Day 5 Ottawa CANADA
NFD

@quebecoise, Je vous souhaite un joyeux anniversaire!!

@ciren2 What is just ONE thing you could do differently today that would help move you toward your goal? Focus on just that one thing for now. And what if you could focus on just doing one more thing tomorrow to keep you moving forward? Sometimes all we need is a little traction.

Day 5, USA – Missouri Ozarks – Fasting

Starting

Normally my fasting days are Monday – Wednesday as those are my work days and it is easier to not eat at work, especially if I am busy (I am a legal secretary). But, I am so happy to be back on this site that I want to jump right in.

On fasting days, I usually eat one meal at about 6 or 7 p.m. and don’t eat again until 6 or 7 the following night. I do drink coffee, unsweetened tea and lots and lots of water all day long.

I also exercise every day without fail with rare exception. I do the exercise bike, Ab Coaster, Gazelle (so relaxing and such a good way to stretch, if I don’t do it I get leg cramps in bed at night.) I also do resistance bands and light weights. I have always loved to exercise. When the weather permits, I walk on my lunch hour.

Wishing all a healthy, happy day !

Day 5 USA (Illinois). NFD

Probably went about 300 calories over TDEE yesterday, but did enjoy going out to dinner (BBQ ribs and chicken….yummy… and a Stella beer)

@quebecoise — Happy Birthday to YOU! 🎉🎉🎉

Day 5 Maine, USA, NFD

Good Morning, all! Thanks again for the motivation – yesterday morning I really thought about giving up – have done this soooo many times & was really hard on myself for being out of control Friday night. But, reading the many many motivational posts helped me write it off & just move forward. I knew I could do better & I did – relaxed, had a fabulous walk & stayed w/I my limits. Invited to neighbors for cocktails & brought a travel mug of green tea. It was so hot – took me 1 1/2 hours to sip it! Friends were on 2nd & 3rd drinks!

Yrs ago I heard Oprah say “discipline comes from doing – you’re not born with it”. I used to think I’m just not disciplined – but realize it comes from motivation & just doing it!

Super bowl Sunday here – Maine is Patriot’s country – big party at same neighbors tonight. But, I got this – don ‘t have to splurge to have fun!

Thanks all – make it a great day!

Day 5 UK NFD

Been doing some mindful meditation, feeling more positive today. Had lovely long walk in the sunshine this morning, which lifted my spirits. I really to sort my head out!

I did weigh this morning and my mindless eating has added 4lbs, I’m not surprised, it was to be expected.

Tomorrow I will get back to my Monday and Wednesday fasts with 16/8 on non fast days. I have a busy week next week and then away for half term looking after grandchildren – always a delight!

Onwards and down!

Day 5 Norway NFD
Welcome AmandaH!
Slightly out of sorts on a grey, snowy day. Since I started fasting three weeks ago I’ve been doing a lot of desk work, clearing papers etc. Can’t help thinking there’s a connection between the two types of clearing work. Thanks for tip about putting a jug of water on the kitchen bench each day.

Day 3 London, UK – FD
Day 4 London, UK – NFD
Day 5 London, UK – NFD

I’ve been away for a surprise pre-pre Valantines weekend including seeing Eng v France rugby!! Funny, me thinks OH felt a gift for me, was really a gift for him!! So day 3 liquid fast turned into general FD with bone broth, and smoked chicken salad in the hotel. Day 4 rugby, 22,000 steps as we walked to Twickenham and back, no drinking and relatively mindful eating, coffee & water all day, then steak & salad dinner. Returned home today, should have been my 3rd FD, but missed my 3FD target this week. No problem, no guilt, no disappointment…….. Sundays are weigh-in days…….so todays weight is 179.8lbs, -2.2lbs even without a water FD, maybe mixing things up randomly, works for me!!
Good Luck all, @ciren2, do you think you could manage a slow build up to your target timetable? i.e. fast for 1/2 day and be mindful for the remaining half, then build up to 1 FD then before you know it you could be back on track?? Small goals = BIG achievements!! Just my two pence worth, please ignore me if it sounds patronising or is just unwanted!!…..Either way, all my thoughts and good luck heading your way, ’cause WE know this works but self sabotage (Think 3000 cals fast food binge!!) is why we’re here in the 1st place, after-all, we’re not stupid, just conditioned in the art of self sabotage!!

