Day 23 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – FD

@merryapple – oh, well done you!! 🥳️🎯 and your June goal achieved – a week early!💪 Thanks for the July spreadsheet 🙏 I don’t think I’m really a teacher’s pet 😅 More of a ‘do it right or don’t bother’ type.

@bert1802 – wishing you a very relaxing week off 💆‍♀️

@jaifaim – 200 km?! 🤯 Enjoy! 🚴

A new Chinese clinical trial confirms 5:2 is better than drugs to treat type 2 diabetes:-
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13554955/5-2-diet-Dr-Michael-Mosley-politicians-celebrities-type-2-diabetes.html

Happy S🌞nday!

Pocket List – Day 23 🥚
@funshipfreddie
@northgeorgia ?

2nd Post – Day 23

@excelsior12309 – Adding you to the list. Almost at a 7 year low? Fantastic! Maybe after today’s FD..? 🤞I think I’d be joining the koi in the pond in that heat. Stay cool! 😎

Pocket List – Day 23 🥚
@funshipfreddie
@northgeorgia ?
@excelsior12309 FD800

Day 24 NZ FD 71.5kg

I’ll be looking to stabilise my weight for the rest of the week and not go pinging up like I so often do!!
I had my second shindrix vaccine this morning and my arm hurts😫
@jaifaim How was the big bike ride? How’s your tush?! And your muscles?!
@funshipfreddie Well done on getting the steps right!!
You’re not really contemplating joining a pool with carnivorous Koi, are you????
That’s interesting about the study and makes perfect sense theoretically. Loosing weight shrinks the size of fat cells (the number of fat cells don’t reduce) which means that insulin can attach more easily to the receptors on the cell walls and allow glucose to move in and out of them.
@excelsior12309 Well done you!! Can you dispatch that wee pound before @jaifaim‘s tally up at the week’s end?!!
I’ve planned out what’s in the exhibition but need to source all the works in a full warehouse… Finding a couple will be like looking for a needle in a haystack… I have invited the new American international curator from the Auckland Art Gallery to have a conversation about them and he has accepted, which is great news.
@northgeorgia It sounds like you were having your last hurrah before committing to 5:2 again!! Now to recall some of the tools we can use – smaller plate, no seconds, good quality food only, no industrialised food, no soft drinks etc etc. You know the drill…
@stitchincarol You’ll be home by now I imagine and contemplating your yard!!!
@bert1802 I’m looking forward to hearing about your backyard vacation adventures!!!🤣

Onward and downward, one and all!!
7 days to go!! The countdown is on!!

Pocket List
@jaifaim
@leoniraats
@merry🍎
@northgeorgia
@snowflake56

Day 24 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD 70.2 kg

Yay! I do love Monday mornings after a successful FD 😇

@merryapple – I’d take my chances with the koi if it was pushing 40 C! Anyway, I think they only attack people in James Bond movies, & Boo Boo would have my back 😼 Have fun planning the exhibition; sounds like a lot of work?!

@northgeorgia – going in the wrong direction?! As @merryapple said – back to basics. No need to treat every day like it’s a FD; that’s called a diet. RESTRAINT. That’s all you need to work on – restrained NFDs. You need to plan in advance. Even all the functions you go to. You must have an idea of what will be on the menu beforehand? Portion size, skip the carbs/soda & always keep your goal in mind 💪

Our last week of Jolly June. RESOLVE to the Monday fasters 🎯

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment” ~ Jim Rohn

Pocket List – Day 24 🍒
@at
@jaifaim
@leoniraats
@merry🍎
@northgeorgia
@snowflake56

Day 24, London, UK, FD800

I’m sooo busy at the moment, I’m just skimming posts!!

