This topic contains 16,527 replies, has 252 voices, and was last updated by Bob23 10 months, 3 weeks ago.
Hi, Jojo, I passed the message on. He makes no promises 🙂 When are you planning to be in NZ? We will be in Sydney after Christmas for perhaps ten days, catching up with children, grandchildren, P, Mr P…. Thanks, P, we enjoyed last night 🙂
It’s a glorious spring day here. I have worn myself out in the garden so that there is little left to do. Lawn mowed (that’s OH’s chore), edges trimmed, roses shooting, weeds pulled, life is pretty good.
Jo, I hope you’ve dried out now! I’m the opposite – my waterproofs are all mountain-wear, so I always stay dry…but I’m always left feeling like a complete bumpkin when in town…
I’m having a slow day today, making chutneys, pickles and piccalilli. Most of it is homegrown although I did have to buy a cauliflower and cooking apples, my caulis are never ready at the right time and my apple tree isn’t producing yet. Ah well, maybe next year.
No fasting this weekend, but I’m trying to be good. I’m back in my maintenance zone and want it to stay that way 😀
Evening all
It’s been cooler today with a few showers earlier but it is a fine evening with plenty of sunshine.
I’ve been in the kitchen today too. I made some bread as I was craving a bacon sarnie which I had for my main meal followed by some roasted fruit with yoghurt and seeds.
I made cake too, a boil and bake fruit cake. I’ve made it before and it is very good but only makes a small cake and as it is a gift I wanted a bigger cake so I doubled the ingredients apart from the sugar and made two. One is perfect to give and the other is tiny and gives me a chance to check how it tastes with less sugar.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it 😉
FD again tomorrow, I’m aiming for food free fasts and ADF for the next couple of weeks as I’ve now nailed not over eating the day after a fast but if I have 2 consecutive non fast days I’m in trouble on the second one.
These things are sent to try us………
Happy, there is nothing I love more than spending a day in the kitchen making chutneys and I’m going to try some pickles too this year. When I was younger I didn’t like mustard so avoided piccalilli but I intend to give it a go. I’ll buy some onions to pickle too as I love them and of course all these things make fabulous Christmas gifts.
Hi P, it’s funny isn’t it, the things we take for granted? I’ve grown up with piccalilli so assumed everyone else must have!
I’m trying a Hugh F-W recipe this year. Still a little bit in love with him 😊
As I was preparing the vegetables for salting today I realised how totally spoilt we are now, with our fridges and freezers and supermarkets where everything is always in season. No need for us to be squirellng away nuts for winter. Out of nuts? Just go to Booths [other supermarkets are available, if you are unfortunate enough not to live in NW England 😀] and buy some more.
No joke! I get tired just reading all posts from Jo’s busy schedule. I get my workout just reading it.
i normally get very stressed out in how to feed guests. Kosher didn’t come into my territory yet.
I didn’t want to ask and Purple read my mind 😂😂😂. Happy, Amazon and many others are excellent cooks. ❤️
Hi Fast Trackers and Hello World (You All know Who You ARE) 😉
Monday and spring is in the air I am really looking forward to the fast day today we had a family wood chop at the farm along with a big bbq and a few treats so just need to balance that all out. Yfee has tentatively re emerged from her self-imposed food coma 😉 and has once again shown some interest in the 5-2 way of life I really just need to step by step the basics I think and not allow her to be overwhelmed I see Barata has it all under control in their happy house good from you.
In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision. Dalai Lama
“It’s is easier to avoid eating than to stop eating once started”
Peace RT
It’s very positive to read your motto RT as I embark on my Monday fast-
Nice sounding preserves, Amazon and Happy.
Good to hear about Mr B, Barata, and you sound so full of energy as I guess spring gets into your spirit. You had a rough time weather-wise for a while.
So your travels have finished for the moment, Purple. Is it hard to come back to earth.
Enjoy your time with Smiffy, Jojo.
My cholesterol was up at my last bloodtest too, HCB.
Sarah and Wee- good to see you passing through.
My cavalo nero is going well, Nama, after my introduction in Melbourne. I break it into bite sized pieces, put a little olive oil on it and bake for 10 minute. An amazing substitute for potato chips (crisps). My OH is hooked!
Our end of August heatwave finished yesterday and the temperature today will be 23° max after two weeks of 30°+. I feel energetic and have already spent an hour in the garden.
Thanks, SlimmJim for your very interesting idea of being carless. I am going to try it in NZ, where we have no car at all.. France is not really a co-operative style country. In France the links are between people and the the powers that be, and traditionally these powers have solved people’s problems and told them what to do (like not wear burkinis on beaches). So links between people are not necessary for survival.
