Fasting today
This topic contains 7,290 replies, has 660 voices, and was last updated by HAY34 3 months, 2 weeks ago.
Good morning everyone, especially you Audrey, I thought I responded to this post earlier, but maybe I just imagined it. A hectic morning getting to the airport through peak hour, only to find the plane is cancelled and I am on the one half an hour later.
Anyway sending lots of good wishes, and keep doing the best you can. Is it hard to fast when you are in pain because you need the comfort of food?
Fingers crossed the spasm eases soon.
Snap, Restorehope, I am fasting too, although with different time zones I am not sure if we are doing the same day! It is Thursday morning here, so I am at the start of my fast day. I’ve had my coffee, and my daughter has soup for me to have this evening. I wonder if I will need anything inbetween. She has the little miso sachets so that will make a nice savoury pick me up.
Best wishes and all good things 🌺🌸🌷🌸🌺
Hello all, well I managed to get through the half term school holiday and complete my 2 fast days which I thought I’d really struggle with. I didn’t lose any weight which is no surprise as it really made me realise how much more you eat when you’re away so a bit of a static couple of weeks. Audrey I do hope your back is getting better. I too suffer with back pain so I know how miserable it can make your life. With my Osteopath’s advice, I’ve had to get into the habit of lying on my back in the mornings, bringing my knees up to my chest and rocking from side to side. It’s not particularly ladylike but it really resets the spine after a long sleep. I hope you can keep up the walking – it’s such a good form of exercise.
Hope everyone else is well 🌺🌸🌷
Hello all, sorry to hear you’re still in so much pain Audrey. Am praying for you. I hope you find comfort and healing very soon.
There’s no news on my son’s illness. They’re doing every kind of test they can think of. Today it was his thyroid. Tomorrow they’ll begin testing for Hodgkins Lymphoma. He did say he’s feeling better today so that gives us all hope.
I will be fasting tomorrow (Thursday) and am looking forward to it again. For some reason (maybe the grayness of the day) my hubby’s junk food stash keeps calling out to me. Tomorrow will get me back on track.
Today was a very gray day. Not just because of the foggy, rainy, cold weather. But I attended a wake today for a little 6 year old boy who died suddenly on Sunday morning. He’d been born with a heart condition but had been doing well lately. Or so everyone thought. During breakfast on Sunday he had a heart attack. His parents and younger brother were there with him. Dad performed CPR until the paramedics arrived but it was too late. When I was at the wake I felt as if my heart was going to explode. I just don’t know how parents manage to cope in times like this. Having friends and family around certainly is crucial. I’m glad I was able to be there with them.
I don’t mean to be a downer, just wanted to share. Definitely reminds me to count my blessings and not to take anything for granted.
Have a good night (or morning) all. Patty
Oh Patty, what a sad, sad day. It sounds like his precious six years were spent surrounded by love, so that is something to know. My heart goes out to you all though, at this time of great grief.
🌺🌻🌸💐🍃
I am just finishing my fast day, it was a difficult start but this end I am in Sydney, at my daughters house, and feeling fine. Tagging you Patty and hoping it is a good fast day.
PS hope they figure out what is happening for your son soon. 🌷
Belle I am glad those two fasts were easier than you feared. And as for the scales! Crazy things, with a wicked sense of humour, and NO honour whatever. Ignore them! I threw mine away. Hopefully your mirror and clothes will show you that 5:2 really is making a difference.
Morning all
My back is slowly recovering but as I am still on pain killers and tranquilisers the Dr says no fasting! So I am trying to watch my intake. …
Am going to mums on Sunday, was supposed to go last week but back problem stopped me…. it’s only a couple of hrs drive away up the motorway so should be ok to get there. …
Patty hope there is good news soon, you are in my prayers,
Cinque enjoy your visit. ..
Restorehope well done on another completed fast day you are doing well
Belle sometimes we lose inches not pounds, perhaps that’s the case…thanks for the rocking advice am off to try it now!
Audrey
Hello. Please can I join you?
I am 68yrs and reasonably active….riding my horse and driving my naughty pony!, walking doggies and gardening. Unfortunately have piled on the weight over the last year. Determined to do something about it.
Fed up with being fat.
My old bathing costume has stretched so much as to be unwearable. New tankini makes my very large stomach stick out. Horrors.
Main problem is lack of discipline and bread. I do go out quite a lot mainly for breakfast with friends and always end up eating baguette with either sausage or calamaris. Big problem here, as when I’m out either for breakfast or lunch always have the philosophy that I don’t eat things I can have at home. Time for a mind reset or don’t go out.
