tapestry makes life what it is meant for 🙂

Aw thanks CG – the head wasn’t too bad and the walk in the fresh air did me a power of good, also the dog was delighted!! The cocktail was delish….as was the wine that preceded it!! 😉
Lacie – so glad you had a successful FD and losing a pound a week is terrific – ‘slow and steady wins the race!’

Hi everyone, well i survived my first fast day and it wasn’t as bad as i thought it might be. I have been busy looking up low cal soup recipes to keep me full on those days and I am actually looking forward to Thursday. next week I will attempt to incorporate some exercise as well but I am going to focus on food first as that is the one that is easier to control.

I wondered if anyone pairs this method with anything else? Ie does anyone take duromine on the fast days to control appetite, use optifast on those days etc? I am not looking for a quick fix but really want to maximize my efforts on those fast days and just wondered what you were all doing to assist in your success.

Thanks to everyone for making me feel welcome in this already established group 🙂

I have just started the 5:2 plan. I am 58. I have put on 10kg in the last 12 months and need to get it off. It is all on my belly. I found Saturday (my first fast day) very easy but today is harder but I am at home studying whereas was working on Saturday (a nurse). I do around 8-10km a shift at work but that doesn’t do much.
I have also been drinking to much red wine over the past 12 months.
This is therefore, day 4 of the 5:2 plan, 2nd fast and so far no alcohol.
I use to fast one day a week when I was in my 20s but just stopped somewhere along the line.
Last night I stopped after a light dinner at 6.00p.m. and have had only tea and coffee and just had a 200 calorie soup for lunch. So I can look forward to dinner tonight at 6.30p.m.
Am I doing it right? I find it easier to have part of the 24 hour fast during the night.
I saw the program on TV last year and it sat in the back of my mind. Recent relationship difficulties, health problems and realising I have been drinking too much have given me a jolt.
I have lost 0.75kg since Saturday but realise it is probably fluid at this stage.

Hi all! progress report (from the back of beyond) Can’t read posts at this point and not sure this will work, but hope all you losers are still going downhill! Wheeee! Dunno about the lard bu5t I’m definitely in decline! Got half my hair platt chopped off, so I lost at least half a kilo! (every bit counts, mates!) have been feeling quite light headed since( and less tangled by that wind in my hair CG!) I’ve been up hill and down dale and blown a few cobwebs to the curb. Presently meandering West in a crooked northerly pattern the should end up on(or connect to) the inland gulf road, and from there I’ll decide if it’s time to head for the east coast and wander down the tableland ranges to home again. Amazing where one can get internet reception these days. So took this opportunity. Have tried to post some photo links and poetic progress report of my mother’s day – and the cure! Definitely not fasting! But lost a hell of a lot of weight off my rain cloud! cheers! The gypsy.

Herewith, the: BLUE MINGELA MOON!……….

Gone, done for…. The “pubs” have hit the dust
The freedom of swaggies,
old dreams now gone to rust

Now its resorts and reserves, NO CAMPIN’ on the grass
No barflies on verandahs,
now its cocktales under glass

For a sad old roamin’ rhymer, there’s no copy for the pen
But once in a blue moon
I find pure gold agen!

Born a bushman’s daughter, I mourn the lost delights
When dad, he tuned the fiddle
and bush folk howled the nights

A blue moon on the rise, I sat grievin’ for the fun
Then I loaded up old Gypsy
and took the western run

Compared to childhood travel, my motor bike seemed tame
Not Grampa’s bullock dray,
but the crows still looked the same

Aark! A blue moon risin’ seeped magic to my bones
Gypsy howled for freedom!
A pox on city phones!

My mob was on the Fletcher, our aim was headin’ straight
But a wafting on the wind
Whispered “take a left here, mate”
Was that corn beef? And cabbage? And beer! All golden yeller
I checked out the signpost
The legend said Mingela!

