Thoroughly enjoyed all the positive posts above. Great reading! Welcome to all the newbies including Turnabout and Gabbie, welcome back Merryme. Well done birdlady – you and I started this WOE at the same time.

IHAW: wow, what an achievement, congratulations, you are an amazing inspiration. I am tantalisingly close to saying goodbye to the 70kg range and can’t wait to be 60 something – which should be achieved on my next weigh-in day, Christmas Day! If so, I’ll probably be the only Christmas Day blogger on here and there’ll be no-one to listen to my boasting.

BPdown: Love that story. Great news for you and your doctor.

Harmony23: I’m so chuffed that one of my posts encouraged you to join the forum – welcome and well done for starting before Christmas when so many would be making excuses – you will be giving yourself a good head start. I’m fasting on Sunday and Tuesday this week – and maybe again on Friday depending on whether I’m naughty or nice over Christmas Eve & Day. I keep telling myself, “It’s just a meal, it’s only food”.

Happy Holidays everyone!

That’s great bay, it’s all in the planning. The body will absorb the odd digression. You deserve a guilt-free Christmas, you’ve come far!

Hey, thanks for all the welcomes and encouragements, hoping to do 4;3 this week, Mon weds and possibly fri, see how the big day goes, working straight through so may need a drink or two come fri!!! Happy Xmas everyone!!

Merry Christmas thinas! How exciting is that? You wait a long time to drop into the next 10!! Did you have a witness? Photograph the scales? 😉
Well done. Now, enjoy Christmas and remember that great feeling as you choose your food. P 🙂

Merry Christmas SH’s, hope everyone has a safe and happy day tomorrow
Jenklar

Hi all! I chuckled at being called a mentor….and before that a guru! Hahaha!

I must admit that all the others inspire me. Then there’s big kakuna, who should use his wonderful anecdotes to give us a laugh, Charlie on the farm and firefighting, Tim, tubby plumber and many many others. What would we do without you?

For each and every single poster and reader, here’s cheers to a wonderful, loving Christmas!
May the 5:2 be ever strong in 2015! And may the medical establishment see this as a great way to ease modern life’s chronic issues!

Hi SH mates.

What a year! Losses, improved health and wise words from experienced fasters who walk the walk so well.

Hope you are all having a lovely Christmas Day. Don’t fret about food today but refocus tomorrow and days following, remembering that this is not a short-term ‘fix’ but a revolutionary new way of life and eating.

Thank you all for your support and advice this year. Nicky xxx

Dear Southern Friends,
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, I got through without any gains although I am just bobbing along at present. At least I can now get back into exercise, as all my mobility issues have finally heeled, so now I am back into serious fasting mode.
Things on the farm have been frantic with watering crops for cattle, carting our second cut of clover hay, and getting ready to wean our calves. Add to that, that uni has started again and you can see why my posts have been missing. New Years resolution, to post more frequently.
Have a wonderful New Years celebration everyone and we will continue this conversation in 2015.
Cheers, Charlie 🙂

Last Monday weigh in was 77.4kgs, and 1 week later, after Christmas etc, weighed in this morning at 77.7kgs, soI’m happy about that! Just out of interest I weighed myself every day and the highest I weighed in at was 78.6 on Boxing Day, then each day after it came down some, even though we did Christmas again, for family reasons, on Boxing Day. I’ve had 7 days without a fast day so I’m very impressed. We waved off family yesterday and today, and today resting and recovering and sleeping extra. My husband and I are fasting Tuesday and Thursday this week, then next week back to Monday and Thursday.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas 🙂

Very happy today. Got through Xmas and somehow managed to lose .6kg. Lots of mini fasts but lots of drinks and goodies as well. Yesterday I fasted and found it harder than it has been since I started a couple of months ago. But now I am so glad that I did it. The next big test is to try to get through camping and News Years without putting on. Fasting again today in preparation. Haven’t done two fast days in a row before, so it will be interesting how I go. Happy New Years everyone.

