Hi All,

Sorry you’re feeling a bit alone Bay. I don’t know whether activity on the thread has been adversely affected by recent events, or whether it’s due to the fact that the maintainers have nothing to report (yep, not put any weight back on yet…)

I also am worried about Auriga and Elaine, my fear that recent events were too much (as they were for others).

I attended a training course this week, aimed at helping us deal with organisational change. A few things struck me particularly.

One was a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. No one can hurt you without your permission.

Another was a discussion centred around recognising and acknowledging our strengths. And the fact that if you downplay or denigrate your success (oh it was nothing, I didn’t really do a good job, etc) then that is what other people will believe. And if someone says wow, you did well, it isn’t arrogance to say yes I know.

So, Maintainers (and those that haven’t yet reached goal but are on their way), I say be proud of the changes you have made and what you are achieving/ have achieved.

Focus on what you want to achieve, visualise who you want to be (healthy and a normal weight) and not on who you don’t want to be (unhealthy and overweight).

We all have it in us to do this, however we achieve it. And don’t believe anyone, not even the voice in your head, who tells you otherwise.

Whoop! I managed a long post on this very difficult loan phone

PVE, your fasting boot camp sounds fantastic! Wish I was there…

Dad update. He’s broken through his ‘plateau’ (his perception, not mine!) And is now in the 13 stones. I said you’ve done really well, you must be really pleased with that. And he did admit (despite his British reserve) to being really pleased. Turns out, in 10 weeks of eating cheesecake and drinking wine on fast days, he’s averaged 2lbs per week weight loss!!

Go dad! Ah yes, the famous cheesecake and wine fast! Good on him. 🙂 P

Happy, forgot to thank you for such wise words.

Eleanor sure knew something!

As the years have crept on, very few people have had permission to hurt me. Hope it’s to do with maturity but my family would probably dispute! 🙂

Hi Bay,good to hear from you again. Hope you are managing to rest your eyes and that resting is having the desired effect. Thanks for asking about the dissertation. As of yesterday, I’m on leave from the day job – i.e. I’ve asked colleagues and clients not to send me any work until the end of September.

You and other friends in the Southern Hemisphere are probably asking what I’m doing posting in the middle of the UK night. I’m a night owl at the best of times – complete rubbish in the morning – and when I’m into full writing mode I find the old brain working when I should be asleep.

Not to worry about the post going belly-up, Purple, it happens to me all the time – especially when it’s a long one.

Happy, I love your dad’s delightfully quirky approach to fast dieting. Cheesecake and wine sounds like an excellent plan if that’s what works for him. I think in general men may have it a tiny bit easier than we do. Even on fast days they’re allowed 100 cal more than we are.

Nicky, with six or seven kilos still to go, I’m not really a maintainer either. I snuck in here as a refugee from a less-than-pleasant environment on another thread. For two reasons: firstly you are such a nice bunch of people; secondly the fact that most of you have made it to your target, or are well on the way, will keep me on my toes.

Hi Hermaj
Quite right. I do have a problem with very tired eyes getting weaker. Have been easing up on posting and reading. We have been playing golf now and then, and walking for hours each day to get out of doors. Have just finished a two hour walk and stopped for an espresso coffee. Lovely combo!
Bay 🙂

Back on a proper computer!
Hermaj… (your handle kept being autocorrected to Herman on the phone… you would have enjoyed Burra, the little town we just spent a couple of days in. It was established by Cornish copper miners in the late 1840s. The mine was the richest copper mine in the world at that time. It folded after about 15 years and the town went into decline. It is like a time warp and much of it is listed or looked after by the National Trust of SA. You get a key from them to access many of the historic buildings. We stayed in one of the little stone miners cottages that has been modernised a bit, but still reminiscent of life in the 1850s (with power and modern bathroom). Accommodation was very hard to get in the early days, so some miners built dugouts in the creek banks to make very primitive housing. Some still remain. It is an incredible example of working class social history in early Australia.

A further interesting note from our travels, to avoid fruit fly being transmitted across different fruit growing regions, there are a series of fruit fly quarantine stations in mainland Australia. We have already had to give up fruit and veg twice. The next one we hit, we will have to relinquish our honey. I suggested we have a spoonful each as dessert at lunchtime. OH wanted to put it on biscuits. I chastised him…”That is really unhealthy” as I woofed down my spoonful!! Healthiness is all relative.

