Decidedly Dangerous December

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  • DAY 21 – UK Cam 2nd post

    Just found this on YouTube – Lucy Worsley and her Tudor Christmas programme!

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000cfd5

    Day 21 – South Africa ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ – NFD

    @maui – awesome news re the new low!! ๐ŸŽฏ ๐Ÿ† I use Samsung notes all the time; it’s great for composing lists & short notes. But I usually write my posts in Yahoo; then if anything goes wrong it’s still automatically saved as a draft.

    @stitchincarol, @malee57 & @gardenlily – thanks re the house. It’s almost exactly what I need. The bathrooms & kitchen need a revamp, so I’m hoping I can negotiate the asking price. The house isn’t officially on the market yet, so I still need info on the levy & rates. It’s already vacant, so the viewing wasn’t a hassle.

    @michelinme – thanks for offering to host January ๐Ÿ‘

    @jaifaim – I hope the scales are kind to you this morning. Well done on staying AF!

    Apparently swans were protected in the UK & it was illegal to eat them for many years. Unless you were the monarch –
    “It took until 1998 for the law to change so it was no longer treasonous to eat a swan in the U.K. But as a native species, mute swans are now protected as wild birds under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act and under this law it is still illegal to keep or kill them.” – from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/fascinating-history-british-thrones-swans-180964249/

    Boo Boo’s going back to the cattery today. I always dread getting her in the carrier. Gotta be done ๐Ÿ˜ณ

    Happy Hump Day! ๐Ÿซ

    2nd Post – Day 21

    Just remembered – I’m fasting today! ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ

    Pocket List – Day 21 ๐Ÿ
    @maui
    @funshipfreddie

    Day 21 – USA/GA – NFD

    Weigh-in: 214 lbs. And now the dangerous no-fasting til after Christmas period. I just need to remember: meals, no eating out of boredom, avoid as many empty calories as possible LOL ooooh, it’s going to be frightful….

    Day 21 – Rural Nebraska, USA – NFD 154.4

    “Getting so much done; have way more yet to do!” That’s what we’re all saying this time of year, right? My cleaning lady is coming in three hours and I don’t even begin to be ready for her, but am so thankful she’s coming and giving me a deadline to accomplish the tidying I want done. That means, however, that I must keep working. Hopefully I can chatter tomorrow!

    Have a grand one, my dear friends, of whom I think so many times each day!

    Day21 USA/HI FD
    Just reset MFP app for 800 calories today. Will try to get the 800 calorie menu logged in this morning and then stick to it. Iโ€™m optimistic. Hoping to see 166 again soon and 165 by Jan 1,2023
    Pocket List โ€“ Day 21
    @maui
    @funshipfreddie
    Strength to all trying to resist those sugary treats. Thereโ€™s always little individual wrapped chocolate candy at work and Iโ€™ll be there Thursday and Friday this week. Must remember to bring my own low carb/sugar treats. Just discovered a scoop of Chocolate protein powder mixed with nut butter makes a quick candy substitute and keto friendly provides energy and seems to zap the cravings for sugar.

    Day 22 – South Africa – NFD

    Best FD ever, 540 cals & I’ve hit a new low for the year – 70.8 kgs. Who said December is dangerous?! ๐Ÿ˜… I’ll try for Wed/Fri FDs next week; that way I won’t have skipped any.

    @jaifaim – I thought you might find this interesting. A woman who’s remained sober since doing Dry January this year, & is now facing her first Christmas without booze ๐Ÿ˜ง https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/real-life/article-11563053/Its-year-gave-alcohol-REALLY-merry-Christmas-without-it.html

    Poor Boo – I felt so guilty leaving her at the cattery yesterday. And next door to her is a very whiny Siamese. There’ll be no love lost there ๐Ÿ™„

    Anyway, I’ve got a 4 hour drive later, & still need to pack…

    DAY 22 โ€“ INTERESTING CHRISTMAS FACTS โ€“ MINCE PIES

    Mince pies started life as a meat dish, larger than modern-day pies and oval โ€“ reminiscent of the manger. One of the earliest mentions of these shred or shrid pies (from the shredded meat inside) dates from 1557 and by the 17th C they contained beef and suet, rosewater, cinnamon, nutmeg, apples, orange peel, dates and currants. These expensive spices were said to represent the gifts presented by the Magi. There was a belief that eating a mince pie each of the Twelve Days of Christmas would ensure a year ahead with twelve happy and healthy months (if somewhat overweight if the pies are truly manger sized!)

    Minced pies (as they were known) were banned in Cromwellโ€™s time in the 17th C and by the time of the Restoration they reappeared as a smaller, round pie offered to visitors and called wayfarerโ€™s pies. Further changes occurred so that by late Victorian times, the meat had completely disappeared but suet was kept to preserve the contents. Nowadays, the chief ingredient is often sugar which replaces the preservative effect of suet.

