Neil, change the batteries on your scales?
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Sure, I’ve not been eating anything until lunch time.
Lunch is either soup or curry (today is sauteed okra and half a cup of rice), 2 kiwifruit, and a scoop of protein powder.
Snack when I’m home from work is a tablespoon of peanut butter or a small handful of pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
Dinner is usually standard meal with meat and vegetables, curry and flatbread, or soup and rolls. I’ve had dessert most days with a small bowl of apricot chia pudding.
In the weekend I did have a couple of drinks and a bowl of popcorn watching the movies with my family and I had a couple of slices of fruit loaf my workmate brought in yesterday but nothing excessive. I certainly averaged less than 1800 calories a day throughout the week.
I rode to and from work 4 times in the week which takes 10-15 minutes on the way in and 25-30 minutes on the way home going up the hill, and my wife and I went out for a walk in the weekend.
Good evening everyone.
FD yesterday was relatively straightforward and the ban on eating after dinner was not a problem. One thing I have noticed in the few days since I started the ban on eating after dinner is sleep – I am falling asleep more easily, not waking as often through the night and feeling rested in the morning. An unexpected but very welcome side benefit.
Neil, I really feel for you. I understand the immense frustration when you know you aren’t overeating but the scales are doing crazy things. I certainly can’t see anything that indicates a 3kg gain for a tall active man. If you clothing isn’t any tighter you can also be reassured that you did not gain 3kg in body fat – you would definitely have noticed that in your clothing. I do realise that is small comfort when the scales are being so unpredictable. We always want the scales to reflect our efforts and feel cheated when they don’t.
Given your TDEE I can’t find much to query in your food diary. Probably the only thing I’d mention is something my dietitan advised me. Where possible, to keep the grains and breads to wholegrain, high fibre or fermented choices (for example: brown rice, wholemeal roti/chapati or rye sourdough). My dietitian has said that replacing refined grains with whole grains or resistant starch changes the insulin response. I have definitely noticed a difference when comparing these choices in my own diet – the refined starches and sugars are appetite triggers that can continue to be a problem for me well into the following day. The only caution I’d add in sharing this advice, is that we each have unique health issues. I have normal blood sugars and have never been insulin resistant or pre-diabetic and the advice of my dietitian would have reflected that. As I don’t know your situation, my dietitian’s advice may not be useful.
Neil I hope this week is better for you.
Thanks for the advice Ljoyce. I usually make my own flat breads or rolls so they’re a bit better than the ones you buy in the supermarket. I might try switching out to a wholemeal flour. I don’t usually have much of it when I do eat it.
The excess weight doesn’t seem to have affected my fitness at the moment. Yesterday I broke my personal record for both riding into work (9 minutes 42 seconds) and riding home (22 minutes 33 seconds), then this morning I improved on the record for riding in again (9 minutes 30 seconds). Everything else seems to be fine (fitness, cholesterol, blood sugars, blood pressure, pulse rate) Just the stupid weight won’t come off.
Neil, it sounds like you are healthy, despite the extra weight. I think that gives you some breathing room when it comes to how quickly you need to move the excess weight. I remember my GP was quite sanguine about me being in the “overweight” category as soon as all those health markers were normal.
Excellent work on improving your cycling PBs too.
The only other thing that’s worth checking is water intake – I think it has an impact on whether I have steadier weight loss – not sure why, perhaps I eat/drink less when I fill up on water. I certainly drink a bit less caffeine when I have to get through 2 litres of water a day.
Take care Neil, enjoy the cycling while the weather allows.
Hi everyone
I’ve had a morning in the city – dentist, shopping and lunch with a friend with a wander trough the central market afterward. We decided on burgers at Argo for lunch. Mine was delicious – grilled chicken with pineapple & salad but without the bun – I ate every drop of the lovely aoili though, so not quite as virtuous as it first sounds.
Thankfully at the markets I was able to stock up on things I can’t get near home – adzuki beans, dried fruits (nectarines, peaches & apple) and my favourite muesli (cinnamon, maple & hazelnut). Unfortunately tomorrow is a FD, so I’ll have to wait until Sunday for a bowl of my yummy muesli.
The city still looks and feels different to before covid – less crowded (especially for a Friday) and some side streets look a bit dingy.
The added bonus for today, is that with all that walking too and from railway stations I’ve done 10k steps without even trying.
Hope you are all having a good day. Take care.
Hello from cold rainy Melbourne,
Day before fast day.
I did my volunteering on Tuesday but stayed too long, did too much standing and got a bit too cold, so today is the first day I am starting to feel recovered.
I did like the people there. The new manager is a local councillor who has recently been mayor for two years and I think might be excellent. Fingers crossed.
Gday, this is great!
“First, it is an intention. Then a behaviour. Then a Habit. Then a practice. Then a second nature. Then it is simply who you are.”
Congratulations on being a certified Personal Weight Trainer! And haha, yes more study. Fingers crossed it is really interesting and you are able to enjoy it, even with everything else going on.
Hi to Mr Gday, is he recovering well now?
I’m skipping through posts and appreciating the good wishes <3 <3
LJoyce I hope you found a way to manage your medications without evening snacking.
So excited to read of your Woolton Pie experiments! I did some too, but didn’t come up with a version I liked.
What a good time of year to get back to it!
https://the1940sexperiment.com/2016/03/13/the-original-lord-woolton-pie-recipe-no-151/ for people who are wondering what it is
My idea was to
use one of my potato pastry recipes for the top (it’s a cross between pastry and mashed potato, and very nice)
keep the oats for thickening the veggies (but never got it thick enough),
use traditional British veggies (I added lentils),
and add vegemite for umami.
Mine was still too bland.
How did yours turn out?
Neil, throw away the scales! Get your tape measure out!
I’m off to get one more coffee and then come back 😀
Back again,
What a lovely market trip LJoyce,
I hope you enjoyed your yummy muesli this morning.
Neil, much kinder advice here than my directive 😉 I hope the scales are kinder this week.
I had awful news through the week, my dear friend that I used to go and visit in Central Victoria has become worse with her dementia and began attacking her husband (carer) so badly they had to call an ambulance and she is in hospital until he can find a place where she can be looked after. It was getting too much for him anyway.
My heart is breaking for them both. I am so glad I am feeling better today, I will go and visit her on Monday as the hospital isn’t too far away.
(I’ll have to cancel my volunteering this week, or just call in briefly).
Sending good wishes to everyone
Neil thanks for the list. The first thing that stands out for me is lots of carbs and sugars in the diet. When the body processes carbs they are turned into sugars and therefore the body processes them the same way as it does all sugars. When the diet contains sugars and carbs it prevents the body from burning body fat, the body will always burn the sugars and carbs first and if you have excess in the system then those sugars and carbs are stored as body fat. For the body to burn body fat for energy and therefore lose body fat (lose weight) there needs to be minimal sugars and carbs in the system.
Now I know the discussion has been had before on this forum about fruit. The sugars in fruit are natural sugars and the fruit does contain fibre which we need. However, when we are trying to lose weight the fruit sugars impact the body in the same way I have described in paragraph one so it’s best to keep fruit to an absolute minimum when trying to lose weight. Berries are okay in small amounts because they have lower sugar levels compared to other fruits. Once we are comfortable in weight maintenance small amounts of fruits are okay.