This is my 2nd fast day and have been really good on other days eating salad ( which I loathe) and veg and chicken – boring.
I have lost about 3kgs so far but know that’s water.
Being totally unimaginative I can never think of what to eat that isn’t loaded with calories. Strikes me that practically everything is loaded with sugar and salt. More veg, yes, lean meat, yes. What else?? What do you eat?
Hello Audrey, you sound as if life is a little easier. That is good news, and may it continue. I hope you get to your mums alright.
I remember you saying that you find complete fasts easier than light fasts, so that must make things really difficult. If it is getting that you are not just not losing weight, but are gaining, might it work to have a couple of ‘soup only’ days a week, until you can fast again? Big hearty soups will give you the calories the doctor is worried about, but not too many and, with soup only, all the other food will wait for another day. It might be a good way to keep yourself stable until you can fast again. Maybe?
Just watched a documentary about gut microbes. Very interesting!
Makes me want to eat lots of fibre!
Hello to the people in daytime. Night time here! See you tomorrow 🌛⭐️✨
Hello itwhat and welcome to the loca thread.
There is lots of support here, don’t worry.
I personally haven’t cut anything out of my diet, because 52 is a way of life and I decided I would rather eat less of what I like than force food down me that I hate. I don’t like salad ..
I make a very good chilli con carne stacked full of beans that is very healthy and also a bolognese sauce that comes in at around 200 kcals. I use something called bare naked noodles and rice to go with them which are only 8 kcal …. are you in the UK? If you are you can get these from Holland and Barrett or morrisons. .. if you need recipes I can post them, although there are some very good recipes on line. …
There are lots of different people on 52 and I don’t think any 2 of us do the same thing, you will find your own way… I just think if I want toast I want butter on it so I take the calories… I just don’t have toast very often! I also have full fat milk…. others don’t eat fat or carbs. ..
Almost forgot I use my fitness pal to keep track of my calories it’s really good, and I find it invaluable. …
Hope this helps, please keep in touch and good luck on your journey..
I am sure some of the others will be along later to welcome you, but we are all over the world on this thread so some are still in bed. …
Cinque, just seen your post, yes soup us a great idea and I have lots frozen…. mum won’t eat them though she likes tinned! I just find it too salty. … but I could take my own. … thanks have a good sleep my friend it’s a beautiful but cold here in crewe. ..
Audrey
Hi Itwhat,
Welcome here!
On non fast days I try to eat the kind of food, and portions, I’ll eat when I am at my healthy weight. After a fast day I find normal food an absolute treat.
I love cooking and my cuisine is shaped by many years as a vegetarian, and a deep love for Indian and Middle Eastern cookery. I have SO many recipes!
Maybe I can be useful suggesting healthier versions of your favourite foods? There is the trick of adding more fibre ( usually veggies), tweaking cooking techniques, and tweaking portions ( a smaller portion of the main and more delicious sides). Are your favourites bread, sausage and calamari?
🌺
Hello ladies, thanks so much for your lovely thoughts and concerns. My son is having some tests done today and will find out results in the next week or so. He does have an enlarged spleen and liver function is below par, not good results but these are being watched closely.
Audrey, you sound like you’re feeling better. I wonder why the doctor told you not to fast. But it’s best to follow doctor’s orders when things are this bad. When I hurt my back I did something similar to what Belle said, but a little different. I lay on my back on the floor and put my legs up on a kitchen chair so that my body was in a seated position but I was lying down. I would gradually pull the chair in closer to my bottom and hold that position for as long as I could stand it. I couldn’t rock and I couldn’t pull my knees up anywhere near to my chest. But little by little I could stretch out my back and it helped a great deal after several months. Now I am able to do it the way that Belle mentioned and I tried it this morning. It’s definitely a good morning stretch.
Itwhat, welcome to this group! Like Audrey and Cinque already mentioned, we all do our own thing. I fast Mondays and Thursdays and eat about 500 calories on those days. On non-fast days I eat “cleanly”, meaning that I don’t eat many processed foods. I love salads and have one just about every day with my meals. I eat just about any kind of meat, except cured bacon, lots of fruits and vegetables, and lots of soups. My husband is a hunter so we eat lots of wild game. He and I both like to cook so that helps. I’ve found that this 5:2 way of eating is very easy and allows me to eat all my favorites. I also find it easy to eat smaller portions on my non-fast days.
Cinque, I love your ideas of tweaking favorites and adding fibre. And throwing away the scale.
It’s noon here and I’ve lots of cleaning to do. Somehow dear hubby gets things pretty messy when I’m away. So I’m off to spend some quality time with the vacuum cleaner. Patty
So I’m not the only one!!!! Hooray for PreciousBooBoo!
