Hello Jip – I noticed your name on the LOACA post. I enjoy both threads, but have little time to read others. Do you enjoy your trampoline? I use mine in front of TV (tellie?) on my off days at the gym. I do have to turn, twist around and make up moves when I get bored, but it’s a good work out. It’s 11:26am where I’m at. Enjoy your evening. You’ve almost made it through your fast day!

Karen, I’m doing 4:3 with you and Charmaine. It went well this week. In fact, the extra fast day kept me focused. I need a bit of a push in my weight loss, although I did grab another pair of trousers from the ‘too small’ stack in my closet – fits like a glove. Happy smaller trouser dance today!

Ken – Enjoy those grandchildren. What a delightful day you have planned. It’s amazing how adults remember detailed, wonderful memories with grandparents. Keep making sweet memories, Ken.

Charmaine – I have another active weekend planned, but saved some time for fun as well. I hope you have a lovely weekend. I’m feeling my HIT routine in my body. A quick, half mile on the elliptical is gaining more results than a steady-paced mile on same equipment. Interesting! I’ve cut my gym time by 30 minutes by incorporating HITs.

Paradise – Hope today’s weigh in is promising

Missing Mel!

Hello Nina — It sounds like everything is going out the window today — You may want to close that window and lock it! It’s more difficult to fast when you’re entertaining guests. Be kind to yourself. It looks like your mind is in the right place.

David — I trust you are well. I hope the meaning of your name helps to make you feel special in life. It’s a great name!

The vacation plans mentioned on this site sound delightful. I hope we get full reports!

We’re busy at my house downsizing for next spring’s move. After raising 3 children in our home (we were also foster parents) we empty nesters are ready to consolidate into a smaller dwelling. We’ll move ten miles closer to city center instead of outskirts. More convenient to be in town, down the road from our gym, church, and quaint downtown area. Lovely areas to walk and bike ride and we’ll spend less time on yard work and cleaning rooms we no longer inhabit. My town is 100,000 people and we’re 30 minutes from a large, 2 million metro population area.

Take care and be kind to yourselves. Talk on Tuesday. Off to eat my veggie burger then go to the gym. Jean

Hi 3wishes glad to see you back. That’s some trip you did there, is your son just home for the Summer or has he graduated from Uni? Although you didn’t fast (and there’s no way I would have either) it sounds like you ate healthy so hopefully you won’t have put on any weight when you weigh in. Let us know how you do. What on earth is a jicama by the way, I’ve never even heard of one? We either call them something different here (like you call an aubergene egg plant I think) or we don’t get them. I think I may google it!

How are you doing Charmaine? Did your fast go ok yesterday and have you managed to weigh in yet? Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Well Ken we had our wine last night and I also had hummous and some dips to go with it (oh dear) so half a lb up this morning but will try to keep good today.
The paths look wet but not sure if it’s actually raining, I’ll just see when I go out with Harvey. Not doing a great deal today but if it’s not pouring down this afternoon we’re going shopping for Ron’s holiday clothes. He hates picking clothes and it’s going to be a chore for him but now he’s much smaller he has nothing decent that fits so he has to go whether he likes it or not!

How are you doing David? You’ve also been quiet for a few days.

JeanDee, well done on fitting into some smaller trousers, it’s a great feeling isn’t it? I’m not surprised you did because that’s some exercise routine you’ve got going, I think you’re putting the rest of us to shame! I didn’t actually manage my 4:3 this week, too much chocolate in our staff room at work that day, I felt a wee bit shaky that morning so succumbed and the day was ruined. Definitely doing it next week though because it’s the final week before I depart these wet shores for sunny Morocco. Been looking at the temps there for next week and there will be no packing of wet weather stuff or umbrellas because it could be over 100 degrees – that’ll do me nicely thank you very much!

Well guys hope to hear from you later have a great Saturday.
x

Hi everyone this looks like a friendly thread, so I thought I’d join in the fun.

I’m Gail and have been IFing since 6th Jan!!

Will sit and read through more of your threads this evening.

