Hi Lulabella

It isn’t very nice when no-one responds to your post but you are right; sometimes the site is quiet.

I’ve read that you only have 7lbs to go anyway; so I wouldn’t beat yourself up for being human and lacking a bit of will on a certain day.

Just get back on the wagon tomorrow; that’s the beauty of this dieting regime. Only 2 days out of 7; so in reality you have 7 per week goes at completing a fast day.

I think your mistake with my username might be freudian?

Though I do make a lot of boobs!

Hi lulabella, I’m sorry I didn’t see your post until after you were probably long asleep(not a lot of help in deciding about dinner, huh? 🙂 ) sounds like you made a good decision. Don’t let one slip up get you down, that’s the great thing about this way of eating don’t you think? the flexibility is wonderful. Plus, you lost 2 lbs! I sneak in the occasional off schedule weigh in myself. LOL.

Hi PreciousBooBoo, just want to say I really enjoy reading your posts. Haven’t noticed a lot of booboo’s. 🙂 you are always so encouraging, thanks for being so helpful.

wishing you both a great day.

Hi MountainMyst and lulabella

I think this happens with a lot of people despite the ‘notify me’ option; so I’ve only just located your posts and had the time to respond.

I would need matchsticks on my eyes if I was posting at 6.40ish in the morning-that is dedication lulabella!

Thank you MountainMyst for your kind words. There is someone else out there after all.
Like some other folk; I too like to think I’m not just ‘talking to myself’ especially when I do go out of my way to encourage other people then often don’t get a response because they don’t check after posting.
I don’t do that so I make myself look good and caring; I do that because I am a good and caring person. I also don’t like to see lonely posts with no or few responses. I don’t need other people to instruct me to do this; I do it quite naturally precisely because I don’t want people to feel ignored.

But thank you for thanking me; I too need encouraging and acknowledging sometimes. For example: in my thread
‘Help – all ladies of a certain age please respond’ I specifically asked those women at my stage of life to tell me their experiences to give me some much needed encouragement because my weight loss was and still is verrry slow.

I held off saying anything about my losses until I had hit a figure worth mentioning (only 9lbs but a hard won 9lbs) and did so on that thread and ……not one person reading it congratulated me.
Not one; do you find that strange or is it just me? I also posted it on another thread and one kind soul congratulated me and that was it.

I should have added there; got that off my chest now.
How are you both doing? We are all human with all the failings that includes

I totally agree with your response rockyromero though I find it a bit glib; but it is still nice to be congratulated when you are the type of person who goes out of their way to encourage, welcome, support and congratulate others.

Hi PreciousBooBoo
Just to say I understand exactly how you feel! I know you have been contributing for a long time, so the issue is a bit different to the one I raised in ‘it’s not just about the posts’ about newbies not getting responses, but I still have not had anyone make any comments about ‘my story’ in the May to December topic – tho I haven’t checked it today. (I now know I should have done what USA later suggested and started a new topic.)
There are just so many people posting now, which is great, but it can be easy to miss posts that if you HAD seen them you would have made a reply.
I must admit that I don’t use the ‘notify me’ option because I access this forum via my iPad but the email address I registered is not one I use on the iPad…silly, but I didn’t know of the consequences when I registered.
I am also a lady of a certain age, but haven’t yet contributed to that topic (I don’t think??) because it seems very active. I more often add my comments to topics with less discussion. But the more topics you contribute to, the more time consuming it is to keep on top of them all!!
Anyhow, belated congrats for your weight loss. Well done, especially as it has been hard won 😀 I am sure you will keep up the good work – hopefully you still are getting enough from contributing to this forum for the forum to be a support to you.
Best wishes
Sassy

Hi Humphrey
You raise lots of points that I would think many of us ponder!
Does addiction play a role here?
Do we turn to food/drink out of a lifetime habit of doing so? As you infer, does it seem easier to do this than find other solutions?
Do we want instantaneous solutions, and somehow the immediacy of the nice taste of choc/alcohol/etc has greater power than the benefits that come from not having these?
Do we say we can’t give up x,y, or z because we really don’t want to?
Do we sometimes actually want to fail because we get perverse pleasure from it?
Over-eating/drinking certainly is a western issue. I understand that there are now more people in the world with obesity issues than those who are malnourished…

@humphrey
“I wish that we could have contentment classes at school. You know, finding things to do and be that makes us happier in ourselves,”

Those classes already exist, although they may go by different names.

