Hello Southern Hemispherites!!

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Neilithicman

7:40 pm
9 Jan 22
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Morning all

Well my weight continues to track down. This morning I’m down 400g from the previous day. Since my official weigh-in on Wednesday I’m down 2.1 kilos from 103.9 to 101.8. I’m going to put in a fast day tomorrow before my official weigh in and stick to a control day today.

I took a break from road riding yesterday and explored some of the forest trails near me. Some of them I’ll need a proper mountain bike to ride comfortably, but some of them were fine with my current bike and lots of fun to ride. I had a round of frisbee golf and then my brother took my two boys out to see the new Matrix movie, so my wife and I went out round the harbour for a coffee and a wander round the bay. I love this time of year.

Betsy, I hope Wilbur gets better. My parents old dog developed a limp when she was older, it took ages to work out what it was, but eventually they found that she had got a piece of barley grass underneath the skin on her foot, she had worked it up her leg by chewing at it, and by the time the vet found it, it was halfway up her fore-limb. That is nasty stuff that barley grass.

Cinque, what is besan cheela? Sounds interesting.

Have a great day everyone and I’ll catch up with you all later.

GdayfromSA

2:49 am
10 Jan 22
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Some great news today, after submitting my final assignments and having to re-submitting a couple of pieces in the last week, today I received confirmation from my assessor that I have passed all assignments for my nutrition/weight management course.

So yay I’m now a fully qualified Nutritionist, Dietician, Weight Management Practitioner – whatever I decide to call myself (non-regulated industry so I can call myself anything along those lines). I do have to wait for the ‘official’ email from the college and then there is some kind of graduation (have no idea what that will be like given its an online course) and then I get my Cert IV which the assessor said can take anywhere from 2-6 weeks all up.

I won’t be starting my business until I’ve finished my Cert IV in Fitness (Personal Training) qualification, which if all goes well will be in May. Then I will start on my Diploma of Nutrition and Weight Management – I’m a glutton for punishment that’s for sure.

Will celebrate today will a bottle of non-alcoholic bubbly and a few squares of dark chocolate!

Neilithicman

8:01 pm
10 Jan 22
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Morning all

Wow that’s great Gday! So what are you going to go with? If you can choose anything why not go for a superhero name, the Nutrition Crusader, Dietician Avenger or something 😉

I’m still tracking down. I’ve lost weight on 5 of the last 6 days and my one gain was only 100 grams. I was down 200 grams this morning to sit on 101.6. I’m having my second fast day of the week today just before my “official” weigh in tomorrow, but since I’ve been weighing every day there won’t be many surprises. I got out for a good ride this morning but when I got to work some bastard had stolen my towel out of the shower room so I had to make do with a jungle shower with my soap and flannel.

We got in and harvested a lot of our rhubarb last night. Some of the stalks were a foot and a half long and weighed over 300 grams. We managed to get a big bag weighing almost 4 kilos chopped up and into the freezer, a pot stewed up with sugar for the boys’ morning cereal, and a big bag of stalks in the fridge for casseroles/stews etc.

Well have a good one everyone. I’ll check in tomorrow after my weigh in to let you know how I got on.

Cinque

11:40 pm
10 Jan 22
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Tuesday morning,

Betsy a wonderful list of birds. Now you name them, I have seen at least half of those around here. My eyesight is getting worse, so I should get a pair of binoculars and see if I can catch sight of more.

Neil, nice work!
You are fine if you avoid those ultra processed munchies it seems.

Besan cheela is wonderful. This is the recipe I followed first. https://www.spiceupthecurry.com/besan-cheela-recipe/
I wing it now, and often do it the Italian way too, with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

Wow, what a rhubarb harvest! Ooh it makes me hungry for the stew I make.

Gday, congratulations!
https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/35710b55833557.599502fee0074.jpg

I didn’t fast yesterday, off kilter because of all the fresh veggies I bought. But eating “Food. Not too much. Mostly plants” So feeling good.
Back to my midweek fast day tomorrow.

Best wishes all,
Thinking of Cali and Lindsay busy caring for two good men. xxxx

MsO

11:46 pm
10 Jan 22
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Hello everyone and thank you for the welcomes. I am in Wellington.
I did my very first fast day yesterday and it was much better than expected. I did feel a little lightheaded mid afternoon but that passed and I managed a 45 min walk including hills without flaking out. I had done a HIT session the day before so legs were feeling that still. I actually struggled to do 500 calories, was about 486 in the end but was ok with that. I am sure I will learn as I go.
For the past 2-3 weeks I have been mostly having 2 meals a day – not eating until around 11am, so I think doing that has helped me prepare for the bigger calorie restriction of fast days.
I weighed myself this morning and was 500gm lighter than previous days – surely not a descrease that quickly? Kept fluids up all through yesterday.
Next fast day will be Thursday.
Have a great day!

GdayfromSA

2:28 am
11 Jan 22
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Hi MsO, when you first begin to lose weight it is the water weight (the water that the body retains) that you lose first, hence why people lose weight quickly at first and then it tapers off to a more gradual loss.
Thanks for the name suggestions Neil. A few months back I registered my business name and secured the domain name for the business as I decided on my business name when I first started my studies – sorry Neil but it doesn’t include a super hero name…Haha.
In the middle of a heatwave here at the moment, hovering between 41 and 45 so stuck inside under the airconditioner again. Hope everyone is going well.

Betsylee

1:00 pm
11 Jan 22
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Good evening all, quick check in as it’s a bit late. It’s also hot and humid, so bed is not highly appealing – the humidity bothers me more than the heat.

Cinque, yes, binoculars are a good idea. I bought some a while back, just haven’t put them to use yet. I think what I need is something like a barstool that I can perch on near the kitchen sink, and observe the 2 birdbaths that are just outside there. If I stay still, my presence doesn’t seem to bother the birds. If I move, it’s a different story. I need to observe the markings more closely, plus have a more comprehensive bird book. That’s also why I thought photographing them would be a good idea, so I don’t have to rely on my memory re markings and colour.

Neilithicman, great progress, and great exercising. Well done you!

MsO, congratulations on a good start to your weight loss journey. As G’DayfromSA wrote, there’s a tendency for a lot of water loss when you initially start. Part of it is the shift from so many carbs, as eating carbs encourages water retention, just as excessive salt does.

G’DayfromSA, yay, one cert IV finished, not too long till the next one is done, as well. It’s a nice feeling, isn’t it?

Covid seems to be getting very close at hand, at the moment. I was at the dentist this morning – he’s just back from isolating because his daughter caught Covid, and his receptionist is off sick with it. Then my close friend’s son’s partner was diagnosed this week, and one of her cleaning ladies has been off sick with it. In Victoria, they calculate that the official 1 in 40 with Covid is an underestimate, and 1 in 25 is more likely. Ah well, I go out and about, do what I have to, wear a mask and socially distance, and don’t spend much time with anyone. It’s becoming a lockdown without being a lockdown. Hopefully the authorities are correct, and the Omicron peak will be around the end of January.

Getting very late, so “hi” to everyone else, and talk to you soon. Good night and stay safe.

Neilithicman

6:29 pm
11 Jan 22
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Morning all

Yay! Another 300g gone after my fast day yesterday. I’m now sitting on 101.3 kilos. So the total I lost last week was 2.6 kilos. On with week 2 of my reset.

Betsy, we’ve been pretty lucky here in Dunedin. There haven’t been any Covid cases of any variant since the initial outbreak in 2020. Most of the cases in NZ have been in the North Island, and most of those were in Auckland.

