HELP! All ladies of a 'certain age'-please respond

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audreyg

7:14 am
25 Mar 16
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Good Friday morning here and it’s a lovely day….

I am on a fast day today, think I may go for liquid only as I am not going to be able to do a 2nd on Sunday. …

I have just celebrated my 1st anniversary of fasting and hoping to get to a healthy bmi this year….. I have had ups and downs on my journey and went way of track at one stage but that’s the beauty of this WOL you can just come back and start again…. no one judges you here we simply support each other it’s brilliant. ….

Anyway off to clean up now before ian gets home from his night work, have a great day everybody

Audrey

Cinque

9:27 am
25 Mar 16
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Irenc, what a funny first fast day you had! I think you can count it as a fast day.
That carrot cake offer was a tricky one. Maybe next time you could take a piece of carrot cake to enjoy the next day?

Audrey, happy anniversary! 🎉🎈🌟🎈🎉
It is all a learning process, isn’t it. I bet you could make your healthy bmi this year! It will feel so good!

Rachel isn’t it interesting how different people put weight on in different places. What a great milestone that will be. It will be exciting to feel your ring becoming looser, and then so lovely when it can come off.

Caroline64

11:49 am
25 Mar 16
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Hi all, interesting reading your posts – it reinforces the old premise that we are all different! Medicine/science must deal with averages and trends so one must always take these generalisations with a large pinch of salt. In fact all this calorie counting and recording (I use an excel spreadsheet) has been a real eyeopener. I never needed to do this before but I have now been doing this for 80 days and feel that I have a pretty good knowledge of how I ‘work’! So persevere and collect data – ‘know thyself’. Also at 52 and confined to bed on oxygen 22/7 (severe head injuries 1989) I have the time. Exercise is my problem.
From being 7st 10 until my first baby aged 26 I reached 11st at Christmas and decided that enough was enough! Also my mother died a few years ago of a heart attack and her weight on her post mortem report for the coroner was 80kg which I know would really have upset her.
I have slowly but steadily lost 6kg in 80 days. I suspect that rapid weight loss ought not to be the focus but rather reform of one’s eating habits – a year of weight loss and then a maintenance regime for the rest of one’s life. I have made a decision. However that does not mean that I am OCD about it – I do not worry about lapses and variations – the rolling averages calculated by my spreadsheet tell the important story. Yes I went up to 1500 kcal on my son’s 21st but three days of 500-600 kcal Fasting put that right. It is not about punishing oneself but rather I see it as being kind and considerate to one’s brain (the part that runs the ship not the conscious part). Indeed if one doesn’t ‘play ball’ with this part of oneself it is hardly surprising if it gives up at some point…
Something else which has occurred to me is that perhaps we females have evolved to need very few calories after children/menopause. Obviously children and males are priorities for energy food in survival terms. I started on the recommended 1200 calorie daily limit but after 35 days lowered this to 1000kcal and from day 55 to 800 kcal. Always Fast days are c500 kcal. I take multivitamins. But I am almost totally inactive – though I do now do the exercises advocated in trust Me I’m a Doctor!
Hope this has helped some of you and thanks for sharing your perspectives.

audreyg

11:58 am
25 Mar 16
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Hi Caroline nice to hear anothet perspective on 52 wol. .. I am glad 52 seems to be working for you too…

As you say it isn’t a quick fix diet but more of a gradual change in the way we look and deal with food. ..I also think you may be right about menopausal women needing less calories certainly worth thinking about as I too didn’t put weight on until I hit the menopause. ..

Please keep in touch welcome to our corner of the forum. ..

Audrey

K- Lo

12:45 pm
25 Mar 16
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Down half a pound again today. I think I may be eating too little on Non FD days. My jeans are really comfortable today, and I am not coming out of my bras!!! My sister, who turns 63 on Tuesday, has dropped 4-5 pounds and feels so much better knowing she CAN lose weight at her “advanced” age.

Today is my husband’s 63rd and we will be dining out. I’m going to keep it light during the day.

As I’ve noted before, when I get really hungry, I think Wow, I’m hungry…and then turn to something else.

audreyg

12:50 pm
25 Mar 16
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Well done K-Lo half a pound is better than a gain.

