Day 8 – Ireland – NFD

Hello all,

I’m back with you for November … tbh I’ve been finding things tough as the country opens up but also caring for mum and everything else… so have not been present in many areas including here which I know affects me… so here I am back for the benefits of the great company and support here and also to support others which is in my character but I’ve lost that a little recently… all very strange but this stage of life is tricky anyway I think 🤔

I am also steering clear of alcohol as I’ve often said, it just doesn’t like me anymore, but if there is a big occasion like a birthday or celebration I may have a drink but very much choosing my events and can’t imagine ever saying that I will never drink again… but I do feel better and my friends are thrilled to have a driver for nights out 🤣
Having said that this weekend was a celebration weekend 🥂 as girlfriends from France who I had not seen in two years were visiting so that was great and such fun 😍

I hope you are all happy and well and thank you @northgeorgia for hosting!

Looking forward to being present with you this month.

Onward and downward ⬇️
We rise by lifting others 💕

Day 8 North Canton OH FD

@northgeorgia congratulations on your new low and what a great idea to have a Thanksgiving and Christmas meal plan. A wise person once said that if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Definitely something to keep in mind as we approach silly season.

@daffodil2010 this is all so heartwarming. Your husband’s reconnection to his birth family has been like pulling on a string. I am so happy for you both.

@stitchincarol you may be right about your addiction but think of how much joy you bring to those who hear you play! There are definitely worse things to be addicted to. I have often wished that I knew how to play an instrument. it is not too late to learn, maybe I will make that my next self improvement project.

@mariaelena sibling relationships can be so easy and yet so complicated at the same time. I am glad that you are making plans to smooth things over with your sister, I am sure that you all miss your mom. Hugs

@songbirdme did you enjoy the “lensi”? It is interesting how many different options there are to help with healthier eating. Back in the day when I was initially transitioning to healthier alternatives, I was a bit disappointed that spaghetti squash was so “crunchy” compared to regular pasta, once I adjusted my expectations, I was able to enjoy it for what it is. Now I can’t imagine eating regular pasta or rice like I used to. Funny how our palates adapt.

I had a rough couple of weeks and now I am resetting for the end of the year. Our maintain don’t gain challenge at work kicked off today and as usual I signed up for it. I also stumbled on a great app for meal planning Mealime. I cooked over the weekend for my family and it was great, we all enjoyed it and it was so much fun. My older daughter is home for the week, and has said she would like to cook with me- which should make it even more fun.

That is enough rambling for the day. Enjoy your monday ( or what is left of it) and see you all tomorrow.

Pocket list for day 8 🪴
@daffodil2010
@babs_b
@basyjames

Day 8 USA – NFD

Plans were to give my regular pint of blood donation this afternoon, so I ate a pretty fair lunch (as we are expected to do). My hemoglobin was .1 low so I was deferred. It needs to be 12.5 and mine was 12.4. Ate a normal dinner anyway. I will pump up some iron and go back in a week.

@basyjames – plans are to try the lentil spaghetti tomorrow for supper. I will let you know what DH and I think of it.

Onward and downward.

Day 9 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – FD

It’s going to be WFD until evening and then I will make my first Ridiculously Big Salad…I also have DH roped in to join me with the evening meals of low carb salads and alternate cooked meals….he won’t be doing water fasts but he doesn’t eat lunch…so glad to have him on board to help my support too.

We bought weighed in this morning for the starting point, so let’s go. I have to start seeing a weight loss and WFD seems to be the way, that’s what did it in 2017, it has to be it now.

Thanks everybody for your kind words re the long lost family. DH has asked me to write down all the dates and names as he doesn’t want to forget, so I am going to journal it all for him (hee hee, a lot of it is in here but it’s my secret space in here ☺️).

@ stitchincarol good question re his adoptive family. Both parents have passed on but he does have a sister ( who was also adopted). Unfortunately they fell out with each other around the time his adoptive mum fell ill. Issues around the sister not visiting, helping out, and a huge break up when the mum passed on, so much so that ALL ties were cut. He does have relations with his cousins and they are all so happy for him on his journey.

However, now that he has had such a happy experience, he is thinking of his adoptive sister and feeling for her….she made connection with her birth mum when she was early 20’s, but after an initial meeting her birth Mum did not want to continue the relationship. So rejected twice 😔 Might explain her subsequent behaviour.

DH now thinks he will reach out to her after all these years, make the connection again.

@mariaelena, like your sister in law I could write a book!!!!!

Loving all the Autumnal stories of smoke and wood fires and canal barges and player pianos and plans to get through the next few weeks.