Gday, now that is hot. We’ve had some warm days here recently, but yesterday was cold and today it’s only supposed to get to 15 degrees. So much for summer.

MSO yes, what the others say is right. If you see the weight loss shows like the biggest loser, they all have huge weigh losses in the first week and then it gets smaller after week 2. It’s because week 1 they’re getting rid of all the water weight. Nice to have another kiwi on the site.

Well into it. My bike is calling. I’ll enjoy a nice non fast day today then control day tomorrow.

Have a good one everyone

LJoyce

1:48 am
12 Jan 22
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Hello everyone, welcome MsO and congratulations GDSA
Well done to those of you who are having weight loss success.

I did manage to stick to a FD on Monday despite having the kids here all day. I ate raspberries with some yoghurt while they had chips and nuggets.
The infusion went well yesterday, but feeling a bit lethargic today.
Last week my NFDs were erratic, but doing ok this week. The hot weather is helping to curb my appetite.
I’ve decided not to weigh weekly as my inflammation levels are likely to affect it at the moment. I’ll wait until the end of the month.

I too am worrying about covid infection levels, although I still don’t personally know anyone who has it. In addition to the face mask, I have returned to using the iodine nasal swab and gargle routine before leaving the house (it’s the protection that chemo@home originally recommended in 2020, before we all started wearing masks). I’m trying to find places to get the essentials that don’t involve entering the big shopping centre near here – too many people that I can’t stay well away from. Luckily there are other options that are much less crowded.

Hope you are all going ok.

Betsylee

6:00 am
12 Jan 22
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Good afternoon all.

It’s nearly 5 p.m. here and feels very hot and humid, even though it’s not much more than 30 degrees. My front neighbour just knocked on my front door with a big carton of cherries and encouraged me to take a huge bowl – she told me to freeze what I can’t use. Not really sure how much I actually can use because there’s not much room in either the fridge or the freezer, plus I think some are already a bit “off”. I’ll look at them after I finish posting.

Lucky you, Neil, to be well away from the Covid outbreaks. Great progress with the weight.

LJoyce, I’m also not feeling very hungry today. I had a 36-minute walk earlier and I think that’s curbed my appetite. Glad your infusion went well.
Yes, SA Covid numbers have also soared. I read today that authorities are suggesting the use of N95 or P2 masks if available, rather than cloth masks with the Omicron variant. I bought mine at Bunnings, a box of 3 P2 and 5 N95, and a box of 5 N95 masks for a friend, too. Wonder if that’s the next thing which will become unavailable? 🙁
At least the masks are reusable.

Stay safe and well everyone!

thinatlast

8:03 am
12 Jan 22
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Morning all, just watching the sun rise over the Med. Our apt has sweeping ocean views and we can hear the waves. It’s a FD for me. I’ve found all the ingredients for my bacon and chicken casserole.

Welcome MsO. You’ll find plenty of support, inspiration and information here.

Our headlines have been dominated by Djokovic for several days. “I only took my mask off while the photos were being taken” (at an interview held two days after testing positive). Lying on forms and failing to follow public health rules could literally result in the deaths of vulnerable persons.

It’s not particularly warm here this week, 16C-21C by day, but better than England and, when I read about your temps in the 40Cs, I’m quite happy here. We can take long walks on the beach and plan to drive up the mountain to the pueblo blanco later today.

Cinque

8:03 am
12 Jan 22
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A quick hello as I am finishing my fast day miso soup.

MsO, great start! If you were struggling to consume the whole 500 calories, relax. 500 is the maximum. I often have around 350 calories. (If you were struggling to keep it under 500, you aced it!)
The important thing is to make it easy and sustainable so you can keep going.

Neil, woot!

Gday, sympathy for that heatwave (you don’t want to hear how I am complaining about 30C.)

LJoyce, so glad you got the kids and the infusion nicely out of the way. I do hope that inflammation settles down.

Betsy, I am the same, humidity wipes me out. The next couple of days are going to be awful.

Sending good wishes to everyone,

MsO

9:57 pm
12 Jan 22
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Hi everyone
My second fast day today. Has started well. I found on a normal day yesterday I did not eat as much, about 200 calories less than usual and that was after a number of hours working in the garden too, so burning calories. I also had my covid booster yesterday so not sure if that had an effect on my hunger. Feeling ok apart from a very sore right deltoid, the other aches are gardening related!
I generally use MyFitnessPal as my diet tracker as it links in with my Garmin. It does not like me inputting low calories for my fast days. Does anyone else use MyFitnessPal and have a work around?
Also, what sort of intensity exercise do people find they can manage on fast days? I am a swimmer and trying to get back into my road cycling and running (as knee injury permits).
Thanks for that info Cinque!

Neilithicman

11:04 pm
12 Jan 22
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Morning all

MsO – I use MyFitnessPal as well, I just never bother finalising my day on fast days because it tries to tell you you’re not eating enough.

I find that I don’t have any problems exercising at a normal intensity on fast days, I mainly do road and trail riding and I can maintain an average of 230+ watts over a 2 hour ride, although I do get a bit more tired in the evening afterwards on days that I’m not fasting. I eat more than you though, my fast days are 800 calories.

Being in Welly you’ll no doubt be familiar with riding hills on your road riding. I’m in Dunedin and our landscape is pretty similar to Welly in that everywhere you try to ride you’re going to run into a hill somewhere.

Cinque, I hope your fast went well my next one is tomorrow, I’ve settled on trying to fast Tuesdays and Fridays.

Thins, sounds awesome, enjoy a nice relaxing time in the Mediterranean

Betsy, do you have enough to make some jam or something with the cherries?

Ljoyce, I get the same on really hot days, I just don’t feel like eating at all.

Well this morning I was up 400g but I’m not too worried about that. I had a non fast day just over 2,000 calories so it’s likely just the weight of the food. Today is a control day where I’ll be trying to stick to 1800 calories then back into a fast day tomorrow before the weekend. Saturday is going to be a mission, I’m playing in a frisbee golf tournament in Roxburgh about a 90 minute drive from home. I decided to drive up in he morning and then back home afterwards but the check in is at 8:30am. So I’m going to have to leave around 6:00am-6:30am to make sure I’m there in time, then it will be around 9 hours of frisbee golf, then a 90 minute drive home. I don’t think I’ll be doing much on Sunday.

Well have a good one everyone

Anzac65

5:08 am
13 Jan 22
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Hello friends

Home from Fiji and very glad to be here. What a disaster of a holiday 🙁 I will fill you in later but the headlines are: Lost my mobile found (thankfully found at the airport on the last day), torn calf muscle and a cyclone.

Am 700g lighter than when I left so that says something! We both have chest infections (not Covid) but otherwise all in one piece

The utter ridiculous nature of the Covid regulations almost brought us unstuck and pretty much rendered the holiday so stressful it wasn’t worth it. On top of the non-Covid related issues seriously it could be made into a tv show but everyone would say ‘that would never happen in real life!’

Anyway, it is a new year and it is all behind us and I have a lot of weight to lose. Here is to onwards and downwards!

