Hi Charlie, our cattle are black Angus. Most years I have at least one twin reject or orphan to raise but this year’s orphan only spent a weekend with me as my husband found a potential foster mother. They mothered up so my Kitty the calf now has a proper mother which is better for them both.

Hi IHAW & PVE, thanks for the chickpea tips, I was just going to add them to casseroles/stews and soup but will have a try at making hummus and maybe a felafel or two. The hummus recipe I plan to follow requires tahini so I’ve added that to my extensive shopping list for tomorrow. I have a 2 hour trip to have a specialist give me a nerve conduction test – my husband has had it and says it’s just like being hooked up to the electric fence so that sounds like fun! Hope I can still type afterwards.
Happy fasting Thursday fasters.

Hi Violet May
We actually gave up making our felafels and buy them in Coles. Look for the low cal ones.
I’ve had a nerve conduction test and have held electric fences……unrelated. I’d go for the test any day over grabbing an electric fence. We knew a donkey who could put her whiskers on the electric fence to check if it was on and, if not, walk straight through it. The other donkeys thought she was Wonder Donkey! SO brave!
I presume you are being tested for carpel tunnel problems?
PVE

Hi Violet, good to hear your little orphaned calf got a new mum.

I agree with buying the ready made, falafel mix in a box and adding water, then forming them into balls before you cook them. Instead of frying, I now pop them on baking paper and bake them in the oven, far fewer calories, and they don’t stick to any pans and there is far less washing up. Which is what I love, quick and tastey!
Here’ s a tip….wet your hands before picking up the moist falafel mixture, to form into small round balls…otherwise it sticks to your hands and you end up getting covered in it.
Another tip is that you can leave the moist mixture or balls sitting in the fridge until you want to cook them. They also store well after you cook them, and are great for a snack.

Good luck with the shopping and cooking! Happy fasting all you Thursday people!

I was listening to a talk-back radio program this morning, regarding health issues and whether people should be charged for medical treatment of their condition, be it obesity, smoking etc.

A man rang to say as a diabetic, he had to read the labels on every item and was amazed and disappointed to see that milk contained sugar!
He asked, when did that happen and why was it necessary?

I checked our milk container and lo and behold, each 250mls has 12.0g of sugar!
Perhaps I’m of the old school, where milk was just pasteurized (or scalded)and had no additives at all.

I thought straight away of the frozen corn which had sugar too!
Sodium is another thing that I’m very aware of and surprised it’s in food you least expect.
Seems we need to look at the small print on every processed thing we want to eat.
It certainly says a lot for fresh!

Thanks for clearing that up, IHAW!
It dawned on me later that it was probably lactose, but perhaps the caller was un-informed 🙂

OMG look at all these posts! I haven’t read them all – sorry. I started the 5:2 this week and after my 2 days I have lost one kilogram!! I know I will put some of that back this weekend, but today I am the lightest I have ever been as an adult (apart from 2 bouts of illness when I lost weight because I couldn’t eat).
The first day was easy – but the night was a struggle. I was awake half the night with hunger pangs.
The second day I got a bit ratty within the last hour of my fast and has to have some miso soup to assuage it.
It is SO GOOD to know I can eat normally the day after. But – I find breakfast really hard, because I am dying to eat it, but my stomach doesn’t seem to want it. Weird.
Anyway, I am in Ballarat, Victoria. So far it’s not too cold and I am able to go out and walk a lot (instead of staying inside and eating).
My sister and best friend (Tasmania and western Victoria) have been so delighted with the 5:2 that I decided to give it a go and I am liking it!

Hi Graham,
Glad you had a good time and a good experience with spacing out the drinks! I’m not sure how I’d go with fasting two days running – don’t think I have your fortitude! Of course, when it suits you both to fast at the same time, it’s much easier. I enjoy a lot of support at home for whenever I decide to fast.
All the best,
Ros.

