Happy,

I’m not letting you know who mess up my Christmas a second time so I got organised.

I’ve also ordered a goose directly from the farm. I did some research and have found several recipes for using leftover goose which will all freeze well so none will be wasted.
And think of the spuds roasted in goose fat……..

I spent a couple of hours in the kitchen yesterday, weighing out ingredients, chopping up candied peel, Bramley apples and nuts and mixing mixing mixing.
This morning I put the mincemeat in a low oven and the puddings on to steam.

The result is two large jars of mincemeat and two delicious looking Christmas puds. The flat smells delicious 🙂

If nothing else I can live on Christmas pudding and mince pies both of which will do wonders for the waistline 😆

I’m trying to go for a walk every day and the fine weather is helping. We’ve had a couple of mini monsoons but I’m getting out most days.
My hip is great. No pain, no stiffness and I can do everything I would like to be able to do and autumn is such a nice time to be out in the fresh air.
This time last year on some days I could barely walk to the newsagent and now I can walk for miles.

Purple,

I agree, on warm days I find it much easier to limit what I eat. Colder days yell “give me comfort food in a large bowl”

Well it’s a damp and cold (8 degrees!!) day here. The perfect opportunity to stay inside and get on with Christmas cakes 😁 I forgot to buy a cooking apple this morning though, so the mincemeat will have to wait…

I seem to have picked up a lingering cold a few weeks back which, with short days and inclement weather, stopped my regular running. That, combined with autumn comfort food, has impressed upon me the need of re-commencing fasting ☹ First one in a while this week was easier than expected. Fingers crossed I can rein in eating and get back into regular fasting habits before I do too much damage!

Not much else to report. We are still getting a regular trickle of house viewers, someone will make us a sensible offer at some point. At least it means we keep the house clean and tidy 🤣

I’m finding fasting difficult at the moment. There is far too much going on and I have a few lingering health issues which are not helping my frame of mind one of which resulted a day at the eye hospital last week.

On Wednesday I’m having a surgical dental procedure to remove a retained root of a back tooth and I’ll have stitches in my mouth. I’m hopeful a physical barrier to eating will help me get to grips with fasting 😆

Until this week I’ve managed to convince myself it’s still summer and have avoided seasonal comfort food but the cold evenings are heralding a move towards them so I’m planning on making a lentil bake which is basically a very healthy vegetarian shepherds pie and some chicken stock for the soup which will be essential eating in the days after my dental procedure.

I’m still doing the physio exercises I was given for my hip and I’m doing lots of walking and working out once or twice a week avoiding a couple of exercises which are contraindicated.

I went to Richmond Park yesterday with my best friend and did a very long walk which was very enjoyable but walking down a fairly steep slope on uneven ground caused some discomfort in my hip which was a timely reminder not to try to do too much too soon as it is still healing.
No lasting issues and I took things easy today.

I’m booked for a Covid booster next week.
I see Australia has done really well with it’s vaccination program after an initial slow start and that things are opening up so I might be able to visit next year after all……..

Amazon,

A day out at the eye hospital! Lucky you ☹️ I hope it was time well spent though, and your eye issue has been resolved?

And dental surgery to look forward to as well. Poor you. I can imagine you won’t be in a rush to eat anything more solid than soup and baby food until it’s healed, fingers crossed it is the kickstart you need!

The rain stopped yesterday afternoon, so I did get out for some fresh air and exercise.
Today, it’s raining again and forecast to be set in all day. The Christmas cakes are made (Dad’s is in the oven as I type; a smaller one to a different recipe, for me, was made yesterday) and the house is clean. I will probably do a bit of work and then cuddle up with a book. I may waterproof up later for a walk, or do some pilates, or alternatively nothing…. 🤣

P,

It’s great that you are getting more freedoms and seeing the family again. High proportion of the population vaccinated and low infection rates, lucky you! Here, after the UK blowing it’s own trumpet and being so smug about getting in early with vaccine procurement, the rollout has seemingly stalled – while boosters are bring rolled out, NSW (and many Europe neighbours who were slower to get started) is beating us on the percentages for single and double jabbed.

