30 Day-November 2016-Challenge!

Welcome to The Fast Diet The official Fast forums Body Weight loss
30 Day-November 2016-Challenge!

This topic contains 3,401 replies, has 151 voices, and was last updated by  LindaSue 7 years ago.

Viewing 50 posts - 2,801 through 2,850 (of 3,410 total)

  • Day 13….. Florida……. FD

    Today was the official weigh in day…. I’m up 2 lbs! I’ve been a bit Willy Nilly, with my eating, so I know why. And this week, I have a couple Christmas parties to attend, but I got to buckle down.
    I could really be upset about the gain, I could even kick myself but to be honest, I know that with any so called diet even WOL, our weigh will have it moments of stopping, going up then going down.
    My plan is to go back to doing what I stopped doing.
    Daily fasting with an eating window…. Fasting from 7pm until noon, an eating window of 7 hours.
    Increasing my water intake
    500 calories 3x a week.
    Each of these things are quite simple, so I should see a decrease of weight fairly quickly.
    I would love to see 150lbs by New Years…..
    Well, I’m off…..
    cheers!

    US SC Day 13 NFD. Happy to have completed a FD yesterday.

    Day 13, Gozo Malta, NFD

    I’m 63.6 kilos. Still below target of 64 kilos but I liked myself being in the 62.5 to 63.5 kilo range. Yesterday had a lovely dinner out with the Eucharistic community I attend every Monday. Now we’re meeting again after the new year.

    I’m having some BBQ sauce spare ribs for lunch and baked fish for this evening. I had four roasted almonds and a piece of delicious Christmas cake this morning plus one white coffee. That would bring me to my TDEE for today. I need to remind myself not to nibble as it could be easily done.

    In Malta and Gozo its republic day so it’s a public holiday. However my eldest daughter is filled with appointments today and I’m babysitting her four month old baby boy Alexander.

    Happy Tuesday everyone. Stay as strong as you can these feastive days.

    Georgia/USA/Day 13/NFD:

    Feeling good about today. I had a great fast day yesterday.

    Day 13– Colorado, USA– going into FD 2 of our b2b!

    Yesterday (Monday) FD turned out successful. Stuck to my 500 cals, mostly at dinner time (used a few cals earlier for heavy cream in coffee & bone broth.)
    Will try to aim for my 2nd day (Tuesday) as liquid only. Curious to see how far I’ll make it into Wednesday. That’ll be brand new territory for me!

    WellRounded– I love the idea of spiralized zucchini tossed with prawns! Haven’t tried that yet. Thanks for the suggestion.

    Off to start my day with some weight lifting/ strength training! Stay strong, Pocketeers & Forumites!!

    Day 13 UK

    I’m back in the fold after a week with no internet helping daughter pack up her house in Edinburgh and move to Taunton, all went well. I had to come home for hospital and dental appointments leaving OH putting up shelves and helping generally to sort the house and garden.

    Having no yummy food in the house and OH not home till Saturday, gives me the opportunity to really knuckle down to some serious fasting! I’ve only got veggies, eggs and skimmed milk!

    Yesterday was a very low calorie day, last meal last night at 7.30. Fast day today liquids so far and plan a spinach omelette later tonight. tomorrow will be another very low cal day and then a fd on thursday weighin on Friday morning then a very low cal day.That is the plan!!

    I’ve been able to read a few recent posts, good luck pocketfasters! It is such a tempting time of years with so much festive food! Good luck everyone, onwards and down!

    Hello all UK day 13 FD (11.8 1/4)

    Fast day went well yesterday – liquid only and so far so good for today. Have left out a homemade spicy lentil soup from the freezer which I may have tonight instead of bone broth just to help keep me on track.

    Saw this and maybe of interest to some

    Going into a new week is tough. We believe the best way to start it off right is with a little peace of mind. Here’s one quick and simple way to establish emotional wellness, every day.

    Gratitude can be a game-changer, especially when it comes to fitness. Studies have shown that gratitude helps you to be more resilient when life throws you a curveball. It helps you to remain optimistic and increases happiness as you strive to meet the goals that you set for yourself. Gratitude can improve your physical health by strengthening your immune system, lowering your blood pressure and making you less bothered by aches and pains. In team sports, in addition to improving overall well-being, gratitude can increase team satisfaction and decrease athlete burnout.

