Hello Southern Hemispherites!!

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Cinque

12:46 am
9 Sep 19
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Good morning, shocking weather here. Cold and rain. Miso the cat kept asking to go out, and then taking a look and deciding not to. A bit of sun is breaking through now and she finally went out.
This is preferable to the scary Queensland fire weather. 100s of fires, many intense, unprecedented at this time of year. I so hope it might rain. Good soaking rain.

LJoyce, congratulations on reaching your step target. And mindfulness. (Two out of three ain’t bad).
The mini muffins worked wonderfully too.

Anzac, so sorry you missed out on the puppy training, but it is lovely to realise how times have changes since you were having to convince Mr Anzac to do it at all. You will really love the session in a fortnight.
Yes, I love Jamie Oliver’s recipes and attitude to food, and the wonderful projects he does. I have several of his recipes as staples, and this one will join them!

Glad you survived the konjac noodles Thin. Yes I seem to be back on Sunday fasts. 🙂
But Oh dear, sorry. Haven’t you noticed we never let anyone post here unless they are actually in the Southern Hemisphere? You will have to send a quick message just before you fly over the equator, and then start up a Northern Hemispherites thread to post on. 😉
What a lovely car sale you made with timing and a trip to the airport!

Neil, what a fab story. I bet you keep thinking of it and smiling. And as Thin said, telling the reverse story, aren’t we glad to be bucking the sad trend.

I’m having my lovely day after fast day with mindful eating!

Cheers all.

LJoyce

2:52 am
9 Sep 19
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Good morning all.

Neil, I think that is the biggest sign of how much your body has changed – not being recognised.

Anzac, well done for maintaining over the weekend. Hope all went well with the presentation.

Quacka, I like the nori idea – a bit like making veggie crisps from kale leaves etc, but the nori sheets would be less work I think. I’ve never actually bought nori sheets as I dislike sushi, but I might look for them. Maybe I can satisfy my attraction to potato chips with a healthy alternative.

Cinque, I could have used Miso’s wisdom yesterday when I decided to go out walking before the rain came down. I agree about the fires, some seem to still be out of control. As if those in drought areas don’t have enough to contend with.

Thin, I hope we get a travelogue from you while overseas. Some of us need to live vicariously while we plan our own trips!

FD for me. I need to get the pumpkin soup made. I’ll also do a big pot of veg to go with the meals I’m pulling out of the freezer for dinners this week.
Have a good day all.

Betsylee

8:35 am
9 Sep 19
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Back to Monday again, and brr, what a cold wind-chilled weekend here in Melbourne – thoroughly threw my eating out of control. Sigh! After losing 0.9 kg last week, I regained it all at the weekend. Here’s hoping the weather warms up soon.

But, sensible cats – like Cinque’s Miso, my Wilbur is very selective about when he wants to go outside, and currently he’s curled up on my lap, which means it’s COLD.

Cinque, I was very surprised to read of the online course recommending that scales should be on carpet. No way! The carpet isn’t a stable enough surface, and as you place your weight a bit forward or backward when on the scales, the readings can vary by a couple of kilos. A firm surface is necessary.

thin, overseas for an indefinite time period? Does that mean settling in one particular country, or are you planning on travelling around? Hope you have a ball, but also that you settle quickly back into your FD routine.

LindsayL, great that you have a new queen for your hive – was that provided to you? Or how did it happen? Hope your new puppy eventuates, with the dealer allowing pick-up after your travel.

LJoyce, glad you’re sounding a bit better.

Anzac65, under the 84s – well done! I agree with you re the weekend – bitterly cold wind. Messed up my eating, which was annoying. I was just settling into enjoying slightly warmer weather, which helps my eating control, and wham! a blast of winter returns.

Quakka, good you’re finding your mojo again.

CalifDreamer, I also get cat hair everywhere, from my Wilbur. He’s supposedly a short-haired housecat, but he sure sheds. My next cat will be a Burmese. As they have hair, nor fur, they tend not to shed nearly as much. Makes them far more suitable for asthmatics, too.

Neilithicman, how great to not even be recognised at the club – you have done so well!

Well, let’s keep on keeping on!

Neilithicman

8:50 am
9 Sep 19
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Man what a day! Turned up at work to find a file for a shopping mall to scan, then the LIM requests kept piling in, then I found out I’d left my gym gear at home, then I had to organise inspections for our building work, then we had an admission interview with the principal of my boy’s high school for next year, then had to drop my boy to parkour, then cook dinner, then pick my boy up from parkour. I’ve been on the go since 6:45 am, It’s almost 8 pm and I’ve only just been able to sit down and rest. I really hope I don’t have another day like that for a long time. I’m getting a headache now 🤕

I did get out for a walk at lunchtime instead of my gym session, that and running around work all day meant I still got 12,000 steps, but I did stress eat when I got home and had a few pieces of marshmallow chocolate rice bubble slice and a bowl of ice cream with dinner. So much for my fast day 😞

Cinque

10:50 pm
9 Sep 19
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Cold and grey here again, but no good news from the bushfires in Qld. So hoping things can start to improve. I’m still hoping for soaking rain, but first just let the hot winds subside.

Betsy the fault was not in the course, but in myself! The scales DON’T go on the carpet, the course was clear and I meant to say the same. Note to self: read more carefully before posting.

Quacka those toasted nori snacks look great fun. A perfect little nibble.
So glad to hear that work will slow down and that you are planning on going camping.

LJoyce, I hope you can have a nice ‘wisdom of Miso’ day today, or is the weather warming up? It is starting to here.

I got to the shops yesterday and bought a huge bag of veg, I had NOTHING left in the fridge or even in the cupboard where I keep onions and garlic and kumara and potato. I bought so much I need to do some cooking. Mushrooms on toast for breakfast, for a start.

Betsy, best wishes for a week that not only knocks off that bad weekend but sets you up to avoid another.

Neil, fingers crossed today is an easier one!

Klondi, are you alright? I hope things are going well.

And to everyone else in this quiet time on the forum. I do hope things are buzzing along nicely, and if not, I hope it settles down soon. Sending good wishes.

Cheers all

Lindsay L.

11:07 pm
9 Sep 19
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Good morning. Back from the island and getting ready for work – but not before I catch up with my oldest brother and his wife for coffee and a big catchup after their trip to the States and Canada.

The fires here are just dreadful. We just can’t imagine the Sunshine Coast being under threat. And losing BinnaBurra. Tragic. And just a week into Spring.

Betsy my bee mentor came and replaced the Queen. He wasn’t at all concerned about my stings, or even being followed up the garden by one to get me on the nose, but when I mentioned children swimming in the pool, he became much more responsive. So he came with a little Queen cage (like a hairclip really). Because the Queen is bigger than the workers, he gently snapped it around her, and the workers who also got caught were shaken out. He was so taken with her that he will split a hive and use her in the new one. I am glad, because I was feeling very guilty that she’d be killed … which is the usual fate for aggressive bees.

