Hermaj

Please NEVER leave the thread. I love your stories. What a life you have lived. 🌺🌺🎉🎉🎉.

You have achieved so much, you can feel good about yourself. Give yourself lots of pats in the back. Samm on Jo’s thread regularly took a short sabbatical (4-6 weeks) from 5:2. However, he did monitor what he was eating so that he didn’t undo the good work. I only mentioned the grains and sugars because you expressed despair at not losing any weight. Sadly you are right, in that no grains and sugars equals no starchy vegetables. Pulses, lentils etc are not included in the banned list.

When I lost the 17 kg my sister said to me very supportively, You have lost so much weight and some of your clothes do not do justice to this. So off we went and had me refitted with new underwear, amazing what a well fitted bra can do. And then I looked in different shops and rewarded myself with different styles of clothing. Only a suggestion. But i felt wonderful. 🎉🎉🎉

I know that my body can’t cope with beer, wine, potatoes, rice, pasta, grains, all kinds of sugars, dried fruit, juice, without putting on weight. Or at the very least standing still. As soon as I remove those items, I lose weight. I no longer eat pasta or juice, but everything else I have small amounts of. Which is why I have slowly increased my weight back to a permanent loss of 13 kg. Maintaining this is easy with 5:2.

In a perverse way I am looking forward to Lent when I will be letting the team down if I have anything with sugar in it. Fast days are not my problem, as I can mostly keep below 300 calories with soups or stews, with no starchy vegetables. I usually eat fish and vegetables, or salads, or soups. It’s the non fast days that are my downfall. Fast day today.

All the best, Bay ☕️☕️🌺🌺

Welcome back Carolann, pleased you had fun with the grandies.

Thanks Mr Purple, there’s hope then that my blood tests were skewed. I’ll know better next time.

Happy, I liked the idea of averaging the week’s results. I was feeling quite smug to be back under 60kgs this morning after yesterday’s fast – but the week’s average was 1kg up from this time last week. Something to ponder. I also loved what you said about 5:2 having changed your relationship with food. I feel the same. I didn’t even have to work at it; it just happened.

Hermaj, sorry you’re feeling low. Here’s my twopenneth for what it’s worth – as the newbie on the MC chat, it can safely be ignored. I say stick with it because a) there may be other health benefits to continued fasting and b) if a constant plateau leaves you feeling down, the alternative is likely to be far worse. And by the way, maintaining for so long is nothing to be sneezed at – well done for that!

I wonder if a food diary kept for one week would help. This makes you think twice about bothering to pop something in your mouth because of the hassle of having to record it. And it does keep you honest about the day’s intake. Then, if you’re really brave, email it to someone you trust on here for scrutiny. (I wouldn’t be game to do it, but you might!). I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.

Wise women, Herm. You KNOW you look good and have been maintaining successfully for ages now. It is probably “just” end of winter blues…ask Happy.😊
More sunshine and flowers for all the UK folk.. 🌸🌹🍀🌺🌷🌻🌼🌞🌝🌞🌝🌞🌝 P (drinking yet another black coffee..3.15 pm)

Hi Hermaj, You might be interested in this, since it seems that your triggers for weight might not be as simple as the standard refined carbs only.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2lw8qKp7NFf7N7mhbXmsY34/why-do-some-people-put-on-weight-and-not-others-and-can-we-change-it

I’m not suggesting you monitor blood sugar after each meal…but it might be worth doing food exclusion trials and seeing if you can find what’s keeping you on your plateau?

Alternatively, and as suggested, stop thinking about intermittent fasting for weight loss and just do it for weight maintenance and health with the rest of us here!

Happy, what a fascinating study.

Hermaj, relax and enjoy. Change the mindset. You have lost weight and successfully maintained for two years. How good is that. 🎉🎉🎉🌺🌺🌺🙋🙋🙋

Hermaj – the latest Michael Mosely prog was talking about the possibility of identifying an individual’s specific weight-gain triggers via analysis of their gut flora from faecal samples. The one chubby doc on the series was the Guinea pig, and found she would be able to eat several kinds of wickedness with no ill effect, while she would put on weight by looking at some more healthy foods. Makes you wonder, sometimes – and of course not (yet?) available on the Nhs. …,

Thank you, Happy, bay and thin, for being on my side.

Yes, I saw that link yesterday, Happy. As it happens, many of the foods listed I don’t eat anyway. Also, I’m not sure I can be arsed to fart around with blood sugar measurements.