    By practicing gratitude, you can change your relationship to your goals and progress. For example, gratitude allows you to change your perception from “I have to wake up and go to the gym” to “I get to wake up and go to the gym.” It also helps when you may not meet your goals, so instead of thinking, “I only had time for half my workout; too bad,” you might instead think, “I got out there and broke a sweat, and I’m grateful to have had the chance to do so.” When you shift into a more positive perspective, you increase the positive effect of your efforts and will find more energy and enthusiasm for your workout.

    A simple way to shift into a more positive perspective is to make a Gratitude List or start a Gratitude Journal. Here are some simple steps to get started:

    Begin by jotting down three things that you are grateful for each day. Try to avoid repetition.
    You can focus on specific areas of your life, such as the things you use every day, or your basic abilities, skills and talents. You can also think about the people in your life and your experiences.
    Take note of why these things are important to you and how they make you feel.
    Here’s a sample of what your first Gratitude List may look like. As time goes on, this list may get longer and more descriptive as you focus more attention on what you are grateful for.

    Today, I am grateful for…

    Clean water. It keeps me hydrated and healthy.
    Cold weather. The cool air energized my run.
    Friends. They are like family and keep me smiling.
    Gratitude can be even more powerful when you take the time to recognize and appreciate the people who support you in reaching your goals. For example, if you managed to run three miles with the support of a running partner, actually thanking them reinforces the collaborative aspect of achieving your goal, which can be motivational and create an additional sense of accountability. The next time you achieve a fitness milestone, however small, try taking a moment to appreciate the contributing circumstances, and actually thank anyone who helped make it happen.

    Another way to develop gratitude is by practicing a gratitude meditation. Try this five-minute gratitude meditation by Stop, Breathe & Think, or download the app to discover other activities to help you slow down and appreciate life — and your workout.

    @coda the spicy lentil soup sounds lovely. I wonder what you put into it. 🙂

    I think I need to drink more fluids either water or herbal tea today, as I’m feeling the hunger pangs.

    Goldensun I’ll get the recipe and share when I get home

    @coda – thank you and for the gratitude piece 🙂

    Day 13| NFD |Toronto|
    I envy those in the Southern Hemisphere, long and warm days seem more conducive for me to staying on track both on NFD’s and FD’s.This is my first 5:2 WOL Holiday season and I find it, like others, a challenge in many ways; I think our prehistoric brains truly want us to fatten up and hibernate when the cold and dark days arrive which is compounded by our culture and history around the Winter Solstice. Now did I buy any mince meat tarts …:-)

    Here is another article some may find bits useful.

    It’s official. Holiday season is here.

    Starting this week health conscious people everywhere are bracing themselves for two solid months of parties, feasts and festivities.

    It can be overwhelming.

    Even though my #1 philosophy is that life should be awesome and you shouldn’t restrict yourself from things you enjoy, it can be helpful to enter the holidays with a plan to keep your healthstyle more or less on track.

    These are the steps I personally take to make sure I don’t begin the New Year trying to make amends for the holidays.

    1. DON’T PANIC
    First and foremost maintain a mindset of growth and learning. This means remembering that your food choices don’t equal your value as a person, and staying positive even when things don’t go exactly as you plan.

    The holidays are challenging for everyone on the eating front, and self-compassion goes a long way toward letting you come out healthy and happy on the other side.

    Don’t let one or two frustrating events spoil the entire season.

    2. PICK YOUR BATTLES
    In the spirit of cultivating a growth mindset, be realistic about what you can and can’t tackle. While, “I’m not going to eat a cookie for the entire holidays” is unrealistic for most of us, “I’m not going to eat any cookies at the office” is entirely doable.

    I recommend taking a good look at your calendar and evaluating which events are worth a bit of a food splurge. You can use whatever criteria you want for this, from the quality of the food to its sentimental value.

    What’s important is that it’s worth it to you.

    Two special occasions per month is a reasonable target. You can dial this slightly up or down depending on your goals and how important the holidays are to you, but if you’re celebrating multiple times a week it could be problematic.

    Once you have chosen your truly special occasions, don’t worry about them anymore. Look forward to enjoying them guilt-free. We’ll use the following steps to make sure the damage is minimal.

    3. PLAN YOUR ATTACK
    Now that you’ve chosen what is worth splurging on, you have also decided what isn’t. For me this is work-related events and meals shared with my side of the family (I love them, but they aren’t the greatest cooks).

    When these are events that I can’t gracefully opt-out of, it’s important that I know what my plan will be before heading in.

