Hello Southern Hemispherites!!

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Cinque

12:21 am
31 Jan 23
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Good morning LJoyce and everyone,

Isn’t it nice to have the kids back at school! 😀 😀

I am starting to recover from minding them a couple of times last week – before I had recovered from our Phillip Island trip so that made it complicated.

I hope you are enjoying doing plenty of nothing (apart from keeping that cheeky cat out of your drawers!) and just a little bit of gentle pottering around.

What a good decision about easy eating.
Yes! I think eggplant would go so deliciously in that bean stew. Ooh the peanut sauce would suit it so well.

How wonderfully your garden is growing.
I missed getting things in on time, but the chili plant that I grew from my friend Em’s chili seeds last year has given me an amazing crop this year. I have frozen some and given some to neighbours and I hope I can make a pot of the yummy chili sauce I have a recipe for.
Apart from that a lonely self sown tomato that came up too late but has a couple of flowers on it, a solitary pumpkin or squash from one plant (so fertilizing it was tricky). And I have got basil in, way too late but I’m so happy to be picking a few leaves.

The cucamelon plants have got bigger (they are very pretty) and parsley and chard are giving me seeds.
My main producer has been my warrigal greens and I am finally working out the best way to harvest them, for my needs.

My daughter heard the Glucose Goddess interviewed on a podcast and said I might be interested. I am, quite. I like her hacks which I thought were pretty obvious, but then realised I don’t particularly follow them and will consider them.
Do you know her Gday? What do you think of her?
I finally found out why people go on about apple cider vinegar so much.

LJoyce, that new recliner sounds wonderful, I hope you can protect it from that cat!

Cheers all

Lindsay L.

12:32 am
31 Jan 23
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Hi all.
A diabolically hot week …I’m so so over it. Usually OH and I cool off in the pool before bedtime (or any time really) but his various op sites haven’t healed fully, so that’s off the agenda for the time being. Apart from that, he’s doing okay. Relief. Still having fortnightly immunotherapy, and more throat surgery on 10 March, but more himself.

Anzac, what a total bummer about the job. The world of work is hard, isn’t it? And ageism is rife, particularly in your field, I would imagine. Not so much in unskilled work. My girlfriend (pushing 75) who works 3 days a week in a call centre drifted into a new clothes outlet near her a couple of weeks ago. Said casually to the shop assistant ‘you have lovely things, I’d love to work here’, and hey presto, filled in a form, had an interview, and she’s on the staff. The difference is, her customers are a similar age and style, and she didn’t need any real experience or qualifications.
You’ll find a job where they appreciate your very special talents. Soon, I hope, and pain-free. LJ’s so right. Don’t let one idiot recruiter get you down.

Gosh LJ that’s a brilliant idea re the finger eggplants and the Nigerian stew. I love that dish, and so healthy.
That cat! How does it get the drawer open? At least it isn’t running around the back yard with a pair of knickers in its mouth (as I’ve seen Rosy do, after hooking them off the line).

Cinque, your way of eating sounds delicious. Good for your energy levels to have carbs in the earlier part of the day?

Neil, the child demanding chocolate! My, there’s a problem in the making.
The latest PhD I’m editing is about children’s food choices, and the role parents play in guiding them. Seems it’s what we now know – the best approach is not banning foods but restrictions certainly, not forcing them to eat ‘just one mouthful’. And no diet talk. I remember when I was a kid, we were made to eat everything on our plates. Times were tougher then I guess, and food couldn’t be wasted. But I was talking to a friend about it (the one who’s lost 35 kilos and kept it off with fast 5:2) and she remembers being ill over the side fence, after being forced to finish her plate of cold beans. On that cheery note…..

Back to work.

Lindsay L.

12:40 am
31 Jan 23
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Cinque, you and I seemed to have posted together. Both up the top of the page. whoo hoo.

Chillis are tricky, because you need so few, but the bushes produce so many. My DD pops a couple in a bottle of olive oil for OH, because he likes the heat in his salad dressing. I don’t. I’ve moved on to avocado oil for salad dressings. It’s supposed to be the bees’ knees …who’d know, but it’s tasty.

Here’s something else I’m harvesting, and easy to grow. Sweet potato leaves. I just plonked one in the ground after it started to sprout in my pantry, and it is thriving. I saute a few leaves with a couple of leaves of rainbow chard for us to have with breakfast. Getting OH’s microbiome back into shape after all the antibiotics is my goal, so every bit helps. Here’s what Dr google says about them.

Sweet potato greens are the edible leaves of the sweet potato vine. Though widely eaten throughout Asia & Africa, they are less well known to most of us. The good news is they’re edible and delicious, high in Vitamin C and B6, and they thrive in the summer heat, unlike all the other leafy greens we crave.

OK I must go back to work. See you all later.

Anzac65

3:42 am
31 Jan 23
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Hello all from a dreadfully humid Sydney

LJ, I’m sorry but I had a lovely belly laugh at your kitty! As you said for once it isn’t Maxx causing mayhem. What a clever feline; she is just trying to (a) get your attention and (b) amuse herself. Hopefully the novelty wears off soon

The music festival was really great, just unfortunate that the weather was VERY challenging. I have never felt humidity like it but luckily we took one of those battery operated mist spray fans that you fill with water and ice cubes and spray yourself. At least it was cloudy most of the time; full sun would have been unbearable. Then of course we got some rain that, whilst refreshing, was not fun to sit in. Mr Anzac was dosed up on gastro stops and we had a change of clothes just in case but thankfully all went well without any issues. He was exhausted half way through the last act (as was I) so we left. Back at the hotel I have to say I have never needed, or enjoyed, a shower more!

The job knock back wasn’t from the recruiter, it was from the actual Superannuation company. I’ve moved past that and accelerated the search and have had two ex-colleagues come back today to say they might have something. I went to them directly (to avoid dratted, evil recruiters) so fingers crossed

Cinque what a lovely garden you must have. In fact many of you have great gardens. Mr Anzac has had a good year too and we are enjoying crisp cucumbers, red cabbage, green onions, capsicums, spinach and a myriad of herbs. He has foiled the dratted possums by putting wire around their favourite herbs (coriander, basil and parsley) and he brings his ‘children’ in at night (the capsicum plants)

So glad Mr Lindsay is doing well. I know what it is like to worry so much about your beloved life partner

I wobbled badly eating-wise on the weekend but back on the horse now. In fact I might go and do some exercise bike before a swim. It is too humid to walk outside. Poor Maxx spends most of the day on the cool tiles and I have a fan on the floor for him.

Take care friends

Neilithicman

6:09 pm
31 Jan 23
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Morning all

Well last week’s lack of weight loss wasn’t a surprise, this week’s loss of only 0.1 kilogram was. I did everything right this week, stuck to my fast days, my control days, didn’t eat too much in the weekend, and exercised every day. Surely something has to give soon. Although in saying that, I am thankful it’s my 5th weigh-in in a row without a gain.

I’ll catch up.on the rest of your posts later, our February bike challenge starts today so I’m off riding the long way to work.

Cinque

10:57 pm
31 Jan 23
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Good morning everyone.

Stupid scales Neil.
Congratulations on your good week, it will reflect in your health (and the way you can wink at yourself when you pass a mirror).

Lindsay, I hope the weather gets a bit easier, hot and humid makes everything so hard.
Cheers to Mr Lindsay working his way through all that treatment and fingers crossed everything keeps healing.

It is interesting having the carbs early in the day, but I think that having lower carb food in the evening, my brain seems to need something first thing, or I just can’t function.
Always as savoury, complex carbohydrate, added veg, as I can manage. (Todays was a glutinous rice bowl, so the rice is pretty refined but lots of veggies and some protein in it, and it lasts me to lunch time)

That PhD does sound interesting. I remember times when we couldn’t leave the table because we hadn’t finished our plate (punkin! Yuk!).
But mostly we were so hungry (because no snacks and outside all day), and were very glad to eat what we were given and hope there might be second helpings.

