This topic contains 2,339 replies, has 109 voices, and was last updated by back2thefuture 3 years, 8 months ago.
ANAIDE,
Wow! Sounds like you are rocking this Challenge in Brazil. Doing HIT exercise & Low Carb… plus, 23:1? Is that a couple times each week or daily? I sometimes struggle to reach 16:8.
Have you found just one meal each day gets easier? I hope you are getting excellent results for all your good effort!
South Australia Day 11
I have a cold today and a headache but I will carry on. I am having to write down the page of my last post and then read from there to keep up which is truly wonderful, this international thread is more interesting than a novel.
Dollybird I think I will make myself a poster saying ‘I am not Lassie” and stick it on the fridge next to my fat photo, you are quite right, of course we can learn new tricks.
My greatest challenge is the first day after my fast when I tend to overeat and that is what I am going to focus on. I still find staying within my TDEE hard. I will give the 16/8 method a try to see if that helps and also plan my food in advance.
Anyway I still lost 200 grams this week which is great, so I am on track. My very non secret goal is aiming to lose 1.5 kilos during this 42 day challenge and I have now lost .5 during the first two of my regular Wednesday weigh ins.
I tried on some clothes in a high street shop yesterday and can now get into their size large which I was very pleased about as I could never fit into any of their clothes a few months ago.
I was wondering how the people who went on their just water fasts managed??
Bonne journee as they say in Quebec
Day 10 in Los Angeles and all is slow but good. FD yesterday went well, though I was hoping to see a slightly lower number on the scale this morning. The rest of this week will be tougher — we’ll go out for husband’s birthday dinner tomorrow, and then going out of town for the weekend with friends. The week after that will be even worse — going to St. Louis for son’s graduation (5 days of restaurants!). Wish me strength and luck !
QSUE – I water fast every other day. I find it pretty good. Been going now 2 and a half months. I find I am cold on the day, and was struggling with constipation, but after trying different remedies finally found one that is keeping me regular. It takes a dedicated mindset. My husband has no idea how I manage to do it. It is cold here in Oz at the moment, so am struggling to keep my water intake up, but I have plenty of hot tea and that keeps me going 🙂
Australia Day 11 – 31 days to go of challenge. Fasting today.
Fasts – 6 Non fasts – 5
UK day 9 very entertaining to read all the chatter, i also look forward to getting a minute to sit down and read everyone’s experiences! I like the photo idea i will try that and i feel quite motivated to try and up my exercise after reading how well you are all doing! It might be a dance around the house with the little man at most some days but im sure with a bit of determination and imagination i can make it work for me! 😀
Non fast day today, stayed under TDE but did give in to a little chocolate hit in the evening…..that should keep me going for now!
I do use the tracker but you just reminded me to update my measurements so i think I’ll do this at my week two weigh in which should keep me in check this week.
Day 11 from the rain bespattered Dordogne in France.
I am up ridiculously early, a little bird has taken to pecking the window beside my bed in the mornings. …and so to the scales. I am disappointed to find that my weight is static. It was a NFD (non fast day?) yesterday. I ate some bought chicken masala from the freezer, but didn’t like it, and in fear of hunger ate two slices of lean back bacon to compensate. I calculated that my TDEE could allow for this, and the butter skimmed crisp bread I ate later as a form of comfort food before bed time. In total for the day I consumed around 1000 calories, yet my weight is static this morning. I guess I had too much carb and protein, and because of the rain I did not walk far.
Had some shocking news yesterday. I had been caught on camera driving into a red light. It had changed when I was close up, and I thought it more sensible to proceed than slam on the brake. The result is a 90 euro fine and 4 more points on my licence. I have two points to go before I lose my licence. I wouldn’t mind, since I started driving I have never had an accident or a fine in my life until now. Six months ago a gendarme said I failed to stop at a stop sign. I believed I had stopped and he was being pedantic. He said I had not used the hand brake. The first fine was when I was speeding 5kms above the limit at the very edge of town. Easily done. Now I must go to be re-educated to buy back four points. We start off with 12 here, and lose them if we infringe the laws.
