Jojo, it’s clearly driving you potty having your exercise restricted – I hope you are given the green light when you go back to your specialist. Have you tried mindful meditation? It can be a good way to spend an hour. I do it if I can’t sleep by listening to a guided meditation on my MP3 player. It doesn’t always send me to sleep but it can be both relaxing and energising at the same time which is weird.

Hermaj thank you for the recipes. Tonight we are having Yotam Ottolenghis recipe for Harissa spiced veg, OH will either have pasta or jacket potato and I will have zero noodles. Anyone tried the zero pasta? I know the noodles are an acquired taste, but if drowned in a tasty sauce they are ok by me.

Versy, I bet you could get up Snowden a lot easier now!

Thanks, Cheeseplease. I ordered Plenty, one of Ottolenghi’s cookbooks, and it is on its way.

JoJo : Just printed off Nigel Slater’s almond and lentil stew receipe. Looks gorgeous – I think I might make it tomorrow. Thanks for that.

V xxxxxxx

PS can I dip bread in it lol??? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sorry Jojo, my previous post was inadvertently misleading, the veggie and lentil curry is my own recipe.

I love Thai green curry. I’ve got an ancient Rick Stein book that has a monkfish and prawn green curry recipe which includes how to make the paste from scratch. I’ve used it lots of times substituting monkfish with other white fish and even chicken, and substituting the vegetables in it. I’ve also use home made and ready made curry paste, and it never fails.

I’ve had my calories for the day too and I am not hungry at all but the book I’m reading has a lot of references to food and restaurants so I’ve had to put it down.
Does everyone fast on a Monday? I’d guess they do.

Awww night Jojo …….I remember laurel and Hardy lol . 🙂

Wee xx

Hi JoJo : I’m glad you liked your stew. I am a chilli head so will be adding some birds eye red chillis to blow my socks off. I entered a chilli eating contest in Perth (Scone Palace) last year but bombed out of the 4th round. Thought I would go further seeing I eat raw chillis on sandwiches. It was the raw scotch bonnet that did it for me – ouch!!!

Hi Cheeseplease : I’m afraid I do remember the Waltons – night Mary Ellen, night Jim Bob.

I’m fasting too but I have some calories left for my homemade mushroom soup. It is from the Hairy Bikers Mum’s Know Best and is yummy!!!!

Hope everyone makes it through the rest of the night ok. Got aerobics and zumba tomorrow and might throw in a kettlebell workout if I’m feeling energetic.

Night all.

V xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Night night Wee – St Ninians is lovely. I must get the dogs walked there some time. Nearly time for soup – getting hungry again then an early night with a book.

Planning what I can cook tomorrow because my fast day will be over – yipppppeeeeeeee!

V xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I have only ever made an attempt at a curry once and it was mild chilli powder I used . My hubby just like PLAIN food as he calls it BUT I am going to give a more adventurous go at some time . I will watch for a recipe here on the site and bake a batch and freeze them just for myself . I want an easy one ( not too many ingredients) lol .

Wee xx

Evening, all! Haven’t thought about the Waltons in quite some time!
Great fast day today, so busy at work that I didn’t have time to eat, or even think about eating. Came home and made a stir fry with leftover pork, lots of veggies, and zero rice. Delish and satisfying!
Jojo, I have not done a thing with the dollhouse yet, except think about it and look at adorable miniature things online! First project will be painting the outside and the trim. The two-story porches need a little glue on the railings, and the front door needs new hinges. After that, floors and walls inside, and I will be doing wallpaper in some rooms!
Tomorrow is our first practice for Girls on the Run, and I am beyond excited! I think I posted the link before, but if you have a moment, check it out: http://www.girlsontherun.org
All the food and recipes sound amazing! My Ottolenghi cookbook finally arrived today, and I can’t wait to try the recipes. The pictures alone make one’s mouth water!
Will probably do a B2B fast tomorrow, since it promises to be another very busy day! Goodnight, all!

Good morning all.

So many posts… Hope I don’t forget anyone.

Hermaj, glad to see you are keeping at your dissertation. Recipes sound like a great distraction.

Ply, Amazon and Cheeseplease – great news about smaller clothes. I also sew and altering is very satisfying, as well as good for the pocket.

Jojo, good to hear your new bowls club foray went well. Looking forward to hearing yours and Ply’s progress in the 9lb competition. You asked about hobbies … dare I say eating? Others include reading, propagating plants (I’m a botanist in my working life), baking, knitting for my grandchildren.

