Hello Southern Hemispherites!!

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  • Mid-afternoon Wednesday and I’ve just crawled out of bed, after a catchup sleep after our overnight flight.
    The scales say I put on 5 kilos! That can’t be right. I’m hoping for some water loss, but it’s Day One tomorrow. Full accountability posts on Fridays. TRE (16-8), Fast 800, until I’m back to where I was before I went away, and then back to 5:2. And low-carb too – it’s the only way for me to get there at a good rate.
    What this really shows me (and OH who is always banging on about exercise, without actually doing much) is that exercise doesn’t really make much difference to weight loss (or at least at the rate we oozle round). There wouldn’t have been a day we didn’t do 10,000 steps minimum – 15,000 was our usual count.
    Macau was lovely – years since I’ve been there, and still very Portuguese. We found a lovely little bar on our way home one night – we only had a couple – but the atmosphere was really European, and hard to believe we were till in Asia.
    We had a nightmare trip home. The Sofitel told us airport ferries left every 15 minutes (I know, I should have checked) but it turns out they go just a few time a day. Fortunately we left early (3pm) for our 8 pm flight, because we had to go back to HK, dragging bags. The ferry stopped at a terminal we weren’t expecting, so we didn’t have a clue where we were. A very nice Australian man helped us, and even offered us money when I said I didn’t have enough local currency for the airport train, and not the airport bus. I needed 200 HK dollars but I only had 195 HK dollars and 5 Macau patacas … they are used interchangeably in Macau but not in HK. Anyway, when we finally got to the station, they took a credit card (of course – what was I thinking) and we even managed a quick G & T in the Qantas Club before we left. Unfortunately we were down the back of the bus and we had a very odd man sitting in between us (OH and I always reserve aisle seats, which sometimes sees us having a seat or two between us, or sometimes not).
    Still, one bad day in a holiday of nearly 3 weeks is not too shabby at all. It is lovely to be home. Beautiful to arrive to such a crystal clear blue sky and air so so clean.
    Bees seem to be thriving, and I come off my P plates on Saturday morning when my mentor does a full hand over, which is both exciting and scary.
    Off now to buy vegetables and eggs, and maybe squeeze in a little food shopping. Back to work tomorrow. DD is having us for dinner tonight, but I need my FD meals ready to go.
    Hope you are all well – will respond to posts more reliably, now I’m home.

    Welcome home Lindsay! Could the double digit margarita evening have anything to do with the excess 5kg? ha ha! Don’t worry, you’ll be back to normal in no time – you know how to do it. Completely agree with your exercise comment. I walk a minimum of 5km daily but only for general well-being. I have no illusions about its value as a weight loss tool. I think there are some who believe that they can fudge the 500/600cal FD limit based on a vigorous workout or going for a run. Glad your bees are happy. It will be lovely to catch up with your family and not have to cook dinner.

    Hi all just checking. Have been sticking to my Tues/Thurs/Sun FDs but seriously question why. I guess it gives me something to focus on when all I want to do is eat and eat and just stay in bed.

    Since last Monday at 69.2 I am now 66.9. Went back to the gym last week but I’m still feeling like I’m living in a fog.

    Tomorrow I am going to collect the ashes so I guess that will be a bit traumatic for me.

    Not up for much and only skim the posts but I’m still here.

    Intesha, 2.3kg down in 10 days! – that’s your answer, surely? Well done! Do you and your dad have any special plans for your mum’s ashes (that you’d want to share, of course)? Grieving takes time so be easy on yourself.

    Hi Thin, Mum told me that she wanted her and Dad’s ashes scattered under the harbour bridge as Dad spent most of his life on the water. First in the Navy and then in Customs.

    How lovely Intesha! How do you plan to go about achieving that? I bet you already have something dignified planned to honour your mum.

    Won’t have to worry about it yet as they will go together

    Oh! Even better. Has your brother been helpful during this difficult time?

    Intesha, nice to hear that you are coping and are losing weight. Good to hear you are back at the gym, I think keeping up with normal routines help.

    Lindsay, I agree that exercise helps a little bit but never as much or as fast as diet can. Here’s hoping that gain is mostly water and glycogen gain. If you went from low carb at home to downing margaritas and dumplings your body would have tried its hardest to replace its glycogen stores (which would have been limited if you had been consistently low carb at home). In this instance getting back into ketosis should give you the biggest impact on the scales.

    Thin, I tackled the next chapter of my bridge handbook this afternoon. I think it’s easier now that I’ve assumed that each week’s rules will make everything much more complex. It’s certainly challenging my memory, which is a very good thing.

    NFD Fess Up for today:
    Breakfast: pot of tea
    Late morning: small banana
    Lunch: moussaka & a small tomato basil salad, one small plum
    Mid-Afternoon: pot of tea and an apple cut into many slices and served with one tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter as a dip.
    Dinner: bowl of cream of vegetable & lentil soup, parmesan toasts (very thin slices of rye sourdough grilled with a sprinkle of grated parmesan
    Supper: a hot drink still to be determined
    Happily I managed to walk for just over an hour today without feeling like I was going to keel over. I’m hoping this means I’m over the respiratory virus.

    I really wanted to try the new rye-walnut sourdough that I bought yesterday, but I decided to be sensible and eat the last of the rye sourdough batard that had been in the freezer the longest.

    The “hunger dragon” seems to be tethered at the moment, although I don’t want to tempt fate here. What others call a hunger dragon often feels like the Cookie Monster and Garfield fighting for dominance in side my head – like a bombardment of need for something sweet and or starchy.
    I think staying away from everything with added sugar (other than trace amounts), does seem to be helping as my only sugar hits are coming from fresh fruit, vegetables, legumes and sourdough. It’s as if the moment I say yes to one sugary treat the craving doesn’t shut up for days and I don’t know how much of that is a hormonal or chemical trigger (eg ghrelin and insulin) and how much is just old thinking patterns fighting to be heard.

    Oh Thin you jest. My brother has done nothing constructive to help Dad or myself. He spoke at the funeral but a lot of the information was provided by me. Someone who had never met him before said she noticed he didn’t spend any time with Dad and wondered if they had had a falling out. He didn’t even come back to the house. He had made arrangements to do a lecture in the afternoon. Enough said….

    Brief check in, then bed, as I must be up at 8 a.m. in the morning – eye doctor appointment.

    Intesha, sad about your brother’s attitude; it’s something he may well regret in coming years, but it is hurtful for both you and your father now.

    Anzac65 & LJoyce, thanks for the encouraging comments. And you’re right. NFDs are not “licence to eat anything” days, and I need to be more careful with them. Actually, it was okay before, because I got straight back on Sundays into more controlled eating, but this month…? Just seems more out of control, maybe because of not being well.
    However, like RosyPosy, I have disposed of my “bigger” girl clothes (bigger than hers though – sizes 18 & 16), so simply have to keep on keeping on, or there’ll be nothing in the wardrobe to wear.

