Succeeding in September 2023 – monthly challenge

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Succeeding in September 2023 – monthly challenge

This topic contains 219 replies, has 19 voices, and was last updated by  metatauta 1 year, 2 months ago.

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  • Hello everybody!

    I’m Penz and I will be your host for the month of September. The key theme is to focus on you – and striving to achieve your goals (whatever they may be). Let’s all be successful!

    If you are thinking of starting 5:2, or looking for motivation to keep going, please join our forum. And you can join at any point during the month. We are a friendly, international, fun and super-supportive bunch of people. Don’t hesitate – jump right in!

    These monthly challenges were started by @coda in May 2016 and have been going strong ever since. Goals can be overwhelming when viewed as a whole. But by breaking them down into small achievable pieces (monthly challenges), we are able to stay focused and motivated to accomplish our goals one step at a time in bite-sized monthly challenges.

    There are no rules, but as a general guide, here are some tips:

    1. Posting – Please start each post with the day of the month, where you are, and if you’re on a fast day (FD), non-fast day (NFD) or controlled day (CD). We’re all over the world and in different time zones so it helps us keep track of which day we’re talking about, who else is fasting with us on a particular day etc. Look at the various posts, and you’ll soon see the pattern, and will learn how useful it is for reading.

    2. In your first post, please introduce yourself to the group – this helps us to get to know each other, which is especially helpful for newbies. Perhaps say something about where you started, your journey so far, what you’re aiming for or how you are benefiting from fasting. You might like to include your starting weight or your goals for the month. But you don’t have to – share only what you are comfortable sharing online.

    3. Spreadsheet – we will hopefully have a spreadsheet available and we will post the link on a separate post when we have it. It will be in alphabetical order by username. If you find it helpful, you can use it to record and track your progress as well as keeping track of how others are doing. It can help with perspective, accountability or planning. And if you need help just ask – there’s always someone happy to help. But you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. It’s just another tool you can use if you choose.

    4. Frequency – Some people post daily, others check in every few days. Some are brief, others are long and chatty. If you’re posting for a second time in the same day please head your post eg Day 1 second post. Past history shows that posting every day truly does help with motivation for staying on track with your goals, so please don’t feel shy about suddenly posting daily; we love new members!

    5. Content of your post– Comments or questions, complaints or celebration – anything you’d like to share with the forum. Recipes, tips, tricks and bright ideas are always welcome. Remember: we all have good days and bad days, days we fall off the wagon or days when we are hanging on by our fingernails, days when our mojo deserts us and days where we feel completely in control. So DON’T GIVE UP – whatever it is, you are not alone!

    6. Community – This is a worldwide forum so there’s usually someone online. We all do our best to offer advice, support and solidarity.

    7. Pocket lists –A ‘pocket list’ is a list of the names of people who are sharing the same goal on a particular day. It’s great psychological support in mentally keeping that list in our back pocket, knowing we’re not alone. Anyone can join a pocket list or start a pocket list. Typical pocket lists are for FD but in the past they’ve been used for people doing daily exercise or planks, or DTF (dry till Friday).

    8. 5:2 basics – answers to many FAQs plus top tips:
    https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

    And by way of translation, we use a LOT of abbreviations. Here’s a guide to some of the more frequently used ones:
    5:2 – 5 days NFD – 2 days FD
    16:8 – 16 hours fast – 8 hours non fast
    IF – Intermittent Fasting
    ADF – Alternate Day Fasting (FD – NFD – FD – etc)
    AF – Alcohol-free
    B2B – Back to Back (consecutive FDs)
    BMR – Basal metabolic Rate
    CFD – Controlled Food Day (a day’s eating comfortably below your TDEE)
    DH, DD, DS – Darling Husband, Daughter, Son
    DTF – Dry ’til Fri (no wine, beer, etc.)
    EE – Emotional Eating (reflex grazing out of a need for instant comfort instead of satisfying hunger)
    EFS – Epic Face Stuffing (Definitely due to a faulty OFF button!)
    FD – Fast Day (500 cals)
    FD800 – Fast Day 800 calories
    Hunger Dragon – that dreadful psychological beast that sometimes cannot be satisfied. Some people even name theirs (e.g. @i-hate-lettuce had an inner warthog!)
    IF – Intermittent Fasting
    Keto – way of eating that generates Ketones
    KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid!!!
    LC – Low Carb way of eating
    LCHF – Low Carb High Fat way of eating
    LFD – Liquid Fast Day (incl. tea, coffee, miso, bone broth & water)
    LOL – Laughing Out Loud
    M/WOAM – Man/Woman on a Mission (courtesy of @i-hate-lettuce)
    MFD – Modified Fast Day (800 cals) on the new Fast800, it’s a FD
    MFP – MyFitnessPal – a smartphone app & website that tracks diet & exercise.
    NFD – Non Fast Day
    OH – Other Half (eg spouse/partner)
    OMAD – One Meal A Day
    PFDS – Post FD Smugness (courtesy of moi!)
    Pocket List – Names to “keep in your pocket” for a common goal for the day
    TDEE – Total Daily Energy Expenditure (see the ‘how it works’ link on the home page to work out yours)
    TRE – Time Restricted Eating
    WFD – Water Fast Day (Water only)
    WFH – Working From Home
    WOL – Way of Life
    WOCA – Woman Of a Certain Age
    ZBC – Zero Breakfast Club

    I look forward to continuing the 5:2 journey with you all throughout September.

