Hello Southern Hemispherites!!

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  • Slept in a bit this morning and was taken by surprise to read your posts about bush fires, Arel and Cinque. It seemed incongruous with the heavy rain we’ve experienced overnight. But I see the rain didn’t reach that far south and fires are raging. It was eerie last evening as it was dead calm and so warm that we ate our dinner outside! And then the heavens opened. I was worried our lizards might get swept away in the flood. It went from 29C yesterday to 19C today – Melbourne wx Cinque?

    Arel, best wishes for a better outcome for your brother. Not all siblings are close but I’m very close to mine despite the miles between us so I really feel for you. I must admit, I reacted with both amusement and horror at your bakery choices. I trust you and everyone else will have a good FD today.

    CalifD, I was about to shout out to you as we hadn’t heard from you for a while. I’m glad you’re well enough to require 5:2 again! Ha ha about the robo dog. Check out DD’s blog if you have nothing better to do; she’s finally had time to update it and there’s an interesting account of the Tassie platypus trip.

    Have fun packing LJ. Are you putting the boxes straight into the re-delivered POD or waiting for a moving company to do the heavy lifting?

    Must get on as I’m meeting a former neighbour for coffee. The most wonderfully quiet couple with a little dog rented next door but sadly found a house to buy after a year. She’d discounted the one next door when it had come up for sale because it had a pool. But her OH who loved the place later commented that they could easily have filled it in. How different our lives could have been! I hope you’re having a peaceful life Lyndsay.

    Hello everyone.

    Its been nearly 2 weeks since we returned back home from our holiday in Bali. We had the most fantastic time and had some wonderful adventures. Apart from the beautiful friendly people and the amazing climate of averaging 35 deg each day i absolutely fell in love with the food.

    MissD only ate western food while i indulged in everything Indonesian. By the end of the 2 weeks OH was eating Indonesian too. The taste, aroma and presentation of the food was delightful and everything was so fresh. Yep i pilled on a few extra kilos but have managed to lose 1.6kg so far since returning home. I would image a fair percentage of my weight gain was from alcohol…..too many cocktails and beers at the pool bar and wine each night with dinner.

    I’ve continued to read and consume information on healthy eating, fitness and mindfulness. I’ve enjoyed getting back into yoga after a few weeks break and have restarted daily high intensity fitness and weight training.

    Paleo/Keto is something i have thought about alot over the last 18 months and after a lot of research ive decided to give it a go. As i always do i will adapt it to suit my needs so i will forego the eliminating dairy aspect of paleo as i do believe that eating natural high fat dairy is a good thing. So i am about to commence a low carb high fat eating regime along with intermittent fasting and extended fast days. Ive just joined the Pete Evans 10 week Paleo program and am eagerly devouring the Pre program information before i officially start in 9 days.

    My healthy(ish) lifestyle is rubbing off on OH as he is taking up the Paleo/Keto challenge too……i havent told him yet that beer is off the menu now…..that’s not going to go down well.

    Hope everyone is travelling well. Will keep you updated on how i go with Paleo/Keto. Take care.

    Thin, those bushfires south of you look terrible. The Autumn months here bring similar except that we call them wildfires. I don’t look forward to those months. With all the rain you’re getting, it sounds like you should be safe from the fires where you are. But 125 km winds can do a lot of damage too. Please stay safe. I’ll check out your DD’s blog. I’d love to read about the platypus studies in Tas she participated in recently.

    Memory recall issues seem to be pretty common after a certain age. As LJ mentioned, it isn’t necessarily that we forget completely, it’s just trying to retrieve the info when we need it. It’s like the memory in a computer, sometimes what’s needed is just a little more RAM (random access memory) in order to access info more quickly. In the past, when I’ve added additional RAM to a computer, it was like a whole new computer with faster speeds. I’ve often thought of having a t shirt made that says, “I don’t need a better memory, I just need more RAM!” 😁 I just looked up RAM and came up with this brand: https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10-Vengeance-Desktop-Memory/dp/B006EWUO22/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527227977&sr=8-4&keywords=computer+ram
    Doesn’t it look just like a comb on the one side? I wonder if wearing it as a hair comb….😆

    GDay, great to hear from you again. It sounds like your Bali trip was wonderful. Good luck with the Paleo diet. I’m not familiar with how that one works, but it’s been around for a while.

    Arel, I hope your brother’s specialist comes up with a better plan of treatment. Prayers and positive thoughts headed his way from California.

    LJoyce, moving day is getting close. It sounds like you’re doing a lot of packing ahead of time so you hopefully won’t have much to worry about the last couple days. Unpacking is always more fun!

    Cinque, glad to hear you have a good supply of chicken soup for your cold. I’ve heard it referred to as “Jewish Penicillin”.

    My first fast day in about a month went well. I even came in under 500 calories. I went over to the opshop today for a little while and found a couple of nice long sleeve casual knit tops, (We’re still getting some cool weather here) a nice white 3/4 sleeve blouse that looks like it’s never been worn, and a light jacket/top that I really like that I’ll have to take a picture of because it’s hard to describe. It was fun to get back there again. I will have to go through more old clothes here to bring over there to donate this weekend.

