UK Cathy

Denise, sorry to hear that the recovery is painful, I hope the change in medication brings you some relief. Hope none of you guys are affected by the huge snowfall we are reading about. Stay safe. Ruby passed away this morning, it was wonderful to have the few extra days with her. We are up to our eyes in paperwork now - so many people and organisations have to be told. Not eating too much but drinking far too much coffee, I feel wired.

Me, I've been eating badly all weekend. I really want to get back to my exercise too. Well the lovely Ruby has done a Lazarus on us, after the last rites and family gathering around and saying goodbye she only opened her eyes yesterday! She is still poorly and they are still unable to operate but she is one tough cookie. She knows who me and my husband are though she is finding it hard to say our names. I keep telling my husband not to get his hopes up as she is 88 and we want her to have some quality to her life if she survives. It has been one roller coaster weekend though. Really quiet on here at the moment, where is everyone? Denise how is your recovery going?

I too wondered what a chia egg is, thought it was some USA delicacy that I have been missing out on. Dear Ruby (MIL) took a tumble down some stairs last night, cracked her head and has a bleed on the brain. Unfortunately they cannot operate and the prognosis is not good so we have called the family and they will descend on us this afternoon. I want to stuff my face with food as I feel so sad.

It is wet and miserable in the UK at the moment and the forecasters say it will be this way for another month! Hawaii sounds wonderful, when will you go? Think of the beach and your bikini and your appetite for bread will disappear.

Thinking of you Denise and hope that everything goes well.

Aged parents they are a worry aren't they Sue and we can only do our best. Ruby (MIL) has recently left her room went into the staff room exited a fire door, crossed a metal bridge and went down 4 flights of fire stairs - all in the dark! She frightened the life out of the staff as they had only checked he 5 mins before. There was a discussion about whether the home is suitable for her and we wept. The home is working with us and a technology Co has been brought in to assess if they can help. They think they can and we are hoping and praying that they can. We think it would be awful to put her in a 'closed' home especially as the Alzheimer's has got worse and she is happy where she is.The home has brought in an extra member of staff to take extra care of her until we get the company's report. Fingers crossed. We are having a good rest and we will approach it all again when we get back tomorrow. Just before we came on holiday, last Thursday, we had to have one of our cats put to sleep. She had lived with us for at least 13 years so she was 14+ but it was still sad. We left her sister alone while we are on holiday so we hope she is OK, a neighbour was popping in to feed her. Our dog is about 11.5 years too so the next couple of years are not going to be too happy with the pets. It's amazing the effect pets have,I find they bring such comfort. I'm eating and drinking plenty this holiday. I will have to recommit when I get home.

Sat in a cafe in Split (Croatia) drinking coffee in the autumn sunshine. We are in Diocletian's Palace- he was a Roman geezer and he knew how to build. The place is amazing and it is wonderful to be sat amongst so much history.

It must be that or even more. The site was going through a rough period then I feel, lots of in house fighting with the wrong people often being blamed. I do miss her posts. One person we are really missing is Wanda, anyone heard from her?

We all need a hug when we are feeling crap. How's it going?

Don't be ashamed, you found out admitted it to yourself and admitted it to us too. I think that is important, you have reached out to us and we have to repay the trust you have put in us by being there for you and offering support. So I say "go for it girl NOW", don't wait to start Monday or the start of another month but start now. The numbers on the scale can hurt and humiliate us but they can also make us feel happy when they start to go down. Take your current weight as the high point and take it from there. You can do this Florinda, we know you can. XXX

I weighed yesterday and was the same as last week, not disappointed-almost relieved as we had a very busy week food and drink wise. We have decided no alcohol in the house for the next few weeks as we try to get ourselves 'dried' out before we go on holiday at the end of the month. I had a fast day yesterday and came in just under 600, not perfect but OK. Florinda your recipes sound amazing, do they taste as good as they sound as I know you have to make lots of substitutions? I'm only 5' 3" and there is no way I could get down into the 130s I would look ill, we are all so different. I am quite curvy and even as I have gone down I have retained the proportions. I'm aiming to get into the 150s and then review it. I'm still a long way off.

I weighed yesterday morning and I lost 2lb for the week. I'm really pleased with that because the second half of the week was heavy eating and drinking. I had a lovely weekend with my mum and aunt, I'm tired now because I worked a full on 9 hr shift on Thursday then drove straight to her house (200 miles), stayed overnight the brought them back here Friday. Sat, Sun and Mon were busy then I drove them home again and stayed over last night. I got up early this morning so I could get home and relax for the rest of the day as I have work tomorrow. We have a funny relationship I love her to bits but it isn't always reciprocated and I'm always trying to please. I'm 1 of 6 with 4 brothers and she has always favoured her sons. My mum has had a hard life my father died just before the youngest was born and to be a single parent in the 60s in the UK was really difficult. I was just nearly 7 and had to grow up really quick and had to take on a 'caring' role even at that young age. The household was typically northern in that it was masculine and the males were everything. I had to give up my chair if one of my brothers came in and wanted the seat! My mum in many ways has given me little but in another way she gave me everything. I was the first child (I'm number 4) to be able to stay on school past 16 and so I got educated and went of to university. The place I come from is not too nice and so I used that education to get away. I'm the one who takes care of her though even though I live far away, I sort out the bills and any administration. I wish we were closer, she has mellowed with age but I don't think we will ever have that close mother/daughter relationship. I feel sad about that. I think I will try and fast tomorrow. Is there any missives out there about fasting on 2 days together ie Wed and Thurs? I'm sure your not supposed to are you?