    Always remember that food isn’t the reason you’re attending, and try to focus on people and activities instead. That said, when planning for food, there are a few key factors to keep in mind:

    For shorter, cocktail hour-type gatherings, my priorities are making sure I eat beforehand or making concrete dinner plans afterward. That way a glass of wine or two won’t trick me into believing that subpar food is my only option.

    For longer events and dinners where escaping food is impossible, I optimize my food choices for health and make peace with the fact that this won’t be the most rewarding meal of my life.

    In these cases, my number one priority is eating vegetables. I try to fill up on as many as I can, so at least the evening isn’t a net loss health-wise. My second priority is eating some kind of protein or meat, so I’m satisfied enough to avoid the uninspiring desserts that will inevitably appear later.

    Finally, at events like this I stick to lower alcohol drinks (e.g. white wines, lighter beers) and completely avoid cocktails, which are often as sweet as soda. For me, cocktails are a splurge and I’ve already decided this event wasn’t worth it.

    4. ANTICIPATE OBSTACLES
    Executing your plan may be easier said than done. For instance, buffet-style meals can be particularly challenging for many people, as there are no clear boundaries to stop you from overeating.

    If holiday events are difficult for you, chances are you fall victim to the same traps over and over again.

    Do you skimp too much on dinner then lose it at the dessert table?

    Do you eat a dozen hors d’oeuvres before the real meal even starts?

    Try to anticipate these obstacles and set up an alternative course of action.

    In the buffet example, the sheer number of options can often overwhelm our better judgement. Avoid this by committing beforehand to only eating one (satisfying) plate of food.

    When it is time to serve yourself, examine the entire table of options before making your decisions, then choose the tastiest items you can find that are as healthy as possible. Once you’ve made your selections, eat them slowly and mindfully.

    Setting up your alternative plan before the event prevents you from having to make decisions in the heat of the moment and reduces your reliance on willpower.

    5. BE REALISTIC
    When planning your attack and anticipating the obstacles, it is absolutely essential that you are realistic about the situation and your abilities, or your plan will certainly fail.

    I don’t know anybody who can make it through multiple hours of drinking on nothing but raw carrots and celery, so don’t make that your goal. Be smart about your strategy and honest about your limitations, and make sure that your plan will work in reality, not just in theory.

    If you feel like you’re guessing about what your options will be, try to find out more about the event itself and what to expect.

    If you aren’t confident about your ability to execute the best plan you can think of, consider recruiting a friend for more ideas and moral support.

    6. TIGHTEN UP HOME COURT
    Eliminating unintentional and totally not-worth-it splurges is a huge part of winning the holiday game. But even then there’s a lot of extra sugar to contend with.

    That’s why during the holidays it is more important than ever to lean on your Home Court Habits to keep you on track.

    Remember that you’ve already decided that your HCH are things that make your life awesome (right?). If you have enough impactful habits, you should normally be able to get away with doing “most of them, most of the time” and maintain your weight and health.

    During the holidays make sure to maintain as many HCH as possible, and do “all of them, most of the time.”

    This is the best possible thing you can use your willpower on during the holidays.

    7. CELEBRATE YOUR VICTORIES
    Living healthfully isn’t a single challenge, but many small challenges that add up to big advantages.

    Keep this in mind as you go through the holidays, and don’t forget to celebrate the small victories. This is important for a few reasons:

    First, to form last habits it is essential that you associate positive feelings with healthy behaviors. Simply flexing your face muscles into a smiling position convinces your brain that good things are happening. So holding a smile on your face as you pass by the dessert table can make it easier for next time.

    Second, focusing on each of your wins as you experience them gives you a feeling of progress, and makes your small actions more meaningful psychologically.

    Feeling successful is far more motivating than “I wish I were thinner” or “I wish I had more willpower,” and can help you persevere down the stretch.

    8. LEARN FROM YOUR SLIP-UPS
    With many small challenges comes not just small victories, but likely a few small slip-ups as well.

    DON’T PANIC.

    If one of your plans of attack doesn’t quite work and you end up with three peppermint brownies down the hatch before you can say “processed food,” it isn’t the end of the world.

    Instead of skipping your workout and eating a pint of ice cream in the bathtub to console yourself, acknowledge the incident as a miscalculation and ask what you could have done differently to prevent it.

    And no, the answer isn’t “be a better person” or “be stronger in the face of temptation.” Instead ask what strategies you could have used to have avoided being put in that situation.