The saga of the car has moved on. We sent it back to Italy to be fixed by the mechanic who sold it-this guy by now having very grave concerns about French mechanics. We still have another car though it is 16 years old.
So today looks set out work outside, swim in the local waterhole, and not eat.
Lovely reading your post, Wiwi. I’m fasting today, no food so far until 7 pm. If I keep going another 30 minutes I will have fasted for 24 hours. I have felt no hunger pangs at all. Monday fasts are easier than the second one of the week, I find.
RT, love your work 😜😜. Am up 6 kg on my lowest weight. All through indulging in wheat, sugar and fermented grape juice. Basically eating too much. 😉😉 Have to give them up for a month to reset my appetites.
Amazon, for variety of exercise today, I painted the 2 metre side fence. Getting up and down the stepladder and painting at arms length is tiring. I think I will sleep well tonight. I’m watching your posts with interest. Yesterday I planted orange and yellow ranunculus, purple violas and a daphne bush. The lavender is blooming, along with double prunus, and the bees are out already.
Hi Purple, you guessed correctly that silence means I am not fasting as per the plan, but rather indulging myself in wheat and sugar products. Really, I’m plain eating and drinking too much for my own good. 😬😬
Back on the wagon. 🌺🌺🌺😏😏😏.
Cheers, Bay
Hi Fast Trackers and Hello World (You All know Who You ARE) 😉
Great to see you Bay your candid honesty I love very much but you are not fazed nor concerned confident in your own fasting ability it is a powerful force, Yfee stuck it out till 4pm and rather than eat the cushions off the couch I gave her a hardboiled egg wrapped in a lettuce leaf not sure where this hack originated from but thanks Purple 😉 I will slip quietly through till tomorrow other than wearing a path to the loo no physical hassles and I have made yfee a broccoli chicken stir fry with garlic red capsicum very colourful she has done well.
“It’s is easier to avoid eating than to stop eating once started”
Peace RT
Hello all,
Great to read everyones posts, especially to know I am not alone with my Monday (water only) fast! Only 3 weeks to the wedding, so I am well motivated. Relaxed weekend eating (sorry Healthcoach, another roast lamb on Saturday!) means I need to be strict on a Monday. Helping out at sons today (picking up the poodle poo in the back garden!) and enjoying our first real sunshine for ages kept me on the wagon. At least his leg seems to be healing, pain receding at last.
Other son in constant anticipation of the imminent arrival of his first child, it seems they are the first young couple ever to conceive a baby! They have been told the gender of the bub, I hope the ultrasound is accurate! I quietly suggested that mistakes have been made in this area and they were horrified that I would even suggest such a thing!! I thought it was prudent to plant the seed that they might get a real ‘surprise’ just in case…..
Your plants sound gorgeous Bay, the combination of blues and yellows is a favourite of mine. My lavender is attracting bees already too, love it.
Wiwi I am thrilled that you are enjoying a vegetable that you discovered in Melbourne! And what a great way to prepare it. And lovely to read of Happy & Amazons preserving. I have been thinking about making another Sri Lankan Xmas cake this year and time to start the puddings soon! Where did this year go??
RT I hope your wife appreciates you! I cooked my mans dinner whilst fasting and sipped a coffee while he enjoyed roast vegetables and a home made pastie.. it really is all in the mind set isn’t it? Yes the egg in the lettuce leaf is another of Purple’s gems! Wonderful that your wife is taking an interest again! We wont mention the last round of the football, except that our last game of the season was a cracker!!
Exciting times, Nama 😊
Yes RT, egg in lettuce was one of my tricks. Another is Bite Me brand Veggie Patties (22cals each). Available in some independent grocers. Great for early fasters.
I have to revise my 23:1 fasts. I fast for 23 hours and 50 minutes, gobble my fish and salad in 10 minutes, then another 16 hours overnight. I CANNOT eat slowly on fast days 😇😇 P
Hi Bay RT Nama and Purple
All of you are gem sharers
Lucky all of you to have nearly finished the Monday fast. I can tell you, it’s not good psychologically to hear that Monday fasts are nearly over. I have been strimming for 40 minutes and came in for tea (no milk) as this is exercise plus. Our jungle is very dry- more like savannah in fact.
Good to know your son is getting better, and I imagine you are all in anticipation for the new baby,Nama!
It seems quiet on the UK front this morning, the US is not awake yet, and our resident kiwi already at bedtime.
I am finding all fast a challenge at present, Bay. My head is not in quite the right space.
Bonne nuit, les Antipodéens.