Gail
x

Hello Gail please to have you on board , yes this is a very friendly thread , and we do give each other lots of support , so please do tell us a bit about yourself and enjoy the ride x Ken

Hello everyone , I never got chance to type anything yesterday, Weekends are usually quiet on here anyway , I have read everything up to date so i am getting myself organised for my fast day tomorrow, I will be starting with a soft boiled egg (my normal) this time i have some “Trimmed Green Beans” so i will throw some of those in with my egg and use them as my “Dipping Soldiers” ha ha and i will have that with 100ml of tomatoe juice (19 cals) and a nice cup of herbby tea .

3 wishes , yes can yo tell us more about “Jicama” please

ok I will go for now , good luck to everyone who is fasting tomorrow may the calorie force be with you all x Ken

Afternoon everyone,

wow it will take me a while to get to know you all – sounds like you’re all doing really well.

As I said earlier I started fasting on 6th Jan and have lost a stone and
3.5lbs to date, hoping roughly another stone and a half will disappear over time too, though that will be returning to long since uncharted territory!!!

Been for a walk/jog and a long walk today so am feeling rather virtuous!!

Karen that shepherd’s pie sounds yum – is it a Fastday recipe or just a normal healthy shepherd’s pie?

Thanks for the welcome Ken, wow you’re super prepared getting ready for you Fast day already. I normally fast on a Monday but as it’s a Bank Holiday and I’m off to a friend’s for a BBQ don’t think I’ll manage it somehow!! So am going to attempt to do it on Tuesday instead. It’s half term this week, so I’m home with my children; it’s hard when I’m home with them but I shall try!!

I didn’t realize that jicama (pronounced HEE-kuh-muh) is an unusual item. It is fairly common here where I live – a lot of Hispanic residents here have introduced many of their foods and the rest of us have just jumped on the wagon with them. Jicama is known also as Yam Bean. Only the root is edible. It is grown in Mexico, South America, Indonesia, China, Vietnam… I did some google searches on the internet and found a few lonely souls in the UK searching for it in vain. I suggest trying to find it in an Asian food market or perhaps a Mexican food market if that exists. You might have to google some of the native names for it before asking for it. It has the texture and crunch of an apple – juicy and not bitter. It doesn’t brown when cut up so it is a great addition to a raw veggie platter. You peel off the inedible papery/woody brown exterior to reveal a white interior like a turnip. The sizes of the jicama can be about twice as big as a beet. It can be eaten raw or roasted as a substitute for a potato. The cool thing about jicama is that it has a big amount of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C but a glycemic index of 2 in .25 pounds. I found some quotes from a web site about the fiber:
“It is one of the finest source dietary fiber and excellent source of oligofructose inulin, a soluble dietary fiber. The root pulp provides 4.9 mg or 13% of fiber. Inulin is a zero calorie, sweet inert carbohydrate and does not metabolize in the human body, which make the root an ideal sweet snack for diabetics and dieters.” and: ” Inulin, a fructan, promotes bone health by enhancing absorption of calcium from other foods, protecting against osteoporosis. Inulin has a prebiotic role in the intestine – it promotes “good” bacteria growth that maintains both a healthy colon and balanced immunity. Because it has a very low glycemic index, jicama is a great food for diabetics, and low in calories for those interested in weight reduction.” (isn’t the internet great??)

As for finding it – I saw some web sites in the UK selling seeds and SOMEONE from England had the world record for the biggest jicama root. (like 21KG??) So you could always feel adventurous and try to grow it.

My son has one more year at college – so that makes 2 or 3 more 16-hour one-way trips by car. Once to drop him off and once to pick him up at graduation and maybe one more trip to attend the Christmas Fest Music extravaganza at his college – (500 singers, orchestra, band, handbells and who knows what else) After that he is going to try to apply to the university college of London so we’ll see what’s in store there!!
Everyone have a great day and an easy fast. I get back on my schedule of Mondays and Thursday fasts tomorrow and I am looking forward to it. I really miss it when I skip those fasts.

Anyone else have some unusual veggies, herbs or fruits that we could incorporate in our diets??