When I stopped losing last year I decided that I wasn’t eating enough too and sure enough when I upped my calories on my non fast days I lost more weight, strange but true. …now I always eat between 1200 and 1400 kcals and I seem to be losing again steadily. … perhaps give it a try?

Audrey

K- Lo

12:58 pm
25 Mar 16
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Audreyg, I think you misunderstood me. The weight seems to be coming off FASTER than I expected. I’m thrilled!

I started on March 9 and I’ve gone from 129.4 to 125.9 lbs. I’m shooting for 118-120, and 121 by April 20.

audreyg

1:04 pm
25 Mar 16
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Sorry K-Lo

Didn’t read your post properly. … well done you, put my error down to the fact it’s my 1st liquid only day for months so I am obviously not with it…just thinking of all the food I can eat tomorrow HeheHe

Audrey

K- Lo

1:10 pm
25 Mar 16
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No worries…but yes, my actual worry is that it will come back that fast!

SukeyA

2:05 pm
25 Mar 16
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Hi Everyone. Caroline64 I found your perspective on menopause and weight gain very interesting. I recently read an article that said women who are menopausal should not drink cows milk. The article said that it was the hormones in cows milk that made older ladies put on weight around the bust area?. I have found, this is one of the most difficult areas for me to loose weight, so I am now drinking Almond and Soya milk to see if it makes a difference! I will keep you posted. Just thought I’d share 🙂

Best Wishes to all

SukeyA x

Cinque

10:17 pm
25 Mar 16
Permalink

Good morning, what a lot of great people doing wonderful posts, and getting my brain moving early in the day.
Caroline I love how you have approached it all, and I love your insights. So glad you are having such great results.

You too K-Lo! That research showing that those of us who got pretty fat actually made new fat cells, that are just waiting to be filled up with fat again as soon as they get the chance. But luckily 5:2 is sustainable long term and we just need to work out our maintenance.
The best part for me also, is that I can look forward to fast days, love the way they reorganise my brain, enjoy that hunger is rarely a ravening beast now, love how easy it makes eating and life.

I felt so lithe when I woke up, that I have decided to have a go at 5:2 one week, and 6:1 the next and see how that goes. I feel like my body just needs to re pattern the last bits and that might take some time, but I don’t really need to be skinnier.

The argument that we need less calories after menopause rings true for me, and since I have my granddaughter with me, I can see that a milennia of post menopausal women would have been on grandma duty and WOULDN’T HAVE ANY TIME TO EAT!!!! Any one who needed more calories would have died out!

Sukey, thanks to 5:2 I am losing fat on my bust as well as everywhere else, while still having milk in my cuppas and in anything else I want. I think we all have areas where the fat hangs on. For some it is the belly, for others it is the thighs, it might be the bust, or the upper arms, or even the fingers and toes. But wouldn’t it be nice if cutting out dairy made it happen quicker for you.

Must go. The others have gone out, so I am making as much of my me time as I can! 🙂

Cecile

7:07 am
26 Mar 16
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Hello SukeyA,

I was startled to look on the internet and discover several articles advising young women looking to increase their bust to do it via cow’s milk… good grief.

As a post-menopausal woman, what I do know is my gynecologist in France first advised me to drink soy milk which naturally has estrogen-like elements to try allaying the hot flashes with food before resorting to HRT. For a while, it did seem to help, but then I read bad news about soy milk, my hot flashes worsened, and I ended up on HRT anyway. Anyone out there been on HRT and come off it? Does it affect your weight?

Meanwhile, this fast day has crashed and burned with the sight of a new pecan pastry at the coffee shop which I bought and scarffed down before I could think. Anyone else dealing with sugar additions?

Sigh.

audreyg

9:07 am
26 Mar 16
Permalink

Good morning

Cecile, I too struggle with sugar, had a great fast day yesterday, then in the evening opened the fridge to get a drink out spotted the chocolate and dear oh dear end of fast day again.

I am trying again today…. I have been on hrt and come off i am bigger now but I think us women do tend to put weight on once we are through the menopause anyway…. I honestly think I couldn’t have coped without my hrt….

