Hi all,

AO you seem to have a very demanding job, just as well you also seem to love it! Great news re your weight. It was just a matter of re booting!

Wee great to hear from you, so sorry you have been having such a hard time. The recipe for the chocolate brownies with grated sweet potato is on the Facebook page on 1st April. Worth making! Not sure about the cauli rice – I just googled it when I made it, pretty simple.

I felt a bit tired in the pool today, must have been the 6 km walk yesterday! So I slacked off and just swam 25 laps instead of 30. Decided to ‘listen to my body’! We are having glorious autumn weather and its very conducive to getting outside, bit of a shock to my poor bod, 2 swims and 2 long walks in 4 days. But at least its holding up – knees feel great! Jojo, I still don’t know how you manage what you do! We are off to Jamieson for 4 days from tomorrow am, looking forward to more autumn colour and hopefully cold enough nights to light the open fire. Amazon, thinking of you too at present, hoping all as ok as can be. Also SAMM, I do hope you are alright. Take care all.

Hi everyone.

Just a quick check in after busy morning at TAFE, then rushing around the shops then putting everything away as my daughter and I are going out to a cooking demo this evening, when we get to eat the product so definitely not a FD.

Wee, thinking of you as always. Take care of yourself and your dearest ones.

Broke my fast with a milk coffee about 1130am, then salad roll for lunch with OH. At OH’s (strong) suggestion will have a small snack about 5pm before going out but definitely a low-cal day tomorrow. Good news is that this morning’s reading has put me back in the (upper range, admittedly) overweight category, 2.7kg below my birthday weight and 0.1kg less than my previous best the week before Easter. Very happy bilby and good incentive to stay focussed.

AO incredible shrinking woman indeed! We South Aussies are setting the pace.

RT nothing mysterious about home-pickled beetroot just fresh beetroot steamed until tender, then skinned, sliced and put into sweet spiced vinegar – I use SA brand Vine Valley wine vinegar. I assume it’s like the canned beetroot but both mother and MIL did it themselves so not a challenge. OH’s secret passion (apart from me of course 😉 ) is beetroot sandwiches. The Melrose fish oil is meant to be a supplement like the capsules but I use it for cooking and salad dressings for fish – tops up the DHAs painlessly.

Jojo, glad you also showing a loss. I envy your trip and hope it lives up to expectations.

Take care everyone and keep up the good work. n xxx

Nama, pickled beetroot with crumbled fetta sounds lovely. I only eat it in sandwiches or with fish, but will definitely try that. You have also certainly upped the exercise ante – so well done.

AO, not taking back congrats, 2.8kg beats my 2.7kg since last Saturday into the proverbial cocked hat, but I misapplied the ‘incredible shrinking woman’ term to you instead of Wee, not that it’s not true of you as well.

Take care all. n xxx

Mmm, pickled beetroot 🙂 Always a winner, and babies are good in balsamic vinegar too.

We had a poor beetroot harvest last year, but good the year before – beetroot with everything. Lots of just fresh cooked with salads, roast also, and plenty for pickling too.

Fingers crossed for this year! This year’s harvest to be are just germinating in the polytunnel 🙂

AO, good work on the fasting! Great to have such good results to keep you motivated.

Wow I have learnt a lot today thanks Nicky and Nama I was in the wrong house in the right street quite clearly lemon flavoured Melrose fish oil is most certainly not in the cooking oil aisle in my woolworths and I can confirm this and silly billy me mis took pickle as a relish or a chutney like beerenberg style I used to live Hahndorf for a few years so I was wrong on both counts and there is no fish for tea tonight LMFAO
So a 3 egg omelette with mushroom and onion with plenty of parsley salt and pepper I shall regroup over the weekend 😳 I have never made my own beetroot but in our family it was always baby beets never sliced and when heading to bbq and wishing to show off diced beetroot set in jelly yes friends right up there with watermelon and Spanish onion and a mint sprig Master chef you got nuthin 😆
Peace RT

RT you will find the Melrose fish oil at the chemist, its supposed to be “medicinal”! Nicky is clever enough to use it in a way that she can tolerate it. Its another way of having the healthy oil thats usually in capsules, a lot stronger, but it makes me gag! I think you said once that you were the household cook. Does that mean on fasting days you need to make a separate meal for yourself? Sounds like you have moved on from the mint sprig!

Happy I read your post quickly and had a double take on your mention of babies in balsamic vinegar!! About to call in Child Protection!

Hiya everyone I was laughing at the pickled babies too :).

There is still snow on the hills and I have looked out my heavy woolly cardigan coat brrrr.

