Day 7 – USA – NFD

Greetings, everyone. I hope you are all well in your corner of the world. March is moving along very quickly. It’s hard to believe that in only a week from tomorrow, the month will be about half gone! Time flies! 😲

Although today is an NFD for me, I will definitely make it a CD day and remain within my TDEE. 😀

@iona72 – Thank you for the well wishes! I hope the same for you in return! I strongly agree with you about the chore of calorie counting—I did that for a long time. The imprecision of the process was maddening. For example, some of the C8 oil or olive oil on a salad isn’t consumed, so one needs to carefully measure the unconsumed remnants left on the plate or in the bowl after eating. Yes, I did that… for years! 😲

I think we have to settle on approximations because precision in calories, macronutrients, micronutrients, etc., doesn’t always align with expectations—especially when considering hormones, the thermic effect of food, stress, exercise (or lack thereof), food toxicities, and more!

It’s amazing to me that in the year 2025, we still don’t have a device capable of scanning a plate of food at the molecular level to provide a complete nutritional breakdown inclusive of a spinach leaf buried at the bottom, to every molecule of C8 oil drizzled over your salad, to everything in between. Simply scan the plate before eating, scan it again after you’re finished, and you’d know precisely what you’ve consumed. 😲

We can scan exoplanets light-years away and generate detailed reports on their composition, but a plate of salad or a bowl of soup? Forget it! Likewise, by now, we should have some type of Star Trek-style medical tricorder providing a continuous, non-invasive scan of every hormone level and every nutritional deficiency or excess in our bodies. Okay, rant over! 🤣

@excelsior12309 – You wrote: “Just one of those days; none of the food was particularly memorable, either.” I couldn’t agree more. For many months now, I’ve found that no food is particularly memorable or enjoyable. The big daily menu question—”What sounds good today?”—doesn’t seem to have an answer. Maybe that’s a good thing because it means I’m exhausted with food and my “food deliciousness meter” has flatlined. In theory, that should make IF much easier, but overcoming the boredom factor remains a challenge. I’m working on it! 😀

Best wishes to everyone in your corner of the world!

Kind regards,
Joseph

Day 7 NE England NFD

I donated blood today so I had an email this morning telling me to make sure I eat and drink plenty today.
Yay ~ breakfast!!!
We also had lunch out with M in L to celebrate her birthday, so I definitely ate more than usual today.

@stitchincarol I’ve only had Influenza once and it was awful, days spent in bed. I always get vaccinated in the autumn now. You have made my question my TDEE and perhaps it is a little lower as I feel my exercise level falls in-between light and moderate!

@at my garden is at the mercy of lively spaniels and excitable toddlers but I would love to have a professional makeover. We face NE so in winter get next to no sun and in summer we dodge the shadows, not much grows in the dry, cool spots under trees and high hedges.

@excelsior12309 good luck with your building, if you sell will that enable retirement?

@icystorm when I think of the dieting I’ve done over the years I wonder where I got the energy from!

@ccco I find YouTube yoga to be great, especially a rewind when unsure!

Off for a day out at the seaside tomorrow with my sister and some extended family, weather forecast is good, fish and chips may be involved.
Have a great weekend everyone, stay strong. 💪🏻

USA. Day 7 FD
Second Post

I just closed my kitchen! Another successful day! I also just read everyone’s posts. Stitchincarol, I am glad you and your husband found out what was wrong with you and you are now in recovery.

FUNSHIPFREDDIE, I just had a chance to watch that yoga class. I liked it, so I wrote the youtube address and will do it tomorrow. I have to agree with everyone that doing this via youtube is so much easier than trying to find an outside class.