Together we ARE stronger.
Pocket list day 9
@ Daffodil2010

Third post

@daffodil2010 – Sad for your DH’s sister. Your DH has found so much happiness through the new family connections … so sad that she experienced that terrible rejection.

I love your DH’s commitment to the plan! My DH does “OMAD” but then he eats three courses in the evening! 😵‍💫
I keep saying that he’s not doing a proper OMAD but at least he does fully avoid sugar and he eats healthily. Rome wasn’t built in a day….

My plan for this week is

Tues (today) – FD
Wed – NFD
Thurs – OMAD
Friday – FD

POCKET LIST DAY 9 (combined 😄)
@daffodil2010
@high5

Day 9 – UK – NFD

@funshipfreddie – I was just catching up with Obama’s COP26 speech this morning and smiled when he referred to Scotland as the Emerald Isle then quoted the very English Shakespeare! 😅 Still, it was a fantastic speech.

@mariaelena – The canal / river is lovely and yes I get out for walks along there quite regularly. There are nature reserves dotted alongside the river where lots of birds and other wildlife visit, which is always lovely to see. In recent years, some of the people living on the boats have started small businesses – there’s a massage therapist operating from one, woodworkers in another and we often have a ‘floating bakery’ moored up too. I’ve often watched on in awe of their seemingly slower pace of life when I’ve been stomping up the footpath trying to clear my head after a stressful day! (Thankfully they’re not all that frequent but still, in those moments the thought of selling some cakes from a hatch in a canal boat seems like heaven!).

@high5 – phew, I was thinking I don’t remember saying how controlled my weekend was!! 🙈😂

@daffodil2010 – that’s very sad about DH’s sister and yes, the double rejection has no doubt had an impact. Life / our lived experiences can be so complex, sadly.

@jaifaim – good to have you back!

@penz – I hope all is well on your side of the world!

@songbirdme – fingers crossed for the donation next week… there’ll be lots of iron sources on the menu this week then I take it?

@basyjames – I’m also on a bit of a reset for the end of the year, so right here with you

Yesterday was a FD800 for me in the end and I am very happy about that. I’ve put today down as a NFD but just going to go with the flow and mindfully listen to my body. Currently in the ZBC and not hungry at all. Lunch is soup (old habits die hard) and dinner tonight will be a tomato & aubergine (eggplant) bake.

Have a great Tuesday all!

Day 9 – FD

Jumping on the fasting train again. The lentil spaghetti will have to wait another day. I’ve enjoyed too many treats lately!

Pocket list day 9
@high5
@daffodil2010
@northgeorgia
@at
@songbirdme

Onward and downward.

@stitchincarol – we also have several trees that are not done “leaving” onto the yard. One of the smartest moves we made some years back was to put gutter guards on when we got a new roof. I am SO glad no one has to clean out gutters any longer! Our little town still allows us to burn along the back fence line, abuts up to a cow pasture, so smoke doesn’t really bother the cow herd.

Sure do hope you can get a nap today. Waking up early is only good if you can go back to sleep!

Day 9 – FD 800

Pocket list day 9
@high5
@daffodil2010
@northgeorgia
@at
@songbirdme
@mariaelena

Day 10 – Ireland 🇮🇪 FD

Loss on the scales this morning but I am waiting until Saturday morning weigh in before I declare that the OMAD way is working…I have seen this loss before but this time, I am determined to continue in this vein to get to my goal. I need to lose 30lbs.

End of November goal I want to have lost half a stone, 7lbs at least, and 10lbs would be super seeing as there are still 20 days left. It CAN be done.

DH and I have made a pact that we will go back to our teamwork of weight loss back in 2013 when we both did the Dukan diet. Saturday was our day off, but we still didn’t load up on carbs and snacks, it just meant we could enjoy a drink and a good dinner. We lost 50lbs each doing that.

I am on a yo-yo though as I put 30lbs on again until 2017 when I found this WOL and lost it again, and here I am in 2021 with the 30lb to lose again !!!!

Happy Hump Day 🐫

Day 10. London UK

What are you going to see @brightonbelle? We went to see The Mirror and the Light at the theatre last night. Worth seeing, but £90 is a lot for two people. The theatre is so expensive. I’m on day three of the Eatlikeabear three day challenge. I must admit I love it. Eating in a one hour window is very doable. There are so many people on that website that have lost 100 lbs. The salads are enormous, and you know once you’ve finished that is really it until the same time next day. Wouldn’t suit everybody, but it suits me. Happy hump day 🐫 🐪 all.