Amazon I hope you feel better soon pal .
Thanks for the recipes guys .
I used to always pickle my own beetroot too .
Off to take dad out in a minute . have to drop a good neighbour at her work first ..

I have gone from 16 stone 6 to 10 st 13 . 4 st of that on 5.2 . I am still in the overweight zone but I am getting really wrinkled everywhere now lol . I am in size 12 and 14 and I feel really good with that . I think I will try for the 10 st 6 and that would be the 6 stone off and a wee bit to play about with . I keep getting told I am skinny . YES compared to what I was but I don’t think I am near skinny , but I don’t want to be too thin at my age . I need to get my body ironed lol 🙂

Anyway enough of me . I have to go now . See all of you lovely people later

Wee xx

Phew, posts are fast and furious lately, so it seems is the weight loss! Great job to all the big losers: AO, Nama, Nicky, Jojo, and Amazon! Inspiring as always. Despite what life throws at us, we CAN and we WILL adhere to our healthy lifestyle. (while being kind and gentle with ourselves, of course)

Ounces and pounds are coming off in dribs and drabs for me, but the downward trend is continuing. Still sticking to 4:3 and 18:6, 3 fast days under 400, 2-3 days well under 1000, and one day just over. Planning a big graduation party for my son at the end of June, so there is another reason to stay on the straight and narrow for the long term. (just not quite as strict as right now, as I plan to be on maintenance by then!)

Thanks also for the smiles and chuckles you all bring to my day! xoox

Morning fellow fasters. Official weigh day for me and YAY i’m now at my lowest since starting 5:2 albeit by 200g … that means I lost another 300g yesterday YAYA YAYA YAYA. The only area (measurement wise) that is slightly higher than my lowest is my hips they’re 1cm larger still (but had ballooned to 3cm so have lost 2cm since a fortnight ago when I last officially weighed/measured in my book) so now I can officially report 3.1kg gone this week (that’s 6.8 lb). I know this will not be repeatable next week but I’ll try for minimum 2 lb per week from now on otherwise I’ll never get to goal.

On a bright note also I wore a fitted size 16 vest yesterday (it was not stretchy at all as it was quilted too and the fabric was not stretch or forgiving) and it was slightly loose on me and will need some more darts to sit nicely but not sure if I want to do that as I have a feeling I won’t be wearing that too much longer. I also wore a pair of size 16 corporate type trousers and they were also loose on my, including the petite size 16 (they’re slightly slimmer and shorter) as the regular size 16 were so loose and “bagging” around my feet even with shoes on, so they’re officially too big now too (even if I took them up they just feel much looser than the others, although the others are also loose just don’t feel too baggy if you know what I mean).

Still waiting to hear OH’s blood sugar results (he hasn’t been back to the Dr yet!!).

Amazon so sorry to hear you’re so sad, cyber hugs coming your way, be kind to yourself too.

Nicky hoping you beat my loss today 😀 … I’m just so amazed as I’ve not had such a large loss since first starting 5:2

Must admit I chuckled about the babies in balsamic too 😆 it’s good to have a laugh, good for the soul.

Hope Hermaj is okay and doing well, hope to hear from her soon as I know she only posts occasionally but is hopefully still reading 🙂

Well done Wee, Nicky, Amazon, Nama, Jojo and everyone else who’s losing either lb/kg and/or inches/centimetres as remember even though the scales may say the same (or sometimes even a little higher) the trusty tape measure will also let you know where it’s disappearing from. As you all know I measure 3 areas weekly and an extra area once per month. There were weeks where the scales sat on the same weight but the tape measure moved (I was going to say inched) downwards and then the following week I’d have a good loss on the scales with the tape measure either the same of slightly lower.

Happy POETS day everyone or if you prefer TGIF

Hi Fast Trackers and EFB’s (Efficient fat Burners)
Nicky Emel comespring and Aussie O in South Australia Nama & Keirra in Victoria Bay in ACT PVE in NSW WiWi in France & Barata in NZ and Jojo SAMM HappyNow Amazon Herm Lizzy Ply Tartan lass Smiffy Lor_PA CakeyWakey And Hello World (You know Who You) 😉
AO wow what a great chapter to add to our big story book of success on the 5-2 way of life you ought to be congratulated
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.
George S. Patton

One of the best!

CARDIOLOGIST’S FUNERAL

This would be an acceptable reason to laugh at a funeral.

A very prestigious cardiologist died, and was given a very elaborate funeral by the hospital he worked for most of his life.