All the best with your writing hermaj.
Happy Monday fasting Bay and Nicky and any others online at present. Happy weekend to Happy and the rest o/s Purple x

Hi bayleaf,

So glad I got it right. Hope all the nice things you are doing – golf, walking and espressos, and not too much reading or posting – will help improve things for you.

They are the ‘scales of the future’ Happy!

Me too Hermaj. Studied fine arts and am passionate about social history. No time to elaborate. P
Cheers to all on another Monday fd. 🙂

Hi everyone..

Reading with great interest all the social history .. it has occured to me that I am probably the only one on this thread that doesn’t have ANY Scottish ancestry .. and is perversely living in Scotland.

Also am rather in awe of the linguists on here.. as this has been my bete noir (sorry can’t find the appropriate accents) from an early age… I never managed any degree of competency in any language and some would argue I struggle with my native english… I’ve even had a go at gaelic…

Weekend .. mmm it’s pretty brrrrr up here at the moment… winter food is becoming rather attractive.. The pony is looking decidely furry.. I adore her winter coat.. she goes from a bright bay in summer to a deep rich chocolate .. which just looks stunning when you catch her in the sun on a frosty /snowy morning.. One of my projects this winter is a protrait of us.. but not bog standard “equestrian” one.. years ago a friend gave me a lovely book by Yann Arthus-Bertrand who went around the world taking portraits of the indigenous horses and their humans.. This is another plus of shedding the extra pounds.. So am thinking about dressing it up a .. possibly candidate is a long full sequined black skirt.. have yet to decide on top..

Food this weekend.. Chicken thighs stuffed with pesto and pistachio with roasted beet and parsnips on a puy lentil and sundried tomatoe mush.. and another venison steak.. so back fasting today.. Monday is regular fasting day..

Tomorrow and Wed could be challenging as away at work meeting in hotel.. in Aviemore.. But to be honest the food will have to be pretty amazing to tempt me too much. I like deserts but they have to be really show stopping for me to really miss them.. Aiming to go for afternoon run today.. will see if I can match my Friday’s performance..

Happy
SO glad you survived your MIL and received compliments. They are tricky relationships aren’t they? I’m sure she can see what you are doing for yourself and is proud of you.
Being away from home, I have no idea of my current weight, but know how to limit eating so have no concerns. OH is finding his blood sugar readings are still excellent, so we are ok.
My guests staying at home report rubbish weather at home, so I’m glad we’ve taken the opportunity to tour. We will keep heading west until we are sick of it or OHs time off ends. P x

Hi Happy,

I’ve just re-read the post in which you quote Eleanor Roosevelt – what a wise woman – and about taking pride in our achievements. I wonder if failure to do this is one of the less fortunate results of being brought up British. Mustn’t brag, boast or show off and, if you’ve got it,for God’s sake don’t flaunt it.

As the child of nouveau riche, upwardly mobile, wannabe parents, I have to agree with the final one. I just wanted to curl up in a corner when they went into flaunting mode. Paradoxically, they used to accuse me of “strutting about”. Nothing to do with strutting, just that at an early age I realised that good posture did to some degree compensate for being a little fatty four-eyes.

Not acknowledging our achievements is just plain silly. Worse still, refusing to accept compliments on those achievements is to insult the person who delivers the compliment. It pours doubt on their judgement and makes them look foolish.

My OH – who is “frightfully British” – is guilty of this. As a very good all-rounder who seems to get most things right, the best you get if you praise him for some success of other is a reluctant grunt of “Mmm, not bad”. Much as I try to argue the case, he still won’t accept it. Conversely, I’m chuffed to bits if someone compliments me on something, which Sir has been known to do.

As for “recent events” I have them and the ensuing nastiness on another thread – I’m still not sure why I was on the receiving end of some of it, I’ve assumed for minding my own business and failing to intervene – to thank for finding myself among the delightful bunch of people who are the maintainers. I do hope others haven’t been scared off.

