Thanks for celebrating with me! It’s b/c of you all that I’ve gotten this far! You all have been my inspiration. In fact, you’ve been SO inspiring I have lost another pound on the fast yesterday. So today I’m low-balling it, staying well within NF day calories; went for 2.5 mile walk today with H and dog. H didn’t feel great so we kept it close to home just in case. I can’t believe that I may even get below 160 by next week. Memorial Day will be a challenge, but hey, I’m up for it. And know that I’m in charge here and don’t want to undo this hard-earned success.

K-Lo, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but can’t seem to find you on Ravelry. I can get there ok but then what?

NYCFaster, wow! Thanks for this thread! We are super glad you’re back in the fold with us! You can do this. It’s one day at a time, staying focused about what you want in the end, keeping calm and being gentle with yourself. The true beauty of this diet is taking it off slowly so it doesn’t come back. We’re in it together in any kind of weather. (We’re supposed to get hail here in CO today too; mega bummer b/c the Iris are gorgeous, peonies are just about to bloom and garden’s been planted.)

I’m actually a bit nervous since I lost 2 1/2 lbs. this week and it seems like too much. But, hey, I’m not really complaining just wondering if anyone else has lost that much, since I’ve been averaging a loss of 1/2-1 lb. a week so far.

Bronx, I taught Aqua-aerobics for a long time and I had a woman in one of my classes who had Meniere’s (sp?) disease and it always took her out of the pool from about May-Aug or Sept. H’s dr. told him if he has more episodes she is going to send him to a neurological ear specialist and test him for that to see if that could be the problem. Dizziness and vertigo are tricky b/c there are soooo many things that can cause that. Have you talked to a dr. about it?

CaliB, I echo what you said about how glad I am, too, that this thread is “growing and thriving so much”. Go NYCFaster!

NYCFaster, you opened your door to us, now we can welcome you back; because of you I’m here. Support is a positive thing. We’re beautiful! Women rock. Who cares about numbers on the scales when you have so much — (yeah, right?!) helps me to write things down every day I’m grateful for. I know it sounds corny, but it helps me with negative thoughts that creep into my head (and mouth!) too much. Like a few days ago when I brought up my summer clothes from the basement and my cute shorts that I rocked last summer are all tight and uncomfortable. (I think we were the same size) so if that’s any consolation to you, you’re not alone. I put them in my closet and vowed they’d fit this summer. The fast days have been helping me appreciate the food I eat the next day more as I tend to be an emotional eater in my late 40s, so now trying to keep the balance in all areas of my life. But let’s try and not focus not on that scale, but on our bodies that get us to where we want to go every day; once I appreciate that more and stop cursing it (which, mind you, I just did on Saturday, so so much for balance) we’ll be more mindful of how we take care of it. Maybe go get a massage or treat yourself to a pedi. When you get back in the swing of things, let us know and we’ll all support each other. After awhile, as Crowmama notices, the pounds do start to fall.
If anyone has read this far, my only negative experience so far with my first week of 5:2 behind me is I tend to not sleep well on the fast days. Uggh. I tossed and turned all last night, didn’t wake up starving, but cranky from not sleeping. Anyone have this problem or can offer a solution. I eat my fast meal at 6 (I can’t wait longer than that!), so it’s not too early. But I PRAY this insomnia on those days is only temporary, or that will … frankly stink. Namaste everyone.

NYCFaster – YAY glad you back, hopefully this thread will continue to be active (one of my favorite threads!). I have gone over 500 on occasion as well – what I tell myself is “hey, 8 weeks ago I would have eaten more like 2500 on that day, so GOOD JOB!” ….I’m working everyday on trying to change the way I think about the food choices I make (good or bad) since I seem to associate negative thoughts with “bad” food. I want to change the way I think about that so that on NFD I can eat a few pieces of chocolate, a piece of cake, ice cream without feeling like “well, I blew that again!”…..since it took me 50 years to get this way, it will take me another 50 to change – HA!

