Aussie Determination

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  • I’m planning lots of housework for the coming week too, been putting off all but the bare essentials for the last week or two so now my dust bunnies are beginning to resemble the Day of the Triffids! Feeling the tug on the heartstrings across the Atlantic too, Jade but we will be having that ๐Ÿท together very soon. No partying tonight….even a party girl has to get her beauty sleep sometimes! ๐Ÿ˜ด๐Ÿ˜ƒ

    Hi all. To answer a couple of questions.
    Yes, I have always eaten healthily as that was the way I was brought up. My problem (apart from wine) has been large portions for most of my life.
    When I first went away to college in my late teens I was always hungry due to small (probably perfectly adequate!) sized meals and that was the start of my weight gain. Cheese and biscuits after dinner were served and I hoed in! I also ate desserts every night to fill up and that was usually some incredibly stodgy cheesecake or something. I eventually moved out and ate my old way and lost it all without trying but I still ate a lot and never stopped. And of course, after a certain age, you just can’t keep doing that!

    5/2 has been brilliant for fixing that issue and like most of us doing this, I need less everyday now. My family always stir me up about getting boxes of chocolates, as a teacher, and never getting around to opening them, or opening them and just having one so they end up going out of date. My husband was brought up differently.

    The other question was where I am going. Remembering that this is work for my husband, we are going to New York (and I will see my son there for one day!), Quebec City, Milan, Thessaloniki in Greece, Tian Jin in China and Taipei in Taiwan. I will be gone for just over a month.

    So my cat has been rehomed and today I continue the big clean to remove all signs of allergy producing cat fibres! That will keep me busy!

    Fasting today as are most of us. Good luck all!

    Wow, UP! I’m very jealous! I hope you get opportunity and time to enjoy each of those exotic destinations. It will be a whirlwind but very exciting too, I’m sure.

    Good morning-evening team, oh Up how fantastic. All those fabulous places you will get to see, even if only for a day or two, you still get to “feel” the atmosphere and culture of other countries. Good luck with the cleaning, it’s the most unrewarding chore of all. If we took a still picture of our clean house and “twitch” our noses lke Samantha in Bewitched when we want it back, it would make life so much easier. But, I would rather live in a home than a display houseโ˜บ๏ธ
    Jade, hang in there, everyone loves to be needed, and you are getting your share at the moment๐Ÿ˜‰ Your daughter has so many new adventures in front of her now, unattached, so the world is open to herโ˜บ๏ธ I hope your hubby is coming along with his grief, everybody reacts differently, and once he realises “it was time” he will come to grips with it. Nothing can take his memories awayโ˜บ๏ธ We all love our parents and know we outlive them, usually, but it’s not easy to accept when the time comes. I talk to mine all the time and KNOW they watch over me, with pride, at how my little farm has improved since I built, and how beautifully my garden has come along, and I’m sure, that’s with their help๐Ÿ˜‡
    Fit, I hope all is peacefull in your world and you are being kind to yourself.
    When I went to bed last night, a thought came to mind, why is everything slower going up, and faster coming down……except weight? ๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ’—cuddles xxxxx

    Mornin’ CG! Ha, good question! I had a bit of a tumble off the wagon today. I went to visit my sister who lives about an hour away, to see the fabulous house her son, my godson, is building. It was warm and sunny so when she offered us ice cream I didn’t refuse. Then it was tea and cake. After I got home, OH decided it had been a long time since we’d had a chinese, so I had that too! Oh, well….back on the horse tomorrow and definitely no snacking!

    My husband is fasting today for the first time in ages. He went to donate blood this morning but for once they didn’t take it as his blood pressure was “through the roof”.

    He has now gone to see the doc. I said if he needs a fasting blood test he won’t have to wait. He has had nothing but water yet today! I suspect he will be back on the wagon for real now as he had lost so much weight but had stopped fasting and even being very careful and is paying for it now.

    Ha, Fit, well, as you say, there is always tomorrow!

    Hay Fit, it all sounds very healthy, as long as you enjoyed it….no harm done๐Ÿ˜Š
    Up, I have the same problem, we think we are doing okay, but the proof shows eventually. especially on the scales๐Ÿ˜ณI hope it is just 5:2 he needs and not meds long term๐Ÿ˜‰ It’s nice that you are fasting together, it makes it so much easier xxxxx

    Hi all – thanks for the warm welcome! I look forward to getting to know people a little better! Fasting day 2 today – feeling good! I’m looking forward to feeling more empowered again re my health. Peppermint tea, miso soup and a few rice cakes made up my evening.

    Does anyone else not calorie count on non-fast days? I’m hoping to get out of the constant surveillance mode and start to enjoy food again, rather than see it as the enemy. It worked last time though slowly. What are people’s thoughts on this? I’m also booting out the sugar (day 1!!! Watch this space – intake usually directly proportional to hours at work!).

    Got the incentive of an overseas trip in August, and hopefully new bathers just before we go!

    UP hope your hubby’s visit to the doc went ok!

    Hi IG,
    Sounds like you have the fasting down to a fine art. Counting calories all the time is a pain in the neck and you do get more practised at doing it in your head. However, it is easier to slip up and go over your TDEE if you don’t count, so I’d stick with it at the moment until you get fully back into the rhythm of 5:2. Best luck with the sugar ban….good challenge to take on ๐Ÿ’ช Where are you going in August? There’s nothing quite like new bathers to concentrate the mind! Best of luck with it all!