I see you are a Micky Flanaghan fan. I bet he puts malt vinegar on his bacon butties. 🙂 And I love his stories about asking for tomato sauce in a posh restaurant and watching Thomas the Tank Engine with his small son. If you are interested, on Channel 4 at 9 p.m this coming Friday, there’s an hour-long show broadcast from the Hackney Empire, right on his home soil. Should be fun.

Hi Purple,

Not only are you taking us to fascinating places, you are also throwing in the odd gourmet recipe. What a star! I won’t be able to replicate completely your seafood dish – me and shellfish are sadly sworn enemies 🙁 , but there’s no reason not to do it with finfish, maybe mixing white fish and salmon. I’m about to cut and paste that part of your post to my recipe book.

And, iwillbe, I’ve just spotted your recipes for chicken with pesto and roasted beet and parsnips on a puy lentil and sundried tomato mush. If and when you have the time, I’d love to have both of them in full, or perhaps you can direct me to a link. To be honest in the all-veggie dish it’s the mush that really interests me. Him Indoors doesn’t like parsnips and I don’t like beets, but I think it might work with sweet potato and butternut squash.

I am 63 years old and I started the Fast Diet on November 5th 2013. I was 56kg, not particularly overweight, although I am only 5’2″. None of my friends would have said I needed to lose weight. I was aware that I had become ‘thicker round the middle’ in recent years, but I put it down to the ‘natural’ effects of ageing. Nevertheless, it was really the prospect of being able to mitigate the effects of dementia and/or Alzheimer’s that drew me to this diet. I saw both my parents go that way and it is not pleasant, particularly for the loved ones who have to witness the sad decline. So it was mainly with this objective in sight that I started the Fast Diet, taking Tuesdays and Thursdays as my designated Fast days, as those are the days I do voluntary work at one of the local schools. The weight loss was quite astonishing; after 3 months I had gone down to 52.7kg (from 56kgs). Wow, result! It shows that my lost pounds were ‘hidden’ fat and therefore more dangerous than those visible pounds. After 5 months, the loss was less dramatic but it steadily continued to fall until at 36 weeks I was down to 50.7kgs! That’s the weight loss, but how about other benefits? I have renewed energy levels; I sleep better; my balance is stable – on both feet – and I can once more put my socks on without having to sit down! One day after a fast, I had to run for a bus. I ran 100 metres, carrying a rucksack and a shoulder bag containing 2 heavy books. I caught the bus, but more importantly, I had no breathlessness, no heaving of the chest, just a very clear feeling – I don’t think I’ve felt like that since I was in my 20s. (And probably not even then as I used to smoke in those days). Let me reiterate: I am 63. Until recently, I certainly couldn’t put my socks on from a standing position and my clothes made me feel uncomfortable, like a trussed chicken. I couldn’t have run for a bus without heaving and puffing once I sat down. This is definitely a diet – no, it’s more than that, it’s a way of life – that is worth sticking to permanently. I look forward to further benefits, as I am sure they will become more and more apparent. Years of bad habits will take time to heal, but heal they will. Thank you Michael and Mimi, I – and many people out there – owe you big time for renewed good health.

Maybe halfway? Hawaii? Malaysia? Bit more than halfway for some!

Iwi and Hermaj, no Scottish ancestors in our family either. Apparently we came over with William (or as I like to think of him, Norman) the Conqueror and then stayed very English.

Nicky, going back several posts! And being nosy! What is OH’s Landcare group?

Honje. Interesting that you have also noticed improvement in balance. I still can’t decide whether it’s just being lighter or something else?

Carol, I’m liking your halfway suggestions. Although I’m still holding out for Greece….Elaine?!

PVE. MIL still here! I just meant I’d managed 48 hours of the 144… Escaped into the garden today and shovelled compost most of the day though. And perhaps more tellingly dipped into the meditations of Marcus Aurelius…!

Hermaj. Yep, am a Micky F fan and will be tuning in on Friday. Also have his out out (aawt aawt?!) tour on DVD. V funny.

And I’d just like to thank the Upsidedowners for shaming (!) me with my total ignorance of Australian history. I think my version went – Aborigines – convicts – some European settlers – ta dah, modern Australia! Sorry….

Anyway, past bedtime as working tomorrow. Sadly, looking forward to the weekend being over so I can eat less! Only a 4 day week though and then a week off. Fingers crossed for the weather as the plan is cycling and hill walking all week.

