Hi all! On my wat to my family Réunion, checking in to reply later…x

GG, you seem to have such a special life, little envious (just a tad). Our chocolate is pretty damn great.

DS, I think it’s very important for people to learn at least one foreign language, both for linguistic and cultural reasons, but I totally get why it wouldn’t be on top of the list in an English-speaking country. In my linguistics classes we learnt that people will always have a need for communication, if the codes don’t coincide, that’s when the need to learn each other’s language occurs. But it you live in a country with a language many non-natives speak (after all English is the modern day lingua franca), there is no need for them to learn because others are filling up the communication gaps.

Bali, exciting, booking your trip. You’ll be looking amazing while you’re there!

Yum Yum, it’s a bit of a struggle at first but your instinct will kick in (and your stomach will continue to shrink from fasting), so slowly but steady it becomes natural to eat normal portions and you won’t have to think it through so much.

Thanks, Fittoretire, it was great.

BTW, I would officially like to state that I really like the nickname Flemmy, it’s both cute and kind of gross a the same time. Like toddlers in a way 😀 When I lived in Barcelona, the anglo exchange students called me and a German student the Flem and the Germ and I loved that. We said it was because our positivity was contagious 🙂

Most members of my family hadn’t seen me since I weighed 70kg (last July) so another 10k later, many complimented me, some even said I looked radiant. For the first time ever I was just able to say thank you and not contest. Probably mainly because I just read somewhere that if you don”t accept someone’s (genuine) compliment, you’re basically telling them that their opinion doesn’t matter to you. Which is not a sentiment I want to convey to anyone (especially my family).

That said I had 3 buns and 2 pieces of pie for lunch (yikes) and scampi flavoured egg noodles with creamy smoked fish sauce for dinner. Luckily I anticipated high calorie intakes so I only had an apple/tangerine/yogurt/coconut milk salad for breakfast. But I’ll have to be a bit careful tomorrow. I’m making chili so the beans should be good for me. Just being careful with the olive oil should do it.

Also realised Aloe Vera Juice (with jelly pulp) tastes nice but way too sweet and goes down much more easily when you spike it with a bit of white rum. Tomorrow I’m testing coconut water.

Hope you guys have a great day.

Good morning all

I found this group so inspiring and supportive and a bit of fun and serious as well. Like a friend to help on this journey that most people don’t understand or want to try to understand, including my hubby. From my reading I think its going to take off around australia very soon. We may be pioneers.

So went and had Indian last night havent had it for months. Won’t be doing it again for months either. So after chicken korma rice and a beer. Oh my god bloated full and fell as asleep in chair at 9 when I got home. Not again, funny used have this every couple of weeks.

Hope everyone has a lovely day

Bali

Hi all. I am back from 2 weeks holiday with dodgy internet and have too many posts that I have missed to read so hope I haven’t missed anything too exciting!

I had intended to fast and could have done so but being with others would have meant I was a bit unsociable so didn’t worry. I ate well but had a lot of alcohol compared with normal and the odd dessert and nibbles. I walked along the beach some days but spent a LOT of time reading and generally laying around and we had a few rainy days too. As I had a melanoma diagnosed last year, I wasn’t really able to do much of the stuff you usually do on a beach holiday during the main part of a day but had a lovely time looking at the beach from the shade and even saw dolphins body surfing on more than one occasion.

Yesterday we drove home which took about 6 hours and stopped for KFC on the way. I, who usually eats low carb, had the burger, the chips etc. and a packet of Smiths crisps along the way as well.

I was worried about stepping on the scales for the first time this morning, not surprisingly but thought I had better get a baseline.
And that is why I am on here. Amazingly, I am less than a kilo heavier, (just).
So 71.2. Lowest before I left was 70.3. I had lost 6 kilos since I began beg. November. Fairly confident that it will be back there very soon and then no pesky christmases or holidays to get in the way …for a while. Fortunately, I am not a chocaholic so Easter doesn’t worry me! But don’t worry, I have my other weaknesses!
I hope everyone is doing well! Cheers!

