10am, Sat, Adelaide

Good morning everyone, hope you all have some lovely weekend plans.
Sorry I was AWOL yesterday – busy day with appointments.

Cali, I can’t send you any heat at the moment as we are having a rare cold spell at present. Starting yesterday the forecast is for a whole week of temperatures in the low-mid 20s – that’s very rare for Feb here. At the moment it cold and raining and I’m thinking I might need to put on a jacket!
I hope you are feeling better, and warmer now.

Lindsay, that was a very brave thing your son did. I glad he managed to stop the assault and that he wasn’t injured in the process.

Cinque, sounds like you aren’t too tired after babysitting duties if you are racing off to a meeting. Is teaching English as a second language something you’ve done before is it this a new thing?

Thin, thanks for the heads up on the milk – I found it on sale at Coles by accident yesterday too. I didn’t look at konjac noodles as I’ve been using them less through the summer months. The smaller packets of Chang noodles I sometimes use the whole packet, but the brands that contain more noodles, like Slendier, I treat as 2 serves as long as I have included plenty of veg for volume.

Turnabout, welcome back. I can only imagine how difficult it was to manage your weight when spending your days cooking. It sounds like you are well on track for getting to your initial 80kg goal.

Anzac, I have everything crossed for your job prospects, I’m hoping you are spoiled for choice.
You are right about your hubby’s comments sounding like delaying tactics. He probably derives some joy from Maxx’s uncontrolled antics. I’m sure training won’t crush his spirit, and it should keep him safer near the roads. Dogs love attention and the training process gives them lots of that.

Neil, having your trousers fall down is a wonderful sign that the diet’s working. You might want to add some extra holes in that belt so you are ready for the next few adjustments too.
I remember deciding it was time to go shopping when my winter pyjama pants ended up down around my ankles when I was trying to walk down the hallway – up until then my generous hips had kept them vaguely in place.

Intesha, do you know whether water kefir is made with different grains to the milk version?

Arel, I hope you are enjoying that family weekend in the country.

Rosy, I hope you are enjoying your weekend at Crown Towers. I’m sure you’ll look fabulous in evening clothes.

My best friend is meant to be coming over this afternoon for a cuppa and a walk, although the rain will need to stop for that.

Have a nice weekend everyone.

LJoyce I don’t know the difference. I get mine from a company called NourishmeOrganics. They post them out.

LJoyce, yes the water and milk kefir grains are different but apparently milk grains can be converted to water. I never tried it, but here are instructions:
https://www.thecheesemaker.com/content/water_kefir_instructions.pdf

And here are some of the advantages of milk kefir over water kefir:
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/water-kefir-versus-milk-kefir/

Rosy, I don’t know if you could slow your metabolism down by eating a low calorie diet everyday for a long time or not. I’ve read for years that you can, but I’ve never seen any good studies with lots of people. And when I used to go on low calorie diets it was usually for only 3 or 4 months to lose what I needed, so I don’t know if it did. I usually went back to eating because the diet was over and gained it all back anyway. There are several people here that went on low calorie diets for a lot longer time so they can better comment on this. They might be a little more careful on NFD’s than I am, but from their posts here it looks like they eat pretty normally now on NFD’s and have kept the weight off and even lost more weight.

But I’m pretty certain you can’t slow it down by eating 500/600 calories per day for 2 days of the week based on my own experience. I eat a lot on NFD’s and usually manage to lose it on FD’s.

Rosy, that’s a good place to be in this heat. We took a picnic to the river last night and it was getting more tolerable as the sun set. I could see Burswood (Crowne) and was thinking of you! There was a lady feeding and and trying to net a duck. At first we thought she was poaching but, as they both approached, we could see that the duck was injured. DD and the lady tried for a couple of hours to entice and capture it, chatting about Native Arc where DD volunteered and various local vets who are equipped to assist with wildlife. Several passersby tried to help but the duck was too wary of the net so it was left to fend for itself.

Betsy, good morning, nice to hear from you. All the best re-adjusting for your ultimate TDEE. Yes, I had the clothes issue. I couldn’t really believe it when I got down to size 14 and bought too many new clothes to celebrate. I barely got to wear them before progressing to size 12. Eventually, I sold them on gumtree or ebay, others I gave away but, for years, I held on to a size or two higher than needed because I couldn’t accept that I would never regain the weight as I always had before. Now, for the first time in decades, I only have size 10 clothes. And I’m finally confident that I’m a slim person, not a fat person who lost a lot of weight.

