Day 20, second post

An update: And just like that, everything has again changed. I had just suggested to DH that we simply spend the night in a hotel in Omaha, since I was driving in to teach lessons anyway, when the president of the congregation called and said,

1. We need to cancel Sunday’s service already, because there are over 50 power poles down leading into town, and there’s zero possibility power will be restored by Sunday–and possibly not until Monday or Tuesday or even later.

2. The congregation was sending us to a hotel for safety and comfort.

So we’re in Omaha. It is normally a 30 minute drive from home to this hotel, but there were so many closed roads that we had to drive all the way south to Lincoln to get on the interstate and drive northeast to Omaha, and that took us 1:40. This is a storm that will go down in the record books. And, OH, but that shower felt glorious, LOL!

and @ccco, just for the record, it never got below 20, and today is up to 47, so at least we don’t have to worry about frozen pipes or anything. Our fridge and freezer, however? Only time will tell.

So now to choose restaurants wisely! 😉

Day 21

Wow. I’m the second one to post?? “Mute March,” indeed, David.

Ended up doing OMAD yesterday, and had a 600 calorie salmon dinner with 240 calories of red wine and a cauliflower appetizer that’s glorious (it’s our favorite at this restaurant) but probably high calorie. My salmon had 60% of the plate covered with veggies, so it was all good. DH and I did a lot of scooping yesterday morning (two hours’ worth, I think), so however many calories the meal was, I’m certain I burned far more than I ate.

We have today’s eating options planned out, but nothing else on the agenda. Oh well!

What a sad event that was! So glad things are improved in SA.

Day 21 UK NFD

Had a lovely day out nice long walk , pub lunch so may regret tomorrow but hey ho , will regroup tomorrow

Day 22 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD

@ccco – the SA president you mentioned would have been Charles Swart. He was the first State President from 1961. Before that he was the governor general though. South Africa was still part of the British Empire in 1960, & only became a Republic in ’61.

@iona72 – every day is a holiday for me! 😃 Enjoy your DH’s extended birthday celebrations 🥳

My TV has gone kapputt again?! After I paid a small fortune to get it fixed last month. This is the third time I’m taking it to the repair shop. I think they need to give me a refund. Aiming for a sensible CD today, & another FD tomorrow 🎯

Have a good weekend everyone 🌤🌈

Day 22 UK NFD

Aiming for a reasonable NFD , back on the 800s Mon – Fri and let see how it goes

Have a good weekend all

Day 23 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – FD

Happy S🌞nday! Anyone joining me on the pocket list today…?

Pocket List – Day 23 🍳
@funshipfreddie

USA. Day 23. FD

Joining FUNSHIPFREDDIE on the pocket list:

Pocket List – Day 23 🍳
@funshipfreddie
@ccco

I had a better FD yesterday!

Thanks, FUNSHIPFREDDIE, for clarifying that for me. It was a long time ago!

BrightonBelle, I can’t believe we are almost at the end of March already. I will be on that pocket list tomorrow, too!

Hope everyone has been having a great weekend! 🤗

Day 24 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD 71.2 kg

Easiest FD ever! I was way too sedentary though. Why do most hobbies/pastimes involve sitting down? I need to ramp up my steps this week 🏃

@icystorm – don’t give up on Mindful March just yet! We still have a whole 8 days left. So you could get very close to reaching half of your original goal for the month 🎯

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” ~ Robert Collier

Pocket List – Day 24 🍏
@merry🍎
@molij
@brightonbelle FD800
@ccco

Day 24 – Rural Nebraska, USA – NFD

The power came back on for our village at 8pm Saturday: that was 84 hours with no electricity. Many people out in the country on the farms are still without power, however, so there’s still a long way to go for them. In the meantime, we’re busy being thankful for everything electricity provides: heat, lights, cold to keep freezers frozen (thankfully, our big freezer stayed frozen, so we didn’t lose anything there, but we lost much in our fridge/attached freezer… that’s one way to clean out a fridge, eh?), ovens, music/radio, tv/news, hot water, etc., etc., etc.

