LJoyce thanks for the hint about white carbs, but I did not have any bread with it

LJ that must be so satisfying – along with all your other accomplishments. I do hope your new home will be ready to move into without too much work being required!

OH passed his stress test within 10 minutes of arriving (on his bike) and decided to go for a 2hour bike ride afterwards. Not too shabby for a 72 yo.

Sybs, I never had this as a goal when I embarked on 5:2 and chose the name thinatlast tongue-in-cheek. I was 83kgs and just wanted to lose 10kgs as a measurable goal. It was probably 40 years ago that I was last this weight as an obsessive runner in California pounding 5 miles a day. Setting short achievable goals is a good way to approach this. I’m not sure if you’ve told us how much you have to lose to get to 65kgs. I haven’t tried very hard to get below the 60kgs I’ve maintained for 30 months. I’ve just made some changes like ‘eating mostly plants’ which I prefer anyway. Stopped snacking a long time ago and I don’t really enjoy alcohol these days – the changes just happened naturally with this brilliant WOL. They will for you too!

TBH, I really don’t fancy that roo meat tonight but I’ll give it a try. I won’t be having the bread.

Hi Cali, our posts crossed. I ditched the chicken in my miso soup this week. One less thing to prepare and probably 150 fewer calories.

CalifD, my copy of ‘Longevity Diet’ just arrived. It reminded me that I owe you an email.

Sounds like the perfect approach, Sybs!

Cali – a target in May sounds nice. Unfortunately my target is the end of March – 30 days and counting.

Penguin – I think spring’s a little late, you may need to break through an ice layer to find water for the kayak. I think you are rather brave tackling a green salad on such a cold day. It’s soup weather!

Sybs – I agree, small achievable targets are good. One big target can feel too daunting, but chipping away at it in small increments eventually gets you there and keeps you more motivated I think.

FD for me. No idea how many calories I’ve eaten but I’m pretty sure I’m well under 500. Through the day I had 3 pots of tea and 1 very small banana. For dinner I had one heaped spoonful of vegetable gratin with a side serve of mushrooms and zucchini.

thanks LJoyce – could be worthwhile watching

Enjoy that soup Penguin! I hope that cold blast doesn’t cause too much damage.

I did watch Dr Xand diet testing show, and enjoyed it, nice and straightforward information and feedback. I had no idea there were so many diets! I’ve missed the first two of this series, which is a pity because apparently they looked at 5:2 in the very first one.
When I went to their show Dr Xand talked a bit about the series and basically said all the diets led to weight loss, but the trick was what happens after you finish the diet (surprised anyone?). He showed an unflattering picture of himself as he hasn’t coped well with all the touring and shows and has put on a lot of weight. He was disarmingly straightforward admitting he just messes up his eating as soon as his life becomes stressful and chaotic. (Hopefully he is now able to follow his own advice again).

Your kitchen sounds wonderful LJoyce! Hopefully it is all downhill from here.

Autumn is my favourite Season! I wilt in summer and shiver through winter. Such a small range of comfortable weather these days, but this is the season for me 🙂

Hooray Sybs, another non-weigher! I get lonely here sometimes!

Thin, have you started reading it yet? Congrats to Mr Thin, what a full-on day!
How did the roo meat go? Keep your shorts up! You may need a new pair for next summer. 🙂

JJulie, so glad your hip was so much better yesterday. Hope it is better again today and stays good now. You keep your shorts up too! haha. So lovely to have loose clothes.
I’m impressed at your room cleaning but (drumroll!) I made inroads to all the papers on my desk yesterday! Woohoo!

I had an okay fast day yesterday. Ate an unecessary amount in the middle of the day. Thursday afternoon will be my big opshopping day I think, it distracts me wonderfully. I got a good haul yesterday, including some good winter clothes for Miss 3. (I just should have left after my bowl of soup! No worries, it was still a fair fast day.)