True words about chilies! https://imgur.com/a/NaOrHu7
Good idea about chili oil!

Hooray for yummy avocado oil.

I love hearing about the sweet potato leaves! I did grow some sweet potatoes one year, but it (the plant) wasn’t very happy with Melbourne’s climate. I do remember that I tried the leaves, but I was probably ridiculously cautious, and I have absolutely no memory of what they tasted like (I probably only tried 2).

Hooray for how wonderful veggies, and especially greens, are for our microbiomes.

Anzac, what a pity the weather wasn’t kinder for the festival, but hooray for a great day.

Ooh might you get to work with lovely colleagues? I hope so!

Your garden sounds so lovely. I have watered mine this morning so it is looking happy.

Keep cool!

Best wishes to everyone

GdayfromSA

8:59 am
1 Feb 23
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Hi all, LJoyce the cat picture was so funny, although I understand not very funny for you to come home to find your undies scattered everywhere. We recently added to our menagerie of animals, 2 cute little guinea pigs with very cheeky personalities too boot.

I didn’t plant any vegies last season as I already had too much on my plate. Probably good for the soil in the vegie patch to have a rest anyway. When the weather cools down I’ll add more manures etc and perhaps plant out for a winter crop, will see what my motivation levels are like and how I am for time when the time comes.

Cinque, no I’ve never heard of the Glucose Goddess, I will do some googling on that one.

Yesterday I was working on an assignment and one of the subjects I was writing about was consistency of strategies for weight loss, maintenance and fitness. I was thinking about my own journey over the last few years and how consistency really was the key to success, a good week doesn’t cancel out a bad week of eating, and every little bit of ‘no no’ food will have a negative impact.

Strategies such as fasting (no matter what timeframe), eating low carb, eliminating sugars etc – whatever strategies are used for weight loss they must be done consistently. I lost the weight because I was 100% consistent in my strategies, no wavering or going off track at all. I would forward plan for situations such as going out for meals etc to ensure I remained consistent with my eating patterns and strategies. And I stuck to my strategies like glue, regardless of where I was or what I was doing – nothing put me off track.

Then when Mr GDay passed, I was unable to maintain my weight loss because I failed to adhere to my maintenance strategy – and I make no apologies for that, dealing with grief and loss means everything goes out the window.

After 6 months of being out of my old routine, I felt ready to get back to being consistent again and in the last 4 weeks there’s been no wavering or going off track and I’m back losing weight again. And the truth is, I was still eating reasonably well, it was mostly the carbs that crept back in (processed flour products such as bread, pasta etc) and my 2 junk food weaknesses – potato chips and ice-cream.

So it wasn’t just the ‘no no’ foods that crept back into my diet that caused the weight gain in the last 6 months, it was equally the lack of implementing my weight management strategy and applying the consistency that a strategy requires to loss or maintain weight.

It’s time for a cup of tea and some reading before lights out. Take care all x

Anzac65

12:23 am
2 Feb 23
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Hello all, another hot day in Sydney

G’day, everything you said makes so much sense. For 3 years I have sabotaged myself by having a bad few days then thinking I can make up for it. You just end up in a roller-coaster

Some good news on the job front. I reached out to some ex-colleagues and all have come back with experessions of interest. Then one of my spies at my old job said my name was mentioned in a meeting as an upcoming resource but no-one has spoken to me about it! She rang him afterwards to enquire and he said he will ring me today. If the rate and job is right I’ll take it. Fingers, toes and paws crossed!

Cinque

11:20 pm
2 Feb 23
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Hello,
It is amazing how cold 13c feels this morning.
Not complaining though, I’d rather this than the heat.

Gday, what a great spiel.
I too have found that consistency is what it is all about.
My history of comfort eating and binge eating, and my dodgy ghrelin and leptin receptors etc, mean that consistency is a work in progress, but I truly do work very hard at it. It is the core of my weight maintenance. And I do get better and better at it.

I am so glad you are back able to follow your strategy and look after your precious health.

Anzac, all power to you with your looking after yourself nutritionally and employmentally! Hooray for a nice cluster of good news!

Best wishes to everyone today.

Intesha did you make it down to Melbourne okay?

Intesha

9:18 pm
5 Feb 23
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Hi all, still lurking but that’s about all. No Cinque I didn’t get to Melbourne unfortunately. My friend went in to hospital so I thought it was pointless, then at the same time my Dad went to hospital and I’ve been given notice to vacate as they wanted to put the rent up $50 and on a pension that is beyond my capabilities. My life over the last two weeks has been beyond stressful and I’m beside myself with worry. If it wasn’t for Dad I would move out of Sydney but I have to be near him. It’s a catch 22. So now the endless sorting and packing again. I’m just feeling so overwhelmed by it all. I try to do something every day but at 72 and on my own I’m feeling totally lost. Sorry about the doom and gloom but it’s just sapping all my energy at the moment.

GdayfromSA

12:27 am
6 Feb 23
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Dear Intesha I am so sorry to hear about your troubles, I do hope positive things come your way very soon.

Anzac, good luck on the job front. That’s another thing that I found while Mr Gday and I were both job hunting, sometimes it’s not what you know but who you know that gets you across the line for an interview.

Yesterday I put an end to all hopes of getting back into a fitness routine any time soon. I was rushing up the back steps and misjudged the door frame entrance (or to put it another way, wasn’t watching where I was going) and crashed my left foot into the door frame. 3 hours in ER, xrays etc and the end result is 3 fractured toes. The fractures are where the toes join the foot and my goodness it is so painful, black and blue and my foot looks a right old mess. I wouldn’t have thought that whacking into a door frame could cause so much damage.

The foot is heavily strapped, and I have to wear what I guess is the sandal equivalent to a moon boot with velcro straps across the back and top and a sole that looks and feels like a brick, this will prevent any movement in the foot to give the fractures time to heal- minimum of 6 weeks is the estimated timeframe – yikes.

Luckily, I still have both of our vehicles. I am going to sell our automatic car and keep the manual 4wd but haven’t really had time to put the automatic up for sale yet – funnily enough I was actually going to do that this weekend coming up. So, I will hang onto it for a bit longer as there is no way I can drive the manual car as I can’t manage the clutch.

Must hobble off now, happy Monday everyone

Cinque

9:12 pm
7 Feb 23
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Good morning,
I’ve been trying to write for a couple of days, but had busy mornings and then couldn’t do anything in the afternoons. (Which meant I couldn’t cook properly and overate carby stuff. Grrr. Must get more organised when I have busy days coming).

Intesha, thankyou for writing but oh dear, what bad news and SO tricky to find somewhere affordable to live these days. I can imagine what a worry it is. I have all my fingers and toes crossed that something suitable comes up.
It is just cruel that we can’t have safe, stable housing once we get to retirement age.

And G’day, more bad news. Ouch, your poor foot. Sending lots of wishes for good healing, and hooray for the automatic car!

Well, I have home help today, so I need to get ready for that. And then I need to make broccoli and pea soup. And I have some rye bread on the rise so I am getting organised.

How long is Thin’s safari? I hope it is a nice long time, or that they have decided to live with the giraffes. Missing you though, Thin!

Best wishes everyone, keen to hear your news,
x

Lindsay L.

9:35 pm
7 Feb 23
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Morning all.

Cinque your soup sounds lovely. We finally have a day where soup sounds delicious (first day under 30 for what seems like forever).

All is good here, although my resolve isn’t what it could be. As he is getting a bit stronger, my OH is wanting more social activity, and that involves eating out more. And yes, it is so welcome after what he went/is going through, that I’m not dampening his enthusiasm by saying no when he wants Italian or Indian. But …I manage my 10000 steps most days and take Rosy to the dog park before breakfast, so clock up 3000 or more steps even before I eat. I’m also caught in the bind of cooking him more calorie dense foods ….he’s in the mid 60s now…(I wish I were!).

