Good morning all, lovely to read of all your “doings”. I will gradually get to know you as we go through this journey together.

I am fasting again today, second one. Still haven’t decided which days to set but Tuesday and Friday are looking good I think. I haven’t got on the scales since day 1 but would like to think there has been at least a small change downwards going into my 4th day of this, but I feel thinner in my head and realise that this is because I feel in control of my eating again after a long while of NOT. Today is linedance class followed by a visit to my Dad who will be 100 years old in 2 weeks!!!

Looks like a nice day outside here. This week our forecast max temps are all high teens with a 20 thrown in here and there…nice! I agree with a previous poster about climate change, the reasons for and effects of, which are going to become far more serious as time goes on unless something is done quickly…what sort of climate will our greatgrandchildren and beyond be living in, I wonder.

Have a good one ladies

How exciting overseas travel, long awaited surgery, fabulous recipe ideas, hot Hugh *swoon*, easy fast days, tricky fast days, and all the rest! You lovely folks visit so many ideas in your discussions.

I am particularly interested in dealing with plateaus at the moment. My instinct is to just ride the slow bit of the roller coaster, and be glad to be on the ride. The next exciting bit can’t be too far away, but it is the anticipation (or rather impatience) that gets me. Tips? Tricks?

On the upside, I have a few people asking me how to get started on 5:2. I am very excited for them, and I hope having the experience of the plateau (hopefully over with by the time any of them might find themselves there), will allow me to be a support through the slow phase. Just the motivation I need to steel my resolve. Mind you, the habit of fasting is well established for me, and I look forward to it. I just need a tweak, or maybe just a touch of extra patience to reach the next shift. Tweaks? Spare patience, hehe?

A quote to remind myself about not wishing the journey away (as that is a lot of a life to be wishing away, just like CG regularly reminds us!).

“It is good to have an end to journey toward,
but it is the journey that matters in the end.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin

Happy Tuesday all.
MoonGal

Hello all,

I am sorry to have been out of contact, but so much to do and so little time to do it in. Pulled out the front lawn and put in a garden. Rebuilt a fence and gate. I have not been fasting this past couple of weeks. My Naturpoathic doc wanted me to suspend that and do some testing to determine whats going on with me. But will be able to resume this week.
you all may find this amusing but I was told to eat by this doctor. It would seem that while we are trying to determine what foods are potentially inflammatory for me, I have to eat them in order to do the testing for them. I spent three months removing them. Now, you might think this was great news for me. It was for about 2 hours. Then I ate wheat. Yikes! Didn’t feel good. And what I thought would be a fun reprieve has actually not been that fun at all. I am so looking forward to this test tomorrow and going back to the IF and sensible eating. I am bloated up like a ball and it has flared up symptoms for me.
It’s also interesting to me how many doctors really don’t know that much about IF. My oncologist has a passing knowledge of it, although he does do Paleo at
least.
My Naturopath has done fasting and some of the really intense stuff where you check in and are monitored in a facility and everything in between because she wants to know what she is prescribing for people. About a month back I noticed that I was stalled in terms of weight loss and I went from feeling good to not feeling good. I believe that I was under eating and my metabolism and hormones did not appreciate it. I then turned to a high fat low carb system that I had read quite a bit about. I think there are a couple of folks on this site who do that? I found it hard at times. I am not used to eating like that and felt very sluggish on some days and quite good the next. Still, I am determined to find a way of eating that will support my health and will keep at it. Very happy to have a doctor helping me with it. There are probably some easy fixes that I can make.
Looks like it is morning for you all there. I hope you all have a great day. Very hot here in Portland Oregon. Third day in a row with over 90 degree weather. Sorry, not sure how that translates your end of the world. Let’s just say it’s hot here. R

Raven, our posts just crossed.
I am sorry that you are feeling that way It definitely does not feel good or comfortable to be bloated. However, you have a doctor taking charge of things, so once the testing is done, you will at least have the clarity of what not to eat…All the best with testing…
Fit, I just looked at my picture after posting on this thread again. If i look only at my arms (flab everywhere), I would still say no to one shoulder (for myself). But the point is that I like the overall look of this dress and that’s what is important.
PS: I am 73.5 kilos at the time when that picture was taken…

Good morning all, off line due to long weekend, slowly catching up on all the posts.

Fit/FB – I to hate my arms, I have done all my life, even though when I was younger they were not like they are now. When at work or out, I wear clothes to cover my arms as I am so paranoid that people are looking at them. Something that I have to get over. FB, your arms look fabulous in that dress!