Signed ‘the’ contract on Friday and trying to sort finances now…………… despite being at work under a deadline!!🤭 ……………. you can’t do anything on a weekend, I’m one of the lucky ones; my bank opens for a whopping 6hrs/day during the week!!!😏 On a shocking sobering note …………….. My 10% deposit is more than I paid for my ENTIRE flat 25 years ago!! Madness!!😱😱

I hope everyone os fasting strong, I’m doing ok, failing on the water front and had some vino this weekend🤭 just because!!!

Anyway, onwards we go and 🙏🏼🤞🏽🙏🏼🤞🏽 Downwards!!

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” — Oprah Winfrey

Day 24 – USA/GA – FD

Weigh-in: 236 lbs. Yesterday’s FD was a bust… @funshipfreddie is right; I need to return to the basics and get better at NFDs. Yesterday, for instance, I was really craving better nutrition and the family wanted a watermelon. So, I did have a meal, and enjoyed some fresh fruit and vegetables. I guess it was a 3-hour eating window type deal. I didn’t lose any weight over yesterday, but considering all the damage I did in vacation of drinking nearly a liter of soft drink a day (yes, open confession time!!) plus ice cream and chips… it was a free-for-all… well, it will take a few days for the effects to wear off.

Not to fear, the soft drinks made me feel disgusting, and vacation was a good time to remind me of the “buzz” pleasures of junk food that send your body crashing afterwards. So, I plan to return to my abstinence of soft drinks and chips, making it an extremely rare event.

I remember I was able to lose weight in the past even in eating fast food, but I had to plan carefully, by balancing out the very high calories with something light or nothing at the other mealtimes. However, I did find that avoiding fast food did seem to keep me on track.

Oh, I’m delaying the inevitable — it’s back to work after vacation. Time to hit the road. And being in the mid-230s is not acceptable. I’m long past due to be at my goal weight, or even in the 190s. Time to get back on track.

Pocket List – Day 24
@at
@jaifaim
@leoniraats
@merry
@northgeorgia
@snowflake56
@northgeorgia
@snowflake56
@brightonbelle
@flourbaby FD800

Day 24 – Rural Nebraska, USA – NFD – 162.6

Sorry I didn’t post sooner. I was simply that busy yesterday, what with church and then the boys coming up for the entire day, and preparing food for them, and Saturday was my day to try to retain the relaxing pace of our time in Indianapolis…and to pretend I didn’t actually weigh 166 that morning. I weighed 162.2 last Sunday morning before we headed out, and with some thought, I realized that, while I didn’t make stellar eating choices, I did NOT eat an extra four pounds of calories–14,000 or so. So I ate decently enough on Saturday, amazingly decent yesterday given we were having a lovely day with the boys, and my weight this morning is close enough to a week ago that I’m okay with it.

I’m realizing the thing I truly must control is my sweet tooth. It’s become a monster, and all my former tricks for controlling it are doing no good.

I just read all the posts I’d missed, and now I’m daunted at the thought of trying to respond to anything. So how about if I start fresh tomorrow?

In past years, I’ve bought plants to tuck in pots in the ground, and was all done by the end of May if not sooner. This year? Almost no planting has been done at all. Finally, however, I have time and bought everything I need on Saturday (and because it’s so late in the season, it was all 50% off!!), and today is my day to get it all into pots (and a couple things into the ground). Unfortunately, the high today is supposed to be 99/37 and it’s already 84/29 even though it’s only 10:20. Thankfully, most of my planting will happen while I’m sitting on the front porch, which will put me entirely in shade. ☀️🥵🔥 Then starts the daily ritual of watering everything! 😂

@jaifaim I hope your silence doesn’t signify anything other than pure exhaustion after yesterday’s ride!

@northgeorgia Welcome back! That 236 should be EOEO with some focused discipline. And I agree with @funshipfreddie about too many FDs being a diet. But–you know best for your body, so if that’s what’s best, we’ll support and encourage you!

Okay, time to face the heat and get my pots planted.

Have a grand one, everyone!

The Choices You Make Today Will Determine the Quality of Every Tomorrow

Day 25, Germany, NFD

PFDS here, it was a good FD yesterday.