Yes Thin, hope you are having a wonderful time, but we do miss you. Looking forward to lots of stories.

Intesha, how difficult life is for you right now. Safe, stable housing should be available for all. A very worrying time for you.

Oh, and G’day. Your poor, painful foot. A simple accident that causes so much strife. Hope you heal well and fast.

Hope the job search is going well Anzac. Your last post was much more positive on that front. Hope it turns up your dream job.

Neil, no post this morning so I’m guessing you’re off on your Feb bike challenge whizzing over some beautiful hills somewhere on your way to work. How nice to breath the fresh air and see that beautiful scenery. Must make your work day easier to face (or maybe it just reminds you you’d rather be out in the open). anyway, happy cycling.

I’m off to have a hair cut this morning – not yet decided if I’m going to be a bit more radical or just keep the bob. Eeeek! decisions. I’m waiting for the latest editing job to come back for a final review, so feel I have a clear, free day.

Have a great one all.

Neilithicman

11:24 pm
7 Feb 23
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Morning all

Lindsay, I had completely forgotten that today was Wednesday, and I didn’t weight myself. I’ll have to do it tomorrow morning. We had our national holiday Waitangi Day on Monday, and yesterday I was off work for a wellbeing day so today didn’t feel like
a Wednesday (and yes, I did get out for a few nice rides over my 4 day weekend). Great that you’re managing to get your steps in during the day, but I hear you on the socialising/cooking calorie dense foods for others.

Cinque, Broccoli and pea soup sounds good (especially if you add in a bit of blue cheese), but you’d have to be rich to afford it over here at the moment. The flooding in the North Island has wiped out a lot of the crops and that means that fruit and vegetable prices have skyrocketed. We have plenty of peas from our garden in the freezer, but Broccoli are around $7 for a tiny little head at the moment.

Gday, wow, you really did a good job on your toes. It’s really strange how it must just be hitting at some angles that causes fractures. I was always accident prone as a kid and my mother said it was a miracle I didn’t break any bones, then as an adult I was on a walk, tripped over, put my hand down to stop myself and managed to cause a compound fracture of my little finger.

Intesha, sorry to hear things are pretty rough for you at the moment. Don’t worry about the doom and gloom of posting. Venting can help your mental state sometimes and we’re all here to lend a sympathetic ear.

Anzac, good luck with the job. I hope you can get something suitable.

Well off to finish the rest of my Wednesday (it is still Wednesday isn’t it?) 😉 I’ll have a weigh-in tomorrow morning and see how I’ve gone.

Have a great one everyone

Anzac65

12:06 am
8 Feb 23
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Hello friends, quickest of posts. I received a call from my old Project Manager on Friday asking me back to my old bank, a new project but many of my old team. I jumped at the chance as I was dreading being a total ‘new girl’ at a new place. I started Monday, unofficially (as I dont have a contract yet therefore not getting paid) so I can start feeling my way around. Boy oh boy, it is huge, challenging but also great to be in at the beginning. My chief Subject Matter Expert goes on leave next week so I am flat-out getting information from her this week

Intesha, I am gutted for you that you are getting priced out of your home. I agree with the others that this should not be allowed to happen in Australia. I am thinking of you and hope you find something suitable asap

G’day, your poor foot. I can’t imagine how painful that must be. I hope it heals quickly

More to come when I can, maybe on the weekend. Take care!

Neilithicman

8:31 pm
8 Feb 23
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Well I weighed in today (a day late) and I was down 400g from last week’s weigh-in, so since I started my new routine on the 4th January I’ve dropped 1.7 kilos with no weeks that I’ve gained weight. It’s frustratingly slow weight loss, but it’s still weight loss.

Anzac, I’m so pleased you managed to find something. It must be a huge load off to have the employment situation sorted. I hope you enjoy it.

Have a good one everyone.

Cinque

10:18 pm
8 Feb 23
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Hello everyone,

Haha yes, Lindsay, it has been cool all week here so yay for soup, except oops I didn’t make it yesterday. I will try to make it this morning: forecast 28c which is enough to get me complaining, but I will still enjoy soup.
My rye loaf came out beautifully and I have enjoyed toast and vegemite for breakfast. But all the more important to have lovely veggies ready to eat.

Lindsay, I am so glad Mr Lindsay is up to eating out and having so much pleasure in his life. I just wish there was a way for you to be eating as you want to. What can you do but keep doing the best you can.

How did your haircut go?

Haha Neil, I get so confused about what day it is, even when there is no public holiday to muck me up.
Ooh so sorry to hear about those high veggies prices, tricky times. I do hope they start coming down soon. Floods are just SO destructive.

What a nice job you are doing with the weight loss. I know the research says that fast weight loss helps people keep motivated, but I hope what you are doing is sustainable enough you can keep it going as long as you need to become the healthy weight you want to be. And that it is building the framework for the longterm way of eating that will mean that when you have the weight off, it can stay off.

Anzac, hooray for the job and I am guessing you will love the challenge. I do hope it leaves time for you to look after yourself really well. Fingers crossed.

Gday, I do hope that each day is getting more manageable with your poor foot, and Intesha my good wishes are still flowing that you find a really nice place to live .

LJoyce, are you still recovering from childminding? I do hope things are going well for you and Sylvia (is that the cats name?) is behaving herself.

Best wishes to everyone

LJoyce

6:05 am
10 Feb 23
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Good afternoon everyone.

I’ve been struggling quite a bit with fatigue. Trying to get a bit more sleep, but the hot humid nights (and the cat wanting attention at dawn) aren’t helping. Often my sleep is broken into many short naps and I wake feeling exhausted.

My eating has been to going to plan except for two bad days this week. I’ve lost 2kg in the 2 weeks since I’ve been trying to get my NFDs under tight control. Good progress, but I’m now convinced that NFDs will always pose a challenge for me. The other thing I’ve found is that one of the surest things to derail my eating is an unplanned invitation that involves food. It’s what triggered 2 days of poor choices at the beginning of the week. It started with something as innocuous as a biscuit that came with an unplanned cuppa with neighbours. This was followed by too many poor choices for the rest of that day and the next. This nonsense was only stopped by a FD.

Intesha, I am sorry to hear that your troubles have increased, yet again. I am hoping that you find more affordable accommodation soon. Is a more affordable 1-bedroom unit a viable option for you now? I agree with your sentiment about leaving Sydney to find better housing prices, but family obligations do make that difficult.

Anzac, excellent news on the job hunt, that finger and paw crossing must have done the trick. As you’ve worked with them recently, they will hopefully also be amenable to some home based work, which I know you value.

Neil, glad to see you are continuing to lose weight. Sometimes the pace is frustratingly slow, but unless we’re prepared to do Fast800 every day, there really aren’t any quick fixes. I do agree with Cinque that we also need to get competent with something more sustainable. I’ve been aiming for competence for a few years now – not there yet!

Lindsay, so good to hear that your husband is well enough to want his old lifestyle back – even if it does come with consequences for your waistline.
You asked how Sylvia got the dresser drawers open – they are easy glide drawers and have a curved gap rather than a handle. She just puts her paw in the gap and pulls. I actually saw her watching me open the drawers one day and then she tentatively put her paw where my hand had been. It didn’t take her long to go from that to her new lingerie tossing game.

Cinque, we had a fleeting few cool days and like you, it had me making soup too – mulligatawny.
By the way, I did make your Nigerian bean stew with the homegrown finger eggplants and some Qld Blue pumpkin (grown by my nephew’s wife). It was delicious as always- I added black beans this time. It did require a lot more simmering than usual as I didn’t spend enough time softening the onions and eggplant in oil before adding liquids – lesson learned.

GDSA, such an easy accident to happen, but how frustrating and painful. I hope you mend soon. Do you still have the home gym? Maybe some upper body work would be ok while you recover.

