Hi Intesha, how wonderful to hear from you as I think of you very often; but how terrible that this dreadful virus has made you suffer so much. I am so very sorry.

I am appalled at your children and I apologise if I am out of order. It makes me thankful I don’t have any to be honest.

I’m so glad that you are happy with your weight and your diet and eating habits. It would have been so easy to use your situation as an excuse to overeat. But you didn’t and you should be so very proud of yourself.

I’m so glad you can turn to us to vent and rest assured you have friends here for ever no matter how often you manage to post.

Intesha great to see your name pop up on the forum again but also so very sorry to hear of your troubles. I sincerely hope life will take an upward turn for you soon. Congratulations on your weight loss – what a tremendous effort.

We’ve had some very cold mornings here over the last week with a minus 4 a few days ago. But in saying that OH were out landscaping in the yard and by 10am that morning I swapped my track pants and jumper for shorts and singlet as it was so warm in the sun. We were doing some quite heavy work so that added to my body temp and the need to change clothing.

Well I have some good news on 2 fronts. Firstly, I am now employed !! Started work yesterday at the local hardware store on the checkout, permanent part time at around 30 hours per week. Its a very large store and is super busy. Two downsides – they open 7 days a week so I will be working most weekends and compared to my last job the hourly pay rate is exactly half of what I was getting before. I was absolutely knackered when I got home from work yesterday and thankfully don’t have to work this weekend, back in again on Monday. I’ve gone from wearing dresses and high heals to work and now it’s jeans and hiking boots….lol.

Second good news is my weight loss in continuing. Just shy of 1kg loss over the last 7 days so very happy with that. I also checked body measurements which I usually do monthly (but somehow I missed last month) so from 2 months ago I have lost 8cm off my waist, 3cm off my hips, 1cm off my neck, 2cm off my upper arms and 2 cm off my upper legs. OH says he can see the loss and I have to admit when I put on my denim jeans for work yesterday they were not snug at all and I seem to recall them being a big snug last time I wore them which was many, many months ago.

We ended up going to get the stick Dyson today rather than the drive to the hills produce shopping. Gave it a quick test run and it works a treat. OH was complaining the suction was too strong so I will also check for the little circle a bit later. I didn’t buy a new phone as the shop only sold phones on plans and I use pre-paid so will look elsewhere for one later in the week. As we had to travel to another town to get the Dyson so we had our first meal out in a long time and had lunch at a pub. I had chicken breast stuffed with sundried tomatoes, capsicum sauce, mash potato and vegies. The meal wasn’t very nice and OH didn’t enjoy his either so we are in no hurry to eat out any time soon. With the exception our local Indian restaurant which has the most amazing food so perhaps now we have some money coming in we might make that a treat in the very near future.

Time to go, OH is plonked in front of the TV waiting for his beloved Crows and the SA footy showdown to start so time to rummage through the fridge and find something for tea. Good evening all.

Good evening all.

Weight loss this week has been slower, but I’ve lost 300 gms, so it is at least a loss. That brings me to 70 kg, which is very satisfying. I’m looking forward to culling yet more clothes from my wardrobe. I’d set 70 kg as the weight when I’d do another big try-on/ keep or discard day. BMI is 29.5 so I definitely have a considerable distance still to go, but it’s pleasing to be here. And now I know the Salvos are open, I’ve somewhere to donate the discards.

Anyone have any suggestions about losing measurements around the waist? When I lost weight in 2009, my waist was 2 inches less than this time at 70 kg, other measurements around the same. Maybe I need to work at being more generally active? I seem to do a lot of walking or sitting, not much standing, these days.

In neither case was I anywhere near 30 inches, like Cinque or LJoyce. Currently 34.5 inches, 88 cms, the measurement which is always cited as the measure females’ waists should be less than. I’m short and gourd-shaped, basically, and my waist to hip ratio is less than 0.8, another important measure that is said to be healthy (it’s 0.78 now though, rather than 0.7, because of the increase in waist size).

Anzac65, well done on your weight loss; you’re doing well!

LindsayL, chuckled at Rosy’s naughtiness. Lovely photos, thanks for sharing them.

Intesha, what a disappointing reaction from your daughter. You were hoping to give her a lovely surprise by being there for her birthday, and her practical reaction was to ask why? I’m sure she didn’t intend to cause you such devastation, and maybe she was even trying to consider your financial situation. I think back sometimes to some of the things I said to my mother and think how insensitive I was, even totally unintentionally. And to make it worse for you, you couldn’t go after all and lost all the money and joy. No wonder you’ve been feeling upset and depressed about it. Covid-19 hasn’t been helping much either.
Having said all that, well done you by using the time with positive results and such a great weight loss. You’re doing it for yourself, and the results confirm your hard work in that area.

GdayfromSA, yay for a job! Even if not nearly as well-paying as your previous one, there will be money coming back into the household, which I imagine is a huge relief.
Re the Dyson, both LJoyce and I have a standard-type vacuum cleaner, not a stick. My friend who has a stick said there’s something that can be moved on the handle to open or close a small “grate” that allows more or less air in, thus reducing or increasing suction. Don’t think it’s the same as LJoyce and I have.

Neilithicman, sorry to read of the SAD affecting you. Is that a usual thing you get each year? If not, maybe the whole Covid-19 isolation, etc., is now leading to your current feelings, as others have also suggested? I’ve also heard that people have been reporting sleeping a lot more than usual during the isolation period as another effect of the lockdown.