I’m minding my darlings this afternoon. The three year old loves Batman so I will impress her by wearing a (cheap) black tshirt with a gold beaded batman symbol on it! No maybe I will just give it to her, I think the neck is small enough that it won’t fall off her. It can be a dress up.

I want to do some cooking first. An Indian red kidney bean recipe and a pot of ragu. Better get going so I have time to rest before grandma duties start!

Best wishes everyone!

I had to drag myself out of bed this morning – very tough to get going and I still have an irritating headache. I can’t take the day off because there’s lots of cloud cover, so it’s perfect for working on the external woodwork. I’m currently trying to revive myself with a pot of Melbourne Breakfast tea.

Cinque, the new kitchen is looking good, although covered in plastic at the moment to protect it from the dust – I spent yesterday afternoon patching and sanding walls where old cupboards were ripped out and aren’t being replaced (I changed the layout). Unfortunately I discovered missing skirting boards behind these, so something else I have to repair.
I missed the first 2 episodes too – basically it wasn’t until the program started that I even noticed it.

Penguin, that sounds like a perfect winter soup to me. Hot and hearty. Although I eat lots of veg all year round, I have a bit of a demarcation line when it comes to cold salads – if the temperature is less than 30C I’d rather have hot veg.

My FD went well and today I’m planning a controlled day. I think some high fibre cereal and a banana for lunch and a veggie omelette for dinner.

FD for me today. I had some Manhattan Clam Chowder at around 2:00 and just had a pound of frozen broccoli with some lemon juice and Tobasco sauce on it. (Hot sauce). The rain stopped for a while and the sun is out. But just started the fireplace because it feels cold in here. I often feel cold on FD.

We watched a couple more hours of Outlander last night. There are 2 episodes left in season 3 and I’m going to be sad to see it end. We have lots of other things to watch, but I’ve really enjoyed that series. I think they’re still writing season 4.

Hi everyone
So glad we’re now into Autumn – cooler days ahead. OH is happy that the Neurologist and Cardiologist are both happy with his current health status – they don’t think it’s life threatening, which is wonderful, just have to ‘wait and see’! Hopefully, we can both start doing more exercise with no after effects on his part – all good news.

JJulie and Sybs: so glad you are both enjoying your walks and getting to know each other and also that you have things in common

Cinque: hope you enjoyed your opshopping yesterday and found lots of nice things – I’d like to do the same one day soon.

Calif: our garden club is very interesting – our area can get very hot in Summer, and very cold and frosty in Winter with snow about one hour away in the Barrington Tops, so all the shared information is much appreciated. Best wishes for today when you step on those scales!. Keep warm with all that weather of yours

Thin: congrats for being under 59kg. Our garden club meets monthly in a members garden – we all take food to share for lunch; there’s a trade table to buy home grown plants; a raffle; a members draw; a guest speaker; Q and A time; discussions on what to do/grow in our gardens each month. Very friendly and sociable group of like minded people! Much like this forum. So glad your next door dilemma has finally settled – wishing you much peace and quiet times ahead!

Penguin: thinking of you in all that bad weather and hope it settles for you real soon – keep very warm inside, and enjoy the warm and hearty soups

LJoyce: so pleased for you with the new kitchen – it’s all coming together nicely for you. Will be so nice for you when all is finished and the ‘For Sale’ sign goes up!

Hi to all those reading but not posting.
Hope everyone is enjoying whatever you are getting up to and bye for now!

2nd post today:

Thin: so pleased for you being 58.8kg – it’s been many years for me being in the 80’s, now in the upper 70’s, with a long way to go, so waiting patiently! I really enjoy this WOL!
Maybe there is a garden club in your area OR perhaps you could get a group together and start one! Just a suggestion and it is great fun.

I’m fasting today and also on Sunday – was going back to Monday and Thursday but life got in the way – so glad 5:2 is so flexible!

