The FastDay Forum

Back home in San Francisco and it feels cold, although the sunshine is welcome. I didn't eat much on the plane ride over and so made sure I had a decent supper tonight (nice piece of sea bass and roasted tomatoes) Can't decide whether to fast tomorrow or wait until jet lag has diminished. Been awake now about 24 hrs so I suppose I should try and get some sleep.

@ferretgal,

We spent some time last year in Seattle and Bellingham. Bellingham was very close to the kind of community we would like to live in, but decided we would not do well with all those many months of endless rain and that heavy dark cloud cover . OH is very sensitive to light and whines and fusses here if the sun doesn't come out for two or three days in a row.

We are considering Asheville, NC next. We need somewhere pretty rural as we have lived that way most of our adult lives and find cities overwhelming, but not so rural that there aren't services for older people since I am rapidly becoming one. We also want a place where there are a lot of people who make their livings doing creative things rather than huge suburban tracts of corporate employees and/or retirees, since we fall into that first category, too. Suburban corporate-people who care about fancy cars and designer clothing brands would probably find it alarming to have people who look like us move in next door.

Well @peebles except for the winter weather, it sounds like Ithaca would be the place for you. We have quiet residential neighborhoods with room for gardening and within walking distance of downtown. Also, one of the best public transit systems in the country. We live downtown and almost 2 years ago sold our car and joined a carshare org for whenever we need a car http://www.ithacacarshare.org/
As for creative, non-fashionable people--we're the headquarters (ok, maybe Cambridge, MA, beats us)

Too bad about the cloudy, cold winters, though.

Hello All!

I've heard good things about Asheville, NC. Hope you find the perfect place Peebles!

Fast day here and I need it. I had a fight with a pint of ice cream last night and the ice cream won! That probably took care of any loss for me this week, but I sure did enjoy it!

Sun is out today and it makes it feel much nicer. Of course, I'm stuck in the office until nearly sundown, so all I can do is look out my window and enjoy the brightness.

I didn't do a very good job of reigning in my eating days this week. Oh well......onward to next week!

@peebles, B'ham is all well and good, but y'all are going NORTH of Seattle, the wrong direction if you want to escape the rain. I have to admit, our "competitor" to the south, Oregon, might be your "cuppa." You can live in one of the funky little towns but be close to Portland, which aspires to be a city someday when it grows up. Lots of creative types down there, and no giant sales tax like my neck of the woods.

It's not my cuppa, but eastern WA or OR are desertlike...they are much drier than the western side, as the mountains block the moisture. They do get warmer than the west, but not extreme like Phoenix AZ (spent a week there once, had a sore throat the entire time). And to the best of my understanding, eastern WA aspires to be a Red State, but the unrelenting liberality of Seattle overwhelms their...sensibilities.

@Marybeth,

Ithaca is supposed to be a lovely community. But if I'm staying in a NE and want a college area with cold winters, I'll probably end up in Amherst as it would be so much easier for OH's business. My daughter lives in Cambridge now and the town bears zero relationship to the wonderful place I lived back in 1969. The housing is so expensive the only people who can afford to live there are the very wealthy and young people willing to live like sardines in substandard housing. My daughter's 2 BR far from the train in way far north Cambridge rents for over $2k a month. My slummy student apartment in Central Sq in 1969 was much, much nicer.

@ferretgalI spent a summer driving up the Oregon coast back when it still had first growth lumber and my boyfriend could replenish our wallets with a week or two working as a lumberjack . It may have more sun than WA but if what we saw was the good weather, it is still too wet for us. A lot of people do love living there, so it would be a fine place for younger people. I also prefer to stay driving distance to my son who has now settled pretty solidly in OH and is my only hope for grandkids.

[Tracieknits]

A very good friend of mine lives in Blacksburg, Virginia - or, well, on a farm outside of Blacksburg. I know her 80 year old mother lives in Blacksburg and my friend has had no trouble finding the sorts of services she needs for her mom. Maybe you could add it to the areas you're considering @Peebles

One if my very closest friends grew up in Blacksburg. She's encouraging me to check out Asheville.

Hi, everyone, it was 76 degs here today and we were out on the golf course along with all the "snowbirds" from Minnesota, etc.
- sorry, Lori !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you push those Santa Ana's my way please @lovemyparrot. Been cold here and 'only' getting up to 68-70 this weekend.
Handled time shift well - it's all to do what you eat and drink on the flight IMHO. ie, very little food and lots and lots of water!
Great to learn that the 19 day climb up El Capitan in Yosemite has been achieved. I can't even begin to imagine!

Hi, everyone, it was 76 degs here today and we were out on the golf course along with all the "snowbirds" from Minnesota, etc.
- sorry, Lori !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that hurts! It feels like I'll never get back out there! Glad you had fun!

Feeling down today as the scale says I've gained 2 lbs. May I just say, there is no freakin' way. Yes, I ate ice cream the other night, but not that much! I really have to get a better handle on my eating days, I guess. The thing is, I feel thinner and I think I look smaller. WTH?? I find the 2 fasting days quite easy so the problem isn't on those days. I'll get this thing figured out!

Hi, everyone, it was 76 degs here today and we were out on the golf course along with all the "snowbirds" from Minnesota, etc.
- sorry, Lori !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL I thought all snow birds from Minnesota go to Florida! I know dozens of people that go there every winter.

I'm attempting my modified 4-3 today. It has warmed up to 33-36 today so we will be outside ice skating and sledding. It is so WONDERFUL that the temps are -23 anymore (Wind was way colder than -40)

I'm in Utah, USA, and ran across this amazing method in December. I have been following the 5.2 ever since and it seems to be making quite a difference. I'm very pleased. It reminds me of The Rotation Diet that I once followed some years ago, but this is much easier. It is so doable and easy for me to live with. I also take a product that has eliminated nearly all the cravings that I used to have for sweets and I don't get famished on the 500 calorie days; I believe that this has helped greatly. I have a history of great difficulty in getting my body to give up the weight. I had slowly lost 29 pounds, but got stuck on a plateau. The 5:2 plan has enabled me to lose three more pounds since I started! I plan to incorporate this WoE into my life from now on.

I'm in Utah, USA, and ran across this amazing method in December.

Hi, @gladster and welcome to the forum. So glad it is working well for you. Where are you in Utah? My husband is from Ogden - I know its pretty cold there now but its a lovely State and we have been there many times.

Hope it warms up a bit there @rawkaren - I know Jan and Feb are usually the worst months but we should have some lovely weather coming along soon. I found my faux beer in TJs !!!

Great to learn that the 19 day climb up El Capitan in Yosemite has been achieved. I can't even begin to imagine!

My husband and I did an approximately 8-hour hike in Yosemite a couple of years ago - nothing as strenuous as those guys - some uphill and some downhill - - and it nearly killed us!!! Have you been there @rawkaren?? Its a wonderful park to visit, along with Sequoia - beautiful.