Hi all,

Just a general comment about how good this system is for me…
I’ve had a house-guest for a couple of nights and yesterday I eat and drank more in one day than I recall having for a year, including Christmas!!! I felt sooooo stuffed last night which was probably good because I do NOT want to feel like that again!

But you know, I am not having the guilts, not saying “oh well stuff it, I’ll just lose the diet because I’ve messed up good and proper!” Guest is going home today, so I’m on a Fast Day and I’m as happy as Larry. (Who the blazes was Larry?) 😉

Miles of smiles,
Ros.

Hi Nicky,
Thanks for your welcome – and advice. Everything helps.
I have read the book and seen the program. The thing that put me off was counting calories. I have been a dieter most of my life and always found counting and measuring made me eat more! I rebelled against the restrictions. In fact I am a failed WW lecturer. I thought standing in front of a class would make me stick to maintenance!
I am older – and hopefully wiser – now, so two days of counting (particularly if I work it out before and don’t have to do it on the fast day) should be enough.
The total TDEE for me is so low, I don’t dare commit myself to it as yet. I think I need to exercise a LOT more. I’ll see how my routine shapes up and if I get stuck, I might have to look at sticking more closely to my TDEE. Thanks for the encouragement.
I agree about luck – it’s just hard work and good sense.

Hi Mamaleish, and Bayleaf,

I’m a failed Weight Watcher, failed most things with respect to controlling over-eating and under-exercising. I hate counting calories too, but more than that, I hate inaccuracy so I have a love/hate relationship with calories…

This is why the MyFitnessPal works for me. The counting part is easy. I just look up what I eat and it counts the calories. The more I use it, the easier it is to find my frequently recorded foods. I only ever record amounts of food that are counted in metric measure because that’s the only accurate measure internationally. One does have to wade through lots of things counted for American stuff and in completely mad non-quantities.

I have learned a LOT about food and quantities which is important for a successful over-eater and foodie! I have weighed things very often over the past year and that has been a great help, very instructive. I can also work out the calories for my own recipes – only have to put that in once and then I know what one of my own Anzac bikkies is. My stomach has shrunk so I just can’t eat as much.

Finally, I can record my exercise – walking (at different paces), housework, gardening, Pilates, you name it. When I record these things, it allows me to negotiate with myself. Today I did some vigorous gardening for an hour and about an hour of vacuum-cleaning. That counter-balanced the chocolate bar I eat. I’ll have some red wine for dinner tonight.

I don’t care what I eat these days but I count it all. Fast days are counted and I’m always accurate, indeed sometimes under 500. Easy to manage and easy to be confident about it. I never had this knowledge with WW or anything else and there were always bloody rules and prohibitions.

Not any more!!!!! I hope this is of interest to you because it’s been a really helpful turn-around for me along with the lifestyle decision to do the 5:2 to reduce inflammation, skin probs as well as shed some weight.

All the best,
Ros.

Hi Violet May,

I do hope you can get the neural stuff sorted out with the doc. I have a health professional background and have some idea about what you’re wanting to find out about. I did my own mobilisation after the carpal tunnel surgery, and clearly it’s important for you to look at the whole picture.

Have a quick look at the post I sent to mamaleish and bayleaf just now. I hope it might be of interest to you as well. I really hate counting but this app makes it both easy and accurate for nearly a year now. That’s the longest I’ve counted anything except my bookkeeping!!!!

All the best with your investigations, and…
Miles of smiles,
Ros.

OMG, I just spent 20 mins replying to everyone and when I tried to send it, my computer had dropped off the internet!
Sorry I can’t write it again.
Just thanks to everyone for your hints and suggestions.
I have taken from them: cut down carbs and sugars, record and plan, follow Mimi’s recipes.
Thank you so much for your help. I will now try to sort out better food for my NF days.
I’d lost 1.1kg until Friday, but today, starting my second week of fast days, I found I’d put back half a Kg over the weekend! Never mind, Onward and Downward! In weight that is.

