2nd Post

@flourbaby Lol. We were in Southern Ireland, somewhere near Tipperary, in the beautiful countryside. Just walking along a narrow path which meandered through a sunny meadow with trees, bushes, flowers etc. Idealic. Then we felt a rumble, then heard a rumble. Instinctively we both jumped from the path into the bushes, which turned out to be thorny! Micro second later a stream of cows/bullocks stampeded past us. I dread to think what would have happened if we hadn’t taken evasive action. I feel nauseous thinking about it.

On a happier note another place we visited in Southern Ireland was quite magical. Things placed on the floor went uphill! Really. It was said that it was something to do magnetic fields and the place was the polar opposite of a similar place in Australia. Also when we drove back down the same hill the brakes momentarily failed. True story.

I have since revisited Southern Ireland and returned unscathed 🙂

Today’s planned menu has been changed. Woke cold, queasy, very tired, slightly dizzy and off balance. So I have had an early lunch rather than late. I just had to eat 2 slices of gluten free bread (small slices) slathered in mashed avocado. Delicious it was too. Total cals today will still be 800 or there about.

Peace & Love.

Day 7 UK F800
Just lost a long post where I merrily chatted to most of you with comments on your posts! Arrrgh 😩 Off to the opticians in a moment so can’t repeat it. Never mind. My Spanish meal last night was amazing and I ate every morsel! No mindfulness at all. Never mind back on it today.
Hope you all have a happy and successful day,

Day 7, Rocky Mountains, US, FD 800

Yesterday was a snow day. University was closed because of the weather. That meant DH was home and could take care of the snow.

Off soon to the court house volunteering at the National Trial Competition as expert witness. I am playing a toxicologist for the defense. It will be exciting and fun.

Have a good Thursday everyone! 😊😊😊

Day 7: Gloucestershire, UK: NFD
Bit more relaxed at work today, mail down on yesterday, so took one hour less to deliver….only slightly under five hours!! Also I was down to train someone, which has (luckily) gone by the board as we’re short-staffed again. I prefer to work alone…

@foodfreedomgirl: welcome back. I also fell off the wagon completely….but keep tagging along in hope.
@annemarilyn: I probably do get dehydrated at work….toilet-stops being not readilly available, it’s a bit risky to drink too much! I always drink a couple of glassfuls when I get home, as besides being starving, I’m also parched!
@judyjudes: Scary, just SCARY!! Phew… My daughter works with cattle (she’s a dairy research scientist) and I wonder why she’s not scared of them, they could be killers if the mood takes them.

3rd Post

@daffodil2010. Yes I think these cows were in single file. We heard and felt them before we saw them. We didn’t see them until they were running past us. No signs that we saw either. Yes it was proper scary.

On another note. It’s all gone belly up today. I had toast & avocado for an early lunch. I had intended to have steamed veg and 1 low carb sausage for evening meal. However my lovely other half had to pop out earlier and brought gluten free fish & chips back. Bless him, he said he knew I was very tired and he was saving me from having to cook. So I know I’m over 800 (hopefully not much over, only ate half portion) but definatley not over TDEE. So would this be a controlled day?

Peace & Love

Day 7 Eastern WA USA- FD

On my phone in the waiting room while my car gets an oil change. If someone puts together a pocket list, please add me. After having an NFD yesterday, I’m on a 48 hour fast now.
Getting ready for a 2 -3 week road trip as I head down to Arizona and Texas to get my bones warmed up. Also I look forward to connecting with family and friends. One thing I’m also hoping to do is stop by Waco, TX to see all things Magnolia. Some of you may have heard of Chip and Joanna Gaines of “Fixer Upper”. I love those guys. Maybe I”ll find a birthday gift for my adult son. He likes them too.

@ciren2 – I can see why finding a restroom is a challenge in your job. I wish you well in your journey.

@daffodil2010 – I bet your dad appreciated your helping him visualize things. Sounds like a mutually encouraging time.

