Just want to see if my ticker shows up.

@snaps. Can you arrange trial questionings with the questions you think or guess could be featured? Get your hubby or frd to interview you. Merely going through the motion of having to answer and practice will calm you down, guaranteed. The more you can transfer things over to muscle memory, the more assured you'll feel.

Like if someone asked you how to boil an egg, you reply automatically because this is knowledge within you that you don't have to think about. You just access it, right? Same with anything new. Repeat till you feel less shaky and don't have to over think what to say. Imagine yourself in your own prepping for witness stand in murder trial courtroom movie

Think open questions like: what are your findings and what does it mean, what would you've changed given opportunity, etc....just in more academically accepted phrasings.

Watch vids of other people defending their thesis? If you have time, it could give valuable pointers of do's and don'ts.

Last week I tried a trial run of my exam cycling program all by myself in the spinning amfi. No-one present. But I still choked up, turning mute. Afraid. Then I practiced A LOT saying ALOUD what I wanted to convey in the following week and it helped tremendously come video shoot day. Sure I forgot some stuff here and there, but there was NO panic or going deer-in-headlights.

Another tip is to deflect if you're cornered. Pretend you're just playing Trivia. FISH for clues to what answer they might have in mind. Do a little verbal detour first, talking about present topic, try reasoning or deduction, to make it a bit less obvious. THEN you can start fishing, like "By this question, do you mean this....or that?"

Another deflection is to play to their vanity. All academics are vain to a certain degree. If not too obvious, you can ask questions about their pet peeves...sometimes they forget about you and start giving a lecture about what they are interested in....Or it evolves into more a genuine exchange. Not just you defending.

I don't have PhD, though. But I always got top marks or raising my grades to max in verbal exams.

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse...

You can do it!

Awesome advice @foamroller! I'm going to take all your advice. My hubby is going to go over it with me this weekend, I know that will help and when I was studying possible questions today I was able to write quite a lot. I just get worried about all the academic jargon, like epistemology and imperial implications, but then again this is only practice with my tutors for the real thing next year, so if I completely go wrong hopefully they will help me so I can get it right. Thanks for your help and it's especially good advise to play off their vanity!

What a great supportive group this is! I am pleased that today, I way the same as yesterday as often I weigh less after the fast day and then up a bit the next day. Normal I know, and also why it is best not to weigh daily but that's one bit of self discipline I don't care about!
I'm thinking this might be my body finally settling into this because I used never to fluctuate much but did when I started this.
Good luck Chiccam, it will be worth it in the end!
Flumi, yum! I get that. My daughter wanted to do a whole lot of xmas baking yesterday. She has been scouring the books for inspiration but I managed to put her off for a week because she agreed that if they were there we would eat them! She in particular has a sweet tooth! I don't so it was easy for me. I must say walking through the cheese aisle at the supermarket yesterday was not easy, that is my weakness…..well one of them!
Snaps, good luck. I get anxious too and feel for you. I also lived with a husband doing a PhD years ago and now have a son doing one on the other side of the world. I just get to hear his worries through Skype.
Foamroller, you seem like a really thoughtful person, that was a lot of good advice. I had to chuckle at your vanity comment. I count many academics in my friend circles but I would say, we all have vanity to a degree.
Carbmonster, I re read my comment. I guess telling you it was nearly a kilo wasn't that helpful! I should have around 2 lbs! We were imperial when I was growing up so I am familiar with it and even today, baby weights are meaningless to me in grams whereas if you tell me you had an 8lb baby, I know exactly what that is. Especially as my first was 10lb 5 and a half ounces 29 years ago! He is now 6 '6. Weird as my husband and I are average heights.
jrknight, it is funny isn't it, our relationships with food. I was brought up by health nuts and food was never used for comfort and I really don't think I have issues with food in that sense though I know plenty do. I have just had too large portions over the years, combined with not enough exercise and now that I am older, a slower metabolism yet a general love of food. I have always eaten well but it has crept on. I did manage to lose a lot at one stage, the old fashioned hard way, and kept it off for a long time but then illness got me and I put it back on. You are right, hardly anybody can eat whatever they like and maintain their weight as time passes. How I envy those who can!
Anyway, we all know the secret of success now, without deprivation. So upward and onward! Or should that be downward ;-)!

@orlcam What good choices! These ladies would be perfect as I always find there comments and advise useful. I hope that they all agree and 'take the torch'!

I am also up from my lowest and hoping to maintain up until the new year! As you said, New year, neew focus!

Rus: I like your picks. Those ladies have been tremendous in their help and insight along with you.

I have been up and down the same couple of pounds lately so my goal is like yours to be able to maintain for now. And to get a fresh start in the New Year. I do plan on trying to get at least two fast in a week though. But it will be my non fast days that will be higher than I like. I want to enjoy all of my company during the holiday and not stress out. New Year new me..............

I fell into a carb hole the past days. So hard to NOT overeat. I swear, they make me hungrier and have more "cravings". On Thursday I totally overate. I had to lie down, my tummy hurt from eating too much. Haven't done that in months...

I suspect that starting the day with carbs as main component at lunch or early dinner is a VERY bad idea for me. Don't think it's only in my imagination, carbs DRIVE hunger for me. I also think the act of overeating is bad. Cause only a couple of hours later I continued eating...

It's so confusing, only the week before I felt so in charge. Even forgot to have dinner some days, because I simply didn't feel hungry. Oh, well. Saddle up for next week!


Edit: Oh, btw, ty for the honor

Ack, seems the majority of us have been "enjoying life". That's a good thing...am I right or am I right...or am I right?! (good old Ned Ryerson) Heh...falling back feels like failing, but I need to shake that mindset...I hadn't experienced a week that I had gained until Thanksgiving (almost 4 months) and then that 52 lbs lost suddenly became a brick wall. Thrice I was within 1 lb of it, then the dam burst this week. Again, it's just a mindset...an apparition...going to enjoy the holidays and look at this as a resetting of my metabolism. Hopefully my sidestep doesn't cause anyone to loose focus (hope?)...if you make it through December unscathed then you are definitely a warrior in my eyes.

Snuck in a fast today while DH & DS were enjoying Disneyland and I was home trying to keep Christmas from killing me. So excited I got one day out of the way before the week began.

I am with you all in just trying to tread 5:2 water while I get thru the holiday season. Then like @jenimasmum I am going to kick into gear and work on losing another 10 by my birthday in April. So much easier to get back on the wagon when I know it will take me where I want to go.

@orlcam - Thank you for including me in that very prestigious list! I would be happy to serve MFPs best group. It is an honor.