Sweet dreams, right way uppers. Have a good day, upsidedowners.

And come back Charioteer. We miss you.

Hi Happy, our posts crossed so you must be up late – it’s near 8.30am here.

Had to check your profile before explaining. OH (other half) belongs to a group of volunteers in an Australia-wide network called Landcare. Each group is pretty well independent and local. They ‘adopt’ weed-infested parks and other unloved patches of ground and control weeds and replant with locally indigenous native plants. They are supported by local councils to the extent of supplying tools and consumables such as herbicides.

Most groups meet at least monthly and he works on two separate patches on 1st and 4th Sunday mornings. One is bushland adjacent to our local cemetery and it is a real little gem of native flora – I’m a botanist so get excited about such things 🙂 and don’t get involved except to act as consultant when invited. Landcare is a wonderful concept and they do great work.

Hi Nicky, I’m an ecologist, and suspected (hoped!) Landcare might be what you describe. We have similar voluntary groups in some areas, but with less local authority support than there should be. The government doesn’t value biodiversity, only money, and is hell bent on undermining biodiversity protection, weakening the SNCOs, giving developers the green light to trash what little semi- natural habitat remains, and reducing budgets to local government (and when the budget gets tight, wildlife just isn’t a priority.). Hmmph.

Good job on the willpower btw! I’ve certainly found it gets easier to resist temptation, particularly with no/ low processed carb and sugars.

Hi again

Happy, sorry to have appropriated your mate without permission. I’ll just use him while you’re asleep, as Purple suggests if that’s OK.

Purple, most local bakeries, at least in our area have cream Berliners. They’re delicious and definitely low-cal, at least when eaten in company 😉

Purple, another SA (only?) bakery delight is bee sting, German name Bienenstich (sp?), a lo-cal 😉 delight of light yeast cake sandwiched with cream and topped with honey and toasted almonds.

I must be mad talking about such things on a fast day but at least I’m at work and don’t even have any money to search for them, unless I go back to the car and raid the parking meter money.

Hope you find something for after fabulous Coffin Bay oysters – now that’s a suitable FD food!

No way Tim! CB oysters are big and ugly. Sydney Rock are by far the best and only 23 cals each. Can’t get them here:(
We have bienstich too but also called by the Anglized name Nicky. Happy fasting. P

Hi Hermajtomomi, very glad your still with us.

I would like to comment on and try and get across one of the reasons why people do not accept accolades/praise.
In my case I am Bipolar 1 and have been told that I have very low self-esteem. Which I might add I think is nuts, and my dogs agree! Dragged through British boarding schools and now living in Aust since the middle of last century. Like your OH am “Frightfully British ” with plummy accent to boot and have experienced a wonderful slice of life.

People are brought up and constantly told they are not ” Worthy or Worthless “. This goes on in our homes, schools, armed services and in the work place etc. One does come to believe deep down that one is a useless clot and when praised one automatically thinks “No thats not me”. Hence the demurrer or deflection of well intension comments.

Must admit that I had never thought about the effect the demur would have on the person saying it. Brought me up short. Thanks.

Cheers,
Tim.

Hi Nicky,

Excellent news on the BP, and that you have an informed GP! And you’re welcome to ‘my mate’, asleep or awake! As I have shrunk, he has grown and now there is plenty of him to go round.

Tim, I agree that Hermaj makes a powerful point that it is rude and disrespectful to your complimenter if you do not accept gracefully. But surely if your complimenter is as British as you are they should know better than to try and say a nice thing to you?! They should know that you will be embarrassed and mortified and will suffer mental torment and anguish as a result of that compliment!! In fact, how selfish are they, to have no regard to your feelings like that 🙂

PVE. I’m going to have to get a map out to see where you are. My Australian geography is influenced mainly by red wine…!

Happy, I’m just liking my fingers now. Quite disgusting really..but in the interests of research…
Fish and salad for dinner.
I’m a great believer in wine geography. I think it is a great way to learn about regions and relive your trips in a bottle shop. We even bought “wine” made from local fruits just out of Inverness a couple of years ago! Our car is filling rapidly with bottles as we speak! Stunning weather. Even got some fabulous photos of emus (including young) today. P 🙂