I’ve had an awful..well expensive …week. First the fridge fan went. Then the pool chaps found a leak in the pool that requires it to be drained, ground out, etc. Oops, there goes nearly $4000 on the repair and refill. Then a few weeks ago we had a letter from the Straddie council saying they’d noticed we were using a lot of water. Our neighbours over there turned off the supply to the house, and had a plumber come on Friday. Yes, one of the pipes had blown and it was gushing water. We are feeling a bit dispirited, because we paid the builder to replace all the plumbing when we had the reno done in 2017, and apparently it didn’t happen (although we paid for it). I am also very concerned about the water waste both here and at home, particularly in the face of this dreadful drought. I wouldn’t put a pool in now, but it’s been there for 30 years and we use it a lot …and the kids and grandkids. I don’t have air con, and in summer we swim before bed most nights.

Now if I try to go back I’ll lost my post for sure, so I’ll finish here and if I get a minute at work will post again.

Wherever you are, hope the weather is being kind.

LJoyce

11:12 pm
9 Sep 19
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Just a quick post before heading up to the hills for a full day of appointments.
Yesterday was such nice weather I decided to get stuck into the garden in the afternoon. So none of the planned cooking got done. Luckily I have tubs of soup in the freezer so I used one of those for dinner.
The weather has changed to frosty mornings and fine sunny days and should stay that way all week. Good weather for being outdoors.
Have a good day all.

Anzac65

12:11 am
10 Sep 19
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Good morning from another cold windy day in Sydney

Lindsay, what a horrific week you have had. It makes my blood boil when you pay for something to be done and the lazy, miserable tradie doesn’t do it. How do they live with themselves? Pools are expensive and a lot of work, we know as we put ours in just a few years ago – but I wouldn’t be without it. The joy we get outweighs the effort and expense….says she who doesn’t actually do any of the maintenance!… Hubby does agree though.

The fires are truly awful and I feel for those caught up in it. As you said, we are only one week into spring so what is the rest of the year going to be like?

And your day was equally horrible Neil. I hope your headache didn’t develop into a serious one

I had a bad day yesterday too. The demonstration was gruelling and I had a serious headache afterwards but I couldn’t go home to take my strong pain killers. We had to all work together in a meeting room in the afternoon and I infuriatingly succumbed to some rubbish food that was again scattered around the table. About 6 jelly snakes, 3-4 handfuls of chips and a small pack of pretzels. Then I went home and steak and chips for dinner but I cut my steak in half and put it in the fridge for a steak sandwich for hubby today and only had 7 fat chips (yes I counted them!). I ate a big salad before dinner to curb my appetite.

FD today and I am well prepared mentally and physically.

Betsy it really is harder to eat well in the cold, I completely agree. I hope it warms up soon down there and here as well as I am tired of this arctic wind.

Work calls so here’s a thumbs up to a NNNNFD 

Quacka

12:30 am
10 Sep 19
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Good morning everyone

OK, first FD down for the week coming in at just over 400 calories. It was just over 300 calories but after dinner I was still hungry so I had some corn thins and vegemite. All is good. Oh and I even got some sleep last night until the cold got to me at about 4am.
This morning I woke up not hungry but after preparing lunch I found my appetite. I have eaten my first mango of the season and it was delicious. We also had the first bunch of Aussie Asparagus last night. I just love Spring.
Tomorrow will be another NNNNFD and I am forecasting it to be a good one for me. I am going to the dentist at 12:15 which means I probably won’t get in until about 1pm and then I will have to wait a few hours until I can eat so that will bring me to late afternoon. Perfect planning…..let’s hope it goes that way!

Neil, your day sounded very busy. Put that FD behind you and just look forward to the next. I love what Cinque always says – “be kind to yourself”.

Lindsay, you have definitely had a horrible bills week. It seems to happen like that. great to hear you have a new queen for your hive. The first harvest sounds delicious!

Cinque, hope you have a nice time cooking up all those lovely veggies. I always enjoy having lots to choose from, I like the variety and also that I can eat veggies for three or four days straight and still have had lots of different combinations.

Thin, how exciting to be travelling. We are looking forward to your stories and hope you will still find time to post on here.

Hi Betsy, the warm weather is coming, hang in there! It is still trying to decide whether it wants to be cold and blustery or warmer and blustery at the moment! I am hoping the wind is gone for our little camping trip.

Klondi, we won’t be travelling as far south as Eden but we will still be where there are lovely oysters and other seafood. We will also be taking our boat so hopefully the conditions are good for fishing and we may be able to catch ourselves some yummy fish.

LJ, it’s a great time to be out in the garden. I am hoping to take a few days off before we go camping and get our garden under control. It has been a bit neglected over winter. We did manage to pick some yummy mini cauliflowers, some spindly broccoli, slug eaten Wombok (most of which ended up in the compost) and I have about six little sugarloaf cabbage to pick as well. The lack of rain had really affected the winter growing season and also the neighbours trees are shading our garden too much in winter. A pity because the previous years we have had beautiful winter crops.

Anzac, how did your presentation go? Hope it went well. Also I hope there wan’t too much tempting food around as I know how that can be difficult to avoid sometimes. At my work the food is always put right next to me, literally three or four steps away. It’s is good willpower training but can also be annoying. Another thing that is really annoying (especially from one particular girl) is that she will always come out to my work area and exclaim “I’m soooooo hungry” and usually it is on a FD. Am I just being a big B lol? Go and exclaim how hungry you are away from me please. You don’t even know what real hunger is. Even more annoying that she manages to stay slim even though she eats crap and has protein bars for snacks and all sorts of other junk food all the time, and I mean all the time!!

Ok enough whining from me. A big hit to everyone I haven’t mentioned – Penguin, Intesha, LG, Perthgirl and everyone else.
I hope everyone has a lovely lovely day XX

Quacka

12:32 am
10 Sep 19
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Anzac, just saw your post. You did well to only eat a small amount of the junk food and then eat moderately for dinner and all on a NFD. Good luck with your FD today. You are already half way there with a positive attitude and some preparation. 🙂

Neilithicman

12:47 am
10 Sep 19
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Sounds like the day was a bit of a write-off for most of us yesterday. Reset button for today. Work is a bit better so far and I made sure that I took my gym gear for my lunchtime session. The only thing I have on today is the boys’ swimming lessons this evening. I might wave away my normal lane swimming and take the opportunity to have a soak in the spa pool.

I’m planning an extra low fast day today to try and minimise the damage done by yesterdays stress induced sugar binge and then I’ll see if the scales are kind to me tomorrow morning for my weekly weigh-in.

I hope everyone else has an improved day today (Oh, by the way, we had snow at home yesterday and a high of just 6 degrees!! It was colder than any of the days we got over winter)

PerthGirl

3:08 am
10 Sep 19
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Good morning all,

just dropping in before we leave tonight for our walking trip to Portugal and Spain. We came back from our cruise late last week full of head-cold and feeling quite miserable. Japan trip was hot (~28-30), humid (65-83%) and underwhelming. As an antidote we have booked a trip to Norway in February 2020 that should be cold, crisp and scenic – hopefully with some Northern Lights.

Thin, please continue to post to Southern Hemisphere – it was your posts that encouraged me when I first started 5:2 WOL in early 2017. And, our forum has quite a different ‘feel’ to that of the Fat Busting Brits. Have a wonderful overseas experience, let us know when/where you ‘settle’ – although I suspect that you may be quite mobile 🙂 And, when the weather (or Brexit) finally gets to you, come back to WA.