    For instance, you may have not eaten enough during dinner and still been legitimately hungry afterward. Eating more protein or veggies could have given you the fuel you needed to make it through the evening.

    Or maybe you didn’t realize that your favorite pastry chef was going to be catering this event and it suddenly switched from not-worth-it to totally-worth-it. Maybe you could have adopted mindful eating strategies instead of succumbing to the what-the-hell effect, and enjoyed a much smaller portion.

    Whatever the issue, it is something that needs to be acknowledged and addressed or it will likely happen again.

    9. ADAPT AND ADJUST
    As you build your holiday hacking skills you are certain to experience many successes and many setbacks. This is called learning, and it is the only way to make long-term progress.

    Every year your circumstances will be slightly different. You’ll have different obligations, you’ll move, change jobs, get married, get divorced, have kids, they’ll grow up, etc. Life keeps happening.

    Your strategies will need to adapt to the changing times, but the lessons you learn each year will stay with you.

    Take the longview to get the most joy and the most health out of every holiday season.

    Day 13 – Canada – NFD

    Australia Day 14 NFD

    Day 13 WA USA FD

    Made it through FD #1 yesterday and the scale is moving back down. I found I gained on my NFDs after the 3 day fast last week. Do most of you gain on NFDs? Just wondering.

    Day #2 FD today along with the rest of you in my pocket.

    Have a great day!

    Day 13 USA (Illinois)

    NFD today. Managed quite well yesterday between fast food lunch and ‘heavy appetizers’ with wine at the PEO Holiday Auction (party). I wonder if the cold weather, some snow shoveling and bird feeder filling used up more calories than I thought it might. Scale still kind this morning at 159.2.

    I have my annual physical on Thursday, and I’m anxious for my doctor to learn of my weight loss. He never said anything about my 190 or so weight when I was in there, but I always dreaded getting on the scale. Those steady gains over the past 20 or so years didn’t help my overall health at all. I wonder too if he might suggest I don’t need the krill oil (fish oil) any more if my triglycerides and cholesterol levels are more than sufficient. The fasting blood test ought to show the results of my not eating much sugar at all.

    Coda – your words of wisdom are always appreciated. Thanks so much for sharing with us.

    Onward and downward!

    2nd post.

    SongBird – I bet the doctor will be very pleased with a 30lb loss. Congratulations!

    Coda – I’m also interested in that Spicy Lentil soup recipe.

    London | Day 13 | FD

    FD going ok so far.
    My bosses (I have 2) have started distributing Christmas presents already – no prizes for guessing what I got – yes, 2 BOXES of CHOCOLATE!!
    This is going to be the theme over the next few weeks – chocolate, cake, donuts, mince pies etc etc – everything I luuuuuurve 🙂
    No point in resisting. I just need to be sensible and have things in moderation. Fit in at least one long fast in the week. I have been skipping breakfast on most NFDs and having lunch around 1pm which gives me a 16-18h fast at least 4-5 days/week. I hope this is enough to maintain my weight over Christmas.

    On a feel good note:
    Hubby organised an early birthday surprise for me last Saturday. A lot of friends and family gathered in one of the local pubs – it was a lovely evening full of laughter and cake.
    Many people commented on my weight loss. Couple of people even wanted to know the ‘secret’ 🙂

    I’m determined to (at least) maintain my weight over Christmas and NY.

    @coda – thank you for the ‘gratitude’ post. AND could I also have the spicy lentil soup recipe please? 🙂

    Day 13: Gloucestershire, UK: NFD.
    SongBirdMe: Your annual check-up on Thursday should be a time of great rejoicing this time. Good stuff.

    @golden sun and others here is the recipe. I just use bacon.

    1 tbsp olive oil
    1 onion
    , diced
    2 x 70g packs pancetta
    cubes
    1 carrot
    (about 120g), finely diced
    1 tsp ground cumin
    ½ tsp turmeric
    2 garlic clove, finely chopped
    1 chilli
    , sliced
    2 low-salt stock cubes
    250g red lentil, rinsed

    Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, 1 pack of pancetta and the carrot. Cook on a low to medium heat for 10 minutes until the onions are soft.
    Add the cumin, turmeric, garlic and chilli and cook for a further 1 – 2 minutes until the aromas are released.
    Pour in 1.25 litres of boiling water, crumble in the stock cubes and add the lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally to ensure the lentils aren’t sticking.
    Meanwhile, fry the remaining lardons in a small frying pan for about 10 minutes until crispy. You don’t need to add any oil as plenty will run from the pancetta.
    Serve the soup with a sprinkle of crispy lardons on top.

