August 2017 – 31 Day Challenge

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August 2017 – 31 Day Challenge

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  • Day 2 UK NFD 🌈

    Having a successful Day 1 makes you feel good. I had a headache from caffeine withdrawal but managed, was tired but managed, now up and have no intentions of eating just yet, however I am having my lovely morning coffee. Drank lots of water 💦🐉💦🐉💦🐉

    Cruella (scale, stolen name from other global friend faster) ⚖️was down 1.4lbs🏅 in one measly little day, 😀😀now I know that will go up a little however doesn’t have to go up that far if I have a good NFD today.

    I don’t calorie count but i do try to get well with good portion sizes. And that 20 min wait after u have eaten does help.

    FDs for me are one meal a day. Try and have protein, chicken salad or omelette more filling.

    Off to do a bit of some morning exercise “just do it”. 5 mins get the heart rate going. Off to the gym after work. 🏋🏼‍♀️

    Day 1 and 2 Australia NFDs starting weight 87kgs. Goals for this month – 1kg loss per week and at least 4 fast days. Good luck all!

    Day 2 UK NFD

    Good fast day yesterday. Just ate my one meal and wasn’t tempted to eat anything else. I am probably drinking too much black coffee though. Somehow the flavoured teas do not appeal to me in the summer. I need to drink more water instead.

    I used to worry about messing up my metabolism by eating too little on NFDs but lots of reading has made me realise that this is not likely to be an issue if you are meeting your nutritional needs. The studies that idea are based on were extreme. Those men were not getting what their bodies needed. They were indeed starving. Simply not eating the number of calories a TDEE calculator comes up with for you without knowing much about you at all does not make you starving. If you make sure to eat plenty of veg including good sources of fat and protein you are not going to wreck your metabolism as your body is not deprived. You are more likely to be deprived eating a diet full of junk food! I calculate my TDEE on the sedentary setting even though I am quite active and I rarely eat up to it anyway as the foods I eat are not calorie dense although they are nutrient dense and so do meet my bodies needs. When I do eat the higher TDEE number of calories I do not lose weight. I obviously possess a very efficient set of gut bacteria that are good at extracting energy from food. The variation in gut biomes is not taken into account in these calculators so we each need to discover at what level we need to eat. So basically if you can manage on a lower number of calories on a NFD go for it as long as you are getting the right nutrients.

    @fatrabbit you’re absolutely right about the nutrition, hear hear.

    I’ve done a wee bit of reading (perhaps not as much as you) I think also what’s not included in the studies is repeated dieting/starvation – the phenomenon where people who lose weight put it back on and more because they have restricted calories too much (and perhaps not got the right nutrition) then when they go back to eating “normally”, more weight has gone on , because the body is used to eating too few calories. Let’s face it, it’s happened to all of us!

    For me, any new WOE needs to work for me in perpetuity, not just until I get down to my goal weight and for me that’s eating what my body burns. My Fitbit heart rate calculated tdee is around 2400 a day which is quite high but I know it means that if I do my fast days, I can have a fairly Normal existence and enjoy going out with my family and have a glass of wine when I want one. If I dropped to 1400 calories a day I’m not sure I could stick to it because it would mean giving up so much for the long term.

    But you’re right, it’s about finding what’s right for you!

    Day 2 – FD. This will be my second fast day and, based on some of the stories here, I’m going to see how long I can leave it until I eat ‘breakfast’.
    I’m actually using HUEL as part of this, simply because it’s easier. So first day I can 1 scoop morning, 1 lunch and a meal of asparagus, mushrooms and a boiled egg for dinner (was actually 403 calories).
    As this is my first week, I’m just logging food (and wine) on NFD, and will then look at what I need to adjust. I know if I want to continue this long term then calorie counting every day won’t work for me. Yesterday I had 1774, which is below TDEE but above the MyFitnessPal level. All very healthy apart from the large glass of wine!

    And @debster, thanks for setting up the spreadsheet – works great and I’ve entered my details

    Day2 Chester UK NFD

    Yesterday’s FD went well, came in under 500 cals. Sitting for over 2 hrs in the hospital waiting for a procedure that was then cancelled was very frustrating. But good news – I didn’t stop off on the way home to buy chocolate. I braved the scales is morning and 2lb gain from my holidays, quite pleased with this so my target for Aug will be 202 lbs, currently 209. I’d love to see 199.999 – not been under 200 for about 10 years.

    Good luck all, you’re in the right place.

    Day 1 | Cork, Ireland | NFD
    Day 2 | Cork, Ireland | aiming for a controlled day (under 1000 cals) to prepare for FD tomorrow Thursday.
    Good luck to all for August.

    Day 2 UK FD struggled a bit yesterday, I’d like to get to the position of fasting 2 days a week and eating “normally” the other 5 Unfortunately I think as it’s the start of a new challenge I’m a bit too focused which for me means overthinking on NFDs ,just read lots of wise words in the posts ,definitely going to try and put some of those into practice

    @quebecoise – welcome back x

    Hello day 2 co down NI going for an 800 day

    Yesterday’s fast went well and pleased I stuck to it despite the temptation. Tho i wad up 3 times during the night to go to the loo! TMI?