Well, it’s Saturday evening, and the thump thump music has started again from a house up a hill from me. It’s always been a very quiet area, but whether new tenants have moved in there or it’s just a release from the lockdown I don’t know, but every Saturday evening for the past 4 there’s been some kind of party/ music going on from that home. Not very restful. I’m hoping it’s something that will settle down again now things are returning to normal, but it seems that even with the relaxation in restrictions, places like night clubs will still not be allowed to open, so parties are likely to continue in homes. Sigh! Looks like I’ll be up late again.

Never mind. Goodnight everyone.

Hello all on this rainy Sunday. It is warm however – I’m sitting in a cotton short-sleeved dress. whoo hoo for Queensland’s winter (but please, don’t remind me of hot hot February).

Intesha, can I endorse 100% what Cinque said?

First, wonderful you came back to post. I always get quite concerned when a long-term cyber friend drops out …I am sure most others do too. Your kids ….aaaahhhhh.. I think Betsy is right though. Your daughter probably wasn’t going to make too much of her 40th, and with some ill-chosen words blew your plans out of the water. Your son needs a good boot up the backside. Just like one OH’s daughters from his first marriage. She moved back to Brisbane after years of living abroad, but didn’t try to mend fences, even when he held out the olive branch. I am not sure why she came back, because we never see her.

How brilliant through all of this, you are now 63 kilos….25 kilos down. Amazing. What strength you must have.

Can I tell you a story, as you nudge your 70th, and look to the future? My girlfriend and I (and OHs) went on a cruise a few years ago. After the cruise, at the carousel as we waited to collect our luggage, was a beautiful, elegant, slim woman who in conversation told us she was 89. My OH had offered to lift her suitcase but she refused. She thanked him, but said she’d know it was time to give up travelling when she couldn’t manage her own luggage. 89, and she was beautifully dressed and elegant. My point is that although this time is hard for you, you will have a large chunk of your life to live to the fullest when Covid is over, and you are able to travel again. And you can do so looking slim and elegant.

Gday congratulations on your job,, and your weight loss. Way to go on both fronts. Will you get penalty rates to boost your pay, if you work weekends?

Betsy 300 grams is a third of a kilo, so take the loss and enjoy it. And enjoy your clothes sorting too …. such a lovely feeling, to find something is no longer a close fit.

How’s your 1000 cal day going LJ? I had one yesterday, and apart from some mid-afternoon rumbles, managed ok. Another restricted day today. I am not going to the gelato shop until I break a little target I’ve set myself. I may not even go this week. Rewarding myself with ice cream is not ideal….but it’s more than the gelato. It’s chatting to the locals, while sitting on a bench looking out to sea. The whales should be here soon – a great spot for whale watching.

OH is laid up again with his poor feet. Such pain, and Rosy treads on them more than you’d expect. She just wants to be close. Another GP appointment I think, when we get back.

Enjoy what remains of your weekend all.

Quick check-in, as I’ve someone coming soon to pick up some things.

Intesha, lots of encouragement coming your way, and like LindsayL, I can see this slim, elegant woman spreading her wings again. I’m actually 70 years young, and am planning to live to my mid-90s, God willing, like a couple of my aunts. That gives me a quarter of a century more living to do! And you can do the same, as there are obviously long-life genes in your family. Go girl! 🙂

@anzac65, you DO have a child, just a fur-child, which I think (from your stories) can be even more challenging at times!

Cinque, hope you had fun with Miss 5.

LindsayL, grrr to you as I sit in the house on a 14 degree day. Your time will come in the summer!! LOL! Sorry to read of OD’s foot pain. Have you been able to work out which foods provoke the gout? A friend of mine has to avoid all acid foods, such as tomatoes, for one. She finds it frustrating, but prefers the restrictions to the pain.

Hi to everyone else. Gotta go. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, all.

Good afternoon everyone.

It’s been overcast but not raining, so I’ve managed to get our for a walk today which was nice.

I also had a successful couple of hours over at the nearest chopping centre looking for kids clothing. I found lots of bargains for the 4 kids I buy birthday clothing for and am very happy. Normally I’d just go online and purchase from Next or M&S in the UK as the prices are really good and delivery is usually a week by aircourier. They have just come back online but the timelines are longer and there’s no free postage anymore. I also managed a major find – garments for a 7 year old girl in green. It’s her favourite colour but rarely available in girl’s clothing – just endless amounts of pink and purple.

Lindsay, my dad used to suffer from gout. Issues with kidney function and an unwillingness to drink water were issues for him too.

Intesha, that’s excellent that you will get your travel funds back.

Betsy, well done on the loss. Given how much you’ve lost, getting smaller losses is normal so don’t panic.

Cinque, hope you have a lovely day with your grand daughter.

GDSA, hope your OH isn’t too upset with the footy last night – at least it’s back.

