Africa Fat Challenge – Inspiration & Motivation.

This topic contains 271 replies, has 17 voices, and was last updated by DragonMama 6 years, 11 months ago.

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Apricot

9:30 am
14 Feb 16
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So glad about your cat, poor sweet. It’s so frustrating not to be able to explain things to them, isn’t it? And as we know, getting medication into a cat is no joke…

Yes, I got through the fast but felt very unwell the next morning, slightly dizzy and sick even after a decent breakfast. I suspect either blood sugar issues or blood pressure changes. I think I won’t do 24 hours next time but will have a small brunch around 1230 or 1.00, fasting from 7 ish the night before. Then I’ll have my evening meal no later than 7.30 pm, so I’m restricting my 500 eating to an 8 hour window. According to one of Dr M’s “Trust me, I’m a Doctor” programmes, plus some research studies, taking meals within a period like that can help. Effectively it gives two shorter total fasts, a 16 hour one, then two calory restricted meals, then a 12 hour one.

I don’t envy those following Ramadan rules! But clearly healthy, though I have heard that people do get dizzy. Of course it includes water restriction, basically ” nil by mouth”, so there’s probably some dehydration too. And you can have breakfast as long as it’s before dawn.

DragonMama

8:22 am
15 Feb 16
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Good Morning,

Lazycat, I am so glad about your cat, I missed your post yesterday, but I am glad he is OK and one get so used to the chronic medication, it gets to be a way of life.

Apricot, I dont starve myself on Fast days, I have breakfast with an egg (90 Cal) and Tomato (17 Cal) with a teaspoon of full fat Mayo (30 cal) That is 137 for Breakfast.
Lunch a banana (90) and evening cup of soup (90) That is 180 then inbetween I have black tea without sugar and black coffee without sugar You can even have another cup of soup for lunch in your cold weather. You see you do not have to starve yourself, just eat very low calorie stuff, and watch out for the “low fat” and sugar free and diet stuff, usually there is more bad in them than the regular foods.

Hope you have a good day today.

DragonMama

10:06 am
15 Feb 16
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Hi again I was just thinking when reading your post again, Apricot, that when a person says “Trust me”, I run as far as I can get!

Please do not just go according to what other people say, you know your body and will get to know it even better with this WOE.

I wonder what happened to Initothinit, we miss you terribly!

Regards

Apricot

12:00 am
19 Feb 16
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I agree, but first of all Dr Mosley is being ironical with his title, and secondly, if we don’t trust him, why are we doing his diet?! In the UK that’s his TV programme, he has a team of three other doctors who try out things or track down new research.

No, DM,I don’t starve myself, I’m just trying to find a pattern that helps me stick to the fast days. A few people here do it as one big meal in the evening, so I though I’d try it. It was good in that I wasn’t hungry, but the dizzy bouts were obviously not how I want to be.
I’m still not settled really with my fast days, today I was so hungry all day, in spite of a lovely egg for breakfast, salmon for lunch and another egg for supper, with a really nice drink made of a dessert spoon of natural yogurt, cucumber, a little garlic all liquidised, then topped with ice and a piece of lime. All those usually stop hunger for me. But not today, so at lunch I ended up having a small banana, which took me to 550 for the day as I couldn’t do the evening with nothing! Not the end of the world but so annoying and silly of me. I’m sure it’s partly because I had oat cakes yesterday. Starchaholics like me must keep off the stuff. Hope I get better at it, like others here have. Your day’s menu sounds good but I’d still have been hungry! Next time…..

DragonMama

12:17 pm
19 Feb 16
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Good day

I hope everybody is doing well.
Night before we had Good rain and is very thankful.
Yesterday went to Cape St Francis for a real nice walk. Water was 16 degrees so no swim and rough but beautiful as always.

Apricot I am sorry did not mean to critisize our diet wish I could read those books. But I just keep on going and if I spoil a fast day I just try again next day. I am very happy that I shed 7kg + already and when I get on the scale the needle stay under the 70, it just feel so good.

In the butcher I check the prepacked meats and take 7kg packets to show hubby what it looks like. We love it’s Very funny!!!!

I hope everybody is doing great! I am doing a Fast day today and hope that it will succeed.

Have a lovely day.

