GG1: I got so hungry from cooking smells last week that I had to go for a quick walk (up and down the driveway a few times!!) to help the hunger pangs. It worked 🙂
What is Konjac? Is it available in Australia?
This topic contains 14,766 replies, has 323 voices, and was last updated by Countrygal1 2 years, 8 months ago.
Thanks Fatbuster for your supportive words !
When I was struggling I needed to divert my attention onto other things…the posts on 5:2 were a lifeline , so to All our AUSSIE DETERMINATION TEAM even if you feel you only have a few words to say they may make the difference to someone on FAST day…SO keep the posts coming , we all rely on your input…love the poem Lindanaf…….
Hi everyone,
All the posts have been so encouraging. You have all made such a difference to your health and are an inspiration.
I will be weighing in on Monday. I am hoping to have any loss but am not going to be excited until I break 90kg. I have fluctuated between 90 and 93 for months now and am OVER IT to say the least. I will be doing a little naked happy dance around the scales when I get under 90. (Sorry for the mental picture).
I went out to dinner last night and ate too much so I decided to have a 3rd fast day this week. Almost done. Finish work at 10:30. Will drink loads of sparkling water and cups of tea, go to the loo a lot and go to bed when I get home…. 🙂
FC that cake looked AMAZING…
Lotus123, I have printed out a recipe for spinach dal now with a 300 calorie count per serve. I might make it a non-fast day thing.
Thanks Lotus and GG1 for being with me in my struggle today. Just finished dinner and seems that I ended up doing man fast again at 580 cals. But still ok as I was suffering from extreme hunger and headache today. I think that hunger and headache is actually due to PMS.
And awesome news FC at your weight loss you are getting skinnier now. Love it…
Catherine, i also do a naked dance on scales sometimes, love that feeling…. LOL
I came home from work around 5 pm and both hubby n me decided to jump on scales rather waiting until tomorrow morning. My weight pre chrissy was 73.9kgs, post chrissy (last saturday) weight was 74.3 kgs.
Weigh In today……..73 kgs.
1.3 kgs loss from last week.
Now target: to get to 71.5 by January end.
****** Sorry if I have put the above numbers in a confusing way*********
Easy version: SW as at 4 Oct 2014 – 84.5 kgs
CW as at 8 jan 2015 – 73 kgs
Total loss: 11.5 kgs in 14 weeks.
And Hubby lost 2.6 kgs in his first week (5 days as he started Monday) he could not believe his eyes. He moved scales three times and weighed at different spots to confirm. It was so funny watching him doing that…. LOL
SO HAPPY!!!!! Only AUSSIE DETERMINATION could do this!!!
Hi all, still getting the hang of navigating the site. Not sure if I missed any reply’s to my posts , but thanks if you did. Woke up to a zillion emails from our thread! Great to know I have company! tho I am not getting time to keep up. MY first fast day went well, 2nd was a disaster!(friends turned up with belated Xmas cheer) but am concentrating on rational eating on the free days and I lost 1 kilo so far(5 days in). better than gaining, but it’s a long road . It’s helpful seeing what others eat for fast days. Thanks for sharing.Gypsy
PS. Catherine, I think we are in a similar warp. I sat on 93kg for two whole months of gym exercise 3days a week and just couldn’t budge it. I kept going til I was fitter, but after 4 months and only getting down to 90k I gave up. xmas saw me rising again. I was 90.5 kg when I started (5 days ago) and I weighed myself at the chemist today. 89.2Kgs! I DID do a whoop! right in the shop. It may only be water loss etc, but boy it feels Gooood to crack that 90 barrier alright. and you will, keep at it! Good luck! Gypsy.
Hi CG
I did prepare a message yesterday full of congratulations and praise for all you ‘losers’, but then the computer froze, I couldn’t send it, nor could I read individual threads. When tech expert (OH) came home he rebooted (slap of head, should have thought of that myself) and all is now well. So well done, everyone.
FB, so funny to hear of hubby’s antics on the scales. He will be a convert now. Still working on my OH. He had the results of a hair analysis yesterday, numerous minerals out of whack. High chromium and arsenic (no, I’m not trying to poison him), low calcium, magnesium and molybdenum. Will need a change of eating habits, but I don’t know if he will be willing to do this.
Morning Determinators…..Congratulations to you all on your losses!
FB- LOL reading your hubby. reaction. Well down to you and your coaching of him!