Happy and healthy 2015. Morning swim on the order form 😆 P

Hi all,
I am just about to start with my big sis. Can anyone recommend a good calorie counter book and recipe book. I have to say I’ve had a couple of false starts with the fasting and the next day I always feel amazing. Has to be something in it I reckon. Trying to be fit and slim for Paris trip in September so I have 9months to lose about 10 kg. is that do-able? My sister has a bit more to lose but I would like to do it together. I was thinking if we log everything down that we eat and compare it will keep us motivated. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Cheers. Mike

Welcome Eatinscheatin, I got my sis and husband to start with me too. I have found Calorie King a really good site but I record all my fast only days in myfitnesspal app (as TAL suggested) that shows up on your phone as EasyDietDiary and it really is easy. It means I can be super accurate. I also bought a little scale so I can baseline my regular foods as the app lets you put in your own recipes. I often use it to work out the kilojoules load before I eat something to decide if it’s worth it.

Another good site is taste.com as most recipes have nutrition information which you can use to log into the app.

I only started just before Xmas and worked out the best approach for me was to have coke zero and soda water during the day with no food until dinner time, plus lots of water. That way I could consume all my calories in the one healthy meal at the end of the day. This approach also opens up many recipes so that I avoid freaking out over the calorie count.
Good luck
Harmony23.

Hi Kim
I am also in Perth and will be doing my 3rd fast day tomorrow (am doing 4:3) i have lost .5kg so far, I’m also doing the fast exercise which I am finding very easy to fit into my lifestyle.
I’ll be keen to hear how you are going.
Paula

Hello there to all the new fasters!
There’s a few things I would recommend when starting out. Read the Book and search out the original BBC video of ‘eat, fast live longer’.

1. Record everything…your weight, BMI, hip, waist, bum, chest legs, neck, arm measurements, ect. This is your starting point. If you know your blood pressure, cholesterol and fasting blood glucose, that’s even better! Then record everything you eat and drink, and it’s calories so you know what you are taking in. This gives you a good picture of your physical self. Use the tracker here on this site to record things.

2. Prepare for fasting, by knowing what your food and drink for the day will be. Get rid of junky, calorie filled stuff around your house and workplace. (although I my case, my dear old hubby buys this stuff anyway, and leaves it in the pantry to tempt me!!)

3. Keep occupied on your fast day, if you aren’t bored, you are less likely to want to mindlessly eat. Working and excerice get during fasting suits many, I love it, and I forget that I’m hungry. There are many other great distracting techniques like, walking, phoning a friend, painting a room, making a new garden bed and planting it out with fresh herbs and vegies, putting on some disco music and letting your hair down in the lounge room….doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you are happily occupied it will distract you from food.

4. I always have on hand my emergency snack, if hunger really strikes when I’m out. A whole carrot or apple, chewed slowly stops the hunger and really fills me up. Tea is a great drink, with no cals if it’s black, and miso soup in the sachets is fabulous being only 28 calories.

So good luck and keep us posted. We’re here if you have the inevitable ups and downs and weird life events. But if that happens, tomorrow is another day and you are in control of this journey. That’s why I adore this way of life so much….that, and it also works!

Hope everyone is keeping safe from the fires, and those fighting them are keeping well hydrated! I hope the weather brings a nice soaking rain and some cool southerly winds! For those in the north, watch out for cyclones, get ready to batten down.

Cheers to all of you, stay safe and happy 2015!

Hi to you all. I’m wondering if there are any over 60’s out there? So encouraging to read all your journeys. I’ve just started on this one. Have just had my first week. Making some lifestyle changes. Will see how successful I am tomorrow when I weigh in before my second fast week. Choosing mostly to also do Monday and Thursday but was Friday this week.

Lots of us eatwisely. Love the name. 🙄

This WOL has helped me to return to the size I was nearly 30 years ago. During 2014 I went from size 16 to size 11 and down from a BMI of 28 to 23. And I lost 19 cm off my waist. Anyone who tells you that people over 60 cannot lose weight, or cannot return to having a waist, is plain wrong.

