I don’t knit, Polly, but my hands can’t cope with hand sewing, so I find patterns with only machine sewing.
We had a 25 deg day today, and it’s still winter! We have just walked locally for an hour starting at sunset. Still warm and balmy now. Goodness only knows what summer will be like. At least it’s easier to fast and just eat salads! P

It’s so good to get such a positive report from you, Amazon! Enjoy your outings. It’s lovely to be able to visit markets.

We are stuck in Level 4 lockdown at the moment, with our Delta outbreak, and are going to be lumped with Auckland next Tuesday when the rest of the country is expected to go down a level or two. The natives here in the north are getting restless. 🙁 Our farmers’ market will be closed for the foreseeable.

It’s a wet weekend to end winter, but the spring flowers continue to appear. Eighteen degrees predicted, so not chilly.

Short and sharp here, P. We should be dropping levels within a week or so. There’s no flour on the supermarket shelf, but as I don’t eat wheat that’s no hardship for me. Still hoping to stamp Covid out again in the short term, and meanwhile vaccinations are progressing at a great rate. Hope you have had yours, Wi. 🙂

That sounds like a wonderful day, Amazon. The Italian entrées sound especially good. It’s great to know life is relatively back to normal where you are.
We are incredibly lucky in Wellington (to now) that the Auckland Covid cluster did not really get into our city. Purple, you are right when you say the Delta Covid is so infectious. We have been living in the Never Never up to now. Sadly the virus has hit the poor. Our highest alert level will move down next week though unless you can’t wait for fast food, it won’t change much for us.
We have had two Pfizer jabs now, but have decided not to venture outside NZ until early February. Our house here will be tenant free in 10 days so we will have 170 sq metres and sun for a few months till we leave.
I am doing my resistance exercises everyday to get my knee commissioned. This takes an hour. I can feel it now as I did my 3 minutes of standing up from a low stool instead of from a regular chair. I feel really good though.
Of course there are no physio sessions at present, but the last phone session with the physio was funny. She said I did not need to do these exercises everyday. I assured her I would anyway. I still plan to walk the legendary Milford Track in February 2023 and will need to be fit. I hope my companions will be.
It’s Scrabble time,
xx Wiwi

Hi, everyone. Oooh, I’d love a walk along the South Bank and a visit to Borough Market, Amazon. You’re doing very well, as is Wi all those mikes away. We won’t be venturing anywhere near in London, though, as I think you have the lowest levels of vaccine take-up, there.

Australia and New Zealand have very strict restrictions, but you’ve been lower with vaccines I believe. Hopefully things will improve soon, variants not withstanding.

School go back next week, so I imagine figures will go up again. I really do think teenagers should be vaccinated, otherwise we’ll have yet another year of disruption to education as well as family life.

After a week of good discipline, I’ve been dreadful. Brother-in-law visiting last weekend. We ate out at a small pub run by two ex-pupils. She only cooks at the weekend but food is fabulous. Along with my cauliflower and oregano pie I had the most delicious chips ever. And I ate the lot! We had our first take-away Chinese in three years yesterday and I solved that, too. It gets worse – Cadbury’s chocolate ice lollies on offer, so one a day. Some serious growing up needed and stopping treating myself with food! 😳.

I’m sad to say we’ve succumbed to an Amazon Prime subscription so that we can watch the Autmn internationals. I’m ashamed to give that Jeff Bezos our money. There’s a strong argument that international sport should be on free to air.

Purple, I heard today that 90% of the whole population needs to be vaccinated for effective control of the virus in NZ.
Is there any room for choice?
That idea of the individual not having a choice even if the good of the whole population is put in jeopardy, is not really part of our culture.
I could do with a large mug of mulled wine to contemplate this conundrum.
Xx Wiwi

I was procrastinating about making an appointment with my hairdresser when the Delta lockdown struck. So the shaggy look is back in 🙂 . At least it’s only just spring – first day here in the SH, and rain will keep us indoors today.

With any luck we will be going down a level tomorrow to join the rest of the country, apart from poor Auckland, which as the gateway to NZ bears the brunt of any Covid cases getting into the country. And in today’s paper there is mention of a new, worse, mutation found in South Africa! It’s certainly a long way from any semblance of normal. Stay safe, folks.

3 months since my last haircut. I’m just letting it grow. 🙂
Barata, with your short “do” you could go years between cuts. P

Yes, I’m not ready to put ribbons in my hair yet. 🙂 I did post a selfie in response to yours yesterday, Wi, and I see what you mean…

We will be listening closely to the 1pm briefing, but to be honest a drop from Level 4 to Level 3 won’t mean a great deal to us oldies. We don’t play golf, and certainly won’t be lining up outside Maccers’ drivethrough window.

