Hi Salma

I have a kelp pill in the morning. It does the job and I know it will start working. I never take them at night as it makes me get up a couple of times to go to the loo where I would normally not need to go until the morning.

The Belgian chocolate sounds lovely. I bought two bars of chocolate yesterday and put them in a cupboard for the duration of FBD.

Ginette

Hi Milena

I have just speaking to my sister in law and she said that they would reccomended eating between 1000 and 1400. So not too bad then.

Your way of life then is proving expensive if all of your family need new clothes!! Charity shops will do well.

I don’t feel hungry either. Strange isn’t it?

I agree with you about the treats. Ok to go without for six weeks, well I will have two days off the wedding and my meal out – but then I will have them when I fancy within reason. This may be much less than before as I am sure my tastes are changing.

How are you finding the exercises any easier?

Catch up with you tomorrow.

Ginette

Hi

Question. Ive read on various threads on the forum the exercise does not make for weight losss. That exercise is accounted for in TDEE.

Can see that, however, presume it DOES have an effect if you select the lowest option, ie little or no exercise, and then you increase exercise.

Surely then increasing exercise helps you to lose weight? Or have I missed something?

Hi All

Applepie well done on the Wii fit.

Milena

All I can do us give you my past experiences and I know that is what is said on here sometimes. I can tell you in all honesty that I have used exercise in the past and this did help weight loss for me. In fact well over 2 stone in a few months. I stopped because of a knee injury. My only exercise was on the Wii. Wii Fit Plus (only the training games as these were fun, Wii sports the tennis (this was the one that I overdid resulting in a knee injury but I would do it for about 45 mins sometimes as I just had to win and the opponents just got more difficult to beat) this had me sweating well and truly.

Then after I started getting bored with Wii fit (overplayed it maybe) I got Exerbeat this is the one I use the most now. This has got lots of exercises that are fun, my favourite is boxercise. I can open up new games as I complete the others to a certain proficiency. This involves lots of arms and movement and I always walk on the spot doing them. This makes it cardio and definetly gets my heart pumping on the longer ones. I can also earn medals, bronze, silver, gold and champion. It takes your Mii from country to country which can be interesting I made it round the world once last timeI did it and was going around for a second time. The exercises range from 1+ minutes to at the moment 20+. You can set weekly challenges of how many minutes you want to exercise. I think I have set about 1hr 40mins. It also gives you daily challenges I may do 3/4 of these a week. The injury stopped me and I have only just restarted so more will open up.

At this time I was eating whatever I wanted. This would include at least one take away a week on the way home from work and anything else I fancied.

Anyway although 2 + stones was good as soon as I stopped the weight came back on. This is why I decided that to do 5:2 and change my WOL would be good. Now if I stop exercising the weight will not come back on. When I get down to a weight I am happy with a long time in the future I shall change to 6:1. This will mean that I should never have that terrible weight gain again.

I had a friend who was on a diet when I was exercising, she found in really annoying that I lost weight without dieting. She has now put it all back on and more. I am sure that a lot of us know this story.

I did struggle with 5:2 at first but persevered.

I thought I would post my struggle and how I overcame it below. I know there are lots of people who read these threads before dipping their toe in the water so this may

So just case this helps anybody. This is how I found it:

Week 1 – struggled with what to eat. Decided on the day.
Week 2 – felt it was easier but really carb hungry after a fast day. Still struggling with what to eat.
Week 3 – adapted to no lunchtimes just evenings weighed and measured everything the night before.
This was so much easier. Used a post it note to add up calories as I went. Still a little carb hungry after fast day.

After this point I realised that I didn’t want carbs every evening. So changed to only 2/3 times a week. I still do that now. I tend to make a meal with sauces eg chicken in sauce or if not I use a dairy free cheese sauce over my vegetables. I use frozen mostly vegetables. It is much easier to keep a variety. They require much less cooking as the freezing process softens them. I do put herbs in with my vegetables different types of herbs and sometimes garlic. I saw a program which showed that frozen vegetables were really fresh when frozen. So less cooking and more goodness.

I once had a cauliflower straight from a field, given to me by a farmer. The stalk was really soft to cut though like a tomato or peach but not juicy. This was surprising to me as shop bought had always been hard. I would love to try other vegetables like this to see if they are the same.