Day 5 / FD / Oman
Found it hard to stay under 500 cals…just a hungry day…particularly after hour workout this morning. Oh well my day is almost done!

Day 5 – SW WA USA – NFD

Hello on a rainy NW day in the state of Washington! We’re on a couple of watches – could be flooding & could be changing to snow this evening to morning.

Ciren – you’re in my thoughts and prayers.

Day 5 – Cumbria UK – ?FD

I’m considering doing a FD today as I have not eaten yet……….maybe a bit too much champagne last night – well you can’t save it until tomorrow can you?????
I usually do a FD on Monday but going for meal and film with 3 girlfriends tomorrow night so I might as well do my FD today – will probably be a 500cal FD!

Going to see Swan Lake recorded at The Bolshoi with a group of girlfriends this afternoon – In the dual role of white swan Odette and her rival black swan Odile is prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova and
alongside her as Siegfried is Denis Rodkin. I’m really looking forward to that – Swan Lake is one of my favourite ballets.

@bert1802 – Thank you – I so love reading your posts, you always make me smile. I think you have been so patient with both the new girl and your bosses!!!!!! Congratulations on getting in your old jeans, it would have been such a good feeling -YAY
@orpheusx – that sounds like a rich chocolate cake but I do like a chocolate cake especially the ones made with dark chocolate and slightly fudgy – I’m sure your wife and you will have enjoyed your labours
@coda – I do remember that JW drop goal – as an Aussie at heart I was absolutely distraught!!!!!! England were lucky to win yesterday – France nearly had them!!!!!
@fuvvie – The boat trip sounded great fun – what a great way to celebrate your various milestones…..I open two windows on my laptop and read one then type in the other one, makes it much easier to stay on top of the many posts. Loved your 11 goal post and I joined you in drinking too much bubbly yesterday as well…..LOL
@gemfast52 – well done you are on the right track mentally
@lilymartin – your post resonated so much with me – you could have described how I was with calorie awareness before this WOL – having reached my goal weight and maintaining for 2 months now I still do a check on calories eaten on one NFD each week to make sure that my idea of calories consumed is still true!!!!!!!! Well done for staying strong on your day 5 FD
@and… exhale – have you thought of doing 16:8 NFD?? I find it worked helping me keep to within my TDEE but then I’m not a breakfast person so happy to break my fast much later in the day
@erika45 – well done on breaking that barrier
@happymargo – sounds like you are enjoying your Florida break and having some great quality time with your OH and I agree the 5:2 lifestyle is great – amazing how it changed our way of thinking about “hunger” – your questioning mantra is a great one and does stop you in your tracks!
@songbirdme – you are still in my thoughts – hugs
@blueninjamum – I saw that recipe for the gluten-free almond/orange cake from The Guardian – I had been thinking of trying it – from what you said I think it might be my next baking endeavour……
@quebecoise – bonne fête and enjoy celebrating with your sisters
@brightonbelle – I’m envious of your visit to Rome – such a great city – so much to see and do – have fun

@ciren2 – “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain”
You have done this before – think back about how you started and the reasons you chose this WOL. Why don’t you just go cold turkey – wake up tomorrow and decide you are going to do a full fast day – no food, water and only very low calorie drinks!!!! Put a note on your fridge door, your food cupboard doors both at home and at work wherever you keep your lunch normally – if you get a proper lunch break – go for a walk during that time period for distraction and drink plenty – I find hot water fills me up more than a cold drink in winter. If your tummy starts rumbling just tell it “Dear stomach you’re bored not hungry. So shut up” We are all holding your hands across the globe – huge hug.