Sorry I can’t reply to you all individually, but apart from some heavy workloads and a few ‘hiccups’ you all appear to be doing really well. I look forward to having some NNNNFDs when we return – to remind my body what ‘normal’ is. For those of you doing the on-line nutrition course, just remember the old saying “To a man with a hammer in his hand, everything looks like a nail”.

Take care, be strong and trend downwards (or flat if you are maintaining).

PG

Anzac65

4:17 am
10 Sep 19
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Hi all, FD going well – I’ve just had my small thai beef salad and have some fruit for later. Hubby made a big batch of turkey mince and vege bolognaise yesterday so there’s my dinner

PerthGirl – sorry your trip to Japan was underwhelming and you came home with head colds. I’ve never been tempted by Japan to be honest; it’s not even remotely on the bucket list of places we want to see

Thanks Quacka, it really is all about being prepared isn’t it? Much much easier to be derailed if you don’t have anything to hand

Must run, hope everyone is having a nice day

CalifDreamer

7:24 am
10 Sep 19
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PerthGirl, bon voyage! I hope you have a wonderful walking trip and see lots of new things. Stay safe and warm.

LJ, I’m doing both of the classes. I’m spending more time on the FutureLearn class because there’s more material so far. They’ve also posted links to a couple other YouTube videos outside of the course that have been really interesting, even though a lot of it is way over my head. The more you learn, the more questions you have.
DS has a Corolla too. They’re popular cars.

Cinque, I’m sending some beautiful weather your way. Our heat has calmed down and we’ve had beautiful sunny weather this past week. Our weather should be similar soon, at least for a while.
The bush fires that I see on your news look terrible. So many beautiful areas burned. A lot of the problem seems to be the wind. And the drought of course. I hope there is rain soon and that they get them under control. There have been so many fires around the world lately and still those that deny climate change. I wonder how many trees the Earth lost in the last month?

Thin, you must be getting excited about heading to the U.K. how long has it been since you’ve been back there? I can’t wait to hear about all of your adventures. And you’ll be in a closer time zone to me.

Lindsay, glad to hear the nasty queen escaped with her life and that you have a calmer new one. I’m sorry to hear about your problem with the pool and the fridge. Sometimes homes seem like bottomless pits where we continue to throw our money to keep them going. It always seems to be something. Hope this is the end of it for a while.

Anzac, you didn’t do that bad with your eating. It’s heard to be around people who are always eating junk food. The salt and sugar always appeals.

Quacka, thank you for the idea about the toasted and flavored nori rolls. I have a few packets of nori that are getting old and probably too dry for making sushi rolls without having them crack. This would be the perfect use for them. I will definitely try putting some together. We went to a new Japanese resto last night and they had some lemon sake rolls. That was raw salmon and some lemon zest, just enough to have the essence of lemon intertwined with the fish. It was so good!

Where’s Klondi? We haven’t heard from her in several days. I hope she is ok. Maybe just catching up after her trip.

I’m at the end of my Monday FD which went uneventfully. I finished up with a small bowl of my home fermented sauerkraut from the fridge. Very good and not too many calories.

Everyone that I’ve missed, have a good day,

JustJulie

8:18 am
10 Sep 19
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Hello everyone,

It has been so long and I have been so busy,
Today CalifDreamer messaged me asking about the bushfires in my area.

She asked me to come back to the group.

I have been so busy but here I am as I said I would.

Sorry for being away for so long, there have been reasons but I wont go into that.

Hope everyone is well. I will have to catch up with the news!!!!

I will keep in touch more often.

Neilithicman

9:48 am
10 Sep 19
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Welcome back, I don’t think we’ve met but hopefully we can catch up.

I had a sneaky pre-weigh-in weigh-in at the gym this morning, and judging from the usual difference between their scales and ours, it looks like I may be down, but I’ll find out tomorrow morning.

Successful fast day today, just a handful of almonds and a couple of cups of tea/coffee during the day and then a 2-egg ham and cheese omelette for dinner with some vegetables. I managed 17,000+ steps and am about to do my sit-ups.

I hope everyone had a great day and I’ll check in tomorrow morning for my weigh-in.

GdayfromSA

12:07 pm
10 Sep 19
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Good evening everyone. 4 days until we head off to Bali and I’ve come down with a respiratory infection. Feeling totally yuk right now. I even went to Dr’s today to get antibiotics. I can hear my healthy gut microbes screaming at me now..Lol. A colleague in my office was coughing and sneezing all last week so I guess that’s where it came from. The doc gave me today and tomorrow off work thank goodness. Short post. Feeling too weary to write any more. Good night all

Neilithicman

8:52 pm
10 Sep 19
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Good morning all.

Sorry to hear you’re not feeling well Gday, hopefully it will clear up in time for your trip.

Extra dance in my dance/walk this morning. I weighed myself this morning and I managed to miss the 93s altogether. I dropped a whopping 1.6 kilos last week to sit at just 92.7 kilos!!!! I’ now only 200 grams from my September goal and 700 grams from my next milestone goal of 40 kilos total lost.

I saw an old workmate of mine at the pool last night at my kids’ swimming lessons and he tracked me down to ask the secret of my weight loss so I happily spread the word of 5:2. You know you’re doing something right when someone tells you you look amazing in your swimming togs.

Neilithicman

9:23 pm
10 Sep 19
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Whoops, got a bit over excited…1.2 kilos away from the 40 kilos lost milestone, not 700 grams.

Lindsay L.

10:12 pm
10 Sep 19
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Julie how lovely to see you back. It’s a funny thing, an online forum like this. People really do become friends, so when they disappear it’s hard to see them go, and worrying too that something in their life isn’t great. So good to know you’re around.
Congratulations Neil….looking good in your togs, not recognised by an old acquaintance. You’re the NZ poster boy for 5:2.

G’day oh no. Hope you shake this before you fly. It isn’t the dreaded ‘flu, is it? Hope you can spend two days in bed with a lot of fluids and sleep. Your gut will recover…beans and yoghurt!

You are right Calif – sometimes homes are bottomless pits. But we are lucky to have them, so I won’t complain too much.

Anzac the think that made me feel really disappointed was that we had a builder that we trusted (until a falling out at the end) l, and it seems he pocketed the money we thought we’d paid to have the plumber. We’d insisted on a licensed gas fitter for the hot water system, but it seems our builder paid another plumber (not licensed for gas we suspect) a cash job. We aren’t sure but that’s what we think has happened.

OK work calls (again).

Hope Melbourne’s weather is kinder to you Cinque and Betsy. It’s calmer here today – some respite for the fire fighters and those whose homes are in the fire path.

JustJulie

12:01 am
11 Sep 19
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Neiliticman, I dont believe you were in the forum when I was last here so we have not met, but thanks for your kind message and welcome back. Sounds like you are doing well with your weightloss, congratulations!!!!

Gday, hope you have a great holiday in Bali. Be careful on the scooters etc!!! If your Dr has given you antibiotics make sure you have enough to last your trip. Last year I got the flu on the plane to Japan and ended up with Pneumonia. I did not know until I returned home and went to my Dr. It took me so long to get over it. Now I fly with a mask to try to protect myself from everyone else’s germs on a plane.

Lindsay thanks also for the welcome back. We we make friends through forums like this and Calif and I became FB friends a long time back after meeting on this forum.

