Hi all…just had my guilty pleasure and heading back for the boy.

Posted earlier but it got lost. So many good losses this week…brilliant!

Lynn. ..don’T know how you do it – but keep doing it brilliantly!

Been making some felt brooches this evening ..so simple! And as I’ve got some old felt (literally inherited it!) I hope to get a few pounds on the bric-a-bracelet stall at tomorrow’s coffee morning.

Right – get the boy…bathtime…Harry Potter.

Mx

If I was to buy a gardening magazine, which would be better for someone like me….beginner but keen to learn, looking for ideas, hints and tips that are very down to earth…pardon the pun!

Lynne.. what a start to your day. Xx… Enjoy your daughter this week-end. Yes, we do come in handy at times when it suits. Lol Xx

Sarah … B to the supplements .. lets start a vanilla slice club… as you say cream or custard not bothered. Lol Oh and Sarah… 4 of my drawers all pictured and sent to my friend in Oregon. Lolol Xx

Enjoy your evening Minois…. glad you had your treat. Xx

Kay.. Gardening is so rewarding and therapeutic. God knows where I would be if I hadn’t had my garden to get lost in. Lol

If you need any help just shout… Xx

Angela… Just do the best you can this week … Life does get in the way at times but enjoy the good times while you can.

Have a wonderful week-end .. glam up girly and go for it. Xx

Well girls… FD done … been a decent one… kept busy. To cold out for gardening so nice clean indoors.

Take care girls Xx

What’s the vanilla slice club ladies?

I love gardening too Kay. I really only started to enjoy it last year but I do find it calming and rewarding.

Kay, I’m sat soaking my gel nail polish off, watching tv and just winding down. Going to head to bed early and read a good book I think. xx

Kay..
Should of read….. earlex steam dynamo..
X

What explosion of vanilla slices happening here.

Hemmy, hilarious VS Club. I agree re custard (and custard tarts Kay), though I wouldn’t chuck cream out either. Vanilla creaminess plus icing too good for words. Plus it seems they are actually a weight loss aid if Jean and Steve are anything to go by his week. That is what I am not doing enough of! Much nicer strategy LOL Too funny you are photographing your drawers for your friend. Spread the joy! I totally know what you mean when you have ordered something and they do look great. I get a thrill from my underwear drawer now and it has nothing to do with the quality of the garments I can assure you.

Kay, I am useless at gardening but my OH knows what he is doing (used to work in wild flowers, did Chelsea etc way back in the day). He doesn’t really read magazines on it but i asked him and he said the monthly by BBC looks really good for someone beginning. He can’t remember the name but BBC should get it for you.

Angela, have a lovely weekend and don’t worry about letting the side down, you’ve done really well amd will continue to do well.

Jean I love a guinness or two also.

Off to sleep perchance to dream of vanilla slices!!

What am I missing re steam cleaners, don’t have one, do they really help?

Sleep tight xx

Morning all,

Well a small Octopus washed up on our beach this morning sorry.. 1/2lb on. I’ll get rid of it, I promise, although maybe not this week.

Just getting ready for the hairdressers, nails and hen do number 1…. I’m sooooo unorganised.

Re: steam cleaners. I have a van steam floor mop (with attachments for other bits). I’ve not used the attachments and I’ve stopped using it for the floor. I have lovely cream gloss kitchen floor tiles and it leaves them streaky unfortunately, plus you don’t use detergent with it and I love the smell a good mopping can bring. 😂

Have a good day everyone. xx

Morning All…

A cold morning again…

A bit tired this morning, so not doing a lot today….just painting the back of the kitchen cupboard for the third time 10 min job and putting my airing cupboard things back…

Must watch what we eat today and keep well under TDEE …although a small steak planned for dinner tonight. A bit too much yesterday but we don’t do that often.

Hemmy ..
Well done on your loss and 9st 12 and size 12….really well done…goal is looming a good feeling, so thrilled for you….lets go for it..😀😀

Everybody seems to have a lot of things planned so have a good weekend all…whatever you are up too..😀

Jean x

Hemmy,

It’s the Vax one I have too. Mine is tucked away in the utility room. Well done on losing 1lb. Oh to be 9st 12… I started about the same weight as you, do you mind if I ask how long that’s taken you?