    Hi team, bitterly cold here in South Gippsland, heading to zero (or close too….as if there is much difference at that temp 0-3๐Ÿ˜ณ) so another cold night to snuggle up. Boy, do my boy’s rebel at getting up in the mornings!๐Ÿถ๐Ÿถ๐Ÿถ
    IG you really have a handle on fasting, but agree with Fit, counting every day is restrictive on life, but getting back into the swing needs some control. It’s surprising how we can be so totally wrong on simple things like herbs etc and the count they can give, a level teaspoon against a heaped teaspoon….of anything! It depends on how precise you want to be, but think weighing and measuring in the beginning, is a must until you feel comfortable, is safer. Golly I guess all the time, and the rare time I count get a shock at how many calouries are in everyday foods. Keep up the great work, YOU CAN DO IT๐Ÿ˜‰
    Fit, how’s things your end? Are you being good with your challenge? I fasted today, basically on home made veggie soup. Warming and filling so covers all bases๐Ÿ˜› So ready for a milky coffee before bed soon, and another fast bites the dust!
    Enjoy the new day Fit, I hope it brings all you are wishing for โ˜บ๏ธ๐Ÿ’—xxxxxx

    Hi there CG! I’m having a fab day, thank you. The sun is shining, we’ve been promised fine weather all week so that puts me in good humour. I did a big Spring clean on my living/dining room and had the doors folded back onto the patio. Then I sat out under a sun umbrella reading and listening to music….just heavenly. Not even fasting today can spoil that! ๐Ÿ˜Ž๐Ÿ˜ƒโ˜€๏ธ The contrast with your weather couldn’t be more different at the moment but I’m sure you won’t begrudge me some much needed sunshine! Stay warm and cosy and cuddle up to your gorgeous boys! ๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’š

    Ah of COURSE the weather is perfect near Dublin. Fit – save some o’ that for Nov please๐Ÿ”†๐Ÿ”†๐Ÿ˜Š Glad you had good times this weekend. And CG you just cozy up and fix another gigantic pot of soup! And snuggle up ๐Ÿถ๐Ÿถ maybe even with ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฎ ๐Ÿ˜

    Thanks for the kind wordsโ™ฅ๏ธ I enjoyed dishing the love and watching it work, not a bad weekend considering, baby steps toward better days ahead ๐ŸŒˆ And WAY down on the list of priorities was watching what I ate. Ha ha! Yesterday I had two dinners, first with D then back home with OH. Then it was dessert time with those lovely chocolate-iced cookies that you call digestibles, and boy are they ever, which I saw while doing some retail therapy with D, I don’t know how they hopped into my cart! ๐Ÿค”

    Up, I was raised the same way, we didn’t even eat a lot of bread but my mom was always a fiend for ice cream, so I have many good memories of going for sundaes, etc. So it’s a Proustian thing for me, mentally, AND hard to kick physically. Except that I am stubborn enough to keep trying๐Ÿ˜ก Your upcoming travels sound amazing, by the way – how fun! I love New York, mil lived very close to Central Park.

    IG, it’s so interesting to hear how it’s going for you as a relative newcomer – do keep posting! It took me a long time to realize what sugar did to my appetite and most days I stay away, at least from junk and processed junk that masquerades as food, i.e. jarred pasta sauces full of sugar. I don’t like to keep tabs on calories every day, but as CG said we need some way to keep a lid on it. I think I’m ready for Fit’s no-snack challenge, because I’ve slipped back to the “let me eat as little as possible” mindset at meals – then I don’t eat enough, then I start snacking almost as soon as I’ve cleared the dinner dishes. And I did read something about how too much snacking (even on lowcal or healthy stuff) interferes with insulin or some hormone thing that regulates appetite.

    Memorial Day here in the US, kind of a somber time to remember those who’ve passed. Somewhat odd that it’s also viewed as the kickoff to summer and time to have outdoor parties. Luckily it’s a sunny day and we’ve been invited for steaks and wine, didn’t take me long to accept that one! I think I’ll go out and tend the garden I started during my mil’s last days. We hung some art of hers in D’s home yesterday, which also felt like an honor. Oh dear, feeling all mooshy now, better go make something of the day – hugs and kisses to you all โ™ฅ๏ธโ™ฅ๏ธjade xxx

    Yes Jade, we’re having some of that sunshine that you thoughtfully packed and sent on ahead….don’t you remember?๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ˜ƒ I think I’ll be enjoying it too much to save any for Nov, we’ll just have to ask our Aussie pals to send us some more at that stage ๐Ÿ™. Just had fresh prawns ๐Ÿค๐Ÿค๐Ÿค with an enormous salad (OH’s dressings probably took it out of the healthy range), but boy, did I enjoy it! ๐Ÿ˜‹ Come on board for the no snack challenge…..loving your eloquent explanation of the science bit! Ha, ha! ๐Ÿ˜‰ Enjoy the steaks and wine, you deserve to let your hair down. Sending emergency tissues and hugs for any ‘mooshiness’! ๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’ž

    Hi all,
    Had a great FD yesterday..only 390cals ๐Ÿค—๐Ÿค— a coffee about 11am the. Nothing but water until dinner Chen and steemed greens with a small amount of sweet potato and caull mash. So that should start off the week with a bang!.

