Buttonboots – My weightloss journey….

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Buttonboots

7:39 am
4 May 14
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So…here I am again!

I’ve posted a couple of threads here and there in my first few weeks on The Plan….but I have decided to set this one up as somewhere I can keep my musings and my weight-record all in one place.

Progress so far:

March 30:…started at 18 stone 4 1/2 pounds
April 6: 18 stone 3 1/4 pounds
April 13: 18 stone 2 1/4 pounds
April 20: 18 stone 1/2 pound
April 27: 18 stone 1 1/2 pounds (EEEEEK!!!!!)

I have to admit it was a shock to stand on the scales last week and see a gain of one pound! How could that happen?…I was so careful!

I spent a few angry moments deciding that The Plan was stupid….and clearly didn’t work…and I was so going to go and stuff my face with chocolate and crisps!

And then I calmed down enough to think rationally. I decided to give it ‘one more week’

Monday was a tough day – first fast day of the week…but I stuck at it. During the week I downloaded an app for my Kindle Fire – a food tracker that tots up my daily calories.

The non-fast days were tricky this week. I had to encourage myself to enjoy my ‘full’ allowance. Mum baked a low-fat carrot cake and brought me a slice when she popped by – I really enjoyed it, but had to push back the ‘guilt’ I felt afterwards……..the whole point of this Plan is that I don’t HAVE to feel guilty when I enjoy a treat on a non-fast day!…I’m sure my attitude will change as the weeks go by – and I will gain a ‘normal’ approach to food!

Then yesterday was another fast day – surprisingly easy – and the piri-piri chicken breast with steamed veg is definitely going on my ‘favourites’ list!

And this morning I approached the scales with some trepidation….

May 4th:….17 Stone 13 1/2 pounds!!!!!!

2 pounds off! Okay, not quite as miraculous when you take off the pound gained last week!…But still….2 pounds!!!!….and even better is the fact that the scales FINALLY show me under 18 stones!

The loss is certainly ‘slow and steady’ but the weight IS coming off! And I really feel this Plan is sustainable. The gain in weight last week is inexplicable – and I have a long journey ahead and can probably expect one or two other ‘inexplicable’ weeks on the way….BUT this week has proved that if I stick with it then the gain is just a ‘blip’ and I can survive it!

Right then…..off for another week….non-fasting today …and no need to feel guilty when I have the generous serving of mint-choc chip icecream I have planned after lunch!

Lillythepink

9:02 am
4 May 14
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Yeh it is strange trying not to feel the guilt – I had a mini scone on Tuesday and then some cheesecake yesterday and although allowed, you feel that it isn’t – but as long as we don’t go mad then it should be fine.

Good luck
x

Stef.

3:34 pm
4 May 14
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Your weight will fluctuate, even within the same day! It could be water retention due to too much salt or for women a certain time of the month.

I have long time ago stopped getting irritated over fluctuations and I only note down in my chart my newest lowest weight. I had plateaus during the last six months where nothing moved for a MONTH. Changing exercise routines helped and going onto ADF for a week made my weight move down again.

I am very close to maintenance and I can tell you…patience is a virtue!

Best of luck
Stef.

Buttonboots

6:59 am
11 May 14
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Here we are on another Sunday.

I have found the Plan easy enough to stick to this week.

That’s not to say it wasn’t without its problems!….I choose to go very low carbs on my Fast Days. Protein based meals are more filling and I like to get ‘full’ value for my calorie allowance. …Still, this is early days – and I am developing some ‘tricks’. Mashing up some carrot and adding loads of black pepper might not be a real substitute for creamy mashed potatoes but it does help to tell my mind/body that it has had a ‘proper’ meal!

So…the main news….weighed in…and…..

17 stone 12 1/2 pounds.

Another pound gone! Slow weight loss…but very much sustainable.

Buttonboots

3:19 pm
18 May 14
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And it’s Sunday again!