    Hi everyone
    You’ve had some good finds at the Opp Shop CalifD. Glad you are feeling well enough to fast again.
    Adel – praying for your brother to recover completely xx
    G’day- I love Bali and not surprised you had a wonderful time there.
    Thin, such a shame those previous neighbors couldn’t buy that house. I haven’t heard of the fires at the moment. Our newish neighbours are lovely but have a dog that barks continuously when they are not home:( some mornings they leave at 6.30am!!
    Please don’t anybody think I walk every day!! I hate any exercise and am just getting back into it. I’m proud of doing 3x this week ( onlybetween 2.5 and 4.1 Kms so far)
    NFD was good. I spent the day at my mums, took her to ophthalmologist and leftovers for dinner as OH is on afternoon shift. Now I just have to be strong as DSiLaw’s Friday routine is Telly- footy, beer, chips, chocolate, crackers and cheese. I’ll just go and make a pot of herbal tea I think
    Have a good night all xx

    Hi everyone, am in Sydney and started 4:3 ing 3 week’s ago. I thought the weight wd fall off but only about 1 kg so far…although I’m due to weigh in tomorrow. Is that normal? Hoping to lose about 20kgs, lower cholesterol & solve persistent back & hip pain.

    Hi Vixen,
    Good luck with your weigh in today.
    I’ve been doing one liquid-only FD a week and found it really helps if the scales are being stubborn.
    How are you coping with 3 fast days? I’ve been on the 5:2 for 9 weeks and happily removed 6 kg.
    This forum really helps with moral. Don’t give up ☺

    Hi Vixen – when I started 5:2 on 01 February, I also hoped to lose around 15-20 kg. Since starting I have dropped about 8-10 kg (not so sure about the weights because I only recently started weighing myself) But more importantly, I have also just about halved my cholesterol reading, plus I am completely off blood pressure meds. So maybe it takes a bit longer to achieve the weight goal, but the other improvements encourage me to continue. I also walk every morning, nothing too challenging, only between 3-5 km, so just keep on going. I think one of the secrets is not to overcompensate on NFD

    Hi to everyone

    So sorry if my post causes any distress!

    Thank you so much for your kind words and wishes for my Brother – he has been unwell for about 4 months. He was told by his Specialist, yesterday, he has pancreatic cancer. The outcome is not good.
    I’m devastated, shattered and feel overwhelmed by this diagnosis – tears flow freely – my younger Brother is suffering and it will continue. No one deserves this. I just hope I can support him in any way possible. I feel this post extremely difficult to write. I know no one can change the inevitable! I’d like each one of you to find that little bit of extra time to let your closest family and friends know what they really mean to you and spend more special time together. You never know when this special time will be taken away.

    Have a good and fulfilling weekend and bye for now!

    Good morning Southern Hemispheres. I hope you all have nice plans for your weekend.

    Welcome Vixen68 and Dimples67, it’s lovely to have a new Aussie and a new New Zealander on our forum. Well done on the 1kg and 6kg respectively.
    Vixen, my weight loss was slow – being older, female and short meant having quite a low TDEE. I struggled to keep my eating on the non-fast days (NFD) at my TDEE or below and going above reduces weight loss. If you haven’t done so, I’d recommend you calculate the TDEE for your goal weight with a conservative activity estimate and try to stay around that level on NFDs. https://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-calories-on-a-non-fast-day/ When I was losing weight I tended to add a 3rd FD if I plateaued. Sybs is doing 4:3 at the moment so you’ll have company for that program and I think Lindsay was going to try it next week too.
    Something else to consider is the tape measure – I found it showed me steady progress even when the scales didn’t.
    Dimples, well done on the water fasts, they were always a step to far for me. It seems to be working for you, that’s an excellent rate of weight loss for 5:2.

    NFD for me today, with meals based around things in the freezer that I need to eat before moving day.
    No prizes for guessing that I’ll be doing some more packing tody. Yesterday I emptied everything out of the storage POD (except for 3 pieces of furniture) and I’ve stacked it in the lounge room. My niece and her son are coming this morning to carry the furniture back into the house for me. I’ve decided to try and stack all of the boxes in the lounge as it will allow me to clean most of the house ahead of moving day. Then the only thing left to clean after the removalists have moved my belongings out is the lounge room floor.

    Arel, Just saw your post. I am so sorry to hear your brother’s prognosis. Thinking of you and sending you a big hug.

    Arelkade – so incredibly sorry to hear about your brother – it’s quite overwhelming when first facing the devastating news. This is the time when you really need to look after yourself, so you can be there for your brother. There are quite a few support groups and services for carers, and you should not hesitate to get in touch, they do help.

    Dear Arel. I am so sorry to hear of your brother’s diagnosis. This is a difficult and sad time for you and your family. You are in my thoughts.