When I got home from shopping it was nearly 2pm and I hadn’t had any food yet. So I had a late lunch of a small serve of goulash with roast cauliflower and carrots, followed by a small banana. Now I’m trying to make it through to dinner, which is a bowl of cauliflower cheese soup and a corn cob. I should be able to have at least one hot milk drink too and stay under 1000cals for the day.
I tried doing alternate day restriction when I first started here, but it didn’t work for me – probably because I was doing 500cal FDs and that just had me binge eating on the NFDs. I had to ease off and do 4:3 instead. I am finding it much easier to do an AD pattern when the calorie restriction is not as strict. I often find myself saying “You can get through this, it’s only one day”. The 100 calorie days also feel relatively easy because they aren’t like a FD, because I get to have 2 proper meals, but they aren’t like a NFD either because I can’t afford the calories for snacks. My brain hasn’t quite managed to categorise them yet.

I discovered a new treat yesterday. I pulled out a little bit of leftover cream cheese and a punnet of strawberries and I spread a dab of the cream cheese onto half a dozen strawberries before eating them. It was a nice reminder of strawberry cheesecake flavours – but healthier.

Enjoy the last of your weekend.

Ooh early morning for me, I woke at 4:30 and am almost ready for a mid morning nap!

Hello everyone,

A lovely morning after fast day for me I had three big slices of toast, but now have 5 hours to get hungry for lunch, so I am sure that will work.

I’m keen to congratulate you, Gday, before I run out of stream. Big congratulations on getting that job. Do you enjoy it? I bet all your hardware knowledge would play well. Quite shocking to be earning half of what you made in your last job. I’m hoping it is easier and less stressful to compensate, at least a bit, and that there is good camaraderie among the staff.

And woot, woot, for the continuing weight loss. What a lovely relief! All those centimetres gone!

LJoyce, I’ve got veggies waiting for me to roast them. Especially some purple carrots that I just LOVE roasted. I bet you enjoyed your roasties.
All power to you, battling with hunger. I’ve struggled the last 6 months (at least) and suddenly I am back to it being ‘just a feeling’. No idea why.

Very interesting about the thrift Salvos, I have seen some named that. I hope the Preston one is (great friendly shop and poorer neighbourhood) but it is a small one that is still closed.

Betsy, big cheers for the 70kg goal! https://jkflorist.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Bunch-of-20-Mix-Gerberas-with-Jute-Packing.jpg Have such fun sorting through your clothes!

Re losing inches around the waist, I do remember (vaguely) one episode of ‘Trust Me I’m a Doctor’ with Michael Mosley where they were trying different things to lose weight, and the group that was doing sit ups (I think it was) didn’t lose more weight, but did lose centimetres from their waists.

I am sorry to say that I have also read that changes in hormones as we age, results in us carrying more fat internally in our belly and hence our wider waists. Sigh.

Oh dear, sympathy for the Saturday night thud thud. I do hope it is a short term thing.

Need coffee, another post as soon as it is made!

Monday morning Post 2.

Special message for Mr Lindsay about drinking more water.
I have a couple of tips:

The first is that water is usually easier to drink if it has a little squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. Just a pinch and a squeeze for a whole jug of water. They give the most common electrolytes we need. Hoping that amount of lemon wouldn’t exacerbate the gout, and that amount of salt won’t play havoc with BP!
(It really makes a huge difference if you have that problem that your throat just doesn’t want to open up for water!)

The second is to make yourself have a drink of water every time you go to the loo. It does involve a couple of hours when you go to the loo more and more frequently, but then it settles down.

My other tips are: soup every day! Never leave the house without a water bottle. Always have a drink if you get even the slightest signal that you are thirsty. Never ignore the thirst signal. Drinking water is even more important than sleep, so even if means you will have to get up in the night, still drink that water.

Fingers crossed you can do it Mr L, and that it eases your gout.

Intesha, so glad that you are getting at least some refund! Hope you had a great 500 day yesterday.
Do say hello to your dad from your far flung forum friends.

LJoyce, I was a day out with your roast veggies! Haha. I did have a lovely time with my granddaughter. What a great treat you made of your strawberries.

Thin, thankyou for your birthday wishes! One sleep to go. The grandkids are more excited than me, they have been counting down sleeps all week, bless them.
Hooray that you got over the aqueduct, was it fun, or an episode you don’t want to discuss? I hope you found your fast day dinner under its blanket of ice. (My miso soup was classic and delicious!).

Well,8:30 and I had better go and see what else I can do before my brain completely gives up. Best wishes everyone, cheers to the fasters, it is just one day! Cheers to Gday being polite to customers, and Thin, listening to the water against the side of the boat, and LJoyce, don’t forget your umbrella, eep I can’t do everyone! But sending you all good wishes.

Edit: Just saw your post Lindsay! Happy editing! (Ooh I would love to be as elegant as that woman you met!)

Bye all

Hello all from a lovely sunny day in Sydney. It was cold on our walk this morning (7 degrees) but will warm up to 20 later

The weekend flew by as they always seem to and while I thought I kept under my TDEE the scales jumped up this morning. Hopefully just a temporary thing due to a few extra carbs and salt. Back to 2 FD’s this week (Tue and Thurs) and 800-100 the other three weekdays. I really feel confident this is going to work as it is very similar to what I was doing at the end of last year where I finally saw good results prior to the trip. I don’t have far to go to get back in the 80’s and I really want to do that this week. Then a fast downhill to the 70’s! I haven’t been in the 70’s since I got married in 1992.

What fabulous news about your job AND the weight loss G’day! I know it totally irks that you are on half the pay you used to, but it will keep things ticking over until you find something else (if you decide to do that).