Sarah, I love belts, but be mindful what you wear them with as they can sometimesee cause little holes in tshirts and other cotton tops. Grrrrr.

Jean, it seems your new calorie cycling is working. Fabulous.

I’m sat at the hairdressers waiting for my colour to develop. I have a rich brown with red lowlights through it to warm it up a bit. I do love it when it’s done. xx

Re the steam cleaners…Kay asked me a question and I chased it up for her….from Audrey..

Angela…
You will be lovely and glam for your hen do this evening have a lovely time….

Hemmy..
Might be chasing you for advice on my living eating plants on my window sill…my cress is growing..lol ..that’s easy…no sign of my lettuce yet..

Sarah..
Enjoy your walk out, a bit chilly here…the belt well needed before your next size down…then a hole puncher is needed…😂 For the belt.

Well off to do my painting…

Jean x

Kay…

Well done on the loss,,,nice to be at the next number…
Enjoy the rugby..

Off shopping shoes for Steve….and a leg stretch….need a rest from work all straight now…house clean needed but not today…lol

Xx

Hi All..

Shoes bought…for both of us…lol…I bought some everyday sandals, will be going into shorts soon as the weather improves…and caravanning..I always have bother with shoes so when I see them I buy, I hope the heel is right…

Lovely steak tonight with one wine..with ice cream and a banana a treat….

Fast day for us tomorrow…back on track…

Have a good evening all…we are searching for a film to watch maybe
‘ Moonlight’…

Jean x

Sarah…

Tried Moonlight…turned off after 10 mins…talking muffled couldn’t understand them!

Tried La La Land..turned off after 4 mins…the name says it all…lol

Glad I didn’t go to cinema…

X

Just dropping in to the UK to say hello🙂 as I am coming over to visit from Australia sometime in the near future. I’ve been 5:2 ing for nearly 2 1/2 yrs now and am maintaining after losing 3stone 4lbs, and am currently 9st 12lb.

Our visit to the UK will be mostly self-catered and I’m wondering about food. For me, trying different foods is all part of the travelling experience, and I like custard slices too. So… may I ask you lovely British 5:2ers to recommend some things particularly British that I might try. We will certainly be in England and Scotland, and hopefully Ireland and Wales as well.

Wishing you good FDs this week
Onwards and Downwards,
Merry

Hello Merry

Lovely to see you in these parts. I lurk on the SH thread sometimes for the great advice there as well as here. Posters on this forum are really spread out geographically and so if you wanted help with the finer points of your itinerary closer to the time, and during your trip for that matter, I am sure you will find lots of help here.

I live very near Brighton on the SE coast and know Sussex well also the Midlands, Oxford, Stratford upon Avon, cotswolds etc, well plus parts of Devon and Suffolk coast, I know bits of London quite well too and my OH is from Scotland though we have members who live in Scotland now.

In terms of food I have never been to Oz, though I have heard that the emphasis is on lovely fresh vegetables and fish and it used to be these things were cheaper there than here but I am not sure this is still the case. Where I live and where I used to live in the midlands the food choices are very cosmopolitan with some good eating out in the usual,places but also lots of gastro pubs and veggie restaurants. Pubs in many places in the UK are now really restaurants with food choices which are easier to navigate.

Buying food should be easy anywhere and self catering obviously a great option for 5/2. Good food choices may be difficult to find when actually travelling, avoid service stations on motorways with their very expensive and unhealthy food like the (vile) krsipy creme doughnuts. There are huge numbers of big supermarkets which are good for choice and price. In the SE we have a proliferation of farm shops often selling beautiful locally produced produce with different varieties than you might find in supermarkets also good delis. These outlets vary in price but generally are more expensive than big supermarkets. Some parts of the UK have more limited food choice and there is certainly plenty of both poor quality and yet still expensive food on offer everywhere to avoid.

Peculiarly British dishes don’t really exist anymore in the way that they did. Everyone knows about fish and chips and roast dinners and those things still exist of course and widely available ranging from truly lovely to totally awful and to be avoided at all costs. But there was a survey a while ago which thought our national dish these days was chicken tikka masala. I don’t know if you have visited before but food in Britain has been much more influenced for the better by continental Europe especially in Southern regions and influenced throughout by Asian food.

