I’m considering altering my target and wriggle room up a bit, after reading Herm’s link. At 132lbs it’s gives me a BMI of 23 which is fine. Moreover, I can allow myself the odd treat.

One of my problems is that when eating out I have do little choice and end up with either a veggie burger or veg chilli, both of which can be boring. I treat myself to a dessert then, of course. Left to me, we would always go to a good gastro pub, but we have to fit in with friends. OH doesn’t like driving in the dark now, neither do I for that matter.

I still fit in most of my clothes, but do not like the extra around the middle, while other areas are boney.😒
We are careful to only eat out at places with outdoor areas. Otherwise, I’d rather prepare food at home. Luckily, here, especially in summer, most places have outdoor areas. No way we’d risk eating indoors!
The weather has settled to beautiful summer days and evenings. Just perfect for swimming, but not too hot for walking. Evening walks, with the full moon, have been gorgeous this week. Enjoy life, girls. It is so wonderful, while it lasts. 🙂🙂🙂 P

Oh Carol, join the club. 😪 I’m SO over thinking about food all the time. I gave up and bought the next, half size, pants. I was still fasting twice weekly and eating reasonably healthy food, but clearly not fanatical enough.
I actually prefer the healthy food, but get sucked into joining others eating less desirable, high carb foods. Afterwards, I wonder why?
Life seems to keep throwing stressful, curve balls at us, doesn’t it? I guess the old adage, you can’t control the world, but you can control your reaction, applies here. Easier said than done, I know.
It is amazing how many coeliacs go all out finding as many GF products as they can, when we know they should just drop the carbs.
I enjoyed Michael’s latest show and the recipes Clare suggested. It has steered me back to vegetarian low carb tasty meals again (mostly)
I’m currently battling an injury and having to eat breakfast to take painkillers. Mr P tends to make me bread based, when I should have an egg or berries and yoghurt. It’s hard when relying on another to prepare my meals.
I doubt this has helped, Carol, but remember, you aren’t alone.
Cheers P

Carol, I agree. My serving sizes have grown too, even though it might be rabbit food. 😏

You made me laugh Polly with the biscuit story! I mean why do we do things like that but I’ve been doing it too. I remember the half sizes of jeans, not sure if they do them these days though ~ everything is made on the cheap.

Purple, I think it’s all the little extras I put in with the rabbit food, such as the olives, nuts, cheese. Theoretically it shouldn’t be adding up to much but is obviously having an impact.

Polly,I’m not coeliac just need to be gluten free. Apparently there’s 2 coeliac genes they test for and I was positive to one. If you’re positive to 2 your coeliac. I do feel unwell after I’ve eaten gluten but not enough to make me stop eating 🤦‍♀️

Polly, have you been to see your grandsons yet? Enjoy the lunch, seriously life’s too short isn’t it.

Well, I have to report that the lunch was fabulous and three course taken, plus cocktail beforehand. To my delight, there’s no shock on this morning’s scales. I think the answer is that each course was sensible, with no carbs, not stingy but not huge portions.

I put ‘coeliac’ in quotation marks as a shortcut really, Carol. And I realised about the in between sizes, purple. Not seen them for years, though.

We’ve not made it to America but son has booked to come here at the end of June! Cant wait.

10 years is a long time frankannabelle, congratulations! I’m impressed you were able to stick with your regime when on a cruise ship ~ lots of temptation there. 😀 The reward of health benefits can be very motivating!

Congratulations, purple. I agree with all your sentiments. IF is not a diet, but a better way to eat and I learned so much from Michael’s first book.

Summer is coming here so a chance to be more careful, enjoying salads rather than comfort food. Cool spring, though. Typical four seasons in one day.

Frankannabelle, congratulations on your ten year anniversary! That’s impressive. I’m coming up for eight years in August and have never blown a FD in that time. I lost 25kg and have maintained my healthy weight for the last seven years using a combination of 5:2 and 6:1 (always the latter on holidays). When I get to my trigger weight (60kg), I immediately revert to 5:2. So many health benefits have come my way as a result not to mention the immense confidence boost that being slim affords me. Thank you Dr M for changing my life – even if you have moved on. If it works, don’t mess with it!

Well done Purple and Mr P! I’m 8 years. I started Anzac Day and recall what agony it was not eating an Anzac biscuit that first time. I haven’t made them this year as dads no longer with us and so as not to be tempted to indulge on my own. I’m going to watch the March again this year, the first since dad died end of 2019. It was a family tradition that as many of the family as possible came and watched the March and then we went to the same hotel for lunch after. But before we had lunch we’d always have a coffee with baileys in it ~ a Canadian tradition 😃. So I’ve bought my bottle of baileys to put in the thermos for tomorrow ~. cheaper than buying at the hotel ☺️. What’s everyone else doing?