We can be content and happy without external stimulation. Many of us don’t believe it.

The discipline that fasting brings to us is a subtle form of joy and happiness that we rediscover in other areas besides food and drink. When we remove food and drinks and even people from our fasting days, what remains is ourselves.

Being comfortable with ourselves begins the process of happiness. Of course, how we use our alone time makes a difference. The trap exists of watching TV where others have drama, and solve situations with foods and drinks, and advertisements appear that drives the messages of happiness found through more foods and drinks.

Fasting is a subtle happiness revolution which is dangerous to the profits of the establishment.

➰

Hi Sassy

I’m sorry this reply to you is so late; I only look at the site intermittently and then sometimes only for 10 minutes or so. So there is no time to properly respond to a post like yours above.

You are clearly a good hearted person but you are right; it’s not quite the same situation as yours was (initially). If you give lots of other people pats on the back for their successes then I do think it is only human and natural to desire the same for yourself.

I do look at the May to December thread from time to time and have posted on it but I wouldn’t necessarily post a specific response to you on it; if I was going to comment I would address it to Lindy because it is the thread she started and ‘maintains’.
I hasten to point out here that this is how I approach the threads; other people will do their own thing.

Someone else advised that you start your own thread and ‘tell’ us your story of your fast diet experience; this is where I would respond to you directly. So I think it is entirely understandable that no-one responded to you direct on that site.
So have you started a thread yet?

You also mentioned that ‘contributing to the site will be a support to you’ – I’d have to disagree with that really. I contribute because I don’t want to be a silent member.

After reading your post; I started to think about what keeps me still looking at the site when the support/encouragment is so one way.

And it is this, as Couscous mentioned; I read many more posts than I contribute to and I read time and time again that men and women all over the world, at all different stages of their lives are on this eating regime and, in the main, it is working for them.
They are losing weight and much, much more importantly, they are improving their health.

Many of those are people like me, who have spent their lives trying to lose weight, losing it and then usually gaining it back and then some just for good measure.
The signs are, going by research carried out by the other 5:2 diet and now anecdotally on this site; that this regime allows them to maintain their weight loss – period.

So that is why I keep looking at this site; it reinforces that, in the main, this diet works for people. I used to give newbies this advice when they first posted; read back at many of the posts and you will be seriously motivated.

Hi Sassy (like your username by the way)

Firstly, can I say; you don’t have to apologise for getting my motivation for sticking with this site wrong. I just wanted to make my point.

The other 5:2 diet is the original one developed by Dr Michelle Harvie and Professor Tony Howell who, if I remember correctly (I have their book; I just can’t seem to put my hands on it right now) run a clinic for breast cancer.
They developed this diet about ten years ago, to help their patients – Amazon describes it as ‘revolutionary and clinicly proven’. Michael mentions it several times in his book. They carried out studies on the patients that followed their eating plan and as I said above; the results are very encouraging both in the short and long term.

I decided to buy both books and take the ‘best bits’ out of both. In my opinion (though I don’t want to put anyone off considering both) the 2 day diet is the harder to follow because it is much more restrictive in what you can consume on the other 5 days.
I also feel though (and this is just my opinion before someone decides I need correcting-I don’t mean you Sassy), that those hardy souls who can follow it to the letter will actually be more healthy in the long run because the food for the fast days and the other 5 is a mediteranean diet and the alcohol levels allowed are pretty low.

Most people know that alcohol isn’t a good idea for the body full stop but lord, life would be awfully dull without it to blur some of the harsh realities it can throw at you. I also think that the food it focuses on would be much more healthy for my body than the food I choose to eat following the fast diet.

But I think that is one of the fast diet’s greatest attributes; you personally decide how much alcohol you wish to consume if any and likewise choose your own food types/quantities.

I would say that this is the main reason for the fast diet’s runaway success – it’s only 2 days a week and you are really not restricted in any way (except maybe not to go too mad on the other 5 if you want to lose weight consistently).

I mean, honestly, apart from the hunger and for me, the long sleepless nights….it couldn’t be easier!

