Count me in. Thanks for hosting @at

USA

Sorry! I meant to say AT. I don’t know where my brain is today!!! Thank you AT!

I’m definitely in!! Thanks @at for hosting!!

Feeling under the weather, but feeling good about December. I’m in. Bring it on!

First time joining in on the challenge, but not first time fasting. Great to find a place for moral support. EOD works best for me, with zero calories during fasting days. Working towards getting insulin under control and peri-menopause brain fixed. Traumatic brain injury recently has me wondering which symptoms are from that and which are from age/insulin. Fasting 36+ hours helps a lot. I need to make several lifestyle changes to help my brain function again.

Day 1 – Japan – NFD

Water fast went well. I’ve been thinking of changing up my routine and maybe doing something different as weight isn’t really an issue now. However I’ll probably wait until I can get a covid-19 vaccine.

D1 CD UK Lake District

I am 64 years old, 5’4”. and female. I live with my DH in the north west of England, the Lake District. We have no pets but love our next neighbours dogs. They call to see us every day for a cuddle and play. In a couple of weeks they are having a new puppy so that will be exciting.

The Lakes is a beautiful place to live @at would agree as we live very close to one another and often do similar walks. I do try to do some form of exercise most days, walking being the main the one at the moment (we gave up the gym due to Covid and don’t feel ready to go back yet). In the summer months we open water swim in Lake Windermere.

I started my weight lost journey this time round early in 2019 calorie counting. I started TRE in May 2019 and in October 2019 found this WOL and did the Fast 800. I got to my goal weight of 60Kg in January 2020. Since then I have struggled to maintain and have put on a few pounds that needs to come off so doing the challenges does help.

Looking forward to December. Welcome to all the newbies just make sure you keep posting.

Happy Tuesday everyone.

Day 1 – NSW, AU – MFD

Another month over and a new one just begun. A bit about me – I’m a 38 year old woman, about 5’7″ and my heaviest weight was 106kg (234lb) although I had lost a bit since June it wasn’t a lot. I started doing Intermittent Fasting again (and a loose Fast800) at the beginning of October this year after putting on way too much weight due to poor diet choices. In the past 2 months I’ve lost 10kg (22lb) and as of my weigh in this morning I’m currently 93.7kg (206lbs).

Don’t ask me starting measurements as I don’t have those, but took the idea I saw elsewhere of using pieces of strings with knots to represent future measurement and after I got out of bed did my first measurements, we’ll see how those change over the next few months.

My goal weight is between 65-70kg (143-154lbs) and I hope to be there by this time next year.

Today I fasted for 20 hours, and meal wise for lunch I had a serving of Bombay Potatoes with a slice of the turkish focaccia kind bread, as well as a fruit scone… it was a warm one down here in Australia and not wanting a hot dinner I ended up having the exact same as I had for lunch (but cold which was just as nice) and got in under my 800 for the day.

I feel like Christmas time is going to be a hard one for me, I’ll be visiting my mother back in my hometown and no doubt she’ll be worried I’m not eating enough. I’ll just have to wait and see.

Day 1 – USA/GA – ???

I was going to do a 4:3 this week and today was going to be my FD. However, since becoming ill on Sunday, I’m thinking of just doing a normal 5:2 and waiting until Thursday to fast. I was ravenous yesterday, but probably drank 30 glasses of water or so throughout the day. I only was up by a little under half a pound this morning to 233 lbs.

To introduce myself anew, I am a 46-year-old man in the northeast suburbs of Atlanta who never struggled with any major weight issues until about 15 years ago. I finally realized about four or five years ago that this was becoming a major problem and felt helpless to stop the weight increase. I recorded my weight every day, thinking it would keep me accountable. In January of this year, I reached 279 lbs and felt so disgusted, I just stopped recording my weight for nearly a month, which means I could have easily topped 280 lbs.

After losing about ten pounds between January and early May, I felt concerned that once again, I would reverse course and slowly begin adding weight back. I looked on YouTube and discovered intermittent fasting, and in particular, 5:2. I thought, “there is no way that works. Or could it? These people are showing their before/after photos and it certainly appears to have worked. I wonder why I’ve never heard of this? If it does work, I think I could actually stick to this for the long-haul.” I needed something long-haul. I knew the weight didn’t pile on overnight, and I wouldn’t lose it overnight, either. So, on May 11, I began my first week of 5:2. The first month or so, the weight comes off fast, then it slows with some weeks being flat plateaus, some weeks showing a smidgen of a loss, and some weeks surprising me with a “whoosh.”

I’m back down to a size 42 in pants and an XL in shirts (with some variations, as always with pieces of clothing). I have lost 47 lbs so far this year, and plan to continue this WOL into next year and probably the year beyond that, when hopefully, I’ll be getting close to maintenance. My goal weight is 154 lbs, but even if I don’t quite make it to that goal, I’ll be satisfied to come within 20 lbs of it!

