Good morning,
My darling granddaughter slept very well, but I tend to the hypervigilant side of things so gave myself another broken night and took yesterday to recover.
Felling pretty well back on track now.

Merry, dear heart, so glad to see your post and crossing my fingers that the universe allows you to post more often again!
Please give my very best wishes to Mr M and here’s hoping he sails through chemo with the best possible results.
The intricacies of an overseas wedding to organise make such a counter balance.
And damn! Now we are not going to find out what your project is until next year! Ah well, that will go by in a blink of an eye. And cheers for you, getting a lot of it done and making the right decision for your health.

Anzac, hooray for getting your deserved points! Persistence wins again.
Well done having a successful weight loss week inspite of new job, WFH and Easter.
And that would be pretty well the most beautiful bathroom I have ever seen.

Klondi, hopefully your weight plateau is water being held to help build that new muscle. Once it has gone its job it will go and you will get a nice drop.
Best wishes op shopping, I hope you score some perfect items!
And ooh, won’t you love heading North from Melbourne’s winter.

Neil, I love how, when people comment about losing weight or looking healthier, it puts it out in the world and makes it even more real.

Lindsay, I do hope the 2 kiddies overnight went well! Happy birthday to little 3, I hope she managed without her mum and dad there.
A Vietnamese salad sounds like a delicious compromise.

Minka, so glad the buns are all gone (I am another traditionalist who rolls my eyes at chocolate chips in everything).
We never had real eggs as part of our Easter traditions, but I think that is a pity when I hear European friends talk about the colouring and games.
My daughter lessened the chocolate by hiding plastic eggs with other things inside, as well as some chocolate eggs. Miss 4 saved a chocolate egg for me, so I pretended to eat it.

I am the same with the high fat. I just can’t tolerate it. ‘Liverish’ my mum called it. Such a horrible feeling.

Kiwi72, so glad to see your post, but my sympathies about the stomach bug and the shoulder pain. Hoping the surgery does the trick. Best wishes for Monday!
It doesn’t matter if setbacks make it a long and interrupted road to do intermittent fasting. You are in it for the long haul, so you can just roll with it, keep analysing what will make it work better, and feel triumphant about the weeks you make it work well. Eventually they will get just a normal part of the weeks cycle.

Betsy, have you managed a transcription yet? Isn’t it amazing how even our own parts of the conversation are so full of non sentences and grammar errors, unless we are reading out our prepared questions of course! More good luck wishes.

LJoyce, farewell to your excellent eggplant bushes! I laughed at the trampoline story. My granddaughters are still freaked out by insects so it was a sympathetic laugh. I made progress this week by bringing them a fly swat and teaching them how to use it, so that a fly coming into the house is an opportunity, not a crisis.

And exciting news from my garden, I saw a blue banded bee!

I’ve been doing pretty well (touch wood and whistle) with my veggie intake, and I do feel so much better with veggies making up the bulk of what I eat. I would have loved your dinner!

Thin, it was nice of you to sit on the bottom of the bridge ladder for a week, and let someone else get up a rung. I foresee that you will climb it steadily and soon get to a point that you will never be on the bottom, so you needed a turn!

Rosy, so annoying! I want your post! I’m crossing my fingers too, that it will turn up.

Well, the day is rushing past, and I have more catching up to do, and miso to buy! Best wishes all, eat wisely!

Another Thursday FD that went pretty well as far as the eating, but I had a headache most of the day. It was probably not enough water or salt, and glad it’s gone now.

Cinque, we color eggs every Easter. I posted a photo here, along with a picture of one of our azalea plants that’s blooming, and a camellia. https://imgur.com/a/xfAmrSz
We now have a lot of hard boiled eggs to eat with a few that cracked and didn’t get colored.

Anzac, your new bathroom is coming along well. It looks like the palm will provide a lot of privacy from above.

LJ, I couldn’t help laughing at your story of the spider and bee on the trampoline. I think thin could use a few of those to populate the neighbor’s yard. We didn’t have any chocolate eggs but did have hot X buns, lemon cake and a carrot cake. Why do we need so many desserts you may ask? I don’t know. I need to stop buying that stuff. One would have been enough. It certainly doesn’t help my NFD’s.
DS is still doing 5:2 and is at her goal weight, so maintaining. I’ve managed to put on 2 kg over the past couple weeks that come and go with FD’s. I need to do better.

Thin, your bridge wins in the supervised group even out the losses in the big kids group. You’ve made amazing progress. It wouldn’t be any fun if it was too easy to get to the top.

Has anyone here heard of weighted blankets? They seem to be getting somewhat popular over here, or at least I’ve been reading a lot about them. The supposed benefits sound somewhat questionable, but the one thing that caught my eye was their use for anxiety and better sleep. Has anyone ever tried one?