Have a great day everyone I am slow cooking my beef today ready for the girls lunch tomorrow so I am on roast beef, and vegetables today for my evening meal, hopefully with no chocolate for pudding. …..

Audrey

Cecile

10:17 am
26 Mar 16
Permalink

Hi Ladies,

Audrey, chocolate is my downfall. But I am proud, I just had a box of cakes I bought for my drawing students to eat at coffee break, and I asked the teenager to take them home.

I have just done a little more research, and found the following article on HRT and weight gain – http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Losing_Weight_on_HRT.

In short, we menopausal and post-menopausal ladies are short on estrogen, and starting to have metabolisms more like…men. Hence the new gain of fat on the stomach (like men), overall fat (like men) and visceral fat (like men); there is also the decrease in lean muscle and our metabolisms slowing down overall from aging, plus the fact that we all get a bit more sedentary with age.

How feminine I feel… 🙁

Last, it would seem HRT, contrary to what Dr Atkins claimed, limits the weight gain damage because the estrogen is replaced.

At this stage, I have read so many differing opinions on just about anything to do with diet and weight that I throw up my hands and will have an apple for lunch and go to the gym. The danish was about two-thirds of my calories for my fast day, so I’m chagrined to have wasted them on a danish, but will soldier on.

Stepping out

5:51 pm
26 Mar 16
Permalink

Hi all

Back from my week away in the van and I am the same weight as I was the day I left. I had weighed myself Friday morning just before we left and I had dropped a pound so I am now 8stone 13 one more pound to loose and I will have lost a stone since starting 5.2. 🙃

Cinque
I now know what my biggest trigger is when It comes to overeating when away in the van, he’s called Norman and I can’t leave him at home as he’s my hubby. I lost count of the times I said ” no thanks I don’t want one” and on seeing his dejected face then said “just because I don’t want one doesn’t mean you can’t have one”. 😬

audreyg

6:00 pm
26 Mar 16
Permalink

Hi stepping out welcome back…..

Well done no weight gain I have a similar problem called ian he insists on buying every chocolate known to man and putting them right at the side of us in the caravan. …

Here’s hoping the 1st stone is this week….

I am pleased to say I have had a much better day today diet wise. ..

Audrey

Stepping out

6:14 pm
26 Mar 16
Permalink

Hi Audrey, I said no to hot cross buns, cheese scones, ring doughnuts and cream cakes, I didn’t have to say no to biscuits as he already had too many treats to eat otherwise I would have been saying no to Bourbon biscuits and short cake. His main chocolate fix is bornville and he likes it too much to offer to share it. 😆

Cinque

11:41 pm
26 Mar 16
Permalink

Hi everyone,

Cecile, I cut out high and medium sugar foods, including fruit, 6 years ago. After a couple of days I had no more of those intolerable cravings, so I still eat that way. It IS like an sugar addiction. I have read about sugar loving microbes that can grow in our gut after antibiotic use, or a too limited variety of food: aka the western diet. I imagine them screaming “FEED ME, FEED ME!” to my brain.
I think it is exacerbated in me because my chronic illness causes me to be sedentary. When I have better health days, and after this long time of a sugar free diet, I can have a little bit of sweet without it setting off those intolerable cravings. But not much. Luckily a Fast Day helps if I have overdone it (often by accident eg the sweet sauces on the meal at the Vietnamese restaurant).

It is probably the best thing about being single: not to have a Norman, or an Ian, who wants to eat sweet things with me! I think I would have to wrap up almonds in lolly papers so I could have that companionable time!

So here it is, the annual Chocolate Festival in honour of the Aztec god Quetzecoatl, and chocolate has always been my favourite (what Easter???? Christian???? Bunnies???).

Might as well fast!

Actually there is a lovely recipe I have for an Easter tart from Naples that is cooked wheat baked in ricotta. It is not very sweet and so delicious. One Easter, when I feel I can handle a little sweetness, I will make it again. And there is also a Lebanese recipe I love called ‘Monk’s Soup” that is very savoury: with little burghul dumplings in a lentil soup, and I just found out it is traditionally eaten on Good Friday. If I had a bit more time and energy I would make a very special Easter with really good foods.