Erickaa67- common problem for me on FDays (been doing this WOL since April 11, 2016), but also believe it may be “hormonal” related as well. Gee Joy! 🙂

I have insomnia after my second fast day Thursday nights most weeks but not after my first on Mondays, which seems strange. I don’t work Fridays and find myself dozing off in front of the computer or while watching TV before walking the dog on Friday afternoons. Sorry I don’t have a solution, I just live with it.

Crowmama, no I haven’t told my doctor about the dizziness. I’m one of those silent sufferers where I won’t seek medical help for anything that’s not critical. 3 days after breaking my right clavicle in 2010 I went to the doctor to see if it was really broken. That started about 10 months of surgeries, slings and rehab on my shoulder. I probably would have been better off letting it heal naturally!

Bronx

FD today…didn’t sleep hardly at all last night. I don’t think it was anticipation for today? Tuesday I cooked a lb. of 1.5 oz. turkey burger sliders to nibble on when I needed protein today. So far, 2 dill pickles @ 5 cal. ea. and 1 slider at 56 cal. So far so good. Update on the lost pounds is that Wednesday when I got on scale I had actually gained that extra pound back. I was pretty sure I would, but not because I’d gone off track but more likely due to water or you know how we are. Main thing I care about is staying beneath 165, and I am still beneath that (163) so still have smile on my face :-). I’m on a roll and have no intention of turning back now. I hope everyone is doing okay. Erika what’s a mug muffin and do you make your own almond butter? My big treat yesterday was a 1/4 wedge of an almond poppy seed muffin, mid-afternoon with coffee. I’m not sure what the cals. were in the whole muffin so I don’t know how many cals. I ate, but other than that I managed to stay within TDEE both NF days. We’re expecting hail storms again today. We’ve covered the garden pretty good so by doing that we’re hoping it won’t actually happen (like how washing your car will make it rain). 🙂

Erika…I’ve copied that recipe!

Oh Erika, THANKS for the cool recipe! I love fast, easy and flexible! This one fills all those parameters. I’m making one this afternoon. This morning I had an english muffin, 1 slice bacon, microwaved scrambled egg, and skinny slice of cheese sandwich. I thought I was going to faint when I got out of bed I was so hungry! First time I’ve experienced feeling shaky and wan on this diet. I didn’t have all my cals. yesterday on fast day so I think I need them and will try being more diligent next fast day, which maybe on Tues. instead of Monday due to holiday, son in laws birthday, backyard barbie, and out of town friend coming into town. We didn’t get the predicted hail, I’m happy to report and got a lot of excercise putting up the hail covers. Now I can get a workout taking them all down and putting them away. I slept pretty good last night but was freezing cold and put extra blanket on bed. Have a good one all!

Princess Cilantro keep on going! You fell and got back up, no biggie. You’ll be stronger this time. Think of summer and feeling your best. I’m on a fast day today. Just had an iced green tea to perk me up and looking forward to eating on 3.4 hours! Lol! Turkey burger over veggies. Date with Scale tomorrow.

Hi All, I joined back in February when NYCFaster started the thread, but just like NYCFaster, I fell off the wagon. I have tried the LCHF the last couple of weeks and unfortunately this doesn’t seem to be working so good for me either even though I’m staying under 50grams of carbs per day and still monitoring my calories. One thing on LCHF is that I have really learned how to cut the carbs and definitely feel better for it. Back in Feb I weighed around 155, and I managed to get down to 144 and have been fluctuating up and down the same 3 pounds ever since. Anyway, I’m back and ready to do another push and look forward to rejoining the group.

Hi all,

Thanks again for the tips and support. I’m still going strong, and my fast days have gotten much easier. I’ve found that it works best for me to eat nothing during the day, then to have one meal in the evening. Since it seems that I mostly eat from boredom/because I like food, rather than hunger, this gives me something to look forward to at the end of the day and keeps me motivated. I’ve lost about 2lbs, which doesn’t seem like much, but, since I don’t have a ton to lose, and I’m pretty short, I think it’s reasonable. Reading all of your stories (especially those who have gotten sidetracked and then gotten back on board) has been really inspiring and kept me going!

