Hello Southern Hemispherites!!

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  • Good morning, I am having a slow and creaky Sunday and it is grey here (but not too cold). Melbourne 9:40.

    I minded Miss 5 overnight on Friday night (not too bad, she is getting easier) and then babysat while my daughter went to the dentist yesterday, and it was a big day so I am recovering (I hope) with a very slow day today.

    Thanks for trying to help me with the question. At least I feel better about not having a simple yes or no. I guess I will say yes (since I think that is what they want and I let them down last week when I said no to weighing myself regularly) and then expound in the discussion.

    Neil, eep! What a break! Sending best wishes to your son, and for all of you dealing with it. (6 hours at A&E, so exhausting). Such a pity about your Fiji trip. Life!

    Anzac, Hooray! Excellent results from your talk to the big boss. It has restored my faith in your workplace. And hooray again for the help from the woman from business. That should make next week a good one!

    Amazed that you are not a fan of hot veggies, since they are my favourites, but glad that you do like veggie frittata. Are you a salad person?

    And ooh! The outdoor shower will be such a treat this summer.

    I saw Dr Mosley interviewed on the morning news on ABC this morning. He was tired I think, and not as coherent as usual, but talking more gut health and depression and aging.

    Lindsay, your puppy is so cute! Whichever one it is 🙂
    And your honey is gorgeous. She might have been an evil queen, but she got a lot done! I thought of you when I was listening to this: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/earshot/the-last-golden-age-of-the-bee-people/11473396

    Fast Day for me. I am hungry already because I am so tired, and maybe also from eating a ciabatta roll yesterday since white bread seems as bad as sugar for me. But I will take my cue from those of you who got through a fast day in spite of it being particularly hard. And from the knowledge of my delicious dashi ready in the fridge (so loving it).

    Off to answer my Yes No question now, before I completely run out of oomph!

    Oops I meant I would answer No. Too exhausted to think straight, but I seemed to have finished this weeks section of the course okay. No is the answer they wanted.

    Anzac that is fabulous – how great to shower/bathe outdoors in such a beautiful environment. Your OH is very talented and creative.

    I’ve been down to the bees this morning. Still nasty genes at work, but evidence of the new Queen laying eggs, which is what we were hoping for. Another month, and things should be calmer. Not before time ….another sting, this time on the arm, through my long gloves.

    We harvested just a little honey — but I actually think I have more on me, the floor and the cat than in the bucket. I. Will. Get. Better. At. This.

    Good morning everyone, my last post for a while I think. I’m determined to have a FD despite going for sundowners tonight. We have suddenly become very popular as we count down the last few sleeps until we leave. We are down to a mattress, my travel scales and an esky. In that esky is a final FD meal! But I’m also looking at all the items I’ve bought for the sundowner platter and wondering if this will become the first FD I’ve ever blown. Hoping not. 57kg so it won’t matter weight wise but it’s a discipline thing for me.

    What gorgeous puppies Lindsay! I thought of you on Friday when we drove out to the Swan Valley for lunch with friends and stopped at a bee cafe place on the way home. We had a mead tasting. I didn’t like it at all but the honey samples were tasty. We visited Hoi An in 2000 and loved it so much that we returned the following year. Vietnam was just opening up to tourism at the time but I understand it is all very different now so we will remember it how we saw it then. Lovely people, and so tough.

    Anzac, what a fabulous shower. Clever Mr Anzac.

    DD is on a very steep learning curve, it’s all very James Herriot. Her ‘on call’ exploits are very interesting – cow caesarian in the middle of the night, cat that swallowed a used condom, dog that swallowed a corn cob, hedgehog that rolled into a ball refusing access to its body for treatment, horse with colic, one after the other …. she loves the job and her colleagues and is very happy there.

    As for us, we are going to live on a narrow boat in England for an indefinite period. I will be in touch when we get settled. Thank you for all the fabulous support you’ve given me here over five plus years. I don’t want to mention individuals because I know I will leave someone off the list but I must say a special thanks to Cinque and LJ, my long-term fast buddies. Stay strong everyone. Take care. Look after each other.

    Good morning all. Hope you are all getting some of the lovely spring weather that we are enjoying here in Adelaide this weekend. I actually got hot during my hour walk yesterday and was glad I thought to wear a sun hat. Cinque, I hope our sunshine makes it to Melbourne soon.

    Lindsay, the puppies are very cute. Are they really such different sizes or is it just the camera perspective? Some look twice the size as others. I did have a giggle about the cat getting doused in honey – that will make the fur cleaning process much more enjoyable for it!

    Anzac, The outdoor bathroom looks amazing. Will that also be an easier place to wash Maxx?

    Cinque, I saw part of the interview with MM on the ABC breakfast news also. I’m not sure how coherent I’d be in an interview on a Sunday morning either.
    Glad you got your assignment questions sorted.

    Neil, sorry to hear you’ve had to postpone your holiday – I hadn’t realised that casts needed to be removed before flight – that sounds like a dangerous thing to do with a broken limb – you would have a very painful flight.

    I’ve decided to do my FD today instead of tomorrow. This week it just fits better.
    Tomorrow I’m having allergy tests done at the hospital to see if they can determine which cortisone injections I can safely use. I had an anaphylaxis reaction to one a few years ago and haven’t been game to let doctors use any since then. This was a big detriment with my injured back as a cortisone injection would likely have helped reduce the inflammation considerably. I’m just hoping I don’t end up with an anaphylaxis reaction tomorrow. My niece is taking me so that if something goes wrong I have support.

    Hello to everyone else who is lurking. Have a nice day.

    Hi Thin, our posts crossed.
    Your new adventures sound like fun and I look forward to hearing about them once you’ve settled into canal life. Maybe you can start a blog!
    Enjoy your goodbyes with the friends and neighbours you’ve gotten to know over the years.
    Thankyou for your kind words – the same it true in reverse you realise. When I arrived here you and Cinque were my main supports in those early days when I was floundering.
    Happy travels.

    Thin you said you would be in touch when you were settled but there was also an air of finality about your words. Please don’t leave us forever. I have come this far only because of you and all of the other regulars…

    Thin, enjoy your farewells, without breaking your fast day if possible. Glad to be sharing your last fast day in Australia for a while. 🙂

    I just wanted to thank you for the central role you have played in making this my favourite thread on the forum.

    While you are interested in us all as people and happy to share any topic under the sun, you keep the focus on 5:2, where it needs to be. You keep bringing us back to the basics and keep things real and practical.
    This gives such a strong foundation to the thread and makes it welcoming and useful to any new person coming in, and keeps the rest of us on the sensible straight and narrow.

    We will miss you while you aren’t here, and look forward to posts (fingers crossed) once you are settled on that narrow boat and looking for some black fungus in Herriotville. I hope it has a great little kitchen for making cauliflower soup!

    You’ve been a wonderful friend for me here, and I don’t want to lose you.
    Bon voyage dear one.

    Thin, bon voyage! Your post sounds so final. I do hope you intend to join us again once you’re settled on the channel boat. Do you have one picked out already? You were the one who invited me over to this thread from another more than 2 years ago. The support here is what kept me losing and committed to the 5:2 way of life. I know you’ll have lots of wonderful adventures but please don’t forget your friends here.

    LJ, this year has gone by quickly. It seems like you were just doing all that planting in your garden. You had a wonderful harvest last year. This year you’ll know exactly how much of each thing to plant.

    Neil, I’m so sorry to hear about your son’s arm and having to postpone your trip. 6 hours is a long time to have to spend at the hospital. Ketamine sounds like a strong drug to ease pain. I had to look it up since I’ve never heard of it before. I hope his arm isn’t too painful now.

    Lyndsay, those puppies are so cute! I’m glad the breeder is holding one for you until you return from your holiday. Hope you get all your fences and gates puppy proofed before you leave. The honey looks great!