    Hi all,

    Sunny, Cashmere NZ. 9.45am Thursday

    Finally back on deck, have been lurking, life seemed to get busy all of a sudden, and another sick patient from the forum! Had such a cold that darling OH felt doomed to SHARE!!! Put me in bed for most of Friday, not helped by a trip out on the bike on Thursday which was a ‘kill or cure’ measure, obvioulsy it didn’t cure me….but over it now and back to normal and scales down to 73.2kgs, lowest this time but will be so glad to see the back of the 73’s, seem to have been yoyoing on this one a while, but into it now. I read with interest the comments re weight loss and exercise and I have experienced both on this WOL. For now we are trying to get fit for our trip and I do need to get my saddle sorted for 15 days of consecutive cycling, was out Monday and Weds this week and will be again on Friday, could certainly feel it by the end of the ride yesterday!! We have found a good uphill walk we do daily as well, (and will be doing more now as we have the dog back to sit) and know that we are getting fitter with that, however, there have been some days when I do absolutely nothing and scales will be down 3/400gms the following day, do wonder if some days there is a full 24hr lag?!! We both eat within the 16:8 regime and I love that, I was never a breakfast eater, but relented over the last few years to all the cliches in the book about the best meal of the day and the most important meal etc. etc. And am very rarely hungry before lunchtime, I don’t have any problems not wanting to eat before lunch, never thought I would hear myself say that!!

    Someone has asked me about my jogging and I stopped because of a fudgey left knee and scared of doing more damage, and moving house again, I decided to knock it on the head, although I now have some new shoes fitted at the Shoe Clinic and they feel great so may start again. I do feel so much better afterwards. Hoping to get a swim in today as well as a walk up the hill with the dog, got some left over fritatta for lunch!!!

    The skies behind us are the clearest, brightest blue but a huge inversion layer of cloud hangs over the city, the tops of the mountains are peeping out the top of the fog in the distance, so beautiful from up here.

    Take care everyone and enjoy your day,

    Turn

    Another cold clear day, with a slightly less fat moon hanging in the sky. It is Thursday fast day for me, Melbourne 8:15am.

    I’m taking the baton from you Thin. Enjoy your coffee this morning.
    Weird isn’t it, you are fine with coffee and I am fine with toast and pasta. Bodies! Who’d have them?
    Haha, I am still in the middle of my experimenting, but I slept much better last night.

    Lindsay, WELCOME HOME! And how lovely to come home to bees.
    I know a lot of people put on weight on a long flight. The pressure (or something) causes guts to do things, dehydration makes constipation more likely and contrariwise they add extra salt to food because taste buds are effected, so that leads to holding water. Give yourself a good few days of sensible eating and I bet it disappears.

    Intesha, thankyou so much for popping in to let us know how you are.
    Of course you are in a fog and it is hard to find meaning in what you do. Grief is so powerful. But keeping on doing all the healthy things is extra important at this time, and you need to be at optimal health to get through it. The time will come when reality settles to its new shape and you will be able to function again.
    Best wishes to your dad too.

    Quacka, you are a dynamo at work. So glad that lamb neck stew was such a success. It does get so savoury and succulent.
    Fingers crossed your scales are in a good mood this morning, You deserve a good number with all the things you are doing for your good health.

    Anzac, hooray for your scales. A lovely loss.

    LJoyce, good luck finding a rose pink shirt! I think you will have fun if you ever get to one of the Savers stores. Sadly they only give a tiny proportion of their profits to charity, so they aren’t a ‘proper’ op shop in my mind, but they are so big and have such a range.

    I’ve got that Insight episode saved, I plan to watch it today. My friend who had a lapband, which was a disastrous experience so they operated again and did a sheath, still struggles with her weight. I saw her last week and she said she has put about 8 kilos on this year.
    I think she has a real fear of being hungry, so she eats as soon as she has room for something. And she also gets the sugar munchies badly (she has just cut out sugar again). It made me realise how good 5:2 is at teaching us that hunger is not to be feared. And also how good it is to have it as a sustainable way of eating. For me that means that I don’t do those big swings. I do put a few kilos on at times, but then my clothes get tight so I refocus on doing 5:2 properly.

    That diet trial your friend is on sounds so interesting LJoyce, I am keen to hear the next update.

    Your love for Turkish delight sounds like mine for (home made) meringues. I was talking to my sister about it a while ago and she said she thought if I tried a meringue now I would find it unbearably sweet. I think she is right, and I wonder if you would find the same with Turkish delight.

    Betsy, good luck at the optometrist’s appointment. Keep on keeping on, an easier 5:2 time must just about be here!

    Hi Turn, so glad to see your post and that you have recovered from that shocking cold. Enjoy your beautiful day and excellent exercise shoes. Hooray for getting fit.

    Hello to everyone else!

    Accountability: A good day yesterday, I did eat some toast in the afternoon, but my evening meal was a light one so I felt like I ate sensibly. My Woolton pies were the best I have made and I have 5 frozen for future yummy meals.

    Today is fast day, I have my stuff soaking and I even bought some bonito flakes to add to my miso soup. I better read up how to best do that. And I have some other soup (I got the right one out of the freezer this time) if I
    need something before my evening soup. All set.

    Intesha, sorry to hear that your brother couldn’t even step up at this difficult time. It sounds like you should consider yourselves fortunate that he managed to fit the funeral in. Is your daughter still going to come back in June (or was it July?). Something nice to look forward to, if so. Hope your Dad is doing OK.

    Turn, what a nice start to your day! Mine started pitch black at 4.30am. I couldn’t get back to sleep and finally gave up at 5.30am. Still pitch black. You will soon be into the 60s and that’s a wonderful sight on the scales after battling the 70s.

    LJ, I find sugar so addictive. It doesn’t take much to get into the habit of wanting more and more. Bridge: yes, so many rules and every one with an exception it seems. My partner has gone to Qld to visit her 93 year old mother who lives alone and still plays bridge. Hopefully some wisdom will rub off. I have another partner for this week.

    Time for the second frothy coffee. Love Thursdays!

    P.S. Cinque, good morning, baton passed. Yes, we are all different, no doubt about that. We just have to keep experimenting until we find what works for us. In my youth, I could drink coffee late at night and fall asleep easily. Not so now. I think for the yo yo’ers here though, it’s well worth cutting out carbs to see if it makes a difference. I wasn’t receptive to that message at all at first. But it kickstarted my loss and it might help others here. For me, cutting out carbs naturally occurring in fruit & vegetables is a step too far.

    Good morning, guess what? Another sunny, warm, blue sky day in Sydney. 23 degrees. It was cold this morning on the way to work though

    Intesha, honestly your brother sounds very selfish and self-absorbed. I’m sorry you are going through this and I truly hope you find peace and healing soon. How is your Dad coping?

    Phew, busy day yesterday at work but it made my FD easy. We are doing a big coordinated test so there are about 20 of us all crammed into a meeting room working together which is great for my learning curve and to get to know both colleagues and the vendor staff. Same again today and possibly tomorrow. They had cupcakes yesterday arvo for someone’s birthday but as you know they don’t tempt me.

    Turn, swimming in NZ in May? Do you mean at a heated pool? Or are you like my hubby (from Wellington) who can swim in just about any temperature? I hope you get to start jogging again as it sounds like you miss it. Where you are sounds so beautiful. Glad you are feeling better

    Betsy, sounds like you and I are getting our mojo back at the same time after being unwell. We can do this! I’m down 800g this week so yay for that! I haven’t disposed of my big clothes yet….not yet there in my head

    HA HA HA LJ, I laughed at your imagery of Cookie Monster fighting with Garfield. The ‘Hunger Monsters’ indeed. We all should try to describe which monsters we feel are assaulting us when we are fighting hunger (or pretend hunger). I’ll go with something more stealthy that creeps up and then pounces. I’ll go with Wile E Coyote – always conniving to bring down the Road Runner in sneaky ways.