AT, DASH isn’t about the calories but mostly cutting back on salt. However, by cutting down on salt, I have also dramatically cut down on calories, although I think my initial loss has a lot to do with water weight, since I am trying to eliminate salt retention for my heart. Today I only ate 585 calories but I ate alot! I had brown rice, a drumstick soup, 1/4 cup walnuts 1/2 cup blueberries. an egg over multigrain bread, 1 cup of spinach, jello, and 1/8 of a sweet potato. That is a lot of filling food. For new information, I measured my food to count calories but I also counted the amount of sodium I ate, which actually is easy to do. It’s all out there on the internet. I was disappointed to see that even a teabag has sodium. LOL. I am totally full and full of energy. The U.S. government’s NIH recommends no more than 2.300 mgs. of sodium. Today I managed to eat 1,135.1 mgs. of sodium. Yesterday, I ate 651.5 calories to keep the sodium down but I was also full. I know that doesn’t sound like much food but I am doing well. I am also exercising and taking my walks easily. I feel so much better. I can eat anything I want as long as I can keep down the amount of sodium I eat. I can eat even more if I stick to low carb vegetables. I think this is working for me. I already gave of sugar and white flour years ago but I was seriously addicted to salt! Anyway, I hope I can happily keep up with this program. I think I can.

See you all tomorrow!

Day 8 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD

Wow?! Some long posts to catch up on today!
My cold came out with a vengeance during the night, I woke up with a runny nose & a mild sore throat. But it’s definitely not the flu. My appetite is certainly not impaired 😅

@stitchincarol – Good to know you’re on the mend at last! I haven’t noticed exercise minimising my symptoms. On Thursday when I first felt like I was coming down with something I did 2 x 20 min brisk walks in the afternoon heat, the 2nd one with 3 bags of groceries. I didn’t feel any worse for doing that, but I try to listen to my body.

@merryapple – great to see you back! And to be able to put a face to ‘@merryapple’. You don’t look anything like I imagined, in fact you look much younger!

@excelsior12309 – fingers 🤞 for a quick sale!

@icystorm – I think the best way to enjoy food is to only eat when we’re genuinely hungry, so plenty of fasting works for me. My first meal of the day is usually after a +/- 16 hour fast; longer on FDs – & my first meal is always the most enjoyable & tastes wonderful, regardless of its simplicity. I read not too long ago there’s a margin of error of around 10% with calorie-counting, no matter how precise we try to be with the logging. And the same foods can impact different people differently, depending on genetics, metabolism, intolerances etc. So the fewer meals & different foods we eat on FDs, the better for accuracy.

@ccco I’m so glad you like the YouTube yoga classes, & that the DASH diet is working so well for you! 👏

@iona72 – enjoy your day out at the seaside! 🏖

Have a good weekend everyone 🌤 🌈

Day 8 – Rural Nebraska, USA – NFD – 155.4

DH and I viewed three houses last night before being taken out to a seafood buffet at the Club where our boys work. One of the three houses was wonderful, and I thought it was perhaps “the” one…and then I realized there was no logical place to put my piano, my china hutch, the linen cabinet, the grand piano bookshelf, or my antique cookbook book case. And this was a 3,300 square foot house! Amazing how it could be so large but not possible.

Then dinner at the club was sublime. I was actually ravenous by the time we got there, which was almost the first time all week I felt true hunger pangs, so that was entertaining. And because alcohol is not recommended with prednisone, I settled on a glass of NA Chardonnay. I ate lots, but sure felt better after the dinner than I often do. And it was great fun to see our sons at work, and have people who know and love them be so delighted to meet us. A night we’ll long remember.

As to being up 1.4 lbs? I finally figured out one of the biggest reasons I’d lost so much weight is that, despite my best efforts, I was a bit dehydrated. So between more calories last night than I had the rest of the week combined, and the many, many glasses of water I had, it’s a miracle I’m up so little! Nonetheless, it’s far below the 161.4 I started on Sunday morning, so I’m thrilled.

@icystorm Decades ago a book came out about how French women stay thin–does anyone remember title/author? I didn’t read it all, but I remember what she said about enjoying food: You take the first bite and it’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten. You take a second bite and it’s almost the best thing you’ve ever eaten. You take a third bite, and you’re bitterly disappointed it doesn’t taste as good as the first bite, so you take a fouth bite. She explained that we tend to keep taking bites, hoping it will finally taste as good as that first bite, but it never will. So stop. I don’t very often find that sort of restraint, but it certainly has proven entirely true! And I absolutely agree with you about a device to tell us how many calories start on a plate, and then remain on a plate! 👍👍👍

@at Oh, how fun to have your garden thoroughly redone; I’m sure you’re excited to see its full-summer glory! Well done on three FD800s this week!!!