I’m really glad your new meal arrangement is working so well for you Cinque. It wouldn’t suit us but we do have our main meal quite early to give it time to settle. On the subject of drinking water, my Dad told me a story the other week that my ‘Aunt’ (his best mate’s widow) with whom he stays in the country has never once in her life had a glass of water! Never ever! She drinks endless cups of black, sugarless tea and nothing else. She is well into her eighties and quite healthy apart from starting to show signs of dementia, sadly. I couldn’t (and still can’t) believe it. I drink at least 2 litres of water per day and have a bottle with me everywhere.

Glad you are getting some form of refund Intesha and I echo everyone’s thoughts that you will soon be an elegant, slim traveller again.

I hope OH feels better soon Lindsay

LJ, well done on the shopping and I’m sure miss 7 will love her green outfits. It really sounds like you are in a good groove eating and exercise wise and that is so great.

I was sad to read how much you miss your daughter thin but hopefully soon you will be able to visit regularly. I agree about the reckless protesters

You’ll kick any gains from the family get-together in no time Neil. Remember, we have to have fun and indulgence sometimes else we couldn’t possibly stick to the regime

I too can’t wait to hear the “I’m in the 60’s” triumphant declaration Betsy 🙂

Happy Monday all

HA HA HA HA – oh Rosy, you cheeky beautiful girl. She and Maxx are fighting for the title of Most Naughty Pet. Yesterday he was lying on his outside bed in the sun looking cute as a button; but when I got closer I saw he had a pair of my socks in his mouth, gently chewing on them. I had just brought the washing in and he helped himself to a pair I’d balled together from the basket. There were plenty of really old ones that I wear dog walking because we are on the wet grass a lot. But no, he had to take an almost brand-new pair. Sigh

LJ and others, thank you for asking about me. I’m fine, just stressed with the covid-19 numbers going up in California, all the protests and disruption around the country and even a big grass fire not too far from here the end of last week. I didn’t thing we would have to worry about wildfires this early in the summer. But right in the middle of the fire fighting it started to rain pretty hard with even some thunder and lightning. It’s very unusual for us to get any rain at all during the summer, so it seemed something of a miracle and allowed the firefighters to start getting it under control. It burned about 5,000 acres though. No buildings were burned.

Intesha, it’s so good to hear from you again! So sorry to hear that your daughter was so careless in her comments. But I agree with some of the others that she may not have realized how that affected you and just didn’t think. Your son is another story. But maybe with his family the whole covid thing had an effect and he just wasn’t thinking. I hope you feel now that you can vent here. We’re always here to listen. You did fantastic on the weight loss, so you certainly accomplished something during the lockdown while many of us were gaining.

G’day, congrats on the new job and on the the weight loss. Even though the money is less, at least you’re working again. Do you get a store discount on things you purchase there? That would be a good benefit if you do, with all the work you’re always doing with your home.

LJ, we’ve had weird weather here too. Besides that rainstorm, we’ve had hot weather for a few days and now it cool, in the low 20’s. Actually, it’s quite nice because I can use the oven without overheating the rooms. Is your lockdown mostly over now? It seems everyone is getting out again. Your numbers look really low. It’s so different from here, where things are opening, but probably too quickly. The new cases from all the protests haven’t really hit here yet either. Lots of protesters wore masks, but lots didn’t.

Cinque, your advice about drinking water with lemon and a pinch of salt is great. It makes the water easier to drink. I often add lemon but hadn’t thought of the salt, so thank you.

Thin, good to see you here. You’re in about the same place as we are with the covid and the protests I guess. It’s hard to believe how much life has changed since March. But at least you don’t have to worry about bushfires over there.

Hi to Lindsay, Anzac, Penguin, Quacka, Neil and Betsy. Stay safe.

CalifD, so good to see your post. We’re having some odd weather here too. Temps in the low twenties and lows around 10-12C which is great. Thundery rain storms and then the sun comes out and it’s all warm and fresh again. A man in another boat was in shorts and a T-shirt having a BBQ at 9pm last night, still an hour or so away from darkness and very warm.

Yes, our countries are in such a mess. I understand why you’d feel stressed. I get despondent too. I can’t help feeling the media fuels a lot of the unrest. The BBC that used to be so highly respected around the world seems hell bent on ripping into whatever decision the govt. makes and tearing the country to shreds. They claim to be impartial but it’s just not so.

The govt. is simultaneously criticised for ending lock-down too early and failing to abolish the 2m distancing rule. It was criticised for closing schools, then blamed for children from less well-off families having missed out the most from home schooling, then criticised for attempting to get children back to school too early, and then when it listened to the concerns of teachers’ unions and allowed head teachers to make their own decisions, criticised for not getting enough children back to school before the summer holidays. I don’t want sensation, I just want facts and to be allowed to make up my own mind. And, I call on them to edit their work properly before slapping up the latest bashing of our country. A little research of facts wouldn’t go amiss either.

No, we don’t have bushfires to add to the mix. I’m so sorry all this is going on around you. Hey, I thought of you three this morning as OH asked me to cut his hair. I told him he was looking like the clown on The Simpsons. I think I did a fair job considering we don’t own a comb between us. As for me, boat hair, don’t care.