Sorry I digress………

I am now not carb hungry after a fast day. I only eat a meal at lunch time and in the evening. Snacks will now be fruit and/or youghurt. I do often make up a sugar free jelly and have with half a pot of youghurt. Lovely especially on a warm day or in the evening. I am not sure when it changed only a few weeks in.

I found that I am now not as hungry. In fact such a change. I imagine it must have been carb hungry now as it was obviously not true hunger. I did have a few treat things over a week especially the two weeks after Easter. My weight loss slowed to 1/2 a week. Now although I don’t mind this on one week, two were worrying. So I joined Milena on the Fast Beach diet this is put together by Mimi Spencer as meant as a kickstart to weight loss. Believe me I am nowhere near a bikini!! The only difference is dropping carb based treats. Hence cake, wine, sweets, cholocate etc. Also doing HIIT exercises 3 times a week and muscle strength training. I do HIIT on the Wii and use one of the programs that I have or chase the dog like a lunatic (she loves it. I have started with 3 x 10 second bouts for three times a week. Next week I may increase to 15 seconds. I read to start slowly and increase so that is what I am doing.

I do exercise and again use the Wii started with 15/20 minutes three times a week now I do 20/30 mins 3/4 times a week.

My first week is almost at an end as I started Monday, I always weigh Friday or Saturday so I can report after the (nearly) first week I have lost 3lb!!!! Really pleased with that. I counted calories every day and I well and truly under TDEE. I am only finding I am eating about 1000 calories on NFD’s. This is not what I am trying to do it just happens!! I keep trying to increase and yesterday decided to have something much earlier than usual as I wanted in increase calories (this sounds so strange) but as I had eaten about 11.45 I didn’t want anything lunch time. I just wasn’t hungry. I started getting hungry about 7pm this is my normal time to eat between 7 and 8.30 and so I had a pie (shouldn’t have been allowed but had to take out of freezer to pack veg in) potatoe wedges with peel on and southern fried coating and beans. Delicious!! But this still didn’t take me up to over 1100.

FBD is only for six weeks. so only 5 to go. Sunday I will have a roast. And a solero for dessert as this is only 95 calories and relatively low carb. I do like a dessert on Sunday.

So hopefully my journey may help the people struggling. All of the changes in the first few weeks were just due to the change in eating pattern. I didn’t choose them – they chose me. I find it strange that I am not drawn to certain foods but it is not that I am listening to my body it is telling me so it is much easier.

So all lurkers come on in. Take the plunge with 5:2 try it for 3 weeks and then assess. Take your measurements at the beginning, it is daunting to do but useful to look back on.

Sorry as post is a bit long, obviously on my soap box!!

Have a nice weekend all.

Ginette

hi

Ive been thinking about scales. I use the cheapest argos or tesco scales, cant remember but they were about 7 quid, mechanical. Inherited a digital set, weighs me 5kg heavier, but son same – though son is 5kg lighter on gym scales.

Jayes joys with scales had me thinking too.

So, checked on the internet, little chance of anyones scales being accurate, though in a good housekeeping test some £100 scales did well. Scales should be used for progress only, apparently.

So I did an experiment. I have calibrated jewellery scales, cost £740, but calibrated, tested recently by trading standards. Only weigh to 6 kg, but they are accurate. Weighed 6kg of stuff, weighed on my bathroom scales 9 kg.

Interesting.

Milena

I have gone from couch potato to exercise. The trick is to start slowly 10/15 minutes a time. I forgot to mention for Exerbeat you don’t need a board and I did get fed up with how quickly the batteries went in the board. As it takes 4 a time it can work out expensive…..obviously Gyms are more expensive!

The game Exerbeat isn’t cheap I think I found it for £20 the cheapest. I liked the fact that I could do just 10 mins a time on it…..impossible in a gym think how expensive that would work out. Also the beauty is that you don’t feel self concious. I would if I was in a gym. I can also do it anytime I want to. If I choose to work out at 11pm I can. I used to do 10/20 mins in the morning before I had my first cup of tea. I had already put the kettle on ready.

Now I do it early evening before dinner or sometimes before lunch. It is apparently more beneficial like this.

Hi Salma

Thank you for that. I hope it helps people realise that it it not straightforward and that by sticking to it there are enormous benefits to be had.

I am thrilled with my weight loss this week.

3lb is biggest loss I have had although I think I did have this one week before in the first few weeks. But although I don’t expect this every week it is a way of showing me that I made the right decision to join Milena on FBD. It was only really to keep her company!!