I’m with you Polly. So glad I’m no longer in the classroom. Kids here are meant to be going back in November, with 16+ getting vaccinated currently and they are moving to 12-15s this month. No vaccines approved for the littlies. P

That’s the impression most people have of NZ, Barata. This lot in charge now are quite blatant about contracts for cronies, making using Covid as an excuse.

Hi everyone,

We are in the midst of a mini heatwave and I’ve been making the most of the fine weather.

I was out with a friend yesterday walking along the Embankment enjoying the weather and I walked 14kms which is the furthest I’ve walked in a single day for 2 years. We stopped a couple of times for cold liquid refreshment 😉 and those of you who’ve seen my FB posts will know we had a fab dinner in a Mexican restaurant.

No after effects today either from the walking or the 🍻🍷 which is very pleasing.
I stayed up late watching tennis and thought I could have a lie-in this morning but I was woken up early by the sound of someone climbing a ladder followed by hammering. Next door were having a window replaced 😆 so I was forced from my bed.

Fasting is going OK but not as well as I would like as I only managed 2 FDs last week and today is my first FD of this week.
I continue to work hard to get back into my previously successful fasting routine and I know I’ll get there eventually and am being patient with myself.
I have a fridge full of lovely seasonal English produce and I’m about to look through my vegetarian cookery books for the tastiest way to utilise everything.

The exercise regime is going very well and I’m enjoying being able to work out properly and walking long distances without having to plan a route where there are lots of places to sit.

Have a good one everybody 🤪🌞

Hi Purple,

There was plenty of shade along our route and we took our time.
I’ve been gradually increasing how far I walk and the only issue I had was a blister!

It’s going to be cooler from tomorrow, around 23C. Heavy rain was forecast for this evening but it appears to have missed us which is a shame as it would have cooled things down and the one thing I have trouble with in the heat is sleeping.

And I’ll have to water the garden 😆

I’m being kind to myself regarding FDs as if I’m not all I do is set myself up to fail.

I miss swimming. I used to go when I was at the gym but they increased the number of aqua classes which made it impossible for me to do so at the times I attended and it’s why I cancelled my membership.
And of course not having been on holiday means I’ve not had any opportunities to try out hotel pools.

Amazing Amazon! Well done, although I hate heat in cities. This last few days have been fabulous. We’ve stuck to the garden as cases are up in all the coastal areas, well those were the beaches are accessible.

Purple, I mentioned on another forum that backstroke hurts my back. I had a private message from one of my ‘friends’who said she’d been a chiropractor before retirement and always advised against breaststroke most strongly. I’ve not had a bathing costume on for two years now! 😲

Not much food discipline here, I admit, sticking to 16:8, but it’s the 8 that seems to have slid into too many carbs. New potatoes from the garden with lovely salty Welsh butter! We’re off o Ireland soon, where I expect food will be in abundance. Losing a bit in anticipation would be good.

This site is still logging me out.

Thanks Polly,

I know what you mean about heat in cities. Walking along the Embankment where the Thames is wide and there is always a bit of a breeze was a good decision.

I took it easy yesterday and my muscles are stiff today which means working out is in order which in turn will keep my nose out of the fridge as I always feel great and very motivated afterwards.
It’s taking a while to get this body back into good physical shape but I’m enjoying the task.

When I swim I do breaststroke and backstroke.
I swim for pleasure and relaxation and I’m not fond of having my face in the water all the time so freestyle is out.

IMHO breaststroke is good for chest and arm muscles and it stretches out the upper back so I’m unsure how Polly’s chiropractor friend came to the conclusion she should advise against it.
I often used to swim after working out at the gym and was never stiff or sore the following day if I had done so.

Time to get moving,
have a good one everybody 🤪

Purple,

Apologies I missed your post mentioning your injured back so my response was directed at what Polly had posted.
I can understand why breaststroke would be an issue.

I hope it improves soon.

I am also a breast stroke by choice swimmer. When I was swimming regularly,
if my back was feeling weak, then doing only breast stroke tended to upset it. I always thought it was due to my poor technique, from holding the lower back in an arched position with head too raised. I guess it will depend on where your particular back weakness is. But I found focusing on trying to swim like elite swimmers, rather than the ladies at the pool who kept their faces permanently dry out of the water, definitely helped!

It’s been hot and dry here this week. No rain worth speaking of, which is frustrating as its desperately dry. Our private water supplies are running perilously low, and some neighbours have already run dry. We may have to buy water in in the next couple of weeks at this rate.