We have shockingly high infection rates and more than 100 people die each day within 28 days of a positive covid test. Yet most of the population seem happy with that and are just pleased they don’t have to wear masks or socially distance anymore… Johnson says everything’s OK and he’s such a lovely optimistic chap isn’t he, so it must be true 🤔

Good job everything else is going so well in the UK at the moment…oh, wait… 😢😂

I had read that the UK never has terribly high vaccine takeup, while we are a, surprisingly, compliant and trusting lot. Canberra (the ACT) have the highest vaccine takeup in the world. Just goes to show, public servants ARE smart!
I think the idea they applied here, refusing “freedoms” to the unvaccinated, has been particularly effective.

We’ve had similar change of season fluctuations. Today was a beauty, so we drove out of our Local area (SO exciting) to have a long walk and a cuppa, beside a different part of Sydney’s many waterways. Delightful. But don’t worry, the rain is due again on Tuesday.
Off to bed. Monday fast tomorrow. P 😃😃

I’m not entirely sure what our vaccinated rates are – it seems to vary depending on whether its UK government data (we’re the best!) or independent data (we’re average – which of course can’t be right because we’re the British and therefore exceptional 🤣🤣🤣).

Amazon,

It’s reassuring to know your A&E was an oasis of patient understanding. I guess a lot of people will have failed to get anywhere with the GP practice and will just be happy they will get to see a medical professional!

Glad to hear you’ve got a competent dentist too. It makes such a difference when you can trust that you are getting the right treatment.

P, sleep well!

Well my recent experience of trying to engage with a GP hasn’t been so positive! It’s nearly impossible to get to even talk to a doctor on the phone unless you say it’s an emergency. Having eventually spoken to my GP, she made me a face-to-face appointment (thank god, otherwise you’re stuck in the hell of ringing in the morning in the hopes you can speak to a receptionist before the appointments are all gone… until they ‘release’ more the next morning!). Then having seen my GP, and her saying she wanted me to have a blood test, I went to reception… who said I would have to phone in the morning to book in for a blood test… yes, but I’m here now, and the GP has ordered the test? ‘Thems the rules’. Hmm, so the next day I hang on the phone, only to find they aren’t doing blood tests because of a shortage of tubes…. right, well I think I will need to speak to the GP then about plan B. ‘You’ll have to phone back in the morning…’.
Take a deep breath and try not to think violent angry thoughts!!

The doctors aren’t doing blood tests, it’s not an efficient use of their time. And I had only got a one appointment slot for the consultation, not 2 slots for consult and blood test….And they can’t be making special allowances for me just because I live 30 minutes from the surgery….

Hi all, after the 230mm deluge of the weekend we are enjoying sunny low-20s weather – before the next rain arrives tomorrow! There won’t be any water restrictions or fire ban this year, or not in the foreseeable anyway.

We have now been told all of the health board districts have to have their population at least 90% vaccinated before we can relax our level system. We in the North, with a large population of young Maori, are lagging behind, but there is a determination among their health providers that it will be done. Even then, this will leave us with half a million un-vaccinated. 🙁

I tried watching MM’s new documentary, P, but of course it is blocked on this side of the ditch.

Stay safe, all.

So he uses himself as a guinea pig again? We may see it sometime, but probably there’s nothing for us to learn from it, we old-time fasters and real-food eaters 🙂

Hi everyone,

I’ve finally got back on the wagon and am doing my 3rd FD of the week 🙂
I am mightily relieved as I was beginning to wonder if I’d every be able get to grips with regular fasting again.

I’ve decided to give up a few things between now and Christmas so no alcohol at home, no desserts etc, and lower fat intake as my cholesterol has risen and I want to remedy that asap. In order to keep the saturated fat levels low I’m going to be eating plenty of vegetarian and fish base meals and I’m also conscious I’ve been eating far too much cheese in recent months so I’ve only got one small piece of Cheddar in the cheese box.

Wish me luck 😆

It’s very autumnal with signs winter isn’t far away such as frosty mornings but the weather during the day is fine and dry.

Hi Purple,

My dear Dad used to say “never put off until tomorrow what you can put off until the day after” 😆

There have been far too many weeks where the intended Monday fast hasn’t happened and before I know it Friday has arrived with no FDs completed but this week something has clicked and I’m in the right mindset and it feels good.

Hopefully I can keep going now I’ve started.