At an Australia Day lunch that my neighbour hosts every year, I received an invitation to join a craft group at the Brighton Baptist church on Thursday mornings. They have groups for a wide range of crafts – mostly thread or textile based, but also some involving timber, glass and metal. It’s very affordable ($4 a week) and the funds go to charity. As I have a craft room full of too many craft UFOs, I didn’t want to start a new project. So I went hunting through the storage tubs for something on the craft group list. The first suitable UFO I unearthed was a half finished emroidery project, so that’s what I signed up for this term. If I can find suitable yarn and pattern, I’ll do knitting next term as I’d like a beret and mittens/gloves for winter. (I have one purchased set and wear them for every walk in winter – I hate it when they need washing and I have to walk without them.)
I used to spend hours on craft projects, but the arthritis made it more and more difficult. In frustration I just stopped a few years ago and gave many of my supplies away. As this craft group is just two hours a week, I figure my body can cope with that. I have a bad habit of doing too many hours without breaks, but I need to learn to pace myself sensibly. This craft group seemed a good place to start. It was one of those serendipitous things where I thought – just say yes.

While adding new things to my calendar is a challenging thought, I think it does me good to meet new people and get back into things I used to enjoy doing. Something I decided I also needed to do this year, is to compact appointments and outings into a limited number of days each week, so that I have busy days and slow days. I dread those weeks where I have some appointment or obligation every day – even if it’s just an hour or two. I had been in the habit of finding free days in my calendar when people asked “what days are you free”. Now I’m finding free half-days instead and offering those. I’m also making a concerted effort to try and do more than one appointment on a day where driving is involved. So far, it’s going well and I am getting a few more free days.

My NFD dinner tonight is airfryer roasted potato and pumpkin with turkey chilli. It’s a bit humid for a hot meal actually, but I’ve already defrosted the chilli.

Take care all.

innyanga

12:28 pm
12 Feb 23
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Hi Everyone

I started the 5:2 on 04 January, have been diligently counting calories on FDs, but am disappointed at not having more success at this stage – after 12 FDs.
I was hoping to be 3kg lighter after 6 weeks, but am down less than 2 kg according to today’s weigh in.

Would be most grateful to receive any information or advice based on other members’ experiences.

Thank you in advance!

Neilithicman

6:22 pm
12 Feb 23
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Hi Innyanga

I know from recent experience that it can be frustrating when the weight doesn’t come off as fast as you want it to. But 2kg is still a good weight loss so don’t get too disconcerted. You don’t mention what your eating plan is on your 5 non fast days so I’ll just say that you have to watch what you’re eating (intermittent fasting works best when paired with a Mediterranean diet) and how much you’re eating (the fast days won’t work if you’re balancing it out by overeating too much on non fast days). Good luck and good to see a new face on the chat.

LJoyce

1:53 am
13 Feb 23
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Welcome Innyanga, we haven’t had anyone here from W.A. in a while. (I’m in Adelaide.)

I have been on 5:2 for a few years, mostly to maintain a weight loss, but occasionally to get off the extra kilos that seem to appear after christmas and easter.

I agree with Neil’s comments. Losing weight on 5:2 is also impacted by your NFDs.
The rate of weight loss varies a lot between people – mostly due to variation in TDEE and also variation in how people approach the NFDs. Some people will also lose water weight in the first couple of weeks, but after that most weight loss will be body fat.
The TDEE calculator is here: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-calories-on-a-non-fast-day/

The reason the NFDs matter is because it takes a calorie deficit of 7,700 to lose 1kg of body fat. On 5:2 you are only dieting 2 days a week and are likely to only have a calorie deficit on those 3 days. It can take a while for that to add up to 7700 calories. While I do not count calories on NFDs, I find that if I am not mindful of my food choices and portions it is easy to exceed my TDEE and cancel out the effect of the FDs. While that is ok for maintenance, it’s not what we want for weight loss.

While the slowness of this method can be frustrating, the main advantage of 5:2 is that you are only dieting 2 days a week, which makes it sustainable long term and much easier to fit around normal life.

Best of luck with your continued weight loss.
Please come and chat to us here when you want to.

innyanga

2:31 am
13 Feb 23
Permalink

Hi Neilithicman

Thank you very much for your response. Much appreciated!
On the NFDs, I am not counting calories, but am definitely not overeating. I believe my calorie intake is now less than before I embarked on 5:2. Have certainly cut down on carbohydrates and wine with dinner.
We mainly eat a Mediterranean diet, as we have for decades.
Thank you for your welcome and encouragement. I’ll certainly be persisting!

innyanga

2:47 am
13 Feb 23
Permalink

Hi LJoyce

Thank you very much for your welcome and most informative response.

Haven’t been to Adelaide for many years. Used to regularly fly over to see my uncle and aunt.

I was quite heartened to see a drop of 1 kg after the first week, but, as you say, that would have been water loss.

Will definitely check out my TDEE! I assume I haven’t exceeded it on NFDs, but could be wrong!

When I first heard about the 5:2 approximately 7 years ago, I read how some people were claiming they could feast on the NFDs, but was certain that couldn’t be true. As you’ve pointed out, one has to be aware of the calorie deficit necessary to lose 1kg of body fat.

Will now calculate my TDEE, and make sure that I don’t exceed that on NFDs.

Thank you again for your very helpful response.

Lindsay L.

4:51 am
13 Feb 23
Permalink

So so over this heatwave. No aircon for us in this green house, but the architect did a great job on a house with cross breezes (when one blows) so we get by with fans and the pool. Mr L is back in the pool, with his various wounds healed, which is a blessing.

Welcome innyanga. You’ll get lots of support on this site from people who’ve been there before ….many successfully, some (like me) successful, then slip, then come back for another go. The thing is, it works, and we are all a lot healthier for having found this way of life.

Now here’s a @#XX$#%# thing! I am currently weighing 2 kilos more than I should. My hands are so swollen I can barely make a fist. I guess I have an issue with water retention in the heat, although my feet aren’t swollen. I’ll just keep drinking the water, and wait for a change in the weather.

OK, back to work. Two final edits to finish, and I can’t bill until I get them done, so I’d best get to it. Both came back this morning, so the timing’s not perfect, but hey, when ever is timing perfect?

good day all….

Neilithicman

5:01 am
13 Feb 23
Permalink

Afternoon all, I had a couple of non-scale victories today. A pair of work pants that I avoid wearing because I had trouble doing up the last few months slid on pretty easily. I also easily notched my belt on the next belt notch, and could even squeeze into the one after that. So my weight loss may be modest but it seems to be coming off the right areas.

I had my fast day today. So far I’ve just had a miso soup and coffee, and I’m finishing it off with a pumpkin and broccoli curry for dinner. Control day tomorrow and then weigh in to see if the stubborn scales reflect my progress this week.

Innyanga, I think all of us struggle with non fast day eating. I’ve been making some progress recently by throwing a control day in after my fast days. I eat around 800 calories on fast days, then around 1500-1600 calories on the control days, then I don’t count too much on the 3 non fast days, but I try not to go too nuts. I started a re-set on the same day as you (4th January) and I’ve dropped around 1.7 kilos in that time.

innyanga

4:28 pm
13 Feb 23
Permalink

Hi Neil

Hope your fast day went well! Mine is tomorrow, Tuesday.

Sounds like you’re heading in the right direction if you could fit easily into those work pants!

Thanks very much for mentioning your control day. Do you make this the day after your second FD for the week?
Ah, on re-reading sounds like you make the day after each FD a control day.
I’m going to try this. On the night of a FD, I always think I’m going to enjoy breakfast the next day, but so far have noticed that my appetite has diminished, and I could easily miss breakfast.

Do you eat around 800 cals on FDs because that’s meant to be as effective as 500 for women and 600 for men?