I think I am settling into the plan….it certainly seemed ‘easier’ this week.

I had some Waterstones vouchers and used those, plus the points on my Waterstones card to purchase the Fast Beach Diet for the princely sum of 23p! This has given me inspiration – even if the super-strict approach isn’t for me just yet! (Baby steps for me!)

I did take one idea from the book this week…yesterday was a fast day…I went without my usual diet coke….instead at lunch time (well….I say ‘lunch’ time…I had 6 grapes! – couldn’t quite manage ‘no’ food..) I sipped on a glass of iced coffee….I take my coffee ‘black with a splash’ and no sugar normally, so this was virtually calorie free….served with a few ice cubes and slurped through a straw it was surprisingly good…(enough so I will enjoy one on a non-fast day too….no need to save the deliciousness of fast days for only 2 days a week!)

Anyway….time to record my results…drum roll please maestro!

18th May….17 stone…..and….11 pounds!!!

One and a half pounds gone this week!

And the week included a slice of treacle/coconut tart…and some chocolate….I LOVE the way I can eat ‘sensibly’ but with ‘real’ treats 5 days a week!

So, off to start a new week….plans for this week…try 2-2 fasting for at least one of my fast days this week (probably Mon/Tue)….make some home-made iced lollies (cheaper and healthier than shop bought ones)….and try some iced fruit tea (I really liked the ice coffee…..maybe iced tea will be equally as pleasant?)….and on fast days knit…knit….knit!

Buttonboots

9:15 am
25 May 14
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Well, another week over…and time for reflection on the last week….

I said I was going to try 2:2 fasting (fasting from 2pm one day until 2pm the next day)….well, I tried it – and found it tough going. I am glad I tried it, but it probably isn’t for me….I much prefer to fast from about 6pm one day until 6pm the next – and to give myself the option of a very light lunch on the second day…….The main thing for me is finding something that works for ME. I have a tone of weight to lose, and will be IFing in the very long term! (Possibly I will not give up – just go to 6-1 fasting for maintenance, but that’s too far ahead to worry about just now!)

Then the iced tea and iced lollies…iced tea was very pleasant – very refreshing – but not as ‘satisfying’ as the iced coffee. I can see me continuing with both though! …The fruit tea was very pleasant (pear and vanilla) when made up strong and then served cold over ice….With the warmer weather, I am drinking loads of water (plain or sparkling) with a squeeze of fresh lime. – I really enjoy this!….As things happened I haven’t got round to trying lollies yet, something to try later!

Now, time to record my weight…..

May 25th….17stones and 10 pounds…..yet another pound off!

This is working! Yes, the weight loss is slow – but it is steady….and more importantly it is something I find I can stick to!

Mum is coming round today – and I am cooking lunch…baked pork chop with a sticky glaze, steamed veg, garlic mushrooms and mixed berries with homemade joghurt and honey for dessert………When I was planning the meal I was a little startled…This is a ‘non fast’ day for me – and I am CHOOSING not to have potatoes with my Sunday lunch? (Honestly when I looked at the veg I was doing, plus the mushrooms which have a cheesy garlic crumb topping…I just felt it didn’t ‘need’ the extra element of potatoes)…and berries and joghurt for dessert?…..I have only been 5-2ing for a couple of months but my food choices seem to be altering!

(That is not to say that I don’t enjoy my food!….and I will be having icecream – my favourite mint-choc-chip – later tonight…and a thick slice of homemade bread with a creamy layer of joghurt cheese….mmmmmmmmmmmmmm)

So, looking ahead to this week….I have the joghurt, and am thinking of adding a touch of wasabi to a dollop of it and having that with a piece of trout tomorrow – plus some green salad – (tomorrow is a fast day…and I am planning in advance!)……..and one ‘habit’ I want to try and break…when I have my evening drink (warm milk…or Ovaltine…usually) then it seems natural to take a couple of gingernuts from the tin too …I avoid this on fast days by altering my bedtime drink….but this week, on non-fast days I hope to think before I take a biscuit…no reason to have one (or even two) if I REALLY want to – but I will stop taking them just because I’m used to it!