No, I’m not about to whinge. I do (almost) have cause to celebrate. Having joined the 5:2 brigade on 1st Feb 2013, I now need to lose 1.5 kilos to get a BMI within the 24 limits.
Strangely enough, on 5:2 “How it works”, if I go metric, I get BMI 25 plus a wee bit, while on imperial it shows high-end BMI 24,which is good enough for me at 155 cm/5ft.1in, after such a long run. Can’t help but wonder whether this part of the BMI show is being run by Brexiteers who punish me for going metric like “bloody foreigners” do but they do provide more cheering results when I go imperial.
The reason for this long spiel is to ask if you and/or any family or friends out there, perhaps scientists, medics, dieticians, etc., who might have the sort of knowledge that could help to explain how and why it has taken me nearly 10 years to shed weight that climbed to 13.35 stone or 85,77 kilos, thereby pushing me into a no doubt lethal BMI 35.2.
Facts as follows: I found 5:2 a relatively comfortable means of losing weight albeit very, very slowly, first year 6 kilos, second year only 1.5K, average 3 – 4K for further years
Yes, like many others, I did fall off the wagon now and then but never for very long. Luckily, I find it very easy to avoid most so-called unhealthy, fattening things – I simply don’t like them.
When I finally gave up the ciggies, now more than 20 years ago, if I couldn’t have a puff I didn’t want or need the alcohol – apart from using it in cooking.
Sure, my sedentary, deadline-ruled job often makes regular exercise difficult, but at least as a non-driver I readily and regularly walk more than someone who drives everywhere. As for sport, I’m so dyspraxic – clumsy butter-fingers who always manages to bash into things – I’m just a nuisance to anyone who might be willing to play.
I’m sure that being unable to reach a desirable weight any sooner must be due to being overfed by nouveau riche parents who saw a fat kid as a sign of their prosperity. It wasn’t much fun being weighed in front of classmates at age 11, who found it highly amusing to see me hitting somewhere 10 ½ stone and higher as we got older.
I became well sorted and slim(ish) in my early and mid-20s living and working on the Continent, but back in the UK I always regained most of it.
Over the next 40 or so years, I managed to keep plump (size 16) but healthy. But then I got polymyalgia rheumatica and an over-eager doc put me on steroids for 2 1/2 years, resulting in shingles and weight rising to BMI 35.2 – 13 stone-plus (not good at 155 cm), having to wear size 20 for my remarriage. I’m afraid I shoved my copies of wedding photos in the bin!
One year it took me 12 months to lose 1 1/2 kilos. Even so, the doc gradually weaned me off the numerous medications, prescribed for “just in case at your age”. I’m delighted with the results and being able to wear a flattering size 12.
So, if anyone out these has any ideas, I’d be profoundly grateful.

Lovely to see you posting again, Herm! You never know what might have happened to any of us…run away, abducted, fallen off the wagon (or perch) 😁😁😉
I have no suggestions at all for you, but must give you a gold star for perseverance. ✨️ My guess is, like most of us, you inhabit a complex human body that is completely unique. There is simply no accounting for the range of reactions these individual organisms have to stimuli. 😐
In my case, also a 2013 starter, I lost masses in the first year, but have slowly crept up over the years. Still at the upper level if healthy, but no longer quite so trim. 😏 My attitude, currently, is “life’s too short”, so I plod along, enjoying life as much as I can within the limitations that keep being thrown at me…accidents, pandemics, climate change…do I need to say more?
Keep enjoying whatever makes you happy and keep up the social connections.
P x

Thank you, Purple! The surgery (the scary sort, but utterly fascinating, where you are awake and chatting to the surgeon as he works!) was indeed successful, within its parameters : has restored control of my dominant hand. The rest of me is still rubbish, but I can now eat, drink, sign my name, read a book – I celebrated with an ice cream cone, which I’d been incapable of manoeuvring for about 15 years! I had been warned it might throw my balance temporarily, but wasn’t expecting quite the severity of either the wobbles, or the difficulties getting brain and legs to communicate/cooperate – nor how long it would take to get the hang of it again. But it was a long shot at maintaining some independence – and it’s worked, praise be!
Good to hear from you, too. The older I get, the more I appreciate that life’s too short, and the more I see the wisdom in the adage about not allowing the perfect to be the enemy of the good. So I’m with you: self-denial needs to be balanced by understanding what benefits we (or the rest of creation!) hope to gain by it, not just an end in itself – and small pleasures are to be enjoyed to the fullest!

..

Good morning, everyone! Lovely to hear from you,Herm. And Fast, what a time you’ve had. It’s very good to hear that things are improving, though.

