Day 27 – Rural Nebraska, USA – CD

I gave blood yesterday for the first time since May 2021. When I still coordinated the blood drive, I gave six times a year, but now it’s a struggle to make the time, so I was very glad to get there. I ended up having a sloppy joe and some potato chips, knowing that food and the extra salt were important to me staying fine all day, but I didn’t eat anything else all day, so it was a reasonable number of calories to be a regular FD even though I couldn’t do a WF. Today, we’re having (are you ready, @penz?) Chicken-Fried Cubed Pork Steak with a salad kit and steamed green beans for supper, and we’ll finish off leftovers at lunch.

@merryapple Your dinner last night sounds absolutely lovely.

@penz I laughed when you insisted you wouldn’t take the low numbers personally; here I was thinking it’s because I chatter far too much!

@funshipfreddie Is sending out laundry a typical thing for everyone where you live, or is it because you can afford to and enjoy the release from the responsibility? I’m in awe at the thought of “sending out laundry”! 😂

I volunteered to make cut-out cookies for church this Sunday, and have decided to roll out the dough, cut the cookies and freeze them, without baking them, this morning, so that I can simply pull them from the freezer and bake and frost them on Saturday. I think I’ll have better success at not nibbling at the dough if I do it that way, and plus my cleaner comes today, and I don’t want the flour mess on Saturday.🤪😂😂

I keep stopping to gaze out the window: there’s a light fog this morning–really, a haze, with sun shining through it, and it’s simply gorgeous with the close-up trees bright green, but those further away a misty light green. Beautiful. None of the trees out that particular window have started changing color yet, which is late, and makes it feel somewhat like it’s still summer, and the temperatures are doing the same thing. So, all in all, it’s rather a perfect autumn this year, in high contrast to the last several years which simply immediately got cold and cloudy.

Well, I’m off for my NEAT exercise today. I don’t remember the acronym, but the idea is that women do better to simply be very active doing things, than to spend an hour on a treadmill, for example. Somce I hate treadmills, that’s welcome advice!

Have a grand one, everyone!

Day 27 – USA/Tn

Hey, there! Started a new regimen of walking 30 minutes a few times a week in September. I notice a definite difference in my body shape, and have been eating more protein, and noticed an uptick in weight, but looking way better and less flabbier than I was. Can’t figure it all out, but really loving the nature walks and will continue as long as I can. I’m reading all your posts and am very motivated by all of them.

Day 28-No. VA USA-NFD

Hello, fasters. Still here, just treading water really. Need to buckle down and actually fast twice a week!
After-work hours are still a weak point.
@merryapple, I always feel like a plumber’s visit is going to cost $200, no matter what…and sometimes more. But we need their expertise!
@stichincarol, I agree, these early fall mornings are so beautiful, particularly as leaves begin to turn.
@metatauta, you are to be congratulated for getting up and around; so healthy to do!

Day 28 – Rural Nebraska, USA – WF

Ate decently yesterday and hit 10K steps so feeling very virtuous about my behavior. Today should be a very normal WFD.

I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but…that’s my chatter for today, LOL! I’m completely distracted by some things I need to do this morning and a phone call I need to make later, by which times these things need to be accomplished–if all that made sense?–so I’ll just be very brief today!

Have a grand one, everyone!

Pocket List Day 28 💪
@merryapple
@stitchincarol WFD

Day 29 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – FD

Oops, didn’t post again yesterday?! I hung around for most of the morning, waiting for a maintenance guy who never showed up & eventually told me he couldn’t make it until today. Then there was feline drama with Boo Boo & a new cat who’s owner has just moved into the cottage right opposite me. ‘Hope’? How can you call a cat Hope?! 😅 It’s a large fluffy black cat with mean-looking green eyes, & Boo Boo is terrified of him. I’m glad, because Boo Boo is usually a bully & doesn’t know how to be nice to other cats.

It’s the penultimate day of ‘Succeeding in September’?! How did that happen?! This month has been a blur, seriously. And I don’t think anyone’s mentioned hosting October yet? So I guess my turn is long-overdue. Unless someone else really wants to do it… ? So if I haven’t heard anything by this evening, I’ll get the ball rolling. But I REALLY can’t do all the chatty stuff. I’ll post every day, but I’m not going to waffle on & talk about having eaten mysteriously exotic food; y’know, like baked rhubarb fritters, with essence of prune & all that 🤯 Cos.. it’s just food – right? 😂

Happy Fri-yay! 🍹

Pocket List – Day 29 🍄
@funshipfreddie

Day 29 – Rural Nebraska, USA – CD

Yesterday’s WF went fine, although I didn’t drop as far as I’d thought and hoped I would; 152-anything has been elusive this month. As I was thinking about that yesterday, I realized I’ve not been focusing on the four “rules” I’ve set for myself, so here they are again:

1. Eat mimimally, deny whenever possible, and remember it’s only through the end of the year that I need to be so strict–I can do this for such a short time.

2. Enjoy the journey down; while I am using the “deny” language where food consumption is concerned, I’m actually improving my body image and feel, and that’s worthy of joy and delight.

3. Enter my food daily into MFP, preferably in the morning before I even eat it.

4. Focus on the plan, not on the results: don’t let excellent results after a WF make me complacent, and don’t sweat the ugly results that pop up out of nowhere. If I’ve eaten to plan, then I’m doing excellently, regardless of what the scale says.

Tonight, DH and I go out on our weekly date night, so I plan to–no. I don’t simply plan to, but WILL eat only enough to ward off serious hunger; the rest of my eating will be at the restaurant tonight, so that my total daily calories will be reasonable.