That is my view really but others may have different ideas. Certainly let us know if you have specific questions or anything we can help with and well done on continued maintenance. We have several members close to goal here but I don’t think anyone actually maintaining yet. I am sure that is a whole other challenge.

Morning All….

Fasting for us today our first of three for the week….cleaning and shopping on the cards today but other than that definitely a sit and read pm later…

Sarah…
Thanks for your couple of films to watch…any more you find good we would appreciate the titles…we really don’t watch films much, going to the cinema occasionally….we have the amazon stick for sport and can pick up films but not got much clue really!….we watched Lion, it was good and enjoyed it but thought it could of gone more in depth, it went over 20 years in 10 mins, shame really…watched Bob the Street Cat, easy watch we enjoyed that…

Merry…
Hi ….I pick you up about the forum…well done on the maintaining for so long…it proves it can be done..lol..Sarah has gone over most things, shout if you want any information …just to add to supermarkets Aldi and Lidl, smaller in size but will save you loads of money on the basics, raw meat and cooked meats, cheese, wines and beers, No individual side counters for deli etc but very good on price.

If you are travelling..’Premier Inn’ ( on line) for one nighters, about £50/£60 per night, they have family rooms for 4 people. They also have a pub attached for reasonable food. All very clean and all to the same standard.

Have a good holiday

Hemmy..
My lettuce seeds are starting to show…never grown anything….lol…herbs coming on a treat also…green fingered like you! Or not…lol

Jean x

Feeling accomplished, actually went out and cut the grass and tidied up the garden, time to relax and enjoy the rest of my day.

Hope you all having a good one.

Tammy xxx

Hi All..

Just read MM new eating plan…going very much on the sugar diet but for two days, male and female 800 cals…cutting out all sugar and going low carb all the week, upping excerise and fluid, and cutting down alcohol.

Watching which fruit to eat, berries, apples and pears are fine keep off exotic fruit and a banana only occasionally….full fat cheese and yogurt, nuts, olive oil, rape oil and coconut oil, butter all fine.

I think his calories in his recipes are very iffy and lower than I would count on some things..

I personally think very much towards a diet…I would rather have some treats when wanted and fit in with 5.2 way of life…maybe others may feel different to us…

We will march on with the 5.2…😀

Jean x

Hi F B Brits hope al is well with you and yours. Xx

A warm windy day here and nice for the garden. .. Had to get rid of a large wooden barrel and all the soil .. had its day. lol Like I feel now. Lol.

Merryme.. Lovely to see you here. Xx

Often look on S H thread .. so very warm and encouraging.

On your trip to UK you must try .. our sea-side Fish N Chips. … Afternoon tea. … Cucumber sandwiches …Scones ….Victoria sponge cake. Sunday roast

Beef. .. …. Toad in the hole…. Sausages in batter…Apple pie.

In wales… Welsh lamb … Welsh cakes… Anything with leeks.

Scotland… Haggis… Shortbread…. to name just a few.

Hope your trip will be enjoyable… without too much rain. Xx

Sarah… hope you are enjoying that 3 year old…Your meal sounds lovely. xx

Sym… you are both so brave doing a Sunday… Don’t think I could do that. Always a roast here. Lol … Beef today.

Well done on your plants. It gets so addictive when you see those little green shoots. Well done on your fast… eggs and toast a good one. Xx

Tammy … sounds like a busy day for you. … Sym is growing the lettuce. I am the flowers.

Thanks for the heads up on the new vanish will give that a go. Enjoy the rest of the day. Xx

Hope every on else is doing okay. Xx

Brit lovelies… Granny always said ” Sunday was a day of rest” Xx

Ps Hemmy, all the food You mention to Merry, I love. Yes haggis too. It is hardly any wonder I need to be on 5/2!

Morning everyone. You all seem to have a lovely chilled weekends with lots of films watched (without popcorn, kettle chips, or too much junk food as far as I can see!)