Consuming too much protein each day can also stop fat burning so if you are eating meat and veg (and from memory you also regularly consume legumes?) then you are probably getting enough protein each day without the need to take protein powder. I know you do a lot of cardio exercise but unless you are doing a lot of strength training to build muscle mass then consuming extra protein via supplements is not needed. Just another note on protein powders, the vast majority contain added artificial sugars so just be mindful of the ingredients. Whey protein powders contain the sugars and carbs from milk whey. Pure Egg White protein powders contain no sugars or carbs.
For the foods you have posted, this is the breakdown:
High Carb Foods:
Okra (although Okra is lower in carbs so in small amounts is okay)
Rice
Vegies/Curry – it depends on the vegies – some are very high in carbs such as potatoes, carrots which are the ones we usually put in a stew or curry. As a general rule – the vegies that grow below ground are high card and the ones that grow above the ground are low carb.
Flatbread
Soup – depends on the type of soup but the same applies for soup as for the vegies/curry comment
Rolls
Popcorn
Fruit Loaf is high in both carbs and sugars
High Sugar Foods:
Kiwi Fruit
Apricot in the Chia pudding (Chia seed is fine)
Also be mindful of peanut butter as some purchased peanut butter has added artificial sugars and peanuts are a legume not a nut, so again they contain carbs.
Although I don’t know what type of alcohol you consume, alcohol and the mixers that go with it are both high in sugars and carbs.
On the whole, the list contains mainly carbs and sugars. I know you say it’s not excessive but when you add up the days consumption it is quite a high carb/high sugar diet. There’s very little in the way of good fats (which keep you satiated), just a small handful of seeds. We need good fats in our diet, they are essential for our overall health and contrary to what the marketing hype tells us, good quality fats do not make us fat.
I know that 5:2 is all about calorie counting but reputable studies are now showing that calorie counting is irrelevant for weight loss and weight maintenance – and I do believe this to be true. And yes I know that calorie counting is working for some, but with everything in life it is not a one size fits all approach. It’s also important to remember that our bodies are constantly changing and what once worked for us for weight loss may not be working for us now.
So Neil, I do truly believe that what is preventing you from weight loss is a high intake of carbs and sugars (and perhaps too much protein) because your body is burning your food for energy which is preventing your body from using stored body fat for energy. Burning food for energy is fine when we are at our goal weight and maintaining but when trying to lose weight the focus must be on burning body fat for energy.
I just noticed in a later post Neil your comment about making the breads/rolls with wholemeal flour – wholemeal flour is still carbohydrate and the majority of wholemeal flour sold today is just white flour with colouring. Any type of processed wheat grain contains very little nutrient (and for some absolutely none) – processed wheat grains are just carbs. So switching to another type of flour will not change anything, unless you change to the two main flours that are not carbs which is almond and coconut flour. Again, I know you say you don’t have much of it but every little bit you consume during the day adds up to being a big bit at the end of the day.
I do hope this gives you some food for thought Neil…..pardon the pun!
Cinque, yes I love the quote too and it is so true. Sorry to hear about your friend – dementia is such a cruel disease. By the way, my qualifications completed so far are Cert III in Fitness (Gym Instructor), Cert IV in Fitness (Personal Trainer) and Cert IV in Weight Management (Weight Management Practitioner) and I have just started my Diploma in Weight Management (Advanced Weight Management Practitioner) which is another 18 months full time study.
I’ve also got over my little lull from a few weeks back where I was feeling very unmotivated about life. My positive mindset has returned and I’m back into study and business planning with enthusiasm and positivity.
Is anyone watching Eurovision? It’s weird and wacky but that’s why I love it. The second heat of the semi-finals is on tonight and I have my alarm set for 4.30am tomorrow morning (Sunday) to watch the grand final which is standard procedure every year in our household for Eurovision. Even Miss GDay gets up and we have a big breakfast cook up watching the finals.
Happy Saturday Everyone
Hi Cinque, when you were absent after Tuesday, I did wonder if the volunteering had an impact on your health. I hope you can find a balance that allows you to be involved in a sustainable way.
My Wolton pie was yummy with just enough flavour, but it wasn’t a true version as I had no intention of making a massive bland veggie pie. I wanted something tasty. I boiled potato, carrot, butternut, parsnip and purple cauliflower in water to which I had also added 2 tsp chicken stock powder and a bay leaf. Separately I chopped up lots of swiss brown mushrooms, a little pancetta and 2 leeks with plenty of fresh thyme and cooked that mixture in lots of butter. Once this mix was soft, I stirred a tablespoon of flour into the buttery juices and cooked it briefly to create a roux. I then strained the stock off of the boiled veg and combined the mushroom mixture with the root veg mixture. I piled it into a huge rectangular baking dish with only about 1/4 cup of the stock and then covered it with my unusual pastry. I wasn’t sure how stable it would be to roll up and transfer to the top of the pie, so I rolled it out and then used a scone cutter to cut lots of pastry discs that I overlapped on top. Then it was baked for about 40 minutes at 180C. As I’d hoped, the boiled veg released more water during baking and it all combined with the roux to thicken. I used the leftover stock to make big pot of soup. It was a full afternoon of cooking but made 6 generous serves of veggie pie – some eaten and some frozen.
As to the pastry. I started with this recipe https://www.rootsandradishes.com/all-butter-chickpea-flour-pie-crust/ (without the sugar or water). I ended up using 1½ cups chickpea flour, ½ teaspoon salt and 110g butter. I knew it wouldn’t be enough to cover the large pie I’d made, and I didn’t have any spare chickpea flour. So I basically then improvised. I increased the flour by a cup (3/4 cup wholemeal flour and 1/4 cup teff flour). I removed some chunks of cooked potato from the pie to make mash and added that (as I didn’t want to use any more butter). Then I added 2-3 tblsp greek yoghurt instead of chilled water to make a soft pastry. I had read so many unusual pastry recipes in the lead up to this, that ended up combining ideas found in several of them. I didn’t chill the pastry before rolling and cutting it, but instead chilled the entire pie before I baked it.
Usually white flour pastry is more about perfect texture rather than flavour, but this unusual pastry had a really wonderful flavour. I had a small about of pastry leftover and I made a mini pasty with a spoonful of leftover lamb casserole as the filling – that worked really well too. It was a good pastry for pasties – would be nice with a samosa filling I think.
I will do some more experiments with pastry – I have recipes for lentil, teff and spelt flour pastries that need to be tried eventually.
GDSA, yes I love Eurovision too. I don’t get up early, I record in on my old HDD and play it back at a more civilised hour once I wake.
My FD has gone well today. I have leftover chicken and veg for dinner, which I will warm up shortly.
Morning all,
Cinque, that’s sad news about your friends. It reminded me of Intesha and her mother’s sad decline. Pleased that you had a positive first impression of your new volunteer position and hope you can do more in the seated position.
LJ, I enjoyed reading how giving up snacking in the evenings has resulted in better sleep for you. I think that’s the case for me too.
GDSA/LJ, it must be a sign of my age and general grumpiness that I don’t watch Eurovision. I rarely enjoy the offerings and voting has become so geopolitical. As for getting up at 4.30am, that’s too funny but making family traditions are fun times. It was a family tradition of ours when I was growing up. Take me back to 1967 when a risqué Sandie Shaw won it for England with ‘Puppet On A String’, shocking everyone by being on stage barefoot. Her entry was almost withdrawn because she had been named in a divorce suit.