Not sure what my plan will be to enjoy the holiday while trying not to undo what hard fought progress I’ve made.

Glad we’re on the journey together.!

Day 7 – USA – NFD

@arelkade, good to “see” you, also @steffieagle! @daffodil2010, glad you are able to make Dad’s dream of being mobile a reality; @annemarilyn, kudos on your long fast! I only kept from eating for 22 hours, but noticed upon eating, oh my…very queasy and what I ate did not stay with me for long, if you get my drift. I wonder if my habit of eating quickly may have something to do with it?

2nd post
Really struggled this evening. OH decided to go to the pub with a friend so I was very tempted to have a glass of wine whilst he was out. I did not do it! Yeah! I read through the forum again and stopped myself. A cup of green tea did the trick. Sooo happy I didn’t succumb. I made prawn and pesto pasta for supper but decided to forgo the pasta part! OH was only too pleased to have the extra carbs. His weight means he can eat it and still loose weight. It’s weigh in day for me tomorrow and I’m not expecting a very good result so I wanted to give myself the best chance possible. We’ll see tomorrow!
@songbirdme I do hope you stay safe in the horrid weather you’re having.
@daffodil2010 You are being so kind and loving to your father. It is such a difficult time for you all. I went through something similar two years ago. It has made my relationship with my father so much stronger and I know he is deeply greatful for what the family did for him. Stay strong.
@redrockgirl302 what an intriguing post! What is the National Trial Competition all about? Are you role playing or are you an actual toxicologist? It sounds fascinating!
@foodfreedomgirl welcome and good luck. You’re in a great place for encouragement and support.
@judyjules your cow story sounds terrifying! I love cows as long as I’m in a different field to them…my OH always laughs at me when we come across them. He says he never sees me move so fast to get past them. 😬
@michelinme good advice. I’ve saved this as I go along.
@arelkade your family get together sounds wonderful. I hope you have a lovely weekend.
@metatauta I hope you’re feeling better soon.
See you all tomorrow

Day 8 New Zealand FD
Had a good fast day yesterday, just what I needed to get me started again. Lovely sunny day here (Sorry Northern Hemisphere Fasters). Working today to make up for having time off earlier in the week (Friday is usually my day off). Looking forward to the weekend to catch up on household chores (that doesn’t sound very exciting does it?). Also planning on a bike ride and doing some walking. Am doing a challenge in late February 15.5km walk, mainly beach and hills, I have done it twice before and hope to better my previous times. Have a great day everyone

Day 7 Ohio, US — FD(#50)

Ran an experiment today to see if there would be any difference between an original FD and the MFD. And actually not all that much. So I think (at least at the moment) I’ll return to the original 5:2 plan. Did yoga first thing this morning and it got the day off to a good start, even with the steady rain and fog that lasted until this evening when 45 mph winds started blowing and will continue throughout the night. Well, tomorrow is another day!

@wacm Thanks for mentioning having a great sunny day. It helps to remember here, even in February, “Summer is coming!”

@diggly Congratulations on holding firm. Green tea tastes better (IMHO) than wine any day!

@arelkade Hope you had (when you read this) a great weekend with your family. It sounds like a perfect time with people you love.

Enjoy the day!

Day 8 – Ireland – CD
Dry til Fri February (weekends are too busy!) Sugar free.
Bread and Crisp clampdown🤞

Forced myself out on my bike last night was so happy once I got out… 25km on hills which felt good even though it got quite cold in the moonlight. I love it!

A controlled day yesterday and another one today. Hoping this weekend doesn’t derail me..
@at I’ll be back over in Morzine/Avoriaz in March. I know the area quite well but mostly from hiking in the summer months.. skied a couple of weekends there years ago but that’s it…so looking forward to it and need to get ski/board fit before I go…
Welcome to the February challenge @neilithicman!
@arelkade enjoy your time out of busy life .. it sounds divine.
@michelinme there is nothing better than an accidental FD… well done!
@diggly – well done on getting through the temptation 😇
@debster251 have fun in the sun ☀️

Onward and downward ⬇️

Day 8 Herefordshire UK FD
I know it must have been awhile since I last looked in here as you’ve all moved on two pages and it was day 4! Apology for being absent more than present and engaged.