Lots of people have struggled with drinking plenty of water – I’m so lucky as our Cumbrian water tastes delicious but you could try adding lemon or lime slices or sliced strawberries – maybe try fruit teas, you can make a big jug and leave it in the fridge if you want to drink something cold instead of hot – experiment and find something that remains calorie free and taste good to you.

I started writing this post early this afternoon – ran out of time and went to the ballet which by the way was brilliant!!!! Back home to sort out some dinner and YES today ended up being a 500cal FD!!!!!

Some great weigh loss going on – WOW and congratulations to you all
For those who have been struggling – stay strong and focused – it will happen!

DAY 5 – UK (but on hol in Madeira) – NFD

EEEK – how difficult it is to control eating when on holiday!! I am trying, and hubby agrees – I am very trying!!! – I feel fat and uncomfortable – and its only our 3rd day…
when I get home I shall do a week of Fd’s to try and catch up!!!!

Good luck all. xx

Day 4/5, Canada NFD

Fell off the wagon this weekend and the scales have ratted me out — 2.5 lbs up this morning. Superbowl party to get through this afternoon, then back on track tomorrow.

@anne Marilyn/Happy Margo – I have an Irish Setter, Ruby, who was born to run. When she is on the treadmill I sit beside her and pedal on an exercise bike. We have worked our time up to 20 mins. I much prefer to run her outside, except when the weather is abominable.

12″ of snow fell here yesterday and it is still coming down. It looks like a winter wonderland – everything so fresh and clean. The temperature is nice too, just below freezing -2C, so comfortable for being outside. It’s a bit tough walking so exercise Ruby by throwing her ball for her. She loves diving into the snow to find it.

@quebecoise – Bonne fete – enjoy your celebrations today, for tomorrow we fast!

@coda and Fuvvie – thanks so much for your quotes and funnies!

Day 5, UK. NFD. Helping to celebrate a birthday actually cost me an extra 1000 calories when I went back and checked on MFP 😔. Not sure if doing two FDs back to back on my first day was of any significance but I didn’t find the 2 days back to back difficult. Yesterday I stayed within TDEE and today I’ve eaten 900 calories less to see if it balances out the birthday food. I also plan to shave 100 calories off tomorrow’s NFD. As a newbie, can someone please advise if this makes sense so that the calories balance? Also, can you please let me know if it’s too much planning a third FD in my first week? Sorry for questions but just want to do this right. Thanks.

Day 6 FD UK(NZ) FD

Dropped my regained pound even after two meals out yesterday, fasted until 3 pm then High Tea(no protein in it and tiny portion, huge bill) but it was fun. Later I had a small spinach and feta pasta dish at a pop up cafe. Only other choice was pizza. Garlic prawns were off the menu sadly.

I made tomato and veg soup yesterday which I will have before salmon kebab and salad. I only managed 10,000 steps (wrong shoes, pretty but not comfy)yesterday so I must try harder today.

I do agree that exercise alone will not help us lose weight and I understand that the heavier you are the harder work exercise becomes but ‘movement’ is the ‘key’ to good health and improved wellbeing. Even walking on the spot or standing would be beneficial to your health. Good Luck with getting going.

Can I lose a pound today? Yes I can! And I am going to give it my best shot! One day at a time is the best goal.

Day 5 Ireland NFD

Day 6 NZ NFD

Day 5 : Cheshire, UK : NFD

Really enjoyed my birthday weekend. I haven’t counted calories and it’s been pretty carb heavy but I didn’t want to feel deprived. I’ve decided to do 2 days per month eating my favourite carbs so I that I feel I can maintain this WOL. The rest of the month I will eat LCHF plus 2-3 fast days per week if possible.