    Just having a little awake time so decided to make the most of it and post. Off to the Hydro pool this morning then hoping to get another little sleeping bag completed for Ruthie. Her mum phoned with an order for a double fleece one as it is very cold in their rental home so I’ll get to it quickly. It is very cold in Tasmania at the moment and the home they are renting whilst my son builds them their new one does not have insulation or double glazed Windows so a good incentive to get moving with the house so they are in by next winter..โ„๏ธ๐ŸŒฌโ„๏ธ๐ŸŒฌ. We are having cool nights but beautiful days and so winter has started right on time…

    Jade. How wonderful to spend such quality time with daughter. Such a great feeling to be there for someone you love to bits๐Ÿ’”๐Ÿ’”๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ’ž. Giving the house a good makeover is just the ticket and of course mowing a hilly lawn will take care of the extra special treats you had. As fit says, you will still get to Ireland, and still have something to look forward too. understandable that you are feeling a bit sad about what may have been but you were certainly much needed at home and the feeling of being there for daughter is something that you just can’t replace. That Mum cape will be needed for a while yet I imagine๐Ÿ‘จโ€โค๏ธโ€๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿ‘จโ€โค๏ธโ€๐Ÿ‘จ.

    Fit. You are just smashing it girl!! So motivated and determined…great stuff!!๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜ ๐Ÿ˜‡๐Ÿ˜‡. A good feeling having a good clean and then sitting relaxing in the sun with your feet up. You are entirely correct…WE CAN DO THIS,!! Bring it on. Not having breakfast before the pool so will start my day with my usual coffee and breckie treat at the cafe at the rehab centre after my hours exercise In the Hydro Pool. Which works out at about 700 cals I expect..but so good..then nothing until dinner time again so will be able to have a couple of wine spritzers .๐Ÿท๐Ÿท..the. Another fast day on Wednesday and hopefully the scales will be kind to me on Thursday morning.

    UP how exciting, to be travelling with OH while he works. It must be difficult finding the correct food whilst all of this is happening. And of course limiting the wine. ๐ŸŠ๐Ÿ“๐Ÿณ๐ŸŒฏ๐Ÿข๐Ÿธ๐Ÿท๐ŸธYour OH must have a great job, can’t remember what you said he did. Great that he is now fasting with you once again and hope the tests don’t find anything nasty. ๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’‰.

    IG. I am trying to break a plateau and so am just doing a week or so entering what I eat into MFP just to check that I a, eating up to my TDEE on my non fast days. Normally I don’t count them as think I have a good understanding of what I am eating. My problem is that I enjoy a scotch or two each night while OH is preparing dinner. It is our conversation time and he sips on a red wine or two as well. So am changing this to red wine spritzers, mostly soda water, ice and a little bit of red wine to taste. ๐Ÿท๐Ÿท.
    Well done for kicking out the sugar. I am down to half a teaspoon. In my coffee now so almost gone. Never have been a sweet eater, savoury snacks my downfall so with the no snacking challenge we have they are out for the moment.

    Forgot to ask FIT do you consider a piece of fruit snacking? I’m not counting them as snacks as I can’t exist without my couple of pieces of fruit a day ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿ‰๐ŸŒ๐ŸŽ. Out Pawpaw tree is loaded and passion fruit almost ready to pick. So have a small serve of No Added Sugar ice cream and fruit on my non fast days. Fully counted of course.

    CG . Know what you mean when you say you talk to your parents regularly and how proud of you they would be re making your little farm work. I talk to my mum regularly , sometimes to tell her to look the other way as I’m having a wine..she was a teetotal lady and never a drop of alcohol passed her lips. Dad on the other hand enjoyed a beer or two occasionally. He has been gone now 42 years and I still miss him. Keep warm in your cold snap. Or is it usually this cold where you are.

    Well back for some more shut eye . ๐Ÿ˜ด๐Ÿ’ค๐Ÿ˜ด๐Ÿ’คTalk to you all soon.๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ

    Hey Fit, gosh your OH sounds like a dream with those chef skills! Keep the sun and bring HIM over here. Enjoy, you certainly deserve it๐Ÿท๐Ÿค๐Ÿท!

    I read the Mosley piece you posted, CG – ah if only I kept it all that simple. And look, one of his mainstays is STOP SNACKING. Well heck if the right hand of God is going to go on about it, I guess I had better climb aboard!๐Ÿ‡ All right I’m in๐ŸŠ No more snacks. No more. No. Got it.

    Im enjoying the sun here, too – pups are helping me weed the gardens. All I ask, Fit, is that there be plenty of beer/wine/whiskey and hugs left in Nov – good thing ireland has an unlimited supply๐Ÿ˜ – and same over here at the moment! Hallelujah and pass those quinoa crackers. At meals only, of course๐Ÿ˜‡xx
    PH we crossed – will catch up with you now๐Ÿ’œ

    Wow PH such an eloquent post, what a generous heart you haveโ™ฅ๏ธ๐Ÿ’œโ™ฅ๏ธ – I also loved CG’s comment about her parents looking down on her farm but it slipped my mind. Thank you for bringing it back to me. It’s a wonderful image, to think of those we loved still being with us. I walk the pups thru the town cemetery and have conversations with a few loved ones even though they aren’t buried there. Ah, no worries re the mooshiness Fit, my heart has a special compartment for itโ™ฅ๏ธ๐Ÿ’Ÿ Lately it’s been a good kind of mooshy.

    Well done on your fasts PH! And kicking the sugar, though you’re another savory person like Up. Either way, it can be hard to cut back. I know what you mean about time for conversation, I need a small nibble or drink to make it convivial – brilliant to do red wine spritzers, they do have all the taste yet far fewer cals๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿท

    Oh I hear OH finally getting up from his restless night – off I go to be mooshy! ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ˜xx

    PH, I hope you got some proper rest and that you enjoyed the hydro pool. What I’ve decided to do about snacking is not eat between meals so if I want some fruit, I eat it as dessert at the end of my dinner or put some on top of my porridge for breakfast etc. I used to eat a lot of fruit but was constantly grazing all day and that probably played havoc with my insulin as Jade mentioned.
    Absolutely, Jade, there will be beer, wine, whiskey and hugs aplenty in November….not to mention music, laughter and just the right amount and kind of mooshy! I hope the pups were very helpful in helping you wee(d)! in the garden, lol๐Ÿ˜‚
    Hope all the fasting or portion control went well for everyone. Best of luck to us all for the week ahead. WE CAN DO THIS! BRING IT ON!