I’m not overweight but….my tummy arrives in the room long before the rest of me does… I’m a misshapen 54 yr old and can’t bear the thought of sit-ups.
So…last year I had a go with 5:2. Easy to do and did lots of cycling in the summer. It worked OK – slowly.
Now after two months of 5:2 again – zero inch loss and only 2lb down. So now it’s ADF for as long as I can stand it. Feeling great/energetic but scouring these pages for some encouragement and success stories to keep me going.
Thank you all for your support. My fav foods are all the things one shouldn’t eat, of course. I’d love some easy recipes please. I’m very idle and cooking comes in bottom of the list, so quick and easy – like ramming a huge baguette down my throat the easiest!!
Have discovered soup (ready made, what else?!) has 85 kals.
Audrey, no am not in the U.K but will see if I can track down some ‘bare baked noodles’ at Carrefour, they have quite a big section on different world foods.
Any chill con carne I make always makes the beans go hard, so obviously doing something wrong. Ha, rice, had forgotten about rice.
Cinque please tell me how you tweek recipes? I tend to shove everything together.
Fruit – do you eat fruit, not a favourite but can tolerate the odd apple, banana, kiwi.
I sound frightfully picky, sorry. X
Hi Fatso Jackso, welcome here. May I call you FJ? Or maybe Thinso Jackso, as faith in your future.
I wondered who PreciousBooBoo is and then realised I have never gone back to read the start of this thread.
I think I am only losing about a pound a month. If you are within your healthy weight range (like me now, yay!) then weight does come off more slowly. I console myself with the knowledge that 5:2 is doing lots of other good things for our health, as well as losing weight.
Isn’t it annoying though, that our bellies are the last to go?
Do keep at it, you will get there. aDF may make things go more quickly, so go for it. But if it doesn’t make your belly go quickly, and you get despondent, then remember the best thing about 5:2 is how SUSTAINABLE it can be, and that is what gets us there in the end.
🐢🐢🐢🐢
Hi Itwhat again, I still have to guess what your favourite foods are! It is hard if you don’t like cooking, or if your lifestyle makes cooking hard, as homemade means you can avoid the hidden sugars and other processed rubbish.
I have a chronic illness (me/cfs) that means I am exhausted most of the time and unable to be very active, but it is even more important to eat well now and look after the bit of health I have left!
so I have become queen of easy meals that I can cook up and then portion out to freeze or have in the fridge to reheat.
Soup is a great one, and home made is so delicious ( as well as having less salt than the canned ones, as Audrey pointed out).
I love bean cooking, so I pricked up my ears at your mention of chili con carne. Did you use tinned beans or start with dried beans?
I’m staying with my daughter at the moment, and all my recipes are at home, but I should still be able to dig some good ones up. The first thing that comes to mind is making a big tray of roasted veggies. We are doing that tomorrow. Roasting intensifies their flavour, and caramelises their edges. Oh yum! And they go with almost everything!
We cut potato, carrot, pumpkin, and sweet potato, into bite sized chunks (or a bit bigger: two bites sized) and onions into wedges, and put them in a bowl ( you can also add parsnip, turnip, big chunks of dense cauliflower, squares of capsicum, eggplant, corn on the cob in fat slices, or pieces of zucchini) and drizzle wth a little oil, sprinkle salt, pepper and we love to add a bit of soy sauce and maybe some dried herbs. Mix it around so all the veggies are coated.
I have the oven hot and a big tray in there, heating up – and take it out, pour the veggies on ( sizzle sizzle ) in a single layer, and back in the oven, pretty hot, maybe 210 c – about 400 f. How long it takes depend how big the pieces are. 40 mins to an hour, until they are soft and coloured and dark on the edges.
I also sometimes add pieces of Apple, wedges of lemon, bits of mango or tomato! They add some gooey tangy sweetness.
So tell me if you are already a famous veggie roaster! If so how do you like them?
Does anyone else have delicious tips?
Here we go…
Audrey’s slow cooker chilli… ( can be cooked in oven on low)
500g of very lean minced beef or turkey mince
1 onion diced
2 celery stalks diced
1 pepper diced
250g mushrooms chopped up
1 jar passata
1 tins kidney beans with the liquid
1 tin mixed beans with liquid
1 tin barlotti beans drained
Chilli powder I use the mild one about 1 tsp…
Pinch of salt
Garlic powder, basil, oregano and black pepper
Fry mince drain, put in slow cooker
Throw all other ingredients on top, mix it in
Sprinkle with herbs and garlic etc
Cook on slow for 8 hrs….