Apricot

1:29 am
20 Feb 16
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No apologies, DragonM! I twigged that you’d have had a different set of programnes. It’s very sensible to just keep on going like that. Somewhere Dr MM or someone writes “you’re only one meal away from your diet”, when you break it. He also writes in the Blood Sugar Diet that you don’t have to be too exact about the 500 cals ( or the 800 for the BSD). But some people have much less!🙀 don’t know how they do it.

DragonMama

7:51 am
20 Feb 16
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Good Morning,

Lovely rain fell during the night and everything is washed clean and smells devine!! We are very thankful.

Had a lovely walk this morning. I think our season is turning as the sun is lower and the terrible heat did not arrive for a week now although its still spagetti strap clothes … Not on the plate!!

Hi Apricot yesterday I did Fast with 600 Cal and 90 of that was a banana. It was sitting there on the kitchen table, mocking me the whole day, so about 3pm I ate it and enjoyed it tremendously. And I feel quite ok with the 600 as I know I stayed away from wHeat and carbs which I know does not do well with me.

I hope that you have a fine saturday. And good luck!!

DragonMama

7:34 am
21 Feb 16
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Good Morning,

I hope that you all are doing Fine and that you will let us all know how well you are doing.

We cannot inspire and motivate each other in silence.

I have good news I am off another .5kg so now I have 1Kg left to my goal. First I need to keep at this weight of 69 for a while and settle so that there will be no gaining.

A family grandmother died and Monday is the memorial service and I suppose “the Big eat” feast, usually there is so much food and everything full of o much calories but I want to wallow in it for a change!!

It will be a big challenge for me ad I am really looking forward to it.

I hope you all have a wonderful and. Enjoyable Sunday.

Strongs to all the Fasters!!

Apricot

8:19 am
22 Feb 16
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Well, a busy weekend with friends but not good for my no high starch resolution! Panini on Saturday, toast on Sunday breakfast plus chips with dinner! So I expect today, Fast Day, will be more difficult than usual. But on the plus side, good long walks and a lovely sea swim ( rather short at 10 mins as only 10 degrees).

So back to Monday’s fast.

How were all your weekends? Good I hope.

Apricot

8:24 am
22 Feb 16
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Oh dear DragonMama, I hope the memorial service goes well and meeting up with family is rewarding. It’s often so good to see each other, too. And even if you do eat at the feast afterwards, being so near your goal will spur you on when you get back to your days of routine and fasts. Good luck!

DragonMama

5:19 pm
24 Feb 16
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Good Evening,

We stayed over for 2 nights and had some connecting difficulty. Came home this afternoon to a schorcher of a day. Just now had some thunder and now we hope for some calming rain.

All went smooth with the funeral and they had an old type of meal only so the over indulge did not happen. I am really glad about that.

I would really love to hear from you and wonder how the diet is Going with you all.

I had a lot of compliments and it really made me feel So good.

Have a lovely eVening.

lazycat

5:47 pm
25 Feb 16
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Hi all,

I am sorry for not posting anything recently. My cat was unwell again so up and down at the vets, I also had coursework due in so had very little time. Studying and worrying about my cat had me munching constantly. However, no damage was done (surprisingly). Anyway, will be fasting next week.

DragonMama, I am so sorry for your loss. I am glad that the funeral went okay. It is such an emotional time for all involved. I hope that you are being kind to yourself at such a sad time. It is so easy to look after others and neglect ourselves.

DragonMama

7:13 pm
25 Feb 16
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Hi Lazycat, Welcome back, so glad you are ok. I am sorry that your Cat had a relapse and hope that he is on the mend and on the way to total recovery.

Tell a bit about your studies and why you are studying.

We are experiencing grAve difficulties at our Universities in this country at the moment and its very worry-some.

I hope that you have a nice evening.

DragonMama

10:34 am
26 Feb 16
Permalink

Good Morning,

I hope that you all are doing well today. We had lovely rain during the night and we have a lovely cool day.

I have not strayed past my TDEE and tried to stay under it with about 300 Cal to spare. And that is helping me quite a lot but I think that is why I am struggling with Fast days. It goes well up to about 5pm but then I go haywire!!

Sunday I shall see where I am, but feel great, so not too worried.

Have a fantastic day!!

DragonMama

11:21 am
28 Feb 16
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Good Morning,

I hope it is going well with you all. Fortunately my weight is the same as well as all my measurements. I had a terrible few days with so much chocolate!! I ate a whole slab!! All 80gram of it!!

