Fed up with messing around…..

This topic contains 28 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by cornish-jane 6 years, 6 months ago.

Viewing 29 posts - 1 through 29 (of 29 total)

Chasey

12:08 pm
15 Apr 18
Permalink

Hi, I’m a woman of a certain age (in her 50’s) and I am completely fed up with buggering about with diets. I’ve been on every diet known to man which we now know is the wrong thing to do. I have zero willpower and it doesn’t take much for me to fall off the rails, being a social bod. We know that when you get into your 50’s the weight does not want to shift but I really need to lose AT LEAST a stone, possibly a stone and a half and need to get a grip really. Would anyone like to “buddy up” on here as a support network? Maybe another lady of my age would like some help too, I know I need all the help I can get! Fed up with SW, WW etc….and can’t seem to stick to anything. I have done 5:2 before and it seemed to work but then life got in the way again. I believe this might actually work for me but…..
Anyway, if there’s anyone out there that might like a 5:2 friend, please let me know….. oh by the way, I’m starting tomorrow…..
Jane (Somerset)

Excelsior12309

1:43 pm
15 Apr 18
Permalink

Hi, Jane!
We know 5-2 will work IF we can stick to it. My problem time is 4 pm to 8 pm. I can be pretty good fasting thru the day, but those evening hours are killers! And it doesn’t take many calories extra to maintain the weight we DON’T want, I find.
I found last year, when I was very consistent in avoiding carbs such as bread, rice, and pastas, I did pretty well in losing steadily. Such foods really do seem to cause me to crave them, and lose some control. I don’t know if others experience the same thing.
Onwards and downwards!

Chasey

2:19 pm
15 Apr 18
Permalink

Hi Excelsior12309!
Are you being successful this time around on the 5:2? Yes they seem to be the killer times for me too…..I suppose you just need to recognise when the danger times are and plan accordingly.
I’m going to start tomorrow morning. I know when I did this before that I would miss breakfast as such and try to hold out till around middayish and then went through to the evening before having something else. What works for you?
I have to do this now, I can’t spend the rest of my life being miserable with myself….
Jane

Excelsior12309

12:38 pm
16 Apr 18
Permalink

Hi, Jane. Wondering whether you were able to start a fasting day, or what your plans are. One day at a time, or some days, one HOUR at a time to get through.
I like to have large amounts of vegetables at dinner time, because they do fill me up, and I actually do like vegetables. So that part is not difficult. I find if I am fasting and try to eat several times a day, it seems to increase my appetite, and fasting is harder for me.

Chasey

1:05 pm
16 Apr 18
Permalink

Ah thanks for keeping in touch, it does help.
My first day today and I seem to be doing okay, so far! Haven’t had anything yet but have just bought some seafood (182 cals)going to have that with a large salad. Fancy something savoury now, I used to have porridge at this time of day which seemed to last longer. Will be having something about 6pm then, or later if I can hold on.
I agree with you about taking it one hour at a time though! I suppose it’s because we never really let ourselves get really hungry and we often eat by the clock.
Hope you’re doing okay. Please feel free to keep in touch with me, I need all the help I can get….doesn’t take much for me to fall off the wagon. I did weigh myself this morning too, if that doesn’t spur me into action, nothing will!
Jane

fasting_me

2:04 pm
16 Apr 18
Permalink

Speaking of eating by the clock, I suggest a clock strategy for reminding yourself not to eat: set the timer. If you feel yourself being hungry, set the timer for 2 hours and have a big glass of water or cup of tea. Tell yourself that you won’t eat while the timer is ticking and go do something else. When the timer rings, repeat the above process.

Good luck, Chasey-Jane. Mind the dressing on the salad — lots of calories can lurk there.

Excelsior, we eat twice a day on Fast Days: breakfast and late afternoon. Today we had egg-avocado-crab-cottage cheese baked in a dish for breakfast. Really fast and easy. Tonight we’ll have a variation on ‘mixed sushi’ with brown rice, grilled beef, smoked salmon, egg, and cucumber.

