Interesting about your family, hermajtomomi. I picked a tall dark handsome man. I say that; I also thought he was rich, which he wasn’t, darn 😉

With my daughter, I was REALLY careful what I gave to her, food-wise. I researched everything I could find, had every baby cookery book out of the library, allowed her just enough treats so that they didn’t end up being forbidden and therefore *desired*, all very low-key & secretly monitered her weight so no hang-ups around scales were being fostered. I’m relieved to say at age 14, she is the low end of a normal weight, very healthy & sporty and doesn’t give a monkeys what she weighs. (THANK GOODNESS) I was severely criticised by my best friend of all people for giving Spriglet semi-skimmed milk from age 2, and now, it’s common practice.
I have no idea whether her healthy weight and right attitude will be maintained into adulthood but I can but try to give her the self-management tools she needs and support when she asks for it. She’s tried it on a couple of times: “I’m not hungry, I don’t want any dinner” Me: “That’s absolutely fine, see you at breakfast”, hard mother that I am, lol.
At least she doesn’t have to deal with the ‘fatty four-eyes’ cat calls of my youth!

Oh and Aud….don’t worry this wagon has VERY strong axles, it’s holding all of us
…so get on up here!!!

Hi Sylvestra,
Absolutely. I realise how much willpower it must have taken to use to lose 35lbs by conventional dieting, and that therefore your eyes are open about how weight is lost! That helps doesn’t it because you know how far you can allow yourself to stray. Hopefully a bit more on 5:2!

But as you say..anyone overdoing it by 500 or 1000 cals or more..my worst outburst was a whole Xmas pudding which was 1500 cals ( it wasn’t an enormous one) and 2 mince pies in an hour in front of the TV. That was 2000 cals…after all my other food.
Clearly if I had done that sort of thing 5 times a week I would have put on 3 -4 lbs a week despite the fasting. Quite easy to do if you don’t notice what you’re picking at.

I do hope you enjoy continuing on the 5:2. I had hit a plateau on SW that went on for 3 years! Such a relief to find that something ( the 5:2) does actually work and in addition is much easier to sustain.
I am no longer losing weight as I’m now happy where I am, so I just juggle the treats of life with the fast days to eat things I can’t on a ‘diet’ without putting all the weight back on. Which is great!

Happy Birthday Loretta!

I sympathise Loretta …my downfall was always cheese! We have a wonderful deli about 15 miles away with cheeses to die for and I’m sure their profits have gone down considerably in the last year as I am not visiting nearly as often and when I do, I am resisting the temptation of the cheese section. I wouldn’t really thank anyone for a box of chocolates but I can eat a very large piece of good cheese with no problems and not stop till it’s all gone.

I have to be strict with myself in the farm shop too – they have the artisan breads that are sooooooo good with the cheeses from the deli. A small purchase of both will be my gift to myself in a couple of weeks though!!!!

Hi I wasn’t sure where to post this, but as I am a woman of a certain age, maybe this is the spot. Got on the scale this morning and was down a half pound. This may not sound earth shattering but this is after only one fast day last week and celebrating Thanksgiving and eating out once this week! I ate absolutely everything last week! It was fun but I found myself looking forward to my 5/2 routine. Been at this since last April and I’m approaching goal weight YAY 🙂 I have had some plateau stretches but eventually things start moving again. Going to get the new fast exercise book as I’ve already experimented with hit but need more guidance, has anyone here got a good routine for hit?

Hi blue ocean I think not weighing til after New year’s is a great idea.Very cold here too, 5F. this morning.This cuts out my main exercise, walking our dog 🙁

Hi Lizy

How kind of you to think of us.

We had dreadful winds yesterday, and snow – the blizzard kind that comes in spasms. I did brave the elements with a walk (reported on Harmaj’s thread about patronising older people).

There were many roads blocked with trees, large trucks blown over, electrical lines brought down, all our island ferries were cancelled, all trains in Scotland were cancelled for a few hours and most of the airports were closed.

Thankfully where we are, in the foothills of the Grampian Mountains, we didn’t suffer the floods after the tidal surge that hit the east coast of England where many people have lost their homes.

The whole storm has passed now and tonight we have snow falling again. This time it’s the slow, silent kind of snow that stays around a while.

Never mind, we’re still here….and it’ll soon be spring!!!! 😀

Happy Holidays, everyone. I am interested to read that some of you are also not weighing all the time. I weighed weeks ago and decided that the next time will be after New Year’s. I am at the four month mark and don’t feel that I’ve changed much recently but I’m not letting that bother me and will keep going indefinitely. That’s the wonder of this plan, that from the start I thought of it as the way I live now. I don’t mind the fast days and sometimes even welcome them, as I did last week after too much food at Thanksgiving. I am about to visit a daughter for a week and have fasted on a 4/3 schedule this week so as to take this coming week off. I will do the same with Christmas. It feels so good to be down in weight, to be wearing clothes that now fit so much better and to generally feel better both physically and mentally. I no longer am carrying around that burden of feeling too heavy and not knowing what to do about it. And I love to read about everyone’s successes and enthusiasm. Congratulations all around!!!!

