The FastDay Forum

Hi again buddies, luckily the storm didn't affect us here Ieramul although it was very blowy where my daughter lives on high ground near Port Isaac which is only a short drive away. Lovely to hear that you had an enjoyable Christmas lunch, don't feel bad about eating good things for supper, that's the beauty of this WOE, we can indulge but not all the time and it's easy to put any damage right before it gets too bad.

I still haven't managed to fast, I think it's because things have been pretty bad recently. I've eaten way too much (comfort eating), but haven't gone above 9st 7.75lbs. I hope it's not my scales at fault! I might try fasting tomorrow.

I didn't go to the meeting in Asda yesterday or the Christmas meal as my car has gone to the garage for a couple of days, I hope it can be fixed OK without costing too much. Apart from having no transport, I wasn't feeling like meeting people either.

On a more positive note, I've started writing my Christmas cards. I've bought my son's pressie - that was easy because it was something he suggested, and I'm going halves with my daughter for my granddaughter's pressie as it was too expensive for her to buy, so now I've made a start the rest shouldn't be too bad. I also bought a Christmas pudding which I love but hubby doesn't so I never bother to make one just for myself.

While I was typing this a robin flew into the room in a mad fluttering panic, I opened the windows wide but in the end I had to catch it in my hands and let it out. Phew! I had left the back door ajar for Maisie to go out but why a bird would choose to come in I can't understand.

After all that excitement, I hope you both have a good day. Take care.

Hi buddies, Coffee you must be doing something right ie you can't have overeaten too much otherwise you would have put on some weight. My mum always used to say "you have to eat for your nerves" when I was stressed or unhappy. Maybe your stress levels just require more kcals at the moment and you probably don't eat too much but rather the wrong foods. I am like that. I can substitute a meal with a bar of chocolate or some biscuits but of course this is not very healthy.
I often think that if it wasn't for the sugary sweet stuff, I would be OK, lunch or dinner portion is fine only the craving for something sweet afterwards bumps me over my TDEE.

You had an exciting time with the robin, I could not have caught him. I would have been too frightened, however silly that might sound. I can't even hold a cat or a dog. Glad Maisey wasn't faster than you.

I, too hope that your car is repairable at a reasonable cost. You don't want that cost spoiling your Christmas. It seems you really need the car desperately as you can't otherwise socialise, which you need for your sanity. It is important to have the support structure of other people.

Steph, I hope you are getting better - some illnesses just seem to be hanging around and don't want to leave us. I am pleased that you are cooking good meals for yourself. I, too have the tendency not to bother for myself. I am not a connoiseur - quite plain taste, I have.

Look after yourself, enjoy this Advent - coffee - I too will write my cards tonight.
BIG HUG

A big HI to my buddies,
what rotten luck to have to have your car in the shop so close to Christmas. I too hope it is an easy, cheap fix and you are able to get out and about some more. It is surprising to me that we seem to have the same moods, you and I coffee. Not wanting to socialize I can relate to. And a bird in your house! I can't imagine catching it in my hands either Ieramul. I tend to think too much about the germs it, and every other animal, carries.
I pigged out again today. Came home from work and ate a good lunch - a small flatbread sandwich and a salad. But then I just ate and ate, AGAIN! non-stop all night. I didn't have any dinner at all, just chocolate and crackers, etc. I feel so sick of myself. I plan on fasting tomorrow again. And I intend on cooking on the weekend and freezing meals. Adam and I eat different foods usually and I have been slacking off, just making simple pasta dinners for him, and light on the veggies. That has to change. Perhaps I will make some chicken soup for tomorrow night's fasting meal. I have to take some drastic measures if I want to start losing again, or at least stop gaining!
Well, it's that time again. My cozy bed is calling out to me.
Warm hugs to my two special ladies!

Hi girls, it seems there are some similarities between us. I don't think either of us has a big problem with meal/portion control. Correct me if I am wrong. We don't seem to be real foodies who enjoy cooking and the fine art of dining, we just like good nosh and above all our biscuits and chocolates. Fasting and lower carbs are definitely a great help.

I must say, I find fasting easier than the low carbing. I grew up with eating a slice of bread with jam or cheese for breakfast and a healthy cooked lunch and then a good cold meat and cheese spread with salads and different kinds of break (smorgasbord). So bread played a big role in my daily diet as well as home grown potatoes and pasta. Nobody in my family is overweight, so I am thinking the bread and potatoes are not the culprit for me, my body is not intolerant to gluten. However, the difference between now and then is that we did not have many sweets or cakes. Cakes were for birthdays and special days only and my mum never made deserts - this was just not part of her vocabulary and in actual fact, I never MAKE deserts, we just have yummy stuff (chocolates or biscuits or yoghurt) around all the time to eat after dinner. It is the easy availability of sugar that is the problem and fasting automatically avoids this. So for that reason I want to keep fasting, at least two, maybe 3 fasts at 700 - 800 kcal. This amount of kcals does not allow for sweet food and it would keep me off the sugar for three days a week.