    Thereโ€™s a lovely story relating to the nursery rhyme about Jack Horner and his Christmas Pie โ€“ seemingly the โ€˜plumโ€™ he pulled out was the deeds to a rich manor house; Thomas Horner was the steward of Glastonbury Abbey entrusted to take the pie to King Henry VIII as a Christmas gift (and bribe?) but he filtched the deeds en route. Alas probably not the real story but a grain of truth in there somewhere!

    For more information on Mells Manor and the Horner family : http://www.house-historian.co.uk/tag/mells-manor-house/

    Day 22 – UK Cam NFD

    Just discovered I have a ‘spare’ day – my outing with friends has been cancelled and I have nothing planned now – bliss. I can fiddle with crafty ideas, ivy, holly and the glue gun; deliver some gifts and chat; read! Wow, this is going to be such a good day. On the other hand, I did manage to get to the farm shop on Tuesday and bought a huge hand-raised pork pie, some honey-roast ham and a large piece of stilton cheese … Eating wisely may be a bit more of a challenge – courgette & stilton soup for lunch with sourdough bread, Persian chicken for supper with cauliflower rice and greens – might just creep in under TDEE if I keep away from the pie and resist nibbling the ham.

    @funshipfreddie – you sound horribly organised with FDs planned already for next week – hope the 4 hr drive went OK and congrats on a successful FD yesterday. great to hit that new low.

    @maui – I am sure 166 is just around the corner – keep up the sugar resistance, it IS worth it.

    @stitchincarol – had to laugh at your comment about tidying up before the cleaning lady comes – years ago, when I was working, we had a cleaning lady and DH used to tease me about ‘cleaning the house’ just for the cleaner! Nowadays he leaves ‘dust bear prints’ on shelves to remind me to get the duster out – I often turn them into heart shapes instead ๐Ÿ™‚ Housework = waste of good time, it all comes back again the next day.

    Only a few stalwarts posting right now, but if you are checking in to see how we are doing, please leave a short message and share your journey with us.

    Have a good day everyone, whatever you are planning.

    Day 22 UK NFD

    95 % of shopping done yesterday, on train now for an annual treat – Pantomime at the London Palladium , an overnight stay then a trip to the shops in the morning for some Christmas treats

    Oh mince pies @gardenlily – Guess what I find them irresistible ๐Ÿฅง

    Have a good day all x

    Day 22 – USA/GA – NFD

    Weigh-in: 219 lbs. The scales and I are not on speaking terms until after Christmas. I’ll try to manage a ZBC today, but gingerbread must be baked.

    Good luck to us all LOL

    Day 22 – Rural Nebraska, USA – WF until 4pm, then all bets off

    What?? What kind of a plan is that, you ask?? Well, the current temperature is -15F/-26C, there was snow yesterday, and there will be lots of heavy wind today taking the “feels like” temperature far lower…not a day anyone should be driving about unnecessarily, and a piano lesson on the 22nd strikes me and the moms involved as unnecessary. ๐Ÿ˜‰ So I’m working at church this morning, then practicing organ this afternoon, but by the time I get home at 4pm I’ll be challenged to stick to a WF for the day. That’s the time I usually run errands in Omaha so I don’t get home too early, because my RESOLVE when I’m out and about is rather easy; not at all easy when I’m home. But if I end up eating, I’ll still manage to make it 500 calories, so it’ll be a win no matter what I end up doing.

    Yesterday was so busy but so wonderfully productive. DH and I went down to our finished basement that ends up functioning as messy storage and confronted the clutter. We’d already done a fair amount of tidying and tossing, and on Sunday, DS26 finally boxed up and took about half of the stuff he still has here from when he lived here (the stuff he doesn’t really want, but doesn’t want thrown, which is why he was leaving it at Mom and Dad’s, LOL!) and that empty space gave us places to put away OUR stuff that we don’t really want but can’t really throw, LOL. (Someday we’ll have to deal with it, but three days before Christmas is not the time.) By the time we were done, that cluttered basement was nearly perfect, a necessary improvement since DD and her family will be sleeping down there. Also on Sunday, I’d taken all my winter sweaters from their two bins in the basement (and put the summer capris in the emptied bins and put them away), and finally got those sweaters put away on the shelves in my closet yesterday. That’s the kind of tidying that had to happen at some point, and especially for the cleaner to be able to clean. And now the entire house is not only tidy but also clean, and my to-do list is now much more manageable. Whew!

    DS31’s Fair Isle hat is a full half done, and I still have hope I’ll finish it before he gets here on Saturday. As to food? I haven’t thrown in the towel, but nearly. After today, my next FD/WF will be next Thursday. Somehow I will find the necessary mojo to resume a serious effort and then will head back down the 14lbs I’ve gained, and the 5-10 more I wanted to lose back when I was that weight.

    @gardenlily I think you were the one who said you asked yourself “Why do you choose to be fat?” when you were making unhealthy food choices. I’ve been remembering that question often, and am working on making such good food choices that the question is rendered irrelevant. I’m not there yet, but sometimes I make pretty decent choices, so I’m making progress; thanks for that question!