    Good morning,

    Welcome Vixen and Dimples!
    Vixen, how frustrating to have a slow start. I hope the scales give you a good figure this morning!
    You might need to wait for the whoosh effect: http://100down.org/the-whoosh-effect/
    Remember also that sometimes your clothes and tapemeasure show that you are losing weight before the scales do (doesn’t make sense but I have a theory that weight scales only THINK they are a scientific measuring device, but are actually run by imps).
    The biggest trick, I think, is to keep the fasting ‘do-able’ so you can just keep plodding on with it, even if weight loss is slow. So it is good that if 4:3 starts feeling like it is too hard you can go to 5:2 which will be easier. And it is the long term healthy weight and all the other benefits that are most important. Keep on keeping on!

    Dimples, congratulations on the 6kg. Lovely.

    Well, it is day before fast day for me, and I am going to make it a nice light one as I think I ate enough yesterday to cover for today too. 🙁
    It might almost be like your extra 800 day Lindsay.
    And Lindsay, you made me laugh talking about your wardrobe. It is so true! Getting dressed is a hundred times easier in the normal zone.

    I’ve lit another candle Arelkade.

    I am glad you got that rain Thin, and so glad the fires are less of a danger. Good work fireys.

    Gday, such a treat to see your post. What a great holiday. Good luck with the Paleo diet, hopefully it will be a great help with those pesky menopause symptoms. You’ll be glowing with health.

    Cali, yes I need more RAM, or maybe a whole new hard drive. You will look very fetching with the RAM comb in your hair!
    I’m so glad you had a good fast day AND found some op shop treasures. Getting back to your old self! Enjoy day after fast day!

    Stay, three good walks a week sound pretty impressive to me! I do hope you were able to enjoy your herbal tea and keep fasting from in among the plates of junkfood.

    I’m off to have another cup of tea. Cheers all.

    Oh no Arelkade, your post came through as I was writing. Such an awful awful post. My heart goes out to you all.
    I’m sitting here trying to write something understanding, but how can we understand. Sending you all my heartfelt wishes. I hope you brother gets all the best help now, and I am glad he has a loving family to be with him.

    Welcome Vixen and Dimples. This is a great forum and everyone here has experienced, if not exactly what you are going through, something similar, and will have heaps of advice, given in a caring and non-judgmental way. Even if you fall off the horse, there’s always someone to give you a leg up again.
    Cinque I’ve never been much of an op shopper (time poor – definitely love the concept), but I’ve found something similar. My OH went downstairs during the week to look for something or other, and found a big plastic storage box filled with …shoes! When we did the reno 5 years ago I was working overseas and my OH relocated everything to let the painters in. Lots of stuff went missing and I thought I’d lost my shoes in the process. He’s bringing them up pair by pair. First up – a pair of Bally shoes which will be great for work. Next? A pair of red suede high heels (and you know how I love a pair of red shoes). Both need heeling, but what a find! I can’t wait for the next treasure. Having them a pair at a time lets me assess them rationally – and it spins out the pleasure.

    Arel, so sorry for your news. Thinking of you and your family. Best wishes for your brother.

    Welcome Dimple and Vixen. I wouldn’t be discouraged by a one kg loss after 3 weeks especially with another weigh in due the next day. My suggestion would be to start off with 5:2, master the fast days and gradually assess the non-FD intake. 4:3 is a punishing regime for beginners, is likely to tempt you into overeating on the NFDs as well as ultimately feeling like any other ‘diet’ which is unsustainable long-term. This is a way of eating for life so it doesn’t really matter how long it takes to lose the weight as long as there’s a downward trend. Take it easy – the benefits are great!

    CalifD, so glad that you’re back on board and feeling good now.

    Cinque, are you enjoying the new series of Endeavour? See you tomorrow for Sunday fasting.

    Stay, after the neighbour I met for coffee yesterday moved out, we had a lovely couple with a dog with separation anxiety. It was very distressing to listen to it yelping all day and half the evening. After a few weeks, I went round under the guise of trimming our bushes on their side and mentioned to them that their dog was very unhappy when they were out. They were fully aware and had, in fact, been required to leave their previous residence because ‘therapy’ hadn’t worked. It’s so cruel to leave a dog in so much distress for hours and hours. We asked them to leave him outside so we could at least try and calm him down over the fence. Nothing really worked, the poor dog should have been re-homed with someone who’s around all day. After a year, they moved out but I bet the dog’s life is still miserable.

    Lindsay, that shoe story has just appeared. Hilarious! Enjoy them.

    Arel, I am so sorry to hear about your brother’s diagnosis. I wish I was there to give you a hug. There aren’t words to express how sad I feel for you, your brother and your family. The news is devastating. What can I do to help?