DS wants me to watch something on TV with her. I’ll post more later. Hope you are all having a good day.

It’s been a very indulgent NFD with lunch at a cafe on Jetty Rd Brighton after lots of clothes shopping. It was a good day, not only did I find bras that were really comfortable and a perfect fit (minor miracle) I bought a dress. That might not sound like a big deal, but it’s been years since those who design fashion have created dresses with both sleeves and a long enough skirt to end mid-calf. Both essential for my chunky upper arms and thighs! It’s black and white and I’m hoping to wear it out to dinner Sunday night.

Cali, I have heard of weighted blankets but haven’t seen them for sale. I do understand how they could be comforting – I think it’s a swaddling effect which is probably a subconscious reminder of childhood comfort. I can’t sleep without the weight of at least one blanket and it always feels even better with the weight of two. I will cool the bedroom enough in hot weather to allow me to have at least one cotton blanket even on hot nights. I,m restless and sleep poorly otherwise.

Hello to everyone else. I’ll respond properly tomorrow.

God I’m glad it’s the weekend! Over half our department was away as people took advantage of the 3 day week and I had to work an extra 3 hours a day on top of my regular hours to get everything done. I’m so knackered. I think I’m going to sleep all weekend to recover. I’m getting to old to be pulling these kind of hours back to back.

Good morning from Melbourne. A bit bracing weather-wise here.
I now have miso. 🙂
Unfortunately my fast day didn’t work well, I was not feeling well and decided to just go with the flow and concentrate on having a good fast day on Sunday.
Today I am concentrating on not being dehydrated as I think I was a bit yesterday. The change of seasons always messes up how much I drink.

Cali, I’m your headache went, and hope you have enjoyed your day after fast day.
Your eggs are so pretty!
It is very hard to adopt Easter traditions, that are not in my family, here as they are so Spring based, and it is Autumn here. The best I did was celebrate Quetzecoatl as god of chocolate, and now I don’t even do that.

I remember weighted blankets as a thing about ten years ago, I didn’t even know they were still around. Some people must find them useful. (I love the lightness of doonas).

Betsy, woot for a true fast day. Well done. And yay for getting stuck in to the bibliography. Hope the scales are kind this morning. If they are in a nasty mood, well, hiss in their general direction!

LJoyce, lovely shopping. Ooh a comfy bra is a pleasure. Your dress sounds so elegant.

Lesley, I hope you get to watch Gardening Australia, I will catch it today. Whatever the girls did last night, well, it is daytime now. Hope everyone is hale and hearty. And no need for stern grandma face.
Isn’t it nice to have a chance to research what you will like your new car to be, when the time comes.

Neil, hope you are sleeping in!

Thin, hello 🙂

hello hello, have been busy so not able to post. Cooler here in Sydney today, 19 degrees

Maxx is definitely starting school tomorrow! I have filled in the paperwork and have his vaccination certificates handy. I must say that we realised our dog is not the naughtiest today. We were at the dog park and Maxx was playing with a staffie and we were chatting to the staffie’s owner when she said óh here comes Ollie. He’s a yellow lab too but watch him, he likes to steal stuff so watch anything you have in your hand’. Sure enough, Ollie bounded up to me and jumped up and tried to take my phone out of my hand! Anyway the three dogs were off playing and OH whistled for Maxx. Bless him, a rare day of listening and he trotted back to us. Of course he had to have a treat and OH had steak in a ziplock bag, in a zipped up bum bag on his hip. He gave a piece to Maxx and put it away again. Oh no, not good enough. Ollie ran up behind and in one leap broke the bum bag zip and took the plastic bag out and took off with it! Ollie’s owner had a bad knee so Choppers mum (chopper is the staffie), myself and OH were frantically chasing Ollie who was chewing on the plastic bag as he ran. OH did a very impressive rugby tackle (he is 53 note) and grabbed his collar. He was trying to get the bag out of his mouth and this is where Maxx would have given it straight up. We have been successful at this; anytime he picks something up if we ask for it he gives it straight to us. Anyway hubby had to put his hand right into Ollie’s mouth and of course he got bitten. Not badly, just a few holes but his hand bled quite a bit. He got the bag out eventually so thank goodness we didn’t have to rush Ollie to the vet. Our almost new bum bag is wrecked too so not a very successful day out

Gosh, I’ve warbled away with my story and now I have to run as my sauce is simmering away. Back soon!

Good evening all.

