Morning/evening all,

It’s Monday so it must be a FD.

I’m getting rather fed up with the cold/cough that doesn’t want to leave although thankfully I don’t feel unwell, but I’m very tired, sleeping 10 hours every night.

I made soda bread yesterday. I used half buckwheat and half plain flour and was very pleased with the result. I have stashed the remainder in the freezer.

I also made a very good mushroom ragout which I ate with polenta and lots of lovely seasonal veggies. I’ve eaten much more meat and fish than usual over the past month so this week I’m aiming to get back to my normal diet.
Today’s FD dinner will be dry fried polenta with spicy tomato sauce and veggies.

Have a good one everybody 😜

Hi everyone,

It’s a beautiful day here, blue sky, sunshine and an estimate of 21C.

I went to the gym this morning and am now trying to decide if I should make the most of the weather and go out for a walk or get on with DIY.
Tomorrow is forecast to be 24C with more wall to wall sunshine and I’m going to Richmond Park with a friend so I’ll probably do some DIY 😇

Have a good one everybody 😜

Amazon,

So, did the weather or the DIY win yesterday?!

We’ve got 20c and sunshine forecast here today 😁 I know it’s one day only, but I’m going to enjoy it!

I fasted yesterday. After hitting a very low weight earlier this summer, and not needing to particularly watch what I ate, I have now put back on those 3kg and do now need to start fasting/ eating mindfully again. Drat 😔

Cntryfolk,

How you eat on fast days is entirely up to you. A lot of longer-term fasters choose not to eat at all during the day and have one meal in the evening, as eating nothing is easier than eating a small something and stopping. But if you want to split your calorie allowance into a number of meals/ snacks, you can. It’s really about finding what works and is sustainable for you. Good luck!

Morning/evening all,

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45814659

Become a flexitarian and help save the planet………

It’s a tough ask to convince those of us who aren’t already on board.

Have a good one everybody 😜

Happy, here in the south of France…… rain, rain, rain.
Don’t fly south here for winter

Fast day for me too today- veges at 5pm will be the only meal

Enjoy visiting your feeder in chief

Hi everyone,

It was lovely this morning but the sky looks rather threatening so I’ll need to rescue my washing before it gets an extra rinse!

(rushes off into garden…..)

Happy,

My ADF has already shown on the scales even though yesterday’s 500 calories consisted of a slice of coffee cake and an apple 🤣

I didn’t want to be swapping days when I’d only started on Monday so tea and cake at Pembroke Lodge in Richmond Park went ahead as planned after a really nice walk on a hot and sunny day which felt like July but looked like October (sun low in the sky at 2pm and autumn leaves in all their glory 😎

It was quite funny sitting listening to other café users. The terrace outside the café (which affords stunning views) was very busy and free tables difficult to find. Everyone who came out of the door with a tray of goodies complained to their companion(s) about how many people were there and that there was nowhere to sit. Pot? kettle? 😆

Parents just cannot help but show their love by stuffing us with food can they?

I’ve had a busy and productive day so far. I went to the garden centre this morning when the sun was shining and bought some beautiful purple pansies and white cyclamen to replace some very tired looking busy lizzies and petunias that have flowered prolifically and continuously since the middle of May. The front of the house and my window box now look much nicer. The back garden can wait until next week.

I had an appointment with the sofa man earlier. Back in 1988 I had 2 sofas made and they are due to be reupholstered for the second time. I had no idea what I wanted or even what colour but as soon as I saw the fabric sample I knew it was the one 😉

They’ve got a sale on so are very busy which means the work won’t be done until the new year but I’m not in a hurry and it means I can get the diy done in the rest of the flat before then.
It does mean that I might change my choice of paint for the living room walls as the current colour doesn’t look quite right with the fabric.

It’s raining ☔

Wiwi,

sorry your holiday is a bit wet. I hope it cheers up soon. I’m sure you’ll still be having a good time even if the sun doesn’t shine.

Have a good one everybody 😜

Hi Wiwi,

I always enjoy reading Meera Sodha’s recipes and I love cauliflower curry so I’ll definitely be trying it some time soon. I always make curries the day before I want to eat them as they are so much better once the ingredients have had time to get to know each other 😁

LOL, d**ged ads, RT! Wonder what he was sitting under, ‘Wanted!’?