    I have a few posts I want to respond to but they will have to wait. For now welcome back @quebecoise. Do you know I was going through some records saved on my work computer yesterday and found an old spreadsheet as i looked down the names I saw yours and was just wondering how you were doing and then you pop up here. Co-incidence or what?

    Day 2 Newcastle UK 🇬🇧 FD.
    Uncontrolled non fasting day yesterday 😭 hence a fasting day today it’s one of the things I like about this way of life you can just do a FD if you feel your previous day was a total mess which mine was lol actually it wasn’t the whole day it’s when I had my evening meal around 7 p.m. I just couldn’t stop eating till 10pm. Normally on the Weight Watchers diet after a bad day it would become a bad week and then I would start again on Monday.

    Day 2 Sunshine Coast Qld Australia: NFD: Managed 15 hours before breaking fast. Have now finished eating for the day and it is 5:30pm here, so if I don’t eat till lunch tomorrow, that will be 19 hours. I would like to make it an FD though and that will really give me a head start. Went to morning tea at the home of a lady I met at PROBUS. Managed to not have the biscuits but had a few nuts. Then they asked me to stay for lunch and had several slices of narrow turkish bread spread with avocado and chicken and corn soup. I think that may have had quite a bit of sugar in it. Have had a couple of handful of nuts since coming home and home made ham hock and vegetable broth. So need to call it a day eating wise. May go for a bit of a stroll down the road.

    Day One FD (yesterday); Day Two NFD Yorkshire

    I am new to the community
    I am an intermittent 5:2er – looking to become consistent so I can keep the results I see going. Wanting to end the year a stone and half lighter – half way to my 3 stone target – and fully into the 5:2 way of life.

    Good luck to everyone on a FD today

    Day 2, Newcastle UK, FD (2nd of B2B)

    Whooooooosh! 134.6lbs this morning after an AF FD.

    Thanks for the many honest, informative and inspirational posts this morning. I will chip in a bit more with replies as the month progresses. Right now, I feel I’ve got to up my game, keep my head down and make some progress after 2 months of messing about.
    @RedRockGirl1302 – are you still following 800 cals blood sugar diet Monday to Friday in maintenance?

    “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine” – author unknown.

    Day 2, Northumberland UK, NFD

    Would like to make today a fast day, but very poor sleep (and that niggly virus) has that under threat already, so a controlled day below TDEE is more likely if I can steer clear of the choc and biscuits.

    Hi there. Hope it’s not too late to join this challenge. It’s just what I need now! My activity levels have dramatically dropped since the start of the school holidays and finding it hard to adjust everything else and have been losing and gaining the same kilo over the last few fasts… Hopefully this will encourage me to keep going and keep active.
    Today is a NFD, and am aiming to go for a job as well.
    Looking forward to getting to know you all!

    Day 2 North Wales NFD interesting reading from @twinmam and @fatrabbit. Going to do some research myself in this area. I have to be honest I haven’t a clue how many calories are in most foods I eat. I just know whether they are high in fats, sugars, protein etc. Definitely need to do some research.

    Day 2 – Cumbria UK – NFD

    Did not break my fast from Monday’s FD until 1500hrs yesterday – just did not feel hungry until then, and even did a brisk 8km/5miles walk with friends in the morning. Ended up with a CD (controlled day) coming in just below TDEE.

    There has been some talk about what TDEE to follow – I am happy to share what I did:-
    When I started this WOL I worked out my TDEE for my goal weight (not my current weight!) and chose the lightly active level of activity (although I was more of a moderately active person) and followed that TDEE 1526cal (and 1/4 of that on my FD but allowed myself to go to 500cals as needed) – the idea being that as I lost weight and eventually when I reached my goal weight I would not have to readjust my TDEE to a lower level!!!

    What I learnt and what works for me:-
    *On NFD don’t eat until you feel hungry – It’s a myth that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Break your fast when you actually feel hungry! I will often drink a glass of water if I think I’m hungry and if the feeling goes away then I postpone eating until later!
    *On NFD I follow the 16:8 (16hrs fast and eat in an 8hr window) or a longer fasting period depending on social commitments or when I actually feel hungry!
    *On FD I only eat one meal a day saving it for later in the day, often not until around 1900hrs
    *I drink around 2L of water every day – I find warm water with lemon during winter or if I’m feeling cold on a FD very helpful
    * I have no ill effects if I do an hour aerobic class or go for 8-10km/5-6+miles hike in the fells near where I live, whilst fasting. I actually feel invigorated and full of energy after the exercise session and not at all hungry!!
    *I enjoy a slice of cake with a flat white when out with friends/OH for a coffee 2/3 times a week and also enjoy a couple of glasses of wine 3-4 times a week (pocket winos!) BUT JUST NOT EVERY DAY and certainly not in the same quantities I use to indulge in prior to finding this WOL!!!!
    *If I stray on a NFD I don’t punish myself “I CANNOT CHANGE YESTERDAY, BUT I CAN CHANGE TODAY”
    *Best of all I am full of energy and my physical and mental health is a much happier and relaxed one and this WOL is definitely a permanent one for me!