    Have a nice FD today Cinque. So glad you slept ok last night. I did too but I admit I took a quarter of a restavit and slept upstairs away from any potential human/fur child snoring

    Welcome home Linsday! What an absolute nightmare trip home but how nice that the Aussie guy offered to help out. It makes you realise there really are plenty of nice people out there, in amongst the *%$#’s. I hope you are ok to go back work today. Good luck – oh and that 5 kilos? Pfffft. Gone in a puff of 5:2 smoke

    Hi Thin, thanks for your advice about indulgences during weight loss. You are so correct and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to realise that my weekends ‘off’ were taking a huge toll. Hubby is not overweight at all. He has a bit of a tummy but that’s it. And all he has to do is say the words ‘I need to get rid of this gut’ and WHOOOSHKA….it’s gone. Brute. Hope your temporary bridge partner works out ok.

    I normally have a sandwich or roll on NFD’s but today I’ve brought a chicken salad to start cutting down on carbs as per your wise advice, thankyou 🙂

    Time to start work so good luck fasting or not today. Have a good one!

    Hi Anzac, my husband’s the same. He’s never gained an ounce since high school. His mother was a petite lady who apparently used to say, ‘cut out one piece of toast in the morning’ if he started gaining weight. And like your OH, whoosh, problem solved overnight.

    Hi all, feeling good today. I noticed last week that more sugar and starch was creeping back into my diet, probably one of the reasons why the scales didn’t move a lot last week, as well as my exercise suffering with my head cold. I’m trying to nip the sugar and starch in the bud this week to see if that helps on the scales next Wednesday

    I’m back on the bike with my exercise this week (both figuratively and literally) I took one of my work’s push bikes out at lunch time yesterday because I needed to go to the hardware store to pick up some things to build my son’s jungle gym. He needs it to practice his parkour, but I took the scenic route on the way back along the edge of the harbour and put in a good 8 kilometers. It feels so good to get some exercise out in the sun, it definitely helps to lift your mood.

    Good luck everyone who’s fasting and exercising today and I’ll catch up with all of you later.

    Good Morning everyone

    Thank you all for your support regarding my extra workload and responsibilities. It has been a very busy week with lots of important decisions made and I admit that I am tired. I managed to get the other big order done yesterday but didn’t get to do all my double checking of the first one, so that’s what I’m going to be doing today. All the checking and double checking of both orders and then this afternoon I get to press that scary button that says ‘submit’ and then we will be locked in to what I have ordered! No pressure.

    Yesterday was a good FD with a tofu and veggie stir fry for dinner and yet the scales are just being a nasty big liar this morning. I usually weigh around 800g less the morning after a FD but not today. Only 100g down. Not to worry, I will just keep on going…..

    Hi Intesha, it is nice to see you posting, I have been thinking of you often and hoping you are ok, well as best as you can be.

    LJ, yes, I am definitely planning on wearing my bikini on my holiday! lol
    I actually have two bikinis to take. That’s how hopeful I am for good weather! It has been such amazing warm weather down here that I could go swimming still, if I wasn’t such a wuss. OH has been surfing the last few weekends and he says the water is still ‘nice’. Quote.

    Anzac, I haven’t been working out everyday, although I wish I have. I just don’t find the motivation. I am doing a good whack every couple of days though and I am happy with that. How’s the drinking less wine going? I have also cut down on my beers (alot) and have switched to a lower carb beer. Now, I’m not sure I believe much about this low carb beer craze but the calories are only 92 per bottle as opposed to 135 for the other beer I was drinking. The bottle is a bit smaller too, maybe a mouthful less. I find it much easier to not drink beer in winter. Summer is really hard for me. I have come a long way though lol. OH can now have a couple of beers in front of me and I am fine with that. I ask myself “do I need one” and the answer is usually “I can wait until tomorrow”. Yep, talking to myself is a great thing! Ha ha ha

    Cinque, thanks for your kind comments about me.

    A big hi to everyone. I need to go get these orders finalised and then I can relax for the weekend! Talk soon 🙂
    xx

    Good morning all.

    I awoke to the definite signs of a lung infection, so it’s back to the antibiotics unfortunately. I’d better increase my kefir consumption to compensate.

    Quacka, it sounds like you have the ordering handled at work, although the double check is definitely wise – one digit in the wrong place can cause a whole lot of trouble!

    Neil and Turn, you New Zealanders are putting the rest of us to shame with your exercise efforts! I remember being impressed at how well set up the roads were for cyclists, with the bitumised road verges for bikes that was as wide as the car lanes. It doesn’t tempt me to try a cycling holiday, I suspect neither my joints nor my rear end are up to it.

    Anzac & Thin, I think it’s difficult when you have a hubby who doesn’t gain weight easily and requires little adjustment to food intake to lose weight. I think it’s also why women often gain weight after marriage because they serve up the same meal. It’s easy to forget that most men have a higher, and often a very much higher TDEE than most women. You just can’t eat or drink to anything like the level of the men in our lives and expect it not to show adversely on the scales. I made that mistake. My ex husband was very tall, active and very lean and on reflection would have had a TDEE about twice mine, but I certainly didn’t eat half of what he did.
    I was actually reminded of this during lunch on Wednesday. The friend I was having lunch with talked about his diet which limited him to 1800cals a day. That didn’t sound like dieting to me and I was thinking wistfully of how nice it would be to have that many calories to use each day without gaining weight. But his TDEE was 2900 when he started on the diet so it is a big reduction for him. We might wish we had someone else’s generous TDEE but it’s never going to happen unless we suddenly have a growth spurt or exercise all day.

    Anzac, your mention of usually having a roll or sandwich for lunch reminded me of my shock when I discovered just how much my lunch rolls weighed. One of the few things I still often weigh is bread and rolls as I’ve found to my dismay that they can vary enormously. I’ve had a normal sized sourdough roll that I didn’t give a second thought to filling and eating for lunch weigh double what I anticipated – they were 160-180g each and that’s a lot of bread. Bread weight depends a lot on the thickness of the slice (I always ask for my loaves to be sliced thin so I get a less bread per slice), and also the type of bread. The grainier and denser the loaf, the more it weighs. Sourdough is also unfortunately much weightier than its airier white vienna cousins. My favourite dark rye sourdough is also much heavier than both white and wholemeal sourdough. I try to keep my consumption to no more than 80g a day, which is about 2 thin slices or 1/2 a sourdough roll. I still eat the dark rye as I know it’s better for me but I do often sill feel the need to check how much I’m having by weighing it on its way to my plate.

    Betsy, hope the eye specialist appointment went well. I’d rather swap with you as I’m off to the dentist this morning.

    Cinque, I hope you have a good FD. I’m sure it will go as planned.
    I think it’s the fragrance in the flower water flavours in turkish delight that appeal so strongly to me, as I like both the rosewater and orange flower water versions. Especially when they put either almonds or pistachios in the mix and just dust them with icing sugar, not the western version that has a chocolate coating. When at the market I consoled myself that the stall would hopefully still be there for some time and there would be a more appropriate time for me to try some, it’s just not now.
    The thought process I went through when I was at the market and thinking through why I should not only avoid buying any but also not take a piece of the offered free sample either was a stark reminder of old thinking patterns. My old thinking patterns always encouraged me to eat things now because I might not have access to them later. The reality is that this is rarely true, but it’s the illogical reasoning that prevailed for most of my life. I find there is a regular need for me to remind myself that just because I say no to something in this moment, it doesn’t mean I’m saying no forever.

    I had better get myself organised now as I have to catch a train to the city for a dental appointment shortly.

    Hope you all have a great day.

    Sooo many posts here to catch up on! I will write more later but just wanted to check in and say hi.

    Anzac, thank you for posting that link for the timbale recipe. That sounds so good and looks really fancy. I may try it this weekend if I can find a few dishes to use as molds. I must have something like that somewhere around here.