Good morning everyone

It’s raining again here, so it will be another day of looking for a gap in the clouds to walk. My NFD yesterday got a bit wobbly. My two meals went as planned, although I probably ate lunch a bit late. In the afternoon I decided I wanted a snack and got out the containers of almonds and sultanas. Normally I would put a modest portion on a plate and put the containers away, but I didn’t do that. I put the open containers on the coffee table and mindlessly ate about three time what I normally would. I should have known better. To make matters worse I was craving dessert after I’d eaten my cauliflower soup for dinner. So I pulled a piece of german yeast cake out of the freezer and ate that. I suspect this behaviour had something to do with the change of plans I had yesterday. My friend was going to visit in the afternoon so we could walk and have afternoon tea (I’d planned to defrost the german cake for that). She cancelled at the last minute as there was problem with her car and she had to get it towed to the mechanic. I think I was reacting to the loss of afternoon company and cake treat.

Cali, I am so sorry to hear that you are dealing with so many threats and challenges at once. Thank goodness for the rain helping to control that fire.
Yes our lockdown is over and most businesses have reopened. The state borders are still closed but everything else is opening up, even professional sport with fans in limited numbers. The only things that they don’t have plans to allow yet are large festivals/fairs etc where crowds mingle and move around – only large events with allocated seating are allowed to open again. Victoria and New South Wales continue to report a very small number of new cases each day, but the other states and territories are now reporting no new cases so we are in a position to get most businesses back to normal. There is still a ban on Australians leaving the country (they will make some exceptions on compassionate grounds or for humanitarian work, but there are few flights). They are planning to start selectively opening borders with other countries with very low infection rates once our states have reopened their borders, although we’ve been told a full opening won’t happen this year. Most state borders will reopen by the end of July (except Western Australia).

Lindsay, I had a badly damaged fig tree at my previous home. I tried to remove it by cutting it off at ground level but it kept resprouting. After removing this a couple of times I gave and put a garden stake in and tied the new stem to it so the tree could regrow properly. It was still small, but alive and growing when I left. So it it quite possible that yours may grow too – especially as you’ll have time away from the island when Rosy can’t have another go at it! It would be worth reading the label for the fig tree to see if it was grafted onto a different root stock – this is often done for fruit trees and it’s possible that the hardy root stock, rather than the fruiting tree, will regrow.

Thin, I read your blog wildflower post this morning. I couldn’t see the labelling, but that could be my very old laptop. The photos were lovely, what a wonderful time of year to be on the canals with views of wildflower meadows.

Anzac, I’m surprised Maxx took a clean pair of socks to chew on, I would have thought a used pair that had your scent would appeal more. Or is it just opportunism – if it’s there I’ll chew it!

Cinque, hope you have some lovely birthday plans. https://imgur.com/a/PQRmvAs

Have a good day for all, FD for me.

Happy Birthday lovely Cinque! I hope you have a fantastic evening with your family and zoom call with your sisters. Where did you find that hilarious boat head pic? It was perfect for Thin!

Lovely to hear from you Cali but sorry things are still so incredibly bad over there. I remember how anxious I felt at the beginning and we were so lucky to be much less impacted here. I’m glad the rain came to help put the bushfire out, especially as it was close to you

My weekend upward glitch on the scales did a downward unglitch overnight so I’m back to where I was on Saturday morning (600g down for the week). FD today and going well. I can’t believe how easily I have been able to slip back into this WOL. Mostly thanks to you all 🙂

LJ don’t worry about yesterday’s wobble, today will make it up.

Hi everyone else, work is crazy so I must keep this short

Happy Birthday Cinque! Hope you had a wonderful zoom and will have a lovely time at your daughter’s. Boat hair – no, not quite that bad!

Good evening, a very quick post as I probably won’t have time tomorrow.
The rain was meant to clear by early afternoon, so I waited until 2pm and it hadn’t rained for a while so I thought it was safe. It wasn’t until I got 1.5km from home that the driving rain started. Despite wearing an anorak that usually keeps me dry, I ended up wet to the skin and had to squelch my way home in waterlogged shoes. I was very very grateful for warm dry clothes when I got here. But on the plus side, I did get to 10k steps today.
FD today and it didn’t go exactly as planned. The food I had planned was barely 350cals but my only planned meal of a bowl of soup just didn’t cut it. I followed it with 2 cruskits with a slice of cheese. Still easily under 500cals though, so it’s ok.

I’m spending the day in the hills tomorrow. I’m getting a haircut (finally) in the morning, then meeting my aunt and cousin for lunch at a local cafe. My uncle died a few weeks ago and it would have been his birthday tomorrow. As it’s likely to be a difficult day, my cousin and I thought it might help to take my aunt to her favourite cafe for lunch so she isn’t home moping and gets a chance to talk about him. In the afternoon I have a remedial massage appointment before heading home.

I’m heading to bed now as I slept badly last night and need to catch up on some zzzzs.

Take care all.

Quick second post – forgot – LJoyce, you got very wet today – please stay rugged up and dry. We don’t want you getting another chest infection.

Good morning, a bit of pale sun coming through the window, lovely!

It is Wednesday fast day for me. I am feeling very slow after my big, lovely day yesterday, so I am preparing for home help to work their magic and then spending the rest of the day in bed.

I did have a lovely birthday, made even more lovely by your wishes and flowers everyone, thanykyou! Yes Cali, I did receive your beautiful bunch on my birthday.
And here is a picture of my birthday cake, which was a hit: https://imgur.com/a/qm6ZwzU And my daughter made a lovely chicken curry, a big bowl of steamed spiced veggies, and rice, and the special treat was a paratha, cooked just how I love it.

