You may already do this but I found brushing my teeth straight after the last meal really helps me not eat or drink anything after that.
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Day 1 – Scotland – NFD
Weight : 10st 8lbs
My aim for April is to lose 6lbs. I started 5:2 last week and enjoyed it, but found that I struggled in the evenings on my fast days. I bought a new cookbook, so I am hoping that variety will help me stick to this.
Thanks @okeydokey for organizing this!
Day 2 / UK / FD
Early check-in. Today’s NFD was a pretty standard Saturday although I have reallowed peanut butter into my life (normally the motto is “what I don’t have I don’t eat”). I think it was either that or the red Lindt Easter eggs.
Did some sort of window shopping. I mentioned this in March that over the last year I wasn’t really feeling clothes shopping. I blamed it on slightly precarious financial circumstances during the transition from studies to work. But frankly I never really felt like it because I was thinking “oh, in 6 months I’ll look differently anyway.” But those implied changes never materialised and instead I upped my already impressive scarf-game even more. Now I am slowly going back to the shops, ironically with a similar and yet crucially different mindset: I am still not buying anything but now because I KNOW that in 6 months’ time the clothes may well not fit me anymore. Others have mentioned that particular pair of trousers they have to chart their weightloss. I have one of those as well, worn them in public once with difficulty, but never gave them away. However, being out shopping and trying on new sizes rather than the clothes themselves is also such fun! Rather than between 10 and 12, I am now fairly comfortably between 8 and 10.
Hope everyone’s weekend is going okay!
This is so cool. @okeydokey did I ever say thank you?
Thank you!
🙂
Day 1 – NFD – 🇨🇦
Start weight 135
April goal loss 3 lb. -132 lb
End Goal 130 lb
get fitter & stronger!
I will be doing a trip around Easter with a lot of driving and I know that will mess with my progress mid-month. I find that weight loss stalls for me around the week before and the week after my cycle (I go up, even) so this month I am going to make it a goal to fit in a b2b in both those weeks to try to keep from totally stalling. My weight loss goals get more modest as I get slimmer, which is ok. I hope to reach 130 in May and then start maintenance. My other goal is to try to get to yoga 3 x week for April, and to keep up HiT exercise on the eliiptical 2 x week and, finally, to get the bikes out and start making regular bike trips with the kids.
So, April goals:
3 lbs off
3 FD/ week of 500-800 cals, with two of them in a b2b
NFD eat to TDEE 2000 cals
Stick to 16:8 every day
Yoga 3x week, Sat, M, T
Elliptical 2 x week, Thurs, Sun
Bike rides every week
Day 2/NFD/Melbourne Australia
Love the measuring pants. I had a pair of wishing pants. Purchased in the 1980s they sat in my wardrobe reminding me of what I had gained. Each time I saw them I wished I could still wear them, I loved them so much. Last year I consigned them to the charity bag because they were too big and I don’t want to go back there!
“If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then find someone whose life has given them vodka and have a party”, from American comedian Ron White. 🙂
Day 1 NFD spain
finally decided to join forum to see if I can shift the 5kilos I have been hanging on to for the last year. I started fasting two years ago and successfully lost 5 kilos, but have not lost any weight for ages because of overindulging on NFD!
With summer just round the corner I reckon its now or never, as I always put on weight in the summer, holidays, white wine, ice cream etc
I need this! I’m in. Day 1 NFD.
Here is Scotland, new to this,done the reading. I have a big event at the end of May(finals of business awards, national event) that I want to feel better and look better for. Saw a picture of myself from recent business event, which is now online for all the world to see, I’ve been deluding myself for too long. I’m not happy being overweight and being 45 is making it harder. I need more energy. I plan on getting active starting a Monday & Wed doing beach fitness session and yoga Friday. Planning first FD on Tuesday then Thursday. I need support. 😀
Day 2 – NZ – NFD
@bert1802 thank you for your words of wisdom about the damn scales!
How a piece of metal can determine your self worth I will never know but feel motivated to go into this month knowing that I will not let the scales beat me!
