Morning all. This post was written six days ago, just before OH and I took a little break away, and somehow I just didn’t press the ‘send’ button. So, apologies for being out of date. But I will catch up, in a day or two.

Intesha, good to read Cinque and I aren’t the only ironers on the forum. Your mother/grandfather were right – take care of your skin, and your clothes. I am blessed with quite good skin for my age – but have always bought a moisturiser and makeup with sun protection, which certainly helps.

I have just finished my ironing – my linen shirts. As you know, I show my dogs, and the ‘show suit’ is the preferred mode of dress for many. Too tight, too sparkly, too much synthetic materials for me! They are not flattering for most, and if the skirt is knee length, with a back split, can be so terribly revealing!! I’ve seen quite a few spanx on full show as women bend. I wear tailored trousers and the linen shirts. At least my underwear stays hidden, even if my ironing basket is often full.

Oh Cinque, now I understand where you’ve been. I did wonder, because you post every day or two, and always a callout for those of us MIA. So I was very happy to read your lovely message to me, and to see the beautiful flowers you’ve sent me. xx

Intesha, your travel sounds wonderful, and so very well deserved. Life is for living, and getting through the tough times, as you are now experiencing, is so deserving of reward. And so good to have something to plan for and look forward to.
Our trip away (to Hobart) was just that – after such a dreadful, dreadful couple of years, we need to build some new, happy memories.

Thin, I am so very sorry to read about the pain and troubles with your foot, after your operation and staying so closely to the recovery guidelines. And shingles! I’ve not had it, but believe it is very very painful. I do hope you and your OH can get help, although the NHS seems to be imploding.

Good for you Anzac, to be back on 5:2 full steam ahead.

OK, taking the girls out to the kennels (actually, soon to collect them), because tomorrow OH and I are heading off to Hobart for a few days R & R. We are trying to get back into the swing of doing ‘normal’ things – or at least, the things we used to do before we took the full whammy with OH’s health.

Best wishes all, and a special hug for you G’day.

Hello,
Referendum day (I voted yes ofcourse).

Lindsay I am so glad you and Mr Lindsay got time away in lovely Tasmania. My mind is so creaky that by the time I got to the bottom of your email I thought you were going there again 😀 😀

I do need those tricks for superagers Neil!

Lindsay, you would look so excellent showing your dogs in your elegant outfit.

Neil, those lumps do sound concerning. I do hope they actually aren’t, and your doctor can quickly advise.

Omg that teenager appetite! Good luck!

My waist is remaining stable and I do hope my brain is gradually working out this new normal. I would eat a lot more if I didn’t know the consequences of horrible reflux that would result, so my brain hasn’t got the message yet. But I am very appreciative of every bite I do eat.

It was veggie day yesterday (thanks DD) and I am going to make up some lovely little ramekins to get some of them used up and in the freezer.

Best wishes to everyone, there are such depressing things happening in the world. Hooray for people caring for each other. <3

Hello all, hope everyone is well.

The stress of everything is impacting my health and I feel completely yuk. I’ve developed itchy skin rashes, insomnia, and absolute tiredness that I’ve never felt before as I’m lucky to get a couple of hours of sleep each night and have no motivation or drive for anything, just completely drained mentally and physically. I hate wasting days doing nothing, but I just can’t get moving.

I’ve cut down my coffee to just one small cup each morning instead of several and tomorrow I will go to the chemist for melatonin tablets again to see if they will help with sleep.

Thin, a trust does not secure an estate, a trust can be challenged/contested exactly the same as a will can. If the contester has legal standing to do so as an eligible person under the Probate Act, they are legally able to contest the will and by extension contest the trust. The Probate Act provides the provision to contest an estate by an eligible person regardless of how the estate was set up. The Family Provision Claim allows the Supreme Court to redistribute trust assets if it is proven someone should have been provided for and they weren’t. Australian law does not provide any options to 100% secure an estate as per the deceased wishes. As you say, trusts just cost more to set up and are more expensive and messier to sort out if they are contested. Estate law is extremely complicated, and nothing is guaranteed, unfortunately.

Time for a pot of tea and find something for lunch.

Neil, what a lovely thing to do for your mum. Very fitting. And a nice place for you to visit her.