So glad you enjoyed the boat hair, I remembered that style from reading about Marie Antoinette and thought it suited the situation very well, haha.

Very nice to read some more research yesterday confirming that children tend not to get Covid 19 very easily, and do not spread it very much. That’s good. On the other hand, 21 new cases in Victoria. That’s bad. But 15 from returned travelers in their quarantine hotels and only 3 that need chasing. That’s good.

LJoyce, So glad you are able to have a gentle day with your aunty. My heart goes out to her. It was a hard to time lose a dear partner. And for you too, to lose a loved uncle.
I do hope you got a good refreshing sleep, and are starting to feel very svelte with your careful eating and many steps. Ooh what a walk! How nice to get home and warm and dry. I see we’ve got some nasty weather coming, that is currently blasting SW WA. Eep.

Betsy, teetering on the brink of 69. Take your time, you will get there. We are having a proper fast day in lockstep today. Powerful!
I hope your soup is yummy (it must have been LJoyce recommended it). Enjoy those sit ups! Don’t overdo it or you will be too sore to do them again for a week 😉

Neil, so frustrating! Those cheeky scales. I have more sympathy for you missing the flat white, than the alcohol, but it will be so interesting to find out if it results in a good loss.
I remember that ‘Ask The Doctor’ program. Isn’t it interesting. We vary so much with those complex ecosystems in our lives and in our bodies. We are part of a huge ongoing life experiment to find out more. (I’d be in trouble if I had to exercise 3 hours a day!)

Well, off to clear things to make life easy for home help.

Cheers fellow fasters, lets make this a fasty day. Everyone else, enjoy your sensible healthy eating!

It is still Wednesday for Penguin, I think, so here are your blokey flowers, inspired this week by Thin, Rosy and Mr L. https://www.psdunderwear.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Hibiscus-Floral-1.jpg

Thursday morning-after-fast-day for me. Cuppa and vegemite toast. Bliss!

Oh Anzac. I hate it when you lose something like that, that you love and wear. I guess they will grow out of it ….eventually. Sorry too about your shattered sleep … Cinque’s advice is good. Be gentle, and take a nap today if you are tired.

Rosy’s latest was a cushion that she took into the backyard, daring us to chase her. Of course the cover ripped when I finally got it. It was nighttime, and I had only left the sofa for a moment. I had had lovely covers made for the cut-down mattress for the window seat and two cushion covers for the large pieces of foam that were left over. No chance to replace it … I had it done in Vietnam.

The window seat was put there for seating a the dining table, because our island house dining room is only small. We’ve moved the table back into the centre of the room, but Rose still stretches from the seat to the table to say hello, leaving her stranded like a long red bridge.

Oh Cinque, that’s a fine bunch of flowers you’ve sent Penguin today. Very fine indeed. (sending pics of undies to blokes online Cinque … my goodness this is a free and easy forum 🙂

How did you pick up after your birthday celebrations? And a nice post-fast day today. How good is the breakfast after a FD? And vegemite toast? Oh what could be better.

Just a couple more days over here ….we are going over to the Point to whale watch today – many about, and Migaloo (the white whale) was off northern NSW yesterday and is expected off southern Queensland today. Lots of dolphin activity down off our pier yesterday …I’ll make do with a still pic, but have a lovely video of two of them, tossing a fish into the air.
https://imgur.com/IutJszI
https://imgur.com/8CxYO2y

Neil what alcohol do you drink? Beer, not so great. Wine (particularly red), better for your health, but still not great calorie wise. Gin and diet tonic? Not too bad at all, all things considered particularly if you are low carb (none at all in a G & diet T, or a vodka/diet tonic, my current drink because we’re out of gin on the island).

My great news this morning is that my scales are down ….so far, 4.4 kilos since 5th May, which is when I drew the line in the sand after my post-holiday, deep lock-down weight gain. Another 3 kilos to get to my ‘settled’ weight after my bigger loss in 2018, then down down from there. It’s good to see movement on the scales.

Neil, having to exercise 3 hours a day to keep weight off doesn’t sound right. I wonder what that woman’s diet was like, if she had to exercise so dramatically. A problem with rapid weight loss programs is that there may not be a phased approach back to ‘normal’ life. I wonder when the contestant had lost all her weight, and the television program had finished, whether she had medical support to maintain her weight?

Betsy I was the one who mentioned Pitango. I also add a tin of white beans, and some fresh chopped greens into the base before I pour the soup over. A quite nutritious fast meal.

LJ I hope you and your aunt enjoyed your time together, and gave each other comfort.

OK breakfast time … and then some whale watching.
Enjoy your day all, and a big hello to those I’ve not mentioned.

I meant to say thanks for your advice about having a nap this afternoon Cinque and Lindsay. I will definitely try if work allows

Good morning losers,

Great job Lindsay and Anzac.

Cinque, that cake was so beautifully decorated. What a lovely meal your daughter made for your birthday.

LJ, the photo labels and tiled mosaic only show up on certain devices. As I’m too cheap to upgrade to the paid version, the programme is somewhat problematic and sometimes, after spending hours text wrapping photos, they still appear under the text. Frustrating and unprofessional but I waste too much time on it already. I’ve tried other (free) blog platforms and they’re each as user unfriendly as the next. I hope you feel like a new woman with your haircut and it was a nice gesture to spend the time with your aunt on the birthday of your late uncle.