    Hi Everyone
    Arel, I, too am so sorry to hear your brother’s diagnosis. Know that I’ll be praying for you all in this difficult time.
    Welcome Vixen and Dimples. The people here have a wealth of great advice.
    Lindsay- what a fun time with new/old shoes.
    Thin- our neighbors have 3 dogs. He had 2 and she had one when they got together. Her dog does not get on well with other dogs and leaving them all together results in huge vet bills! So one inside, one in side run and one in back run when they are out.
    Not a FD for me and I haven’t done too bad. OH and I were marshals for a fundraising run/walk at Lysterfield Lake. Who would have though we’d be in 19 degree sunshine with kangaroos lazing about this time of year?!
    As I’ve done 2 NFD in a row much better than I have of late I will do another tomorrow and fast on Monday
    Have a great weekend everyone!! Xx

    Getting back to my regular FD this last Thursday resulted in a 700 gram weight loss. Yesterday was a NFD and it seemed like I was snacking a lot, some good things, some not, but I managed to lose another 300 grams, so I’m back to 59 kg again. Going to the op shop is inspiring I think, because there are more clothes in smaller sizes, many of them almost new. When I was heavier I never wanted to spend much money on clothes because I was always intending to lose the extra pounds. Now that I’ve lost them I’m finding even nicer things at a fraction of the cost.

    Lindsay, how exciting that OH is finding all those shoes that you thought were gone forever! That’s just like getting new shoes 👠.

    Stay, do your neighbors intend to keep all 3 of the dogs? It seems cruel when they get to the point of injuring each other. And nothing is more annoying than listening to dogs barking all day or night.

    It is a beautiful morning with sunshine outside. I am going to have a quick visit to my daughters family as I miss my grandkids and they are missing me. Lovely way to spend a fast day.

    Lindsay what fun with the shoes! How many more pairs have come up, and do they all need reheeling? I had to look up Bally but I quite understand red suede with high heels! 😀

    Oh dear Stay, re the dogs. Something similar happened with my daughter’s cat when they got more cats. (Result: I have her cat)
    What a lovely fast day you had. I hope you were able to raise lots of funds!
    And so impressive that B2B fasts work well for you. Nice to be fasting with you today. 🙂

    Hi Thin, yes I am very much enjoying Inspector Thursday again (and Endeavour of course). I thought of you when it came on!
    And very happy to be fasting with you too today.

    Cali, I am so glad that ‘back to fast days’ has been so nice for you and with such instant results.
    My nasty cold has kept me down to minimum op shopping so I can’t wait to get well and hit all my favourites, it is such a good Fast Day Activity.

    Arel, thinking of you and sending good wishes.

    Morning Cinque. I love it too! I feel I am instantly transported into a simpler, more intelligent era. I adore Insp. Thursday with his unique turn of phrase. Did you know that there’s a blog about him? Possible spoiler alert! https://www.tumblr.com/search/inspector%20fred%20thursday

    Stay, people come up with odd solutions for their pets. When our neighbours over the back got together, he had two cats from his divorce but his new girlfriend was allergic. So he built a wire cage at the bottom of the garden and that’s where the cats lived until their respective deaths a couple of years later. I’d have kept the girlfriend in the cage and let the ex-wife keep the cats.

    CalifD, did you manage to lose 300gms after Pizza Friday? Impressive!

    This is the 4th day of rain. Temp has reduced dramatically. The bushfires down south have been downgraded but people have sadly lost their homes.

    Miso soup for me again today, Cinque. What are you having for dinner Stay?

    Thin, it’s usually Saturday that’s Movie and Pizza night. But for tonight (Sat.) I made a huge mixed bean salad because nobody was up for pizza. This is the salad that has black, pinto, kidney, chick peas, and some cut sweet corn, red capsicum, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped celery, chopped sweet onions, small black olives. and chopped jalapeños. Dressing is mostly lime juice with a little balsamic, cumin, a little chili powder and garlic, and salt. I made enough to last about 3 days. It’s a favorite around here in the warm months.

    Good afternoon SHs.

    My best friend just came to visit and collect her house key – I had it to water her indoor plants while she was overseas. She helped me wrap the leather lounge in plastic while she was here – it was definitely a 2 person job.

    Today I have about 3 more boxes I can pack and then I’m moving everything that I can lift into the lounge room. I also need to wrap all the pictures and mirrors that I’ve taken down from the walls in bubble wrap.
    Then I can spend tomorrow cleaning all the rooms (except the lounge), and wiping out cupboards ready for the new owners. That leaves just the final packing of essential food, dining ware and clothing for Tuesday/Wednesday. It also means the only thing I’ll have left to clean on Wednesday is the lounge after the removalists have emptied it. Although we have rain forecast for the next 3 days so I might be washing up a trail of muddy footprints if I’m unlucky.

    I no longer need to list to know what’s in my freezer. It now only contains a litre of pumpkin soup, a veggie pastie, 4 slices of rye bread and an ice pack. I’m quite pleased that I managed to get through all of the food that was in there without any waste. Although I do confess to sending another frozen veggie pastie home with my friend.

    Another NFD for me today. I’m going to fast tomorrow and already have a 500ml container of cauliflower soup thawing on the sink ready for tomorrow’s dinner. I actually feel more organised now that I did before the first open inspection. I think having so much stuff already packed from before the sale process made life a lot easier now.

    My NFD lunch is a veggie pastie (sweet potato, spinach and feta) that is heating now in the airfrier.
    Hope those who are Sunday fasting are having an easy time of it.