A huge heart covered in flowers stood behind the casket during the service as all the doctors from the hospital sat in awe. Following the eulogy, the heart opened, and the casket rolled inside. The heart then closed, sealing the doctor in the beautiful heart forever.

At that point, one of the mourners just burst into laughter. When all eyes stared at him he said, ‘I’m so sorry, I was just thinking of my own funeral.

I’m a gynaecologist!’

The priest fainted!

Have a great weekend fast friends
Peace RT

Good morning everyone.

What a lovely way to start the day: pickled babies double entendre and then gynaecologist’s funeral!

I echo AO in thanking you all for your support – such a lovely group of people with whom to share triumphs and lesser moments, along with laughs and cooking hints.

Cooking demo last night very interesting and yummy. The chef was Sal Pepe, one of the original partners of the Cibo group, for my Aussie mates. The main was thinly sliced chicken breast dusted in flour, gently cooked in butter and then a sauce made of the pan juices with pomegranate juice. I love pomegranates and they are just coming into season here so will definitely try a lower-cal version, i.e. no flour, use a non stick pan and tsp of oil and reducing the juice to a syrup – or ‘jus’ 😉 as they say in the fancy places and on that hilarious show Posh Nosh.

Happy POETS or TGIF day everyone. n xxx

Wow, AO, you put us all to shame! Congrats on your great results on the scale and the loose clothing!

Wee, I find those big mushroom caps tend to dry out without, as you say, a wee brush of oil! Filling with caulk rice and cheese sounds good…maybe a little tomato as well?

I just finished a HUGE plate of my new favorite, Pad Thai with vegetables, chicken, and zero noodles, all for a paltry 214 calories, bringing me to a total of 380 for this fast day.

Amazon and SAMM, sending you happy thoughts.

Yes, good to hear from you Lori! Glad you enjoyed your trip!

AO, congratulations

Amazon, sorry to hear that you have problems. Thinking of you.

Nicky, so intrigued by the pickled babies that I will sow baby seeds in my garden and make them.

I have been on the 4:3 and 19:5 for 3 weeks now with 2.5 kilos down. Glad you are below the BMI 30, Nicky. I am just about 30.9. My next goal is to be 29.9.

We are off to Lisbon on Tuesday for a 5-day birthday party with all the children, partners and grandchildren. We love Portugal. So family are flying in from London, Rome, Marseille and even Wellington. Temperatures forecast for 22° to 26°.

I will wear my pink jeans in Portugal. They will go well with the jacaranda flowers, which will be visible there..

In the meantime, we are gardening and mowing 3000 square metres of grass! With the mixture of rain and warmth, weeds and grass are happy.

Happy May Day. It’s lily-of-the-valley day here, though ours in the garden is not quite out due to being at over 3000 feet (1000m).
XXWiwi

Morning All,

Congratulations Smiffy on your weight loss too!

Wow, what’s going on here? Simultaneously everyone has upped their games, and the baby elephant looks to be gaining weight again after a lean few weeks!

All for one, one for all!

Jojo, sorry to hear about your awful evening and night.
I take triple strength Omega 3,6,9 and glucosamine/chondroiting coomplex for my joints. I took them for a couple of months before noticing the benefits, but it has made a huge difference, so maybe you should look into it on your return from what I very much hope is a wonderful holiday.

Jojo hoping you have a better day/night this day. Thinking of you .. cyber hugs coming your way too 🙂

Hoping Amazon and SAMM are okay, am missing SAMM and have seen awesome results this week from Amazon (you are A-Mazing lady).

What a day I’ve had, got to work at my usual time only to recall I was meant to start an hour later today (doh!) but then realised there was so much to get done that it really was good that I came in early, was meant to finish by 4pm but didn’t finish until half past 4, then off to pick up the meat for the dogs (50kg of beef mince in 1kg packs), brought that home, got it from the car up into the kennels and into the freezers (took three trips with the sack truck as could only put so much on at a time), I had to do this as the mince was ordered but OH was also booked for Remedial Massage and would not be able to get there before closing, then I fed the chooks, collected the eggs, came back down to the house, washed my hands thoroughly cleaned my sleeves (as had a little blood on them from the mince meat) then off to deliver some ENJO products to a customer just after 5:30pm and make sure everything was as she wanted, then home to pick up OH then off to dinner (12 km away) and we got there just gone 6pm, after dinner came home, OH prepared the dinners for the dogs then we were off to granddaughters for her 6th birthday (there was cake but I was too full from dinner to have any) and now home and getting ready for tomorrow as I’m steno’ing at a dog held at Dogs SA grounds in Kilburn (OH just back in from feeding the dogs).

I might not get a chance to post until later tomorrow as this laptop is being packed ready for tomorrow.