Lindsay, I can make a small pony tail now! Along with the five red splodges on my nose from efudix treatment, I look a right wreck. I enjoy a G&T occasionally but only with Schweppes tonic, no diet stuff and no cheap substitutes. I can’t handle vodka – when I was a teen, I pinched some of my mum’s vodka and it gave me a terrible headache. I’ve had the same reaction ever since – guilt? I had gone off wine for years but somehow in Spain this year (probably the lure of very drinkable 2 euro bottles), started drinking it again, a habit I want to break free from. As Neil says, empty calories.

Neil, maintenance is the pits! I was thinking of you on my walk yesterday. Small flat white is what I always ordered when meeting friends in cafes. I thought you’d previously mentioned lattes and I know they’re very high in cals. The other thing about takeaway coffee is the cup size. Have you considered treating yourself to a good coffee machine and making your own before work? That way you’re in control of the cup size, milk quantity and coffee strength with the added pleasure of making it yourself when you first wake up. Alcohol is just a habit – even though two rum and cokes twice a week isn’t much by most people’s standards. I learned that I could have fun without alcohol – and strive to return to that soon!

I’ve maintained my 23kg loss for almost 5 years now (and lost a little more along the way). 60-90 minutes a day of walking has been my only exercise except on holidays when we walk for several hours. I eliminated rice, potatoes, pasta and bread from my diet and only rarely have teeny portions of any of them. Every time I partake, it shows on the scales. You can’t cut out everything you enjoy or you get a sense of prolonged deprivation. But maintenance does require constant vigilance. Beats the alternative though. You will find a balance.

Hi all, thought I’d check in.

Neilithicman, re the biggest Loser contestant, the problem with those contestants is that they have to severely restrict their calorie intake ALL the time, which can lower the BMR a lot. On the other hand, with intermittent fasting, because we are eating relatively normally 4 or 5 days a week, the BMR drop is much less, so it’s much less of a problem when we reach maintenance.

Cinque, your birthday cake was lovely.
Not in synch with you re FD, I’m afraid. Ended up with a TDEE day yesterday and a NFD today. Hoping I can manage a FD tomorrow before I weigh in Saturday morning. I’m battling with the 3 FDs a week that I’ve been doing for a while, and may have to drop them to 2 days a week so I don’t overdo the other days.

Anzac65, your naughty fur child! See, I said fur children can be just as bad – in this case, I think worse! He must have liked the you-smell on it, and he’s still of an age where if something is available, it is asking to be chewed. Grr!

I think I have some of the same problem you mentioned on the weekend – TDEE and NFD, but a lot more carbs than during the week.

Which reminds me, LindsayL, I tried the Pitango risotto yesterday and it was not a good move for me. Too many carbs (the rice), not enough protein and too high in salt. Plus, I just felt really hungry less than 2 hours later. It just didn’t work, and I ate far too much for the day. I know, it wasn’t the risotto that you recommended, but I thought I’d try it.
So – tomorrow I’ll be giving the chicken and vegetable soup a try, with a piece of garlic sourdough as a OMAD FD, and see if that goes better.

I asked my friend about what she eats/ doesn’t eat for her gout, and she said it does tend to be a bit of an individual thing re what triggers it and what doesn’t. She said lots of water is important, but didn’t like the addition of a little lemon juice I mentioned to her because of the acid. The following are the foods which she severely restricts (can have a little occasionally, but if it triggers pain, avoid): potatoes, pineapple, capsicum, legumes, tomatoes, fruit drinks or soft drinks, any kind of seafood with shells. Fish is okay, but not mussels, prawns, scallops, etc. She also takes a supplement, Tart Cherry tablets (Healthy Care brand, she buys it at Chemist Warehouse), one tablet each night before she goes to bed.

Doing all the above mainly keeps her gout under control, but when it flares and she can’t walk, she has medically-prescribed tablets she can take.

Hope all of that gives you some ideas you can try.

LJoyce, hope you’re doing okay.

Penguin, frustrating when a post gets lost, isn’t it? Hope you also are doing well.

Thin, I was interested in your comments re cutting out a lot of carbs like bread, rice, etc. I have largely done that, too, with occasional rye sourdough, which has a low Glycaemic Index. Then I blew it with the risotto this week, and saw the scales tremble upwards slightly, grr!

I think I’m on a “plateau” weight at the moment, but also struggling a bit, too. Seeing my doc in 2 weeks and have blood tests next Friday. Silly to get tense about it, but as always hoping my cholesterol is okay, and that I won’t be pressured to take statins.

I also SO MUCH want to go off my minimal amount of blood pressure meds so I can take an occasional anti-inflammatory to reduce the osteo-arthritis pain in my hands and feet. Mostly it’s okay, but occasionally is more of a problem, but I’m not supposed to take the NSAID when on BP meds. It would also be great to get a prescription for them from the doctor, as it means you get a lot more, and repeats, for much less money (as a pensioner 🙂 ) but I know he won’t prescribe them for me while I still take the BP meds. It’s frustrating.

Okay, sorry for the carry-on. It’s okay. We’ll see what happens. I won’t be the weight I wanted to reach when I see him, either, which disappoints me, but I’ll only be a couple of kilos heavier, so I guess that’s okay. Silly to feel pressured.

And onward we go! Goodnight everyone!