    Serves 3

    kcal
    493
    fat
    19.1g
    saturates
    6.6g
    carbs
    50.6g
    sugars
    7.3g
    fibre
    7.7g
    protein
    29.5g
    salt
    1.6g

    While it is over my quarter tdee it is under (just) 500) but I can say it is very filling and warming. I also use homemade stock rather than stock cubes.

    Day 11 UK NFD and
    Day 12 UK FD

    Sorry for not posting yesterday. I was so tired I fell asleep really early on the sofa but needed it. No cold but throats still bad, however this is helping my FDs and even NFDs also. So looking for silver lining.

    Reading through the comments and thinking of each of u as I read your posts, as Maui stated also, love that someone is thinking about me as they read my post.

    Biddie V – agree all types of posts make this forum work, we want to hear the good to keep as thinking that we can do this but we also want to know the challenging to know we are not alone in our struggles, whether the Fasting or just generally living life.

    Lily Martin – interesting reading about your farming and how the weather affected you, sorry for all the extra work you now have to do, my thoughts were with you.

    Back to reading all the posts I missed yesterday and today. Love this Forum 😀

    Day 13 – Staffordshire UK – NFD

    Sorry I’ve disappeared for a few days. Still not well, saw docs yesterday who said probably be another week before I’m back to normal. So looks like it will be next week before I fast again.

    2nd post

    Apologies my post was meant to read

    Day 12 UK NFD
    Day 13 UK FD

    as a heading, I blame it on my cold 😂! Sorry.

    Day 13 Surrey UK NFD…once again thought I might fast, but turned out otherwise…so, so busy right now! Sorry, everyone, just haven’t had time to read anything. Hanging in there though, as soon as possible I will catch up. Take care, and check in tomorrow again!

    Day 13 & Day 14 – NFDs – Melbourne

    Picked up first guest last night and had a very late dinner. Will be eating relaxedly most days until after Christmas now, just aiming to not eat sugar and not snack between meals. And one more FD prior to the 25th.

    Thanks Coda for your info, and love the term “succumbing to the what-the-hell effect” which is also what I’m aiming to avoid!

    Thoughts are with those having challenges and with pocketeers, Hang in, All !

    2nd post
    All went to plan today kept busy, liquid only til 7.30pm omelette and salad.

    Hospital appointment went really well, having lost 2.5stones means I dont need to have an op. So pleased!

    But then I got the results of my fasting cholestrol test and am really disappointed by my results! 9.3 total triglycerides 2.1 and ratio 4.4.

    I’ve had awful side effects on statins and plant sterols eg benecol don’t bring it down at all. I really thought fasting, losing weight and eating a very healthy diet would have shown a reduction overall and an increase in HDL.But this is not the case!

    So I plan to get christmas over and then visit my doctor to find a solution other than statins!

    Does any one else have this problem? I have been told by a lipids specialist that its not familial. Any helpful suggestions???

    songbirdme I do hope your results are more positive!

    Coda thank you for your posts! I’ll print them out.

    Good luck everyone!

    Thanks Coda for the gratitude and the other advice. Good night.

    Day 13 – Cumbria UK – FD

    After a long drive due to part closure of M6 leading to long tailbacks I eventually arrived home late afternoon feeling drained……..
    However on a positive note I kept well within my 500cal FD today – 6.5hrs on the road certainly kept me away from food!!!!!!!!!
    It will be interesting to see what the scales say tomorrow (last weighed on Wed 7/12 – I only managed 1 FD during this past week but tried to do a couple of 16:8 days and being mindful of what I ate but did indulge somewhat with the wine…….and no exercise classes………..

    Attended a yoga class this evening which relieved all the tension from the drive and traffic – nearly fell asleep whilst in Corpse Pose – Savasana at the end of the class………

    Looking forward to my bed and a good night’s sleep – another yoga class tomorrow morning!

    Sorry I have not had time to read the posts during the last week but my thoughts have been with you all and hope the pocket fasters are still going strong.

    We all have bad days and we berate ourselves but maybe we should take the following mantra on board “Each morning we are born again – What we do today is what matters most” – Buddha

    Namaste

    Day 8 ~ Puyallup WA ~ FD
    Whoa! Made cookies this morning for family, they need to sit in the ref. for awhile (good thing). Went out to lunch while shopping with daughters, ate sliced apple…they wanted some of my apple! WHAATT!