@okeydokey – love it! Where you LOSE you are a WINNER! 🙂
@maisie1 – I also brush my teeth to avoid wanting to late-night snack. GMTA (Great Minds Think Alike)
@annemarilyn – I feel like losing 2 pounds a week is good at first, but for me after a couple months on 5:2, I was happy to lose 1 pound a week. That seemed sustainable.But there are ways you can do BTB FD’s or even 4:3 to lose more.
Thank you, so many, for the good wishes for our concert — we are ready! We go out as a group to our fave Chinese restaurant after the concert, so I will eat lots of meat & veggies and very little rice. How many calories in a fortune cookie? Can’t be much. Ah, Google says 107. I can take that to celebrate!
Day 1 Florida USA NFD
Welcome @melaniej The 5/2 is a very doable way of life. You can pretty much count on losing 3-4 pounds or more/month if you stay compliant with Michael’s guidelines. Then maintenance is important once you reach your goal. I maintained my ideal weight for 9 months then drifted, which I deeply regretted. Now I have my discipline back and I’m 4 pounds down on my way to 8 more in the next two months. This is the most “sure thing” eating plan I’ve ever followed. Carry on all!
Day 1, NFD, USA
Phew. I made it. Bert is right about scales, don’t have them rule your mood. Case in point: scales this morning showed only a 5 pounds loss for March (135 lbs), but intstead of throwing it out the window, I KNOW it’s more like 7 pounds lost, as I’m a couple of days away from my period and for the last fifteen years retain a few pounds a week before. So, know your body. Mine is a swimming pool now of hormonal induced water retention, so I am confident I hit my goal, no thanks to you Mr. Big Fat Scale. But, having said that, I do need to weigh myself a few times a week to own it. I didn’t do that for a year (2015) which is how the 15 pounds crept up on me and I am here. Men have it easier.
I am so glad I stuck with this. I love AFD, in fact, tomorrow is my FD, but I have my cooking club, which I don’t want to miss and wish I could stay on schedule, but no worries. I’ll go back Monday. I hardly do any sugar (doesn’t make me feel good) limit carbs, (God bless most of you sans carbers, but I’m a bear if I don’t have my sweet potato or brown rice in a curry).
My other goal for March reached was no binge, which I’m known to do after I deprive myself on a diet, and that was checked off. It’s simple: no deprivation equals success and control. I know i can have the pizza, so will have a slice instead of 4 I’d want if I’d deprived myself of it for a month. So:
Goal for April challenge: lose 7 pounds to get both feet into the 120s and ramp up the cardio, on top of the yoga I practice.
Good luck to all of you on our April journey together.
Day 1, Oceanside CA, NFD
Starting weight 151.8lbs/68.9kg. I lost 1lb/0.5kg in March. Was one pound less for 5 days, but you have to expect that fluctuations occur and are not cause for anguish. Every new day is another chance to enjoy healthy eating and the exercise gives a high too.
I started walking January 2014 and and after 2 years lost 32 pounds and was 158. I maintained with walking nearly every day with my FitBit. Was introduced to Fast 5:2 by my daughter and began November 17, 2016, the week before Thanksgiving. DH and I have completed 4 months on this WOL. He has lost 20 pounds and is working on another 20. I lost 6 pounds in the four months and am near my goal of 150.
I wear US size 12 but many of those are too large for my 33 inch waist. My dressmaker has regular business from me tightening up the clothes that get looser. I buy a size 10 now and then and revisit my vintage smaller sized dresses, skirts and pants. Losing is fun from that viewpoint. Most of the larger sizes have been sold on eBay and I am happy that someone else can enjoy items that are too good for the rag bag.
So onward we go. Two fast days per week for us. Healthy eating all days.
@steffieagle awesomeness thank you!
Just gotta adjust to this new way of life.
I’m hopeful!😁
Day 1 – Perth AUS – NFD
Day 2 – Perth AUS – NFD
Starting weight: 65.8kg
Goal weight: 63.0kg
Waist measurement: Lose 2cm
65kg was always my “dream number” when I started 5:2, but since I’m almost there, why not push it a bit further! Other aims for this month are to take the stairs whenever I can, monitor ketones every day, and stop drinking soft drink. Coke zero, I’m looking at you!
This month will be a challenge, as the end of Lent traditionally means copious amounts of chocolate… remind me how I got this way again? 😛 The willpower side of things has definitely improved, but can I really actually say no to a second, third, fourth or fifth creme egg? Or maybe even the first?