    Cinque, I would say that carbs don’t cause weight gain unless you eat too many of them. Any food eaten in excess would cause weight gain.
    I was surprised Dr. Mosley seems to be abandoning the 5:2 for the 800 calorie diet instead. 500 calorie FD’s work for me as long as I don’t go crazy on NFD’s, so I plan to stick with that. Perhaps a couple 800 calorie NFD days would help me to lose about 3 kgs.

    Anzac, the shower looks amazing. It will be so nice on hot summer days. And so glad your boss has agreed to pay you for working at home on the weekends.

    Thin, we look forward to hearing from you when you’re all settled in.

    I agree on the puppies, very cute. We had a family dinner tonight and so I got to play with my parents’ dog and my sister’s dog at the same time 😃

    Quick hello, busy at the moment. Do pop back once you’re settled, thin. We’ll miss you otherwise. Hope the injection doesn’t provoke a nasty reaction, LJoyce. Hi to everyone else. Will write more soon. Onward and downwards, everyone!

    Oh Thin I felt such sadness that you will be gone from us for a while, but also excitement for you as you leave on such a great next phase, and of course being closer to DD will be wonderful. Has your OH now retired, or will he fly still in the UK? I hope you all have a marvellous adventure and that you will post from time to time Thin, to tell us all about it. Best wishes.

    Good morning – another very warm day 29 or 30 – but there is a wicked cold change coming this arvo and tomorrow it is going to be a max of 15! And up to 40mm of rain. What a difference

    Oh no Neil! I can’t believe you have to cancel your holiday. When you work as hard as you do, holidays are so important. At least you still can look forward to it, just a bit later than planned

    Cinque, yes, I am a salad person. I rarely eat hot veges (other than potato) as I learnt to loathe them as a child because Mum would cook them up in a pressure cooker until they no longer resembled something with mass. It’s such a shame but it is what it is. I’ve always been a fussy eater although I have come a long way since meeting hubby 30+ years ago. Apart from hot veges. They have to be disguised in, e.g., a frittata! I hope you were able to rest up yesterday and feeling a little less exhausted today

    I agree that carbs don’t cause weight gain unless you eat too many.

    Lindsay, I can imagine that fresh, beautiful honey will make the bee stings worth it. It looks so amazing. I laughed at the picture in my head of your cat happily licking honey off her fur (his fur?). Thanks by the way, yes I was and am feeling much more positive about everything now. If there aren’t any new avalanches this week I might even get caught up. Egad.

    I’m once again speechless at what hubby has done with the outdoor bathroom and yep LJ, much easier now to bath Maxx. He is a qualified architectural draftsman but could never get much work in that area so he spent 90% of his career in building equipment sales. What a waste! If only he had known just how talented he was he could have worked in design and even had his own company. Oh well, we are both enjoying the late fruits of his creativity and hard work now. Our house, once a run down shell, is now simply stunning. It’s taken 8 years and he now has a bad back and various other body parts but I know he is satisfied with what he is doing with his life (outside our amazing marriage) for the first time really.

    LJ, I have everything crossed that you won’t have a terrible reaction to the cortisone. Very glad that your Niece will be there with you. Please let us know how it goes

    We had a stunning day yesterday weather wise, 26 or 27 degrees. I had to work of course and it was very cold in the house so Hubby set up me outside with the big outdoor umbrella so at least I was able to enjoy the heat and the fresh air.

    Cali, I am very glad Thin invited you to our thread because otherwise we wouldn’t have your lovely posts to look forward to.

    So, 11 weeks to go and coat-gate is on. Hubby is encouraging me to move more and as always making my week-day breakfast and lunches to make sure I stick to plan. If I can just lose 5-6 kilos I think the coat will fit ok.

    Have a great day everyone

    Good morning from my cool, grey Melbourne. Monday morning and I had an excellent fast day yesterday and have just nibbled on a few walnuts to break my fast because my breakfast rolls are still rising.

    The sun is coming in splits and splats which is fine, I am happy for a slow slide into the hot season.

    Good luck with your tests today LJoyce, I do so hope that you find a preparation you can use (avoiding anaphylactic shock if possible).

    Cali, it sounds as if you have given up the idea of doing the Science of Weight Loss course yourself? I can understand with the frustrations starting it, and I think it will be a fair amount of work as the lessons continue. (Or shall I go to the discussion page and find you posting there?)

    Anzac it is so warm your way!
    Oh dear, so many people have that pressure cooked veggie experience. Dreadful. But hooray for salads.
    It is just lovely to hear about your clever OH and your wonderful house.
    Your coat is such a wonderful inspiration for you. I am sure it will be more powerful than the crap food you are offered, and if you go without it (the junky food) for a few days, it will get even easier.

    Best wishes to everyone today.

    Good morning everyone

    First day of my time off and the weather has turned all cloudy on me. We are supposed to get rain tonight and tomorrow and then have showers for the rest of the week. Uh huh. Wonder if we will get to go camping.
    I am having such a lazy day and really don’t feel motivated to do much at all lol. I might go out and mow the lawn later before the rain comes.

    it was such a beautiful warm day yesterday and we spent some time out in the garden. OH was topping up the garden beds with some new soil and I planted some herbs in our new herb garden. I need to go and buy a new thyme plant as the one we had has well and truly died. I thought the same had happened to my mint and chives but a little rain has brought them back. Yay!

    Just going to keep this post short as it’s hard to type on my iPad. It’s old and has a terrible lag when typing.
    I wanted to wish thin all the best but I have missed her. She knows we will all be thinking of her.

    Some lovely photos of honey, pups and outdoor areas. Sorry about your son’s arm and having to postpone your holiday Neil. Hope you are ok LJ.

    A big hi to everyone else and hope you are all having a beaut day. Take care x

    Morning all

    Well that boy of mine is going to send me gray. At our family dinner he managed to climb up to the treehouse at my parents’ house one handed and swing from the branches with his other arm still in a sling.

    Back onto my Monday/Tuesday back to back fasts to recover from the weekend before my Wednesday weigh-in. I didn’t go over the calories for the weekend but I did have a big bowl of dessert at the family dinner so I went way over on the sugar.

    On the positive side, I went Op-shopping in the weekend for some new work shirts and I am now in a size L. I was absolutely stoked because when I started out I was in 4XL and even that was snug. L was my ultimate goal because I think my build is too big for me to ever fit into an M and definitely not an S.

    <crickets chirping>
    <Tumbleweed rolling>

    Hello? Is anyone out there?

    I hope everyone is quiet because you’re out having fun.

    Ha Neil! If only that were true!

    I’m getting ready for work …sigh. Just three weeks and I’m on holiday. Whoo hoo…..three weeks in Vietnam, then home to collect my puppy. (sorry to rub it in, when you’ve had to postpone Fiji).

    I’m struggling to shift these extra kilos …. I seem to drop a couple during the week, then put them back on at the weekend, although I am not eating excessively. We have had lots of social engagements though – dinners out, and people here. Meals out always come with lots of hidden calories. I was so successful last year with 16:8, 5:2 and limited carbs. I just can’t seem to get a clear run at it (and I can hear Thin in the background, saying ‘yes you can, if you really want it to happen’).

    LJ I think it is just the camera’s angle that makes some of the pups look bigger than the others, although even at one week old the boys tend to be a little larger. How did you go with your allergy tests?

    Quacka sorry the weather has let you down, but maybe a day where you aren’t compelled to do anything too active might just be a good start to your break? Hope it clears in time for camping though.

    OK, off to work. I’m at Southbank today and if I get there early enough, I can go for a walk before my first workshop (and get the early bird parking, which at $16 is so much better than $38).

    Enjoy your day

    A quick good morning from me. I’m playing bridge this morning at a club that’s really close to where I live – not been there before.

    The skin tests were done and while I haven’t had any reaction on the actual skin, within an hour of leaving the hospital I did have some throat swelling. However the restriction didn’t get any worse than a case of mild tonsillitis and has almost returned to normal this morning. I see the doctor again on Thursday to review this and plan the next step. That’s likely to be trialing a full dose of one drug at a time.