Thanks for asking – well, not good. I sent the surgeon some photos today and she’s phoned me this evening to say I’ll have to return to theatre. Obviously it’s minor surgery, no bones or screws involved this time but It’s almost the same palaver as before. A pre-surgical assessment (really?) followed two weeks later by the surgery and then, the worst part, the dratted boot, crutches and foot elevation for a WEEK. Return to have stitches removed. So three more trips to Nottingham, a hire car plus a hotel for at least one of them. All the logistics of where to position the boat. If only someone had dealt with it when I first presented with what was then a relatively minor issue in July. No idea when this might take place, I’m simply back on ‘the list’.

Sorry for the ramble, your timing was perfect!

Thanks Neil, I’ve had precious few occasions for requiring medical intervention in my life but, each time, something has gone wrong. I get the impression that the surgeon believes either a dissolving stitch didn’t dissolve or something was introduced during surgery. Fortunately, I’m not a litigious person.

This year has made us think hard about continuing this watery life, however. It’s one thing to carry on with your normal life at home while waiting for your appointment letter and then hop into your car and drive to your local medical centre. It’s a completely different set of rules when you’re itinerant.

Anyway, enough about me. I’m a fortunate person health-wise in the scheme of what some people have to endure. And it was my choice to have this life and the surgery.

So, I’m hoping your weight continues its downward trend with the occasion bump in the road. And especially hoping you stay safe on your bike. All the best to you.

Good morning everyone,

I’ve had my beautiful breakfast (homemade flatbread with avocado, roast pepper, cold chicken and lettuce) and patiently waited an hour for my precious daily cup of coffee.

A nice start to the day.

Thin, I suppose a nodule is better than other things, but it is hard to get my brain around it. At least the surgeon has the knowledge. I’m so sorry it is back to theatre, but hopefully once you have gone through another interminable recovery period, things will be GOOD!

And then you can get your head around another globe trot, and hopefully it will be an easy comfortable one with gorgeous time spent with your daughter.

I wonder what you and Mr Thin will decide to do for your next home. What a grand time you have had on the canals. Best wishes finding out what will suit you best next.

G’day, sending so many good wishes that your world starts to right itself and you are able to look after yourself more easily. It is no wonder you feel so drained, and I do hope you can just hunker down as much as possible to protect and then heal yourself from life’s nasty blows. You are not wasting your life, you are looking after yourself, so try not to beat yourself up for it.

Hooray for a cup of tea and something for lunch.

Neil, such a lovely way for your mum to be resting among the trees and beautiful earth, with sky above and a beautiful view.

Was your doctor able to reassure you about those bumpy swellings?

I hope the bloating settles down and the 600g disappears with it. And also that you are able to get into some lovely deep sleep patterns.

Yes, sigh about the weekend results, for both of us.

Hello to everyone else, sending best wishes

Cinque, is that breakfast eaten upon awakening? It sounds huge but I expect it’s all in minute portions. I can’t face eating for the first few hours in the morning. Why do you have to wait so long for the first coffee? (Sorry if it sounds like a challenge – it’s just curiosity).

Thanks for your other comments. We really only intended doing this for one season and then with lockdown and the difficulties getting back into Australia, it became easier to stay by which time we’d taken to the lifestyle. But realistically, we can’t do it forever. We both find it so much harder to make decisions as we’ve aged so who knows what comes next. Does anyone else suffer from that? (Not you Neil, you’re a youngster). The cost of the small Perth storage locker housing our personal effects has become the size of a mortgage payment which is always in the back of our minds.

Neil, maybe Turn could give you some pointers about getting into the leisure hospitality industry. Perhaps you could manage one of those holiday parks while learning all about it and still enjoy the lifestyle. I can picture your wife and her family making Indian delights for campers. You must follow your dreams to avoid years of regret in old age.

Hello Cinque, Anzac, Neil, Thin, Lindsay, GDSA, Intesha and anyone else I’ve missed who is reading. It seems like such a long time since I’ve read or posted.