That sounds yummy, Wee!
Thoroughly enjoyed the movie and my small popcorn, no butter! Came home and cooked dinner, Korean-style pork chops and more zero noodle pad Thai. Smelled and looked delicious, but I realized I just wasn’t hungry, so I am calling this another Fast day, even though I was a bit over 500. My fast days lately have been more like 350. Tomorrow is my regular scheduled fast day, which I will probably still do,. It will be the first time I have ever done 3 fast days in a row.

Re beets, I made brownies that included beets and black beans for my girls on the Run group the other day. Of course I did not tell them about the secret ingredients until after they ate them, and they were a big hit! Not low-calorie, but much more nutritious than regular brownies.

Happy weekend, all!

Hi everyone, had a busy day again today just thankfully not as hectic and stressful as yesterday 😀 … had a yummy chicken supreme last night (well half of it) had a chocolate sundae for dessert, one slice of bread & butter plus a lemon, lime & bitters … I was sooo full up I was uncomfortable (I didn’t need the icecream but as I only have once per week I ate it and enjoyed it) went to granddaughters for cake and coffee but just had coffee.

Tomorrow is packing day getting ready for going to Vic for our Nationals – will be there Thursday late morning/early arvo then leaving Monday morning.

Washing dogs tonight ready for Nationals, but will also have towels etc with us if needed (thank you ENJO for the lovely Pet Pack I got Thursday just in time 😀 – I don’t usually put anything on re ENJO but really excited about this pack and yes, if you ask, I do have an ENJO business but won’t plaster it everywhere in here, this is probably the one and only).

Hope you’re feeling much better this morning Jojo.

Hi Wee, I thought that the other day too that things were very quiet 😀

OH has taken the two dogs we’re taking to our Nationals to the club today for a last minute training session. I’m home as I’ve got to start the packing and getting things organised as there’ll be no time later and we leave 2am Thursday, so when I get home from work Wed it will be dinner and bed (or maybe just bed) as I’m the driver for the first section (and probably the next) as I love to drive and OH doesn’t like to drive at night … we’ll see how things go.

I’ve got myself a little mobile WiFi to take with us so at least I’ll have a bit of internet, not huge amounts so won’t be spending a long time online each time but at least a few minutes per day.

Catch up more later … ciao 😀

Hi RT

Firstly, it is way cheaper to make a short trip from the UK to Europe (or within Europe) on a last minute ticket and to stay at discounted hotels than to journey from Australia. Having said that, I receive emails from Eurostars hotels and from every known Internet travel booking site on a daily basis, offering huge discounts, either as last minute bookings or for off season bookings.

Secondly, we are of the post War generation that grew up in very straitened circumstances and learnt to save for what we want. Like you I have an SMSF that has blue chip shares. It is this income that funds our overseas trip each year. I came from a very frugal background and we save in advance for what we want. The only debt I took advantage of was mortgage debt, and that was paid off as quickly as I could manage.

I aim never to go on the old age pension in my life, if possible. I have my own hard earned super pension to support me. I worked hard for 44 years, and I think I earned my super. I hope you enjoy your retirement when you get to it. 😉 My policy is now to enjoy each year as it comes, as I have seen accidents and illness strike down my contemporaries well before their time. Peace to you and lots of good healthy years ahead!

Cheers, Bay 🙂

Hi Jojo and Wee

Just so you know, I totally agree that this is indeed a way of life for ever. As soon as I start eating sweet things, I put on weight. As a result, today I fast to remove the extra 2 kg that appeared as I overindulged with sweet things on Friday and Saturday. 😉

I think that we are of similar constitutions, with similar reactions to sweet things and processed carbs. I know that I will always have to limit my intake of sweet carbs, if i wish to maintain my weight loss. I can wish all I like for a magic bullet, but that’s the truth of it. I have to go sugar free for my health.

Cheers, Bay 🙂

Hi again RT

Your other point about eating and drinking to excess while on holiday. It’s not necessary. Travel days are best for fasting. All you need is water, and access to facilities. Train trips or flights or coach trips all come with water and facilities provided. I try to never eat any airline food. 😉 just the water.

Since beginning this WOL, I have been on a number of trips. Some where meals were provided, and some where you hunt out your own meals. I fasted at least once a week on each of these long and short holidays. I don’t eat all the food provided, and I certainly don’t eat any wheat products. It’s cheaper not to eat. 😉

We walk everywhere when on holidays. I have only ever gained a tiny amount of weight while away from home, and it was lost within the first week at home with two normal fasts.

Cheers, Bay 🙂