Ginette

Well done Ginette, 3lbs is fantastic!!! You seem to be finding it easy to keep your calorie intake low, maybe another 3lbs next week at this rate??

Onwards and downwards

Hi Simcoeluv

I knew you had brought it up before, but couldn’t find the message, very much appreciated.

I suppose the the marathon can be put on hold – such a shame but I’ve done one before, 6 months of my life I’ll never get back! lol!

Hi Ginette:

I just go with the research. I’m sure you have lost weight as you say, but the research shows that is not true for a vast majority of people.

I, for instance, at one time, went from being a couch potato to running over 30 miles a week. I lost quite a few inches from my waist, but gained five pounds for my efforts. So, if you talk to me about my personal experience, I would tell people not to exercise because they would gain weight. (But I don’t.)

My point is that personal results do not carry over and apply to everyone else. Just because a person does something and gets a certain result does not mean other people will get the same result.

There is nothing wrong with exercise, but people that think it helps with their weight loss are generally mistaken. What is even more sad is that the government, its doctors, and the weight loss industry, including gyms, trainers and exercise equipment makers, have done their best to convince people that a person just can’t lose weight unless they exercise. This often results in overweight people starting a diet and starting to exercise at the same time, and then injuring themselves. Just check the number of posts on this and other weight loss sites by people that are injured or in pain from their new exercise efforts. This often results in both the end of exercise and the end of the diet.

I think people starting a weight loss diet should put off starting to exercise until they first lose 20 or more pounds. Then, if they want to exercise, I believe they should start walking, and work from there. I believe that pattern is cheap, effective and safe for most people.

But that is just what I believe – I know many disagree.

Hi All,

Sorry for not posting sooner. Regarding the exercise, for the new folks, I’ve been using a modified form of 5:2 (recommended by my naturopath), modified as follows by eliminating the following foods:

1. Gluten (wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, eikorn) and all grains (with the possible exception of small amounts of amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat)
2. Dairy
3. Sugar
4. Soy
5. Peanuts
6. Corn
7. Eggs

I have gradually started introducing these, and honestly, many of these ingredients were in the six or so boxes of protein bars I’d bought before starting the 5:2 that I had to use up, but I only had those foods in the protein bars. I’m sure this was a large part of the progress I’ve seen.

In addition, he had me taking one of three different forms of fiber (I settled on psyllium because it was the least calories) three times daily, and 2 Tablespoons (American) three times daily as well. He also had me working out six times a week (occasionally five). Because I do aerial work, and was only trying to trim down by about 30 pounds/13.6 kilos/2.14 stone, I was already doing strength training plus aerial work thrice weekly. Once I started the 5:2 I started doing HIT/HIIT twice (mostly thrice) weekly as well.

These last couple of weeks I have done everything in my power to be at the goal set my the naturopath (110 pounds/49.9 kilos/7.9 stone) by the time of my visit with him yesterday. I did 4:3 earlier in the month, and then last week I fasted on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday (yes, two days back-to-back). I followed that up this week with alternate day fasting (Monday, Wednesday, and when I wasn’t at 110 pounds by yesterday morning, I fasted yesterday as well). Yesterday morning I weighed 110.3 pounds/50.03 kilos/7.88 stone). So close, but yet so far. However, as it turned out I was close enough that the naturopath said I no longer needed to have monthly visits with him any more. This morning I weighed 109.5 pounds/49.67 kilos/7.82 stone–surpassing my goal! I haven’t weighed this little since I was in my twenties!

At this point, I should by rights be on maintenance, however, since today is the last day of the week, I carried on with my old plan (mainly because I needed to make new meal cards). Because the aerial studio has been taken over since 9 April by another of the proprietor’s clients, my first day in the studio since then was this past Thursday. After tomorrow, I won’t be able to access to studio for another week and a half, so I was there today and will be back again tomorrow. Making new meal cards for the maintenance plan took a while, so I am late posting.

Regarding the refeeding idea discussed earlier in this thread, both the nutritionist and naturopath agreed that this is a good idea, and the naturopath even incorporated it in my maintenance plan.

I thought you might find his maintenance plan for me somewhat interesting. You know how when you use a TDEE calculator like this http://www.mayoclinic.org/calorie-calculator/ITT-20084939 that it comes up with four different calorie counts? Because of my aerials and being pretty active anyway, he said that on days when I’m not working out to use the “Somewhat Active” figure; on days when I workout to use the “Active” figure, and on refeed days to use the “Very Active” figure. At any rate, I thought you might be interested to know that. I’m not sure if you need to wait until you’re on maintenance to refeed. I only decided to wait because I was so close to my goal.