    Hi Everyone
    How exciting LJoyce- nearly moving day. My DD is hoping to make an offer on a house tomorrow 😀. There are not many houses around here for sale in their price bracket and when there is one it’s sold in 5 days after an Open Day. I’m wondering what’s wrong with this house and why hasn’t it sold yet- but I’m hoping it’s just because it’s meant for them. DD is in love with it so we are all praying the finances go through. She’s had some trouble getting everything in her new married name
    CalifD- that salad sounds amazing. I’ve screen spotted it and will add to my recipe app.
    Oops son in law and granddaughter have just rolled up. I’ll post again after

    ……a) they’ve left. 😆
    ……b) dinner. 😆
    ……c) the dogs stop barking. 😆

    Haha Thin it will never be c). They love their dogs and even think a citrus barking collar is too cruel- something their previous neighbours suggested. How terrible that people have lost their homes in a fire. Our fire danger period is definitely over now.
    I obviously don’t express myself very well. I meant to say I was having another NFD today and then fast tomorrow. I feel like I’m letting you all down. I didn’t have lunch until 2.30pm and have eaten 435 cals so it could be a FD if I had my veggie soup for dinner. DH has taken out lamb chops so I’ll see who is going to be home. We haven’t seen our kids at all today . There could be 2,4 or 6 of us. Even if it does turn out to be a NFD I’m pretty pleased I haven’t snacked on any junk and I’ve had an alcohol free weekend.
    Good on you to all who are fasting and I’ll be joining the Monday Fasters tomorrow:) xx

    Hi all. Just home from a family BBQ. It was nice, and not too evil, food wise. Looking forward to my fast day tomorrow.
    Calif the shoe discovery is actually better than going shopping. 1,I don’t have to pay for them and 2, I don’t have to try on heaps and heaps to get ones I like.
    Cinque and Thin I’ve had two more pairs come up. One pair of heels can go to my daughter – she’ll love them and I don’t think I’ll have an occasion to wear them. The other is a pair of brown leather boots with a silvery insert and silvery very high heels. Terrible description but they are fabulous, and only worn once. I remember the day well. I was living in Hong Kong and put them on to go to dinner on the island. At the time we lived over on Kowloon. Miles and miles of underground linking the MTR stations. Definitely not the right heels for HK, so they got packed away until we came back to Australia.
    Stay it’s hard for our kids to get into the housing market. My son and DIL sold their unit just before they had the new baby, thinking selling would be harder than buying, which wasn’t to be. Every house they look out is either out of their price range, or they get gazumped. Good luck to your DD with her buying.

    Thin, that Inspector Thursday link gave me a lot of pleasure (for someone who doesn’t understand tumbler).
    I didn’t manage to get more miso but I am having the last of my chicken and veggie soup, so that is okay.
    You must be sick of the rain, hope you get some clear sky tomorrow.

    Stay, I got confused with FDs and NFDs. I’ll pass the fast day baton on to you overnight! Have fun at dinnertime. Good luck for the DD house buying!

    Cali, we don’t have a bean salad recipe on the legume thread, and yours looks particularly nice. Can I cut and paste it there? Or would you like to put it in more detail? https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/beans-and-lentils-recipes-tips-and-information/page/3/

    LJoyce, how well your planning pays off. Such great meals.

    Mmm soup time. Yum

    Hi All! It’s Good Morning From England.

    Arel, my dear, so sad. I hope you, your brother and your family are able to find peace, love, and special moments to remember over the near future.

    LJ – well done on an amazingly planned process keeping you 5:2 intact through it all.

    We’ve had days of touring and looking at lots of interesting and historical things, beautiful scenery, very old buildings, lovely flowers and trees, pretty blackbird voices inthe evenings, poor phone reception, and some haphazard eating.

    Read most of the last 2 pages last night.I’m a bit at the stop-the-world-I-want-to-get-off stage, and quite tired today. Back later.

    Onwards and Downwards,
    Merry

    Oh, yes , we went to the wedding! Beautiful loooooong day, sat/stood/walked along the long walk. Yes, saw bride and mum zip past pre-wedding, saw the carriage more slowly go past us, saw the bride and groom, who bothed looked very happy and beautiful, the Household Cavalary (?) and horses were magnificent, the crowd happy, well behaved and orderly, suitably bonkers and partying in true Englush fashion, the media from everywhere! were everywhere roaming, interviewing, the loos were remarkably cleanishand non-smelly, tissues were passed around. Lovely hot joyous, laughing happy day, clear blue sky, very glad we did it. Mad but glad.

    Merry

    Merry, Glad to hear you are having a good, if tiring, time. You can always hibernate for a while when you get home.
    I’m shocked that you braved the criwds to go to the wedding. I really did think you were joking about that.
    Hope the rest of the holiday is just as enjoyable.

    Thanks for posting Merry, at first I thought you were going to sign off and say nothing about whether or not you had seen the wedding. Then I saw the next post. But you still haven’t told us the other thing I wanted to know which was whether you have met up with Mr and Mrs Penguin.

