Wow Bali! Good on ya! Its such a nice feeling to wear clothes a size smaller 🙂 OH gifted me a size 12 shirt on Sunday (ok so it was cut loose, and I am size 14 in other tops, but still… Its such a good feeling…) I am sure you will be in great bikini shape for your holidays.

BD – I am sure you will get to the size 12 dress soon. I have these size 12 skinnies in my closet that I was gong to throw out last year, as never thought I would loose that kind of weight, but hoping to fit into it someday. After discovering 5:2, there is hope!

Had a good fast day yesterday. I hope everyone had a great fast day too, and had fun doing it. I do enjoy the “empty” (light?) feeling I get end of the Fast Day. So, another benefit of fasting, and I do find that thinking of other bennies of fasting, not just weight loss/ dress size, helps each time I hit a plateau and still need to be disciplined to fast and watch non-FD cals when “nothing feels like it has moved” (every month or so in my case, lol).

Hi all . Welcome Blue Dress. I’m sure that you will get to wear it. This is not a fad diet. I’ve been on those where one loses weight rapidly. Then the diet gets tedious and one stops dieting, and the kilos pile back on plus a few extra for spite. If you follow the rules you will get there.
SueJen I do hope your friends in Vanuatu are safe.
CG – best of luck wiht the nerve block. I hope it brings complete pain relief. Isn’t it interesting that three of us on this site are nurses- as far as I know. We all had to take early retirement due to bad backs.
My FD yesterday wasn’t all plain sailing. I managed to stay under the 500 calories but got super hungry after my evening meal. I eventually went to bed early to avoid a tempting visit to the fridge. I’m going to divide my protein intake equally over the three meals next FD and see if that helps.
The air cycle bod has FINALLY come to fix the mess they made of it the first time. It’s starting to get cold at night here now so I will be happy to have it working again.
Cheers Doggy

hello CG, Jo, Suejen – So exciting to hear your great weight loss news !! Amazing. Keep it up.

I am well CG, and slowly losing it (weight 🙂 ). Thanks!
You are correct, this thread is so supportive and non-judgmental, and interactions mature. Perhaps if people asked themselves this question “would I say this to some’s one’s face?”, there would be much lesser cyber-bullying and shaming going on.

Hello All,

thank you for your very warm welcome. And the complements on my name! I need to take a photo of the dress and use it as my profile picture.And then a photo of me in it when I get small enough.

Not only did I have a great result from my specialist yesterday (TSH down into normal zone and inflammatory markers low) but got on the scales this morning and am down to 99.9. I’ve lost over 2 kilos in 5 fast days – Yay! And I still had my weekend of wining and dining. If I keep this up it won’t be too long before I’m competing with Bali2015 for the op shop size 16s. And digging out lovely stuff from the boxes under the bed…..

Cheers,
BD

Great news from Tanna Island Vanuatu the young family I know is safe and OK. No details as only came 2nd hand from a local man, but it will do for now. They have still not been able to contact family themselves. Hate to think how stressed/traumatised their 4 young children are but not sure where they sheltered or anything, till we have more news. Sooo relieved. Food needs to get to Tanna within a few days as all their crops have been destroyed. suejen

Hi all my first fast day today and then Thursday and weigh friday. Wish me luck lol

Good morning AD’s

Happy Hump Day, although I do not like Weds and Thurs too much as I have to sit with the wicked witch in the office on these days (normally away from her on reception the other days)anyway…

Hope you have had a good week so far!

I just had to get this out there, that I am now on my 7th week and did a sneaky weigh in this morning and am under 80kgs, 79.9!! Woo Hoo

Thank you all for helping me along with the posts.

Have a great day!! Gotta go, she just got in – haha

DiiP, SJ, and especially BD – Congratulations!!

DiiP – just make the office witch jealous with your new slim-n-trim self! That’ll show her. hah!

SJ – Good to hear the news on your friends. the Vanuatu government, Australia New Zealand are all making really well-coordinated efforts, and in about 3-5 days, basic communication with Tanaa should be established – if not sooner. If not, they are making polans to get people to Efate where resources are better.