Hi Loretta

You’re right – sylvestra is related to trees. I do a fair bit of volunteer work with Woodland Trust, Scotland and my favourite tree, and Scotland’s National Tree is the Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) …ergo ‘sylvestra’.

I spent some time in Australia in the 1970s and remember vividly being kept awake by grunting koalas, possums scrabbling on the roof, cicadas and little bright green frogs that kept going ‘bloop’ very loudly! 😀

I’ve just had a realisation! OK, I know it’s not original and I’m sure others have done this too – if not, then just think about it 😀

I went to peel some potatoes for dinner a little while ago and as I was lifting the bag out of the cupboard I noticed the weight on it – 2.5 kg. As I took it to the sink it occurred to me that at the beginning of 2013 I was walking around with the equivalent of EIGHT of these attached to my body!!!!

I can’t imagine trying to carry 8 bags of spuds around but I was doing just that.

Yes, sylvestra, I’ve done the same thing after struggling home from Sainsbury’s, on foot and by bus as I don’t drive, with several heavy bags. Frightening, isn’t it! And, I suppose, a salutary lesson.
Like you and BlueOcean I’m also an owl fan. Once upon a time we used to look out from our second-floor flat onto a big old tree which was a regular haunt for owls. I’m not sure whether they were residents or visitors. We heard them on many nights and sometimes by moonlight we could also see one of them silhouetted against the night sky. That was until the bloody council decided to chop the tree down, probably for some good reason but we were still miffed. We can only hope that they rehoused the homeless owls.
London has its many joys but enjoying wildlife isn’t one of them, although we do have some urban foxes, who saunter across the gardens and stroll along the street without a care in the world. I used to worry they might harm some of the many cats living around here, but someone who knows about these things reckoned she wouldn’t fancy any fox’s chances if it came to a punch-up with a moggy.

Thank goodness tomorrow is Monday!! It’s the first of my ‘two’ this week and oh boy, do I need it!

I have taken the ‘eat freely’ concept a step too far today. I don’t know why – it was just one of ‘those’ days when I kept eating. By about 5pm it got to the stage of ‘this day is really stuffed up so I might as well…….’ I’m sure you know the story. I’ve probably eaten well over 2500 cals 🙁

Ah well – it’ll all be better tomorrow. I’ll be right back on that wagon – give me a punt up someone please – and I’ll double my walking distance too.

And I’ll keep repeating my ‘battle cry’….FAST AND LOSE!!!!

Hi BlueOcean and Sylvestra

Join the club. Must have been a universal eating fest this weekend. You are probably both asleep right now but I have kicked off the week today with good intentions. So far, so good.

It is a busy time of the year and a bit harder to keep to routine. Best we forgive ourselves if we slip and start again. I was looking back over some diaries this morning and I am afraid that has been my mantra for longer than I care to remember. I am a very slow learner. Still they do say we should try, try and try again.

Hope it is not too cold for your walks.

Yesterday I was reading a short story by Alexander McCall Smith about his creation Precious Ramotswe, “Botswana’s leading, and only, female private detective”, frequently described, including by herself, as “a lady of traditional build”.

In this tale, prompted by a remark from her trusted assistant Mma Makutsi, she decides she ought to go on a diet. Which she does, depriving herself so much that she becomes extremely grumpy and constantly snaps at her adoring husband Mr J L B Matekoni. When he learns what his wife is doing he is most upset. He doesn’t want a slender woman, he would much rather have a nice plump lady of traditional build. So back she goes on the doughnuts. Maybe we should all migrate to sub-Saharan Africa where we might be appreciated and even admired for being “traditionally built”.

I love his books,hermaj,I think I’ve read them all. I hear they like them big in Tonga too!
Didn’t have such a bad day yesterday until I went to my friend’s house for a girlie night in. Of course we all stood in the kitchen nattering and helping ourselves to delicious ‘party’ food from well known supermarket chains. Managed to stay off the booze,though,as I was driving. (That’s always a good excuse)
Had a good day today,two exercise classes,cleaned the car,did my taxes,but REALLY looking forward to my tea!
Get back on it ladies!

I really enjoy Alexander McCall Smith’s books Hermaj.

Loretta – ‘traditionally built’ here is stick insect too, if you believe all the photos in magazines etc.