I received my new book from Dr’s Phinney and Volek on low carb/high fat living mainly for my insulin resistance. Haven’t read all of it yet. Part of me feels it may be too much of a change in diet, the other part says ‘give it a go’. I believe in the science behind it and wonder if any of you have tried it, and if so, successful or not! The book mentions the Atkins diet. If I do try it, then 5:2 would still be part of what I’d do as well, as fasting is also a part of it. Any suggestions or ideas would be much appreciated and thank you in advance for any comments.

Have a great weekend everyone and bye for now!

Good morning SHs, welcome to the weekend.

I had a rough night and was awoken with joint pain. That’s unusual, as I’m usually ok once I get to sleep. I think it’s just a bad day as I woke this morning with the pain levels about the same – nothing some strong analgesics won’t deal with. I suspect my body is in league with the painter! – Confused? I’ll explain.
The painter came yesterday evening to quote for the painting that I wanted done (gutters, barge boards, eaves and ceilings). His fee is the cost of the paint that he has to supply (about $200 as I already have some) and $40 an hour. When he described how quick the various painting tasks would be I was astounded. I had planned to do the external windows myself – it would take me at least another week to finish. He can do the same painting in just a day. So it got me thinking about how much of the painting that I have left to do myself, that I might just hand over to the painter and pay for him to do it – it will still cost less than I had budgeted for painting and save me so much time. That’s why I think my body was conspiring against me last night, trying to get me to throw in the paint brush. Not that that’s the end of the reno tasks, there’s still other things to do: tiling, grouting, floor polishing…

Penguin, could you stay near the airport Sunday night, so that you don’t have to get out of your place in the early hours? Is there a hotel or B&B near the airport?

Arel, you might want to read Michael Mosley’s “The Blood Sugar Diet” (or just have a look at the website for it). I think he goes through the Mediterranean diet as the best option for those with insulin resistance. This would offer a broader range of food which might be easier to sustain longer term. I know it doesn’t help with so many different ideas around on how to eat to deal with the same issue – if the experts disagree what hope is there for the rest of us.

Thin, glad to hear you stayed in 58 territory. Enjoy your winery lunch today. I don’t need to remind you that you can enjoy today and fast tomorrow – you will see 58 again.

Cali – I’ve never eaten clam chowder but it always sounds inviting. I always think of it as a creamy hearty soup – is it? Or is that just my imagination.

Cinque – I agree about autumn. It’s always been my favourite time of year for gardening. It’s also really pretty here in autumn as I live in an area that was heavily planted out with european trees a century or so ago. So the autumn leaf colour is just magnificent. People actually drive up from the suburbs just to look at it. It’s one of the reasons I thought autumn might be a good time to sell – people will be distracted by how pretty the town is in autumn and really want want to live here!

I’m doing a FD today as I’m going to bunch Sunday with family. It’s one of those mornings where I’ve finshed one pot of tea and am seriously considering going back for another. I think I just don’t feel like starting work yet and am prepared to do anything to delay it. I have some small fiddly jobs that I might try to get done today.

Your post came in while I was writing LJoyce. Yes! Give the painter the job! Have a lovely fast day today and brunch tomorrow, and may the hip pain go away quickly!

LJoyce, I vote for paying the painter. His estimate sounds pretty reasonable to me. Oftentimes painters are faster because the use paint sprayers rather than brushes or rollers. They do a good job of coverage and are efficient. The good ones that don’t easily clog were pretty expensive when I looked at them years ago. You really had to paint a lot to make them worth the cost. And painting eves, gutters and ceilings? That’s more like cruel and unusual punishment than reno work! Get that painter in there! 😁 Your joints probably just need a few days off. You’ve been working hard for a long time getting the house ready.