The misery of this revelation sent my spirits tumbling along with my resolve. I needed a glass of wine. I resisted that, and then I needed to eat some of the English chocolate a friend had brought at the weekend when she flew in to visit. I had to resist that too. It was easier to resist the wine urge because I don’t have any wine in the house. I really ought to throw away the chocolate. Like Dollybird, I have to learn to resist forbidden treats.
Oddly, despite my static weight result, today I did notice the muffin top bulges are reducing which is one of my aims.
Pacific NW USA: Day 10 FD
All well throughout day of drinking tea and water (although a little woozy early in day). Dinner was all planned under 500 cal until friends brought over fresh oysters, which we love. I should have looked up their calorie count before partaking. Lesson learned about how easy it was to fall into old style of eating without thinking. When I did look them up – oops 336 extra cal on a FD! Not beating myself up though, at least it wasn’t Oreos!
Maybe (I love the way Quebequoise said it) I was eating my emotion. I haven’t experienced combining socializing with dieting since I started 5:2.. I see what some of the rest of you have said, it takes much more effort to stay mindful when the setting changes up.
This forum is the best! Global, diverse ages and stages but with a common purpose and a common process that brings us together. Amazing! But now I see I have to check in more than once a day, I can’t skip reading any of your posts and tonight I think I there were more pages to catch up than usual, my eyes are getting blurry!
Pacific NW USA
ABC1 – we posted simultaneously – just read yours. Sorry about the violations that you got caught up in – I can commiserate – I had my first “camera ticket” this year at a speed trap where I had to slow for construction (which I did) but then when I saw the resume speed sign, I did so but a few yards before I got to the sign, and “flash” I had a $250 ticket. Luckily they reduced it by half when I wrote a letter admitting guilt but emphasizing the obsurdity. French driving laws seem very strict!
U.K. Day 11. Fd for me (hoorah). Looking forward to it, feeling bloated and sluggish. (My daughters been in Edinburgh this past 4yrs and now she’s leaving has realised all the doughnut/cake/deli shops she forgot to tick off) Oh well, job done and lots of lovely memories made with her. Tues and thurs normally fd for me, wondering now if I can do tomw fd too so I’m back ontrack.
UK day 10 Thanks everyone just catching up on the comments has inspired me to step up a gear. Yesterday wasn’t a good day for me,had to wait in for a repair man around lunch time I thought I’d wait till after he’d gone to eat and I’d just have a tiny snack to put me on, which lead to another , and another ….you get the picture 🙁 I got weighed and despite being a FD the previous day I’d remained static thinking about it now I realise all the drinks I had at the weekend have taken their toll, even though I’d stayed under my TDEE all those empty calories aren’t conducive to healthy eating and in particular weight loss…….anyway I’m back on track now FD today and aiming for a loss by the end of week 2
CH – Day 11 (NFD)
Things are moving very, v-e-r-y, slowly this week. My brain, for one, which seems to have gone away for the duration, but also my weight loss, which is static (but probably serves me right for hopping onto the scales each morning). OH suggested that I incorporate more (well, some!) exercise into my week, which has got me feeling very sulky and reluctant, just the sort of sulky and reluctant I get when I know I ought to be doing something, but don’t want to. I still don’t want to, but have promised to go swimming, mostly to get OH to shut up about exercise.
There’s a lot of wisdom on this thread – any wise words about exercise and 5:2?
One of the reasons this WOL is working for me is that I feel I’m doing what I want to do, and doing good for my body, so am doing it willingly and happily, which is a new approach to eating for me! Exercise is very much something that I have to force myself to do. I dread it beforehand, dislike it while I’m doing it, then feel resentful afterwards. I’m not sure how it works exactly, but in the past, it has screwed up my happy resolve about eating healthily, maybe because it makes me feel I ‘owe’ myself a treat or just because the whole process makes me feel miserable and defeatist.
I just don’t seem to get any ‘good’ endorphins from exercise – a couple of years back I forced myself to do the ‘Couch-to-5k’ programme to see if it was just that I wasn’t trying hard enough. I ended up bullying myself into getting my 5k time down to 35mins, but hated every moment and ended up with sore knees…
So, I’m cagey about exercise, especially now I feel positive and ‘in control’ with 5:2. Should I stick with what I know works, or should I get over myself and get down to the pool??