Day 2. NFD Sydney Australia
Am travelling for first two days of April so will check weight when get home tonight and give @okeydokey starting weight for the spreadsheet.
Goal is 56kgs. Lost 2kgs in March challenge.
Good luck everyone
Day 2 – Tokyo, Japan – NFD 78.6kg (Avg. 78.2kg)
My goal this month is to keep my average weight below 79.6kg. 79.6kg was my average weight throughout the month of March. I weight myself when I get up in the morning. My weight bounces around a lot throughout the week.
In April my weight changes may get worse once my kids are starting the new school year. In Japan the new working/school year starts in April. Near where we live there are lots of new employee picnics right now because career starts and there a lots of cherry trees. The cherry blossoms only last about 10 days and remind Japanese of the briefness of life.
I’ll be running/bicycling over to a nearby park and hitting the bars. (Pull-ups, dips, etc.) It has been over a year since I was able to do pull-ups. I hurt the tendons in both elbows with bad form on chin-ups. I bent my wrists at the end which is okay if you straighten out the wrists before lowering yourself. If you leave the wrists bent it puts too much weight on the elbow joints instead of the much stronger shoulders and back. Painful lesson and tendons are slow to heal. I learned also that apes don’t have that issue because their tendon structure is different than humans. The point being just because a monkey can do something doesn’t mean a human can do it!
Day 2 Newcastle upon Tyne UK NFD.
Well this is my weekly weight check day and I stayed the same 15st 2lbs.😭
I did overeat yesterday on a NFD
At my Grandsons 1st birthday party. I’m not looking at this as a diet more as a change of lifestyle. I know it might sound sad but I quite enjoy the fasting. I’ve lost 3 stone on the old weight watchers diet before and have been on the 8/16 diet moving to the 5/2.
Does anyone else incorporate elements of other dies while on the 5/2 ? My routine is the two fasting days with exactly 600 calorie intake, but on all days I don’t eat till midday only drinking coffee and water. I stop eating around 9pm. My food intake is loosely based on the old weight watchers points system rather than weighing and counting I just have an educated guess of what I’m eating. This is the start of a new week and part of this challenge is for me to add exercise into my life so I’m off out on my mountain bike in a few mins. I’ve a rowing machine so between these I hope to add 4 hours minimum exercise to my week. Whatever your doing have a lovely day.
@steve many people try to eat low carb or cut sugar or other things like that. If you have a bad diet your results will be muted at best. The best thing you can do is to fix your basic diet. What that means for you is really for you to determine. Personally I can’t really do too low of carb but I’ve been able to cut added refined sugars to around 10g/day which is low by modern standards. I’ve also greatly increase the amounts of fruit and vegetables I eat. Lately I’ve been working to increase the fiber in my diet. Personally I don’t think I could out fast a bad diet. If you are in these threads you see many people struggle with NFDs. I don’t and I don’t count calories anymore, but I do control the types of foods I eat and if I eat something that is off my diet, that is when I’m careful about how much I eat.
Day 2, Belfast N.Ireland, NFD
@steve toon taxi driver The Hairy Bikers’ diet books have some good recipes and pointers for keeping the calories down. I’m going to try and stick to some of these on my NFDs. I’ve gone veggie for a bit, but their diet doner kebab recipe is awesome. And their curries (esp prawn korma). Good luck!
Day 2 UK nfd
Thanks for the tip about Hairy Bikers – I’ll look out for that book @belfastsink
Dolly x
Day 2, London, UK, NFD
Way to go @fatrabbit, NEARLY under that target!!!!! Soon you’ll be happy dancing amongst your furry friends………How are they doing????
I’m aiming to be mindful today although I have pate & cheese at the ready for a super late brunch (18:6)!!!
One thing I forgot to mention in my March wrap-up post was what I’ve learnt throughout March.
The biggest thing was the changes to my mind-set; the realization that NOW I couldn’t possibly imagine…………………………
1. Having 3 meals per day – I sometimes get bloated on a NFD after 1 meal, I think my stomach has shrunk so much – to the size it was meant to be!!!