Anyway, this Easter has nearly over and I just need to concentrate on not letting my health get any worse, so a fast day today is just the thing.

Best wishes for your day!!!!

PS That is a great article Cecile, I will put the link up on the science articles thread.

audreyg

6:59 am
27 Mar 16
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Morning all

I have been on the scales and I have lost 1lb…. only another .5 of a pound to go then I am I to the 10 stones and no longer 11 stone anything….

I actually managed 10,000 steps on my treadmil yesterday it took me 90 mins but I got there I have been building up to it for weeks…..

I am getting myself ready for the girls arriving the beef has already been cooked in the slow cooker so hopefully not too much more to do today except prepare the veggies. …

Hope you all have a great day

Audrey

Cinque

9:24 am
27 Mar 16
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Yay Audrey, great news! That .5 will be gone in no time! And congrats on that 10,000 steps. I had thought it must have set off your last back spasm so you hadn’t been doing it any more!

audreyg

9:29 am
27 Mar 16
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Hi cinque

I think that as I have walked with a stick for years my spine has twisted and the muscle spasms were because I was swinging my arms whilst I was walking instead of holding my stick…. I am trying to walk with my shoulders and arms lose now and it seems to help. .

I have to say though I am mighty achey today hehe….

Audrey

Cinque

10:06 am
27 Mar 16
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That makes sense! Hooray that you worked it out!
And I forgot to say YUM re the slow cooked beef! What a comfort meal.

I hope the aches soon go away! Big hot bath?

audreyg

10:15 am
27 Mar 16
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Cinque slow cooked beef so easy to make. ..

Simply chop up 2 carrotts into chunks an onion into quarter put into bottom of slow cooker. Seal beef in bit of olive oil rub with salt n pepper put on top of vegetables then add half pint of beef stock. .. cook on slow 6 hrs…

Got to go kids here now. …

Audrey

irenc

3:51 pm
27 Mar 16
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You must have better will power than me. I struggle on a fast day. I ate only 1 boiled egg today as i was keeping my calories for a meal out tonight. Felt starved by 4pm and had a banana. Wish i could do a proper fast day. Will start on my home made soup tomorrow. I have 16lb to loose. I lost 16 with weight watchers last year . They worked for me but the class is 20miles away . Just cant be botrhered.

K- Lo

4:10 pm
27 Mar 16
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irenc, you just do the best you can. You’ll get there.

Stepping out

8:14 pm
27 Mar 16
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Audrey
I’m not surprised your achey 10.000 steps in 90 minutes is some going, we walk the dogs for 45 mins every day which takes care of 6000 ( I have a step counter that I keep on me at all times) and I still manage to fall short of 10000 at the end of the day sometimes.

Irenc
I think we all struggle to some degree when we start 5.2. I only have 300 calories to play with on fast days so initially saved my calories up for one evening meal but I found that eating on a fast day wakes my apitite up and I would be really hungry for the rest of the evening so now I don’t eat at all on my fast days not eating/water fasting doesn’t suit everyone but it does suit me. We are all different and it make take a while for you to work out what eating pattern/food works best for you.

Shirley

audreyg

8:22 pm
27 Mar 16
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It’s 9 30 Here and I am in bed shattered.

Both girls finally asleep…. they are staying overnight….

I am off to sleep too no doubt early start tomorrow but their mum is coming for them in the morning…

The beef dinner went down a treat. As did the beans on toast later plus the chocolate puddings and jelly!

Night everyone from a very worn out Audrey who has managed over 10,000 steps today trying to keep up with children hehe..

Cinque

9:20 pm
27 Mar 16
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Hi Audrey, from one exhausted grandma to another!
It sounds like the girls had a wonderful day with you.
What a lovely simple beef recipe.

I’m having lovely day-after-fast-day breakfast.

Irenc, don’t beat yourself up. Did the banana mean you went way over the 500 calories? But was it still a light eating day compared to a normal day? If so, call it a success. If not, you’ve got another try coming up in a few days.
it’s just like K-Lo says.