    @penz – Thank you for taking up the hosting baton for this Succeeding in September 2023 – I’m liking your opening words “The key theme is to focus on you – and striving to achieve your goals (whatever they may be). Let’s all be successful!”

    I have taken the liberty of setting up a spreadsheet for those who want to use one for motivation and record keeping – find the link below in full working order hopefully
    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DDEXKEkWeFum8rtZpmJ1sNByaBpJvwjXr3chO4W2TqM/edit?usp=sharing

    I’m in!
    Jaye 57 in England.
    Weight is 248lbs.

    Had a good audacious August but only got to log in today to record it.

    Good luck everyone. 🍀

    I’m in as well!

    Here’s my plan for September:

    WF on T/Th
    FD800 on Wednesday
    CD1200 on Sat, Sun, Mon
    NFD on Fri

    And every time I struggle with wanting to eat something that will mess up my plan, I’ll ask myself if, in December, I’ll look back on whatever I’m wanting to eat at this moment, and agree it was worth it.

    Why December? Because when I saw my family two years ago, I weighed fifteen pounds less than I do now, and I want to be back down to that weight when we go this year.

    Thanks @penz for your dedication to our monthly challenges!! I’m in!

    Hello! I joined this forum several years ago, with great results initially but then I started binging on my non fast day and I thought it wasn’t the right approach for me. But here I am again, as I heavy as I was at the end of my first pregnancy, but ready to start a new journey. Thank you @penz for leading us and for the lovely words! To a successful September challenge! 🥂

    Day -1, OMAD, Aus

    Hello everyone!

    Great to see people have already started. Welcome back old friends, good to see you back @jayegirl, and welcome @lumat!

    A little about me. I live in Canberra with DH and 2 dogs. I’ve also lived in the States and Malaysia. I love travel, I love fine dining and I love my red wine and gin! I started 5:2 in 2017. When I stick to the plan, I lose weight. Funny that! The system actually works! But then I get complacent and skip a few FDs and let my NFDs get out of control, and I put weight back on again. I’m now around the weight I was in 2017 – too scared to get on the scales to confirm, but my clothes are definitely telling me I’m carrying too much flab. Time for action!

    My usual pattern is a WFD on Mon and Thurs.

    My goals for September are to stick with my two FDs. If I do that – and that alone – I can count this as success. My secondary goal is DTF but I know that is not 100% achievable – I have two wine tastings booked mid week next week alone! But unless I have an actual event, I will NOT have alcohol at home.

    My tip: if I’m hungry, or wanting a snack, I mentally pretend I’ve just had it and ask myself do I feel any better, or proud of myself. The answer is no. And often that’s all I need.

    What works for you?

    I won’t wish everyone good luck for the month – you don’t need luck, you need YOU to make the right decisions for YOU. That’s not luck, that’s being conscious of what you are doing and being deliberate in your actions. But I will be here to support you and shout words of encouragement!

    Day 0 – USA/GA

    I’m in for September! I’m a 49 y/o male who has lost 72 lbs on 5:2 since 2020; gaining about 15 or so lbs back, but on my way back down to that 72 and looking to lose about 50 more. I hit 217 lbs last month on my “reset journey,” and will set this month’s target at 216.

    Day 0 – USA/TN

    Hello, all! I am happy to join all of you in September living my new normal – semi-retired! It’s exciting to think of all the things I’m going to accomplish while I’m home part-time, but what I look forward to the most is scheduling/planning meals (LCHF) and moderate exercise weekly. Sitting on my rump has caused extra inches on the thighs, and I need to start moving to slim down. My goal is not too far away – about 7 lbs, and I hope to do it by the end of this year.

    Day 1 NZ NFD 83.9kg

    Still coughing, croaky and full of sticky phlegm… Have had one brief visitor with a mask on… She brought me white bread to have with a boiled egg… On the upside the daffodils were out in the garden pots when I got back so yes it really is Spring!

    I did 5:2 in 2018 and made it to 78.5kg before heading overseas. I rejoined at 93kg in mid January this year and set myself a target of a kg/month as my bottom line. It’s been difficult going through a cold winter on ‘fuel restrictions’ but here we are at Spring and I’m heading downward to 80kg and another dress size for Christmas!!
    I like to keep it simple with 5:2 but it did take a wee while to sort out eating on the NFDs. After a while I got annoyed at myself doing great FDs then eating too much on NFDs. As someone who has to watch the quantity of what I eat, I now use luncheon plates and claret glasses. My stomach has shrunk so if I eat too much I feel overfull and regretful…☹️
    And regular posting keeps me connected to this beautiful group of supportive people and monthly challenges!

    Cheers to a super successful September everyone!

    Hi @penz! Thanks for taking over the baton. See you tomorrow for the start of successful September.
    Have a good start to the day in the meantime 🌸

    Day 1, NFD, Aus

    Hello everyone! A beautiful day here in Canberra – no wind, blue skies, and while it is still below freezing at night, today promises to be (relatively) warm. It lifts my mood!

    Our daffodils have been out for a little while, @merryapple. They are such a happy looking flower.

    Already some great positive vibes.

    @merryapple: keep it simple. So true! The great thing about 5:2 is it is not at all complicated. We don’t need to overthink it.

    @metatauta: a great reminder that all of us – no matter our age, or whether we are trying to lose weight or stay in maintenance – need to keep moving. [And typing this – I am now raising my stand up desk!]