I will catch up with all 69 posts between now and some time on the weekend. Hope everyone is well

Anzac65

5:44 am
13 Jan 22
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Thin, I just read your post from 18/12 and feel your covid regulation stress. Not to the degree of yours where you thought you were going to have to get stuck isolationg (I can’t imagine that level of stress). Our stress related to getting the test results back in the narrow windows and also completing the endless documentation correctly and within the timeframes. This was our last day:
1. Coming to Nadi airport on our last day, after sitting in our room listening to the cyclone for 2 days, we went to reception only to find the road flooded between Denarau and the airport and our driver could not come and get us. We (and all the other departing guests) had to bribe locals who owned 4WD’s ($200)

2. We had our PCR test done on the island we were staying on. They said if the results did not arrive via email we could get them from their booth inside the airport. No email but no matter right? Wrong. The police were not allowing anyone into the airport without their PCR results. No amount of pleading would budge them. We finally got the attention of an airport official who kindly rang the island, got them to email the results to him and he emailed them to us. Time was ticking though as I still needed to wade through the various departments to find my lost phone (left on the plane on the way over)

3. Into the airport to find chaos. The check-in system was completely down due to the cyclone. This turned out to be a huge blessing

4. 45 minutes I traipsed around the airport with a friendly Air Baggage Ops staff member and finally found my phone. I was worried mostly about the authentication software for work. What a relief

5. Standing in the queue for check-in we heard something about an ‘Australian Border Force Travel declaration’. We asked the friendly couple behind us who confirmed yes, this must be completed online and we need a confirmation back. Oh Dear God – we found it and the first thing we saw was ‘complete at least 72 hours before travelling to Australia’. We had about 72 minutes but we had to try. It was a nightmare, and I was almost howling with stress trying to follow the questions, download what they needed and meanwhile we had no idea when our flight was leaving as there were no announcements about the rescheduling due to the check-in system delays. After everything we went through all we wanted….desperately….was to get on that damn plane and get home. I finally got it done and we stood and watched the phone in total anxiety. PING – the confirmation came through in 10-15 minutes. This requirement was NOWHERE. Even the couple behind us said the only reason they found it was their flight to Melbourne was cancelled the day before due to the cyclone and now they had to transit through Sydney. Therefore they had to do a Victoria border pass and they stumbled across it.

Needless to say, we had a very stiff vodka in the Business Class lounge in the 15 minutes we had before we had to board

My advice to anyone thinking about travelling outside of Australia ‘for pleasure’ during Covid restrictions is DON’T!

thinatlast

7:30 am
13 Jan 22
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Cinque, our posts crossed. Glad your FD ended well on a bowl of miso soup. How is Miso the Cat these days?

MsO, I have normal physical energy on FDs. I do experience brain fog though. When I started 5:2 (7-8 years ago), I used to get very tired by the end of the day and go to bed around 8pm.

Neil, enjoy your big day tomorrow.

Anzac, you poor things! I completely empathise. Thank heavens you have all those IT skils and could quickly complete the Passenger Locator Forms (although, knowing Australia, they probably call them something different to the rest of the world!). Some of the covid travel restrictions and requirements are understandable but others are just absurd. And one tennis player is making an absolute mockery of Australia, who for the last two years has had virtually all its citizens either locked in, locked out or locked down.

Let’s hear about the rest of your holiday!

LJoyce

11:02 am
13 Jan 22
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A quick post to say welcome home Anzac. I hope your next few days at home are more relaxing than the holiday. A big plus that you made it home on your booked flight despite the many obstacles thrown into your path and a very big plus – you got your phone back. One more plus – you went on holiday and didn’t gain any weight. Even when everything seems to be against you, sometimes some important things do go right. Take care and rest that torn muscle.

Betsylee

11:41 am
13 Jan 22
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Good evening all.

Quick check-in this evening as I’m feeling quite weary.

Anzac65, what a disaster of a holiday capped with such a stressful time trying to leave Fiji. I’ve fairly well decided on no overseas travel for me until/if the whole Covid thing has exhausted itself.

MsO, you seem to be doing well. As Neilithicman is a fervent cyclist, he’s certainly the best person to advise you re cycling and fast days.

Cinque, surviving the humidity – just. Hope it rains tomorrow and clears the air. One good thing is that it looks like the Australian Open will start with a few milder and more pleasant days. Hope the authorities hurry up and settle this Djokovic saga. Did he really have Covid, I wonder? If he did get it while here, could he be trusted to be socially responsible? I don’t know. It’s a concern.

Neilithicman, I have never made jam. My mother used to, and all I remember is that it was an awful lot of work. I’ve sorted through the cherries, given about 1/3rd to a friend, and frozen most of the rest on a flat tray to stop them sticking together. Tomorrow I’ll transfer them into smaller bags that I can remove from the freezer as wanted. That means they won’t be wasted, and I may have some when cherries aren’t in season.

Hi to LJoyce, thin.

Goodnight and stay well!

Neilithicman

11:36 pm
13 Jan 22
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Afternoon all

I was right, my 400g rise yesterday must have been food and water weight because today I had dropped that 400g and another 400g on top of that to sit on 100.9 kilos. I’m on a fast day today, tomorrow I have my big day of frisbee golf, then I have my second fast day on Tuesday, if everything goes to plan I may even break into double figures by my next weigh-in on Wednesday!

Anzac, I’m sorry my wife’s home country wasn’t kind to you, but at least your holiday will be memorable. I hope you’re recovering well at home.

thinatlast

7:36 am
14 Jan 22
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Neil, great news. You’re so close to getting back to double figures.

Betsy, you’re probably saving yourself a lot of unnecessary grief by not going overseas – although I don’t believe covid will be leaving us. We’ve decided to learn to live with it but the travel stakes are much lower for us here with cheap, short flights more like bus rides. We wear masks always, keep to ourselves wherever possible, self-cater, rent a car, take long walks on the beach or in the mountains, enjoy fabulous views from our privately rented accommodation, avoid buffet meals if we do spend an occasional night at a small hotel. Today we will visit some friends (our first contacts in eight days) after first all testing for covid.

You could be right about Djokovic, maybe he never even tested positive. Let’s see if he goes quietly!

Anzac, I wrote to the Canary Islands Public Health Authority with a copy to the lab. I didn’t really expect to hear from either – although two false positives should have rung alarm bells with both. But shortly after reading your story yesterday, I received an email from the lab offering to cover our expenses for the LFTs done at their lab AND our costs for the PCRs at the second lab. £240.

MsO

10:59 pm
15 Jan 22
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Happy Sunday everyone
Neilithicman – always hills here in Wgtn no matter what direction! They make the riding more interesting though, and the workouts more effective! 🥵

It’s pretty warm out here in Wgtn, just been for my first run since Sept when I injured my knee. Just a 30 min interval run so only 6 mins total running but no soreness when running so very pleased with that. Do feel the extra weight I’ve been carrying however but that is trending in the right direction.
My weight is continuing to drop 3 days post last fast day. I am finding my appetite in general is decreasing, also starting to dislike anything sweet. I don’t have a sweet tooth as such, prefer dark bitter chocolate over a sugary sweet cake, but could only manage a spoonful of husbands orange cake the other day ..yukkk way too sweet for me now! Also not having as many milky drinks for same reason. I actually felt sick after 3 flat whites in a day, was never a problem before. Have dropped the black tea with milk after dinner and having a herbal instead.
Energy levels are good, sleep coming a little earlier and better quality too.

Would anyone be able to point me to where I could find out how to calculate my goal body measurements? Should these be a % of current ones? I just have no idea what to set them to, imagine it won’t be what I was in my 30s and pre menopause!

Have a great day all!

thinatlast

7:02 am
16 Jan 22
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Morning all, the sun came up again this morning – with a spectacular show.