@iona72 The problem with the flu shot is that it apparently doesn’t have any impact on this year’s influenza A, for which I’m thankful because DH and I realized we’d completely forgotten to get ours this fall. 🤦🏻‍♀️ And don’t let me scare you off of your TDEE calculations! I was impressed, not doubtful!

@penz So glad you’re having a reprieve from Alfred!

@merryapple What a lovely and welcome post from you! I’m so sorry about your friends’ Westie; that had to have been a tough point in the trip. You look lovely in that too-big sweater, and it’s delightful to see how thin you are! And the sweater? Gorgeous. Well, well done. I love the small band of stitching after the ribbing, before the cables begin; it’s that kind of detail that sets a sweater apart. Safe travels home!

@funshipfreddie You poor thing. I hope that cold that’s attacked you is dispatched quickly!

Today is the day to tidy up the house. It got quite cluttered and I’m sick of it, LOL, so I’m actually looking forward to the process simply because I know I’ll so fully appreciate the results!

Have a grand one, everyone!

Second post

Oh, @northgeorgia, you have my most profound sympathy!!!!!!

Day 8 – USA – FD

@iona72 – Regarding your comment about dieting over the years and wondering where your energy came from, I completely understand! Our bodies are so complex in how our energy expenditure is governed.

@penz – I hope you did not receive flooding from the remnants of Alfred!

@ccco – Regarding DASH, that’s a great concept! I’ve read extensively about it before and have the e-book in my digital library. During periods when I want to reduce salt/sodium, I enjoy using Benson’s Table Tasty Salt Substitute. I love the taste of it, which is quite salty to my palatte. I buy it on Amazon in the US, but I’m not sure if it’s available in Oz, NZ, the UK, or South Africa.

Tomorrow, during my NFD, I’m preparing six veggies (cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, frozen corn, asparagus, zucchini slices and green beans) in my 6-quart Instant Pot, as described in the cool video below. I’ll use the Benson’s salt substitute and other herbs and spices as seasonings, post-steaming.

6 Instant Pot Zero Minute Vegetables
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xLZSqinSPU

@merryapple – It’s nice that you’ve enjoyed an exciting trip! That was sad news about your friend’s pup. As someone who loves animals, I have a lot of compassion for their suffering when they’re ill or dying. On a happy note, I hope you have a safe return home.

@funshipfreddie – You wrote: “I think the best way to enjoy food is to only eat when we’re genuinely hungry, so plenty of fasting works for me.” I completely agree! Your other points were also spot-on and make perfect sense!

@stitchincarol – I believe the book you’re referring to is “French Women Don’t Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure” by Mireille Guiliano. I’ve never read the book, but I’ve heard about it over the years and read excerpts from it a time or two. I love your comments, based on her book, about how food becomes less enjoyable with each successive bite; therefore, we should capitalize on that knowledge and use it to our advantage. I hope you and yours are feeling much better now after your recent (and hopefully not lingering) winter illness.

@at – Major congrats on your nice loss after the B2B2B FD800s! That’s very inspiring!

To everyone, I hope you’re have a great fasting day or healthy eating experience in your corner of the world!

Kind regards,
Joseph

Day 9 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – FD

My cold seems to have gotten more severe during the night again; but I’m pretty sure that’s all it is, just a cold. And I’m taking Corenza C for it. My neighbours insist I play cards with them later if I feel up to it. But I don’t want to pass it onto them. But if they insist…? 🤷 This is going to be the easiest FD ever anyway.

@northgeorgia – you too?! We’re barely into autumn here, but every other person you meet seems to be sneezing or coughing. I usually get the flu vaccine around April. They say it’s no guarantee you won’t dodge the flu, but the vaccine can reduce the severity of the symptoms if you get sick.