    I’m not usually a weekend poster, but I’ll pop in to see how everyone is doing. Happy Friday!

    Day 1 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – NFD
    September start weight 170

    Morning all. Starting September lower than August finish so yesterday’s FD did work. I paused before I posted my start weight, as it’s still a number I hate to admit, but it WAS higher a couple of days ago, so I am being brave and publicly announcing it.

    I have had a bit of a time of it in August, from seeing a weight nicely into the mid 160’s, to finishing off nearly 8lbs heavier, all last week, so I put this down to effects of sedation from my op last week. It had a real effect of me. Constipation, rash, stomach issues…….but I feel I am back now.

    Looking forward to a good three weeks ahead. DH gone to the UK to see his Mam
    for the weekend, so less temptation for me to loll about with him snacking and drinking wine 😆 Not as much fun on my own 😄

    Have a great weekend all.

    2nd post

    @stitchincarol Nebraska has been in our news twice today. Your girls volleyball stadium record has left us a little bemused – volleyball??! It looks like it was a fun day out.
    My favourite though is Howdy Doody the bull with enormous horns travelling down the highway as a passenger in a modified car! https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/09/01/howdy-doody-watusi-bull-police-stop/

    Day 1 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD

    Thanks again @penz for hosting ‘Succeeding in September’, & thank you @at for the spreadsheet 🙏

    @lumat – welcome!

    The first day of spring🍃 here in the southern hemisphere & my ‘SA-nniversary’ – exactly 36 years since I first arrived in SA 🇿🇦

    David, 61, originally from Manchester, England Retired & living in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Been 5:2-ing/IF-ing since 2014. I joined the Challenges in 2018. Currently maintaining, 69.5 kgs/BMI 21.5

    Wishing everyone a Simply Successful September 🎯

    2nd Post – Day 1

    @merryapple – Howdy Doody was on the news here too last night! 😂

    Day 1 – USA/GA – NFD

    Weigh-in: 222 lbs. Oh, how I want that to be 10 lbs less or more 🙂 I’ll get there again. Loss a bit of wisdom on my portion control last night, and here comes the holiday weekend. Going to do a ZBC this morning and be more mindful.

    Day 1-No. VA, USA-NFD

    Hello, fellow fasters! Joining up for September and looking ahead for a successful month. Would like to be down a kilogram by October. That is certainly do-able.
    Bio: 73 yr old, pediatrician still in practice. Health generally pretty good. Did 5-2 in 2017 and lost about 10 kg over a 6 month period; then went rogue and regained it and then some. So re-started the way of life in March of this year and have lost 4.5 kg since then.
    This is a great group from all over the world, and the “virtual” support is “real”!

    Day 1 – Ireland – CD 🚫 🚶‍♂️ ✅
    Starting numbers : 154.5lbs 🎯

    Hi all and thanks so much @penz for hosting and thank you @at for the spreadsheet 🌟🌟

    I love a new start and am happy to be starting September in my goal zone very slightly down from August start.

    Throwing in my usual intro in case we have any newbies joining us:

    The first challenge I joined was October 2017…and I’ve been intermittently fasting in all senses of that phrase 😂 since. Sometimes it’s hard to do but you fall off and you just climb back on again… 🧗‍♂️ I’m posting my starting weight here so that I can refer back on August 31.

    My name is a little play on words as I am a french speaker so “J’ai faim” means “I’m hungry” but also stands for Just Another Intermittent Fast And I’ll Maintain…it has always made me smile 😊 but nowI can say “I’m maintaining”…

    I’m pretty much staying away from alcohol 🚫 so “on the dry” and have reduced added sugars ✅ (these have actually crept back in with GF food) as much as I can 😂 but I do love beer and tasting new gins etc so so have a tipple from time to time… I am also aiming to stay gluten free now also.

    My firm promise to myself is to have a better second half of this year – stay in goal range and get back to daily exercise… I’m quite fit but need to be more consistent which helps with health issues and mindset.
    Hi @lumat and welcome to the best place for you to be 🌟

    Onward and downward ⬇️

    Day 1 – Rural Nebraska, USA – NFD – 153.6

    I am in awe at the abrupt turnaround in my mojo, and what can be accomplished when my choices are stellar. Today’s amazing number is simply a result of a WF-FD800-WF, but it’s still an actual number produced by my body, and it’s highly encouraging to inspire continued excellent food/drink choices. DH and I are going out tonight (every Friday), so I’ll continue my WF until we get to the restaurant tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll have a tomato sandwich (bread, mayo, a tomato from my garden) for lunch, and chicken-fried pork cubed steak for supper (and a veggie and possibly something else). Sunday will be breakfast sandwiches at brunch with homemade biscuits and I don’t know for supper. Then Monday will be a day at the lake house of some friends and there will be the big challenge. The actual dinner meal should be fine, but it’s the snacks hanging around all afternoon that will be the huge temptation, so I’ll have to be very intentional about planning my reaction to food so I can simply ignore them. Is that even possible? Well, if I’m stubborn enough about it–food is just food, after all, as @funshipfreddie says–I’ll be fine, so I’ll certainly work on my stubborness (usually called RESOLVE), LOL!