Hi PreciousBooBoo (other readers most welcome too, another essay from me!!)
Totally agree with the reasons you suggest for why this WOE works; now we just have to wait a few years to confirm that people can maintain it and the weight loss for the longer term. This is the critical issue for me, and no doubt many others, who lose weight then put it all and more back on again – for me, this is cos I slowly but surely add back in foods I had cut out or restricted. I am really hoping that by continuing to have fast days, that this will continue to help me not (or at least only rarely) over-indulge on other days. (I just looked at the recent article by MM on coffee vs smoothies where he mentions prospective studies – that is what is needed to compare different ‘diets’.)
I wonder how many people who have had lifetime weight issues can stick to food eating regimes where they totally cut out foods considered not healthy by that eating regime? I really admire those who can, but I feel that generally if someone has that amount of willpower, then they probably have not had ongoing weight issues. Something I fail to understand is why I, and no doubt many others, who consider themselves intelligent, are not able to manage the intake of non healthy foods, when I know what it is doing to my body. (There has been some discussion on this in earlier posts on this topic.)
A personal note re alcohol. Fortunately – or unfortunately – it has been many years since alcohol had a ‘positive’ impact on me. Occasionally it may make me feel relaxed and happy, but generally it goes from just being a drink to something that makes me feel ill!!! Can’t recall when it started – possibly associated with menopause??
Re other things that help me with this WOE, I have never had sugar in hot drinks, and gave up adding milk when at college. My basic diet for a long time has been large salad for lunch and lots of veggies for dinner. What hasn’t helped me in the past was large portion sizes at all meals of the non-veg as well, and chocolate. Reducing the former has been relatively easy, and I have cut back a lot on the chocolate, but really don’t want to give it up – I do try to savour it more tho (as also mentioned earlier). I do crave something sweet a lot of the time, but so far am managing to resist most of the time – as others have mentioned, once one starts on the sweet stuff, it is hard to stop…
Are your sleepless nights just on fast days, or in general? Many women have problems sleeping, especially as we get older… I don’t have any tips on how to change this tho.
By the way, just looked at the source of your name – 🙁 that you no longer have your precious pet, but 🙂 good to retain the memory.
Sassy (it’s nice that you like the name 🙂 )

Fair enough rockyromero! I acknowledge that there are far more strategies than just willpower 🙂 But I think it is a philosophical question as to whether we all have weight issues – it depends on your interpretation of ‘weight issues’. My OH never gave a thought to what he ate or how he exercised until he was nearly 60yo (he is an eat to live not live to eat person, and not at all sporty), and has always been slim and healthy. Now he still eats whatever he feels like but does 30min on the treadmill most days (and that is a strategy, I know, but he managed for years without any conscious strategies for managing his weight and health). I may be missing the point you are making tho…

Hi rockyromero, you have obviously had great success with your approach. 🙂 I especially agree with you re how little food we need to get thru the day. I don’t think I want to see all food as just fuel tho – I do still want to eat and enjoy foods such as chocolate, the occasional cake etc, even tho I know that the body doesn’t need them!! 😀

Hi lulabella and Sassy

Firstly: lulubella – sorry we seemed to have hi-jacked your thread. Please come back and reclaim it! and tell us how it is going for you.

Hi Sassy

You should start your own thread; then we can chat on that – you mentioned above that you are trying to think of a ‘focus’ for one but you don’t need to really. Just say ‘Hi Sassy here’ and away you go!

Regarding your sweet tooth; I saw a fab machine advertised in summer called Yonannas (hope I’m not going to be flogged because of indirect advertising!)
You use frozen banannas and other fruits and the machine grinds it into a lovely ice-cream mixture.
I thought at the time about all the fast dieters with a sweet tooth but never got round to mentioning it.

It’s not choclate admittedly but you can add your own ingredients to the basic recipes; so people add those little choclate bits that you use for cake making etc.
I thought the potential was endless and the greatest thing of all is that it is dairy free, has no additives and you control the calories/ingredients etc.
We love ice-cream in our house so we would consider this a real healthy treat.

Regarding your comments about cutting out certain foods; I would think the best way around that is to try to seriously cut down on them but don’t cut anything out.
If I have to ‘cut out’ eating anything at all; that is the first thing I want to eat! It’s a psychological thing isn’t it?

When you dieted in the past, like most of us, you cut out eating certain foods then gradually, because you are only human, you introduced them again and gained weight. So if you were to lose your weight still consuming those foods but much less so or replacing some of them with the above; you wouldn’t be in that same position again. I don’t have a sweet tooth but I do like to have wine at weekends and really that is why I’m on this version of a fast diet and not the 2 day diet I told you about.