I was thinking initially of doing the Fast 800 for a few weeks, but decided against it for a number of reasons. I think it would be difficult to sustain for one.

I note that you started a re-set on the same day as I did. I’ll be watching your progress with interest!

innyanga

4:40 pm
13 Feb 23
Permalink

Hi Lindsay
Thank you very much for your welcome!
I am glad that I jumped onto the forum now, and look forward to reading more from you and others.
Hope your water retention issue resolves itself very soon. Sounds like you’re in a hotter and more humid area than over here in Perth. Roll on Autumn!

Cinque

10:51 pm
13 Feb 23
Permalink

Good morning everyone,

Hello and Welcome Innyanga!
Lovely to have you here, and I echo everyone else in response to your question.
If 5:2 can be easy enough and sustainable enough, then you can just take your time losing that weight (and spend it coming here and chatting with us).

LJoyce, so good to get a catch up from you. So frustrating to be so fatigued. Hopefully once you can get better sleep you will be back to your old self. Fingers crossed.
I am so glad the Nigerian stew worked so well. Yum Yum.

And yay for the crafts! I was very into textiles, but gave up most of them as my health worsened, and just concentrated on knitting projects.
My good craft news is that I started knitting a cotton dishcloth a couple of days ago. Going very slowly but my hands aren’t complaining and I will be delighted to have made something!
Anyway, the craft group sounds just lovely and plenty of space to sit and chat when you have done enough on your project. best wishes with it.

What a good way to manage your social life so that it doesn’t stuff up the rest of your life. It is such a good idea to make sure there are quiet days each week, nicely spaced if possible. That way we get to enjoy the social times fully.

Lindsay, I am so sorry to hear of the nasty humid weather. I see you are expecting rain and thunderstorms today, so I hope that gets rid of moisture in the air. Hooray that both of you can be in the pool!
Has the swelling gone down in your hands? I do hope your doctor has checked it out if it hasn’t gone, but I mostly hope it has gone.

I was inspired by your talk of Mr Lindsay’s chili oil, but then got inspired by a recipe for preserved chilies in oil https://itsnotcomplicatedrecipes.com/preserved-chillies-in-oil/ and made a jar of them. I’m yet to try them and a little bit nervous as the chilies are super hot if I don’t take out the seeds and membranes. I have a feeling a little bit is going to go a long way!

Neil, omg, poor New Zealand. I hope you are protected down south, but it sounds like it will be a while before veggie prices come down!
Turn, are you okay?

Also Neil Woot, woot, woot! for the trousers and the belt. So much more affirming than anything those silly old scales say!

Gday, sending good wishes and hoping you are coping okay with that healing foot.
Intesha, all my fingers crossed for a housing solution.

Anzac, hello!
Thin, where are you?
And Cali, how are you?

Best wishes all

Anzac65

11:32 pm
13 Feb 23
Permalink

Hello friends

Welcome, welcome Innyanga! Stick with this WOL (way of life) and with us and you will nail the weight loss. Some, like me, lost then gained and are now getting back into the swing of things

The new job is keeping me busy but still no contract so therefore no pay. I just followed up and am assured it is on the way

I had a dreadful weekend eating and drinking wise with friends staying over so I have decided it is well past time to start doing proper 5:2. I made a false start a couple of weeks ago but today is a full FD and so far so good

I just saw terrible scenes in Auckland with houses under water. Those poor poor people. We received our home and contents insurance renewal today and it nearly doubled! Poor Mr Anzac (CFO) nearly fell off his chair. This is due to the natural disasters in the past year plus building costs have gone up 40%. Ouch

Intesha, I hope you have found somewhere to live but I did read that renting is becoming more and more frantic with not enough stock. I have everything crossed for you

How lovely re your craft group LJ; I laughed at your ‘craft UFO’s’. I can’t wait to see a picture of your embroidery this term and a lovely hat and gloves next term for winter. I hope you can get on top of your fatigue

I am more than useless with anything to do with my hands (except a bit of piano playing and even then not good!) so I am in awe of those of you who can make something lovely. I also look forward to seeing your dishcloth Cinque. So glad your hands are letting you do it.

Yay for pants that are loser and belts that are buckled tighter Neil

Yikes Lindsay, no air-con? I love that your house is so green but I sadly could not live without air-con, especially in this humidity. And I’m in Sydney so it is much worse up north. So glad Mr L is healing and now even able to swim

How is your foot G’day?

Better get back to work, take care all

innyanga

8:34 am
14 Feb 23
Permalink

Thank you for welcoming me, Cinque and Anzac65. I look forward to being part of this group.
FD 13 today, and trying to ignore hunger pangs. Only 255 cals thus far, and just soup for dinner.
Flat-lining, or should I say plateauing, atm, so am determined to stay on course.

GdayfromSA

9:41 am
14 Feb 23
Permalink

Good evening everyone and welcome to the forum innyanga.

The swelling in my toes has gone down and the bruising is not as dark however today I stupidly knocked my toes into the leg of a chair when I wasn’t wearing my moon sandal – yikes did it hurt (actually yikes wasn’t the words I used at the time, it was more like #*#* and lots of jumping around on one foot). Alas the swelling has now returned and more bruising, so I guess I have sent my recovery back to day 1 again – so annoyed and peeved off with myself for being so careless.

I have just completed a 54 hour water fast so definitely back into the swing of my ‘old ways’. Yes LJoyce I have been doing upper body exercises seeing as the lower body is out of action for awhile now.

Anzac insurance prices are just ridiculous now. I recently obtained quotes for Professional Indemnity and Public Liability for my business and discovered that I have to have 2 separate policies – one for providing nutrition/weight management advice and one for providing personal training services, no insurance company will cover me under one policy.

Another shock was to find that the cost to provide personal training services to clients in my own home is 6 x times the price of providing exactly the same services outside of my home, such as the local park or the clients home. Surely the risk is lower at my home gym as it is in an environment specifically designed for gym work, its temperature controlled, indoors, flat floor surface etc – it makes no sense at all. Anyway, I can’t afford the higher cost of insurance so all the work of setting up the home gym will only be for my own benefit now. I’m not looking forward to having to lug gear to a park every time I train a client but at this point in time I have no other option.

Good work on the trouser fit Neil and LJoyce I’m sure you will enjoy the craft sessions. Miss GDay and I love needlework and she is extremely good at embroidery. I love sewing, embroidery, macrame etc and although I love knitting and crochet, I’m still sitting at the beginners post there.

Intesha I do hope you have found a solution to your housing situation.

Lindsay we wouldn’t survive without aircond in our arid environment. We’ve just had a run of 35 deg plus and we are predicted to have 40 deg plus for the next 7 days. I don’t mind being stuck inside under the aircond now that I’m limited in doing exercise as I have plenty of other work to keep me busy but having to keep up with watering the garden and making sure the animals are comfortable is a lot of work during these heatwave streaks. Ohhhh I do dream of having a pool, I don’t think you would ever get me out of it though.

Must go, make a cup of tea and watch a bit of tv before bedtime. Bye everyone x

Neilithicman

8:18 pm
14 Feb 23
Permalink

Morning all.

Weigh in this morning and I was down another 400g. That makes 6 consecutive weigh-ins without a gain and now a total of 2.1 kilos lost since the beginning of January. It’s slower than I would like, but I’m happy with the fact I haven’t been see-sawing around like I had been.

Gday, sorry to hear about your foot, I’m sure some choice words slipped out. I was the same when I managed to hit my thumb with a post rammer last November. My thumb nail has only just grown back now. I’m assuming the insurance fee is something to do with liability of an accident being on your property? But I’m not an insurance broker so I have no idea.

Anzac, yes it’s been really weird, Auckland/Northland/Hawkes Bay have had their second major flooding event in the last month, while down here we’re on water restrictions because we’ve had one of our best summers in years. It’s been mid 20s most days with several days pushing mid 30s. The sad thing is that one of the firemen helping out has gone missing. The floods are going to have a huge economic impact too. Hawkes Bay is a major food producing region, and on the news last night they were reporting that entire crops of corn and grapes have been lost.