Girls, maybe next year we need to find a LESS SUGAR MORE VEGETABLES strategy but in the meantime, enjoy Advent, keep well and take care of yourselves. BIG HUGS to both of you.

I just had a thought/memory. Whenever we visit my parents, this is of course regarded as a special occasion for my mum and we always have desert now. Guess what we have ALL THE TIME ICE CREAM. And when it is a double special occasion we will have hot rasperries and vanille ice cream. However there is always plenty of cake for afternoon coffee now mainly fruit flans.

Hi buddies,
I've almost done my Christmas shopping, all online. Just hubby's to get and a couple of little extra pressies for people who want cash, then I've finished! I feel quite worn out, I haven't done much today, I swept up the last of the fallen leaves this morning and I've been sitting here in front of the screen ever since. I just managed a couple of hours sleep last night, hubby woke me up five times and in the end I gave up, came downstairs and finished writing the Christmas cards. I should try to have an early night but it never works out the way I intend.

I hope you lovely ladies are enjoying the day. Yes we do all seem to have the same problems with 5:2, we try to help each other and yet we each carry on eating the bad stuff. I think we should listen to our own advice - but will we? I don't usually make new year resolutions but perhaps January 2015 will be the right time to really make the effort to eat sensibly - and try to ignore the little gremlin whispering in my ear and leading me astray!

Talk soon, I feel so sleepy

Good morning! my fast has gone well today. I actually didn't eat until 6 pm. My friend phoned me at 4:30 when I was just beginning to get hungry and then we talked for such a long time. I was so hungry by the time we ended the phone chat. I ate my vegetable stew then about an hour later I bought myself a salad at a fast food place here. It was only 350 calories so fit well withing my allowance. I am pleased that this fast went by so quickly and that it was successful. We'll see if I can get through tomorrow eating proper meals instead of eating non stop. I HAVE to change my habits. I am now almost 134 lbs! I think I will enter my weight into the tracker every morning instead of avoiding the scale. Maybe that will be the incentive I need to get back on track.
Coffee I'm almost done my Christmas shopping too and am wanting to wrap everything and put it under the "tree" (a painted tree on a wooden board my daughter painted when she was six) but if I do that Adam will peek at his presents. It feels like Christmas is almost here because I am so prepared but it is still a week and a half away. I hope you managed a good night's rest!
Ieramul, we hardly ever had dessert when I was growing up either. There are only a few desserts that I remember and those were on special occasions, or when my mom felt like having something sweet. I think I will make some pfeffernusse next week for a treat. I'll give some to my neighbours and take some into work on Thursday. I just want to do something festive to get myself in the Christmas spirit.
Well, goodnight gals. Big group hug!

Hello buddies, just wanted to pop in and tell you I'm doing well today. I had breakfast at the church and this time didn't go back for seconds because I felt so full. I just ate now (4pm) when I was hungry and not just because I could. I made an actual meal of stir fried vegetables and chicken with basmati rice. I used my fancy mandolin to slice the veggies, trying to make it fancy - anything to make it more pleasurable to cook. I am now feeling full again but am thinking I might have one small piece of chocolate. Maybe I will wait, though, and walk to the store first to get some anise for the pfeffernusse, then maybe I won't want the chocolate at all! That's all I wanted to say, today I am on track and it feels so good to eat when I'm hungry!
I hope you are both well and enjoying this Saturday!

Well Steph, you are doing well, everything seems to be clicking into place, I'm really pleased for you.
My last fast day was so long ago, each evening I decide to fast the next day but by morning I can't face it. I'll see how I get on tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Ieramul, we didn't have many bought sweets when I was a child, I'm the oldest of five and money was short, my mum used to make filling puddings for us, stodgy suet pudding which I hate now. Everything was homemade in those days, she used to make us toffee apples, doughnuts which I didn't like then or now, rice puddings, treacle puddings, jam tarts etc. We didn't have many sweets, sometimes she would buy quarter of a pound of dolly mixtures and share them out between us, just a few each but we were pleased to get them. If she couldn't afford them she used to mix cocoa powder with sugar and put it in little home made packets so we could dip fingers in and taste the sweetness. It makes me shudder to think of that now - a dentist's nightmare. I think that must have been after the food rationing ended when sugar was no longer scarce. We always had plenty of vegetables and I still do to this day, but they were seasonal and local. We take exotic fruit and veg for granted now and everything is available all year, in those days we used to look forward to new potatoes, fresh peas and runner beans in the summer and Christmas was the time for nuts and tangerines, homemade Christmas pud and mince pies.

My daughter, her OH and my granddaughter popped in to see us this afternoon, they have been so busy recently and I'm sure the break must have been just as good for them as it was for us to see them. We had a lovely chatty afternoon but hubby has been very poorly recently so couldn't join in as much as he wanted.
I had a better night's sleep last night although I still feel tired, I'll see if I can get to bed before midnight but when I do I get so uncomfortable with aches and pains I can't sleep. If I read a book it helps - until I drift off and it falls on my face.
I wish you both good night, sweet dreams.