@stitchincarol – you need a big house?! Or maybe you need to buy two smaller ones next to each other😅 So down-sizing is out of the question?

@at – I love that Jim Rohn quote – so true.

Happy S🌞nday!

Pocket List – Day 9 🥚
@funshipfreddie

Day 9 – USA/GA – NFD

Weigh-in: 236 lbs. @funshipfreddie Yeah, I had my shot back in October. I was surprised they said it was the flu; my assumption was allergies. Yesterday I did get the chills and then some body aches last night. I haven’t sniffled or sneezed at all. Just a dry cough and some congestion, headache, exhaustion…

Day 9 – USA – NFD

Greetings, everyone! I hope you’re having an amazing day in your corner of the world!

I’m off to Whole Foods for some organic veggies to make my Instant Pot steamed veggies meal that I mentioned yesterday.

I hope everyone is enjoying the journey!

Kind regards,
Joseph

Day 10 country west Australia 83.6 kgs FD

Day 10-No. VA USA-FD
Joining the fasters today. We are supposed to have temperatures in the 60’s today, so a really spring like day. I am sure it will get colder in a few days.
Sorry to hear of all the sickness. I think our flu epidemic is winding down here, but there have been many sick people. The flu vaccine was not a bad match this year for the virus, but often the best it can do is keep you out of the hospital (and keep you alive). You cannot always dodge it 100%, unfortunately.
@ilona72, I am getting serious with you about trying to be consistent in IF.
@icystorm, I was very interested in the vegetable steaming using the Instant Pot and am going to try it.
@merryapple, lovely sweater (jumper)!
Stay strong!

Day 10 – USA/GA – NFD

Weigh-in: 235 lbs. I’m probably doing FDs without realizing it…

Anyway, I need to go into the office for a few hours to do something due in to Atlanta; too bad I left my laptop at work on Friday — otherwise I would have done all this at home.

Day 10 – Rural Nebraska, USA-NFD

DH and I are in Kearney at the biannual pastors conference. I’m hacking away and exhausted… thinking I was dramatically better was a mistake. Those of you who are sick: take care of yourselves!

We’re staying tonight but then skipping tomorrow’s session and heading home; it’s easier to rest when not at home surrounded by things that need doing, and we both need rest.

Day 10 – USA – FD

@excelsior12309 – That’s great! I hope you enjoy those! I really enjoyed the steamed veggies yesterday—so easy with my Instant Pot Pro. I substituted Brussels sprouts for asparagus since Whole Foods didn’t have my preferred option. The steamed Brussels sprouts were the best I’ve ever had! In fact, all of the steamed veggies from the YouTube video I shared turned out picture-perfect and just as delicious as they looked in her video!

You probably already know this, but if not, Chef AJ has a ton of super healthy options and great preparation videos on her YouTube channel for foods to enjoy during NFDs. She’s a strong advocate of no salt, oil, or sugar, and she offers tons of spice alternatives and homemade sauce recipes. She has an amazing and infectious enthusiasm for healthy eating. Sadly, the poor woman recently announced that she was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer. I’m wishing her the best in her recovery!

On a happy note, I hope you and everyone have a great day on our shared journey!

Kind regards,
Joseph

Day 11 – Ireland – CD 🚫 ✅ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🌾

158.9lbs

Hi all, hoping everyone is well. Sorry @stitchincarol to hear that you were not quite there yet but hopefully you both got to relax.

@icystorm your veggies sound great and I’ll have to track back to locate the video as I am back to healthy habits now. I had never heard of Chef AJ.

Hi @lilymartin – I hope all is well in Australia!

Bravo @ccco – you are doing so well ⭐️ on the new diet.

I am tired but pushing through today … will be off work for a few weeks from tomorrow. Much needed R&R and lots to sort out also.

Have a great day everyone!