Herm, were you first-born? Carol’s comment about fat-cells being laid down is oh so true I think nervous new mothers make babies eat too much, not trusting them when they reject food as being sated. My daughter has always struggled with her weight, as does grandson 1. That’s not my excuse, though. 5lbs 4ozs at birth, then ill. It’s over-indulgence did for me!

As I posted on other thread, the boys went home a week today, after an exhausting, fun weekend. No idea when we’ll see them again. Posted off five garments left behind. Yesterday I found Sam’s treasured Liverpool water cup in my rucksack. 🥴. Our rugby club has a kit sale this morning, so we’ll buy something to send out with the cup.

Take care everyone.

weight maintance

Hi Poll
I agree. Crunchy salads are perfect in warmer weather! They take ages to eat and are filling.
I was inspired by our mate BayleafAus to make slaw. I have one on the go all the time. Shredded red cabbage, coarsely grated carrot and shredded kale is the basic mix. I add whatever to that: capsicum (bell pepper to you), corn (2 minutes in the husk in the microwave!), seeds, cucumber. Whatever is around. I store it in a container in the fridge and squeeze a little aioli on it only when I serve. It keeps a week, so is always handy for me for any meal. No excuse!!
Enjoy your approaching summer…we are experiencing winter chills, so more soups than salad at present.
Cheers, Purple

Hi Carol
I grow kale all year. I regularly plant new seedlings so that I have a big supply. I simply cut it finely. No getting up and personal with massages! 🤣🤣 I pick the leaves young and tender and, as I said, they keep ages because they are home grown. I always have lots of cut and come again lettuce, silverbeet, spinach and herbs growing too. Similarly, I keep planting new seedlings so that I don’t run out. I pick lettuce leaves before heavy rain and store them, washed, in a container with kitchen paper, in the fridge. It saves them being ruined by the rain.
We’ve had an incredible summer of tomatoes, too! Many of them springing straight out of the compost! P

That slaw idea is brilliant. I’ll show the cook. I’m a bit disappointed this morning as I hoping, indeed expecting, to see my target 129lbs showing. Nope 130.6. 😲.

I’m pleased to report that husband is taking things so seriously that he’s registered here and enters weight in chart. Pleased to see it going down. 😄

Sounds nice Purple. We have lots of lovely salad veggie growing in summer also. Have thought of the kale idea before but never followed through. I usually just go out to the garden each day and pick what we have. I think there’s something in the crunch factor though that is satisfying.

Polly, don’t fret, numbers will probably be lower tomorrow. So pleased your husband is taking his health seriously too.

I’m in Canada (baby number 2 for my son, number 4 in total), where it’s carb city 🤦‍♀️ Only good things is it’s easy to fast until lunch as I’m so busy with baby and toddler and laundry!

Lovely to see this conversation starting up again – a test of friendship is whether it can just resume after a long gap without missing a beat!
Tried on my summer trousers today, with some trepidation. Good news is they do still fasten and fit; less good, they take a bit more wiggling than they did last year, to get them past bum and belly. I reckon a couple of kg could do with disappearing.
My fridge, too, full of boxes of prepared elements of salads. Dressings, protein, and crunchy seeds or nuts to be added as needed – no-cook (or protein cook weekly!) summer coming up!

Carol, congratulations on another grandchild. Boy or girl? Are the other two living nearer you? I was very down after a night out with my close friends last week when two of them had lots of news about their local little ones. One friend has four children, all living in the same small town, each with children. Another has three boys, quite near, again all with their own children. A third friend has four children – once in Australia, one in Singapore, one in Dubai and one in London. She doesn’t see them much.

My daughter is getting married tomorrow! Both have been married before do a small do. Looking forward. And my husband looks great in his suit.

Fast, I’m the same! Can still wear the same size but no wriggle room whatsoever and not as comfortable as before.

Polly, it’s awful not having grandchildren near isn’t it! My son in Canada has 10yr stepson, 9yr stepdaughter, 18m daughter, 1 week old son. My other son in Brisbane Australia has 14yr son, 11 yr daughter. We live in Adelaide which is a 2.5 day drive or 2.5 hour flight to Brisbane.
I feel envious too when my friends are discussing their family contact. Special occasions such as Easter, Mothers Day are particularly difficult as my husband and I are always on our own.

We are in our early 70’s now and have no idea what to do about our future. Our son in Canada wants us to sell family home and buy 2 smaller places, one near each son. I don’t want to leave our city, I love it there and it’s so easy to get around and we have lots of facilities really close by. Brisbane is very hilly and we like to walk. However, our friends are ageing too and we don’t see as much of them as we used to. And blood is always thicker than water in the end. I worry about what to do all the time. And when I worry I still eat!

What a lovely event to be attending your daughters wedding. I’m sure you’ll both look spiffing!

Polly, none of my friends are boastful either, I love to hear about friends kids ~ it’s that momentary pang of envy I feel.