Wiwi
Nama a one point loss in a cracking game of AFL your win would have changed the finals and had my hair standing up and heart beat going off the chart your boys pushed shoved and challenged the 3 pete GF winners who I thought where average at best and damn lucky to get a win I was cheering as I am sure you will appreciate despite your DIL hawks dominance wow we did hit a new low against west coast terrible and shot the shit out of our GF thoughts but it did not eliminate the chance. Yfee is more important to me now than ever before after 35 years 33 married and 2 years building the foundations so whatever I can do to (as you gardeners will attest) prune back hard and be harsh to allow new growth and longevity I am all for so that said she beat Purple woofing it down but a good plunger coffee black bay is also very satisifying is it not.!!
The question is not “Why are you fasting?”, but “Why are you NOT fasting?”
Peace RT
Morning/evening all,
It is a lovely warm day with a mixture of cloud and sunshine. I gave the garden a good soaking yesterday evening and have been out this morning transplanting. I have an oxalis (think clover leaves) with purple leaves and the palest lilac-pink flowers and its seeds shoot up anywhere and everywhere, so I moved one this morning along with a baby from another plant which sends tendrils out from which new plants grow in the same way as strawberries, and just for the sake of it rearranged the pots in a different pattern 🙂 That kept me out of mischief for 20 minutes!
Lots of SH news overnight for me to wake up to. Hi Bay, Nama, RT, Purple and those slightly closer HCB, Wiwi and anyone else who I’ve forgotten.
Piccalilli was the bright yellow stuff lurking in a jar in the larder that smelled of mustard so I always avoided it and it wasn’t home made which is invariably far superior in my experience. I’m going to make some in the next week or so along with a few other preserves. There are so many to choose from on line and I’ve seen a recipe for spicy pickled carrots that made my mouth water so might give them a go. They would go very well with the ham hock terrine I’m thinking of making for the festive season and equally well with plain ham if I change my mind.
As I’m away in October I’m going to make mincemeat and some gluten free (why not) mini Christmas puddings too.
The Monday FFF (food free fast) is on.
Bay, I’ve spent far too much time talking about and not getting on with losing weight and am now making a concerted effort. I’m a few pounds shy of healthy weight range and normal BMI and really want to get there before my next trip in October. I’ve been trying various methods to help me decide what will work best for me at present and am hoping I’ve found it. Watch this space but don’t hold your breath 😉
RT, so pleased to hear that Mrs RT is giving it another go. Let’s hope she’ll be able to stick with it this time 🙂
Have a good one everybody 😜
Good Morning/Evening
Looks like I will be always the last one from our tribe to get the news being far west.
Some of you are done with it and here I am sipping on black coffee and get busy. I want to be focus this week but not too much pressure or big promises.
While SH’s are seeing the rebirth of your flora slowly I see a change here. Our birch trees have some yellow leaves already and another month Fall and it’s beautiful colors.
Looks like Mrs RT is willing to be part of our tribe. Good food you gave her there RT and YES why not to Fast is part of my life.
Is there any scientific explanation between cholesterol and Fasting?
Glad to see some of you back on board ❤️
See you later 🙏
HCB,
Cholesterol is stored in fat cells so if you are burning them it will be released but the elevated level is thought to be temporary.
There is also a theory that high cholesterol isn’t as dangerous as we have been led to believe unless someone has familial hypercholesterolaemia.
I am always sceptical about being informed that something increases risk of (insert word of choice) It is easy to get things out of proportion and I try to bear in mind that the most dangerous thing we do after breathing (all that air pollution) is crossing the road, something most of us don’t give that a second thought.
It’s been a beautiful summer’s day here, and another day harvesting and preserving. i also got out for a run, the first for a few days following an odd foot injury last week. I didn’t fast, but it has been a mindful day with no added sugar or refined carbs. I’ve got a day of meetings on Wednesday so plan to fast then.
RT, great news that Mrs RT is dipping her toe back in the fasting pool! Be gentle with her 😀
Bay, sounds like you need a Lent or Advent challenge to get back on track?!
Hi Fast Trackers and Hello World (You All know Who You ARE) 😉
Thanks guys yes Yfee had a good experience and needs to follow that up tomorrow she assures me it takes 6 weeks for her to form a new routine so gently Bentley and steady as she goes for me but more importantly proving to herself that she can be a successful faster and that you know what you actually don’t die 😉 fasting
I took Dad to see a Professor of Geriatric Medicine yesterday 800km round trip for a check-up and update of his Alzheimer’s and Dementia status he is continually slipping away and things are noticeably deteriorating for him.