Bali you’re right – this group is supportive, encouraging, serious and funny all in one! And yes we may be pioneers of the 5:2 in Australia.
Dogsabie yes we must have the odd pleasures in life so have your fish and chips and enjoy wholeheartedly. Luv that you’re inspiring me to prepare for my FD too.
Uptight what a fantastic effort to come back so close to your best weight. A fast or two and you’ll be back again.
Fittoretire I would LOVE to go to a Ennio Morricone concert (my hubby would love it even more).
Well did track my TDEE yesterday as I’d talked about. We did eat out for lunch & I just had to estimate but was under as far as I know. However today I’m up .6kg! Never mind it will come off with another fast day tomorrow. I’ll keep my Aussie Determination going and just stay on track – whatever the scales tell me. Hey…I’m in charge, not the bloomin’scales!! SJ

CG, thank you for warm welcome – don’t think I have any Aussie blood, but did visit in 2007 and loved it! Met lots of warm-hearted folk like you and others on this thread. I have one nephew and two nieces living in or near Sydney and would love to go back again sometime. Scot’s Gaelic is very close to Irish because of Celtic roots – I can understand quite a bit of it when written down but not much when spoken – mind you, can’t really understand Scottish accent in English either!! Am sure they’d say the same about my Irish brogue!!
Suejen – yes the concert was unbelievable and you should go if you ever get the chance – a choir of 75 and over 100 in the orchestra, wonderful sound.
Welcome, Allure, you sound as if you are right on track. Going to have similar dinner myself on FD tomorrow – good to plan ahead. Porridge and berries for breakfast – keeps me going all day.
Good luck to all who are fasting tomorrow (Monday!) Xx

Great thanks Countrygal that makes more sense. I’ll definitely pay attention to my TDEE. I think that is where we went wrong the last time we attempted 5:2. Our non fast days just blew out! Well today is day 1 for us. I’m looking forward to this journey and shifting the stubborn 4 kilos that have remained since having my son.

Good morning everyone!Welcome to our newbies!
Fast day today for me too. Having a spinach, feta, mint and edamame salad for lunch / brunch (found it on the book “5:2 Good Food Kitchen” by Kate Harrision,which seems to have some nice, uncomplicated recipes). Then two boiled eggs for tea/dinner. Am going to do a 4:3 this week too, combined with a low-carb food plan, as it worked so well last week.
CG, let me know if you need any Indian food recipes, I am Indian Origin, and much of our food is actually quite simple to make and low calorie (unlike what you will find in restaurants!)
Best of luck with your fasts everyone, and lets keep the Aussie Determination up for both fast and non-fast days!

Bali, how do you make the Tomato and Capsicum soup? Sounds delish!

Good Morning ADs
Welcome newbies. This forum is great for support and full of hints and tips. So, we all are at right place 😉
Went for a night out on Saturday and met a friend after 3 months. She was more than surprised to see my weight loss. Her first words after seeing me were “You should have told me beforehand to avoid giving me the shock” LOL… Then the night was followed by lots of compliments and friends mentioning that how small I look now “Small” REALLY??? I am not used to such words.
When I broke the news that I have lost 14 kilos in 4 months, I definitely saw jaws dropping…. Ha ha ha Happy Dappy me.

Lotus, I am of Indian origin too but for me Indian food is full of fat as I am used to cook with ghee n butter. Also, I believe that our cooking is full of carbs (Just the choices that I make with Indian food), so since starting 5:2, I dont cook a lot of Indian curries but condiments like chutneys and other spices keep the food interesting.

Willowgirl, amazing loss and very encouraging and re assuring words. Thanks for sharing your news too.

I am fasting today as well. will continue with 4:3 this week as I get ready for another weekend away. Off to Adelaide On Saturday and surely some indulgence is required on Valentine’s day.
Dinner tonight will be salad and shoyu tamago (japanese style hard boiled eggs) very filling and yum. I am not an egg person, but these eggs have totally changed my perception towards boiled eggs. Very interesting in taste and look.

And yes, Please please please, can anyone re post the recipe for Mushroom stragnoff (spelling??)