I’ve been busy and then ill. My help was needed by several family members (surgeries & cooking for the mum of a new baby). After a couple of very busy months my body succumbed to a respiratory virus that laid me low for weeks. My breathing is only just returning to normal. This is the first week I haven’t needed regular daily ventolin. That meant that I was ill when I had planned to be getting things organised for my holiday. So the last 2 weeks has been very busy getting everything sorted. I had originally planned to isolate for the 3 weeks before I left so that illness would not prevent me going. My last errands were this morning, so I’ll get just one week of semi-isolation (still a few loose ends next week). It probably makes little difference as I’ve had N95 masks on wherever I go and so far I haven’t caught anything else. I leave for Budapest next Saturday. I am mostly organised now, although I still need to sort a few things for those who are looking after the cat, the indoor plants and the garden. I also need to alter several pairs of trousers that I’m packing – mostly the length, and tighter elastic in the waists to stop them sliding down when I put anything heavier than a tissue in the pockets.

There was one benefit to being ill – I lost my appetite. Despite no exercise for weeks I also lost some weight (I was so sedentary my fitbit said I was burning less than 1350 calories most days). Given that my weight had risen to 85kg before I got sick, the unexpected weight loss was needed. I kept my eating at similar modest levels after I recovered and am now at my lowest weight in 2 1/2 years. I’m at 80.2kg and am hoping I might see the 79s before I fly out, although I’ve been on a plateau for the last week. I am trying to get my fitness level back up to the minimum required for sightseeing on foot for several hours a day. I’m not there yet, but hopefully another week of daily walks and gentle yoga will get me there.

I will now attempt to catch up on some recent posts. Take care everyone.

Good morning everyone,

HELLO LJOYCE!
How absolutely lovely to see your post and read your news. And even though it sounds as if you have had a dreadfully hard time lately, I am so glad you are coming good in time for your trip.
https://slm-assets.secondlife.com/assets/13325851/view_large/welcomeback.jpg?1454537164

I am glad you were able to help your family that needed you. Welcome to the new baby! A great nibling?

But what a hard time you have had with that infection. (Losing excess weight is a bit of a nice bonus though).

Good luck sorting out all the caretaking things for while you are away. I have my fingers crossed you will be able post lots of times while you are travelling so we can hear all about it.

Neil, that is good news you are not worried enough to get the doctor to check your bumps out. Hopefully they are gradually going away.
That eating at the end of the day is such a trap, isn’t it. Good luck that this strategy works.
No eating after dinner! No second serves! You can look forward to breakfast.

I can imagine you would be a wonderful manager of a caravan park!

Thin, that breakfast WAS eaten very soon after waking. With only a small meal by 6pm the night before, I wake up with an appetite! It did fit into my ‘about the size of my fisted hand’ measurement, but I notice I do have to be careful with those meals where I go ‘and a little bit of this, ooh, and a little bit of that…’ it builds up very quickly!

Anzac, hello!
You do have such a busy life.
Well done with your 5:2ing, I expect that if you weren’t doing it, your weight would keep creeping up.
I hope you can figure out some nice little strategies for non fast days so that you can move some of that excess weight.

Ooh yum, I love homemade muesli (although I used to have quite a bit of dried fruit in it, which is why I don’t have it now). Doesn’t a tiny bowl fill you up! (I would have it with ice cold milk!)

Best wishes for a lovely weekend.

Best wishes everyone else! Lindsay, Intesha, Turn, Gday and whoever I have missed.
Cheers all.

Thin I totally agree with you, the world as a whole seems on self destructing and with what is happening in the Middle East is inflaming it all. It’s heartbreaking to see cities being obliterated and so many innocent lives lost. I really fear for what the future holds.
I have lodged the grant of probate and funnily enough the day that happened I had a message from my brother asking if we could talk. Everything is still too raw and I have in inclination to speak to him face to face and the solicitor has cautioned me about speaking on the phone as he could be recording it or someone is listening. I just replied and told him probate had been lodged, I was very upset about the letter he sent and it had caused me great distress and he could have the medals etc that had been left to him when it was approved. Now we wait.
My Uncle, Dad’s brother, died last week only 7 weeks after Dad so that has caused another emotional roller coaster. I flew up to Queensland yesterday for the funeral today. It is going to be heartbreaking but on the other hand I am looking at it as a sort of closure for me to be able to mourn with close family which I didn’t get with Dads passing.
On a brighter note, my English son in law messaged this week asking if I would like to come over for Xmas. He also wants my ex as he says my daughter misses us all terribly and he would like to surprise her and have us altogether. Better still he is paying. So looks like an English Xmas.
Gday I hope that you are finding the strength to get through each day and know we are all thinking of you.
LJoyce good to hear from you. Lindsay hope you had a good trip to Hobart and hello to Anzac, Cinque, Neil and anyone else reading.