    Okay, time to pick up my knitting before I have to head out in the frigid temperatures. Have a grand one, everyone!

    Day 22 USA/HI NFD
    Weigh-in today 166 lbs after a successful FD800. It feels good to be safely down into the 160โ€™s and confident I will not return to the 170โ€™s ever again! Iโ€™m starting to dream of seeing 159 making its debut in January or February of 2023.
    @funshipfreddie Good on you for hitting another all time low!
    Enjoyed reading everyoneโ€™s posts. The overnight excursion to London brought to mind happy memories of several visits with DH, the cauliflower rice with chicken sounds like a good choice I must try, organizing the basement reminds me that closet organizing will start a mini makeover for our bedroom. And what does ZBC mean? Thanks everyone and have a great rest of your day or evening!

    Day 23 Melbourne, Australia NFD
    Day 22 FD

    Yesterday was a not bad FD. I don’t usually count Kj, but I have only salad, with a tin of sardines for protein, and fruit. I did not have anything planned yesterday but did not want to stay in the house all day. So, I went out and did some banking and then rode around on a tram and walked in suburbs I don’t know. And I am happy to say that I did not give into temptation and buy any yummies. I did buy lots of fruit which I can demolish over the next few days.

    Today I am going to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with my sisters. It will be fun.

    I’m going to consider thinking about trying (how determined is that) MFP to help me keep on track on my NFDs. Maybe it will at least keep me mindful of how much I am eating.

    Have a good day everyone with whatever you are doing.

    Day 22 Ohio, US — FD800

    Hi all! Just to check in — still battling fatigue. Spent most of the day horizontally, although I did manage to go out early and get my grocery shopping done. Even early in the morning, all the parking lots in the outdoor mall where I usually shop were completely full. I guess people are doing both their last minute Christmas shopping and stocking up for the storm which is supposed to hit tonight. Amazingly I’ve stayed on track with the fasting, so I should be all set for the holiday. Ho, ho, ho!

    Peace to all!

    DAY 23 INTERESTING CHRISTMAS FACTS โ€“ CHRISTMAS PUDDING

    Originally known as Plum Pudding and probably descended from the plum pottage โ€“ a beef and mutton broth thickened with breadcrumbs to which spices, wine and dried fruit were added. The plum pudding was also known as a bag pudding in medieval times and contained dried fruit and spices. Originally cooked in a skin (like haggis) which, by Elizabethan times, was replaced with flannel or cloth. By the Victorian (19th C ) era, the plum pudding had become a very solid affair, eaten after the meal.

    In the mid-17th C the Puritans declared the Christmas pudding a โ€˜lewd custom unfit for God-fearing peopleโ€™ but it survived and George I enjoyed particularly rich plum pudding at 6 am in the morning of his first Christmas Day in England in 1714. The pudding included dried plums, suet, eggs, milk, flour, breadcrumbs, sugar, peel, raisins, sultanas, currrants, spices and a very large glass of brandy. By Victorian times a coin (usually a silver six-penny piece) would be hidden in the pudding mix โ€“ it was supposed to bring luck to whosoever found it (unless it broke your tooth or choked you!). Apparently the custom originated with the Lord of Misrule who was chosen by this method in medieval times.

    Traditionally Christmas puddings would be made on Stir Up Sunday (last Sunday before Advent) and steamed for many hours before being put away to mature. They would then be steamed again on the day to finish the cooking before being served with cream, custard, brandy butter and often set alight with brandy. Nowadays, commercially produced puddings can be quickly and easily reheated in a microwave โ€“ no steam involved!

    Dickens describes the smell of steaming puddings in A Christmas Carol โ€˜A smell like washing day! That was the cloth. A smell like an eating-house and pastrycookโ€™s next door to each other, with a laundressโ€™s next door to that. That was the pudding!โ€™

    You either love or hate the pudding โ€“ personally, I adore it โ€“ when I was about 6 I was caught in the pantry, late one night, eating the Christmas pudding straight from the pudding basin, before it had been reheated (ie half cooked)! Certainly left-over pudding with cream for Boxing Day breakfast โ€“ whatโ€™s not to like?

    DAY 23 – UK Cam NFD

    Not many of us showing up in the Forum space right now – guess we are all very busy with family, friends and just plain getting stuff ready. I have a play date with DGD which will give DD and her DH a chance to escape together for a few hours. I need to get going right now – dog to walk and last minute cards to write so I can drop them off en route.

    @matpi – hope the 800 FD went well – I may try to do an 800 today, depends what I am offered at lunchtime, otherwise it will just be a careful NFD.

    @malee57 – Joseph is one of my favourite musicals – such wonderful music. I hope it all went well.

    Hope everyone is having a good run-up to Christmas – don’t feel guilty if you relax your rules, just be mindful and choose well if you can.