Easy peasy recipe, freezes great. … can be served with brown rice, bare naked noodles or salad or jacket potatoe. ..
Let me know if you make it. ..it’s low calorie because it’s full of beans and vegetables, feel free to change if you don’t like any of them….
I love my slow cooker because it’s easy cooking. …
Almost forgot welcome FJ….lots of hints tips and support on here…
Audrey
Hi
I’m “almost” menopausal at almost 46 been in a “state” for the last 2 years! I started the 5:3 fasting in January 2015 as I needed to loose min 34lb for my health. I read up loads about this first as I wanted to make sure it was worth starting. Apart from weight loss the health benefits are worth it alone.
Anyway I have just checked my stats as I have ground to a halt on any loss but in actual fact I think I have done well. I have lost 21lb in 13 months, 4inches off my bust and hips and 3 inches off my waist. I have to confess that for the latter part of 2015 I didn’t stick to 2 days every week so this is good going.
All I would say is stick at it. I do a Monday and Wednesday and only have an evening meal, the rest of the day I drink black coffee, strong tea and water. I also keep busy. I think my bosy is used to it now as I am never “starving”. Try to fast for as long as possible i.e. from the previous evening meal all throughout the next day. I also do an exercise class once a week but am going to up the walking to help boost more loss. Don’t pig out on the other days, eat sensibly – think of it as a whole lifestyle change.
Don’t give up, keep going it will be worth it and becomes the norm.
Hi all, and welcome to all the newcomers.
Itwhat, here’s a recipe for chicken/mushroom soup that’s very easy and very tasty.
1 TBLS olive oil
8 oz chicken, cut into 1″ chunks.
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 TBLS unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic minced
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 onion diced
3 carrots peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery diced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 c flour
4 C chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 C cream or whole milk or more as needed
2 TBLS chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 sprig rosemary
Heat olive oil in stockpot. Season chicken with salt and pepper, add chicken and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Set chicken aside.
Melt butter in the stockpot over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Stir in thyme until fragrant, about a minute.
Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about a minute.
Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaf, and chicken, cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in cream or milk until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with parsley and rosemary.
It might look complicated and long but it’s really not. It’s quite quick and very easy. And it’s so good. I think it’s just as good without the cream or milk, just a thin soup. I also like roasted vegetables. I think I’ll try some of the vegetables that Cinque mentioned in her post. I seem to stick with the same ones over and over, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, beets, cauliflower. And I love slow cooker meals. Just fix it and forget it.
Had my first day of work today. First since retiring in September that is. Taught in a preschool classroom of children with special needs. I loved it. Being a substitute teacher has its rewards, I can teach in different classes every time I get called. But had to cancel my morning workout.
Have a great weekend everyone. Patty
That’s my kind of recipe Audrey!
Hi Forcandles, lovely to read your post! You have done so well!
Do you feel in yourself that things are still changing, even if the scales aren’t moving?
I don’t do scales except my daughter has some ( dodgy) ones at her house. I weighed myself when I was here last, at the end of October, and then yesterday. The scale hadn’t moved! Now I know we lose more slowly as we get near our healthy weight, but that is ridiculous, I have gone down a dress size in that time. So I am happy to judge how I am going by how well I am feeling, and by how well that lovely blue silk skirt fits me, and not worry about the scales.
Hello everyone! A cooler day in Sydney. We are going for a coffee and then off to the park so darling gd can run around.
Gosh thank you for those recipes, they sound yummy. I’ll give them a go. Unfortunately if I have any food lying about I eat it, so will try these recipes and portion them and freeze them quickly.
Cinque… the roasted veg is interesting as my sister (when she’s staying she does the cooking, yay) she cooks Mojete which is just using peppers, tomatoes and onions.
Favourite foods… hmm… I know what I don’t like apart from salad, is stuff that is pureed/mashed and lumpy – shades of boarding school, ie porridge, mashed potatoe, swede, pumpkin, fish = bones.
I do like mostly savoury, and extremely fattening things like aioli – I could live on it! Do have occasional choc urges and will eat a whole bar.
I use tinned kidney beans and have given up cooking them and eat them straight out of the tin.
Audreyg, wonderful recipe, not having a slow cooker perhaps I could do it in the oven. What is passata?
PatriPer317 the soup looks delicious, I’ll get some chicken today and try it.
Off out for breakfast later and will NOT have any bread, just sepia or calamaris on their own. I will NOT covet my friends’ bread. Then ride the horse, walk the doggies, water the garden – no real rain for nearly 2yrs now.