    Special welcome back to @quebecoise – 🤗 I hope you had a terrific time camping and travelling – you will lose that pesky 5lbs in no time!

    Out today with DD (darling daughter) starting with brunch and then a bit of retail therapy………so will try and catch up on the posts later

    “Never give up on a dream – Just because of the time it will take to accomplish it – The time will pass anyway” Earl Nightingale

    Day 2, Wales, NFD

    Thanks for the info on what works for you – I’m still learning and experimenting so its all very helpful. I’ve recently started leaving a minimum 14 hours between dinner and breakfast but too early to say if it is making any difference.

    My FDs are Monday and Thursday. On NFDs I’m keeping within TDEE. So far the only difficulty I’ve encountered is resisting too much alcohol (empty calories).

    Have a good day everyone x

    Hi all. Result. 5 lbs in a week. But I have just weighed myself after 2 days of fasting….. still it should end up being 2 lbs after tea tonight! Trouble is, as soon as I saw the scales, cake popped into my head. God job there is none in the house.

    I have been reading Michaels other book, happy guts. He wants us to avoid artificial sweeteners. Does anyone know if stevia, which is supposed to be natural, is ok or counts as artificial?

    Day 2 UK NFD

    Just completed 3 B2B FD. Mainly to get a good start to August and also to balance out the disaster of last week! Managed to stay on water and tea only till around 6 pm from a similar time the night before. Finds this works best for me. Great post and encouraging comments@Bert1802. I agree that it’s finding what works for each individual and running with it! Spreadsheet working fine@Debster251. Thanks for your hard work!

    Day 2 Belfast NFD
    I had a lovely controlled day (CD) yesterday and aim to do the same today. Todqy, my usual swim is done and dusted and I’m feeling virtuous. 😇
    @foodfreedomgirl/babbledrop – I went to Weight Watchers many years ago and our presenter, if that is the right word, brought in 10 lbs (or more) of lard to show people what they were carrying g around with them. Someone reported her for being offensive, and that was the end of that. It was a levelling sight, though, I can tell you! @babbledrop that is a great amount to eradicate, especially on your own
    Powerful words @bert 👏👏
    @onahealthyhigh – that’s a million dollar question! I have Google Drive, and when I opened it it automatically opened in Google sheets on my iPad. I edited it on my laptop in google drive too. Can any techies out there help?
    Quebecoise – you’re very welcome back. I’ll put your name on the spreadsheet in a mo.
    Jlmagadqniels – I agree with Twinmam. When you set up MFP, you probably set it up with a view to cutting calories and losing weight. So along with fasting, you are doubling you calorie cutting. The whole notion of TDEE is a contentious one. Here was a discussion about it either last month or in June. I use MFP only on NFDs to keep track of calories, on the basis that I don’t like to record silly food choices and aim for about 1600’cals. However, maybe somewhere in between your high and low (2000?) would be a starting point then you can adjust down if necessary. The point of this WOL that your NFDs are just normal, sensible eating. You can fast in many different ways. You see people writing about pressing the ‘rest button’. The beauty of this WOL is that if you over indulge, you just pop in an extra fast day and reset.
    @amella46 – I would keep it simple at the beginning until you get in your stride, then you can play around with your food on FDs. Personally I follow a 16:8 routine every day, eating only 2 meals a day. Otherwise, particularly on FDs I find I unleash the hunger dragon! If it feels right for you, go with the flow!
    @losing_it – I’m lazy on FDs too, but I love fasting. It’s a powerful feeling.
    @fatrabbit – wise words about the nutrition.
    @berries63 – sounds like you’ve well organised and on top of things.
    @saffy420 – I bet you were cross. Good luck in trying to cross that line to 199.
    Welcome @nikkin07
    @lyonlottie – It’s never too late! Welcome

    Remember: It always seems impossible till it’s done – Nelson Mandela

    LET’S DO IT!

    Day 2, Belfast, NFD

    My FD went down the pan yesterday lol. I was doing so well until emotions got the better of me…I had a few beers, nibbled on loads of nuts, and dished up brown rice and naan with our veggie curry. Living dangerously, eh??!! At least I didn’t go out for a big greasy burger and fries which was the first plan 😉 saved £££ and kcals there…

    Anyhoo, I know I’m a bit of an emotional wreck at the moment – my dad was very ill in hospital and although he’s ok at the moment it’s throwing up quite a few memories and old family issues.

    I’m heading to England for a few days to catch up with hubby’s family which will be great. I’m going to chill, enjoy the sun and get back on the 5:2 wagon properly next week.

    Good luck everyone today. Have a good one!