Just to let you guys know I have been really busy with our business. I have had a few trips to Tassie, Thailand and Singapore. Next month I will be going to Adelaide and Canberra. There is a trip to Vietnam on the agenda sometime either late this year or early next year.

In December last year I had a scare and ended up at a cardiologist. Turned out my heart was ok. My chest pain seemed to stem from other issues. one of them being due to having pneumonia 4 time in three years and a recurrence of asthma which has not bothered my for over 10 years.
I have now started senor aerobics 3 times a week, weights at the gym once a week and a yoga stretch class once a week. So you see why I am busy.

We live at the top of Queensland in a tropical climate, but our winter this year has been so cold and for so long. I am still wearing winter jumpers in September!!! But I also like the cold so I wont complain because I know what is just around the corner. Our summers can be so hot and no matter what you do you can not escape the heat.

Time to get on with my work for today as it is now 9am here.

Hello to all and will catch up soon.

Cinque

12:07 am
11 Sep 19
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Good morning everyone, it is an absolutely gorgeous Melbourne day here today. (Thanks Cali!)
Still sending lots of worried good wishes to Qld and devastated at the thought of rainforests burning.

Lindsay what an awful run of things, and you must be absolutely furious about the plumbing, I would be. Fingers crossed there is nothing further for at least a decade.
Awful too to hear of the bees chasing you around your own garden. I hope the new queen puts a stop to that quick smart!

Hoping all your appointments went well LJoyce, and that you have another lovely day.

Anzac, I am so glad you are through that gruelling day, and I hope you are not in pain now. Enjoy a wonderful day after fast day.

Quacka I hope yesterday went as planned, it sounded delicious, and that today is a good fast day and that the dentist appt goes well too.

PerthGirl, lovely to hear from you and best wishes for a wonderful time in Spain and Portugal. Such a pity Japan disappointed (it is my daughter’s favourite place to go). Humidity makes everything hard though. Norway will be a fresh change!

Aeroplanes are notorious for giving everyone headcolds. Gday, might you take comfort that at least you will be four days through yours, rather than getting it on the trip over?

JUSTJULIE HELLO! What a treat to see a post from you. I agree with everything Lindsay said (and thanks Cali for pushing JJ to post).
I heard you say you were busy, but if you do have the chance for a catch up I would love to hear about everything you are busy with and especially hoping your health has been okay.

Gday, I am so glad you are on those antibiotics, you don’t want pneumonia on your trip away. Rest up, and rest more in Bali. It will be a beautiful place to relax and recover and eat beautiful tropical food.

Neil, big congratulations AGAIN. What a whopper of a week. Hooray to looking amazing in swimming togs. Enjoy.

Second week of the Science of Weight Loss course materials will come through today.

Day before fast day for me. I am going to cook a big tray of roast veggies briam style. Best wishes to everyone.

Cinque

12:09 am
11 Sep 19
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Just Julie, our posts crossed and you answered my questions! You must be psychic, haha. So glad you are over that health scare and doing lots of good exercise and doing such interesting travel with your work.

Quacka

12:14 am
11 Sep 19
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Good Morning all

Well, it’s D day today (dentist) so I have my rescue remedy with me and I think I am mentally prepared. The way I am stressing you would think I am having major work done but it’s only just a filling! I WILL be all right.

Oh no G’day, how horrible to get an infection just before your holiday! I hope those antibiotics get on top of it quickly and you are feeling much better before you go. I made some of the fermented turmeric cauliflower that you mentioned a while ago and just wanted to say thanks for the idea. It is a nice FD snack to have when I come home ‘starving’ and am waiting for dinner. It’s nice any time actually but I usually have it then.

Neil, another wow! Congratulations. You are so committed and it’s lovely that you are seeing such great results. You are an inspiration and great motivator for us all!

Welcome back JJ. I hope you can stick around 🙂

Cali, the lemon sake rolls sound yummy! I love raw fish when it’s done right. I went to a Japanese restaurant a couple of years ago and had two different kinds, one was Kingfish and I can’t remember the other one but it was most probably salmon. Just so yummy. When we were in Cairns the restaurant made us some sashimi with the fish I caught and that was also amazing. The dressings that they put with it were out of this world! OH loved them and he is not a raw fish man lol.

Anzac, great to hear your FD was going well and I hope it continued through the rest of the day. Enjoy you NFD today and I hope it is kinder to your with those darn food temptations!

OK, better go do some work as I am off to the dentist just after 12. I’ve taken the rest of the day off so at least I get to go home after and dribble alone! lolol

Take care all xx

Neilithicman

1:02 am
11 Sep 19
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Thanks for the encouragement guys, I really doubt I would have done as well as I have without the encouragement I’ve gotten on these forums and the wisdom and experience from those that have already dropped their weight and have continued around here to help out others. I think dropping alcohol and sugar-free energy drinks this month has seen me slip back into a heavy ketosis. I’m getting all the symptoms of it that I was getting in my first week of fasting way back in January. I cut out sugar-free drinks when I read that although sugar free drinks have fewer calories, they have a similar effect on your insulin levels than regular sugar

Just Julie – it’s unusual how many things in our bodies can affect other areas. My brother was worried when he was getting chest pains a few years ago and it turned out to be stomach problems causing it.

Cinque – what is the science of weight loss all about? I may have missed those posts if you’ve already explained

Quacka – I feel your pain, I’m due for my third appointment for a root canal in a couple of weeks time. Dental work is not fun!

Catch you all later.

GdayfromSA

1:17 am
11 Sep 19
Permalink

Good morning all. Welcome back just Julie. The doc gave me a repeat prescription and asked the chemist to provide me with both lots at once so I have enough for this week and for the first week in Bali. hopefully by end of them I should be much better. The nights have been terrible but not feeling too bad during the daytime. Definitely no scooter riding for me in Bali. When we were there last time it was scary enough being a pedestrian but we were staying right in the heart of Legs so super busy with non stop traffic. We’re in a quieter spot this time by the beach.

Neil congrats on your weight loss to date you should be extremely proud of your determination.

Quacka the fermented cauliflower is great isnt it…so glad I have you inspiration…Lol.

Well I must go finish our packing and then put in some study time this arvo before MissD and OH arrive home. This week’s menu consists of using up the veggies in the fridge and soups from the freezer. Have a good day everyone

GdayfromSA

1:19 am
11 Sep 19
Permalink

That should read Legian not Legs….damn auto correct

CalifDreamer

7:41 am
11 Sep 19
Permalink

Julie, it’s good to see you back here. We missed you. Glad to hear that the heart scare turned out to be not serious. Good on you for getting into an exercise program. It sounds fun. Regular exercise is the hardest thing for me to commit to, even though I always feel better afterwards. I’m glad you’re not affected by the fires. There seem to be so many right now. I hope you get some rain.

Gday, I hope you can get lots of rest in the few days before your Bali trip. The right antibiotics can often make you feel better within a couple of days. Please try to get lots of sleep even if you feel better. I know that probably seems hard when you’re preparing for a trip. When you get there it should be nice and relaxing. I hope you have a wonderful time. Julie’s suggestion of wearing a mask on the plane is a good one. Planes are like incubators for germs. They have a captive audience!

Neil, congrats yet again on that big drop this week. That should motivate you even more in the weeks to come. It’s great that you’re still losing quickly as you get closer to your goal. Being as active and busy as you’ve been lately must be helping. Having friends you haven’t seen in a while not recognize you must make you feel great.