    Cinque, I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed that Thursday link – me too. No spoiler for me because I can’t remember things like which season of something I am watching (as CalifD knows from my description of where I got up to with Outlander). I, too, liked the sound of that bean salad but forgot to say, so I hope it makes it to a recipe page. Thank you, Cinque. How was your grandies time today?

    I don’t mind the rain; it’s more of a novelty for us than for you. Not keen on high winds or the cold though.

    Please spread the word over there that Perth house prices have been depressed for 10 years – at least in our suburb; plenty of bargains here. And then when you all come and visit your offspring, you can meet me for coffee.

    Lindsay, what is that place that you have below – a sort of underground bunker? Can you soundproof it and fix it up for sleeping when the neighbours are going off?

    It was an uneventful FD, thanks LJ.

    Arel. I have been where you are and I know that there is nothing anyone can say that will really help. Even so, I’ll try. My younger brother was diagnosed with leukeamia and given five years. He didn’t accept that and made it to eight. They were not all good times, but some of them were. Periodically I would take him to the haematology unit for blood transfusions. The humour in that unit was unbelievable – hard edged and sharp perhaps, but there was a determination to make the best of things.

    A different form of the disease I know, but the response needs to be the same – you need to be strong for him and, without ignoring it, as far as possible behave as though it isn’t happening. When I had my own cancer a couple of years ago the obvious impact on my family and their response was what worried me most.

    Thin- not yet, but soon🙂

    LJ – started as sort of a joke, then thought why not! I managed because everything! was so beautifully organised, which made it do-able, though I fell in to bed later.

    Re the travellng, unfortunately hibernating later isn’t an option. ME/CFS has to be managed minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day and on and on. The dreaded term is ‘crash’. This is a severe or severer, or severest sudden worsening which takes weeks, months, sometimes years in bed to come back from. With ME/CFS our bodies make less energy and make it at a slower pace, so operating within your energy envelope takes time to learn, and time to understand your limits. Sometimes years. A bit like mitachondrial disease in milder form.

    Cinque and I are old hands at it, and we’ve both been living this way for decades now. It may sound like we’re doing a lot and doing it normally, but it’s about knowing how and when that is crucially important. I am fortunate to be able to have something which gives me a bit more energy, and I have done a couple of firsts on this trip. Firsts are things I haven’t been able to do for over 20yrs.

    Unfortunately, the UK does not operate or treat ME/CFS well, (sorry Penguin) with it largely having been considered a psychosomatic illness rather than the catastrophic neurological multi-system disease it actually is. On the 1 time it came up here I had to remember to say ME rather than the colloquial CFS. Sweden is apparently another country non-accepting. We are following the medical acceptance path of diabetes, asthma, MS etc before us, but we’re not there yet.

    So- a crash here, while not something I want at any time, would be worse if I had need of the NHS, rather than our medical system at home.

    I’ve just sat resting for 1 1/2 hrs while OH is looking at various things and enjoying not doing things at my pace.

    Anyhoo…. I’m having a lovely trip, but needing a much quieter day today.😵

    Back again – Not much 5:2 ing happening here. I’ve done 2 in 2 weeks and next one due tomorrow, thank goodness. OH hasn’t been doing 5:2 while we’re away. Was hoping to do more of our own food prep than we’ve managed.

    Lots of emphasis on wheat things on lunch menu’s, (no different to Australia) and chips (cooked in beef fat I think) plentiful on lunch and dinner menus. Lot’s of emphasis on cream teas, pasties in cafes, which I’ve largely avoided, but had a little.

    Doing my usual 2 meals a day, and keeping my weight steady. Carrot and coriander soup for lunch today, in a cathedral cafe. Extraordinary things built in Medieval times. Salisbury Cathedral (of Pillars of The Earth fictional fame) has the most beautiful choir of girls and boys all inder 13. Goosebump time.

    I notice Thin gave a Les Mis link. Rather than the movie cast, here is the magnificent Australian cast, which was so perfectly cast and balanced, it was a crime not to have recorded the entire show.

    https://m.youtube.come/watch?V=Q3HGB3YjeqE

    And here is One Day More, at the end of Act 1.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liCqwW4tKy8

    Hoping to see it when we’re in London.

    Onwards and Downwards,
    Merry

    Tested those links – couldn’t get the 1st to work, though the 2nd did. The 1st is a promo for the Australian Les Mis with various bits of the show – 2 and a bit minutes. If you look at the 2nd link and go down the Youtube list a couple, you’ll see “Les Miserables Australian Cast Footage”, and that’s what the 1st link was to. Hope the links work for those who want to see them.

    Good morning. I’m a bit headachey so enjoying my ‘morning after fast day’ quietly.

    Merry lovely to read your news, and laughed out loud that you actually made the wedding. Well done.
    So happy to hear you have been able to do a couple of firsts.
    The soup sounds lovely. I do hope that nice little food possibilities keep turning up for the rest of the trip. Say hi to Mr Merry from me.