Signing off for now….. FB

FB, Cheers on the weight loss! Its amazing when people start noticing isn’t it? I am not there yet, infact, OH helpfully pointed out this morning that while my tummy has reduced (a bit) I should focus on reducing the butt next. Really??? that’s all he has to say??? Really unwise to say that to a fasting woman. Grrr. lol.
Have been on 5:2 since beginning Jan and lost about 4.5 kilos. Another 14 kilos to go…
On Indian food, yes, it is fatty and and quite carb-laden ( we are carb fans arent we?) – but I have started to cook minus the two using the spices and tomato onion base to add to chickpeas, kidney beans etc and then eat with yoghurt (instead of rice / roti…sigh). Also I find drier foods (fish grilled with tandoori spices,and eaten with salad, e.g,) easier to modify than curries…
Having said that, I have a work colleague who is consuming “bullet -proof coffee” as a weight loss aid – that’s espresso mixed with a cup of ghee. yuck!

Great work on the weight loss Willowgirl!

Also, a funny one on diets:
https://www.fastday.com/buzz/7-more-reasons-fasting-beats-other-diets/

Great weight loss Willowgirl, cannot wait for this to happen to me!!

Hi everyone having a Fast Day today too – most of us seem to do Monday. Maybe it helps to undo the damage from the weekend – well mine was like that! Concert in the park with a picnic – can’t not have a wine with that! Anyway looking forward to my FD or what it does for my body and my health. And hoping for a loss tomorrow as it’s weigh-in day.
Happy fasting day gals wherever you are.
CG I’m a bit like you, been cooking chutney, sauce, pizza sauce to keep up with our tomato crop. Next up will be the quinces & not my favourite one to deal with, but do love the quince jelly.
Fatbuster can you share how you do the shoyu tamago (japanese style hard boiled eggs)? And would also love the recipe for the mushroom strog anyone??
Have a fabulous fat-busting day all. I’m heading for my Vegemite broth as my headache has just started. It’s weird though as it’s only 10am but my body seems to KNOW that I’m going to fast! Huh. Oh and great results from so many AD’s!! SJ

Here ya go

Easy Peach/ any other stone fruit Chutney
(In India, chutneys are stored for about a week in the fridge, so we don’t actually make them as preserves in homes, thus the sugar and salt content is lesser. But use Aust proportions from CWA, for example, for your regular set chutneys. This proportion is for the less set, runnier version)
1. pit and roughly chop the peaches (after washing and drying thoroughly). Break a few of the pits and to peach mixture (my mum used to do this, not sure why – I think this is to set the pectin)
2. For every 1/2 kilo of the cut fruit measure about 100 gms of sugar, more if you want to preserve. Boil sugar in very less water ( just to cover the top). Then add to taste: salt, chilli / paprika powder, cardamom seeds (optional), bay leaves, saffron strands (optional), a few drops of yellow food colour.
3. Then add some raisins a small handful for every 1/2 kilo of cut fruit.
4. Add the peaches and let it all cook together on low heat.
5. Cool and bottle.

Basic Tomato Onion Paste for curries and gravies
To make about 10 portions of curries. Each portion will require a heaped tbsp of the paste, quantities vary depending on how intense you like your curries.
1. 2 cans of chopped tomatoes, no flavouring
2. 2 largish spanish (red) onions
3. 1 green chilli – about 3 inches long?
4. two-inch piece of ginger
5. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (recommended, but you can skip if you dont want it)
6. Splash of oil – rice bran or canola, that can take high temp cooking recommended. Olive oil denatures in prolonged cooking.
Heat oil to slightly les than smoking, but very hot ( sort like for deep frying)
Add the onions and all other ingredients except tomatoes. Reduce temp, let them cook togethr and caramlise a bit
Then add the tomatoes. and cook on medium/low for some time till oil leaches out. about 10 minutes?
Cool and ladle in a bottle. Top with oil to preserve, depending on your tastes / storage time in fridge.
To use, sear your main ingredient in a pan with a small amount of hot oil , or even just a spray of oil- chicken, beef lamb, pork, cottage cheese cubes (paneer), Soya chunks, Quorn, chickpeas, veggies, red kidney beans etc.
Then add the vegetables you want to use, season with salt ( the paste deos not have salt)
Add beaten cream / yoghurt/ sour cream. It will look it like it separates, but will come together soon. Give it a quick boil, then add oinion tomatoe paste – 1 tbsp at a time, testing for intensity. I usually skip this step, as I do not use cream or anything else in my curries, but this is a less “intense” experience 🙂
Simmer until the mains are done as per your liking.
P.s. You can vary this endlessly, and if you would like a little “twist” to your curries, when you sear the main ingredients, add cumin seeds (most common) / mustard seeds / curry leaves/ dried fenugreek leaves to subtly change the flavour of the curry.
P.P.S. 🙂 This curry has no added sugar, as do not cook with sugar, but if you like your curries a bit sweet, add about 1 small tsp when you add your cream.