I’ve had a weird one. I definitely finished the week having had too much sugar and junk in my diet, and I don’t know if I’m fighting off a bug, but yesterday I felt dreadful, too. Normally I quite like fasting on a Sunday, but I sat down at my desk early as usual, and I just felt grim…couldn’t do it! Staggered through the service, had a Costa bacon roll with the boys (not my favourite thing to do, prefer a proper bacon roll than a pre-prepped one if I’m going to weaken) and started to feel a little better. Spent the afternoon in the windy wildness of the Scottish coast watching littlies run up and down a field with sticks and helmets (!). By 3pm, feeling hungry again so had one of the boy’s ‘bear yoyo’ snacks. All fruit, and this one was billed as a ‘sour’ – which he loves. Pretty soon afterwards, I’ve got a stomach ache like you read about in Victorian novels when a child completely overdoses on tart fruit…agony! Turns out, the best antidote for both feeling really washed out and sour fruit is a really well-cooked Indian meal! Chicken biryani sorted me out. I only ate the chicken and about half the rice but, oh, a well cooked meal of really satisfying flavours and hidden veg was exactly what I needed.

I’ll probably fast today, but I think I’m convinced of two things – one I like, and one I don’t…Firstly, feasting is VERY important in this WOL (and the better cooked and flavoursome the better – so my eating out budget may have to go up, or I may have to pick up some better cooing skills). And secondly, cheap junk/chocolate/snacks are going to have to leave my diet…not for the good of my weight, but for the good of my health. I’m not a vanilla slice fan, but I think I now advocate that if you’re going to have a VS – I’m with Steve – make it the biggest and best quality one you can find and enjoy it – better one of those occasionally than all the wee calorie counted ‘we can make this fit into a diet plan if we take out the fat and put in sweeteners’ crap that is out there. Likewise, the good cooking some of you were mentioning at garden centres…that over plastic food every time.

Sorry – there’s my rant! I’m probably preaching to the converted, and you’ll need to keep me honest over the junk food I might slip back towards, but I really need to ‘cut the crap’!

Ahhh…what a way to start the week – feel so much better! Now if I could just find time to sort my drawers…

Mx

Good morning F B Brits hope all is well with you and yours. Xxxx

A damp ole start here but mild.

Well girls back to day 1 on the wine scene . Got through Fri Sat then yesterday a nice special caught my eye while collecting the newspapers. Opened a bag of crisps as well.
Oh well enjoyed it so back to the drawing board getting better I tell myself. Lol

Minois … bit of a week-end for you. Hope you get back ok today.. Fresh start. Xx

Sym .. you did so well yesterday … hope you have a good week. Always a bit harder when away from home.

Is that the daughter than can be difficult… maybe I have you muddled with someone else. Lol.
Not sure what I will be doing today … all depends as per usual on the weather. Lol Have a good day. Xx

Sarah.. never ever had Quince what is it… I sortof think ” Apple”. Sounds like you had a lovely Sunday. Xx

Hope everyone else is ok…. CAROL … VI ..how are you doing. Xx

Hope Aud is ok… and not working too hard. Ginette … hope things are not to busy for you. Miss you both.Xx

Brit lovelies.. Never a truer word…

When we stop eating food with no labels… we can stop counting calories. Xx

Thanks everyone!
Merry

Afternoon

Very windy here today

Lynn sounds like a good weekend, pity about the weight gain.

Jean have a good time at your daughters

Minols any kind of bacon roll is good in my book.

Sarah you’ve had fun with your 3 yrs old.

Fasting for me today, am feeling a bit peckish, but won’t eat till tea time, plan on some chicken and potato soup. Other than that, basic monday for me, work and house work.

Who’s fasting with me?, we can do this.

Tammy xxx

Hi all

Well done DF.

I am fasting today too. Finding it more difficult which I am putting down to the carbs of the weekend.

Hemmy, a quince sort of looks and slightly tasted like a cross between a large apple and pear with a slightly perfumed, honeyed taste. The culinary variety is often a pale gold and to my mind a beautiful fruit. I love a bowl of them in the kitchen instead of flowers and they last ages. I make membrillo sometimes or roast or stew. Membrillo is a nightmare to do but lasts a year, tastes better than anything you can buy anywhere and at a tiny fraction of the cost. They can’t be eaten raw and take a long time to cook when they go a sort of dark pink. I only really buy them once or twice a year. You can add a single one to say apple pie for an amazing taste. Not that we are having any of that at the moment! Tbh they are slightly a pain and I mainly buy them for their beauty. Have made quince bandy with them this year.

The thing I would really like to make are marron glace. I adore them but they are wildy expensive and very cheap to make but the complete faff it would involve has always put me off, maybe after retirement eh? LOL.

Have a good day all. Fasters stay strong. We are worth the effort!