    I did have a lovely time with my gorgeous grandchildren, Thin, and came home with paintings to put on the fridge.
    I’m glad you don’t mind the rain.
    Hmm, not saying anything to my darling daughter about cheap houses in Perth, I want to get her into a neighbouring suburb!

    Penguin, is Mrs Penguin all recovered? I do hope so.

    Arel, I’ve been reading up on pancreatic cancer, will they be doing surgery and chemo and radiotherapy? I can imagine how overwhelming this time is, so I know you mightn’t have the space to read, or to answer. I do hope you can look after your own health and can feel all good wishes coming your way.

    Can’t remember if I said this before, but I saw the first Australian production of Les Mis and enjoyed it. But it was when the 10th anniversary concert was played on TV at a time when my life was really hard: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, toddler and some tricky family things, that I just fell in love with it. I recorded that concert and played it so often it was the soundtrack of those years. I also loved the 25th anniversary concert and the film (and was particularly delighted to find that Inspector Thursday played Javert in the original London production). I am now, very slowly, reading the book.

    Well, I am having chickpea flour and kimchi crepes for breakfast. My own invention and I love them.

    You’ve got the baton, Monday fasters!
    Best wishes all

    Hi Everyone
    Cinque, I hope your headache vanished after some quiet time. I, too, love the paintings on the fridge. I’m with you, there will be no offspring moving to Perth.
    Merry- I love Les Mis and saw it in London 6 years ago. Have a wonderful time and so smart to do it all at your own pace.
    I did slip in an extra FD yesterday. I just had my veggie soup for dinner. It’s just veggies in home made veggie stock and then puréed. I usually have it for lunch in FD. Dinner is a small piece of protein ( tonight it is salmon) with steamed veggies. I’ll bulk out the OFMs dinner with scalloped potatoes. I also have 2 white coffees and a few cups of teas.
    My morning plans have been cancelled so after a drive to the P.O and local shops, I’ll do a longer walk 🙂
    Have a good one everyone!! Xx

    Cinque and thin, I posted the Mexican Bean Salad over on the beans and legumes thread. I never measure ingredients so I pretty much just put what I had posted here. It is a really pretty salad with the black, red, brown and yellowish beans, the red capsicum, green celery slices, yellow sweet corn and chopped cilantro.

    Merry, that’s so cool that you went to the royal wedding and were close enough to actually see the bride and groom! That was certainly history in the making. I’m glad you are managing with the ME/CFS. And the Salisbury Cathedral! That was built in the 1200 and 1300’s. So much history, and from the photos, such a beautiful place!

    I loved the Les Mez link. I had the music CD for that play before I actually saw it and played it all the time. So when I saw it in San Francisco it was even more exciting. I loved the music and the play. Years later I bought the DVD https://www.amazon.com/Miserables-Special-BBC-Colm-Wilkinson/dp/B009M1HJ3O/ref=sr_1_8?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1527471707&sr=1-8&keywords=les+miserables+25th+anniversary+dvd
    I don’t know how many times I watched that. Parts of it brought me to tears. Come to think of it, it’s about time to watch it again.

    They had a version of this on the DVD. It’s “Do you hear the people sing: Sung by 17 Valjeans from around the world”

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gpDbvlAI_A0

    A quick post while I stop for a cuppa – been on the go since 6:30am.
    I have now packed just about everything that wasn’t nailed down. Just food, clothes and toiletries to go now and I’ll do those tomorrow. After the cuppa I’ll clean the house.
    I’m feeling a bit weary actually, I might be decadent and have a whole hour off.

    Merry, I hadn’t realised that overdoing things could cause such a long term flare up in your symptoms. Sounds like pacing yourself is the only way to handle things. I hope you get enough relaxing moments to enjoy the rest of your holiday.

    Hi everyone

    Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts, prayers and hugs re: my Brother’s illness. Life is sometimes very tough for us all, and it’s comforting to know there are some very special people out there who can acknowledge and show they care with lovely words of comfort! I very much appreciate your time, compassion and support.
    This is truly a wonderful forum!

    Enjoy whatever you are getting up to and bye for now!

    Thanks CalifD, I’ve copied the ingredients from your Black Bean Salad.

    Hi Everyone
    I had a good FD yesterday. It was b2b so I ate a bit over 500cal and that’s fine by me. I got a bit hungry about 12noon and had a few nuts. I did an hour walk that had a decent hill. Today is NOT a FD. I meet with some ladies from my church and my friend has a huge plumbed in coffee maker and cooks an amazing cake/muffins/scones whatever. So every 2nd Tuesday is my “cake” day :). It has actually stopped me getting cakes when I go out for coffee with anyone else and I don’t eat any of the muffins I make for the boys lunches. But today we are also going to a bakery for lunch – I don’t know why. I’m meeting up with another friend for a walk around a nearby lake a at 4pm and I will try to just have my soup for dinner. The others are having a lasagna I made last week and froze and garlic bread- I’m very sensitive to garlic so no temptation there.
    Have a great one! Xx

    A nice headache-free morning this morning, and it is lull day re fasting.

    Thanks for putting up your bean salad recipe Cali, you must be down to the last of it now.

