Morning/evening all.

My bedroom is finished and it looks fabulous. I’m really pleased with the way it has turned out and the standard of the work. I sent my builder some photoos after the floor was done yesterday as he keep a portfolio of his projects and he called me to make sure I was 100% happy with the result.Two more days until the furniture arrives and it will be complete.
It was bliss to get back into my bed last night after 16 on the sofa bed. I had spent several hours cleaning, moving and tidying stuff after the floor men had gone and was worn out! I had been worrying about putting it back together and it was so easy, took me all of 5 minutes and 4 of those were moving the pieces back into the room!
Needless to say I slept like a log 🙂

The last piece of old furniture is in the car to be dropped off at the recycling centre, and then I’m off to the gym.

My cold doesn’t want to leave me but it is much milder than many I’ve suffered from and I don’t feel unwell but I had to drink much more on my B2B FDs. At once stage yesterday I felt faint and famished. I realised I hadn’t had anything to drink for a couple of hours. I was momentarily tempted to eat some cake but had 3 glasses of water, some salt and a handful of blueberries and felt fine within two minutes.

A friend popped over and I said I wasn’t opening wine as I was fasting 😆

I’m going to her place for dinner tonight and I’m sure we’ll have a glass or two 🍷

Time to get moving,

have a good one everybody 😜

Hi Jo,

The building work has prompted a major de-cluttering project as I had lots of boxes and bags stowed under the bed and I am reluctant to put them all back. As a result I’m sorting through cupboards and wondering why I ever bought some items, let alone kept them for so long!

I’m also going to paint the hall and the bathroom in the near future and after that the kitchen needs some TLC. My back is so much better I’ll be able to do the painting myself which means it’ll be a fraction of the cost than getting a painter and decorator in, and as I’ve already got 3 holidays booked this year I need to be careful with my pennies.

My workout was really tough this morning as my cold affected my breathing but I got through it. I decided against a swim as I didn’t want to start coughing and inhale any pool water 😮

I’m looking forward to having my dinner cooked for me, I’ve not been to my friend’s for a meal for some time and she is an excellent cook.
I am very weary so I may have to take a nap before I go!

Hi Jo,
I am in Jamieson til Tuesday and wifi a bit hit and miss here when its busy. I don’t think the local service copes when all the ‘weekenders’ turn up!

Had a very brisk walk today as husband was on his new toy next to me – he has finally bought himself the electric bike he has wanted for ages. Was quite funny as he kept shooting off then circling back, but it made for a brisk trot for me! He wants me to get one now, but I think I will stick to swimming. I would probably fall off it!

No Easter Eggs in this house either, easier to avoid if not purchased! Hot Cross buns safely in the freezer (for now), time will tell! We are having a camp oven roast with a big group of family and friends on Sunday, that will be my challenge for Easter!
Good luck with your bowls and your de cluttering – now thats very therapeutic!

Hi everyone.

I had a really nice evening with my friend who bore in mind that I’ve given up bread for Lent and served a prawn and avocado salad, followed by a Stroganoff type dish served with vegetables and then produced an apple frangipane tart and cream!
It was a lovely meal. I ate too much and drank too much but thoroughly enjoyed it.

I am having a half TDEE day today to compensate. My exercise so far this morning has been on my hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor as the mop just wasn’t doing the trick. It is now gleaming and I’m enjoying some Bircher muesli and coffee before cleaning the bathroom. I’m determined to get rid of this dust by the weekend as it is driving me crazy 😷

It is overcast with rain forecast so I won’t be going out today apart from across the road to collect a suitcase full of clothes from my from my friend’s spare room.

I don’t care for Easter eggs as I prefer dark chocolate and prefer it to have something in it such as nuts, ginger or even chilli!
I do have my stash of HCBs in the freezer though…….