Good evening everyone.

Another busy week, with a long list of small tasks I still need to do tomorrow. The most time consuming thing left to do this week was to install 50m of dripper hose in the front garden and then cover with mulch. It took all morning, but it’s finally done. Not only will it make life easier for the neighbour who is looking after my place and the cat while I’m away, it will make my life easier this summer.
I had my infusion this afternoon which should keep my symptoms at bay while I’m away. I have just gotten over a flare up that was caused by treatment delay when I had the respiratory virus. I’m very grateful that it’s settled down and my symptoms are well managed again.

Intesha, lovely to hear from you. I’m very glad that you have such a nice christmas to look forward to. Much needed after your recent bereavements. I hope it’s a wonderful trip that lists your spirits.

Thin, you can always plan on a January adventure after the foot is healed.
You mentioned that you were thinking of ending your life aboard the narrow boat. Were you intending to return to Perth or a land base in the UK?
I did have a giggle about your “living on the ark” comment. I immediately pictured the local wildlife clamouring aboard the narrow boat in search of sanctuary.
I will never be as adventurous as your daughter, but I have started researching my probable 2025 trip – Tanzania and Kenya.

Cinque, Yes the new addition is my first great-great-nephew (far too many greats). My niece is now a grandmother and absolutely delighted to be.

Anzac, it sounds like you have been your usual busy self. Are you getting a christmas break?

Neil, how is the main meal at lunch time going? I often do that in winter when I’m hungrier by noon. I don’t mind having a dinner that’s mostly veg after substantial lunch and I find it helps me avoid a lot of mid-afternoon snacking.

GDSA, so sorry to hear you have been having such a hard tie with your health. I hope things improve for you soon.

Lindsay, hoe you are having a lovely time in Tassie.

I thought you might appreciate a photo of me trying to pack – I have a stowaway.
https://imgur.com/a/HJRKkWZ

I will definitely try to post from my phone while I’m in Europe. I’m not sure about using imgur – I don’t know how to do that on my phone. The photos might have to wait until I return.

Take care all.

Good morning everyone,

I think LJoyce heads off to Budapest TOMORROW!
Haha the stowaway.
We won’t demand pictures LJoyce, but it will be so nice to hear more from you, and exciting that it will be travelling news.

My goodness, a great, great nibling. Isn’t that extraordinary! Hello little one.

Thin, so glad to hear you have the operation date (although I wish it was November 7th, if not sooner). But hooray for a shorter recovery time.
I forgot to answer your question about whether I would get another cat. No, the compost bins are about as close to looking after a pet as I want to get. I did appreciate my cats but I find the responsibility onerous.
I can get cat cuddles from my daughters two amazing white, deaf, half grown cats.

The other thing I keep forgetting to say, is that someone mentioned the ‘sequence’ version of the wordle games, and I found it and love love love it. I enjoy the ‘jumble’ choice too.

Inteasha, good to hear your news. So good to have that Christmas trip to look forward to. Just what you need.
I hope your ex is a nice enough person to spend some time with.
Sympathy on the death of your uncle. I hope the funeral went well.
It sounds like you have worked out exactly what you need to do with that brother of yours. You are getting good advice. (If you do think of trying mediation get a professional to run it).

I am going well. My daughter is having a hard time at the moment with no car and children needing a lot of support. So I am helping her as much as I can and then coming home and hunkering down to recover. I am so proud of how well she is managing everything, but she is really tired and no end in sight.

I am doing fine so far at maintaining this weight and I think I am getting more used to never feeling full. I think my brain is starting to get a better sense of feeling satisfied at the ‘less than full’ stage. Yes, a bit unsure, but hopeful.

Neil, I missed your Wednesday post. I hope you are okay.