SAMM thanks for more interesting nutritional information. As Jojo suggested, have you thought about retraining as a nutritionist/dietician?

Weemam – jeans! Good on you. I’m wearing again some size 16 moleskins in jeans style and in the back of my wardrobe there are 2 pairs of size 12 Levi 501s which I intend to wear again, even if I’m 70 when it happens.

Cheeseplease, your visit to Snowdonia was a sad occasion but what a nice way to mark it. I don’t drink or smoke either. As Hermaj says, non-drinkers are viewed as party poopers and I’m always pressured to ‘just have one’. I tell them alcohol tastes like paint thinner to me (it does – I’m a super taster) and I can’t imagine how they can drink such foul-tasting stuff.

Jojo, just a small concern about protein-free days. As we can’t store the protein we eat, if our bodies need more then our bodily protein, usually our muscle, is consumed. Taken too far, this has the effect of reducing the calories we need to survive because our muscle is reduced.

Versy2010, re carbs, I know that my system holds water when I eat them but I’m in this WOL forever and figure that if I cut out any group of food, especially one I love, then this would be no different from any other diet I’ve tried, got sick of and then undone all my efforts.

I have water only porridge on fast days but on other days I have unsweetened porridge with milk for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch but little/no carbs for dinner. I also drink milky coffee on non-FDs but never have milk in tea so drink it like that on all days. On this regime (far too strong a word) I lose about a kg/month and I’m OK with that because it’s sustainable, as I have said before, possibly on this thread. I don’t have any pressing health issues and my OH is healthy, fit and skinny so I want our eating life to be ‘normal’. I fast on work days.

Having said all that we went with the grandchildren to the Royal Adelaide Show yesterday so definitely some indulgences. Fasting today and Thursday this week and so far so good. Unfortunately scales have not again shown my previous best but I keep on keeping on.

Keep up the good work all.

Amazon – I’m a monkey for buying loads of chilli plants then I get bored and don’t water them. I have 4 plants on the go at the moment – 3 of them are dead but one of them is doing really well considering the absolute abandonment. Don’t worry I’m ok at looking after dogs and children!!!!! Don’t need to phone Esther Ranson just yet.

My fast day went ok yesterday but still feeling enormous. Only lost 3 lb in 2 weeks but I guess that’s ok. I just need to make a concerted effort this week and eat a bit less. The weekends are still letting me down so this weekend I NEED to behave a bit.

It’s just when it comes to Friday and the sun is shining, I just CAN’T resist a bbq and wine. We’ve just had the patio done and it looks lovely now. Also just got a beach hut so we’re spending more time outside. Any tips lovely ladies on how I can do something different? I know you’re going to tell me to drink diet coke but it’s not the same!!!!!

Desperate V xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thanks Amazon – of course all of what you say makes sense. As yet, I haven’t done a B2B fast so might do that Thurs/Fri too. At least that will keep me out of mischief on Fri and anyway, hubby working that night so no shinannigans on the agenda!

I guess I’ve just got to get my finger out and stop dabbling and get on with it.

I’ve forgotten how long have you been on 5:2 and how much have you lost? Going senile.

V xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

versy, I did the 5:2 for 7 months last year and lost 3 stone with 4 weeks off in the middle due to 2 holidays. I stopped at the beginning of December when I went to Oz for two months where I put 10lbs on and another few since I got back. I only started again on 11th August for various reasons and have lost 6lbs, but I’ve not weighed myself since last week as I get disappointed very easily so have vowed to keep away from the scales for at least 7 days at a time, especially as I have another 3 stones to lose.

A hot pink sundress with a salsa layered skirt sounds fab. My favourite shade of pink 🙂

I have a few friends who live in Scotland. They all abhor Salmond and are against independence. Most of them are giving serious thought to moving south of the border if it happens.

Hi weemam.

You inspired me to do B2B fasts yesterday and today, and it has gone really well. 🙂

I have lamb with veggies, followed by baked figs with a tiny bit of honey and yogurt.

Fresh figs are nice as they are but I also like to cook them with honey and have them with yogurt.
I know what you mean about not tasting food. I am working on eating every mouthful slowly, putting my knife and fork down between mouthfuls and really enjoying every morsel. I live alone and was very lazy, always sitting on the sofa with my dinner on a tray. I’ve started eating at the table for every meal and it makes a difference as I’m concentrating on what I’m eating rather than shovelling it in while watching TV and hardly tasting it.

Have a good evening.