Have a good Easter everyone, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing 👯🍷🌷🐇🐥

You paint such a beautiful image of family life in sunny Rome Wi! Enjoy your Easter with the kumquat hunt.
Amazon, don’t get too excited about removing the dust..relax and enjoy your renovations…and your HCBs. 😊 P

Hello EFB’s Efficient Fat Burners
Nicky Emel and Aussie O in South Australia Nama in Victoria Bay in ACT PVE in NSW WiWi & Barata in NZ and Jojo SAMM HappyNow Amazon Herm Lizzy Ply Tartan lass Smiffy Lor_PA CakeyWakey Sarah103 HealthCoachB Tessy pen nib Iona72 Pentimento pranayama and Hello World (You All know Who You ARE) 😉
Jojo good to hear your back on the 19/5 daily it is of course as you all would know one of my soapbox subjects so I will quickly dance around that issue by saying that the baby came out of hospital today at 11am so Aliya and Mum and Dad are starting the great adventure in their home today what a great privilege it is for me to from the sidelines watch over them all and ensure all is well. We also had the traditional wetting of the baby’s head last night in his shed about 20 fella’s got together and we played pool or 8ball played darts watched the footy on the big screen a good game for the opener busted a few unorthodox dance moves to some AC/DC tunes I bought a box a beer and got rid of them with ease and wandered home around 2.30am a little shabby and disheveled today 😯 and Amazon if had a known i would be this thirsty today i would have drunk a few more last night 😆 and so did smashed the low carb concept big time yesterday 😳 with beer yum cheese and onion chips yum pizza yum yum and hot chips with chicken salt yum yum yum 😆 there wont be any easter eggs for me never been a fan now poached eggs scrambled eggs omelettes hard boiled eggs fried eggs yes please all fresh from our farm beautiful

What did the Easter Egg say to the boiling water? It’s going to take awhile to get me hard I just got layed by some chick!

So, Easter commemorates when Jesus hid eggs for the disciples to find, and then he turned all the rabbits into chocolate, right?
Q: Why doesn’t the Easter Bunny make noise when he has sex?
A: Because he has cotton balls.

Q: Why do only 20 percent of blonde chicks lay Easter eggs?
A: The rest are hunt’n peckers.
Q: Have you heard about the blonde virgin?
A: She hangs out with the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.
Peace RT 😉

Hi all,

Jojo I guess that means a 2 week break from bowls too? Goodness that will be difficult for you, but worth it I guess to be rid of your nuisance gall bladder! I find the 19/5 system useful too. In fact this week I have ‘failed’ a couple of fasts, but redeemed myself by sticking to 19/5. So no damage done. Fasting strictly today in anticipation of an ‘eating weekend’ with family and friends at Jamieson.

Purple I agree about the smell of fruit cake cooking, its magic. I have modified my old recipe quite substantially apart from the sugar. I also add extra nuts and vary the fruit according to whats in the cupboard. This week I used some cut up dates, some dried figs and some dried apricots as well as usual sultanas etc. Lots of fibre in the cake! I also double the recipe and make one big cake plus a couple of dozen muffin sized ones. These are rather cute!

RT lucky the baby was a girl, or she would have been in the shed for the head wetting too! I hope your son and his wife are not too stressed to enjoy their miracle. I remember being pretty overwhelmed with my first!

Glorious autumn weather here in Jamieson, perfect for early morning and evening walks!

What are craisins, Purple? Are they chocolate raisins?

It’s good Friday and even though we are not far from the seat of Catholicism, it’s business as usual. I was taught that Good Friday was the holiest day of the Christian calendar, yet in France and Italy, everything is open. In France, the reason is that people prefer Monday holidays and they don’t really work on Fridays anyway.

Happy Easter- today is a fast day for me.

Wiwi

Interesting Wi. As you know, almost everything is closed here on Good Friday and Christmas Day and most people leave Sydney, so it is bliss!
Craisins are dried cranberries…no chocolate here. 😇😇😇P

Sorry to hear about your cold Amazon, how miserable. Fingers crossed you hack it up and shake it off quickly!

Jo, I hope your stomach recovers from the excesses! I know the feeling 🙁 We ought to know better by now…pigeons would learn faster than us though!

P, I bought some freekah a few months ago and forgot about it…I’m sure OH will enjoy trying something new tonight 🙂

I’ve just eaten a HCB. Nice, but I know I’ll be hungry again soon. Was it worth the 200+ calories? Hmm, probably not! Will I eat the rest of the pack? Hmm, probably yes!

No idea where the spanner came from 😄

I wouldn’t travel that far for one!