Well, coffee I'm unworthy of your praise LOL. I just ate 10 girl guide cookies, a whopping 700 calories. I got them as a gift this morning and knowing what they were I unwrapped them and dove in. What a pig I am. Now I am feeling utterly gross! Maybe I'll brush and floss my teeth after my cup of tea, get the sugar taste out of my mouth.
Well tomorrow is another day. Perhaps you will feel up to fasting coffee. I'm sure it doesn't help when you are not getting enough rest. Reading can certainly relax you. I laid in bed until 1 last night waiting for sleep to come. I didn't feel like reading so just rested until I fell asleep. Trying to fall asleep when you're in pain is so darn hard, I've been there.
I'm glad you could spend some time with your daughter and her family! How wonderful for you to see them. I'm very forgetful but are they the family you went to see a few weeks ago and your husband called you insisting you come home early?
Ok, I will finish that tea, do my teeth, wash the dishes and maybe take a shower. Be fresh in the morning so I can start cooking and go for a walk. I want to make coconut chicken curry in the crockpot. I haven't made it since before my older boy moved to Alberta in August. Reminds me I have to take the chicken out of the freezer.
Have an exceptional day my friends! I shall try to do the same!

BUM. I've just lost a long message. It took me ages to type and now I don't have time to do it again even if I could remember it. All I did was click on one button, not sure which one and it was gone.
I'll try again later although I won't be saying the same things.

Hello buddies, great to hear from you. we seem to be ticking along OK.
Food wise I have had a very indulgent weekend again. We had friends round for dinner yesterday evening and I did the cooking, so I spent most of Friday night and Saturday making deserts, starters, soup and main meal. I made so much that I have soup for most of next week and lemon cheese cake for two more occasions over the holiday period.
Today I tried to take it easy but I finished all my Lebkuchen today and I am uncomfortably stuffed, so tomorrow's weigh in won't be brilliant but I will definitely fast at least twice this week. I need it.

Coffee, I am so glad you had your daughter and family with you and I feel sorry for you and your DH that he is feeling so ill. but you seem to be in pain, too and if it robs you of your sleep it is quite serious. I hope your book has fallon on your nose as I write this. and you are in the land of nod.

Well steph, I think you are doing quite well. maybe you can do a fast or two as it does make us feel better. (at least afterwards)
Good luck with your Pfeffernuese, I have never tried them. I won't make any more Lebkuchen or other biscuits because I can't pace myself and wait for Christmas. Also, I think, often when I save things for Christmas day everybody is so stuffed that nobody fancies any of the biscuits. Next week we are celebrating with the in-laws but I am always all right with food when I am not at home. I seem to not pig out as much.
Let's see what this week brings. Only 10 days to Christmas.
BIG HUG

Hello,
losing posts aggravates me to no end coffee! so darn frustrating. I really need to fast this week as I have been bad again. I bought some marzipan to put in the parcel for my daughter but ate it all tonight , after I had a big dinner. My stomach hurts now. How stupid of me. On the plus side I actually ate a decent, healthy meal and I went out for two short walks today and am on my way out for a, hopefully, longer one tonight. I will take my son's mp3 player with me for a change. I'm curious to see what kind of music he listens too. Thankfully it isn't hard rock, I know that much LOL. I still haven't made the pfeffernusse not that I need to for my tummy's sake. But, I do want to have them for my next day of work, the last before the holidays.
Well, I'm off for that walk! have a splendid day ladies! I hope you both slept well. btw I chuckled when I read your post about the book conking you on the nose coffee!

Good morning girls, I hope youare doing fine and feeling well. My fast went well yesterday and I managed to only have a big bowl of carrot, ginger and coconut soup at seven in the evening. I am not sure what to do this morning as I don't feel hungry after a fast day. Maybe I wait until late morning before I break my fast.

Must go to work. Speak later BIG HUG

I managed a half fast yesterday, I find it so hard to get back to fasting when I've had a break, even a short one. At least it won't be so bad next time.

Well done with your fast Ieramul, isn't it strange when you don't feel hungry the morning after a fast? I usually ignore that feeling as breakfast is a habit of a lifetime for me which is difficult to break.

Steph, you haven't been 'bad', you've just enjoyed your food a little too much. I'm wondering if feeling guilty and in the wrong every time we eat more than we think we should has a knock on effect, we feel we are 'bad' and then we think "Oh well, I've messed up so it doesn't matter and I'll carry on over eating for the rest of the day." At least you were able to eat a good meal and go out for walks so all was not lost.

I was invited to Truro today to watch the new Hobbit film with my son, his friend and his mum, but hubby is too ill atm to leave alone for any length of time. At least I've got the car fixed now so I'm mobile again which I'm really happy about.
I can't remember what I wrote yesterday, the moment has passed so too late now to repeat little bits of it. Although it was a very positive message.

Take care