    Day 3, Ireland, FD

    Hi – I gained a lot of weight before finding out I was pregnant and then I gained even more throughout the pregnancy & after! i’m determined to get back to even my pre-pregnancy weight (which is still very high) at 71kg (156lbs/11stone). My medical assessment advised i should only be 52kg/115lbs/8stone! that seems unachievable but i would be happy to get to 71kg!

    its only day 3 and i’m v hungry. I am running every morning before work & my 500kcals is mainly my salad at lunch. small snack in the evening. i’m attempting a minimum of 3 days fasting! see how i go!

    i’m hoping to get support from here to really spur me on! i’ve done this before with great results but support is needed. I love a challenge so I liked this particular chat going 🙂

    Day 2……Florida…..NFD

    So, yesterday when I finished up with my post to you all. I receive a lovely call from my sister. Apparently, she did some independent study and has decided to give IF a trial run. She’s not going extreme like me (her words), but it following a 16 hour fast with an 8 hour feast time. No other changes to her diet. But again, she follows a strict no carb, no diary anyways. She’s been doing it for three days and loves it! I think the world is catching on to our way of thinking!

    There has been a lot of talk about TDEE, starvation and calories. I wanted to see if I could clear up any confusion. TDEE calculator found on a computer is just an estimated number to go by. To truly know your exact TDEE, one must have numerous tests done by professionals. Since a majority of this can’t have these test done these calculations were done to give us an idea. Remember, it’s not one size fits all here. Experiment and adjust based on what is good for you.

    Starvation mode has been scientifically proven that it does not exist. Just a fancy term the diet industry came up with to get us to eat. When we eat, they make money!

    Lastly….. there are several types of calories and not all are the same. Yes, you can eat 500 calories of snack cakes and chocolate and still lose weight but your neighbor eating 500 calories of wholesome food is not going to be as hungry as you are! Good calories will sub stain you longer than those bad ones.
    On YouTube, Ill have to find the link, was a school teacher who experimented with good versus bad calories for one month he ate only snack cakes for every meal the only difference is he stayed with in his calories. In the end he did lose weight however, his overall health declined very rapidly. Leaving him with years of dr visits and tests to get his health back on track.

    Now, there is this lad I believe his name is McLaud, he lives in Washington state. He’s is in his late 80’s has the body of a 18 year old. This man is fit! He lives on 1000 calories a day, most foods grown right out of the earth. He extremely active! He’s in better heath then most men half his age.
    In the end a calorie is just not a calorie….. it’s a life line to better health if you choose the right ones!

    Well that enough blah, blah, blah from me this morning! I’m off to concur the world!

    I was addicted to the hokey pokey then I turned myself around!

    @babledrop. Stevia is a plant derived sweetener. Just because its not artificial doesn’t mean its good for you. Sugar is plant based. Does that make it good for you? Your body is hard wired to seek sweetness. There is research to suggest that when you ingest a sweet substance that does not contain calories your body does not react kindly to being fooled like that. Your endocrine system has sensed sweetness which means calories are on there way. When that doesn’t happen your body WILL seek to remedy that situation. Short story, you will seek food until the endocrine system is appeased.

    The sooner you can deal without sweet foods the better off you will be.

    Day 2, London, UK, FD (2nd of B2B2B)

    Well I’ve eradicated 4 of the 7 lbs I acquired on holiday, since Friday. I think it was an overnight whoooosh!! (I’m with you @strawberriesandcream) ‘cause I haven’t been particularly mindful, but yesterdays’ FD was a Godsend!!! I’m still surprised 9 months down the line, just how liberating and mood boosting a FD can be. No more swollen ankles so lots of water weight dispatched, funnily enough I didn’t suffer as usual this holiday with ‘cankles’, until the final day and flight home, I’m putting it down to 5:2 benefits, being 2st lighter and getting in 20k+ steps/day!!!

    I figure a B2B2B is the way to go for me because Day 1 is relatively easy having had a NFD the day before, Day 2 is always a bit testing and takes a bit more willpower and Day 3 always makes me THINK I could fast indefinitely………………….. However, that doesn’t last as the next day I’m just about ready to gnaw my arm off!!!!

    So the plan for August is 4:3 in whichever combo works, 18:6 every day (most likely 20:4 on FDs)……….………..Simples!!!!! I was a little late with dinner last night (finished at 8pm) so I’ll breakfast on cheese, tomatoes & cucumber (166cals) at 4pm and have a carton of soup (314 cals) finished by 7.30pm, I’m currently drinking a cup of tea with a splash (20 cals) of semi skimmed milk………500cals DONE!!! This is a fairly standard day when cooking doesn’t appeal, and when the weather isn’t cooperating, I swap the soup for an enormous protein rich salad.

    Good luck everyone, we’ve GOT this!!!

    Day 2 – USA (Illinois) – NFD

    Yesterday’s FD was just about 500 calories. Yeah! Back to 157# this morning despite not sleeping all that well. That’s been my experience as one of the downers of FD’s: sleeplessness. Also I experience leg cramps, sometimes extremely painful ones. But the 35 pound weight loss far outweighs a little lost sleep. Maintenance is still my game.

    @bert1802 – I have often wondered about the adverse effects of just eating unhealthy calories. Leave it to a teacher to experiment on that! (I’m a retired teacher….) On NFD’s I do rather enjoy setting aside 100 calories at the end of the day for some ice cream that helps me sleep better. So far, no adverse effects for me!

    If you choose to do a 16:8 eating pattern, don’t you still have to watch what caloric intake you have during those 8 eating hours? I don’t think you can really go overboard and still expect to lose weight.

    Onward and downward!