@loubelles @debster251 @bert1802 @reid @blueninjamum @annemarilyn @at @coda @laddie10 – Thank you for the lovely birthday greetings. You felt part of my special day….thank you….xoxo

@at – I wasn’t up for an award but one of my Reps was within his own organisation and I was invited as a guest.

@ajrich220 thank you for your post. I found it very helpful.

@songbirdme – You and your brother are in my prayers. Sending lots of love.

@happymargo – love your mantra! Going to use that myself.

@norrieb – loved your post to @ciren2….just shows the depth of care on this forum….beautiful!

@quebecoise – Happy, Happy Day of Birth! 🍰🍷🍾🌺💕

@pamelav – a very inspiring post…..thank you for sharing.

@fuvvie – very funny 😀

Day 6 Sunshine Coast Qld Australia: 106.2 kgs.

I went to bed, pains in the stomach, feeling absolutely dreadful. Why? Because I had indulged in the foods that set me off. I was thinking about Ciren2 and her plea for help. Art2Wist “Sometimes all we need is a little traction.” Brilliant. I couldn’t agree more. I find that my relationship to food must be a bit like being in an abusive relationship. You remember all the good times and can’t believe that that the thing that hurts us is what we have to put behind us. Why do we continue to have this relationship with food? Because so many good memories are related to situations involving food. It’s a battle, unrelenting and once you see yourself looking good, better than you have in a long time, you think that you can go back to how things were, but whoa!!! All the weight seems to come back on. There has to be a massive mind shift. And I do think that in our enthusiasm, we cut down too much and do affect our metabolism. We do our fast days but treat our free days like a diet and cut back too much. I might be wrong, but I know that for 5 months I have had this huge fight with my body and I have so far still to go. Even just to get under 100 kgs seems impossible. I get up a jet of steam and see the numbers going down again and then self sabotage in the name of a good time. But there is no room for giving up. It has been too big a “sacrifice” to get this far. And that is the other problem. We see what we have done as a sacrifice and that sets us up for thinking that we can reward ourselves, by having the thing we have sacrificed. But it shouldn’t be seen as a sacrifice. It should be more seeing it as a ticket to freedom not having to be enslaved to these foods. Intellectually I know this. Emotionally it is still really difficult. I don’t know if it is the hormonal effect or just sheer craving for what sugar has done to our brains for so many years. We know we can be very strong. I was put onto 2 litres of milk a day by an obesity specialist, and I stuck to it religiously, eating nothing else for 6 weeks. I lost 14 kgs. I became a carer, gave up my job, couldn’t really afford to go to that specialist any more at $400.00 per consultation, plus the dieticians fees and the psychologist plus the exercise physiologist. Where did I end up? Back at 120 kgs plus another 3.9 kgs. We are strong people, we can do it, but we keep chopping ourselves off at the knees. But this WOE has at least seen me maintaining at a lower weight even though it is not where I ultimately want to be. It takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to look at what we are doing to ourselves. No point fighting it. We just have to embrace the new habits that got us to this much success and go forward. Does any of this ring true for you, Ciren2 or am I just full of hot air?

@scs: “yesterday morning I really thought about giving up – have done this soooo many times & was really hard on myself for being out of control Friday night. But, reading the many many motivational posts helped me write it off & just move forward. I knew I could do better & I did – relaxed, had a fabulous walk & stayed w/I my limits.” Thank you for this.

EternallyGrateful: “I also exercise every day without fail with rare exception.” I am going to try really hard to get into a bit of exercise. I have a shed full of gym equipment but haven’t used it in ages. Today is the day.

Thanks AT. Great post with lots of support as usual.

Good on you JoJo. From your posts, I gather you fast 23 hours every day and then eat in that one hour window. That is impressive. Do you eat to TDEE in that hour 5 days and fast 2 days or just do that every day and not actually 24-36 hour fasts? Just curious. But just shows different strokes for different folks. There are so many paths we can follow in this journey. It is just a matter of working out what works for us, and even changing it around when circumstances dictate.

