Hi Cinque and everyone,

No worries Cinque. You can absolutely hijack the lovely replies! You and I both know what it is to learn to live and survive with this long term. It takes guts to accept it, and be happy despite it, and I’m sure everone here will agree that you are an awesome lady Cinque. You have agreat attitude and you encourage so many people, including me.

Nap, I do remember you saying some thing a while ago about having a similar condition. I’m so sorry you are having to live with a similar condition. You may not know , but there are also at least 2 of our SHs through 2015 who have OFM(other family members) with ME/Cfs and/or Fibromyalgia, so you are not alone on here. There are at least 4 of us on this thread that know the reality of what you cope with. There is a ME/CFS thread on the forum but it is naturally slow given the nature of the chronic conditions we/they all live with. Some are not very mobile at all, which means they are further down the ME/CFS scale. Me, I’m nearly 18yrs along with this, and have gone from 5% functioning to 35% and I reckon with 5:2 and the weight loss I’m now 40-45% on the MEscale. I still need constant pacing and rest, and had done everything I could possibly do to maximise my health, with getting rid of my excess weight being the last thing I could do. It’s just 5kg to go to my normal weight. My doctors tell me that every 5kg lost brings an improvement in heart function. That’s certainly been the case with me losing 16kg and my cardiologist saying that my heart is working better than last year. ME/CFS does bring with it anomalies in cardiac functioning for a number of people, me included, so this was very good news.

Nap, I hope all this is encouraging for you. You’ve come so far and doing so well. Don’t let any daily occurances get you down. 5:2 works and will work for you long term. Just keep plugging away working out how you can work it into your lifestyle, and how you counter your OH’s chocolate sabotage. I got a tiny bit of that quite some time ago, but OH is fully on board with 5:2 now, and says he’s proud of me for perservering, and very happy about my improvement result.

Must go peeps,
Stay well, Ill be back whenever I can,
Onwards and downwards,
Merry

Hello there SH,

great sharing all your challenges and triumphs. Thank you so much, 5:hers.

can’t stay long.

Had a flat FD yesterday, i.e. not a good one. didn’t make bad choices except for the mixed nuts (50gms instead of none) and ate more of the good stuff than I should have.

Result: up 300gms – back to 11kg let go.

Will try for another FD on Friday.

An exam will keep me busy.

signing off,

Coast

Check-in at the end of another loooooong day…………

Morning weigh a la wake up, get up, loo call, naked weigh…..66.7, up 100gm from yesterday…. the scales flirted with 66.6, but flipped to 66.7 at the last moment.

Was going to be a FD today for OH and I, then lots of time spent at various financial institutions, talking with fraud depts of said financial institutions. Said fraud departments of said financial institutions talking to each other. Us and each of them talking with police, etc etc etc, on about day 5 of continuous stuff happening with the identity theft. Did you know that banks etc keep you on their records even after you’ve closed all accounts with them? I didn’t know either. So far we’re up to accounts opened fraudulently at 3 banks and 1 credit union, with 1 of those where our last contact with them was 40yrs ago. Decided to ditch the FD at 2.15pm as I was getting really tired, brain going round in circles, and we needed a real break, so shared a single plate meal in a funky cafe. Other highly charged stuff happening today with The-Great-FIL-Crisis, and we finally decided to take a couple of family members out for dinner. They bore the brunt of that crisis today while we handled the other situation. So, 4 of us went out this evening and had a nice meal and a night off from all the stress. We’ve shifted our FD to tomorrow instead. We find it helps in these capital L Life times to somehow put a humerous spin on it, so…anybody got a good silly name I can call the identity theft thing? I could call this week “16 Ways To Raise Your Blood Pressure!” 🙂 Anyway we had a lovely meal, laughed a lot. I had affogato for dessert – coffee poured over vanilla ice cream, and enjoyed every mouthful. That’s another thing to love about 5:2. You can happily climb off the horse as well as fall off it, and just get back on tomorrow!

Merry

Well said Intesha,

Merry, your attitude sounds amazing – you appear to be really handling this situation so well. Good on you!!!