    Day 1 Hertfordshire, England, FD
    Hi all, am 64 year-old female, never dieted in my life before but post-menopausal weight crept on. Have never joined a forum before either so hope I don’t break any rules, let me know. Decided not to monitor weight but have taken body measurements as, I hope, encouragement when they get smaller! My target is to comfortably button up my fave trousers and then stay there. Am feeling bit rumbly already and it’s only 1 pm,
    dentist this afternoon too.

    Day 2 – 🇬🇧- NFD

    Day 2 USA NFD
    @debster251 thanks for the spreadsheet!

    @lynzm it sounds like you are moving off the plateau, and I’m inspired by you, so thanks!

    @foodfreedomgirl Moscow? If so then we are just across the border pals! There are a few of us PNW peeps on the forum, and it’s great to have a few in the same time zone (although I am regularly inspired when I wake up and read the posts by those of you who have already completed successful FD… I’m also consoled by those who share the days that don’t go as planned!).

    Had a balanced, controlled NFD yesterday, that ended with a great sweaty Zumba class. It is very hot here, and supposed to stay this way, so exercising/outside activity involves planning–it’s tough to be outside for any length of time. I teach a couple of cardio dance classes today, but even my air conditioners are having a tough time keeping up!

    Day 3 Louisville FD:

    Couple of questions from a newbie….What is a pocket wino? Also, where is the spreadsheet? And..TDEE numbers for me are all over the place on the internet. On this site it says 1930 which seems quite high. Otherwise I have lost a little under 5 lbs since Monday. Beginners luck with a splash of water.

    @maddyg – it’s a shared spreadsheet. Add your own information as you wish. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oHFqnmdzVCzauz5eJOzqQfuHywXgRwErhMyTS3MSHog/edit#gid=0

    “Pocket winos” is just anyone who enjoys wine. Many months ago “pocket list” of fasters or especially B2B fasters became a term, so we decided “pocket winos” made sense too. Perhaps it is an adaptation of “closet winos?” Who knows! It was just meant to be for fun. 🙂

    And yes, various websites give a wide variation on TDEE. I like the one My Fitness Pal (MFP) gives me. I just don’t add any more exercise there. Otherwise it goes up proportionately, and up too much.

    Hello 2nd post

    So far so good on my 800 day – broke my fast at 2pm so plan today for lunch and dinner/tea within 800.

    @jlmagadaniels – Can you advise if you worked our your TDEE for your goal weight and not the weight you are now? I go on my goal weight as do others.

    This is a very flexible WOL, for instance – your birthday could fall on a Monday or Tuesday. I’m guessing your wouldn’t want to fast then, so just swop for another day.

    I have copied some points from other people and posts from previous challenges which some may find interesting but like also said before it is finding what works for you and finding something you can live with. There is no one fit, fits all here.

    Myth Claim 5. when you stop eating for a while your metabolic rate slows down as your body tries to conserve your fat stores.
    Fear of going into “Starvation mode” is common and yet, at least from an evolutionary perspective, it makes little sense. Our remote ancestors often had to go without food for a while and if, every time this happened, they had simply curled up on the floor of their cave and waited for pizza to be delivered they would have gone extinct. Only during periods of prolonged famine would it make sense to slow the metabolism down, wait for better times to come.
    The myth seems to be based, in part, on the Minnesota starvation experiment, a study carried out during World War Two in which young volunteers lived on extremely low calorie diets for up to six months. The purpose of the study was to help scientists understand how to treat victims of mass starvation in Europe.
    After prolonged starvation there was a drop in body temperature and heart rate, suggesting that their basal metabolic rate (the energy burnt by your body when you are at rest) had fallen. This, however, was an extreme situation.
    A more recent experiment on the effects of short term calorie restriction, Resting energy expenditure in short-term starvation, produced very different results. In this experiment they took 11, healthy volunteers and asked them to live on nothing but water for 84 hours.
    The researchers found that the volunteers’ basal metabolic rate went up while they were fasting. By day 3 it had risen, on average, by 14%.
    One reason for this may have been the significant rise they detected in a catecholamine called noradrenaline, which is known to burn fat.
    If they had continued then, I’m sure, the volunteers’ metabolic rates would eventually have fallen, not least because they would have begun to lose significant amounts of weight. But, certainly in the short term, there is no evidence that starvation mode is anything other than a myth.

    There is no such thing as starvation mode for overweight people. Check the FAQs and Dr. M’s post on the subject. While the metabolism slows a bit with weight loss, it does not slow simply because you eat less. If that were really true, people doing water fasts would not lose any weight – but they lose the most.
    Here are some tips on 5:2: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

    The fastest way to lose weight is to eat nothing (not recommended). The basic rule is the less you eat, the more you lose.
    Here are some tips for those just starting 5:2: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/tdee-for-the-curious-or-why-dont-i-lose-weight-faster/

    The research on starvation mode is long standing and quite clear. People put on starvation diets lose weight at an expected rate until they reach about 5% body fat. At that point, their metabolisms do slow down about 40% – but they still continue to lose weight, just at a slower pace.
    Very few people on a weight loss diet have reached the 5% body fat level, and overweight people have no chance whatsoever of their bodies going into starvation mode. That is why it is a myth when applied to overweight people on a diet.
    As people lose weight, their TDEEs do fall slightly because it takes less energy to move around less weight. That is far from a starvation mode.

