Good afternoon to you all on another glorious day! This is what summer should have been like – a warm breeze, brilliant blue sky and shimmering sea.

I’m fasting today and rather than use the exercise bike in the shed this morning before breakfast, as has been my wont, I decided I would use the road bike again this afternoon. I cycled the same route as I have done the past two afternoons but goodness me! was there a difference in my strength! My legs were burning and I had to drop gears. I can only assume that all my glycogen (?) had already dissipated and I notice that the hunger pangs have increased 🙁 Normally by this time on a fast day I have forgotten about food. Not sure if this has been a good idea. Well, by Monday (my next fast I think) the rain is supposed to be here so there will be no chance of me being out on the road anyway. Have any of you noticed a difference in your exercise capabilities later on in a fast day?

Audrey – “I usually have an oxo at lunch” I have never drunk an oxo cube! does it have any calories? What does it taste of? I’m curious because I get a bit tired of fruit teas on fast days. I really want to last out till 7.00pm – 12 hours no food – but right now I could scoff a three course meal and go back for seconds!!

Elfstone

Oxo cubes taste a little bit like bovril! Only 8 kcal each. i find they keep my headache from fast day away!

Milena I do like to confuse don’t you. See you on the other side, not long now halfway there!

Audrey

Ladies…thank you for the suggestion that calling the 5, feast days gives the wrong message to my brain. I will refer to them as the five. I did get a good boost, understanding Audrey, you have a liquid day in front of your fast day. Does that mean that 48 hour period is in fact your 2 days?

I admire your tenacity and appreciate the inspiration….yes, we are taking the reigns and not letting them fly through the wind every which way…(as in 3 sheets to the wind). If any have sailed or read about it you know the “sheets” on a sailing boat are the reigns to direct it with the tiller or wheel.

I am encouraged to take over my five and take off the 3 lbs. thank you ladies!
Pea Jay

Hi Audrey

I was sitting here pondering whether to leave home or commit murder – between them, my two asked me FOURTEEN TIMES in a hour if I wanted anything to eat. Grrrrr!

Good job I’m welded in to my seat and killing them would lose me my bathroom cleaner, my packer and my tea maker. Glared at them instead – they are now being extra nice to me, I must see what my growl looks like in the mirror, its been scaring the kids around here for years.

OH opened his mouth to speak when I walked in with a steaming bowl and spoon, but thought better of it – who’d have thought I would be eating – nay, enjoying – a bowl of chicken and veg stock, not even veggies in it but it was lovely!

Can’t believe I actually wrote that!

Though making the soup when I haven’t eaten for 24 hours was a bit of a trial, particularly tearing the cooked chicken – especially after watching the scrummy trifle being made on Great British Menu! The culinary equivalent of a hair shirt.

Might get some OXO cubes, last time I had them was at the local swimming baths, when I was 12 – a cup was warming, especially as we neven dried properly and had wet hair. I Wonder if the post stock cubes would work?

Good way to think, Pea Jay, have you just the three pounds to lose? One day we will ALL have only three pounds to lose!

Milena,

I managed it through the day but did struggle an awful lot however been on scales and am down to daughters wedding weight so I have out done all my bad eating during the summer, I am, however back to the caravan on Sunday for our last holiday of the year so will do my best to be very careful with my eating.

I now have 15 lbs left to reach my target weight of 135 lbs healthy bmi! Not far to go now, I may not do it this year but I am going to do it!

Good luck for today everyone especially my fellow fasters

Audrey

5 hrs to go I can do this……Milena are you still with me, who else is fasting today?

Audrey

Thanks hemmy 4 hrs 5 mins to go……not that I am counting!

Yes I will do this. Your soup sounds lovely. I am on stew and dumplings followed by rhubarb and jelly yummy! Just need to wait another 4 hrs and 3 mins now hehe….

Thanks for the support

Audrey

Loz

Rhubarb is brilliant, ginette put me onto it, it’s full of vitamins and fibre and is extremely low calorie.