GG1- Never had any treatment for my thyroid nodule. My Endochronologist does a biopsy every few yrs & monitors with pathology tests.Its a multi nodulular goitre. My TSH is the high side of normal…. when I become stressed she plays up and my weight yo yos. 5:2 has diffently made a difference, has she has decreased in size over the past 4 mths.
LOTUS- thanks for the dal…Love dal and usually buy it from Woolies.
Enjoy your Saturday team…….GO GAL
Hi all. @andrew, well done on results. I mentioned to my doc prior to starting that I was going to do 5/2 and he said that it, and the Atkins Diet, seem to be the only 2 that work longer term probably because they are sustainable. I would have to agree. If you were to tell me that I had to diet forever, I would know that that would be probably impossible to do happily. This, on the other hand, is something I could do without much effort, continuously.
5/2 Meals on Wheels anyone 😉
@Knitomat. I have never taken measurements so can’t say for sure, but, I don’t think my 5 kilos would show up hugely on the areas we usually measure. In my case, I can definitely see the difference in my legs. I have naturally thin legs but extra weight does go on from a bit above the knee. So far , that is where I see the most change. I also lose weight in the bust a bit. For me, I will really notice when these 2 areas of weight loss finally meet in the middle! I started at 76 early November and am now at 71. I would be happy to be 66 but as I weighed 57 after my second child, 56 is probably what I should be. That seems like a pipe dream!
The other thing that I have noticed, and @lotus‘s post reminded me, is that I have intolerances that cause bloating etc so I couldn’t trust some measurements. I have finally decided, as I happened to have perfect conditions to test it yesterday without trying, that what I have long suspected is probably accurate. I have a fructose intolerance and will get it tested soon. Had no gluten yesterday but a ton of high fructose fruits and honey and am paying for it this morning. Meanwhile, I am going to stick pretty much with low FODMAP foods. Sadly, all of the delicious mangoes and stone fruits of summer are high in FODMAPS. 🙁
Oh well, I can still have wine and cheese, my favourites.
I DON’T BELIEVE IT!!!Thanks Andrew(cant get that expression out of my head)
I just had a peek at the scales this morning…1 day after 2nd fast this week(5th fast this year) and I am back to 19/12/14 weight….DAH DAH…lost all the Christmas blowout….its taken me 5 fasts and an underactive thyroid but I have done it.I lost 4cm all over as well.The only exercise I have done is a few minutes on the exercise bike(thanks to CG)Still trying to work up to a chant…just a sweat at the moment!Plus I have been gardening.My new goal is to lose another 4kg or hit the 60kg.At 500g a week lose…I am hoping by mid March…My BP is back to normal range.
CG you show what AUSSIE DETERMINATION is time and time again…congratulations! You will be living in the 70s very soon at this rate!HAPPY DANCE…
Lotus love dal! As a vegetarian its my number 1 favourite winter food….thanks for reminding me……I was concentrating on boiled eggs and stirfry vegs…I could do with some spice.
Hi all! Just nipping in to wish everyone a good weekend and ask how everyone is doing.
My cake was not the fantasy of the website photo but it wasn’t a huge disaster, I might try it for my dinner next week.
That said, I just had 4 pieces of fruit. I really need to learn how to not overdo it in the fruit department. I guess it’s better than 4 pieces of cake 🙂
Hello everyone
CG I bet you are hanging out to see the magical 7 something on the scales it will be very soon. I will be with you by end of year.
Veggiemumma you must be impressed that your Christmas gains are gone.
I lost 3kg of the 3.5 I put on, alcohol and snack food were my undoing. I came back from holidays feeling fat and bloated. Fast forward one week feel so much better. Will push to drop of the pesky 500 grams this week.
hope everyone has a great weekend will check in
Hi Country Girl. Am really glad I stumbled onto this thread. I am getting great value out of the tips. I have a farming background, too, (as well as nursing) so we have things in common. I presently live an alternative lifestyle, in an historic hut in far North Queensland coastal hinterland (On the scrub line off Hinchinbrook Chanel’s waterways). I’m getting a little old for the rigours of such, but hope to regain some fitness. I lost it after a lower back op for a spinal cyst several years ago. It’s taken all this time for the nerve paths to quieten down, to a dull burn that just takes the fun out of anything ‘actively’ fun! Am no stranger to DETERMINATION, its really cool to find others with the same focus.