Neil, I wasn’t being flippant with the comment at the top of this page. I’m assuming you have the best scales available – essential tool of our trade – and when the batteries go, their reading can go haywire. Cinque’s idea to replace with a tape measure might have some merit therefore. When I later read your week’s intake, I did have the same thoughts as GDSA, mainly because I know I couldn’t get away with any of the foods/drinks you listed even on maintenance, let alone while trying to lose. Then LJ reminded us that we’re all unique. You did lose a stack of weight before so you do know how to do it.
Boring as it is, calorie counting is a time-tested method of losing weight. No matter how it’s spun, the fact remains that we’re all here because our calorie intake was greater than our output. Calorie counting is an essential tool to learn how to avoid high-calorie, low-nutrition food, swap high-calorie foods for lower calorie options and reduce portion sizes. Once that’s done, it can thankfully be discarded and 5:2 becomes a way of life. Or as GDSA mentioned, a habit is formed. If I’d had to count calories for the past eight years, I would definitely not still be here.
Calorie counting again becomes necessary once a weight goal has been achieved because, most of us who’ve lost vast amounts of weight in the past, stacked it all back on and then some because we failed to realise that we have to eat only enough to sustain our new weight, not the weight we used to be. But it’s a short-lived requirement thankfully. Ideally, we’re always eating for the weight we wish to become.
The reason this works where other fad diets fail is that it is sustainable. Once we understand those calorie parameters, we then have the choice of avoiding certain foods altogether, taking them only as occasional treats or using our fast days to allow us to indulge in just about anything we may desire. We are still the same people that led us here in the first place. Some of our behaviours have been changed but we can’t deprive ourselves completely. The proof is in the pudding. The number of people still contributing to this forum all these years on, speak volumes about its success. Many others have come and gone in that time, many have their own take on what works – and so they should, its success lies in its flexibility – but where are they now? Naked 5:2 works if you practice it, it doesn’t if you make excuses.
I know that 6:1 fails to provide enough regular reminders of portion control that come with 5:2. It’s too easy to let things creep back in. In my case, I became complacent with milk in tea and coffee on FDs. When I actually measured that out, I realised that I was adding another 93 calories to my FD intake. Alcohol is another killer for me and I drink less than anyone I know (except Cinque, GDSA and LJ). Every week presents a new challenge for me. A new village, different shops, different products and a serious lack of freezer storage for planning ahead. Like everyone here, I’m trying to do the best I can because being a healthy weight means so much more to me than a slice of bread.
So, stay strong, stay vigilant, let’s get on with it. Our reward might be a healthier, longer life.
Thanks for the advice everyone
Thin I did change the battery on my scale and still got a reading 2kg above where I was at my previous weigh-in. The numbers are that my BMR should be around 1940 calories a day. On days I take my bike in I burn around 600 calories a day so eating around 1800 calories a day should be well under and definitely shouldn’t be gaining that much, even with sugars.
Gday, the peanut butter I eat is “fix and fog” peanut butter which is 99.95% peanuts and 0.05% salt so that is pretty safe. the protein powder I get is pure whey protein with no additives called “nothing naughty” I will try reducing the amount I eat, but I find that having a scoop of protein in the afternoon helps keep me full and stops the evening binge that I used to have after work. Now it’s usually just the peanut butter or seeds. As for the fruit, I find I need the kiwifruit to help keep me regular. Psyllium husks doesn’t seem to do the job for me, but 150g of kiwifruit a day seems to work well. I’ll try a week of strict food logging and get a breakdown of the macronutrients and perhaps you can give some insight into what you think.
I’ve already cut my caffeine down to a couple a week and I have no alcohol left in the house so I won’t be drinking for a while. I’ll see if I can get the numbers to balance. I started my tracking yesterday and today my weight is 104.6kg I’ll try to average 1800 calories a day, cut down the sugar as much as I can and reduce the protein a little and we’ll see where I am next Wednesday weigh-in.
Good morning from a lovely sunny day in Sydney
So much for posting every day! Sorry for my absence, the days just morph into each other at the moment
Mr Anzac continues to improve and gets a bit stronger every day. He still needs a few hours on the couch in the afternoons but otherwise his activities are almost back to normal.
Neil, how puzzling and frustrating for you. I hope you can sort out why your scales continue to belie science. I hope you can get to the bottom of it
I’ve fallen off the wagon for the past two weeks and a kilo jumped onto my scales so quickly. Must get back on the horse asap
CountryGal – are you ok?
You also sound very busy LJ and I am in awe that you could have a burger and not eat the bun. I doubt I could do that! Your muesli does sound yummy; Mr Anzac makes mine (he can’t have it at the moment as he can’t have nuts or seeds) and it is chock-a-block full of lovely healthy things. I have a small bowl most days as it is so full of fibre so very good for my diverticulitis. I hate the taste of milk so I make a small berry and banana smoothie to have with it
I hope you really enjoy the volunteering Cinque, without it making you too tired. It sounds like you need to pare back after your experience after last Tuesday. I’m so sorry to read about your friend; I hope the visit yesterday wasn’t too traumatic for you
Thin, considering the limitations of freezer space and cooking materials I think you do a wonderful job to keep your weight down. I have no such limitations and my lack of will power when stressed (most of the time) is my downfall. Onwards and downwards
Huge congratulations on your certification G’day
Must run, a meeting beckons.
I saw this lovely saying on a big sign in the front lawn of our local church that we drive past each day on the way to where we walk Maxx: “Every day is a gift”. I am going to make it my new sign-off phrase….
Every day is a gift
Morning everyone, I’m a bit of a bogus member at the moment. Pain is chronic, depression hard to fight which is rare for me, but the frustration of limited movement is taking it’s toll. I might back away for a while, and come back once things improve. You are a lovely group and I wish you all well.🌻CG
Well my weekly weigh in I was 103.4kg. So I’m down 2.5 kilos from last weeks weigh in and 1.2 kilos down from yesterday, but still 700 grams above where I was 2 weeks ago.
I’m having a feeling that stress may be part of my problem, I know increased cortisol levels make you more prone to weight gain, and with my wife’s health and a bit of financial worries, I’ve been feeling a bit stressed at the moment. I’ve had real trouble sleeping as well.
Country, hang in there, we’re all here to support you if you need it. Even if you don’t post, you can still hang around and follow the thread.
Anzac, it’s not fair is it, we have to fight so hard to get weight off, then when we slack off it comes back on so fast.
Well, back to work, have a great day everyone.
Neil, hope things settle down for you soon. Good news on the weight loss, that should brighten your mood considerably.
Anzac, that was wonderful news from you. I expect Mr A is exhausted from all that tool shed singing he’s been doing. That muesli sounds divine.
CG, I read about your continued pain yesterday but couldn’t reply as we lost our signal and then it was a busy day working locks. I was thinking about you all day though. It just doesn’t seem right that it can’t be managed in Australia. Have you exhausted all the avenues beyond your GP? I seem to recall that your son was taking you somewhere recently, obviously not the pain clinic. I hope you get some relief.
Cinque how was your day visiting your friends yesterday?
FD for me and I’m branching out from chicken this and chicken that by having a vegetable stew. Odd weather for it at 23C but I happened to have all the ingredients. We have 26 more locks until we get to the end of the navigable part of this canal and then we turn around and do them all again.