I have found it to be a journey: towards being able to fast more effectively, and to be able to eat more ‘normally’ on non fast days. Every fast day we learn more about what our triggers are, what our eating style needs to be, how to cope with the challenges etc.

It’s just like Shirley says too!

If we can skip being too hard on ourselves, it is learn, learn, learn. A grand adventure. (Hard for us women – and men – who are used to judging ourselves harshly, but such a treat once we get the hang of it).

audreyg

6:40 am
28 Mar 16
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Morning ladies,

Hi cinque, we are awake and up now, but not dressed, had a very restless night which resulted in 3 in a bed!

Ian will be home soon, it’s his last night in so I think we will probably have another early one tonight too….

Thank goodness they are not staying for the day, roll on 19 o clock….

I love my granddaughter’s but I am exhausted now hehe

Have a good non fast day, I am on a fast day here…

Audrey

Cinque

9:07 am
28 Mar 16
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Funny how that happens Audrey! I bet the girls loved it.
Are they home now, and are you snoozing in your armchair?
I hope you are having an excellent fast day!

It is the end of the day here. It has been a good one.

audreyg

9:52 am
28 Mar 16
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Hi Cinque

Girls gone to nans house now…..I am going to have a workout then settle down to a tv day bliss…

We are on cold beef and vegetables tonight so not much cooking to do….

Glad you have had a good day. I am hoping to lose some of that 1.5 lb today…wish me luck.

Keep in touch everyone together we are stronger….

Audrey

Skin

10:05 am
28 Mar 16
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Hi Speedy, Interested in the lack of antacids required by you in such a short time.
Although I am primarily doing this to support my husband to avoid knee replacements, I also want to reduce my GORD symptoms.
Also taking Apple Cider Vinegar to alkalise the body and only drink fresh coffee for the antioxidants etc.

irenc

11:09 am
28 Mar 16
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Still tyring to do a proper fast day but on the whole its been ok. Once the brain accepts that i am not hungry i tell myself that this will work. Is that a rumble ? Stomach is letting me know.

On Friday i am at Centre Parks plus 2 grand children. They will keep me busy and active.

Its mid day and i have not eaten at all. Just off for a chicken breast. No bread will be eaten.

audreyg

11:15 am
28 Mar 16
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Irenc

You will get there don’t worry, just keep telling yourself that you can eat tomorrow. … it took me a few failed attempts before I managed my 1st fast day….

Enjoy yourself on Friday. If they are anything like my grandchildren you will burn some calories…..

Audrey

TKtheDJ

12:53 pm
28 Mar 16
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Hello LOACA, I am new here and also one of those LOACA! I have had a terrible time over the last decade just trying to maintain my weight, and now, within the last 5 years, I have really packed it on. I was a marathon runner during my late 30s/40s and continued running into my early 50s but even that did nothing to combat the impending weight gain. My Dr. suggested HRT, even wrote the scripts and I even had them filled, but never had the gumption to actually go that route. Instead, I did some research and decided to treat my symptoms with phytoestrogen foods. This has helped immensely with my menopausal symtoms, as well as a regular regime of synthetic DHEA 50mg every other day (great for a waning libido as well) but nothing has seemed to scare the weight away. I eat little to nothing most days,but do enjoy a glass or two of wine at the end of my day and have stopped all exercise because my work schedule has changed dramatically. I am now vowing to do something to get the weight off, get my body back into shape and start looking and feeling more like myself again. I’m hoping this fast 5:2 will be the answer. I feel confident I can do this. I’m giving up my wine for the summer in hopes that too will help spur some success. I’ve been reading the posts here and absolutely LOVE the sense of community and camaraderie among you all! You encourage and lift each other up in such a positive, affirmative manner! Wish me luck! 🙂

audreyg

1:04 pm
28 Mar 16
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Hi TK and Welcome to our little side of the forum. .. you will soon get into the swing of things, work out your TDEE on the fast diet tracker at the top of the page, I use the weight I want to get to as my calories for my non fast days as I will eventually have to learn to eat this amount. .

I use my fitness pal for tracking my food I find it useful and I have learned over the past 12 months to eat up to my allowance 1200 – 1400 on non fast days, I seem to lose more weight this way than eating less! Strange but true.