Intesha, have a fabulous trip and write occasionally – you will be just fine – look k how much you have achieved in the last couple of years. Thanks Cinque – should be over by 3pm.

I am then catching up with a couple of old friends I haven’t seen in a year – should be nice. and then back into the writing!!!

Congrats for all the milestones, to each and everyone,
take care and happy FDs,
onwards and downwards……..

Coast

Hi Coast, just saw your post – Good luck with everything! Fine writing, and a clear mind are my good thoughts, wish and prayer for you today 🙂

re attitude, we’ve just had lots of practice, Could have done without it, but hey that’s life, and you are all very encouraging! Thak you all 🙂

Merry

Merry I hope the whole expletive business (only description that comes to mind) is over soon, and you can relax for Christmas.

Coast I hope the exam was a breeze, your friends were fun, and you are busy writing, writing, writing.

Intesha, what a fab year!

I’m enjoying my last whole day with little Josie. They fly back to Sydney tomorrow. Time for another cup of tea.

Fast Day tomorrow!

Morning, all. I hope you are all having a nice, sunny weekend – but not too hot!

Thanks for all the support – again. I didn’t realise there were a few people with ME/CFS and/or fibro on here.

Sorry you are going through such a rough time, Merry. I hope it is somehow able to resolve itself, and you can get through this.

Intesha, I am sorry to hear about your mum. I can only imagine how hard it must be to see that.

Coast, how did your exam go?

Cinque, imagine your sister worrying about you becoming anorexic, when, as you say, you are not even under your healthy weight! Yes, OH sometimes drives me nuts. We went shopping yesterday, and he asked about chocolate. I said “No, I don’t want any chocolate. Please don’t buy any”. So, we didn’t. BUT, we forgot something, so he went back in – and came out with my favourite chocolate! Hey, I resisted it last week (he ate the whole block) and I will do it again this week.

Weight wise, I had a better week. I weighed everything on non FD as well this week, kept in under 1300cals/day, did three FD and didn’t eat any junk – and the results showed. I weighed in at 88.2kg, so 2.1kg loss from last week ‘official’ weigh in. It isn’t maintainable, three FD week and keeping everything under 1300/day on non FD – but I needed to knock it on the head and show myself what I can do. This week, I am going to try and have two FD and still count calories.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Good morning SHers,

Weekly weigh in – 67.3kg up 0.2 on last Monday. Did 1 FD last week, . Yesterday we had scheduled Christmas morning tea, lunch with wider family at a club, and dinner at home. Had food off my low cal low GI list and a little Christmas treat at morning tea and at home in the evening when tired. I’m being philosophical and saying to myself that the day had a number of extended emotional challenges, but forgot the strategies for getting past these. Both OH and I are doing a FD today. Packing today for a couple of weeks away, seeing our kids and grandchildren for Christmas. We’ll be finishing the Christmas gift shopping when we get there. Housework will have to remain undone till we get back, but clean sheets will be on the bed and clean towels in the bathroom, and we’ve made sure the plants won’t die. Christmas lights, tree and decos still in boxes packed away, but grabbed a couple of cheap things and cheap wreath at $2 shop in passing, so there have been a few decos making the front door and living room more cheery.

Happy FD to all the fasters, here and overseas.
Merry

Hi I’m from Auckland NZ. Hope you don’t mind me jumping on the Southern Hemisphere page! Day 1 of fasting for me, although I have done the odd day over the last few months just to see what it is like. I hope to lose 13 kg over 2016, I intend this to be slow and steady and something I hope to maintain for the rest of my life. My friend’s husband lost 16kg in 3 months on this diet but from what I can see it tends to work more quickly for men ??

I find the best way for me to do it is drink only black coffee and peppermint tea until about 3.30 pm when I finish work. Then I will have my yoghurt, blueberries & ham at that time with my salad about 6pm. I find if I eat in the morning I am just starving all day. Seems a strange way of doing it I know but keen to hear what other people find works for them.

