Re struggling with intense hunger or desire to eat, or even binge on, something totally bad, I try not to buy that type of food in the first place because I know that if it is in the house I will eat it, and I try and have things like berries, carrot and celery sticks, snowpeas etc in the fridge that are a very quick to grab and then either sweet or crunchy to eat so satisfying. And then there are the times that with the best will in the world I just eat whatever I damn well feel like and feel totally rubbish afterwards. We’re human and we make mistakes. A health advisor once told me that if a craving came on (as opposed to hunger) to distract myself for 20 minutes – either walking, reading, etc – and that the craving would most likely disappear on its own.I don’t know if any of this helps. I hope so. Good luck all.

Quebecoise,

Love it. I suppose you’ll have a squeaky clean mouth if you decide to eat the peanut butter now. Its not easy breaking the cycle. It will take the best part of a month to detox and that is just the physical addiction. Its the psychological aspect that will be harder to break. Im still struggling to understand that a lot of the issues posted by forum members are psychologically based rather than simply not knowing what to eat. I cant really offer any genuine empathy as I don’t know what its like. I suppose I was extremely lucky in that regard as before finding 5:2 I simply didn’t know what a healthy diet was. Once I researched it, it was relatively easy for me. I can offer what I now know with regards to the diet side of things as researching anything is an occupational hazard for me. The psychology side of things, unfortunately Im not even a novice.

Good morning All, day 33 Surrey
Having come in really late in this challenge, I have just spent some time reading many of the posts from the beginning, and would like to thank you all, and you, Coda, for inviting me and welcoming me.
Why I am mentioning this is that I can see the road traveled, and in a way what is waiting for me. All the combined experiences of everyone is going to be very helpful on the road ahead and the continuing resolve shown by everyone will remain an inspiration.
I have only been on this for a week now and am truly looking forward to the coming challenge. Is it too soon to say that I am already feeling much better? I will weigh on Monday and report back, but the fact that I am feeling so much better is such a good feeling. Thank you all!

UK day 33 – but should actually be day 32 cos my FD yesterday was rubbish! Still, read of your ‘challenge’ (thanks Merryme), Coda and know I’m not alone. Then went and read the support Merryme and others had given you and borrowed it for myself. So, I’m not back on the horse yet, but we’re both in the stable yard, and I’m eye-balling the creature, ready to get back on and fast the rest of today and tomorrow…let’s see how much the bronco bucks (sorry, American cowboy metaphors aren’t usually my thing!)

Australia Day 33 FD and just finished a delicious dinner of baked salmon and vegetables. Just a cup of tea left for me today. I find banishing the foods that tempt me the best way to go. A chocolate sitting in my pantry would do my head in at this stage! Heading away for the weekend and not sure if I’ll have Internet access. But I will post on my return. Hope the rain stays away as I want to get a bit of walking into my weekend. Good luck everyone, we’re almost there. 🎉🎈

CH Day 33 – NFD just checking in to say hello!

US, Day 33, Memorial Day blip up is being stubborn. Another FD for me today. I hope it will be more successful that Tuesday!

Planning a dinner of steamed mussells and clams, with a side of asparagus.

Goal: 118 by June 30. Eyes on the prize. Onwards and downwards…one fat cell at a time.

Coda, I am putting a note in my calendar to take measurements on June 10 or 11. I am down a cup size, so THAT is my achievement!!!

US/Day 33 – just finished reading all the posts …so many helpful, thoughtful and heartfelt words. I don’t think many of us realize how much some of us need to hear (see) the words that others post. Is powerful motivation for many!

NFD today since yesterday turned into a fast (or what I call a semi-fast day — meaning I didn’t quite stay under 500 but I’m well under my TDEE) so I decided to weigh myself today and am very happy with the results! I met my mini-goal before my vacation!!!!! And I’ve seen a number I’ve not seen in hundreds of years (hahah!), seriously, at least 20 years!! I too am shocked/amazed at how much the scale can move up or down overnight or even over 2-5 days. So I’m sure tomorrow (my official weigh in day) the scale will be back up – EVEN if I eat sensibly today. I will be taking measurements tomorrow as well since we will be busy getting ready to leave for vacation.

Coda – I will post through Monday and then will do the best I can from Tuesday (June 7) to the end of the challenge to post. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this group and do believe whole-heartedly that this forum has helped me to “stay the course” when many times by now I would have seen what I’ve done as a “failure” and given up. I do hope that those who have remained active in this challenge and on this thread will continue to do so – even during the “break”.