I also hate counting calories – so much so that I’ve never done it. I’ve never done Weight Watchers, even since you could use their phone app.
Whoever I’ve tried ‘dieting’ in the past, it’s been a health approach, such as cutting out cheese, or sugar etc.
With this 5:2, I take very relaxed approach. I occasionally weigh food portions, but then I just assume from week to week that one piece if fish is roughly the same as the next piece of fish.
I only just worked out my current TDEE yesterday – and now that I’m down to BMI 22.8, my TDEE is only about 1600. And doesn’t that mean my fast days should be 400? Maybe this all explains why my weight is plateauing, but I just can’t be bothered being a stringent calorie counter. I’d much rather work out by feel how much I should be eating. I think I’m in the process (these plateaus are useful thinking time) of readjusting my overall food intake for the long term.

Hi everyone, so pleased to see you all again. We were hit by a health bombshell(hubby)a few months ago and I dropped off the 5:2 radar. Health issues are still ongoing and I have been stress eating and have gained over 2kg as a result. Starting back today and hoping I have the strength to put my heart into it again. I feel so much better when I am following this eating plan.

Hi there
It’s been a while since I did a post and It’s good to hear the tales of success . Being able to fit into your clothes much more comfortably is indeed a big, big plus. I’ve just put on some black pants that this time last year were quite tight. Now there is room to move!!! So feeling quite good about myself.
Weight wise it’s a bit up and down but, not back to the weight I was originally so that’s a good thing.I’ve got a goal in mind to stay under 80 kgs and I think I’m getting there. Would love to get lower but one step at a time.
I think it’s a bit harder now that the weather is getting colder, down to 8c this morning in Gosford which is cold for here.Still spring isn’t that far off and it’s something to look forward to…..
Have a good week everyone.
Bye for now.

Hi everyone.

Welcome honeybee – congratulations on the weight loss. Having an incentive like an impending holiday really focusses the mind.

First weigh-in this morning for me for two weeks (after fasting Monday and yesterday) because have had a cold but now coming good. No weight change but today wore some size 16 moleskins to work for the first time in over a year and didn’t even have to lie down to get the zip up – very happy!

Good night
Nicky

Well done IHAW! I wore a top I bought on holiday 4 years ago for the very first time last week.
Jaybee68 I’m sorry to read about your struggles. I hope you can manage to spend a little time to focus on your own health. As PVE says – we’re here for you.
Hope everyone’s managing their fast days as the temperature drops.

Hi Hopeful, sorry to hear you’re struggling. I have a friend in England who reports the same – she did it for several weeks before any loss. What I tell myself is – if I’m not losing weight while fasting, imagine what would happen if I didn’t fast! I’m lucky in that I did drop on the scales straight away and that was a good motivation to keep on with it, though I had other motivations – health and clothing and looks! And knowing that every decade older I got, another 5kg went on. Didn’t like my prospects as a 70 year old – I was with two work colleagues the other day, both in their 40s, both significantly overweight and both breathing heavily just walking up one flight of stairs.
There is a section on this website about plateaus – worth a read.
And of course, your body shape can change even when the scales stay the same. I’ve been going up and down on the spot within 1kg for the past month but my belt has had to go in a notch.
Good luck!

Gosh, this thread has gone off again while I was out today. Was very quiet for a while there.
Peggy has a point, Hopeful. If you don’t seem to be losing, imagine what would be happening if you didn’t fast.
I went from 80kg in April 13 to 60 in April 14 by being very strict with myself on 5:2. I figure, no pain, no gain (or loss in this case)
I’m now trying to get my head around maintenance, and struggle sometimes with this colder weather. Bought a Fitbit yesterday and am surprised how far I do walk every day. Have done 7km just incidentally today and it’s only 4pm. This is the sort of thing I found I wanted to do once a bit of weight dropped off. If you walk, you don’t eat, so it is ideal on fast days. Incorporating it in your day to day life (use public transport, always walk up stairs and even on escalators, choose to run for green traffic lights). It all adds up.
All the best
PVE 🙂