Sending best wishes to everyone

Cinque, your compost bin pet made me laugh. You are doing well never to experience feeling full. Once in a while I get that ‘I overate’ feeling and it doesn’t feel good at all. I hope Rose and the children are doing better soon.

Anzac, have you settled well into FD mode?

It’s Sunday and, instead of a FD, we’re going to walk across some fields of healthy looking cows and sheep to a country pub that we like for a rare Sunday roast. I saw that there’s a ‘small adult’ plate available which will suit me and OH can get his fix. The local gentry are out on a horse and hounds hunt and arrive at the pub afterwards in all their finery to share a pint, tethering the animals outside. I know nothing about this activity other than that fox hunting was banned in England about twenty years ago so here’s my chance to find out.

Oh, and I banked my FD yesterday so I’m feeling ‘light and 59ish’.

Afternoon all

Sorry I haven’t posted for a while, to be honest I think I’ve been suffering a bit of depression. Our financial situation is getting more and more dire, our Union has been negotiating with our employer for better pay since May, and they have been fighting tooth and nail to deny us anything near what we were asking for. Since the last year has seen huge increases in inflation our wages are woefully inadequate. Our union finally managed to negotiate a 7% pay rise (less than inflation for the year, so we’re still going backwards), backdated to 1st July, with a union only bonus payment. Our employer said they would have most of it implemented by last pay (25th October) and the rest the pay after that. We got nothing, and as one last f**k you, they have now told us it’s not going to happen until at least 22nd November.

We have $1300 worth of outstanding bills, and I actually had to resort to borrowing from one of our kids to pay off the most pressing bill. Normally I’m really motivated to get out and exercise, work around the house, and do some work round the community in the community gardens, or for people that need help. But for the last couple of weeks I’ve just had no motivation, I get home and just sit on the couch doing nothing. The scales reflected that, I gained another half kilo on top of the bit I gained the previous week, my weigh in yesterday I was down 300g, but that was probably due to the fact that I had a 4 day weekend for my 45th birthday and spent around 13 hours riding cycle trails in Central Otago.

I’m really hoping that when we get our pay increase, union bonus, and 5 months worth of back pay, that I can finally clear all the bills and finally relax a little. I’m not the only one struggling, our family has decided that Christmas is going to be a low key affair this year, everyone is struggling, and the idea of splashing out for presents for all the nieces and nephews just isn’t on the cards

Well I hope I haven’t brought the mood down too much with my whinge, and I hope everyone else is doing ok. I’ll catch you all later on.

Hi all, just a quick post as we have visitors arriving from NZ tomorrow and a raft of social events and I am madly trying to get work finished so I can help Mr A clean the house

I’m so very sorry for your situation Neil, I can’t imagine how stressful that must be. I hope they come through with everything including all the back pay on 22 November. How inhumane they are. Happy belated 45th birthday

Sorry about your post Thin, it is so frustrating when you lose a post. I’ve been meaning to answer your question about the warm milk they forced us to drink at primary school. It would sit out in the sun all morning and you weren’t exempt even if you threw up.

It has been just on 4 weeks since I went back to FD’s and this week I only had one but I have lost just under 2 kilos so at least we are going in the right direction. I am so worried about the next 5 days we have dinner and a show tomorrow night and we are putting on a surprise 60th for a friend on Sunday at a local cafe that has spectacular views across the river. Sadly the dratted weather, after being so nice, is forecast to be cool and rainy. Then we have another lunch on Monday (I’m taking Mon-Wed off yipee) then we are heading to Wollongong for the races on Tuesday and will stay overnight. We would normally go to Randwick but two friends have moved down south so we will go to Kembla Grange instead. If I don’t put anything on this week I will be happy

Take care all

Hello everyone,

Neil, I read your first post last night and went to bed worrying about you and your family <3
But I was also thinking how you would all be working together, and that it can be the best thing for teenagers to be able to step up and help their family and all pull together through a hard time. It is a big step in growing up.
How lovely, though, to read your new message this morning and to know you have had a good night’s sleep. I am so glad.

It is a sign of these difficult times, so many families in my country too are being squeezed unbearably at the moment. I’m adding my crossed fingers to the hope that backpay gets sorted very soon.

I grew up with inexpensive Christmases and I still think they are the best. I hope that is true for your family this year.