    We’ve been watching a couple episodes of “The Crown” every night which is cutting into my internet time. 😁 It’s really a good series. They showed Queen Elizabeth’s coronation last night that I watched on tv when I was a very little girl. I remember my mum telling me to watch because it was something I could tell my own children that I watched when I grew up. I remember very little other than the elegant clothing and some of the impressive ceremony. I told Cooper and Isabella about it this morning. 😁

    Cali, if you are sharing coronation stories with Isabella, I hope that means she’s still on friendly terms with you, despite the daily medication routine. Is she feeling better and healing?

    Babysitting was cancelled as my nephew was home sick today and able to care for his own children.

    NFD Fess up:
    Breakfast: pot of tea
    Lunch: I had a dental appointment and ate an apple on the train on the way home
    Mid Afternoon: bowl of raw muesli, bran, kefir, almond-coconut milk and raspberries. Also a pot of tea.
    Dinner: the last of the barley risotto, roast pumpkin and about 1/3 of a chicken breast. Also 2 small plums.

    Today was very different to my normal food choices because of the trip to the dentist. It was far too grain heavy and had insufficient vegetables, protein and dairy. Had this not been the last day I could safely eat the last of the risotto I would not have had it the same day I chose to have cereal. Poor planning.

    LJ, wise words about portion sizes for husbands and wives – not to mention alcohol consumption. Also bread weight would be something to consider for those indulging. My walking buddy is now supplied with a free daily lunch at work. She confessed that she’s now eating a bread roll every day because they provide soup. Not to mention pasta salads, rice salads, she lost me after that ……

    Speaking of food & booze, we have often discussed Caesar salad on these pages. It usually ends with me lamenting that I’ve only ever had an authentic Caesar salad, which must be made at the table by the waiter, at a restaurant in Tijuana called, “Sommalier”. And how I don’t seem to appreciate a chef’s ‘take’ on a Caesar salad i.e. no clue how to make one. CalifD supplied us with a pretty good recipe.

    I enjoyed this article, “The Surprising Truth About Caesar Salad” although it came as no surprise to me at all. http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20190521-the-surprising-truth-about-caesar-salad
    We would often walk across the border for dinner in TJ, returning with cheap Kahlua & tequila. So this article was fun to read. You might like it too.

    BTW, to those who agreed that voting without ID seems a bit odd, you may be interested to know that, back in the day, we could cross the border freely in both directions using just a California driving licence.

    Hi all. Still not eating as well as I could be, but finally starting to feel better.

    Optometrist appointment was okay, but it looks as if the glaucoma has progressed a little in one eye, I think due to a generic eye drop the pharmacists started giving me last year. As the optometrist said, while the active ingredient in the generics is the same, other aspects of the drops could be very different. So, now returning today to the generic I was previously taking, and the pharmacy will order it in for me. The glaucoma progression is minor – I still have nearly 100% vision in the L eye, and the right eye is normal, but the pressure in the left eye is now slightly elevated, which shouldn’t happen when the drops are being used daily. I’m to use the other generic for 6 weeks then see the doc again to get the pressure checked, and will be put on a different eye drop if the pressure’s not come down. Just a process. Years ago I was very fortunate in that a cousin warned me there was glaucoma in the family, so I had regular checks and it was picked up very early. Some people don’t realise they have it until there is already significant eye damage.

    LJoyce, so sorry to read of your chest infection – hope the antibiotics hit it on the head very quickly. Will you take probiotics as well, or is the kefir usually enough?

    Quacka, good luck with the checking of the first order, and crossing my fingers for you that all is well with them both.

    Anzac65, still trying to find my mojo, but getting closer. I am like Turnabout, stuck around 73 kg (more like 74 at the moment!) – but I can’t blame it on a plateau; I’ve just not been eating mindfully.

    Thin, sorry to read you’ve temporarily lost your bridge partner. Hope you still manage to get a few good games in.

    Neilithicman, good you could get some fresh air with your cycling. Keep it up. especially with work so stressful at the moment.
    My exercise bike is in a room at the back of the garage, and when my motivation is low, I don’t get out there. Actually, I have a rowing machine and a cross-trainer there as well, and those are the ones I prefer using (when I get there). Still doing lots of walking though.

    Welcome back LindsayL – I also heard that airplane food is deliberately made salty so people won’t use the onplane toilets as much, so here’s hoping the scales will be kinder for you in another day or so.

    Onward we go, on the downward trail.

    Betsy, I hope the return to your previous drops gets the eye pressure back to safe levels (under 15 if I remember correctly). My dad had limited central vision only in one eye due to untreated glaucoma. It’s a bit scary that generic drugs can’t be trusted to perform the same way as the original.
    I fully expect the antibiotics to deal with the lung infection very swiftly. I don’t take probiotics in tablet form as the kefir contains significantly more probiotic bacteria than the tablets do – and it’s much cheaper.

    Thin, I think one of the reasons I didn’t notice the significant difference between men and women’s TDEE is because it wasn’t as big a gap with my parents. My parents both had manual jobs that kept them on their feet all day, they were both quite short – I think they were the same height. The only real difference that I noticed in food intake is that dad ate more for breakfast than the rest of us and he would be served a little more meat at dinner time than the rest of us, that was it. The gap was much more significant with my ex-husband as he was nearly a foot taller than me and much more into exercise that I’ll ever be.

    My dental checkup was with a new dentist as my previous one retired a couple of months ago. Unfortunately he has a identified a sore spot as a gap opening up between a filling and the surrounding tooth. So I need to return next Friday to have the filling replaced. Not sure how I’ll go at bridge that afternoon!

    NFD Fess up update:
    I rectified the low dairy in my day by having a few spoonfuls of yoghurt and then a skim milk cocoa.

    Fasting tomorrow and an afternoon of bridge.

    Morning everyone, up with the sparrows again after my 3rd , successful, btb, liquids only fast day, I’m feeling bonier already and am looking fwd to Sat morning weigh in.
    Betsy if you have more fast days, you can eat more on the nfdays. When I had more weight on me I’d lose as much as 1.7 kg in a week by having 5 btb fast days. You are at work so it is easy. Then On the weekend I would eat and drink whatever. Having said that, my stomach has shrunk so I am satisfied with less.

    Totally agree with Thin and Lindsay re exercise. Before I broke my wrist I was doing an hour a day of exercise, once I broke it, I stopped as I didn’t want to sweat under my cast which would make it prickly, itchy and even more intolerable. So I have done little or no exercise since Jan 20. I will try and do more only for health reasons but it did absolutely nothing for the amount of weight I lost which was 14 kg before Xmas and 9 kg after.

    I have one other suggestion for all those struggling. Distract yourself, don’t think about food constantly , keep out of the kitchen and away from food as much as possible. I did find myself tasting hub’s dinner last week. I have solved that problem by cooking things that need flavour adjustment by tasting only on the weekends and cooking the other things with my massive glass of Metamucil next to me. EverytineI felt like Having a mouthful of salad, cheese, nuts etc, I have a big slurp of the Metamucil which fills me up. Also I take garcinia cambogia or reduction tablets as natural appetite suppressants. I swear by my lemon, lime, cucumber, coriander and mint iced water too. It is so refreshing that I even have it on Nfds. My favourite fasting activity is to walk around the shops. I don’t have to buy, just look. Do something you enjoy that doesn’t involve food.

    Hi all

    Betsy. My mum voted whatever my dad voted, which is almost as bad. Thank goodness we’ve moved on from there. I have tried to keep my NFD calories at about the level they will be when I reach goal and am on maintenance, I figure that regular treat days can wait until I am at goal. I still have a taste of whatever is going when I socialise but I know how easily I can slip if I eat what I ate before. I’m sure you will find your way again and those kilos will melt away. Sorry to hear about your eye issues but thank goodness you are able to keep it in check . How is the study going, have you finished your research yet?