MsO, sounds like you’re going very well. You can calculate your BMI here: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-calories-on-a-non-fast-day/ There’s a BMI tracker at the top right of this page – is that what you mean?

FD for me. I’m currently back on two FDs per week. Naked 5:2 works so well.

Betsylee

12:43 pm
16 Jan 22
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Hope everyone had a good weekend.

My good news is that I have now dropped the 2 kilos I gained around Christmas time, 2.1 kg in fact. Very pleasing. Now I have to continue the journey downwards. i.e., I have to push through this weight where I tend to “stick” and move on down.

You’re tracking well, Neilithicman – double figures coming up. 🙂

Here in Melbourne the humidity has finally decreased, to my relief. Does your CSF play up more when it’s humid, Cinque? My friend with CFS finds it very taxing.

Thin, looks like the Djokovic saga is drawing to a close, with him supposedly leaving the country tomorrow. It’s all been very unfortunate. Let’s hope we can now move on to focus on the tennis.
What was your weather like today? You said the sunrise was spectacular, and I immediately thought of the “Red sky at night, shepherds delight, red sky in the morning, shepherds warning”.

MsO, sounds like you’re doing well, too, and great that your knee coped with the 6 minutes of running.

Stay safe and well everyone. I keep hearing of more and more people I know who’ve either had, or recently come down with, Covid. Thankfully, no-one of those is in hospital.

Enjoy your week.

thinatlast

2:19 pm
16 Jan 22
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Betsy, good job losing the 2.1kgs. The weather has been great today. Only in the high teens but sunny and warm to walk along the promenade. Quite a few outdoor tapas bars open but we had to keep walking, it being my FD. I have felt so hungry today but, so far, I’ve had one cup of miso soup and half a Valencia orange (and what a delectable one it was!). There were also three cups of coffee earlier but I tried to go easy on the milk. Two hours til dinner ….

MsO

11:02 pm
16 Jan 22
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Hi thinatlast thanks for that, have done bmi at the start. I was meaning goal waist, hip, neck etc measurements. Both the website and book say to set goal measurements but I have no idea how to work those out. What have others done for setting their goal measurements for these?

Anzac65

4:19 am
17 Jan 22
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Hi everyone

Welcome MsO to our lovely forum. I don’t bother with measurements as I find it frustrating to get the tape measure in the same place every time (lol) but use my clothes as an indicator. I’m sure someone here will be able to point you in the right direction

It’s very very hot and humid here in Sydney and with our illness it makes us feel even more lethargic. I’m currently doing half days at work as then I am exhausted. The doctor said we could have mild pneumonia and it feels like it. Thankfully the antibiotics are really kicking in and we are both feeling quite a bit better. We have our booster shots tomorrow so that will be good to get out of the way

The beach at our Island in Fiji was lovely but that’s where the good news ends I’m afraid. It was supposed to have an adults only pool area so we figured, even though we normally don’t go to kid friendly resorts, at least we could escape the screaming at the pool. Oh no. The first time we walked up to it we simply stood there with out mouths open in abject horror. There were so many toddlers in the spa you couldn’t fit another chubby bottom in there. The remaining 20 or more kids were running around the pool or swimming in the pool screaming at the tops of their voices. The parents? At the swim-up bar getting sloshed and ignoring their offspring. I don’t blame the resort; there were three huge signs almost begging people to ‘respect the adult nature of the pool’. But to enforce it would have upset so many families, probably many who return year after year. Needless to say we spent a lot of time in our lovely bure and it wasn’t a hardship as there was very effective air-conditioning – it was HOT HOT HOT. Hotter than I’ve ever experienced in Fiji. We played cards endlessly (love it) and chatted and rested – all things you don’t get time for in our busy lives. Sometimes we walked (or in my case limped) up to the far end of the beach where there were usually no kids.

Anyway, we had gorgeous weather from Sunday until Thursday when it really turned. On Friday night a friendly staff member popped up to our bure with a letter – yikes! There was a cyclone approaching and if we wanted to get off the island before the middle of the next week we needed to go tomorrow. We legged it to reception and organised to get the boat one day early and booked a second night on the mainland. So glad we did; we sat in our room and listened to the ever-increasing winds. We had a nice lunch and brekky but then before lunch the second day they closed all food and beverage service and delivered emergency food parcels. They were actually quite nice considering the circumstances. The cyclone hit and honestly if that was a category 1 I do NOT ever want to experience a category 5

The rest I outlined in my earlier post so while it was memorable, not for the right reasons!

I have lost another 1.5 kilos in the past week but not because I’ve been trying hard, but I have completely lost my appetite with this chest infection. Mr Anzac made four big pots of chicken and vege soup and it is really doing wonders.

So enough about me! Betsy, whoo hoo for shedding those 2 kilos already.

Thin, you have given me some faith back in the world of Covid – fancy offering your money back without any prompting? Perhaps they were terrified you would give them lots of bad press in social media?

So close to double figures Neil! You really are on track to get back to where you were a few months back

I hope the humidity hasn’t completely wiped you out Cinque, stay cool if you can

Lovely words LJ, always so encouraging and positive – thank you!

I’m looking into the CSIRO diet to use alongside some fasting. As you know, my diverticulitis makes it hard to skip breakfast and therefore hard to do any real fasting. I’m doing some research and planning anyway and will see what happens.

Take care all

Anzac65

4:30 am
17 Jan 22
Permalink

PS: Neil, I don’t blame the Fijian’s for price gouging for the safe passage to the airport. They have had almost 2 years without any tourists and I believe most of those who came to help were taxi drivers and probably did not earn any money for so long. We were more than happy to pay it and do not have one ounce of angst

thinatlast

6:37 am
17 Jan 22
Permalink

Anzac, cripes, you’ll already know my reaction to reading that you encountered hoards of children at an adult-only pool. Definitely no holiday. I get irritated when there’s one squawker on an aeroplane! That cyclone will make it a holiday to remember. Sorry to hear you’re sick – is it OK to proceed with the booster if you’re unwell? (I don’t know, I’m just asking as I wasn’t sure if it reduces vaccine efficacy). I know that having a common cold is OK as long as you protect those around you. Re: the Canary Islands lab, I sent a copy of my letter to the Public Health Authority so it could have been the latter that prompted some action.

MsO, I thought that’s what you have may have meant. Like Anzac, I’ve never taken tape measurements as I find it too subjective. As far as weight goes, my Perth GP recommended setting a series of small goals so it’s not so daunting. My original 5:2 goal in 2014 was 10kgs but it was so easy to shed the weight that I just kept going – to 25kg.

Another glorious sunrise. FD behind me, I was so hungry yesterday but not at all now so just enjoying some good coffee.

LJoyce

8:29 am
17 Jan 22
Permalink

Good evening all.

I have had minor lung infection symptoms for a few days, including tightness when breathing. So I booked in for a PCR test at a drive through testing site nearby. It was a 3 day wait for an appointment (Sunday), but that was better than driving much further away only to sit in a queue for hours. I did isolate for those days, just in case. As I had expected the test was negative, although I am still keeping away from others for a couple more days. At least I can now go for a daily walk, now that I know I don’t have covid. My breathing has improved enough that I managed a 30 minute walk today, although I was pretty tired when I finished. It was nice to get out of the house though, after 4 days inside.

Betsy, excellent weight loss. What a start to the new year.
Freezing the cherries sounds much easier than making jam, especially as you have to get all those stones out for cherry jam making. My mother and grandmothers made jam and marmalade and I did too when I had fruit trees.
Funny how you, Cinque and I are struggling with humidity – we are so used to dry heat that even a mild day that is also humid feels awful.
How is Wilbur going? I seem to remember you saying he was limping.