Hi Thin, cortisone injections at the pain clinic don’t work anymore, it’s all bandaid treatment rather tha fixing the long term problem. I have lived with this for such a long time, and think my fight is a losing battle. The windows were I’m capable are getting smaller, meds take the edge off but they said it is deteriorating quickly. I’m not giving in, just giving up the constant fight at the moment, and of course the crisp nights and mornings don’t help. Our hospital situation is bad, so waiting to be seen is in Gods hands. Take care everyone 🌻CG
Hello friends,
I have missed being here, but it was just a hard week.
I was still recovering from volunteering and trying to prepare for visiting my friend Lin, and did a bit of grandma-ing, when my computer died last Sunday.
I did visit my friend (but on Wednesday) and stayed for two hours as she was stuck in a tiny room and wedged into her bed so she wouldn’t get out and fall. She had been moved out of a shared room, where at least things were going on, when someone in another bed tested positive for covid. (So I had to wear gown and gloves as well as my N95 mask).
We were able to have a few laughs. Such a fab person, Alzheimers (officially now) such a hard disease.
Her husband has been desperately trying to find a good place for her, and yay, found somewhere for her to move in on Wednesday, but then yesterday she tested positive and so is in the covid ward and will have to wait until she recovers. She had no symptoms. (I did a RAT yesterday – negative).
After a lot of faffing about I also have my new computer. Loving it so much. Ooh everything was hard on my ipad!
So now I hope I can start to get back to my usual days, well at least for the weekend.
So 5:2…
Haven’t managed a fast day and I’ve been eating less veggies which I am hanging out to rectify. I tried to buy fast food to make it easy for myself, but it is all horrible. Even when I just wanted a treat, I couldn’t find anything.
My tastes have changed and my brain is trained!
I need to tidy my kitchen, it is pretty well a health hazard at the moment.
So that’s my news, I will come back and read, or reread , posts. The main thing though is I want to send out good wishes to Country Gal, you have got it so hard at the moment. I do hope they can find some treatment that can make a big difference. I hope you find some ease.
ciao all
Cinque, good to hear from you and that you had a good long chat with your friend. I bet she was happy to see you. Yay for changing tastes and brain changing for the better. Unfortunate that this is called the fast diet – I first thought you meant that you’d gone out to buy food to support your fast day!
I was doing well and then I sabotaged it again with something I shouldn’t have eaten and boom, up go the scales. Why do I do this? I thought I was invincible because we did seventeen locks and two fairly long walks in the woods. Vigilance required forever.
CG, the hospital situation sounds about like here and the USA. Long waiting lists, ambulance ramping, medical staff at capacity. I hope Australians vote sensibly today and we don’t have another situation where three men in silly hats with 13,000 votes between them get to determine the country’s future. Interestingly, no reporting is allowed here until the polls close. I think that’s a good policy.
I’m so sorry to be away so long and just want all of you to know that I’m still around, just busy taking care of OH most of the time. He did finally get to see a Neurologist and had a PET scan done that was still inconclusive because of some motion, but the diagnosis is likely Alzheimer’s and/or FTD dementia. He is confused much of the time but is not aggressive or disagreeable. He still loves to go for rides to a nearby lake and still watches tv every night with DS and I. But he has some issues with swallowing so preparing food is a challenge. He is on a medication that helps him sleep and eases agitation during the day. But it is so heartbreaking to see parts of who he is, disappearing a little at a time. We have to be with him 24/7. I did hire a caregiver 4 hours a day for 3 days per week. This gives my sister and I time to do things like shopping, cleaning or just relaxing alone. It’s expensive but such a needed relief. And he gets along well with her so it’s another person for him to have contact with. Cinque, I’m so sorry to hear your friend is dealing with this too. Such a horrible disease.
I will post again when I can. I think of all of all of you.
Sunday morning,
(Fascinatedly keeping up with the election news.)
I am still tired and struggling but making this a fast day, so haha yes Thin, having a different type of fast food.(And not much of it).
Ofcourse, after saying I had retrained my brain, I went and had a handful of savoy crackers at my daughters place last night (went to watch the start of the count).
My brain did say ‘I told you so’ when I was disappointed with myself later. I just can’t afford to eat anything that isn’t chock full of vitamins and minerals.
I’m looking forward to miso soup later.
Ah well Thin, we have to put up with being human. Hooray for being able to get back on the horse.
Cali, so good to hear from you. I have been thinking of you doubly, hoping you have been going okay, and thinking of Mr Cali too. I am so sorry to hear how hard it is for him to eat. Lin is similar, and now can’t even really get herself up from sitting. I hadn’t understood how Alzheimers effects those physical abilities too.
I am so glad you are able to have those breaks three days a week. They are important, vital, for you and your sister.
Lindsay, I was shouting out to you from my garden, on World Bee Day. I hope your lovely household is going well.
Anzac, great news that Mr Anzac is so close to being back to normal. Hooray! All power to him.
Gday, how is Mr Gday going?
And Country Gal, so hoping today might be an easier one.
LJoyce, I loved reading your Woolton Pie results. I bought leek, carrot, parsnip and swede to make mine. I still want to use oats to thicken it and vegemite for umami and am keen to add butternut to the potato pastry.
I want to use split peas, but I don’t have any so it is toor dal. Very British 😉
We will have to take photos when we have each of our versions perfected.
Ooh yes, I have mushrooms too. Hmm, need to think if I want to add them, or will that be too busy?
But oh dear it is fast day and tomorrow I am minding little Ms7. I’d better sign off and go and have a think.
Best wishes all x
CalifD, good to hear from you but so sorry for all you’re having to endure right now. It all sounds very distressing but I am pleased you have that carer. It’s so important to have time for yourself so I hope you and DS get more of that than shopping (although I know you like shopping).
Cinque, I’m here with you for a fast day, Sunday. Leftover veg. stew from Wednesday and OH will get penne pasta with his. Had to laugh about your watching the vote count being a ‘thing’. Can’t think of anything more boring especially with all the panels of commentators making mindless comments to go with it! Have a wonderful time with Miss Seven. I bet there are loads of non-energetic activities that can be done at that lovely age.
Well I never really got off the horse since it was a feast day when I, yet again, ate half a bread roll. Just annoyed with myself for not learning the lessons.
Enjoying watching ‘Cracker’ episodes. The screen is square. I’d remembered it fondly but was surprised that it’s still so good, twenty nine years on. Back in the day when we had to excitedly wait until the actual broadcast day and time each week instead of binge watching on demand.
Morning all
Bit of a miserable weekend over here. Cold, gale force winds, rain and a bit of snow. We had a gum tree come down on our frisbee golf course and I spent Sunday afternoon chopping it up. Eating went ok over the weekend. I’m hoping for a couple of 800 calorie days today and tomorrow before my weigh-in on Wednesday.
Cali, that is really hard news to take. Watching the decline of a loved one is never easy. I’m glad you do get some time out for yourself even if it is only 12 hours a week, I hope you can continue to post here when you can to stay in touch.
Thin, I can’t remember, do you have a gluten intolerance? I wouldn’t think that half a bread roll would do too much damage otherwise.
Cinque, I hope your fast day went well while minding Miss 7.
Well off to pick up my boy and take him to his swimming lesson now. I’m hoping that the weather this week is a bit better because I had a few things I wanted to get done over the weekend that got postponed because of the weather.
Have a great one everyone.
Neil, the weather sounds miserable in your parts. It’s warm here and the days are long which I love. Not only that but you can sit outside until after 8 or 9pm and not get attacked by biting insects.