Good morning,

Penguin, I am so glad you enjoyed your flowers, and Mrs Penguin too! But I am SO sad you lost your post. Hoping things are going well.

Lindsay I nearly sent a pic with the model wearing floral undies, but goodness me it was quite confronting! Mind you Mrs Penguin might have laughed even louder!

Woohoo 4.4kg! https://i.gifer.com/VNfV.mp4

I have had a couple of gentle days to recover from my lovely big birthday, and had that lovely result where I didn’t try to do anything, but got plenty done anyway. May it continue!

Anzac, are you more refreshed this morning? Sending good wishes.

Neil,
I’ve been thinking more about the biggest loser research Betsy alluded to, especially after remembering a science show https://foodandmoodcentre.com.au/2017/11/recap-of-gut-revolution-a-catalyst-special-part-2-obesity-garrys-story/ about health and the gutbiome where one episode was another Biggest Loser contestant who had regained all his weight. If I remember correctly he was eating really badly because he was working long hours and exhausted all the time. 5:2 was one of the things they recommended he do to help.

I have googled a bit to find the latest science, and what I have found is not much, but I think that is encouraging ie the findings haven’t been supported by further study.
The best overview I could find was this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPa1P7qUBZU and as far as I can see, the possibility of terribly slowing our metabolism with fast weight loss was an interesting theory but from a tiny study (one year’s Biggest Loser contestants).
With that small group, some had maintained their weight loss, and the ones who hadn’t had low thyroid function as well as raised ghrelin production. It may be the low thyroid function that resulted in increased ghrelin.
I couldn’t find further research supporting the study, and more study needs to be done.

Definitely the Biggest Loser (being a visual medium) focused on activity more than nutrition and eating habits. The perception was very much that you could get to a healthy weight and then behave like a ‘normal’ person, which in our society advertising etc ‘normal’ seems to indicate we can live on treats and feast every day!

I have also been thinking about the research I read that I remembered as saying ‘if we have one small chocolate bar a week, excess to requirement, we will put on 1 kg every year’. I tried to find a reference to that, but the closest I got was information on Taste (haha that’s Coles supermarket). However it is very good info https://www.taste.com.au/healthy/articles/healthy-balance/ocmd9flm and it has the titbit that eating one extra chocolate biscuit a day, would result in a 4kg weight gain each year.

I definitely think this is what is in play for me, in terms of weight creeping up, and those last kilos being very hard to move. The latte, the beer, the extra piece of toast. My sense of satiety is stuffed up, yes I blame ghrelin, comfort eating, insomnia eating, low nutrient/high calorie options. Goodness, what a list. No wonder I struggle.

I definitely ate my extra piece of bread with my soup last night. Kicking myself. If I had just waited 20 mins I would have felt replete.

I wonder why you couldn’t see my cake photo. Not sure it is so wonderful to be worth another imgur upload 🙂 , but it is always irritating when everyone else can see something and you can’t, so here is another try: https://imgur.com/a/YzxFDZb
Link city this post!

Thin, wise words.

Betsy, I can understand your stress. It would be so nice to waltz into the doctors another dress size lower, bask in their approval, get off your medications, get brilliant results back from your tests, and buy yourself a new outfit to celebrate. So annoying when life so much more patchy.
But feel proud, we are changing the habits of a lifetime, and that is no simple task. And you do have wonderful health goals that you are working toward. Hoping you can find that inner zen and eat really well for the next two weeks.

I agree with you about risotto, I love my homemade recipe (favourite is saffron and butternut) but it just isn’t balanced for a whole meal, I need half a plate of green salad to go with it, and try to fit in some protein too. Too hard, haven’t made it for at least a year. Oh dear, I might never make it again. 🙁 🙁 🙁

Well, it is Friday, the sun is shining (cold but) and I have had a good breakfast and have a delicious midday meal and supper (supper from ‘soup’ yes! I have proper supper!) and no extra slices of bread!

Sending best wishes to you all for a wonderful day, well behaved dogs, snuggly cats, good sleeps and a brilliant fast day, if it is fast day for you!

Good afternoon all

Never apologise for a long post Turn, we love reading them and as I am married to an ex-pat NZ and having lived there I love hearing about my old temporary home. I’m sure you will get to your goal by November

Cinque, I had a great night’s sleep thanks. A little chemical help from my OTC sleeping tablet (I only ever take a quarter) and boy do I feel like a new person today.

Betsy, you too – no apologies about posts please 🙂 I have everything crossed that you can soon get off your BP meds

I had a great FD yesterday – 600 calories. Needed after Wednesday as I had a bad day. Well actually a bad night – I had a very controlled day but then OH made Apricot chicken and rice and I ate about 3 times more than normal. Did I feel sick afterwards? You bet. Ugh. So the scales are only down 300g this week but after a good day today perhaps tomorrow’s official weigh-in will have happier news

I hope to catch up with your blog on the weekend Thin. My labrador friends in the UK said it has been raining quite a bit this week in many parts so I hope you have been able to stay dry. It’s a cracker of a day here today; sunny and no wind and 19 degrees. Although it was onlyl 7 when we set off for the dog walk this morning. Brrr

Losing a post is the ultimate in frustration Penguin. Such a waste of intellectual capital. I hope you are feeling ok but I suspect you are not 🙁

Hi to everyone else and yippeeee….TGIF