I dont even know how much calories there is in there, but I did not have any since I started this WOE and I just coul not Resist!!

There I made a Big blunder but it was SO NICE!! I relished every bite!!!

Now I must just pull myself together and go for the last kilo and put a reign on my indulgement.

I hope you all have a good time and if you fast, Good luck!!

DragonMama

7:51 am
29 Feb 16
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Good Morning,

Yesterday went quite well but fortunately I ended up with 835 Calories. Which is still OK but not perfect. The most of February my TDEE was 1805 and changed to 1791 for the last 2 weeks, I never went over that and if I take the average of the 28 days, I ate 1268 calories per day/average. According to Myfitnesspal, a woman must have at least 1200 per day. I am quite satisfied with the result and as I have only 1 Kg to go, I am sure that this month coming will accomplish that.

I do hope that you all are doing great and I really miss your posts and news. We still have some hot days but mostly the extreme heat has not returned again, but the weather bureau is predicting very hot weather, so we shall see how it goes.

Have a great day!

JanRose21

11:41 am
1 Mar 16
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Hello DragonMama and everyone on the thread! I joined in a little while ago – but lost it over xmas, but want to get back into the diet again now. I have been 11stone for years and I’d like to be 10 – I’m short – 5ft 2inches – so that stone just is all wrong on me. I find I’m an emotional eater – when life is bumpy I want to eat – straightforward comfort eating – but it is bad news.

So inspired by everyone I am going to sign up to losing the stone by the end of May (if I can) and tonight will plan my fast days for the next 2 weeks – thanks for all the hints and tips – fingers crossed and good luck everyone!!

DragonMama

8:44 am
2 Mar 16
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Good Morning,

Yesterday went out to the beach and had a lovely time. Water was 16 degrees and little wind, just enough to endure the heat.

Hi JanRose21, Welcome here I hope to hear from you very often. Sorry that you lost it over the Christmas season, but no matter, in this diet there is no regrets because you enjoyed something, tomorrow you just try again. Some of us call it Way of Eating (WOE) and I think it gets to be a WOL (way of life).

What I experienced throughout my life is that you must never make yourself to conscious of the food that you will eat in the future, like weighless, one is so aware of what you will eat after breakfast, and then lunch and after so that was out for me and I never plan. I just buy all the regular groceries and watch not to go for the low fat and diet stuff as that is poison, I believe. On my Fast days I just devide the 500 Calories throughout the day and I like to have a Cup of Soup which is 70 to 90 Calories in the evening as that dont make me so hungry watching TV. I also cut down on my sugar and dairy intake as it does not go well with me.

I lost 8 Kg that is 17.6 lb from the 1st of November and I believe a stone is about 12 or 14 lb? I am so sure that you can do it in time. Good luck and I hope to hear from you soon.

You are most welcome

Apricot

11:25 pm
2 Mar 16
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You are so good at hanging in there DragonMama. I’ve plateau-ed, can’t seem to shift things along. Haven’t lost anything for ten days. I’ve averaged between 1200 and 1300 on all days except fasts, am low carbing as well, have stepped up the exercise too. So 4-500 cals below my TDEE. No wine etc. or sweet things other than whole fruit, though I did have oatcakes on Sunday to quell a starch craving. Very frustrating. But I’ll just have to keep on and hope I get a breakthrough. I wasn’t expecting a plateau so soon as I’ve only lost 7lbs since I started. I might try a couple of protein only days to see if that jogs it a bit. I’ve been doing Pilates 5 times a week, suppose I could’ve increased muscle a little. There are a few people on here who have stuck for a whole month! I do admire their patience!

You’ve done so well, I need to lose a stone and a half, 21lbs, at least and 2 stone would be better.

We’ve been having foul weather in the UK, howling gales and sleat, snow in the north.

simcoeluv

11:52 pm
2 Mar 16
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Hi Apricot:

This might help you through your ‘plateau’ and maybe even bring a smile: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/really-no-weight-loss/

Good Luck!

PS – The average weight loss on 5:2 is about a pound a week. You are well ahead of that average.