Have a lovely day everyone. X
Morning All,
Itwhat, passata is pureed tomatoes, comes in either a jar or carton…. you can just liquidise up a couple of tons instead I suppose.
Off to mums so won’t be in touch as much for the next week.
Good news managed a fast day yesterday so now only 2lb up, plus back is feeling super, taking pain killers now but no tranquilisers for over 24 hrs…hooray
Have a great weekend all
Audrey
Ooh Patty, the chicken soup recipe looks so delicious! Your post crossed mine so I didn’t see it earlier.
Iwhat Mojete sounds so yum. I’ve looked up recipes and I hope to make it soon. It is Summer here so it is the right season. When I was writing about the roasted veggies I remembered I have a recipe for ‘roasted ratatouille’ and I love it better that way than done in the saucepan.
I use beans and lentils from dry. They are so cheap, and I use a pressure cooker so cooking them is quick and easy. and they taste extra delicious ( in my opinion 😉). I have a feeling that your kidney beans might go hard in the chili because of acid (tomatoes etc) and salt. They might need to be added nearer the end (since they don’t need cooking) and then left to sit in the stew to soak in all the flavours. That’s the only thing I can think of.
I started a thread for bean and lentils in the recipe section of the forums, there are some lovely recipes there that other people added in too. Audrey, can I add your recipe there?
Also, if I haven’t bought passata, I use tinned diced tomatoes, and don’t even bother to blend them because a little bit of extra texture is usually fine.
You may be able to use bread as your special treat Itwhat, something to look to at the end of a good week perhaps?
Audrey yay for the fast! 🎉 Yay for no tranquillisers 🎈 Yay for losing weight 👑 And a big hello to your mum! 💐 Is her leg all healed now?
Forcandles, cheers! So often the other ways we measure our lives tell better stories that the scales!
Cinque
Go ahead and ‘re post the recipe I originally found it on line
Mums leg is not quite healed yet. She is in her eighties so it takes time to mend. We are off to the leg clinic on Tuesday….. should be different.
Will post later in week. Good luck everyone…
I usually struggle with diet at mums but am determined to lose this time…. wish me luck.
Audrey
Hi
I just started my 1st fast today. I know this is going to be a slow (and long) road due to being 55 and perimenopausal.
My sister who is 50 started this WOE last December and is doing well but slowly (she is menopausal). Both of us had been gaining weight for the last couple of years and tried everything with no luck.
I am reading The Fast Diet again and one of the things they point out is the “type” of foods you eat on a fast day. You want a decent amount of protein and make your carbs low GI & GL.
It also appears that the longer you go without food the more benefits. I decided to eat dinner at about 7pm the night before the fast day and then have my 1st meal at lunch and second at dinner. That way I will be totally fasting from food for at least 17 hours.
I had 2 poached eggs and 4 cups of cooked spinach for lunch and I’m having 4oz of halibut, 14 spears of asparagus and 1Tbs grass fed butter for dinner.
On the non fast days a lower GI diet would help too because for one thing you won’t gain water weight back each time.
You can tell I’m detail oriented huh??
Hi Katie and welcome
You will soon get into this way of life. You sound as if you are motivated and ready to start….
You will eventually find your own way to fast which works for you. I go from my evening meal to my next evening meal 24 hrs with just liquids. I have also been known to do from evening meal to breakfast 2 days later 36 hrs occasionally. ..
Good luck on your journey keep in touch it helps….
Audrey
Coo, grass fed butter, dream food.
Cinque I followed your advice, thank you, and put the beans in last and woopee they’ve stayed soft. Yay, there’s a first. Now to freeze it before I eat all of it and 1k of meat makes a lot of chilli! I used tomatoe frito which is pureed tomatoe so reckon that’s the same as passata.
I’ll have a look at the bean recipes.
Must look up GI diet, but what is GL?
I keep telling myself it took a year + to put this weight on so it won’t come off in one week. X
I’m so glad the beans stayed soft Itwhat! Will you freeze lots of portions? Could you just pop one through to me 😉 It would be just lovely – day after fast day tomorrow! Ooh the lovely things I can eat!
Hi Katie, welcome! 💐
Congrats on your first day! I am fasting today too!
It is evening here in Sydney and I have been having cuppas all day, including a mug of miso soup. Now I will get my veggie soup. Yummy yummy.
I think GL is Glycaemic Load, so all tied in together.
Itwhat I watched a gorgeous series today called ‘Cooked’ with Michael Pollan. We watched all four episodes, and I thought of you especially during the beautiful one on bread, it’s history and how we are not making it the traditional way any more. if bread became your special treat, what sort would you choose?
