This topic contains 2,339 replies, has 109 voices, and was last updated by back2thefuture 3 years ago.
Day 21 from Minnesota, USA NFD
My OH and I went out to eat again with daughter and S-I-L and granddaughter, after an afternoon of babysitting that little 4 year old sweetie. She filled my planters with “pretty flowers” from the ditch (weeds). Well, it will be interesting to see how many weeds grow up with the legitimate flowers. 😉 She was beautiful as she planted those weeds. So lovely a time with family, and I’m grateful for every moment. I ate scallops at the restaurant, and gave most of the asparagus and lemon risoto to my kids for a take home bag. Stayed low carb. I think I’m doing pretty good with TDEE. I did have a couple low carb cocktails, but all together I feel I was on the plan.
DebbieQ: yes, exactly, a Magic Mirror Syndrome! That’s what I have suffered from. Back2thefuture: I’m sure you will find your clothes fit more comfortably soon. I Am Sure!!! Soon.
Cizzy2: To get over the mindset of eating all of what is served: Don’t ever feel guilty for not cleaning your plate. Think about it this way: food in the bin costs the price of the food. That’s it, that’s all. But if you eat that excess food, or whatever extra is on the plate: it becomes food on your waist. And what will that cost you? What do excess calories cost all of us?
What does food on your waist, instead of in the bin, cost you and the rest of us?
What is the cost of diabetes? (From food on the waist!). What is the cost of cancer? (From food on the waist). What is the cost of heart disease? What is the cost of being too uncomfortable to move around? What is the cost to not be able to chase kids or grandkids and give them memories? To keep up with coworkers? What is the cost to quality of life? I’m sure you all get the point….
In the waste bin or on your waist? What do you want to do with that food? Which is the greater cost?
I try to point this out to my beloved OH, who has metabolic syndrome. He has an almost pathological need to clean his plate and he is very much overweight. He says it helps him when he thinks about these arguments against cleaning his plate.
Sorry for such a long post, my lovely friends online. I just feel pretty strongly about this whole cleaning your plate thing. Good luck this weekend!
Australia, day 22, NFD
Thanks for your comments🙂
back2thefuture – no worries about feeling yuck on your couch days. (Just realised you may not know what that means). ‘No worries’ is Australia slang or colloquial language for ‘ it’s OK, thanks for your concern, but it’s ok for you not to worry about it) or something like that. Please don’t feel embarrassed about your tiredness. If you feel like you need to be on the couch somedays then do it. If there’s even a vague chance you’ve got this then the worst thing you can do is to push yourself when you’re tired. Because this is such a perverse condition dealing with it is the opposite of what we do with a lot of other illnesses. Often, we end up further down the rating scale than we might have been because we have tried to push through the tiredness, over and over again, in the early days. All that does is cause more damage and we end up worse. Often also, we are told by family, friends, medicos to push through the tiredness for various reasons. Same result. If you have a bad night reduce what you do the next day. Forgive my long explanation and bluntness, but if I have understood right, and you possibly may have this in a mild form please, look after yourself so you don’t end up with it in a worse form.
ABC1 – (I think I have the name right ). Right weight on any scale is always a range. If you’re in the range at the top end, it just means you’re now a healthy weight. Anywhere within that range is healthy for you, but it may not be your ideal weight. So..you have now got to the weight where your body and heart are saying thank you, but your mirror isn’t happy yet. Somewhere in that healthy range your mirror will get happier, and you will start catching sight of yourself in shop window reflections and see a slim, healthy looking person, just a second before you realise it’s you.
To answer someone about weight loss not being significant at lower levels -My GP(general practitioner, family doctor, primary health care doctor) said to me – ” For every 5kgs (11lbs) you lose your heart functions better.”
Debbie – thanks, I wish it was 65lbs I’d lost🙂, but it’s 35, and 65 is about what I put on through illness. Over 6 yrs I was able to get off 10kgs (22lbs) a few years before 5:2, but couldn’t get down any further. It’s 5:2 that’s been the magic bullet for me. But it does feel amazing every single day to not be carrying that extra weight around, and to now be looking better and being happy about how I look. 5kgs(11lbs) to go now, and then the challenge of maintainence. It’s been an uplifting learning journey.