M&S HCBs will still have a place in my larder, I’ll probably buy a pack of each in future.

Hi everyone,

My furniture has arrived. It took me two hours to unpack it and I now have a car full of polystyrene and cardboard. Guess where I’ll be going in the morning?
The furniture looks good and I’m very pleased with it. The bonus is that my ancient wardrobe is exactly the same colour which is more than I was hoping for.
I’ve put some clothes away but am too tired to do any more until tomorrow.

I’ve been really hungry all day and have been sorely tempted to eat but held out until dinner which hasn’t filled me up so the kettle is on for a mug of tea.
An early night is in order for it to be a successful FD.

This will be my last trip to the tip for a while as I’ve nothing left to get rid of apart from the excess lbs on my body!

I made myself put the remaining clothes away and the good news is that there is only one storage box under the bed and everything else has a home.

I can relax now and enjoy the Easter weekend 😎 🍷🐇🌺🐣🐰

Morning/evening all,

Grey and dull with rain forecast today but I’m out to see some friends who have two small boys who never fail to make me smile.

I went to bed early and survived my FD so was up with the lark this morning. That’s fine as I want to get my bread dough proving by the time I go to the dump/recycling centre. I’m hoping everyone else has better things to do at 8am on Easter Saturday.

I bought a shoulder of lamb for the weekend. I de-boned it yesterday and am going to make a spinach stuffing for it to have for dinner this evening and tomorrow. I have many plans for the leftovers.

I’ve decided not to make dessert as there will be cake when I visit my friends and I really want to try the Simnel cake I’ve baked for them!

Have a good one everybody 😜

Jo, I can feel your frustration as i’m in the same situation and about to give up completely, but I’m going through difficult time and other stresses.

What worked for me before and I would suggest you to try is to treat non-fast days with cautious and to have a well structured eating plan and to avoid bread and starch. That is what I have observed my naturally, effortless slim friends do (have three of them and they are very close to me) Some time you may need to eat your allowance of calories but other times you might not need them. I think this is the trickThe most important thing is to RELAX. You will be able to achieve your goals better when you are relaxed than when you are stressed. You are half way through and you have done the hard bit. Think about what you have achieved so far. Amazing!! think of all people who are participating in this forum and inspired by you!

You are an INSPIRATION to all of us. I wouldn’t have lost this stone and a half without participating in this forum. I was talking to my friend the other day and told her that it’s so good and free while other weight lose programs charge to participate in their forums.
Keep Calm and Carry on Fasting.

Hi Jojo, Tasa and Amazon.
I think you are ALL right about certain things.
Congratulations on sticking with it whilst having other stresses Tasa, you are so right about Relaxing!
I agree with you Amazon re strict meal planning and not relying on exercise to burn calories.
Jojo, to me there is a clue when you said (a couple of posts back) that you felt ‘deprived’ if you are sensible and refuse to eat unhealthy foods (HCB etc). Firstly, you need to remember that you are almost half way thru this journey. So you must be doing lots of things right. However, I think you need to do some soul searching (or have hypnotherapy) about your relationship with food. You need to be tough with yourself here, really decide if it is worth it to be healthy and slim. I think that is the main breakthru many of us have made – we have decided, that although we do love food, we are not going to let it rule us. The pleasure we get from it is real, not imagined. But we need to limit the amount of unhealthy stuff or it will alway rule us. That is what is so wonderful about fasting. We can still enjoy the more calorific food, just much LESS of it than we used to! More exercise wont hurt you but it wont be nearly as effective as cutting calories.
I hope this gives you something to consider. Just remember, you have lost a lot of weight already and you can master this challenge!

Just came in to say hiya . Jojo I am a stress eater too and I am finding it really hard at the moment , I wanted something sweet so I just made myself custard with my special milk and my Kid on sugar ( as Jim Calls it) worked out at under 350 cals . , I might not be around as much for a wee while .