Apricot

8:02 am
3 Mar 16
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Thanks for that Simcoeluv. Yes I had read it, before I fully realised I was plateaued! So now it makes me really laugh!
And today I’m suddenly two pounds down. Maybe just fluctuation, but I’m grabbing it as a stat anyway!😄

DragonMama

8:47 am
3 Mar 16
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Good Morning,
Yesterday had a fast day which went to 760 Calories. Miscalculated something. I am quite disheartened with myself.

Apricot, I plateaued for 3 full weeks and only lost at the end of the 4th week. This happened twice since I started. Through experience of my whole life I have learned that is a very good sign as you body is adapting and when one loose so slow it stays down much easier.

When Sugar/carb craving eat a banana and half a glass of milk, both or either or. If you do not like to eat a banana you can liquidize it and then beat with mixer and eat as ice cream.I do not like it but a friend of mine love it.

Also when excersizing a lot you will be building muscle which is very good for your figure. How is your measurements coming along?

And now I got your last post, you see! I hope that you are feeling like a million and have a great day. Congrats with the loss!!

Simcolove, thanks for your input we would love to hear from you more often.

Regards

DragonMama

12:27 pm
3 Mar 16
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Good Afternoon,

Today I realized that we have to stay in between our TDEE and BMR on Non-Fast days. so my BMR is 1349 and TDEE 1791 and for this month I mostly stayed under BMR so March I shall eat more on Non-Fast days and maybe I shall start loosing again.

And maybe I shall have it easier on Fast Days?

I have all the respect for you guys who can keep up with this diet on Fast days in the Winter Cold, it is easier during summer, I find, and I shall have to keep a sharp watch on myself during the coming winter.

Good Luck to you all!!

DragonMama

8:09 am
4 Mar 16
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Good Morning,

I hope everybody is doing Great!! Today is overcast and nice and cool. Apparantly it is supposed to be a scorcher today and tomorrow even worse, but I am glad for the clouds.

I still have a problem with my tummy fat. Is there anybody who has some advice?

Today Fast Day and I am Really going to try and stay under 500. Please keep your fingers crossed for me?

Have a fabulous day.

DragonMama

8:19 pm
4 Mar 16
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Good Evening, we had a terrible HOT day today, it was absolutely heated! Now it is 10pm and I am going to sleep just now, but first I wanted to brag about my Fast Day Today!!

I really did it, 476 Calories.

Had an egg and tomato for breakfast. Lunch a corn on the cob with just bit of salt. and a green salad. Evening Cup of soup and another corn and 100 ml custard as I was feeling a bit squeezy even after the soup, and I had a lot more Calories to 500. I am really chaffed with myself as lately I really struggled to stay with 500.

I am going to sleep like a baby and I hope that you all are doing great and good luck.

DragonMama

9:10 am
5 Mar 16
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Good Morning,

I feel real great this morning and another very hot day for us, it is 11 am and it is 36 degrees in the shade, so you can imagine how hot it is in the sun.

I hope that everybody have a great week-end. Enjoy!!

DragonMama

8:26 am
8 Mar 16
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Good Day,

Sunday I did not walk as I did not feel well, and suddenly I gained 1 Kg. It is terrible and I cannot understand that, but Oh well, it will just have to go again!!

I hope that you all have a fantastic day and that it is going very well with your WOE with 5:2.

It is raining since yesterday and it is Wonderful and cool and we wish that it will last for 3 or more days, just to give our plants a chance to recover. We are very thankful.

Apricot

12:12 am
10 Mar 16
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DragonMama, it may just be water retention or similar. Hope you’re feeling better now. You did so well on your fast last Friday! I did well on my Monday one too, had no breakfast, chicken and a naartjie for lunch then eggs and cuppa soup for supper. I even left one of the eggs! I fear tomorrow will be harder as I’ve been away singing in a concert and so have had potatoes today and a couple of glasses of wine.

Here we’ve had wind and rain, dustbins flying about….Not an encouraging sort of day. You often don’t have enough rain and we’ve got too much!

DragonMama

5:46 am
11 Mar 16
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Good Morning Apricot,

It is So good to hear from you and I am so glad that it is going so well with you. I also find that no matter what type of food I eat, I am fine but as soon as I mix in the wine I either gain or stay on a plateau, sometimes for 4 weeks.

Today is a fast day again and I know that tomorrow I shall be back on 69 if I can keep it up!!