    Day 23 – South Africa – NFD

    @gardenlily – the drive up here to Gonubie was uneventful. The highway was surprisingly quiet. I passed a couple of very nasty accidents though. I saw one car upside down, & another bad accident coming through the city centre involving four vehicles ๐Ÿ˜ฑ

    Last night was quite a challenge. We went for a meal out. Everyone knocking back the booze except for me & my friends’ 18 year old son. But I survived on my Heineken 0.0
    4 days to go… ๐Ÿšซ๐Ÿท

    @malee57 – hope you enjoyed ‘Joseph’. I love anything Andrew Lloyd Webber. Was such a shame about Cats – the Movie though ๐Ÿ˜…

    @matpi – hope you regain some energy & are able to enjoy the holidays. Shopping is so unpleasant at this time of year, especially if you’re not feeling 100%.

    Day 23 – Rural Nebraska, USA – NFD

    One year ago today, I was frustrated that I wasn’t going to be 137 for Christmas because I was well and truly stuck at 140. sigh For now I’m not thinking about it, but at the new year–and possibly well before!–I’m going to start again on being serious. Right now, I’m just busy finishing up all the prep work and looking forward to my daughter and her family arriving in the evening of Christmas Day.

    I’ve begun the shaping–the decreases–on the Fair Isle hat, so every row will take less time now, and I am down to 22 rows to finish. It will be a bit challenging to accomplish that today, but I’ll do my best. I also have the major grocery shopping to do today, and a choir rehearsal this evening. We were supposed to meet Wednesday, but the weather was so hideous, and snow and ice were coming down, that I cancelled it. GOOD THING, because one of the singers, who was feeling mostly fine at the time, tested positive for Covid on Thursday!!! Whew! Talk about dodging a bullet, right?

    We never did get more snow than a heavy dusting, but the cold? BRRR!!! It’s supposed to “get up to negative one” today. You know it’s cold when the talk is about getting up to a negative number, LOL! I was practicing still an hour after DH had gone home yesterday, so in an abundance of caution, I texted him when I was on my way home (it’s a walk of a block, entirely visible from our front window), just in case I slipped on ice or something. ๐Ÿ˜‚ It’s supposed to get up to 25 on Christmas Day–that’s -4C–and that will feel so much warmer that I am certain there will be lots of people not bothering with coats when they walk from their house to their cars! LOL, it’s all relative, right? ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚

    Okay, time to make some coffee and then pick up my knitting.

    Oh! Tomorrow at 9am I’ll be listening to the Service of Carols and Lessons; I always weep when I hear that boy soprano start off with “Once in Royal David’s City.” Can you just IMAGINE how his mama is busting her buttons to hear her boy on the air??????

    Have a grand one, everyone!

    Day 23 – USA/GA – NFD

    Weigh-in: 218 lbs. Did ZBC yesterday, and although I tasted a potato and about an ounce of gingerbread scraps around noon, I didn’t have a meal until 3:30 p.m. So I did OK, considering!

    The deep freeze has also hit the South this morning. Although not as frigid as our neighbors to the north and west, it’s currently 15F/-9C with 30 Kph winds. Will be cold and windy like this for most of us in the U.S. until the middle of next week. I did hear the wind may die down a bit tomorrow, although it will still be breezy.

    We’re going to have our Christmas dinner today, we think… then chill out a bit on Christmas Eve before the big day.

    Day 23 USA (Illinois, the Frozen North!) NFD

    Just checking in to say we are alive and not frozen!! Well, weather here is about the same as @stitchincarol with -40′ (F) wind chill and -15F actual. Sun in shining so really deceiving unless you look at the snow blowing straight lines from the northwest.

    Saying Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate!

    Onward and downward.

    Day 23 USA/HI FD800
    Working just to 3pm then late lunch with a friend before I pick up DH from day care. Will try to water fast till the late lunch and make that my only meal. Sounds like a good planโ€ฆjust have to focus and commit. Yesterdayโ€™s NFD ending up being a bit higher calorie than I wantedโ€ฆโ€ฆimportant to stick to todayโ€™s FD800.
    Must run now to get both of us out out the door within the next hour.
    Onward and downward.

    Day 24 Melbourne, Australia FD800

    Seeing Joseph yesterday was excellent. I know the music from childhood but had never seen it live. We all really enjoyed it.

    I was feeling a bit flat when I got up and weighed this morning. I am slightly heavier than I was at the beginning of the month. But I am 4kg less than I was at the start of October. So I need to keep that in mind. I was going to try for a FD today but am not in the right frame of mind. I will go for a FD800 and see how that pans out.

    What a difference in weather. I would feel really odd being in freezing cold temperatures at Christmas. The weather bureau talking about a heat wave for the east coast during the week after Christmas. And most people on here are all rugged up against the cold.

    Have a great Christmas eve everyone.

    Day 23 CD UK

    Just checking in after another couple of frantic days. I feel as tho i’ve eaten my bodyweight in sugar but astonishingly weighed in at 171lb today. More sensible eating is just around the corner – beginning with a solid OMAD early supper of parsnip & carrot soup with kale crisps, lentil cakes, quiche and salad

    Flat finally came together today, DD & my 85 yo mother arrived to stay- both were feeling frantic but are now relaxing into being here. DD has gone for supper with uni friend down the road, I’m in the bath, mother reading in the sitting room – all have our own rooms and what we need, and all is right with the world.