Vegemite, No! That's the Australians who use that one.

Don't know if this helps people

Sorry don't know where the second posting came from

If you have never had a chip butty you don't know what you have missed.

If you have never had a chip butty you don't know what you have missed.

Coops many congratulations on the promotion. The house is finished ???? The glass backsplash (the last job) was fitted this morning as I was travelling back from Liverpool and my dear husband had tidied all up so that the house looked lovely. A few hard days coming up (regarding eating) as I have my mum and aunt staying and we have meals out planned with the family. I'm down lower than I wanted to be by Monday (weigh in day) so hopefully I will be OK. Have a good weekend everyone

My fast day yesterday came in at 530 and I am so pleased at that. Lunch prepared and packed for today so that should keep me on track. Keep it up everyone.

My non fast day came in at 1100, carbs need to come down but otherwise OK. Fasting today and so far so good. Hope it stays that way.

Well, the weigh in was worse than I expected, it must have been 'last supper syndrome' though the emphasis at the weekend was more on the wine than the bread. Anyway I'm 18lb from my initial goal and I could weep because I got well down into single figures of reaching it. The gain stops now. I'm not fasting today but I have planned out my meals, lunch packed and off to work I go. I plan a fast day for tomorrow, that might change next week as I have only just realised that my work days and fast days don't coincide this year. All work in progress and I'm sure a pattern will emerge. I would like to keep our weigh ins/ progress reports on this thread if that is OK as we are a community and we need the input of everyone.

Kim, my boy in Oxford (Richard) is studying Chemical Engineering. I am very proud of him as he studied so hard to get there. He told me when he was about 14 that he wanted to try for Oxford and I said why? I was just thinking of the statistics because for every 10 that apply only one gets selected and I was worried about dealing with the rejection. Bless him though he said "why can't that 1 be me" so I agreed and said whatever you want or need in terms of extra curricular in order to compete then I will support you. The rest is history he studied hard, played lots of sport, drama, singing and had time to be head boy of his school. That College got one good all rounder. My other boy (Peter) is already an engineer, he studied Mechanical Engineering in Cardiff (shout out here for Coops) and he now lives in Bristol where he works on stress in airplane parts. It has taken a couple of years for him to establish himself but his life seems to be good at the moment. I'm very lucky as it is only one hour for me to get to each of them so we can comfortably meet for lunch or dinner have a catch up and then I can get home. I'm just going to clear out the fridge and make a shopping list so that I can have a good crack at the week. I know I have visitors but if I plan it well I should be able to cope.

I'm ready to re-commit to 5:2 but I really want to start exercising again. The back is feeling OK but I'm frightened to start working out again as it was so painful when it went out. Anyone suggest which exercise might be best. I have access to an elliptical, exercise ball, resistance band, dumbells and kettlebells. It looks like the house will be mainly finished By Wednesday, then we are just waiting for the glass backsplash in the kitchen. I go to Liverpool on Thursday to pick up my mum and her sister for a weekend visit and we plan day visits to my sons in Oxford and Bristol. My son has just started his 4th and final year at Oxford so mum needs to see his college before he leaves. So next week I plan to fast on Tuesday and Thursday, I would like to lose at least 2lb in the first week and ditch the carb monster who is part of my life at the moment. Kelly what happened with the job? Sheila good to see you back and yes weekly weigh ins/accounts of fasts would be good. Wishing everyone well with their re-start.

I'm ready to re-commit to 5:2 but I really want to start exercising again. The back is feeling OK but I'm frightened to start working out again as it was so painful when it went out. Anyone suggest which exercise might be best. I have access to an elliptical, exercise ball, resistance band, dumbells and kettlebells. It looks like the house will be mainly finished By Wednesday, then we are just waiting for the glass backsplash in the kitchen. I go to Liverpool on Thursday to pick up my mum and her sister for a weekend visit and we plan day visits to my sons in Oxford and Bristol. My son has just started his 4th and final year at Oxford so mum needs to see his college before he leaves. So next week I plan to fast on Tuesday and Thursday, I would like to lose at least 2lb in the first week and ditch the carb monster who is part of my life at the moment. Kelly what happened with the job? Sheila good to see you back and yes weekly weigh ins/accounts of fasts would be good. Wishing everyone well with their re-start.

'Williams?'