Onward and downward ⬇️

We rise by lifting others 💕

Day 11 – USA/GA – NFD

Weigh-in: 235 lbs. Working from home today. Discovered someone at work has the flu. I’m hoping I’m not the superspreader!

@brightonbelle Safe travels!

Day 12 country west Australia CD 83.4 kgs
@northgeorgia, well done on the lower number ! Sorry it is possibly at the expense of you feeling well.I hope you feel better soon, as with all th others feeling poorly. 🙏
Following through with CDs and FDs even though the scales are not being friendly, but I feel much better in myself getting back to eating less. How I have overeaten in the past !!!
@stitchincarol I had a giggle on first reading your post , thinking about you playing the piano ‘by ear’ whilst teaching !! My warped sense of humour ! Just listened to an interview on the radio with a fellow who is playing pipe organs around Australia and showing how they can be used to play contemporary music as well.
There is a magnificent pipe organ in St George’s cathedral in Perth.🎹
@icystorm, the veggie recipe sounds delicious. I will try it soon. I love Brussel sprouts, much to the distaste of my family !!
@brightonbelle, I hope you really enjoyed your time way.
@jaifaim, everything is going well here in our patch of Australia except being as dry as dry can be.
I think the east coast is rather soggy and many places flooded. We would LOVE to have some rain – just not as much as was dumped with cyclone Alfred.
I hope @penz et al are safe and well and drying out.
Have a good day all.
Hunger pangs are the feeling of fat cells shrinking….

Day 12 NZ NFD 71kg y’day, 70.8kg

It could have been much worse if I hadn’t done my FDs even if the evening meal was well over the 500 cal mark😬!!
I’m back home, the garden is very dry, and the daylight hours are noticeably shorter here in the north. Autumn is here with cooler nights which means Spring is Sprung in the northern hemisphere!!

I’m teaching Buddhist volunteers later today who help out with the less healthy members of our community… Not quite sure what to expect other than I’ve promised to tone down my usual black sense of humour and not scare them🤣

Thank you for the lovely remarks, which made me blush!! ☺️
Maybe more people should post and receive such lovely encouragement!! I am still wanting to get to 65kg in the hopes the weight will come off around my midriff…

I have to go and do some prep for my class!!
Take care, rest up if you’re ill and have a great day everyone 😘

Day 12, OMAD, Aus

Hello all. Been MIA due to house guests and a long weekend of excess.

We had only a tiny amount of rain as full out from ex-cyclone Alfred. Pity; we need a bit more, but still, good not to have a deluge.

OMAD today and back on the 5:2 bandwagon.

And @merryapple, I echo all those wonderful positive comments about how young, slim and energetic you look!

Day 12 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD

Checking in for accountability! Hope everyone is well, or getting better at least, if not feeling 100%.

Busy busy, off to line-dancing 🕺

Happy Hump Day! 🐫

Pocket List – Day 12 🍌
@penz OMAD
@at FD800

Day 12 – Ireland – FD 🚫 ✅ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🌾

157.5lbs ⬇️

Hi all, I’m tracking back down a little which is great. Still very much trying to keep my focus at the moment on most everything.

@icystorm no no I didn’t get to make them and didn’t even get to the video. 😂 I’ll get there.

Glad to hear all is well there @lilymartin and @penz glad to hear you were not affected by the cyclone.

@ccco you are smashing it at the moment! I didn’t realise you lived in Paris for school – how fun! Whereabouts did you live? I’m missing Paris at the moment so may try to fit in a quick visit soon.

@merryapple what a lovely photo – you look fabulous!

@iona72 – hope the dentist visit went ok!
@brightonbelle do enjoy your time with your FIL and friends. I hope you had a lovely break 🇫🇷♥️

Good to see you @funshipfreddie – was wondering where you were.

Ok I have to dash…

Have a great day everyone!

Onward and downward ⬇️
We rise by lifting others 💕

Day 12 – Rural Nebraska, USA – NFD – 154.6

I ended up doing a standard FD yesterday, just because a WF on top of a hacking cough didn’t seem wise. I’m pleased to have kept off what I lost last week when I was so sick; now to lose more…

@lilymartin How lovely to have heard the interview on the pipe organs in your area; I imagine the music would be glorious!