    Hi all, I broke my own rule and hopped on the scales after yesterday’s fast. I am down half a kilo so that is good remembering that I lost nothing last week!

    PH, my husband is a professor so he is invited to speak at things. He works really, really hard though so this is my payoff! Yes, too much sitting at his desk has meant other things have been neglected hence his high blood pressure. He used to be so fit, so will have to make some changes and get back to the old him. He last about 10 kilos last year in seemingly 5 minutes on 5/2 when we lived in the U.S . for that 4 months. Came home, got stressed, it all went out the window and he is back where he started. BUT he knows what to do and now will do it!

    It is a bit hard to eat our 2 serves of fruit PH without a snack I guess. I don’t eat enough fruit.

    Jade, it is pretty hard over there in the U.S to eat unadulterated food unless you go back to basics, isn’t it? I do love all your berries etc and seriously I have never had a s good ice cream anywhere in the world as what I have had there. It is dangerous!

    Fit, enjoy your sun!

    IS I never count calories on NF days. I think some people need it more than others if there idea of “normal” needs a reset. Also, people here have heard me bang on about corn thins in preference to rice cakes. Apparently they are lower GI so keep you feeling fuller longer. JADE, have you tried them? I had trouble getting them over there. They are in the health food, natural food stores but here they are in every supermarket.

    CG you are inspiring as usual. I could do with some of that soup!

    Very encouraging loss UP! It’s so annoying that men lose so fast with 5:2 but I still can’t persuade my OH to try. Infuriating! Well done to yours for getting back on the horse.
    Another absolutely fantastic day here…..just loving it ๐Ÿ˜Žโ˜€๏ธ๐ŸŒžโ›ฑ

    Up, yes indeed I found corn thins at Costco – very nice with a little natural peanut butter, which rather defeats the whole 15-cal apiece thing๐Ÿ™„ Oh the junk food is out of control here, and the food marketing is just absurd – candy is labeled “gluten free” as though it’s good for you. What I love about 5:2 is that I spend less buying real food.

    Hey Fit, is it another beautiful day over there? We seem to be stuck under stagnant thunderclouds here. My poor car will NEVER dry out….. I’m feeling the after effects of last night’s lovely dinner, topped off by a lemon cream cake. it was a thing of beauty. Today’s FD is dedicated to good times and good friends! Saddle up!๐Ÿ‡

    My OH isn’t one to fast, but he does forego food most of the day – he might have a slice of toast but little else. He is trying to shave off a few pounds and that seems to be working for him. He did look rather smart last night in the new jeans I bought for him, one size down๐Ÿ˜Ž

    Time for more coffeeโ˜•๏ธโ˜•๏ธ bring on the day!๐Ÿ’ช๐ŸŒˆxx

    Oh Jade if only you were here! It’s absolutely stunning weather, between 22 and 24 degrees here in glorious sunshine!๐Ÿ˜Žโ˜€๏ธ I had another Jane Austen musical morning and then coffee on the patio under the parasol….heavenly! I went in to see my sister in hospital in the afternoon and she was in better form and a little brighter and positive. Hopefully that will continue and it will be possible for her to be cared for in her own apartment for a while longer. It sounds like you had a lovely evening….I’m so glad. Good luck with the fd and congrats to your OH on his mindful eating. ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿ’ž

    Yes it was just wickedly bad timing on SFB’s part๐Ÿ˜กthough I can’t think when it would’ve been good…. Things are bouncing back here, slowly but surely. More retail therapy to come๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ˜‰ Enjoy your wonderful weather๐Ÿ”†๐ŸŒˆ – so glad your sis is responding well to treatment๐Ÿ˜

    I took advantage of a break in the weather here to mow my own yard and the young single mom’s next door. I was rewarded for my efforts with a big wasp sting when I tried to pull out a big weed. OUCH (and a few other choice words). Now my right hand is like a claw ๐Ÿฆ€ so no more gardening today! But still riding the horse ๐Ÿ‡ – on the bright side, I can’t really hold a fork right now! ๐Ÿ˜‚ So I have no choice but to behave. Wait, what is a Jane Austen musical morning? Sounds like funโ™ฅ๏ธwish I were there too….xx

    Well that’s just not fair Jade, to get a wasp sting while doing a good deed โ˜น๏ธ๐Ÿ˜ My sister and I, plus another lady from my church choir have been practising a song which we’ll be singing at a wedding in June. Since I have a piano and can just about pick out the notes with one hand, we practice in my house. So my OH dubbed it the Jane Austen musical morning…..very ladylike and genteel! When you meet me, you’ll know how far off the mark that description is! ๐Ÿ˜‚
    No, I don’t think there’s a good time for SFB to have declared his position, except perhaps, two years ago!
    I hope you enjoy the retail therapy, my favourite kind! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ˜ƒ Plunge that hand into a bucket of ice, preferably one with a bottle of wine attached! ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ˜

    Ha ha yes if only we could go back in time! And good to know you aren’t ladylike, Fit, I’m pretty much a lifelong tomboy myself. Also, OH and I both have a touch of musical talent – maybe the 4 of us can get all musical in a pub come Nov?๐Ÿป๐ŸŽง๐ŸŽค
    The claw/hand is better thanks to baking soda, an old home remedy – and it’s about time for another old home remedy, if I can carve out a few cals from my FD๐Ÿท. Priorities…..๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ™„