Chasey

2:47 pm
16 Apr 18
Permalink

Hiya, no dressing on the salad just a dessertspoon of malt vinegar. How virtuous am I? I just hope it lasts….. I keep running to the loo today so that must be good. I’m drinking green tea and black coffee today in between meals. Feel okay today I must say. I wonder whether that’s because it’s the first day and the body is getting rid of fluid etc…..
Thanks for keeping in touch, by the way whereabouts are you?
Jane

Chasey

6:13 pm
16 Apr 18
Permalink

Just had my meal for the evening. It was a noodle pot meal as I really wanted to get one good day under my belt. 262 cals and it was lovely. Noodles and chicken really but it tasted soooooo good! Now for a black coffee and an early night!

pudsy

7:47 pm
16 Apr 18
Permalink

Hello guys. Hope you don’t mind me joining this conversation. I just started the 5:2 with this week being my second week and today being my 3rd fasting day. Based on BMI and activity level, I have calculated that I need to stay under 400 Kcal on my fast days. I am not really sure I have lost any weight this first week. My main question is what are people eating when they are not fasting? I thought with this approach to dieting, on a non-fast day one could eat what they would normally eat?? Am I wrong in thinking this? Problem is, what I normally eat includes things like chocolate and biscuits…….

Chasey

8:58 pm
16 Apr 18
Permalink

Hi, personally I don’t think you need to drop down as low as 400 cals on a fasting day. Having read a lot of the book, the idea is for women to have 500 cals on a fasting day and men can have 600. This is basically a quarter of what you would have on what they call a “normal” day. I suppose what I’m saying is….that by cutting down to 500 cals, you then have your “normal” 2,000 on your non-fasting day. It’s meant to make you feel a) less hungry in the long run and b) helps you make healthier choices on your other days. I found that when I did this before, I really didn’t go mad on the non-fasting days, but the freedom was there if you wanted something that would be looked upon as “naughty”.
Make sense? There are loads of people on here that have been doing this for a long time and it seems to work for them…….
Good luck!

cornish-jane

7:36 am
18 Apr 18
Permalink

Hello @chasey – come and join us in the monthly challenges for some inspiration! It would be great to have another west country faster joining me in the prime of life! 5:2 is working great to me and I have also moved onto a mediterranean diet and now removed most animal protein so eat mostly plants – including some very naughty treats – such as the utterly brilliant cakes at the Cornish Vegan in Truro! How were your first few fast days?

Chasey

8:07 am
18 Apr 18
Permalink

Another Jane from the West Country? How marvellous!
Well I did my first fast day on Monday this week and it was fine. Actually I then realised that I wasn’t starving when I woke up yesterday. Never sure how that works but I went with it and just ate basically what I wanted yesterday, which was great. Obviously I tried to stay away from anything really naughty but it was nice to have the freedom back.
So today is my second fasting day. Just out of interest I’m going to pop on the scales tomorrow morning just to see how the first week’s gone. I’m going to have to plan carefully next week as I’m going away and have a lot of social events so will have a look and see how next week’s going to pan out.
Nice to hear from you Jane!

cornish-jane

7:20 am
25 Apr 18
Permalink

Hello @chasey – how was your first week? Hope you are enjoying your fasting and settling into a routine.

Chasey

8:03 am
25 Apr 18
Permalink

Hi cornish-jane….thanks for asking! I did well last week (first week) and lost 3.2lbs which I was thrilled with. I’ve been away in Spain since last Thursday so I just relaxed and ate what I liked. I was staying with my friend who’s a chef and she lives by the mantra of eat a little of everything that you like. So I did. I had no low-fat food at all as she just doesn’t have it in. I had full-fat natural Greek yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast and then lived on olives, lean ham, lovely seeded bread and lovely Manchego cheese. We overdid the wine intake a bit but that was to be expected. I then flew back yesterday so I fasted all day. I just jumped on the scales this morning to see where I am and I’ve lost another half a pound, unbelievable!
SO in answer to your question, yet I’m doing fine thanks. How are you doing? I’m keeping a mote of my weight on a weekly basis, so I will weigh in at the end of this week once I’ve done one more fasting day….
Jane

cornish-jane

5:36 pm
26 Apr 18
Permalink

Hello Chasey – so great to hear about your successful week and holiday. My first holiday on 5:2 I gained 3kgs and it was a real shock! I should have learned from you and ate good food, which I try and do now – even when away.