Hi everyone… I am feeling an increase in upper body tightness in some clothes. Seem to do fast days fine, but getting too indulgent on feed days. Between meal snacks are part of it. So I know where weakness lies. Think I cannot have extremely unhealthy snacks in house right now. I believe I am eating to avoid a “clean out” as the British call it when a closet needs going through. Today I will decide on the specific clean out and tackle it. This is a feed day. I need to prove to myself I can do a feed day with some discipline. Think this is a great way to eat as Princess Cilantro states. Just time to get back on track. I encourage you to get back on track Princess C, Jay_U, Melinda Shay and our starter NYFaster. Lots of aspects of our life are worth doing. Let’s get this eating part straight in order to focus on the other beautiful rewards of living (clean closet being one). I want to get to some water colors done this summer without guilt. Up and forward to a satisfying feed day!

Hello, everyone!
Back in the states to visit family and having a great time. Fasting days took a hit the first few days, but now staying at a son’s house – who is off to Australia to propose to a very sweet young lady there. So, I have the house to myself, so back to every other day fasting. I now feel so much better on fasting days! And I’m gobsmacked at all the frozen meals less than 300 calories, and they aren’t bad. Nothing like it in New Zealand, that’s for sure. I may not lose, but if I go back home with a net gain zero, that will be great. One great thing about fasting – it’s so portable! No worrying about “special foods” or being able to find things to eat that fit the plan.
Oh, very hot and humid here in the Midwest. Glad I have nearly all the shopping done!
Hope everyone has a great day!

Greetings from California!

I’m so glad to see this thread here! I just started 5:2, but I’ve done other forms of IF in the past. (I experimented with LeanGains and EatStopEat a few years ago.) However, I’ve never stuck with any of them. 5:2 seems too easy and too good to be true – I’m glad you all are here to keep me in check and my feet on the ground!

I’m in Northern California near wine country. Today is only my 3rd fast day. The first one was last Thursday and it was ridiculously easy not to eat because I had a cold and didn’t want to eat anyway. The second was Tuesday, which was also fairly easy until I went to cook my family dinner. I ate with them, but I was careful to prepare a low-calorie meal to start with (mine totaled 280 cal). I’m not eating anything during the day, though I will allow myself chicken broth, water, diet Coke (the devil, I know) and coffee. I’m still experimenting with my choice of fast days, but I like the idea of Monday and Thursday.

Like a lot of you, I’m not telling anyone what I’m doing. It is partially because I don’t want to be told to eat. It is also because I hate telling people that I’m trying to lose weight. It always seems to me like I’ll be judged if I fall off the wagon or have a bad eating day. If I don’t tell people, they can’t judge! Jan – March I did LCHF and had lost 11 lbs, but in April my father, with whom I was very close, went into ICU and passed away. I quit caring about the diet and ate whatever I wanted! Now I’m living with my elderly mother and 8-yo son, and trying to adhere to any eating plan while trying to find foods that both of them will eat is just a ridiculous struggle. Enter 5:2! It seems so STRESS FREE on regular eating days! And it’s easier to say NO to food than to stress about what would be an appropriate food choice based on my plan and what is available! Like I said, it seems too good to be true.

I have done HIIT in the past and lots of weightlifting, and I’m proud to report that I took 20 minutes yesterday at the gym to do some HIIT on the ergometer. This 5:2 thing seems to have really improved my energy AND my spirits. (I’ve been down in the dumps since Daddy initially got sick again last year.) Today I plan to walk along the river on my lunch break since – ahem – I’m not eating anyway! Win-win!

Hello to everyone and I look forward to getting to know all of you!