Day 10 – Rural Nebraska, USA – WFD

Yesterday went okay, although there’s no longer any doubt the cold of fasting has settled in. When I got home from teaching, I should have had a cup of hot water; I’ve found that’s very helpful in warming me up from the inside out, and I just didn’t for some reason. At least the cold has passed this morning–for now, at least–and the scale has returned to 140.0, so I’m content. My usual planning thoughts didn’t get anywhere yesterday, however; my brain was racing around lots and lots of thoughts, but I never settled on making plans, other than deciding to make this Saturday an OMAD around the turkey dinner. That’s a start, at least.

@funshipfreddie Interesting article about sleep. I did indeed sleep until a little after 7 this morning, and feel much better, thanks.

@daffodil2010 Years ago, I learned that setting goals for how much I’d lose never works for me, because I can’t control what I lose; I can control how I behave, how much I eat, what I eat, and when I eat, and how active I am, but I can’t control how many pounds my body lets go of. And when I didn’t reach my weight loss goals, I felt like a failure, even when I was eating/exercising according to plan, and that would discourage me so that I’d give up. So I’d caution you to focus more on feeling like a success if you follow through on your plan, and not so much on what your body lets go of, because then, however much much/little you lose, you’ll still feel like a success (and you’ll certainly BE a success!), and be motivated to continue. That, at least, is my two cents, for you to do with as you choose. I love that your hubby is doing this with you; it sure makes everything far easier, doesn’t it? I do hope this works wonders for you and your goals!

@brightonbelle Have a grand time! What are you seeing?

@emma-taylor I’m so delighted you’re enjoying the RBS. It was such a learning curve for me to find something that allowed me finally to lose weight, and once I reach goal, it will be another challenge to find what allows me to maintain that loss even while living a somewhat normal life. Fasting the rest of my life is easy enough to embrace, even a weekly WFD, but I’m not willing to give up carbs forever, or do OMAD forever. Being thin is not easy!

@northgeorgia Wow, 215? That’s a new low, isn’t it? COOLNESS!!! And what a delight to get some more Wesley and Lola!

@songbirdme Nice to hear you’ve dropped another couple pounds; are you returned to your maintenance weight yet?

Pocket list Day 10 🦄
@daffodil2010
@brightonbelle
@emma-taylor
@stitchincarol WFD 2of2

Day 10 – FD 500

@Funshipfreddie- hmm on the sleep article. I’ve always needed about 1 hour more sleep than everyone says I should. I know I wake up many times during the night. But I am so glad falling asleep has rarely been a problem for me.

@northgeorgia Great weigh in! the lowest yet?

@basyjames and @songbirdme I am ineligible to give blood (I’m fine, but for reasons (out of date, but still enforced) they reject me), so my husband does regularly. The need for blood donations in my local area is high, and I wish I could help.

@at carrot and Coriander soup sounds fantastic! Yummy

@brightonbelle Have a fantastic time at the theater. I think West End theater is what I miss most about London. I echo the queries – what are you seeing?

@stitchincarol Wise Words – scale goals do not work well for me, I am considering taking your approach.

@daffodil2010 How wonderful to your husband will partner with you on this! In my household, while my DH and I like the same indulgent treats, our food tastes are wildly divergent so we may eat at the same time, but rarely eat the same thing. So we support and encourage each other, but I doubt I’ll ever see him fast. He can tolerate more sugar and calories in his diet than I can, and I am allergic to eggs and a bitter super taster (keep those bell peppers out of my food) and he is staunchly opposed to all but the most common veggies (and even objects to some like carrots, which I can not even comprehend).

I am enjoying finding new recipes, and it is a shame I can’t share them with my husband. I’m holding out hope someday in the not too distant future we will feel comfortable traveling again and I might be able to host my sister and cook a bunch of things for her. She loved cooking when she was younger and now kinda hates it. My enjoyment of cooking has only grown, so it is always a fun time fir me in the kitchen when she visits.

So, the furniture we got from MIL is now properly located in our house, and several existing pieces (and much accumulated flotsam and jetsam) donated. I’m afraid I was not able to completely suppress my grumpiness as my DH picked these pieces and his contribution to picking the proper places consisted of several vetos of my suggestions and his own suggestions which invariably included getting rid of pieces beloved by me. Now that it is done, and his memories have been incorporated into our ‘decor’ I am very happy with the results. I just should have had more patience during the upheaval process. However, I am still on the long (3 decades) hunt for a coffee table. Lol.

So I have been putting off changing that cat litter, and I think I’m out of excuses! Have a grand day all!