I can’t help thinking, Wi, that having an alcohol-free month during harvest is punishing yourself too much 🙂

Happy, I am far from a convinced carnivore – back into home-made muesli again, dithering to no good effect with weight creeping up. October is my busiest month at work, and my sleep is playing up again, so I am going to wait a few weeks to seriously address it. Still just having two meals a day, low carb and restrained, so 5:2 is not keeping my weight in maintenance.

I am so pleased that I got an urgent job finished yesterday and could take today off in the usual fashion, as winter has returned with a vengeance. We won’t get to double temperature figures today or tomorrow as an icy Antarctic blast or two racing up the islands – the thermometer is sitting at 8.4! It was a challenge to stay dry (nearly) getting the groceries. Chore done now though.

Happy Friday, all.

Jo, seriously, the Epley maneuver is the ONLY way you will overcome the vertigo. Looking up and rolling over when lying down are the classic indicators of BPPV. Can’t you Google the technique, and get your husband to help you?
Good on you, Amazon. You’ll be thrilled with the fresh new home when you finish.
We have had a month’s worth of rain in a week. Talk about a land of ‘droughts and flooding rain’ (Dorothea MacKellar, My Country)!! Water is flowing everywhere!!
Trying to have a VERY social week, without overdoinging it. 5:2 is excellent training 😉 P

Hard to believe anyone could still imagine humam caused climate change isn’t happening/ has already happened. What a world we are leaving for the future generations. 🤨

Morning/evening all,

Barata,

Fortunately I’m not doing anything more strenuous than climbing the ladder although I have managed to skin my knuckles but I think I’ll live 😀

It’s a dull and damp day here. We had a fair amount of heavy rain yesterday and during the night and judging by the look of the sky there will be more very soon.
I’m awaiting two deliveries today so won’t be venturing far and will be passing the time with paintbrush in hand.

I didn’t fast yesterday so it’s B2B today and tomorrow.

Have a good one everybody 😜

We froze at the weekend – two days when we didn’t get into double figures 🙁 It’s going to be nice this week, though, just as the youngsters go back to school.

As animals (that’s us) store excess energy intake as fat, with the aid of insulin, our goal should be to keep our bloodsugars on a low, even keel and avoid insulin spikes.
The motto should be:
“Keep it flat, don’t store fat”.
Tell yourself this every time you are tempted to eat some high GI foods. 😉😉

Good work Amazon. It’s amazing h oiw good a distraction from food a job is!
We are busy polishing off the frozen leftovers of my birthday meal last week (home cooked, healthy, delicious, but a lot!!!)
I wonder how Jo got on with the Epley maneuver?

With the crazy South Australian weather we have 44.6 mils of rain this month already and it has rained every day this week yet it will be 29 deg tomorrow and Monday. I hope the rain can get to those poor farmers in drought stricken QLD and NSW so glad the Royals made it rain in Dubbo yesterday 😉 what an awesome couple they are amazing humans those images beamed all around the world of the 5yo boy hugging the royals and playing with Harrys beard just so natural and inspiring stuff simply beautiful
Here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rQH7B5QH94
And stopping unplanned on the way out of the farm at the gate a life changing experience for those people..
RT

Hi everyone,

Happy,

The lentil bake is based on AJ’s Puy lentil and sweet potato pie in her first book ( I have a feeling I might have told you this before…..)

I use 200g dried lentils and one can of tomatoes then vary the rest depending on what I’ve got, then add herbs, spices etc of my choice. I can usually make a dish which yields 4 generous portions for a total of 1400 calories so it works well for FDs as it is very filling and freezes well. It’s real comfort food 🙂

I’ve managed 6 FDs since last Monday and am feeling rather pleased with myself and if I can stay busy I think I can keep ADF up for the next couple of months. I’m certainly feeling very motivated and I think the too tight jeans was the final straw.

