Leaving obesity behind … anyone want to join me?

This topic contains 27 replies, has 15 voices, and was last updated by eni1001 8 years, 9 months ago.

Viewing 28 posts - 1 through 28 (of 28 total)

eni1001

4:22 pm
4 Apr 15
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I am a woman in my 40’s from the USA and looking for other obese people to share this journey with. I have been overweight most of my life and severely obese for a lot of it. Like a lot of people. I have tried pretty much every diet out there and though they all work for a short time, I have never been able to maintain any of them long term. I know myself well enough to know that restrictions don’t work for me. Low carb, no carb, low fat, counting calories or points, raw foods, liquid only, prepared foods delivered to my home, etc., etc., etc! That’s why I feel like this approach is revolutionary for me! I feel like it gives me freedom and flexibility, but boundaries at the same time – boundaries I can live with, and actually even look forward it! On my eating days, I eat what I want, and when my fast days come, I find I actually am looking forward to them. I choose to not eat anything at all on my fast days, since that is much easier for me than to just eat a small amount.

I started on March 16 2015, with a desire to lose 120 lbs, and so far I am down 16 lbs and already down in dress size. When I started, I immediately started with 4:3 (MWF) and have been doing that ever since. I will be starting week 4 in 2 days, and couldn’t be more pleased with this program and with my success. I know that 16 lbs is a lot to lose in 3 weeks, and I certainly don’t expect my weight loss to continue at that rate. My hope for the future is that I will lose 4-6 lbs per month.

I am hoping to connect with others of you out there who are like me – obese and tired of it, but excited about starting this journey and for the first time in MANY years, hopeful that obesity could soon be something in the past!

My stats:
Started: 3/16/15, pants size 22, top size 26-28
As of today: 4/4/15 – 16 lbs lost, pants size 20, top size 22-24

Woohoo!!!

2015 WILL be a year of transformation! Join me!!

AisS94

5:26 pm
5 Apr 15
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Hi Eni1001! I’d love to be your ‘diet partner’. I’ve got some 60 lb to lose. I’m 20 and I know all this extra fat makes me look older than I am and feel worse and I don’t deserve that…
I hope I achieve something visible by August at least.
Restrictions don’t work for me either. I believe I can follow diets very strictly initially but somewhere after a couple of days things get boring for me and I cheat.
I’m starting the 5:2 diet tomorrow. Fingers crossed!!

eni1001

2:16 pm
6 Apr 15
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AisS94 – glad to have you join me on this adventure! I definitely think you can achieve visible results by August! Good luck with your new beginning! I totally agree with you about the how being overweight makes us look older and feel bad but I am determined to change that now! Today is a FD and I am happy about that, after lots of eating over Easter weekend! I hope you have a great day!

Vickifr

1:20 am
7 Apr 15
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Me too – love to join you. Today is my first fast day. I’m in my early forties and from NZ. Been overweight for around 14 years after being underweight for the previous 30 lol. I need to lose around 50kg (approx 100lbs). I’ve yo yo’d for a few years and had zero motivation for the rest. Find it just goes back on, the method is unsustainable and I get discouraged. I’m also going to start exercising; not straight away, one thing at a time is all I can cope with.
1.20pm – tummy rumbling! Time to distract myself!!

eni1001

1:43 am
7 Apr 15
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Hi Vickifr! Welcome! Glad to have you join us. I have been the same way – I start something, but then after a while, I give up and get discouraged. That’s why I really love this approach – it feels DO-ABLE, because I don’t have to give up any of the foods I love! I just don’t eat them on certain days! How is your first fast day going? Today is one of my fast days too – so far so good, and just a few more hours to bed time. I also do intend to start exercising more, but not quite yet, as you said.

Ais and Vicki – wishing both of you an awesome start!

AisS94

11:38 am
9 Apr 15
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Thank you so much for the motivation-boost! I hope what you’re saying comes to be true.
Please keep us updated and let me know how its going for you.
All the best for this epic transformation journey of yours! 🙂 🙂

eni1001

3:05 pm
11 Apr 15
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Today is my weigh in day. Because of the Easter holiday last weekend (lots of eating the entire weekend), I was hoping that my weight would be at least the same as last Saturday, but what I was expecting was that I would be up in weight, maybe 1-2 lbs, but after 3 clean fast days (MWF) this week, I am down 1.6 lbs! I am thrilled by that! It keeps me that much more motivated to keep up this 4:3 routine, which is so much easier to do than I could have ever imagined!