Neil, well done on your weight loss. I hope this week sees you back in double figures.

Thin, sounds like you are enjoying your holiday. I was thinking about you getting up really early to see the sunrise, but then realised in a northern winter, dawn is probably at a much more civilised hour.

Anzac, sorry to hear that you are battling a lung infection in addition to the leg injury. I hope the chicken soup speeds up your recovery. Get well soon.

Ms O, I don’t think there are any rules when it comes to measurements. I think I originally set some that matched my body shape that were just a few cms down from my starting measurements. My dietitian has since said that the key measurement is the waist – it’s less impacted by fluid retention or inflammation and weight on the tummy is an important indicator of health risk for heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. This is particularly true for those who tend to gain weight around the middle rather than hips/thighs. (Apple rather than pear/hourglass.) This NZ site says similar things to the Australian Heart Foundation site: https://www.kiwicover.co.nz/your-health/waist-metrics For good health, women need a waist under 80cm.
However, as Thin has said, if you are happy just monitoring progress with the scales, there is no reason that you need measurement goals too.

Cinque, that beesan cheela looks very good, although everything that tastes like chick peas is usually a big hit with me. I was watching a Jamie Oliver veggie program the other night and he was with two English women with an Indian heritage make a curry that involved making a batter with besan flour and then pouring it into a tray to firm up – like polenta. Once set it was cut into cubes and added to a curry as the protein element. I thought it was a great idea and I’d never seen that done before.

My FDs are going well and my NFDs are mostly reasonable – some better than others. Thankfully there haven’t been any binges, for which I’m grateful.

I’m meant to be babysitting Thursday, so I’m hoping I’m well by then. Apart from that I have a very quiet week planned.

Take care everyone.

Betsylee

1:53 pm
17 Jan 22
Permalink

Good evening everyone.

Down another 200 gms, so continuing on the downward trail. Just have to get past this hump that I hovered at for several months last year.

Anzac65, what a disappointing experience in Fiji with the pool. Frustrating, too, as it was other tourists just ignoring signs. Were there other pools for children? Do you think it was just that the parents wanted the luxury of a poolside bar?
Hope you bounce back from your infection quickly. At least the antibiotics are working.

LJoyce, so sorry to read that you’ve also been battling a lung infection again, though it seems as if it’s clearing now. A quiet week before your Thursday babysitting sounds ideal.

MsO, I’ve taken my measurements once a week for years. The important thing is to fix in your mind where you’re measuring each time so you don’t move the tape measure around. Then just watch the trend. A one-off reading might not mean much. For instance, I find if I’ve had too many carbs the night before, my waist measurement tends to be higher than if it was after a FD or CD. As LJoyce said, the recommended waist measurement is around 80 for women, but…. it does vary depending on ethnicity, with those who are Asian (and smaller boned) needing to aim for a lower measurement, not sure what it is.
Having said that, another important measure is your waist to hip ratio. Even if your waist is over 80 cms, if you divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement and the result is lower then 0.8, that’s a healthy result.
When I was younger, my result was 0.7, which was great. With the thickening that comes with age, it’s now around 0.78, so still below 0.8, but creeping up. I am quite overweight, though, so could see a reduction in that once I am closer to my goal weight.

Thin, your self-control is an inspiration – fancy avoiding all the tapas bars because it was a FD. Well done. Sounds like the weather is being very nice to you. Do you think the beautiful sunrises have any relation to the volcano eruption near Tonga? I read somewhere that after Krakatoa erupted in the late 19th century, there were magnificent sunrises and sunsets around the world for the following 3 years.

Oops, it’s nearly 1 a.m., so goodnight all. Hi to everyone not mentioned.

thinatlast

4:47 pm
17 Jan 22
Permalink

Sunrise is around 8.10am LJ, you’re quite right, very civilised! Betsy, not sure about that, we’re a long way away from Tonga but it’s entirely possible, it would be putting a lot of particles into the atmosphere. When I was a child, I had a book all about Krakatoa – fascinating. LJ, I hope you recover fully soon.

Betsy, it wasn’t really anything inspirational since I knew I’d be walking past those tapas bars on NFDs too! But thank you. I’m quite good at FDs, rubbish at the rest.

Thanks for reminding us about waist measurements over 80cm indicating potential heart issues. Higher for men from memory? I remember when we all wanted to be 36″-24″-36″ – although I’m quite sure I never was. 80cm is 31″ so it shows how we’re evolving in our lifetime, and not in a good way. It’s a bit like the official guidelines for alcohol consumption – the number of drinks always seem very liberal to me as if telling people what they should really be doing might scare them off altogether.

Sounds like everyone is on a roll, weight wise. I hope I join you soon.

Neilithicman

9:03 pm
17 Jan 22
Permalink

Morning all, wow it’s been busy on the forum recently.

Well I jumped on the scales for my daily weigh-in and the scales read 100.0 kg! With a fast day today, my chances of striking double digits for the first time since 1st September at my weekly weigh-in ae looking good, Woohoo!

I had a good frisbee golf tournament, it was pretty hot (well hot for NZ, sitting at 31 degrees) I drove up at 6:30am to start at 8:30am, played until 5:00pm and then drove 2 hours home. Sunday we went to the beach and I had a bit of a swim, but got to 8pm and I just crashed. I didn’t even have the energy to make the bed since my wife had stripped the sheets that morning so I just flopped down on the mattress protector and slept. When I woke up in he morning my wife had decided not to disturb me so she had put a mattress down on the floor and slept on that. Yesterday I was feeling more energetic so I went out for a fun ride over one of the mountain bike trails.

MsO, I don’t think you can set goal measurements because everyone wears their weight differently. Perhaps you could aim for a fat percentage instead? A healthy fat percentage for women is supposed to be between 21%-31%

Anzac, We were lucky when we went to Fiji because my wife still has plenty of friends and relatives over there so we got places to stay, rides, food, etc provided while we were in Suva. We only had to pay for things while we were staying around Nadi/Denarau. We also knew to stay away from the scam artists that operate in the city centre preying on tourists.

Betsy, sounds like you’re on the right path with your weight, awesome work.

Ljoyce, I hope you get over your lung issues quickly.

Thin, I haven’t heard of a waist measurement for men that is listed as increasing risk of heart disease, I have heard that there is a ratio you should aim for though. We’re supposed to have a waist to chest ratio of no more than 90%. So if we have a 100cm chest then the waist measurement should be less than 90cm. That works for me because I’m what you would describe as “barrel chested” When I was at 85 kilos my waist was 82cm and my chest was 97cm

Well have a good one everyone, I’ll check back tomorrow morning to let know if I managed to crack into the 90s.

Cinque

11:12 pm
17 Jan 22
Permalink

Good morning my little lovelies,
I’ve been wiped out by heat and humidity, too much energy spent helping Ms 7 on the flying fox (it was fun though) and ongoing sore neck that I have finally tracked to the way I sleep on my right hand side, retraining in progress!

Miso the cat is fine, and absolutely delighted that I have discovered Whiskas fish in jelly pouches for her treat on my fast days. She wants me to fast every day!
(She has dried food other days for my ease).