    Good morning-evening team โ˜บ๏ธ Another chilly morning, low clouds on the ground and white grass from frosts, brrrr…….and my bed just wont let me go when I try to get out!๐Ÿ˜ฑ I had a carb attack yesterday๐Ÿ˜ฐ with grain bread for lunch and chocolate after dinner……mini mars bars…..oh well, they are all gone now, but golly I enjoyed them with my coffee๐Ÿ˜‰ I’m heading out to the hairdressers this morning, trim and highlights, then meeting up with Julie after for lunch, so a nice “girly day”โ˜บ๏ธ As meals out are such a rare occassion for me, I will be opting for what the tummy and eyes want rather than what I SHOULD have๐Ÿ˜› human indulgence is good for the soul. I’ll tackle the consequences later in the week and know 5:2 can handle it๐Ÿค”
    Fit how wonderful to see your sister is improving๐Ÿ˜Š It will be interesting to get the full report when the time comes. Do you know how much longer she is in for? Your little choir sounds a lot of fun, as any singing together should be๐Ÿ˜‰ Life sounds to be treating you as it should of late๐Ÿ’•
    Jade, ouch!! That would hurt like made. What do you do with the baking soda? Just a paste and leave it on, or what? I so believe in the old remedies, the do work wonders.
    Look after yourself dear girl, even household chores are fraught with dangers๐Ÿ˜ณ
    Well time for some shower power, get the warmth going through this old body and the blood flowing. I’m still doing the 2k zigzag, but was up 5 believe it or not, and that disappeared in three days of soups and coffees, and lots of trips to the loo! Yesterdays choices will put a spanner in the works, but hay, life goes on๐Ÿ˜‡
    “I am who I am, your approval is not needed”๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ’—xxxxxx

    You’re on Jade! How did you guess that I’m at my most musical in a pub? ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ˜‚ Hope your claw is healing nicely?
    Mornin’ CG! Oh, that sounds very cold, brrrr! It’s very tempting to stay in bed on days like that but it’s lovely to have nice treats to look forward to. You will get a lift out of getting your hair done and having a girly chat with Julie. There’s nothing quite like a girl’s day out….enjoy every minute ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ˜ƒ
    Had a bit of a carb fest too….had pizza for supper, so well above my TDEE. Oh, well back on the horse tomorrow ๐Ÿ‡๐Ÿ‡ and NO snacking!

    Apologies, CG, I forgot to answer your question about my sister. We don’t know how much longer she will be in hospital but probably a few more weeks while they see if the improvement lasts. Thanks for asking. ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’š

    Helloooooo? Was it something I said?๐Ÿ˜ณ๐Ÿ™ˆ๐Ÿ™‰๐Ÿ™Š

    Cooeeee Fit, I’m still here๐Ÿ˜Š Enjoy your day xx I’m planning on fasting tomorrow, another cold night coming up followed by a beautiful day again. Lunch was lovely as was the chat but back to the mundane tomorrowโ˜บ๏ธ Cuddles xxx

    Yahooooo. Qld won the state of origin..๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘can’t post tonight. Too excited and had too many scotches..talk to you all soon!!๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•

    Morning team! Hey there, Fit – how’s the weather today? Lovely here, for a change, so I’ll once again crank down the windows on the old jalopy to try to dry the poor thing out.๐Ÿ”†๐Ÿ”† Spending another day at home, OH can’t believe his luck๐Ÿ˜‰ Perhaps we can practice a few lively duets for Nov๐Ÿ˜‰

    Man, that carb-attack virus does travel the globe doesn’t itโ˜บ๏ธ – but how much better are we all, looking on it as a real treat instead another ho-hum bunch of sugar etc. CG your girly day sounded fab, hope you enjoyed some good giggles at your lunch – I’m also due for a trim and highlights, I go to a girl who was childhood friends with D, all grown up and so pretty.

    Congrats to you PH and all the Queensland footie crowd – I hope I said that right – they won the State of Origin!๐Ÿ†๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ˜€ I don’t even know what that means, but it sounds impressive, so Go QLD!๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ Worthy of a few scotches I’m sure๐Ÿ˜.

    So I just about nailed a FD – but had to have a bit of yogurt and fruit a few hours after dinner. Surely that falls into the venial sin category? I made my own yogurt and it was calling to me – I have special hearing when it comes to things inside my fridge๐Ÿ‘‚๐Ÿ˜Œ. I like it plain, which is odd for a sugar-lover, but when it’s strained into Greek consistency it’s like soft cheese….delicious. We had it with our grilled salmon at dinner, but I needed a booster shot to get to sleep.

    Let’s see if I can finally spread the mulch I bought a few weeks ago and hang the outdoor fairy lights – must avoid the wasps today, that really threw a spanner into my plans yesterday. I’m not even sure what a spanner is, but I love that expressionโ™ฅ๏ธ Hope all recuperate nicely from the celebrations and outings, hugs and love to allโ™ฅ๏ธxxx

    Hey there CG, PH and Jade!
    Great to hear how everyone is enjoying themselves. We have to grab onto whatever pleasures life throws our way and make the most of them.
    CG, I’m sure your hair looks lovely but you might feel the cold more so don’t forget to wear a scarf!
    PH, what a great reason to share a few scotches…..go Qld! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ˜ƒ
    Jade, it’s another fantastic day here and I went with my sister and her friend to look at furniture in a nearby town. My sis wants to get a new table and chairs. It’s wonderfully liberating to spend someone else’s money! ๐Ÿ˜ƒ Just had to have lunch out, of course…..all that window shopping is very tiring and strenuous! ๐Ÿ˜‰I had chocolate biscuit cake for dessert and found it too stodgy…..WTF? Can I be losing my sweet tooth?!! ๐Ÿ˜ณ๐Ÿ™€ Probably not, because I still finished the cake even though I didn’t really enjoy it….go figure!
    Hope everyone else is doing well and gets a chance to pop in here and tell us how things are going. Take care all ๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’š

    Oh yum, chocolate biscuit cake – too stodgy, Fit? Is it possible?? Good thing you finished it off to make sure๐Ÿ˜‚! I am still sitting here in my cushy chair with coffee, gotta love summer vacation as a teacher โ™ฅ๏ธ I credit my mom getting me this job, because she prayed mightily for it, all those years ago – she thought I worked too hard at the previous one. Then I did BOTH jobs for a few years and she was praying all over again.