Wishing all of us continued success as we overcome challenges and have new “breakthroughs” both mentally and physically!

Day 33, Cotswolds, UK, non-fast day. Just remember we are not alone in our struggles, we are a TEAM now. I know some of you lose heart from time to time but the important thing is to NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP. I haven’t lost weight for two weeks or so, but I’m thinking of the health benefits instead. Do that. It’s not just about weight, is it? For instance, my family history is full of diabetes, especially on my mother’s side. All her 7 brothers and sisters developed it as they reached their 50s and 60s, and also her mother who died of a stoke at only 57. Many of my aunts and uncles also died of strokes in later years, including my own mother. I am 62. I do NOT want to get diabetes and all that it leads to.

Brazil 33 day challenge

Hello everyone!

My weight stood for 3 weeks, I’m making changes to see what happens.

I’m doing fast without the 500 calories at dinner, just take a broth from bones and get up to 12 hours the next day, fasting 40 hours.

Ciren2 I also have historical family of diabetes, my grandmother, my father.
In my family of 7 brothers, only I have no problems with the thyroid, thanks to the care with food.

Québec, day 33

A special thanks to those who helped me throw away my peanut butter jar. Now it’s done and well done. And, don’t worry, I didn’t eat some more after putting the soap in it. Plus, I didn’t have to throw away the chocolate since it was all eaten before I started attaking the peanut butter with a spoon hahaha.

Edzeko the story of the dog with the Fitbit made me lol. I can imagine the lady sound asleep while the steps are accumulating on the thing. So funny !

I’m happy to report that all the chocolate and peanut butter didn’t seem to affect my mini goal to much. I’m still under 135 pounds.

Today is a FD and everything is going just fine. I am drinking herbal tea and will be having chicken or fish with vegetables for dinner around 5 pm.

Have a nice day !

Probably another FD on Saturday.

France Day 33 semi fast day

I wondered how it would be if I broke the fast early. I prepared the food to eat about four o clock today.

I had been reading about Karen Carpenter and her dieting. She was on a protein diet, a sort of forerunner of the Atkins diet. Mostly lean meats and eight glasses of water. She finally went on to be anorexic. This led me to look at diet beliefs back in the eighties. There was actually a high carbohydrate diet. I am not sure there was much science behind it. I read an old Telegraph article about it.

I am really curious as to why Dr Fung thinks we will not be like the big losers. (I read about those as well) I have never seen the prog on TV. Plainly we are capable of losing the weight, but what is to stop us putting all the weight back on? Please clue me in.

Next week is going to be hard for me. I teach French students in my home for a week’s immersion English. Generally they are men from the automotive industry. There is a desperate need for them to brush up their English since this is the common language between them and their plants in far flung places. A marketing manager is arriving on Sunday for a week. That is 30 hours one to one tuition, plus evening entertainment. i.e. watching English films with English subtitles to help him, or playing Scrabble.

Since I normally live alone and never speak to anyone from one week to the next, I usually get a sore throat from all the speaking I have to do.

I am expected to cook for him, whilst teaching him, and also to eat meals with him. I have to be a bit of a multi-tasker. I hope that it does not interfere with my diet. I also hope it starts to be summer weather. This endless rain is so boring. Still it is a form of income, and I am my own boss.

Day 33 Los Angeles. FD for me. Water all day plus tea and coffee with stevia and a little fat-free half-and-half (sounds impossible but that’s what it is!).

Will have a very plain dinner of cottage cheese with a little no-sugar strawberry jam tonight — I’m so wanting carbs right now that I don’t dare go to the market to shop for anything more exciting, for I doubt my ability to resist a bag of potato chips today!

As always enjoying everyone’s posts — the longer the better (MerryMe, I’m looking at you!).

Onward.

Day 33– Colorado, USA

Coda, I do the same thing where I eat something off-plan and THEN remember, “Oh crud, I wasn’t supposed to have that today!”

I was thinking about getting (or making) a bracelet as a visual cue/ reminder. I’d hope for it to catch my eye as I’m moving food toward my mouth & help me pause long enough to re-consider whether I really need that morsel or not. Worth a try!

back2thefuture– Oh nooooo!! Coffee Ice Cream is my kryptonite! My biggest weakness ever. I would’ve caved in too.