Gypsy took the turn off, I swear she knew the way
Like that old blue dog
From my youth of yesterday

And there it was a gleamin’ like a diamond in the dust
A tin roofed pub verandah
Grandly sagging through the rust

Home sweet! My pen began to itch
On a blue Mingela moon
I truly struck it rich

Harleys! And horses! The devils’ wildest crew
And the heavenly aroma
Of bulldust, yarns and stew!

They were hangin’ out of winders and clingin’ to the rails
The bikers mean in leathers
And the ringers tough as nails

Bonhomme unheard of in breeds of chalk and cheese
A crow and cockatoo
Were even cackling in the trees

“Mad buggers” I muttered, to my great unholy glee
This publican was crazy
But the rest I had to see

The walls were sagging crooked and the ceiling had a droop
‘neath a sign that said “FOR SALE”
there were pumpkins on the stoop

Fifty years or so of ageing marked the loony wall décor
Above the bar, bedecked in sun shades
Hung a black ferocious boar

The dunny down the back was a classic of the times
When “thunder box” met “septic”
Isolated for its crimes!

To this historical hysteric clung the trellis for the roses
That were planted in the past
To protect the patrons’ noses

Poetically I wondered if I’d died and gone to heaven
A blue moon in the daylight?
It was barely gone eleven

Serene, mongrel country echoed yahoos from the pub
Lunch! It dawned upon me
They were all here for the grub!

T’was simple female logic, mine hostess grinned “You see,
I don’t feed ‘em if they fight
Have a drink, the tucker’s free!”

Five stars! Bloody perfect! I figgered, what the heck?
If the mob got out of hand
There was nothin’ left to wreck!

So to Ivan and Moanna, bush publican’s true blue
May the blue moon o’er Mingela
Ever shine its light on you!

i think my body is having withdrawals from sugar as I have had headaches the last two days…..i have been overdoing the junk since easter and 2 days with only good nutritious food is having a purging effect. Hopefully I will feel that burst of energy that everyone talks about with clean eating very soon….in the mean time I am just trying to have lots of fluid and take it easy …

Hi All! Hope you are all well and in fighting form (against the flab, of course!)
Thanks, FB – I don’t feel under pressure but just hope I don’t miss anyone out when there are several posts to respond to; if I do, please know that it was unintentional xx Your little boy must be so thrilled to see you wearing the red boots…woohooo!!
CG – thanks for the warning, there are alot of these scams worldwide, my OH nearly got caught a few months back by a caller pretending to be from our internet supplier who supposedly wanted to help us access better service (we are always having problems with the coverage here). Thankfully, Oh smelt a rat and ended the call before giving away any sensitive information.
Doit – I sympathize about hunger pangs on fast days; it still happens to me from time to time and I can end up between 500 and 600 cals because I just have to nibble on something e.g. apple or nuts to keep the monster at bay. But, I’m still way better than before 5:2 and keep to healthy snacks with little damage done.
Debs – I agree with CG that changing taste buds and eating habits will probably be better in the long run than taking supplements and is more natural and sustainable over time. For you and other newbies, there are lots of great recipes on the Aussie Determination Recipe thread which you can search for above. Good luck!
Doggy – take care in all that wild weather; maybe it’s affecting your mood so try to relax and do something calming and destressing…some nice music or a good book usually help me chill out.
SJ – sorry you’ve been having a tough time lately. Well done on successful FD even when feeling the blues, not easy. Hope you feel better soon. Be kind to yourself.
Welcome, Browny – not sure about how you’re doing the fasting; are you consuming 200 cals in 24 hours? If so, then you are well under the 500 allowed for FD (fast day). On your other days, you need to have less than your TDEE and you will definitely lose. Best of luck!
Oh Gypsy – you are a gem. You have really found your soul and your muse on this trip. What a wonderful poem – you have a real gift. Best of luck on your travels and I hope you will have filled up your heart, spirit and mind with precious memories, friendships and experiences throughout your journey which will sustain and enrich your life when you finally decide to call a halt to your wanderings! BTW, you look great in the photo and I’m sure you feel much freer with your shorter hair. Go Gypsy! 🙂
Off out for lunch with two pals from my working days to catch up on all the gossip…it’s a hard life! 😉