Today is stuff involving the process of buying our house. Looking forward to a WF tomorrow!

@icystorm – stick with us.. 💪 you know you can do this and it is much better to lose weight slowly rather than drastically… 👏👏👏

Day 25 country west Australia CD 82.3 kgs
Nothing makes a few consecutive FDs easier than gastro and the flu !! As mentioned by some of you a few weeks ago.
Back on track now that that has passed.
@stitchincarol , congratulations on buying a house. Does that mean a big cleanup when you shift ? I think I am going to pretend I am moving house just to get rid of some of my stuff. Way Way too many possessions…
@icystorm 4 lbs lost is better than 0 lbs lost or, worse, a gain.
I heard a professor of medicine this week say that there had been some studies done on drugs like Ozempic and whilst people did lose weight while they took the drug, the 12 month follow up showed that once they stopped taking the drug, in most cases a rebound weight GAIN effect happened and it was ALL fat. What they lost was fat and lean muscle which is not good especially as you age. But the gain is just fat😱😱
Good on you for sticking with sensible IF and 5:2.

Day 25 – Ireland – CD 🚫 ✅ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🌾

160 lbs

Hi all, good to see you @lilymartin – glad to hear you are feeling better!

I am still trending higher than usual… and this is a drop 📉 from yesterday…. that’s time away but also I think I’ve been lapsing back into bad habits generally and need to work out how to fix this and my brain…

I feel April may be my reset month but still working to start it now…. 💪

Onward and downward ⬇️

We rise by lifting others 💕

Day 25 UK f800

Yes I can’t believe wegovy ozempic etc can be good for you
It’s not going to change your eating habits and I think we all know you have to do it the hard way

Ahh it’s only a couple of pounds you’ll shift that again before month end @jaifaim 🚴‍♀️

Pocket List – Day 25 🥥
@brightonbelle FD800
@excelsior12309
@stitchincarol WF

Day 25 – USA – FD

Greetings, everyone! I hope you’re all having a great day or night and a healthy journey in your corner of the world.

@funshipfreddie – Congratulations on your easiest FD ever! And thank you for the encouragement! Your other comments about sitting too often ring true, and I like your quote from Robert Collier. I’ve always marveled at how small degrees of change in virtually anything can lead to large differences over time.

@brightonbelle – Thank you! Once I find a key motivating spark inside, I’ll shed the pounds more easily! This forum, of course, is highly motivating, and I also expose myself to abundant sources of motivation in books and videos that convey success stories, yet the start of this journey has felt more lackluster to me for some reason. I hope your final week of March is great!

Regarding the weight loss drugs, you wrote: “It’s not going to change your eating habits and I think we all know you have to do it the hard way.”

Well said, and I couldn’t agree more!

@stitchincarol – That’s great news about buying your house! Weather-wise, I hope you’re able to enjoy some nice spring days soon after your recent winter weather and power outage ordeal. I also hope your daily stress headaches end soon!

@jaifaim – Thank you!!! I’m definitely sticking around with no plans to leave. Your trip and activities sound amazing!

@lilymartin – I hope you’re feeling better and recovering well from your recent illness. I completely agree with you about the potential for adverse consequences associated with weight-loss drugs. Those are definitely not for me. Out of the dozens of diets and weight-loss methods I’ve tried over the years, IF is the best.

@excelsior12309 – I hope you were able to get your inspection sticker. Fortunately, here in Louisiana, they offer a two-year option, which I always take. And thank you for the positive thoughts! I know what you mean by an “unmotivated March.” I’m used to jumping right into IF and shedding pounds quickly and with ease—but not this time! I feel like my body and mind have been mired in apathy and an unwillingness to lose weight, much like Jon Gabriel described in his book “The Gabriel Method.” I’m trying to rekindle the ol’ internal motivation, but it’s slow to form. It’ll happen, and I’ll again conquer those NFDs! 😀

To everyone in the forum, I hope you’re having a very successful journey and loving life!