The clam chowder that I like, Manhattan Clam Chowder, has a tomato base rather than a creamy one. It’s lower in calories and I like the flavor better. Here’s a typical recipe for it: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/manhattan-clam-chowder-recipe-2102639

Cinque, I had to giggle about Miss 1 and Miss 3 leaving you like a grasshopper blown through a windscreen. 😆 Little kids do seem to have an endless supply of energy and curiosity. But they make up for all of that with their cuteness. 😍

I see that Tobasco sauce is sold there too. http://www.usafoods.com.au/McIlhenny-Tabasco-Sauce-12oz So many brands are available around the world these days. I
put it on a lot of diffferent things and in soups and sauces. I add it to my own plate only as OFMs don’t like food overly spicy. I think my taste buds have gotten weaker as I get older.
The penguins in the photo from that article are so cute, Cingue. They do seem to have an easier time than humans with walking on ice.

Penguin, that is an unusual amount of snow this year, right? I didn’t think it snowed there often at all, just rain in the winter. If you can stay near the airport, that sounds like a good idea for such an early morning flight. And a lot less stressful if the weather is bad.

Arel, I’ve never read that book, but I’ve read at least one of Dr. Atkins books in the past. I never felt good when eating a low carb diet so I never stuck with them for very long. But I know other people who have lost weight on high fat/low carb diets. I like fruits and vegetables too much.
I’m glad OH’s doctors are happy with his progress. Are there meds he can take to help even out his blood pressure or heartbeat when needed?

I’ll be anxious to hear thin’s opinion on the LD diet book. I think she just started reading it.

Enjoy your warm SH weather. Think of me in 2 layers of Cuddl Duds trying to stay cozy!

Oh, LJ, I’m still enjoying the T2 teas. I can’t decide which I like best, but OH has the French Earl Grey every morning. The tea really does seem to go a long way. I see they have a sale going on until Monday and trying to decide if I should get more now or wait until I’m almost out.

CalifDreamer. I think there are a few places that rarely see snow but most of us get it in January. This much this late is unusual – there are daffodils under that snow. In the fifteen years we have lived here there has been one without much snow. When we lived in the north we just expected it, which is why there was a spade in the house.

LJoyce. I lived ten years in Germany. They are not as organised as their reputation but always seemed to be prepared for winter. Pay the painter – there are things that you can do with the time that are more fun!

I’m with you today Cinque. I’m taking the easy miso soup option for dinner. No chicken. I didn’t think FDs could get any easier yet they are.

Arel, sorry I can’t help you with that diet. This is the only ‘diet’ I’ve ever embraced. All my previous weight loss efforts involved starvation & deprivation followed by resumption of all the old habits & quantities! It’s good that Mr Arel (the KD part of Arelkade?) has a clean bill of health.

CalifD, to be honest, I’m not finding Dr Longo’s book a page turner.

The latest guests next door are here for a girls’ long weekend. I had a chat with one of them who came round to ask about parking options on the first night. She was already swaying & wreaking of wine. Good move on her part though because, although they’ve been very loud well into the small hours, having met her makes us feel less inclined to ask them to hold the noise down. Knowing that tonight is the final night of this operation is helping us to grin and bear it.

It was such a good day in the Swan Valley with our friends yesterday. The food platter was a very generous offering and of good quality and variety. I drew the line at the pork pie which held no appeal. There was a time I’d have scoffed that down without thinking. The platter came with a bottle of wine between two. After tasting two wines prior to taking our table, I’d had enough. I was driving anyway. I skipped breakfast and dinner so the damage seems to have been absorbed fairly well. It feels perfect to be fasting today.

Penguin, it’s a good thing you’re a penguin able to cope with all that snow. Safe trip. Portugal? Summer has arrived in Perth. Tuesday is forecast for 38C.

Hi everyone
Thank you LJoyce, Cinque, CalifD and Thin for all your comments in regards to LCHF diet. I know, from past experience, that it is difficult to cope with strict limitations then the ultimate return of old habits – so LCHF is not for me. I’ve always thought if everyone followed the Mediterranean diet, we would all be a lot healthier, especially diabetics: so maybe I need to put my thoughts into practice, along with 5:2 and know it can be done for life! Thank you all once again.