Quacka, hope your filling went well. OH had to have a tooth filled today too.
I’m going to have to try making those lemon sushi rolls at home. They were so good!

Cinque, glad you’re having lovely weather again. Spring is such a nice time of year.

Betsylee

2:36 pm
11 Sep 19
Permalink

Quick check-in. Lots of interesting posts.

Well done (again!) to Neilithicman on his exceptional weight loss. I really will have to take this WOL a bit more seriously as the weather warms up.

Hi to Just Julie – I’m a fairly “newbie”, but enjoy posting.

LindsayL, hope the new queen is much nicer to you. What a pain about the not-done plumbing work. Very expensive for you.

GDayfromSA, just a suggestion – please make sure your doctor writes an official-looking letter listing all your regular meds., including the antibiotics, just so there are no problems crossing the border into Indonesia. I do that every time I travel. You probably already know, but just in case…..

Quakka, hope you went okay at the dentist’s.

CalifDreamer, yeah, we have lots of bushfires here in summer. I think you call them wildfires. What is always distressing is that sometimes they are deliberately lit, either arsonists or even just kids thinking it’s fun.

Cinque, wasn’t today magnificent?! It was a perfect Melbourne spring day. Sadly, typical Melbourne, it isn’t lasting beyond today, but … I did enjoy today’s weather.

Anzac65, glad you had a good FD, and you were really self-controlled when all that junk food was around at work.

PerthGirl, hope you have a wonderful walking holiday, and a much better experience than the cruise and Japan visit. Like others here, I’ve never been to Japan, but have always heard good reports, so it’s disappointing for you to have a negative experience visiting it. People have always raved to me about the beautiful peach blossom. Guess it has to be the right time of year.

LJoyce, hope you’re feeling well now. I was home for a couple of days early this week, feeling very tired, and then spoke (or rather, croaked) to someone on the phone, and realised I had laryngitis. Throat wasn’t sore, but probably explains the tiredness. Voice much better today, and less tired, so must be recovering. Weird!

Good night all!

Anzac65

10:25 pm
11 Sep 19
Permalink

Good morning everyone

Hi Julie, nice to ‘meet’ you. Welcome back to this wonderful forum

Quacka, hope the dentist was ok and Neil….root canal is not fun. Good luck with that

G’day, so sorry that you are unwell heading for your lovely holiday. I hope the AB’s kick in asap

Work is awful again. I was on a four-way skype chat late yesterday afternoon; I was supposed to leave on time to pick up Dad at the doctors but the boss NEEDED something done yesterday (honestly it could have been done today) so I had to despatch hubby at great inconvenience to get him. So we were trying to get something done and our carefully tested macro was falling apart and the deadline was looming. My normally unflappable developer typed ‘this is hell’. So that gives you an idea. Anyway we got it done but I was so stressed my stomach and chest hurt. That’s so bad I know. Oh and of course I ate badly – not much – but I haven’t done an iota of exercise this week and of course the scales punished me this morning. Anyway am going to speak to the big boss today and tell her this is not achievable going forward. If I have to leave I will and too bad about the budget. Hubby and Maxx can go busking (LOL)

Anyway enough doom and gloom, it is a new day and the sun is shining and I have my lovely 5:2 forums to vent to. I will try to back further and catch up on more posts.

FD today and I need it.

Take care everyone

Cinque

11:54 pm
11 Sep 19
Permalink

Good morning, grey and windy again (so true Betsy),

Fast day for me. I need to make my dashi, and also start off more beetroot kvass, write some emails, then pick up Miss Nearly 3 for a couple of hours. Busy busy makes a fast day whiz by.

Quacka I hope the dentist went well and you recovered nicely with your afternoon off.

Neil it is lovely to hear that we have been a good help. And you are inspiring others in turn.

The ‘Science of Weight Loss’ is an online course that Klondi found (where are you Klondi?). I am still making hard work of it. This week is all about dietary guidelines, macronutrients, calories and kilojoules, and ends with ‘Dispel the Myth’ a Yes or No question asking ‘Do carbohydrates make you gain weight?’
How on earth do I answer that with a single yes or no?

Gday, it sounds like you have a bit of energy, I am so glad. Try not to push yourself.

Cali, what exercise do you like doing? Is it health problems that make it hard to commit to? Or just busy days? Good luck managing some.

I was wide awake for a couple of hours in the middle of the night, I got back to sleep eventually but feel like I have been clobbered this morning. Just to make the day more fun 😉

Hope your day is easier. Best wishes all.

Quacka

12:59 am
12 Sep 19
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Good Morning everyone

Thank you all for your well wishes regarding the dentist. I had two fillings done and one was on a tooth that has been sensitive for a few years now. There was one of the old black fillings right next to where the new filling was going, so he took that one out as well. Luckily because there was deep decay underneath, almost down to the nerve (I could still feel him working on it even though I had lots of numbing needles). He said he will check it in a couple of weeks and if the sensitivity is gone then all is good. If not, root canal treatment for me. Yay! Not.

I was thinking it would be an easy FD yesterday as I wouldn’t be able to eat until the numbness wore off and that wouldn’t be until about 3pm at least. The funniest thing was trying to drink water with numb lips. Ha ha ha, let’s just say it wasn’t easily achievable! Anyway, so back to FD. SO I am calling it a MFD (modified FD, I got that off another thread on this site). It was probably about 800 calories but I refuse to call it a failure as that is not good for me psychologically. I could have gone all out and just ate everything in site but I kept it reasonably under control.

So I was told that the race day we were supposed to go to last year is coming up again soon. I’m not sure if I will look for another dress or ask my MIL to take in the one I was going to wear last year. Aahhh, the (fun) dilemmas of losing weight 😉

Cinque, I hope you manage to recover easily from the lack of sleep. I slept badly again last night too, although that is usual for me. It sure does make the day more difficult sometimes.

Anzac, I’m so glad you are going to address the unreasonable work expectations with your boss. I really like the saying – “work to live not live to work”. We need to find a balance as difficult as it can be at times otherwise other things in our lives begin to suffer. You are doing well with the circumstances in keeping your eating under control. I can only imagine how much better it would be for you without excessive work demands. I hope it all works out well 🙂

Betsy, I am also looking forward to the warmer weather. Last year I was saying that I find it easier to do FDs in winter as I can have soups and stews and they are so much more filling than salads. Now I am looking forward to summer. There are so many different salads you can make and it’s also easier to drink a lot more. It’s great feeling cold (cooler) on FDs too in summer. The one thing I will have to do is exercise self control in the beer drinking department as I really love an ice cold beer on a hot summer’s day. Well, I will just remind myself that I can have one just not on FD’s!

G’day, Hope your packing is all done and that you are feeling much better with the antibiotics. I’m thinking I better make some more fermented cauli before the summer prices hit as they are still quite reasonable at the moment.

Neil, I’m just going to wish you good luck for your root canal treatment now as I may forget as it gets closer. Is this the third appointment for the same tooth? I didn’t realise that you are following a keto diet. I have often thought about trying it but I just can’t seem to get started on it and I worry that I will miss veggies too much. How many grams of carbs do you stick to a day?