I have to say that it doesn’t seem to be the case when you look around a typical British street….so many obese people of all ages. And why do so many ‘large’ ladies think skin tight leggings and short tops is a good look?

Loretta – I think this “traditionally build” applies more in sub-Sharan Aftrica than anywhere else and I take your point about no photos from the 40s, 50s and 60s showing fat people, either in Australia or the USA. In the cosmopolitan area of London where I live, there are a lot of “traditionally built” African ladies around and I have to say a lot of them really carry their weight well, especially when they are glammed up in their traditional dress and headgear for some special occasion.

sylvestra, I couldn’t agree more about fat women wearing leggings and short tops thinking they look cool. Some large men aren’t much better either. The one good thing about it is that when I see one of them I can always feel a little bit smug that at least I don’t look like THAT, nor ever have, even at my heaviest. It’s not difficult, cover up the wobbly bits and show off your best bits. I also agree on the soup idea. It’s amazing how filling and modest in calories they can be. There are some great ideas on the BBC Good Food website. As soon as temperatures start to drop soup nearly always replaces the usual salad for lunch on fast days.

Hello Ladies,

I’m glad you pointed that out Loretta…when I see people who have more kilos on them I now understand that it is because they are insulin sensitive….and those that don’t, don’t have that issue or else control it by some means that has escaped me for many, many years…..I’ve learned from Dr. Jason Fung, I was born insulin sensitive and of course I was totally addicted to sugar as a child and that transitioned into eating bread/flour and not being able to stop. Now, with 5:2, I have a way of controlling my insulin, something that has never happened for me before. Thank goodness I have a way of taking off the extra weight that works and will work long-term–even if it is slow. My fast days make me feel good and I’m kinda finding them easier to do each week…. I’m 9 pounds away from my first big goal….

On my fast day yesterday I had soup cauliflower soup but I put too much pepper in it and my tummy didn’t like it one bit…I’ve got to be careful with the spice but it was delicious! Now, to be a bit more thoughtful this week with my food choices and quantities….!

Oh Gianna (savtoosh)….I did warn you on another post about the use of ‘elderly’ 😀 and now you’ve stirred up hermaj!!! 😀 😀 ‘Elderly’ is so often used to mean ‘half witted’; ‘doddery’; ‘over the hill’ – none of which describe any of my friends.

LOACA we don’t mind but please!!! I am 67 years old according to my birth certificate and bus pass but in my head I am only 21 (or 6 years old as my family sometimes tell me 😀 ) The LOACA on here are, in the large majority, of the same mind as I am.

I’m sure you meant no disrespect and that your intentions are very good but I, and others, would be obliged if a bit of thought was given before describing those of us who are no longer in the first bloom of youth.

Best wishes ….now I’m off to my hang gliding lesson then I have a couple of bungee jumps to do 😀 😀

Hi again all
Month 2 is not proving so easy…work stress, public sector job cuts pending, I won’t go on about that but one success- I wore a pair of trousers I bought 2 months ago in an optimistic ‘I intend to lose weight so I’ll get these in the sale’ frame of mind…I am looking forward to getting back into some clothes I have had to put aside in the last couple of years- how much cash will that save!
Anyone else working their way back through their wardrobe? or have you bought new to treat or reward yourselves?

Hi Dot …isn’t it great to get into smaller clothes? I have bought a couple of things in the charity shop to keep me going and I’m back to the ‘thinner’ end of the wardrobe.

I’m saving the new clothes shopping for when I get to my target. Hopefully in the spring of 2014 I’ll be hitting the shops.

Hope the next months get easier for you.

Me too. Old bat is better any time. Way back when I used to post on the now sadly defunct Woman’s Hour message board I and several other mature posters – mere striplings in the mid-60s – decided that we should found an unofficial Old Bat’s Club. We received many applications from younger posters to join as probationary/junior Old Bats because we seemed to talk such sense and have so much fun.

Good news about moving to the thinner end of the charity shop wardrobe.

Good day, ladies.

First I just want to apologize if I offended you. @hermajtomomi, I’m not trying to patronize “older people”, as you say. I was raised by my grandparents and they’d be turning in their graves if they think I am.

@sylvestra, yes, you did warn me. Consider me properly chastised.

I just love how you’d rather call yourselves “Mad Old Bats.” I just hope I can describe myself with such aplomb later.

Now before you all go calling me smarmy now, I did just want to ask about losing weight at a certain age.

I maintain a blog and my readers are either mad old bats or of a certain age like you. And they have been asking about the best weight loss plans. I wanted to hear from people who’ve actually gone through it and done it.

So if anyone can throw me a bone or something, I’d really appreciate it.

🙂

Apology accepted, savtoosh. I’ve already completed your survey.