@iona72 I too am working hard to remember how much I prefer feeling hungry to feeling stuffed; our instnct is to satisfy that urge to eat, but retraining the instinct is well worth the challenge!

@merryapple “Buddhist volunteers”?? You’re teaching them what? What are they volunteering to do? I’ve had to laugh at how clueless I feel about this topic you’ve raised!

@ccco You may be exhausted from all your gardening yesterday, but I’ll just bet you’re thrilled at the progress!

Talked to a nurse at the clinic yesterday, and she said that, yes, pneumonia is a real possibility, so drink, drink, drink. The result is that you could hear my body slosh with every step I took yesterday!! Well, okay, that’s perhaps an exageration, but I did drink even more than I have been, and I can feel an improvement this morning. I’ll keep drinking like a crazy woman, and can hopefully shed this cough soon. @northgeorgia and @funshipfreddie I do hope you’re both feeling better!

Have a grand one, everyone.

Day 13 NZ FD 71.1kg🏃🏼‍♀️

Went up Mt Eden, the first time since I’ve been back. I needed a fast walk but the slow dogs turned up so it was a chattathon 😄
@stitchincarol The Buddhist Center runs an hospice programme for volunteers who go and visit lonely unwell souls in their homes. I was teaching basic lifting and positioning skills, the different kinds of chronic conditions they might come across, along with what to do if someone falls over, faints etc, how to communicate with OAPs, those with dementia and good manners!! There were 8 different nationalities present so it was quite fun!!
I hope your cough is settling. Remember to do deep breathing exercises too… “A BIG slow breath in, Hold 1&2&3, Breathe out (slowly)”. I also recommend a Grog in the evening – a tsp sugar, brandy and boiling water!!
@jaifaim Glad to hear you’re quietly coming down. Do you not employ the French madame’s technique for weight loss?!!! 4 mouthfuls then no more!! My weight should be plummeting now I have put the brakes on but I have gone up😄
@funshipfreddie Enjoy your line dancing. By now you must surely be kitted out in all cowboy gear – hat, boots, chaps, spurs and a Western shirt… 🤠!!!
@northgeorgia I hope that nasty sounding flu bug hasn’t hit you too hard. When do you leave for your trip?
@ccco How fantastic you have hit the jackpot with your DASH WOL and are now out and about in the garden, contemplating golf etc!!
@brightonbelle Looking forward to hearing about your holiday!! Especially the French cuisine!! Say Happy Birthday to your dear old dad-in-law all the way from the South Seas!!
@icystorm Lovely vegetables!! I had never seen a digital pressure cooker before!! It looks rather good. I used to cook all my beans and chickpeas and Irish stew etc in a pressure cooker but the rubber ring atrophied and didn’t seal properly. I couldn’t get another…
@penz House guests for pizza Friday!!! What fun!!!
You will now, of course, be on a short leash and avoiding the kitchen 🤣
Gosh, the Gold Coast is getting a bit of a battering esp with their river networks filling up and flooding again. We get heavy rain from those tropical cyclones which form in Pacific Ocean and head west. They seem to be getting more viscous with the ocean temperatures heating up and increasing the scale of the cyclone.
@molij👋Hope all is going well for you.
@lilymartin I feel a WOOSH coming up for you with all that great behaviour 💪
@iona72 I agree!! There is something virtuous about feeling hungry. I always wish that I recognised that before not after I have dined excessively 🤣
@at I thought of you on my holiday walks. I did some 10, 8 and 5 km distances in various scenic areas with signposts!! I don’t normally know how far I walk. I admire you for your regular long distance walks across the fells.

Pocket List
@merry🍎
@molij
@funshipfreddie
@at 800

Day 13 – USA/GA – NFD

Weigh-in: 237 lbs. Woke up with the alarm this morning and going to head to work, although still feeling a little tired. I leave for my trip next Tuesday night! 🙂