MUST get out and water the herbs and plant the new tree. My father-in-law used to always say “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. Must make this intention a reality. The magnolia was very expensive as well and my friend who was with me said that 75% of plants bought on a Sunday at nurseries die in the pot. I cannot let that be the fate for this plant. I’ve always wanted a magnolia. Now I have one.

Cheerio, one and all.

Day 5 – Canada – NFD

@ciren2 – Years ago my mum gave me a very OCD book called ‘Home Comforts’ by Cheryl Mendelson. I read it, and have read ‘at’ it for years and it sits on the end of an open bookshelf so I see the cover and am reminded of the contents frequently. In this book Mendelson argues for a nightly tidy to ‘reset’ your home. For some reason this concept of a ‘reset’ button works for me. I see my Monday FD as pushing the ‘reset’ button for my system. For my digestion. For my health. For my weight. I currently view the Thursday FD as my ‘downward’ day. Could this help you? Maybe, for a bit, stop worrying about going ‘downwards’ but try the Monday FD as a ‘reset’ day? Mondays are symbolic for so much getting down to business… Our house is chaotic with kids and husband home on Sundays when I cajole us to tidy and ‘reset’ the house for the week to come. Mondays I ‘reset’ my body. Just a thought. It is working for me and is, I think, how I will keep viewing Monday FDs.

@at – what fun your post was. My boys and I went to see the Bolshoi’s Nutcracker at a local cinema in December. It was a great intro to the ballet for them. I grew up with season’s tickets to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and have always loved Swan Lake. Sadly the city where we now live has no ballet company and Toronto, our nearest centre, is awfully expensive for a family. Try the almond/orange cake! It was an involved recipe, some new techniques for me, but still scrummy today after an overnight in the fridge.

@fuvvie – I agree that my biggest fear about this WOL is ruining my metabolism for normal eating by aiming too low on NFDs. I aim to stick at TDEE or even a little over.

@onahealthyhigh – what a lovely post 🙂

Best wishes to all!!

also link to a JHU article featuring Mattson from Horizon Special
http://www.johnshopkinshealthreview.com/issues/spring-summer-2016/articles/are-there-any-proven-benefits-to-fasting

Day 6 Sydney – FD

Also Day 2, 3, 4 and 5 all NFD.

Weigh in tomorrow (Tuesday) so looking forward to a good clean day today after the weekend. Nothing but tea, water and an apple today (apple on way to the gym after work) then a healthy and low cal dinner of a pearl barley salad left over from the weekend.

have a good day everyone.

Day 6 Tas Australia FD 65.5kgs

B2b yesterday and today. Still not well but working fine with fasting. Am not up to my normal workouts though.