CG – Look after yourself Madam President 🙂 I hope the nerve block is not too painful, but Gyp’s advise seems very well-informed (re not stressing yourself or it will be worse). Sending you cyber-hugs.

For me, Fast Day today (doing Mon, Wed, Fri fasts for as many weeks as possible). With 4:3, I have noticed that weight loss is not that much greater than 5:2, but definitely good for breaking plateaus and also, in my case at least, maintaining food discipline on non-fast days – I find that I am not very disciplined on other days and tend to graze a lot. But with the third fast day, less time for the body to re-adjust to its “normal” (overeating) self lol. Also provides a good bookend for the weekend 🙂

I agree, I look at 4:3 as bootcamp to train the old bod on eating properly 🙂

Thanks CG, yes it seems every office has one, you are right, sorry to hear about your apppointment being cancelled – hang in there.

Thanks Lotus, I did get quite a shock when she said she loved the dress I was wearing today!! Go figure.

DiiP xx

Hmmmm,So my fellow AD’s, I’m home and I didn’t save the world with a few chooks, but I did work off a few ounces of fat, so there’s always an UP side…

… well….About that flat world…… you know when I said I “didn’t do domestics”……That was sort’ve subjective, as in, I do my own, of course, but don’t generally volunteer at the local tuckshop etc.. (which isn’t to say I don’t volunteer in other capacities, it’s just that kitchen sinks aren’t really my forte).

So… I waz having this little chat to an organizer (non local, male)of state emergency services, in the local pub, scouting (or more like poaching) for volunteers ( view to compiling a collective crew from the northern districts, willing to go wherever disaster hits) and I only just managed to open my mouth to say:

“Well, I could probably be useful in some way….” when I was dismissed out of hand with:

“We can’t accept any liabilities. This is serious stuff. Better stick to the chook raffles at your age, luv….”

Mmmmm….perhaps my ratbag Saint Paddy’s hat was a little askew?…… and there was a collective silence from those who might still think I could possibly be useful, despite my wrinkles.

Something about my deadpan expression (or someone’s gasp) must’ve got through to him and he looked long-sufferingly (did he really roll his eyes?)

Then he said patiently “Well, be realistic, this is a disaster crew. I’m looking for blokes I can train for rescue and retrieval . What job could you do, really?”

The reply was taken out of my hands, . “..Yours, for starters, Mate. And you’d be flat out keeping up with that old girl…” One of the inebriated cane cockies piped up from across the bar.

That was nice of him, he was old, too, and remembered being one of my retrieval patients, a nasty compound fracture from outback rodeo, (and I went into the ring to stabilize his leg while the bull was still there, under clown control). He proceeded to enumerate the hats I’ve worn, (apart from the jolly green leprechaun!). It cut the young bloke down a bit, but the whole thing was sort’ve pathetic.

It was an…um.. epiphany… yep, that’s the word. It made me take stock and really dig for the ‘realistic’ aspect. And I have to be fair. The bloke was right. I am too old for the glory days stuff. It’s hard to admit, but I would run out of breath before I even got to a ‘man down’ now. But aren’t all of us so used to stepping up when the chips are down? it’s just a reflex, or is it pride? Hell, am I going to be one of those ornery old buzzards who refuses to stop driving …etc.. when I’m a danger on the road?

I had been about to consider dusting off my Retrieval manuals and offering to be a trainer, and I have already been, SES and coast guard trained, plus ambo endorsed, including 4WD and choppers. But it’s also true that I’VE FOGOTTON MORE THAN THAT YOUNG FELLER EVEN KNOWS YET! and that’s not a bloody good recommendation, it’s dangerous!

One thing I really can’t cop is incompetence in charge. I have earned my rep. it is better to be a legend than a modern farce! So, it has come to me with finality. It is time to retire, properly, not just keep telling myself I’m on a break. I could not honestly say I can cut the mustard with updates, even to equipment and technology, so I must surrender my nursing registration this June. It’s hard. but I just thought I would share my tragic little epiphany with you all. No one else will care. It’s supposed to be a time of celebration. But who doesn’t feel redundant when their usefulness is cut back to Gaaark! old lady domestics! Phooey! They’re not getting my other hats just yet! sorry for the looooong rant. But it’s not over til it’s over!… l will get back on topic soon, boss. Promise. Just as soon as I deflate the big fat ego. (think of it as blubber gorn!). and herewith: Me Swansong…

Done Workin’? Hah!
That’ll be the day!
The only thing that’s done for is the status and the pay

Now the work begins that don’t even get a mention
On your mettle, Dearie, we’re heading for the pension!