When you consider that 80% of the entire world is on FB, that is a huge amount of power for one unelected person to hold. That alone is reason enough for me not to use it. Not that I ever got my news or information from such a platform but millions do.

FD for me. Looking forward to it. I have a high-priced cauliflower that I will enjoy immensely. Later, leftover Spanish Fideos with an egg baked on top and a generous squeeze of lime juice. Yum.

Morning all.
Cinque, you are a good woman. Getting involved in this project could help so many vulnerable woman. Hope you are taking it easy today. And how nice to have a cool day. It is cooking up here in southern Queensland. Even our island is hot. So I am sitting on the verandah, with the overhead fan on, and not even contemplating the beach til later in the afternoon, when we’ll have a beach walk and sit in the sea. OH can’t swim in the ocean now, because any infection would be ‘catastrophic’ according to his opthalmologist, but with the shifting sands, a pool has formed along the length of the beach at low tide, so we go and sit in that and chat away. I miss the surf, but my DD will always go in with me when we are over here together.
Neil, don’t be too hard on yourself. 1000 calories is still great for weight loss, so I’m betting it won’t slow you down too much. Think how many more calories you would have had, had you not been following this WOL.
I’ve bought a second set of scales for the island, , so I can stay on track, and so far seem to be losing a steady 100 grams a day. Slow and steady. Not the 5 kilos in a fortnight Dr M predicted, but I’ll get there eventually. Actually I think naked 5:2 may suit me better…I like the discipline of those strict fasting days, and feel the 800 somehow gives me too much wriggle room.
Betsy I’ve had the clothes issue too. I suspect we all do. I too have many many things still with tags, bought in the hope that they would fit one day. And I find I still head for the 18 rack in the shops, when I’m more a 14 or even a 12 now. I am being ruthless in getting rid of my big clothes and take them to the church shop over here. There are a lot of larger women in this community who can get good use out of my things. It’s a great op shop – a great social morning, chatting to people who come to donate or buy, and there is a thriving book/toy exchange for the children. (and the bonus is the shop profits go back to the air/sea rescue here).
Thin, make the most of your high priced cauliflower. The weather is pushing prices out of the stratosphere. How about $7.40 for a head of celery? Even for island prices, that’s ridiculous. (And I love your comment that you are a slim person, not a fat person who has lost a lot of weight. Brilliant).

Hi Thin. We thought about goggles, but it is too high risk, given he only has one sighted one eye. A bit like poking a bear. Actually it’s diving in the pool that he really misses. OH is Scottish, and as my DD once observed, isn’t really designed for the surf.

The church shop here is a Godsend for many people. There’s high unemployment since the sand mining closed down …a good thing, but with consequences. The island is Quandamooka land and there are jobs being created for Indigenous people in tourism….for example in management of the tourist parks. Good decision by the local Council. The best run of the half dozen on the island has been managed by the local Indigenous people for years. There isn’t much shopping on the island, apart from the high end boutiques over at the point (think multimillion houses on the hills overlooking the ocean, and $150 floaty caftans that sell for $5 in Bali).
So being able to go to an op shop and get high quality clothes, and also good books and toys for the kids, at low cost, is a winner. It also gives different groups an opportunity to interact. Win win win.
Have you experienced Thai dental work before?

1:25pm Sunday, Adelaide

Still enjoying the mild weather here. It’s overcast again today so I get the luxury of an afternoon walk – a rare option for summer time.
Oh dear, the new puppy next door has learned to bark, thankfully she doesn’t do it much and mostly it’s only when they play with her. Because they only let her into the back yard when they are with her the barking is mostly quite muffled as she’s indoors.

Lindsay, the island does sound like two different worlds in one place – I know which end I’d feel more comfortable (I’m not good in pretentious environments). Even though it’s a tad too hot at present, I suspect the evening sitting in the water watching the sun set will be very nice.

Cinque, that sounds like a really worthwhile thing to be doing. I hope you find enough energy soon to go get that milk.