I don’t know where the days have gone and I seem to have hit a brick wall of exhaustion. OH hating having to do DIY in the new house and I’m fed up having to hold his hand whilst doing it. Took us a whole afternoon to put up a blackout blind for our bedroom, what with his dread of drilling and my numerical dyslexia, fitting and cutting the blind was an awful ordeal and one we need to repeat two more times, aaaagh!
Will try an FD today, missing my soup and salad!
Hope everyone is doing better than me.
Ta x

Day 8. UK. Fast800

Good Morning All

After my menu changes yesterday I’ve changed the spreadsheet entry to a CD. I slept much better but feel stuffed and over full. I Will get in a 24hr fast today. I shut my belly at 18:00hrs yesterday and today will be OMAD. This evening we are dining out with family and want to compensate for yesterday’s feast. Hopefully I won’t have done too much damage. Although I dare not weight as I feel ‘heavy’ and stuffed.

I feel that if you deviate and eat over Fast800, the impact is instant. Even with immediately returning to Fast800 it is not so instant at coming off again iyswim and won’t disappear overnight. I think it’s more to do with increased carbs/glycogen stores/water weight than actual laid down fat. But those processes takes days to reverse (as I well knew from having a Biryani last weekend). I suppose being informed is half the battle.

@arelkade your weekend activities sound awesome! Enjoy 🙂

Right I’m off for a nice Beetroot tea. It’s a Tea Pigs one called ‘Up Beat’. Allegedly gives you energy 🙂

Have a great weekend everyone.

Peace & Love

Day 8 – Perth AUS – 800???
Day 7 – 800

Today the wagon had wheels made from Arnotts Mint Slice biscuits, so I ate two, and the wagon crashed into a chocolate brownie so I ate that too. Think I might still be around 800-900 cals, haven’t sat down to think it through. Things are super busy and it’s making me snack-eat which it turns out is a super slippery sugary slope to be on. Better not eating at all, but for some reason I think I ‘need’ to because I’m so run off my feet…? Poor excuse in hind sight. I still haven’t had time to go through all the posts properly, but skim read a few pages… hopefully I will have a chance at some point because there is always great inspiration, recipes and advice, but things are just hectic… so I hope no one else has been eating the wheels off the wagon! Mmm actually I like those wagon wheel biscuits too… chocolate, bit of jam, marshmallow, soft biscuit… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUST STOP!

Take care all, and please do better than I am!

Day 8 Ireland NFD

Planning to be fairly careful with food choices today but looking forward to eating as normal Saturday and Sunday.
This week I have been thinking about calories a lot and checking labels on everything, something I hadn’t done in years. I know it’s good to be aware of what is in the food I’m eating and was actually shocked at how many calories are in the handfuls of salted peanuts I had been eating regularly everyday!!! Not to mention the sugary cereals, “healthy” granolas etc…..
But I don’t really want to obsess about it either especially at the weekend!
Hope everyone having a good Friday

Day 8 Canton OH Fast800

Day 4/21 Day challenge
Day 3 progress report
Steps: 13,893
TRE: 16:8
Calories: 900

I am more feeling less draggy today, but I have that weird feeling that comes with fasting, can’t quite describe it- empty but not hungry inflamed feeling? I can literally feel the fat burning away, and lucky for me the first fatty area that melts is usually my tummy. Let’s hold fast to that. I stepped on the scale for a quick and dirty idea of where I am weight wise and I appear to have lost 4 pounds, mostly water weight I bet but still quite gratifying. I also went on a run this morning and almost froze my face off – yowzer! Winter is back!!!

The weekend will be a true test of this challenge, and I have to be prepared. It’s a no brainer for me to practice TRE during the week but on weekends, I have to make an effort. The greatest reward will be waking up on Monday and NOT having to undo all the damage I did over the weekend. That my friends will feel really sweet.