Ais and Vicki – I hope you both are doing well. Would love to hear how things are going for you! Have a great week!!

mickie

3:39 am
30 Apr 15
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I would love to join you I have just started the diet today. As my dr has told me for my health I have to lose at least 7 stone which is about half the weight I am now. Been on all kind of diet some have worked and some have not be I have always put the weight back on. As I reach the big 50 next year this is the year to change

simcoeluv

6:15 am
30 Apr 15
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Hi mickie and welcome:

5:2 will not be quick, but it will be permanent if you do it. Here is what you need to know: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

eni1001

2:57 pm
30 Apr 15
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Welcome Mickie! So glad to have you join us. I wish you great success and perseverance in this effort. Like you, I have been on all kinds of diets and with all honesty, I say that for me, this has been the most do-able!!! It’s not always easy, but I’ve been doing this almost 6 weeks now, and have not once thought of giving up. It feels like a way of life! And I’m down 20.5 lbs! On my non fast days, I eat the foods I really want (which I couldn’t do on any other diet), and that is one of the things that makes this so perfect for me. I hope you update us with your status as you go along!

NEmum

5:46 pm
30 Apr 15
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Hello!
I would love to join you to say bye bye to obesity.
Today is my 6th fast day over 3 weeks, but as yet have lost nothing, I am disappointed but not giving up yet, as I feel fantastic, and sleeping so much better.
But with a lot of weight to lose, I would like to feel like I’m getting started.
I am 48.
Size 22 (UK)
height 5’9″
Weight 18.5 stones
BMI 38
and I don’t want to be anymore!
Everyone seems so determined … love it!
L

eni1001

3:37 pm
6 May 15
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Hi Nemum, so glad to have you join us for this journey to FREEDOM! You may not have lost anything yet, but as you said, you are feeling very different, and that is HUGE!! Stay with it. I think it’s impossible to do this long term without losing weight. It will happen. For some it’s faster, for others slower! It took a long time to become obese, and it will take a long time to become “un-obese” (not a real word, I know, but it fit). If you continue to not lose weight, you may want to read (on this forum) entries from people who have also had that happen to them, to see what they did to address it.

I can only share what I have done, that has worked for me. I fast 3 days a week, and when I fast, I only have one cup of coffee with cream (which I drink slowly throughout the morning), and then water the rest of the day. This works for me because it’s much easier for me to eat nothing on fast days than to eat 500-600 calories. But everyone needs to find what works for them. Some people have to eat something on their FD. When I look at an entire weeks worth of eating, I am basically eating about 40% less food than I did before I started this, and that leads to weight loss (22 lbs in 7 weeks so far), and overall feeling awesome! So keep it up and keep us posted!!

WE CAN DO THIS!

seanhanamom

3:54 pm
6 May 15
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Hello! Can I join?
I’m Aimee -44. Mom to 3 teens.
I’m in New Jersey, USA.
I’m on my 5th fast day. I’m down 8 lbs. feeling pretty good. I’m handling the fast days pretty well. I able to stick to the 500 calories. I get an iced black coffee with Splenda from starbucks in the morning. It takes me several hours to drink and I find it curbs my appetite. I try not to eat until after noon. So have lunch at 1.
On fasting days, I go to spin class. Have no problem doing cardio fasted. I lift weights on the non fast days.
The one issue I’m having (though it hasn’t seemed to slow up the weight loss, yet!) is that on non fast days, I feel like I have to eat the things I missed on the fast days, or feel like I have to get in something I will crave on my fast days. I try to stay within my tdee or under, so I guess it doesn’t really matter, but I don’t like that mindset that I have to have the food because i will miss it on the fast day.