    I’m smiling at the various comments from you all on our volleyball attendance-record-setting number (92,003) and our bull-in-the-car–both in the same week! Nebraska is nothing if not an interesting state, LOL! Back when I moved here in 1996, it was the last few months of the gubernatorial race, and Nebraska was the first state in the union guranteed to have a female governor since both candidates were female, and I think we’re still the first state that was guaranteed to have a female governor. I do like this state. 💞👍😂

    Oh, intro. 64, married to a pastor, 3 adult kids, one married, 2 granddaughters. Organist, choir director, piano teacher, knitter & quilter. Used to be 19 BMI, then gained enough weight to be at a far more reasonable 22-23 BMI and stayed there for years, then gained and was close to 30 BMI. I’ve gained and lost weight several times, and now am on my way back down, with an initial goal of 140 by Christmas; my ultimate goal is probably 135, but I’ll figure it out when I get there.

    @penz Great post for day 1 (your first), with your comment about how you stop to consider if something is worth eating, and about how luck has nothing to do with our success. Thanks for your great words!!! And I love that our 92,003 made the news on your local radio!

    @metatauta Congratulations on being semi-retired!

    @merryapple Yeah, DH and I started using our luncheon plates several years ago; any trick to persuade myself I’m eating plenty, right? Well done on how much you’ve lost this year already!

    @daffodil2010 I’m down 8lbs from my ugly weight at the beginning of August, and that’s the result of sheer stubborn irritation with that ugly weight, so my encouragement to you is to be stubbornly irritated with that 170. 🤪💪👍 It’s really discouraging and horrifying to be a weight you hate, isn’t it? But you’re right to chalk it up to all the woes you had with your dental issues, and it can be EOEO with enough stubborn determination, a reminder a la’ @funshipfreddie that “It’s just food” and using @penz‘s approach to consider how you’d feel if you actually eat/drink what you’re considering. What a perfect weekend to accomplish a great turnaround, with your DH gone for three days!

    @lumat Welcome to our group! Just leap in and start chattering and you’ll soon know us as well as we’ve learned to know each other. Does that help with weight loss? Well, it doesn’t hurt, and feeling accountable to my friends certainly does help.

    @funshipfreddie Too funny that you and @merryapple both saw our bull on the news! That’s two news items from Nebraska, you realize! (Howdy-Doody is in Norfolk, a town of about 26,000 that’s 2.5 hours away from me, and a place I’ve been multiple times in the past year.) 😂🤣😂 The bull, the 92,003, the first college football game of the new season last night, and a bill signed earlier in the week by our governor are the non-stop topics of conversation around here, I can tell you!

    Thanks, again, @penz for hosting September; you’re off to a stellar start!

    Have a grand one, everyone!

    Day 1 USA/Hawai FD800
    A new month and new beginning is much needed.
    After the passing of DH July 10 and the Lahaina Fire August 8, I have returned here to grab hold of a little structure and accountability with healthy controlled eating.The support offered here is amazing and I need it. Back home now after about 18 days at an Airbnb in central Maui where I had internet to work on some things for the gallery which was totally destroyed. And able to meet up with friends as all open and functioning normally there. Many meals in restaurants and not logging into MFP was not a good combination. Plus no scales. That said, I hope to get in a few FD 800’s and start walking in the mornings to kick off the month before I weigh in.
    Thanks for being here.

    Second post

    Awww, @maui, I was hoping the gallery had escaped the fire–that means, I suppose, that all the artwork was lost in addition to the building, right? Some of your husband’s work was also destroyed? I’m so sad for you and everyone there.

    Our church women’s group is having a fall gathering, and our mission focus is going to be cash donations for Maui; is that the best option for trying to give help?

    I’m glad you’re back home now; I imagine that will help everything feel far more usual and give you some joy in the familiarity–I’m so very glad your home escaped the fire!

    hugs,
    Carol

    Day 1 USA (Illinois) NFD

    Another month, another new challenge for us. @penz – thank you so much for being there for us.

    I am Gwynne, 75 y.o. female, retired music teacher in rural Illinois (about 2 hours from O’Hare airport). My DH is trying to gain muscle weight now, not fat, but it is hard sometimes to manage both of our eating requirements. I would like to lose 5 pounds as I have crept up to 165 (74.8 kg).

    I began 5:2 in March 2016 after reading the book and deciding the eating regimen is something that would work for me. I joined @coda in May 2016 and until the end of the year lost about 40 pounds (18 kg) down to about 160 (72.5 kg). I know how to lose, so I ought to make this work over the next couple months.

    @maui – hugs and prayers for you, your life, and all of Maui. So sorry to hear of your personal destruction with the gallery.

    @funshipfreddie – I love the tidbits of news and all you find to share with us!

    @stitchincarol – always great to hear about your escapades!

    Onward and downward.

    Day 2, NFD, Aus

    I woke this morning with a sore throat and aches. There’s been various lurgies passing through the office and I appear to have caught the latest. But I’m actually not too upset by that as I have absolutely NO appetite. What a perfect way to re-set and learn what feeling hungry is really about, rather than the mental feeling of ‘oh, it must be time to eat’! Someone who used to post on this forum (and I’m embarrassed to say I can’t recall her name) explained the distinction between mental hunger and body hunger. That’s what I will focus on today.

    Thank you @at for the spreadsheet – I forgot to call you out. That’s what’s great about this forum – everyone helps out! 🙂

    Welcome back @maui. What awful news about your gallery. I recall you saying all your staff were safe (*phew*) but hadn’t realised you’d lost your gallery in the fires. Will you rebuild and re-start it?

    I saw the bull in the news too! Who ever would have thought Nebraska would make such interesting news, @stitchincarol!