Use your guts for garters
Stiffen up that spine
Defeat shall never be
A sorry song of mine

How then shall I tread
With no minions I can bid
Did my servants give me status?
Nah – ’twas the work I truly did

So is it recognition
I will truly miss the most?
Faceless – ‘on the pension’
Shall I be an unsung ghost?

Wraith – like in the fog
That’ll never suit me
Perhaps it would be kinder
For the government to shoot me!

Depressing – Bugger Off!
Working was the crime
It stole my life and left me
Running out of time!

Time! There’s a gem
I’ve never had before
I’m sittin’ on a treasure
That’s for bloody sure!

What about that rebel
Who never would give in?
Hell, she gave up bloody workin’
So livin’ could begin!

… Yep, I feel better now….and talk about skinny! Ta, mates, nothing like having a captive audience! Luv yas! xxx Gypsy

Bwahhhaha! Elephants! Yes! big pink ones! I see them! Thanks Barata! Onya! am starting to feel the up side of not having to sleep with one eye open. (permanently on call to humanity).Am enjoying a Sav blanc. FD tomorrow. got my blog sauce and cauliflower rice ready and boiled eggs and konjac noodles on standby. Onwards! Hello to blue Dress. Welcome to the life! You can do it!

Ta CG, You always come through for us. And you’re right, there’s plenty of options for retirement these days. I don’t have the capital for grand scale, but I hope to do more travel once the nasty weather settles. Cyclone Nathan is still playing hopscotch along the coast. but it doesn’t look like hitting us. One day at a time is good fishing!

Hope your back pain gets sorted. I am ready for FD tomorrow. So appreciate your rallying quips and think of you as a mother hen constantly coddling or pecking us into line. This is a good occupation, my friend, and I am happy to help you help others. isn’t that our stock in trade? so who’s retired?! nite xxgyps

Dear Gutsy Gypsy: Your thoughts and poem are (as usual) spot on. The thing is, feeling “useless” when we are retired/made redundant is something we can go through at any age. I felt it too, when I was made redundant at 35. Got another job soon enough, but I remember feeling that I had somehow failed or not moved on with the company. Not true of course, much later mini-epiphany on that.
Nursing is a very physical job isn’t it? And its not just a job, but a vocation. I have no clue about your job per se, but my sister retired early from a head special librarian (could not take the politics and just wanted to get out when she had a good name for herself), has now got a few casual shifts in other public libraries. In short, she gets to do some work in her field, but not as much and not that intense.
I notice on this thread that there are a fair few nurses, and I think part of the reason for the success of this “fred” is the fact that you all are able organize and communicate health related information in a non-judgmental and non-aggressive (and funny!) manner. Your skill of communicating information (lovely poems and posts!) and health related info humorously is amazing. Maybe think about starting a blog? Or just continue supporting us all. WE NEED YOU!!

Hi guys I’ve been soooooo enjoying the various posts and must say I’m very impressed with the care and cohesiveness of this group. As a newby it’ll take time to integrate, but I’m happy to take my time. Monday my first FD was a huge success, but the next two days Tue and Wed had a load of appointments: doctors, radiographers, pathology, orthopaedic etc, so neither of those attempted FDs worked out so well: I just plateaued instead of dropping weight and tonight I’m going out to tea with some of my nursing buddies.. So I think I’ll have to accept that I’ve blown my 2nd FD and get on with life and not get too down about it. Do peeps have a preference for FDs? Is it ‘by the book’ as to when we take them: either next to each other or with a normal day between them? I can’t find the ‘rule book’ actually, so am floundering a bit. Is there a place where I can check calories? I was hoping not to get too hung up on them actually. Here in Oz we talk kilojoules, but I’m happy to stay with cals if they’re that important. I’ve been off work for almost a year because of last year’s breast cancer. But am almost ready to return again – probably early in May… would really like to drop some weight and get fitter again before then though. Cheers! Jo.