Regarding my sleepless nights; my insomnia has got steadily worse since becoming a lady of a certain age. But on fast days; it is horrendous. I can lie literally for the entire night and not sleep a wink. It’s actually quite gruelling just lying there – wide awake and your mind whirring. However, it is a sign of just how much I want to lose some weight that I am prepared to put up with it. I did remark to my husband the other day; that it’s just aswell that I don’t work anymore because I feel wrecked the following day.
Still no pain no gain!

Hi Sassy

Have just read your post above again (didn’t have time to answer to other day).

And I’m having a good laugh to myself about your suggestion that I get up and do some cleaning when I can’t sleep!!! If I did that my husband would have me committed! He would think I had finally gone off my head and take the only chance he might have to get rid of me…

The very thought – I detest cleaning at the best of times; it’s a necessary evil. So the thought of me creeping around (so as not to wake my husband who doesn’t have insomnia) and dusting and stuff; very very quietly – very funny indeed but it’s not going to happen! On a more serious note; I try very hard to avoid drugs from the doctor if I can so popping pills is a no no for me.

I love the thought of your dogs being in bed under the covers; whilst you are sitting posting – very 21st century.
What kind of dogs are they?

Hi,

I think that one reason that other diets don’t work is because you are expected to give up the foods that you love FOREVER.

What I did with the 5:2 is instead of giving up something forever you just have to give them up for 2 days a week. Another thing that I do is to not eat certain things at certain times or in certain places. I spend a lot of time in the car driving from one work site to another. There is a certain coffee flavored toffee that I used to eat in the car. So now I don’t have any in the car and won’t eat it there. Another thing that I did was to NOT eat a dessert after a meal.

So I suggest that if there are things that you know you shouldn’t eat than don’t allow yourself to eat them when or where you have in the past.

Quick

Hi Sassy

I don’t normally look at this site on Saturdays – I’m supposed to be checking our emails and saw your post.

Love the dog’s names! Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite Jane Austens but Persuasion is my absolute fave. That sounds like a perfect recipe for happiness to me and my husband; snuggling up together in bed with two boisterous puppies for company.

And it’s your wedding anniversary – you don’t say how many years?

I think it is fab that you have managed to fit into your wedding dress again (thanks to fast diet!) – are you going to wear it tonight for your special meal?! Ha Ha
The staff at the restaurant would think Miss Haversham had wandered in if your husband left you alone at the table for any length of time.

I hope your husband appreciates having a wife who (now) has the figure she used to have when he married her?

Anyway have a lovely wedding anniversary together and blow the TDEE for this special occasion.

Lovely post Sassy. Am a mother of sons too. Totally lurve Colin Firth. Adore him in Love Actually. A great film to watch in the run up to Christmas. Aw bless. X

Happy Anniversary Sassy

I’m not watching movies. I am feeling a bit glum after a three day weekend which included two paellas, birthday breakfast pancakes, lots of spoonfulls of Nocilla (like Nutella) and has left me feeling rather bloated and crappy today.
I had some successes though: like eating very few of the pre lunch nibbles (I used to be a food table hoverer and hated it even while I was doing it), and not eating ANY pancakes while cooking them….. Actually those are the only success :p the next success will be another successful fast day today though, I’m going to do 4:3 to balance things out a bit. And I have added Nocilla to my banned foods list (Nutella us the only other item on the list) so that will increase success in the future.
All the best everyone 🙂

Hi Lulabelle, and all,

Fasting and starving, drinking ginger tea. The weather is cold and so am I. Planning on going all out eating tomorrow. Cincinnati chili, potatoes, bread.
Anything I want. Problem is, tomorrow I won’t want it. Just dreaming…

Thanks Nika. I did actually end up watching 101 Dalmations! I can mostly understand kid’s movies these days which is pretty cool. And I can call it ‘study’ ;p Felt much better after a day of around 450 cal yesterday. Still a bit bloated though so maybe something else contributed too.

Haha Piper isn’t it funny! When I first started (3 weeks ago – I’m way not yet an old timer!) I would dream of having chicken schnitzel or something the next day, then feel disappointed about not feeling like it when the time came around. Now I just crave homemade pork ribs (maybe it’s a good and super delicious combo of protein and fat), which I still feel like the next day. And we have some in the freezer which are on the menu for the weekend. Can’t wait!!

Hi Nika and everyone

I totally agree with you Nika; the title ‘Sabotaged’ is a good thread for saying anything at all where you feel you were thwarted.

Lulabella hasn’t come back to reclaim it which is a shame; I don’t know if you are out there Lulabella because I only get time to read about 10% of the forum.
If you haven’t posted lately; let us know how you are doing