@penz I was working with another gal to find a speaker for a rally on Oct 8, and feeling stressed that we were getting so close and didn’t have anyone (because the original speaker was unexpectedly having surgery); we figured out a solution that we thought would work, and I sent off the necessary email and then started the big wait to see if this guy in Latvia would respond promptly and had time to post a speech to YouTube for us to play (see how I could have been distracted, LOL?)–and then, mid-morning, got a call that the surgery has been postponed, so we could stick to our original speaker. It has been a true roller coaster of efforts over the last ten days, and I’m so glad it’s finally resolved! 🤪😂 Oh, and “AFL is a peculiarly Australian form of football”–as in, it’s a version of what American’s call soccer, or it’s a version of American football? (I could Google it, but where’s the chatter in that???)

@funshipfreddie I was planning to ask about an October host, so thanks for volunteering!! But, I have to ask: “I’m not going to waffle on & talk about having eaten mysteriously exotic food; y’know, like baked rhubarb fritters, with essence of prune & all that”–is this me you’re talking about??????? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

My weight today is 153.4, a pleasant-enough weight, but not as low as I’d hoped. I’ll sum up the month’s progress tomorrow morning, and figure out then if I had any success at all.

It’s supposed to be 92 today and tomorrow both (33C) so a very unusually high temp for the end of September, and awful for those guys playing (American) football tomorrow. But please note that I’m not complaining, merely being surprised. 🤪 Frigid temps, ice and snow will come soon enough, so I’m enjoying this long reprieve while it’s here!

Have a grand one, everyone!

@funshipfreddie how can you fast on a FRIDAY?? Not a skill–or even a desire–in my wheel house…

Pocket List – Day 29 🍄
@funshipfreddie

Day 30 NFD NZ

I had an amazing meal last night with 6 friends at an Asian fusion restaurant – Sth Korean, Japanese and Chinese. However the plate sizes were unexpectedly way too large and my desert (plug your ears @funshipfreddie) of chilli chocolate mousse, yuzu sorbet, stem ginger syrup and toasted coconut slices was enough for three. I am not eating breakfast today and will do my weekly and monthly weigh in tomorrow morning.
Thank you @funshipfreddie for heading up October. I look forward to your down to earth commentary! I hope Boo Boo is able to maintain her territory. Occasionally I have watched the man from LA on TV who deals with cat problems and problem cats. It seems their territorial nature can cause strife. Like humans, too many in one area leads to fighting.
@penz Isn’t Aussie Rules derived from an old Irish game? I was once accidentally in Melbourne during grand final week and couldn’t believe the furor, something akin to finding myself in an Italian town on a local football league day. Cars tooting, people hanging out windows waving flags and dangling Dr Who scarves in their team’s colours with real excitement in the air. Have fun!! Thanks for hosting September. I’ll see if it was successful for me tomorrow morning!
I am dreaming of being 155/70kg @jaifaim and @stitchincarol! It’s probably another year for me to get there which is only 12+ monthly challenges 😶
I’m watching the All Black vs Italy match which is annoyingly filled up with advertising breaks. At least they’re playing great running rugby not that dull European battering ram style of slow stodgy play dominated by forwards. 😁

Go well everyone and may we hear about less of you.
See you in the October something challenge!

Day 30 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD 70 kg – 🚫🍷One Year! 🥳️🎈

I’ve been trying to post a link to the October Challenge, which I set up last night – but I’ve been blocked?! I sent a message, but it might be a few hours before I can post again…

My one whole year sober-versary! Well done me 😇 I never imagined attempting ‘Sober October’ last year would turn into an entire year! My weight’s up a little this month, but still about 3 kgs down from when I quit drinking. I feel like celebrating – with a huge margarita 😅 – but I won’t.

@stitchincarol – nooo?! I was just talking generally. I don’t remember you ever mentioning prunes 😅 But for a forum dedicated to fasting, we do spend an inordinate amount of time talking about food! A Friday FD – I know?! It wasn’t fun, but I promised myself I would have 3 FDs this week, so it had to be either Friday or Saturday.

@merryapple – 🇳🇿 96 – 17 🇮🇹 ?! Ouch for Italy, but well done NZ! Boo Boo was outraged yesterday when the new cat – Hope(?!) – wandered over to me whilst I was talking to his owner. But she stayed indoors, making a horrible growling noise at the window. I don’t know why she’s scared of him. I think it’s because he’s male. He looks mean, but he’s a big softy, & Milly – the owner – says he never gets into fights.

@penz – but AFL is played with a rugby-shaped ball, right? So more like rugby? Thanks so much for hosting September 💐

See you all next month!
https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/%F0%9F%8D%82-october-challenge-2023-%F0%9F%8E%83/#post-351009

Pocket List – Day 30 🍒
@excelsior12309

Day 30 – Rural Nebraska, USA – CD

I weighed 155.2 this morning, which isn’t bad after my pasta dinner last night. It was perhaps not the best choice I could have made from the menu, but since I NEVER make pasta at home anymore, it was a siren call I chose not to ignore. The bad thing about the weight is that it means I didn’t lose any weight in September. Nor, it is worth pointing out, did I gain any weight, something I’ve been doing with depressing regularity for over a year. So I’m dusting myself off and starting fresh in October.

I didn’t sleep well last night, @funshipfreddie (almost certainly because I had a third glass of wine…) and thought about you being AF, and realized we were at your one-year anniversary. CONGRATULATIONS!!! 🎉🎊

@penz It is my humble opinion that you were a stellar host this month; thanks so much!

@funshipfreddie I am certain you will also be a stellar host for October; thanks so much!

See you all in October!