My husband has been on 5:2 for over a year. He lost close to 45 lbs. he put a little back on so he’s back at it, but he has kept most off.

eni1001

2:55 pm
8 May 15
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Hi Seanhanamom! Welcome!! Glad to have you join us! I’m so excited for you – that is an AWESOME start!! You mentioned that the one issue you have is that on NFD you eat the stuff you crave. That is actually the reason WHY this WOL works for me … because on my NFD, I CAN eat the stuff I crave and want! Actually I shouldn’t say “crave”, because truly my cravings have gone away (which I NEVER thought would happen!!!), but there are definitely some foods I really love, which would not be allowed on most diets. But on this WOL, I can and do eat them. Tomorrow is my weigh in day, but so far I have lost 23 lbs in 7 weeks, so the fact that I eat what I want on NFD, has not stopped my weight loss at all. Though I should say, I do 3 FD’s every week, and on my FD, I only have coffee and water, no food at all (shockingly, that is not a problem for me at all). Everyone has to find what works best for them, and this approach is what works best for me. Good luck to you and keep us posted on your progress!

eni1001

2:26 pm
9 May 15
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Weigh in day today:

week 8: 2.6 lbs down since last Saturday. 25 lbs down total!!

MassPoodleWoman

3:08 pm
9 May 15
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Hi My name is Ellen and I started fasting 2 or 3 days per week January 20. I heard about this way of eating on NPR so decided to give it a shot. I have 120 to 125 lbs to lose total so it will take me a long time to do so.

I am looking for a life style I can maintain over the long hall. I had previously lost about 130 lbs. and maintained about 100 lbs. of that for three years on a low carb but found that it started creeping back after menopause and couldn’t maintain the low carb life style. Then is the last year or so after I hurt my knee I gained 35 lbs. So as you can see I have gained most of the weight back and am feeling uncomfortable at this weight.

I have lost 25 lbs. as of yesterday (at least)from my highest weight I know of. I started around January 10 to focus on lowering carbs until I heard about this way of eating. I did not weigh myself before starting to focus on my eating as I was afraid of the number on the scale. I started walking this week and hope to add weights next, light to start just to stretch and get back some flexibility. The loss of 25 lbs. makes me much more comfortable and I can move so much better. So yes I have already joined you in this mission to feel and move better. I find that my “off switch” is back so I can stop eating and know when I am full. I am still working on the stop when I am full and actually stopped on a fast day on my dinner of fish and a bunch of asparagus. I left about 1/3 of the asparagus (I only had 4 oz of fish so didn’t leave any of that).
I weigh and measure myself every 2 weeks so if the lbs. are not dropping I can see if inches are and this week my calves got bigger (the walking) but my bicep measurement was down an inch and wrist down 1/4, and I see the loss in my face as well. so I can be happy for muscle gain and loss of some of the arm flab.

tansie

5:46 pm
24 May 15
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Hi, I am starting tomorrow, everything is in place and there are no excuses! I am happy to see a thread about leaving obesity behind – that would be amazing!
I am morbidly obese on the medical charts. I have been trying not to diet recently as it always seems to leave me fatter than before. I also want to focus on feeling better and well, and having more energy and not just on the lbs – it has never been enough motivation to just think of weight but my health and well being I am hoping will be 🙂
As has been mentioned, this does feel DO-ABLE for the long haul….
I would be interested to know if everyone has fixed days or varies them, I have a bit of a hectic lifestyle and it is always easier to put things off until tomorrow… Would be nice to hear what works for everyone.

diverdog

6:07 pm
24 May 15
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Tansie, welcome to 5:2. I’ve only been following this program for one week but I’ve been very successful at weight loss. I have lost 70 lbs of fat and have kept most of it off for 20 years. I am doing 5:2 for the potential health benefits and to trim the last ~10-12 lbs of fat I want to remove.

My fast days will vary a bit because I’m fasting on days I take off from exercise so I’ll be fasting 5 days every 2 weeks averaging 2 1/2 days a week.

For me there are a couple of things that have enabled me to be successful long term. Planning meals and cleaning out my pantry of binge foods. Getting group support (like this forum) and being physically active via HIT style workouts and activities like ballroom dancing.

Good luck and much success!

Bruce

eni1001

6:50 pm
24 May 15
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Hello Mass, tansie and diver, so nice to have you guys join us. I have been MIA for a few weeks – not from this WOL, just from the forum.