Onwards and downwards folks all over the world!
Merry
UK day 20. Nonfd but didnt eat until 4pm as i wasnt hungry, evening meal stayed well within tde and went to bed feeling satisfied (am now up again for baby feed so thought it an ideal time to post now little man is down.)
ABC1 sorry to hear about your encounter with such an insensitive doctor, i hope you put him to rights….
All this talk about plateaus…..i know i have given up on previous diets once hitting this point so i have saved your links etc for when i reach mine! Like Coda said, keep pushing through and see where this challenge takes you! Maybe step up the cardio to brake through too?
Off to our Hanse Festival tomorrow with my nephew, new baby and stepson, should be lots of fun but i think I’ll need some sofa time afterwards!!!
Just read Northern dawn’s post re eating all food on the plate.
All of the babyboomers were told to eat all the food on their plates. Being born postwar to parents of the great Depression and WW2 generation, and grandchildren of those who lived throught WW1 WW2 and the Gr Depr, meant they had all had food supply challenges at some time, either quantity or type of food restrictions. We grew up being told we were fortunate to have good food, healthy food, and enough of it. It was important to us to appreciate that we had what our parents hadn’t, and part of that was eating all we were given, which was a much smaller amount than what’s put on giant giant sized plates and glasses that are the fashion now. I still feel guilty if I have to throw food out or it goes off in the fridge. In the western world we just have too much food available, as well as a lot of it overprocessed. We’re eating with our eyes, and it throws us out of whack. The result is obesity and illhealth.
In our house we’ve shifted to smaller plates and smaller glasses, and now after doing that for a couple of years, those big plates and big. portions just look outrageous.
Every 4 or 5 months I’ll get a long standing craving for something e.g. some kind of biscuit(cookie) from my childhood. I buy a pack, eat some and throw the rest of the pack in the bin. It still feels weird, but gets me past a psychological block in the easiest way. 5:2 is very forgiving. I believe this isn’t about deprivation, it’s about learning how I function and disfinction with food.
Hello ABC1
I’ve looked at your profile and I think you are doing amazing on this diet! I don’t really understand why you are worried. It seems that you have lost about 10 pounds or more to this point from when you signed on (April 12?).
On May 12 you said you had lost 5 KG, which is more than I have! On May 16 you said your measurements showed improvement.
My advice to you, as I am also an older (59) woman, is to give your body a break and let it find it’s balance point at this lower weight you are in. Maybe that is what your body is doing this past week. Then, if you feel good, you can re-assess your TDEE and go lower, if you want, to lose weight more quickly than a half to one pound a week.
Good luck to you. And I think you have done a wonderful job of losing weight!
Australia – Day 22 – 20 days to go of challenge 🙂
Weighed in today and lost 0.6kgs this week. It was a good week in all. Kept my fast days to just water fasting. Still doing alternate day fasting, which is going well. Some days are a lot harder than others.
Starting weight of challenge: 84kgs Weekly Loss: 0.6kg Current weight: 81.7kg.
Fasts: 11 Non fasts: 11
ETJ, it is 9:40 p.m. central time in USA as I write this, and I would like you to know that I am always interested in your posts because I am thinking about doing the EOD, or alternate day fasting later this summer. I have grand kids in July and then after the last week of that month I want to try the water fast EOD for a couple months. Mostly for the health benefits; or to see if there are benefits.
Are you doing it for weight loss and/or health benefits? I see you have a family and I think that must make it harder, but here you are with equal fast and nonfast days! Is it hard with social obligations? I admire you greatly!
Good luck to you and if sometime you could find time to answer my questions I would appreciate it so much!
An Addendum to my earlier post:
When earlier I asked what the cost of cleaning your plate was, hypothetically, to each of us, I meant what is the cost to each of us as individuals in terms of our health and lifestyles. I did not mean what is the cost to us as tax payers. As far as that goes I couldn’t care less. I just want to make that clear.