I have made it through our early family Christmas at the start of the month. They all have other halves and it is their year to have Christmas day with them. We enjoyed all the traditional meal even though it was in the high 30’s. Then a week of cooler weather and now back to the extreme heat again. Just trying to get the garden through the worst of it. There is some nice shade as trees are getting bigger. We should be in the 40’s by the end of the week.

All of the weight I put on with the Dinner has come back off again. It was a bit hard to get back into routine as I was suffering from sugar and grain high’s. I am still getting PB’s now down to 63 kgs. At the beginning of the year this figure was not even in my head as I had a mental block at 76 kgs. Anything now seems possible. It is good to see that everyone is enjoying the festivities.

Good morning, it’s a hot week here. ????
Nap so sorry to hear how your difficult time with your mum messed up your eating. Isn’t it the way. I am another person who had a problematic relationship with my mum, so I am very sympathetic. ( my mum died two years ago, and it was only then I really understood all the passive aggressive stuff that made our relationship so hard, )
Good luck looking after yourself, one day at a time. Those scales are up and down things! I hope they won’t be annoyingly up!

Hi GL, I feel for your garden, it will be a hotter week where you are, than here. The shade trees must be lovely. Congratulations for enjoying that Christmas lunch, and then working it off!

I need a good week of peace and quiet, but every day has things on and preparation to do and so many things I need to write on lists so I make sure I do them. Sigh! I will keep trying to be kind to myself.

Today will be nice though, going veggie shopping with my good friend. Coffee too,

Best wishes to you all ?????????

Hi All, welcome to AucklandMum and Pina,

Weight after FD 66,8, down 0.5 kg. Will be easier to do the 2nd FD this week I think. Have a special occasion to celebrate with someone – meal out, so will be doing the share or leave out dessert thing, no bread roll, lowest cal and GI thing, hold the potatoes rice and pasta, and remember to ask for extra salad and leave off the chips if we’re in that sort of place.

Auckland Mum, you’re well on your way with 5:2. The FDs get easier. These days I don’t eat till 6pm and have my cals in 1 meal. Lots of fluids incl pepp. Tea.

Pina, the difference on the 2 days for you would be the drop in calories, and FDs can be any food you choose. There are a number of people on the forum who’ve tried alternate day fasting and found it taxing.

Thanks Nap. Be gentle with yourself. It’s not as uncommon as you might think for a parent to be manipulating and passive aggressive, and sometimes openly aggressive. Despite the image we have in our heads about this wonderful ideal mum figure, it’s not always the case. It’s a challenge to balance the ideal image with reality for those with this sort of mother or father. Part of the answer is accepting they’re not capable of coming close to the ideal, and we set our selves up for failure if we expect them to stop the manipulation, keep as big a distance as possible, and give them as little info as possible. You’re not alone with this life challenge.

GL good to hear from you.bsounds like you’re going well.

Hi Cinque!

Cheers,
Merry

Hi Pina, welcome here!
The best thing about 5:2, for me, is the way it fits nicely into life, healthily and sustainably. I hope you find that too.

Best wishes for a really lovely special celebration Merry!

Intesha, best wishes for a wonderful trip. Say hello to the Northern Hemisphere! It sounds like you will be making healthy and delicious food choices! Isn’t it lovely when our bodies can tell us what they really want.

I was really struggling yesterday. I had a good shop with my friend, then made a huge tossed salad which was the first thing I ate all day (I really needed that shopping!) and then headed down to pick up my glasses. Took ages and I was starving when I got home. Had some toast and vegemite, and then realised that what I wanted was a handful of cashews. Ate that, and it turns out I was right, I really did want them. I felt good. Didn’t need to eat anything else, so it was a small window day. Really felt ‘myself’ again after the exhaustion of my darling visitors. Cashews must have had something in them I really needed.

I am starting today with asparagus and the last of the eggs from my sisters farm. Tomorrow I fast!

Morning All,

Bon Voyage Intesha, and have a wonderful holiday! Looking forward to your updates.