@emma1202 you said it! Sometimes all or nothing works, but other times you just gotta do what you gotta do 🙂 It’s actually been much easier for me to maintain a steady calorie rate of 800/day than doing the 5:2 at 500 calories on FD. I am also not as cold as I usually am on my 500 cal days. I would like to understand the science behind this. Anyone?

@elektron we can all attest that we have had days like that, consider that there was a time when most of your days were about eating the wagon and the wheels, but now that counts as a slip up not the norm which equals progress

@daffodil2010 I wish you the best day ever with your dad and siblings

@judyjudes I concur, being informed is half the battle and enjoy your energetic Beetroot tea

@diggly congrats on your changing shape, again progress!

Pocket list day 8
@snowflake56
@neilithicman (800)
@wacm
@dykask (WFD)
@matpi
@dingping
@judyjudes Fast800
@elektron Hang on!
@basyjames Fast800

Hold fast everyone 🙂

Day 8 UK CD

Yesterday swerved back into an excellent CD at around 950 calories, I’ll take that. Also pleased to have drunk plenty tho I’m increasingly realising that, like sleep before midnight, a litre of fizzy water towards the start of the day sets me up much better than a flood later on! 🙂

First week of this challenge has been good, with 2FDs, one MFD and 3CDs. I seem to have begun good habits across the board with sleep, yoga & meditation and they all feed into each other…esp when I’ve put in the time to prepare. I was SOOOO tired last Sat making vegetable stews, but now I’m unbelievably grateful to my Past Self for making the effort!

Today’s weekly weigh day shows me 1lb down to 145.5lb, almost back to my November plateau & only 2.5lb above my pre-Christmas low. Also 0.5″ off my waist this week, HWR 0.45 & BMI 23.5. Numbers are moving in the right direction and I’m feeling good – now I need to keep it up.

It seems I do much better avoiding carbs who knew?! (ME obvs…I just don’t want it to be true!!) I’m coming to realise that if i want to be healthy and not carry extra weight carbs will have to be a once or twice a week treat, visitors into my veg, protein, 16:8 or OMAD routine. It is what it is, and I have clear choices as to how I use that knowledge.

I find myself looking around at friends in their 40s and 50s with new eyes. There’s a real mix of energy and lifestyles. Many have gained substantial weight because they haven’t changed anything, continued eating at the rate they did in their 30s but less active and not alive to the change in their bodies’ needs. And those who have made substantial changes in lifestyle – taking up exercise or other activity, adopting different approaches to eating from mindfulness to veganism. I’m looking compassionately but also wanting to introduce them to fasting.

OK, back to the grind…

Wishing you all well, whatever your day or weekend brings. Here’s to healthy choices and balanced lives – stronger together x

Day 8 – Eastern WA USA – NFD

Skimmed through posts but needing to get packed and on my journey. Will be gone 2 – 3 weeks, so not sure how much I’ll be able to tune in to the forum. The scale gave me a nice send off with a new low by .2 lbs this morning. I’ll try to keep to TRe of 18:6 as much as possible and make thoughtful indulgences (if they’re worth it). This is a hard fought journey but I also want to give myself permission to enjoy something as I connect with family and friends.

Until later forum friends!

Day 8: Gloucestershire,UK: NFD
Got another soaking at work…rained ALL the delivery….that’s five hours (but also most of last night as well. Wet and stormy.
@cornish-jane: I think bullocks do it for a laugh. I remember years ago, as teenagers, we were on a walk in the country with our “elderly” (she must have been getting on for 60!) geography teacher, when a herd of bullocks decided to chase us. Teacher told us to remain calm and keep walking towards the gate at the far end. Briskly.
Some of the girls got a bit panicky and after a short time our pace quickened considerably as we made for that gate. The bullocks saw where we were heading and, bellowing, as a group, charged to the gate and blocked it!! We were cut off…(I’m sure they were laughing) thinking quickly, all of us, as one, including our “ancient” teacher, took a flying leap over the barbed wire fence at the side, just as they came running back to stop us!
It was a public footpath through that field too!
DD, the dairy scientist, would scoff at this…!