    Hot Ginger tea now, evening is hardest…it’s 3:17pm now…

    Day 13 second post

    FD has been OK so far. Nearly time for bed. I’ll see how long I can hold out before breaking fast tomorrow.
    Note to self (and everyone): DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT under any circumstances search online for Christmas baking ideas on a fast day!

    @ coda – thank you for the recipe. Looks yummy!

    Night/morning/evening all, wherever you are – isn’t technology wonderful?! 🙂

    Day 14 FD ( – 16:8) overcast drizzly country West Australia

    Ate to TDEE yesterday with a small fruit mince pie, piece of Christmas cake and a slice of homemade fruit loaf thrown into the mix! Fortunately lots of salad, little amount of chicken, moderate veggies also involved.
    Yesterday doing oficework ( which I loathe) at home all day so closer to the kitchen than at the office.

    Thanks Coda for the article on strategies. One thing I have found with this WOL is that I really am evaluating the food I decide to eat ( not always the best choices but that’s life) and do try to eat quality rather than quantity.
    Still trying to decide if I actually like fruit mince pies – hmmm. Not an enormous fan of pastry but I have them every Christmas!
    Love fruitcake Christmas cake but my children absolutely HATE it so I generally make something else as well.
    Rocy 65 – WOW losing 2.5 stones is terrific. Your body will thank you even if your numbers are a bit skewiff.

    Read an article this week that said most people put on between 0.6 -2 kgs over the holiday season and most people don’t lose it . As most people also put on a few kilos during the year as well we can be several kilos heavier in just a few years.
    I aim not to put on weight this year which is possibly possible with 5:2 but I am grateful for the opportunity to catch up and celebrate with friends, grateful for all the lovely food we have easy access to and grateful that I currently don’t live in Aleppo in Syria… ( from a few days previously – there is always someone worse off – and they certainly need prayers and action, but I digress…)
    Off to work and then drinks and dinner with work colleagues.🙂

    Hi Rocy,

    Cholesterol in and of itself isn’t a problem. Cholesterol couple with inflammation is a problem. You need to know what your inflammatory markers are sitting at. What is your hsCRP or ESR? There are other markers and you need to discuss this with your doctor.

    If you want to increase your HDL levels then eat high fat low sugar yogurt. Eat avocadoes. Eat nuts like walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds. Try and eliminate ALL SUGAR and all grain based foods. If the food is based on a grain DONT EAT IT.

    If youre glycogen levels are always topped up 100% that’s not good as the body then has to store all the excess as fat. You then have a spill over effect in your adipose (fat) cells much like when the dam is full and the excess water if flowing over the top.

    I cant see how statins (and similar) drugs can help in the long term. Its a viscous downward spiral as statins effect insulin levels. Your body is busily storing everything as fat.

    Cut the grains, increase you fat intake. With your doctor develop a plan to get yourself of statins.

    Day 14 – New Zealand – NFD

    Day 14 UK NFD

    A challenging day with functions at lunch and in the evening.

    Thank you for some very inspiring posts. ALL of your posts really help. Posts from Coda, AT amd Wellme particularly stick in my mind but many others besides. Have a good day everyone.

    Day 14 | Derbyshire UK | NFD

    Bert, I love your philosophical approach, this is a tricky time of year and I sure your gain will soon be flying out of the window.

    Anna, “feastive” days, very clever! 😀
    Annemarylyn I only weigh once a week, the morning after a fast day, so I don’t notice fluctuations during the week. So far (since sept 1) I’ve seen a downward trend in those weekly measures. Hope that helps.

    Songbird, good luck with the doctor, it sounds like they’ll be blown away by your weight loss. Good for you xx

    Pissupoosa, congratulations on your birthday surprise, good to see you enjoying the company of good friends. This way of life, allows you to indulge, as you said just try to do it in moderation. Trying to maintain is probably the best approach, then any losses are a welcome bonus.

    Missymay and lynzm, hope you’re feeling better soon.

    Norrieb, we’ll all be here tomorrow, just take it a day at a time. Sending a virtual hug.

    Rocy65, so sorry you were disappointed with your results. No need for an op is cause for celebration, well done for such a fantastic weight loss. I don’t have cholesterol issues and so can’t comment on your situation, but I’ve always felt this WOL seems to work in steps, weight loss on scales = not much movement in inches and then slow movement on scales = loss of body inches. It’s like your body needs time to adjust and catch up. Maybe now you’ve lost the weight your body will begin to work on other things. Any way keep smiling and celebrate your achievements, well done.