I cook mine in canderel so it doesn’t add many calories. I buy a bag at farmfoods which is frozen and cook that up its lovely. The other ginette idea is sugar free jelly again low calorie and very tasty! I mix the 2 together and put a small spoonful of low fat yogurt on top!

Enjoy your meal, I am looking forward to mine, not too long now.
Audrey

Hi Audrey and Loz

Re rhubarb in is 7 calories for 100g frozen weight, by the time you add water this makes a nice big bowl and sweetners dont add anything.

There are more calories in your oxo than 100g of rhubarb aren’t there Audrey?

Ginette

Hi Ginette,

WOW… Frozen rhubarb…. who knew! I am just going now in search of frozen rhubarb and Heck chicken italia.

I LOVE rhubarb….. will be a very happy bunny if I find the frozen bags.

Thanks for that info Ginette

Loz xx

Loz

Try farmfoods they sell bags of rhubarb …..

Audrey

Oh Ginette!! YUMMMMY loving the sound of those flavours.

I got back for looking in ASDA. Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Aldi & Lidl… no Heck & no frozen Rhubarb either. I did buy a lush sounding very light yoghurt to go with the rhubarb. Excited now. Finished my 1 liter water for the day, have had about 1 liter in herbal infusions too… I really hoe I go to the loo soon.

Audrey – I do not know FarmFoods – thanks for that tip – I will google my closest one.

I did buy loads of veg to shed for stir-fy this weekend. Will have it with smoked mackerel – small amount flaked through just for the taste. Anyone know off hand the calories in fish sauce?

Audrey – how are you going? Staying strong?

Loz xx

Hi Loz

Asda sell it at 500g for £2 whereas at farm foods it is £1 for 750g. I hope you find one near you. Not sure of the calories in fish sauce there are so many varieties. On Eat well for less last night there were some interesting facts about mackerel and salmon. Both of these tinned are normally ‘fresher’ than the fresh ones.

Well done to Audrey and Milena at last you can eat…..

have just been looking into beanies coffee. It is quite a small jar but can be used as a drink or in cooking. I shall be trying it soon and will report back.

http://www.beaniesflavourco.co.uk/index.php/flavour-coffee-instant.html

Here is the link, they do cinder toffee flavour, hazelnut, chocolate, mint chocolate, mulled wine, Irish cream, vanilla and others. They are 2 calories a spoonful. Ideal for filling up on fast days.

I spoke to the company to see if they were giving out free sachets, sadly not. I gave signed up for their newsletter so I shall let you know if new flavours come out.

Just think what concoctions I can make with them, it will be really nice I imagine with Quark.

Off to Pams now.

See you later maybe…..

Ginette

Hi ladies,

MMmm rhubarb, that sounds good.
But seriously I’ve had enough, I’ve had a really good week both fast days and NFD.
I’ve been on the Wii everyday, with my routine of yoga and muscle then hoola hooping and ski slalom. When my boys have been at their clubs I have been doing a 20 minute walk instead of sitting and finding someone to chat to. So proud of myself but the Wii this morning said i had put on 5lb … five … five pounds.

I was even beginning to convince myself clothes were feeling looser.

Squeezing in another fast tomorrow, as I want to look as good as I can for an interview I have on Monday.

Power to you all
NEmum

Audrey,

Thank you, I was thinking that I just wasn’t good enough!
On a positive note, all this exercise has done wonders for my dodgy knee, pain is less and I seem to have more flexibility.

Maybe I should try a liquid fasting day.

NEmum

Hi Audrey – Super well done on your loss. Stay strong while in the caravan. Keep focussed on your goal.

Nemum – I was exhausted just reading all about your exercising! I agree with Audrewy – I doubt you have put on 5 lbs if you have stuck to your plan. I can also tell you that if you are exercising much more than normal – it can take a few weeks to take effect. Not always – but it can do. Sick with it – its certainly not doing you any harm!