On the drive back he started laughing so I asked him what’s up mate. He said he just thought of something funny while we are driving home along a straight stretch of road so the world is round right so what stops the other silly buggers on the bottom from falling off??
LOL Moment right there people!!
Happy Hump Day
Peace RT
While at the skin clinic, having another pre cancer burnt off at my bi annual check up (a reality when you have fair celtic skin in a tropical clime), I commented to the doctor that I have had fewer in the last 3 years, since I have been using all over moisturiser and SPF 30 moisturiser on my face, hands and chest. He agreed. Apparently there is growing evidence that daily use of these products not only reduces occurrence of melanomas, but actually heals pre melanomas. I won’t be giving up the practice. 😶
He also added that olive skinned people tend to get burnt more often as we sensitive skinned folk cover up or seek shelter earlier. I knew that! ☺ P
Interesting Logic, RT dad.
I got a funny comment from a student here in France once who asked why we don’t fall off the earth in NZ. I told him we wear magnets on our shoes. He seemed quite satisfied. The antipodes of Wellington NZ is halfway between Barcelona and Majorca if that helps calculation of your antipodes.
BTW Ply, I am far from being perfect, but I have a very nice OH. But it’s great that our entourage are benefitting, Mr Barata and Ms RT. My OH lost his excess kilos two years ago with ADF with me.
Fast for me again today as I try for 4:3 still.
Warm here still so swimming is the plan.
Wiwi
All right my lovely fasters, for no good reason I have decided to have a sugar-free September. That’s no added sugar, of course, so wine is still on the menu 🙂 Perhaps this will help wean me off the ice-cream – not that it’s a problem, note, but still… I think I can manage meals out (taking OH out on Saturday for his 66 2/3 occasion, but would rather have two entrees than dessert), a weekend with family, any anything else that might pop out of the woodwork. And if I fall off the wagon, 🙂 not a worry in the world! Okay, I have just checked my chocolate, and although it’s 72% cocoa it still has 33 gm of sugar per 100 gms! So I need to binge tonight (just kidding, I don’t think it will expire that soon).
Another gloriously sunny day today, but a high haze is blocking all but the brightest stars now. And spring tomorrow !!! For you in the NH, we here can’t wait for the change of seasons, and record it on the first of the month rather than the equinox.
Not sure what’s opposite SA, but if you drill a hole here you come out in Spain. Perhaps that’s what’s happened to Pentimento (sp) in Portugal.
Morning/evening all,
Another fine morning here, we are so lucky to be having such a good summer 🙂
My Grandma believe that the earth was flat and that people didn’t go off the edge because they never travelled in that direction. There was no changing her mind either! As they say across the water, go figure……….
Second FD of the week for me and it’ll be food free. Yesterday I had a single meal at 3pm which worked well. Hopefully I can stick with this routine for a few weeks. I’ve written a menu plan for the week and shall do my best to stick to it. I am selecting recipes from my Ottolenghi book “Jerusalem” and also using Hugh F-Ws book “Veg” for inspiration. My intention is to make my non fast day meal special by trying different dishes and food combinations in the hope that I don’t feel deprived by ADF.
Jo, I know how you feel as I’ve been going round in circles for so long, but we are both still trying, working at ways to curb our errant willpower and determined to succeed. The circuitous route is obviously our destiny!
Have a good one everybody 😜
Good Morning/Night
Finally we have nice acceptable weather for my liking. And yes! Very dry and not rain predicted.
I’ve been lately working a little bit in the yard. Just pulling weeds and doing some transplants. Maybe I am a little late but I’ll baby them so they get strong for the winter.
I wish some people would fall off the earth. Meanwhile myself just go out there many times barefoot and glue myself on Her. It feels wonderful to feel connected with Mother Earth.
My weight is lingering over a number as if I am on maintainance. I am not trying that hard but for sure I am lighter. Tomorrow in 2nd F of the week.
For those of you Fasting today and for the ones on the Land of tomorrow. GOOD FASTING.
Xoxo
Hi Fast Trackers and Hello World (You All know Who You ARE) 😉
Happy fast day people I have 10200 steps in the bank for the first day of spring looking forward to the day ahead I have left yfee 2 hardboiled eggs to break in case of emergency 😉 today and I will make a lovely little grilled chicken breast with spinach garlic cherry tomatoes and olives for her dinner taken from the EODD book.
Welcome back Jojo there is plenty of support and encouragement here for you inside this forum make a plan everyone needs a plan right.
Barata yes we are missing a few I am sure they are lurking though it is an addiction to check on the who were what when and why daily well it is for me men are funny creatures 😯
Amazon your planning is in line with my thinking here one single eating occasion middle if the day with ADF for optimum health benefits across the board and good weight loss to commit to a plan is essential so this is such a powerful force well bloody done you.