Hey and …exhale remember 80%of weight loss is intake driven not exercise taken- just look at calories spent walking vs sitting and don’t beat yourself up!
FD yesterday went better than anticipated. Have just had knee surgery so am non weight bearing for 6 weeks! It is a pain to get to the fridge so maybe that will help my weight loss goals!! Ha ha
HI Exhale – I’m not into exercise for its own sake, I’m afraid. I once belonged to a gym which was great…except that the pub next to it did great puddings! Then fiancé and I would pretend to be good at the gym just to go next door and have treacle pudding and custard. Not impressive! NOw there is no time for the gym, but since moving to a new town, I’ve resolutely left the car in the garage most of the week. I try to build walking time into my job/domestic life, and cycle whenever I can – not for the sake of walking or cycling, but as my means of transport. A bit dark ages, perhaps, but it builds exercise back into my day. A little here and a little there really helps. Of course, I’m lucky, the town is small, my job is local, there’s an Asda 12 mins walk across the park…but perhaps you have opportunities like these?
Day 11– Colorado USA
Today I’m packing up to go visit family for 5 days. So OH took me out to dinner last night (he’s staying home.) It was a NFD, but I went over TDEE by 677 calories. Oopsie! I didn’t know in advance we’d be dining out, so hadn’t saved any extra calories. It was the wine. Oh, red wine. Sigh.
Anyway, no idea how the next 5 days will go. It’ll be full days of going ’round visiting relatives, catching up with everyone & loads of restaurant trips too. I’m not holding high hopes for progress… Just hoping to not gain any weight back!
Coda, I’m planning to pack my iPad, so I hope to be able to still do a quick check-in over the next 5 days (please don’t write me off if I miss a few!) I’ll be thinking of you all! Promise. 🙂
Day 11 again– Colorado USA
Just weighed in, was dreading it (see note above re: restaurant & red wine!) even considered skipping the scales today. Glad I didn’t!
Original start weight = 156 (71 kg)
Start of Challenge = 147 (66.8 kg)
Today’s weight = 145.2 (66 kg)….. A total loss so far 10.8 lbs (5 kg) Yay!! 🙂
This was a lovely surprise after my blowout yesterday. It also gives me renewed incentive to enjoy the 5 day trip visiting family without going nuts. Wish me luck!
I posted earlier but it doesn’t appear to have gone through. My hip is really sore from all the walking and I was feeling very sorry for myself by the time I got home; I had walked past two favourite bars on my trip home and arrived fed up and hungry. Opened the fridge to start dinner and someone had left a box of KFC there! Don’t worry, I ignored it and had a healthy snack before planting myself firmly on the couch and let my family wait on me!
US/Day 11 — NFD today (fast day tomorrow) things seem to be going good. At another poster’s suggestions I weigh myself every morning (just to be conscious of the numbers) but only record my weight once a week (every Friday). I’m happy to say that since I started 5:2 (April 11) and 30 days later I’m down 10 pounds. That is more progress that I’ve made in the 9 months prior!
And …..exhale — as far as exercise, I never ever used to exercise but two years ago started going to the pool every morning and joined a water aerobics class — LOVED IT. From there, after losing some weight and feeling a little better about myself, and becoming complacent at the water classes moved up to “land” classes and now for the past year have gone to a “land” class every day which I love. I take Latin hip hop, Oula and a strength-power class. I think the real trick is to try to find something you like doing. The instructors I found are motivating and all about “women empowerment” so that helps too. I rarely get the endorphin rush everyone talks about, but it does happen once in a while. At a minimum, the things like parking further away, taking the stairs, etc., all the little things people say do add up over time ….not sure this is helpful at all ……just my thoughts on exercise.
Have a great day all!
Exhale – I am pretty touchy about exercise as well. I have to do it on my terms and when someone (i.e.. husband, but in the past my sisters) makes suggestions, it tends to put me off exercise instead of encourage me. It’s weird. It’s like it has the opposite affect. It’s gotten better recently although I can’t pinpoint why. Anyway, I’m sorry it’s like that for you. I can relate, I think. For me, it comes from a place of needing to control things for myself. If I feel like someones “putting something on me” then it’s just too heavy for me. I know it comes from a deeper place from my childhood (not going into that..but just saying from my experience). Do what’s good for you and don’t put anything on yourself that’s going to make you go to a bad place. I think exercise is important..but it’s not supposed to be a beat down. I do better if I drive to some park that has a pretty walking trail or path and walk and enjoy myself. I don’t do as well if I’m walking from home.