Yesterday we went for a walk and to the beach and passing that area that burnt down one can see patches of green here and there but there is such huge spaces of white which looks like sand from a distance so there is a real shortage of water.

Last night we had soft rain again and that is So welcome. Yes, you have Too much and we never enough. But we are the dryest continent so we Shall struggle with water all the time. Like internet. My ISP is running on Edge lately and its neigh impossible to open websites. And it takes so much out of my Mobile that the battery goes flat, just like that!

Your spring is here? And our autumn so I hope with warmer weather coming your way it will be easier for you.

I hope that it is going well with you all out there. And if you fast today, know that I shall be thinking of you!!

Apricot

11:25 am
11 Mar 16
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I fasted yesterday but not very well! I went over to about 600. Still, that is better than not fasting. I was staying with someone so my usual solution of not eating till midday was antisocial! But I just had yogurt and fruit for breakfast. As I feared, I had starch cravings in the evening so had some nuts and oatcakes, both too high on cals and taking me over the limit. I’m away this weekend too, so it’ll be tricky and Monday’s fast probably harder too. I’ll just keep going. After five weeks of this I’m still not fully settled into the eating plan I’ve set myself (Mediterranean style, lower carb) or the fast days. But Dr Varady’s research as well as experiences outlined on this site suggest that those who stick with it get quite accustomed to the FDs

Apricot

11:31 am
11 Mar 16
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Lovely sunny day today and yesterday. Having been brought up in Africa I’m so pleased to see the sun but unlike many English I don’t mind walking in the rain! Rain was always such a joy after a drought and you never lose that feeling if you’ve grown up with it. I used to grouse a bit when taking my dog out when I still had her, but once out I usually enjoyed the wet days.
Hope your fast day goes well DM.

Very quiet from the other Africa Fat Challengers!

DragonMama

6:13 am
12 Mar 16
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Good Morning Apricot,

I am feeling so much better this morning. My Fast day yeaterday went quite well although I went up to 579 Calories. But that is good enough for me. I did not suffer Too much. I find that because I have to make meals for my husband every day makes it a bit hard to just ignore all the food.

I can just imagine visiting people and staying over cannot be easy to stay on any type of diet, except if you take all the meals with and that’s mostly impossible!!

I am so glad that you have some ‘Africa’ in you. Yes it is lovely walking in the rain, I love it! We had some lovely rain yesterday and last night again, so everybody is smiling. All the plants seem to have life in them again and is washed clean! We are very thankful.

The last 2 days I had no wine and I am going to try and stay dry through this weekend.

Yes, I too, see that all the other is very quiet…either its going overly good or bad when silence fall. I wish they would share with us!

DragonMama

6:22 am
12 Mar 16
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Hi again,

I forgot about the Eating plan thing. I have been on 5:2 since 1 Nov 2015. Say 4.5 months nearly 20 weeks! And I still don’t have any eating plan. I think that will make me too concious of food like what happens with Weigh less.

My daughter stayed in Scotland for about 8 years and she said the kids there says that the sky is not blue but white and she agree with them. She’s back since 2007.

Have a lovely day and weekend. Strongs to the Fasters!!

DragonMama

6:12 am
13 Mar 16
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Good Morning,

I hope you all are feeling great. I am back on 69Kg and very happy. Now I mUst really WORK on that other Kilo!! I just know that I will do it even if it takes a while longer.

Measurements is still the same all over. I think I must start doing Yoga. I have an App with the Poses. Just have to get the Willpower to start!! When I was young I was So into all these excersizes every day and minute and I was super fit. Now I just Do not feel like it any more.

Sometimes I look at my life and do not like a lot of it.

I hope that all the Fasters have an easy day and enjoy!!

JanRose21

10:42 am
14 Mar 16
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Hello Ladies

Sorry to have been quiet – I had flu and it has lasted 2 weeks! Anyway, I’m now back getting on with life and determined to live it better and healthier!

So I have 1 stone to lose before I go on holiday in 8 weeks time, I know I should be able to do that. I need all the tools I can get to help me with this new way of life though – I know that women over 60 (my age) risk their health in many ways by being overweight so I am going to use that as my main motivator.

I am trying a few things.

