Polly, the places most vulnerable to fire are small communities and isolated properties, bordering on dense bush. Sydney suburbs have a lot of fingers of rugged, inaccessible bushland but, so far, any fires here have been controlled quickly. Our only way of stopping this is drenching rains. The drought effected ground, all over the state, is primed for burning, ferociously, as soon as a spark comes in contact.
Despite what our PM (and the right wing press) says, these fires are unprecedented and an unbelievable new normal…they are huge, and extensive. The available manpower and equipment just cannot cope.
Sadly, this is exactly what has been predicted for many years as the result of climate change. We all need to rethink and do our bit. P 😕

Don’t get me started on mendacious, amoral Johnson and that overgrown student, Corbyn, whose stubborn idealism led to this. 🤬

Hi all, I’m not quite at maintenance yet, I still have about 3-4 kilograms to lose. But I thought I’d join in because I know I will make it now.

I’ve struggled with my weight all my life and nothing seemed to work. My heaviest weight I saw on the scale was mid 2018 when I weighed in at 136 kilograms (300 pounds), I decided to do something about it on 23rd January 2019 after seeing Michael Mosley on the television talking about his fast800 diet.

I started on that day at 131.5 kilograms (290 pounds) During the year the weight just dropped off me and I weighed in on 13th December 2019 at 87 kilograms (191 pounds) My ultimate goal is to get to around 83-84 kilos, but I’m finally comfortable with where my weight is.

Well done, Neil. I think IF works because it’s nit so much a diet, but a way of life, so it’s reasonably easy to maintain. The flexibility Aldo means we don’t have to make a big fuss about being ‘on a diet’ when we’re out socially.

Pol

Wow! We’ve all gone quiet. Are you all as complacent as I am or is everyone on target. I know a number of my fasting friends have other issues to deal with at the present. Thankfully, we hear that the worst of the fires have stopped, now the nightmare of picking up pieces starts.

PVE, how is the house search going? Barata, are you sleeping better? Carol, I think you’re ok – hope so, anyway. And Happy, the Six Nations starting next week. The wonderful, poetic Eddie Butler has a programme on BBC 1 tonight. You might be able to get it on iPlayer.

We’re off to freezing cold New Jersey on Friday, grandparent duty. While I’m desperate to see the gorgeous boys, I’m not looking forward to the cold, meaning we’ll be stuck in. To cap it all, they’ve just acquired a pup!
This was quite a late request, so I’ve got quite wound up about it. Stupidly, tension means my tinnitus is worse,or I don’t cope as well and I’m not sleeping well.

Take care everyone.
Pol. 🙋🏼

Hi Pol.
Sorry to hear your tinitus is aggravated. I hope it clears for your trip. Very frustrating! I’m not house hunting. That was Barata. And she’s found one 🙂 I’m busy with our growing grandkids. They are all such a joy.

Neil, sometimes weight loss, and gain, takes a while to be obvious. Permanent change is only evident after a reasonable time. This wol has to be considered in years, rather than days or weeks, but certainly benefits with daily weighing and considering eating patterns over 24/48 hour periods. I do agree that regular change to “kick start”, even if it reduces boredom or complacence, is a good idea. All the best. P

G’day Carol
Very humid here, too. It’s SO much harder to keep cool, isn’t it? We spend a good part of the day in the pool, beach or lake. 🙂
Canada in March will be terrific. It’s great for a change for an Aussie!!
My weight is up at the upper limit, but not rising any more, so I can cope. I KNOW where I’m going “wrong”, but need to indulge a little at present. Still only 2 meals a day and lots of veg, so it won’t kill me!! P

I’m also still here after staying under the radar while I met a whole string of translation deadlines, now all done and dusted. Which means I’m delighting in having a lot less to do, for now at least.
What I am definitely NOT delighting in is the prospect, two days from now, of the UK pulling out of the European Union, the most bonkers decision ever made, allegedly because it was “the will of the people”.
We shall mourn this stupid separation by hanging the EU’s blue flag with the gold stars outside front window, which will be left ajar while we play – very loudly – the Ode to Joy, from Beethoven’s 9th, which is also the EU anthem. Cambridge is a staunchly Remain city, but with a bit of luck we might manage to p*** off any Brexiteer who might be passing.