    It’s another beautiful blue-sky early Spring day here. We took the dogs out for a big walk (well, it was really a plod on my part) and I have nothing too demanding planned for the rest of the weekend.

    Enjoy everyone!

    Day 2 – Ireland – NFD 🚫🚶‍♂️ ✅

    Hi all,

    @maui, hello and welcome back to you 💕 So glad to have you back but cannot imagine how tough things are there… speaking with my nephew last night who was in Lahaina last year made me think of you 🌸 💕

    @stitchincarol I saw the report on Howdy Doody on our news pages yesterday.. so funny! Showed mum who is from a farming background… lots of chuckles 🤭

    @penz I hope you feel better very soon, there are lots of lurgies about right now but hopefully this is just a cold and nothing serious… enjoy the bright crisp day!

    Dull here again although with the promise of nice weather later… I do hope so! Will have brunch with friends and swim at a lovely cove later after I see to mum’s breakfast. Cycling tomorrow so will eat well today.

    Have a lovely Saturday everyone!

    Onward and downward ⬇️
    We rise by lifting others 💕

    Day 2 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD 🚫 🍷 11 months + 2 days 🥳️

    It’s just occurred to me I’m almost 1 year alcohol-free! – after starting with ‘sober October’ last year, & then just taking it one month at a time 💪

    @stitchincarol – that’s a great number, & you’re right on track for that 140 by Christmas! 🎯

    @penz – feel better soon! 🤧

    Dr Mosley’s weekly column:- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12471615/DR-MICHAEL-MOSLEY-eating-olive-oil-nuts-fish-Living-like-Med-good.html

    Have a good weekend everyone 🌤🌈

    Day 2 – USA/GA – NFD

    A few more NFDs ahead probably, due to holiday weekend. But very happy that I kept the weight steady today. Next week will be stressful and difficult. I know I can make Tuesday a FD. Not sure which other day. Definitely not Thursday.

    Day 2 – Rural Nebraska, USA – CD1200 – 156.6

    Ouch. Yesterday was not a success. By lunch, I was so hungry that I knew I had to eat. There’s a difference between “Hunger is not an emergency” and having eaten only 850 calories in 88 hours. So I had a tomato sandwich, and then the hunger dragon took over my discipline and I also had a bowl of Grape Nuts Flakes cereal. I managed not to eat the rest of the afternoon until we went out to dinner, which was to a pizza place, and there I succumbed and had a beer instead of wine. But, again, I didn’t even drink all of mine and didn’t have a second as would have been normal two months ago, so that felt quite impressively changed to me. But there was lots of sodium in that pizza. My final not-success was when we went to Cabela’s to wander, and I had a candy with 210 calories. Ouch. So I deserve that 3+ pound gain overnight. 🤷🏻‍♀️ So today, instead of allowing myself 1200 calories (where, if my planned menu falls short of that, I’d allow myself something extra), I’ll instead allow myself what’s on my planned menu and cross my fingers it’s closer to 800 than 1200; wherever it falls, I’ll stop there, and hopefully it’ll be enough fewer that it will help compensate for the excess calories of yesterday.

    @penz Oh dear. I hope you feel far better on Sunday morning!!! And I’ve told a number of people about the people on my international forum who’ve all heard on their local news about 92,003 and the bull in the car, and they’re all properly entertained that the news has traveled so far!

    @jaifaim Oh, FUN! I’ve been naming off South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and now I get to add Ireland!

    @funshipfreddie Well, well, well done on being AF for 11 full months now. That is a HUGE accomplishment, and you deserve every bit of pride you’re feeling!

    @northgeorgia Well done on keeping the weight steady from Friday to Saturday.

    Not sure what I’ll tackle today other than the usual bit of church office work and practicing the organ for tomorrow morning…but it’s supposed to be another scorcher at 97 (will this heat never go away???) so it won’t be garden work! This is my favorite kind of day, where it’s all open for me to choose how to fill it.

    Have a grand one, everyone!

    Day 3 NZ NFD 83.5kg

    Just realised I didn’t post y’day but nothing happened except a dog walk around the block. Night time is filled with unrelenting marathon style coughing and I now have very red conjunctiva in one blue eye which is glued shut when I close my eyes… I feel like I’ve been invaded by slime worthy of a horror movie. The only upside is I don’t have much appetite but am eating for energy…

    @funshipfreddie I watched Cruise on TV with you in mind. I’m not sure what your role was on the ship but goodness you need the patience of a saint to deal with some of those entitled people. As MM says we need the Mediterranean lifestyle as well as the food!
    @stitchincarol It’s confirmed here. Howdy Doody is an international star!! Re balance, look forward and use that steely resolve! Maybe you shouldn’t let yourself get that ravenous. Or at least have something better than sugarcoated cereal to eat in a food emergency stored in your cupboards…
    @maui Great to have you back. I’m so sorry to hear your art gallery and many works have been destroyed. This with your DH passing makes 2023, to use Queen Elizabeth’s words a real Annus Horribilis. I have come to view the world as a circle which always turns. When everything is going well at the top of a cycle no one makes changes. It’s down at the bottom when you think things can get no worse that you make decisions to change and things improve. This was a useful analogy to have with my intensive care patients and their families. You can also transfer this kind of thinking to the ecosystems in the environment and to many other things. Kia Kaha.
    @jaifaim I’m so impressed with your cycling! I think in a couple of years I would like to move to Dunedin which is in the wild south rather than inner city Auckland living. Although it is hard contemplating leaving my group of friends…
    @penz I hope you don’t get too sick… I tried using a wee drop of whisky in my lemon honey drink but it just made my throat even sorer…☹️
    @excelsior12309 and @northgeorgia Here’s to a new month!
    @jayegirl Stay with us and keep that posting going!
    @lumat @songbirdme and @metatauta Great to hear you have such a small amount to go to reach maintenance! You’ll all be there by Christmas like @stitchincarol

    Steely Resolve one and all!

