Helen – I have been on this forum for just over 2 weeks I think and got some really good hints and tips. One of them was the MyFitnessPal app. I am using it religiously now as you can surf the web for calorie calculations, put in your own recipes, keep a record of your favourite foods as well as keep a record of your calorie intake each day without having to do the hard head work and add it up yourself. It took me a couple of days to work it out but I watched the help video and from then have been hooked. Hope this is what you are looking for. ….JJxxx

Thin – Just found Kikkoman low salt soy sauce at woolworths online store 600ml for $8.15.
….JJ xxx

Thin (and others)thank you for your support and wishes in my running the 10k Run Melbourne! I am only now catching up on the plethora of posts and the booming newbies on Southern Hemisphites! I completed the 10k,not in record time but just the fact I’m ‘back on the road’ is a huge accomplishment for me.. Thanks be to MM and my own perseverance.. Could not have done it carrying another 18kilos around..I figure I will register (officially) for a run every 3 months or so to keep focus then I just HAVE to do it! Following that, we had visitors from WA her for a week (birthdays) so fell off the 5:2 bandwagon .. Back on again as I know this works! Thin, I loved what you said about ‘Intellectualising’ about why you overate but never being able to overcome it..how true .. So perseverance and belief will get you there in the end to those just starting on the 5:2 road!

Morning all you wonderful 5:2ers!

Yabba Dabba Dooo I’ve hit the 62’sssss….she said quietly (ok, maybe not so quietly) leaping around the bathroom. Got up early (OH still asleep-but not for long!) cos I had a little feeling that today might be the day. Now 62.7 with 8.1kg gone! Soooo happy, and this was a major goal for me….almost to wriggle room/maintenance.

So to all our newbies, you can see that this CAN be done. Like so many on our thread, I’ve been overweight since I was a kid, yoyo dieting all that kind of thing. I was never really big, but always around 10kg too heavy because as a shorty 165cm, it not so easy to carry it off. I don’t enjoy exercising….the sweaty, jumping around type, but my beautiful Charlie has helped drag me out walking every morning and most aftns, which I now really enjoy.

So, thank you, thank you, to everyone on here. There’s no question that I would not be here without your hints, tips, support and friendship. A special mention to Thin…..you’ve got no idea how much of this I owe to your support & guidance. Thanks mate!

So, happy Friday everyone. I hope you all have a great weigh-in and a fabulous Friday. Love youse all! CM xx

Congratulations CM 🙂 and well done everyone else. Have a top weekend folk. P

Woo hoo Well done CM. That is fantastic news. I am so excited for you.

And Thin, well done on your PB as well.

You two are massive inspirations.

HIA – wow, if I break out into a little jog to the post box, I’m pleased with myself!! Congratulations on your run

EA xxxx

Nik, another great result. Wow, that a big loss in a short time….you must have been really determined. Well done you and I’m sure you’ll make your goal. I didn’t know fruit teas could actually damage your teeth….better off without them then, I guess. There are so many herbals out there anyway, I enjoy mixing it up a little…or if you’re so inclined you could start growing something in the herb patch and making your own little concoctions! Lots of ideas online.

There must be something to this longer fasting window. I might give it another try…although I find it so difficult missing bfst with OH scoffing his! Any tips?

Freya & EA, how are you both now? Feeling 100% or still got some of the dreaded lurgy hanging around? Miserable kind of day today?

OH & I are just back from the doctors for his final checkup of that leg wound. Finally, its pretty good & no more dressings needed – he really made a mess of it. It happened during our last coffee meetup….so think I’ll just have to lock him up next time we get together, just in case!

HI there Big Col and welcome to the nut house. Not really. I get a lot eye rolling when 5:2 comes up at home so, yes, better that you have a yak with us about it. Although, you’ll probably find your friends will be more than interested to learn more as that weight continues to drop off you. Good job so far. Please do tell us a bit more about yourself, especially where you’re located because us west coasters are always looking for new coffee recruits.