Pocket list Day 10 🦄
@daffodil2010
@brightonbelle
@emma-taylor
@stitchincarol WFD 2of2
@mariaelena

Day 10 – UK – FD800

Thankfully I kept to my FD800 yesterday so aiming for another one today.

Yoga this morning and an afternoon of volunteering has kept me on the straight and narrow so 🤞I keep on track.

It was lovely to have a dry day, with some sunshine after 2 very grey and drizzly days – does cheer you up!!

@stitchincarol – I have been waking up early as well, around 0530 – very unlike me as I usually sleep through the night – will have a think if anything has changed in my evening routine…..
@basyjames – why did you have to mention Irish cream in coffee…..please don’t get me started……🤣
@mariaelena – soup yesterday did the trick – today I had a snack at lunchtime and having a big bowl of a low calorie homemade mushroom soup for my evening meal and that should keep me to 800cals if I keep my RESOLVE – I love soups in winter, it’s a mainstay of my FDs

Pocket list Day 10 🦄
@daffodil2010
@brightonbelle
@emma-taylor
@stitchincarol WFD 2of2
@basyjames WFD
@at 2nd FD800

“If I quit now, I will soon be back to where I started. And when I started, I was desperately wishing to be where I am now”

Day 9 – Ireland – FD
Day 10 – CD
Hello all,
Thanks for the welcome back it’s great to be here! I even nearly managed a LFD yesterday but caved around 6 pm and had fruit and some crackers but I think I’m back in the right mindset…🤞
Managed a workout this morning before work and just went out for a quick spin 🚴 in the dark with lots of lights 🔦 to break the working day..
still working from home but will have to get back into the office / commute habit in the next two weeks… for my sanity and just generally to get back to normal life.
Hope you are all well – my bedtime reading tonight will be to catch up on your posts. 📚

Onward and downward ⬇️
We rise by lifting others 💕

Day 10. London UK

Day three of RBS ( Ridiculously Big Salad). I have just eaten the biggest salad of all time. I am stuffed. If this works it’ll be a miracle.

Thought I’d mention a book I’ve just bought on my kindle – Set Boundaries, Find Peace. By Nedra Glover Tawwad. It’s excellent. It’s about setting boundaries, obviously , but it’s full of good advice which I thought some people here who have issues with their in laws, for instance, might find useful. Highly recommended.

Ha, Ha!
Not the m bongoes….

the mangoes!

Day 11 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – OMAD

So it’s day 3 for me on the Eat Like a Bear 3 day challenge, and looking forward to my Ridiculously Big Salad tonight. I did struggle yesterday, I was so cold in work, I felt empty, went for a walk, my inner mind was saying that this was too hard, so in the end I had a cup of Bovril for lunch, and that was fine. Back on track. Only a few calories in that and gave me a boost.

Thanks @stitchincarol for the words of advice re goal setting and weight loss. Sometimes putting a figure on it has actually helped me in the past, given me focus, but absolutely can see what you mean about goal setting to achieve the plan, ie complete X days of fasting, OMAD, or whatever.

So maybe I will set the first mini-goal of getting into the 150’s…soon! Like @northgeorgia, with Club 240 (when WAS that?), I have been in my own Club 160’s for 6 months now, since my appendix episode ….time to leave.

@EmmaTaylor I meant to comment on your post re finding out your great-grandmother lived near you and you never knew. That’s something that intrigues me now, and the more DH delves into finding his past, the more I am interested in finding the details of mine luckily my oldest brother has been working on the family tree for years and its extensive.

DH managed to locate where his late father was cremated in NZ and has applied for the Death Cert. This might give his last address. He was speaking to his new first cousin yesterday getting all the gossip on the paternal family and it seems that putting children for adoption or disowning illegitimate babies has happened a couple of times in the not far past. Oh dear.

Right, off to do my Day 3 of OMAD, then take it from there.

Have a great Thursday.

Day 11 London UK ELAB (Eatlikeabear!)

@daffodil2010 – good luck with day 3. I’m a day ahead of you. I must admit I feel really great. No booze, so proper sleep, and the hideous cough I’ve had for about 18 months seems to have nearly gone. I can’t quite believe that it’s gone. I had to get up in the night to clear my airways (sorry, tmi) because I couldn’t breathe properly. Gone. Hurray. I’m actually eating in about a 40 minute window. It didn’t seem possible to do that, but for now, it makes sense.

@brightonbelle – hope you enjoy the theatre. Sounds good.

Day 11 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – FD

@songbirdme – I thought the same re all those little red lines indicating awake times? Apparently I’m awake for about 8% of my so-called sleep time every night but, if I am I’m not aware of it.