    Sounds like a fun outing you had – I love spending other people’s money! Better hide yours when I get there๐Ÿ˜œ – I’m going to go squeeze some joy out of our sunny day, might even get dinner with OH and D in the big city. Apple didn’t fall far from the tree, she is keeping very busy, which helps put SFB in the rear view mirror๐Ÿ‘ค๐Ÿ‘‹๐Ÿ‘Š I believe she has a bit of Aussie Determination in her โ™ฅ๏ธxxx

    Good on your daughter, Jade, she’s got a lot of Aussie determination in her for sure but I reckon it came via her supermum! Do you know what’s better than summer vacation for a teacher? Retirement! ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ˜Ž๐Ÿ˜ Have a wonderful day with OH and d. Is he retired already? I can’t remember if you said so before. I’ve been trying to choose a paint colour for the outside of our house and my mind and eyes are boggled by the various shades with microscopic differences between them, not to mention the ridiculous names……I’m leaning towards ‘mucky swan’ at the moment! ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ™„

    Mucky swan…sounds taupe-ish? Lol, we have a SpongeBob SquarePants brand in our living room, kind of a warm peach ๐Ÿ˜‚ It is really hard to tell the difference in shades – we once painted a room several times over to get an off-white that didn’t clash with the berber carpet.
    Yep OH retired many moons ago, but he doesn’t enjoy it that much. He is the brains behind many of our projects but rarely the brawn – so Brawny here just finished mulching, weeding, making a topiary dog thing, and stringing fairy lights across the garden retaining wall. I hope the lights work! Some good twilight wine in my future๐Ÿท๐Ÿ’• and I will need some, just learned a dear friend is retiring from our faculty, ugh I miss her already. Not quite ready for it myself but boy is that a shove in the same direction!! Perhaps you can talk me into it in between pub songs๐Ÿ˜xxxx

    Pale taupe- ish, mushroom- ish, grey- ish, beige- ish………I’ve just lost the will to live- ish! ๐Ÿ˜œ๐Ÿ˜ฉ Wow, topiary? Photos please! ๐ŸŒณโš”๐Ÿฉ Hope you have enough light to find your way to that well earned wine! ๐Ÿท๐Ÿ˜ƒ

    Just in case, I’ve poured myself a glass before sunset ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿท๐ŸŒ„ – I emailed you a photo of topiary dog, too lazy to look for my laptop to photobucket it. I should call it a topiary-to-be, so far it’s just moss in a form that is supposed to look like a dog, though that’s up for debate ๐Ÿ˜‚ Maybe a dog that just crawled out of a swamp! But it’s done – time for wine๐ŸŽ‰sweet dreams over there! xx

    Very wise Jade! Loving your topiary dog…..much better than a mucky swan! Lol! ๐Ÿ˜‚

    Hi jade and Fit. You are both very busy, painting houses, making topiary dogs๐ŸŒณ๐Ÿฉ๐Ÿ•. Love to see that pic. Fit I just love spending other people’s money also. Such fun and I imagine you can be really honest with a sister. I do wish I had a sister, alas just two brothers. Hope you get to have dinner in the big city with OH and D Jade and good on daughete for keeping busy, but with a mum like you how could she be anything but a whirlwind waiting to happen, so pleased she is starting to put SFB in the rear view mirror. Happy times ahead and the be inning of a new chapter in her life. ๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ˜„๐Ÿ’๐ŸŒบ๐ŸŒป.

    I just hate choosing paint colours. I never get it right and like you Jade have to get OH to paint over it again to make it OK…not an easy thing to do as he hates re-doing things. ๐Ÿ˜ก๐Ÿ˜ก I wanted white walls and when it was painted it seemed too white and so took it back to the paint shop and they added a bit of tint to make it a dull white and it turned out a blue,grey colour. So of course had to redo it again with the oringinal white colour and what I have now is a grey/white which is OK. Sounds like you are having a great vacation at home and getting lots of great things done. ๐ŸŒณ๐ŸŒบ Your garden must look amazing. I would love some photos anyway you feel like sending them. We have been so with you on your gardening journey so far.

    Footie game was so exciting last night. The State of Origin is the most exciting rugby league. Queensland and New South Wales have a fearce rivalry . The way players are chosen is that they have to play for the state where they first played league. And so all of the best players in the whole competition are condensed into just two teams. They play a series of three games, a few weeks apart, to decide a winner.๐Ÿ†๐Ÿ†.. And of course you have to follow the team of your birth. I was born in Qld and OH was born in NSW and we have so fun cheering our teams on and giving each other cheek, and enjoying quite a few drinks and of course chocolate. So blew my NFD ..however fasting today to see if I can limit the damage. ๐Ÿ˜˜๐Ÿ˜˜

    I,am in the process of moving my internet and phone provider to the NBN and boy is it complicated. They came and installed a wireless receiver on the roof yesterday and I then had to install my new router and get things working..simple they said…followed the instructions and of course the new router did not work. When I looked at it it looked exactly the same as my old one. Phone call to the cavalierly …๐Ÿ“žโ˜Ž๏ธ๐Ÿ“ž daughter came over and thank god she did. So many names for things…lan ..wan…etha something..all beyond me but she could understand…so we now have our new internet connected but now have to change our phone from a void provider we have had as it is not working….๐Ÿ˜ก๐Ÿ˜ก๐Ÿ˜ก. Imagine I will be on the phone all day today sorting it out…my mobile that is…so had to cancel bridge. Bummer. Wish they would just leave things the same for a while..getting too old for all of this crap!