I am going to weigh myself every day – today I weigh exactly 11 stones.
I am going to exercise for 20 minutes daily on my Wii Fit – which I sue to weigh myself
I am going to walk for 30 minutes each day

I know I can do all of those things – I just need to bring them into my life, as new habits – soon they will become the way of life.

This week my Fast Days will be Tuesday and Weds – I’m going to try doing the 2 together and see how that goes – I will let you know what I eat as I think it helps us to share that.

On my other days I need to try to keep within my TDEE 1700 calories.

So day 1 – I have done the WiiFit 20 minutes – I’m going to tackle the plié of ironing and then go for my walk.

I think you are right Apricot about the 8 hour period for eating – it does help and I am going to factor that in too – I find that I really don’t need to eat much before 10.30 – so I am going to aim for 10.30 to 18.30 each day – it seems a small change to make.

All of these small changes add up to a new WOL for us.

It is a lovely day in England today DragonMama – cold but sunny and with no rain forecast this week. The market is on here tomorrow so I will go and stock up on lovely fresh veg for my 2 fast days.

I hope you all have a lovely day!

DragonMama

5:23 am
15 Mar 16
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Good Morning JanRose21,

It is So good to welcome you back again. I am glad that you are well aggain and you really are morivated to loose that excess weight. I hope that your Fast days go well I could never do 2 days in a row the next Morning I am So hungry that I could just not make it. I shall like to read your daily reports. You can easy loose that stone with your wilpower.

Please beware of ‘diet’ and ‘low Calory’ and such foods and drinks as they have more bad stuff in them. Eat fresh and drink water and tea/coffee and even the sweeteners is bad for us.

Yesterday we had No Internet so I could not Post. I miss you all very much and hope that you all are doing well.

Have a fantastic day an extra courage to the fasters!!

DragonMama

5:37 am
15 Mar 16
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Yesterday I met a person whom I have not seen since last year and got a very welcome Compliment. He said 8 Kilo’s is equal to 16 x 500 grams of butter. 500g is equal to a pound. Now if you put 16 of them on a table you can see what the excess I had on my body, Really Looked like for real!!

It is really fantastic that I could do it and I can just thank 5:2 from the bottom of my heart. The 1st Nov 2015 will always be a Super fab day because that is when I met 5:2.

DragonMama

6:54 pm
16 Mar 16
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Good Day Everybody,

I hope that it is going very well with you all. Today went well but later on in the afternoon I over indulged and went to 1645 but still it is not as much as my TDEE so tomorrow I shall definitely have to have a Fast day!!

Why everybody so quiet? I hope you all are well. Our weather is definitely changing and our days are not so terrible hot and the nights we have to use a thin blanket.

Have a great evening and hope to hear from you all tomorrow.

JanRose21

6:59 pm
16 Mar 16
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Good evening! I am writing this at the end of day 2. Almost done and 2lbs lighter this morning, so that was very motivating for my second day. In fact I found I was less hungry today than yesterday, so might try it that way again. Now we are out a lot the next few days, so not wanting to slip back I’ll offer to drive, so no drinking!, and I’ll try to avoid snacks I between meals which are my downfall.

Eggs have been my best friend these past 2 days, they fill you up and you don’t want to eat too many!
Cold here in the Uk today. Hope you are all doing well.

DragonMama

7:31 am
17 Mar 16
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Good Morning JanRose21,
Congratulations, for the 1st week that is very good. Good luck for being away and hope that your willpower will win every time!!

I am attempting a fast day today, and I shall see how the day progresses.

I hope that you all have a wonderful day.

DragonMama

6:08 am
19 Mar 16
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Good Morning

The sun is shining and the birds are tjirping away I hope that the rest of the day will also be so nice it is not yet warm even somewhat chilly and that is truly nice for a change!!

Yesterday I had a fast day of 560 cal and I only had tea and coffee, watermelon and spanspek which is a peach colour some kind of summer melon, and a slice of steamed pumpkin. I could not believe that the calories is so high. But I enjoyed every bite and am quite satisfied with the day.

In a little while I am going for my 2km walk and only after that I shall have breakfast.

I hope that you all have a swell weekend and good luck to all Fasters.

DragonMama

6:10 pm
21 Mar 16
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Good Day
I have a struggle to get onto the internet and now I eventually am lucky. I hope that everybody is doing fine. I still weigh 69kg so that is quite OK.

Saturday and Sunday I had nice eating days and did not go over my TDEE.

