Hello all,

I’m not really new to the forum but been away for a while. I lost 16 kilos the first time I was on here and reached my target weight. I enjoyed reading everyone’s stories, successes and struggles and the forums really helped me. Since then my weight gradually crept up and I put 3 kilos back on over the last 18 months. Not too bad I don’t think especially as I haven’t really been dieting during that time and enjoying everything I love although in moderation. However it’s time to lose those 3 kilos and get back down to my target weight. So I’m back on here!

Although I haven’t had it diagnosed in myself, I have a family history of diabetes and heart disease resulting in the sad loss of my lovely mum a few years back. My weight loss goal was to get out of the overweight range and back to the middle of the healthy BMI for my height, which I did. So my reasons were for health but I can’t deny the absolute pleasure of getting back into my old jeans and dresses and shopping for new clothes back in size 10.

The fast diet really worked for me because I finally realised after using the calculator on the website that at 5 foot 1 inch (about 153 cm I think), I need to eat much smaller amounts of food than the average height person. That’s why I failed in previous diets sticking to, say, 1500 calories. I even put on weight when I went to a couple of Slimming Clubs in the past. Actually weighing food at first and recording all my calories (I used My Fitness Pal) was incredibly useful too.

The Fast diet also worked for me as it made me realise that being hungry is OK! In fact now back on the diet for a week, I recognise the hunger pangs and welcome them as they make me realise that I am burning fat not food and hunger is a sign that I will be losing weight. I also learned that the hunger will pass. I don’t have to feed it.

I’ve never been much of a breakfast eater – just not hungry in the morning and have a few cups of coffee instead. According to all other weight loss and eating advice, we should be having breakfast as the most important meal of the day. It was great to hear from Michael that it isn’t the only way. I’m happy to have no breakfast except coffee with a bit of milk that counts to my calorie total, just a snack (such a miso soup or a boiled egg) early afternoon, then look forward to my evening meal even if I am hungry in the afternoon. So the fast diet really fits in with my body’s own rhythm.

So, that’s a bit about me. I look forward to being part of the Fast community again.

Red Dog

Hi Fasting_me,

Good question!
I picked a target weight based on reaching a BMI of 23. My starting BMI was 29 which was Overweight and almost into the Obese category (30). I picked 23 as it was right in the middle of the Healthy range and also at the weight I was for a long time before I started putting on weight in my 40s.

I also had lots of small targets that I celebrated on the way like the first kilo, first 5, reaching healthy BMI of 25 etc.

I also knew I had to start dieting as I was in size 14 (UK/Australia) clothes and they were starting to get too tight for me and I had to buy a size 16 blouse for work so that the short sleeve cuff would fit around my upper arm.

So the size 10 wasn’t really a target but I was size 10 for many years and had some lovely clothes in that size that I had kept. I have given away all the size 14/16 clothes now.

Thanks for the encouragement. If I lose around a pound a week I will lose the 3 kilos in time for mid December when I go back to the UK to see my family.

What are your targets?

I’m the same – if I have breakfast even though I’m not hungry then, I am hungrier sooner and eat more at lunchtime. If I’m not hungry in the evening on a non-fast day (usually if I have had a high protein lunch), I might go without a meal and just have something like a small bowl of cereal with milk later. Goes back to my childhood, if we were hungry we got a bowl of cereal.