Thanks all, pleased Mr CM is all better. Maybe you should bring him along next time…..

That’s great news Nik. You’re on track for your 10 kgs goal – where are you going on your hols? Didn’t know about the herbal teas – another thing to investigate.

Hi Big Col, yeah we’re all totally sane here!! Its great that you have a buddy to keep you company with 5:2. Good luck!

Ok, here’s another one for this wet cold drizzly Friday…I think that’s why Thin is around today. Not torturing the mutt with one of her 5km walks! Has anybody used turmeric milk or golden paste? It looks really fascinating and now that we use milk kefir, I’m looking at other good things to use. Apparently its a great anti-inflamatory/anti-bacterial and I’m thinking about using it for painful hands due to a bit of arthritis – thanks to my Mum! Also supposed to be healing for all sorts of other things and makes a great face mask too! Bonus…its used a lot in ayuvedic medicine. Any comments?? CM xx

Congratulations CM and Thin, you are my heroes.

My daughter has made some kefir for me she used raw sugar, mint leaves and a quarter of a lemon. She usually puts in dried mango. It tastes a little like ginger beer. How do you make yours?

Great to see more and more newbies joining the mad bunch.

Only lost 100 gms after my FD but hopefully will see better results tomorrow

Ha! Everyone wants to be a comedian!!! No face-mask photos going on here thank you! No Thin, the Hairy One has not been for walkies today cos he’s tucked up in bed….poor baby is cold! Will try later if this weather clears. Here’s a link to Golden Paste http://www.turmericlife.com.au/ Its really interesting and thought you might like something ELSE to read up on, now I’ve got you onto kefir! Your OH is gonna kill me! I’m going to the organic shop this aftn to try and find some turmeric powder to get me started. I’ll probably have orange fingernails when I see you next. x

It could be “water kefir” that Intesha’s daughter is making. Thin, the grains look more translucent/clear than the milk kefir grains we use – our’s look like little cauliflower florets, Intesha. You can’t ferment water kefir with milk or vis-versa. You can look water kefir up too Thin, as you don’t seem to be busy this arvo! Knowing you, you already have!

Hi all
We have milk kefir every day. Mr P feels it is the main reason his various stomach complains have settled and he is able to consume almost anything.
I had read about the great things turmeric does, too, CM. I bought turmeric root and keep it in the freezer. I grate it into food when I’m cooking. Warning though, it REALLY stains chopping boards. 🙁 P

Wow I have just finished reading all the posts on here since I last logged in.

Firstly, I would like to congratulate all who have posted great losses today after yesterday’s FD. I am so pleased for all of you. It seems that so many people had a good FD. I am a little jealous of course but really feel happy for you. Well done!!

Secondly, Welcome to the newbies. I only new here too but in the last 2-3 weeks have had so much support and help you will soon learn that the fasters on this forum are dedicated to support you with any question you may come up with, so dont be shy, ask away.

I am going to post this now as I had a long post before then lost it!

So today I woke up with a sore throat and had been coughing most of the night. Decided on having another FD as only have to put liquid down the throat, so far so good.

This cough is very chesty so I have to watch myself as last year ended up with pneumonia while my husband was overseas. Doctor wanted to put me in hospital as it would not budge and I had partially collapsed lung. Ended up in bed for a fortnight with my eldest daughter looking after the younger one. Dont want to do that again!!
Weight today was still under the 80’s so still happy!! Did not do the multiple weigh ins today.

Hope everyone has a great weekend…………JJxxxx

With our Cherry Blossom theme in mind I will give you the recipe for Yakitori (grilled chicken)

2 x Chicken skinless breast cut into bite size pieces
Bamboo skewers
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin wine
about 1 inch of grated ginger (or one tablespoon of grated ginger from a jar)
2 cloves crushed garlic (or one tablespoon of crushed garlic from a jar)

Thread the chicken onto the bamboo skewers. you can also add sping onion pieces or mushrooms if you want to.

marinate in the soy. mirin, ginger and garlic.

cook on BBQ grill or in frypan.

calories will depend on the weight of the chicken and which soy sauce/mirin you use.