Cali, if you make the lemon rolls please post up a photo. I am going to make some more Nori snacks tomorrow as I still have some sheets left that need to be used. I’m so glad I found this idea because I like to use a freshly opened packet of Nori when making sushi. I have a couple of weeks off work after today so I am hoping to try some new recipes. I’ll let you all know if I find anything yummy, especially of they fit into a FD 🙂

LJ, how are you? Also, Klondi? Hi PG, Penguin and thin.

Intesha, Arel, Merry,Minka are you still reading and just not posting?

OK I better go and do some work (last day for two weeks, woot woot!!)

Have a lovely day everyone and catch up soon x

Cinque

1:22 am
12 Sep 19
Permalink

Thanks Quacka (ad back at you).

I popped back because I missed responding to Anzac talking about that most important conversation with the big boss, and I just wanted to say: hooray. I do so hope she sees your experience and manages to sort things out (off she goes to her big boss perhaps?) and I think you are making a good decision that there is no point staying in an intolerable job. Sending good wishes and hoping all goes really well.

LJoyce

5:12 am
12 Sep 19
Permalink

Hi everyone.

Sorry I’ve been absent for a couple of days. I’ve spent a few hours each day digging the back garden and felt so shattered afterwards I barely moved from the couch. I did the final 3 hours this morning and my back is very unhappy with me. But at least the hard digging is finished now, I just have to fork through some manure, but that’s a much easier task than digging up clay and removing rocks. I’m hoping to get everything planted within the 1-2 weeks. I’ve bought the veggie seeds but still need to get the seedlings. I’m planting beans (bush & climbing), podded peas, snow peas, spring onions, chard, tomatoes(cherry & roma), cucumber, lettuce, spinach & beetroot (for the baby leaves), zucchini, squash, rhubarb and rockmelon. I also have 3 huge terracotta pots that will become a 2 pot herb garden and one of strawberries.

FD for me and I don’t really feel like it today, but I will persevere. I have babysitting for about 6 hours this evening. I don’t have the energy for it, so I hope the kids are well behaved tonight.

I saw the dietitian Tuesday afternoon and she commented on how different my language is these days when I talk about food. She reminded me of how much my thinking used to revolve around all my food fears/obsessions. She is very happy that I’m still trying to use mindfulness and that my focus is predominantly on choosing healthy low-processed foods most of the time. On reflection I can also see how much things have changed. I also realised that I no longer doubt that I will maintain this weight long term. I’m no longer fearful about becoming obese again. That’s a really nice place to get to.

Have a good day all.

Betsylee

8:09 am
12 Sep 19
Permalink

Hi all. Good to read the recent posts.

Anzac65, as Cinque wrote – so glad you’re going to have a conversation with your boss about the current work conditions. If they’re bad enough to give you chest and stomach pain, something has to change!

LJoyce, great that your back area is ready now for planting. Hope you get a wonderful harvest from your hard work. Interesting comment from your dietician – very positive.

Quakka, here’s hoping you won’t have to have root canal treatment. I was thankful to avoid that earlier this year. As I have very long roots, it means going to an endodontist, at twice the cost. By the way, I call 800 calories an FD800, which is the same as a MFD, but just makes me feel like I’m conforming to Dr M’s most recent book. It was certainly NOT a failed FD, even if more than you would usually eat.

Got to go. TDEE today, and I’m off to buy some grilled fish. Yum!

Lindsay L.

10:20 pm
12 Sep 19
Permalink

OhAnzac, what a tough job. Chest and stomach pains are a real warning that things are too too stressful in your work. Good decision, to try to resolve it whatever way you can.

JJ good to know you had a good outcome from your cardiologist and you are now addressing the health issues too. You used to walk around Cairns with another 5:2er, if my memory serves me?

Hope the babysitting went well LJ. That was quite a marathon.

And Quacka, happy for you that your dental work is done (hopefully). You’ve made me think about a sensitive tooth I have (a crown that came out eating …a lettuce leaf). I had it reinserted it’s not right, so off I go. Thank you for the nudge.

Beautiful day here in Brisbane, but after a cool start it will get to 30 degrees apparently. My pool men have done what they have to do and we are now staring at a very big, very deep shell. It will be cured and ready to refill by Monday week – which is good because that’s probably the start of the swimming season anyway. It may be hot outside, but that water remains chilly.

We have Miss 3 this morning while DD catches up on work for her Master’s. Then we are all off to lunch. I’ll be mindful. My week hasn’t really been that flash. I’m maintaining, but not dropping the kilos I wanted to before Vietnam in 3 weeks tomorrow.

I find when work is as busy as it’s been, I’m not as organised and my resolve wanes. I also seem to need more sweet (ie dark chocolate) and carb foods. I’m eating well – no junk – but I can’t seem to get back into that 16:8, 5:2, low carb that was so successful for me last year. Sigh.

OK I’m off to puppy proof the courtyard …DD brought their new pup (a 2 month old Springer spaniel) over yesterday, but it ended up inside because he can wriggle under the courtyard gate. I think I’ll have enough trouble with house-training dogs when my new pup comes … and yes, she is coming. Rosy Red Dog will arrive on a plane on 27th October. The breeder, bless her, has agreed to keep her until we are back. I am so excited to be getting a dog and now I’m contemplating retirement, or scaling right back, the timing is perfect.

Cinque and Betsy, hoping for another perfect Melbourne day for you.

Enjoy your day all.

Neilithicman

11:59 pm
12 Sep 19
Permalink

Morning all.

Since I’m swearing off alcohol this month I’m planning on a semi fast today. Fridays I usually eat less than I normally eat on non fast days to balance out the couple of drinks I have in the evening. I think I’ll stick to the same amount of food and just not have the drinks. I need to consolidate the huge loss from last week. I have a feeling I was a bit dehydrated when I weighed myself which means I could see a bit of a bounce-back this week.

Lindsay – How exciting, I love dogs but my wife likes cats….so we have a cat. 😉 I have to make do with playing with my parents black lab or my sister’s griffen when we go round to their place. I expect lots on photos when the new arrival is settled in!

Anzac – If you’re health is suffering then it definitely might be time to reassess. My dad used to be the head of maths and science at a large high school, it was a high paying/high stress job and he was suffering from various ailments including high blood pressure. When he started getting chest pains he decided it was time to reassess his life. He threw in his job and got a position as a tour guide at a local penguin colony. It paid half the amount but his work hours, health and his quality of life was so much better.

LJoyce – I need to get in and do our garden too, but I’ve either been busy with renovations or the weekend weather has not been conducive to gardening. This weekend is looking better and so I may have to make a concerted effort to get all the weeds pulled and the compost dug through

Cinque

1:22 am
13 Sep 19
Permalink

Good morning,
Well, none of you helped me with that Yes/No question I have to answer. Sigh.

But it is lovely morning-after-fast-day and I enjoyed my breakfast (veggie frittata) and making my coffee in between sentences 🙂

Dr Mosley is in Melbourne at the moment and was on The Project last night (he tweeted this)
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=625994374592669
Things I found interesting:
1. he doesn’t recommend the 500 or 600 cal limit on fast days any more because we can’t get our daily nutrients with that amount, biggest worry being protein which we need daily. (Makes me realise LCHP is the way to go on Fast Days as I prefer to keep well under 800 if I can).
2. Recommends no more than 12 weeks on the 800 calorie daily just to be on the safe side, successful trials had people doing it for 20 weeks + but he feels 12 is long enough to get the fast weightloss boost.
3. Talks about 800 cal daily, then 5:2, then a life long sustainable way of eating. .. But 5:2 is my life long sustainable way of eating!