@northgeorgia – I’m holding thumbs for you to reach a new low tomorrow 🤞

Pocket list – day 11
@northgeorgia
@funshipfreddie

Day 11 – Rural Nebraska, USA – OMAD

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month…thanks and honor to any veterans on this forum. 💞

I could feel it yesterday, that I was losing more weight, and this morning I was right. Let me give you some numbers:
Oct 11, 145.6 lbs.
Oct 18, 147.6 lbs.
Oct 25, 145.2 lbs.
Oct 31, 141.8 lbs.
Nov 8, 141.4 lbs.
This morning: 138.6 lbs.

I’ve cheated with carbs once each week, but apparently the WFDs and the RBS are a good compensation. I sure hope the others of you trying that approach have similar, if not better, success! I’m sure thrilled!

@songbirdme I’m sure you’ll drop those three pounds quickly.

@emma-taylor Thanks for the book recommendation; I’ll search it out. And it’s mind-boggling that your great-grandma lived so close and you didn’t even know it. I can’t even imagine how disappointed you have to feel knowing that and not having met her.

@facek What a lovely description you gave; thanks for that! And great job on a solid start to fasting; you’re doing terrifically and the success of the first three weeks should help you power through when it starts getting tougher. Think RESOLVE, not “hope,” comparing 5:2 to any task you face…you wouldn’t “hope” to accomplish a work task, you’d simply resolve to accomplish it, right? RESOLVE was our mantra in August, and it was SO helpful.

@babs_b Well, well done on a well-behaved NFD; that is indeed epic!!

@daffodil2010 Putting up babies for adoption and disowning illegitimate babies has happened several times? Oh dear is right. It’s so delightful that your DH’s story has such a lovely outcome. Any success with him reaching out to his sister?

I’m actually hungry right now, which is a very unusual thing for 8:20 am. Hopefully I can drown it with black coffee, and then I’ll eat my OMAD mid-afternoon so I don’t get too tempted to eat what I shouldn’t.

Some friends and their adult son who was our DS30’s best friend growing up are coming for Thanksgiving, so I’m quite thrilled with how lovely that day will be. I got the pie crusts mixed up yesterday and into the freezer as discs; I’ll pull them out and form them into crusts a day or two before Thanksgiving, and that will help with the time-crunch on the day. If it’s not obvious, possibly the greatest joy I have is when I’m planning special dinners with people I love, and planning Thanksgiving is one of the top meals of the year. I’m going to be floating on cloud 9 as these days fly past!

Have a grand day, everyone, with great success and strong RESOLVE and contentment in your choices!

Pocket list – day 11
@northgeorgia
@funshipfreddie
@at
@stitchincarol -RBS

Second post

@stitchincarol we overlapped posting again, lol.

Your weigh ins are fab – good for you!!!

Day 11 North Canton NFD

Just when I decided to focus on compliance to plan versus results I got a huge drop on the scales – 3pounds overnight-what! Whatever Cruella LOL😛

@at I am sorry for getting you started on IC. I will use initials to blunt the impact

@stitchincarol search me! But- after switching up my game from 3 day WF to EOWFD, I am seeing the scales respond but we will see; one week is not sufficient time to create a trend. By the way- your numbers do not lie!! Go Carol

@jaifam I get what you mean about transitioning from WFH to office/commute habit. For the longest time, I wanted to WFH, then I got my wish and it’s been quite the adjustment 🙄.

@songbirdme I have no doubt that you will lost those 3 pesky pounds, you are quite the inspiration

@facek congrats on the loss which will only be the first of many I am sure. Thanks for clarifying, although m bongos sounds like more fun that plain old mangoes 😁😁

@mariaelena I get the same every so often from OH. He admires my dedication to wellness and a healthy weight but worries that I push the envelope too far sometimes. My sister has the same issue with her OH as well. On the one hand, I understand why you feel irked by his concern, but on the other hand, I can understand why they feel that way. Many people have this knee jerk reaction to fasting or TRE because for a long time conventional wisdom stated that, you have to eat every few hours to “keep up your metabolism” and it is extreme to “starve” yourself.
As Dr. Fung said- it does not add up but there was a time when conventional wisdom stated that butter and eggs were “bad” for you but you could drink all the vegetable oil you wanted, Ha ha ha- for ignorance my people perish!!!. Vent all you want, that is why we are here. You are doing great!!!!!!🎉🎉🎉

Have a wonderful day today and above all else be kind- everyone is dealing with something 💜
Thank you to all the veterans