No fasting here, I’m maintaining comfortably without still, although I expect that to change as we head into into and I get less active ☹

Morning, folks. Today is the fifth anniversary of me reaching target, which was losing 21lbs then. I continued to lose another half a stone. With the support of you lot I had maintained fairly easily.

What’s gone wrong now? I think boredom has played a part, but the pandemic hasn’t helped either. I don’t want to be one who confirms to the adage that dieters put the weight they lost, and more, in five years. I need a real reboot. We’re off to Ireland next week, so we will find it hard to avoid their Mrs Doyle approach to food!

Did you have ‘Father Ted’ in Australia and New Zealand?

Happy anniversary, Polly. You remind me that it’s eight years on Friday since I started using 5:2. It worked wonders for a while, until it didn’t any more, and I was in despair that I would continue to increase forever! 🙁 However, I have since found Optimising Nutrition (no monetary involvement, not selling anything, check out Marty from Brisbane’s wonderful work 🙂 ) and using the eating habits (mostly higher protein, two meals a day, testing blood sugars, doing the Data Driven Fasting 30-day challenges – another one starting 9/10, can’t recommend enough!) incorporated there, I know I can maintain at this, at just about down to my lowest level with 5:2 again. Wine, chocolate and treats allowed!

As far as losing weight as we get older, P, how long do we have to wait for this? I’m thinking of OH here, for whom 5:2 stopped working several years ago!

It’s another lovely spring day here, grass is growing apace, there will be rain tomorrow night to keep things green. Wish I could send you some, Happy. I find the avocado is loaded with new buds, and the noise of the bees among the citrus is deafening 🙂 .

We seem to be successfully seeing off the Delta incursion, not quite ready with our vaccination numbers to safely open up to other countries yet. And still so many Kiwis want to get home – yesterday’s allocation of 3,000 isolation positions was sought by over 30,000 desperate returnees, including lots of sports people who have been contesting in the Olympics and other competitions.

We had a good, no carbs day yesterday. However, I did come across a final Cadbury’s chocolate ice lolly in the freezer which was irresistible. After weighing this morning I think I will have to go back to calorie counting. And we will have to weigh ingredients again before preparation of meals.

Hi everyone,

I’m also finding it difficult at the moment. I’ve lost a couple of pounds but progress is much slower than I would like.

I’ve been guesstimating calories and decided yesterday I need to restart weighing everything and the scales are now in a prominent place on the kitchen counter.
I’m also going to keep a food diary for a few weeks.
Hopefully the other scales will notice a difference……..

The September weather has been good with most days full of sunshine and temps in the low 20s which is perfect for me, warm enough to sit out and cool enough to walk.

I’m doing my best to make the most of it although I don’t mind walking when it’s cold but it needs to be dry which is not something one can guarantee in this part of the world.

No, B, I completely missed the earthquake. Too busy getting ready for a picnic with the grandies. 🙂
I certainly remember the Newcastle earthquake in 1989. A very weird sensation, so I would have recognised it. Maybe the solid clay underneath us here absorbs the waves?
I’m pleased you are happy with your appearance again. I’m really enjoying watching the variety of regrowth on the TV now, in our 13th week of lockdown. Some of the men are disappearing under wild mops (Boris like 😄😄) and the regrowth colour, in all the women who dye, is interesting.
Thursday, fast day, here and lovely weather, so a long walk is calling. P

Poor you, winter coming, but at least the tank is full, Happy.
Our weather is up and down like a yoyo, so one day I’m craving winter goodies, the next I’m happily eating salad. 🙂
We’ve just had a collosal thunder/hail storm and now the calm, but it is still rumbling in the distance with black skies!
Selling property is always frustrating H. Even when it sells quickly! You will find someone who loves it, hopefully soon. 😏
Michael Moseley has a new show, here, starting next week, when he eats “a typical Aussie diet” for 2 weeks. I’ll be most interested in what he thinks “typical ” is. I presume it’s lots of quick processed junk. Will be worth watching, even though I already know what’s good for me! Thanks Michael. 😄😄
Our vax rates are such that we will ease some restrictions on 11th and more on 25th for fully vaxxed people as NSW will be at 80% vaxxed by then. We started late, but have caught up incredibly quickly. Amazing what active COVID cases will do to focus the general public’s minds!!
I look forward to cuddling my NSW family. The others will have to wait.
Keep healthy all. P

I really doubt Europe would take Boris (or the UK) back. A calamity that could have been seen coming? Shame the voters didn’t see it.
Good luck, Amazon.

With our alternating wintery/summery weather, I find it interesting how much the weather effects my hunger. On the warm days, I have little desire to overeat. On the cold days the “hunger dragon” arises! I have to remember the trick of dressing warmly and moving on the cooler days.
P