The FastDay Forum

Hey gals,
it feels like forever since I've written! Coffee I agree fasting when you're not up for it is a recipe for sabotage, in my experience anyway. I find it so odd when we have negative days where we don't want to do anything, I wonder what causes them. Perhaps tomorrow you will be chipper and energetic Coffee . Your day spent with your daughter and her family sounded wonderful! You are so fortunate to be able to spend time with them. I'm glad you enjoyed your treats.
I'm still sick so I won't be fasting today. I just went to the pharmacy and bought some sinus medicine. I've never taken anything for a cold before but I hope this stuff will help. I didn't go to my exercise class this morning either, just sat in front of the tv and watched a movie. I didn't get dressed until 1 o'clock! Finally did my dishes from Saturday which had been piled all over the kitchen counters and stove and dishwasher (which doesn't work, it is just serving as a counter LOL).
My visit with my family went very well. All the adults actually talked to me, usually I just sit like a lump on a log, not knowing how to start a conversation. I have a difficult time in some situations where I get tongue-tied and can't think of anything to talk about or how to respond to questions. It is crazy. My throat was hurting and my voice was all but gone by the end of the day. My voice is still squeaky and I'm hoping it is better by tomorrow morning when I visit the kids at school again. And yes, I have been drinking ginger tea, which soothes my throat . Don't know if it is helping the cold, though. My sisters and I had agreed to only buy gifts for the kids this year. So that is what I did, bought gifts for my nieces. WELL, Charlane came with $15 or $20 worth of chocolates each from a chocolatier and she gave my sister a $50 dollar table runner from a posh linen store! She had decided to give my sister a gift "for the home" because her and her husband have no children. And then of course Cathy did stockings for everyone. I feel like the poor, cheap relation. On Saturday, after the ballet when we went out to dinner my brother-in-law wouldn't let me pay for my dinner. And I didn't even attempt to give Don (my younger sister's partner) money for gas since he drove us to the town where my older sister lives. I've offered money every year for the past 5 and he never takes it. Drives me batty to have them think I can't afford to pay my way. I don't want to feel like the poor relation but I'm trying to just feel grateful and say thank you a lot to everyone.
You are an inspiration Ieramul which your 36 hour fasts! You go girl!
Time for some more ginger tea. The medication I took has had no effect , other than take my headache away. When it is time for the next dose I will take two pills.
Goodness me, I do go on LOL.
I hope you are both well today. Coffee is your cough still hanging on? perhaps that is contributing to your "negative" day? ttfn

Hi Steph, I am glad your Christmas celebration was enjoyable for you and that you were involved in your family's conversation. I would not have thought you being tongue tied and shy in company - you seem such a sociable, friendly and outgoing person to me. But how we feel inside is not necessarily how we appear to others.

You mustn't feel bad about your financial situation - just accept their kind offering and remember there is as much or even more joy in giving than in receiving. I am sure they are very happy when/that they can do something for you.

This is such a common thing to happen that we agree on no presents for adults and then one person embarrasses the others by bringing a gift after all. It has happened a number of times to me and the next year everybody buys everybody presents again. It is so silly. If only everybody kept to it.

Now I hope you are getting better very fast so that you can enjoy the time with the children at school. I hope Adam is OK.

Coffee, I hope you are feeling better emotionally this evening.

My fast went fine until I got home from work and I intended to not eat but DH had cooked I meal so I did have some food - probably 700 kcals - but I am not going to beat myself up over it. I could have left the food and eat it cold tomorrow but it seemed such a shame. DH is going away tomorrow for three days so I am planning on fasting when he is not here. I am puzzled and almost embarrassed to say how relatively easy fast days have become for me recently. I haven't really suffered from hunger greatly - not like in the beginning. Is fasting something you can get used to? Maybe I have just been lucky in the last couple of weeks - maybe it is just a phase. A few weeks ago I had to abandon a fast due to terrible hunger and ever since I have been OK.
Well take care of yourself - get better you poorly bunch - definitely in time for Christmas.
BIG HUGS