    Stay I hope you had a great walk, And isn’t soup a wonderful food.

    LJoyce, is Wednesday moving day? Is it tomorrow? A very special transition time. I hope you enjoy the last day in one lovely home and then all the days in your new home.

    Arel, sending good wishes in a steady stream.

    I hope I am up to shopping today as the fridge is bare. I want to go in one direction for the miso and another for the yuba and I want get the ingredients for a chicken casserole too. We’ll see.

    Best wishes for you day! I hope you can make it a good one.

    Good morning everyone.

    Cinque, I’m glad you are feeling better today. I too am on a NFD and used the last of the kefir to soak some muesli overnight so I can turn it into a bircher muesli in a little while. Need a cup of tea, or two, first.
    Yes, tomorrow is moving day. Today I have to pack my clothing and toiletries and I have about 1/3 of the pantry left to do. (I made a start on that last night.) I also need to take all my smaller pot plants over to my neighbour, from where I’ll collect them again in a few days time. I’m also thinking I might dismantle my bed today and just sleep on the mattress on the floor tonight – one less thing to do in the morning.

    Stay, enjoy cake day. After a B2B you’ve earned it. I think I went over over 500cals a bit yesterday too, as I had hot vanilla milk to help me sleep.

    Arel, I hope your family are coping and are getting to spend time with your brother.

    Merry, enjoy your travels.

    Everyone I’ve missed, have a good day, fasting or otherwise.

    My NFD will involve a take away for dinner.

    LJ, moving day tomorrow! I bet you’ll be so happy to get into your new house and make it home. Do you have pictures for the walls yet? To me, that always made a new place feel more like home. Of course sometimes you have to get new ones because the ones from the old place don’t fit. (Or you don’t really like them anyway.)

    Arel, thinking of you and wishing the best for you, your brother and your family.

    Cinque, glad to hear you’re feeling better this morning. I’m going to have to go shopping for miso too. I think I’ll get the paste again, even though it takes longer to dissolve. Maybe the tub that’s almost empty is getting dried out after opening and closing it so many times. I wonder if it really needs to be refrigerated? After all, it is fermented.

    I’ve been making kefir again the last couple days. I thought I’d killed it for sure since I had some grains in milk in the frig for more than a month. I strained them out and dumped the kefir since it was so old, but the new batch fermented overnight just fine. I think I’ve got some very hardy grains! They must be over 2 years old by now. I’m using goat milk now. I really like it a lot better and so does my sister. OH will drink it occasionally, but he’s not a big fan.

    Today was a holiday, Memorial Day, and we had a lot of food around (and still lots of bean salad) so I moved my Monday FD to tomorrow.

    Penguin, how is Mrs. P doing? I hope she’s feeling a lot better by now.

    I’ve just packed the last bag and taped up the last box and it’s only 3pm. I’m feeling quite pleased that things are coming together at this late stage.
    I’m quite impressed by my clothing quantity. All my clothes and shoes fitted into 2 suitcases, 1 small overnight bag and 1 large packing box. (Although that doesn’t include the coat hangers – they filled a laundry hamper all by themselves. The shoes were just 1/2 a box – does that mean I can buy some more?

    I wish getting services on at the new property was as easy as packing. I will definitely not have gas tomorrow – which means no hot water or cooktop. They are coming early Thursday to get it going, (although I’m at the point where I’ll believe it when I see it).

    When I move I won’t have a phone or internet connection for several weeks (still waiting for Telstra to connect it – the current owner only requested it a month ago). That means I’ll be trying to post on my iphone, which I find awkward and tend to make very short posts. So if you notice me being very brief for a while – that’s why.

    I’m contemplating what to get for dinner. Actually planning to buy takeaway for dinner is something I never do so it feels like a big deal. I’m thinking I’ll dive over to the next town as their chicken shop used to make lovely steak sandwiches (with lots of cooked onions) – hopefully they’re still as good.

    Great work LJoyce! I hope you find that steak sandwich with lots of yummy onions.

    That is a long time to wait for phone and internet! Hooray for your phone, we will be so glad to get your short little messages.

    Hope the electricity is on!

    And yes! You can have more shoes 🙂

    I got a shopping today (and got exhausted). I bought the beancurd sticks but not the miso. Maybe tomorrow. Hope you got yours Cali.

    I’m about to make a yummy chicken casserole. Cheers all!

    Hi everyone
    Short post today!
    All the best LJoyce for moving to your new abode tomorrow – will be thinking of you. What an exciting time. You’re so well organised and it makes a huge difference with the ease you can make the changeover – enjoy!

    All enjoy whatever you are getting up to and bye for now!

    Good luck tomorrow LJ although it’s all been good management rather than good fortune thus far.

    Thinking of you Arel, hope you’re savouring time with your brother as well as taking good care of yourself.

    Enjoy that casserole Cinque. Hi to everyone else. FD for me tomorrow and I’ll have to forego a particularly good cup of coffee in favour of lemongrass and ginger tea when I meet friends tomorrow. The FD show must go on …..

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