@ciren2 it is hard to know what can help you with the motivation you need and many other people on this thread have given you some wonderful tips, I hope some of them help. As I have been reading them all I wasn’t sure if I had anything that could help you, my head certainly isn’t clear at the moment but I thought of something that has really helped me. When I need to start something new or get back into something I find that I am a huge obstacle to myself, I want the changes but lack the willpower to start and when I think about the whole thing it often seems to big and I can feel overwhelmed and don’t even want to start. So a trick I do which really works is that I give myself a tiny achievable goal to start. For example, I have struggled for years to make exercise a regular part of my life, I do well for a while, love the results, how I am feeling, building strength, the lovely fresh air if I’m out walking. But when I get out of doing it I find it super hard to motivate myself to start. So instead of saying this week I’ll go for four 45 minute walks and do two workouts or whatever, I start by being super easy on myself. Right now I’m doing nothing, so today I’m just going to start with 10 minutes, I don’t have to do any more, I don’t even have to put on my workout clothes, I will just start with 10 minutes then I have permission to stop. Well it always works for me, I start with minimum expectations and it feels achievable, and it is. I don’t think there are even a handful of times when I have only stuck to the 10 minutes, after I start I realise how great I feel from it and keep going. Then I feel really good about myself as well as good from the exercise.
I too reached my goal end of last year, only December not November like you (I think). I was so happy and feeling great. It took me eight months to lose ten kilos and it was hard work, weight doesn’t drop off me like it does others, most of thise months were full to the brim with 4:3 weeks and many water only fasts and I managed fine, loved the water fasts and was happy with my (slow) progress. I got to goal just a couple of days before I left for a four week holiday in which though I started really well I came home 5 kgs higher than I left! 5 kilos had taken me four months to lose last time! How depressing! I felt a great need to shift the extra weight but zero motivation to fast and certainly no water fasts. I was doing three days in a row fasting last year, now have been struggling to do onw with my 1/4 tdee. So I did my low expectations thing. I could do something it may not be a water fast, I’m not ready for that again, but I went back to how I started my fasts when I first started. I would go for as long as I could and then have something for example I made a batch of soup, about 80 cals a cup. When I was hungry at 11 am I had a cup, 1pm another cup, 3pm another cup, 5 or 6pm my last cup, felt full and only 320 calories, maybe a piece of fruit after if still hungry. This still fits into Michael Mosley’s 5:2 WOL, we sometimes make it too hard on ourselves to start. I ultimately prefer to keep as many calories as possible for a good dinner, but this worked in the interim, and I didn’t do b2b’s, I needed to be able to say to myself “I can have that (whatever I was wanting) tomorrow” as that is a big factor in feeling deprived. Mostly I felt better after the fast of course, but it’s very hard to start again when you have gotten off track.
We are all here for you knowing how you are feeling and just hoping and willing you to be able to get back on track.
I have struggled with the exercise thing for years! But the last year I have really made progress and I want to stay on top of it. Not doing my normal workout today as not well so not up to all the jumping around involved, so tomorrow or whenever I’m feeling better I will probably have to make myself just start it with no high expectations and go from there again, it is something I’ll probably always have to do to get myself to do anything.

Now I still have 2.5 kgs to go to get back to my goal, I think that’s about 5.5 lbs. @ciren2 we can do this together. We all have faith in you. You have done this before and you can again! Just work out a place to start, an easy, manageable place. We are here ftom you and will help you on the way!! Lots of hugs here and know that you deserve to get back to your goal, you deserve to feel great and I know that you can. Also its okay that you have been stuck, sometimes we are and it can be so hard to break out of, but recogise that you are and even think about why you have been and about why and when you can get out. We know you want to, you have asked us all for help! We are in this with you. Big hugs.

Day 3- NFD – Syd, Aus
Day 4 – NFD
DAy 5 – NFD
Day 6 – FD

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven’t checked in/read posts in a few days – been having crazy busy days with not much time spent at home.

Just had a skim over the posts for the last few days and already feeling strengthened and encouraged with the advice and motivation.

I love the idea of Monday FD as reset days @blueinjamum. I find they’re the hardest days to convince myself to actually fast, but I certainly feel much better after doing it. I constantly have to use the “just fast until x” method of motivation, but can usually get through til dinner.

This week I made some very unwise choices (eating gluten/oats even though I’m intolerant and generally eating even when I wasn’t hungry) which led me into a bit of a cycle of thinking ‘oh well, I’ve already blown it’…
But while I was doing my Headspace meditation on acceptance this morning I was encouraged to think about the feeling of acceptance, rather than try and think myself into it. And I realised it’s similar with food. Rather than using reasoning to talk myself out of an unhealthy attitude to food, its more effective for me to remember the feeling of health, energy, vitality etc. that I have when I’m nourishing my body, fasting or eating as much as my body needs. Also remembering the gross feelings of bloating and pain and lethargy when I don’t….

All the best for today, folks!

Day 6 NFD Country West Australia

Still Day 5 –

thanks blueninjamom for the article link. Great article!

BTW I grew up going to Sunday afternoon symphony concerts in Winnipeg. What a small world!