    5:2 is not a destination it is a journey. It is a journey you will take for the rest of your life. I now do 6:1 after reaching my target weight and I actually enjoy doing my fasts. Its like hitting a big reset button every Monday. I have found that I now eat more healthy without really trying. Sweets hold no interest anymore. On the few occasions that I do have them they are pretty much an anticlimax. Rather than craving more Im left wondering why I just had them in the first place.
    5:2 works if you want it to work. Its not some magical treatment that will allow you to eat anything you want after you reach your target weight. You need to develop a pattern of eating that will be sustainable for the rest of your life. That is more than do-able using 5:2 or for me 6:1.

    Just wanted to quote a piece out of The Obesity Code
    This is the ancient secret. This is the cycle of life. Fasting follows feasting. Feasting follows fasting. Diets must be intermittent, not steady. Food is a celebration of life. Every single culture in the world celebrates with large feasts. That is normal, and it is good. However, religion has always reminded us that we must balance our feasting with periods of fasting – ‘atonement, repentance or cleansing’. These ideas are ancient and time-tested. Should you eat lots of food on your birthday? Absolutely. Should you eat lots of food at a wedding? Absolutely. These are times to celebrate and indulge. But there is also a time to fast. We cannot change this cycle of life. We cannot feast all the time. We cannot fast all the time. It won’t work. It doesn’t work.
    So for all with family celebrations and or holidays enjoy them without guilt you do not need to feel guilty any longer. We know the ancient secret of enjoying one of life’s pleasures and losing weight.

    me again

    So some of the above you may agree with some you may wish to ignore and that is fine – it is what works for you and you can live with for ever – I read that the reason low calorie diets don’t work is not so much to do with ‘starvation mode’ but your metabolic rate adjusts and weight loss stalls or goes backward. Hence why 5:2 works because it fools the body, due to famine/feast, it keeps the body on its toes. I remember in one of my old slimming classes a person was finding it so difficult to lose the last few lbs to get to goal – the leader told her to go out have a really nice meal with lots of healthy choices and then go back to plan – result – her body let go of that last few lbs. I think the body and mind are a lot more complex than we think. Another book I read referred to the mind/body link – your mind will tell your body it is ok to let go or not to let go and I think there is some truth in that from personal experience. I also think that there is more to it than calories in v calories out. Your body will do its utmost to stay alive – the chemical reactions that take place from placing something in your mouth to it coming out the other end is amazing!

    So enjoy the journey – stick with it and don’t give up is the best advice I can give.

    @belfastsink – sorry your Dad is poorly – hope he improves soon – enjoy your time in England – mindfully off course lol

    Day 2 – USA – NFD

    I started doing Wed/Fri FDs last month and it worked very well doing alternate days, and I plan to do it starting next week, but this week, I will have to play around with my FDs because of (ominous music playing) a tooth extraction tomorrow, shudder! I am really not looking forward to it, being a big baby with needles, despite the fact that I give my diabetic dog 2 needles a day of insulin. Go figure. @belfastsink, hope your dad gets better, cyber (((hugs))) to you. @flourbaby, way to go! @Covebird, welcome! @quebecoise, welcome back. I remember your posts from when I first came onto this forum in February.

    Day 2 Akron Ohio, NFD today. I had a long post planned but got distracted and now I’ve lost it 🙁
    Have a good day everyone

    Day 2, USA, Missouri Ozarks, FD

    Hello all, thought I would put on the record that August starting weight was 143.4 – still maintaining exactly on target. Putting it in print will keep me accountable. Goal this month, as the past few months, is to maintain around this level. I am actually smaller in body size and much firmer than when I weighed ten pounds less due to increased strength training. It’s all good !

    Broke the fast last night with low fat vanilla Greek yogurt (Aldi’s) with high protein almond cranberry granola (Aldi’s) salted sunflower kernels and liberally sprinkled with cinnamon. Very filling – will probably do the same tonight but with chia seeds.

    Went for a nice walk yesterday as our heat wave has broken and the high temps are only in the 70s. It was lovely.

    Wishing all a great day.

    Day 2 – SA – NFD

    I’ve eaten my last meal for the day. One thing that always interests me when I fast is that I start to crave healthy food. This morning, I wished for broccoli for breakfast and I’m looking forward to a salad tomorrow. It’s almost like I can hear what my body actually wants when I’m not constantly eating.

    Day 2 – Scotland – NFD
    Yesterday fast went well, even I eat one of the shortbread biscuits I made with my boy. That didn’t start the binge, and this is a success for me after the last few weeks. I was happy with my venison burger (no bun) and salad, plus my dark chocolate apro soya dessert (my post-dinner cuddle on FD).
    Today we have a host for dinner – I don’t know him and my husband met him a while ago. He’s moving from France to spend one year here so my husband helped me with finding a flat. He arrived yesterday night so we thought it would be nice to inviting him over for dinner. He’s vegetarian so I prepared a frittata roll stuffed with spinach, ricotta and cheddar, plus some crostini with goat cheese and onion jam, and some stuffed olives for starter, which I hope to skip as I’ll be busy preparing the main course (a pepper, chickpeas basil and feta stew). Yesterday I also made a dark chocolate and orange tarte, let’s see if I can simply pretend that I’m full. Tomorrow should be a FD but we have a birthday party (for a kid) so I hope I can skip the buffet and cake, also because it will be way before our usual dinner time. If things go wrong, I will fast on Friday.