2. Having no FDs – I NEED to have at least a couple of FDs, and I actually sigh in relief when I have one!!! – Newbies are saying ‘yeah right!!’, but you’ll get there and be as surprised as I was!!
3. Mindlessly eating that entire packet of malted milk biscuits dipped & washed down with 2-3 cups of rich, sweet coffee!! – don’t judge me!!!!
4. Drinking anything fizzy – unless it’s sparkling water………………..or champagne!!! My drinks of choice now are Water, Water and on special occasions, some Water!!! Oh, and some red wine too!!
5. Eating the entire – bar of chocolate/ cake/ family sized packet of crisps/ bag of nuts – I can actually have some (not quite at the ‘recommended’ portion size yet) and put the remainder away for another NFD – Who knew I had such willpower???!!!
I think the brain-retraining this WOL causes takes some time and sometimes I fall off the wagon spectacularly, but overall, I make better choices, I can see food and not have to stuff all of it down my neck, I can SEE the cheap, BOGOF offers in the supermarket and walk-on by, because I know it’s a fake bargain designed to make me fat and a repeat customer!!! Half-priced poison is still poison!!!
Keep the faith people!! I’m 5 months in and 25lbs down, including excessive food & wine celebrations for Xmas, 4 family birthdays & Mothers’ day.
We really have got this!!!
Day 2: Gloucestershire, UK: CD? (Control Day)
The plan today is to have my first meal of the day at lunchtime. Apparently, having breakfast raises the blood sugar more than at any other time of day, as it tends to be higher anyway first thing.
See “Breakfast is a Dangerous Meal” by Prof. Terence Kealey.
I have lots of diabetes running in the family and want to avoid this fate myself, if possible.
I am brand new to this 5:2 diet but heard about it from my sister-in-law yesterday who said it really works. I really want to lose around 3kgs this month as off to my honeymoon in May and also strive to become fitter. Could really do with a challenge and the support of this group 🙂 Have already lost 1 day in april so will start with day 2 still including 2 fast days.
PS: Day 2: UK: FD
Current weight: 60.5kgs
Goal weight for this month: 57kgs
Day 2 UK NFD 🌈
Yesterday’s NFD was good, think I’m getting the hang of this. FDs are meant to be harder, but control on NFDs is still a challenge. 🐲Slaying the dragon. Slowly but surely the weight drops, giving me time to get to the gym and tone up.🏃🏼♀️ 🏋🏼♀️This is the way I look at it. It’s also coming warmer in the UK another incentive. Spring a time of new beginnings! Love it. 🌷🌞🌸🍄🌱🌻
Still doing LENT till Easter, 🐣find this remarkably easy, I suppose because of what it represents to me. Harder if just doing for myself, this is why this group helps, feel we are in it together therefore we’re are stronger, but it’s still my personal journey and the physical benefits of my good work go to me, but I can share the emotional and mental benefits but reporting to this group with what works for me, as it might just help someone else, and vice versa love all the tips I get from this group. 👭👫👭👭👬👭👭
Bit of a reflective post from me today, Have a lovely day all 😊😊😊
Day 1 NFD Melbourne, Australia
Day 2 NFD
Completely dropped the ball.
I do have a good excuse so am letting myself off the hook. Sold everything except what fit in my station wagon and moved to a new city. It’s taken a lot of energy. Now I have the flu. Been too scared to weigh myself. Hopefully I’ll get going again soon.
Hi all uk day 2 nfd
Still catching up but still here which is the main thing. Not sure why I took a bit of a downer and was feeling weepy? However I know with anything in life it’s peaks and troughs. Just have to wait for the next wave and ride it as long as I can. Nice to see old friends and nice to see some who signed up at the beginning have posted again including some of my fellow countrymen. Off to do some gardening and making the most of the sunshine. Keep on keeping on – thanks @okeydokey for looking after everyone this month x
Day 2 UK NFD Gradually getting back into better habits,using the weekend to cut back on lots of the treats that have crept into my diet and looking forward to my first fast in a couple of weeks on Monday . The improving weather is motivating me to eat more salads which will help, All caught up on posts , we sound to have a great group , Coda – glad you’ve got your mojo back x
Day 2, Newcastle UK, NFD
Bit of background about myself for newbies. As my February/March fellow fasters know, I had a problem with alcohol. I was not/am not an alcoholic, but very much abused it and knew I had to something about it. a) it was wrecking my health and happiness and b) it is not conducive to losing weight. So I ‘fessed up and once it was out there, and with support from the wonderful people on this forum, I have absolutely nailed it – as has my OH. No longer do we sit drinking in front of the TV every night (for OH it was 3-4 bottles of beer and for me a bottle of wine – with the occasional glass from the next bottle). As a result we are both much happier, no doubt healthier, and we have both lost weight. Oh – and we’re also about four hundred pounds better off over two months. We now enjoy and appreciate our beer on a weekend.