Cinque, hope today is much more restful and easier to pace. This time of year brings the extras that are lovely, but energy sapping as well. You’ve had lots of experience now with 5:2 and working it into your health needs. The farm eggs and asparagus sound delicious.

Nap,hope your day is going better today, and the symptoms begin to improve. As you say, Christmas, family, and times of change all contribute to stress, but it’s good you recognize each of these and are able to put strategies into place to help you get through this time. Sometimes it’s balancing the choice of something not the best over something that’s worse, as in your choice of not junkie takeaway. 5:2 is versatile enough that when we have these choices to make, we feel free to make them without guilt. 5:2 is still there today and tomorrow, through Christmas and afterwards. Making the least worst choice for a particular day of stress is valid. Those pesky scales will do what they’re told and smile at you as you “climb back on the horse”. You’re doing well.

For OH and I, our time of extreme attention to both crises has eased off enough for us to be taking a breather, and leaving things in the hands of the police, for that situation, and mostly in the hands of another family member in the other situation. We are away from home for awhile now and I will need to be even more aware of what I am eating when buying meals, and handling the bread, pasta, and other grain and sugary/fatty products at other people’s homes through the Christmas period. It is helpful to have OH fully committed to 5:2 as well. Celebration tonight, and today I’m washed out and just tired, not wanting to think or engage with others much. I could do some of the missing Christmas shopping but I’m not going to. 2 very late nights, well 1am and 2am bedtimes are not conducive to anything, except tiredness and a foggy brain. Time to top up the energy bank, for me.

I am still managing to keep losing the kilos depsite the extreme hot weather we have experienced for the last week. Should still be over 30’s till at least next Sunday. I am now down to 62.1kgs now within the last 10kgs normal weight range. Still classified as overweight. My conern now is to get my waist under 80cm. At the start of the year I was trending back up again and then rediscovered this program. After one false start at the beginning of year lost some weight then started again on the 1st of August. This is the only thing that has ever produced lasting results for me even in the shorter term. My daughter brought home one of my old sewing patterns from the 70’s where I was able to work out my size at 21. I was a 12 with 10 bottom. With todays sizes I would be all over the place. My children wonder why I hate clothes shopping.

The garden is taking a beating from the exteme heat. Hopefully it will come back after summer. I am only watering at the moment as it is to hot to do anything else outside. Even with the cooler on it is still too hot. With the winds yesterday the house is full of dust again. I just trying to keep the new plantings alive through summer hopefully we will then have normal winter rains. The last two winters rains have been 50% below average. Just another week of above 30 degrees to get through, however the tomatoes and sweet corn seem to enjoying it as they have doubled in size.

Hi GL and Cinque,

Hope the heat passes asap, and your plants appreciate the attention you’re giving them. Congratulations on your continued loss GL . Going well. I think you made the comment that seems to be the difference between 5:2 and anything else. 5:2 produces lasting results! I think it’s easier to do as well. Cinque, 6kg, that’s fantastic. Congratulations!

We’re away from home now, and over the last few days we’ve had several celebration meals in various situations. This last week my 2nd FD ended up well over 500 cals, more likely 1000, with a surprise sepecial meal when we arrived after a long days travel. Today I’m going to the supermarket to get some of the foods I use as staples for my 5:2. No need for celebratory foods now till Christmas Day and Boxing Day. I’ve brought my travel scales with me and that’s a big help. This morning I was up a kg, but I’m not too concerned at this point. Off to get some low GI low cal veg, fruit and eggs to boil.

Bye for now,
Merry

Hello Fellow Fasters – Just popping in quickly to wish all a wonderful festive season.

Have been fasting hard, and managing to keep the weekend excesses on an even keel, have been a bit glum as leg/back playing up so haven’t been able to run for about 3 weeks now, and have really found weight loss harder with no exercise.

Last Fri was at 74.4kg so am hoping with a steady effort all week, on this Christmas week might finally hit my healthy weight… so hopefully a nice Christmas present to myself on Xmas morning. Have just checked a few BMI sites and they seem to range between hitting a healthy BMI at 73.8kg to 70kg…. so as I’ve been working towards 73 all this time, that is enough for me… for now!! (till the New Year enthusiasm kicks in for the next round).