You are welcome! Happy to help this lovely thread 🙂
Also, regarding curry paste, one portion mentioned will be enough to feed two people.

Doitinparadise, you will be fine. Probably its water retention from alcohol. Happens to me always. However getting reassurance helps 😉 , so you will be ok, don’t worry and enjoy your fast today.
Lotus, well done on chutney recipe. This reminds me of mum’s cooking. Its strange, how we all have different cooking styles, I use the same ingredients for my curries but different style of cooking. Very well explained recipes 🙂
Suejen, here’s the recipe for shoyu tamago (japanese style hard boiled eggs. Well, not really a recipe but still:-

Ingredients:
– 2 tbsp Soy sauce (any kind will do, but Tamari soy sauce works the best)
– 2 eggs
– 1/4 tsp sugar (optional)

(here’s how I boil eggs now to get a creamy center)
– Place the eggs in a pan with water at room temperature. When the water just starts to boil. Cover the pan with lid and switch the flame off. Let the eggs sit in hot water for 8 mins. Then transfer the eggs in another bowl with cold water, preferably with some ice cubes. Remove from water and peel. The cold water helps the peel to come out quickly and you get very neat boiled eggs 🙂 )

Now easy part: – Heat up the soy sauce and sugar (if using sugar) in a pan at medium high flame. When it starts to boil, put the flame down to medium low, add the boiled eggs and start to roll the eggs in soy sauce. Let them cook until soy sauce gets a little thick and your eggs come to about nice deep purple brown color:-
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=shoyu+tamago&safe=active&biw=1060&bih=650&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=QS3YVP24C-TCmQX3loCYCQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDUQsAQ&dpr=1

Now carefully take them out on a plate and I generally add some boiled veggies in that soy sauce (carrots, peas, corn) and eat it with boiled eggs. Just to make sure not to waste anything..LOL

The eggs absorb soy sauce and they don’t have that eggy flavor to them and also the salt in soy sauce gives hard boiled eggs a very nice flavor. Super easy and very filling with veggies on fast day.

Great posts everyone. Really interesting food ideas shared. Big fan of curries but my downfall is potato in curries with rice!! Still have it on NF days of course but looking to spice up FD’s. FB and Lotus do you ever use commercial pastes? I usually use Ferns’ hot curry paste which says serving size is 60ml = 124 cals and I wouldn’t use this much just for me (pretty hot anyway!). Great with chicken and beef and just vegetables. Thanks Lotus for the paste recipes and FB, 14ks in 4 months inspirational.

CG I’m not going to sweat the NF TDEE stuff, but my frustration had a good side in that I weighed in this morning before starting FD and have lost 600gr since Friday weigh. So that’s the 300 I put on and 300 more.
Am envious of your peaches straight off the tree and I’m guessing the nectarines were straight off your neighbour’s tree. Lovely. Fruit is such good value to get one over the hump.
Am enjoying soda water with a strawberry cut up in it, good for at least 4 refills throughout the day. Just gives it flavour and pizazz.
Seeing you are an old hand at MFPing would you check the cal content for 400gr beef gourmet/really low fat mince for me please. Want to incorporate it in meals that I can share with my DH to cut down on his and her meals. Thanks YY xx