I’m doing well – down another 1kg last week and down 26kg in total so far. I’ve got another 9-16kgs to go. I’m not sure of the exact amount I need to lose as I’ve never been at healthy weight as an adult! Shocking I know, but I’m aiming for the 9 kgs to get to BMI 25 and then get my waist to below half my height and then go into 5:2 ‘maintenance’. Will take the rest of the year I reckon, but I’m hoping to keep going and get there.

Let us know how you get on.

Chasey

9:21 pm
26 Apr 18
Permalink

Oh what a brilliant result! I have nowhere near that amount to lose but we’re all doing this for various reasons aren’t we? Well done on your results so far.
I’m fasting again today so will weigh in the morning and see where I stand again. Slowly slowly but it seems to be working for me…..
Jane

fasting_me

3:35 pm
30 Apr 18
Permalink

Are you Fasting today, Chasey? Jane?

You’ve had some good results, cornish-Jane. Nice work. And the other benefit of having stayed with this Lifestyle is that you will have developed a sustainable way of eating that will help you in the future.

Fasting today: Cornmeal stars with yogurt and fruit for breakfast. For dinner, chicken and chickpeas in puttanesca sauce with asparagus.

cornish-jane

6:06 pm
30 Apr 18
Permalink

Hello @fasting_me and @chasey. Yes, fasting day today. Mondays tend to go well as I am busy and can’t think about food. My OH has made a veggie stew for supper and it smells lovely bubbling away on the cooker. Surprisingly low cal if prepared without oil. I’ll skip breakfast tomorrow and do 2hrs yoga in the fasted state – which i really look forward to. 5:2 is changing the way i feel about my body.

@fasting_me i think you’ve been doing 5:2 for a long time. Do you feel different about your body now compared to when you started?

fasting_me

11:36 pm
30 Apr 18
Permalink

Cornish, I’ve been Fasting for 5 years. I like the fact that I’m slimmer and sleeker. I like that when I walk, there is no jiggling in my lower back. I am at the weight I was in 8th grade!
Make sure that you are getting enough protein in your diet, all days of the week. We need to maintain muscle mass.

Chasey

7:04 am
1 May 18
Permalink

Hello! Fasted yesterday which was fine. I strangely look forward to the fasting days now. I change them each week to suit my social events and it seems to be going ok.
Can both of you just let me know how much you usually lose on a weekly basis? I’m thinking that this will be a slow process which is okay but I need to have some idea of what to aim for. Do you eat anything special on the non-fasting days? I usually eat “normally”…..try not to go overboard on anything and try to keep the carbs as low as I can…..that just suits me though, I’ve never been a big bread and pasta eater.
Keep going eh?
Jane

cornish-jane

7:25 am
2 May 18
Permalink

@chasey – I average just over 0.5kgs lost a week, which seems really typical on standard 5:2. Its not a lot compared to crash diets but very effective long term. My weight loss varies a lot week by week and I nearly gave up a few times after unsuccesful weeks. So prepare yourself for a few challenges and you will thank yourself for being mentally strong.

I follow a plant-based mediterranean diet on the non-fast days and don’t calorie count. It can lead to slip-ups and bad weeks, but I needed to find a long-term change to what I eat as I don’t want to return to old bad habits and gain the weight back.

If you want quicker weight loss i would go for 3 fast days a week or alternate day fasting rather than ‘daily dieting’. I think it shifts more weight loss compared to muscle loss and keeps the metabolism up. But its harder to stick to. Thats why i’ve settled on standard 5:2!

I too enjoy fast days!

Chasey

7:40 am
2 May 18
Permalink

Hi…..oh this is all very helpful thanks…..and it’s nice to have some support.
I’ll be thrilled with 0.5kg per week, that sounds very reasonable to me. Seeing as I was doing SW for years and basically losing nothing, anything will be a bonus.
I tend to do either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday as fasting days, seem to work best for me. I usually see how the week’s going to pan out and then chose my days.
I wasn’t expecting to lose anything last week as I’d been out of the country with friends but I was delighted to stay the same. Usually when I’d been away for 5 days in the past, I would’ve put on about 4lbs!
Will keep you posted……fasting today, weigh in tomorrow again….
Jane x

cornish-jane

7:10 am
9 May 18
Permalink

@chasey – hows it going? The last few weeks have been really good for me with a good loss each week, but i know from experience i will stall soon! It tends to be 3 weeks of losses and 1 week of no loss! Hopefully not this week. I’ve been cutting back on the wine a bit recently and it seems to help. Replacing it with light beer seems to help weight loss – really don’t understand why as its more carbs!