2nd post

not in the mood for a FD, changing it into a NFD.

@diggly had to look up rolling fog from Little Green, it seems to be grey. My cousin in Canada has grey walls combined with yellow ones. I loved it, I have yellow walls, never tried grey. I like flower wallpaper, one of our rooms on the top floor has a lovely British wallpaper with small roses on it. Now the bedroom walls are yellow, I don’t like the combination with the blue walls in the adjacent sitting room. I feel like I’m in an IKEA store, which I’m not very fond of. The sitting room wil be yellow also.

@debster251 we have a colorful house, we also have cherry red (kitchen), rectory red (dining room), pitch blue (living room) and aloe vera (library/music room). On the outside of the house all the ironwork is in ultramarin, we seem to be the only ones to like it. I love the colors of Farrow & Ball.

@songbirdme, @annemarilyn and @steffieagle thanks for clearing up what half and half means. You can buy something like that here, but we always have real cream.

@arelkade and @foodfreedomgirl welcome back!

@daffodil2010 how good you explained the new layout of the house to your Dad, have a wonderful day tomorrow, enjoy being together. x

@neilithicman welcome!

@dingping what can I say, HUSBANDS! I’m decluttering the house under huge protest from the OH. I’m behaving like an obsessive compulsive cleaner and rant like a British cook, but I get a lot done!

@rainbowsmile and @bert1802 I miss you both!

Pocket list day 8
@neilithicman (800)
@wacm
@dykask (WFD)
@dingping
@judyjudes Fast800
@elektron Hang on!
@basyjames Fast800
@redrockgirl302 (800)

Have a nice day/evening everyone!

Day 8 second post

@annemarily travelling mercies to you – have a lovely time with your family and the sunshine x

Day 9 Wellington, NZ, EFS!!

I think I have been stress eating with the family here. The main thing I have been biting is my tongue, however, as my daughter-in-law’s possessiveness of the grandson is tiring. She won’t leave him alone for a second and even our son barely gets a look in. I don’t want to start a long vent here (I’ve been doing that enough to my friends!) suffice to say, while it was lovely to have them here as they live so far away, it was nice when they left too!!!!

I went to yoga this morning and when I came home I lay down and slept for 3 hours – where did that come from??

Dinner at friends’ tonight and I shan’t even try to be mindful- I will be F800 from tomorrow til the two weddings nest Friday and Saturday.

Sorry for the negativity, but you are all so good at listening 🙂

Day 8 NFD Central Coast California.
Oh so lovely: I got to eat today. Because I had a terrible week last week of constantly gaining. So this week this week I worked on simplifying my diet and just having soup and a salad on FD, and I spread them apart one meal at 1 or 2 in the afternoon and the other around 5/6 and I seemed to manage to lose about 3 pounds this week. Today I was invited out for lunch and ate a glorious baguette with veggies, so very yummy, and the I got home I had an 1/2 acorn squash with no sugar ( which I actually dislike,) just butter , garlic and a few spices, then salad , and a mostly veggie soup with chicken added, oh and a glass of wine and now I’m stuffed, it feels as if my capacity for food is shrinking, which I love! I’ll see in the morning if I gained anything from actual bigger meals. I’d be interested to know if anyone is having anymore luck with a keto, full fat diet? I still find that a bit difficult but I do love butter and cheese, which I have mostly cut out. I don’t really have a sweet tooth, however I know my sugar fix is a glass of wine a night!
I’ve been lax on the exercise because of the rain but have weight training in the morning. and because of the weather of rain and cold, I’ve done no hiking nor Kayaking. I’m looking forward to summer which is cold and foggy but at least about 62 degrees most of the time.
I’m so enjoying these emails, I read through them all at once so in the end I don’t remember who said what, but the compassion and care is really lovely. The cow stories make me laugh, In Scotland we used to hike through the fields and the young bullocks would come scampering towards us but we would just hold our arms out and kind of charge them and they would scatter, but I won’t go into a field with Bulls! Somehow I think there is no such fear in them. But still I smile with these stories. Thanks to all of you for sharing your struggles and triumphs, also a treat to hear a gripe for once! Sometimes it seems everyone is living such a perfect life that this was a relief to hear.
Hope this weekend is wonderful for you all