“Second FD of the week for me and it’ll be food free. Yesterday I had a single meal at 3pm which worked well. Hopefully I can stick with this routine for a few weeks. I’ve written a menu plan for the week and shall do my best to stick to it. I am selecting recipes from my Ottolenghi book “Jerusalem” and also using Hugh F-Ws book “Veg” for inspiration. My intention is to make my non fast day meal special by trying different dishes and food combinations in the hope that I don’t feel deprived by ADF”
Today I will cruise through on water and black coffee with some green tea.
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. Albert Einstein
The difference is between restricting some foods all the time (CER) and restricting all foods some of the time (IER). This is the difference between failure and success.
Peace RT
Hi RT,
Thanks for your kind words. This week is going well but it’s only Wednesday so no counting chooks just yet 😉
Today has been tough but it’s nearly done and I’m feeling OK. I kept busy by taking a leaf out of Bay’s book and doing chores. I now have the cleanest floors in the Northern Hemisphere 😎
I am such a foodie that making every meal special and sampling new dishes really appeals. Whether it works or not remains to be seen, but at least I’ll enjoy trying 😆
Jo,
I hope your fast went well? Sorry to hear your weigh in wasn’t good, presumably a little overindulgence with friends? I’m sure it won’t set you back too much, so don’t get too down!
Amazon,
I’ve got Ottolenghi’s Plemty but not Jerusalem, so please tell us what you’re cooking! I may have to add it to my collection. OH is away for nearly half of September so I’ve got a window for cooking stuff I know he won’t like!
I’ve fasted today, broken at 24 hours with Anna Jones tomato, roasted red pepper and halloumi stew. And I ran 5km up and downhill at 22 hours fasted. I can’t lie, I was slow and my legs felt weak and heavy. But I’m feeling virtuous this evening 😇
Happy,
There is a recipe for fried cauliflower in tahini dressing which I’ve adapted by tossing the florets in a small amount of oil and roasting them. I made it with my friend when in Herefordshire and this is the second time I’ve made it since getting back. I’ve adapted it slightly each time as when we first made it we fried the cauliflower which was messy and time consuming and had too much dressing as we had halved the amount of cauliflower but not the dressing. I made it it yesterday using less water in the dressing so it was thicker and coated the cauliflower. IMO it is best at room temperature and I had it with wild mushrooms with garlic and a salad.
I’ve also made beetroot puree with yoghurt and za’atar which is also delicious.
There are several other recipes calling to me that I’ll be trying out soon.
I use Hugh’s bread recipe from his Veg book for pizza bases and flatbread which goes well with the cauliflower and the beetroot, not that I had any yesterday. I’m going to look through it again tomorrow and see what I can make from the veg tray in the fridge that will go with the remaining cauliflower.
I struggled to get going at the gym yesterday but once I got up to speed all was well. I think it’s the hot weather but I’m not sure how warm it is where you are.
“I have a lot of excitement in my life. I used to call it stress, but I feel so much better now that I call it excitement” Stolen from F/B on this lovely first day of Spring – Happy September everyone!!
We had an exciting evening. No baby yet unfortunately, but an appointment at the wedding venue to sort details – made it all very real. DIL to be is such a darling, the least ‘Bridezilla’ ever, my son is such a lucky boy.
Its also exciting for me to see my garden ‘waking up’ with Spring, absolutely the best time of the year…
Amazon you may be struggling a bit, as we all do, but be assured your voice of wisdom is often in my head! I am doing M/W/F water only fasts this week, trying to compensate for a bit too much social eating. Like many of you, for me its so much easier just to stick to water and coffee. My treat at the end of the day is 2 lovely brazils, chewed slowly and enjoyed (thanks Bay!) Amazon or Bay, could you please pop in a Tardis and come and do my floors? They could do with some help!
Loved the picture of your wife breaking those eggs in an emergency RT! I hope she finds her Thursday fast easy. I think the biggest thing I have learned over the past few years is simply acceptance (sounds like I have been to AA!). Acceptance that I can never eat as much of all that lovely food that I used to and expect to stay slim, plus acceptance that I have to stay vigilant forever. But using fasting as a regular ‘brake’, that no longer seems too hard – I CAN have my cake and eat it! Just a bit less than previously… Such a small price to pay as my size 12 jeans are getting baggy!
Have a lovely day all. Husband working today so I am lunching with a friend and fitting in some retail therapy – I must need something?!!!
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3:27 am
28 Aug 16