    Tomorrow I’ll be up early to wash hair and get on with wrapping presents, finishing cake, decorating tree (lights are on), baking mince pies and endless cups of tea and meals. DD’s schoolfriend and her DD are coming to visit and will get roped into doing some baking or decorating, as is our tradition when DD here. Later on we’re heading into town so DD can sing & I’ll steward for midnight mass, then home and sleep and a gentle-as-possible 24 hours.

    Lovely to read of our various traditions, travels and temperatures – tho brrrr US friends, that sounds CHILLY!

    Happy Hannukah and Happy Christmas to all who celebrate! May peace and joy and light be yours x

    Day 23 – Ireland – NFD ๐Ÿšซ๐Ÿšถ๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ โœ…
    Hello everybody! The days are just flying away from meโ€ฆ. Iโ€™ve been so busy and travelling away last weekend probably didnโ€™t help. So much to do so little time ๐Ÿ™„
    Travelling home tomorrow for the Christmas break and very much looking forward to it.

    Thank you for the link to the article @funshipfreddie
    I will look forward to reading itโ€ฆ I feel Iโ€™ll manage itโ€ฆ but am saying to myself that thereโ€™s no pressure to commitโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ˜‰๐Ÿ‘

    I did manage to weigh yesterday and back up to 160.1 – not too bad really and I canโ€™t help but feel it willl get worse before it gets better butโ€ฆ I expected the number would be higher yesterday so thatโ€™s a bonusโ€ฆ

    Iโ€™m so tired and Iโ€™ve got to go pack more bags..so no time to post any more but Iโ€™ll be back tomorrowโ€ฆ

    I hope you are all ok. This can be a stressful and sad time for manyโ€ฆ. I always say Iโ€™m not a fan of the week leading Into Christmas even though I love the day itself.

    Onward and downward โฌ‡๏ธ
    We rise by lifting others ๐Ÿ’•

    Day 23 Ohio, US — NFD

    The scales this morning read 179 lb (81.2 kg) so another pound gained over what I was two weeks ago. Again, this is probably not too surprising since the fatigue I experienced this week really reduced how much exercise as is my wont. I’ve had an acupuncture treatment, so am hopeful that will help to turn things around. This evening I ate a little more than I usually do — mostly because it’s fairly cool in my townhouse. I suspect that something is not quite right with my furnace, but because with the wind chill it’s -36 F (-38 C) outside, it may be instead that the furnace, which is very small, just can’t keep up with this level of cold. Fortunately it’s supposed to warm up to 0 F (-18 C) by Monday, so I should be able to sort things out then.

    @jaifaim Safe travelling home!

    @michelinme Glad your visitors are settling in and relaxing! Have fun with your Christmas preparations!

    @malee57 Joseph is one of my favorite musicals! A good live performance can make all the difference in the world — I feel the same about many of Shakespeare’s plays.

    @maui I like your phrase, “focus and commit”! I think that I’ll use that as my mantra for January!

    @songbirdme and @stitchincarol The cold front hit here today and the cold is expected to be more intense tomorrow. Definitely not strolling outside weather! (at least for me!)

    Day 24๐ŸŒฒ โ€“ South Africa ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ โ€“ NFD- Day 85๐Ÿšซ๐Ÿท

    Accountability ๐Ÿ˜ณ

    DAY 24 โ€“ INTERESTING CHRISTMAS FACT โ€“ PRESENTS & SEASONAL GIFTS

    Bearing in mind that Christmas Eve is probably the last chance you will have to go shopping for gifts, I thought this might be of interest.

    Traditionally, 6th January, also known as Twelfth Night (the 12th day after Christmas) is the feast of Epiphany in the Western Christian Church. This is when the three wise men or Magi arrived in Bethlehem to worship the infant Jesus bringing their gifts. The tradition of exchanging presents was linked to this date rather than Christmas Day, which was a very religious day celebrating the birth of the baby Jesus.

    When the old Julian Calendar was replaced in 1752 with the Gregorian one here in Britain, we โ€˜lostโ€™ 12 days which is how the current custom of exchanging gifts on 25th December, rather than 6th January appears to have originated. Nevertheless, we should also remember that the early Christian church overlaid existing pagan mid-winter customs where the rich gave gifts to the poor.

    So, if you have left it too late to buy a gift for a loved-one or friend, you can assure them that they have not missed out and you are just following the old traditions โ€“ that will give you a few extra days (and the sales!) to find something ๐Ÿ™‚

    DAY 24 – UK Cam – NFD

    Beautiful morning outside right now – sunrise soon so sky is that amazing turquoise blue / green with a hint of apricot around the edges. Warm wishes to all of you in North America – stay warm and be careful if you take to the road – it looks awful.