That’s it for another week then…I’m feeling quite positive about the Plan at the moment…losing weight is a great motivator to continue!

Buttonboots

6:29 am
1 Jun 14
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Here I am again….doesn’t Sunday come around quickly some weeks!

The flexibility of 5:2 really paid off this week. My ‘usual’ fasting days are Monday and Saturday. However, this week I had a small alteration. On Sunday evening I found I needed to take a dose of my meds – and one thing I have learned is that I find it hard/impossible to fast the day after taking these tablets!……….So, I switched my first fast day from Monday to Tuesday – simple!

For both fast days this week I chose to have a long fasting-window….basically stop eating after 7pm the night before and then nothing until dinner the next night….Plenty of water/fruit teas et.c and one cup of tea first thing….but I save my allowance for the evening….at the moment it seems to be a method that works for me.

Wasabi powder with joghurt was a VERY good idea! In fact I am using it again today – with my non-fast day roast beef dinner (although once again I am not planning on having potatoes with my non-fast Sunday lunch!)…I do like flavours that pack a bit of a punch, especially on fasting days!

Biscuit consumption has decreased!…I think another week or two is needed before I stop ‘missing’ the biscuit with a drink, but it will come!

So…..the weigh in record next I think….*does a little happy dance!*

1st June….17 stone…8 and 1/2 pounds….WHEEEEE! That is another pound and a half gone!

I am not really looking to make definite plans for weight-loss…slow and steady is the way to go!….one pound a week …or maybe one and a half….that is sensible and sustainable…….However, if I can keep this up, maybe I can manage to be under 17 stone on my birthday in August?????

Still – on e week at a time! It was a good weight loss this week – which gives me strong motivation to carry on for another week!

Buttonboots

6:31 am
8 Jun 14
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Another Sunday…another update!

The fasting days this week seemed slightly easier than before. (Not that they have ever seemed impossibly hard!)…..and I have the unexpected bonus of having spent so much time knitting in the afternoons of my fast days, that I have finished the teddy puppets I was doing!

The weather ha not been quite so warm this week, so not so much in the way of cold drinks – but I have bought a couple of boxes of rather delicious fruit tea. I tried the Mango and Cinnamon flavour yesterday – made it in my pretty little one-person pot….just to make it an ‘occasion’! (the pot of tea was all I had for ‘lunch’!) It was really good!

Breaking-the-biscuit-habit is coming along nicely! Only had biscuits with my night-time drink once last week – and restrained myself to 2 gingernuts!

Time to record my weight for this week…

8th June…..17 stone 7 1/2 pounds

That is one more pound gone…(or two packets of butter!)

So, since starting 5:2ing this time around, I have lost 11 pounds in 10 weeks….slow progress (and remember there was one ‘blip’ when I put on weight for no accountable reason) …but steady, and just over a pound a week is a healthy loss!

The motivation is there for another week….

Buttonboots

6:47 am
15 Jun 14
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What a week!

I have a number of health issues….and on Sunday evening last week I had a serious flare up of my Generalized Pustular Psoriasis. (Last time I had a REALLY bad attack I ended up in hospital….but let’s try and forget that!)….Thankfully I have stuff on prescription and it is now back under control(ish!)

So…..my mind has not been 100% on 5:2 this week….although I have managed to do two fast days. I don’t know how much the first fast-day counts – I was feeling too rotten to think about eating/fasting!…..also I have felt really weak, (understandable as I had quite a temperature for a day or two) which will alter the metabolism…no?….and the there is the thorny problem of water retention (I tend to get severe retention and swelling – especially in the boobs when this flare up!) which didn’t seem to bad this time, but may be a factor….