So,Isn’t it amazing how the best made plans can go astray? For three days now I have started off to fast for my 2nd (whole) day and each time friends I haven’t seen for ages turn up with celebrations in mind (involving goodies and alcohol) Dang! I hardly saw anyone over Xmas, now they are all back and bent on catching up. Funny bugga’s, and I have generally been the ring leader. I still do long range motorbike trips with the Ullysses club , tho I have a sidecar on my outfit these days, so don’t need my legs to balance, (I had to adapt or give it up) so one’s social life on a fast day is a challenge alright. Definitely the reason I could never keep up a full time regime of dieting.
But I have lost a kilo! I AM DETERMINED. I WILL find a way to make it fit into my lifestyle! I can only thank God (or whoever gave it on here) for the idea of watering down the wine! I did it with dry cider. And no one noticed I wasn’t eating the nibbles I served. Nor did I mention anything about 5:2 or that I was on a slimming bent. I tried. Maybe because I now feel accountable to you mob!
I don’t know about you, but I find that others not in the same frame of mind tend to take it as a challenge to foil one, even tho It may be only in fun. Humour ALWAYS leads me astray! But it gives me a failure tag when I advertise objectives and fail to meet them. Nice to have backstops. Thanks all, Havagoodweekend! Gypsy
Hi Everyone
Nice to see all the posts – well done!
Back from my holidays and lost 1kg. As I only just started I found that doing a 4:3 would not suit till I have my brain into gear (easy to fall off the wagon with the 5:2 for me at this stage). As there was a fair bit of car travel involved in the holiday I used those days to do the fast and change only one of my fast days to allow for a nice dinner with my brother.
What I’ve noticed over the last week is that my brain is clearer (usually cloudy with underactive thyroid) and a deeper sleep, more energy and feeling full quicker on less to eat.
Would like to hear from anyone else who has an underactive thyroid and how they are progressing.
Hi fellow Aussies, glad I have found this site. Can I please join you?
This is my first week – I have had two fast days so far. The first day (Tues) was horrible because I was a real old cranky pants – not sure why, and it might have had nothing to do with food – or lack of! Think I just got up on the wrong side of the bed! The second day, Thursday, was a breeze. Salad for lunch and steamed veggies for dinner. We didn’t have any suitable protein in the house that wasn’t fatty so I didn’t have any. Hubby ate enough lamb chops for the both of us!
I am working on manageable goals (I hope) – I would really like to lose 10kg in 10 weeks, because I am going overseas and know that the plane ride is a nightmare with my ‘broad beam’ squeezing into an economy seat. Also, there is a lot of walking involved on the tour, and I think it will be easier if I have less weight to lug around. So, in the next 10 weeks I am also going to have to ramp up the walking as it is hard to describe me as anything but seriously unfit. Couch potato? Built for comfort not speed? Buxom? Curvalicious? All of those and more!
The next goal will be the next 30 kg – but I will break that into manageable steps too. One step at a time…!
Wish me luck 🙂
Hi gypsybell. I found when I first started 5:2 people wonder why I’m not drinking wine at a dinner party, so I decided to disguise it. I discovered Golden Circle 50% less sugar lemonade (in the long life tetra pack) I put half wine and half lemon drink in a wine bottle. It looks like real wine! I even take it to byo restaurants when I don’t want to drink alcohol. I don’t like soft drinks so this one is ideal as it’s not too sweet. I also mix in some sparkling mineral water, too.
Welcome scrappy! This is a great place to be for help and encouragement. So many people going on holidays! Jealous! 🙂 I get a bit cranky too sometimes, but think, well, it’s just one day…tomorrow I can have….
Good luck 🙂
Hello all lovelies 🙂 had packed day today ( on the plus side have already done 11000ish steps and gym weight training session. On the minus side – no time to trawl this thread 🙁 also no weight list for whole of this week… 🙁
GG1 thanks for info on konjac – will check it out.
For all you dal lovers – the one I make at home logs about 250 cals. I use 3/4 teacup dry lentils, boil in water about 4 teacups of with salt, slit green chillies and ginger grated. Turmeric powder if you have it is a anti-inflammatory. Then when its mushy (cooked) I add a bag of baby spinach leaves and small amount cilantro ( coriander leaves) and let it cook for about 5 minutes more. If you want add a bit of fat in it – apparently recommended for fast diet ( in the book), heat 1 teaspoon of butter or olive oil, add some whole cumin seeds to it, let it splutter and add to dal. Squeeze lemon juice on it and serve. This is pretty big bowl, and very filling.
You eat some yoghurt with it to make more filling I guess.