Happy 45th birthday! What a fab age to be.
https://i.etsystatic.com/5927469/r/il/707f0b/1949897387/il_fullxfull.1949897387_lmb2.jpg

Thin, damn that missed post! And that patchy internet. Thanks for the shout out!
Shouting back!

Great to read your catch up too Anzac, I hope you have a wonderful time with friends.
Well done on that month of 5:2. 2kg a month is right on what you want… well no, I imagine you want 10 kg to miraculously disappear! But it is right on what the 5:2 fasting wants.

Now you have one of those ‘get over rough ground as lightly as possible’ times as you go super social, and I am sending best wishes. But enjoy the precious times. Will you be able to do 5:2 through it?

I’m doing pretty well. I made yummy braised tofu yesterday (I am having a Chinese cooking phase!) and I am trying to keep up with all the little exercises and good habits that sustain me. My reflux has settled so well I am trying to reintroduce acidic foods. I made a yummy almond lemon sauce (cooked with chicken stock) but I can only tolerate a few drips of it so far. Looking forward to working up to bigger amounts.

(Breakfast was home made flatbread with chicken, roasted red capsicum, rocket and a tiny drop of the sauce. Yummy.)

LJoyce, don’t you get wifi in Budapest?

Best wishes to everyone

time for coffee 😀

Anzac, hearty congratulations on the weight loss. That’s a lot of social stuff to navigate so I hope you can fit in a FD or two in between some of those engagements. Have a great time and just do your best. Eeew on the warm milk!

Neil, that’s good news indeed. Intesha put it well – you’re a kind, community-oriented citizen and family man. It’s OK if you’re the one needing help once in a while. I hope you have some good mates (besides us) that you can unload on in tough times.

Cinque, my previous (lost) message mostly congratulated you on managing your symptoms, diet and waist line. I agree about Christmas – it’s just a day. The long, commercial lead-up puts me right off. Being with friends and family is all that matters. People neither need nor want loads of useless presents to clutter up their lives. A few comforting traditions sees us through the season.

Our long-standing traditions are slowly being eroded though. Christmas lights and decorations are offensive to some minorities so many councils have stopped putting them up. M&S has had to remove an ad depicting Christmas cracker hats because they happen to be the colours of the Palestine flag. Green, red and silver. I wonder how some people make it through the day without getting offended by something or other. It must be exhausting to live like that. If I hear a moorhen chick, my day is made.

Intesha, you sound good. Happy belated birthday. Great to have the dates locked in and something to look forward to. I don’t dare look at the cost of flights to Australia. Is your daughter likely to remain in the UK indefinitely or is there a plan to return anytime soon? We chatted to our DD for three hours last night who’d just returned from an independent five day hiking and camping trip to Machu Picchu. It seems increasingly likely that she will return to the UK to live and work which poses a dilemma for us about whether to return to Oz and set up from scratch again.

The Sunday roast was superb and a rare treat, thanks. I was glad I had the ‘small adult’ plate as it was enormous. Even OH said he’d choose that next time. I had turkey and cranberry so, if we don’t get Christmas dinner this year, I’ve already had mine. The horse and hounds spectacle wasn’t on that weekend which was probably for the best as I’m not entirely confident of what goes on since fox hunting was banned. The walk to get to the pub was fabulous, through green fields with cows and sheep, autumn leaves, crisp but sunny and blue skies.

I’ve just discovered that the train drivers are striking for one of my surgical appointments. I’m so frustrated. We cruised long hours for 12 days to get near a train station specifically for this purpose. They already make decent money but they’re intent on piling more misery on everyone else throughout the Christmas season.

Good morning (it’s 5am here) from Romania.
Spent yesterday at Ruse Bulgaria. They call it “little Vienna”. I can see why, although Ruse has more shabby buildings and ugly communist era concrete buildings. The city does have a lot of parklands and most streets are tree lined which is lovely. The pre communist buildings are also charming and mostly quite colourful. The boat moved on to Romania overnight- are docked at Giurgiu. Today is a full day bus trip to Bucharest.

Good morning everyone,

Sending out good wishes to you Neil, and hoping your Wednesday weigh in is good.