At work this week there was a quarterly meeting where cupcakes were given out. I wrapped mine up (it’s still in the fridge) because it was so close to the naturopath visit. There was also a monthly meeting I attend where they always have chocolate chip cookies. Again, I wrapped mine up. It’s still wrapped up and I’ll likely get to it next week. Tomorrow I’m going to a movie where I’ll have popcorn. Also next week, I will be attending a day-long conference featuring breakfast and lunch. It’s on a Wednesday–when I would normally have fasted, but now I’ve decided not to. At any rate, because of all that, I’m going to postpone going on my maintenance (including reducing exercise to 4-5 times weekly) until the following week. Also, except for the first week or so until now, my fast days have been pretty much water and psyllium only (in addition to my supplements). When I start maintenance I’ll actually be having up to 500 calories on my fast day.

Lots of changes! I’ll be here again, probably weekly, and will also catch you on the Maintenance thread. Happy fasts, feasts, and refeeds, one and all!

I have to agree with Simco on this. I have also exercised throughout my life but not really assessed my eating habits and problems long term, I never really lost weight and I had a personal trainer for years in Vancouver. That also never stopped my discs from more and more degeneration, in fact I know it was the cause on many occasion. So that plus my accident and subsequent disability has lead to me getting bigger and bigger by making bad food choices and not getting through a day without stuffing in high carb/high sugar foods. And I don’t even mean cakes, I mean bread, cereals, crumpets, tea cakes and hot cross buns. I like to read a lot and be informed. For years I knew things like weight watchers was a business out to make money, not to make me slim. But what alternative were there? Finally we have new science proving what a lot of us have known for a while and a way to lose and sustain weight loss forever. And let’s face it, it really isn’t that hard! We can have off days, weekends and weeks then we can get right back on it.

In Wales the NHS did a one year survey and the results were revealed recently. It’s been all over the ex news. They asked overweight people to exercise 3 times a week moderately for 30 mins, the government guild lines. Sadly not one person lost anything, in fact many gained. Combined with all the misinformation regarding high carb, low fat diets and all the other pop science that is utter rubbish, we have been fed the wrong facts for years. The government is now putting out new information about how food and the food choices we make, is what is making us fat, not lack of exercise!

I agree, what works for one person doesn’t for another. I believe you lost inches more from the diet Ginette because I have lost 32lbs in 10 weeks, 3 inches off my waist and 4 off my hips with no exercise at all. And to boot, I pushed myself into doing exercise to ‘help’ weight loss and have injured my knee back to the point of barely walking without terrible pain. In hindsight I was not physically ready for exercise and I’m losing terrific amounts of weight without it. I completely agree it’s a good idea to get moving and exercise to make you feel mentally better and for health benefits and Kudos to you for getting up and doing it. But more importantly you wrote here about how you have also decreased you treat allowance over the last few weeks not just this week and I think that has a bigger impact. Even the government now believe it’s FOOD, not lack of exercise that’s making us fatter. Not sure if Michelle Obama is still on the ‘our kids need to get off the couch’ band wagon in the States but she’s a lot of back peddling to do as more and more scientists and health professionals continue to reeducate the masses that food and in particular high sugar/high carb foods are at fault. Thank god at least we don’t use Fructose in our food here, sugar is evil enough. Even Michael says exercise is not a one size fits all. That many of us, including himself doesn’t lose weight by exercising. And that a few minutes of HIT a week is more beneficial to weight loss. As the new Mantra states: Dieting for weight loss, exercise combined, if you want to for a healthier life style.

For those of you that have the ability and the right makeup to become completely lean and 100% fit that’s fantastic.

Keep up the good work Ginette, you have really pushed through these last few weeks and it has shown for you on the scales and in your clothes. That is fantastic, YOU ROCK!

Jaye 🙂

Hi All

I have decided that it may be nice for you to have a week long challenge on the back of Jayes comments really.

Here is a bit from the Fat busting thread where Jaye had to,d me I would manage without mu “treats” for six weeks. I was really concerned about this and then thought well if Milena and Jaye are giving up wine and that’s for six weeks, I shall give it a go.