Aww Charmaine we’ve got no problem with you being mushy I was just worried that you had lost motivation. Its nice to read everyone’s daily stories and I look forward to it each morning. It sounds like you are doing really well and losing inches and looking slimmer is more important than losing lbs. I know what you mean when you say you also want the lbs to move along too though.
I’m here for the long haul too – 10 days all inclusive will see me put lbs back on so I’ll be straight back here when I come home. Plus I want to stay at my ideal weight so this will keep me focused.
🙂

Hi everyone,

have read several pages so have kind of caught up with who’s who (well kind of :-))

So good to hear how well you have all been doing.

Some of you asked for a bit more info about me, well I’m in Surrey, am another shorty and have a 13 year old daughter and an 11 year old son. I have always struggled with my weight and have tried all the major diets, Weight Watchers, Rosemary Conley, Slimming World and the advice of a nutritionist (sound advice but i found it hard to adhere to all the time!). Last summer I saw a documentary by Michael Peretti looking at the diet industry; in a nutshell it concluded that dieting doesn’t work and it’s been known for a long long time that it doesn’t long term. I especially remember the rather portly former finance director of Weight Watchers smiling happily at the firm’s own stats which state only 10% of those that achieve their target weight are still there 5 years later, he simply said that means they come back – fantastic for the business. So I miserably thought I’m forever destined to be short and chubby!!!

Then I saw Dr Michael Mosely’s programme and thought wow but it took seeing a colleague at work 6 month’s later who had “melted away” to give me the incentive to try it!!

For me it works because there are 2 days of relative hardship, the rest of the time I can forget about food, if I want that cake I have it but equally if I’m not hungry I won’t bother having lunch. Finally I think I am in control of food rather than it being in charge of me and I think it might actually work for me 🙂

When I started i weighted 11 stone 8.5lbs which for my tiny frame (I’m 5″ and 3/4 inch) that put me way up in the obese column!! 1 stone and 3.5 lbs later I can now wear my size 12 jeans again which I had had to put away, as I didn’t have a prayer of doing them up.

I think I’d like to lose about the same again and then I’ll be happy. It’s a slow journey, usually i only lose about a pound a week but I’m very happy.

Karen I forgot about slimming world recipes, have several of their books, will have to check them out.

Am off this week (work in a school) so will post a bit more but normally can’t post much during the day.

Hope everyone that fasted today made it through. Am fasting tomorrow.

Gail xxx

I think we must have been typing together Gail we crossed posts!

Its nice to hear a bit about you and where you live. I think I saw that programme you mentioned and it seems like we’re being conned by the diet industry – they get rich, people lose weight on their diets initially, put it back on and more and the whole cycle begins again. 5:2 is so different. I’m like you in that I fast for the 2 days then the other 5 I mostly eat/drink what I want (within reason). There’s nobody telling me not to eat this food with that food and counting points or calories every day (although I do on fast days), it kind of gives some freedom from constant restriction so I know I won’t get few up with it. The health benefits really attracted me too. I’m 51 and 2 and a half years ago my dad had a major stroke at the age of only 72, he’d been on medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol, was lucky to survive his stroke and is quite handicapped now so if I can avoid the health problems he’s had I’ll be delighted.

Its a shame us shorties take longer to lose the weight but as people have said on here, slow but sure wins the race. You’ve done so well to get down to a 12 again and I hope you pat yourself on the back now and again! You’ll get plenty of encouragement here and if you fall off the wagon we’ll help you jump back on so just stick around and you won’t go far wrong.

Well think I’ll go and make my hot choc 🙂

PS Well done Karen making it through your fast day. That’ll be me tomorrow – kind of glad went to a BBQ today and have had a little too much to eat!!!

Night everyone

xxx

A final post – Karen have been up North many times in my younger days (am 48 now), used to do a lot of walking some in the Lakes and quite a bit in North Yorkshire. Did The Three Peaks once!!! Absolutely love York, though not been for years 🙁

X

Good Morning everyone 🙂
Gail – welcome again and it is nice to know a few things about everyone , as we really do try and support each other , Stay with us and I have sent the Calorie force down to Surrey to be with you lol .