Kind regards,
Joseph

Day 25 NE England ZBC

After feeling out of sorts after last weeks derailment I had a chat with myself and regained some inspiration today. Mindset is such a big part of the process.
As I get older I repel the idea of any drug, I hope to stay drug free for many more years and would never consider weight loss injections ~ but each to their own I guess.

Day 26 country west Australia FD 82.0 kgs 180.4 lbs.
March seems to have been bit of. ‘mehhh’ month for some of us!
Fortunately I finally feel motivated to keep going consistently with 5:2 as a WOL, again, which I did quite successfully when I started way back in October 2017! 🙄
Seeing the scales inch, or should that be ‘gram’, slowly downwards is quite motivating at present.
I have a LOONNNGGGGG way to go, but every journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. So baby steps it is.
@funshipfreddie, I so agree re habits, taking drugs for weightless etc. As Tom Venuto says ‘ you can’t outrun a bad diet’!!
Isn’t that what they say about insanity – doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome?
@iona72, mindset is SO important, so glad your set-talk has got you some inspiration.😊
@ccco, good luck with the Renos!! We are at the tail end of 6 months of Renos. The flat looks great now , but my word , the effort ….!!! 🥵
@stitchincarol, good luck with the cleaning up in preparation for you9r shift. I hope yo9u find some treasures….😬
Have a good day everyone.

Day 26 – Ireland – CD 🚫 ✅ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🌾

159.1 lbs

With you @excelsior12309 – we can do this! 🤩

@stitchincarol the new house sounds amazing with all the different floors – I’m sure it is stressful but it will be so worth it when all is done 🏠

@icystorm hopefully the apathy will pass… it’s tough to stay focused but you’re really doing very very well and inspiring us as you go…

I hope so @brightonbelle 👍 It does feel harder to shift the extra lbs these days although that may just be my focus waning and I’m making excuses… I need a drastic plan for April as I will be on holidays early May 👙☀️ and generally I just feel sluggish 🙃.

@iona72 – good to hear you are back on track too! It’s hard sometimes… but then if it wasn’t none of us would be here I suppose. I agree re keeping medication to a minimum of possible and am currently trying to keep my cholesterol from rising.

@lilymartin mindset is everything I think… I realise now that a lot of my tiredness, etc is down to what my mind is doing rather than my body. I’m taking a lot of steps to address this now as I feel that a little like weight gain it can reach a point where it is difficult to tackle so best to get stuck in to new habits and self care now. Great to hear that your renovation work is complete!

@ccco – hope you are taking care while working so hard on the house.

@penz was the conference for pleasure? As you are not working now are you? Hope you are feeling much better now! And that you can put those kilos behind you and never see them again 😄

@northgeorgia and others I hope you are keeping well 👍

Enjoy line dancing @funshipfreddie 🕺!

Onward and downward ⬇️
We rise by lifting others 💕

Day 26 – Rural Nebraska, USA – NFD

Yesterday’s WF turned into a FD500 because I was RAVENOUS. I kept insisting to myself that “hunger is not an emergency” and all the other quotes I could think of, but I decided better to eat a reasonable FD500 than suddenly lose the plot and eat far worse choices, and the weight was still down two pounds this morning. @penz, I give you a thumbs up for the weight you lost while sick (the great silver lining, right? Nonetheless, I’m glad you’re recovered now!) and your thoughts on the challenge of maintaining the loss. I’ve gained back one pound from what I lost when I had Influenza A, but it’s been hard. A thought I had yesterday was that I simply have to accept that losing weight means I’m going to be hungry. And that’s okay–hunger is not, after all, an emergency, right? And hunger feels far better than eating far too much feels!

Here’s a quote I just read from the “Eat Like a Bear” gal: These days I don’t touch snack items because it simply takes more discipline to stop eating than it ever does to avoid eating it all in the first place. My life has gotten far easier and I have gotten thinner by recognizing this key point.

