The FastDay Forum

Hi Manderley, I have only just read about you looking for a job so I hope it is not too late to send good wishes
When we were first married my husband and I worked together. For two years we were together 24 hours a day. Well it was all ok as 29 years later we are still married. But everyone is different and you need to do what is good for both of you.

It's never too late

I think it's a pattern with him. He already works with his ex wive and his daughter. It could be weird. In other hand, it shows that I am a big part of his life now, like when he called the next morning after his arrival (he arrived late tuesday night).

@Manderley - I do hope you wouldn't have to work with his ex wife as well or would you both be thinking of a clean break and a fresh start somewhere together??

The clean break is difficult as they have a firm together. Anyway I don't feel threatened by her so I really don't care.I feel more threatened by his ex lover who, I am pretty sure, is trying to win him back. But I keep my eyes on that girl, no worries.

On other news, my waist is finally shrinking. I mean, I am a tiny thing for several weeks, however my waist and "love handle" still are troubles. I didn't see any move on that part for quite some time. I now lost 5 cm in 2 weeks without doing anything, which is a great surprise.

I am on maintenance for 11 weeks now and my body is still changing. It's kind of weird but I am really enjoying this part. Who said that the maintenance was boring ?

Oh and the corset is wayyyyyyy too big now, I guess I'll have to shop for a new one

As some of you know, things are a bit complicated for the last 6 weeks and it won't get easier for some time. The result is that, even if I don't need to lose weight, I keep losing anyway. I am now underweight which is kind of an issue. I won't give you the proper number, just that it's around 17 and that I am in the "normal" underweight category and not the severe one. That's good news, right ? I see my GP more than regularly but can't say that I have everything under control or I wouldn't lose, obviously. Anyway, I keep telling myself my body knows what's best for it and will stop before things go out of hand....

For now I watch what I am eating,in a weird way as I am trying to NOT eat too healthy or steamed veg and meat; Do you know how hard it can be to break those habits ? To not look at your daily calories ? It's a weird feeling, really.

About the fast, I keep doing one a week because I need it. As I already explained, it's my way of getting a sense of control with all the mess around me

As the stress is a big reason of my recent weight loss and my weight gain in my other life, I won't put any pressure on keeping track on what I eat. I am keeping a diary right now, because of my GP who asked me to do it but, after the first week or so he doesn't see anything wrong with the way I eat, except. The only thing is that I need to be less uptight and try to have fun with my meals. I mean, these days I don't enjoy eating, I eat for fuel, not for pleasure and it shows in what I eat. There are some exceptions like the scones I baked and had for breakfast but still, almost everything tastes bland and kind of the same to me.

So I decided to take some help and ideas from cooking blogs I know like these ones

http://joythebaker.com/

http://foodwishes.blogspot.fr/

By the way, if anyone know a good UK cooking blog, I would really appreciate as I think you know by now how much I am British food obsessed

Such wonderful inspiration here! I'm so glad I wandered in to read your thoughts and successes, Manderley. It takes a lot of courage to share our deepest fears and anxieties. Tell yourself not to focus on your worries, but to focus on the wonderful changes you have made and the love you and your partner share. Thank you. Regards, chinchin

Thanks for the update @Manderley You take good care of yourself because you're the most important person in this instance and let's get a little more meat on your tiny bones.lol
Yes some good wholesome British foods and recipes
Think it was @nursebean Who opened up the Hairy Tent with the hairy bikers they've got some brilliant recipes and books out but lots of their recipes can be accessed online free on the website just Google Hairy Bikers.
Happy cooking let us know what you and OH thinks of your first British meal.

It's been another stressful weekends, as you know, and, well, let's say that it didn't help the battle to gain the few kilos needed to leave the underweight category as food can't stay in my stomach because of the stress. So, for today, I give up, it will be a fast, and maybe tomorrow will be as well. What's the point to try to go against what I think is the natural grieving process ?

Elizabeth II called 1992 her "Annus horribilis" (I had to go and check the spelling), it's a pity I don't now how to translate half year in Latin....

OK, let's finish on a positive note, shall we ?

