Dr Mosley & Mimi, thank you. You have changed my life because you have restored in me a sense of what is possible. I really enjoy Dr Mosley’s BBC documentaries. However it took 3 goes spread over several months, at watching the 5:2 doco, before I was finally inspired. Being quite a bit north of 60, having struggled with my emotional eating for nigh on 40 years, being physically quite unfit over that period, and still am, my weight steadily rose. I capped out at 110 kilos. Wont waste space discussing all the diets I have tried, succeeded on, and the weight I have resumed and more some.
3 years ago, in desperation, I succumbed to medical intervention, which has been a tough road I would never recommend to anyone. However, I dont regret it. I struggled along, finally losing 25 kilos over 3 years. I levelled out at 78 kilos and could not get any lower. Still too high to be healthy, but I was satisfied with that result.
In 2013, following some personal stresses, I began losing the battle. My weight crept back up and my self esteem plummeted in tandem. in Jan 2013 I weighed 78 kilos. In Jan 2014 I weighed 86 kilos. I felt so utterly powerless.
That was when I realised that the 5:2 plan could be the answer. I read the book, watched the DVD again, and got started.
On the night before my first fast I was positively euphoric. I had planned and prepared a simple menu adding up to 500 cals, & went to bed thinking “hooray! tomorrow I will be free from the whole food thing for a whole day!” So right from the ‘get go’ I never called the 500cal days “fast” days. I use a food diary on those days and I call them my “fff days” (freedom from food days).
Between Jan and April I managed to get my weight back to 82kgs and felt very gratified. In May I travelled overseas and have come back weighing 83kgs. I felt sure I would have no issues getting back into it, so was not worried.
I was most disconcerted to find that in fact it took me from 1st June until yesterday, 13th June, to even commence a fast day. I just started and then quickly stopped, thinking ‘oh no its too hard. I will start tomorrow”. I was disappointed to find, that although I did get started today, my mental approach was “oh its a fast day. This will be so hard”. Where had my Freedom from Food euphoria gone?
I nursed, urged myself through the morning, and happily, halfway through the day, it kicked back in. I found myself feeling good about myself again, thinking “you can do it girl”.
I decided to find a way to contact Dr Mosley today (had thought about it many times) to say thank you. That’s when I discovered this magic site and forum. Already, today, I have learned from this site, that I cannot afford to eat with impunity on my ‘other’ days, and expect to continue to lose weight. I need, for medical reasons, to shift that last 5 kilos.
So now, thanks to you all, I am going back to the calorie counter to figure out a good way forward for the non fasting days.
The best thing is I feel in control, I feel like a good person, I feel certain that this is the answer for me and have no plans to abandon ship – ever! The most obvious upshot of feeling good about myself is that I feel motivated to get onto my feet and walk. That is the best bit. No good losing weight if I can’t improve fitness also. So, a happy camper here!
Have a good day. Old Girl.