Thanks, Lotus, heading towards dinner time on a fast day for me. I am having lean pork fillet, mashed butternut and peas. Just not a lot. First time I have had peas on a fast day. Walking on the wild side tonight! 😉

Good Morning Gang
Fast day for me as well today. You are my buddy Lotus. Nothing planned so far as I am not in a right state of mind. Actually, I feel rebellious at the moment. I feel like Arrrghhhhhhhhhh!!!. Sorry for the early morning rant, but I have to do this. So, I weighed 70.3 kilos last week Friday. I fasted Monday and it was a very good fast and ended at 480 cals. Tuesday was NFD, still no carbs as I planned to do that to move the weight. Ended yesterday at 1300 cals again, again below my TDEE. Stepped on scales today and I am 71.4 kilos. Noooooooooooo, why a gain of a kilo despite of being so disciplined with food choices over two weeks.
I am not doubting 5:2, I have lost 15 kilos (actually 14 now) with 5:2 and I know it works. But I am far far away from my goal weight yet. Still not in healthy BMI. I understand that I have plateaued, but why a gain? I really can’t understand what is happening with my body………. OK Rant over 🙁

Gypsy, OMG, you are living it up Girl!!! Yet another amazing poem! Thanks for posting!

Upt, I had squashed pumpkin for yesterday as well.
Actually bed of squashed butternut, topped with some Zucchini noodles, then some chopped capsicum, cucumber, again topped with little bit of baked beans, salsa and finished with a tbsp of low fat sour cream. All up came to 385 cals.
This was my dinner for Non fast day. Very satisfying and filling. Only carbs were baked beans. So, your wild side on fast day sounds very groovy to me 🙂 🙂 Enjoy!!!

Thanks Fit, for yet another wonderful post. Enjoy your lunch. Always good to meet old friends!

Thanks for pointing me in the direction of the recipe thread – it looks great and thank for the tip on salt. I do have low blood pressure so am on of those people encouraged to have salt and I think i haven’t been having enough. I am ensuring I do this today.

It is great reading about everyone’s experiences and sharing of ideas. I hope everyone has a great day!

Ps – proud of myself this morning. Everyone at work is having fruit custard flan for morning tea. I had a cup of low fat soup to fill the whole in my tummy and didn’t feel like i was missing out on anything….

Hi team. Welcome Browny. I see you are also a nurse. There are quite a few of us on this thread. Don’t worry about your tummy. I’d say nearly all overweight folk store that extra flab around the girth. A lot of it surrounds our abdominal organs too. That’s why this diet is so good as we loose that visceral fat as well that is a major health issue. Read up all you can and we will help you along the way. Remember losing lots of weight in a short amount of time is a fad diet trap. This is not like that. Loosing weight slowly is a healthier way to go and more sustainable. We all realise that this is now our way of life and even when I reach my goal weight ( whenever that may be) I intend to carry on with this way of eating. I may change to one day a week fast but that’s all in the future.
CG re Telatra and the mobile phones. Some years ago we went on a Safari in Africa. When in Zambia in the middle or woop woop we passed an enormous satellite dish. We were told that was for the mobile phone service for the whole of Zambia. AND that’s a third world county. Whatever happened to the National Broadband Rollout? We are very lucky as our small community was one of the first areas in Australia to get it. Don’t know why. Maybe some political clout from ??? Or am I just a cynic. Oh yes defiantly.
XX Doggy. – will make some Miso soup for FD tomorrow.

FB – Hugs my dear, it is tough when the weight climbs up instead of down! There are many informed posts on plateaus on this forum (Suejen – I can’t find the Michael Mosely post on Plateaus that you had mentioned a couple of pages back?) But I wanted to share my own (anecdotal, not scientific 🙂 experience with you.