Hi Mamaleish
You can “pop in for a coffee”, just make it black. I mastered buying pots of black tea when I was out last winter as you can sit somewhere warm for ages on one pot.
Have you tried miracle noodles (Shiritake noodles from Asian shops or Simply in Coles)? They have minimal cals and bulk out your “stir fry” (make sure it is really steamed- no oil). Rinse them thoroughly and toss them in. Hubby and I usually share a packet. Use plenty of onion,garlic, ginger and chili flakes to heat it all up too. Keeps you filled up on a winter night.
Good luck
PVE

Thank you PVE, I haven’t tried miracle noodles, but I will.
A pot of black or herbal tea sounds good. I can’t yet cope with black coffee – apart from the one-mouthful expressos (and I need sugar in them!)
What I really like about 5:2 is that the day after fasting, it is very easy to continue to eat less. I really thought I would be ready to wolf down a lot of food, but I don’t feel like that at all, which is great.
After only two weeks, I don’t feel like a biscuit or cake with every coffee, which is pretty amazing for me.
I also meant to thank you, simcoeluv, for your links – all of them, but particularly TDEE. Great for someone like me who is just starting out.
Trouble with Winter Solstice, Violet May, is that you don’t really ‘feel’ the longer days until August.

Won’t power, NickyF? I like it.
I’ll try a fair bit of it today.
Woken up again by the screeching of cockies and cackling of kookas. Unbelievable racket. Don’t you just love nature?
Planning lemon chili salmon (50g each) cooked in a foil packet and served with steamed greens for dinner. Maybe with some Shiritaki noodles to bulk it up a bit. Hope I can just have a small bowl of my home made veg soup for a late brunch. Otherwise, just black coffee and tea. Luckily our temps here don’t get too cold (rarely below 9 even at night) so it is easier to have “won’t power”.
All the best for your Monday fast day SH folks.
PVE

Hi Bayleafoz

What a fantastic story about being rejected for BP trial and also such satisfying weight loss.

I can’t claim such good figures but have lost a kg/month on average since end of January ’14. Maybe would be quicker if I were more disciplined on non-FDs but life’s too short for every day calorie counting. Also being(very) old the weight doesn’t come off as quickly as when I was younger.

Fasting today and tomorrow so weighed myself this morning to see if any damage from five non-FDs and pleased to see same number as last Wednesday at the end of my 2 fast days. Hoping for a new kg number on Wednesday.

Happy Monday everyone.

I know I step on the scales too often (like every morning!) but it’s something I do – and it has helped me to stay a reasonable weight for the past few years, which is very hard to do once you pass 60.
If I hadn’t had Purple Vegie Eater, bayleafoz and NickyF messages this morning on my phone, I might have abandoned my fast day today. I was grumpy because I am the same weight as last week.
bayleafoz, you are right about weight, measurements and persistence. I just have to get that into my head. I too love the ‘clean, light feeling’ I get on a fast day and the day after. It is a real energy and motivation booster and so much better than the dull thickening feel of over-indulging.
Goals other than weight are worth thinking about too. I want to get my Bp down far enough to come off tablets and basically just stay fit and active. I also like the idea of fasting boosting the immune system – particularly at this time of year.
Just reading how everyone else is going is so encouraging. Thanks all.

Hi Everyone,
I have made a note to identify things properly when I put them in the freezer. Today was so cold, wet, windy (think all the birds have been blown away) I thought at midday I’d have cauliflower soup made a few months ago. It turned out to be potato and leek, both home grown and the soup was delicious but more calorific than I needed. The scales keep telling me different numbers. I have two sets and they never agree, but basically I seem to have plateaued. Tomorrow I will have four hours to pound the streets while my car is being serviced, I might even find some stairs to run up and walk down. I’m trying to get fitter generally but specifically for a holiday in August with my super fit daughter in Canada (she bicycled 100k yesterday and ran 50k today, I think she might get a prize for her efforts but she does it for fun).