Flowerpower – Just because you want to try another plan of attack does not mean you have to leave us , SO whatever it is you are doing we all wnat to know , how you are doing , (if that makes sense) ha ha 🙂 in other words stay with us ok lol

Charmaine – you have had a downward movement yipeee ( that sounds rude ha ha ) ,I am sure you are all laughing hee hee , Anyway you are back to loosing ways again , I understand about rice being your staple diet , is there any way you can substitute some rice for more veg , its just an idea, that is what i do with potatoes and bread , i have cut down quite a lot of those and replace them with veg .

Karen – I was awake at 4 am too . dman we could have had a middle of the night natter hee hee , You must be proud of Ron good on him , when do you go away ? You do write some really good things and you are fantastic at motivating people , 🙂 way to go our Karen x

Jip , Jean , David and everyone else let us know how you are doing

Oh yes I almost forgot , my day went very well yesterday , i came in at 550 cals so i had a few to spare , am real chuffed with myself

PS I too watch BGT lol
May the calorie force be with you all x Ken

ths karen, jeendee and charmain, what a long blog to get into!-sorry guys- the bank hols here(in uk) (since i see now we have oz, indian ans hipanic members) have thrown me out and i am really buzy so cant focus-trying to limit my intake though and cant have my next weigh in till fri 8th june is it?

i wont have done so well, but will be back into the swing! with water on my way into work and veggi snacks for breakfast- in london i must have had 1/2 dozen compliments on my looks! one saying i was too thin! and of course i fitted nicely into a pair of trousers i last wore in 2006 b4! i joined wwatchers! but have been tight since!

so keep on going guys and anyone you see occasionally will start noticing!

I may be overdoing it but iu am certainly NOT binging like i used to after a good patch with ww!

Morning Gail, I’m fasting too (the second of my back to back) so we can support each other today. What is knackerbrod BTW, never heard of it? I’m a wee bit headachy today too, maybe a bit hydrated so I’ll drink a bit more today. Just had homemade carrot and coriander soup and having prawn salad for tea.,I did sucumb to a biscuit though but all counted in, should be fine and under 500 cals. I lost the 1.5 lbs I put on over the weekend and got another fast after today so hoping if I don’t go mad tomorrow I’ll be at my lowest for a while by weigh in on Friday.

Where do you buy your miso soup, I’ve been wanting to try it for a while? I tend to shop in Morrison and haven’t seen it there yet. The zero cal noodles and rice too but not got around to those yet, heard good things about them though.

Morning David, you seem to be doing well too and well done you on fitting into those trousers after so long. Have a peek on those scales I’m sure you’ll have done much better than you think.

Well better go guys x

i am away karen until 6th june-weds then i can weigh in on the same scales but i dont like to get xcited then feel disappointed so stick t fri/sat weigh in days

– gail(hilly66?) all those funny things- are they not expensive & fussy & hard to find?

all the books i read say stay off funny foods and focus on simple home cooked high fibre/gl index ingredients-especially organic – with micrnutrients, fibre, antioxdants, b vits etc. since this is a LONG TERM diet you can stick to and achieve long term weight loss rather than yo yo weight movements.

there are loads of lo cal soup recipes.

Hi David,

they’re not funny especially just not from the UK I guess, I don’t have them often but there are times with a full time job, some private tuition work and two children, when time runs out on me and they do help! The noodles are dear about £2.49 a pack so have them as a just in case. Miso soup, was a while ago that I got them, can’t remember how much it was but not excessive. You’re dead right homemade is definitely better

Have been fasting for almost 5 months now and I think it has become the norm for me and that is mostly by preparing things from scratch.

Where are you on your hols David?

Gail (Hilly66) x

thkd gail-its smoky stressed london-where no-ones freindly,and its more a busmans holiday where I can work for myself for a WHILE.2-IT TOOK YOU A LONG TIME TO FIND US GAIL? is it just 5.2 you have done or slimming world as well?