I feel so relived that I’ve actually managed to complete a properly controlled NFD – the first in a while. Over the last week my NFDs have included either easter buns, easter chocolate or home made biscuits (an easter gift) – some awful days involved all three! I don’t understand why some weeks are easy to be controlled on NFDs and some it feels impossible. I know easter doesn’t help, but I don’t believe it’s the only cause.

Neil and Turn – we could use a bit of your rain if you have some spare.

Anzac, glad you put your foot down about lessons. I suspect Ollie’s behaviour was a very good reminder for your OH of how you don’t want to be viewed as irresponsible dog owners.

Good morning from my cool, grey part of Melbourne. Sunday morning 8:22. Fast Day for me.
Shiitake and yuba are soaking nicely and I have radishes, carrot and spring onions for my vegetables, and my lovely fresh jars of miso in the fridge. Happy Cinque.

Just a quick note before I get ready for the grandkids to visit.

Cali, you (and all the other egg colourers) make me realise that I am just not a big boiled egg eater, so no wonder I can’t be bothered with that ritual, pretty though it is. But how I love the idea of your dad’s rhyme clues!

Turn, woohoo for that lovely run. Doesn’t it feel great to be able to keep going!
I am enjoying the Autumn leaves too.

Anzac, today is the day! So keen to hear how Maxx’s first day goes.

Neil, glad you are feeling a bit better. Yum, Rogan Josh. (Cali my recipe is made in the pressure cooker, and yoghurt is mixed in at the end. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water!).

LJoyce, congratulations on getting back on track. I completely blame Easter and all those extra feasty bits setting off your microbiome and hormones and whatever other body signals mess us up. It is over now, hooray!

Must go. Cheers all.

Back in sync with you Cinque, a lovely Sunday FD. Fresh asparagus ready for steaming and a large head of cauliflower bought at a decent price will replenish my freezer stocks today.

CalifD, Anzac, I agree. That dog needs a muzzle and not to be allowed off lead. Where was the owner during all this? In no way would you have been responsible had it eaten the plastic bag. Good for you for deciding on puppy school today. A win for all concerned, not the least of all, Maxx.

One of my lovely neighbours said an interesting thing to me yesterday. It was that we had been very unlucky in a neighbourhood of tightly held properties to always have transients next door. She pointed out that, with stable neighbours, you get used to the various phases of the children who eventually grow up and grow out of their most annoying habits. In our case, there has been a perpetual state of newcomers seemingly locked into a pre-determined profile of families with quite boisterous young children for over 10 years (punctuated by the airbnb fiasco). It’s an interesting point, the people over the back have a pool but the children are now grown, same ages as our own young adult, the owners have become empty nesters and it’s never a factor. Oh well, one more day of school hols and then some respite.

It is forecast for 30C today! I must wash and vacuum the car.

Crazy artist, welcome to our forum. My first tip is that you get a copy of Dr M.’s fast book which you can read in a couple of days. I’m not sure why you’re planning 4:3 but I’d suggest mastering two FDs first (5:2). You can shed a lot of weight through fasting without much (or any) exercise as many of us here have discovered. I’d also suggest getting some form of baseline though – perhaps weighing you and your w/c on a clinic/hospital’s wheelchair scales. We also have a recipe page where you can find a lot of nutritious FD meals. I’ll post the link separately so I don’t lose my post. Meanwhile, ask us anything.

Crazy artist, here is the recipe page link:
https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/southern-hemispherites-fd-recipes/

I was originally responding to your request for tips but having now read your profile, I see that you have already practiced 5:2 and want to speed up your loss. From what I’ve read on these pages (I’ve been here since we were on page 42), 4:3 participants don’t seem to fare much better than when they were fasting just two days. There’s also the likelihood of it starting to feel like a diet. The whole point of this is sustainability for life. The plan touts that you can have what you want most of the time and it delivers that. I concede that 4 days is still most of the time but you get my point. Anyway, whatever you decide, there are plenty of people here to support you. And, as you’ve already read, we are all very different in our approach!

Good morning SHs.

I’m having an impromptu FD. Originally the plan was to go out to the Oakbank Hotel for dinner, but family ill health has led to that being cancelled. I jumped at the change to fast on my favourite fasting day – Sunday. My new dress will have to wait for another first outing.
To be honest I am glad I don’t have a food challenge day to deal with today. I feel like I only got my eating under control yesterday and it still feels a bit fragile.