    Neil. Well done on the loss, creeping up on your goal on tiptoe

    Rosy. Early starts at work are certainly the way to beat the rush and using your clothes as inspiration is a good way to go. I have doubts there is many chubby bits to lose though.

    Cinque. You must be really struggling with your sleepless nights, I hope you are looking after yourself during the day. While the girls might challenge your energy reserves (what reserves) they are so stimulating in every other way. Mine teach me something new every time I see them. I didn’t realise you were a Thursday FD too, we both got through ours ok but OH did a little harder than I did. Understandably, it’s only his second.

    Thin. You are a machine, no wonder you have been such a successful maintainer. I must admit I am always disappointed when I read about someone’s massive weight loss and discover they have achieved it by surgery. They never talk about the failures or the long term complications. What is it about Perth and 4.30am wake up time? Hope it doesn’t spread eastward.

    Lindsay. Welcome home and I bet by now you can report a few kilos gone. Well, one more story to tell, if nothing goes wrong then your trip gets boring. You must be looking forward to getting to know your bees, can you tell the difference between the two types. Hope you go back to a lighter workload

    Intesha. It is a great shame that your brother is like he is. Your dad must be so glad that you are there for him, and of course, vice versa. Is there anyone who you can lean on, or an activity which lifts your spirits so that the fog lifts a little. My sympathy is with you.

    LJ. i thought ‘hunger dragon’ was one bad animal but you have added two more that we have to contend with. It sounds as if your ‘hunger’ is ‘mouth’ hunger and I think that is the hardest to combat as it is about gratification and our brain is very good at ramping up the power when it gets going. We have to fight our own bodies which actually want us to eat more. Well done on resisting the Turkish delight, and for tuning in to those unhelpful thoughts. Considering how long you have been managing your eating, its amazing how persistent those thoughts can be and how vigilant you have to be. Your experience is a great lesson for me and a reminder never to get complacent.

    Calif. you have a very good memory, you must have been a very little girl when the coronation happened. We didn’t have TV in Australia until 1956 so missed it but I do remember Movietone news which we saw at the cinema having a film of it. Quite different from now,. Your mum would not have envisioned such colourful ‘children’, I hope they were suitably impressed. Is Amelie out of favour at the moment.

    Turn. Hang in there, with all that peddling etc and 5-2, you will be waving 73 bye bye very soon. There is something about a bike saddle, no matter what shape you try, it still hurts. Do you wear bike shorts, my OH tells me that do make a difference. There is a style of bike shorts for women called shy pants which are shorts with bike pants incorporated underneath so a little more flattering than straight Lycra. You do live in a beautiful part of the world.

    Quakka. I can hop on my old scales and weigh 3 different weights in 3 minutes. Obviously my weight doesn’t change, the scales do. Same for you, your clothes tell the story, especially those bikinis. Where are you going for your holiday, I have forgotten, I don’t know how you are going with your work mates, but if they are still trying to get you down, I saw a coffee mug for you. It said ‘Oh, did I roll my eyes too loudly’. Thought it might strike a chord with you.

    OH finished his second FD and even had a few calories to spare. I’m not recording his NFD yet, when we are travelling it will be easier and the scales will definitely be going with us to keep us both on track. I think my biome has turned my gut into a brewery. I have a lot of indigestion, rather nasty tasting burps and I’m sure my breath is not very nice. Only been like this for a couple of days and I think it is easing, anyone else had this and know what causes it. Greetings to anybody I have missed and good wishes for anyone who needs them

    Hi, reading the posts and the talk about The Crown. I have enjoyed watching it and look forward to the new season. My Dad was in the navy at the time and he was in the lining party along the route the carriage took. We have some wonderful photos of my Dad standing in front of his men (he was a Chief Petty Officer at the time) as the carriage passed. He was presented a medal by the Queen.

    When Mum and Dad had their 60th wedding anniversary they received a card from her as well.

    Very traumatic day for me, picking up the ashes.

    Hi guys, I did post at 4.45 am yesterday but to my chagrin, it disappeared then reappeared by the afternoon.
    Hugs to Intesha. Look out for Mother Nature when you doget the ashes. When my sisters and I sprinkled my mums ashes on the banks of her beloved Canning river, a pod of dolphins were visible (not a common sight) and appeared to carry her away which made the event less traumatic and more beautiful.
    Betsy if your weight loss is slowing, add an extra fast day. Today is my 5 th and last fast day for the week. I started out with 2 fast days but because hub and I are always socialising on the weekends and I want to enjoy my time with him, I eat whatever I feel like, I wasn’t losing weight. Then I thought to myselfI might as well make fasting the routine when I am at work, so I did. I still have to distract myself, keep out of the kitchen as much as possible and cook food that does not need flavour adjustment.
    I think the key is to not think about food at all, it is torturous. If you do think about it, promise yourself you can have it on the weekend.
    Also I keep everything tempting out of the house. As Thin says no toast when fasting and definitely no ice cream. You can have it on the weekend.

    Hi guys, I did post at 4.45 am yesterday but to my chagrin, it disappeared then reappeared by the afternoon.
    Hugs to Intesha. Look out for Mother Nature when you doget the ashes. When my sisters and I sprinkled my mums ashes on the banks of her beloved Canning river, a pod of dolphins were visible (not a common sight) and appeared to carry her away which made the event less traumatic and more beautiful.
    Betsy if your weight loss is slowing, add an extra fast day. Today is my 5 th and last fast day for the week. I started out with 2 fast days but because hub and I are always socialising on the weekends and I want to enjoy my time with him, I eat whatever I feel like, I wasn’t losing weight. Then I thought to myselfI might as well make fasting the routine when I am at work, so I did. I still have to distract myself, keep out of the kitchen as much as possible and cook food that does not need flavour adjustment.
    I think the key is to not think about food at all, it is torturous. If you do think about it, promise yourself you can have it on the weekend.
    Also I keep everything tempting out of the house. As Thin says no toast when fasting and definitely no ice cream. You can have it on the weekend.

    Hi all, I’m a bit different, I don’t try to avoid thinking about food. In fact I watch food shows when I’m working out on my exercise bike. There’s a really good one on Netflix at the moment about street food from around the world. They show a wide variety of foods that an area is famous for, but each episode focuses on one street vendor and gives their back story, why they got into serving food etc.

    Intesha, my grandparents got a card from the queen on their 60th wedding anniversary too. They managed to make it to their 65th before my grandfather died 3 years ago at the age of 94, my grandmother died this year aged 97. Pretty good innings for the two of them.

    Good morning all, another groundhog day of blue skies and warm weather. 25 today and 26 tomorrow! It has been a VEEERY long week at work so I am looking forward to a gorgeous Saturday

    Intesha, good luck today and I hope it isn’t too traumatic. I will be thinking of you

    I’ve been getting home late this week and Maxx apparently is not happy about it. I was spoilt in my last job and left on time pretty much 100% of the time so Maxx knows (somehow) to wait at the top of the stairs from about 4.30/4.45 until I’m home between 5.00 and 5.10. This week, however, I have been getting home 6.00/6.30 and last night it was 7.00pm. Hubby said he was crying and barking right in his face as if to say ‘where is she?’. Awwww

    There was a whole heap of munchie food all over the big table yesterday and I confess I partook. Quite a lot. It was a very stressful workshop and I was on my feet for hours on and off, writing stuff up on the board. My back ached terribly last night and I face two more big workshops today PLUS I have to present to senior management. I tried to tell them it was premature to bring some of our issues up yet but the rest of the team insisted. GAH! Bring on the weekend

    Drats about the filling LJ, dentists are not fun are they? Just think how good it will be to get it over and done with.