Ginette – I will find a Farmfoods – I think there is one not too far away. In the meantime I am DREAMING about Rhubarb!! Ooooh flavoured coffee – all those flavours. Keep the hints coming!! HAve a good weekend.

PeaJay – hope your fast day goes well. I love Herbal infusions – Mint & chamomile is so refreshing!! Nopoint dwelling on the sweeties…. onwards & upwards!! 🙂 Stay strong!

Loz xx

Good morning all 🙂

I was weighed on Friday and I had officially lost 2kg this month – which surprised me; I thought I’d lost a bit more than that. Maybe I had put some back on again and I do know that my own scales are not very accurate. The odd thing is that my clothes do feel a lot less tight ( I was refusing to go up another dress size – I’m sure you all know how demoralising that is 🙁 ). Hey-ho, it’s better than not losing at all.

I’m going to try to stick to 1000 calories today and then my regular fast tomorrow and if that’s ok then I’ll try a back-to-back later in the week.

Ginette: “and as long as it stays below 24 in the house” LOL – we haven’t *reached* 24 this year!! 😀 Oh well, we can only hope that next summer makes up for it.

Hi Audrey

That is still a great loss. I hope you manage to keep the weight off on your two weeks ago, that will be good.

Have a lovely time away.

Hi Nemum

You probably have lost weight, maybe it is food in transit. Weigh again in a couple of days and you may get a different result. So your clothes are probably looser. I am sure as Audrey says that you won’t have put on 5lbs. I fluctuate so much in a week.

Good luck for the interview.

Well here is was sweltering when it was at the top of the 24s earlier this year. We had cavity wall put in last year and the same at Pams. Where she used to have her heating on at 20 she was only having it on 10, now in the evenings it jousts clicks on the lowest….well before 10. When it gets hot we have to turn it off or it gets uncomfortable. Me, I haven’t got central heating, one of those Stone Age people!! 🙂 I can imagine how shocking this may seem to some of you.

I may get it in the future.

Hi Nemum, I’ve just read about the exercise helping your knee, what a plus!! Enjoy the swimming, I hope your boys do well.

Hi PJ

I’m not one for herbal tea, when I am in France I carry my own teabags around with me. This way if I go to a friends house I can have one there. The English friends always have tea, it’s the French friends who don’t. Maybe try something like aniseed balls or mint imperials. These can last for ages, I would suck a midget gem as well.

Hi Elfstone

24+ indoors is far too hot. If we have snow here I have to turn on the radio and listen to the Phoebe in shows, for me this is a real novelty although it lasted quite badly about 6 winters ago. What a talking point!! I have cupboards stacked with supplies all year around. I remember my nan always keeping a good supply in. Yes, I am the same, I think she probably got it due to rationing, I must try and get them down.

Yes Nemum, I suppose we are really lucky, I just get another jumper out and my furry blanket, I do sometimes have the gas fire on. I have to wait as long as possible though. Blanket and jumper first. My neighbour has his heating like the Bahamas, if he comes to see me get puts his jacket on!!

Have a good Sunday all.

Be mindful and all will be Ok.

Ginette

Hi NEmum, Well done on the weight loss!! Thats brilliant – you must be very pleased. Its rainy here too… 🙁

I have continues along drinking water drinking water and more drinking water… I thought by now I would be running to the loo… but no…. nothing out of the ordinary. I weighed last night and the needle move… in the WRONG direction. I was gutted as I had been good. I felt like sitting down with a rub of Ben & Jerry’s all to myself. Having said that…. I made an executive decision NOT to do that… and rather than wallow in my misery, I thought I would have (ANOTHER) cup of red bush tea…. and go to sleep instead. I was too gutless to measure myself.

BUT today is a new day… and a fast day….

I have some butternut & red pepper soup waiting to be eaten. I will hold off as long as I can – last meal was 7pm last night, while I know I wont last till 7pm tonight… I want to stretch it as long as I can. And while I wait to break the fast… I guess I will go have (ANOTHER) cup of red bush tea.

Anyone else fasting today??