    Have a good day all. And Neil try to keep that adventurous son of yours out of trouble.

    Hello everyone,

    Haha Neil, this thread is always either too busy or too quiet. Congratulations on keeping that boy alive. What a livewire! Could he please give me a small percentage of his energy? I would be so grateful (and you might be happy too).

    I am feeling a bit energetic today, such a relief as my sister is coming over to show me how she makes chicken stock, and there is a good chance I can get the kitchen cleaned up before she arrives. Just sitting down to have my coffee and write a post 🙂

    LJoyce that throat swelling doesn’t sound very hopeful. I do hope the doctor can come up with a good plan. Interesting interview this morning about women and pain and how nearly all the research on pain has been done on men only, and yet women suffer so much because they are more likely to have painful chronic diseases. (They were interviewing this woman https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-06/the-tortuous-history-of-women-in-pain/11480722 )

    Quacka, hooray for a lazy day. And gardening.

    Lindasy, you might have to stop being so social! 😉 I hope you had a lovely walk and scored the early bird parking.

    Ok. Coffee is finished. Best wishes everyone.

    Evening all

    Man that was really weird. Over the last week I’ve lost the ability to passively float. I used to just be able to lie back and float, but this week my chest floats because of the air in my lungs but my legs just sink like stones if I don’t gently kick. I must have gained enough muscle and lost enough fat to tip me over the point where my legs are denser than the water.

    Weigh-in tomorrow morning. I get to see how well I managed to reduce the bounceback from weighing in dehydrated last week.

    Have a great day everyone.

    Woo hoo

    I managed to consolidate the 1.6 kilo loss from last week and drop another 300 grams on top of that. Weighed in this morning at 92.3 kilos. 😁😁

    Now just on 30% of my body weight gone in just under 8 months! I am looking forward to my non fast day today though. Sausage roll for morning tea, here I come!

    Good morning from a drowned and very cold Sydney. Incredible really; high 20’s on Monday then boom! Where’s my ark?

    Yesterday was a very bad day. It started with me slipping on the wet floor on the train and I crashed into a seat and hurt my shoulder. Not one of my ‘fellow’ commuters asked if I was ok. Sigh. This is why I would love to retire and move somewhere like where Quacka lives; where people are friendly and there is a community spirit. This was followed by a nightmare day at work and ended with a broken down train that caused chaos and it took me nearly 2 hours to get home. Did I mention it was supposed to be a fast day? It didn’t happen.

    Anyway today is another day. I have to do a presentation to about 30 people at 3.30 (yikes) but then I’m coming home at 4.00 even if the project is on fire.

    Neil you continue to inspire. My hubby can’t float either and he has a lot of muscle like you.

    Quacka, poor you on your precious break in this dreadful weather

    Lindsay it is 1000 times harder during busy social times, hang in there!

    Cinque I hope you had fun with your sister and please pass on any tips for a good stock. It can make or break a dish. I’m going to read that article you posted about woman and chronic illness/pain when I get a chance today.

    LJ your throat swelling sounded terrifying, so glad you are ok and I hope the doc can come up with a plan

    Ok I must go as I’m on my favourite place (the train) NOT and I don’t want to lose what I’ve typed on my phone

    Take care friends

    Good morning everyone. Melbourne. Wednesday. Getting on for 10am.
    Clear and sunny.

    Neil, what a weird experience. Floating may never be the same.
    Congratulations on such great results for the week, and enjoy that sausage roll!

    Anzac, pop down here for some clear sky, although it is a bit chilly.
    Sorry to hear about such a bad day yesterday. Isn’t modern life just mad. So glad you have good times to look forward to. I do hope your meeting goes well and that a successful meeting shows that all your hard work is appreciated.

    Cali, I am 98% sure I saw your post on our course discussion board!

    I had such a good day yesterday. My health was better than it has been for so long and I was able to get the kitchen clean, clothes on the line and the thick layer of fallen blossoms up near the clothes line swept up and added to my compost (it just loves them!).
    Then my sister arrived with chicken frames (!) to make stock out of (pressure cooker) (this is what pressure cookers are good for 😉 ) We also poached some Maryland pieces (with more carrot, onion, celery, bay and star anise) then made mushroom and chicken soup in its delicate stock (with a range of mushrooms from the farmer’s market: fresh shiitake, oyster mushrooms, enoki and wood ear fungus, so yum!) and still had pieces of poached chicken left over for today, plus our gorgeous strong chicken stock, plenty each.
    I had a big rest but I was on a roll (and had feta and filo in the fridge, anxious to be used) and made greens and feta triangles (freezer stacked). Also my compost is causing anxiety as one bin is full and the other needs to be used up so I can switch to it, so I started on that too. omg if only I could be that productive every day.

    Today I had better take it easy but I must spread more compost, do some shopping (I’m out of bonito flakes and fasting tomorrow!). I can do it!

    Sending out good wishes everyone.

    Hi Anzac, is your shoulder ok? I hope you haven’t done any significant damage. How are things going with the workload?

    Hi all

    I m not sure where the time has gone but I realise I have been very slack not keeping up with the forum.

    Thin. I hope I’m not too late to wish you au revoir. What a long journey you have shared with us, and how valuable your presence here has been. You definitely have down sized now, I imagine you will have the same living space as a large caravan and the same pleasure of moving about when the mood takes you. Please keep on posting, we need your straight talking but compassionate input when we stumble along the way and your heartfelt cheers when we pick ourselves up. I look forward to hearing about your travels, maybe a visit with Penguin is on the cards. At least now, when the neighbours annoy you, you can just move on. Enjoy all that your new life brings.

    I won’t try to catch up with all of you. I’ve seen that most have been doing well especially our young man who needs to wear a name tag now. Neil, you might need a new passport, I’m guessing you don’t look like your photo anymore.

    I have been going quite well, maintaining at 63kg or less despite having a bit more on FD’s. My exercise has slipped, Steptember didn’t go well but I’m still doing Parkrun’s and I completed a 10k run recently so I know I’m able to do that, ready for the fun run in October. I have been working on the two courses I enrolled for. The 4 week one with FutureLearn was quite easy and I have finished that one early. All the modules were available at once so I just kept going. Not a lot that was new but some interesting info. I do have one bit of exciting news. We have just bought a NEW car. A Toyota Kluger, red of course, they go faster. It is big enough to tow the van but not too thirsty to run around and do the shopping. It is still in transit from USA but I should have it in about 3 weeks. I feel I’m back in the groove now, made bread yesterday and my first cheddar cheese today. Now to call complete my return and push ‘submit’

    Cinque, I’m still taking that class although I wish it was a little more advanced. We’ve discussed most of what it covers plus a lot more here in this forum. The other FutureLearn course is more involved and interesting in that it discusses lots of studies and and ideas which are new to me. Lots about how our brains and guts are connected and why we eat and overeat.

    LJ, that throat swelling after the allergy tests sounds kind of scary. I hope that doctor is taking further tests slowly. But it would be nice to find something that works well for pain without side effects. I hope your bridge game at the new club went well.

    Quacka, I had some fresh thyme on the weekend in some French potato salad and realized how much I miss having it fresh in the garden. I had a few plants for years and they grew even through the winters until one year when they didn’t. I will have to remember to get another plant or two. All I have now is basil which is doing very well, lots of mint and lots of rosemary. The basil and mint usually die out in the winter but the mint comes back on its own. The rosemary thrives all year long.

    Neil, I was going to ask how your boy’s arm was feeling but I guess if he’s swinging from trees with it while still in a sling it can’t be too painful! Kids are so durable and fearless, aren’t they? Can you imagine if that was us? I would be sitting around in my jammies, moaning and milking it for all it was worth! 😁

    Anzac, I hope your shoulder is feeling better. That sounds like a horrible commute day. You want to lose 5 or 6 kg to fit into that coat? It must be tiny! You didn’t look heavy in that photo with klondi. You must hide it well. But it’s always nice to have a goal with a time limit on it, so that coat should be good motivation.