I make my own and like it so much better than shop bought.
Ooh must go make that soup! 🍲
Best wishes everyone!
Hi Katiej. I seem to have missed the bit about it being best to go longer without actually eating anything at all. I am spreading my 500 calories through the day, although very little after lunch, which is my main meal, so I guess that gives a decent period. I have to have something in the morning because I have meds that cannot be taken on an empty stomach, so just concentrating in the period from getting up to lunch (1 pm).. All that I have after that is a cup of miso soup mid afternoon and soup at night (stock pot with about 100g of thinly sliced veg). It seems to be working as now a total of 9lb in 5 weeks, obviously the initial faster weight loss was going to slow down but 1lb a week is fine.
Dear all
I can see (read) lots of new faces and posts and recipes of course. Audrey, it is good to know that your back is getting better slowly. Patty, hope your son is better and hi Cinque hope you are well.
Itwhat, Katie, restore hope, forcandles, yard and precious booboo good to see you all.
Again had a mad weekend with guests over the weekend. I am glad I ma keeping my weight stable. I am doing lots of walking because I am quite aware of my activity (jaw bone ia good for that). The days had been absolutely gorgeous here and it always helps.
I am a great fan of beef chilli and I also make it with lots of veggies. Last week I made a sloppy joe and that was a hit with my guests. But I am definitely going to try roast veggies.
I am off to India this friday to see my mum and mother in law. It is a week long trip only. But Things can go to pots during that time because both of them think I am not eating anything. Bless them.
Keep up the good work ladies. Speak to you all.. Beena
Hi Yardy, I’ve read that it doesn’t matter how you spread out your fast day calories for 5:2 to work. The main thing is to make it sustainable. But Katie might have been talking about making it a good 36 hours from the evening meal the night before fast day, to breakfast the day after.
Isn’t it great the way you can make it work to fit the requirements of life and situation.
Hi Beena, you are so busy! So glad you could pop in for a catch up. I hope you have a lovely trip! Say hello to my friend Neetu if you see her 😉 She is also in India visiting her mum ( so you are sure to run into each other!!!) congratulations on your stable weight, exercise and gorgeous days!
I fasted yesterday and so I’m enjoying the luxury of normal eating today! We are going to make roasted veggies today, and I am going to cook lamb shanks long and slow.
Best wishes for your day, night or evening, depending on where you are! And when you read this…
🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸
Well, I had some of the chilli con carne last night, with broccoli. Ate so much broccoli felt sick.. E bigger than B! However have lost another lb, so breakfast yesterday didn’t sabotage my progress as honestly thought it would. I only had a small bit of bread, sausages and a bit of pork, All cooked over the fire so not fatty.
Cinque, making your own bread, you are clever, so tasty too. Not sure what my fav bread would be, I love baquette, but does depend on the baker rather, like it crusty without much middle.
Off to see friends midweek, just for the night. They eat heartily so will have to have small portions and move my fast day to the end of the week.
Loving this plan, so flexible and not finding it difficult. Certainly concentrates my mind when I have eating days to control my portions and be aware of what I’m eating.
Fast day today and will keep busy with class and exercising horses and doggies. X
Morning all
Greetings from a frozen Lancashire….
I got to mums safely. Had a big roast dinner yesterday but today I am doing a fast day.
Brought some fish with me because mum loves fish so we are having that for our evening meal and brought my kitchen scales do i can show her how many potatoes are in 150g….
Have a lovely day everyone will be in touch again later in week. We are out for a meal on Wednesday evening so will be good up to them.
Enjoy you week fasts and non fasts whatever we do lets try our best not to fail…
Audrey
Good morning, afternoon, and evening to you all. It’s 5:22 a.m. here. Getting ready for the day. It’s a fast day for me. I’m looking forward to it as usual.
Cinque, I love homemade bread. My dad always made bread when we kids were growing up. We could smell it from a block away as we walked home from school. I used to make it when my kids were little but somehow got out of the habit. I should get back into it. I looked up the Michael Pollan video that you mentioned and I’ll try to watch it later today if I can. Not only has our way of cooking changed but so have the ingredients we use. There is some flour made with ancient grains that I’m thinking about trying.
It’s good to hear from all of you. I love hearing all the stories about what’s working and especially love all the great recipe ideas. There’s a chili cook-off coming up so I’ll be trying out some new tastes at that. I could make a batch and enter the contest but not sure I’ll do that. I make a hot pepper jelly with jalapenos and sometimes add that to the pot of chili. Very tasty. I’ve had chili with chocolate as an ingredient as well. Such variety.