    My Mum used to serve everyone a HUGE meal and Dad’s was enormous. It was just the way it was done back then but it didn’t help anyone to develop good eating habits.

    Weigh-in day and SOOO close to my goal of ‘back in the 85’s for the millionth time’. 86.1 this morning.

    Will try and post again later today but looking at my diary I’m not hopeful. Good luck to the fasters and be mindful non fasters 

    Good morning, it has turned cold and grey. Rain expected (in varying amounts) every day for the week ahead. 9:20am Melbourne, Friday.

    A quick post this morning, loving my day after fast day breakfast, and hoping Mr Klondi is too! (And Mrs Klondi 😉 )

    LJoyce, hope the lung infection is gone in a flash. I’m glad your dentist caught that filling before it got infected.

    I watched the Insight program and was glad to listen to so many brave people and a good round of the viewpoints. Only one surgeon had the ‘this is the only thing that works for morbidly obese people’ mantra. I wondered if this was true when I first heard it, but I doubt it now. I also realise how strong you were LJoyce, making your decision and sticking by it.

    I am thinking more and more of starting a local support group for people losing weight and then transitioning from weightloss to maintenance. I think this could make a big difference in long term success.
    I want to think of a name that would imply that, rather than Weight Loss Support Group. Maybe Healthy Weight Support Group? Any ideas?

    Betsy, I am another one with glaucoma in my family and my optometrists keeping an eye on it. They saw signs of it starting last appt, and I had to go back for two tests of peripheral dots. No eyedrops yet but another appt in six months. I hope your proper eyedrops do the trick, there is obviously generic, and generic.

    Rosy, hooray for your regime working.

    Intesha, my heart goes out to you, thinking of that sad, laden job of picking up the ashes. I think of this Blackfoot proverb: What is life? It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.

    Best wishes all you little shadows today, it is a precious run.

    Read all the morning’s posts, what a lot there are. Looking forward to the promised Friday report-ins.

    I mentioned that my brother appears in series 3 of ‘The Crown’. He’s also in two episodes of a new BBC drama series, ‘Summer of Rockets’ which started on Wednesday. Stars Keeley Hawes. Reviews look great, sadly we can’t get it here in Oz but UK family will record it for us.

    Have a great weekend all.

    Hi everyone,

    Intesha, my condolences to you and your Dad on the loss of your Mum, and all you’ve both been going through. I’ve sent you a private email.

    Take care,
    Merry

    I’ve hated having to be out of touch for so long. To catch up, and ‘meet’ some newbies, I’ll click on a name and read back a bit, individually, which will help me to get facts straight and will work better for me than reading back a few pages and getting everyone’s doings mixed up.

    Here in Merryland we are doing better than expected. Mr M will be finishing his radiotherapy soon. He’s been a champion, travelling each day back and forth, and doing very well, just sleeping a couple of hours more each day – doing better than we expected. We have a few people to drive him if that becomes necessary, and we thought by now we’d be doing that but it’s not needed yet, and hopefully won’t be. The weather has been stunningly beautiful this week here, which we are both enjoying before winter sets in properly.

    Mr M needed to lose a little beforehand so he got the Fast 800 book and did that for a couple of weeks. Then the pinspot tattoo markers for guidance went on so he has to stay level till it’s over. after that he may lose a little more. He inspired one of our children to use Fast 800 and had a great result. I’m reading the book now, and have been on 800 for 8 out of 10 days with Sat and last Monday off, but not hugely excessive.

    Check in:
    65.5kgs at 7.30am. On the 21st I posted I was 65.5 late in the morning. I thought this morning I might be a bit lower as my body feels like I’ve lost more than that, but, as we now know, the scales don’t always tell the full story, and the full story can show up on the scales a bit later on.

    So now I’m 3.5kgs above my goal weight instead of the 5.8kgs above that I peaked at a couple of weeks ago. Such a relief! ( Kept the exclamation marks to 1 for you Thin, lol). I feel like I’m back in control of the process and I’m back in charge of the food instead of the food being in charge of me, and the stress gremlins have scurried back into, well I won’t say oblivion, but back into their caves and gone to sleep.

    One tool I’m using is to write down what I’m eating and drinking in detail every day. It’s helped me in the past and doing it’s job well now too. In the Fast 800 book Dr Moseley writes of research done on groups who wrote down what they ate/drank and those who didn’t, with the writing group losing more. I do it in detail working out the calories, but the writing down effect seems to work even if the listing is simple. The act of writing it down makes people more conscious of what they’re taking in, and helps them be self-accountable, skewing their intake to stay moderate. Interesting. He says even if it’s a quick note on your phone, writing it helps. Interesting.

    Hope everyone has a good day today,
    Onwards and Downwards,
    and if you fall off the horse keep getting back on.

    Hi everyone.

    Fast day for me and bridge this afternoon. I’ve just eaten my banana which hopefully give me enough thinking power for the afternoon.

    Intesha, thinking of you today.

    Merry, pleased to hear that MrM has coped so well with his treatment. I hope it is very successful. I agree about writing everything down, I’ve been doing that for many years. It cal also be useful when trying to figure out the problem foods or times of day.

    Cinque, I think a support group for those who’ve lost weight and want to maintain it is admirable. Lots of obese people lose weight but few keep it off. I have believed for a long time that maintenance is much harder than losing weight – and that’s hard enough. I don’t think people know how to transition from their diet to healthy eating in modest portions and there is a strong subconscious push to go back to old habits. I also think people overestimate how much they should be able to eat to maintain a lower weight. I know I was utterly shocked by how low my TDEE was and there is some research that shows that morbidly obese people who have lost vast amounts of weight are more likely to have a TDEE which is below the average level that the accepted formulas advise. I think many people need both nutrition and psychological support, because a lot of eating triggers are not about nutrition or hunger they are about emotion and life’s circumstances.

    Klondi, I think the reason that some of those unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns are never beaten and are always trying to take advantage of a weak moment, is that they developed at an early age. Patterns that form in early childhood never go away. You can manage them most of the time, once you find the tools to help, but they are never gone or beaten. I think we have more success with changing patterns that developed in adulthood. I was overweight by age 4 so some of my eating patterns and the approval I got for being a good, unfussy eater started so early I have accepted that I always need to be vigilant.

    Hello to Rosy, Thin, Anzac, Neil and everyone else who is reading. I’ve run out of time unfortunately and need to head out.

    Have a good Friday all.

    Thursday night here and the end of my Thursday FD, which was uneventful other than having a mild headache most of the day. Water and salt added to my food doesn’t seem to help much as it did in the past. Maybe more salt as upon miso would work.

    Intesha, I’m sorry you had a rough day. I hope that time will heal some of the raw emotions you’re experiencing now.

    LJ, I’m sorry to hear about your lung infection. It hasn’t been that long since the last round of antibiotics. The kefir should help get your intestinal bugs back to normal. And you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, so that should help too.

    Klondi, Amelie isn’t happy about being in her cage for so many days and neither is Isabella. I hope Isabella will trust me after having to give her meds twice a day for 10 days. We go to the vet tomorrow afternoon to have the bandage removed and to have her foot checked. It seems like it should be healed by now.

    Merry, glad to hear OH is getting through his treatments without too much problem. I’m sure you’ll both be glad when they’re finished and things get back to normal.

    Thin, interesting article about the Caesar salads. It’s been years since I’ve been to a restaurant that prepared them at the table. Such a treat.