I am sorry that there is not a lot of action on this site and I so much want to hear about all your days, but any case have a great day.

Regards

DragonMama

8:46 am
25 Mar 16
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Good Morning,

I hope that everybody will have a fabulous and Safe Easter and that I shall hear from you soon.

I am still on my same weight and measurements. I did not have 2 fast days per week for some time now and I stay under my TDEE mostly so I am quite satisfied with myself. I am still walking every day. Wednesday and Thursday I was feeling quite rotten with a tummy bug and was just hanging about the house, although I did my walk, slowly but I made it!!

I think that I might consider to go onto maintenance now, but I must first think about it some more.

Have a great day and good luck to all the Fasters.

Apricot

9:29 am
25 Mar 16
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Hi DragonMama. Sorry you’ve been feeling rotten, hope things improve. I’m a bit fed up as I’ve been on a plateau for several weeks with small weight fluctuations of about 1 lb., very annoying. I’m beginning to suspect that my body has decided that 12 stone is its set point. I might try doing 4:3 to kick start a bit more. From the research done by Krista Varady, it looks as if alternate days of fasting would work, but the shifting on of the fast days each week because of uneven days in the week doesn’t fit my lifestyle very well.
By the way, she has a lot to say about maintenance, suggesting that keeping to around 1000 cals every other day works effectively for life. You eat whatever you like on the days between.

DragonMama

6:08 pm
26 Mar 16
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Hi Apricot,
So good to hear from you again, and I am so sorry that you are feeling annoyed, but remember if you stay on a plateau, your body is adapting, I was on plateau’s for at least 4 weeks at a time, without any changes or fluctuations in my weight. You must just keep going and keep going with the diet, and maybe try some fat burning foods.

Some of us just takes longer to adapt and loose weight and so we must just keep at it. I think that I am now on this plateau for more than a month, but I shall not give up, I shall beat this excess of fat that I am carry ing with me and I hate it, and although it is going a bit steep now, I shall go on and on until I beat it off.

I do not know what will happen to me during this coming winter, and the seasons turned already and sleeping under winter duvet instead of without anything! It is so much more difficult during winter months, that is why I feel you guys in the Northern Hemisphere is so good to start during your winter months, which is mostly worse than ours here, although our houses is not as insulated as yours! So we would rely on tons of layers of clothing.

Today we were on the beach, the water was warm and the wind was blowing something awful, but it was quite enjoyable. Tomorrow we are expecting a storm wind weather.

I just hope that it is going well with you and that you will persevere!!

Good luck!

Apricot

11:48 am
27 Mar 16
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Yay! Suddenly one and a half pounds down! I had a really good fast on Wednesday and Friday. I was rehearsing and singing in a concert on Friday so plenty of distraction and I had 3 eggs, homemade Butternut squash soup and a little plain yogurt and raspberries, split into two meals and a snack (one of the eggs). I think I might manage 4:3 sometimes, as Monday, Wednesday and Friday are ok days, then the welcome two off duty at the weekend! Next weekend I’m staying with my son and family for four days so will have to skip the diet or be boring! But back to 4:3 when I get home.

Happy Easter all.

Oryx

12:30 pm
27 Mar 16
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That sounds great! 🙂 I’m new to this forum and I landed here because I’m living in Africa, too. But far, far away from you, DragonMama, in Windhoek, Namibia. Although we have been a part of South Africa for quite some time now we celebrated our 26th Day of Independence just a few days ago. Was a holiday here and so many people just left the whole week before Easter including the Easter holidays and having two weeks of free time.

I only recently stumbled upon the 5:2 woe having lost approximately 40 kilos with Paul McKenna’s “I can make you thin” since January 2014. I still have to lose 20 more and I was plateauing, so I was looking for something to give my weightloss a kick. Especially in the belly region where I find a tyre just like yours, DragonMama. 😉 Didn’t seem to melt at all. Quite the opposite.

I don’t weigh myself and I don’t measure myself. I just see how many clothes I can’t wear anymore or are looking very loose. That’s what Paul McKenna recommended and I’m happy with it. I got crazy weighing myself every day sometimes going up sometimes going down.