    Nice relaxing day today – apple tree to raid for twigs for DGDs guinea pigs Christmas present (!!) bacon & thyme dumplings to make for our Beef in Beer casserole tonight and various things to take out of the freezer ready to cook first thing tomorrow. Not going to try too hard on the food front today, but whilst I am at home I shall try to avoid the sweet stuff. yesterday’s play date with DGD went very well and lunch was good with homemade quiche and salad, shame about the delicious, melt-in-the-mouth cookies and the rockyroad traybake I just had to try before I left. I even managed to take a large slab of the rocky road with me – not sure how that happened! ๐Ÿ˜ฎ

    @michelinme – hope your family weekend celebrations go well, it sounds as though you should have a great time. Relax, enjoy your food and remember we can all take back control after the festivities.

    @malee57 – so pleased Joseph was good. I agree, live performances are so much better than films. Over here we have live streaming of many performances from the National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe etc at our local cinema – you can watch opera from Sydney, ballet from New York or Shakespeare from London – amazing and soooo cheap compared with the actual venue.

    @songbirdme – glad you are keeping well up there in the frozen north. Winter sports should be great fun!

    @jaifaim – hope your journey went well.

    Apologies if I have missed people out – my laptop only has a short battery life so I have to work quickly! Here’s wishing you ALL a very happy and joyous Christmas Day – no need to forget the eating rules, just make sure you choose what you really WANT to eat/drink and ENJOY it.

    If you have a chance, check out tomorrow’s Fact – it’s a funny!

    Day 24 – Rural Nebraska, USA – NFD

    I weighed 156.6 this morning. Ugly number, but not as ugly as I was afraid it would be. I’m just going to live my life and eat the meals put in front of me…well, that I put in front of all of us, LOL! over the next few days and then confront the changes that need to happen after that.

    I have on the Festival of Lessons and Carols from King’s College, Cambridge…I feel so sorry for you Brits that you have to wait until afternoon to hear it; for our family, it’s a 25+ year tradition to start Christmas Eve off with that boy soprano. For that, I sit with my cup of coffee and simply listen, with tears streaming down my face. Don’t know exactly why it affects me so, but I truly love it. Now I’m just listening with half an ear while I bake all that cookie dough that has been in the freezer since our church’s Cookie Boutique on the first Saturday in December. We’re having beef sliders for lunch (is this something the rest of you ever make? https://www.taketwotapas.com/celebration-sliders-roast-beef-horseradish/ We’re doing a ham and swiss version tomorrow evening when DD and her family arrive), then church at 6:30 and a huge charcuterie board afterward.

    I haven’t yet finished the Fair Isle hat; the instructions aren’t written out but are in chart form and I was fairly stumped for awhile on how to proceed. I think I understand now, but ran out of time last night, so I’ll have to find quiet moments when I’m certain DS31 won’t interrupt/see me.

    And that’s my chatter for all of you. I’ve skimmed through all you’ve written, and will find time later–hopefully!–to read it more carefully. However you celebrate the days ahead, I pray it’s a lovely and happy time for you.

    Blessings, my friends.

    Day 24 – USA/GA – NFD/ZBC

    Weigh-in: 219 lbs. Yeah, also a horrible number here, but I knew it would be ugly and may get uglier still until after the holiday. Dec. 27 is my next planned FD. As in the rest of the U.S., the deep freeze continues here with even colder temperatures this morning. It was around 5F/-15C at daybreak. We’re hoping by late afternoon tomorrow it may warm up to just around the freezing mark. Lots of reports of frozen/busted pipes in the neighborhood, but we’ve taken preventative measures and (knock on wood), all seems well so far.

    A merry Christmas to all that celebrate!

    Day 24 USA/HI NFD
    Weigh-in still at 166. After a successful FD800 yesterday, I thought maybe a lower number might appear. But Iโ€™m ok with seeing 166 this weekend. I have set a goal of 165 for January 1 and itโ€™s feeling attainable.
    Iโ€™m copying this very important word from @funshipfreddie this morning โ€ฆ..itโ€™s a game changer!
    Accountability ๐Ÿ˜ณ

    Day 25 Melbourne, Australia NFD

    Yesterday’s FD800 wasn’t. There were too many yummies at work. And tonight will be worse. I will just have to stick to the nicest things and not try to eat everything. I wish there was lots of summer fruit there, not just chocolates and sweet biscuits.

    Have a great day and enjoy everything that is happening.

    Day 25๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŽ…ย โ€“ South Africa ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ โ€“ NFD

    Seasons greetings to all my fellow fasters around the globe ๐Ÿ’ซ

    Day 25 – UK Cam – NFD

    Very best, seasonal wishes to everyone – make it a good day whatever you do and enjoy yourselves.

    Interesting Christmas Fact – Crackers
    Well, apart from being crackers posting this on Christmas Day (!) just a quick bit about crackers – came from the French bon-bon, sweet almond wrapped in paper with twist at each end. Thomas Smith found out about them in 1840s, produced them in his wedding cake decoration factory in London’s East End, added a romantic ditty to make them appeal to a wider audience – valentines and birthdays for the ladies – then in 1860s added a ‘crack’ to keep ahead of the competition. His sons took over the business in 20th C and replaced mottos and ditties with legendary ‘jokes’ and the company received royal warrants, was the biggest cracker company.
    https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-christmas-cracker

    Post-Christmas competition – Worst Christmas Cracker joke

    Here’s my offering :

    Q: Why was the snowman in the greengrocer’s shop?
    A: He was picking his nose!