Afternoon all,

brr I’m cold too Karen and often am on a fast day; mind you if your weather is anything like mine (wet and dreary only 11 C according to my car) that doesn’t exactly help either.

Am very hungry right now, hope I make it to dinner!

David just didn’t stumble upon you guys before but you’re stuck with me now!! Most recently weight loss attempt prior to this was Slimming World but that was a couple of years ago, had kind of given up! 5:2 doesn’t really feel like a diet to me more of a taking back control. I can’t believe how it’s going and think I might actually make it to healthy BMI for the first time in a long long time – well fingers crossed, am currently at 27.9 so a way to go yet!!

Paradise Knackerbrod is yummy but I wouldn’t hunt too hard, I only know about it because my now ex boyfriend (Sadly split up in Feb after more than 4 years together) grew up in Stockholm and he took me to the Swedish shop in North London. It makes a nice change; if I spy it anywhere else will let you know 🙂 I love trying new foods and cooking new recipes – lol guess that’s why I’m a cuddly petite!!

You’re all so friendly on here, I feel very welcomed.

xxx

Happy Tuesday to all. Your evening may have begun while my afternoon is just beginning in middle America. (With the exception of India and Southern Hemisphere) Holiday yesterday so I’m fasting today. Husband was home and we did a lot of organizing and running up and down steps. We had an outdoor BBQ with neighbors – the entire neighborhood smelled great. I eat very little meat, but can’t deny the smell was terrific. Took a two day break from gym workout and kept busy with home activities. I think my joints needed a rest. I appreciate Jip’s timely comments about our joint health. (Hello Jip!) I’m looking forward to being lighter on my feet while at the gym. Stretching daily at home has helped more than I imagined.

Does anyone do Tai Chi movements?

Has anyone read the new, Beach Fasting book (pardon me for messing up the title) and want to give a synopsis?

3wishes – Glad your son is back home. Thanks for sharing your tasty treats. My sis uses jicama in place of potato or apples in salads. It’s an acquired taste, but I enjoy the crunch.

Karen – I’m looking forward to hearing about your trip to Morocco. How nice for Europeans to be able to be in close proximity to such interesting places to visit. I trust you’ll be burning calories as you walk a lot in the sun. Wishing you safe travels.

Ken – It sounds like you have an interesting life and you keep busy. Love hearing that. This weekend, I purchased 3 pairs of trousers, one size smaller than my current size, as a faith purchase. I placed the new trousers on the small stack. Small steps…

Hilly / Gail — Welcome. This is a delightful thread. I don’t check in daily, but look forward to logging in and reading / responding. I’m looking forward to my next 6 months on 5:2 as I’m beginning month 4. I have slightly over 2 stones remaining, however, I prefer to weigh only once a month. Experts say otherwise but I’m trying to keep it simple. Glad you stopped in. Please stay a while.

Charmaine – ‘Good on ‘ya’ for working out on a hectic day. No doubt you slept well. Hope your fasting is going well. Let’s continue with our HITs. I find the concept compelling. I had 6 ounces of fresh fruit today, lots of water and one cup of coffee with light cream. That should hold me until after my workout. I keep a candy dish on my desk and meet a lot of faculty and staff that way. It’s a game with me — I do not partake of my own candy. I don’t even want to start that! Today I have wrapped taffy candy in my dish. Do you all eat taffy? (This gooey treat is a dentist’s friend.)

David — Glad you’re back in the swing of things. We’re all in this together. We’re making the world a lighter place. Hey, it would be interesting to poll all 5:2ers on this forum and see how much combined weight we’ve lost…

Paradise — Keep that sanity in tact. No doubt we all slip in and out. That’s what keeps us real and interesting. It’s great to have understanding ears on our site. Hope your tomorrow is terrific.

I’m missing some names — I just know it. You are not forgotten. I have a few more tasks to do now then off to the wild, blue yonder. Blessings to all.
Jean

JeanDee: Go to the last page of this page for a synopsis of what the book says.

http://fastdiet.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/FB-PLANNER.pdf

I recommend you purchase and read it, as I followed the checklist and was much more inspired to read all the writing.

Great book. Just what I needed at this time.