After all my eating and dringing on the weekend, I am happy to say that I only put on 1.5kgs. I am going to lose that this week hopefully.

Welcome and good luck to all the newbies on this WOL. It is great. 🙂

CG – at least you lost all that weight initially, I just cannot get under 78kgs. Pssst, little secret, I know that it is all my own doing as I am eating and drinking the wrong things sometimes LOL. I will get there.

I quickly read who was travelling where and I hope you have a wonderful time, I cannot wait to retire so that I can travel more.

FD today and Thursday this week, all the best for the week everyone.

xx

Hi from a ratty doggy. Is just typed up a storm and I clicked on something my mistake and it all dissapeared. To top,off our vile gales yesterday we had a power outage just as I was About to sit down and watch my favourite TV show. Luckily I had torches, candles and matches handy for this. We both gave up and had a very early night. No heating in the bedroom, no electric blanket. I went to bed wearing PJs under a winter nightie and was still cold. I them felt guilty because I know that there are many less fortunate than myself and go to bed cold and hungry every night.
UP your travel plans sound exciting. I’ve not been to Finland or Russia. Enjoy the food I say and start again when you get back home again. MoonGal love the quote. FB you look great. I’m not surprised you got ++ compliments. CG you Are so right. It’s not always easy to buy off the peg clothes that suit every shape and size. I’m my slim days I could buy Miss Petite clothes that always looked tailored and smart. Not anymore. I like your ideas about changing the way a top looks. I do remember those days too. I also like scarves. Some people have a knack with them and they look fab. I’m not. One of them though. I have enough scarves but lack the technique. Even after watching uTube.
Enjoy the day team. Normal eating here for me and I have the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread to go with my soup for lunch. I think I see a glass or two of Sav Blanc too for later in the day.
XX Doggy

Morning team yes 1.6kg gain for me over the weekend. But seriously when I think of it as an indulgent weekend it wasn’t actually…compared to “the good old days” (nothing good about them though as far as weight goes!). I think that mentally we eventually put the brakes on with 5:2…….just not always LOL, and so long as we enjoyed our food without guilt that’s an important lesson in our journey. Big events/social events/family events/special occasions all happen on our journey and we should and DO enjoy the delicious food that comes with them. Why not? 5:2 is not a life sentence or meant to be deprivation either. With our WOL the weight does just drop off pretty easily let’s face it. Even a blowout is easily fixed up. So long as we stick with the 5:2 WOE.
Today we have friends coming for dinner so I’m planning what to have & cooking up a nice meal including dessert (Oooh my OH so loves it when we have guests – almost the only time he gets dessert unless he buys it). Will also be a glass of wine or two so being careful until dinnertime to minimise the damage. Will also add in a good one hour walk to help – lovely weather here in the SW today so will soak up some sunshine while it’s here.
Doggy I too LOVE scarves (have 3 small stacking containers of them) but am also not gifted shall we say when wearing them! And that’s also despite watching videos. I’ve bought lots overseas as they’re so easy to add into your luggage, & then I love wearing one and thinking Mmm bought this in Paris etc. Do get compliments on my scarves though so obviously my lack of skill doesn’t matter. Doggy hope you eventually slept OK.
Fit wear your one shoulder dress and to hell with what anyone thinks…that is of course, so long as YOU feel you look good in it. Gee not too many chances come along in my life where I could wear a one shoulder dress!
FB luv the whole look. Just great! And wowee 4 compliments…that must be a record!!
DiiP or Carol will add your name to the list & post in a week or so.
Raven sorry to hear that you’re going through the mill with foods & working out what triggers you, but sounds like you’re in good hands. And despite the way you’re feeling you’ve obviously managed to renovate your yard at the same time!

Moongal you said it so well “My instinct is to just ride the slow bit of the roller coaster, and be glad to be on the ride. The next exciting bit can’t be too far away.” Maybe we could make some of this our mantra ladies?! While you’re asking for help with plateaus MG I think you’ve already got it sussed.
JB what a fantastic start to this WOL. You already feel like you’re in control of food for once in your life. It’s an ahah moment isn’t it & you’ll have a loss for sure. Gotta close now. Monologue over.
suejen XXX #enjoy your day and don’t wish it away#