I think we are all natural procrastinators, Happy. 😏 That’s why I try to do things as soon as they pop up as I know I won’t bother if I wait. 😄
It used to backfire at Uni. I’d complete assignments and essays as soon as they were issued, then spend the rest of the time editing and always submittedthem before the due date. Others waited until the last minute, ran out of time and requested an extension. They were usually one! What was the point of the due date? 🤨🤨😐
My system is the opposite to you Happy. I cannot miss dinner, even a light one, as I would not sleep at all, but can easily skip breakfasts, even after fasting. I plan breakfasts, while lying in bed, but they are often such grand plans, I don’t have time to make them, but feel I have eaten them anyway! 😄😄

Amazon, I’m considering taking the batteries out of my scales. I’m sure they are broken. 😏
The thing that keeps me fasting is that I realise my weight would sky-rocket without it. As it is, I’ve gradually increased over the last few years. I’m heavier than I want to be, with too much around the middle, but I seem stuck in a holding pattern. Unlike in the past, my weight doesn’t fluctuate at all during the week, despite fasts and exercise. Also, I know I don’t eat much, but am accepting that the older I get, clearly the fewer and fewer calories I need. With the swimming season upon me, I’m a bit shocked at the “cvurves” I see in mirror…all in the wrong spots. 🙄🙄
No way will I have Christmas cake etc in my house this year. I’ll stick to salads.
As to wine, I am pretty good at having a single glass and several glasses of water. Snacks are a thing of the past. I know I can’t have them. 😏
Well done on getting back on the wagon, A. P

Amazon,

I’ve not had a bacon sarnie for ages. But I think I should definitely put it on my Christmas list!

I have made a Christmas cake, which will keep for ages, and mincemeat because it wouldn’t be Christmas without a mince pie or two… but its important not to use Christmas as an excuse for a binge 🐷

My tipple of choice these days is gin, which doesn’t seem to set off the snack/ nibble cravings. But I have slipped into a bad habit of occasional shortbread biscuits (so easy to make from the store cupboard in small quantities… ☹). Its linked to my haywire hormones, but all the same needs to stop! Particularly as I’m much less active now the days are short and dark and the weather has been mostly wet rather than dry and bright.

It is dry today though, so I’m going to brave the wind and rake some leaves…hopefully burning enough calories to justify the Staffordshire oat cakes I was inspired to make by the Hairy Bikers 😂

Very true P. It’s easy to let complacency and procrastination creep in and before you know it you’ve got a mountain to climb to get back on track!

I don’t do much in the garden in autumn, except tidying up the greenhouse, polytunnel and veg patch, and stopping us from being buried by leaves. I tidy and cut back borders in spring mostly, leaving winter cover for creepy crawlies (and food for birds). Or that’s my excuse!

After raking leaves, only to turn round to see nearly as many newly fallen, I gave up and went for a run. I’m only getting perhaps 1 a week at the moment due to persistent flooded lanes recently. I’m still doing pilates once a week, but wish I could motivate myself to do it at home when the weather isn’t fit to get out…

Good work Amazon 👏
Tomorrow will be a fast day for me, I’m out and about so it will be easy enough to avoid food… until later in the day 🤞

I put a battery in the scales and got on this morning. I weigh 3lbs less than last time I weighed myself which was months ago and I know I gained weight since then by the way my clothes(don’t)fit, which means last week and yesterday have had the desired effect.

A good start to the day 😁

Hi everyone,

So it’s Friday night again already (where does the time go….) and for the second week in a row I’m not disappointed in myself as I’ve stuck to the plan.
This week I nailed 3 x 500 calorie FDs. I was aiming for a 4th today but by lunchtime I knew it wasn’t going to happen and had something to eat.

I’m pleased with the way things are going and hopeful I can stay focussed.

I’ve got a nice outfit I want to wear mid December which is shall we say a bit snug at the moment. It’s hanging on the hall cupboard door so every time I go anywhere in the flat I have to walk past it.

That sounds a delightful ensemble, Happy. 🙂
I’ve had a few occasions to actually wear dresses in the few weeks since lockdown ended for the vaccinated. It then meant I had to find my shoes too. It is so much easier to just don tshirt, jeans and sneakers every morning, as I have most of the year! 😄
We have been making little forays out, among the vaxed, wearing masks 😷. It IS nice to socialise again, but it also means keeping the house visitor ready and a rapidly filling calendar. It’s all or nothing in life, isn’t it?
Keep going girls. P

It’s interesting, Amazon, how we have love/hate relationships with the scales. It’s clearly their fault, or even a malicious plan, if the number goes up. 😁😊

That’s why I do weigh every morning, A. I know I go up and down but don’t want it to climb too high. Only once a week would not give me a feel for what is happening.

I agree. Better to average it out.

It’s horrifying how little respect for life some people have. What a tragic loss. P