NorthernDawn -Wow, thanks 🙂 That means a lot to me. I have been alternate fasting now for almost 3 months. In that time I have lost 10.8kgs. I started dieting back in December and had lost around 5kgs before starting fasting. So down almost 16kilos since December. I find that I get very full, very easily on my eating days, so by the next day I wouldn’t say enjoy, but I don’t mind fasting. I am always really hungry by dinner time. My husband cooks on those days, so I just ignore them eating dinner. I am fine after they have eaten.
For the health benefits side of things. I was getting reflux and that is gone. I was getting a cramp in my side a lot and that is gone. My face is no longer red. While I was pregnant with my eldest, I developed a type of fungle infection on my back that I have treated with everything under the sun and nothing has completely gotten rid of it. For 12 years I have had this. I noticed the other day that it has almost completely gone. Only a tiny section left. This was covering my back and under my breasts. This is not a coincidence! I sleep really well and I have more energy, even on fast days! My heart rate sits at about 68, which is great.
If I have somewhere social to be, family coming over or whatever, I fast around this. So say my parents come down for the weekend. They will be here Friday night and Saturday. I will fast Mon, Wed, Thurs till dinner, Fri till dinner, then Sun. I don’t think of it as failed fasting, I just see when I can fast to make up for it.
The kids know that I am losing weight and fasting. It was hard getting my husband on board because he wants to lose a few kilos himself. I can’t diet with him though because he is shocking. If he is hungry he doesn’t stop talking about it, he will go on about how we just shouldn’t do it today, because he wants to eat xyz. So I told him straight out that I was doing this, he wasn’t going to, I was doing this by myself. He is now great about it and has lost weight just eating better. Not that he has much to lose!!
Sorry about the novel. I hope this helps 🙂
France Day 22 FD
Thank you to everyone who made suggestions about my concerns of a potential plateau.
Yesterday was a hot sunny day that had me mowing the lawn in a near naked state in search of some vitamin D.
I also decided since it was a non fast day I would indulge in making gin and tonic lollipops with dill weed.
Leading up to the evening a wonderful thunder storm broke out, and I watched a DVD eating one of my new fangled lollies.
This morning I was amazed to find that despite my eating to TDEE yesterday, the scales are still stuck on 71.7. I am simply ignoring them.
I will follow the advice to continue fasting on alternate days regardless. I must conquer my muffin tops.
Onward and downward!
UK day 22 – FD and weigh in – lost a lb and an inch at the waist, so chuffed to bits. I’ve got a busy day ahead, and my house guest is going to talk me through a few different coatings for fish that aren’t breadcrumbs or batter. So it will be a high protein, low carb tea tonight, with tonnes of veg. I think she’s also going to show me a tomato sauce that will hopefully become my replacement for a certain well-known, high sugar brand that I have loved since childhood. Good luck to her!
Day 22 Gloucestershire UK: Non-fast day. I don’t count calories as I don’t want food thoughts to take over my life. I just try to do sensible eating on non-fast days. I don’t want to get into a situation where I go too low on calories on NON-fast days and then end up bingeing. Fast-days are different. Just water for 24 hours (about 4pm to 4pm)is my best way. Followed by keeping under ABOUT 500 calories for the rest of that day. Have a good day everyone out there.
UK day 22 NF today , got weighed this morning no change since last week , was feeling a bit down until I read all the great posts and helped me put it into perspective, I’m 4lbs down since the start and I’m happy and healthy .im going to enjoy today, FD tomorrow and hopefully I’ll drop a bit of weight next week,
UK Day 22 a peaceful NFD today for me, I’m going to recalculate my TDEE and then plan the week ahead, allowing for some treats along the way. It’s a night shift week, so challenging for me. Just about to plant some courgette plants, hoping against hope that they won’t be devoured by slugs and snails.
ETJ… Thank you for your informative and inspirational post. We all have to bear in mind that weight-loss is just ONE of the benefits and there are many other health improvements to look forward to. I’m very impressed that you’ve stuck to Alternate Day Fasting for three months and still going. I have been doing the same over the last 8 days, or so (up until Friday) as it has fitted in with my current situation. However now, at present, being off work until 1st June, I shall return to 5:2 as it’s less of a challenge.