If you need help or advice just shout, we are from all over the world but sometimes it feels like it’s one big coffee morning chatting with friends on here… Good luck keep in touch as I always say together we are stronger. ..

Audrey

TKtheDJ

1:08 pm
28 Mar 16
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Great to know! Thank you Audrey, I will do just that. Any other helpful advice you can offer I am open to! Thanks again! I look forward to this journey with you ladies!

audreyg

1:15 pm
28 Mar 16
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I always think the tdee on here is rather high that’s why I use my target weight, check out some of the recipe ideas too although to be honest I just more or less eat what I fancy within my kcal allowance. ..

We had lasagne last week….. on a diet! It was my whole days allowance but well worth it, I can go all day without eating now and just have the one meal in the evening I have even been known to do a liquid only day. … I am one if those people who once I start to eat find it near on impossible to stop so now I save my food allowance or don’t eat at all…. we each have our own way of doing 52 you will find your own way, but as I said if you start to struggle or need advice just shout out!

Audrey

TKtheDJ

1:37 pm
28 Mar 16
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Yes, I am the same! I’m great at abstaining…until I’m not abstaining, then all my behavior modification skills go right out the window! I will certainly check it all out, do my research, and take all the advice and suggestion I can get!

irenc

4:24 pm
28 Mar 16
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Not looking foreward to it.. Some holiday! But thet will remember it forever i hope.They do not see each other as my daughters do not keep in touch. So its Grannys treat. As you say active kids will keep my calories used .

K- Lo

5:11 pm
28 Mar 16
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Two cocktails last night! And all is well.

Today is a FD, and I forgot I had a two hour meeting over lunch, so my miso and mushrooms will wait another day. I parked myself right in front of a big plate of cookies. I did not restrain myself, I did not call on all my willpower. I was just NOT INTERESTED. No cookies at all.

When we broke for lunch, I took some salad with a scant teaspoon of dressing. BAM!

audreyg

5:15 pm
28 Mar 16
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Wow K-Lo

Well done to you a successful day indeed….I am well impressed. I have had a good fast day too, here’s hoping the scales are kind again this week

Audrey

irenc

5:57 pm
28 Mar 16
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I cant believe it , its been a struggle but i have lost 1.5lb in 4 days. Its steak and v eg tonight, no nibbling. 1 glass of wine, not good but i have 1 most nights.

audreyg

6:28 pm
28 Mar 16
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Irenc well done fabulous result…congratulations. ..

I have had a good fast day here done full workout, weigh in day with Ian tomorrow morning, am hoping to break through to the 10 stone anything mark and wave bye bye to elevens. …

Night all,

Together we are stronger

Audrey

irenc

8:33 pm
28 Mar 16
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I am 10 st 4 lbs. Cant wait to get below 10 for the first time in 15 years.

Cinque

9:40 pm
28 Mar 16
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Good morning lovely people!

Welcome TKtheDJ! Lovely to have you here!

Woot! K-Lo, didn’t need those cookies! Lovely salad!

Yay! Irenc! 5:2 doesn’t need us to be perfect. We just need to keep going.

Hi Audrey, Hi everyone else!

It is morning here, and I am planning on a very lovely, normal eating, non fast day!

Best wishes all!

audreyg

6:47 am
29 Mar 16
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Morning all,

I have been in the scales and. ….,big drum roll please then pause for effect……

Lost 2.2 lb that’s 1 kilo….. in total I have lost 10 lbs since Jan 12th….. I am VERY HAPPY…. under xmas weight again now…
I have still got at least 20 lbs more to go but that’s a third off……

Have a great day everybody. ….

Audrey

Stepping out

7:37 am
29 Mar 16
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Well done Audrey 😀

🍸🍾💐 🎉🎈

Shirley

audreyg

8:09 am
29 Mar 16
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Thanks Shirley

I am very happy because I put 4lb back on whilst my back was bad and ian was in charge of food!….

Let’s hope I can keep this going, I am feeling great at the moment. ..

Audrey

irenc

11:57 am
29 Mar 16
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Wonderful. Keep it up.