Ms O you are going great guns!
Yes, as others say, the waist measurement is the important one because (unless your belly is full of your last meal) you are measuring the internal fat that is coating your abdominal organs. That is the dangerous fat.
So healthwise, who cares what your other measurements are? Waist measurement is generally more important than BMI. Get it below 80cm and celebrate!
https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/heart-health-education/waist-measurement

Haha eep re post-menopausal changes. Sigh. Sympathy.

Miso heard me talking and has come to sit on my knee and demand head rubs.

Can’t type and rub her head at the same time!

Hello to Wilbur! I hope he is doing well.

Well, my fast days are ok. My normal day eating is going well. Heaps of veggies, lower carb, good spaces between smaller meals.
But boy that highlights my stress/comfort eating which I still have too much of in spite of doing so little!
Ah well, keep at it Cinque!

Lovely to read of good work Neil, Anzac, Betsy. LJoyce, so glad it wasn’t covid, Hooray you are feeling a lot better. Good wishes.

My sister and her partner have covid inspite of how careful they have been. I haven’t heard from her today, she has been very tired so we are not hassling them for news.

Thin, I hope it was a lovely sunrise this morning!

Best wishes all

MsO

11:56 pm
17 Jan 22
Permalink

Hi everyone
Thanks so much for all your comments and advice about the body measurements thinatlast, Cinque, LJoyce and neilithicman. That’s super helpful. I wasn’t aware of the waist hip ratio, which I now see is on my tracker calculated automatically. Eek! Well I have a goal there to get it under 0.5 and of course getting bmi down, although much of what I have read about this over the years indicates it is not as reliable for some groups. I am short and when I am at peak fitness have a higher muscle proportion which skews it. Nonetheless my current bmi needs to come down!
I am finding this group very helpful and encouraging 🙂
Have a wonderful day!

thinatlast

7:47 am
18 Jan 22
Permalink

Sunrise beautiful – it starts with a blood orange sky, then daylight followed by the bright red sun on the horizon silhouetting black puffy clouds with an orange outline – caused by dust from the Sahara according to OH. Only one more to enjoy as we’re leaving for another part of Spain before dawn on Thursday to take up a nine day pet-sitting post. We like doing this because it introduces us to new parts of Spain that we wouldn’t otherwise experience, usually authentic villages well away from tourism.

Cinque, I hope your sister and partner have a mild covid dose, presumably vaccinated. DD has it this week, she describes it as a very mild cold with a cough worsening at night. She tested positive nine days after the booster so not quite covered. I’m so relieved that she finally has some forced days off as she was being flogged to death covering for positive-tested colleagues. Even so, the boss is encouraging those off to take PD days if they feel up to studying. Cheeky.

Neil, Cinque’s article (thanks Cinque) lists a 94cm waist as a danger-point for men. Yippee for 100kg and the knowledge that you’ll be at 99something by now.

MsO, I’m sorry to report that I read an interesting article that debunked menopause as a catalyst for weight gain. But can I find it now? No.

Off for a walk along the promenade.

P.S. Ha ha, I cheated the system, my post disappeared but I had thankfully already copied it. Just a reminder if you’re writing a big one – sign in even if you think are already are.

Neilithicman

6:16 pm
18 Jan 22
Permalink

99.4!

Turnabout

12:20 am
19 Jan 22
Permalink

Hi everyone from a cloudy Bannockburn.

Happy 2022 to you all as I have been lurking over the festive period. I have to report that I am like a lot of us on here and have gained a couple of kilos over Xmas time, but am on the right track now and heading back down.

Well done & congratulations Neil, must be a great feeling to get back to the 90’s, you’re an inspiration to us all and your perseverance is very commendable. I hope you enjoyed Roxburgh on Sat and yes, 31’c has been hot, thankfully a bit cooler today.

Sorry you’ve been so wiped out Cinque, humidity does that to me and hubby too and I have got worse as I’ve got older, as we do with most things, I think, haha. I bet Miso loves that Whiskas, I hear they include an ingredient that makes the cats addicted to it? I think it’s a bit like humans with chocolate (or crisps)!

Welcome Mso, you’ll enjoy this forum so much, I have been on here several years too, not quite at my goal weight but did come very close to my PB last Oct. This is the year for me though, I shall be celebrating this year, I know it. My husband and I were located in Central Otago for 23 years but now we travel NZ in a caravan and intersperse it with the odd house sit. Just loving life, trying to get in lots of cycling, walking and hiking when we can. Haven’t been up to Welly since we came back down in Oct ’20 but we both love it, I would like to be there in the summer as I find it quite damp in the Autumn and Spring. Still such a beautiful part of the country. How did you injure your knee? Well done on the loss so far.

Oh Anzac, what a trip, my heart goes out to you both, I was so gutted when I read your post, how awful to be surrounded by all those children when you had been so looking forward to a holiday and to not get what you had booked, it beggars belief! Well done for being so understanding about the situation, I’m afraid it would have been a different outcome had it been us! And then to come home feeling so ill, not a good start to the year, I am quite sure it can only get better?

What a lovely trip to Spain you are having Thin, did you book the accommodation/pet sits, before you left the UK or have you booked them as you go along? We have experienced some amazing sunrises here too recently, not that I see too many of them as a rule, but the mornings have been so warm, I’ve been up for one thing or another. It’s great having pets you can hand back isn’t it. Keep up the good work with those FD’s.

Lovely to hear you’re on the downward trend too Betsy, good job with the cherries, I’ve got another kilo to work with!! Another night owl eh?

We arrived back at Bannockburn on Sunday, where we spent Xmas, from a 20 day house sit over in Wanaka, a beautiful 10 acre property that backed onto the Hawea River with the Hawea River Track (cycling/walking) running along the other side of it. We looked after a Springer Spaniel, a dachshund, a cat, a horse, and chickens, along with a huge house and mature gardens with lawns & a veggie garden. The horse is about 25yrs old and enjoyed a carrot most days, we walked the dogs just over an hour every morning, rabbit catching the highlight for them both! The hens had just started laying so collecting 9-11 eggs every day. The garden watering system was a bit of an issue to begin with, but we got there in the end. I seemed to spend most of my days dead heading roses & rhododendrons. We didn’t get any rain the whole time we were there and it became increasingly hotter by the day, it still felt like a holiday to me though. We are heading back over on Thursday evening for a BBQ with the owners as we weren’t there when they arrived home on Sunday, the timings didn’t quite work out, they want us to come back and do another six weeks, but we have offered to do the first two weeks in March, it will be good to see the dogs again. The place we are staying at now has a small holding and when here at Xmas we gorged on Cherries, they are now finished and are overrun with apricots, Moorparks, and they are free, so I’m busy making chutney later today as more rain is forecast, and boy, do they need rain, everywhere looks so burnt.

I think that’s enough of me waffling for now, enjoy your day everyone, sorry to anyone I’ve missed, I’ll come back with waist measurements, interesting one about the men!

Turn

Anzac65

12:28 am
19 Jan 22
Permalink

Good morning from a thankfully cooler Sydney. A southerly buster hit yesterday and the heat and horrible humidity has reduced significantly

Neil, hooray for double digits!

Thin, in relation to the Australian Border Force declaration, Mr Anzac was anxiously hovering over my shoulder as I huffed and puffed and swore trying to fill it in. He was responsible for finding the information we needed as I came across it so I was barking instructions in pure, honest-to-goodness stress. If we didn’t get it done in time and missed that flight it would have meant another PCR test and thus another 2-3 days stuck when we were desperate to get home and already feeling very ill with this chest infection. Mr Anzac did say that had it been up to him he would not have had a chance in heck so I’m very glad for my IT experience. It begs the question, though, if someone who is experienced in IT struggled, how does a person without this knowledge get it done? Crazy

That sunrise sounds incredible

Sorry to hear you were wiped out with the heat and child-minding duties Cinque. How are you today?