Good morning everyone. I’m still on this 5/2 diet. It is really working for me. My old clothes are fitting again. I’m loving the flexibility of this plan. Over the holidays, I did over eat, but last Monday, my regular FD, I did well and I added an extra FD to my usual 2 FD a week. I wasn’t as strict with the extra FD but kept the calories under 700. I weigh in today and it paid off. Only 10 lbs left to reach my goal.

Happy Friday!

Thanks for the welcomes!

Erika, I really like your attitude: “I am beautiful and kind now (not after these 10 pounds finally fall off)”! I agree this isn’t a diet, it’s a plan or a lifestyle. And I did a lot of HIIT about 3 years ago combined with heavy weight lifting and I have never been in better shape in my life than I was then. I even completed a Tough Mudder, of which I was very proud. Then my job changed and took away my workout window, and then Daddy got sick and… well, life got in the way and the pounds packed on. I think HIIT and weights are an awesome way to work out, especially when you’re time-strapped, like me!

Kay, congratulations on being only 10 lbs from goal! That’s awesome! How long have you been doing this? (I guess I could go back and read the previous 17 pages, but I keep getting interrupted…) 🙂

Yes, I am an annoying emoticon user.

NYC, I also like the “secret weapon” aspect. I find that I’m weirdly competitive with my closest friends, like I’m always in an unspoken weight loss race with them. Right now, 5:2 is my secret weapon. Besides, when it comes to something like IF, I just can’t tell people what I’m doing until I am living proof that it works. (Even then, I think they’ll think I’m following some fad.)

Yesterday, FD #3 went brilliantly. I even managed to make dinner for my family and NOT be derailed! (It helps that I set aside a portion for me to bring to work today, which of course is sitting forgotten in my fridge right now.) And after dinner, my hardest time not to go off the rails, I went to bed early and took a melatonin to be sure I would drop off. It worked like a charm. I awoke rested and not hungry this morning!

I’m not yet worrying too much about what I eat on non-fast (feed) days. I’m allowing myself treats, but I’m not as hungry as usual so I’m eating less anyway. I had fries with lunch, but only ate about half of them and tossed the rest. Same goes with a shake I had earlier in the week – I was done before the cup was empty and I trashed the remainder. It’s like this plan gives you magic powers! It didn’t even require willpower!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I’ll be back for my next FD on Monday.

Good Morning All!

Great to hear about the success so many are having this week!

I was away for the weekend and soooo happy how easy it was to stick to my diet while on the road. No fancy meals or planning needed. Fasted until dinner and had a large satisfying salad. Not difficult and I felt great.

It is all about the mojo for me. If my momentum is in the right direction it all flows together for success. Someone posted about little rewards and I think that will help me get over the occasional bump in the road to keep working toward my goal weight. I need to make a list of rewards – love the idea of the kindle books!

Good morning (here on the West Coast, anyway)!

Today is a FD and I’m hungry this morning. I think its because I drank 2 glasses of wine last night, and that usually prompts me to want a good breakfast the next day. (I thought I was probably sabotaging myself too, but I drank the wine anyway.) But I’m here and I’m going to just ignore the grumbly tummy and have another cup of joe! Wish me luck for the rest of the day – this might be my first difficult FD.

Also, I’m thinking of going EOD for the next 6 weeks or so – or at least M/W/F instead of the M/Th plan. I realized my birthday is fast approaching, and I would really like to have some visible progress by then. It’s a short-term goal, but it seems like a great reason to step up my efforts a little.

When do you all weigh? Once a week? Every day? On a FD or not?