I’ve also learned that lesson; now the trick is to always APPLY that lesson, LOl!

Lots to do, so I’m off, but to those of you who’ve commented about possibly remodeling the house we’re in, I’ve probably not said very often that we HAVE to move, because we live in a parsonage–a house owned by the congregation for its pastors. 🤷🏻‍♀️ So I’ve gardened as if it were my own, but it isn’t, and all I can think about these days is how impatient I am to move, LOL! I am so looking forward to owning our home again instead of being “temporary residents.”

Have a grand one, everyone!

Day 27 – Ireland – FD 🚫 ✅ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🌾

159.1 lbs

@brightonbelle ok let’s do this! There is no better target 🎯! I’m off May 1st – cycling trip in southern Spain – so must get it together before then 🏖️👙🏖️

@stitchincarol I thought that alright… that you are currently living in a house that you don’t own but how exciting to be moving to one that you can absolutely make your own… it’s wonderful 💕🏠💕

@ccco – i hope you had a lovely day and that everything went according to plan.

Good controlled day yesterday… thought I’d drop a little bit not today …. Here we go for a good FD.

Onward and downward ⬇️
We rise by lifting others 💕

Pocket List Fay 27 🎯
@jaifaim

Day 27 UK f800

Maybe my final FD of March but really going to aim for a controlled weekend to stay on track for a small loss this month – then plan on hitting April 💪

Good pocket list today

Pocket List – Day 27 🎯
@jaifaim
@funshipfreddie
@molij
@merry🍎
@brightonbelle FD800

Day 27 – Rural Nebraska, USA – WFD

I’m hopeful today will be an actual WF, rather than turning into a FD500, as I ate very decently yesterday, so hopefully won’t be hit with such huge hunger pangs. It’s another super busy day today, so I’m off.

Have a grand one, everyone! Oh, and @northgeorgia, welcome back!

USA Day 27. FD

Pocket List – Day 27 🎯
@jaifaim
@funshipfreddie
@molij
@merry🍎
@brightonbelle FD800
@stitchincarol WFD
@ccco

Day 28, P&RWD!! Aus

Hello all

Lots of house moving and renovations by a few of you! Stressful times but hope it all goes well. Oh of course, @stitchincarol, I forgot you didn’t own the house you’re in now!

@northgeorgia – welcome back, but I’m sure I speak for the forum when I say, please give us details of your trip away!!!

Cycling trip around southern Spain? Sounds delightful, @jaifaim.

The conference was the national gathering of a new not-for-profit organisation I’ve joined. Those in the UK and NZ (@merryapple, looking at you!) may know of it. The Australian organisation is based on the UK’s The Arts Society (business name the Decorative and Fine Arts Association) and has recently re-branded to ArtsNational. It provides “superbly illustrated, informative and entertaining lecture presentations on diverse topics relating to the arts across Australia.” and also promotes education and conservation of the arts. We also raise money to donate to young arts. NZ has a similar organisation and we often share lecturers across the ditch. Sorry – that was a long blurb! As a newbie to the organisation I found it very interesting.

Have a good weekend everyone! I’ve raked the leaves this morning (autumn has hit already) and expect some nice soaking rain this afternoon.

Day 27 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD 71.2 kg

Another March FD accomplished 💪 One more to go..

@northgeorgia – I can’t believe how quickly your trip passed?! I was thinking you’d just gone this week until I checked the date of your previous post. How was Uruguay? Hopefully the ‘excess baggage’ will disappear as quickly as it arrived.

@lilymartin – I hope your FD was a success; thanks for offering to host April 🙏

Brunch date at Doppio Zero. Happy Fri-yay y’all! 🍹

Pocket List – Day 28 🥕
@lilymartin
@at FD800

Read my post back… misspelled focused but turns out it can be spelled either way… double “s” is a rare variant spelling.. apparently commonly used in Australia. Who knew!! The things I learn here 🤗

No excuse or variant for Hahnks though 😂 how autocorrect thinks that is acceptable/ok is beyond me …