Today it’s going to be a NFD as we’re out for lunch with the “hard” exercise group as the sports school closes for July. At 8:45 we have our ballroom class, it’s just us and the dance teacher, that’s always fun.

@jaifaim I hope your FD went well. I’m in awe about your 206kms cycle, the longest cycling tour I ever did was 35kms. I was never good at cycling, my balance is poor and my reaction time when something happens is too long. It’s interesting you don’t have problems speaking for an unknown audience, I’m glad I never had to do that, it would cause too much anxiety. I tend to faint when I’m too stressed.

Have a nice day everyone!

Day 25, London, UK, NFD

Late on parade, I’ve too much going on and finding it hard to focus on ONE thing at a time!!

@merryapple, feel better soon, vaccines can be a pain, but if you have a mild reaction, you can imagine what it would have been like to actually get the virus!!!😱😱😱 Vaccinations for children have dropped 50% here, absolute madness, saw a woman on tv just this morning saying she’d allowed her kids to have several vaccines but not the one for whooping cough as she “wasn’t sure” but if they started coughing she probably would!!! Huh???😨 ……………… 8 infant deaths in the first quarter of this year, perhaps their parents waited until it was too late too!😥

@funshippfreddie & @jaifaim, not quite in the bag yet, I sent the deposit and signed the contract, once THEY sign (exchange) there’s no going back without big penalties, so perhaps the exchange will be tomorrow🤞🏽🙏🏼🤞🏽🙏🏼 then completion (move-in day) will be within a couple of weeks ……………… although I am off on my hols on the 12th!!😲😜😲

Keep the faith folks!!

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Day 25……… Florida……..FD

Good Morning Lovelies,

Yesterday was a beautiful day, spent too much money but I guess that happens. I ended up by this beautiful ornate table which I put in my sitting area.
We also got some fruit and veg at the market, so I last nights dinner, ended up being a big bowl of fruit.

I decided to have an FD today because of the fruit and veg we bought. Nice bowl of fruit when I break my fast and we are having a play on eggplant Parmesan with out the breading for dinner. I’ll make pasta for the hubs but I don’t think I’ll have any.

@stitchincarol……. I used to garden all the time prior to changing this job. Now, I just have pots around that are easy to take care and only need the least amount of water. I miss the peacefulness of gardening.

Well, hubby is off to Mass and it the only quiet time I get my devotional done. I hope you all have the day you need!

Day 25 – Rural Nebraska, USA – WFD – 163.4

DH and I were in Rome in 2019 for three days on our way to an extended tour of Israel, and the thing we remember the most* is that we were sweating and hot the whole time. AC in Europe is never turned as low as Americans do, we’ve since read, and our experience bore that out.

*Well, maybe not the most, because our dinner at a Michelin star restaurant was glorious, our tour guide for the Colloseum was SO good, and it was a wonderful time. But it was hot and we were sweaty, LOL!

That said, I’m very, very grateful for AC and our ability to set it where we want it. All afternoon yesterday/Monday, my outdoor thermometer showed it to be 100/38–in the shade. When I headed to bed around 11 last night, it was 90/32. When I got up to pee at 4am, it was 80/27. UGH. Thankfully, it’s to be a few degrees cooler today, and Wednesday night, it’ll be below 70/21, so sleeping will be much easier. And, as I said, I’m so thankful for AC!

@jaifaim That’s amazing. 206km is approximately 122 miles, and I’m totally dazzled…that would have gotten you almost a fifth of the way to Indianapolis, LOL! And, while you ate a lot from your description, it’s just bulk, and the calories you expended would surely have dispensed with the food calories quite handily! And you biked to and from work today? You are motivated, LOL!

@snowflake56 Oh, fainting when you get too stressed must add a level of stress all in itself! I’m sure that knowledge motivates you to stay calm whenever possible.