    Lindsay, only 3 weeks til your trip! I’m having a tough time with NFD’s too. I need to lose about 3kg and seemed to gain back what I lose on FD’s by the weekend. Just too much tempting food and not having my head in the right place to resist it.

    I have been busy painting a door and a few new baseboards in our house. I bought some “ultra plus” primer and satin finish paint combined. The old paint on the door was white and a semi gloss latex paint but it didn’t look or feel shiny at all. I cleaned it but didn’t lightly sand it, which I should have done, but I thought I wouldn’t have to since the new paint had primer in it. Big mistake. The first coat went on well, but when I added a second coat in some places the coat under it started peeling off like a thin sheet of rubber. So now I have to scrape off all the paint I put on, which is dry, and repaint it. Luckily I only got to one side of the door and the frame. But it’s a paneled door and a real pain to get it off. So I’ve been avoiding it and doing a little at a time. What a mess! We have houseguests arriving around noon on Thursday, so I will have to finish by then. OH wants no part of the paint removal. Oh well. It will get done.

    We had rain on Monday, the first of the late summer/early fall. The air smelled just wonderful! We can really use it. It rained for a couple hours. Our temps have been in the low 20’s, just beautiful. Cinque and LJ should be having similar weather soon. Around now is when we often have a month or more of the same weather. My favorite time of the year.

    Have a wonderful day everyone,

    Neil, thanks for asking. As sods law would have it I landed on my already damaged shoulder. I’ve spent 2 years on and off in physio with it and it had been great for quite a few months but *fingers crossed* it isn’t hurting so it seems no further damage

    Good evening all.

    I’ve had a busy couple of days. Yesterday morning I played bridge at a club that’s just 15 minutes from my home. Quite a social group that go out to lunch together after bridge once a month, which will be nice. It’s also quite close to Glenelg beach so my bridge partner suggested we go for a walk along the beach after bridge finishes – sounds like a nice plan to me. My bridge partner and I spend all of yesterday afternoon talking strategy about how we would bid and play. The list of things that you need to decide whether to use or not as partners seems endless and we’ve just scratched the surface!
    Today I spent the day with my best friend who had a day off work. We did some clothes shopping (her not me), I cooked us lunch (tandoori-airfryer chicken, salad, raita and chapattis) then we did a 90 min walk. After that we had afternoon tea, including a small orange-pecan muffin (made for bridge the day before). Nice day, but too many calories.

    I go back to the hospital tomorrow to see the allergy specialist. The throat narrowing problem that occurred has completely gone now. I’ll know more tomorrow, but I think the plan is to now test each cortisone drug one at a time and to do it in the hospital in the morning and keep me there for 2-3 hours to see if the same reaction happens. It will take some time to test them all, but if I can get to the end of it with options that I can use going forward, I’ll be very happy with that outcome. In fact I’ll be lining up to get one of those cortisone injections into my troublesome lower back as soon as I have a safe option. (Sounds like Anzac might need to join me for one of those.)

    Cinque, that sounds like a pretty special chicken stock. I agree that using both the chicken frames and some chicken pieces is required for a really good stock. I normally use the wings because they are cheap.

    Anzac, I hope you have done no permanent damage to your shoulder. I think it’s a poor reflection of society when nobody on the train has concern over your fall and injury. As someone who grew up in a small town, I’ve always been puzzled by the phenomenon of being lonely while surrounded by people in a city. I find there are occasional pockets of suburbia where there’s a good sense of community but in most everyone is isolated and anonymous. I don’t do well in those places. It seems that loneliness isn’t the result of an absence of people in general, it’s an absence of connection to people and community.

    Neil, what a wonderful result. Have you rewarded yourself with that recumbent bike yet? As Klondi said – you might need to update your photo id – passport, drivers license etc.

    Lindsay, I find food related social events usually means a week of maintenance not weight loss – which is fine for me now but was a frustration when I was trying to lose those last few kilos. Some people have more leeway with this than others, but I think the closer we are to goal it’s a problem for everyone to some extent.
    I hope you are feeling excited about your approaching trip.

    Klondi, enjoy that new red car – when it arrives. All ready for towing the van on your next road adventure – is there anything being planned yet?

    Cali, It sounds like those 2 courses are keeping you busy. I hope you plan to share some of the info you are learning with us on the FutureLearn course – when you have time in your busy study/painting/sanding schedule.
    Bridge at the new venue was against a mixed group, so it involved quite a few players players with many years of experience. However we came 8th out of 10 pairs. Considering we were by far the least experienced people there, I actually feel ok about that. I also find that when I play against people who play better, I learn more – so there’s always a silver lining to losing. We were even complimented for how well we were playing for novices by a few of the experienced players.

    Thin, I imagine you are flying to the UK about now. Safe and happy travels dear friend.

    If the weather continues to head east, I’m warning those of you on the east coast that’s there’s some weird changes on the way. This week in S.A. we have everything from 24C sunny days, to 30C dust storms to 14C with driving rain. I have to check the weather app every morning before dressing these days, otherwise I get it spectacularly wrong. I was about to move all my winter gear out of it’s prominent place in the wardrobe, but now I’m thinking I should wait a couple more weeks.

    I had a bad chocolate episode tonight. My neighbours and I fixed a wobbly post on our adjoining fence on Sunday. As I provided the concrete my neighbours bought me box of lindor balls t say thankyou. Even eating mindfully I ate 5 of them tonight! There were 4 different flavours – does that count as an excuse? I’ve hidden the remaining ones at the back of the pantry.

    I used kefir rather than yoghurt to make a batch of chapattis at lunch time and I think they were the best ever. (I had made the dough last night and left it covered in a bowl on the benchtop to mature overnight.) The flavour and texture were better than any previous attempt. I’ll definitely be making that substitution again.

    Have a good evening everyone.

    Morning all. I hear you on the shoulder Anzac. I’ve had a bad shoulder for a few years too. I had a few rounds of physio and it gets a bit better then deteriorates again. Although since I’ve been doing the rowing machine every lunchtime at the gym I haven’t had a flare-up with it.

    Yes the Lindor balls are a weakness of mine too LJoyce. There’s always lots of them round at our big family Christmas gatherings and there’s a scramble for the best flavours.

    I had to renew my passport for our Fiji trip that isn’t happening now so the photo on it is only a few weeks old. I did find a fat photo of me from our family gathering for New Years this year. I showed my wife and she was having a giggle at it. I guess we’d both forgotten what I looked like back then. The weird thing was that back then I didn’t think I looked too bad. It’s amazing how you can trick yourself into thinking that you’re not as bad as you actually are when you’re gaining weight.

    Good morning,
    Ii is another gorgeous day here, but yes, LJoyce, colder weather in a few days.
    I hope you are a bit drier Anzac and your shoulder is still holding up. (So glad yours is too Neil!).

    Klondi, your car sounds just gorgeous. It will be lovely when it arrives, in time for your birthday? Congratulations on that excellent maintenance and you must be doing your exercising okay if you can run 10k!
    And you must really feel at home if you are making bread and cheese.

    Cali, good luck with that sanding and painting. What a job! You will feel so pleased when it is done, though.
    I agree with you about thyme in the garden! Mine is having a hard time holding its place between chard and parsley and my warrigal greens, all growing huge and crowding and shadowing it. I hope it survives.
    Like you I have rosemary that does so well and provides so much more than I could ever use. It also has particularly deep bright blue flowers, prolifically, and looks just gorgeous.
    (And I have some mint coming back after winter).

    LJoyce, thinking of you at the hospital today and hoping something excellent is worked out.
    Oh those Lindt balls, they are the ones that tempt me. I love the variety pack. But I don’t stop at one and I feel so crook afterwards.
    Cheers for those chapatti!