Still nothing new to report from my son. He’s been feeling better lately but still not up to par. Will let you know when he finds out test results.
I can hear the wind blowing outside, sounds like it’s trying to blow the house right off the foundation! But I’m venturing out anyway, to go to the gym. Have a great day all!
Patty
Hello everyone, the days are going so quick here. I have been too exhausted to write and then too busy. Just unwinding after another big day, I’ll write and then hopefully sleep.
I’ve got bread rising overnight Itwhat. My daughter ( who demanded shop bought sliced bread when she was a school kid) loves it, and my son in law too, so it is a treat to make it for them.
I love what you say about 5:2, exactly right. I love how easily and naturally it is putting my non fast days to rights as well.
Audrey I am glad you got to your mums safely. Tell her my good wishes are coming to her from Sydney this time instead of Melbourne!
It sounds like you have worked out ways of making fasting work at your mums, has it been successful? I hope so.
Patty I hope you had a great fast day.
How cool that your dad made bread for you, and that you made it too. I have a friend that grinds her own grain. She is Italian and very poetic in her way of choosing grains to add, like barley and millet. Her bread making is seeped in tradition.
Your chili sounds fantastic!
Did you manage to watch that video?
One thing I am trying to do since 5:2 means I am eating so much less, is to not take shortcuts. If I want pasta, make my own. If I want pastry, make my own. It means I will have them much less, but enjoy them much more.
I hope the wind has died down. And I hope news comes soon for your son, and that it is good news.
Time to sleep, best wishes all ✨🌙🌟💫
Oh, terrible fasting this week. Yesterday was my scheduled fast day but I ran into an old friend I hadn’t seen in a while and we ended up going out to have a bite and a beer. Sat and chatted for a couple of hours and had more than 1 beer. And something to eat. So I decided to fast today. A bunch of workmates who are also retired got together for breakfast and of course I joined them. Afterwards I met my daughter for coffee and ended up having soup. It was homemade carrot/pumpkin/ginger (vegan) so it was at least a nutritious soup. All in all I had less than 700 calories today, which is good, but still it wasn’t fasting. So I’ll try again tomorrow…..even though I’m invited to a birthday celebration in the afternoon. Fortunately it’s chocolate cake and I don’t eat chocolate (gives me a headache). How do you ladies work fasting in when social events come up? I love socializing. Just wish it wasn’t always involving food.
Cinque, I started the video but haven’t finished it yet. I have read one of his books years ago, The Botany of Desire. Very interesting read.
Have a good night all. Patty 🙂
Ooh I will look for his books now I think!
Re socialising, I just do the social bit without the food. To tell the truth I find it easier. I just sit back and chat with a drink of water or a coffee, and skip the eating bit.
Good luck with tomorrow’s fast, but to tell the truth, my first couple of months of fast days were closer to 700 than 500 because I would work out 500 cals of food and then found I needed my cuppas (with milk) as well.
But I had watched the documentary “what’s the right diet for you” and their version of 5:2 was 800 calories on fast days, and it still worked. And sure enough, mine worked too. Now I am more like 350 on fast days, and nearly half of that is the milk in my cuppas.
This evening some friends invited us over for birthday cake and ice cream! Such temptations! We did go, but I was strong and resisted! 🙂 The hostess kept offering goodies, cake (“Just a little piece? Are you sure?”), ice cream, chips, coffee, hot dog, etc. It’s almost as if it’s a rule that you have to have SOMETHING to eat or drink in a social setting. It’s so ingrained in our thinking and in our culture. I did have a cup of decaf coffee so that made her happy. And we all had a great time, visiting and talking. Mostly talking about diets and food. I told them about Michael Pollan’s books and videos. Seems everyone is concerned about healthy eating these days. We also talked about politics since this is an election year here in the USA. Not normally a fun topic but we made jokes and had some laughs about things.
Anyhoo, I’ve socialized without eating and lived to tell about it. 😛 So it’s all good. Off to bed. Patty
Hi Patty, congrats! It sounds like a fun time and well managed!
We are very aware of the upcoming US election here and have our hearts in our mouths in case Trump gets elected. Apologies if he is your favourite, but he does make us quake.
I’m just having a cup of tea before we start packing boxes in the study.
I hope you have a lovely sleep and a great day tomorrow.
Ok, so I just HAVE to join this thread. I started reading the posts from 2013, and thought I should read everything up to today, but this group of ladies, you are my mates! I just can’t wait any longer 🙂
I am partway through my weightloss journey, having lost 50+ lbs, and still with 20-25 to go, but the support you LOACA’s give each other, I just couldn’t wait another minute. I am 55 yo, and happy to receive all the suggestions and support anyone can give me to get me to my goal.