@merryapple Oh, I’m so sorry you’re feeling so awful; hopefully it passes quickly!

@funshipfreddie It can be hard to respond to your posts, because you’re so kind about responding to and encouraging everyone else, but the only personal thing you included today is that you also have a sweet tooth and you must dash. So, I hope your sweet tooth is well-behaved today and you have fun with all your dashing! 😉🏃🏼‍♂️

@flourbaby Oh, good grief. It must be so frustrating to be so close to being able to move into your new home–and ALSO have vacation approaching just as fast! Talk about a true need to manage your stress, eh? Nonetheless, congratulations!!

@brightonbelle I’m sad that you’re feeling so blah today. <<<<<@brightonbelle>>>>> There’s a cyber hug for you, hugs being my go-to solution for all things sad.

@bert1802 I have some potted plants also–more, after yesterday’s efforts–but they’re what I struggle the most to keep alive; at least in the ground, the roots can go searching for water, but in the pot, those roots have to rely on me and my kindness, motivation, and memory, LOL! For example, I’ve been awake and up for almost two hours, but still haven’t gotten anything watered. In today’s heat, however, it’s required, so it’ll happen soon.

@northgeorgia I like that approach: call it an NFD, but approach it as something with more discipline. I look forward to tomorrow’s report.

There’s actually lots going on around me–I’ve sent and received several dozen texts while typing this post relating to a power outage at church, the time of a lesson today, a new thermostat for us 😂–and so I really must scoot.

Have a grand one, everyone! Today WILL be my first entirely successful WFD since sometime in May!

Day 26 NZ NFD 71.1kg 🏃‍♀️

My weight is down thanks to my post vaccination pseudo viral illness so I expect to come up… I’m secretly pleased I had a decent reaction because it means my immune system is responding as it should and is not too worn out (which is why COVID takes out so many of the elderly…)@Jaifaim Shingdrix is fully funded here for 65 yr olds. The cost of the vaccine is around 500NZD. Anyone who has had chickenpox is at risk. We, my twin and I, had chicken pox in Boston along with German and English measles all at once. As I say to the young ones, I had to catch the diseases because there were no vaccines available back then… Why would you not want to be vaccinated if you can be?
Our worst area for unvaccinated kids is an old hippy natural lifestyle “decliners” haunt in Takaka, Nelson at 44%. There is another ” delayers” area in Northland, low socioeconomic (Māori) demographic with difficulties getting to a Dr etc etc. The national average is 6% unvaccinated. The worst kind of influences come via social media and algorithms…
@jaifaim What an amazing effort! You must have a superior bike seat… 9 1/2 hrs🫢And a whole lot of huge new heavy muscles!!!
@flourbaby That’s fabulous news! You’ll be able to have a lovely holiday. It’s no longer if, it’s now when!! Are you going to do any work on the interior before you move in?? Yes, I do remember the red dinning room!!
@snowflake56 And ball room dancing too!! You’re a legend!!
@funshipfreddie No. The second vaccine will give you the biggest hit… The first vaccine is about your immune system identifying the correct antibody that will bind with the offensive antigen. With the second you get a proliferation of that particular antibody, building up an army at the ready to take on any invading chicken poxes.
@Bert1806 Kevin the chicken sounds like a character… My friend looks after the chooks at a private park. She washes their derrieres and feet so the eggs are in good nick. They love her and run towards her when she arrives for work jostling to be first in line… pecking order…did Hitchcock make a film about this???🤣
@stitchincarol I hope your WFD went exactly as planned!! That weather sounds glorious compared to our wintery storms. And that your church is now cool.
It is Matariki this weekend, the Māori New Year. I’m off down to a stay with my dairy farming friends. It’s a last minute invitation so I need to go and get organised…
FD tomorrow for me. It might be my final weigh in for the month since I’m back on the 1st July!!

Onward and downward!!
4 days to go!!