Cinque, awesome, I’ve never been crafty, but my sister is always knitting, sewing or crocheting something.

Well, I’m going to enjoy a non-fast day today before my next fast day tomorrow. that cheese scone and coffee is calling my name for my morning tea this morning, then cottage cheese with celery, sunflower seeds and corn for lunch, and I’m not sure what we’re having for dinner yet.

Neilithicman

11:00 pm
15 Feb 23
Permalink

Morning all, Wow it’s gone quiet on here again.

It seems like it’s all happening here in NZ. We’ve got droughts down here in the South, flooding from cyclone Gabrielle in the North, and last night we had a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit the middle of the country. I think I’d prefer our drought to the other two.

I hope everyone is doing ok.

Cinque

11:10 pm
15 Feb 23
Permalink

Hello everyone,
Sympathy Gday, painful and demoralizing, but I hope you are back to where your healing was up to before that stub!

And oh damn, what a pity about that insurance. (Maybe you can get Ms Gday to film you in your gym, working out, and become an internet sensation!)

Neil NZ has been dominating our news and my heart was already breaking for that firefighter, and then his body was found next time I had the news on. So sorry you have lost a wonderful countryman. And then news of a little child. Oh dear this world.

A couple of hot days for us so I am complaining, but not loudly since it is well under 40c.

I am taking in a skirt waistband! I am trying to make it sit well, wish me luck.

Best wishes to everyone

Anzac65

11:34 pm
15 Feb 23
Permalink

Hi everyone, it is the first day of a run of very hot weather in Sydney and poor Maxx is already chin-down on the tiles downstairs and it is only 9.45am

My first FD in a while was oookkkaaayyy….I ended up about 900 calories which actually isn’t really that ok when I think about it. I lost 400g but despite a good CD yesterday 100g snuck back on. I do tend to yo-yo a lot so I’m all good with it. Another FD today

Neil, 6 consecutive weeks without a gain and 2.1 kilos gone already is fantastic!

The floods in Auckland and surrounds are so terrible. Mr Anzac’s sister & niece and family lives in Napier and we couldn’t get in contact for a while but then thankfully received a text to say they are all ok, just no power for probably at least 4 days. She is a big cook and freeze person as she is a home-nurse and makes a lot of meals for her clients. So sadly there will be a lot of waste. I don’t think New Zealand is equipped for devastation of this scale and this is only the third time they have ever declared a national emergency. I hate to think how many times Australia has done it in the last 5 years. The lost crops will be a big issue, just as they are/were here. Every time we shop we shake our heads as everything just goes up and up

Ouch G’day, watch that poor foot of yours, it must be just so painful.

Yay Cinque for needing a smaller waistband. Good luck!

A work meeting looms, must run. Take care all and stay cool for those in the hot areas

Lindsay L.

12:26 am
16 Feb 23
Permalink

Yea Neil on the weight loss and the waist. Nice result.
Poor, poor New Zealand. It’s tragic, and the pictures are shocking. Lives upended, lives lost. Very sad. And Turkey/Syria? Hard to even imagine the devastation.

Good rain here, and the temps are civil again.

Know what you mean about air con Anzac, but I hate sleeping in a closed room and honestly, it is only a few days of the year we need it. Our house is elevated at the rear, courtyard in the front, sunny in winter, shady in summer. Sun pours into the house in winter, but never in summer, and lots of sliding doors and louvre windows to catch cross breezes. And for the half a dozen days when it’s unbearable, we plonk ourselves in the pool. And for winter, we have log burners in the living room, and in the kitchen/breakfast/tv room. Sorted!

How is the foot healing GDay? Easier than it was? So sorry about the second incident. The pain must have been unbearable. re air con….I think some climates just need it, so I’m not being at all righteous about it. Quite the contrary. You do what you have to do to live comfortably. Our climate is different – it’s often only Feb that’s a pig, heatwise. In the past we’ve dealt with it by going overseas – ironically often to hot climates in south east Asia. But not since the dreaded Covid, and OH’s illness!

LJ how wonderful that craft group sounds. How super, to produce something crafty yourself, and know it’s your own work. Envious, because it’s a talent I am sorely missing. Ditto Gday and Ms Gday.

So Cinque, taking in a waist band. How very satisfying that must feel, on at least two levels.

OK off to the shops to get some $$$ out for the cleaner and for my handyman who is coming at the weekend to finish off a fence. We are installing an uneven vertical sleeper fence along the back of the ponds on the top terrace, and have put in a gate into the courtyard. The object is to keep the dogs away from the front entry, so friends can walk into our house without being mugged. The fence is quite architectural and will be lovely with plants peeping through the gaps….I’m thinking hibiscus and abutolons. We measured Rosy’s head to make sure the gaps in the sleepers won’t let her through. Our handyman is super efficient and has buried the 1.2 metre sleepers .3 of a metre into a concrete trench, so I’ve had to abandon thoughts of azaleas and cammellias.

Enjoy your day all.

Lindsay L.

8:54 pm
17 Feb 23
Permalink

Morning all. Where have you all gone? Cinque, the weather in Melbourne! We are back to a relatively civil 30, which for our hottest month is manageable. My brother and SIL have jaunted off to Melbourne to escape our heat ….and hit your heat wave.

Weight stalling, and I’m kicking myself that I can’t get my motivation back.

But …a nice morning out yesterday with OH and DD, where we had coffee at a lovely little nursery in the next suburb. It’s just installed a little coffee bar and a few tables, and it was so lovely sitting among all the flowers. Not like a lot of nurseries, which cover a huge plot. This one is in the old local post office – small, but great selection. We bought three beautiful hibiscus …an old fashioned but cheerful plant. Red, pink, and white with a red centre. A bright yellow one survived my handyman, and the flowers will look so pretty popping through the sleeper fence.

Yesterday’s bonus was that we took little Scarlett for her first coffee shop outing, and she behaved perfectly and enchanted other browsers. I often hear ‘oh, we had an Irish setter when we were growing up’, or something similar. People seem to like the memory.

OK Rosy is tapping her paw on my lap, which means it’s time for the dog park. I like it…our special time, and I get three or four thousand steps up before breakfast.

Have a great day all.

Minka

5:34 am
18 Feb 23
Permalink

Hello Southern Hemispherites, It’s been a year or maybe years since I last posted. It is good to return after all this time and see familiar names such as Cinque, Intesha, Ljoyce, Anzac 65, Lindsay L, Neilthicman, GdaySA and Thinatlast! I was prompted to visit because I’ve been seeing Michael Mosely appear on my television advertising his new program app for the Fast 800. I was prompted by Michael’s friendly invitation, not to explore downoading his app, but instead to revisit this page. I mean, I succeeded with 5:2 from your support, no app needed! I note that Thinatlast asked what might have happened to all those that you, as a supportive team have assisted and helped over the years. I am one of those who received such support and guidance from this thread. In fact, I have not been a part of any other forum that has provided such a boost through heart felt sharing. I want to report that I have been well. I haven’t fasted much over the past couple of years and when I skip a meal, I tend to go underweight, so fasting has become a thing of the past. I’m currently steady at 55 kg. I’ve moved from a higher fat keto diet to primarily a meat based diet with moderate fat. This satiates me to the point of not being hungry between meals, not craving foods I once did and feeling nourished in a way I haven’t felt before over my whole lifetime. I get Inbody scanned regularly and have gained muscle and shed fat, down from 27% fat to 22%. At 66 years of age, I am celebrating that even my visceral fat has reduced. So that’s me. At 66 1/2 years of age, I’m eligible for the Australian aged pension, though will continue to work at the job I love for as long as I can! I’m glad to read that the support and care that assisted me with IF, continues as it was truly a game changer for the better for me.