Good morning,
Ah freshly baked bread, Cinque, here I am at 06.00am drooling over hot bread, yums.
Green tea and a banana to keep me going, have a 4hr train journey later but bit to do beforehand. Shower, feed doggies, chase cat out of house otherwise she’ll a) be stuck in the house b) she triggers the alarm! change the horses over on my way -old lady into her stable, turn the pony out. Rucksack packed, not one for hauling luggage about, pr knicks & toothbrush about it.
Not very good yesterday as out for lunch but did manage not to eat 2nd potatoe, although had a couple of choccies. Still, not too much damage done hopefully. Will fast on Friday when I’m back home.
Gosh Lucylaw that’s loads of weight, how wonderful, not much to go. Must be a fabulous feeling.
Bit dark here but can see the stars so will be beautiful day. X
Have a lovely day everyone. X
Morning ladies, we have snow here this morning!
Lucy welcome to our little thread, make yourself a cup of whatever you want and settle down to join us. Although we are around the globe it sometimes feels like we are sat at a kitchen table chatting like old chums…..well done on a fantastic weight loss. .
I am weighing and measuring everything whilst at mums but tonight we have a meal out as long as we don’t get snowed in. It is a carvery so luckily I can put what I once on my plate so am going to fast all day, then choose lean meat, and hope to avoid too many roast potatoes ….but then there are the puddings 😈😈😈
Patty, don’t worry too much about trying to keep fasting to catch up, give yourself a day when you don’t have commitments then do one then, life is short and for living, 52 will still be here when you have finished your social whirl…
Itwhat, you are doing fine, glad you too are making good choices, life will be easier when you are home again. ..
Cinque, mum says can you send us some bread please, I read all your posts to her whilst I am here and I swear I saw her dribbling at the thought of home made bread!
Katie, restore and Beena, love to you all, glad you are still with us, keep in touch…
Well as this is turning into a book I will end my post now, good luck to all of my loca friends, have a great day or a good night, I will post tomorrow after the meal out or snow day…..
Audrey
Cheers for your quiet first fast day Restorehope I hope it is going well. Best wishes 🌺🍃🌺🍃🌺
Welcome here Lucy, What a great journey you have been on! Are those 50+ disappeared pounds thanks to 5:2? You are more than two thirds of the way there, although the last pounds are said to be the stubborn ones. I am on those last 10 kg, approximately equal to your 20+ lbs and I am so glad to be stepping towards my goal that I am happy to let it happen in its own time, which seems to be about half a kg a month ( I’m a bit vague as I am not marking by standing on the scales).
What a fascinating day you are having Itwhat! I hope your journey is a good one! I’m sure those two chocolates were very good for you! We all need treats now and then!
It is evening here and we are eating delicious Thai chicken curry my daughter made. Yum. Fast day tomorrow!
🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈
Good morning all. There’s an atrocious wind blowing out there again! We might get some snow according to the forecast but I don’t think so.
Audrey, you’re sounding good and cheery. I take it your back is healing and feeling better? I’m glad you have time to spend with your mum. Enjoy your dinner out.
Today should be an easy fast day. I have a dentist appointment mid-morning so I won’t be eating before that.
Welcome to this thread Lucy. Good to have you. This is indeed a great bunch of ladies.
Cinque, I finally finished the Michael Pollan video. Not sure if it’s the same one you watched but it was fascinating. I love the way he talks, so relaxed and knowledgeable. I’m going to buy his book Cooked. And maybe Omnivore’s Dilemma. I’m not surprised to read that Trump makes you quake. He does worse than that to many of us here. Very frightening really.
Enough of that. Off to the gym. Then the dentist 😁
Patty
A quick note as it is late and I must get to bed. Just saw your posts Audrey, It wasn’t there when I wrote!
I’m trying to push some bread through the monitor, but it isn’t working!!! 😩🍞
It is a lovely malty loaf, I want to share! Chewy crust!
Hooray, hooray hooray for your back! I hope it gets more pain free still!
And yay for your fasting.
Enjoy the snow!
Patty I find a sustained howling wind so exhausting! I hope you get nice breaks between!
The video series I saw was called Cooked. Fire, water, air and earth!
Good luck at the dentist. I went a week or so ago and found my back tooth had cracked. ☹️
It would break if she tried to do anything. We are hoping it will last a while if I am very careful.
Must get to bed. Good night!🌛
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1:27 pm
24 Feb 16