Day 26, London, UK, CD

I’m waiting to hear from my solicitors about my proposed completion date – either 10th (pre-hols) or 29th – (post hols) If it’s the 10th I’ll have to chuck the keys at my brother as I race to the airport & beg him to get a decorator in to repaint the red dining room and my blue bedroom whilst I’m away, then arrange a deep clean so when I return I just need to move in!!!😜😜. If it’s the 29th, I’ll be organising it myself!🤔

It was supposed to be a FD today, but I was at level 3 when I woke up so grabbed a snack pot of olives with feta, it certainly hit the spot at my 9am breakfast!!

We’ve had a couple of scorching days here, not as bad as yours @stitchincarol, that’s not great working-day weather, unfortunately the weekend is supposed to be wet here ………….. again!!! So, a lunchtime walk is as close as I’ll get to enjoying the fleeting summer!😎😎

Must dash, work awaits!!!😩🙄

“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much” – Helen Keller

Day 26 – Rural Nebraska, USA – NFD – 160.8

I pulled off yesterday’s WF, although with some serious temptations. I remembered the quote we used to throw around regularly, and held firmly to its words: “It’s going to be hard, but hard is not impossible.”

I also remembered that, when I was steadily losing weight in the second half of 2021, I would regularly give myself pep talks as I was driving to lessons. I would figure out my eating plan for several days ahead of me, and then bolster my RESOLVE with encouraging thoughts, and joy at the thought of the new weights I’d achieve…and all that was something I’ve not done for ages. So I spent my driving time yesterday in the same pep talks, and will continue to do so in the weeks ahead. SOMEWHERE in me is the needed RESOLVE to once again lose this weight I’m finding so depressing.

@merryapple Glad you’re feeling better, and have a wonderful new weight to reward you for all your suffering! Have a grand time with your dairy farming friends!

@snowflake56 Yeah, my first car didn’t have AC, and very few cars did then, and we certainly didn’t have AC where I lived in California (the Pacific Northwest, so no need there). But here in Nebraska, nearly everyone does at this point, both because it’s now common and not horribly expensive to install, and also because it’s so blisteringly hot during the summer.

@flourbaby How exciting that the move-in date is so tantalyzingly close! What colors are you going to do your red dining room and your blue bedroom?

@jaifaim At my last doctor’s appointment, I asked about getting the shingles vaccination, and he reminded me I’d already had the first shot, a full year earlier. I was so surprised, LOL, and had completely forgotten both about it, and about getting the follow-up shot. He assured me it was fine to get it at that point, and so I did. I think (maybe??) I had a bit of a sore arm, but nothing like what @merryapple has experienced, and there was even some question if I needed the vaccine, as I don’t believe I ever had chicken pox. But, @merryapple, to have had the pox and two kinds of measles all at the same time? SO hard on a pair of kids!

It is 5:35 and I’ve been awake since 3am. I tried to go back to sleep, spent some time reading, tried again to go back to sleep, and gave up. My plan is to knit and start the neck shaping while I have time to concentrate.

DH and I are going to see “Thelma” today with some friends, and go out to lunch before; have any of you heard of the movie?

Okay, another favorite quote: “You are far too smart to be the only thing standing in your way.”

Have a grand one, my friends!

Day 26 – USA/GA – FD

Weigh-in: 234 lbs. Only a few ounces gained over yesterday, so basically no change. Had an OMAD regular meal in the evening, but weighted more towards fruits, vegetables, and protein. I did have a handful of UPFs with my meal, but very limited. I’m printing out the new NOVA scale to help me on my NFDs. Although it includes carbs in group 1 (safest group) that I usually limit, I do find it helpful in decision making. I’ll share it here (there’s probably a chart form somewhere, but I can use the list for now). https://ecuphysicians.ecu.edu/wp-content/pv-uploads/sites/78/2021/07/NOVA-Classification-Reference-Sheet.pdf

Second post

Welcome, @ray-c and this is exactly the right place. I believe there are some cookbooks from Michael Mosely and his wife, Claire, but perhaps you need to be more specific as to what sorts of recipes you are wanting. Are you wondering what to eat on FDs (Fast Days) or what to eat on NFDs (Non-Fast Days)?