Hope you enjoy!!

Hi Coast

Drink lots of water. If necessary put a slice of lemon or lime in it. Remember to rinse afterward and swallow the plain water to prevent damage to teeth. Don’t drink anything with sugar or sweetener in it. That also seems to start the munchies off. By the afternoon if still feeling very munchie minded, then I would eat a fresh apple. Or some raw carrots or celery.

Cheers, Bay 🙂

Hi everyone. I have just stumbled on this thread. I have toyed with 5:2 but am committing to it starting Monday. I have researched and read everything I can lay my hands on and this gets the nod hands down. I am on the Gold Coast.

Oh my goodness, this forum is crazy… Crazy good! Congrats to everyone who had achievements this week, so many did, it’s heartening and inspiring 😀 Every time I mean to congratulate though, there are so many new posts I get bogged down in all the reading, haha.

Welcome to the new newbies too, Col, I can totally sympathise with you on the pain of a hangover fast, I did one this week too and it was unpleasant in all kinds of ways! However, I did feel particularly proud of myself for not throwing in the towel that day!

CM, I have never tried kefir, but I have tried turmeric in plain hot water with honey to help PMS symptoms. I wasn’t religious enough about it to say I noticed a difference, but I do really like the taste and colour! It’s nice in a milky smoothie too. I do know that its therapeutic benefits have been backed by scientific studies so I’d say it’s worth a shot! I really like that everyone on this forum seems to know of and/or tried all these funky foods that I hear about and dabble with that nobody in my real life world ever knows about, it’s refreshing.

Oh, and on that topic, I finally tried the konyakku noodles! The texture made me think of eating a jellyfish (though somehow not in an unpleasant way!?) and they went pretty well in the soup I made. Super filling so overall worth buying again 🙂

To add to everyone else’s, my two bits of good news for the week were firstly that I have figured out how to combat the insomnia (eating the full allowance of 500 cal, and all in the evening, and to include both protein and whole grain carbs). I did a first dinner of soup at 6 pm and second dinner of egg on toast at 9 pm and had a fantastic sleep! Secondly, it seems I have lost weight too. Down from 65 to 63 kg this morning. All round good!

Have a happy weekend everybody!

CharlieG, you don’t sound too good, love. Take it easy, FDs will be there when you feel like it, so don’t stress about it. Get yourself well again and take good care. Love from Charlie Dog too! CM xx

Checking in:

Tightened watchband 1 hole this week.
BMI has hit normal! Yay!

Thinking of you Charlie G. Stay warm.

Hobbit dinners Gatsby, how clever. 1st and 2nd dinners. 5:2 is so adaptable to individual needs. Love it.

Cheers all, and hang in till you get the hang of it newbies,
Merry

There are some very good results coming through – well done, everyone. Welcome to the newbies, it’s a great place to be, and you will soon be on track with the fasting techniques that suit you best. We are all individual, but that’s the great thing about this WOL.

Do get better soon, JJ and CharlieG, make sure you take care of yourselves. The turmeric milk sounds interesting, will try it tonight as I have a bit of a sore throat again. But I should sleep okay, have been awake since 4 am! :_(

Great news, OH is starting 5:2 (again) on Monday. He’s a very fussy eater, so I am suggesting a two-egg omelette for breakfast, maybe a salad and banana for lunch, and in this weather (maximum of 8 degrees today!) soup for the evening meal. Any suggestions would be gratefully received. He drives a taxi, so it’s difficult for him to carry anything, cannot warm or chill food, so interesting times. I’m so pleased to have him on board. He did start in January, but went straight off when he was trying the regime of dietary supplements (which did nothing for him), and has been a bit slow coming around to the inevitable. But with me as a shining example he couldn’t resist forever. 😆

Sunday morning so it’s a FD for me with a couple of A&C coffees and a catch up of the posts. We’re having a hearty chicken & bacon casserole for dinner, 249 cals, it’s really tasty with leeks, red capsicum, ‘shrooms, parsnip. OFMs will have a serving of rice but it’s very filling on its own. I’ll try to continue last week’s effort of not eating all day.