Hi All!
Great to see so many posts when I log on in the morning 🙂 Thank you everybody for the encouragement to wear the on shouldered dress, so I’m feeling more confident about giving it a go. The lighting should be quite subdued so that could help too!! 😆
MG – good to hear from you again. I think you are right about plateaus; they come and go for everyone and the only answer seems to be to wait it out and basically be more stubborn than it! I think it can be part of our system to adjust and reset itself along this journey and for some of us that can take several weeks. However, we all know this is a wol so don’t change anything, persevere, and eventually the weight starts to come off again. As CG says, the other changes are happening inside but that can be little comfort when we want to see the scales move. Try some little treat such as new make-up, hair-do, manicure etc to make you feel good in the meantime and stick to your guns!
Raven – so good to get your post too. Sounds like you have been doing an amazing job in your garden; I’m in awe of you! I really hope you get the answer to your food intolerance/allergy so that you can move forward in the way that is best for your health and weight. You are very strong and have come through so much, you can do this! Hope you’re able to enjoy the fruits of your labours in the garden with lovely weather xx
FB – thanks for kind words. Sorry your first photo doesn’t seem to be there any more but in the second one you look fabulous and compliments are well deserved. Glad you had nice long weekend and great attitude to small weight gain, which you know will be gone again in no time.
Doit – I think we are all our own harshest critics and the overall look/feel is more important the one single aspect….so I’ll keep that in mind when I try on my outfits. You’re so right about slight gain when you had great weekend; just get back on the horse and all will be well. 🙂
Poor Doggy – not such a nice weekend for you 🙁 but well done for thinking of those less fortunate in the middle of all your own woes. Hope things have eased off now and that you are warm and snug. I also have lots of scarves, but I’m not the best at wearing them stylishly, however, they still seem to do the trick! 🙂
CG – hope all is going well with you now; I’m doing a big clear out of old clothes, shoes, bags etc and household linens which badly need to be replaced. My local school, where I used to teach, collects these, as well as shoes and handbags and earns much needed funds by recycling them – so win/win for everyone.
SJ – another great post, I love the ‘to hell with what anyone thinks’!! 😆 You’re a legend!
Up – not surprised that you have no idea of the time as you fly around the world like a whirlwind! I have reduced my carb intake quite considerably too in the last few months and I think that helped when I hit the plateau stage, who knows? Keep telling us all about your travels, it’s amazing!
Beautiful, sunny, warm day here today and the forecast is good for the next few days…woohoo 😎

Hi team! I am back from my travels (not much compared to Uptight, who is still travelling and in Russia now? wow!)
Have a minor head cold and jet lag, but will sort itself out soon. the worst is the digestive system still thinks its in another time zone 🙂
I read all your posts and wow, lost of happenings here !! Fit- hope we get to see you in Australia, but if you miss the reunion, I still hope we can meet some how 🙂
FB – Fabulous photo! Looks like you had fun when you were in Sydney last week 🙂 (this week? not sure)
On Plateaus – CG, don’t stress on it too much, maybe take a break from fasting for a couple of weeks? Just eat normally, like you would if you are on maintenance, but no FDs. When is your op? I have a feeling when you chronic pain reduces and the stress levels go down, the weight will go down by itself. In the meanwhile, enjoy your 25 kilo lighter body ( and how amazing is that, girl??)
Raven- I hope you get some relief on food issues soon 🙁
SJ – Chuckling at your post, my OH too was defiantly eating a muffin this morning. It was funny how defensive he looked lol. Sometimes I just nag for the heck of it 🙂
Doggy -hope the weather is better for you today… its rainy and wet in Sydney today
Hello to rest of the team too, enjoy the ride (as MG put it, including the slow bits on the roller coaster…)

Hi team, wherever you may be in the world. Up and Lotus. I suffer terribly from jet lag. Also invariably pick up some for of lurgie while flying. It can really put a dampener on a holiday. Well from a windy Tassie we now have a freezing Tassie. We took poor little Pepper to the vet this morning to be desexed. It was 1 degree in St. Helens. I don’t know if he had a canine premonition of what lay in store for him but he woke me at 4.30 am to go out for a wee. Despite it being so cold it was pitch black outside and the stars looked so bright I had the sensation of them being almost close enough to touch.
Re the discussion on low carb eg. Bread and spuds. I still have bread on my NF days but have cut down on the amount. I still occasionally have spuds too. I doubt if I’ve lost any weight so far this week. I’ll wait till
Friday to find out. My darn knee is still painful so I have not been able to get out for a good walk for a good while now. I do think it’s improving though.
Cheers and enjoy your day.