Hi Steph, sorry you are still feeling poorly, it seems to have spoiled your day with your family. I can understand your feelings about being the poor relation, when my children were younger we used to live near my brother in law and his family, they are lovely people but talk about keeping up with the Joneses, they had to have everything, all the latest fashions and furniture and when they came to visit they made me feel like a tramp, everything they wore was expensive and new. I felt like a second class citizen and after a while I purposefully used to dress down and wore the same old jumper full of holes every time we saw them. That made me feel good but it was a bit childish. As I've got older I care less and less for material things and don't care what others think. Your family probably don't realise how they make you feel, just thank them once, that's enough. If it was the other way around and you could afford it you would probably do the same and help them any way you can. Feeling ill must have made it worse for you too, I hope the medication is helping and your cold gets better soon.
I'm still coughing but it doesn't seem so bad.
Take care.

Hello Buddies
Just a quick hello hoping you are both fine and getting better. Just sit in front of the fire and read a book today. Take it easy.
Speak later.

Morning ladies, I think fasting will be doable today, no breakfast so far but it's still early. My tummy is rumbling and I'm feeling very hungry, I'm hoping that feeling will go away soon. For a change I'm drinking hot water, sometimes I can't face tea or coffee and I don't usually like drinking plain water. Cold water at this time of year is not for me.

I hope your cold is not so bad today Steph, keep drinking the ginger tea if it makes you feel better. At least getting a cold now should mean that by Christmas you will be OK, nothing worse than feeling ill in the Christmas holiday.

I'm glad that your fasting is getting easier Ieramul despite the 700 calories, I doubt if it will make much difference and I expect you will still be well within your maintenance range.

I look forward to hearing from you both later today, I hope it's going to be a good one for us all.

Hi girls, I hope all is well with you this evening and I wonder how your fast went today, coffee.
I had a very standard day at work and managed to go for my lunch time walk despite drizzle which seemed a lot worse when our and about than when looking out of the window. Luckily at the moment I don't have any stress at work and I can enjoy this Advent period.
This evening I have been making spiced biscuits (Lebkuchen) The aroma is so wonderfully christmassy that I simply have to make at least one batch every year as opposed to two or three batches when the children were small. These biscuits are for me the equivalent to mince pies here in England. Christmas is all about childhood (romanticised) memories.

Tomorrow I will fast as the Monday fast was a bit half hearted. DH has gone away and won't return until Thursday so tomorrow evening I won't have to deal with any temptation. (food wise)

Oh Coffee I noticed a new avatar - a very cute cat. Is he/she yours?
Have a lovely evening and BUG HUGS to both of you.

Morning ladies, the Christmas kitten pic is one I found on Google, I've used it as my Facebook profile Christmas photo for the last couple of years and thought it would look OK here as well.
Wednesday again, I have to collect my car before going to Asdas. The man who does the MOT lives in our village and collects the car and brings it back as the bus service to town is almost non existent, he usually brings it back to our house and then I drive him home but as it was dark and cold, I decided to get it from where he lives this morning. I'm going to walk Maisie to the village, I hope she won't mess about and refuse to walk, it's very frosty, she doesn't usually mind that. Sorry, that all sounds more complicated than it is.
I hope your fast is more successful this time Ieramul, and I hope all goes well for you Steph.
Must dash now.

Edit. I forgot to say that my fast went well, I lost over a pound.
Still dashing!!

I had a lovely morning, as everyone is busy at this time of year most people didn't turn up, at one time there were 5 volunteers and one 'client', then another old lady arrived and one volunteer had to leave early but it was still unbalanced. We had a laugh though, next week is the Christmas dinner, after the Asda meeting we will be going to a nearby restuarant. Something to look forward to.
Nice not to worry about calories today, it's strange I'm not thinking about eating piles of biscuits with my coffee these days and I just have one biscuit when I do. I remember that's what happened soon after I started 5:2, it's a shame I got into bad habits again ...but all is well thanks to my buddy friends
I hope you are both having a good day

Hi Coffee, I am so pleased you had a great morning. It sounds like a wonderfully sociable thing to do, helping and meeting lots of other caring and kind people for coffee. It seems to me such a wonderful "give and receive" morning. I am sure a few friendships will be forged and they are so important.