I had a similar rant to my trainer some months back. I had lost the initial 2-3 kilos on this WOL, and then, it all stood still for a month before it moved again. He had a few opinions on it (and for me during those weeks, nearly all were applicable at various times!)
1. Have you been doing extra cardio like spin / aerobics / step etc? If so, water weight in muscles (during their repair time) collects in the muscles, and may be accompanied by slight bloating / slight jelly-like feel of ab / leg muscles. This may briefly increase weight. Now, muscles take time to fix themselves, so we just have to wait it out 🙂
2. Is it that time of the month ? Weight gain is also possible during middle of the cycle. Can’t win on this!
3. Are you feeling constipated? Would increasing fibre and water intake help you?
4. Are you unwell? Again, something to do body repairing itself so water weight gain (not very clear on this, as my weight gain when ever I have flu or cold is due to comfort eating / drinking hot chocs etc LOL)
5. Have you really recorded all that went into your mouth? Including correct portion/servings? (Me: umm, a few glasses of wine or cookies may have not been recorded…but hmmm…)
6. Are you stressed out? ( I was – at my weight gain! )
7. Are you on any medications that may lead to weight gain (not true for me this around, but could apply to you?)

Anyway, the above list is only to tell you that some times the cause of our weight gain or loss cannot be explained away with the calorie in/out model, I guess we don’t question it much when the graph points downward but definitely depressing when its the other way of what we want. Funnily enough, he does have a client, who has a rant at him every other week on why he is not gaining weight 🙂

I kick-started the weight loss by switching to 4:3 and removing most cardio work-outs ( only lots of walking, averaging about 12K steps a day) and doing weights only 1-2 times a week. Also, reduced carbs on the diet, especially on non-FDs, but still not good at it. On an Indian vegetarian diet, it can be a tad difficult , but I basically eat dahl or curry with yoghurt instead of roti/rice. Also, switched to brown, unpolished rice instead of white and really increasing fibre.

I hope this loooong post helps you. Take care buddy 🙂

Good to hear from you YY, and also that your sister is better ( your son’s scare was just that – thank goodness!). Amazing that you gained only .5 kilos in all this 🙂 You must have really watched what you ate and /or been running around like crazy 🙂

Sleep tight Lacie, good luck with your fast 🙂

Just finished my pumpkin soup for fast day dinner. I was reading the posts while sipping up my soup n I felt so much warmth. This warmth was not from soup but from comforting replies from all of you.
Lotus, thanks heaps for making an effort to explain things so nicely. I can tick three or four reasons from your list.
Thanks to one n all who took time to read n reply to my rant. I seem to be doing this often now …oops 🙂
But, I am feeling better now. Your responses make so much sense and the hugs n affection from you all makes me realise about the beauty of this thread.
Again THANKS one n all!!
I fly out to Gold Coast tomorrow morning. so, my responses will be little slow or delayed 🙂 🙂 🙂

FB – looks like our posts crossed. So glad you found Lotus’ advice helpful, things will improve I’m sure. Have a great trip to Gold Coast and enjoy yourself!

Woohoo Fit! Amazing result with the skirt size. So happy for you 🙂 🙂
I have started buying (Uniqlo has some really smart, reasonable priced ones) elastic waist pants to accommodate frequent size changes 🙂

SJ – you are doing all the right things and going to a counsellor is fantastic. I’m sure you know the prayer: ‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference’. Even if you don’t believe in a god, there is still alot of wisdom there and you can only do what you can do. XX
CG – Luckily I did keep receipt, so I hope I can change the skirt or get something else in its place. Off to my french class now and ballroom dancing later…love Wednesdays!

Good morning team! All the best for today’s fasters! We can persevere, whether its cold weather or warm, because of our Aussie (and global!) Determination. One method I have recently started using to reply to people offering food or drink (e.g., in the office lunch room), is “Thanks, not today :)” It does not sound outright rude, and also stops them from asking why or me describing my fasting day (all very boring for the lay public!)

CG – what a lovely post, I love that line – “our lives are going so quickly, so try not to wish it away, enjoy the experience of your fast”. My thoughts were similar during my morning walk today- What a wonderful life I have been blessed with, let me enjoy the experience while I am here!