Quacka I do hope you got a good day in yesterday. Hooray for a filling, dentists are wonderful, really. Hope you got a good sleep, I got a better one.

LJoyce, lovely to have you back, with a well dug garden, and hopefully not as shattered today. What a wonderful summer garden you will have. And I do hope babysitting was relatively easy!
Your experience with your dietician brought tears to my eyes. How wonderfully you have transformed yourself, body and mind. I hope you are proud to be at such a good place in this life journey.

Betsy, I am envious of your long tooth roots, I have front tooth crowns and they have very tiny roots to go into and that makes them so much more precarious. But still, best avoided if possible!

I also think of 800 as the fast day limit now. My fasty fast days are the ones where I just have milk in the cuppas and my big bowl of miso soup (about 350 cals for the day) and the rest are somewhere in between that and 800.

Lindsay, hooray for getting that sensitive tooth done! A stitch in time saves nine.
Have fun puppy proofing your yard. Excellent to have a tester pup! So glad you are getting the puppy you want. Rosy is a lovely name 🙂

Neil, happy consolidating! Good point about dehydration.

Anzac, hope things have gone well.

Cheers all.

Neilithicman

1:59 am
13 Sep 19
Permalink

Hi Cinque, I don’t think that question can be answered yes or no. Yes our body doesn’t process carbs as easily as protein and fat, so if you eat too much of them your body switches to storing fat rather than burning the food for energy like it does with protein and fats. But carbs themselves aren’t to blame for the weight gain, it’s the balance of carbs, protein and fats and the amount of carbs you eat that causes the gain.

The points you list from Michael Mosley are pretty much spot on with what I did. 12 weeks of 800 calories a day, switching to 5:2 (although I do 4:3 instead, fasting on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday) I dropped 21 kilos in the 12 weeks of fast 800(1.75 kilos per week) quick weight loss to get me motivated. I’ve dropped another 18 kilos in the 20 weeks since then (900 grams per week) slower more consistent weight loss.

LJoyce

2:39 am
13 Sep 19
Permalink

Good morning all.

I had a little sleep in (until 8am), a pot of tea and a bowl of porridge and I feel vaguely human and alert again! Babysitting was fine,just long, as I didn’t get home until 10:30. I have to concentrate really hard on the drive home as I feel too tired to be driving.

Neil, I also lost the bulk of my weight on 800cal per day. I was on a VLCD that recommended 12 weeks on 800 cal, then a break of at least a month on 1000cals before deciding whether to do another block of 800cal or staying at a higher calorie level. I just did 12 weeks on 800 like you. It certainly does get quicker weight loss than anything else I’ve ever done. I hadn’t realised you were doing 4:3, no wonder you are still losing weight at such a good rate, when combined with all that exercise.
What is a griffen? I thought they were mythical dragons – or is that a griffin rather than a griffen?

Cinque, I agree with Neil on the carb question. I don’t thing they are the problem in a general sense, but like everything, it depends on which foods you choose and how much.

Anzac, I hope that discussion with your boss yields results. No job is worth damaging your health.

Quacka, I hope you have recovered from the dental work and I also hope that the sensitivity settles down so you can avoid the root canal. I had something similar happen and it took 3 months for the sensitivity to calm down. So do be patient. Once it calmed down, it has been fine since then – root canal avoided.
I agree about the numb lips – I remember trying to drink a cup of tea and trying not to dribble – I think I needed a toddlers sippy cup!

Betsy, I hope the grilled fish was as yummy as you anticipated.

Lindsay, something to look forward to – a holiday and a new puppy. It’s probably a good thing you are pup-proofing your yard as it will be ready when Rosy arrives.

Hello to everyone else I haven’t responded to. I’ve run out of time.
Must go for a walk now before I head off to an afternoon of playing bridge.

Anzac65

2:55 am
13 Sep 19
Permalink

Good morning on a lovely sunny but cool day in Sydney. Birds are singing and I have the balcony door open and the faint smell of jasmine floating in. Ahhhh the joy of Spring and the joy of working from home.

Had a sleep in then took pooch for a nice long walk. We even did some jogging (ha ha – waddling for me) so I thought Klondi would be proud of that.

Thank you all for your concerns and encouragement for me to stand up and get some help. It worked! A nice person was brought down from the business to help me and she knows lots about payments which is rare these days. I know her from a previous project and we get along quite well so we put our heads together yesterday and slammed through a heap of testing. She could only spare half a day but has promised some more help next week. She was very impressed with what we have built so that was a confidence boost.

I also said to big boss lady that I normally don’t mind doing a bit of unpaid catchup work on the weekends as I feel that is part of contracting and project work; but this weekend I will have to work both days to even come close to meeting the deadlines and I asked if I could please get paid. She said yes! So I am putting the overtime towards the coat I hope to buy in Florence…and maybe a nice Italian leather handbag to go with it. Mmmmmm, I do love a nice bag 🙂

Cinque, that is incredibly interesting about Mr M not recommended 500 calorie limit. I struggled with that and it was only when I upped to around 650 or 700 (thanks to the wise advice from LJ) that I was able to manage a FD. I only call it a bad FD if I go over 800. I also have no carbs on FD’s and have protein with both of my small meals. Your day-after-FD brekkie frittata sounds nice – it’s the only way I actually enjoy hot veges LOL. Mine was some fresh leg ham on two pieces of toast.

I was sad to hear about your back pain after gardening LJ and I hope it has eased a bit today. Were the kids well behaved last night? It is so lovely of you to do it even when you aren’t feeling up to it. I hope your nephew and his wife appreciate it (I’m sure they do). I almost had tears in my eyes reading about your trip to the dietician. What an awesome revelation that you are no longer fearful of gaining the weight. I look forward to that feeling soon

I just tried the jacket on and, well, it’s still tight but not as tight as I remembered. That is a definitely a psychological thing because I’ve only lost a kilo since I last tried it on. It is two jackets in one – a warm fleece and a waterproof jacket that zip together. If I wear them separately they are much better so it’s only when it is very cold and also wet that I will need them both on. But I still aim to lose at least another 6 kilos in the next 12 weeks and that will make a difference

Neil, reading your stats just now made my jaw drop. Seriously that is incredible! You are inspiring me to do better, thank you

Lindsay, I can’t wait to see pics of the puppy, I’m getting broody for another one. Then I make myself remember what we have been through with Maxx and I immediately change my mind. You are off to Vietnam! Where are you going? We went to Hanoi a few years back and it is still one of my favourite places. I have a lovely memory of turning the water on in the shower in our hotel and despairing at the dribble that came out. I have a lot of hair and washing it needs a decent level of water pressure. We were walking down a street and we came across a hairdressers. Hubby said to go in and see if they could wash and dry my hair – and they did! It cost the equivalent of six dollars so I gave them 10 and they were thrilled. We then went to Halong Bay for a few days and when I returned I went and got my hair washed and dried again and they greeted me like an old friend. Lovely.