I don’t know what to think about the whole menopausal weight gain. I know my ability to lose weight went south with a roller coaster slide as soon as it hit. Hmmm

Betsy, there were two pools, one for adults and one for families. We swam in the family pool a few times as it was normally empty while next door you at the adults pool you could hear the squeals clearly. Sigh. The irony

So sorry to hear about yet another lung infection LJ. It is so debilitating and exhausting so I have so much sympathy that you have them so often. We had our boosters yesterday so that isn’t helping today! But the antibiotics are definitely kicking in as I slept the whole night through without coughing.

I’m definitely signing up for the CSIRO diet. They have a carrot in that if you stick to it, do all your tracking and upload photos every week you can get your money back. My sister did it last year and over Christmas but one week uploaded a photo one day late and missed out on the refund so I have to be on my game. It is high protein, low GI and I’ve done it before and had some success. With some fasting thrown in I aim to lose 10 kilos before my nephews wedding in early April. There, I’ve said it now, so I have accountability 🙂

Must run, work calls. Have a great day friends

Cinque

12:53 am
19 Jan 22
Permalink

Hello everyone,

Neil, Woot!

Ms O, you are correct, it is an interesting journey to see how your body ends up when it gets to your healthy weight!
And such fun choosing new clothes!

Thin, a fab sunrise! Thankyou for sharing. Good luck with your trip and I hope the destination is particularly enjoyable and interesting.

Yay for clever post saving!

I’m fasting today! Miso soup with mushrooms and beans waiting for me at the end of the day.

Best wishes all

Cinque

1:07 am
19 Jan 22
Permalink

Wo! Two new posts I leapfrogged over!

And I forgot to say my sister and partner are improving. They were double vaxxed and just days before their appt for the third.
Hoping your DD is continuing to go well Thin and maybe can enjoy some down time while recovering.

What a lovely catch up Turn, and well done getting rid of those festive season kilos. Yes, this is the year to really ace everything!
Miso the cat is definitely addicted to whiskas, whatever that secret ingredient is!

Anzac, hope you are recovering from your holiday. Great idea to do the CSIRO challenge. I bet you get your money back!

I have recovered from heat and the flying fox expedition, but another run of htot days is starting and I have Ms5 on Friday morning. (And she is a tornado!)(An adorable tornado).

There definitely seems to be a thing that as we get older we need less food. And it does seem more than adjusting to what we now expend in energy. Sigh, I bet it is my brain slowly shutting down, Aaagh, and it needs less food to run it.

(which reminds me, is everyone doing wordle?)

Okay, off to fill up my day with NO EATING! Cheers.

Turnabout

2:44 am
19 Jan 22
Permalink

Cinque – I had to look it up, got todays!! Obviously beginners luck?

GdayfromSA

3:38 am
19 Jan 22
Permalink

Yippee first goal weight achieved. From the 27th June 2021, when I was at my absolute heaviest I have ever been in my life of 82.3kg – I am now sitting at my first goal weight of 65kg which equates to 17.3kg lost in six and a half months.

My next goal weight is 60kg – well to be honest it’s 59.9kg just because I want to see the ‘5’ number rather than the number’6′ and I still have some body fat to lose and more muscle mass to gain to get to my desired shape and fitness level.

CalifDreamer

7:42 am
19 Jan 22
Permalink

Anzac, if anyone deserved a restful holiday, it is you. With all of your crazy work hours and stress at work you certainly needed some down time. I’m sorry to hear about the cyclone and the problems with the bureaucracy in getting back home. Glad you had at least a couple of nice days. I hope your lung infections improve quickly now that you are home.

LJ, sorry to hear that you are also suffering with a lung infection. It’s good to hear you are able to get out a little and enjoy the weather. I’ve been trying to find some time to call and catch up without interruption and will soon.

Cinque, I hope your sister and her partner are getting over their cases of Covid. Thin, I hope DD is also feeling better. Covid is raging in this area.

I’ve been trying to catch up on posts here but I seem to be occupied with care for OH almost every waking moment. The mild memory problems of 5 months ago took a sharp turn and are getting worse instead of better. He is up and around and when we go for a walk, can walk for over a mile, but has forgotten how to do some of the simplest things like choosing clothes to wear or washing his hair. He is on a couple medications that allow him to sleep through the night, thankfully. Sometimes things change daily as far as what he remembers. Lots of adjustments have to be made with foods as he has trouble swallowing “hard” or dry foods. I’ve been working on some recipes for stews which have lots of cooked vegetables, cut up or minced meats and beans. I used Cinque’s Nigerian red bean soup as inspiration for a recent creation which turned out very well. Stews are great because all OH, DS and I can all eat them and a big pot provides leftovers for a few days and is easy to freeze. Chopped salads are also normal type food which suit us all and are easy for him to eat.

Thankfully, we’ve kept up with the habit of watching 2 to 3 hours of tv each night after dinner which started with the pandemic. We love the Aussie series and are down to the last few episodes in season 7 of Offspring. Another one that we will miss when it’s over. The lead character is also in a shorter series called Party Tricks which also stars the lead from Doctor Doctor which we watched a while back. We are getting to know all of the Australian actors and actresses.

I’m not leaving this forum, it’s just hard to sit down without interruption these days since he’s uneasy when I’m out of his sight, even though DS is here as well, thank goodness for that. So life is about adapting these days and trying not to look too far into the future. I do miss all of you and will try to be here more often.

thinatlast

7:49 am
19 Jan 22
Permalink

Turn, I enjoyed your post. I find the pet sitting jobs involving chickens harder than those with dogs. Who knew that chickens needed morning tea? Some with gardening duties beyond watering are pushing the boundaries a bit. In Spain, there’s a big issue with abandoned pets so it’s quite common for the house sitting posts to have 5 rescued dogs and six cats which doesn’t appeal to us at all. Any with cats are eliminated as OH is allergic and we try to limit the dogs to one or two. To answer your question, we came here on a one-way ticket with an apartment booked for a couple of weeks. I found this upcoming pet-sit while here, it’s for twelve nights. We’re playing it all by ear and, if no other house sitting posts become available, we’ll explore the area around Valencia as it’s the only part of the southern and eastern coastlines that we’ve not seen before.

Cinque, I’ve never heard of wordle before and got it right away – but there wasn’t much to go on.

Anzac, hopefully that nightmare is a now a fading memory. I took only my phone on our last trip in a giant leap of technology faith. I couldn’t have coped in your situation. I’m back to humping the laptop again, it along with my travel scales comprising most of my 5kg allowance. Good luck with the 10kg goal.

We had a high school Zoom for two hours last night. Quite interesting – and enjoyable as there were few participants and mostly boarders.

Neil and G’day, good job on the goals met.