Crazyartist, welcome. As others have said, being able to exercise is not a requirement as a few of us with chronic illnesses can attest. I agree with Cinque, the fit of your clothing is a really good (low anxiety) guide to whether your weight loss is progressing. The other tool you might be able to use at home is a tape measure. If you were able to regularly record measurements of at least 1-2 torso areas it would be something you could track at home that would reassure you that your body is getting smaller. Even just a waist measurement would be great, as this is the most critical area that indicates good cardiovascular and blood sugar health. The only problem with not knowing your weight is that you can’t work out your TDEE https://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-calories-on-a-non-fast-day/ however if you know your height then you could just work it out for the weight you want to be.
I tried both 5:2 and 4:3 and found 4:3 felt too restrictive. However what suits you will be individual, so there is no harm in trying it. Neil (a fellow Kiwi) has just moved onto 4:3 so he may have some wisdom to offer too. The other option is Fast800, which means sticking to 800cal every single day. That’s a very fast way of getting your weight down but very limiting if you have a social life that involves food.

Cinque, enjoy your miso soup – I assume that’s the plan for today’s FD? I have a 1/2 serve of moussaka in the fridge that I will team with some veg for dinner.
We too have had a few grey days, but not a speck of rain so far.

Cali, they are really pretty eggs – I like the marbled effect. What a lovely family tradition. We never did coloured eggs, just a very small amount of chocolate.
Cooper is adorable. Is that his huge tub of toys in the background? Does he put them away himself? (My aunt’s dog has been trained to do that, it’s seriously cute to watch.)

Anzac, how did Maxx go at puppy/adolescent school?

Thin, I think that’s true about children going through stages. One of my neighbours said that ti was especially good when there were several families in the street whose kids were a similar age as they often played together – one family got all the noise and the others had an afternoon off.

Neil, hope you enjoyed the rogan josh, it’s a favourite of mine too. Avoiding naan is a challenge – well done if you pulled that one off.

Turn, I’m so impressed with your running progress. I hope you managed to avoid the rain and puddles.

I’m walking with my best friend this afternoon. I always find the time just flies by when I walk with someone – to busy chatting to notice the distance.

Time for another cuppa I think.
Have a good day everyone – fasting or otherwise.

Hi everyone and welcome Crazy Artist. I’m an Aussie but my hubby is a Kiwi, from Wellington, and we live in Sydney. This forum is awesome so stick around and you will get so much help and support. I know I have/do

Training this morning with Mad Maxx went well and it was fun. He was a nightmare of course, leaping and lunging and barking so we had to sit at the end to try and calm him. There were 9 dogs in Kindergarten and the trainer was absolutely lovely. They train with positive reinforcement only (as opposed to punishing bad behaviour), which is what we do, so that was a relief. She is a lab owner so was sympathetic to our troubles with Maxx. Anyway by the end he was doing a lovely, calm walk forward with hubby and executing a perfectly passable about turn. He got ‘most improved’. Awwww

Have had a few very bad eating days so looking forward to getting back into fasting tomorrow. Have cooked up lots of FD meals and they are in the freezer. Dad is away for a month so I can do my preferred Monday/Wed FD’s

I will reply to everyone tomorrow as I am currently helping OH with some reno stuff so must dash back to it. I miss our nice chats!

Someone is VERY tired after training today 🙂
https://imgur.com/Fm6NFYm

Anzac, behaving well is hard work! 😇

Lindsay, I used to know a lady from my gym days who bought the house next to her and put a caveat on it that no pool could ever be built there – and then re-sold it. As far as your question – is this ‘pool gate propping’ creating an immediate drowning danger to others or only the inhabitants and visitors to the offending property? If the latter, I think you’ve done your bit. If the former, I would report it. In WA, people who have pools pay a fee which covers annual safety inspections. Yet our local authority never inspects, they just send the annual bill. If it’s the same there, make them earn that fee!

How exciting about the bees although your report of the sting made me re-live our severe attack in Sri Lanka last year during which we were all stung on the face and head multiple times over a 20 minute period. Horrendous. Aren’t your little ones cute with the things they come out with! You painted a marvellous picture of the Irish Setters too.

Anzac, lovely photo of Maxx and fantastic news about the training.

Turn, that’s funny that three of us starting watching Blacklist and only the males in the families are still watching it.

LJ, hope your FD went well. I have felt hungry most of today. I know why – I had three things I normally don’t eat/drink last evening and I’m paying the price. Firstly, OH found some home brewed beer under the floorboards that had long been forgotten and, wow, was it good! We shared a big bottle three ways. I also had ice cream, who knows why I bought that. And a Lindt chocolate. Oh well, hunger comes and goes and it’s almost time to start steaming asparagus and microwave poaching my egg. Smoked salmon all weighed out…..yum.

I just learned something. If I go to look at pictures of Maxx I lose the post I am halfway through. He looks quite relaxed.

Lindsay L. Strange things bees. When I had a veg patch on the outskirts of London the guy on the next patch had five hives. They worked my area as well as his but pretty much ignored me and my dog, unless I was wearing a blue shirt. Then they would crawl all over me, but in a friendly sort of way.