    Hope everyone is having a good day.

    LJ, I missed your post advising of your lung infection. I do hope it heals asap and I hope it isn’t causing too much pain or trouble breathing. Thanks also for the advice about bread and rolls and I am going to weigh what I have regularly this weekend. I was dismayed to find today that when I entered my Helga’s ‘low carb’ bread into Calorie King it is actually 10g of carbs but a whopping 98 calories per slice!

    Hi everyone
    Just a quick Friday night check in. I’m looking forward to the weekend as we should be able to do some fishing with the conditions being favourable. I am sooooo tired. This week has really taken it out of me. I woke up this morning and actually felt unwell but I think it’s just tiredness. I like to work out Friday morning but I just could t this morning. A cup of tea sounded so much better.
    I’m happy to report that both big orders were checked and double checked and then submitted yesterday morning. It was a good feeling and I feel confident in what I have done. I have to wait until back to school ( January) to know for sure but I think it will be ok. I don’t have a crystal ball……

    Klondike, thanks for thinking of me at work. I think my attitude has changed towards my workmates problems and that has helped me to deal with it. Ha ha ha, I need that coffee mug!!!
    We are going to Cairns, well just North of it, for our little getaway. It is really just to face my fear of flying. Funny thing is that I’m so excited. I can’t wait. Three weeks to go.

    Intesha, still thinking of you. Hope you are ok. X

    Cinque, you say the most beautiful things. Your caring is amazing and I think you would be the perfect person to lead a healthy weight support group. Can I join?? 🙂

    Ok, I have to go cook dinner. Btw weight this morning was 66.3. Up 100g from previous reading. Weird because today was after a NFD which is usually more. Who was it that talked about a 24 hour delay?? I agree lol

    A big hi to everyone I’m not mentioning personally. Love reading all your posts.

    Xx

    Ps. LJ, I hope u are feeling better. X

    Anzac, I think they are using a bit of poetic license with the term “low carb”. Slightly lower than normal bread would probably be closer to the truth. It definitely shows that you can’t use labels, which are part of a brand’s advertising, to tell you the whole truth. I have found that I can’t really buy any pre-sliced supermarkets breads if I want a wholegrain sourdough sliced thinly. I only buy the artisan loaves these days – there are a very small number of options in supermarkets but I mainly have to get them elsewhere.
    Trying to keep bread as a regular part of your diet and also be low carb is a very difficult task. Back when I was losing weight on the meal replacement program and was at the stage of having some meals I found that there was no scope for any more than one slice of normal bread if I wanted to stay low carb. I have some alternatives to suggest:
    Crispbreads like corn thins or rye cruskits can be a base for open sandwich toppings – not very transportable to work though. These crispbreads are 20-25cal each and usually around 4g carb per piece. With careful planning I could usually squeeze up to 3 into a low carb day.
    Mountain Bread (these are the thin rectangular sheets). It comes in a range of grain varieties is 67-70 calories per slice and about 13g carb per piece. The advantage is that this large rectangular bread can be covered in filling and rolled up. Meaning you only need one slice for a sandwich. (I tend to overfill and they burst apart!)
    Herman Brot – Low Carb Bread. This is definitely not low calorie but is genuinely low carb. It comes in presliced loaves and is only available from independent supermarkets. They are thicker slices at 45g each with 124 calories, 2.5g carb and 12g protein. The main flour they use is soy. (This company also makes a low carb pasta with their high protein low carb flour blend.) https://hermanbrot.com.au/products/low-carb-bread/ You would need to look at their stockist pages to find a retailer – it’s probably available though IGA supermarkets.
    It’s a good thing I kept all my old low carb bread data! I haven’t needed it for a few years.

    Cali, it sounds like both birds are a bit disgruntled at the moment. I hope the vet is happy with the healing and I also hope both girls are better friends when reunited.

    The antibiotics have really had a quick impact on my lung infection symptoms – in 24 hours I have virtually no symptoms. I’m always amazed at how quickly it have an impact. I am keeping up with my kefir intake which will hopefully rescue a few gut bugs.

    I had the rare luxury of a slice of bread with a FD dinner. My estimated kilojoules were under 1000 (1 pot of tea, 1 small banana and a small bowl of pasta-free minestrone). I had already decided to add a boiled egg, but I don’t enjoy them hot without toast. I had a small slice of the new rye-walnut sourdough and it was delicious – a really savoury flavour.

    Hi Quacka, our posts crossed. I suspect you are ready for your weekend after such a hectic week.

    Merry, on a previous big weight loss effort before 5:2, I remember writing down everything consumed. Besides what you and LJ noted about the benefits of this exercise, it stopped me from frequent snacking at the time because I couldn’t be bothered with the paperwork! I think my thing required a calorie count as well as just a list of what was consumed and that was often all too hard to calculate for mindless snacks.

    As far as not knowing how to eat once a goal weight was achieved, it never occurred to me that I couldn’t return to my previous eating habits and maintain my new weight. D’oh! The pattern was that I’d ‘get away’ with this or that and not gain weight for some time. So, I carried on eating all the things I’d deprived myself of trying to be ‘careful’. Never works. Suddenly, I’d find myself on a runaway train and always gained all the weight back plus more. And the fat clothes were always there waiting to welcome me back. That’s never happening again.

    LJ, what you said is so true about people not knowing how to eat properly. I struggle with accepting 5:2 as being a ‘normal’ way of eating and try to make my FDs as normal as possible. I’ve never believed in shakes, protein bars, etc for this reason. No-one else questions it now that I’ve experienced so much success with it for so many years and I hope to continue for life. Nevertheless, it’s something I do that’s different from my family and most of my friends. And I still need Cinque to occasionally reaffirm why it’s a good way of eating in its own right, with weight loss as a secondary benefit.

    Anzac, I somehow missed your earlier post. I hope you get to your desired 85kg next week. And have a lovely weekend.

    LJ, hope bridge was fun. I expect you are meeting lots of new people too. Betsy, thanks, yes there are always people going away so there’s always someone looking for a partner. Mine is only back for a week before heading overseas for three. Hope you (Betsy and LJ) are feeling better.

    CalifD, I hope Isabella gets the all clear from the vet.

    Merry, what good news about Mr M.

    Quacka, not long until your trip. DD’s favourite mug reads, “I try to be nice but people are just so stupid”. I like it too because she doesn’t suffer fools and it makes me laugh. She was given it at work in a Secret Santa.

    Hi Rosy, Neil. Hope I’ve covered it all. Bed time.

    Just checking in. Really pleased to have finally found my “mojo” after feeling so unwell for weeks and have managed a LFD today – 2 diet hot chocolates (36 cals per sachet) with low-fat milk, and no other cals all day. About time!! I had continued my exercising and walking while unwell, but the eating just went out of control. Whew! “This will be the start of something good” – which is a (mis-)quote from a song, I think, but can’t remember which one.

    Rosy Posy, thanks for the helpful words of advice and encouragement. I actually try for 3 FD800s per week, but I just haven’t felt well enough recently. Finally better now, so I hope to be at least a little down this month in weight – currently where I was at the start of the month, but with mojo all polished and ready to go for the final week, I should be able to at least lose 1 kg. Will report after the 31st!

    CalifDreamer, hope Isabelle’s foot has healed fully – good luck at the vet’s.

    LJoyce, so good to read that the antibiotics have kicked in and that you already feel so much better. Very good news. Not entirely sure of the safe levels of eye pressure; thought it was an upper limit of about 18. My right eye was on 16, but the left at 19 yesterday.

    Quacka, great that both huge orders have been submitted and you can now relax a little.