Day 11, US, I’ve been bouncing up and down 1.5 – 2 pounds since the challenge began. I finally dropped into a new number. 121.9…but it’s so psychological. Maybe it’s stress. My younger son failed to get a certain grade in one stinking course to get into his major. Now he has to decide if he wants to transfer to another university or change his major. STRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I put on a size 6 suit this morning…a new one…So how can my BMI still be 23?
Exhale…I think Dr. Jason Fung give even less credit to exercise for weight loss – maybe 5-10%. Great for the body but not much impact on weight loss.
USA Day 11: NFD
Plan: Stay under TDEE. Some type of exercise. Drink more water.
Weather: Misty. Thunderstorms.
Yesterday went well. I stayed under my TDEE by 200+ calories. I don’t tend to drink as much water/tea on my NFD so need to focus on that. And also didn’t get any exercise in. Both my boys weren’t feeling well and it was raining out all day so we kept things very cozy and relaxed.
ETJ – What remedy worked for your constipation? Seems like I’m still not where I need to be.
ETJ,
I also would like to know the remedy.
I am the same way with cold and constipation. I water fast 2 – 3 times per week.
Cold is usually tolerable with a lot of hot tea, and 5 min spent with jumping rope.
For constipation I drink a cup of plum juice in evening before fasting day, but concern that the juice has a lot of sugar in it. Would be nice to know what works for other people.
Good morning 11 of challenge in BRAZIL
Today day not fasting, breakfast in the company, going to fast tomorrow for sure!
HappyMargo as to make 23: 1 almost every day, find it easier to be Lowcarb have no desires and compulsions.
Although my dinner is around 1000 calarorias giving a deficit of 500 cal day five days a week – 2,500 calories per week which yields + – 400gr (1lb), I have a hard time losing weight, thanks to the countless diets and drugs used over time.
But I’ll patiently gain with health is much more than weight loss.
Good morning everyone!
I take KAL….http://www.amazon.com/KAL-Magnesium-Glycinate-400-tablets/dp/B00013YZ1Q
Start with one tablet before bedtime. Magnesium acts as a smooth muscle relaxer, which is why it helps sleep. It also lowers BP for some, so keep that in mind.
Coldpizza – I haven’t tried the magnesium, might look into that. I tried Metamucil, drinking more water, laxative, a different fiber daily tablet. Nothing had worked. I am now taking Normacol. It is like fiber granules that you have to swallow two teaspoons of them per day. Like clockwork ever since, lol.
Day 11 – Wisconsin, USA. Whew! Just caught up on all my new forum friends’ posts. I’m quite interested to learn about everyone’s exercise dilemmas, traffic tickets, family visits, sick kids, oyster indulgences, and much more.
I even have my husband intrigued with this forum. I told him about how much more clever everyone seems from other parts of the country and nation. My new friends say things like, “I tucked into some sausages”, and other smart sounding expressions.
My husband suggested I slip “Ahoy matey” into a post for flair. I said, “These friends are aware that I’m not a pirate. I’m just from Wisconsin.”
NFD yesterday went well. Minus the dark salted chocolate squares a little friend of mine dropped off for me. For some reason, this sweet little girl likes doing nice things for me. She knows I like dark chocolate, and dropped off about 20 bars. Literally. So, I couldn’t be impolite.
At any rate…5:2 is definitely working for me. Regardless of a few slips here and there, the trajectory of my weigh is in downward motion.
For those who don’t like exercise…would visualization help? I have never wanted to be “skinny”. I prefer muscle tone and strength. I visualize revealing a strong body with muscle definition as I lose unhealthy fat. This picture in my head keeps me walking, doing pull ups and exercise videos.
“Fitness Blenders” is a youtube channel I LOVE. You can start with 5 minute videos to build a habit. If you haven’t exercised much, these short videos will make you sore, and reminding you the next day that you have helped yourself.