Hi Jo. Only a newbie myself (end of week 5) but these guys are so welcoming you’ll slot in easily. Personally, my FD are Mon & Wed. I do this so I can slot in another FD on Fri if I’ve got a big weekend planned (or been naughty)! Works well for me. Most here do Mon & Thu. We all weigh-in on Friday. Don’t stress about your missed FD, it happens to us all. Just get back to it the following day – easy peasy. That’s why I love this WOL it’s so forgiving. I use My Fitness Pal (an app or pc based) to record my cals etc each day. I find it great & I think a lot of us here use it too. Stick with it – this really works!!!
VERY excited about tomorrow’s weigh in…i think a new number might have arrived!!! CM x

Hi fellow ADs. I’ve just been reading up all your posts. I had a busy day yesterday. Who was it that said retired people sit around all day with nothing to do. Well not this one. There don’t seem to be enough hours in the day for me.
CG – what a pity that the nerve block had to be cancelled. Hang in there. We all know that you are anything but a whimp.
Gypsy that cyclone seems determined to keep you all one your toes. Stay battened down and safe.
I’ve met a very nice lady, not far from here who also has a puppy of Peppers age. We’ve just got home from taking him to play. They had a great time tearing around and wearing eachother out.
FD here too today. I’m all prepared so it’s not really an issue. I was so very tempted to pop into the lolly shop yesterday and buy some choc coated liquorice. Thankfully I resisted the temptation.
Cheers all and happy 5:2 ing.
Doggy

Hi gang! Having a good FD so far. Only had the organic trimtox tea I found in Tasmania for breakfast (google the Tasmanian tea company, It’s good stuff and they do postal orders) I recommend the lemon, ginger and hibiscus infusion, It zings you alive! great metabolism kick start before exercise .

Lotus! Luv ya! I like the idea of a blog, but don’t really know what, or where I fit as anything of interest. I’m a little too flexible, or maybe ‘random’. ie, I debate any and all sides of everything, not necessarily on a factual level! Or as a fixed idea! Hell, I can be led down any gum path for a looksee, but Gawd help those who expect compliance if it don’t sit right…

CG, I’m not too concerned re the cyclone hitting us, and tho we do get surrounded by floods at times, these plenty of awareness re the hazards. We look after each other as a community, and that’s still my focus. Yesterdays epiphany is today’s morsel of wisdom. One less rego to pay! Yay! I don’t have to feel guilty about NOT stepping up if I’m not qualified for the job! (Or worry about getting exposed as a witch!)

Heh, heh, on the subject of inspiration, I just had one. Maybe We should start another little project in the ‘getting to visualize each other’ lines. Suejen. (You get to co-ordinate – madam secretary!).

SO, AD’S, IF YOU WERE TO DESCRIBE YOUR ‘TYPE’ OF PERSONALITY, WHICH ACTRESS/ACTOR WOULD YOU each IDENTIFY WITH? What about looks? or ‘who were you?’ and ‘who are you like now’. It is said we all have Doppleganger’s (doubles). Are we perhaps drawn together in more than goals? Just a THOUGHT TO WHILE AWAY fAST DAY! Example:

Gypsy has most recently been likened to THE VICAR OF DIBLY (don’t know the actress’s name)
Or (on the workforce) MATRON (MAGGIE) IN ‘A COUNTRY PRACTICE’.( a rather serious madhatter.. good at deadpans!)
And as an example of my degree of physical aging ruin, I was almost a clone of Nana Mouskourie in my thirties. (the only thing remaining of that image being the long hair and Glasses).

Have fun! Dare ya! Gyps.

Hey all, just a quick update from me since I feel like I haven’t been contributing much to this thread. Fast day going well today despite me not getting prepared enough to bring a miso soup to work. Planning to hit the gym tonight for the first time in ages and do a boxing class. I think I will just do it fasted and eat late when I get home. I recall doing a fairly intense leg day at the gym last year on a fast day and it was fine/good so hopefully this will also be fun.