Thin, I hadn’t realised you had an overseas trip coming up so soon. Are you holidaying as well, or is it just the dental work this time?
I gave up looking for lower priced cauliflower last week and bought a $2 bag of frozen cauli instead – it worked really well in the cumin roasted veg tray.

Neil, a few years ago I did many months on 800 cals and there was a rare day every now and then where I went over (usually 1000-1200). I actually found that the variation usually spurred my weight loss along if it had been slow. So don’t despair – just think about the level of control you did actually show and how much of that baking you might once have consumed.

Betsy, I love the big clothes clearance. It’s quite freeing to get rid of the large sizes, although I took me a while to get rid of everything. Like Thin I held on to a few just in case. Now that I’ve been maintaining for nearly 4 years I have ditched them. I still routinely refresh my wardrobe, mostly with new op-shop finds. It’s a long time since I’ve bought anything that didn’t fit with the hope of fitting into it, although I’m constantly surprised by how many things I buy from op-shops that still have their tags or look unworn.
When you are in maintenance the 5:2 regime can help a bit with your TDEE. It gives you a bit of leeway to deal with those days where you don’t stick to your TDEE.

Hi to Cali, Rosy, Intesha, Merry, Minka, Arel, Penguin, Quacka, Anzac, Turnabout and anyone else I’ve forgotten.

My best friend has been steadily gaining weight in recent years and has finally decided to do something about it. She’s not comfortable with 5:2 but is aiming for an 800cal deficit on her TDEE every day – as her TDEE is over 2000cals that’s very achievable for her. She’s also getting more exercise which is good. I hoping we can eventually get back in to bushwalking again, once she’s a bit fitter. For now we’ll just do a suburban walk every weekend. It does mean I don’t need to bake when she visits, she’s happy with just a cuppa now.

I think I’m doing a FD today. I hadn’t intended to as I fasted Friday and this would normally be too soon but I’m not really hungry and so far have just had a plum. I’m still in two minds as it would also be quite easy to make this a really good CD and then fast tomorrow as I’d planned. For once I’m going to leave the decision until later.

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

I’ve finally decided today will be a CD. Not because I’ve suddenly found an appetite, but because I need more of my NFDs to be CDs. So taking advantage of that today is a really good idea. Tomorrow I’ll fast as planned.

I’m about to start making ratatouille with lots of home grown produce, including my finger eggplants – the first ones I’ve picked. This photo shows just how varied the heirloom varieties are – so many different colours for eggplant. Lots of variety in the zucchini/squash shapes and colours too.
https://imgur.com/qeXi93h
I felt quite smug at the supermarket this week as they wanted $7 a kilo for zucchini!

Sunday 6.30pm. Monday to Friday this week will be FDs for me. Nothing but fluids during the day and then 500 cal evening meal at 5pm. Plus morning walk with the pooch, HI workout on treadmill and weights each day.

Hi All,

Hello to newbies who have joined since I last posted, which was awhile now. My work hours mean I sometimes go weeks without saying much here, though I have been a SH member for almost 3 years.

I’m partly writing to report that because of Thin’s Silly Season Challenge last year I picked a goal that has helped me practice 6:1 for the past month and remain at the lower half of goal weight wiggle room. Woo hoo! This is something I so desired and could not pull off after reaching goal weight 2+ years ago, well not until I again began eating to TDEE on NFDs like I did during weight loss mode.

Thin, I mentioned your travel scales to a friend and she is interested in obtaining a set and I am too. Can you recommend a brand or model or where best to buy? If it isn’t considered okay to post a recommendation here, you can do so to me privately. I regard you as the expert in that area!

GDSA that is a very ambitious protocol to which you have committed. All the best with the muscle strengthening while B2B fasts for 5 days in a row!

LJ I haven’t read all the posts since yours caught my eye; the question about the water keifr grains. Maybe someone or others have already chimed in. Just in case they haven’t, I have cultivated both milk and water kefir in the past and I am certain they are very different bacterial strains which are nourished by different types of sugar. Water kefir comprises mainly lactobacillus hilgardii and milk kefir is a mix of a variety of bacteria and yeast with a casein core. In other words, as far as I know they are not so easily substituted one for another. I’ve grown them concurrently and they even look very different. Water kefir ‘grains’ look more like gems or crystals and at times they can be referred to as water kefir ‘crystals’. I have read stories of those who experiment attempting to wean milk kefir grains off of lactose to try to get them to consume whatever sugar is in coconut or other non-dairy milk, with varying degrees of success and usually the bacteria needs to be refreshed after awhile with newly weaned milk kefir grains! I have seen coconut milk kefir sold in the health food shop, so there must be a dedicated coconut milk kefir strain. I’m not sure I have read of great success of anyone weaning milk kefir grains off of lactose and them conditioning them to consume sucrose, which is what water kefir likes to consume.