My latest update: I’m in week 10, and have lost 27 lbs so far. I can see such a huge difference all over my body, from my face down to my feet! I am down 2 dress sizes now. Was wearing size 22 pants and 26-28 tops. Now am in size 18 pants and 22-24 tops, and already can fit into some 18-20 tops. I generally lose an average of 1.5 lbs per week, and that is fine with me. I will be 50 years old in October and my goal is to lose 50 lbs by my 50th birthday. 23 lbs to go – I think it’s definitely do-able!

I fast 3 days a week, and (shockingly!!!!) it has become such a part of my life already that I cannot imagine not doing this anymore! Although I always hoped I would find some way of losing all the weight (I hope to lose approximately another 100 lbs), I never really believed it would happen. But I finally believe that IT IS POSSIBLE to lose all the weight, and forever leave obesity behind!! This is the most amazing program (for me) because I do not feel deprived at all. I happen to come from a religious tradition that places great spiritual value on the concept of fasting, so for me it wasn’t a foreign thing to begin this. And WHEN I lose the rest of the weight I need to lose, I fully intend to continue with the fasting, although I will probably scale it back to 2 days per week. Till then, I will continue with 3 days of fasting.

Ellen, glad to have you join us! You said you are looking for a lifestyle you can maintain over the long haul. For me this feels like that kind of life style! I totally related to you when you said your “off switch” is back. I also have that mysterious off switch working again! So glad to hear that you are seeing results! It’s SUCH a great feeling when that happens and provides such motivation to keep going! Good luck!

Tansie, welcome to 5:2! It is such a great approach to weight loss and health! I wish you great success. And if on some days it is tough, read through some of the threads here to find strength and motivation to continue! As for your question about the fasting days, I do generally stick to the same 3 days (MWF), because it’s easier for me that way, but I don’t think it really matters. That is one of the things I love about this program – it’s so flexible! I think what is important is just THAT you do the fasts, not necessarily WHEN you do the fasts. Good luck and keep us posted!

Hi Bruce, a warm welcome to you also. That is AWESOME that you have maintained a 70 lb weight loss long term!! That is certainly what I hope to be able to do – maintain weight loss for the long haul. With this program, that feels possible! Great suggestions for long term success. Good luck with losing the last bit of weight!

diverdog

7:46 pm
24 May 15
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Eni, congratulations on your fantastic progress! I’m just on my 3rd fast day but so far it has been pretty easy to incorporate in my routine. That’s very important to me for long term success.

Big challenge tonight because I’ll be going to a party and it’s a fast day. I’m going to leave calories for 1 glass of wine.

rabanne

7:44 pm
25 May 15
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Hi people, did you know that when you reach 40 years of age your body begins to age much faster than is usual? Do you sometimes feel like you have many more years than you really have? I must warn you that without exercise and proper nutrition your body ages, on average six months longer than it should! For this reason, you should try something natural without any additional supplements. . THIS DIET IS THE WAY TO GO. I warn you that if you’re not willing to work hard in a short period of time, this is not for you.
P.S. – Every second you wait the odds are good you will do nothing. Success in life requires action, so act right now while it’s fresh in your mind… http://bit.ly/1HDjJ0x

gennyt

9:34 am
29 May 15
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Hi, I’d love to join this group and share the journey. I’m a 50 year old from the UK, have been very overweight for years. I’d like to lose about 8 or 9 stone (50-60 kg). Previous attempts at losing weight have been successful for a while (losing maybe one third of the amount I was aiming for) but when life events interrupt my focus I forget the diet and it soon all piles back on. Ill health (chronic fatigue syndrome) in recent years has made it much harder to exercise too.

So I’m hoping this different approach will work for me, and also that it will have a positive impact on my health too. I think I’m less likely to lose focus when I only need to concentrate on the fast days, and I love the flexibility. And so far, so very good! I just started this week and the morning after my second fast day I’ve lost 5 kg (approx 10 lb) and dropped 7cm off the waist!! Obviously I don’t expect to continue at this rate, but I found the fast days not too hard and it is good to be able to look forward to eating normally the next day.