My best friend is off to New Zealand for a month in a few days time so we’re going to our favourite North African restaurant for dinner tomorrow for a delicious tagine.
I’m planning on fasting until dinner tomorrow and having one course only with some 🍷 as I’m trying to avoid anything that might trigger carb cravings.

The DIY is going well. The ceiling and walls are done and I’ve started on the woodwork which is not my favourite task. I painted 2 doors this morning before losing the will and unpacking my new stencil. It is a 2m high windswept tree complete with swirling fallen leaves and perching and flying birds.
It took me about 4 hours to complete and I’m very pleased with it 😀

I guess I’ll have to bite the bullet and get on with the doors tomorrow…..

I’ve also been busy making mincemeat, C*****mas pud and macerating dried fruits in alcohol for the first cake.

I’m going to make chilli jam with the chillies I’ve grown on the windowsill but I forgot to buy vinegar this morning so it’ll have to wait until Saturday.
A spoonful of chilli jam has livened up many a casserole or sauce that had something indeterminable missing.

Have a good weekend everybody 😜

Amazon congratulations on your stellar fasting I am intrigued by the 6 FDs since last Monday ADF is this protocol just the one evening meal of 500cal for the ladies and zero calories until that meal or consumed within a time restricted eating window?
Either way bloody impressive we here in Australia won’t be needing the jeans its shorts and T-shirt’s just about 😉
RT

Morning/evening all,

A sunny but distinctly chilly morning and it was quite cold last night while waiting for my bus home. Winter is on the way….

I had a good day yesterday, lots of painting, some shopping followed by a coffee and a slice of coffee and walnut cake which called to me from the cabinet as I was ordering my coffee 😋

I then visited my niece and great nephew and spent a lovely couple of hours with them before coming home via the paint shop and I had enough time to sit down with a cuppa before getting changed and heading out for dinner.

We had a lovely evening and as always the tagines were delicious and filling. We always share a portion of cous cous and a portion of bread, purely for the purpose of soaking up the delicious sauce 😉 It was washed down with some very good Moroccan red 🍷 and as usual we were far too full for anything else.

I weigh 6lbs less than two weeks ago so have probably lost 4lbs of excess which is very pleasing as I really want to get back to losing 2lbs per week As my friend is going to be away until the last week of November there’ll not be any pub dinners so that will help me to keep to the plan.

A weekend of painting ahead and then a few days of rest before I start again on Thursday. I’m visiting a friend on Wednesday and she is going to lend me a steam cleaner which will be used in the bathroom and kitchen before they get their winter coat of paint.

Have a good one everybody 😜

Hi everyone,

Happy,

The “ravine” was definitely lovely 😆

Lucky you having all those veggies growing in your garden.

It is a lovely sunny and mild day here but it is much cooler in the early mornings and evenings and I’ve been quite cold on a couple of occasions in the last few days.
My little garden is a mess and needs tidying up, something I plan to do later in the week when I’ve finally driven myself mad being inside with a paintbrush in my hand!
The hall is almost finished but I’m not in the mood today so gave up after painting the cupboard doors and the loft hatch.

I am very pleased with the fact that the weight is finally moving in the right direction and I’m very keen for it to continue.

I overdid things yesterday with wine induced indiscriminate eating so am not eating until dinner today. I’ve swapped today’s FD for tomorrow as I’m busy in the kitchen today and need to be able to taste things.

Have a good one everybody 😜

Morning/evening all,

Another blue sky morning but it’s only going to be 14C today with a minimum of 4C tonight 😱 so I spent a few minutes yesterday evening setting up the central heating schedule for my new boiler and getting my head round the phone app which allows me to turn the heating on or off remotely.

FD today and the last round of painting in the hall will keep my mind from food fantasies 😉

Have a good one everybody 😜

How often do you fast these days RT?
We still stick to Mon/Thurs as it is such a habit now, after all these years. 😉
Have a happy hump day 😊P

Well I missed HFW in his polytunnel ☹️ They certainly do get very warm when the sun shines. I’d suggest though if he was having a sauna in his that the ventilation wasn’t adequate! Was he growing vegetables or was it in fact just a sauna?!

Ah, that would have been in the days before he had his hair cut 😊

Great news on the jeans Amazon! No muffin for lunch then…😀