LJ. I recognise the exploding home brew scenario – been there.

We are grounded at the moment. OH has been having problems with a painful foot. The X-ray revealed an old fracture she didn’t know she had done, which explains the problem of buying walking boots that are comfortable. I have just cheered her (or possibly not) by telling her that she is on the same combination of anti-inflammatories and painkillers as the neighbour’s collie dog.

Hi Cali, I have been lurking without posting since we got back to UK five weeks ago. We have been busy, on the move a lot, and much of the conversation has been in areas where I didn’t have anything to contribute so I contented myself with catching up every few days. The excitement about Royal babies is mostly a newspaper sales device, although OH seems to know them all. The other newspaper sales devices are to invent Royal family feuds and trash Megan.

Morning friends,

LJ, I’ve heard those stories of exploding home brew, fortunately it never happened to us. I ate/drank those non-food items over the course of the evening, not as a combo snack! It was a tough FD as a result and an even harder night. I woke hungry several times but I’m fine now after a lovely frothy coffee and the thought of the second one. Typing fast ….

Cinque, yes thanks, I’m all ‘re-set’! Enjoy your fabulous post FD.

Penguin, nice to see you back. Many of our surgeries/medicines were first tested on animals so it’s good to know that they are now enjoying all the available benefits, at least if they have owners who can afford them and are willing to pay. It’s amazing how quickly a dog recovers from the same surgery a human takes weeks to get over. DD says dogs have three legs and a spare.

Monday fasters, have a great day.

Good morning! It was very cold this morning and even with a light jacket I felt chilly. Will be 23 today but the nights and mornings have started to plummet.

I’ve had a lovely catch up on everyone’s posts this morning and it sounds like everyone is going well. Cali, Cooper is just adorable! Look at his little face 

Thin, did the brat kids next door every pluck up the courage to come and ask for their ball back? I love the idea of the street kicking in and buying the house but not the most practical solution!

Hello Penguin, sorry the Maxx picture made you lose your post. Thanks everyone for your kind words; he certainly does look like an angel when he is asleep but the second he is out the front door and in the vicinity of other dogs he becomes a kangaroo on methamphetamine on the end of the leash. We hope that will change soon.

Sorry to hear about your bee sting Lindsay – ouch! And on your ear, double ouch. I can picture yourself and the grandkids in the suits – very cute. That was a good thought about the tetanus shot as one of the bites looks to be infected. I just called him and he is sure he had one a few years back but we will keep an eye on it. He is putting betadine on it several times a day so hopefully it won’t get worse. Ollie and his owner did not show up at training unfortunately. If he turns up again at the dog park OH is going to leave straight away.

OH and I went out for lunch on Anzac day. Now that might not sound monumental but it was as it is the first time we have been out together since we got Max 13 months ago. We have had trips to the shops or other short times where we have left him and then there was the horrible time when I had to rush OH to the hospital and we were gone for 4 hours. We walked to our local golf club for some lunch then two-up and chat with the neighbours. We came home to a yawning, calm dog so thankfully he didn’t freak out. Win!

Glad you are feeling a little bit less tired today Cinque and I hope you enjoyed your post FD breakfast.

LJ, it sounds like you and I had a not-so-good Easter NFD wise. Glad you have been able to get back on track. I was doing well but then the last couple of days I went off the Richter and have paid for it by putting back on the bit I’d lost over Easter and then more. FD today and I know it will be a challenge but I’m up for it.

Glad it is warming up Cali! Just as we are descending into Winter. This year will feel a bit like one long winter as we will be heading for 6 weeks of winter just as our summer starts but small price to pay for a fabulous trip. I’ve been trying to learn French using Duolingo on my phone to and from work but gosh it’s hard! I did a lot of languages at school and did quite well with them but that was a LONG LONG time ago

Turnabout, I agree that your country is beautiful. I lived in Wellington for 2 years (that’s where I met hubby) and I loved the City and the people and the culture. But. The. Weather. I just couldn’t stand the cold and the wind so I convinced hubby to move back to Australia with me. That was 31 years ago! Don’t worry, he still calls himself a Kiwi and if anyone ever calls him an Australian he gets very insulted!

Ok, better do some work. Take care all and happy fasting to anyone who is fasting with me today

Hello!! Can I please join your forum?

I’ve been doing 5:2 on and off for years and used to participate in the monthly challenges. Now that I’ve moved back to Australia after a few years away, I’d like to be on the same time zone as other Southern Hemispherites. I find these forums such an enormous support.

Looking forward to “meeting” you all!