It’s good to read of other people’s progress who have a lot to lose. Have a good week, everyone!

eni1001

4:16 pm
31 May 15
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Welcome Genny! Glad to have you joining us in this effort to leave obesity behind. Congratulations on your success so far! That is so awesome! I also lost a lot of weight after my first 2 or 3 fast – 12 lbs I think – but then it did slow down, which of course I knew would happen, as you said. Now my weight loss is between 1-3 lbs per week, and though that sometimes feels very slow, I know that is the right way to do this, and I am totally OK with that. I would love to hear about your progress as you go along. Good luck!

steffd26

6:37 pm
3 Jun 15
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Love to join this group,
Today was my first fast day I started on Monday as per my BMR is 1650 ! I had just 540 calories today and I’m totally amazed I could do it !
I’m hoping this is the start of Leaving Obesity behind me ! I’ve 3 young kids and want to be here for them !

AgsUK

7:24 pm
3 Jun 15
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Hi folks,

I love the sound of this group. I have for years struggled with weight and have driven myself into a bit of a corner but letting my emotional state affect my health. Over the past year I have put on 20 kg as a result and feel so unhealthy, unfit and unhappy with my body. I’m 44 and have decided it time to stop letting this past affect my future and believe this way of eating will suit me. I struggle too with missing particular foods and have poor will power after a short time into a diet but I hope this will work. So. Currently at 107kg and aim to get to 75kg as this is a good weight for my height. A lot of work to do but I think once it’s a way of life it’s going to be fine.

I’m only on day 2 but surprisingly I feel better already. Not so bloated and heavy. I did eat on my fast day but not until the evening and found it ok. To kickoff and to give me results to encourage myself I’m going with 3:4 and have been encouraged by comments so far.

Best of luck to you all and keep posting!

eni1001

3:30 pm
17 Jun 15
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Welcom Steff and Ags! Glad to have you join us in this effort! I wish you great success and perseverence on this journey. Starting a new chapeter in life is not always easy, but sooo rewarding, especially if the goal is to transform our health!

I have to give a quick update on how I am doing. I started fasting on March 16, 2015 – 3 months ago, and so far I have lost 28 pounds. That is AMAZING to me! Even more amazing is that I have had the willingness to keep doing this. I fast 3 days every week, and the fast days are really not as hard as I thought they would be. However, in the last 2 weeks, I seem to have reached a plateau in weight loss. I have not lost any weight at all in the last 2 weeks. Although it is frustrating when I see no movement on the scale after my faithfulness to the fasting all week, I have to say, that even in this area, I see changes in myself. I am not AT ALL contemplaring quitting (which I have done every other time I have plateaud with weight loss), and am resolved to continue with the fasting, trusting that at some point I will get past this plateau. So in spite of the plateau, I still feel great about all this, and am still excited about this approach, and will keep doing this. I absolutely believe there is an “obesity free” lifestyle ahead for me, and will persevere to see it happen! So to all of you who are trying to leave obesity behind with me … lets stay strong, hopeful and persevering! Wishing God’s blessing upon all of us!

Isra22

3:23 pm
21 Jun 15
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I love to join this group. I have always struggled my weight! Today first day fast,I hope this start of leave obesity behind me! I got two year girl I want be here her !

eni1001

1:57 pm
16 Jul 15
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Havent written here in a while, so I wanted to give an update. I am 18 weeks into this fasting endeavor, and so far, SO GOOD! I am down 34 pounds, and am soooo excited about that. But here is something else I am also very excited about … I was at a weight loss plateau for about a month – pretty much all of June – and though I was bummed about that, I was never once tempted to give up! Shocking! For the first time IN MY LIFE, I pushed through the plateau, and I am now on the other side of it. I fully expect more weight loss plateaus to come around, but now at least I have one “under my belt’, and have seen that I can continue to loss weight eventually. I experimented with a few things to get the weight loss going again, and this is what worked for me – I just moved around my fasting days. Simple enough. I was fasting 3 days per week, Monday-Wednesday-Friday. But then a friend suggested that I change things a little bit. So while I am still fasting 3 days a week, I am now doing it a little differently. I do 2 FD’s in a row now. So for example, my FD’s this week are Monday-Wednesday-Thursday. A simple little change, but it seems to have gotten my body going again. And surprisingly, I am finding that it is not as hard to fast 2 days in a row as I would have thought! Thanks be to God!!!

Welcome Isra! Hope you are doing well!