Cinque, your Thai community project contribution touches my heart! What an amazing difference you will be making and it all sounds like such fun. The group is one that would attract me, were I living in your vicinity!

Thin, one more thing… I loved your response to Dr M on his post announcing his new book tour! You said everything I would have wanted to say, had I thought of it!

Cheers to everyone else!

Minka and Thin, thank you for the info on water kefir. I’ve only had the milk version so far – which I like but if water kefir contained fewer calories then I was thinking I might be able to have a bit more and also include it on FDs. (I suppose it depends just how much sugar needs to be in the water to feed the kefir grains and how much remains after it’s strained.

GDSA, I really hope your ambitious plan for the week gives your weight loss a boost. The ranks of those doing many consecutive FDs is definitely growing.

Glad you had a lovely weekend Rosy.

Minka, I’m very impressed that you’ve maintained a low weight on 6:1. I usually have a battle on my hands achieving that on 5:2!

It’s been a very light and healthy CD. I’ve eaten mostly veg, including chick peas that I added to the ratatouille for dinner. With tomorrow’s FD I will be off to an excellent start this week. I had a really good run with CDs for the last 3 weeks of January but have struggled to repeat that over the last week and half. I feel I need to be back in control rather than letting my food wants dictate behaviour on too many days.

The ratatouille was lovely. I made Jane Grigson’s recipe (with some fresh herbs added) which involved a very slow simmer for ages to remove the liquid from the tomatoes. It resulted in a lovely flavour and texture and surprisingly still plenty of firm texture remaining in the zucchini and capsicum. It’s been ages since I’ve had eggplant and I’d forgotten just how soft and creamy the texture of slow cooked eggplant is. I must remember to turn some of my eggplant into babaganoush.

Man, it was so hot here yesterday. Topped out in the early to mid 30s (OK, that may not sound too hot to you in warmer climes, but it’s bloody hot for Dunedin) My wife was working until 4pm so my boys and I packed a dinner and we took off to the river and we had swimming and alfresco dining until about 8pm when the sun started to go down and it finally started to cool off. We have a really fluffy cat and the poor dear was basically melting into a puddle on the ground.

Sunny and warm – 29 in the City 7.30am

Wow Intesha, that is so great! I nearly fell of the scales this morning too; after a very controlled weekend I dropped from 86.4 to 85.7! 85 in front! I can’t believe it! I’m not getting too carried away in case it’s a blip but 85 in front! It has been a very very long time since I have seen that. YAY! I don’t normally lose that much after a very good FD so go figure.

Neil that is very hot for NZ and especially down south. Your poor cat 🙁 but your picnic and swimming sounds lovely

Did all of those veges really come out of your garden LJ? WOW!!

Thin, Thailand next week! How exciting….how long are you going for?

Cinque, how lovely of you to volunteer to help the Thai women. I’m sure they will be so grateful

Lindsay, I don’t go clothes shopping much as I hate it (but this will change when I’m at goal) but the last time I went I naturally picked up a 20 and it was way too big so I went back for an 18 and it was too big too! I nicely fit into a 16 so was very happy about that. It was in the ‘big’ section so very different from a 16 in the ‘normal’ section but it was still nice. I don’t know if I will be able to throw my big clothes out…time will tell

Glad you had a great time Rosy and good luck with your B2B’s. I certainly couldn’t do it but whatever works for everyone is just amazing.

Cali – 4 degrees! Brrrrr…stay warm

I would love to do more replies but must get onto work…we are so busy I had to work yesterday to make up for spending lots of time on the phone to recruiters and long lunches for the two interviews. I have another one tomorrow and it is supposed to e 37 in the City…and I’ll be in a jacket and closed-in shoes and stockings. UGH

Have a great day all, and good luck to those fasting :):)

I truly wish I was at 75 Cinque…but sadly it’s only 85 (for now)

9am Mon Adelaide
Good morning everyone.