I suppose I wouldn’t have worried if I had actually intended to maintain. The problem was that I was maintaining whether I liked it or not, while my real intention was to continue losing.I guess I’m not on exactly the right thread, but as you know, I came here because you are a nice, intelligent, civilised bunch who are unlikely to throw tantrums and scream for the moderator if yours truly tells it like it is from time to time.

Now, you’re not going to believe this. I lost a kilo over the weekend! This
takes the BMI to 28.1 just a tad closer to the 27.5 that used to be acceptable. Feeling so angry and pissed off gave me almost zero appetite and I was only able to eat one tiny meal each day. A case of extreme fasting. Proof positive that I don’t comfort-eat. Sod’s law says that’s probably my one kilos-worth for 2016. 🙁

From now, out of habit, I will probably still have two extra-careful days a week, but won’t stress out if I go over the 500, then take reasonable care the rest of the time. Of course, if the weight starts to disappear I will revert to the 5:2 pattern to try to speed things up. But I’m not holding my breath.

Hermaj – perhaps you burnt calories simply with the fire of you righteous anger? Well done!

No need to apologize Fast! Great minds think alike and all that, just thought it might save possible confusion linking our posts together!

Hermaj, congratulations on your loss. I’d say you should get angry more often, but you probably don’t need that kind of advice 🙂

Yay a kg herma!😄 keep up the anger! 😄

Hermaj, as RT says the less you eat the more you lose. I hope Hismaj has been hugged. 🌺🌺🌺🌺 Bay

Well done Hermaj. Amazing what getting worked up will do. Did Hismaj lose as well?
To me, the biggest spinoff of this woe is the reduced appetite, or is it the brain understanding we don’t have to eat all the time?
We tried out a new local cafe at lunchtime today, after fasting yesterday. The portion sizes were such that we should have ordered one to share. I simply got to a point where I stopped. Even Mr P left some of his! This would never have been the case in the past.
My dear little mother in law used to tell me, “We’ve eaten lunch, so won’t have dinner”, when they were in their 60s. I was worried and thought they were starving themselves. How wrong I was. Sorry MIL. 😕 P

Vive la difference, Herm 😀

Will do, Carolann.
Purple, what a lovely witty lady you are. Vive la difference indeed. 🙂

Well I have recorded my weight every day this week and worked out the average (Sat-Fri).

Lightest 58.8. Heaviest 60.3. Average 59.4.

Interesting I’m sure but, having thought about it, the weekly average weight isn’t going to be at all helpful in managing weight. Rubbish idea 🙂

Hope you’re all well?

My back is still troubling me, and making me grumpy. It’s not resolving by itself this time, so I’m seeing a physiotherapist next week. Fingers crossed she doesn’t hurt me! At least she won’t have any trouble finding my spine and muscles 🙂

Hi Happy, I averaged my weight for the past three weeks after you mentioned it too. This week, mine was exactly the same as yours. Lightest 58.8. Heaviest 60.3. Average 59.4. Looking forward to tomorrow’s FD. As you note, taking the average puts me in a much better light than taking today’s weight of 60.3 kgs which would have been a ‘trigger’ for me even if I hadn’t planned to fast tomorrow.

P.S. You’re up late Purple!

Yes Thin. Socialising. Excellent night, lots of talk, laughter and not too much food (or wine). Win, win!
Funny how we 3 are the same size, isn’t it? Barata is too. 58-60 seems like a “standard” womens size.
Off for a beach walk…too much driving and sitting yesterday 😕 P

The average weight is useful if someone asks you how much you weigh because I never k ow how to answer that and a standard reply often is ‘depends which day you ask me’.

FYI I fall exactly within your ranges too happy, thin, purple, barata.

Ha ha Thin, I think I may have stolen your missing height! I always thought I was 5 ft 6, but last year the doctors surgery said I was 5 ft 7. Must be due to the lightness of not carrying round 14kg of lard 🙂

Hi Barata,

The back is not so painful this morning, but I think it’s just settling into the new wrong position rather than being better. Whatever, it does make a difference not having it constantly nagging away at me.

We also had an evening with friends last night, and I haven’t laughed so much in ages. Definitely a good tonic.

Now if only it would stop raining…

Sorry folk…absolutely heaven here today. Perfect weather…gentle seabreeze, sunshine 25-27 deg, not humid.
I have definitely shrunk, but like Barata, I’m REALLY old 😉. Used to be 5′ 5 1/2″, now others that height tower over me, and, no, I don’t slouch.😯
Must fast tomorrow. Too much of a good time this weekend…within moderation, of course. 😊P

Hi Happy,

Sorry to hear you’re having back problems. So far (touch wood) back pain is something I’ve managed to escape most of the time but when it does happen it can be really horrible and I understand it can strike otherwise fit and healthy people.