US/Day 22 – NFD today (another FD tomorrow) ….keeping busy with outside yard work, power class this afternoon and FD planning. Appreciate all the links (saved to my reading list!) …love gaining all the knowledge we can about this new WOL. I’ve also decided that I’m going to make a conscious effort to focus on all the good things that are happening (regardless of the numbers, whether it be scale or inches!) when my mind begins the “I can’t have that” attitude. Because, as someone else pointed out …this is a new way of life. I’m not just doing this for now, I’m doing this forever — so I need to learn to live with the “yep, I’m gonna have this today” and not regret or feel “bad” (as soooooooooo many “bad” feelings are associated with food — at least for me.). Just my inner-reflection this morning. Have a great day/night all!
South Australia May 23
A FD today but also my Granddaughter’s birthday so baking a pink cake. I will save some when it is cut to eat on a NFD.
Still struggling with eating too much on Friday and Saturday at social events so have added a 36 hour water fast just for this week. Thank you Dr Fung and Dr Moseley, on previous diets I would have become disheartened and not had the right knowledge on how to get back on track.
Thanks K-Lo for the 3 season house information
All the best to everyone for another successful day, onwards and downwards
Day 22 Minnesota, USA NFD A bit above TDEE when all was added up yesterday and also today. If I find myself way over TDEE, I will make up for it tomorrow and Thursday with minimal calorie fasts. Or maybe an extra FD. Good luck with b2b fasts, Daisyandmillie. Also to you, Qsue. Minols, we definitely need that low sugar tomato sauce recipe, If you please.
ETJ: I thank you so much for your reply about the alternate day fasting that you are doing. Your post was so interesting and instructive! The health benefits that you are obviously experiencing are very encouraging to me. I’m going to try such a fast for a month or two, hopefully August-September. That’s amazing about the fungal infection going away after all this time. Really. They are so hard to treat successfully. The alternate day diet must have kicked your immune system into a higher gear. It was also interesting about your husband. I think I’m in a very similar situation with my OH. 😉 Thanks again! Good luck to you and everyone this week.
Popping in quick. I am so sorry I misled you. I should have explained. My pull ups are starting with my feet on the floor, and my arms a bit bent. These are nothing like a pull up that starts hanging from a bar. Those kind are crazy hard.
I am so astonished by how seriously I take a goal, simply because I named it out loud to my friends here. Yesterday, I knew I was not going to bed until I made good on my claim. I actually hit 19620 steps. That might be a PR for me. So thanks!!!!!
Day 23 Aus:
My plan for the week:
Today: A planned NFD, but liquid fast till 4. Meeting friends for coffee. Dinner poulet au feu with loads of veg. Exercise: walk 5km plus gardening.
Tuesday: FD. Dinner leftover chicken and veg. Exercise: walking.
Wednesday: NFD, breakfast porridge and coffee, lunch tomato salad and a slice of multigrain sour dough and an apple, dinner home made pea and ham soup, a glass of wine and a mandarin.Breakfast, porridge, lunch. Exercise: walking.
Thursday: NFD: leftovers. Exercise: running after a preschooler and toddler.
Friday: FD, dinner shakshuka. Exercise: gardening, shopping, walking. Weigh in day.
Coda, I may find it difficult to check in this week. We’re renovating and landscaping at the moment.
Day22 California USA. NFD today, stayed close to my TDEE. I had to do some course work on the computer today and that’s when I go into snack mode. Fortunately, I don’t have too many bad snacks around the house but I did manage to find some ice cream cones. I ate one then handed the rest off to my son and his girlfriend. Now that stash is gone. Tomorrow will be a fasting day.
Thanks, NorthernDawn for the encouragement to give up my membership to the clean your plate club. Food to the waste bin is a better option than food to my waist. I should have just ordered soup and then ordered more if I were truly hungry.
Pacific NW USA: Day 22 NFD & 16:8
Bacon, lettuce, tomato and hard boiled egg salad for lunch. I’m cooking pesto baked salmon for dinner. Son’s family coming for Memorial Day long weekend with 15 month old sweet baby. So I will try b2b FD’s Monday and Tues this week as a change. I have my bone broth from Dr. Fung’s recipe to tide me over the two days while I hustle around getting ready for a toddler to descend on us.