Intermittent fasting is the easiest way to regain your health and your figure. I wish you well on your journey. If you read the book, and read lots of helpful hints on this thread, you will do it. Remember to drink two litres of water each day. It really helps.

Cheers, Bay 🙂

Hi Everyone,
HAPPY NEW YEAR! And welcome to all the new folks. As usual very sound advice from IHAW, Bay and those other wise owls.

Another thing that I have learnt, and I have been on this WOE/WOL for fifteen months and given away 20+ kgs is that from time to time when we plateau we need to take stock and start again.

I did this with the new year and now i am back loosing, shedding .9 kg in just four days. Also listened to the wise owls and now I weigh my self every day, this has helped to reinforce good food choices.

Yes IHAW some rain would be wonderful, have just weaned the calves from their mums and it is still hot here, at least only in the thirties today.

Stay cool everyone,

Cheers, Charlie. 🙂

Hi Purple,
I feel sorry for the babies too, so instead of weaning them in the yards this year, we have put them in a lush green paddock next to mums with electric fence between, hope this works rather than having them crying in the yards for a week.

My other rejigging was to make myself do my HIIT exercises every day, not just three to four times a week. My body had got too smart for its own good, but now I am back in control.

Charlie.

I let myself go a bit crazy over Christmas and the scales are now showing that. Still, I am guessing I would have gained even more weight if I hadn’t squeezed in a fast day now and then. Been more like 6:1 the past few weeks with holidays, family/friend commitments and travel but I’m not back to where I started two months ago so I guess I should be happy for that.

Trying to keep myself busy today, but I’m actually finding it more difficult to fast at home when I’m not constantly distracted by work, not to mention the knowledge in the back of my mind that the fridge is full of chocolates, mince pies and the last bit of the pudding (my first homemade effort – and not too bad if I do say so myself).

Charlie, do you fast on days when you might have to fight a fire? I suggested it to hubby and he said no way was he going to fast when it was 40+ and the danger rating was at Extreme because he needed to be focused etc. But I think as long as we drank a huge amount of water and maybe factored some electrolyte drink into our calories for the day it should be ok.

Top stuff Merry.
You describe the 5:2 experience very well. It does teach you to be wiser in your food choices and portion sizes. And, after all, once you lose the weight, why would you choose to undo all the good for what often ends up as a disappointing ‘treat’?
Keep up the excellent work. And keep us informed. That’s what this is for. P 🙂

Thank- you IHAW and other posters, for taking the time to provide some sound advice and encouragement- it certainly helps those of us who are new to this! My first day went quite well and I was not as hungry as I had anticipated; though this may be due to the fact that I had laid down stores over the festive season! Next time I fast I’d like to focus on drinking more water as this seems to be a strategy that many of you have commented on. Have a great week, all!

Hi Kazz,
I fast every Monday and Thursday (or other days if there is something special on) regardless of what the fire danger rating is and if we are called out I go on our tanker. I eat at the end of the fasting day, but some days when we have been called out I will go to bed without eating if we return after nine at night.
As our brigade trains every second Monday night, that often means nothing to eat on that fast day, and no ill effects.
Before I started fasting I had started my second degree at uni doing it online. My scores were OK, mostly passes and the odd credit, since fasting I have improved to all credits or distinctions, and I am sure it is the fasting that sharpens the brain.
Water is more important that food, we all have enough stores to get through one day, regardless of how strenuous it may be.
Hope this helps,
Charlie

Hi another Aussie here, have 10kg to loose, have done 3 fast days and so far managed to loose 2kg, going on a cruise in April so big incentive.

Never usually had to worry about weight but since hitting my 40s it seems to be creeping on and suddenly all the clothes i used to be able to wear make me look like a fat sausage.

Good luck to everyone

Welcome Nicky08
Don’t forget to measure all your body now. It is wonderful recording the changes. Also, make sure you stay hydrated. Most of our water comes from food normally, so needs to be topped up on fast days, especially in our summers.
All the best. Keep us posted. PVE.