It is good to hear that your eating habit has changed, many people report changes in taste and portion sizes. Habits are so important. It also helps, doesn't it to remind ourselves before eating that any overeating will somehow negate the fasting. Coffee, you have properly jumped on the wagon again. I am very proud of you and hope we can hold on to each other together with steph through this Christmas time and also the quite difficult January - April period. Then It might be me hanging on to you. And you might have to speak some stern words to me.

Steph, how are you? Can coffee or I do something for you or help you in any way? I wish I could.

I am fasting today and after my biscuit making antics last night I was totally stuffed this morning - I really didn't want to eat. It is now four o'clock in the afternoon and I am starting to feel empty but still not too hungry. I have just made myself a mug of boullion which tastes delicious and is also warming.

Let's see how it pans out tonight. Never know what happens when I get home. Keep well both of you. BIG HUG

Hello ladies,

I'm happy to hear you are both doing so well with your fasting! I am so impressed by your commitment. Ieramul my Oma used to send us big parcels for Christmas with Lebkuchen (store bought, not homemade) which I never liked. But she also sent Pfeffernuße which were so hard from the package but tasted much better. I found a recipe for them years ago in one of my cookbooks, baked them and they were terrific. I've never made Lebkuchen, though I imagine homemade would taste just as delicious since baking them at home makes everything taste so much better. Your daughter is a lucky woman to have you bake for her! I've always mailed parcels to my daughter and grandchildren because I wanted them to have the same sense of delight opening a big box and finding so many treats but this year I think I will choose gifts online and ship them. The postage is so very expensive here, as much or more than the price of the gifts being sent.
I haven't fasted since last week because I am still sick with this cold. It is now in my sinuses, even my ears are plugged LOL. I've made an appointment with my doc on Friday afternoon. I imagine he will give me a script for an antibiotic. The medication I tried didn't work at all but caused terrible dry mouth. I could hardly speak without first taking a sip of water. I looked up side effects of the med online and sure enough it can cause a dry mouth. At the same time I noticed it can also cause blood sugar to spike and weaken the effectiveness of my diabetic medication. When I checked my blood sugar it was so much higher than normal. I was so mad. When I went to the pharmacy to buy the medicine I took a list of my meds and showed it to a pharmacist and asked what I could take for my cold which wouldn't be contraindicated. The stupid man didn't think about my diabetes just gave me a cold medicine. This is why I normally deal with an entirely different drug store.
Coffee I'm glad you have come to visit with the ladies. It is good to get out and about without your husband causing you problems, I'm sure. Enjoy your time away from him. It sounds like having Maisy is a lovely excuse to get outside every day for some exercise and some alone time to decompress away from the demands of your home life.
Anyway, I am going to go watch a bit of tv and put some hot compresses on my poor aching face.
Talk again soon.

Good morning buddiies.

Steph, i am so sorry to hear your cold has now moved to the sinuses. DH has had sinuses problems in the past and it is so painful. I forgot you are diabetic and that you have to be careful with medication. What a shame the pharmacist wasn't on the ball. Seeing a doctor on Friday is so late - you won't start getting better before next week? You poor girl. Are you particularly hungry when your blood sugar is spiked?

Coffee, wishing you a great day. One of my jobs at work today is to decorate the Christmas tree.
I shall take my time and do an extra beautiful job.

My fast yesterday was successful. I went to bed at seven - being on my own- but couldn't sleep until after ten o' clock. Until I got home I was fine re hunger but later on I did get hungry by which time I was in bed. Once in bed I don't eat any more - it is just a habit. I also thought that eating a small amount would still keep me hungry maybe even more so. This morning I am fine and debating if I should have breakfast or keep my little dragon asleep for a few more hours.
Have a locely day both of you. BIG HUG

Hi ladies,
Sorry to hear that you are feeling so ill Steph, I hope you are able to stay at home and wrapped up warm in a duvet, or are you being very brave and working through it? I don't know much about diabetes so can't comment on that, does it make this WOE difficult for you? You must be feeling awful to have to put hot compresses on your face, you make me feel guilty for making so much fuss about my bout of flu/cold. I'm still coughing but I hardly notice it until somebody comments on it.