Since I’ve been starting with 5:2 my belly seems to get smaller. I hope that’s no illusion. 😉

It was very hot here until last week but now it’s getting cooler, fortunately. The heat sometimes was unbearable. We didn’t leave the house. Many people escaped to the coast which is the Atlantic Ocean, quite cold, 20 degrees less than in Windhoek. So when we had 45°C here they had pleasant 25°. 🙂

I’m never hungry on fast days because I’m eating all the time. Today is a fast day and I made myself a soup of 800g of carrots, 100g of onions, 10g of olive oil and when I eat it I add some buttermilk (karringmelk for you, DragonMama, I think no one else will understand) for the protein. ;).

This is a lot. A big pot full of veggies with just 350 calories. I will not be able to eat this today. I will add another fast day tomorrow. Without hunger or any cravings because I always eat my soup when I’m hungry.

I tried to do a fast day without the soup (sometimes it’s butternut soup, sometimes zucchini, potatoe, tomatoes, doesn’t matter as long as it’s soup) and I got hungry. So I stay with the soup. It’s very easy.

Greetings for Easter to everyone all over the world!

DragonMama

3:49 pm
27 Mar 16
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Hi Apricot, I am So glad, Congratulations!!!

It is absolutely fantastic, do keep at it and you shall be rewarded. It is So good that you are so positive!!!

Hi Oryx, Welcome, I hope to hear from you daily or as often as you can, as I am very nosy and want to know all the time how it is going. We are on the same continent, and I am glad, you are the first african that joined, the others are all from the Northern countries, and I think we had 1 Ausie, from whom we have not heard for a loooong time!!

I only use buttermilk for pudding and pancakes and flapjacks. I do not like the taste on its own, but I know in cakes and stuff it makes a huge difference. I never tried it in soup. Are yours fresh or store bought?

I weigh myself every Sunday and today I am half a kilo lighter but my measurements are the same. The tyre around my waist has also shrunk quite a bit. One of the posters once said that our bodies adapt over time so I am quite satisfied. We also had Very Hot weather during December,Jan and February and the beginning of March, some days in the shade went over 46 and one just could not go into the sun. It was terrible and we have had such a pesty time with mosquitoes that we could not open windows at night…I am quite allergic to their bite, so we use a lot of spays and sticks and creams, but I do not like the cold that is on its way with winter approaching. Humans, we are never satisfied!!

In any case, it was so good to hear from you, please keep on doing what you find works for you and strongs forward.

Oryx

4:01 pm
27 Mar 16
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I LOVE buttermilk. 😀 When it’s hot I drink one or two paks (= 1 litre) a day. I buy it in a store. Sometimes when it’s very hot I live on buttermilk only. But you have to like the taste, I agree. I know a lot of people who don’t like buttermilk.

Now I see that I have only had like 250 calories today, because of the soup. But I’m not hungry at all, so it’s okay. I’m looking forward to the second fast day tomorrow. 🙂

I was a very nice sunny day today. We are still waiting for more rain but it’s not very likely. We didn’t have enough rain during rainy season this year. Everybody is worried that the dams are not full. But we can’t do anything about it. Namibia is very dry. In SA you still have more rain than we have.

I thought the sea would be warm at the Eastern Cape. But you are describing it as cold. I only know the Western Cape so I have neven been to the Eastern Cape. Is the water usually that cold in March?

Oryx

6:02 am
28 Mar 16
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Morning has broken on my second fast day in a row and I feel fabulous. 🙂 When I started 5:2 I had severe headache in the afternoon and one week later it was dizziness. I couldn’t drive my bicycle. But now everything seems to be okay. My body got used to fast days. That’s a wonderful feeling because I don’t feel hungry.

I put on the tea maker and it’s making tea for me now. Chinese white tea. It’s like green tea but not that bitter. Usually I drink a lot of coffee but on my fast days I drink tea and it’s doing me good. It makes me awake like coffee but my stomach is not tortured like it is with black coffee. I take a lot of milk in my coffee usually. It’s more like milk with coffee than coffee with milk.

I don’t need milk with chinese tea so that’s better. I never take sugar either. And even better that I don’t have to cook today because I prepared my soup yesterday and it’s so much left. It’s enough for the whole day. I still have buttermilk, too. Now what do I do with all this time? If you don’t have to cook there’s so much time left.

The sun is reaching my desk in my study so it will be another day without rain. Not a single cloud in the blue sky. Not good but we have to cope with it.