Most of all, I want to share a word of appreciation for all the members of this forum. We are a diverse and supportive group that I think is unique on the Internet.

Day 1 USA (Illinois) NFD

Another month to be “with” you all in our wonderful cyber journey. I am Gwynne, 72 y.o. female, a singer, choir director, retired school music teacher, pianist and instructor living in northwest Illinois. We get all the seasons here. That’s what I like about our climate.

I began 5:2 in March 2016 after getting near to 200# (90kg) at 5’6″ (1.67m). I had been down to 160# about 15 years before and thought that was a good goal. South Beach Diet had long since stopped working for me. I found this forum for the May ’16 challenge with @coda and found this international band of travelers to be most supportive and excellent companions. I got down to 160# (72.5kg) by the end of the year doing a strict 5:2 with very controlled eating and the help of MFP (My Fitness Pal) to count calories. I still maintain the free account and find it wonderfully accurate for calories. I don’t use it for exercise tracking. This weight puts me right at 25 BMI, and I’m happy with some extra fluff to keep some wrinkles away.

I like to cook for me and DH – kids and grandkids all live pretty far away. Maintenance takes careful work doing a 6:1 regimen. I have found Silver Sneakers to do an hour routine 3x a week with occasional yoga.

It’s great to have @at at our helm, so many familiar names and stories, and I look forward to getting to know the newbies.

Onward and downward.

Day 1 Minnesota, USA FD 800

I’m a 63 y/o (last day I can say this! ) female, living with DH in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” in the northern-midwest of the US. I am currently 165lbs (oops-yep, I gained a couple last month, it seems), and 5ft 6.5 inches (169 cm). Eventual goal to be decided, but 143-147 lbs is probably right for me.

I first started 5:2 fasting in March of 2016 after watching a video of Dr. Michael Moseley on YouTube, which had been in several news stories. I joined the first monthly challenge set up by @coda in May of 2016 and went on to lose 30 lbs. in 6 months. I have since gotten complacent at various times over the years, and stopped fasting…..which always resulted in weight gain, then a re-set and a re-start of 5:2 and posting on/reading this forum.

* When I do 5:2 and participate in this forum, I lose weight and can maintain. When I tell myself I don’t need to fast “this week” or “this month I can take a break”, I start sliding down the long, slippery slope towards weight gain, and the resultant disappointment in myself. Very tired of that roller coaster!

So, here I am for another monthly challenge that will keep me on course. This is the best WOL for me…..It’s the most flexible program of any I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a lot over the years, as being very slim was important to me most of my adult years). Age does add an extra challenge to keeping fit and staying within a healthy weight (BMI 23?) range. Being very slender is no longer the most important thing to me. Aging well is the goal, now.

My goal is to lose 3 lbs at least, this month, while still enjoying the various celebrations that come with December.

Thanks again @at for hosting. Welcome to all the old friends and new people to the forum. I’m so glad we will be on this journey together!

Day 1 – Rural Nebraska, USA – FD800

I was so astonished–and delighted!–to get on the scale and be 147.8 this morning. Whew! After yesterday’s 150.8 (or was it 151.8??), I wasn’t expecting such a lovely drop. I’m good this week with B2B2B2B FDs (500-800-800-500), so that will definitely help that scale present lovelier numbers than the Thanksgiving feast presented. I put the turkey carcass on to simmer for several hours yesterday and got all the meat picked off the bones before I went to bed, so our turkey noodle soup for tonight’s supper will be easy to finish up; I always know I’m nearing the end of Thanksgiving leftovers when I make that soup.

My background is that I weighed 132 much of my adult life until DH went to seminary; two major moves and complete life changes shot me up to 146 and it wasn’t long before I hit 166. I lost it in 2015 by using 5:2, but gained it back by 2018 by only pretending to use 5:2–familiar story, right? Last February 26, I returned faithfully to 5:2 and have been slowly losing. I’d lose faster, but have too many hiccups that are life. Part of me finds that incredibly frustrating, but the rest of me figures it’s training for when I reach maintenance, so I shrug and continue to work the plan with a goal of getting back to 132 and perhaps even lower…time will tell. I’m a 5’4″ 62yo woman (OOPS! not for another nine days, LOL!) who will officially be Not Overweight when I reach 145, so perhaps 132 is lower than I’ll want. Or perhaps I’ll decide on 125. Can’t know until I get there.

I’ve been thinking about the DTF commitment I’ve been making, and the Kahlua and cream I love to have each evening during Advent. I can skip it for now, but I believe that by the end of the second week, that’s a treat I’m going to allow myself. We’ll see if I even care, however, when that time shows up. 🤔

@nelsonaf9 and @kelliet Welcome! This is a terrific group, full of encouragement, kindness and wisdom, so you’ve chosen a wonderful group to help you stay on track! @kelliet, I sure wish I’d known about IF several decades earlier than I did! Congratulations on that baby! (Oh, and BTW, while it’s day 0 for you in this lifestyle, it’s the day of the month we always put at the beginning of our posts so that this very international group can keep track of when a post was made.) @nelsonaf9, it’s amazing to me that fasting even helps traumatic brain injuries; I hope you’re able to find a perfect balance of fasting and nurturing your body with food.