Go Herm!
David Cameron was just being interviewed on our evening interview show. Pissweak.

I plan to wear black from neck to foot, topped off by my EU beret. Not just angry, but genuinely bereft, mourning and feeling disenfranchised and deprived of half my citizenship.

Fast, while I don’t have an EU beret I often dress in black from neck to foot, usually offset by a nice splash of colour. However, I may well follow your example of deepest black.The deep blue of the EU flag will be sufficient.

I take salad gear and top up with protein wherever I travel.

Hi, Happy! We’re in Princeton and I’ve just opened the iPad to text all my friends with warnings not to text me during the game! We’re expected to go to see the boys play basketball, which I would normally enjoy, but… the game will be recorded to watch later. Not quite the same. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Depressing yesterday to see that self-congratulatory fool’s countdown and flag on Downing Street. Still, having been a Labour supporter all my life, I can’t say I’m surprised at the reaction to Corbyn.

Weight stuck on top wriggle room or just above.

We managed to see It! Great result and all the boys had a game! Prospects good for next week?

Nice one, Mr Data!!! 🤗🤗

B, diving is the pure joy of being in water!!!
We did some snorkeling last week (we do it often). The fish in Sydney are increasingly more tropical, and abundant. Diving with the fish is an entre into another world.
Heavy tropical rain last night, so, finally, the garden can smile.
P

We’re just home from the USA and still rather dopey. I didn’t lose any weight during my stay this time – too wet for walks and consoling myself with daily indulgences of ice cream, I admit.

There seem to be a number of us in the same place, marking time. I had a good week, dropping a kg, but now putting it on again. Is it the chocolate, the cherries? The nuts? I will have to make a more concerted effort in the coming week.

I’m definitely marking time on top wriggle room. But now I’m pondering a bombshell question my grandson, aged 8, asked – ‘Why do you look older than grandad?’ 😲😢.

Happy, good to hear from you. Hope Dennis hasn’t hit too badly. We seemed to have escaped the worse, although I didn’t go out yesterday and work after the 2000 floods should mean the Alun is okay. Rugby was very disappointing last week, eh?

Oh no Polly! I feel for you! My OH has always looked very young, and my middle aged hormones (and stress and probably weight loss) have taken their toll on me in the last couple of years, whereas the bit of extra weight he carries keeps him looking plumped up. We are like an overinflated balloon with skin stretched taut vs a balloon that has lost a bit of air….😂

The worst of Dennis appears to have missed us, just the usual local road flooding and squelchy garden but nothing worse. We are well above the beck at the bottom of the garden and it doesn’t overspill it’s banks near us thankfully.

What rugby?! 😢

Bobbling around, myself, B. 🤔
I was strict for a couple of days and dropped 1 kg, so it IS possible, then life gets in the way again. 🙂🙂
I’m staggered how few carbs (bread, sweet dessert) it takes to jump up again. 😒😬🤪 P

All three, thanks, Neil 🙂 And grateful daily. Do post your results.

P, I did a strict week recently, also lost a kg but have bounced back with life, as you say. And I have no bread, rarely sweet dessert, little of the beautiful summer fruit that now surrounds me 🙁

Translated. 🙂 But I don’t think yesterday’s (non) icecream would have counted in the long run. Next Monday I am starting a week’s carnivore challenge, will let you know how that pans out.

I may as well share my tale of woe with you all too🙁

I went to look after grandies for 2 weeks and absolutely pigged out up there for a number of reasons. I was too scared to weight myself when I first got home but a day or so later when I’d mustered you the courage and hopped on the scales I shouldn’t have been surprised but was absolutely shocked to see I was 1.5kg over top trigger! 😳

So diligently followed a strict 16:8, cut out all fruit and all carbs, no snacking of any sort. 10 days later scales showed 500g below trigger – great! 😊

Weighed again today and back at 1kg above trigger again! 😡

I introduced a little bit of fruit on the weekend, met a friend for lunch which we shared – she ordered bruschetta – what can I say, I thought 2 tiny slices surely won’t be a problem. Then lunch at friends Sunday – wine – and great they served pasta! 😂

You’re right Purple, the least little deviation from the regime that seems to work for us means weight sticks.

So good news is, it’s still possible to lose weight, bad news is the least little amount of food puts it on, is my take on all this.

Got it Purple! 😂😂