Well done for getting the weekend eating on track and fingers crossed for a happy weigh in. Well, you raise an interesting point and this might be a stupid question but how does one know if they have a gluten intolerance? I’ve just looked up the symptoms and I don’t have any of them. Just instant and excessive weight gain. If I were to eat the portion sizes of bread, rice, pasta that I served prior to 5:2, I would get bloating which is a symptom but I no longer do that.
It was a good FD, down 800g today. We conquered 14 locks so it was a physically active day. Now, to not sabotage my results which I have a tendency to do on NFDs. But I am wondering whether that’s a mental thing or that my body actually needs something when I reach a low weight – unlikely to need a G&T methinks.
Good morning friends
Well it’s raining. Again. Soggy, soaking and miserable. And I read there is a 64% chance La Nina will remain all through winter! Gah! Everything is sodden and we now have a plague of small black flying insects inside and out. I posted on our local FB page and everyone has the same problem. Oh well, we just have to make the best of it
CountryGal, I am so devastated and sorry about your dreadful pain. Surely there is something they can do? I hope you get some relief soon 🙁
I’m also so very sorry to read about your poor OH Cali. I can’t imagine how you are coping but very glad you can get a few hours to look after yourself. It’s not enough but better than nothing.
Well done on yet another good FD Thin. 14 locks in one day is very impressive
Often my head spins at your level of activity Neil! I hope the lower calorie days kick start your weight loss again
I hope FD + Miss7 worked out ok Cinque
My weight loss is still stalling. Ho hum
Hi to everyone else, I hope you are all going ok
Thin, I know there’s a blood test for coeliac disease, but not for just a general intolerance. Someone on this forum I forget who (possibly Gday) did say that if you don’t eat any grains for a while, your level of the bacteria that processes it drops. I know I do get a bit bloated if I eat too much sugar and bread too.
Anzac, those insects are so annoying, but at least they’re not the biting ones. I’ve done tons of tramping up in the lakes district and you get eaten alive by sandflies if you stay still for long.
Yesterday went well, stuck to around 900 calories, today I’ve had around 500 and we have a tofu stir-fry for dinner tonight. Hoping for a decent number on the scales tomorrow.
Neil, thank you for the info. I do eat grain five days a week as I have muesli on NFDs (it’s a mystery to me why that doesn’t seem to affect me). And I have my own kefir, also five days a week. When you say’ tramping the lakes district’, where do you mean geographically? You’re using the NZ hiking term and I know sand flies are awful in certain places in NZ – but I associate the Lake District with England. All the best for tomorrow’s weigh-in.
I’m doing well this week but there is a pub ahead that looked very nice on the way up …. I’m trying to convince OH that we should go to more expensive pubs and go less frequently, rather than cheap and cheerful. He needs some convincing because a splattering of food in the middle of an enormous dinner plate with a bit of sauce artistically dripped around the edges doesn’t do it for him. He wants bulk!
Anzac, fabulous to see your post but, strangely, I read it as being from Cinque. Just gone back to re-read and noted my error. Oh how annoying about the weather and the invasion. That can be quite distressing, I remember we once had a terrible caterpillar invasion in Perth from our neighbour’s cape lilac trees. There would be a thick blanket of them on the doorstep within an hour of disposing of the last lot. They were those horrid big prickly ones and, eventually, some made it all the way through our house and onto my pillow. I totally lost the plot at that point. It was a suburb-wide thing. Is Mr Anzac feeling good?
Morning all
Thin, Lakes district here is the Queenstown/Wanaka area. Wanaka and Wakatipu are the main lakes, but there are hundreds of others around ranging in size from the size of a football field up to Mavora that is around 20km long.
Well weigh-in today was a bust. I didn’t move from my the weight I was at my Wednesday weigh-in last week. Still sitting on 103.4kg. Frustrating but at least not a gain.
We’ll have a good week everyone.
Neil, I should have known that having lived in Queenstown. Bummer re: the weigh in but it’s not a gain. You can work on it a teeny bit more and it will be a loss next week. We had a pub meal last night but I ditched the bread. Fast day for me, I’m keeping it simple today with smoked salmon, steamed asparagus and a poached egg. We’ll be going past a supermarket later so I know I can get these items.
Have a great day all.
Hi all. I’m back home after a terrible week. Mr Gday took a turn for the worst and I had to call an ambulance for him, 2 days in ICU at the local hospital and then he was flown to Adelaide by the RFDS (Air Ambulance) which is where we have been for the last week, finally returning home last night. I won’t go into details but they still don’t know the exact cause of this latest issue which is so frustrating.
Despite being in a motel room with no cooking facilities other than a kettle, toaster, and microwave (scrambled eggs in the microwave – yuk) and therefore having to eat out for the majority of time, I saved any potential weight gain by having a 72 hour fast and therefore was able to maintain my weight for the week, no loss but no gain either. So still just off my goal weight (less than 1kg) which is so frustrating but not much I can do about it with these current disruptions to normal fitness and eating routines going on.
I did manage to get quite a few long early morning runs in while in Adelaide and it was nice to go running somewhere different. My running times were a lot quicker than at home because I had pavements to run on whereas at home I have to run on uneven surfaces, dirt tracks etc which slows me down so I happy to get some personal best running times in the last week.
Neil, it wasn’t me who spoke about grains and gut bacteria and I can’t say I recall that conversation on the forum. And yes there is a blood test that will give an indication if a person MAY have coeliac disease but it is not conclusive and further testing must be done to confirm – a person must also eat gluten each day for 6-8 weeks prior to the test for the results to be effective. For gluten intolerance/sensitivity there is no blood test and testing is done via a food elimination and re-introduction diet. Gluten intolerance/sensitivity/coeliac disease is not about gut bacteria, but rather gluten triggering an immune response in the small intestine which over time damages the intestines lining and causes malabsorption issues as well as intestinal permeability (leaky gut) where bacteria and toxins leak through the intestinal wall – sounds pretty gross doesn’t it.
Just a note on your exercise routine Neil, cardio exercise will deplete calories but it won’t reduce body fat so although its great for overall mental, physical health and cardio fitness, cardio exercise won’t help with weight reduction. Its also important to remember that weight changes are hormonally regulated, with insulin playing the key role in fat storage so it all comes down to diet and regulating insulin in the body when trying to lose weight.
Thin, the calories in and calories out method for weight loss was debunked by new research quite some time back which confirms it only plays a small part in weight loss/management and only when the individual has an understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet. Calories are not equal to each other – for example, a leafy green vegetable that is 100 calories compared to a high carb, processed, no-nutrient snack bar that is also 100 calories – the body will process each of these completely differently and they will effect insulin levels completely differently and therefore will impact differently on weight gain/maintenance. The problem with the calories in/calories out method is the majority of people have no understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet and how the foods they eat impact on insulin etc. Thin I know that you understand how different foods impact on your body, you have learnt to make better food choices and therefore the calories in/out method works for you, but it’s not necessarily the calorie intake that has done it – it’s not all about the numbers – it 100% comes down to the type of food that is consumed.
The governments and health authorities still promote calories in/out because they can only take a ‘one size fits all’ approach to promoting healthy eating. Plus the calories in/out method shifts blame onto the individual for eating too much and not exercising enough when a person struggles to lose weight, rather than the blame being put on the true culprit, the cheap, crap food that fills our supermarket shelves.
Anyway, I’ve prattled on enough and I really must go and catch up on chores from the last week. Hope everyone is well.