Gatsby, glad you’ve conquered the insomnia with an egg on toast; I’ve been harping on about the egg before bed to keep hunger at bay for ages and I’ve just read that the protein contained in eggs has properties that are particularly satiating. Digesting protein requires more calories than digesting other nutrients so it’s a double bonus. Well done on the loss too.

Last night we had a restaurant meal which I’ve come to dread as they always seem to set me back so far on the scales. It was Indian so I had no naan bread and only a modest serving of rice but thoroughly enjoyed the three curries and even shared a small dessert with teen. Only 100gm damage this morning.

Thanks for the soy sauce info JJ. Hope you and CharlieG are soon on the mend.

SarahCan – welcome to you. You post got lost in a downpour. Let us know how you get on. And yes, you CAN!

Coastcat: I empathise but it’s really best to get out of the habit of snacking altogether if you can. The need for constant grazing is a myth promoted by food manufacturers in order to sell us more processed junk. Before the obesity epidemic, our parents’ mantra was “don’t eat in between meals”. I’ve learned that hunger is something that comes and goes in waves and doesn’t necessarily require food to get rid of it. Try distracting yourself from food by going for a walk, phoning a friend, having a bath, going to a movie or, as you say, have a dance around. Drink lots of water or black/green teas. If you still find you need more frequent food intake on a FD, plan ahead with three smaller meals – a low GI breakfast like 30g oats, berries will keep you going until lunch, a thick hearty soup will fill you up at lunch and then some protein for dinner. Anything you snack on has to be counted in your 500 allowance so it only makes sense to plan ahead.

Barata, nice for you that OH will re-join you with 5:2. Good luck to him.

CM, how’s the turmeric experiment working out? Looking forward to a dry walk today after all that rain yesterday.

Good morning everyone….well now midday here!!! did not realise it was so late.

I wanted to share the recipe for the salad I made last night. Yes it is a Japanese salad, but one that my husband really likes and requested it.

Wakame Salad (seaweed salad)

10g dried wakame (can buy in asian grocery and sometime called Fueru Wakame)
150g or so of lebanese cucumber (this is the closest cucumber we can buy that is like the Japanese ones)
20ml Ponzu (I talked about this before)
10 – 15 g Harusame (dried yam noodles) Calculated calories on 10g.

Put the dried wakame into a bowl and put cool water on top. It will need to be quite a lot of water as these little dried seaweed pieces will expand twenty times their size.

In a saucepan bring to boil water and once boiling put the Harusame noodles into it. It does not take long for them to “cook”. Usually only a couple of minutes until they are limp and transparent. When done drain and rinse in cold water.

Slice the cucumber paper thin and place in a bowl with a sprinkle of salt to draw out the moisture. I use a Bormer slicer to get it really thin.

The wakame should be ready by now so drain and squeeze out excess water. Squeeze the sliced cucumber and dispose of excess moisture, then add seaweed, wakame and harusame noodles to the one bowl.

Pour over the measured Ponzu for the dressing and mix all the ingredients so they are evenly blended together.

Salad is now complete so place in fridge to chill.

Using the measured amounts I calculated the calories to be 93 for the whole bowl of salad.

Can serve 4 – 6 people depending on how big a serve.

We had this with chicken and a homemade Greek style salad.

Hope some of you are willing to try this refreshing Japanese salad.

Barata, great to hear from you again. How was your trip to Cairns? Was it cold for you?? We had 9 degrees on Friday night which was a record cold for August for us for many years.