    On a brighter note am having a nice sleep in…what’s that I hear? Someone walking on our roof!! Best go check! Bye for now ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ

    Back again, it was the plumber fixing the leak in our solar hot water system!! So alls well!

    Just reading back more and found I’d missed some. CG. Glad you enjoyed your girlie day.its great fun is it not. Starting to get colder here also..time to get the hearters our and the gas bottle filled. Miss my wood fire but winter is just so short decided to ge with gas and the reverse cycle air con. They both warm the house up but nothing like looking at a fire to warm you right through. ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

    Jade. You mentioned a “spanner in the works” and not knowing what it is. What we call a spanner is what you,call a wrench….you know..the thing you fix cars with!. bummer about the wasp thing. Especially when you were being a wonderful neighbour! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

    Fit. So pleased your sister is feeling a bit better. Hopefully the medication change will continue to improve her issues. ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•

    Forgot to say that I went to the arthritis specialist and not great news. Rheumatiod arthritis in my hands getting worse so gave me a short course of prednisolone again to see if it will settle down, . Not starting to take it until the family arrives.๐Ÿค—๐Ÿค—๐ŸŽ‰There will be no stopping me then..however as well as the good effects will probably gain weight again for a bit…not to,worry..all good and I will get it off again as soon as I Stop them. Life sure has its ups and downs does it not. Nothing is going to spoil my 2 months with my gorgeous son and grandson and his mother. Everything else will take a back seat…on,y 1 week to go till they arrive. ๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿค—๐Ÿค—๐Ÿค—. Can’t wait!! It has been two long years since I have been able to give them a cuddle (((๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•))).
    Well best get up and start sorting out the phone thing! Wish me luck!!๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ

    F

    Mucky swan! How enticing…not! Who comes up with these things?

    We once started to paint a wall with a bit of colour to change it from off white. Could not believe it was identical! Paint chips do lie! We could only tell the difference by which bit was wet!

    Got the talk from the doc yesterday. My cholesterol is a tad high but basically ok however I have to make changes. Cut down on dairy, my cheeses, oh no!

    Worse for my husband though. Earlier in the week with the high BP episode he was told to lose weight, cut down salt and alcohol. A few days later after blood tests his cholesterol is also high so now has to cut the dairy and is not allowed to eat any eggs at all. He normally eats 2 a day!

    We, or at least I, eat so healthily already apart from wine and cheese that there are no other changes to make! We were there together having typhoid vaccinations etc. I guess age gets you in the end no matter what you do. He may have well said “Get thee to a nunnery!”I asked, if it was OK to have the occasional dessert etc. Doc said “I wouldn’t”.

    Well, it will all be taken seriously, I have no desire to be a widow so maybe I will lose those last few kilos faster (after our trip). I have been in the healthy weight range for ages now but the muffin top has to go!

    Fasting today of course! Good luck all. I am now looking for good tofu recipes.

    PH our posts crossed. Good luck!

    Uptight,

    Nothing like being told dietary advice that is 30 years out of date. Cutting dairy and cheeses will not cut back your cholesterol levels, it will however reduce your HDL which is not good. Cut back on your processed carbs and sugar. You say that you eat healthy but don’t elaborate. Really depends on how much cheese and alcohol you are both having. Cheese is OK so is it portion size? Alcohol is just empty calories, no nutritional value there what so ever. 7 cal per gram, MUST be processed by the liver and stored as fat. So it comes down to how much are you having? I have alcohol but would be lucky to average one glass per week.

    If you are deriving most of your carbs from grain based foods, like bread, pasta, rice then that’s not healthy, far from it. The food pyramid is so incorrect it is farcical. I would treat those staples as “treats” to be had only VERY sparingly. Might as well be eating sugar and chocolates. Try and derive most of your carbs from veggies (and whole fruits) as they are locked up in fibre. Breads that advertise they contain lots of fibre are a joke. Yes they artificially add fibre content because theres good PR value to do so, but its not locking up the carbohydrate, it just sits there doing nothing. Do you drink fruit juices? Might as well eat mouthfuls of sugar. If you want fruit, make sure its whole fruits, not juice or dried fruit and try and have the berry type fruits.

    Good luck with it and I hope your vitals start going in the right direction.

    Thanks, bigbooty. I eat no bread whatsoever, rarely eat pasta, and have rice occasionally. Even if I buy sushi it is brown rice.

    I mention alcohol because of the sugar content I guess and I do need to cut back on wine but have been doing that anyway, but will now cut back even more.

    I don’t have a sweet tooth so we don’t have lollies,cakes, chocolates, biscuits etc. We have to find sugar if someone is visiting ! Sometimes I will have ice cream with berries or passionfruit in a small bowl. My weakness is the occasional packet of smiths crisps! And blue castello cheese.Which I have with rice crackers. My HDL is high so I don’t want that to drop, that is the good one right?

    Never drink fruit juices because I know that is just sugar without the fibre.We eat lean meat,(eye fillet, chicken breast fillets) a lot of salmon, and steamed vegetables and a roast weekly. If we have take away we usually get Thai and not the kind with lots of coconut cream. I don’t eat butter but do have Logicol in the fridge though rarely use it.