One month comparison photo coming up this week – should be interesting. Good luck this week everyone as we launch our second half of the challenge!
USA 22 of 42
Eat Mexican food last night. The chips, hot cheese dip and guacomole were so good.
I’m sure I eat to much.I was so full I could’nt eat but a few bites of my entree. Also went out for frozen custard. So full,uncomfortable and regret eating so much food.Tomorrow is going to be a FD!Looking forward to Fast!
Australia – Day 23 – 19 days to go of challenge 🙂
NorthernDawn – No worries. I will still be here all going to plan in September/October so hopefully we can give each other encouragement. You don’t need to calorie count with alternate fasting, and I find water fasting good because there are no rules with what to eat besides 1, which is nothing, lol!! I have plenty of hot teas though, struggling with water intake because it is cold here atm, but I keep chugging it down! Just buy yourself a good multi vitamin. I am also taking vitamin C as it is flu season. And hopefully like my husband, yours will come on board. Mine has no idea how I stick to it, but keeps saying how proud he is of me 🙂
Ciren2 – Yes, I think we all concentrate on weight loss so much that we forget the other benefits to fasting. The only negative I have had so far was constipation, but that has now been controlled with a good fiber supplement. My Mum has been fasting now 5:2 style for 2 and a half years and she gets very moody on her fast days. Dad says that he tries not to talk to her, lol. She denies this of course!
Hello everyone else :waves: Today is an eating day. Yesterdays fast went well. I was pretty hungry at dinner time, but did some exercise and had a shower while everyone was eating, had a cup of tea and it passed, as it always does eventually! Not too much planned today.
Fasts – 11 Non Fasts – 12
Hi Coda and everyone around the world. Don’t even know which day it is, checking in from the Isle of Wight on holiday.
Holiday mode bring the operative words! Healthy eating gone right out the window. Been over TDEE most days thanks to the wine, and cakes mid afternoon. Thank goodness there are no scales here! The worst part is I’m sitting here at 5am unable to sleep. Rich food, eaten too late, too much wine! We have decided to have a fast day today. Our poor systems can’t take any more! Light smoked salmon salad for dinner tonight with beautiful island asparagus.
Have been keeping up to date with the posts, and must admit I cringed at the thought of food going in the waste, instead of in the waist! I know the logic, but I just hate food waste. When eating out, ask for half portions, or even child servings. If cooking at home, pull out everything you are going to prepare, then put a third of it back. You will soon get used to eating smaller portions without having to waste food.
Everyone seems to be doing well on this thread, and the exercising is impressive. We have done some walking, but the weather has not been great, although it should be better this week. Keep up the good work. Try to eliminate one rubbish food item from your diet this week. Something full of calories that has no nutrition, and just refuse to have it in the house again. You can do it!!!
May not check in again for a while but with you all in spirit! TTL
Hello from the Basque Country,
Fast day today – just as well as I had a GREAT weekend!!
Didn’t go completely overboard but managed to rock the boat alright.
Definitely feel lighter in my clothes
Having a pea stew for lunch – fresh peas, onions, potatoes and ham – healthy and tasty.
So far – so good
Greek yoghurt for dinner with an apple
Read all the interesting material about apples you’ve been posting – however I’m inclined to think that the healthy benefits of an apple outweigh its negative attributes. Maybe it’s in the mind – I never feel hungry after an apple, I’ve read that it relaxes you and helps you sleep.
The internet – invented to confuse you about everything!!!
Have a lovely day – tomorrow we eat!!!
Day 23– Colorado, USA
Was awake during night from midnight till 3:30 AM. Sadly, that’s the 3rd straight night of that. Ugh. Especially rough because my alarm goes off at 4:30 AM to get ready for work. My husband says it’s my “old lady hormones” Ha! Helpful.
Anyway, making today a Fast. Coffee for breakfast, soup for lunch & salad for dinner.
Have a good day, all. 🙂
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2:04 am
22 May 16