Welcome Penz! We would love to have you join us and will find a place of enormous support and fun. Where in Aust do you live? I’m in Sydney and live with my hubby of nearly 27 years (nearly 32 together) and our crazy Labrador Maxx. Maxx’s antics I think (hope) bring some smiles and many eye-rolls!

Quacka – triple gang hooks????? OH NO! I’m guessing a very quick run to the vet was required? OUCHIE poor pooch. Maxx was running around the house with a $50 note the other day. Glad we have plastic money now and not paper!

FD going well, gosh it’s hard after a short break. I had a mandarin at 11.00 and just finished my small chicken salad. Lots of water, a big glass of Metamucil and two black coffees, soon to be three

Neil, every day is a fat day for me but not for long I hope!

Crazy Artist, naughty OH! He could have at least snuck off to another room to eat the chocolate. Good on you for not having any. My last FD was not so good for a similar reason. Hubby decided he would cook himself steak and chips and when I thought about my dinner I just couldn’t stomach it and had a very small portion of S&C instead. GAH

Hi all

So many posts in so little time.

LJ. The battle of the bee and the spider sounds hilarious, they must have thought it was too much fun to go away. All that effort and the kids wouldn’t go back on. Probably good aerobic exercise for you. The walking tour sounds great, i haven’t spent much time in Adelaide but I do remember some well preserved historical buildings. Enjoy your bras and dress, and your dinner.

Merry. So nice to hear from you. Best wishes for OH, tough while you are going through the process but so worth it at the end. An OS wedding is very exciting if a little more stressful than usual. Hope it all comes together for your whole family.

Anzac. Glad you got to training with Maxx, dogs love it because they have your undivided attention, now for the homework.He is a scallywag, what does he like about tea towels? OH needs to take him for a long run and tire him out so he can do his tiling. Well done on your bonus points, they will be very useful when you travel. Hope you get back on track with FD etc now you are back at work. Your bathroom looks lovely, I take it that it is nowhere near the cow wife’s fence. Wow, just read about Ollie, he must be a nightmare for his owner, and any one else in his vicinity. Well done OH, pity there weren’t any photos. Hope his hand is ok.

Minka. That LCHF diet sounds quite challenging particularly if it means you are doing housework at night. Might help you have a tidy house but not enough rest. I am interested to know if you are still taking Inulin as you seemed to feel that you benefitted from having that in your diet. I can understand you would want to find something which would help with hunger if it is getting out of control. Best of luck, hope you find a solution.

Kiwi. I hope your operation goes well and you get good results. With 3 kids, that chocolate will go like snow in summer. Have you instructed your caterers on FD etc so you get the right level of food.

Betsy. If you have already completed all those other qualifications, you have a good track record. You will find the right moment and it will all slip into place, just like your Fast800 has.

Cinque. Thank goodness granddaughter slept ok but I can imagine you trying to sleep with one eye open. I love the idea of the flyswat but Mr G would probably use it on me. Hope you have completely recovered and your little garden is starting to give you some fresh vegies and herbs for all your tasty cooking.

Calif. your eggs and azaleas are both beautiful. I have a photo of my eggs but still haven’t worked out imgur. I think one of the simplest and best was turmeric, the longer it soaked the more golden it looked. The little I know about weighted blankets applies to people on the autistic spectrum, some people find that it is very calming to snuggle under a weighted blanket as it helps with sensory processing disorder (SPD) which many autistic people have. Cooper looks like he is in a very happy place , what is the point of not spoiling your dog, as long as he isn’t Ollie, that’s why we have pets. Bobby has just jumped up on the bed for a cuddle and he is lovely company..

Crazy artist. Welcome, well done on starting 5-2. I have been on 5-2 for 4 months and the results were so good that I have never needed to consider 4-3. I know that others have but there is also many who suggest the benefits are not worth the effort. You will find lots of support here so please keep popping in with your progress and any questions. There are some very experienced people on this thread who have lost lots of weight and more importantly have kept it off by being committed to 5-2. Does your name mean you are creative, tell us about that too.

Lindsay. That’s a hefty repair bill, hope that means a car will be good for a lot longer. Ha ha, stern grandma face, bet that didn’t last long, I’m not very good at tough love either. I’m always getting into trouble with OH because I let them get away with more than he would. nice that they enjoyed themselves so much. A bit hazardous at your place now with bees and pool gates being open. You can at least control your side of the fence. Do you have any contacts with Chinese speakers who could come and explain the problem and the fact that they could face heavy penalties. It is more important that children are safe than you having good relations with your neighbours. I have seen first hand the devastation of a child drowning and it is a real tragedy.