A huge point of this way of life is that you get to treat it as that–a way of life, not a diet. So, eating “normally” on NFDs means to eat whatever has been normal for you, as long as normal isn’t an exhorbitant number of calories. Plus, avoiding UPFs (Ultra-processed foods) is to be avoided both for this way of life, and in all of life–I was taught the way to do that is only to eat what you can buy at the periphery of the grocery store: the produce section, the meat section, and the dairy section.

Then, on FDs, there are many approaches. I’m currently finding a water fast (meaning I only have water, no calories at all) simplest for my life, but when I was doing a normal FD, I would skip breakfast (because I have zero interest in food before 11am anyway) and lunch (just to enable me to have a larger supper), and then for supper I’d have swai or tilapia (because they’re cheap and low in calories) cooked in a non-stick skillet, lots of steamed veggies, and frequently a salad (from a kit so I easily knew how many calories I was having).

Okay, there was a dump of information. What questions do you have now?

2nd post Day 27

If no one else is available to host, I can… It’s about my turn!!
A big thank you to @jaifaim for a spectacular and inspirational bike ride and hosting so beautifully!!!
I wish I could take my bike with me but none of our cars are set up to carry them… One day I won’t have a Mini One… My old Mercedes had a tow bar but sadly not the Mini🤣
Cheers!!

Day 26…..Florida……CD

I started this post this morning but DH came home from Mass and the alternator in the truck was on its last legs. So, I stopped writing the post and went on an unplanned adventure. Cool thing is we came home and had a nice salad for lunch rather than eating out.
After lunch, I just spent the day relaxing and as I was getting ready for bed. I realized I never finish my post from this morning.
So this will be a short post…..
@ray c……. Good to have you here with us. Each of us, have tweaked this to fit our personal lifestyles. You will find your fit too. I personally stick to 16 hours of fast with a 8 hour eating window. I do this daily regardless of how many calories I consume each day.
As far as a menu, I have not changed what I eat. I eat what I want and what I like. However, I have changed my portion sizes and I measure everything according to the serving size. For example, my salad today, the serving size on my salad dressing was 2 tablespoons and that is what I used nothing more.
I do suggest keep reading and researching this way of life. Also, keep active on this form this is a great group very informative and motivating.

Okay, I’m off to bed…. We’re getting up early and going to the sponge docks.

Day 27, London, UK, FD,

Busy day today as I’ve fallen behind at work! Too many other things on my mind!😏

I haven’t caught up on posts, just skimmed a few! No news on the completion date, 🙏🏼🤞🏽🙏🏼 hoping it’ll be confirmed today. @stitchincarol, the red dining room will be painted in ‘denim blue’ and my bedroom will be a dusky pink both up to the picture rail, then brilliant white everywhere else.😊

Must dash, stay strong fellow fasters!!!💪🏼💪🏼

“The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.” – James Clear

Day 27 Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 FD

I have been skimming through posts and vaguely remembering to cut back on Mondays and Thursdays but my mind has been well and truly focused on trying to find properties to view. I am one pound down on my day 1 weight, not as good as I hoped but better than it could have been given my current stress level. We’re going on a house hunting trip and will be staying at a friends place in the area we want to move to so I may not get an opportunity to post again this month. @jaifaim thanks for your caring hosting of Jolly June 🤗

Pocket List – Day 27 🍒
@merry🍎
@at
@leoniraats
@jaifaim
@flourbaby
@funshipfreddie
@missybear

Day 23, 24, 25, 26 – USA/TN

Not much going on except working a lot. I ate something that went topsy turvy in my system and had to go home from work on day 24. As a result, it was a FD, not the best way to have one! Also had a FD on day 26.