    @CoveBird. – Welcome. I have added you to the spreadsheet if you choose to use it. It’s a shared document.
    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oHFqnmdzVCzauz5eJOzqQfuHywXgRwErhMyTS3MSHog/edit#gid=0

    Thanks Coda for those words of wisdom. You must be very organised to have that at your fingertips!
    BelfastSink – enjoy your trip and hope your dad is on the mend.

    Day 2, NFD
    Wow – lots of interesting posts since I last checked.

    I let the wino-dragon attack me last night. 🙁 However, I’ve decided to be positive about it in the sense that we are going out this Friday (which is usually my red wine night) so I will drive. If I drive, I don’t drink. And that will nicely balance last night’s excess. Also looking forward to tomorrow’s FD. In many ways, I find them to be a relief! (Not having to think about food which otherwise dominates my thoughts!)

    What works for me? A little too early for me to know as I’ve not been doing 5:2 that long. (I did it successfully many years ago but my personal circumstances at the time were very different and thus difficult for me to now replicate.) I certainly don’t count calories (yawn). I am mindful of what I eat; mostly home cooked food. We don’t have dessert at home and the only naughty snacks in the house are salt and vinegar chips (yum). My OH does the grocery cooking and most of the cooking which is good because I don’t have to do it but bad because he tends to cook more carbs than I would. I would also prefer to eat more vegetables. I don’t eat fruit (not by choice but see previous comment on who does the shopping! Right. I will add fruit to the shopping list!!)

    I tend not to eat breakfast and usually have my first meal of the day after 11am when I first start to feel hungry. However, as I don’t do this as a matter of course I don’t really consider myself to be on a 16:8 routine.

    I plan FDs on Mon and Thurs as a routine but allowing myself the flexibility to change dates to fit my social calendar. On FDs, I don’t eat at all. I just find this a far easier mind-set, rather than to try and plan to eat below a certain calorie-threshold. I’m also conscious that if I do eat something on a FD, it’s then a quick slide into temptation to make it an NFD instead. I do allow myself my normal morning coffees (with milk) and because I usually feel cold(er) on FDs (why is this?!? does anyone know?) I have a hot herbal tea in the afternoon.

    Day 2 country West Australia FD
    good FD today. Having plenty of water. Cutting down flat white coffees.
    Started this WOL November 2016.
    Initially lost weight but have been on a plateau for several months and unable to break through 71.5 kgs.
    Starting this month with the same enthusiasm I originally started in November and feel optimistic that THIS month will be a good one.
    Hope to lose the 4 kgs which was 2 kgs back in May/June but morphed into 4kgs end of July!!
    Nuff said.
    Hi to all the old faces and welcome to all the newbies. Love this forum for it’s support and advice.
    Accountability keeps me keeping on.😴

    Day 2, Rocky Mountains, US, FD 800 cals

    Hi all,

    My FD yesterday morphed into a NFD because life happens. But stayed within my TDEE. Today I plan another FD at 800 cals.

    @strawberriesandcream: I still follow 800 cals Mon through Fri but if one or two turn into NFD it does not matter. I go with the flow but with an eye on the scale to stay at target weight.

    @at: Well said! Thinking exactly the same! 😊😊😊

    Have a good day everyone around the globe! 🌍🌻🌎🌼🌏

    Day 2, Emden Germany, NFD

    so much wisdom from @coda again, thank you

    @bert1802 everytime I see someone in a denim skirt I think about your hilarious story

    @at I’m in for a plank challenge, I do elbow planks for 3 minutes 20 seconds, I’m also trying to do squats (painful on the quadriceps) and lunges. Anyone else wanting to join us?

    What I do:

    – I use small plates, a small portion looks like a lot on a small plate
    – I drink herbal tea, warm water with lemon all day
    – I don’t buy sweets, so I can’t eat them
    – if I think I really have to eat, I try to wait for 15 more minutes, if I still want to eat, I try to eat just a little bit, stop and see if I want more, sometimes I fail, that’s life
    – I only eat what I really like, sometimes it’s rubbish, but if I want it, I don’t feel guilty afterwards.
    – I don’t eat everything that is offered to me, I mostly say, I’ll eat it later, sometimes I will, sometimes not. Beware of feeders, they often don’t want you to lose weight
    – I don’t listen to anyone who tells me: Just take only this one. Mostly I can’t just take one and go on eating until everything is gone
    – I always eat protein before I go to sleep otherwise I can’t sleep (don’t know why, perhaps it’s just a mind thing)
    – I eat a small amount of calories at noon, the rest is for dinner, mostly salad or soup, I can’t do liquid fasts, I have to eat something
    -I don’t listen to anyone saying: You don’t need to lose weight, you look fine. I didn’t look fine weighing 72 kg and didn’t feel fine either
    – I don’t eat processed food, always cook from scratch
    – to make my life easier and because I like it, I mostly eat the same food on my FD’s.