Neil. That is so unfair that you had all that extra work, hope your boss appreciates you. Was it a bit easier now that you are healthier. That is very impressive bike riding, no wonder you are getting good results on the scales. How far would that take you. I had a look at some bike trails in NZ and ,most of them were pretty hilly, does that apply to the one you want to ride?

Turn. I bet your night with friends was good for your soul, that sort of get together is to be treasured and any excess can be dealt with on another day. Well done on the run, do you measure distance or time. What have you achieved so far. You and I seem to be neck and neck on weight, we will get there together. By the way, my ‘running’ is actually jogging, in fact on the Parkrun the walkers were passing me. Not important, being out there is what counts. I use steptracker on my phone and that tells me the distance I have covered

Thin. That was quite a combination. Is there any more of that home brew lurking, or has it inspired you and OH to make some more? Glad it was enjoyable. Fortunately, I don’t like many forms of alcohol so that’s one temptation less.

Penguin. How nice to hear from you. You are probably not very popular with Mrs P with that comparison so no doubt you are getting back in her good books by making delicious meals. Hopefully, the treatment gets her back on her feet especially with the better weather coming. We get the same tripe here about the royals, they deserve better.

Penz. Welcome too. You have come to the right place. Hope you can pop in often.

Quakka Your garden sounds wonderful, you put me to shame. With all the people on this forum growing their own food maybe that will be my next inspiration. Well done on the exercising and I sympathise with you over the cold weather but happy not to have to join you, retirement is great. Triple gang hooks, sounds painful and expensive. The beauty of this WOL is that a small portion of S&C fits in OK
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Thanks for the encouragement about my plateau, I’m not worried but I was doing so well I thought I was going to beat the odds. The trouble is I put in an order for a set of cheek bones, collar bones, a waist and some ankles. There are hints that they are on the way and I’m a little impatient. Had a lovely night last week seeing Muriel’s Wedding, a treat from DD and SIL. Yes, Rosy, we do have good live theatre here. Paid it back by having all the kids so that both sets of parents could have a rare outing together. Cupcakes this time, deck decorated again with sprinkles this time. Bobby cleaned them up for me. Long post, I’ll try and pop in more often

The problem with not keeping on top of things and then reading lots to catch up is that you miss posts. Until I read Klondike’s post I didn’t realise that Merry was back. Good to hear from you Merry. Fingers and toes crossed for the the treatment.

Catching up on reading, and Cinque, I just saw your post about the blue banded bee. How very exciting. It shows your garden is feeding more than just you. My bee man told me that they have a particular way of fertilising – buzz pollination. If you listen carefully you can hear them doing just that as they buzz around your flowers.
Oh Betsy you sound miserable. Poor thing. I hope you get over this soon. (and yes, it is a smoker. I’ve ordered one, but apparently the top bar hive bees don’t need as much disturbing, so don’t get as cranky. I’ll certainly be using it though when the children are ‘helping’ or when I am harvesting honey – next summer I think.
Thin I am concerned for children passing by, or visiting, rather than the family. Cinque I will phone the Council to see if they have a Mandarin brochure – good advice. Klondi the owner speaks average English (she has a degree from an Australian university) but I think while the in-laws are visiting they prop the gate because it is easier for them to garden. So easy though for an accident in the front, while they are in the back.

Penguin, hope Mrs P is on the mend soon. They are funny things, bees, as your experience attests. My beekeeper (notice how proprietorial I’ve become) says that in time, I’ll get to know my hive and their behaviours and when they are happy, or not. Seems a bit far-fetched to me, but time will tell.

Cinque, we are a long way away, so unfortunately that means no sharing of honey when it arrives. The natives do produce honey, but in small quantities. They are so very entertaining to watch though.

Merry best wishes, for OH and a very successful treatment. How are you coping? Illness affects the whole family and your wellbeing is very important.

Anzac dog bites are highly toxic – a couple of years ago my OH got bitten by a friend’s dog at dinner, and initially didn’t pay it much attention, apart from some antiseptic cream. But the cream couldn’t reach the deeper puncture wounds and it flared badly and didn’t heal for ages. Would your OH see a doctor, as a precaution?

Thin, your Sri Lanka bee incident sounds horrendous. How did you cope with multiple stings? No anaphylaxis? And I am also amused that your OH found a bottle of beer under the floorboards. It really begs the question, what was he doing pulling up the floorboards? And of course you had to share it. You don’t get a find like that every day.

Quacka your gardening is an example to us all. So much fresh food, my green-fingered friend, and so so healthy in the planting, watching them grow, and then the harvest, cooking and sharing.

OK time to get moving. I need to pack today – which means washing and ironing first. Have a good day all.

And welcome Penz.