Have a great week, y’all! 🙂

Hi Everyone!! Today is my first day (I tried to do this a few months ago but did not succeed ) It was right around the holidays, I just became a grandma, etc….
I live in Central California in a little town called Los Olivos which is right in the middle of Santa Barbara Wine Country. Our town is mostly little wineries and a few amazing restaurants. We moved here from Northern California about 2 years ago. Before move I did Pilates reformer 3 days a week and walked daily plus trained and completed a half marathon. Now? Pilates is way too expensive here, I walk but I’ve lost my workout motivation…
I’m 55, menopausal and what I really like to do is cook, eat and drink wine–before the move I worked out my whole life basically so I could eat like a truck driver!! And it worked!! Now I still eat like a truck driver but my daily walks don’t cut it. I’m 5’5″ and my weigh in this AM was my all time high of 151 lbs… I tried weight watchers a few months ago because it had worked to lose 10 lbs in the past but it just was a pain this time!! I like the idea of 5:2 and I am excited about starting and getting a grip on my eating habits.
I do have one big sabotager in my life and it’s my skinny ass husband who can eat everything and does but also brings it to me (like a bowl of Fritos or a few cookies). I don’t get it–I know he knows how much I hate these extra lbs but?? Also, we are retired so every meal I either make or we eat out. For instance today, my first day on 5:2 I made him a lovely turkey sandwich with tortilla chips!! I cautiously told him I was starting the 5:2 and he just got that look of here we go again… think he would be more helpful if I wasn’t trying to start a new way of eating so often–he just wants food!! We’ve done gluten free, dairy free,you name it!!
My other problem is I haven’t made any friends here–this is an odd little valley and they haven’t been very welcoming to newcomers. So! I’m a loner and doing this solo–I am SO jazzed to find this thread!!! I feel like I maybe can do this if I just keep reading your very supportive posts!!! Thank you NYFaster for starting this !!!

You can do this Camie6. Welcome. I walk everyday too and it is definitely not as fast as a gym, a pool, or weights, but it is what I can do without compromising my health or my wallet. I’ve asked my H to cook for himself the days I am fasting and so far, he’s been pretty helpful. I’ve also appreciated the fact he hasn’t been judgmental about the days I haven’t adhered to the program, like the last 2 wks. I can’t wait until I can post I weigh 151. I’m 5’4″ and it’s been awhile since I weighed that. One day at a time. I love being in charge of my choices.

Bronx–I forgot to mention that I too just had my colonoscopy a few weeks ago. I put it off 5 years but finally bit the bullet. It wasn’t bad at all and I survived the prep with an Internet suggestion to put sugar free lemonade mix in the prep water (chilled!!!!) it kind of tasted like a very salty margarita but no tequila!! Haha!! But seriously, I had worked myself into a tizzy thinking something was wrong because I have to used a senna tea every night for years because I have a sluggish bowel… TMI I know!! But if this will help one person!! I was awake for my procedure and watched the whole process (yes, I was medicated but still was aware of what was happening). I was perfectly fine and no anything!!!

So, I’m with Bronx–get this done and it could save your life. 💓

NYCFaster– I am SO guilty of calling a woman pregnant when it was her–what she called “her menopot”!! But… It was actually a compliment because I thought she looked like a happy pregnant mommy–AND I was with my pregnant daughter! Maybe I was just on a pre-grandma high??? I do feel your pain though and I too have taken to wearing pants that go over my tummy–hip level pants seemed to keep getting pushed down by my hips somehow?!? This is why we are here–you can do this!

Also, I know I’m chatty today…sorry. When I was 17 I had to have jaw surgery for a deformity and was wired shut for 8 weeks😁!! A few things happened–I lost a ton of weight that came back as soon as I could open my mouth but also, to this day, I have never felt healthier or more energized. It was like I was high but in a good way. My body was really in starvation mode though and as my surgeon said the weight would come back HARD and it did!! I can see why people fast for days at a time but I’ll stick to the 5:2 for now since I’m such a newbie.
Camie6

NYCFaster and Camie6, maybe that’s why people don’t get up for pregnant women on the subway! I had two summer babies and my belly was in their faces! Now they see my grey hair and pop up…when I’m feeling perfectly fine. I thank them and ask where they were when I was 9 months pregnant. We all laugh.

4.8lbs!!! Way to go!