Here is an interesting link – featuring Dr. Mosely in it.
https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/longer-fasting-regimens-part-7/

Hi All!
Welcome back, Lotus – sorry to hear you are not well, I think aeroplanes are the unhealthiest places in the world but I’m sure you’ll shrug if off now you’re back home. Last Sunday, I attended a Mass in memory of all the deceased priests of the missionary order that my uncle was in and met a priest who used to work with him in the 1960’s on the Philippine island of Negros. My brother asked him to email us the names of my uncle’s parishes there and is thinking of going to visit them. The world had truly become such a small place!
Doggy – try a heat pack on your knee, the cold weather definitely gets into the joints and makes any problems worse. I hope Pepper gets over the op ok and is back to his little mischievous self in no time…as long as you don’t have to run around after him! 🙂
Raven – you are a wise old bird!! (Not that you’re old – just a saying!) You have hit the nail on the head about how we set ourselves up to fail by thinking our worth/value is linked to how others see us. It’s a trap we all fall into, so thanks for the timely reminder about what really matters in life….compassion, for ourselves and others. Take care and I hope your health issues are greatly improved very soon. Xx
SJ – I’m with you on the snacking issue; I used to graze practically all day long, but now that I’m getting more used to fasting, I have improved alot. Still learning, but hopefully getting there! 😉
CG – did you decide to fast today? I’m giving it a go, although I will be visiting my old school with all my recycled clothes etc and will have to have a cuppa and a catch-up while I’m there! Looking forward to seeing some fabulous ex-colleagues who were a great support to me in stressful times.
The sun is out, the sky is blue….I feel a song coming on…. 😆 Catch up with you all later xxxx

Nighty nite CG xx

Thanks CG! Burning a lot of old CDs in iTunes, and needed some distraction 🙂 LOL, I am that fidgety. Hmmm. Maybe fidgeting burns calories??

Good morning everyone…I had an early start yesterday and a busy day so didn’t get on here and now I will never catch up on all the posts….you are very prolific on this thread…that is wonderful!!! Love the photo above…gorgeous woman and beautiful backdrop!! What a magnificent harbour Sydney has and to be there during the Vivid Festival must have been awesome!!

Someone asked about my almost 100 year old Dad…he is still very bright in the mind but physically frail in that he does not walk any more and has use of only one arm. He is also rather deaf which makes conversation difficult but he enjoys visitors and takes an interest in the nurses and their doings. It is an amazing age isn’t it? In the same nursing home, there is a lady who is 105…too old for him he reckons 😀

I am thinking I will make Saturday my weigh in day and my fast days Tuesday and Friday. Do you ladies fast the day before weigh in day? Not sure if it is best to do it that way or not. My Tuesday fast was successful…early days yet though. It is always easy when your motivation is high isn’t it? It is a few weeks down the track when the hard part starts based on my lifelong experience of trying to lose weight. Hope everyone has a great and successful day today.

Good to know you’re back on the air, FB and that you had such a great time in Sydney. You are so right to be proud of yourself and you are giving inspiration to lots of others too.
JB – you are truly lucky to have your dad in such good order at 100 years of age. My dad died at the age of 93, but the last few years were very tough as he had physically and mentally declined. However, we were very lucky to be able to manage to look after him in his own home until the end and that was a privilege and a blessing. Best of luck with your FDs.

Good morning people, happy Thursday…

I am new to this, been reading and watching videos and ready to start. Current weight I don’t know, probably around 80kg but I’m more concerned about the waist – just squeezing into 34’s and would prefer to be at 32 (If something doesn’t change I will be 36 before summer).

Biggest struggle will be avoiding wine with and after dinner on FDs.

Other things worth mentioning… I love a good swig of psyllium husk in the morning before a coffee (metamucil is made from this but I buy the organic stuff so there are no artificial sweeteners etc) – keeps me full for a few hours in the morning as well as keeping “things moving”. This will be handy on FDs – maybe 2x a day instead of once? Anyone using this kind of approach?

Just here for mutual encouragement and people/friends who can keep me on the wagon 🙂

So my first challenge is what to do for lunch today… perhaps a handful of nuts? I like to keep it simple and cheap…

Anyway hi to all.

Welcome Mike to this WOL. Yes I have the good old Mettamucil and on fast days FD’s when I remember I have it twice a day. Has seemed to help with weight loss a bit as well as the usual benefits. I have a HB egg for both breakfast and lunch and that leaves enough cals for a good dinner with veg and protein.
Morning team ready for another FD? Well for most of us it is and now its like an old comfy pair of slippers you pull on….you know it’ll do the job you know the benefits of it so lets get to it hey! SJ xx