Good morning all. Sunny and 25 in Sydney today but it was chilly again this morning on the way to work

LJ! Are you ok? You must be bruised to say the least, I’m so sorry this happened. Kids, yep, dangerous entities. It’s also more dangerous due to the food they eat that can so easily jump up and into your own mouth before you can stop it.

Hope your cold gets better soon Betsylee, it sounds quite bad and especially as you suffer from asthma. Congratulations on getting under 74! Whoo hoo!

Klondie, I laughed at your shopping list of body structures. I recently noticed I had collar bones for the first time in forever! I have a long, long way to go but the 12 kilos I’ve lost have made a difference for sure. I just need to accelerate now (which I am doing this week) because my not-so-good NFD’s slowed the weight loss too much and I’m frustrated and I keep going in the wrong direction. Maxx loves stealing stuff to get attention and that is completely our fault. He especially loves tea-towels and shoes. Sigh. OH lost about $500 worth of shoes this year – his two pairs of boots and brand-new expensive sheep skin slippers. The outdoor bathroom is thankfully nowhere near cow-wife’s fence. Hubby built the bath yesterday and there was 700 kilos of concrete! This had to be purchased, carried to the car, carried from the car to the garden and then mixed and the bath constructed. He was completely broken and could hardly walk last night but bless him, he still took Maxx for two walks.

I love coming home from work because apparently Maxx sits at the top of the stairs from about 15-30 minutes from when I’m due and as soon as he hears my key he launches himself down the stairs (thankfully carpeted) and executes about 10 minutes of full body wags, many kisses and squirming around my legs. It makes any yucky stuff from the day disappear immediately. I wish he would jump up at me or OH the way he has started jumping at other people as then we could train him out of it again. But he knows better the little scamp. The trainer said we have to do 5 minutes of formal training only at this stage. It has to be at the end of his big walk so he is tired and it also teaches him that there is a time for fun but there is also a time for serious workouts. Once he can differentiate hopefully he will immediately switch his brain into ‘training’ mode and know that he has to do what we are asking him. Time will tell.

A very good FD yesterday – challenging for sure – but I did it. AND hubby had steak and chips again! Brute. I had one chip and then ate my turnkey mince and vege bolognaise in cos lettuce and it was yum. I have a dodgy left calf where I tore it about 2 years ago and I felt it pull when I was walking down from the bus stop last night. So my planned pre-dinner walk had to be cancelled and I sat with it elevated with an ice pack and it is fine this morning. Phew. It was an almost level one tear and I did it 5 days before our big 25th wedding anniversary trip to Cuba, NY, San Fran and Fiji. My wonderful physio dropped everything and worked on me in his lunch breaks plus I spent those 5 days with my leg up and iced. Hubby had to pack for me and it was hilarious. I sat on the bed with my leg up pointing at stuff and then changing my mind about 100 times. He is not a patient man but he showed much restraint during this stressful time. The hilarious (NOT) thing is the day I did it was my last day at work and he said ‘for goodness sake, don’t break anything this close to the holiday’. I am the clumsiest person on the planet and he knows it and also knows when I am preoccupied it gets worse. Oops. I also had to tell a small fib about how I did it because he has a thing about jay-walking and I did it pushing off the kerb to dart across the street instead of walking to the crossing. Double oops. By the time we left I could hobble quite well and shortly into the holiday it was almost healed.

Quacka, your garden sounds amazing! Hubby loves his garden too but it’s not such a big food producing one. He has lots of different herbs, lemongrass, various types of chillies and capsicums. Our tomatoes failed for the last 2 years due to severe heat and severe caterpillars.

Your garden sounds lovely too Cali. I heard about the snow in the North and one of the ladies on the Labrador friends forum posted a picture of her backyard a couple of days ago. She is in Alberta Canada and her backyard was completely buried in snow! In late spring! No thanks….brrrr. I hate the cold

Neil, you are a weight loss/healthy eating/exercising machine. Kudos to you

Merry, hope your hubby is going ok with the radiation treatment.

Oooh Lindsay, packing! How exciting – do you leave tomorrow? I did tell OH to go to the doctor about the bites but of course he didn’t. I had a look this morning and they seem to be healing nicely. I love reading about your bees and look forward to watching them develop and produce some honey through your words

Thin, those bees in Sri Lanka sound terrifying. Ouch. I did laugh at the ‘beer under the floorboards’ story and of COURSE you had to share it.

Cinque, your steps 1-4 are almost exactly how I am about my weight. It is quite scary what our brain and imagination can do. And when I have too many day 3 days I tend to sabotage myself. Not any more though

Ok work time, sorry for the long post and I hope I didn’t bore anyone to tears! Have a great day all 