@mia139 Welcome back! It’ll be good to have you with us again.

I’m so glad we always reintroduce ourselves each month; I forget some of the details and it’s a delight to be reminded of each of the journeys we’ve been on.

My goal for today is to be: “Too positive to be doubtful, too optimistic to be fearful, and too determined to be defeated.” – William Boyland Jr.

Good luck, everyone, with achieving today whatever defines success for you!

USA. Day 1 FD. 🇺🇸

Welcome back, everyone! 🙂 I didn’t see a pocket list yet, so I will begin one.

Day 1 Pocket List

@ccco

Have a great day!

Day 1 Second post

Hey, @basyjames, @northerndawn already volunteered for January, so perhaps February looks good for you? And here’s the link from @daffodil2010: http://Www.mymenopausetransformation.com

Hi @at

Can you please add me to the spreadsheet when you can. Many thanks.

Thanks @at for this challenge!

USA. Day 1. 16:8

Hi everyone! This is my first post on this forum — so glad to have found this in my weight loss journey right when I was feeling the PLATAUE!

I am a 26 yo 5ft 1in female, eternally stressed student. Before I started my graduate studies in 2016, I was a healthy 51 kgs (maybe 2kg overweight but meh). At the beginning of this year, Feb 2020, I was 61kg. The maximum I have been in the last 4 years is 64kg. I attribute it to stressed PhD life grrr. TODAY I AM 56KG — something I never thought was possible 10 months ago.

I keep motivating myself by reflecting on how far I have come in this year of the pandemic. But currently, I have plateau’ed at 56kgs. I have been doing the 16:8 intermittent fasting for the past 4 months which has helped me go from 61 to 56kgs. To break the plateau, I am adding in 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week (fingers crossed for results!!). My daily calorie intake with the 16:8 is close to 900-1100 calories.

I am happy to join this December challenge (thanks again @at for leading us!) and aim for a 54kg target at the end of this month. I would love to have your suggestions on how to come out of this plateau and what to change. I am so excited to be here!! Apart from my first post on this forum, this is also my first post on any online forum, so please forgive my posting mistakes!! Look forward to getting to know you all this month!

Day 2 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – FD

Morning all.going well with my new food regime, ie, more plant based, nuts and seeds, loads of soups and salads, and currently following a cleansing of my liver which involves lots of lemon juice and alkaline foods.

I can’t believe how well my insides feel after a couple of glasses of water with lemon juice. Mind you, a lot of things are going well, I feel great, less bloating……but weight is not shifting as quickly as it did a few years ago.

So I think I have joined Club Tortoise……but hey, it’s all about healthy ageing now for me, so if I feel this good and can lose some kilos I will be very happy. Something is obviously working with this new menopause routine b

And hey@stitchincarol, thanks ever so much for posting that link for @basyjames, it’s very much appreciated
@at, yes, the course I am following certainly does recommend intermittent fasting as a way of life if one wants to follow and even quotes the Dr Lungo etc etc…..I think we all know by now that thus WOL is a great health decision.

If we can continue it as a WOL ….like a lot of us I got to goal briefly then slowly gained again……just jeep on keepin on.

Today it’s break my fast at lunch with spinach and kale soup, and kefir with walnuts and seeds. Tonight I will have a white bean and spinach salad.

Have a great Wednesday all….happy hump day 🐫

Day 2 – Lake District UK – NFD

Good morning everyone

Nice to see the Monthly Challenge gaining impetus and a few newcomers as well.
I do think the ‘monthly challenges’ make the 5:2 easy to manage and not over facing.

Just looking around the garden yesterday, we had our first frost of the winter, but what was noticeable was the lack of berries! There are four holly trees around the boundary, non of which have a single berry on them this year! That really is a first, however none of the other shrubs are bearing fruit either. Especially the two large low growing Cotoneaster plants in the rockery which are normally covered, not a single berry! Hopefully it’s a sign of a mild winter or the birds will struggle.

Take care all

Day 2 UK FD

As my usual plan, trying to start the week with FD to kick start the month. I just have to get my head round not gaining some of the weight back when I reach my target. Maybe this time!!
Thanks@AT for adding me to the spreadsheet. I find it really helpful.

Day 2 UK NFD

Need to address my bread addiction – once I start find it very difficult to stop, think I need to join the ZBC again, break the habit of having a lovely slice of buttered toast with my morning coffee Don’t think I can go cold turkey , after next Monday’s FD I’ll be on ZBC.

Nice to see some returnees and welcome to our new faces 👋