Cinque

11:59 pm
18 Feb 23
Permalink

Hello everyone,
I’m having a nice light eating day.

Hello Minka! What a treat to see your post. I am so glad those ads prompted you to come and say hi! It is great to hear how well you are doing.
Hooray for 5:2, and finding the way of eating that suits you. High protein seems to suit me best too.
Best wishes to Mr Minka too!

Anzac, medals and congratulations for your first fast day. 900 sound good to me!
I hope your second fast day was as good.

I was a bit cheeky sounding as if my smaller waist band was the result of me having a smaller waist, it was really to do with finding a gorgeous skirt in the opshop that seemed to be the right size, but was a bit big around the waist.
I hate things being too loose or too tight around my waist, so it is very tricky, especially since my waist changes so much over a day. This one slipped down too far to be comfortable. (Elastic is my friend, but on the other hand I love something that does just sit nicely.) I hope I have got it right.

Anzac did you lose power in the storm?

Lindsay, the fence sounds excellent.
You can come to Melbourne today for the weather, it is lovely.
Mind you I might teleport up to you for a coffee at the little nursery, it sounds so lovely. And yay for Scarlet being well behaved and enchanting.

I am cooking today. I am tired from minding the girls yesterday (but what a lovely day we had) so I won’t push today, but I am roasting some beetroot that I didn’t manage to get going as kvass and then I am making zucchini and cheesy brown rice crusts with egg filling and pieces of roasted beetroot in them. I won’t offer any to you beetroot haters, but boy I will enjoy them myself.
Hopefully.
There are 50 ways, at least, to stuff things up when I am cooking tired.

Hoping you are having a good day.

Lindsay L.

12:23 am
19 Feb 23
Permalink

Put me on your beetroot list Cinque – I love it. And I see it’s now acknowledged as a superfood (well, the juice) that improves elite cyclists’ performance by 2.8%. How can that be bad?

Ah, I see about the waistband. Yes, it should be comfortable, and if it makes an op shop beautiful skirt even more so, it needs to sit nicely.

Minka, how good to read your message. We do wonder where our long-time friends go, so it was terrific that you popped back in. Hope to read more of your world, if you can post more often.

So, the fence is finished, and the plants are ready to go in, and we’ve decided to go with gardenias as well as the hibiscus. I love the glossy leaves, the beautiful flowers, and the perfume, of course. The site just looks chaotic at the moment – soil and dirt everywhere, but as soon as I finish this PhD, I’m going to make it a project. I’m on the final draft of the big one – the other’s finished, billed, and yea, even paid for! (my university really drags the chain on payment – which is quite annoying, because the deadlines are always tight, though the payment isn’t.

Rosy and Scarlett are not at all impressed that their access to the entry to the house has been curtailed. But so far so good. They’ll get used to it, and it does mean we will be able to leave them in the front garden while we are out, confident they won’t push past anyone who happens to open the gate if we leave it unlocked by accident.

We’re looking after the two girls this morning while DD and SIL head out for brunch. They’ve had a dreadful fortnight, workwise, so it will give them a breather and also a chance for a conversation …they both say they have been like ships in the night. Actually the 6 year old is watching tele. She’s an addict, but the 9 year old worked out an incentive plan that involved the little one doing little jobs for 5 minutes of tv time a job. So, she reminded us this morning that she had half an hour owing. She’s quite fair about it too ….at 10.30 she’ll get up and turn it off. OH is on the sofa watching with them.

She does make me laugh. Her latest? “Mum, what even is the point of a carrot?” And a fair question, I think.

Anzac65

3:44 am
19 Feb 23
Permalink

Hi everyone

So the job that was, is no longer – for now anyway. I got sick of waiting for my new boss to bother himself about starting the contract process and sick of working for no pay. He really is a piece of work, and not a good one. Anyway, karma got him. I said I was logging out on Thursday and not logging back in so he must have gone straight to HR. He rang on Friday with an apology of sorts but mostly a sob story about how much trouble he was in. Ha. Anyway apparently a contract is on the way but I am not logging in for even one minute and looking at other options in the meantime. I told him that IF I take the contract I will take a half-day every week as time in lieu until I get back my 9 days of unpaid work. Our poor savings are taking a hit but I have to say I am enjoying this novelty of not working

Anyway, this all completely destroyed by FD and I have been stress-eating a bit for the past few days. I forgive myself because I was so darn mad at both him and myself for believing his lies.

Hello Minka, how lovely to hear from you. I hope you can post again soon

Your new fence sounds great Lindsay but I think I know exactly how miffed the pooches are as Maxx would be too. If he doesn’t get his own way he sulks like a toddler.

Ha ha Cinque, we all assumed that your waistband sewing was for a different reason! How funny our subconscious mind can be. Glad that horrible heat wave is over in Melbourne, I heard it got to 42 in some areas. Ugh. I do love the heat but that is way too much

Mr Anzac’s garden continues to flourish and we are enjoying having fresh produce and herbs. Even the lemon tree, which we have had for about 7 years and had only yielded a solitary lemon in all that time, is loaded with fruit. Still green and too small so fingers crossed they make it to fruition

Hi everyone else, take care

LJoyce

7:51 am
19 Feb 23
Permalink

Good afternoon everyone.

Minka, great to hear that you are still doing so well and that the keto diet has continued to work for you in maintenance.

Anzac, I felt outraged at your boss’s behaviour. He won’t find anyone better than you so I hope a better opportunity arises elsewhere soon.

Neil, poor NZ is really suffering with weather damage. I’m relieved you are safely tucked away down south. The news here is saying that some parts of the north island are nowhere near getting the help they need yet.

Lindsay, I had a giggle at your description of the dogs mugging visitors. Once the new planting is in the new fence area will look lovely.

Cinque, I agree about waistbands. I like them to be either partly or fully elastic so that they stay comfortable and in place.

I know you are all enjoying the fact that the heat wave is over in the east. I hate to tell you this, but another one is likely coming very soon. A new heat wave starts in Adelaide tomorrow (forecast is 35-42 for at least a week – it will be even worse for GDSA in the mid-north). As most weather systems seem to head east, brace yourselves. I have tried to get in as much walking as possible this weekend as I know I won’t be doing much this coming week.

I have a lunch in the hills tomorrow to catch up with someone I used to work with.
To prepare I am doing a FD today. Although I didn’t feel like it because my last FD was Friday and it feels too soon. Thankfully I’ve had a busy day so it’s distracted me from food. I had a neighbour over for afternoon tea today. I wasn’t sure how to manage that on a FD, but I did a platter of berries instead of baked things. We both actually enjoyed the berries so it worked out well.

Time for me to put dinner together. I’m making a chicken salad with lettuce, cucumber and cherry tomatoes from the garden. I think there might be a few more salads this week with the hot days.

Hello to everyone I didn’t mention. Take care.

Cinque

10:57 pm
19 Feb 23
Permalink

Hello,

A lovely morning, but yes, LJoyce we are getting lots of warning of the coming heatwave. We may be lucky and not get over 40c fingers crossed.

Well I managed the roast beetroot (yum yum) and grating and draining a zucchini, and also made a chicken dish but then ran out of energy just as the kitchen was at peak messiness. I’ve managed to do a lot of tidying this morning, I hope I can keep going and get those tarts done. Maybe one big one will be easier.

Lindsay, I have the feeling the carrots are wondering “What is the point of a human being?”
I love that she is such a philosopher and fair too.

Don’t pets hate closed doors/fences. (Poor Miso when I stopped letting her sleep on my bed). But I bet they will accept reality soon and yes, everything will work better with a good fence.

Anzac, oh dear!
Hooray for you putting an end to that dreadful situation. What a terrible boss. I do rather hope they come crawling to you and you can get that 9 days paid for and negotiate some good working conditions.
Keep being kind to yourself through this had time.