Since I began fasting, my taste has changed a lot. I mean, chocolate taste more chocolaty, even just a square, I rarely need to add salt in my food and, even if I live in a country where crème fraîche is a big thing, I didn't use any for months now, only healthy fat like olive oil and a tiny bit of butter from time to time. I also really enjoy cooking now, even for myself, tasting combinations for soups or simply to combine simple ingredients to make a surprising good dish. I spend the same amount of money grocery shopping, however it's because the quality of the products I buy is more important now, especially as I don't have any process food at home... So, even if things are pretty complicated right now, I don't intend to stop fasting. It really is a new way of eating and, as I can't say it wasn't put to the test, it's definitely something I see myself doing for the rest of my life. For real.

Hey @Manderley Nice to hear from you
Hope you're feeling a little better after your dreadful news
we've had few members announcing similar stories lately and I've been getting very tearful and sad for all of you.
Good luck for some improvement.

These past few days have been quite stressful, again, but, this time I took the time to think. About a bit of everything. What I want, where I am going even asking questions that have no answers. It may be a kind of phase, I don’t know but whatever it is, it really helps.

Take my relationship with food, for instance. In less than a year and a half, I have lost all the weight I wanted, even a bit more, learned a new way of eating I really enjoy (even if most people think I am crazy to « starve myself » 2 to 3 days a week) and I even plan to keep doing for the rest of my life, and even learned how to change things to make them my own.
An example ? A lot of us like to plan their fast. I don’t. I know I will do a fast a week, however I never know when it will be, sometimes even not morning of the day I fast. It depends on how it goes. I know, it doesn't seem clear but it is, really. Here how things goes. I won’t have a breakfast, only black coffee, around noon I then decide if I will go for a fast or a simple 16/8. I guess it’s my way of listening to my body and try to not create any more stress as everything around me is stressful enough already. I don’t know if that makes sense to everyone else but it does to me.

Today is the first day of my new routine. The weather outside is freezing cold, it's raining all the time, I am not quite sure we are at the end of May, most likely in October, and so I don't see myself going for a ride.... I don't want to catch a pneumonia !

So I decided to give it a try with a mixture of yoga and pilates. I found these videos for complete beginners and it seems a good beginning. A small one but still, I need something that I enjoy doing if I want to do it every day. Plus, it takes less than an hour, which is even better.

Pilates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GEjVdP2YGk

Yoga, one of these 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7AYKMP6rOE&feature=c4-overview&list=UUFKE7WVJfvaHW5q283SxchA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ6NfFIr2jw&src_vid=v7AYKMP6rOE&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_394992263


What do you think ?

So I had my first seances and my choice goes to yoga. Woaw, I had NO IDEA it was so effective. I always thought it was just to stretch the muscles, not to help building them up and damn I was wrong......

I really recommend the channel I talked about last time, it's really great, even for the total beginners, the explanations are awesome, the girl is nice and not annoying at all (which is rare, I can't stand that 30 day shred woman) and it's nice and slow.

I plan (and do) to do the complete beginners sequence daily (there's 2 of them, a short one and a long one) plus I am giving a try to the bedtime sequence as I have some trouble sleeping these days. That will be for the next 2 weeks, after that I'll go for one of the weight loss seance.

My first fast was June 11st 2013. Since then, I fast 2 to 3 times a week and, I must admit, it changed my life. As some of you know, I began with a "normal" diet (a really boring one if I may say so) and it worked fine, however I was on the brink of giving up because, well, living on steamed meat and vegs is not a life.

When I began, I had a 30.5 BMI, now I have a 18.5 BMI. My new goal is not going under that line again because I found out the hard way it can be as difficult to gain weight when you have to than it is to lose weight. However, I won't go on a scale every day or week as it doesn't work for me. Once a month is enough. Plus, I am building back muscles and it should make me weight a little more....

One of my big highlights of the past year is a weird one : the first time I felt my rib cage I couldn't feel it since I was 22, can you imagine ? - I told you it was a weird one

Thank you for your support, wonderful people, I really couldn't have gone this far without you. I really do understand now how a "support group" or people you can share you struggles and victories with, is important to reach your goal

wonderful results, keep up the good work

[janeg]

That is sooo coool @Manderley. You have achieved so much and come so far. well done