I can’t even have ice cream in my house. Haven’t bought it in over 4 years! I only allow ice cream when away from home on vacation/ holiday. That way at the very most, I’ll eat 2 or 3 ice cream cones in a year’s time. It’s just safer for me that way! 🙂

Wow! Just got all caught up on recent posts.

Page 34 was a real roller-coaster of drama. The honesty displayed and the words of encouragement given are truly heart-warming. We’ve all struggled with the low points at times, but how nice to have this group for support & wise words of encouragement.

Thanks to all who contribute! And don’t feel that you must shorten your posts at all (I’m looking at you Merryme!) It’s enjoyable reading.

UK day 33 have had a very bad day. I have just scrolled through recent posts, and am feeling so grateful. Tomorrow I will have a proper catch up and get back on plan, but I felt very supported by reading about everyone’s experiences. So good to feel that I’m not alone in having a setback.

Good morning from South Australia Day 34

Where is the Buttonboots thread on the 5:2 forum? I would like to read her posts.

It is interesting many of us have ice cream and peanut butter as trigger foods. I have found plain yogurt can be a comfort food (just a small full fat container) and I try to always have a big bowl of thinly sliced vegetables with seeds and nuts and a healthy dressing that I can eat anytime on NFDs. I am not a domestic Goddess and buy the ingredients already prepared at my local shop.

I judge that if I have two successful 36 hour fast days a week then it has been a good week. I try to eat well the rest of the week but we are all human. I threw some biscuits, I had for the grandchildren, in the bin this week. They left the house and the biscuits hit the bin. Sometimes it is all you can do.

Northern Dawn I am a scales tragic and what you are describing is totally normal for me as well.

All the best to everyone and Onwards and Downwards

Buttonboots thread can be found on the weight loss section of the forum, I agree she has a wonderful way of writing, very inspiring

Hi Qsue
The foods are recommended by two scientists who investigated a “skinny gene” and wrote a book called the Sirt Food diet. Whilst I approach most diets with an element of scepticism, even those recommended by scientists, I have included many of their recommended foods in my diet basically because they are healthy and cannot hurt my journey and may do me some good.

I shan’t go into too much detail, there is quite a bit of info on the Internet. Basically the sirt foods help turn on the “skinny gene” which in turn boosts metabolism, helps with fat burning and repairs damaged cells.

Buckwheat was a new discovery and makes a great substitute for carbs.

Anaide. I’ve also been thinking of you during this time.

I do hope all of you in France and Germany are dry and safe.

USA day 33:
Well..yesterday’s FD did not work out. I went till 1pm and had miso soup…then I just ate whatever I wanted and threw the FD out the window. Today I was just done. I haven’t managed one FD this week and I am discouraged. I wasn’t even going to post anymore but here I am. Don’t know if I should even attempt another FD tomorrow. that’s all.

USA Day 33 7:30 pm
Great posts from so many!! MerryMe, Coda, TTL, B2F, BigBooty, OnaHealthyHigh, and many others, It is so appreciated by those of us that are relatively new to this WOL when you share with us your knowledge and wisdom gained from your experience!
ETJ, Edzeko and QSue I thank you for the support. It helps so much, as I’m sure you know. I will take your advice Edzeko and not weigh again until next week. It’s too easy to panic when you see terrible numbers.
I have no idea why I had a 5 lb weight fluctuation last weekend (MSG?) but the good news is that those 5 lbs are gone and I weigh the same as I did last Thursday. That alone makes me happy enough, that I didn’t gain any real weight this week even though I overate with unhealthy food last weekend.
As BrightonBelle says: accept it, move on and try harder next time. And Ciren2, you are right to remind us that even when not losing weight we are gaining health benefits.

This weekend I will make healthy food choices and not sabotage my hard work.

Coda I will not be able to post tomorrow (Friday) June 3 until June 5 or 6, so please sign me in.
Have a great and successful weekend everyone!

Day 34 NORTHERN Spain
Hello again everyone.
Fell off the wagon there for a while – food wise
I fasted but I overate too on my non fast days this week. I envy those of you who seem to feel full or have within yourselves to keep going. Well done- I’m envious in a healthy way and I admire you.
Just can’t seem to get it together on the non fast days but in general this challange and in particular this forum has helped a lot.

Thank for those words of encouragement Coda.
I’ll try again.I’m fasting today again and it’s not a problem. Hopefully I’ll be more relaxed at the weekend.
Cheers