I had a very cold walk with the dog this morning, the wind was making my eyes water but Maisie was very lively, running along in front of me instead of lagging behind. All the trees near here are bare now that we've had some cold weather, every direction we go from here is up apart from a flat bit of road about 200 yards/metres long next to my house, it must be sheltered in this short valley as a couple of the trees are still hanging on to their gold and russet leaves. Not for much longer though but it's lovely to see a small splash of colour on a cloudy morning.

I'm sure you are having fun decorating the tree as I type Ieramul, I'm glad that your fasting day went well, did you have another liquid fast?
I'm exactly on my goal weight this morning but my waist is not getting any slimmer, I think I would have to lose another half stone to get it in the healthy range but then my face would look gaunt. A very close balancing act.

Have a good day buddies and keep warm, it's cold out there! and take care Steph. Hugs to you both.

Hi both of you, just a quick message. Coffee, I don't worry about if I look "gaunt" or not. My opinion is that people will tell me if I look gaunt and then I can always stop losing weight or put on a little bit of weight. I am aware that people would be too polite to directly point it out but I am keeping my ears open for any comments along the lines of: "You look tired" or "have you lost a lot of weight recently"? etc... Then I can ask them how they have noticed etc....

Coffee I love your descriptions of your walks. I have popped into the walking tent for that very reason. Lovely - keep it up.

Steph, get better and look after yourself as much as you can.
BIG HUGS

Congrats Ieramul on another successful fast. You lucky girl. I'd love to decorate a tree if someone else does the setting up and cleaning up . This year I will buy a tiny tree maybe 3 ft high. They are being sold at a grocery store here and look so cute. It is so small I can cut it up after Christmas and put it in the compost bin. No need to cart the thing in my car to the disposal site.
My sinuses are still full, my ears are plugged but there isn't as much pain as yesterday. I tried using Otrivin, a decongestant nasal spray. It cleared my nose but I discovered after the second dose that it was causing the pain in my cheek. I don't know how but as soon as I stopped using it the pain went away. I will go to work today. I'm not sniffling or coughing and I will wash my hands constantly and wear gloves as usual when preparing the food. I shouldn't pass this cold onto anyone else. I'm lucky to have an appointment on Friday! there are so few doctors here and the ones that have practices are always so busy you have to make appointments weeks in advance. I am so relieved the doc can see me before the weekend. Don't feel guilty coffee! we all feel awful when we are sick and we have a right to express how miserable we are LOL. I feel like a wimp sharing my illness with you too but share it I do .
Coffee, good for you for going for a walk with Maisy in the cold. It sure sounds beautiful with the leaves still on the trees. I put "walk to the library" on my to do list last night but have yet to venture outside. I haven't gone for a walk in over a week and have been eating everything at hand. Yesterday it was bread and chips and marzipan. Supper was a small cup of broccoli cheddar soup from work. Crazy day. Today I must feed Adam better, and myself! He works tonight so he eats before he goes and then when he gets home. I wish he would eat the same every day but he always tells me he isn't hungry.
Time to do some chores. Take care you two!

Thank you both, I often write about my walks on my Facebook page but only when I see or feel something magical or if anything different happens, I couldn't do it everyday or it would get boring.
I noticed that my face was getting thin and gaunt when my daughter took some family photos in the summer, it was my stringy neck that looked worse, it might have been partly because I don't always sleep well but I certainly didn't look my best. I wouldn't like to put the weight back on though however smooth my face would look.
I hope you enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree today Ieramul, that must have made a nice change for you instead of sitting at a desk all day.
My daughter has sinus trouble Steph, she can't use nasal spray either. I often find her with her head over a steaming bowl with a towel over her head, I think it's just boiling water, I'll have to ask her if she adds anything to it.
You surprise me, a young man who isn't hungry all the time, I thought they were all eating machines. You will have to find out Adam's secret, we could all keep slim if only we knew.
I hope you will soon feel better, take care.
A big hug to both my buddies