Quacka, ugh, dentists. I’m glad it is behind you and have everything crossed that you don’t need further treatment on that tooth. I loved your ‘dilemma’ about having to have your dress taken in due to your weight loss. A wonderful dilemma indeed. I think I’m at the stage where I will now notice even smaller losses. I bought a new pair of black work pants only about a month ago and I was hurrying to the station after work yesterday and noticed they were almost creeping off over my hips already. Yay!

Betsy, how is your laryngitis? So glad you were feeling less tired and I hope you are feeling even better today. I hope your respiratory infection is on the mend too G’day

Julie, my sister is up in your neck of the woods on a holiday at the moment. She said the same as you that she was surprised how cold it is. But summer is very close now and we will all soon be complaining about the heat LOL. Not me, I will be complaining about the cold in Europe! I just looked up the typical weather for Paris in January and the average is 2 – 10 with lows of down to -1. And they get 300mm of rain which is just under a third of our annual rainfall! I will definitely need both jackets on there

Ok, I really should do some work. Have a fab Friday all

Neilithicman

3:32 am
13 Sep 19
Permalink

Looks like my suspicions about being dehydrated at weigh-in were right. I jumped on the scales at the gym and I was half a kilo heavier than I was on my weigh in day a couple of days ago. Oh well, that still makes a 1.1 kilo loss, hopefully over the next 4 days I can get close to my last weigh-in weight to minimise the bounce back.

LJoyce, there’s numerous spellings griffin, griffen, griffon, gryphon, etc, they were a mythical creature half lion-half eagle, but the dog that’s named after them is like a pug but not quite as roly-poly. My sister’s one is a short hair that looks pretty much like the one in the picture in the history section of the Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffon_Bruxellois

Anzac65

3:45 am
13 Sep 19
Permalink

LJ, our posts crossed. So glad you are feeling a bit better today. Enjoy bridge this arvo

I just went for my lunch time walk and I take back my comment about it being cool today. It has turned into quite a warm day. I have one walk that really does all the biggest hills around here and it takes about 40 minutes. I hadn’t done it in ages and boy did I feel it in my legs and I was puffing like a steam train. VERY out of shape. Must. Do. More. Walking.

Neil, ignore those scales, you don’t need them. Just look at your svelte self in the mirror 🙂

As I came back in the front door hubby called me from where he is building the outdoor bathroom. It is very nearly finished and great excitement….He just installed the shower head and now we have an outdoor shower with hot and cold water! We have wanted one since we first went to Fiji about 30 years ago and the resort we stayed in had outdoor showers and we loved it. When he cleans it up a bit I’ll take a pic and show you all.

Neilithicman

1:10 pm
13 Sep 19
Permalink

What a night, just spent 6 hours at A and E with my son after he broke his arm falling off a balance beam at his parkour class. They had to dope him up with Ketamine and re-set it. I guess he won’t be having any parkour lessons, swimming lessons or guitar lessons for a while.🤕😞

LJoyce

2:19 pm
13 Sep 19
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A big get well soon to your son Neil.

Anzac65

10:26 pm
13 Sep 19
Permalink

Oh no Neil, what an absolute nightmare. I hope your son is ok and you managed to get some sleep

Lindsay L.

12:38 am
14 Sep 19
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Oh Neil, how dreadful for your son, and you. Hope he heals well…..I think a stiff drink wouldn’t be at all out of place (for you, not him). Ketamine? That’s pretty heavy duty. Hope he’s ok.

How lovely Anzac, to have an outdoor shower. The bliss. Like having a tropical holiday each and every day. My DS got married in Phu Quoc (Vietnam) at an eco-lodge that had outdoor showers .. and toilets. Fine for good weather but the weekend of their marriage it bucketed down. I have a lovely photo of OH off to the loo, toilet paper tucked under his arm, under a very large umbrella.

Anzac you sound much more cheerful today so good work on getting help, and also getting paid. A nice bit of Italian leather will last long after this contract and its stresses finish. Good on you for asking for what you need. We are going to have a couple of days in Saigon, before heading up to Danang for another couple. We lived in both Saigon and Hanoi – I love both places. We’ll have a week at Hoi An, a week looking out to sea in Nha Trang, then back to Saigon for a couple of days to finish off. Having a hair wash is such a luxury – in Phu My Hung (where we lived in Saigon) there was a Korean hairdresser I used to go to. She had 3 beds side by side, with basins at the end. Bliss to lay back with a fan gently blowing, while someone washed my hair with cool water and a lovely head massage. But then the best bit? A facial with more gentle massaging and cold cucumber strips laid across my face, while the conditioner went in the hair. The first time they did it, I didn’t quite know what was happening – I knew the smell but couldn’t quite place it …or the sound. the girl was peeling fresh strips off a whole cucumber, just from the fridge.

OK time to do some housework and hit the shops. Friends for lunch tomorrow so I need to get prepared.

And this, dear friends, is my bounty from my bees. I got this jar (about three quarters of a kilo) plus another half full. More harvesting this week. And I need to make sure my new Queen has settled and has laid eggs. The hive will still be angry (nasty girl’s genes last 4-6 weeks), so I’ll have to gird my loins.

https://imgur.com/WH6WB5h

Neilithicman

10:31 am
14 Sep 19
Permalink

It was actually pretty funny to see him tripping on Ketamine, even the trainee doctors were giggling away at the faces he was making.

He certainly did a good job of it https://www.flickr.com/photos/43493775@N06/48730946517/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43493775@N06/48730436558/in/dateposted-public/

But he’s resigned himself to his fate of a few weeks on the couch playing games on the new laptop that he bought last week, oh he’s SO disappointed about it 😉 😀

The down side of it is we’ve had to postpone our trip to Fiji until the end of the year because the airlines make you cut open the cast before you go on the plane and put a new one on when you get to your destination and the same on the way home. I don’t really want to spend a day at the doctors on the way there and another one on the way home so he can get a new cast. Also all the things he wanted to do in Fiji require getting wet so that is out with the cast not being allowed to get wet.

I tried to tire myself out tonight, I went out for an evening walk at 5:00pm and I only came home at 9:00pm because I thought my wife would be worrying about me, I did 30,000 steps and still felt like I could have gone another couple of hours. We also had a birthday party today and I managed to restrain myself to one small plate of party food so I was pleased with that. One more birthday party to get through tomorrow and then back to the regular scheduled programme of fasting on Monday.

Lindsay L.

11:56 pm
14 Sep 19
Permalink

Neil that’s a marathon walk. I guess you had a lot of stress and worry to get out of your system.

And I thought I’d post a pic of my new little companion, Rosy, as requested.

She’s only a week old in this pic – and heaven knows which one she is. There were five females and five males in the litter. That’s large but not as big as our first litter many years ago – 15. Our girl was mated twice, and both took. She had 11 pups from the first, and four from the second mating five days later.

https://imgur.com/0dUXkKQ

You must all be busy doing lovely Sunday things, so enjoy the rest of your day and hope to see more when I log on later.

Anzac65

12:36 am
15 Sep 19
Permalink

Oh Lindsay – those puppies!soooo adorable

Your trip sounds amazing

Here is a quick pic of the outdoor bathroom….hubby built it all himself, including the bath
http://imgur.com/gallery/AaqQ90R

Back later for a longer post……