My reply:

Hi Jaye

Yes you were right it was easier than I thought. Thinking about it was the hardest part. Ha Ha

To those of you like me who like treats do as Jaye says try for a week. Maybe we should have a weekly challenge here. You can all support Milena, Jaye and I on our fast beach diet. What about that. For one week only.

Come on who is up for the challenge? The gauntlet is down replies soon please.

I still have carbs. I have them 2/3 times a week for dinner. Potatoes are my choice. I also have granary/wholemeal bread about 4 times a week although this week it will work out only 3. I have cut out cake, chocolate and the few sweets I had midget gems only about 12/15 a week normally. I don’t drink alcohol so no worries there. Also I don’t drink fizzy drinks never really have. Maybe once a year if I am travelling and it’s really hot I will have a can of lilt.

You can make sugar free jellies and have with yoghurt if you want something sweet. Or fruit and youghurt this is one of my favourites.

So not complete deprivation.

I was already eating under TDEE on this site I set mine about 350 lower. A lot of people have done this. Now without the treats I find I am only around 1000 hence the weight loss I would imagine……and with no real effort.

************

So now I set the same challenge here just for a week!

Who will do it?

Ginette

Hi All

Fran from LOACA is joining us for our weekly challenge.

Anyone else?

Ginette

Yes that is fine Salma. You can join the week after and cheer us on.

Milena

You are quiet tonight. Obviously busy.

Is Monday Fast day for you?

Ginette

Recipe here of a hairy bikers diet ok recipe.

370 calories so it would even fit in to a fast day.

Sounds delicious, I am having it this week.

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/535184/hairy-biker-s-spanish-style-chicken-bake

Ginette

Hello Everyone!

Back from my beach/cruise adventure! I had a wonderful time, gained 5 lbs & am now ready to get back on plan. I had a good fast today and plan another 2 days this week.

I can’t begin to catch up on all I missed here, so I’ll just jump in and start over from today. Hope you are all well.

After 1 fast day, 2 lbs of vacation fluff are gone! YAY! I even had a snack last night as I was feeling so tired and hungry. Probably had more like 700 calories for the day. But, I did do boot camp yesterday morning, so I burned extra calories.

An eating day today…hope I can keep to a sensible plan!

I don’t know Applepie! But I’m the same – I watched three episodes of ‘Masterchef’ yesterday! And a bit of Hairy Bikers!

Though also watched Aiden in Poldark – now that did put my mind of food for a while ‘sigh’! Even OH was moaning about having to wait for the next series – though son has promised to get the third Hobbit film for the weekend – I had a bit of a crush on him in that oh and Richard Armitage and Luke Evans. Is this this secret of successful fasting?

Hope you’ve been able to watch it in Spain – if not will send you the DVD as soon as it come out!

Hi Milena, I made it, it’s morning at last! Thanks for the offer but I can download everything I want here. I have loads backed up waiting to be watched, there are just never enough hours in the day to watch it all. I have never seen Poldark so can’t comment. And we haven’t watched this Masterchef series.

We are out tonight to a variety night at a local bar with neighbours. Tomorrow we are at a Scandinavian BBQ night, with our Swedish neighbours, the 30th April is a big event for them. I think it is to celebrate the end of the dark winter months and the start of summer, I will ask. It is being held at the local Scandinavian school.

Also tomorrow our lovely next door neighbour arrives, so no doubt more socialising there.

See, no time for tele.

Have I just dreamt that or have I really just sat and sewed the waistband of my elasticated skirt to tighten it and hopefully prevent it dropping spontaneously round my ankles?

Unbelievable!

Looking forward to the roast beef meal at tonight’s variety night, oh …….and the vino 🙂

Feeling a bit delicate this morning. A great night though. Photo on Facebook.

Anyone wanting to join us on FB see my profile.

I’ve just shopped at damart as I thought I would treat myself to a new skirt. I got a code of of one of those sites. It gave me 20% off and free delivery and an unexpected free gift what a result.

The items were all in the sale as well so I saved over £10 off of sale price.

If anyone here shops there this was the code I used if it helps anybody.

32ad4-aie

I just wanted to share my good fortune.

Off to bed now to dream about fitting into those now clothes all one size smaller. As Milena says incentive!!

Ginette

Thanks Salma

I will give this a go in a couple of weeks. My fridge is choc a bloc. I have just had a shopping delivery including youghurts and have to get through those. I am looking forward to experimenting.

Ginette