    I hope any of this makes sense, for me the best part of this WOL is: if I don’t feel well enough to do a FD mentally, I know tomorrow can be a better day so I can try it then. I’m not perfect, I’m human.

    have a good day, fasting or non fasting, try to stay focussed

    One more question! On NFD do you discount the calories burned when exercising? I know that Mosley advised not to subtract on FD. I use the app Lose It and it will subtract from my calorie goals for the day. Any advice?

    The information and tips here are so helpful! As a scientist i’m so interested in this made up ‘starvation mode’ its amazing what becomes ‘fact’ because of one or two studies!

    I’m worried about over indulging at the weekends – i could easily drink a bottle of wine and thats at least 1000kcals before food! i also love bad food. Does anyone have any tips to try help me avoid really over indulging? how do you all do it?

    thanks 🙂

    2nd post

    @maddyg I don’t subtract the calories I lose while exercising, I see it a an extra. I don’t think it’s that much either.

    @aoife1984 I don’t think many of us can avoid it, when I over indulge, I do an extra FD. Before I eat I always have large glass of water, so I feel full before I start eating. Don’t aim for perfection, non of us is perfect.

    @lilymartin how did the non plastic July go?

    @lindasue I found this when looking up counter planks : ” Purvottanasana counteracts the effects of Chaturanga by stretching the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and anterior deltoids.” I even can’t pronounce it. Haha!

    Hi Aoife1984

    Been there, done that, do that still! 🙂 (Especially as I could also polish off a bottle of wine; and when I drink, I snack.)

    I’m sure others will post some really good and helpful tips, but this is what I do:

    1. Read this blog! I find reading others’ stories is often the inspiration I need to not start indulging. It can also serve as a circuit breaker to interupt those tempting thoughts “Come one, just one drink!!”

    2. Change your habits. This can be as simple as sitting on a different chair in the lounge (if that’s where you usually curl up with a glass of wine). Moving the bottle of wine to a different spot (out in the garage instead of in the kitchen). Make it a little harder for yourself to indulge. Changing your routine like this can help to inhibit or break the habit.

    3. Be mindful. I have realised that having a wine glass beside me on a weekend evening is a habit. If I put a water glass there instead, I’m still doing the mindless thing of reaching out to the glass and taking a sip, but it’s then almost irrelevant that I’m drinking water not wine.

    4. Sorry, I didn’t check, but if you’re new to 5:2 then you might find that the very fact of starting this new way of life will be the incentive you need to change or manage other aspects of your life. For me, after a few weeks, my 2 FDs really influenced my food choices on NFDs, even though it was not something I did consciously. I just stopped craving as much.

    5. Don’t have wine or “bad” foods in the house. If you don’t have access to it, it’s far harder to overindulge! (Um. I actually don’t take my own advice here, but it might work for you! And I don’t think that any food is “bad” – what’s “bad” about a food is what you do with it.)

    6. It’s ok to indulge! 5:2 is a way of life, not a punishment!! Provide you normally live and eat well, then I think it’s ok to relax a little on the weekends. Look at the bigger picture and how you’re eating, drinking or exercising over the entire week or fortnight, rather than focusing on just one day / weekend. If you’re otherwise sticking to your TDEE and FDs, then even if you over do it on the weekends, you’re still probably way ahead of what you were doing before you started 5:2.

    7. Finally, be kind on yourself. We’re all human, we all have our struggles and challenges at time. But that’s ok! We are all in this together, in our own individual ways. If you do overindulge, note it, try and work out what the triggers were, so that you can be conscious to avoid those same triggers next time. Don’t dwell on it or wallow, just accept the bump in the road and continue on.

    Good luck!

    Day 2 California USA NFD

    Yesterday I ended up eating more than I needed. Most of it was healthy food but I ate too much of it. My weight stayed the same as yesterday, which makes me mad now because I probably would have seen a new low if I had eaten in a normal NFD manner. 😠

    Another very hot day predicted for here today, over 100 degrees F. I may melt! Too many hot days this week!

    @bert1802 – Great to hear that you may have converted your sister to 5:2! Given time, she could become as extreme as – gulp – one of us! 😄

    @coda – Thank you for the info on metabolism and starvation mode. The one thing I’ve discovered with the 5:2 is that my body seems to burn calories faster when I’m eating normally and then fast (eating only 500 calories). How else to explain that before the 5:2 I gained weight but not nearly as much as one would think from the number of calories I very often ate.

    @penz – For me, drinking wine or other alcohol can throw a monkey wrench into the whole 5:2 thing. Often, I’m a little dehydrated from it the morning after and so don’t see much of a gain. But 2 days later I see a gain. If I drink when not eating much I feel sluggish the following day. If I’ve eaten a fair amount with the alcohol I tend to gain. I’ll still have wine with dinner or at parties, but I try to limit it to once a week or less. I do notice that I tend to walk around at parties with the same drink all night. (Do you think I talk too much?)

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