Yesterday Jim had another appointment with the vascular surgeon . He had a CT scan ( more precise than the ultrasounds he has been having the last 10 years). The AAA is now large enough to operate BUT not suitable for a stent to it is to be Major open surgery. he is to have a fitness assessment ( the recon within about 2 weeks) to see if he is fit for the anaesthetic etc. So it is now a waiting game . Jim is OK with it as he is getting lots of pain in his legs now and the surgeon said it would fix them . he said 2 for the price of one . We talked a lot about it all day yesterday . mostly about the plusses . So it is now a waiting game . xxxxxxxxx

Hello EFB’s Efficient Fat Burners
Nicky Emel and Aussie O in South Australia Nama in Victoria Bay in ACT PVE in NSW WiWi & Barata in NZ and Jojo SAMM HappyNow Amazon Herm Lizzy Ply Tartan lass Smiffy Lor_PA CakeyWakey Sarah103 HealthCoachB Tessy pen nib Iona72 Pentimento pranayama and Hello World (You All know Who You ARE) 😉
Hi jojo I find your relationship with your husband some days and ex-husband other days strange I have a lot of separated friends and I doubt they would be welcome in their ex’s homes little lone dine out with buy food for with treats etc so you certainly do a very “open” relationship with him it would seem. Now for the tough love we all eat too much and we all have the capacity to eat too much crap not a good combo in this fast life we need to adopt the “survivor” mentality to outwit out last and outplay the fast because the less we eat the more we lose so there for clearly somewhere in your calculations there must be errors in establishing a base line of 800calories for the BSD or the 1200 non fast day. I still think
“It is easier to avoid eating than to stop eating once started”

Peace RT

Good Morning and Happy Easter from Out Back of Downunder!
Sorry to read your news Wee, but what a relief to get rid of the damn aneurysm if its been hanging around that long. And a bonus of the leg pain resolved! This is 2016 Wee, they will be very careful with your dear Jim. But none of that makes it less scary does it? I hope you enjoyed that custard, very beneficial with calcium in the milk! A few years ago you would have had a lot more than just custard!
RT you are such a gentleman – for not mentioning my teams crushing last night! Your Crows didn’t disgrace themselves like the Pies did! Apologies to all the footy haters – its that time of the year again here!
I hope you all have a lovely Easter Sunday with your famiies or significant others, whoever they are! xx

Have not personally tried hypnotherapy Jo, but I know several cigarette quitters who have used it with great success. Worth considering. Apparently it can tap into our sub conscious and challenge our deep seated beliefs, thus enabling us to change them.

Morning/evening all,

Jojo, I was wondering about hypnotherapy, it might be worth a try. As Nama says it has helped a lot of smokers to give up.

It is so hard and we have to be so careful and sometimes I feel guilty for eating something I really didn’t need or if I’m out somewhere, like a party pooper for saying no thanks but it is how I feel not the person offering the food so maybe I should join you!

Talking of walking, Kew are opening their doors to their members at 8am from 1st May which means I’ll be able to get up early and walk there when it is quiet. It is a great opportunity to see the gardens that early in the day. I’m thinking of trying to go twice a week on the mornings I don’t go to the gym.

I baked some wholemeal seeded bread yesterday which was much firmer than the white loaf I usually make and made it easier for me to cut thin slices. I thoroughly enjoyed my bacon sarnie and shall be having one for brunch today. The rest of the loaf is in the freezer keeping the cake and the HCBs company. I noticed a slab of all butter puff pastry that I bought for something I planned to make at Christmas and was tempted to defrost it and make something sweet, but I pushed it under a packet of frozen veg and shut the door!
I went to visit friends yesterday and took chocolate for her and the boys and a Simnel cake which was very good if I say so myself. I do find it amazing how cutting the sugar by half is barely noticeable. I might try cutting by 2/3 next time I bake and tasting the raw mix to see if it is OK.

I cooked my spinach stuffedd lamb shoulder last night and had it with spring cabbage, cauliflower and onion sauce. I would usually have had roast potatoes and parsnips but decided I had reached my carb limit for the day, something that wouldn’t have occurred to me before 5:2.

I used to cook a roast dinner for myself every weekened when I was working and take leftovers for lunch. It is a rare treat now and I think I enjoy it much more.

I woke up to sunshine streaming through the windows but it has clouded over very quickly and the clouds look rather threatening so I think I’ll stay home and keep my hacking cought to myself.

Have a good one everybody 😜