    AT, What a journey! Hope your daughter is safely tucked up in her new home and you are now fully rested.

    Good luck everyone, whether fasting or not. Xx

    Day14 Cornwall UK

    Really couldn’t sleep so have been up since 4am. Worry doesn’t help sleep! I can’t get my head round my cholesterol levels!!
    Diggly thanks – I do celebrate my weight loss achievement and now have to get to grips with this cholesterol problem.
    Bigbooty – thanks for your post. I’m not on statins as the side effects were too severe. Since starting 5.2 in May I’ve cut out grains, sugar and processed foods (or eaten very occasionally). I eat good fats and full fat probiotic natural yog, walnuts, avocados and loads of vegetables. Fruit I eat oranges, apples and berries. I don’t eat red meat and very little cheese though I love it! I should probably increase my pulses intake.
    I do find the whole high fat idea scary.
    I had my inflammatory markers tested in January and these were ‘normal’. I’m in remission from rheumatoid arthritis.
    Doctors are not happy to do tests more than once a year due to NHS cutbacks.

    So today I plan to have a low calorie day though after little sleep this may not happen. Lots of veg and fruit!

    We all have our daily life struggles, I send virtual hugs to you all. Onwards and Down!x

    Day 14 / Tweed Coast Australia / NFD

    Yesterday’s fast went well. However, woke up quite tired.

    Back2thefuture, …yes! Sometimes my life feels like it is a series of these regimes! …5:2 being one of them! Anyway, they keep me going! As far as the choice of thyroid medication goes, I used to take the natural thyroid too, but discovered my body doesn’t convert T4 into T3 effectively and this was one of the underlying causes of my adrenal fatigue. How I long to be able to return to taking the natural stuff again one day. Life was so much simpler and easier back then!

    Day 13: Pacific NW USA, FD, added edename to my chicken and turkey broth and now you pocketeers have me chewing on celery instead of putting the entire contents of my kitchen in my stomach. I must be letting the stress of the season take over. Glad I have you all looking over my shoulder every time I open the fridge, you did the trick!

    Who of our down under friends will be the first to post us at the half way point for December. Stay tuned, read on!

    WellRounded – will give your “bread” a try!

    GoldenSun – you were my inspirational read for the day!

    Missy – get better soon!

    Rocky – I have always had borderline high cholesterol too but doctors have not suggested medications. I wouldn’t like the side effects. Here’s hoping bigbooty is right because I’m following the guidelines he suggests!

    Lael – my doctor has me trying the Natural Thyroid because I wasn’t absorbing the T3 (I think). Anyway, your comments give me some questions to ask my doc.

    Time for bed for me!

    Lael’s second post:

    Rocy, from reading your post, I wondered if perhaps fasting is helping clean out whatever might be stuck on the insides of your arteries, hence why there’s more flowing through the bloodstream than before and being picked up by the blood test? I only mention this because I began taking Emu Oil recently, which is supposed to help clean out the insides of the arteries. In the booklet I received with the oil, it actually stated that it is common for cholesterol and other blood markers to initially go up and even be quite frightening during the initial process of taking the oil and that then, slowly the markers go down. …Just a thought. Also, the booklet pretty much says the same as Big Booty that it is our inflammatory markers that are the true indicators of our likelihood of being struck by a heart attack or stroke. It points out that high levels of fats coursing through the bloodstream aren’t a problem. It is inflammation that is the problem because only when that is present is when our body starts lining our arteries as kind of a soothing band aid effect. Fasting can calm inflammation and perhaps yours has calmed so maybe your body is ridding it of cholesterol ‘band aids’ it no longer needs?

    High blood sugar is the biggest culprit in this because the sugar is actually inflammatory and when our blood levels remain high the sugar is abrasive like sand paper and eventually nicks and tears our artery walls and then our body in its wisdom lines the arteries with an even thicker layer of cholesterol band aids! Continual build up of these is how the arteries eventually narrow and become hardened. I’m trusting your fasting blood sugar levels were tested and that they are at the low end of the range? A fasting number of around 4.7 or 84.6 is good.

    The ‘slow’ movie idea is a good one! I sometimes struggle with sleep and I’ll keep that technique in mind!

    Lael’s third post!