    That photo must have been a surprise Neil. Enjoy how far you have come this year.

    Cali will have interesting stuff to share from that interesting course she is doing. I am off to check out the third week of our shared one. I am glad to realise I will be up to date with what the current recommendations are, and the science behind it. I haven’t learnt anything new, I don’t think, but I am appreciating the package. It gives the best base from which to view new research and interesting fringe ideas.

    It is fast day for me. I have my new packet of bonito flakes and a new packet of kombu knots, and a new packet of dried black fungus (wishing I could have fresh like I had the other day). Miso soup here I come.

    I hope your day is a good one, lovely people.

    Hello all.

    I’m just back from the hospital and have a plan in place to test each of the cortisone drugs (and a saline control) separately. Next Monday I go back and they will place one drop of one drug under the skin and I will stay at the hospital for 3 hours to see if there’s a reaction. To guard against a psychosomatic response I will not be told which drug I’m being given – I requested this. This process will probably take a couple of months as there will be 5 separate tests. I think this is a sensible way forward so I’m happy with that.

    I’ve been thinking about the interview with Dr MM that I saw on ABC breakfast tv about a week ago. He said that he doesn’t recommend fasting at 500cals now as the science has moved on. He said 800cals is the appropriate level because you can’t get the protein you need on 500cals. While I’m not going to jump straight to 800cals for my 2 FDS, I have decided on a few changes:
    – I need to make sure more of my calories come from protein on FDs – I have tended to have mostly vegetables and milk (in cups of tea).
    – Instead of having a small banana for lunch (which I do most FDs), I should probably switch to either a boiled egg or a slice of hard cheese or something similar.
    – I will relax the 500cal limit a little on FD providing those extra cals are protein. This cannot be an excuse to just add more food to a FD.
    I will need to be sure that this isn’t impacting my ability to maintain my weight, as a low TDEE means I rely on my currently low FD calorie limit. I may need to consider adding a couple of extra FDs per month if I increase the calorie limit.

    Cinque, I’m joining you in a FD today. I am making pumpkin-lemon soup for dinner but I will boil some eggs as well, so that I can have them this afternoon.

    There’s a dust storm here today.
    Hope you are all having a good day.

    Hi everyone

    The rain has finally stopped and I can even see some blue patches in the sky. As much as we needed it I’m glad it has gone. Hubby had to empty a couple of inches out of the pool about 3 times to stop it overflowing. Sydney received 91mm in two days smashing the average for September and the heaviest rainfall we have had since February 2018

    I’m so glad you have an evolving plan with the doctor about the cortisone drugs LJ. I truly hope it helps to ease your pain, albeit you have to wait 5 months. It is a sensible way forward, I agree.

    I like the changes you are considering and I recommend them because that is how I approach FD’s. No carbs but two small portions of protein and then plants. One piece of fruit most FD’s but not always
    FD for me today and it is going well. Am munching on some carrot sticks as we speak after my small thai beef salad for lunch. Turkey bolognaise in Cos lettuce leaves for dinner

    Work is going a little better today, thank goodness. In the big presentation yesterday I was one of 5 people given a recognition award which was very nice – and very unexpected because contractors normally don’t get them. Guess what we were given as a thanks? CHOCOLATES! Ha ha ha..just what I need. NOT. I gave them to hubby

    So great to hear from you Klondi, I was getting very worried. Congrats on the new car! Glad to hear your maintenance is going well too.

    How frustrating that paint job sounds Cali. I admire you for even trying; the last time I tried to help with painting, hubby took the paintbrush gently from my hand and said ‘how about you look after the coffee and sandwiches?’. Ooops. I truly do not have a creative bone in my body and anything that requires hand/eye co-ordination is beyond me. I hope you finish yours by the time your houseguests arrive today. Glad you got some much needed rain too; I saw a bit of green grass in the park that we drive past on the way to the station and it had been dead and brown for ages.

    Neil my shoulder does the same as yours. It gets better then something small will set it off. I had to learn to stop sleeping on my right side and I have to be very careful when I swim to make sure my stroke is correct. I actually caused the damage when we first got our pool put in a couple of years ago and I started doing a lot of swimming (you know, trying to get healthy). Hubby would say ‘your stroke is terrible and you will damage yourself’ and I would ignore him. Later the physio confirmed that not rolling my arm and shoulder properly caused the damage. I hate it when hubby is right LOL. How awesome that you and your wife can giggle about the photo back then. How good does it feel? I have a TERRIBLE photo from this time last year when we were in Vanuatu. I actually put it on Viber and was going to show you all but then some creepy unknown started sending me messages almost immediately about ‘pretty lady’. Yikes. I took it down so now you will just have to try and imagine 🙂

    I heard about the dust storm on the news this morning LJ. Hope it isn’t dreadful

    Funny, the chocolates I received yesterday were Lindt balls so I wish I could send you some Cinque and Neil – over the cyber waves seeing how much you like them

    Cinque, I was so happy to read about your good health day on Tuesday with more energy and being able to do more than normal. I do hope it has persisted into today

    Ok back to work, hi to everyone else. Enjoy the rest of your Thursday and tomorrow is Friday and WFH for me. Bliss.

    Hi Ljoyce, I have always tried to keep at least 50-60 grams of protein per day. I’ve been upping it even further since working out more heavily. Since I only started the diet this year I’ve only known the 800 calorie limit.

    Rather than a hard cheese you’re better off with a cheese like haloumi. If a cheese melts when you cook it like a cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella etc then it has a high fat and low protein level, cheeses that hold their shape when you cook them like haloumi or paneer have high protein levels and lower fat content.

    Really good low calorie high protein snacks are Biltong that has around 100 calories and 25 grams of protein in a 40 gram serving, Prawns that have 25 grams of protein and 100 calories in 100 gram serving and lentils that have 10 grams of protein and 116 calories in a 100 grams serving.

    Anzac, it sounds like a box of lindor balls is the go to gift of the moment.

    Neil, I had a look at the Aus&NZ Dietary Guidelines and calculated my RDI for protein – it’s 47g per day. After looking up the protein values in a few foods I found it would be quite easy to get that much for 500-550 calories. As my usual FDs have been around 400cals this is a slight increase, but not as bad as I thought it would be.
    Thankyou for the info on cheese – I love haloumi and paneer so swapping to those will be no hardship. I’m afraid the idea of eating dried meat is really unappealing, so I’ll pass on the biltong. Making an evening meal with legumes and veg is a good idea though – maybe dahl or chickpea curry
    Interestingly I found that after having a slice of cheese, a tiny tin of salmon in 2 lettuce cups and 2 boiled eggs throughout the afternoon I didn’t actually feel like my soup, so I just had a cup of it instead of the large bowl I’d normally have eaten. The only thing I didn’t find palatable today was the lettuce cups with salmon – I don’t like the taste of fish and a bit of lettuce is insufficient to disguise the flavour. I also think adding some chicken breast to my dinner would be a good idea as 100g (raw weight) is over 22g protein and only 104 calories. I often have veggie stirfry in the warmer weather so I can easily add a small portion of chicken breast to that.

    I’m doing some bridge study tonight. On Tuesday afternoon, my partner and I agreed to use a whole pile of bidding conventions. In the intervening 2 days I’ve forgotten most of them! I’m having to reread everything a few times and hope it sinks in. I’ll find out tomorrow as I’m playing in the afternoon.

    Evening all,

    I’m feeling so good at the moment, I’ve calculated that I’m averaging 15,460 steps per day so far. I had my normal workout and walking around work today then went for an evening walk. I was feeling so good I ran the last 10 minutes without stopping and wasn’t puffed by the end of it. The 10 minutes I ran was about the same distance as the loop that I ran when I was trying to train for the 10 km, about 1.8 kilometres. Back then I had to stop 5-6 times during the loop. I love being this fit, it’s been a long time coming.