Intesha, I am so glad you had that beautiful, rich, sharing, family time. Just what you needed.
I hope (nightmare with your brother aside) you can have lots of ‘me time’ now where you can grieve, and celebrate, and focus on who you are and how life is, on this other side of your great commitment to care for your parents.
It will be exciting to see what you do to look after yourself and embrace your life.

Hooray you got some internet finally LJoyce! And what an adventure you were having while I was imagining you still in Budapest.
How I loved seeing those beautiful old European medieval towns! (45 years ago!).
I do hope you are sleeping better now.
Looking forward to your next post.

Oh dear Thin, the train system seems to be jinxed around you. Good luck getting to that appointment.

Mmm yum, I want a plate of Sunday roast.

Thinking of you making that decision about where you will live next. So many things to factor in. I bet you will settle on something completely gorgeous though.

Talking of train trouble, Melbourne’s entire network went down this morning after a problem overnight meant they needed to use their back up system and their back up system was with Optus that coincidentally was having an Australia wide outage.

Luckily I am just sitting inside my house with the heat, the high pollen count and train problems all outside.

Sending out good wishes to everyone.

Neil, I’m laughing about your wife’s snoring – it’s 5.30am and I gave up asking OH to ‘turn over’ due to the snoring and instead got up and made myself a pot of coffee. Has your son won a prize in gymnastics? I sensed that you have a strong family network so it’s good to know that there are close friends too. I completely understand your reluctance to ask for help, I would be exactly the same. Sometimes if you can just confide in someone else, they can see an easy solution and people are usually so eager to help if they can. This is so true in the boating community (we rarely share our logistics issues with any of them because we don’t want to put others out). We were always the ones helping neighbours in out street and I’m not used to asking for help.

It was a seven hour day out for a half hour appointment that could have been done over the phone. I eventually got the refund for the disrupted train ride after three days and 22 emails. But then our amended train was cancelled and there was a long, cold wait for the next packed train with standing room only and loads of people coughing and sneezing.

The surgical team had stuffed up my follow up appointment timing so that date is 21 Dec, not 14 Dec which adds another layer of logistics complexity. And they can’t give me a time of day for the surgery until 2 days beforehand which makes hiring a car very tricky, if even possible at all. (OH has to collect and return that from a town an hour’s ride away on the bus). I’m acutely aware that these are largely issues of our own making due to our lifestyle choices so we have to suck it up. I’ll be in the land of luxury when I can just turn on a tap, flush the toilet or hop in a car without even thinking about how to source it all.

Cinque, that sounds like a bit of a mess with Melbourne’s infrastructure. Nice to stay inside and not have to worry about it all.

Congratulations Master Neil!

Weight loss maintenance strategies
The strategies that encourage weight loss also play an important role in maintenance:

Support systems used effectively during weight loss can contribute to weight maintenance. According to the National Weight Control Registry, 55% of registry participants used some type of program to achieve their weight loss.

Physical activity plays a vital and essential role in maintaining weight loss. Studies show that even exercise that is not rigorous, such as walking and using stairs, has a positive effect. Activity that uses 1,500 to 2,000 calories per week is recommended for maintaining weight loss. Adults should try to get at least 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous level physical activity at least 3 to 4 times per week.

Diet and exercise are vital strategies for losing and maintaining weight. Ninety-four percent of the registrants in the National Weight Control Registry increased their physical activity.

Once the desired weight has been reached, the gradual addition of about 200 calories of healthy, low-fat food to daily intake may be attempted for one week to see if weight loss continues. If weight loss does continue, additional calories of healthy foods may be added to the daily diet until the right balance of calories to maintain the desired weight has been determined. It may take some time and record keeping to determine how adjusting food intake and exercise levels affect weight. A nutritionist can help with this.

Continuing to use behavioral strategies is necessary to maintaining weight. Be aware of eating as a response to stress. Also, use exercise, activity, or meditation to cope instead of eating.

A temporary return to old habits does not mean failure. Paying attention to dietary choices and exercise can help maintain weight loss. Identifying situations, such as negative moods and interpersonal difficulties, and using alternative methods of coping with such situations rather than eating can prevent returning to old habits.