Hello,
So nice to talk to you.
But Gday, such worrying news. Sending lots of good wishes to Mr Gday and hoping things go well.
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You are doing such a good job of looking after yourself while that is all happening.
Thin, didn’t you spend your election nights in Australia watching Antony Green do his stuff? Definitely a ‘thing’ 😀 😀 😀
I enjoyed Cracker, it would be a fun re-watch. Interestingly my sister let me know iview has all series of SeaChange up and I am watching it again after 20years. It also holds up well and is also square screen. (Cali, you might enjoy it too)
Neil, Anzac, sympathy with that stuck weight. I think I am same. Stuck with my trouser’s waistband feeling too tight anyway. But we can keep on treading water and hopefully we will catch a wave soon.
Ooh Anzac, I can’t tell from the BoM site if you have had some rainless days to dry out, I hope so, and that more come soon.
I am glad to say that my fast day was done and dusted before I took on darling Ms7, her school had a ‘pupil free’ day on Monday.
LJoyce, I made the Woolton pies and while they are good meals (I still have two in the freezer) and I did a good job of making the vegetables mustardy and lemony, they still tasted just like a bowl of veggies.
Adding pumpkin to the pastry made it wetter, so more like mash on top than a pastry, but a yummy, set mash.
I had a good think of how I could improve it, keeping true to the flavours of my childhood, which were very English, and finally came up with the idea of adding corned beef, which I think I would love and would make them more of a meal.
But actually they would still be a variation on my little ramekin meals that I love to make in bulk and use a variety of strews, veggie layers, beans, meats or fish, and mash or pastry topping, to make individual meals I can freeze and refrigerate. So I might just give up on the idea of perfecting Woolton Pies and just keep perfecting my ramekin meals. (Your variations go nicely in the mix).
LJoyce and CountryGal, I am sending you good wishes and worrying that you haven’t been able to post because of health issues.
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My dear sister has had it confirmed that she does have cancer in her gall bladder and it has spread to her liver, so it is inoperable. She needs a biopsy next and they will work out what they can do to slow it down.
Also my friend is stuck in hospital in the covid ward with no visitors allowed, even though she no longer has covid, because no other beds are available. It is just so rotten for her. She should move on Tuesday to the place Curt found for her, so we all have our fingers crossed.
It is hard times, but makes me aware of how precious every day is, and how important it is to optimise my health. Fast day tomorrow.
Best wishes to every one of you
Morning all, I’m back to work this morning with a major case of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) I put in a new raised bed garden in the community gardens and fixed up a boggy path on the frisbee golf course this weekend. I woke up this morning and I could hardly lift my arms. Oh well, like always it will pass in time.
G’day, I don’t think that’s quite true about exercise having no effect on your weight. Regular moderate exercise will keep your metabolism higher than doing nothing. My wife is finding that now, complaining that now she can’t do more than 10-15 minutes of moderate exercise without getting fatigue she is starting to gain weight even though she’s eating the same amount. But I agree eating is more important than exercise, as the saying goes, you can’t outrun a crap diet.
Really sorry to hear about your OH’s health turn, hopefully the doctors can track down what caused it soon. My thoughts are with both of you in the coming week
Cinque, so sorry to hear about your sister, It really seems like everyone on this thread has had awful experience with health of loved ones in the last year or so.
I’ll get back to work, but I hope everyone’s week this week is better than the last one. Stay strong everyone.
Another FD completed, easy peasy.
Neil, that sounds like lots of fun with your community activities. I’m pleased to say that, at 76 years, my OH is in very good health. He’s also slim, fit and agile. He leaps about from one side of the lock chamber to the other across the boat roof and spends a lot of time upside down cleaning out the weed hatch.
Yesterday, the Queen reiterated Thomas Carlyle’s “He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything”. I’ve never considered myself a royalist but I do admire her greatly. Britain is gearing up for the Jubilee celebrations over the coming four day weekend. Villages, towns and cities are all decorated with flags and bunting and life size cut-outs of the Queen. Street parties are being planned across the nation. I’m going to decorate the boat. I think it will be fun. It seems a chance to be proud to be British without feeling guilty about it for a change.
Cinque, so sorry to hear about your sister. It must be a frightening diagnosis. I bet you had fun with little Miss 7.
G’day, hurray for the RFDs and their pilots, an incredible organisation. Worrying times with your OH’s health though.
Exactly my point about calories in that 5:2 forces us to consider which foods are high in nutritional value. The premise of 5:2 is that if you chose to waste your assigned calorie bank on chocolate cake and a glass of whisky, you would still lose weight. But the point being that when your calories are restricted, your eating behaviours will be shaped naturally. It’s therefore essential to understand calorific values in the first place. What you choose to do with that information will ultimately signal your success or failure in achieving all the other health benefits associated with fasting. That’s where this forum comes in, to help and support each other for the longer term. It only works for me because I’m an adherent to the programme. I’m delighted with the health changes it’s delivered over these eight years and not sure I want it all ‘debunked’.
Hi Lovelies,
I plan to write tomorrow.
But a friend shared this (easy meals for people with CFS) and I thought you might find them inspiring too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHZ2G8TwTwY
Hello everyone,
Freezing here.
I am waiting for home help, so might get interrupted.
Neil, it’s some weird galactic warp stopping the scales from going down (and my waist bands from getting looser) I think. Happening here too.
And yes it has been rotten health shocks for us here one after the other.
No more I hope, for a while at least.
Sending lots of good wishes to Mrs Neil.
Thin, I had my third shift yesterday, I was able to get a few things done and the staff are trying very hard to find work for me, but struggling to understand what I can and can’t do. I think I am not as tired after yesterday, even though I did more.
They got me to do some stuff on the computer, hooray, but I had forgotten to bring my pair of glasses that work for computer, so I won’t be surprised if the admin person thinks I’m as scatty as I think she is. But hopefully I am a net gain for them. I do like the people there very much.
My dear friend Lin moved to the care home in Gisborne yesterday and Curt and friends had it all set up with her loved things, so that is such a relief.
Sending best wishes to everyone
Gday WOOT!
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I made up four jars for soups yesterday. It was easy and quick. The boiling water doesn’t soften the raw veg at all, so I will microwave them for a few minutes instead, since that is just as easy.
I did feel I had made such an easy delicious meal. It was miso soup last night and very satisfying. I’ve made a couple with warrigal greens and chickpeas, so I am keen to try them. It does feel very good to have four easy evening meals prepared.
Fast day done and dusted.
LJoyce, sending you good wishes. I hope you are not too unwell and are able to let us know how you are soon.
Good wishes to everyone else too.
Hello friends
Brrr from a very cold Sydney but much warmer than yesterday. Beautiful bright blue skies so a lovely change from the grey drizzle
Hey G’day, considering what you are going through, to get to your goal weight is simply sensational. I hope you hubby is doing a bit better and sending lots of healing thoughts your way
Yay for a good FD and some lovely soup Cinque. I had a big bowl of Mr Anzac’s wonderful chicken and vege soup yesterday and it truly does warm the cockles of your heart. Also so glad to hear you are enjoying the volunteer work and things are becoming more clear. I’m sure they will soon start to rely on you a lot. I also wanted to say how very sorry about your sister’s diagnosis
I am really puzzled about your stubborn weight Neil but as you said, at least you aren’t going up. I took my eye off the ball lately and have crept back up to 92 kilos so I need to put a stop to it asap. It is so disappointing when I was so close to the 80’s.