I have also bought some magnesium supplements to combat fast day sleeplessness.
Have a great evening all !!
Agree CG, am already finding 5:2 very versatile and the botched days still end up in less calorie intake. Plus I am finally motivated to check labels for content and kjs. Still can’t get an instant picture of kjs to cals (or lbs to kilos! cms to ins etc) – my brain processes were trained pre metric. And conversion calculators were just too handy for the brain to bother! Thank God for the internet! I do think it saved me (or at least my mind) from getting old too quickly! (sigh) hard to relate it (the mind) to the body I see in the mirror tho. ‘Almost’ seventy hits home when I see this creaking old girl, but there’s always a silver lining. The fat is at least filling out the wrinkles!
BTW, I can swear by vibrating exercise machines (I have a disc – around $300 – one can stand or sit on)for tightening up the loose skin, like upper arms and especially thighs. Turns dimpling blubber into smooth obesity, at worst! Really tones if you’re already slim. True. I have lost weight in the past a few times and when the elasticity goes in older skin it needs a bit of help to go with the flo!
Your hobby farm sounds what I would have preferred to commercial farming CG. I was a newly qualified scrub nurse when I met and married a banana farmer. too many years on the land (and still working rural community health to make ends meet)left us sold up by the recession crash in ’86 and back to square one. Single, except for the kids to raise. These days I have reversed ‘scrub’ nurse to it’s literal meaning! I still hold my registration and keep my hand in helping ailing locals out. Plus have a keen interest in alternative health methods. I acquired the hut 25 years ago for a holiday retreat in a small fishing community. It is so peaceful and green by the river. I have power, water and internet. The birds and wildlife are free and put up with my music. What more could I need?.
My bible for back injury relief is Good support shoes, Core ab exercise for muscle support and NEVER allow constipation (rocks compressed against the spinal nerves by flab equals agony!) the moral of that is, ‘if you can’t lay comfortable for any length of time in bed, take excess water, cilium husks/fibre and/or aperients until you can!’ I’m sure you know it’s true (didn’t we routinely attend to it for the comatose?), but it took me a while to figure it out in relation to my own hard arse! Determination took the form of bullheadedness back in the day. Am enjoying learning a smarter approach from the youth of this enlightened age. Cheers!
Hi Scrappy, welcome. We all do wish you luck on here. I also have to fit my lard on board a plane next month. Am going to Tasmania for a few weeks with old friends. A long awaited trip and bound to involve walking. Plus Tassie is very hilly I’m told. the bonus will be the coolness after nth QLD (40ish% lately) But I am also seriously unfit. With a bad back and short winded. I am aiming for at least 20 kilos(am 1kg down so far!)have only managed one clear day of fasting but several botched attempts, (due to circumstances I really MUST…hic… learn to control.. ) and it’s working anyway. It was my pending holiday that led me to 5:2 on friend’s recommendations. It seems to be working for a lot of people. It WILL work for us! Tally ho! mate. Gypsy
Hi Lindanaf, I will take your idea under advisement, thanks. Fruit juice maybe. I am not a SOFT drinker, unfortunately. Except for coke in my rum I never touch the stuff! I have this notion in my head that all carbonated drinks are less than good for us. But it in no way makes me wise to drink spirits neat to avoid them, ha! rum and coke is my weakness. I only drink wine or cider under sufferance, otherwise water is it for me. No tea or coffee, tho I am leaning towards miso soup and green tea since reading other’s tips. You CAN get used to anything (when you stop saying “I can’t”) that much I have learned. Like you I prefer not to make my grog an issue for others if I choose not to indulge. But I will come out of the cupboard once I have something (or LESS of some thing!) to show for it. Who knows I may inspire prohibition among my mob of aging alziemics. Our medics have long told us it’s past time! thanks for the reply and encouragement. Gypsy
Thanks CG, Will certainly look those examples up. A visual, as apposed to written meal plans always helps me. Found some interesting Asian stuff when I went looking for Miso soup (like dehydrated bits to put in it).Am enjoying experimental dish with it and wild rice ATM. plus lemon chicken, minus the batter. very nice. not sure on the cal content or serve size, but I’m getting the ghist of it all. Onya’!