Weight cycling
Weight cycling is losing and regaining weight multiple times. Some studies suggest that weight cycling, also called “yo-yo dieting,” may result in some health risks. These include high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, and high cholesterol. However, these studies are not true for everybody. The best strategy is to avoid weight cycling and to maintain healthy weight through a commitment to increased physical activity and healthy eating.

One myth about weight cycling is that a person who loses and regains weight will have more difficulty losing weight again and maintaining it compared to a person who has not gone through a weight-loss cycle. Most studies show that weight cycling does not affect the rate at which the body burns fuel. Also, a previous weight cycle does not influence the ability to lose weight again. In addition, weight cycling does not increase the amount of fat tissue or increase fat distribution around the stomach.

Read this free carb cycling made easy .it helped me a lotto start my weight loss journey .

Hi everyone, I’ve just joined. Am in Brisbane. Had to laugh when I read about your husband/partner being clueless (why can’t I see whose post that was?). My partner was the same but valiantly started a few days after me and now is much better with calories though still sometimes clueless.. I’m so glad he’s started because it’s much easier as a household. My nearly-15-y-o daughter wants to do it as well, but I keep telling her it’s not for her, and she can do a modified version such as going without sugar on fast days. Am also glad I don’t have to cook meals on fast days. My daughter just has larger portions of what we have. Does anyone else have teenagers who are weight conscious and want to fast but shouldn’t?

Hello everyone,
Where did that week go? (Its not like I did anything).

Welcome Amandina,
Sorry we are so slow! It is lovely to have you here.
So interesting to be doing it as a family.
My daughter was past her teenage years by the time I found 5:2, so I have no answer to your question. The fast days without sugar (or without ultra processed foods maybe) is a very good idea.

So nice to have a couple of days a week without cooking!

Neil, a great post and I hope you have managed some better sleeps.
It is so hard to ask for help. The more you need it the more stressful it is. You don’t want to make people do things to help you, but it is terribly hard if you ask and they say no.
Sometimes you have to think what you would want someone to say to you, if they needed help, and really focus on how you wouldn’t think of them as a failure.
Good luck with it all anyway!

(It is hard to make Christmas great for the kids without more money, especially when they are teenagers!)

Oh Thin, those transport woes! What a nightmare. There have been some terrible tales in long involved Xtwitter threads I’ve read too. One was a train that was cancelled after it had started travelling. I hope your Saturday fast didn’t mess your head too much, and the Sunday roast was delicious.

Anzac, nice to be on the other side of the good laden social time. Ooh your Asian banquet sounds so lovely.
I hope your frugal fast days are a nice break now.

LJoyce, so wonderful to read of your travels. Haha the medieval fortresses, but so special to have seen them. You will be home tonight. yay you did it. Sending best wishes for a good sleep.

I’ve been good but hayfevery. The weather is lovely this week so I am trying to get organised. Coffee first!

Best wishes to everyone
Hoping to hear from you soon Lindsay. And everyone else!

Neil, ha ha, your description of cooking FD meals while catering for your teens was funny and reminded me of what I do for my OH. Not much use for Amandina’s problem though. Yes, leaving out the roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and gravy is certainly what I should have done but that’s never going to happen when I’ve paid for a meal. That was a NFD so I had a FD in the bank already. I’d never entrust my FD to a restaurant meal though as I like to know down to the very last calorie what’s passed my lips.

Are you fully recovered from the nasty accident that you had around the time of your mum’s passing? It sounds like things are starting to go your way at last.

Cinque, oh no, hay fever season to add to your woes. But a lovely coffee to start the day. And then you can get organised. Goodness, a train cancelled after it’s already on its way. Did the passengers alight in the countryside somewhere and start walking down the tracks in the rain? I did get my refund eventually – 22 emails and three days later. At one point I wrote ‘you will be giving me the full refund, it’s just a question of how long you want to drag it out’. I kept trying to explain that it doesn’t matter whether my ticket was non-refundable if they’ve cancelled the train!

I know Brits have a reputation for whinging but, on the other hand, I don’t think they’re very assertive. So companies try it on a lot I find. And re: my future trips, I think it’s very underhand to be selling tickets for a day that you know that there will be a nationwide train strike and then make your passengers fight to get their refund while trying to charge them an admin fee for the privilege.

LJ, are you home safe and sound?