    Enjoy your weekends everyone!

    Day 3 – Ireland – NFD 🚫🚶‍♂️ ✅

    Oh no so many of you feeling poorly right now. Look after yourselves and make sure to rest. Lots of people here also affected – seems a mix of illnesses are doing the rounds…

    I have an early start so will have a good breakfast before I set off.
    @merryapple I’ve often thought about retiring back to where I am from when the time comes but would find it hard to leave my friends, the cultural options and importantly proximity to the airport for trips… who knows though a lot might change in the 10 years… I am lucky that where I live is very close to great cycling now and when I’m with mum I’m also spoiled with great routes.

    Have a lovely Sunday everyone!

    Onward and downward ⬇️
    We rise by lifting others 💕

    Day 3 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – FD

    @merryapple – I haven’t heard of ‘Cruise’. Is it a reality show, or a documentary? I worked in the casinos on the cruise ships, mostly dealing, & I hosted the tournaments etc for a few years. Yeah, dealing with the public can be challenging, but there’s never a dull moment. And people can get particularly upset when they lose money. Which is kind of why casinos were invented 😅

    @stitchincarol – I’m not surprised you were ravenous?! When I first saw your plan for September I thought it looked a bit daunting; the Tue – Thurs part anyway 😳 Maybe it needs a bit of tweaking.. 🤔

    More about how to avoid ultra-processed food:-
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-12465957/How-easy-avoid-ultra-processed-foods-FEMAIL-writer-attempts-day-without-unhealthy-dishes-surprising-results.html

    My first FD for ‘Succeeding in September’. I really don’t feel like it, so I’m focusing on Monday morning PFDS 😇

    Happy S🌞nday y’all!

    Pocket List – Day 3
    @funshipfreddie 🍎

    Day 3, NFD, Aus

    Woke up feeling the same – sore throat and very achey. And I’ve been sleeping so much! But I still have no appetite so that is a good thing. This is a weekend of CD if not 500 cal FDs.

    I laughed at your comment, @merryapple. I’m sipping a hot lemon drink now and it never occurred to me to add whiskey! (I don’t like the stuff but I am wondering how a nip of brandy would taste in it!) But as you say, it probably wouldn’t help a sore throat.

    Your day didn’t sound too bad @stitchincarol; not what you planned, no, but not thrown completely out the window. Which reminds me of something I meant to ask earlier from your day 1 post. What is “chicken-fried pork cubed steak”??! I don’t know if it’s chicken, pork or beef!! I think of ‘steak’ is referring to beef and just can’t translate this meal!

    Congrats, @funshipfreddie. That’s quite an achievement!

    Day 3 – USA/GA – NFD

    Weigh-in: 225 lbs. Ew. And today is our holiday meal. I will make tomorrow a FD, although I’m off work. I need it badly, unless family tries to derail 🙂

    Day 3 country west Australia NFD 83 kgs !!!!🙄
    Day 2 NFD
    Day 1 NFD
    Thanks @penz for hosting. Hoping life will return to some sense of normality by the end of September.
    NEED to get below 80 kgs by end o September and have been chasing this number since March Thi year.
    Very intermittent intermittent fat of late. Plenty of Mojo but lacking constant application. Working on September the month to change that despite several quick trips to the city, babysitting, changing work hours etc.
    Glad to be posting again.
    Hi to everyone old and new and returned.
    @maui, have been thinking of you since your loss of your DH an the fire. My goodness, but you have had an awful time of it this year.
    @stitchincarol, I too saw the bull with the huge horns riding in the car !!!

    Day 4 NZ SD (sick day so no fasting) 37.5kg

    Still getting raised temps in the evening after more than a week… Need to have shower, pull myself together and quickly go to the supermarket with a mask…
    @funshipfreddie The Cruise follows the 1,000+ crew on the Scarlet Lady owned by Virgin. No kids. Didn’t see the Casino on episode 1 but I’m sure it’s there… You could have been a reality tv star if you’d hung in there!! I am so not a gambler. When I visited Vegas, I walked into a casino and had to ask how to work the one arm bandit. On my 3rd go the machine emptied its innards out much to the jealousy of my neighbour. I scooped up the coins, hired a car and visited the local Reservation.
    @lilymartin Great to have you check in. I’m sure most of your weight is pure muscle after all that running around!
    @penz Adding boiling water to lemon and honey is the ticket. I remember having a German ski cocktail in the mountains called GROG which I’m sure would replace today’s cough mixture. Cognac, 1/2 tsp sugar, + or – lemon juice topped up with boiling water. I might try it tonight. Cough mixture just isn’t the same since they took the opioids out of it…
    @jaifaim Ideally I’d like to do town and country. I did think pick somewhere beautiful and friends will come and stay for their holidays! I’m starting to think ‘bucket list’ too. Did I do everything I wanted to do? Like live in the wild south which was where I was born.
    @northgeorgia You can do this!! Be audacious and just do the FD!! You’re trying so hard I don’t quite understand why your plans are getting undermined. What did you do previously with your family and friends to get them to buy into your successful weight loss journey? Could you ask them to call you first to see if you actually need food not just turn up with it?