Penguin: best wishes for getting on the plane on Monday – maybe it’s already too hard to get out of your home, drive on the road, and be closer to the airport. Fingers crossed your weather will settle quickly

LJoyce: your painters quote sounds extremely reasonable – enjoy the spare time you will gain from his expertise!

Cinque and LJoyce: hope you are both feeling a lot better now, and as close to being pain free as your conditions allow – my thoughts are with you

CalifD: my OH takes 2 medications only which seem to be working now, thank goodness, and his energy levels are returning slowly. So all is looking good! Keep very warm in your current weather – hope Spring comes soon for you

My Dad has come home for a couple of days, so enjoying being with him – maybe it could happen regularly – have to wait and see!

Must go. Enjoy whatever you are doing and bye for now!

Morning all. Quick check in, there is much to do today. Weight is up this week – to much warming comfort food. The airport is operating but yesterday’s flight to Funchal was cancelled because of bad weather in Madeira! Forecast for tomorrow is good at both ends. We have dug a path up to the road and arranged to be picked up there.

The reason most of the country isn’t as prepared for this weather as much of northern Europe is purely cost. We don’t get it this badly often enough for that kind of expense to be high up the priority list. We are also getting more flooding, and that is often enough for some money to have been spent.

Minor panics yesterday – a couple of locks stuck at locked but they were only frozen and a bit of minor plumbing to do but we will be ready..

Good morning.
Day after fast day for me.
When I wake up (I noticed this morning) I am not hungry. By the time I get up I am starting to be hungry, and within half an hour I am ravenous. That’s about 7:30! No wonder I don’t do back to back days!
Anyway, I have had my yummy breakfast, and I’m getting organised for a full day.

Hope Penguin is happily out of his country and sitting in the sun. And that LJoyce’s walls are all washed. And Cali got her T2 order decided (I remember my surprise when I tried green teas that they gave me a bigger caffeine hit than coffee!). And Arelkade has had a lovely couple of days with her dad.
Thin, we are getting the remnants of your hot weather at the end of the week. 30, 30, 32.

I am feeling better and also have my fridge under control (nothing wilting in the veggie drawers), and my freezer quite full of delicious things. Lovely. Off to do some tidying. Cheers!

Good Morning SHs,

I was up early to paint the cornices in the lounge. I have a GP appointment late morning, so I’m hoping that by the time I’ve been to that and then run some errands I can get on with painting the walls. This should be my last day up a ladder with a paint brush – that sounds good.

Thin, I feel exactly the same way about breakfast. If your body tells you it’s not hungry why would you ignore it – I did that for too many years. It usually causes the same all day snacking for me too and it doesn’t matter whether I eat carbs or protein for breakfast. I think it’s the act of eating that suddenly wakes my brain up to the possibilities of more food. I barely have breakfast eaten and I’m looking for the next thing to eat. What is interesting is that on the rare occasions that I eat breakfast because I am hungry doesn’t trigger the same binge – not that I get to test this often as it’s a rare day when I’m hungry before 10am.

Cinque, I think your wilting vegetables have made their way to my fridge. Yesterday I soaked and cooked a pot of white beans and tonight I’ll turn those veggies into a big bot of pasta-less minestrone with the addition of the beans. That should take care of a few FD dinners and some lunches on NFDs as well. I’m just annoyed that the weather is turning hot again as I enjoy soup much less in hot weather. Unfortunately I’d planned the menu and bought the veg before I knew that Thin was sending her hot temps east. Tomorrow is our last mild day then it’s mid-high 30s until Saturday. As the painters will have taken over that job from me tomorrow I might delegate Tuesday as a gardening day, that would make a very nice change. It’s timely too, as despite cutting and poisoning all the blackberries just a few weeks ago, they are already making a comeback.

FD for me, I’ve just finished my first pot of tea for the day. Providing I find the time and enthusiasm to cook it, minestrone will be dinner.