    Merryme, what a difficult time you’ve had. I remember the tattoo marks and not being allowed to lose any weight for the 6 weeks of radiotherapy (30 days, 5 days a week for 6 weeks, yes?). Still have the tattoo dots, and it’s funny, I’ve had to mention them any time I’ve had an MRI. They didn’t cause any problems, though. Oh, to explain – I had breast cancer in 2007, fine now.

    Anzac65 – poor Maxx! (And poor you for having to work so late!). Wilbur also waits for me to get home, but I think it’s mainly cupboard love in his case. 🙂

    Cinque, yes, apparently with the generic drops, the active ingredient has to be the same, but the liquid medium the drug is suspended in can have a different pH, plus be better or less able to carry the drug (i.e., more or less clumpy).

    Klondikekween, I think my Mum mainly voted Labor like Dad, but one time she told me in a whisper that she’d actually voted Liberal at one particular election, but wasn’t going to tell my father.
    The research phase of my study is progressing, but won’t be finished until around the end of August. Then the results have to be tabulated and analysed, and then the writing can begin. It’s a long process; I hope to submit my thesis by mid-year of 2021.

    Just Googled acceptable eye pressure – average is 15, but acceptable is usually considered to be up to 21. I think for me it was the fact that there was a difference of 3 mm of Mercury between the two eyes that concerned the doc. I’ve never actually had a reading above the acceptable level – always in the mid to high teens.

    Hi all. Thank you all for the welcome home. Now, last post first.
    Thin, I hope you tell us which episode your brother is in (and what character).
    Cinque, LJ and Cali, I had a tradesman who had bariatric surgery, and it’s been successful, but it’s certainly not the only option and IMO should be a last resort. When he first came to quote on our work in 2012, the sofa cracked as he sat down. He hadn’t worked on the tools for a decade, and he was only a young man in his forties. When we saw him for more quoting, maybe 5 years later, he was down to 80 kilos, which was less than half his former weight, and he was transformed. But other friends, a young man, and his mother (both I’d have described as overweight, definitely not obese) have had it as a form of weight control. I get a bit censorious about that – irresponsible doctor (and patients).
    Cinque, Betsy, it was damage from undiagnosed glaucoma that caused OH’s eye condition last year (and still). Betsy is your opthalmologist Dr Conrad, by any chance? Her research on generic drugs found that though the key ingredient may be the same, the suspension fluid may not be, and this may mean the drug doesn’t achieve what it is meant to. We routinely now refuse generics of all kinds, preferring to pay a little more if necessary.
    Klondi, the native bees are tiny, tiny. Like little black dots. The honey bees are about four times the size of the natives. Ours are quite dark – our beekeeper commented on it – and are a very active hive, apparently (whatever that means). Workload is lighter, but my boss said to me yesterday that he’d like a chat about some work he’d like me to do. I put it off til I’m back on Tuesday and will think of ways to say no. Anzac I empathise with your workload, and you too Quacka. Man, work can be the pits can’t it (and I know it’s also good mostly, too)
    Anzac and Thin, I too have an OH who will shed his holiday stomach in a week of good eating. So far so good with his TRE (although he’s starting with something over 12 hours til he gets into the swing. Essentially this means he won’t continue to graze after dinner, which can only be a good thing. Never very much, but still, too short a break between night and morning.
    Turn I’m like you – I never loved breakfast and only ate it for the family routine with the children. It’s a relief now just to have my killer coffees, without feeling I have to eat.
    LJ think you are right about the glycogen and ketosis…my blood sugar is back at 5 today, which is terrific for me.
    And here’s my Friday report.
    Down half a kilo from my arrival weight (so only 4.5 not 5 kilos, over my departure weight).
    Great fast day yesterday – scales down another 1.3 kilos this morning. 3.2 to get back to where I was.
    Back to very low carb, 800 day today, with my first meal just finished, 17 hours after we finished eating last night.
    Intesha, the fog of grief is painful and I hope you are getting through each day. It will get easier.

    Another post, this time from Saturday morning. I went to my computer and saw that although I’d written yesterday, and hadn’t hit the ‘send’ button, when the doorbell rang.

    Betsy, This could be the start of something big

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05pU6l4PEJw

    Pia Zadora also has a version – she was the actress cast by her husband in a stage version of The Diary of Anne Frank. She was so bad that in one scene when she was hiding from the Nazis, the audience started shouting, ‘she’s under the stairs’.

    Merry good to hear from you and that Mr Merry is doing well. Best wishes to you both.

    Cinque your description of life is perfect and beautiful.

    Good you’re feeling better so quickly LJ.

    Happy fishing Quacka. Nothing like being out on the water to wash the week away.

    I made a great soup on my 800 day yesterday – garlic, onions, a little chilli and two large capsicums cooked for 10 minutes in a little olive oil, 150 grams of ham, a litre of chicken stock and a tin of tomatoes, cooked another 15. Half blitzed and returned to the pot (to thicken it), then a big bunch of spinach added for the. last few minutes, and chopped parsley on top. I had a tiny bit of leftover parmesan in the fridge, and I threw that in for flavour. It was meant to have beans added, but I’m low carb at the moment, so we skipped that. I haven’t counted the calories, but I had plenty left. I must work them out, because it would be a great ‘go to’ meal and very quick and easy.

    We watched a back episode of ‘Trust Me’ yesterday, and interestingly MM reported that all the coloured veggies are great for the macular and for eyesight. Did anyone see that episode? The additional benefit is they help stave off dementia.

    OK time to climb into my bee suit and get my handover.

    Happy Saturday all – to fasters, non-fasters, and all I’ve missed.

    Good morning everyone, welcome to the weekend.
    It’s a very wet one here, been raining all morning.
    I’m having a boring day getting the laundry done. I’d almost run out of clean knickers which is always sure to get me into the laundry and washing clothes! Given the rain, the clothes horses will need to clutter up the house for a couple of days.

    Lindsay, I don’t remember seeing that episode of TMIAD.
    The soup sounds yummy. I rely a lot on soups for winter, both FDs and lunches on NFDs.
    I hope your OH copes with the curfew on grazing after dinner – I found it used to be a really problematic snacking time for me until I set a permanent curfew.

    Betsy, I suspect I’m remembering the sense of relief I felt when my dad’s eye pressure reading was 15.

    Thin, I’m not sure I’d describe bridge as “fun” yesterday. It’s was challenging and I found myself getting quite anxious during play – especially when I was the declarer and responsible for winning our contract. I have met a few people, including one lady who actually lives in my suburb. She usually goes to the Tuesday evening classes but showed up at ours as she was unwell on Tuesday. We’ve exchanged contact details.

    Have a good Saturday everyone, I hope you have some fun plans.

    Have any of you used king oyster mushrooms before. I rarely have them as I can’t buy them locally. I picked some up from the market on Thursday and plan to cook one of them as an accompaniment to dinner. They are huge (as tall as my hand) and the only way I’ve ever used them, is to slice them in half down the centre, brush with oil and grill them like I would a slice of haloumi or a steak. They have a really dense meaty texture and a taste that is similar to other mushrooms but also unique.
    Reading the label on the pack, it seems these are imported from Korea so I suspect we don’t grow them here.
    https://imgur.com/a/fo8jzhQ
    I also plan to make the veg in the second photo into a big pot of veggie mash to accompany meals for the next few days. I never make plain potato mash anymore, it’s become a minor ingredients these days. I find the mash has a lot more flavour this way too. I also feel ok about having a large serve with dinner because I know it’s 4 different veg. All I need to add for a more balanced meal is some greens.

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