    Back2thefuture, very few doctors prescribe or even know about straight T3 medication (Liothyronine)! Good for your doctor if he or she knows about it and utilizes it with patients! More commonly, doctors prescribe a T4 only medication also known as ‘Levothyroxine’ or ‘Synthroid’. That is the most commonly prescribed one and well, is my view, the least well utilized by the body, because the body has to convert all that T4 into the active thyroid hormone T3. If you were indeed on ‘Levo’ or ‘Synthroid’ I commend your doctor for putting you on the natural stuff! It is so much better because it is natural and it includes the whole range including T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin which helps the body with calcium utilization and balance. From my view, what you’re taking is the best stuff! Maybe one day I’ll be able to return to taking it! By the way, I’ve run the gauntlet with my thyroid health and went so far downhill and had to dig myself out of a deep hole. In the process of researching I came across a very switched on online thyroid group with 15,000 members! It is there that I learned all this stuff. We were like one big experiment and by sharing we troubleshooted various problems and among us, found out what worked and what didn’t!

    Day 14 : Cheshire, UK : NFD

    Yesterday was a success as a liquid only fast day. Only drank water and herbal teas. Feeling pretty hungry this morning but will try to fast until dinner tonight. Some friends are cooking dinner for me and my partner.

    I will take some apples to eat during the day in case I get too hungry.

    @coda thank you for the recipe, will definitely try it out. Also, will you be doing a b2b fast next Monday? If so, I will join you again. The scales are going in the right direction.

    Keep strong everyone, no matter whether it is a fast day or NFD.

    xoxo

    Day 14, FD,New Zealand. Very easy FD, with 15,000 steps. Tried on my summer dresses in prep for going on holiday next week – and they fit better than when I bought them. Even tried some winter clothes on that I didn’t wear this year as all were just too straining across tummy, hips and bust. And they slipped on easily. So feeling really good! Like many of you, I have some concerns about maintaining during Xmas. But will draw on the collective willpower of this forum for strength as I reach for that unnecessary second slice of pavlova!

    UK day 14 FD – my first ever b2b2b ! But motivated by seeing a number on the scales I’ve haven’t seen for a while and even though I know it may be short lived it’s certainly cheered me up this morning, Coda – loved the recipe and the great post on coping techniques really struck a chord with me as I want to enjoy the festivities just need to be mindful

    Love reading the posts around the globe LEW trying on summer dresses whilst it was so dark and gloomy here yesterday needed the lights on permanently , it’s nice to know the suns shining somewhere !

    Happy Wednesday all, particularly those struggling with health issues

    Day 14 – London – FD

    Hi Rocy,

    Seems like you are doing the right thing. Don’t worry about the high fat concept. 50 plus years of bad dietary advice will take a while to overcome.

    Oranges apples berries, all good there.

    Maybe try and eat tuna.

    Maybe try and do one of your fast days as a water only day. Do you think you can do that?

    @back2thefuture,

    I don’t think I can handle the pressure. You sure you want to follow the advice of a quack?

    Day 14 – Cumbria UK – NFD

    Great night’s sleep last night – woke up feeling refreshed and surprisingly not hungry – going to a yoga class soon so will not break my fast until lunchtime.

    Weight stable after my week of indulgence – even managed to loose 100gms!!!!! – go figure!

    I am going to have my blood cholesterol checked soon as when I embarked on this journey my good cholesterol was high but so was my bad one – I caught up with some of the posts on this forum and was interested to read @rocy65 journey – some similarities to my journey – I have never taken statin in the past – don’t believe it does any good unless you have symptoms with the high cholesterol which I did not – will report back @rocy65 – stay positive.

    My quote for today regarding our WOL – “I changed my thinking It changed my life”

    Positive thoughts to all

    Day 14 Surrey UK FD, at last…if all goes well today I might even go for another tomorrow. Had a bit of time at home this morning waiting for deliveries, so am catching up somewhat. My goodness a lot happening to all of us! My heart goes out to everyone hurting or suffering loss, and I am full of joy for those of us who are reaching milestones and have good things happening to them. I know this is a generalization, but as each post is read, so the response comes up!
    My new scale has arrived, so I am just getting set up and ready. Reading the Obesity Code is doing a lot to keep me focused, I highly recommend it for a bit of r and r just before bed time!
    Next week is going to be truly hectic with family arriving from other parts of the world as well as meeting up with family here, but will stay in touch as to what is happening, and let you know, B2tF, if I won’t be able to post! Best wishes and Season’s greetings to all and everyone of us.

Viewing 50 posts - 2,801 through 2,850 (of 3,410 total)

You must be logged in to reply.