So sorry…my posts are too long. Will shorten them up. Have a great day everyone!
Hello again everyone worldwide. Just checking in for today. Day 11 (already!) non-fast day. I got another soaking on my mail delivery this morning. I was also VERY hungry, as I didn’t eat anything between porridge at 6.30am and coming back home for a feast of salmon (and the rest…don’t ask) at 2.30pm. This is my all or nothing eating pattern coming to the fore. Fast day tomorrow….hopefully starting NOW!!
Hi everyone,
Day #11, Southern California, a NFD. I was not hungry this morning after yesterday (a FD) so I had a light breakfast. That pound that I was talking about yesterday gained back due to Mother’s Day is history now. I got rid of it, bye bye. I’ll have a huge salad with some fish for lunch and staffed grape leaves (vegetarian) with Greek yogurt for dinner.
Speaking of exercising, I do it daily at least for 30 min. just because I feel great after that. Mentally and physically. I also take magnesium daily.
Have an easy day all of you and don’t give up! It’s getting easier.
Day 11- Minnesota, USA, about 1000 hrs. Cloudy, misty and wet.
Yesterday was a NFD and I stayed below my TDEE. Today is also a NFD. My son-in-law is soon to drop off my four year old granddaughter, who was quite ill yesterday with fever, headache, body aches and starting to cough. Apparently she is feeling better today but still not well enough for daycare, so I may have a more active day than I had planned. That would be good for me. I’m also a reluctant exerciser except for walks. I will look into the you tube videos that Edzeko mentioned. I do have a gym membership, and perhaps one of my goals for this challenge will be (should be) to actually use it! Maybe 2-3 times a week as a start. FD tomorrow, whether I babysit my granddaughter again or not. I’m committed. Good luck, everyone!
Day11- California Today is a NFD. Pulling a 12 hour shift today, started at 0300. It is now 0747 and very hungry this am. I ventured down to the cafeteria and had breakfast for the first time in a month. Egg, turkey sausage, and breakfast potatoes. I will have to adjust my calories because this was not planned. I already have 5300 steps on board and have 8 more hours to go. Maybe I will go past my 10000 step goal today. I will have to be careful when I get home. If I am tired or had a bad day, I just start eating without thinking. It happened on Monday but now more aware.
Time to get back to work!!
Hi Margo! you are doing so well, and on track. I read somewhere that a glass of red wine is as good as going to the gym!
Exhale I am the same as you regarding exercise. I once joined a gym and hated it. I thought I could build up some muscle in my arms to offset the underarm bags left since pregnancy 37 years ago. Didn’t work though and the “coach”, who had obviously written me off in one glance, told me I was too old to bother.
There was a pool, but too shallow for my poor breaststroke. I swim at a terrible angle, and my feet scrape the bottom. Oddly I am a scuba diver and then I am great underwater. It is just no longer possible to do front crawl because of the arthritic neck and shoulders!
These days I do dog walking and that is it. I would love to do horse riding again. Have you ever thought of that? or skating? Dancing maybe? I like EDzeko’s idea of you tube exercises. I may have a go if it is sedate enough;-)
Pacific NW USA: Day 11 FD
This will be my first time trying back-to-back FD’s, well not really, because of those 6 extra oysters last night. I’ll let you know tonight if I made it without that alter-ego person sneaking in that forgets I can reduce portion size (“um-m- that 1 oyster was delicious”) and that is still a good life.
Troyca – good luck on the recuperation for your knee! That’s a full time job! I have 2 hour PT appointments 3 times a week and the 24/7 homework and actually this 5:2 is a great distraction for me.
And…Exhale – my attitude about exercise at this juncture is to do stretching activities. I use yoga videos on the TV. That way I can be me and not compare myself to others and pick and choose which positions I’m going to do. My PT told me there’s good research about the benefit of holding a stretch (not in areas of injury of course, no pain, just to first point of stretch) for at least 2 minutes in each position. He says healing chemicals are released at 2 minutes that aren’t there prior to the hold. I’ll try to find the research. The TV remote lets me slow down the yoga videos for the two minutes while I hold the stretch.
Have a good day – whatever time zone you’re in!
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2:40 am
11 May 16