    Day 25 – USA/GA – NFD

    Weigh-in: 221 lbs or something and another couple of days of feasting. Tuesday is the planned FD, and I have never been so anxious for fasting to resume! On a good note, we are planning to make homemade soup this evening, so that’ll be something in the works.

    Have a great Christmas!

    Day 25 UK NFD ๐ŸŽ„

    Happy Christmas all , love the interesting facts @gardenlily

    Day25 USA/HI NFD

    Up 1 lb after a 1100 calorie NFD yesterday but not to worry. I know weight will go and down a bit and it doesnโ€™t always seem to make sense. Thanks to all of you โ€ฆ.I will not get discouraged and stop trying as in the past. In it to win it this time around! If not now, then when? At age 76 I feel itโ€™s now or never LOL
    Hoping healthy weight will give me more energy and endurance to care for 88 year old DH with dementia at home.
    Thanks for being here! Best to all as we approach the end of another calendar year and a fresh new year begins.

    Day 26๐ŸŒฒย ย  โ€“ South Africa ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ โ€“ NFD

    Checking in for accountability. Still managed to stay AF. Fortunately the friends I’m staying with aren’t really dessert/pudding eaters. But I think I’ve still managed to eat my bodyweight in sugar ๐Ÿ˜ณ
    Heading home tomorrow.

    My worst Christmas Cracker joke contribution:

    Who delivers presents to cats?ย 

    Santa Paws!

    Day 26 – UK Cam NFD (no surprises there!)

    Not going anywhere near any scales until the end of the week – just enjoying the food I choose to eat and trying not to over-indulge on seasonal treats. Only having the one day with family means that it is easier to pick and choose what goes on the table whilst still being festive. After Christmas lunch with DD and family – ham, pigs in blankets, loads of veggies ๐Ÿ™‚ and sauces ๐Ÿ™ plus chocolate profiteroles and snickers rocky road … ๐Ÿ˜ฎ not sure how well I actually did but, didn’t care coz I enjoyed the company. Today DH and I have our traditional Christmas lunch although with chicken rather than turkey – otherwise allthe trimmings. No pudding though as DH doesn’t like it and,anyway, we’ll be too full of good food. At least the dog helps us get some much needed exercise.

    Looking to fit in a FD on Wed and possibly Fri otherwise back to ‘normal’ next week. Like @northgeorgia I am keen to start back on fasting,not used to all this rich food! Obviously a good sign that the WOL is having an impact.

    DAY 26 INTERESTING CHRISTMAS FACT – BOXING DAY

    26 December is known as Boxing Day or St Stephen’s Day – remember the carol about Good King Wencselas? The boxing bit is nothing to do with sports but all to do with giving servants a ‘Christmas Box’ with a gift inside on this day. In earlier times, apprentices used to open the box that the ‘tips’ had been put in when they delivered goods to the customers. It is the day when tradespeople who delivered and people like milkmen, refuse collectors and postmen would receive a ‘thank you’ from their regular customers.

    So, when the Ocado man/online delivery guy drops off your emergency bottle of gin or pack of crackers – don’t forget to give him his Christmas Box!

    26 Dec – 2nd post

    @funshipfreddie – that’s such an awful joke! Well done – anyone else found any?

    Day 26 USA (Illinois) NFD

    Worst of the cold with dangerous wind chills have passed, but a little new snow this morning in NW Illinois. I am happy to say the scale has kept at maintenance through all the good food we have been eating! Lots of leftovers still in fridge, so I will be thrifty and eat them up over the next few days. Real treat was cherries jubilee last evening, but really — almost $6 for one can of cherries?? Talk about inflation!

    Off to see the 3+ hour long new Avatar film matinee today, so popcorn for lunch. Regular blood donation will be Tuesday – it was postponed from Friday when it was too perilous to go out (for humans and cars both!) so I will eat normally today and tomorrow.

    We will hopefully be done with Dangerous December without it being fatal for anyone!!

    Onward and downward.

    Day 26 – USA/GA – NFD

    Did another ZBC, but still not happy to be weighing in at 220 lbs this morning. Still, down a pound since yesterday morning. I’ll return to tomorrow as a FD and get on track for 2023.

    Day 26 USA/HI NFD
    Weigh-in 166 lb
    Good to to see 166 again as yesterday was 167. I plan to do 2 FD800โ€™s this week but not sure which days.
    Must run to get both of us in the car within about an hour. Full day at the gallery today so DH will go to adult day care nearby. I should pack his lunch and snack as he does so much better if he stays gluten free and sugar free.
    Onward and downward ๐ŸŒบ

    Day 27 Melbourne, Australia FD

    I had very little difficulty not eating last night at work. After well and truly overdosing on sugar on Christmas and Boxing days I really did not feel like eating. I’m currently eating a bowl of fresh cherries before I go to bed.