Thin, I also admire the Queen and I love history – especially the English royals. Enjoy the celebrations over the 4 day weekend
Work is mad so back to it I go. We have a big implementation this weekend which means working on Sunday – which isn’t unusual but this time I will get paid for it. We will put it towards the next holiday but where and when is a big unknown until Mr Anzac gets through the reversal surgery in about a months time. The FB group I joined has shown me that some people recover and get back to normal ‘habits’ within a few weeks but others are still struggling after a couple of years. Fingers and toes crossed that Mr Anzac is in the former category
LJ, I hope you are ok and a big hi to everyone else
Every day is a gift
As I’ve reached my goal weight, I thought I’d provide a snapshot of the last 11 months because I keep such meticulous records every day of my daily weight, what I eat and what times I eat, how I feel after eating different/new foods (good, bloated, sickly etc) and how what I eat effects the scales the following day. As well as tracking daily exercise, taking fortnightly body measurements and photos and taking my blood sugar and ketone levels every day.
On the 28th June 2021, after being horrified at weighting my heaviest ever at 82.3, I made the decision to commit 100% to eating a very low carb/keto diet which included giving up alcohol. I’ve never counted macros, just stayed clear of carb foods, except for carb vegies – I still eat those, just keep the white spuds to a minimum.
No junk foods or sugars (I gave up sugars many, many years ago anyway). I do occasionally have pasta (spelt) as the rest of the family love their pasta and make my own carb free bread. I eat tons of good fats and moderate protein such as avocado, nuts, full fat organic dairy such as yoghurt, quark and butter, eggs, and my homemade kefir.
The only oils I use are olive oil (cold use only) and coconut oil for heating. I also consume lots of homemade fermented vegies and kombucha, seaweeds (in the powdered form as I can’t get the real stuff here) and only occasionally eat red meat, maybe once a fortnight and it must be organic, grass-fed meat.
I still have the occasional treat such as ice cream and will splurge on the rare occasion we go out for a meal and have a sugary/carby dessert. We never have takeaway and I make my own keto friendly, low or no carb desserts and treats.
I never snack, only eat 2 meals a day and try to keep those meals within a 4-to-6-hour window. I also take an extended 72 hour fast every fortnight.
So, from the 28th June 2021 until today, the 2nd June 2022 – 11 months – this is the result:
Weight – lost 22.4kg
Lean Mass – lost 4.4kg
Fat Mass – lost 18kg
BMI – was 30.3 (obese) now 22 (lower end of the healthy range)
Chest – reduced by 22cm
Waist – reduced by 22.5cm
Hips – reduced by 21cm
Upper Arm Left – reduced by 5.5cm
Upper Arm Right – reduced by 4cm
Upper thigh Left – reduced by 11cm
Upper Thigh Right – reduced by 10cm
Neck – reduced by 7cm
I’ve reduced my blood sugar levels by 1.5mmol/L to a daily average of 4.7 mmol/L and my fasting blood sugar levels have reduced by 1.4mmol/L to a fasting average of 3.5mmol/L – although they were always within the normal range anyway.
My daily ketone levels have increase to an average of 1.5 (an improvement of 1.4) and my fasting ketone levels now have an average of 5.5 (an improvement of 5.0) which means I am always in moderate ketosis and when fasting I am in optimal ketosis.
To celebrate, I might pop the cork on a bottle of alcohol-free bubbly with dinner tonight, although with this freezing cold weather we have now I may end up just sticking to my usual big pot of herbal tea.
Cheers from one very happy camper.
Awesome G’day, enjoy the fruits of your hard work. What was your weekly calorie intake? And what are your plans for maintenance? You wouldn’t want to drop any lower than a BMI of 22.
I’m trying to track my weight every day so I can see what’s happening after fast and non fast days. Yesterday was a fast day, I had around 900 calories, 20% carbs, 35% protein, 45% fats, I dropped 400g. Today is non fast day and I’m aiming for around 2000 calories. Started with a flat white and sausage at 11am, Lunch was smoked salmon and an salad of purple cabbage, celery, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and walnuts. I had a tablespoon of peanut butter when I got home and dinner is eggplant curry. I haven’t quite worked out the macros yet but should be pretty similar to yesterday. I’ll find out what that did to my weight tomorrow.
Good morning everyone,
Anzac, so lovely to hear from you, and of Mr Anzac making wonderful chicken and vegetable soup.
Hasn’t time whizzed past, only a month or so to go until his reversal surgery. I’ll have all my fingers crossed that it is absolutely successful.
Good luck getting back into weight losing mode. All the things you have learned, and all the new habits replacing old habits, will help you.
I am telling myself that too: after I got overtired yesterday and finished up an avocado and some meatballs on top of my good food for the day. Felt pretty awful in the evening as a result. I hope I remember that feeling next time, and just put myself on the couch with a heat bag and a quilt instead.
Gday what a brilliant run down. So comprehensive. Ooh those lovely numbers of cms you have lost all over. Have you rejigged your wardrobe into a new style?
Neil, what yummy, nutritious food.
It is a new day, I hope it is a good one for all of us here.
CountryGal, shout out to you. Are you having to spend all your time managing pain? I do hope you are getting some good medical help. best wishes to the pets too.
Cheers all
Good morning everyone
I apologise for my absence – especially to those of you who were worried.
I am ok now, but have had a lung infection that has now gone thankfully. It seemed to be accompanied a period of extreme fatigue where I just couldn’t summon up the enthusiasm for doing much at all.
My eating has been all over the place in recent weeks. Despite the FDs there have been too many misdemeanors on the NFDs to prevent my weight increasing. I have shaky control over things again now and my weight is now heading in the right direction. Most importantly my weight is staying stable on the NFDs – a big improvement for me.
I am so far behind the forum posts that I’m not going to attempt to catch up completely. I’ve just read the last few to get a feel for what is happening in your lives at the moment.
GDSA, congratulations. It’s a wonderful achievement that you worked so diligently (and patiently) towards for some time.
Cinque, so sorry to hear of your sister’s diagnosis, I hope they can find some treatment to give her more time.
To Neil, Anzac Lindsay, GDSA & CaliD – I do hope your respective partners are coping with their health issues and where possible continuing to improve. I also hope that you are managing to find the physical an mental energy to provide ongoing support.
CountryGal, so sorry to hear how debilitating your pain levels have become. The only suggestion I can offer that you may not have already considered is a Tens Machine. My physio has suggested this as a possible option for helping with chronic lower back pain when my current approach eventually becomes ineffective. (I think most physios have them available for hire.) It might be worth discussing with your doctor.
FD for me today – challenging when it’s so cold but I will persevere.
Take care everyone.
Happy Saturday everyone and welcome back LJoyce. I agree with you LJoyce on the TENS machine, I bought one last year and although I use mine when I have muscle soreness or strained muscles rather than for specific pain, I found that combined with stretching it was a great tool. I searched online and found a company that was having a half price sale so from memory it was around $200.