    Steely Resolve!

    Day 4, FD, Aus

    Happy Monday every one!

    What mini goals are you setting yourself? Mini goals are easier to work towards and achieve, I feel, as small stepping stones on the way to meeting bigger goals.

    @lilymartin – hello! Your mini goal could be around 1 kg per week to reach your goal of 3kg by the end of the month. Quite doable!! I got the feeling you were in a bit of a rush as your post read “Very intermittent intermittent fat of late.” I feel I have permanent fat, not intermittent!!

    I do like the sound of your German ski cocktail, @merryapple but I laughed at loud at your comment on the lack of opioids these days!

    And what @merryapple said, @northgeorgia. I recall your mother was going to join you on 5:2 at one point. Can you enlist the support of your family, rather than trying to work around them and their routine?

    Day 3 USA Illinois – NFD

    Started off having treats after church, light lunch, then grilled cheeseburgers with red wine. Doubt I will lose anything today. It is a hot spell in Northwestern Illinois, so the pool relaxation will continue for at least another day.

    @penz – you are so encouraging!

    Onward and downward.

    Day 3 USA/TN

    Hello again, all! I signed up for this month’s challenge and read all the 3 days worth of posts without posting myself, duh.

    A little bit about me: 69 years old, transplanted from the east coast, settled in a kinder and gentler land where there are rolling hills and a slower way of life. I am a former legal secretary by trade in the big city until 2010, have been working part-time from home since 2011 as a legal transcriptionist, and I also work part-time for the past 5 years as a pharmacy technician in town.

    Trying my hand at hiking this month with friends, resuming lap swimming that I started in July, and my good old hula hoop at home to whittle down those flabby thighs, lol!

    Day 4 country west Australia NFD
    Intentions of a FD today morphed into a NFD as DH and I had fasting annual blood tests this morning, went for a coffee afterwards which morphed into a full breakfast with toast and eggs !!
    A whole lot of morphing happening today !!🙄😲😱
    Planning to do better tomorrow ….. with visitors….. and dinner out…… ????
    @metatauta you have inspired me to dig out my hula hoop👏
    @songbirdme, no loss perhaps but it does sound delicious!!
    @penz, yes living life in the super fast lane ATM ! Too funny about the intermittent intermittent fat instead of faSt !
    My fat, at present is rather permanently superglued around my waist BUT yes I am aiming for a small goal of 1 kg per week – which I have since March !!!!🙄🤔
    As I am reading in ‘Atomic Habits’, it is the 1% changes that over time make the big difference.
    So , the 1% for September is to cut out the sugar which, oddly, for someone who much prefers savoury things, has become a craving. I ate half a packet of Licorice Allsorts yesterday ????!!!!!
    Must away to earn a dollar or 3.
    Onward and downward.

    Day 4 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – NFD

    Starting the week in the late 160’s so planning to keep at it. Unfortunately I now have some gut issues which are affecting a lot of things. Maybe histamine issues I think. Argh

    However it’s a beautiful morning, pity it’s a work day, out and at them. Xxx

    Day 4 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD 69.7 kg

    Monday morning PFDS, phew? 🎯 I didn’t do as well as @merryapple though. 37.5 kg – very impressive! 🤣 Just as well you’re not fasting 🤪

    @merryapple – I’m not a fan of most so-called reality shows, & I’ve got no desire to be a reality TV star! 😱😅 I like The Hotel Inspector & some of the talent shows though. I don’t think I could sit through one episode of anything Kardashian/Batchelor/ette-related unless a gun was being held to my head. That casino win must’ve been quite a while ago! I don’t think any casinos use coins or tokens anymore. It’s all done with a player’s card or room key. You can’t play without one. It kind of kills a little of the casino excitement & atmosphere, but it’s definitely easier on the ears 🎰

    @penz – I haven’t set myself any new mini-goals, just my usual +8000 steps & no alcohol. But I RESOLVE to follow my two FDs every week, no matter what.

    Sending RESOLVE to everyone for our first Successful September week 💪

    Pocket List – Day 4 🍋
    @penz

    Day 4 – Ireland – FD 🚫🚶‍♂️ ✅

    Hi all, up again and by a bit but would have had quite a bit of bread like food yesterday after cycle to refuel – GF but still bread = carbs = sugar = weight gain… simple really but hard not to when you feel like you need it.
    Great day out on the bike in Wicklow and in the sun.

    I’m coming to the end of a course of medication so looking forward to seeing if there is any change.. to energy levels and everything else.

    Some kidney issues that need to be checked but that’s all tied into auto immune conditions so I’m not too worried about that. What will be will be.

    Histamine intolerance is real @daffodil2010 and so bothersome … the joys of it all 🙃

    Hope you are feeling better @penz and thanks for your care. Mini goal is to go back to what I know works… I’m mostly AF and love that so it’s the sugar and dairy now to tackle… 💪

    @merryapple – take care 🤒

    Have to run – busy day but will check in later…

    Onward and downward ⬇️
    We rise by lifting others 💕

    Pocket List – Day 4 🍋
    @penz
    @jaifaim

    Day 4 – USA/GA – FD

    Weigh-in: 224 lbs. Our family gathering was nice yesterday. Thanks for your support; it is a stressful week ahead.