Hi Loz

I know the feeling – I’m doing all the right things, putting in extra fast days, doing liquid fasts – haven’t moved an ounce in nearly two weeks – after a fast day yesterday I was up until 5am this morning – searching cupboards at 4, wasn’t hungry just in give up mode – luckily the worst I could manage was a few grapes and a bowl of muesli – wasn’t even any bread or crispbread – the boys are finally getting the message and have stopped buying goodies – well stopped buying more than they can eat quickly. I’ve also noticed that they are buying a lot of stuff I don’t eat, like cheese, sausages and bacon. Did think they may have hidden something but they haven’t – I know because I have looked!!!!! Desperate or what?

So still not got to three stone loss yet – I’m beginning to this its psychological – I’ve come close to throwing the scales out a few times, yet as frustrating it is to see no changes down, somehow it does go down. Usually when I stop fretting and weighing every five minutes.

So today I am going to have something nice for tea, and a glass of wine. And fast tomorrow.

Cos tomorrow is another day!!!

Hi Milena, i can totally relate to the cupboard scrounging!! I was on my hands & knees and all I found was tinned tomatoes and cordial! Not desperate…. just human. 🙂

All I can say it…. 3 stone loss (almost) I WISH!! You keep on keeping on… it will shift. (she says listening to her tummy rumble and trying to ignore it)

Hi NEmum, the logical part of me says “stick with it kid – it will be worth it in the long run”, the emotional (read spoiled brat) part of me says.. “I HAVE been good, I HAVE NOT feasted WHY did I not at LEAST lost 1 stone”

And somewhere inbetween is the reality…. I have read the book, and interestingly I have taken it with me to work, allowing myself the indulgence or re-reading it .. particularly how to get the best out of fast days.

In the meantime… I have had my tea and some mint tea…. I might swim to the kitchen for my soup! that makes it a 19 hr liquid only fast. I will get better and soon I will be able to make the 24 hour liquid only followed by a 500cal fast day.

Have a good day all!

Lozxx

Hi Nemum – I used to hang on to the hope it was goods in transit – but I’m getting the runs so often at the moment that I KNOW it isn’t the case. Imagine, fasting well and having the runs and not losing weight. Still bloated though from my op, that might explain it.

Audrey, not so much strong as I know this is a game of snakes and ladders, the snakes are a long way down – bit pointless to start climbing down the ladders eh? Logic will prevail, doing it right so its a waiting game – nearly 6 and I’m still in two minds whether to fast today or tomorrow, just the muesli so far. Hubby is shopping for tea, I’ll see what he brings, though a glass of wine would be nice.

Haven’t been out the house for days, except for a quick coffee. Chained to the laptop! But off to Glasgow to get my hair done tomorrow, and flight is twoish on Thursday – and no computer until Monday night – might see a drop, if I can keep away from the smorgasbord!

Milena,

I would consider looking at your diet for allergies. I am no doctor, but an intolerance to certain foods will cause a feeling of bloating. I know that if I have too many cups of coffee with biscuits I feel bloated and my trousers feel tight across the waist. I would consider (after your hols of course) cutting out all the common intolerances: Wheat, yeast, dairy, salicylate foods, nightshade vegetables and see if your bloating gets better. If you cut out all the common intolerances and the bloating stops then introduce the foods back into your diet one at a time. Alternatively you could carry on as normal then cut out one group of food at a time. Just a thought but if you are having the runs aswell I would definitely go about finding what your body is not liking.

Audrey,
Are you having a good time at the caravan, I’m glad you don’t seem too concerned about the wee bit put on, you know you can tackle it when you’re home.

Are going anywhere nice?

NEmum

Food for thought:
137 calories in a SMALL packet of crisps (15 crisps) ; 120 cals in a standard glass of white wine. A single glass of wine, 5 nights a week, with dinner, is going to be a far better choice than a small packet of crisps….and who can stop, once you taste that fatty, starchy carbs and salt combo? Purple

Double the cals…but SO worth it! ?