Intesha and Anzac, well done on the weight loss.

Unusually for me I’ve already done my long walk for the day. I needed to get my car to the mechanic for a service by 8am, so I walked long meandering route home.
I’m now desperate for a cuppa as I only managed one cup before heading out this morning.
FD for me today.

Good Morning everyone

I have just spent ages catching up on all your posts! I do love reading them all though.

Congratulations to you who are getting the nice figures on your scales. I know how good it feels when those numbers drop down and Anzac, you will soon be into the 70’s!

I am on a FD today. I am still reading in the 67’s but only just this morning. After a weekend that is ok. I am aiming for one kg at a time now as my goal as I am really struggling with the losing part. I am maintaining but not really losing any and that is not what I want. I know what I have to do and that is sort out my NFDs especially the weekends. I also think that I am sabotaging my self because I am actually basically happy with how my body looks right now. I still want to lose more as my goal is to be around the 60kg. Argh! I don’t know how to explain this.

Oh Thin, I had to laugh at ‘stylish’. If only you could see me – I am the daggiest dresser ever and HATE dressing up. I don’t even own a suit. My work clothes are black pants (I wear black pants to work every day – I have several pairs) and a loose top. In summer I wear sandals. I am so dressed-down compared to many other woman but I don’t care. So for interviews I simply put a black jacket over my top and change my sandals for closed-in shoes and stocking socks. I should have been more description of the ‘stockings’ – not real ones but the little ankle ones….I haven’t worn a pair of stockings or pantyhose for at least 15 years!

News. I got the permanent role but they are offering 11k less than I asked for! Makes the decision easy….I will keep on contracting and cross my fingers it doesn’t come back to bite me at the end of the year when I need the 7 weeks off for the holiday

Thanks Quacka, the thought that I could soon have a 7 before my weight sends goosebumps down my spine! In a good way 🙂

How lovely it must be to have people notice your new bod 🙂 So happy for you

Back in the city for work tomorrow and missing the peace and quiet of the island already.
I did have some good news today though. My scales this morning on the island showed I was down 100 grams again…but by the time I got home and got on the home scales (exactly the same model) I’d dropped by 400 grams. And when I looked at my spreadsheet (I know – pathetic aren’t I?), I’ve lost 1.2 kilos since 5th Feb. I’ll weigh again in the morning, when the full week is up, to see how I go on the same scales.
LJ there are 3 townships on our island. We live in the middle one. The park at the end of our street looks out over the bay to Brisbane. It’s rare up here to see the sun setting over water, so it’s particularly beautiful. There’s a lovely bathing enclosure (more for boats than sharks) and a drive to the point, where the beautiful surf beaches are (there’s one in our community too, but it’s where the bay and the ocean meet, so dangerous swimming and for shark activity too). I love where we live …and even at the point, people are pretty laid back. Wildlife is the big thing on the island. Whale watching, kangaroos, koalas, huge turtles…I could go on.
Rosy glad you intervened to save the ducks from being manhandled. Similar story, from the island. At one of the lakes we have huge lace monitors (goannas) – some are two metres. They don’t bother us, and we don’t bother them, but if you have a roast chicken for a picnic, they’re certainly interested! My DS and DIL were there over Christmas for a swim, and had to stop an Asian woman dangling her baby less than a metre from one of the lizards, while her husband took pics. I mean, these things are carnivores! And damn big ones too.
Anzac and Thin. I gave up pantyhose years ago too – but when I need stockings for a dress and boots, I use stay-ups. And they do. Easy to put on, good if you ladder one (only one needs replacing) and great for gardening.
LJ those veges! You must have green fingers.
G’day good luck with the 5 FDs. That’s quite an undertaking.
Neil sounds like you had a good plan to beat the heat.
Here’s my tip all, for when the nights are unbearable and if like us, you don’t have aircon. Fill your hot water bottle in the morning and pop it in the freezer. About half an hour before bed, wrap it in a handtowel and slip it between the sheets. You’ll sleep like a baby (and you’ll know what time it is when you wake, by its state of thawedness, if such a word exists).
OK I’ve missed heaps of posts, and rambled on too much.
Night all.