Hi I am from Melbourne, currently living in Kuala Lumpur and started the 5:2 diet 5 weeks ago. I’ve lost 3kg. I do Monday & Thursday. Some weeks I loose nothing and then suddenly 1 kg gone!. I have 2 very light meals at 10am and 4pm. I do get headaches sometimes on fast days and feel very tired and a little irritable. I hope this changes soon. My appetite overall though is much better and I naturally choose healthier food on non fast days by choice.I’m 5 ft 5 and weighed 70kg I’d like to weigh 62. I’d love some support with this Aussie group,ideas & inspiration!! Thanks Aussies!!! This works..
Well after last weeks excitement, have let the weekend get away from me!
Scared to think about repercussions – wine, ice cream ,crap :((
Doing a fast day tomoz so I can enjoy my anniversary on Monday.
I usually like the gym and swim but have had no energy since I started 5 2.
Hope this passes or my hard work will go to waste.
Will try to fast plus swim tomoz in the morning before the fast really takes hold!
Wish me luck – I enjoy the feeling of being back in charge of my bod on this diet!
Hi Everyone, another Aussie here with nothing to lose except for the 20kg that’s snuck up on me over the last 10 years or so. My daughter is getting married in May and I have set myself a 10kg weight loss goal which I believe is achievable in the 20 week timeframe. I hope you don’t mind if I post here – I want to make myself accountable in a public forum where I’ll be encouraged and not judged and after reading through this forum I think I’ve found the right place 🙂
I’m 49 years old, do virtually zero exercise and work in front of a computer for up to 12 hours per day L No prizes for guessing why I’m overweight… LOL Even my favourite hobby sits me on my bum in my spare time – crafting, stamping and card making.
My starting measurements were taken a couple of weeks ago when I was measured for the dress I’m having made for the wedding: Weight 80kg, Height 164cm, Bust 111cm – Waist 101cm – Hips 112cm – Thigh 58cm. Fingers crossed I’ll have to have the dress taken in before May 🙂
I am vegetarian but have seafood a couple times a week. My general health is pretty good but I definitely need to improve my fitness. I did two fast days last week and also two this week. The waistband on my work pants isn’t cutting me in half like it was but I haven’t the courage to weigh myself at this stage. I often find that the scales don’t tell me what I want to know and it deflates my enthusiasm. I’ll plod on till I’m confident I’ve lost more than just fluid.
I’ve added the My Fitness Pal app to my phone – what an awesome tool. Looking forward to getting to know you all and sharing the support.
Jinda 🙂
Hello Jinda! Welcome to Forum ( I am a newbie too) .
I was reading an interesting article the other day, on how being “efficient” increases our weight as we reduce the non-exercise related activity in our day – that is , we work around moving too much! For example, I walk to the station, but tend to take shortest, most level route 🙂 Anyway, I tried to change this last week by conciousely moving inefficiently(?) and walked more than 10k steps each day as opposed to my normal of about <4k daily.
This week’s weigh-in was depressing as I gained .5 kilos, but I am hoping that’s a blip that will go away over time. Maybe not weigh myself for two weeks…
Happy anniversary tomorrow, Rixies.
Welcome, Meg. I have not had a problem with headaches, but gather from other posters who have that drinking plenty of water can help counter these, at least two litres a day and no doubt more in a hot climate.
Jinda, you might find a kilogram a week is a challenge, as the average loss on 5/2 is about half of that. But you are in the right place for lots of support and encouragement.
Lotus, I will often park at the edge of a shopping centre carpark and walk. A bonus can be passing cars that are driving up and down looking for closer parking spots. Weight does go up and down, just look at the long-term average. I weigh myself daily, like to have the immediate feedback, and graph the results for a visual reward.
Welcome Midlife crisis 🙂 I always feel motivated reading here, too. Most on Aussie Determination do Mon and Thursday as fast days and weigh in Friday. Good luck, don’t forget to drink lots of water!
I don’t have breakfast on fast days, but that’s easy, as I work from 5am till 10am, so too busy! Lunch is around 1 ish which is usually salad, with a little cottage cheese or tuna. Dinner is usually veg and a small portion of protein, like fish or chicken.
I make up a huge pot of herbal tea, too. I have a lovely big 2lt teapot and put 4 different bags in it! Ços I don’t like green tea, I disguise it with a few others lol!
Cheers, Linda.
Thanks Country Gal and Barata for your encouragement! Good points regarding the parking far and walking also re prepping for tomorrow – have you tried the mango peach fruit or similar teabags? No sugar but has slightly sweet overtones. I tried it chilled once and with equal or stevia, almost like the commercial iced teas.
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Michael Mosley gives an update for 2019, current research in the field and announces a tour starting in February.
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