    Pocket List – Day 4 🍋
    @penz
    @jaifaim
    @northgeorgia

    Day 4 – Rural Nebraska, USA – ?

    It’s Labor Day here in the States, which has been a “holiday” since I was a child in California and meant school started the next day. Everything about Labor Day is different now that I’m an adult–but I still have the inescapable feeling it is a HOLIDAY. So, DH and I are off to make it a HOLIDAY; I’ll post tomorrow. 👍

    Day 5 NFD NZ 83.3kg

    I woke up with a sore thigh muscle from coughing…😵‍💫 I actually got up and made a GROG at midnight in desperation. It had the desired effect and I went to sleep for four hours or so until I woke myself up…

    @funshipfreddie Ha ha If only! I can’t believe there is no longer the jingle jangle of a stream of 50c pieces ejected from the one arm mother ship. Everybody stops, listens and looks to see when it’s going to finish. I certainly won’t be heading into the casino unless I’m tempted by cards. I was trained to play poker by the chefs where I worked as a kid. They learned to cook in prison. Say no more! 🫣🤥
    @metatauta East coast law makes me think of Boston Legal. I loved that show! What is lap swimming??
    @stitchincarol and the other 🇺🇸 Enjoy your Labor Day holiday!
    @jaifaim and @daffodil2010 You two are so admirable managing your autoimmune situations. It’s hard enough dealing to lifestyle excesses without the overlay of food intolerances. So hats off to you!!
    @northgeorgia Stress is stress. Just don’t eat it!
    @lilymartin Rather than focusing on how much you plan to lose how about focusing on the 5:2 WOL so you do lose… Just saying!
    @penz Hope all is well with you! I think my mini goal is to make sure I plateau for a week or so and not go up when my appetite returns…

    Steely Resolve!

    Day 4 USA (Illinois) FD

    Decided to stay home instead of venturing out in quite hot weather, so making it a FD. Crab salad for supper shortly.

    IRISH friends – @daffodil2010 and @jaifaim especially- are either of you rugby followers? Forgive me for not remembering… At any rate, a dear friend of mine who works at Annapolis and avidly follows their National Championship rugby team tells me they are playing the best Irish team tomorrow. Hope it is a good match!

    @metatauta – so good to see you here — how fun that you enjoy hiking and hoops!

    @lilymartin – I know the waist fat thing. After losing my 40 pounds in 2016, I still had significant skin and fat at the waist… don’t think there is any way to deplete it except for liposuction, and I won’t do that. I also am a big savory (salt) lover but can I say I am glad I don’t crave sweets?

    @funshipfreddie – how you manage 8000+ steps is just amazing. Wow.

    @merryapple – hugs to you

    @northgeorgia – I find deep breathing is great for stress. Have you tried it?

    Pocket List – Day 4 🍋
    @penz
    @jaifaim
    @northgeorgia
    @songbirdme

    Onward and downward.

    Day 5, NFD, Aus

    Happy belated Labor Day to our US colleagues.

    I hear you @daffodil2010. I’m working from home today so I don’t spread germs in the office and it is such a bee-YEW-tiful day outside. Oh well, as you said, up and at ’em.

    Tips to think about for today. What tricks do you do to have smaller portion sizes? @stichincarol has shared she uses smaller plates. I try and pause after a desire to go back for seconds, knowing that it will take my body about 20 minutes to signal ‘I’m full and don’t need any more food’. Others will have a big drink of water before eating. What works for you??

    Day 5 NFD country west Australia 83.1 kgs 182.8 lbs
    @penz I am enjoying the good ideas each day. 🤗
    I also use a smaller plate, am currently serving myself 1 spoonful less knowing I can go back for more if I want ( but trying not to), chewing each mouthful 32 times as taught when we were children, and again asking myself why I chose to be fat when tempted.
    Back on track at present….
    @merryapple I am trying to focus on health and weight loss by doing 5:2 consistently and as it ought to be done. As in actually fasting!! ( Current BMI 28.42 needs to be under 25 fairly. soon
    The months this year I have fasted have given good results.
    The past few months, not actually doing 5:2 consistently…..well the weight say it all !!
    And I am concerned about my weight as I have just had annual bloods done and kidney issues may be looming on my horizon with the advice that losing weight is among the things I need to do fairly quickly.
    Salmon and salad for lunch but full roast lamb with all the trimmings for dinner as we have guests staying.

    Day 5 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – FD

    Feeling good today. Ate minimally yesterday, I just did not feel like it, was it an FD? Almost. I am down a little further today so September has been successful so far.

    DH back from his travels this evening and I look forward to having him home. One thing I will be telling him is our, and more especially my, portion sizes at dinner time need to drop. When he cooks and serves I often get rugby player portions from him, and then I eat them! On my own this weekend my portions were much smaller.

    As for rugby @songbirdme, yes, I am a fan. My Dad used to bring me to Leinster matches when I was a kid, and I have followed the Irish national rugby team forever. Even through the hard times and the doldrums of the 80’s and 90’s……and now Ireland is the No1 rugby team 🇮🇪

    And the rugby World Cup just about to start. Woo hoo!!!

    @merryapple, yeah, the realisation of histamine issues is not good…..I really think I might now have a problem with red wine 😱Noooooooooo!! 😄

    Have a good fasting Tuesday.

    Enjoy that game between Annapolis and Trinity College @songbirdme.

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