Day 1 of my 500 cal week compete. 2 x black coffees as usual before I went to work. 2 x large glasses water with my electrolyte powder mid morning, cup of iced tea and small glass milk kefir mid arvo. Tea (dinner) at 5.30 pm was the most delicious chicken thigh casserole. First time I’ve made it and it was awesome. Feeling satisfied and ready for day 2. Hope everyone has had a good day.

Thin, thank you for sending along the scales recommendation! I’ve already sent the link to my friend (who is still doing Jenny Craig!), well that and macrobiotic cleanses from time to time. We each have our own ways of addressing weight and health!

My weekly FD is Friday. I call it ‘Friday Fast Day’. I know it is probably one of the least popular days to fast since it is the start of the weekend and many people prefer to reserve the day for celebrating the start of their time off work. I’ve worked Saturdays for a couple of years, so Fridays do not hold the same meaning they do for others and the nature of my Friday work lends itself to my FD usually being easier than other work days.

Now that I’ve celebrated reaching my ‘Maintenance Goal’ I will add that it is not set in stone and that if I need to throw in an extra FD to return to 5:2 from time to time, I surely will and have no problem with that. It’s just good to know that it is possible to maintain on 6:1, even if I choose not to do so at any time!

Intesha, I agree with you that life is to be lived and enjoyed and that is why maintaining on 6:1 isn’t set in stone. I give myself the freedom and permission to live it up and enjoy from time to time and to feel no regrets in doing so!

5:2 is so forgiving. Thank goodness!

Well, it’s 10:00 pm and I better ready myself for bed so that I can wake up bright and early to be refreshed for work!

@lindsay , we all have vastly different cultures and perspectives . When I was at Crown Towers on the weekend, I noticed ( I’m sure there is a cultural reason for this of which that I am sure I am not aware) but I did notice when it came to entering lifts and participating in a buffet, people who are not of European descent don’t wait for you to exit a lift before entering and barge in on a buffet when there is clearly a start and finish end.

Another story is that a waitress ( and the staff at Crown are delightful) asked me how I had ended up with a cast on my forearm which I then explained . She then continued to tell us about her friend who had broken both wrists inexplicably and she said that her friend was ‘ SMALL LiKE I ! I nearly had a cardiac arrest! Surely she wasn’t referring to me as SMALL !!!! I couldn’t believe it! Even hub remarked about it ! I guess it is like Thin and others have referred to, that your mental image of yourself has to adapt. The dress I wore to the Queen concert was bought before Xmas when it used to sit on all my bulging bits and pieces . When I wore it on Sat, mentally I didn’t expect it to look any different, ( I even packed a cover up ), but I was shocked to see it was roomy and Thin has seen the pic to back up my surprised reaction !

Morning. It’s going to be 35 here too … and 41 tomorrow. Will this weather ever end?
Rosy some cultures don’t have the same perspective on personal space. When we lived in China my OH would stand at the usual space at the ticket machine at the underground. By the time he was ready to buy his ticket, 20 people had pushed on through. I guess if you live with 1.4 billion people, personal space isn’t such an issue.
Nor is noise. Our new neighbours were out in their car port until 2 am, doing Lord knows what but it involved drilling, sounds of water, and a lot of shouting to each other. At least they weren’t swearing (as far as I know … my Mandarin doesn’t run to swear words).

No movement on the scales today – water, I am sure. FD today and tomorrow, which should make a difference.
Good luck with the job interview Anzac.
Thin, the stay-up stockings are like the old variety, but instead of requiring a suspender belt (anyone remember those?) they end high-thigh with an elasticised lace band. Much more comfortable (and pretty) than pantyhose. KMart has them, I think.
Nice, Rosy, for someone to recognise the new slim you. Ditto Quacka.
still on the subject of clothes – When some of mine were too too big, I bundled some up and took them to a tailor in Hoi An in Vietnam. Some she was able to alter, but a couple didn’t lend themselves so she copied them. Better than having to ditch those I wore a lot (although the second time I did it, I took the fabrics with me, because I am not always a fan of those she stocks).
OK work calls. Stay cool (or warm) everyone, depending on where you are.

and a quick addendum.
Cinque, I meant to say, great tip, to get though hunger on a FD by trying on clothes that are just a wee bit too tight. Good for passing the time, and great for motivation.