My most vulnerable spot is precisely where my bra does up and it usually comes on after working for several hours at a standard height kitchen worktop, which is just that bit too high which means that, at 5ft 1in, I’m probably working at an unnatural angle.

The last time this happened, about a month ago, after a couple of weeks of more or less vain attempts to shift the pain with OTC products, my lovely acupuncturist found a cure which seems to have done the trick. First, she stuck several needles right at the point where the pain originated. Then, very patiently, she held over me a burning stick of what I believe is called artemisia vulgaris, frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine. It gives off a not-unpleasant heat and its herby, smoky smell took me right back to to my misspent hippy days.

But it worked. No pain at all between two appointments a week apart. After the second treatment the pain returned for an hour or so before disappearing. Now, 10 days later, I’m still pain-free. I recognise that it could recur at any time, but at least I know something can be done about it – apart, that is, from having the kitchen refitted, which ain’t gonna happen any time soon.

I thought of a low stool or platform, too, Hermaj, just to get you to “average” height. But perhaps Happy’s suggestion of setting Hismaj is the winner?

Helpful suggestions Happy and Barata,

However, as Ms Dyspraxic 2016 (and all preceding years) I wouldn’t trust myself on a stool or platforms, as I’d be bound to fall off both. Sometimes the fairly low-heeled mules I wear around the house seem to stick to the floor and I fall sideways out of them, only saving myself by grabbing the worktop.

As for Hismaj, he is not at all averse to cooking and is resident washer up and wielder of a mean hoover, but cookery is the one domestic art I’m halfway good at and it’s as much a hobby as a task. Also he tends to specialise in pasta dishes, which I’ve gone right off, since pasta was part of an unfortunate carb overdose a few months ago.

I wasn’t 100% sure about the burning stick, Happy. It’s definitely artemisia but I have almost certainly got the other half of the name wrong.

Acupuncture could be well worth a try, especially if you happen to have one near at hand. I first tried it for post-herpetic neuralgia, resulting from the shingles, resulting from the steroids the quack kept me on for 2 1/2 years for polymyalgia rheumatica which totally screwed up my immune system as steroids tend to do. Not to mention the extra multiple kilo wight gain and big fat moon face. This despite the fact that the polymyalgia cleared up completely within weeks. While I accept the need for remaining on the steroids for a few months not 2 1/2 expletive deleted years!

The acupuncturist has become a good mate – she also charges me “mate’s rate” which is nice – and she is my first port of call for any health issue or when I need to preempt what could be a stressful situation. For example, I was a regular caller while working on my MA dissertation. It may have been all in the mind but it definitely helped. As she does with every treatment, she did explain which acupuncture points were involved and why, but I’m not very good at remembering these details. She would be honest enough to tell me if I needed conventional medical treatment but it hasn’t happened yet.

Hi Carolann,

I’m fortunate enough not to suffer from anything embarassing (unless you count obscene bingo wings). Common health issues, like colds, minor stomach upsets and general yuck feelings – I won’t say flu because I’m not convinced I’ve ever had it – I deal with myself. However, each acupuncture session starts with a rapid MOT, plus she inspects my tongue and takes my pulse, both of which procedures seem to give rather different information to that which a mainstream doc is after. And of course there’s always a “how’ve you been” conversation. All this info she takes on board before getting to work with the needles.

Like you, I’ve had some pain problems, like horrendous leg muscle pains which proved to be connected with the statins I had been prescribed “just in case”. Until the cause of the pain was tracked down (by me doing a bit of research), acupuncture always helped but until the quack agreed I should stop taking the wretched pills, they didn’t completely disappear.

As for stress, most of the time it’s about preempting potential stress, e.g when I’ve got a particularly tough translation to do and I may have to burn the midnight oil. When I was doing the MA, if I had an essay or a presentation coming up, not to mention the dreaded final dissertation, the acupuncture points involved were the ones that energised the brain, powers of reasoning etc. As I said before it may have been all in the mind, but it worked Similarly, if I’m having to deal with difficult family issues, using the most appropriate points leads to feelings of calm, and often a better than usual night’s sleep.

Even when everything in the garden is lovely, I still have a session once a month, simply to get energised, e.g. before going on holiday. I have never come out of a session without feeling simultaneously relaxed and full of energy. I guess it helps that the therapist is a really good friend – sometimes she is the one telling me her troubles – and however bad things are we always have a bit of a giggle.