Cinque since I was made redundant from my desk job, I only wear sportswear – exercise leggings/shorts – t.shirts/singlets and runners – the exception being if we go out somewhere special which is rare. I was only thinking awhile back how my attire has changed, when I was working for the Government, I religiously wore pretty dresses, high heels, lots of bling etc to work every day, I’ve worn high heels and bling once in the last 2 years, that was for a wedding. I have a large collection of shoes that I will probably never wear again, along with so many beautiful dresses but I can’t bear to part with any of them. One of my chores in the next few weeks is a wardrobe clean out, I started a few weeks back but got side-tracked. Anything above a size 10 will go – regardless of how much I love it. Luckily the majority of my dresses and lovely clothes are size 8-10 as I was that size when I was working. I have kept a t.shirt and a pair of shorts from when I was at my heaviest, Miss GDay had a good laugh the other day when I put the shorts on, you could now fit two of me in them, I can’t believe how big they are – these two items will stay on my wardrobe shelf as a reminder of where I won’t be going back to.
Speaking of clothes, I made a promise 11 months ago that when I reached my goal weight I would treat myself to a couple of pair of name brand, high quality western jeans, the ones with the bling on the back pockets. Not that I’m a cowgirl (lol – but I did have a horse many years ago) but I love the cowgirl jeans, boots look. I found half a dozen pictures of the style I wanted on the internet and saved them to my phone as an incentive while I was losing weight. I went to our local fodder store yesterday and they have quite an extensive range so will go back next week when I have more time and try some on. I have quite a few styles of boots and the blingy belts already – so here comes the 54 year old blingy cowgirl……Miss GDay is going to cringe so badly and will probably refuse to be seen with me in public…..lol
Neil, I don’t have a weekly calorie intake. As per my posts over the last few weeks, I don’t count/track calories or macros either. I just make sure my intake is very low carb, medium protein with good levels of high quality fat. I eat protein with each meal and never snack between my 2 meals a day. As for tracking weight, I do weigh every day and use that weight in as an indicator of how my food intake or fasting the previous day has impacted on my weight, but my weight is always based on the weekly average. Every Saturday my fitbit gives me my average weight from the previous 7 days and that is what I use to gauge my weight loss, so as long as every Saturday my weekly average indicated a downward trend I was happy.
As for maintenance I will keep doing what I’m doing because it’s who I am now and what I do – I love my WOL in terms of food and eating habits. I have no desire to go back to bad eating habits, I absolutely love exercise so I do it just because I enjoy it so much. I will keep with my two meals a day and an extended, 72 hour fast once a fortnight. I still need to work on increasing my muscle mass with more regular, targets strength training.
I’m happy with my BMI but really not too fussed about it, I only used it as another indicator of weight loss as BMI is quite an inapt gauge for health, it’s only used by health authorities because it’s a one size fits all indicator that’s easy for medical professionals to use. BMI fails to account for so many other important factors that determine if a person is obese, overweight etc.
I aim to stay between 60-61kg. If a Saturday weekly average indicates I’ve gone above 61kg then I will throw in an extra extended fast to bring me back down. I do enjoy the extended fasts so it won’t bother me at all to do more if needed.
Must go, the sun is just starting to rise and my first load of washing is ready to hang.
Morning all, hooray for a long weekend. I’m not a big fan of the royals but I am a fan of the extra day off I get every year. I’m hoping to get a bit of a clean-up done around home, get out for a ride at some stage, a bit of Frisbee golf, and get out to the beach or something with the family.
After my 1900 calorie day on Thursday I went up 200g, I was going to stay around 1800 yesterday, but I was full after 1600 calories so I left it at that (lunch avocado, walnut, pumpkin seed and sunflower seed salad with a couple of kiwifruit, dinner chicken thigh with cauliflower cheese, parsnip and beetroot, coconut yoghurt and blueberries for dessert.) I dropped 400 grams this morning. My last 3 days I’ve hit 55-60% fats with the remaining 40-45% split about evenly with protein and carbs.
As always when I’m attempting to cut back on starchy carbs and sugars, my mother-in-law showed up with a container full of scones, indian semolina sweets and halua (a sweet Indian dessert). I’ll have to get my boys to save me from that.
We’ll have a great weekend everyone.
Hello everyone,
LJoyce, I am so glad and relieved to see your post. What a rotten lung infection it must have been. Hooray that you are calling it gone now. Here are flowers to celebrate you getting over it: https://www.flowersforeveryone.com.au/images/products/large/purple-royale.jpg
I hope those shaky weeks didn’t do too much damage. Good luck and all power to you now.
I need to concentrate on ’empty evenings’. I feel so good if I just have my soup.
Gday, what a fab answer to my question!
I just loved reading about you being in your comfy sportswear after years of gorgeous, but rather uncomfortable, I imagine, business wear.
Then bang! Cowgirl jeans! What fun. Yes, and a blingy belt. 😀
What a wonderful treat for yourself.
Are you going to do a Thin and make a packet from all the beautiful clothes you are not going to wear any more? I hope so. I bet Ms Teenager could help you ebay them. (Laughing at her teenage mum-cringing, oh what an age!)
My bit of clothes enlightenment is that I have just discovered the Japanese have a way of tying back kimono sleeves so they don’t drive you up the wall in the kitchen! I was about to ditch my beautiful kimonos because the sleeves drive me up the wall, or get someone to turn the sleeves into the sort that don’t get in the dishwashing water. But look! There is a tasuki sash (I have soft belts I can use) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs6y2gOfQfI … just in case you want to see.
Neil, enjoy that long weekend! Ours is next weekend and my daughter has booked a place in Warburton for us and the kids so that will be a treat.
I hope your boys managed to eat all those delicious sounding carby temptations.
And a big hooray for stopping eating yesterday when you were full.
Sending good wishes to everyone
Cinque, thanks for the update on the community work. I think it’s really tiring when you start any new situation, so many names to remember, procedures to learn and so on but eventually it all becomes more routine. I’m sure you’ll be a great asset to them.
Anzac, lovely to hear from you. I hope you are busy plotting the next holiday and that it’s better than the Fiji one! Let’s hope Mr A makes a speedy recovery from the next surgery. Are you considering going overseas again? You mention joining a facebook group. I hope it’s better than the one I reluctantly joined one solely to get information on safely cruising on the tidal Trent. The locals who set it up clearly had good intentions but, my goodness, some of the participants were so unpleasant not to mention illiterate. It seemed as soon as anyone asked a question or made a comment, there was some bully just waiting to pounce on it and discredit them. The minute we were off the tidal waters, I unfriended myself (or whatever the term is) with great relief.
LJ, nice to see you back here and all recovered with no food damage incurred. At least I think that’s what’s your message reads.
Neil, funny about your MIL showing up with carby treats. Is halua anything like halva? I imagine a lot of Aussies/kiwis would feel the same way about the holiday. I don’t know much about the royals other than the immediate players and definitely have no interest in the self-absorbed Sussexes (baah, did they have to give them the title of my home county?!). I’m enjoying a bit of pageantry and national pride anyway. The boat is decorated with British flags which are flying proudly in the wind along with lots of other boaters’ efforts. I will be sad to see the end of the Queen, being the only stable thing that’s spanned my entire life. And no one can begrudge her accolades for her enduring sense of duty.
GDSA, congratulations on achieving your goal weight. Now for the hard part.
I’m back to the 58kg range now (2kg below my trigger weight) after some months of 5:2. Now considering whether I can trust myself to return to 6:1.
CG, if you’re reading, hope things are getting easier for you. Hello to any other lurkers.
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We pay tribute to our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Michael Mosley. Michael was an integral part of our lives, […]
Michael is touring Australia this September! Here's a link to dates and tickets. Hope to see you there.
Michael Mosley gives an update for 2019, current research in the field and announces a tour starting in February.
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8:22 pm
10 May 22