FD for me, they come around quickly on 5:2, don’t they? I’m at my trigger weight so doing a lot worse than most of you right now. Too much bread with tapas, too much alcohol, too much of everything evidently.

thinatlast

8:06 am
19 Jan 22
Permalink

CalifD, our posts crossed. I’m so sorry to read of your husband’s mental decline. I can imagine how stressful it must be watching the person you married become a different person. Yesterday, we spent more time with our friends who live nearby. The wife confided how forgetful he had become. I had noticed it when we saw them in England two years ago but she seemed to be covering for him, or at least it wasn’t mentioned. It was quite evident yesterday and I was alarmed that he’s still driving. OH and he paid for the tapas and drinks but, by the time he’d been to the toilet, he had already forgotten that they’d paid. I had a quiet word to her about the driving as she’d said she was reluctant to take away his last vestiges of independence. I hope I gave her some things to ponder and she’ll come to the right conclusion. He can’t keep track of his medication. It’s heartbreaking to witness. In the meantime, those walks will be helping your OH in so many ways and I’m so pleased that you have your DS to help.

Betsylee

10:01 am
19 Jan 22
Permalink

Good evening all.

Continuing to slowly track downwards. I think I’m finally beginning to cure myself of the habit of thinking of the weekend as a “free-for-all”. Well, not quite, but an excuse to indulge more. Down 2.5 kg from the start of the month.

MsO, I hope you meant 0.8 for the waist to hip ratio, not 0.5. I think you’d find it very difficult to get a ratio of 0.5.

Neilithicman, good to get a 100.0 reading, and then 99.4.

To throw in my tuppence worth: Re waist measurements, in the “CSIRO low-carb diet book”, it states that as an estimate of risk of developing a long-term disease, for men the measure is 102 cm, and for women 88 cm. Apparently the WHO considers that risk of type-2 diabetes and heart disease in Asian populations occurs for women with a waist measurement of 80 and for men of 90, and a BMI 22-25, so that’s quite different to the Caucasian population where a BMI 18-25 is considered healthy.

Note that those measurements are several cms higher than the Heart Foundation recommendations that Cinque mentioned.

Thin, enjoy your move to another area of Spain.

Cinque, glad to read that your DS and DBIL are improving from their bout of Covid. Hope you survive the next bout of heat without too much of a CFS flare-up.

Turnabout, good to see you back on the forum. Yep,weight up, then I hope for you it’s weight down again. I’ll join you in hoping for a year when weight goals are met.

G’Day from SA, well done to reach your first goal. Onward and downwards to the second one of 59.9.

CalifDreamer, so sorry to read of OH’s worsening dementia. It can be difficult to experience (from observation of a friend’s decline, not someone in the close family).

Anzac65, hope you and OH have recovered now from your infection. You, too, LJoyce.

Stay well and sleep well, everyone.

Neilithicman

12:04 am
20 Jan 22
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Afternoon all

I had a bounce-back to over 100kg again this morning, but that’s normal on my non-fast days following a fast day. As long as my overall trend is down I don’t mind it bouncing up on days that I eat more. Today is a control day where I’m aiming for 1600-1800 calories and then tomorrow my second fast day for the week, that should knock me back down under 100 again.

Thin and Betsy, regarding waist measurements, I think it depends a lot on your body type as well. I remember my doctor mentioning that most of the All Blacks would come in as obese under many of the health measurements (BMI, waist measurements, etc) due to muscle mass. If you have a solid build, big chest, big hips etc then you’re going to have a bigger waist than someone with a slighter build. I remember the boxer David Tua in his prime fighting condition had a 37 inch waist and 30 inch thighs because all the power from punching comes from the legs and torso. I think that’s why it’s better to go with proportions rather than a set waist size. But whatever measurement you use, I think we know what is healthy for our body and what isn’t.

Cali, really sorry to hear about the decline in your OH’s health. If you’re looking for a new series and haven’t watched it yet, I can recommend “The Tourist”. It’s an aussie thriller/drama my wife and I just finished watching. It’s about a guy that gets amnesia after a car accident and has to try and work out who he is and why everyone seems to be out to kill him. It’s pretty good.

Gday, Awesome news on the weight, keep up the great work!

Cinque, I hope your fast day went well, Miso with mushrooms and beans wouldn’t be enough for me at the end of a fast. I like to have at least half my day’s calories at the evening meal since I seem to have more control eating during the day than I do in the evening, so saving more calories for the end of the day works better for me.

Turn, that sounds like heaven to me. Having a free holiday in Central would be my ideal. I stocked up on cherries and apricots when I was in Roxburgh, bottled the apricots and my wife’s family polished off most of the cherries. We’re heading up to Queenstown next week so we’ll gave to stop off on the way and stock up again.

Anzac, good luck on the 10kg goal. What exactly is the CSIRO diet?

MsO, yes BMI can be a bit of a blunt tool that doesn’t take into account body composition, but we all know when we’re over it. Being a bit more solidly built than most and being male (current thinking is that the BMI for males should be 22-27 for healthy range rather than 20-25 because males on average have around 25% more muscle mass than females) I’m aiming to get back to 85 kilos, which would put me just under a BMI of 27 (86 kilos)

Well have a good one everyone, happy fasting

Betsylee

3:47 am
20 Jan 22
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Good afternoon everyone.

Brief post today, but – drum roll please! – I weighed in today at 3 kg below where I started at the beginning of January. Almost hard to believe, but nice. Now I have to continue with the momentum.

Neilithicman, good comments re male physique and male BMI. Mind you, my 73 year old brother uses that as an excuse with his doctor, as he’s quite healthy, but look at him sideways and you can certainly see a noticeable abdomen so I think he’s in a bit of denial.

You also asked about the CRISO diet: The CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) here in Australia has been researching healthy diets and eating for quite a few years. They have brought out several books in the past several years, including “The CSIRO healthy heart program”, “The CSIRO total wellbeing diet book 1” and book 2, and more recently have shifted to encouraging the shift to a lower carb more Mediterranean style diet more especially for the pre-diabetic, “The CSIRO low-carb diet”, but it’s suitable for anyone who’s overweight. There are a lot of interesting and useful recipes in the book, and I think they’ve also brought out a specific book with more, just recipes, as well. The food can easily be adjusted to the 5:2 eating way of life.
The low-carb diet book includes 12 weekly eating plans plus an exercise plan to go with it. I haven’t really used the book as a diet strategy, but it has a lot of interesting and useful information that has encouraged me to persevere with weight loss.

Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe.

thinatlast

10:09 am
20 Jan 22
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Neil, we liked The Tourist. We’ve only seen two or three episodes as we can’t get it in Spain.

Betsy, good job! Downward trends are all we need.

I had a successful FD yesterday. I had to plan it on the hop as I was originally going to do my FD today, it being a travel day plus not wanting to buy more groceries until arrival. But my travel scales told me otherwise. So I had one poached egg, 80g asparagus, 50g smoked salmon with 10g plain yoghurt and fresh lime (I couldn’t find any fresh dill). Delish. OH had the same (as an entree it appeared) but with a bowl of leftover spag bol. to follow. I couldn’t believe all the ‘extras’ he had to put on the smoked salmon dish. The asparagus was swimming in a pool of butter. Yuk. Anyway, I’m down 800g so that feels good.

We were up at 4am as OH misread his watch. It was still dark when we arrived at our pet-sitting place two hours later. Lovely house, huge gardens and two very large doggos. One’s a Spanish mastiff, 65kg, (that’s more than I weigh), the other’s no lightweight either. Both are good natured although not too well lead-trained (yet).

Turn, do you use THS for your house-sitting assignments? Have you ever tried Nomador or any others? We’ve been considering going to Morocco as it would be warmer. But with covid an ever-moving feast, we might be better off just staying put. England seems to be entering its end-phase of all this whereas other countries are only just beginning to learn to live with it. Who knows how WA will cope with its makeshift tents to address 52,000 ambulance ramp hours (that’s with one covid case). Worrying.