Anywho…. Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy yourselves but not so much that you regret it all… what fun!!! 🙂

PS Merry, just read my post and that wasnt meant as a comparison of where we are now of course, just a ‘snap’ that we started at the same weight. Obviously,you have a thousand more challenges to contend with than most of us, not the least of which being that you cant exercise. So well done to you, a great inspiration and positive role model for us all.

Hi everyone from cold rainy England. Thin you are amazing, I think you are putting too much pressure on yourself now that you have lost so much weight. I have had to stop myself from stressing about eating now that I have lost weight but in the scheme of things i feel guilty when I do overeat, is it really necessary to live life now watching every morsel when we know that fasting can be so beneficial.

Have just been away overnight, only a two hour drive which is nothing in Australia but an expedition in the UK. Took my daughter and family to LaplandUK, which is a timed Xmas themed experience in a forest in Windsor. It was so magical and amazing and the children loved it and I must say so did the adults. It culminated in the children spending one on one time with Santa who gave them a gift. The next day we went to Legoland, not as magical as it was freezing, and rainy. Most of the activities were outside, so most uncomfortable, all the rides and merrygorounds were in the rain. Again the children met Santa in his special kingdom and received a gift. This was their Xmas present from me, it was worth it to see their excitement.

You are all doing so well and I enjoy reading the posts.

Will check in again soon.

Enjoy that new stove cinque. Sorry i seem to have posted the same thing twice when trying to correct one of mine. Dont know how people manage on tiny devices, miss my laptop. How are you doing Nap? We did another long walk today, lots of climbing on mule track switchbacks. Might be getting cooler this week but we have been so lucky with the wx. What happened to my Perth buddies, cm, freya, ea?

Good morning,
It is a lovely sunny morning.
I haven’t used my oven yet. But I got starving yesterday and made puris: so I had my first chance to get oil everywhere! Fried them in the wok. Cleaned up. Delicious, but decided they might be too rich for me to ever make again. I tried cooking one under the grill (nice new grill) and it made an okay flat bread to have with my stew in the evening.
Fast Day today, and two hot days now…. so I might make bread on Boxing Day, and christen the oven with that.
Thin you did very well on your tiny contraption. I wish there was a delete button here, but it is no big deal to see two posts the same. It happens a lot. Hello to beautiful Portugal!
Hello Merry, so lovely to hear of you in between destinations. I love the way you fit healthy decisions, and travel scales in no matter where life is taking you.
Best wishes for a Merry Merry Christmas Everybody!

Hi Bay! Lovely greetings!
Here are some for you.
And everyone.
🌏🎄🌎🎄🌍🎄🌟🌟🌟 🎪🎆🎁🎁🎁🎉🎉🎉💝

Hello all, I’m Toady, live on the Central Tablelands of New South Wales Australia. I’m new to 5:2, the forum and like so many others have slowly gained way too many kilos over the years. I discovered about fasting diets thanks to my lovely landlady who frequently has fast days and thanks to Google found this place.

I’ve hovered between 87 and 90 kgs for most of this year, when I started working 4 days a week back in August I was hoping that the weight would start dropping off but despite walking 2.8kms to and occasionally from work I haven’t lost any weight (my calf muscles have built themselves up though!)

Today is my first fast day and so far two glasses of water with a splash of lemon juice is keeping me going. I am hoping to keep my fast days to Thursdays (my day off work) and either Saturday or Sunday. Looking forward to chatting with others, learning and helping.

Thanks Cinque, made it til 4:30pm and am enjoying a carrot. Not sure what I’ll have for dinner as I don’t feel like any of my lentil and zuchinni satay which has 330 calories, maybe I’ll have a boiled egg or an apple or two.

Had 5 strawberries and two home made vegetable croquettes all day so I think I’ve managed an FD. No scales but will have to let my clothes be the judge.