    I do have a glass of wine 5 days a week but it is not a standard drink, I know that. And weekends it is usually more than one. So that is where I can change. A standard lunch for me is corn thins with mature cheese and tomato, salt and pepper. My blood pressure is excellent so the salt isn’t an issue for me.

    I do agree that the food pyramid is wrong. I do nee to up my fruit, it doesn’t come naturally to me to want it. I love vegetables but we probably could eat more than we do because my husband is less enthusiastic. We eat salad quite a bit but use often only a balsamic dressing. Olive oil sometimes. I do like avocado or feta cheese in a salad unless I am fasting.
    I don’t use fat to cook but use an olive oil spray. The only eggs I eat are boiled on fast days.

    It is funny because my doc is young. Anyway, he wants to try diet before drugs at this stage. We also bought metamucil on his advice so will try that.Will have more tests in a few months. I guess we socialise quite a bit so will have to try harder there and we travel a lot too. At home though, we are pretty good!

    I’m thinking I could start eating porridge as I believe oats are good and it is something I like. I don’t usually eat breakfast because I’m not hungry but could make it lunch sometimes!
    The other thing I do is have a small handful of nut sometimes if I need a snack.
    I guess I could eat more lentils or similar.

    I am thinking that it is my husband who really needs to make better choices. I will make a few small changes and see how I go.

    12.18 and have eaten nothing yet except a coffee made on water. How am I doing? ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Up I think you’re doing just great! I wish my diet was as good – nothing wrong with a glass of wine (or 2), hey there’s even good stuff in the reds. I know that as soon as I tried full-bore low carb I was bored out of my mind. But get this, I have been a huge sugar junkie most of my life and my stats have always been terrific – low BP, good cholesterol, etc. Maybe exercise has helped, who knows. But everyone is different, some are sensitive to gluten, dairy, etc., others are not. And we all have areas for improvement. I’d follow the doc’s advice and see if it helps. I’m sorry to hear that your OH has to toe the line a bit more strictly๐Ÿ˜’ – it’s not fun! And I’m with you in solidarity on the muffin top – that thing has to GO. ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿšชxxx

    OK team, here is the topiary – so far. I think I’m supposed to plant ivy or something in there? Could look even creepier then, but I’ll give it a try ๐Ÿ™‚

     photo dog_zpskyabyldn.jpg

    Hi UP, Re the cholesterol . I have had problems with that most of my life. The only time I got it to reduce a little was on a diet set for me by a doctor and dietitian based on a blood test they ran. It consisted of onmy eating three times per day with 4 hours between each meal, ie no snacks, mostly fresh fruit and vegetables and breakfast was two eggs on top of baby spinach, mushrooms and capsicum. And no alcohol at all. Completely unstatainable.๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ˜‰ I thought the idea that eggs caused cholesterol was debunked years ago. This diet also included an avocado every day for the good fats. Which increased the good stuff. There seem to be so many differing opinions regarding the control of cholesterol that you would not know what to believe. Good luck to you and OH in your quest…. everyone has a different metabolism which makes the solution for each of us individual so everything is worth a try.

    Well after a mammoth session on the phone with Telstra I have discovered that as I suspected you Can’t have a landline phone (in case of blackouts) unless you pay more and connect up to a special service that included those with a medical issue. We used to be able to have phones connected to both the landline and the Internet thus making it possible to have a phone everywhere…not any more..you on,y get to talk to foreign people with Telstra now even on the technical side. So decided to stay with myNetpone for the phone call side of it as it is working beautifully and you get to talk to Australians. And only costs us an average of 5.00 per. Month for all of our phone calls.
    The fellow from the NBN that came to install our wireless reliever on the roof told us that since this government changed the way in which it is to be rolled out not using fibre to the home we have slipped back to about 60th in the world in communication capability whereas if we had stuck with the initial proposal we would have been right up there and in a good position for any new technology. They are even replacing the old copper with new copper. What a complete waste of money! And the costs have blown out big time so they did not save us any money..frustrating..get off that soap box now!! ๐Ÿ“ข๐Ÿ“ข๐Ÿ“ข

    jade. What a fabulous little animal in your garden. It could be a ducky dog with that head. Love it can’t wait to see it when it is planted with ivy! ๐Ÿฒ๐Ÿฒ๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€๐Ÿ˜€
    By for now๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ

    Hi Up,

    Sounds like your doing most things well. Some things to tweak if you want to give it a try. Limit your drinking to 1 day per week and only 1 or 2 glasses. Drinking will be spiking your insulin. Ditch the balsamic (and Im Italian!!). Have a read of the label, some contain up to 50% sugar. So you are potentially spiking your insulin while eating a salad. Destroying all that good effort with the dressing. I use Mazotti apple cider vinegar (to die for taste, Woollies sells it ) with a little olive oil in my salads.

    Nuts are OK depending on what you have. Almonds and walnuts are good. Cashews are not. So that was something I had to give up as I loved cashews.

    Not convinced Metamucil will actually do anything but I don’t think it will hurt. I say Im not convinced because I think the benefits come from the fact that the fibre locks up the carbs in whole foods. That’s not the case when taken separately as an additive.

    Im not a big fruit eater and most of my fruits are the berries. Strawberry, blackberry, blueberry etc. Bananas are a sometimes treat, too much sugar content.

    I go for a gentle walk for one hour every day. Its not the calorie burn as such (probably less than 200 cals) but it helps reduce your average insulin levels and that’s a good thing.

    Cant think of too much else as you seem to have it covered.

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