Bad habits can be broken and new habits formed. Just a couple of months ago I couldn’t have imagined life without wine. But I have hardly touched it – only when out for a meal with friends on two occasions. The thought of sitting in the house drinking wine feels completely alien. So if I can do it after a lifetime of wine abuse – anyone can.
This Way of Life is not just about losing weight – it was much more than that for Dr. Mosely when he researched and came up with the original 5:2 fast diet. It was about getting healthy and warding off various diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Weight loss was a happy bonus for those who needed to lose some.
So @BeautifulB and others who are asking about how to handle the evening drinks/snacks my advice is just stop. Change your mindset about alcohol and don’t let the marketing industry make money at the expense of your health. The government give guidelines for good reason. 14 units a week is very little, but I have proved to myself that sticking to a figure much nearer to this is absolutely doable, much more enjoyable and absolutely conducive to weight loss and more money in my pocket to spend on clothes/holidays/days out etc.
@Stevetoontaxidriver – welcome to my fellow Geordie. Have you signed up to the Newcastle Can campaign? They will appreciate you getting involved. https://www.newcastlecan.com/
@bert1802 – ‘classy, sassy, bit bad assy’ Absolutely!!
@coda – we’re all here testament to you leading the first challenge in May 2016 – you should feel deservedly proud of that and I hope April is good for you.
@songbirdme – as a fellow lover of song, I wish I could be with you this afternoon. All the very best for a fabulous concert.
@pashaw – thinking of you and realising that your sleep is broken regularly in order to help your husband puts my bad sleep patterns in perspective. @moppet, try not to get stressed about bad sleep patterns as that just exacerbates the problem. I see @okeydokey has made some suggestions. I’ll be interested to hear your opinions on what works.
@umka6 – yes that all sounds sensibly doable. All the best – we’re all here too support you.
@notmyrealname – that sounds like a very good strategy – to focus on you this month. Probably a strategy that many other people could usefully employ. Onwards and upwards for a successful month.
This has been a very long post – even for me – but before I sign off for the day – thought I’d share the eating routine that I have found is working very well for me over the last two weeks since Dr. Mosely updated the 5:2 guidelines.
Saturday/Sunday are NFDs. This is when I enjoy my beer and salted nuts in the pub after walking our dog. Generally I am following a low carb, healthy fat (LCHF) way of eating, but weekends are where I will have higher carbs if I choose to.
Monday to Friday are 800 calorie FDs with an eating window of 16:8 (which is often more like 18:6). So two meals a day maximum and no snacking after my evening meal which is generally around 5.30pm.
I do calorie count because that works for me. I weigh once a week – again because that works for me. I completely get that calorie counting and scales do not work for others.
This is the beauty of this WOL – we all find what works for us – using the basic 5:2 plan as a starting point. It gives us the flexibility to build in special occasions but get straight back onto plan for our long term goals and health benefits.
Have a lovely Sunday friends – I hope the sun is shining for you as it is here.
Day 2 Belfast NFD
@okeydokey my goal weight for this month is 153lbs👍
@dykask. Thanks for your advice. I have a very varied diet, I think without pointing my food I have larger portions on the NFD. Hopefully with the exercise and reducing my portion sizes results will start to come. See where I am end of April after a few tweaks to my portion sizes.
@Strawberriesandcream.
Hello my fellow Geordie thanks for the advice. I looked at Hughs’ campaign but got side tracked by other things going on in my life, might have another look over the next few days.
Sounds like your turning your life around big style. Well done and keep up your good work.
I think it’s not about diet although it’s important, it’s really about lifestyle choices.
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