FastDay User Blogs

......from my previous ramblings and 7 lbs lighter. Such a slow weight loss but I know what I eat on non-fast days (and the odd Toblerone bar has been purchased for someone else and then consumed by me in a moment of complete abandonment, before I’ve had a chance to give it to them – so hey ho I can’t complain). If I was concerned about speeding it up then I would have to be more vigorous and controlled on my ‘feast days’.

I really should try a bit harder to be honest, I would so like to get to my goal weight by Christmas (just in time for celebrations and putting some of it back on again !!!!) Maybe writing this will motivate me to try just that bit harder for a few months.

I’ve now done a few weeks of 36hour liquid only fasting – am amazed at how I can achieve them (though it is a struggle come 9pm and I start prowling the kitchen, along with my cats, looking for some supper). Good trusty Knorr veg stockpot helps out at such moments - makes me feel like I'm drinking a chicken noodle soup... but without the chicken or noodles

Am also following Ballerina/TML and quite a few others on their 16:8 WOE - I'm doing that on Tues, Weds, Fri... and the weekend is a free for all (well not completely 'cos that would be stupid!!) But I do eat well at weekends and love every mouthful

Lots of changes going on in our lives at the moment – we’re talking about moving away to North Kent Coast – OH has left his job in London and no longer commuting, so we have no reason to stay so close to London in commuting country – and I feel the pull of the sea and the life that goes with it. I know that I don’t want to grow old in the area that I live at the moment - I want to find a community which is that – a community where neighbours know each other and people say hello as you walk down the street. It’s a lovely area where we are at the moment, but it’s a definite commuting community – which I’m sure you’ll understand. So our house is on the market and we’re house hunting in North Kent. Off to Tanzania for 6 weeks (house sitting for a friend) on 1st July, OH is on a building project with his brother-in-law up near Sudbury so is away from home during the week at the moment. Sometimes there seems little space to breathe!

When we’re back from our big adventure the house hunt will go up a notch and I’ll be looking for some temp work locally to tide us over before, hopefully, moving in the next year (or sooner!)

I truly feel revitalised by 5:2 – just feel so much more able to cope with things that get thrown at us. I’m trying to turn everything to a positive and just making the best of all situations. I’ve adopted a mantra at the beginning of all this which has had an amazingly calming effect on me…. Which is….. “there’s nothing wrong with the situation, just my attitude towards it” and this has and continues to get me through times when previously I would have had a hissy fit.

I went through a couple of very unpleasant bouts of depression about 20 and 12 years ago (there’s a great thread on the forum about Mental Health and it’s amazing how many people have been brave enough to stand up and be counted – it makes enlightening reading) – and from that and learning how to cope with it and recognise it when it starts to re-occur, I repeat to myself what we’re told on airlines in their safety briefings: Put your own oxygen mask on first, before helping others. It’s so true – how can we help others if we’re struggling ourselves. We have to make sure that we are well (mentally and physically) before we are able to be of assistance to others – that’s something else that helps me through rough patches.

This forum continues to amaze me at all the wonderful people on there. I’ve met up with Doodle a couple of times now – what a lovely lady. Very gentle natured and genuine. Someone jokingly mentioned a 5:2 convention in one of the threads – how amazing would that be – I’d love it. Maybe, with my organisational skills I ought to do something about it and see who’s up for it – that’s a thought for another time. Tanazania and house move first I feel…………and a bit more effort to get to that goal weight.... In the meantime if you come across me whilst out and about and you see me with a Toblerone bar, please snatch it away from me and ask me what the heck I'm playing at.... I'm truly old enough to know better

Again my thanks and best wishes to all here on 5:2 - an amazing bunch of people supporting each other - that's what life's all about.