BillyBunters 1st Fast Day yesterday.

This topic contains 13 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by annette52 8 years, 11 months ago.

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BillyBunter

8:38 pm
29 Dec 15
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Hi Everyone,
just started the 5:2 yesterday, with aim of losing 7st over the next 2 years.

Moved from the UK to the US in 2001, and the weight started creeping up since Day 1.
Tipped the scale on Monday morning at 18st 12 lbs.

Just turned 48 yo, already have HBP, High cholesterol, fatty liver, first indications of heart disease, so obviously need to get back on the correct path per Dr Orders.

Reading, the posts from other people on the 5:2 lifestyle is very inspiring, I’m hoping that the inspiration will help me in the months ahead.

Thanks
Bill
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Started 28th Dec 2015 (18st 12lbs) –>

bigbooty

11:16 am
30 Dec 15
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Hi BB. Personally I don’t find it that hard so hopefully you’ll also fall into that category. I do my two days consecutive, Monday Tuesday, but find a pattern that suits you. For the last month Ive made my fast days almost zero calories, just have a coffee or juice in the morning. Im not advocating that, just find a routine that you can stick to. Ive also cut out anything with sugar in it. 99% of all health cereals are just loaded with sugar. Pure evil. Just drop sugar alone and you’ll be heading in the right direction.

BillyBunter

6:16 pm
30 Dec 15
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Thanks BB, I’ve chose Monday, Thursday as my fast days, these will work well with my schedule, had my first fast day on Monday, it went well. I hear you on Sugar, I’m actively looking at the sugar content of foods, something I’d never done before. At this current stage in my journey, I’m still processing a lot of the information, and looking at the forum for useful tips and hints.

Thanks
Bill
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Started 28th Dec 2015 (18st 12lbs) –>

annette52

6:28 pm
30 Dec 15
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Hi,
There are 2 books that I have been reading about sugar. One is ‘that sugar book’ by Damon Gameau which is an easy read and ‘fat chance the hidden truth about sugar, obesity and disease’ by Robert Lustig.

What I have learned from these books is to eat wholemeal bread, brown rice and pasta, eat whole fruit and vegetable, milk, cheese and unprocessed meat. I have given up sugar in my tea after 45 years and although it was hard, I feel so much better with less sugar in my diet/lost more off my waist/more energy and not a raving lunatic looking for my next sugar fix.

Check out jar tomato sauces, they are very high in sugar. It is easy to make your own, so I have made a vat and froze it in portions.

Any help?

BillyBunter

6:48 pm
30 Dec 15
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Thanks annette, for the book references, I read the premise of the books on Amazon, and I’m now wait listed for both at my local library, very timely as I will finish reading fast diet book today.

Currently, i am weaning myself off of Pops/Sodas – I was drinking 9 -> 12 cans of Cola a day, I drunk only water and tea on Monday (fast day) and had a bad headache, Tuesday I had 6 cans of Cola, hopefully, I’ll be off them for good before the end of Jan. The sugar content is bad with these beverages.

annette52

8:06 pm
30 Dec 15
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Hi Billy,
I am interested to know what you think about these books.
There is nothing good in those cans and they just drive your body to consume more and more. Well done on getting these little horrors out of body for good. Don’t drink fruit juice either, it is stuffed full of sugar, just keep drinking the water.

annette52

8:16 pm
30 Dec 15
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Just remembered Billy, Lustig says that the most important thing to do is to ditch the soda. Well done you.

bigbooty

10:10 pm
30 Dec 15
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Good on you for backing off on the soda drinks. Unfortunately there is not going to be any easy solutions to your “sugar craving” having been on so many cans a day. When I stared the 5:2 I was getting headaches initially as the brain uses only glucose as its energy source. After about a month they have disappeared or are so mild that its not really a problem. Your body will become more efficient at converting stored fat into glucose once it “knows” its not getting its next top up because youre on one of your fast days. So the headaches will disappear or be very mild. Ive only been on the 5:2 for two months (before that I was relying on bike riding to lose weight) and its amazing how quickly your body gets used to it. I look forward to my Mondays and don’t even wake up hungry on those days as the body “knows” it isn’t going to be getting anything.

If your hunger is gnawing at you Ive found that just getting up and going for a gentle walk will break that feeling. Just get up and do something to break the feeling. Big glass of water or tea. I also chew gum and it seems to help.

BillyBunter

4:56 pm
31 Dec 15
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Annette, BB, thanks for opening my eyes to Sugar. I watched Lustig video on YouTube- it was an eye opener to say the least. I was totally unaware – and feel better prepared in making dietary choices now.

Big thanks
Bill.

annette52

7:59 pm
31 Dec 15
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My pleasure Billy.

While you wait for the books, let me know if you have any Q’s.

It is going to be fine Billy.

Here is to a smaller you in 2016!

BillyBunter

2:57 am
1 Jan 16
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Thanks Annette, I’ll definitely give my feedback on the books and won’t be shy with questions as they arise.

Best wishes for 2016!

Bill.

bigbooty

5:28 am
1 Jan 16
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Be prepared for a very different toilet experience after your fast days. ha ha ha.

annette52

12:45 pm
1 Jan 16
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I had forgotten about the headaches and the different toilet experiences. It will settle down.

Here are my top tips. Weigh and measure pasta/rice and choose brown of each. Choose foods that you enjoy on your FD but is within the calorie limit. Cook from scratch and in bulk(freeze the rest in portion sizes). Avoid processed food. Eat whole fruit and vegetables.Try and eat legumes(lentils/beans etc) for fibre. Lustigs main premise is that it is possible to reverse the effects of sugar by eating more fibre and taking exercise. Do some exercise that makes you sweat as according to Lustig it reduces the fat in the liver and the muscles, which is all good. Aiming for 10,000 steps each day is a good place to start. My pedometer is a great tool.

Also don’t focus just on weight loss. I am a huge fan of measuring vital statistics and perhaps more importantly trying on my clothes. I weigh/measure/try on once a week. I have found that when the scales seem to be broken along with the tape measure, that it is often clear that i have been shrinking by how my clothes fit…or not. I write it all down each week so that I can see my progress.

The goal for a man is to have a waist of less that 37″(around the belly button) and some say that a waist measurement that is less than half the height is the goal.

Remember that this is not a diet, but a way of life. The changes that you choose to make to lose weight and become more healthy have to be those that you can maintain. You may be able to walk more, take the stairs rather than the lift, go swimming once a week but think of what you can do that won’t stress your joints until you are lighter.

Happy New Year. Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year.

annette52

9:57 pm
6 Jan 16
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How is it going Billy?