Day 9 Herefordshire U.K. Hopeful FD!

Yesterday’s FD was going fine until I had a difficult and challenging phone call from my mum which left me emotionally drained and frustrated, had to try and stay neutral but supportive over a neighbour dispute she’s having and wants to escalate. End result I ate my emotions… need I say more!
Trying for an FD today but after a heavy carb fest yesterday post phone call I know it’s going to be challenging in more ways than one, fingers crossed.

@snowflake56, @debster251 & @diggly – Catching up on paint discussion – I like having a soothing home, a refuge and place of calm amongst life’s turmoils, so colour choices are important to me as well as it looking comfortably ordered and clutter free, but don’t open my cupboards!
I’m not very daring with colours tend to go with neutral colours with colourful soft furnishings, though @snowflake56 we did have an eating room red (F&B) dinning room (purple/red) which I loved. @diggly love your rolling fog, in our old house we used a similar colour palette. Here in our new but old house the previous owners painted most walls a F&B grey – Purbeck Stone. I didn’t mind it when looking to buy the house but it’s everywhere and on these grey winters days with low light it’s a bit much and in the lounge our sofa colours don’t gel with it. Thinking of painting something on the lines of a greyish cream.
The blackout blind fitting went faster and smoother second time around but the third didn’t happen as we/I picked up an inappropriate size for the window from that we’ll know Swedish store. So two steps forward and one step back (possibly many more) as swapping it will be a 160 mile round trip to the nearest store – the joys of country living!
@arelkade – lovely to see your early posts again and your planned w’end sounds heaven, re booting the future happy memory bank.
@annemarilyn – enjoy the sunshine
@missybear – I missed your b’day but hope the celebrations were joyful and you have a fantastic year.

I really need to re think my approach to this way of life, must find time/make time to read Fast 800 book and work out what’s best for me. I know and understand a lot of the science behind fasting, low carb etc but implementing it is another matter when it gets personal! @michelinme I think we’re struggling with the same disconnect!!

Have a good day everyone.

Day 9 Pocket List
@dingping

Day 9 – Ireland – NFD

I’ve had a good fasting week with more FDs than I have ever done and am about to get up to face this wild day here and to do my weekly weigh in but am reluctant as feel I should have lost a little and will be a little bit bothered if I haven’t… 🙄…
Body and mind feel good – much better than before.
I’m working on eliminating food that makes me feel foggy and tired and I definitely think that’s working.
Trying accupunture and some very light yoga with Adriene too – thanks to those who mentioned her videos in YouTube…
can I ask if any of you have had issues with electrolyte imbalance? For most of my 30s and 40s I have felt very dehydrated and wake up in the morning feeling very tired… I mentioned this here before and to many doctors/consultants but I have two auto immune conditions so it gets muddled up in all of that and docs find it hard to see past those…spent a lot of 2018 trying to get to the bottom of it but no real change (other than a lighter wallet 😂)…
I do drink a lot of water💦. @michelinme I think it was you who mentioned that you drink a litre of water when you wake… I have tried that too. So have been trying to get the bottom of that also with a complementary health practitioner and it looks like I may have an electrolyte imbalance. So.. i’m wondering if anyone is in the same boat and if so, what do you take to help?

Hoping to have a nice meal with a friend who is going through a rough patch tonight…will stay on the dry for this weekend but looking forward to good food.

Wishing you all the very best for the day ahead…
Onward and downward ⬇️