Jojo, my goal is 10 and a half and see how that looks and feels, and I am a full half an inch taller than you 😆

I had never eaten a fresh fig until a few years ago and found out that I love them, so when they are in season I buy them as often as possible. I’ve also got a bowl full of Victoria plums and some beautiful French greengages. I’m on a mission to buy what is in season, and British if it is available.

I wear most colours apart from orange and mustardy shades because they don’t suit me at all, and I’m not fond of bright yellow on me either.

I’ll read on about the differences in proteins.
For dieting there are some quick differences, however make no difference on weightloss itself. TDEE IMO is the formula , and wether it’s plant or animal it simply comes down to metabolic rate of Intake. Counting those calories is best way to keep from negating.

Grape skins while fasting can effect genes. Like throwing a switch.
This just guessing on my part , but the only way meat could do this is if it were raw. And I would never recommend raw meat. What I mean to say is once it’s cooked protein make little difference wether it’s animal or plant based. But if you’re after cancer prevention or fighting it’s the plants. I believe there is a lot of information in the raw fruits and vegetables genes that effect our own genes . It can be very complex as not all humans have the same. Blood type. So it gets Sophisticated to gain the benefits.

My understanding is that fasting , then ingesting the foods that turn genetic responses is easier to see results . Like fasting and then eating grape skins / resveritol . Switches on genes that protect the heart wouldn’t be switched on from just eating grapes .

IMO there’s little difference in plant or animal protein once it’s cooked.
However my sugars spike from whey protein when Im fasting. So I don’t believe I understand it enough yet to recommend anything. But would say unlike other dieting methods fasting and vegetables , especially proven cancer fighting vegetables may enable unintended responses.

I have a terrible headache. So I. Rambling.

I’ll point to protein role as wound healing. And how mosely points to the ratio of proteins effect on. Igf1
If you research there you may see how the reduction of cell mitosis can be a side effect of weight loss.
This is where fasters need to be on point.

If you read that and are still with me.
I’m saying fasting with fish and vegetables skin on is simple and doable 2-3 times a week.

Much sorry for not articulating this. Iwill read in next week and find an online link tp a page that may better explain it in scientific references and easier to understand writing.

I’ll add that there’s a. Difference in fasters whom exercise and those faster whom are sedentary throng to burn fat. Whille I could point to many things . TDEE get you there in a very simple to apply daily calculation. While some folks may think that’s a bit much. Try and understand that being diabetic I can use math every time I eat and make a difference in my long term health. So figuring my TDEE once a week is very doable. From that number I know how much protein to intake. And for me fish protein ,helps with DHA Intake. No way I would figure this out while walking through grocery aisles . Ihave to make a menu and the order it delivered. I actually spend less time and money working out my menu and ordering it delivered. As I keep it all in journal. Seems like too much work to folks I explain it to but actually after about making 5-6 nutritionally balanced menu. My shopping is as simple and copying and pastingandaseasy as waiting for pizzato be delivered. I mean. To me it’s worth the effort. To spend 10 hours making a menu that has everything in it I believe will help with my longevity. Then just copy and paste it for 10 months.

It’s the point micheal made in eat fast live longer. Fasting on fish and vegetables and the side effect was weightloss . To me 4:3 is doable. Where as ADF was nearly as difficult as starvation diet.

When the doable factor let’s off the hook. We can eat unrestricted two week days and on the weekends. Gets me inth the fasting routine. Then as the fasting days become regular routine, I start working out how to make the feed days the super food days on the menu. The thing is. When family or friends want me along . I don’t give eating whatever I want a second thought. Because they are much fewer occasions and I enjoy the freedom very much to have unrestricted eating with family and friends.

Red beans
Blue berries
Salmon
Prunes
Broccoli
Brazil nuts
Walnuts
Eggs
Red grapes
Spinach
Kale
Oranges and lemons
Green tea
Turmeric
Roasted dandelion root
Tart cherry
Onion
Red peppers
Serrano pepper
Tuna
6oz ribeye
Sauerkraut
Sweet potatoes
Raw pumpkin cans
Oat bran
Skin on raw carrots
Fasting and mulberry from the tree
Shrimp and lobster
Chick peas and tomato powder
Parmesan cheese
Peels of apple in salad
Butter with olive oil.
Pumpkin seeds
Whey protein
Stevia
Chicken legs
Calcium chew with vitamin K and D
Rosemary
Dried apricots
Cacao

Jumping rope for 3 minutes prior to meals as often as possible