    One more day of work and then it’s off to work for me. The builders have finished the structural work at our house and now I need to do the gib stopping and painting before they can install the log burner. I’ve got some more garden stuff to do too so unfortunately there’s no rest for the wicked.

    On the bright side we’ve managed to reschedule our Fiji trip to the middle of December and we’ve booked a little mini holiday on the West Coast for 4 days. We’ll go have a look at the glaciers and the pancake rocks and the other sites of the coast.

    I hope everyone had a nice easy Friday and relaxing weekend

    Oh, and since my birthday is coming up in about 6 weeks and I should be pretty near my goal, I’ve asked my family if they’ll club together to get me some clothing vouchers for my birthday present this year. Looking forward to getting some nice clothes that a) fit me and b) I’m not going to shrink out of within a month.

    Hi all

    Just reading the last few posts reinforces my observation that the two courses I am doing, while not useless, have less info than the posters on this forum. Can anyone tell me what dates MM appeared on Australian TV as I would like to see them. I have upped my calories on FD but probably not protein although sometimes lunch is a boiled egg. I’m trying more menu planning as a result of the courses and I’ll try and balance my intake more.

    Cali. That paint job must have been so frustrating, thank goodness it happened straight away and you could rectify it early. Think of the extra incidental exercise you are getting. Your fall must be like our Melbourne autumn, very mild and balmy. Our spring is very changeable, ‘four seasons in one day’ is not just a song title here.

    Anzac bad luck about the fall, and really horrible that nobody helped you. I find that incredible. We have been hearing about your foul weather, many of the places that we stayed at are getting swamped, glad our timing was good. I’ll take any Lindt chocs you are sending, they are still my weakness and congrats on being recognised. My mum just boiled the cr@p out our veggies, even using bi carb to make the peas look green again. Her roast spuds though were okay.

    Neil. I once knew a boy who broke both his arms riding a skate board being towed by his dog, it didn’t stop him doing it again even when he still had the casts on. Well done on the running, I understand completely, I could not run for one minute without a struggle in January. Lucky re the passport, now you will have to maintain so that you match your photo. I always thought my photos were taken at a bad angle, I didn’t really think I looked quite that big. In some ways, the mirror did lie. It’s funny, we are all pleased about the readings on the scales but the labels on our clothes seems to make it more real. Great that your holiday can be postponed and your renovations are on track. Photos please

    LJ. i hope that you get a good result from all this testing you are going through. It’s quite a process for you but obviously you think it is worth it to get some relief. Have you noticed any change in your weight/size since you started regularly walking etc. I thought you might find that you either lost weight or could up your TDEE a little. I’m a big fan of pumpkin soup, what is the recipe for pumpkin-Lemon soup, would lime work as well? We usually don’t do any trips in spring/summer except for 3 weeks in Warrnambool in January as OH has been coaching DD softball team but that might not happen this year and I would like to give it a run once the van is repaired and the car has been set up for towing. A trip to the Rutherglen wine region would be a good run.

    Lindsay. Those pups look like a bundle of trouble. I always thought red setters were supposed to be a bit flighty. The ones I have come across have been quite scatty. How is your new queen settling in, hopefully she will improve the manners of the rest of the girls. Hang in there, your holiday will give you a chance to reset. Extremely bad news about your building woes, it is always upsetting when trust is abused.

    Cinque. I hope you are going to give us tips on chicken stock, do you use fresh or cooked carcasses? That burst of energy must have been very welcome, I hope you didn’t pay for it later but you do have some lovely food to show for it. You should have no trouble with Week 3, I thought it was the easiest yet and the test at the end is very simple.

    Betsy. Hope you are going okay and your studies are progressing. Remember we are going to have a joint birthday outing soon.

    JustJulie. Lovely to hear from you again. If my memory serves me correctly you were into Japanese drumming, I hope I have that right. Looking forward to hear how you are going now.

    Quakka. Are you in the rainy area, if you are, then your holiday was very badly timed. I hope you get some time outdoors and the relaxation you need.

    Gday. You are probably on your holiday now. I hope those meds kicked in and you are enjoying quality time with your family

    As you can imagine, my garden, such as it is, was quite overrun when I came home but I have had my revenge, at least on one element. I had a huge crop of nettles. After some research, I found out they are better than spinach. I have made some nettle soup and nettle pesto is on the agenda. I’ll see what else I can make as I weed them out. I wish I could use some of the other invaders. At least, all the gardeners here have inspired me and I bought a number of plants today which I hope will help nourish me in the future.

    Good evening SHs, hope you are all planning some wonderful weekend activities – or relaxation.

    Neil, that sounds like the perfect birthday present. You also get the chance to plan your new wardrobe – rather than the rather haphazard and often mismatched additions we often end up with. You are doing exceptionally well with your steps. I had been managing well with my much lower target, but have struggled this week. (Partly weather and partly being very busy.)

    Klondi, I don’t don’t know which day MM was on tv. He came out here to do some public seminars I think and he popped up on breakfast tv to promote it. I saw him unexpectedly at about 8am one morning on the ABC breakfast news program.
    I love it when you find success from adversity – well done on the nettle cuisine.
    I have noticed my weight’s dropped a little, but it didn’t start when I upped my steps, it happened when I added mindfulness to my approach to eating afternoon snacks in addition to the steps.
    The pumpkin soup I make is different to most others. It contains no potato, milk or cream and has a fresh flavour that I can tolerate even when it’s not cold weather (also low cal enough for FDs). It contains 2 onions, 1 butternut (or similar quantity of jap, kent etc pumpkin) and 3-4 carrots. Peel the veg and chop into big chunks. In a large pot on medium heat, soften the onions and a couple of garlic cloves in 1-2 tsp butter/oil. Then add the other veg and enough chicken stock to almost cover the veg (I use water and massel low sodium chicken stock powder.) Add 1/4 tsp nutmeg and some ground pepper. Simmer until everything is tender. Then add the zest of 1 lemon or 2 limes and blend – I use a stick blender. Taste and then add as much of the juice of the lemon/limes as you like. I like it sour so I add a lot, but the original recipe just contained the zest and no juice at all. You can add mild herbs such as fresh parsley if you like – completely optional. I did make this with orange rather than lemon once and that was nice too – though quite different.

    I played bridge again today and we came second. It seems to be easier to do well at the Friday session as it is mostly inexperienced players. The Somerton Park group contains a lot of people who’ve been playing for decades, so it’s much more challenging – we are definitely out of our depth.

    I am planning to go walking with a friend and do some gardening tomorrow – weather permitting. It’s been bucketing down for the last 3 hours so I hope there are some
    breaks in the rain tomorrow.

    I’m planning a NFD tomorrow and a FD Sunday. I moved it because I will be at the hospital for several hours Monday and would rather not have to deal with FD food choices.

    Have nice weekend all.

    Good morning from a bizarrely warm Melbourne that is about to turn cold.

    Saturday! Day before fast day for me.

    Yesterday the little one came for Grandma kinder and also I managed a good amount of gardening. Hooray. The compost bins are organised. Today I will (belatedly) plant tomato seeds.

    LJoyce, so glad you have a good plan for those tests. Hope there are wonderfully useful
    Your lemony pumpkin soup sounds so nice and springlike (whereas my velvety one with red capsicum and split red lentils is so autumny).

    Anzac, so much rain. I’m glad Mr Anzac could keep the pool from overflowing. SO PLEASED to hear about your recognition reward. Your hard work is not going unnoticed.

    Thanks for your pleasure re my good day. I haven’t quite managed the same again but my days have been easier and more things are getting done so I am a happy little vegemite.

    Neil I appreciated that info about higher protein cheese too. Haloumi, yum.
    What fun you are going to have spending your birthday money!

    Here is the link for Dr Mosley on The Project Klondi https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=625994374592669 I can’t find any link for when he was on News Breakfast but it was the 15th I think, if not, it was the 16th.