We had a great bank holiday in Cornwall. Like high summer – couldn’t believe our luck so i relaxed and enjoyed it! Makes me want to live in the south of france.

Chasey

7:36 am
9 May 18
Permalink

Hi, nice to hear from you. Yes what fabulous weather we had last weekend, and over the bank holiday too, amazing……
Yes I’m good thanks. Total loss is 4.4lbs so I’m pleased with that. Lost 1.2lb last week and seeing as I was away in Mallorca the week before, that was fine.
I fasted yesterday and am trying to work out when I can do another day, this week’s tricky. So I thought I might have breakfast and lunch today and then fast from 4pm today till 4pm tomorrow. Looking at the diary, I can’t seem to fit another day in this week unless I do it like that. My husband has also got on board with the 5:2….. now that is a wow!! He’s type 2 diabetic and has been read the riot act by his diabetic nurse. He needs to get some weight off before August now (she’s given him till then to do something about his weight) He fasted yesterday too and said it was fine…..so long may that last!
Off to have some breakfast now, thanks for keeping in touch
Jane

cornish-jane

7:15 am
11 May 18
Permalink

Hi @chasey – you are doing so good! And great your husband has started 5:2 as well. I also fast with my husband and we do the same fast days and share an evening meal. Its a massive help and stops me cheating when I see he has an eye on me! He’s very close to healthy weight now. I’ve got 7kgs to lose to get to BMI 25, so a bit behind him, but not far…

My husband’s blood sugar has gone down from 6.1 to 5.1 after following 5:2 for 10 months. Not sure if its the fasting, the weight loss (over 20kgs) or the change in diet (mediterranean diet and plant based for the last 3 months). Probably all 3! All his other blood markers, blood pressure, pulse etc are really good and he’s really chuffed about it – nice for me as i have to live with him and he’s a lot happier!

Chasey

1:34 pm
14 May 18
Permalink

Hiya…….
Had a busy weekend socially which is never good as it always includes food and drink! Was out Friday night, Saturday night and for Sunday lunch. Fasting today but I must admit I’m struggling a bit. Feel like I need to make much more of an effort on my non fasting days. I’m not going “off the rails” as such, I think it’s just socialising that finishes me off. Going to struggle with 2 days again this week as I’m going away tomorrow to,stay with family till Thursday…..then out Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday again!
Will keep plodding on though, if I give up, I have no idea what to do!
Jane

cornish-jane

6:53 am
17 May 18
Permalink

@chasey – yeah i agree socialising makes things tricky. For me one glass of wine seems to unlock the snack dragon! And when I visit people many repeatedly offer me food when they know i am trying to lose weight. Its meant kindly but its hard to resist! But then i see you are a social bod so you must have some strategies up your sleeve – do you not go out on fast days?

Chasey

8:46 am
22 May 18
Permalink

Hi! We seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet on a lot of thing here. I too unleash the snack dragon once I’ve had a glass of wine, the two seem to go together so well!
I try not to meet up with friends on the fasting days, there’s no point sitting there with a glass of water, especially with MY friends!
Once again this week is becoming a challenge. I had a hugely social weekend and was starving yesterday for some reason. I am now fasting today and Thursday this week but I fear that I will only be clawing back my socialising at the weekend and not making any progress this week. This is the problem though……I don’t make a concerted effort to go off the rails, it just seems to happen!
Hope you’re doing better than me…….
Thanks for keeping in touch
Jane x

cornish-jane

5:00 pm
25 May 18
Permalink

Hi Chasey – I am doing fine, but this is my 11th month on 5:2 so I have got into the swing of things. Saying that, this month is a bit slower, me having only lost 1.4kgs so far, but I hope to reach my 2kg monthly target by next Friday! How did your week go? Sounds like you may have been derailed by a bit of partying! I think my month is slow as I’ve had some parties/dinners over the weekends and I just eat more than I would at home. But what is life without friends?! Just have to make sure I fit in the fasting, which I have done quite well so far, so just have to keep going. I am down to 77.6 kg, which is 171lbs, so its important to me to keep going to get rid of the last 30lbs. I try and focus on the week ahead rather than thinking how long it might take to get to the finish line – which is really another starting line – as I will have to work out how to keep the weight off this time!