    Day 26 Ohio, US — FD800
    Days 24 and 25 — NFD

    There is still a snow emergency on the roads here, so it was a stay-inside type of day. I received an Amazfit as a present and it doesn’t seem practical for me to ever reach the PAI goals the watch has. So let me ask — does anyone here have experience with working with PAI?

    Yesterday I didn’t fight the holiday food, but I did eat much less of sweets than I did last year. So that’s a definite plus. Now just to make it to January 2 in good shape!

    @maui Your comment about some foods your DH does better with is interesting. Does he have other food sensitivities?

    @northgeorgia Losing a pound over Christmas Day is really impressive!

    @songbirdme Did you wear the 3-D glasses for Avatar? I will probably donate platelets in the near future, but I get incredibly cold when I do so, so I will probably wait for the weather to warm up a little first.

    @gardenlily The profiteroles sound delicious. I didn’t make those, but I had a homemade shortbread topped with strawberry shortcake ice cream. Same theme — different presentation!

    @funshipfreddie Great joke — definitely paws for thought!

    @matpi — yes, we opted for the 3-D performance. It was far too long, involved, too much fighting, but guess I can say I am glad we went. Some amazing graphics.

    Day 27ย  โ€“ South Africa ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ โ€“ NFD

    Heading home today ๐Ÿš™. Came down with what I’m guessing is strep throat on Xmas Day, but it’s feeling a bit better today. It certainly hasn’t stopped me from eating ๐Ÿ˜…

    @songbirdme – +3 hours?! Glad you enjoyed it. I read somewhere the producers need to rake in $2 billion just to break even!

    @northgeorgia – I’ll be joining you on the list tomorrow. Then maybe one more FD before the end of the year ๐Ÿ‹โ€โ™‚๏ธ

    Day 27 – Ireland ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช – NFD

    It’s been 20 days since my last post. I think of you guys a lot and am coming back for sure, might even try an OMAD today as the heartburn and fullness from the past few days of feeding has me very uncomfortable.

    Covid took a number on me and mt family. Negative more than three weeks now but still suffering occasional sinus headaches, pure bitter chill from inside my body where I have to layer up even though heating and the fire are on, coughs, stopping to take a breath, sore throats…not all the time, but enough to know its Covid lingering.

    But the worst is that my 86 year old Dad caught Covid three weeks ago, worryingly bad and deteriorating quickly, we were just minutes from calling an ambulance. Then he started on Paxlovid and it was a wonder drug,within a couple of hours feeling better, but within a few days of finishing the 5 day treatment he got Covid rebound and is still unwell and testing positive.

    And my brother who lives with him, and who has multiple underlying issues but refused the vaccine, also has it. He is 40 years younger though and is slowly pulling through.

    It’s been a hectic and worrying time, but hopefully recovery is soon. In the mantime, at least me having had recent Covid means I can go and help Dad bi have an older brother who has health issues who won’t go near the house due to Covid.

    Gah, after three years, Covid has cut a swathe through my family. Hoping all of you are doing ok. I will catch up on posts later but I am still here.

    DAY 27 – UK Cam – FD
    First FD for a week, feeling very full still from yesterday’s Christmas lunch (yes, I know, it was Boxing Day) but it was ACE – just for once, and because we didn’t have any guests at all, it all went perfectly with crispy, brown chicken, allthe seasonal trimmings, roasties that were crisp on the outside and soft in the middle … need I go on? DH feeling well enough to tuck in and eat well, even managed a card game in the evening. Today I am on granny duty, DD and her DH going out for brisk walk (around the shops???) so DGD and I will be up to our ears in new toys and continuing our fantasy world game. Should be OK on ZBL (zero before lunch?) soup and then left over chicken (no skin) for supper.

    @songbirdme – I loved the original Avatar film (even bought it) so I am not sure about the sequel. The graphics on the first one were so impressive.

    @matpi – sorry to hear you are still frozen in – the images we have seen on TV look horrendous. Just keep warm and safe.

    @malee57 – those cherries sound delish – middle of winter here, not a fresh cherry in sight. I do recall on a road trip in NZ, stopping at roadside stalls and buying bags of fresh cherries at this time of year …

    @funshipfreddie – hope the throat doesn’t develop into anything, lots of fluids usually helps. Have a safe journey.

    @daffodil2010 – lovely hear from you but oh! what an awful time you have had. Covid has definitely not gone away and I sincerely hope all of your family make a quick recovery. Long Covid is a nasty character, lurking in the undergrowth ready to pounce on you when you think you are in the safe zone. My SIL and her OH have gone down with Covid over Christmas but they refused any vaccine and kept going out to night clubs and pubs in NW England where the virus is still very active.

    5 days left of DDD so grab an FD if you feel up to it and join the pocket list!

    POCKET LIST DAY 27
    @gardenlily
    @malee57

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