    Dr Mosley is in Melbourne on the 27th https://www.livenation.com.au/artist/michael-mosley-tickets but he says most of the show is more generally about his documentaries over the last twenty years.

    I asked my sister to come and make chicken stock at my place, because just talking about it didn’t help me feel I could do it. But I will try to talk it through :). A whole lot of celery stalks (four or five stalks cut in three inch sticks) to line the bottom of a big pressure cooker. Place 4 chicken frames on top as neatly as possible (on top of the celery stalks so the carcasses don’t glue themselves to the base while cooking). Fresh carcasses, my sister says wherever a butcher is cutting out chicken breasts they will have the frames. (Horrible looking things!) Then a couple of onions and carrots roughly cut up (quartered), a couple of bayleaves and, my sister’s favourite, a couple of star anise. Cover with water and bring to pressure. Cook twenty minutes. Leave to lose pressure naturally. Drain off the liquid. The fat can be taken off after it has cooled down in the fridge. Made at least 2 litres.
    No doubt I will tweak it a bit as I try it.

    I also made nettle soup last week. So yummy! I had to pick my little plant before the maintenance guy came and sprayed it.

    Off to plant those seeds! Best wishes everyone.

    Eat food, not too much, mostly plants 🙂

    Looks like I jinxed myself. I said I hadn’t had any problems with my bum shoulder since I’ve been going to the gym. But I was up until after midnight gib stopping and then another 5 hours or so doing the same today. Since most of it was shaping the edges of the beam and it was all above shoulder height my shoulder is killing me now. I’ve still got to sand it all down tomorrow and then paint after that 😞

    I haven’t really eaten much today, I haven’t had time, I’m existing on a couple of coffees and some of my wife’s bacon and egg pie.

    I hope everyone else is having a more relaxing weekend than me. Have a great one everyone.

    Good morning and happy Sunday. Overcast today but a bit humid. Yesterday was gorgeous; sunny and 25 so we washed the dog and all his bedding. Not a happy boy about the bath but he does love the towel dry at the end.

    The sun just peeked out and of course I just finished hanging the washing under cover as it looked like it wanted to rain.

    I am home alone while the boys are at dog training. I really wanted to go but I have a lot of work to do and these two hours without distractions (apart from reading lovely posts on this forum of course) will mean I can power through it and get half of it done and then have the afternoon off. I also took advantage of the fur shedding machine being absent to vacuum without him following me around trying to lie down wherever I wanted to hoover. I also got the floors mopped!

    Bummer about your shoulder Neil, I know exactly how painful it is. I hope it eases soon

    I did quite a lot of exercise, for me anyway, on Friday and yesterday. I walked to the hairdressers yesterday – it is across that rail bridge that we walked across Klondi – about 40 minutes each way and I even jogged part of the way back. I’ve also been doing sit ups every day and this morning the scales were 83.5 so the weight is slowly slowly coming off. I also had an excellent FD on Thursday to make up for the FFD on Tuesday. Hubby is encouraging me to flap my arms and dance around whenever possible to keep the momentum going. Maxx finds it all quite hilarious and exciting of course. I was dancing around the deck last night playing fetch with Maxx and he was leaping around with me. Too funny. Anyway all is going well. 10 weeks today until we fly!

    I have copied and pasted your chicken stock recipe Cinque, thanks for that. Best wishes to your tomato seeds, may the crop be prosperous and delicious

    You are seeing awesome results too LJ, with your mindfulness and steps. Hope your FD goes well today

    I should go and do some work as it is already 9.00am and the boys will be back around 10.00. Have a lovely day all

    Beautiful morning,

    Neil, I do hope you can protect your shoulder, at least a little bit, as you finish your work. Those arms-reaching-high tasks are punishing. Lots of rests between short bursts of work might be the go? I can imagine how you just want to get it finished, but don’t let the cost be too great.

    Anzac, lovely news. Enjoy every minute. Keep dancing!
    Lovely to have that housework done. And washed dog bedding! I was also nipping in and out between clothes line and clothes horse, trying to dry clothes but avoid the rain. I did succeed!

    I did get the tomato seeds planted. One lot from my best tomato of last year, and one lot from some little jewel like tomatoes I bought a month or so ago, to see if I can grow some as pretty.

    I hope the chicken stock procedure comes in handy. I am still to use the gorgeous golden stock we made, but keen to try making it myself.

    Fast day for me. Looking forward to my miso soup already 🙂

    I’d better go and finish this week’s course work. Cheers all.

    Good afternoon.
    I have had a productive gardening afternoon and have planted all the veggie seedlings and created 12 cane teepees ready for the legume seeds. I still also have some zucchini, cucumber & rockmelon seeds to plant. I also finished all the digging so the remaining seed planting should be a quick job.
    I still also have 3 huge terracotta pots to be planted up with herbs and strawberries, but I though that could wait as I could do that on the verandah even if it’s raining.
    Glad you got your tomatoes planted Cinque. I’m sure with home made compost they’ll do very well. I don’t have a compost bin, I either buy bags of it or dig trenches in the garden and fill them with food scraps to create compost in the ground.

    Anzac, sounds like you have a very clean Maxx – even if he isn’t happy about that.

    Neil, try to take care of that shoulder. I know you have a lot of reno tasks to take care of, but pace yourself if possible.

    Looking forward to my FD dinner. A cup of pumpkin soup and a little bit of leftover nigerian red bean stew.

    I am reading back posts, trying to catch up.

    Neil I laughed at your losing the ability to float. Your buoyancy disappeared with your weight loss. I was a floater too….when my eyesight was better, I could lay on my back in the pool, legs crossed, reading a magazine. Not sure about now.

    Anzac how is your shoulder? Your fall sounded painful.

    LJ what progress on the tests? Even after you’ve found a medication that you’re not allergic to, will you keep an epipen, just in case?

    Cinque great to hear your health has been better recently. I remain in awe of how you manage your illness, family, friends and garden, with nary a complaint and always so positive.

    Klondi, not too fast in the wonderful red car,when it arrives!

    Cali hope you’ve been able to break out of the lose/gain cycle. I’m still struggling. Trying hard but struggling. And crazy, I made muffins yesterday because I have Miss 6 today and tomorrow, and I wanted something for her to have for afternoon tea. They are low sugar, olive oil not butter, and packed with fruit, and I made 12 although the recipe was for 6, but even though they were quite small, OH and I had afternoon tea yesterday and had two each. Self sabotage. What’s that about?

    LJ interested in your comments on loneliness. Have you watched the ABC program ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds’? It charts the depression and loneliness of a group of residents of a retirement village, and how their mood and health change when a kindy group visits them for a day over a period of weeks. I would have expected that people living communally wouldn’t have experienced that loneliness, but no ,not so. If you’ve not caught it, it’s worth I-viewing. It’s quite inspiring. (I think the last episode is on this week).

    Congrats on your award Anzac. Nice to get the recognition, after the slog…and especially as you are a contractor, they must really appreciate what you are doing. And 83.5! good work, and down it goes.

    Klondi, Irish Setters take a long time to mature – physically they grow, but keep their puppyhood for quite a long time. They can be flighty if not exercised enough, or if they are left on their own too much. They need firm, loving companionship, and gentle training. Their upside is that they are loyal wonderful gentle pets, and great with children which is a must for us – our four little ones who are here often. And they are such fun.

    Thanks for asking about the bees – still cranky at last inspection, but another couple of weeks should do it. Here’s something. We went to the markets on Saturday and bought two different honeys to try. One was Macadamia, one Yellow Box. (OH adores honey). Both sold as pure and unadulterated. Yet when OH tried them, both were really runny compared with ours – I’ll swear they’d been watered down.

    I also bought some wonderful 500 gram boxes of strawberries at the market – 4 for $5. Compared with the flavour of the ones we’ve been buying from one of the two big supermarkets, they were out of this world. I am thinking the ones in the supermarket had been held in cold storage until they’d lost nearly all their flavour. Anyway, I ended up making four lovely big pots of strawberry jam. No temptation there for me – not a jam fan – but sweet tooth OH loves it, and they do look pretty on the shelves.