Sunday night here and the end of the first day of my B2B FDs this week. I don’t usually like to fast on weekends because there are often things going on with OFMs where food plays a part. Monday and Thursday are my normal days. But traveling this week beginning Wed and some business meals, so hard to have to count calorie calories. Today was kind of a tough FD. I usually don’t feel very hungry on FDs but food was on my mind a good part of the day. I made poached salmon, brown rice and mixed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots for dinner. I weighed out the salmon and stuck within my 500 calories. Skipped the rice. Tomorrow will likely be easier.

Count me in with thin and LJ as one who’s rarely hungry at breakfast time. Once I start eating I’m turned on the food and snacking for the rest of the day. I eat a lot more throughout the day when I eat breakfast. Nope. No plans to start eating breakfast.

Arel, the flavored teas, or just hot drinks in general, keep me feeling full. I drink a lot of tea on FDs. T2 teas are some of the best teas I’ve tasted. I ended up ordering the Creme Brulee, the hot cross bun, Georgeous Geisha and a tin of French Earl Grey. That should keep us in tea for a while!

The Penguin has migrated. Up and about at 2.50am and by 1040am on an island in the Atlantic about 1500 miles southwest. From dragging a suitcase through two feet of snow to sitting in shorts and a tee shirt drinking pastis and eating chourico. We are a contented pair of birds.

This is a mix of self catering and eating out, and we have been known to come back lighter (but not often.)

We woke to a fabulous downpour. Short-lived but welcome. Temp downgraded to only 36C.

Arel, it’s lovely that you have that special relationship with your dad. Enjoy it all. And your weight is coming off so nicely. Happy dance for you!

LJ, all the best with today’s chores and supervising others. Today you can not only think about food but decide what’s on offer.

Penguin, do you and Mrs P. continue fasting while on holiday? Have a wonderful time eating and drinking whatever those items you mentioned might be.

CalifD, good luck with day two. I’m sure you’ll cope admirably.

Good morning Cinque for when you get here. And everyone else who’s decided not to post for now. Hope you’re doing well.

Hi Cinque – have you watched “The Bureau”? Also on SBS on Demand – I completely binged on that.

Hi all, the plumbers left and then the painters left and I now have a quiet house to myself again. I also have a connected sink, tap and dishwasher in the kitchen, painted eaves and partially painted gutters and facias.
I ended up not tiling today, I felt it was too late to start once the plumber had finished. I gardened this morning and then I painted some doors and fixed the wood trim in the kitchen this afternoon.

Cali, I am just putting 2 rows of 100x100mm plain white mosaics on the wall above the bench as a splashback. http://www.beaumont-tiles.com.au/All-Products/Product-Details?pid=1007455&group=1&groupname=Tiles&catid=MOS&catname=Mosaic+Tiles&tileColour=whi&pspid=1 They come in 3 x 3 sheets with a flexible mesh backing that can be cut – I’ll cut off one row as I just want it to be 2 tiles high. (I have to use these as they match the cooking alcove.) The only reason I’m doing it myself is because with my bench measurements I won’t have to cut any tiles. That makes it a very easy task. Just put adhesive on the wall with a notched trowel. Place the tiles. Then add spacers to make sure they stay where I want them and have even joints for grouting. Once the adhesive has dried the gaps between the tiles have to be grouted and the wall corner and the bottom edge next to the bench needs a line of silicone to waterproof the join. I have tiled before, but I only feel confident with wall tiles and they are thinner and more easily cut by the amateur, although I tend to break more than I cut so I hate this task. You need an electric saw to cut floor tiles as they are much thicker. It can be difficult to lay them perfectly flat. That’s a problem with floors as they are a trip hazard if uneven.

Cinque, a midnight feast and tv binge sounds like a decadent treat to me. I hope you mostly enjoyed it, despite your issues with the series you watched.

Thin, If you are sending the hot weather over my way, can I have the rain too please. My garden really needs it.