LJoyce, those berries sound like such a beautiful platter for your visitor.
I do hope the heatwave is manageable,
And sending you so many good wishes too Gday.

Hooray for salads! Especially when they are full of garden produce.

I’m off to see how to best get my 5th vaccination and all those other things that need doing. Best wishes all

innyanga

7:29 am
20 Feb 23
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Hi GDayfromSA. Have only just noticed your welcome. Thank you!

innyanga

7:44 am
20 Feb 23
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Hi everyone

Realise that I’m a newbie here, and you are all old hands, so hope my questions won’t be annoying.

Am feeling somewhat disheartened atm, as my 5:2 trajectory isn’t as I expected. Tomorrow will be FD 15, and I’ve only lost 1.5kg since 04 January. I’ve plateaued for the past 3 weeks.
Have been following the FD protocol, and keeping at or below my TDEE on NFD days.
I’m wondering what I may be doing that is hampering the expected loss, or what else I should be doing.
Is it common to plateau so early in the program, when I need to lose 10 kg to bring my BMI to a healthy level?

Neil, not sure if you saw my post to you on 13 Feb. Would be interested in your responses to my questions when you’ve time, please.

Thanks in advance!

GdayfromSA

9:44 am
20 Feb 23
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Welcome back Minka so lovely to hear from you. Great work on keeping the weight off, Keto is a great WOL and I’m so glad it is working for you. I do hope you continue to pop in for a chat.

We’re at the start of a week-long heat wave here in SA, I hope you manage to stay cool LJoyce. Salad is on my agenda for the week too but not just because of the heat, because I’ve been having a Mediterranean salad every day lately and I’ve become addicted, not a bad thing to be addicted to so all good.

Weight is down another 1.3 kg from last weeks average and I have remained at a good level of ketosis for the last 3 weeks so definitely back on track now.

Innyanga, a bit of FYI about myself as you are new to the forum: I weigh myself religiously every day and at the end of 7 days my Fitbit scales give me my weekly average – this is what I use to determine weight gains or losses. I originally lost 23 kg to reach my goal weight of 59kg which I was able to easily maintain. But when my husband passed away unexpectedly last year, I let go of some of my healthy habits and in 6 months around 7kg. In mid January this year I pulled myself back into line so I can get back to the 59’s again as this is the weight where I feel at my best. When I originally joined this forum many, many years ago I was doing 5:2 but when I hit menopause 5:2 stopped working for me. So for the past few years I’ve been eating my version of the keto diet, which is high fat, moderate protein and very low carb, 2 meals a day within a 4 hour eating window and every few weeks I do a 72 hour water only fast. I say my version of keto because unlike Minka’s keto, I very rarely eat meat. This WOL definitely works for me and I really eating this way.

Well I’m off to do a couple of sudoku puzzles, watch a bit of tv, have a nice cup of tea and then bedtime. In the last few weeks I’m getting back into my routine of lights out at 9.30pm. My alarm doesn’t go off until 7am as I don’t need to have such an early start now that Miss GDay is home schooled (no more catching an early school bus) so I’m getting a solid 9 hours sleep most nights. Bliss.

Have a great week everyone x

LJoyce

12:06 pm
20 Feb 23
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Hi innyanga

If you are staying within your TDEE on NFDs and 500 calories on FDs, then over time you should lose weight. That said, I have had plenty of plateaus that were unexplained. In the early days there were a few things I found that helped:

– Record everything I ate – I didn’t count calories on NFDs once I was sure that my choices were within my TDEE, but I did record it so that I could look for patterns in food choices that might be relevant if the weight loss had stalled. (For example, higher salt foods can increase fluid retention, or insufficient fibre can slow down the digestive system which can cause bloating. Both of these impact what we weigh.)

– Use a tape measure and take measurements weekly in addition to weighing. For me this was one of the most useful things as I was often losing cms when the scales weren’t moving.

– Use the TDEE for goal weight not current weight. It should speed weight loss up a bit and it’s good practice for the lower calories we need to eat when we get to goal weight.

One more thing that I realised early on was that the TDEE calculator was not accurate for me. For most people it’s close, but it is an population average and across the population there will be variation. After some careful monitoring I discovered my TDEE is 14% below average, so I needed to adjust my NFDs for this.

Something else to bear in mind is the weather. An increase in heat or humidity impacts fluid retention and general inflammation for me. I know I’ll weigh more on those days.

I hope this helps.

Neilithicman

8:09 pm
20 Feb 23
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Morning all

Sorry Inyanga, I missed your post. I do a control day the day after each fast day, it stops me going on a huge binge after a fast day and undoing all the hard work from the previous day. I do 800 calories because I’m pretty active so I find that 600 calories doesn’t quite cut it.

Fast 800 worked for me when I first started. I first started trying to drop weight with 5:2/fast800 4 years ago. I started at 132 kilos and was doing fast 800, it was hell for the first 3 or 4 days, then it was like a switch had been thrown and I found it ridiculously easy. I guess that was my body switching into ketosis. I dropped 6 kilos in the first week and after the initial 2 weeks I decided to extend it for the full 12 weeks that Michael Mosley said you could do it. I dropped a total of 24 kilos over those 12 weeks, then I switched to a 4:3 regime, then a 5:2, then a 6:1 and ended up getting from 132 kilos to 85 kilos in 11 months. I kept it off for a year, but then slipped out or the regular routine, just throwing in a fast day when I could manage it and over-eating in between (had a fair amount of personal problems over that time that meant I was stress eating a lot) and my weight went from 85 back up to 106 kilos. I did the reset on 4th January and set myself a stricter regime, and it seems to be working. My weight is coming down, it’s going slower than I would like, but it is coming off.

I had a good weekend, I got some wood stacked and some gardening done on Saturday. I went out for a nice 3-hour bike ride on Sunday and later I raided the council reserve for blackberries, there were thousands, so I picked a whole ice-cream container full in around 20 minutes. I’ll have to go back and stock up this week so I have enough to make some jams and cordials. I do feel kind of guilty enjoying our great summer down here while the North Island is suffering from the aftereffects of Gabrielle. The reports say that although the official death toll is only at 11, it could well be in the hundreds, because there are still over 3,000 people listed as uncontactable. Some of them will just be in remote areas that still hasn’t had power or cell phone coverage restored, but many of them may have been killed in the floods.

The thread looks to have been pretty busy recently and I haven’t been able to catch up, but I’ll have a read through the posts later on today.

Well I’m having my control day today and weigh in tomorrow. I’m hoping my streak of weigh-ins without a gain continues. I’ll catch up with you all tomorrow

Have a great one everyone.

Cinque

10:32 pm
20 Feb 23
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Good morning everyone,

Innyanga, you are not the first person to have this problem and the confused stress that goes with it.
In fact, I have a link to a post that was around when I first joined here, and posted it so often to people with exactly your complaint, that I have it in my favourites and can share it with you:
https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/really-no-weight-loss/

I hope you enjoy it.

Gday, best wishes through the hot days, and wow, 9 hours sleep a night! Such a wonderful thing for your health and well being.

Hello LJoyce, true words about the weather.

Neil, what a good weekend.
I am so hoping the huge numbers of of uncontacted people goes quickly down and that the dreadful number of people killed stays low.

Best wishes everyone

Anzac65

4:36 am
21 Feb 23
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hi everyone

Innyanga, I do hear your frustration and it is so hard to stay motivated but stick with it and it WILL work

It is the last of a run of hot days but the heat doesn’t bother me. Lots of swimming and doing laps to keep the exercise up

Cinque, I meant to mention that thankfully we did not lose power in that crazy storm a few days back, but it came with what felt like a mini cyclone and the debris the next day was bad. We had to pick our way through the gardens where we walk Maxx as there were branches and other debris everywhere

I’m not losing at the moment, nor gaining. I need to get my head back into the right place after the disaster job scenario and I’m struggling. It will come

Take care all