    I also got a large pumpkin so will try your soup recipe LJ.

    OK, I think I’m caught up, and apologies to anyone I’ve missed.

    I’m hungry this morning, as I can be after the weekend, but my 16:8 routine means I won’t eat until 11, so it’s another black coffee which put the hunger bear to rest.

    Have a wonderful day all.

    Morning all

    Well I got all the stopping and sanding done over the weekend so tonight I’ll be able to start masking up the wall ready for painting. The end is in sight. My wife and I indulged in a nice deep bubblebath last night to soak out the aches.

    Lindsay, My wife is obsessed with growing strawberries, we have them everywhere and they always taste so much better than the ones you get from the supermarket. I’m looking forward to the next couple of months because it’s moving towards berry season. We have strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, NZ cranberries, blueberries and red and black currants. 😛

    Good morning.

    I’m just about to head out and do the grocery shopping as I didn’t get to it on the weekend.

    Neil, I envy you all those berries, especially the raspberries. I had one set of grandparents who lived in the Adelaide Hills and that was perfect growing conditions for berries and currants – the only things on your list that they didn’t grow was cranberries and blueberries.
    I imagine you have a bit more room in the bath these days. I can remember the sensation of taking up a lot less space in a bath than I used to.

    Lindsay, yes I did watch that program and really enjoyed it. I did worry about what would happen after the experiment ended. I have heard that this idea is actually happening for real – not just for a tv docco. There are kindergartens that have linked to aged care facilities – mostly for the elderly to read to the kids – so not as active. Kids energy and enthusiasm is hard to ignore so I can see why it’s effective.
    I’ve never had an epipen, because cortisone isn’t something that I’m likely to be injected with unexpectedly.

    Time to finish my cuppa and then do the shopping. I go to the hospital this afternoon to test one of the cortisone injections.

    Have a good day all.

    We get a LOT of raspberries, in the height of the season we can pick a punnet a day, we usually get enough to make jams and raspberry cordial.

    I forgot to mention that today is my 8 month anniversary of being on this WOL. Time has absolutely flown by. I’m down almost 40 kilos so I’ve averaged almost 5 kilos a month of weight loss. I’m so glad that I found this WOL and thankful for all the support I’ve gotten on these forums. You people are amazing.

    Hi all

    LJ Thanks for the pumpkin recipe, I can see how it will be lighter and more summery, I’ve copied it for future reference. You were lucky to have family who were such good gardeners. Dad had a veggie garden for a while including beautiful little jam strawberries but it was more an economic thing and once money wasn’t so tight he gave it away.

    Cinque. Thanks for the link, I have watched it. I must admit I believe I would have struggled with 800 calls every day but I do understand that with 350 calls (which I tried to stick to on FD)it’s impossible to eat the recommended nutrition. I try and take the view that over a week, I probably cover everything. At this stage I’m still aiming for 500 on at least one FD as I’m scared of losing the discipline. I’ll ask my favourite butcher about the chicken frames, sounds like something they would be glad to give away. Fancy you making nettle soup too. I have wiped out my crop now by making pesto as well. Unfortunately I put a bit too much garlic in so it was more garlic pesto with some nettles. A gardening course I went to said that tomatoes should be planted around Melbourne Cup Day as all frosts have finished but what do I know, I planted a few plants last year and got one tomato.

    Neil. Sounds like anyone would have muscle soreness after such a punishing session. The bubble bath sounds like the perfect solution, and did the bath seem much bigger than it used to. Congrats on your monthiversary. I’ve just clicked over 9 months, lost 27 kilos, maintained for a month and could not have done it without all this cyber support.

    Anzac great news re scales, that cost is going to fit really nicely soon. That walk would have been so restful, a very pretty setting to get anywhere. You might like to try C25, it starts you at one minute jogs and builds up, very achievable. Your house must be hilarious, you and Maxx dancing around, what a joyous way to add extra movement.

    Lindsay. I can empathise re the long adolescence of the setters. We had a boxer for 15 years and the first 5 were definitely teenage years. (Anzac don’t read this) but she was a fabulous family dog. I am enjoying the TV documentary and I hope they can continue the contact between the two groups. There was a Catalyst program recently where a choir was formed at a Nursing Home with great results which was going to continue. I know that there are informal programs where preschoolers visit nursing homes but this one is special because of the research based activities they have covered. As a potential customer, I hope I can find such a pro-active place if I end up in care. You and I have our own kidlets to keep us challenged and bring out our inner child as does Cinque. Aren’t we lucky.

    I have bought some plants and I’m going to make a worm pipe to see if I can get some compost into my garden the easy way. It looks quite simple and having killed a couple of worm farms, this might be the way to do some good and not end up being a mass murderer. OH has been tracking my car and it is now in Australian waters and heading south from Brisbane, should be about two weeks from now, and I’ll be very careful, speeding fines are very expensive

    Hi everyone,

    Dropping in briefly to say hello to everyone, encourage the newbies to give this a go and ask questions of the very knowledgable and encouraging 5:2ers.

    Congratulations to all the achievers – Neil, awsome results, well done!

    My apologies, I’m not caught up with the list atm.

    Check-in:

    Weigh-in Monday – 62.4kg. Yay!!
    0.4 over my goal weight that I achieved in nov 2016, after losing over 20kgs with no exercise to speak of due to medical condition.

    Leaving for the USA for the wedding of one of my adult children. Bittersweet stuff, but lovely to see the happiness of this lovely couple.

    Mr Merry continues to be well with almost no bad side effects from his radiation which finished about 5 months ago. Early signs of results looking good so far and we’ll know the full picture in about 7 months.

    I’m staying as well as I can be, which is sustaining me through a full on time.

    Hugs to all
    See you soon,
    Merry
    Onwards and downwards

    I’ve missed posting here! We had houseguests from mid day Thurs until today, Sunday. They’re close friends and we had a wonderful time. But too much eating and snacking while they were here. I decided to do a FD today. Maybe my Monday FD tomorrow will be an 800 calorie day. LJ, I agree that it would be difficult to have 800 calorie FD’s twice a week when my TEE at my goal weight is around 1400 calories. I would certainly have to adjust my NFD’s a lot, probably too much for this to be easy to stick to. But I agree about the protein. It’s hard to get enough protein on 500 calories.

    I managed to get the painting finished in the bathroom the night before they came. I still have some doors in the hall and more baseboard to do, but at least I won’t be scraping off old paint.

    Anzac, I’m sorry to hear about your shoulder injury. Is it feeling any better yet? I can just imagine you and Maxx out dancing on the patio. Dancing can be great exercise and fun at the same time.

    Cinque, thank you for those links and for the chicken broth recipe. It’s nice that it only takes 20 minutes in the pressure cooker. I’m going to try it.

    LJ, glad to hear you’re going for the testing of the various pain killers. I hope you find more than one that you can tolerate. It sounds like you’re almost finished with your planting for this Spring. You’re so organized! I hope you have as plentiful a harvest as you did last year. And I hope you don’t have any more dust storms. Did you have those when you lived in Adelaide Hills? I don’t remember you mentioning them.

    Neil congrats on getting all that work done but sorry to hear about your shoulder. Won’t it be nice to get to your goal weight and not have to keep changing your wardrobe? You’ve done an amazing job of losing.

    Klondi, it sounds like you’re getting caught up from your trip. I hope your red car arrives soon. That will be exciting.

    Lindsay, self sabotage after I’ve lost weight has been a problem for me too. Maybe we just need to break that pattern and get back to our normal 5:2 eating. I know I felt better when I wasn’t overeating on NFD’s. And even a couple kg’s can make my knees feel creaky when they were feeling fine before.

    Merry, congrats on the 62.4 weight. Way to go!

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