Right then…with all the gumph about why I might not have had a good week weight-loss wise….the scales this morning show……

15th June: 17 stones and 7 1/4 pounds

It is a loss! Yes, only a quarter pound, but let’s celebrate the fact that after having the odds stacked against me this week – I stuck with it enough to show a minor loss!

And…another small victory…I ordered a pair of slacks from Cotton Traders which arrived this week….and I fit into a size 3XL….this from someone who a few years ago squeezed her butt with difficulty into a 5XL! Yes, the 3XL is slightly ‘snug’ around the hips but they fit!!!!

looking forward to a much better week this week! And focussing on getting back to losing a pound or so a week. I can do this!

BigDave

4:22 am
16 Jun 14
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Great updates, keep them coming!

Buttonboots

8:08 am
21 Jun 14
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Thanks Dave!…I find it helps keep me focussed to jot down my weekly musings….and will put in the usual report tomorrow!

Buttonboots

9:14 am
22 Jun 14
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I was really hoping for a decent weight-loss this week….after all I had my hair cut! Looking at the mass of clippings on the floor, and considering how much ‘lighter’ my head felt, I couldn’t help thinking…’surely that must be at least another 3 pounds off this week!’….a girl can but dream!

World Cup football this week…and whilst I am not exactly a footie fan I do sometimes follow the progress of Germany in the ‘big’ championships……and two matches for them this last week. …I watched the first one with Mum – she has German satellite TV so we had the German commentary on….it would have been so easy to accept coffee…and cream cake…and an invitation to stay for dinner….and it wasn’t a fast day!….BUT I know how things go….one slice of cake is followed by another…and then just a ‘taste’ of this one…and that one…another coffee?, well I’ll just get the biscuit tin out…and that’s before dinner!…..So I accepted ONE coffee (black with a splash and no sugar) and no snacks!…..The game last night was just amazing…I had a bottle of sparkling water by my side – and didn’t want to go to the kitchen for snacks in case I missed something!

The fast days are getting ‘easier’. Not that they are without problems, but it is such a help that it is only ever ‘one day at a time’! If I want one of those chocolates…it is just until tomorrow, I can have one then – if I still want it! What is rather wonderful is that the following day I likely as not don’t feel quite so drawn to the chocolate!

I am fond of food – and enjoy working out meals for my ‘main meal’ when fasting…I had a chicken curry this week….just one thigh and a spoonful of rice but the sauce was goooooooooood! And a large portion of veggies is easily accommodated! Cauliflower and spinach go well with a curry. (no fried plantain….or thick slabs of yam on a fast day though!!!!)

This weeks results…..

22 June….17 stone and 5 3/4 pounds!…That is a pound and a half off this week…YAY!!!!! (Although clearly hair doesn’t weigh as much as I thought/hoped!!!)

So, off for another week…starting to look forward to recording my first stone lost!

Buttonboots

3:47 pm
30 Jun 14
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Didn’t get much tome to update my progress record yesterday…and not much time today either!

I have been feeling a bit rough…and took meds yesterday….they always leave me so exhausted!….The main focus for the next couple of days will be to stay on track….it is SO easy some days to simply say that I am disabled – and so will just sit in my chair and eat!…..But I have grabbed my knitting needles and got a good few rows done this afternoon!

So just time to record my weight…

29th June: 17 stone and 5 3/4 pounds…

I didn’t lose an ounce last week!!!!!…..It was a real shock! I had been so careful -recording everything and my two fast days went so well!……However, I am going to be positive!…..I didn’t lose weight …but I didn’t gain either!….I an confident I didn’t over-eat, which means that there must be some other factor I haven’t considered….maybe I am retaining a little water? …maybe it is linked somehow to whatever has made me feel so rough these last couple of days?

Whatever it is…I will stay on track…keep recording everything I eat/drink….and hope for a good result next week!

ShelleyHope

4:12 pm
30 Jun 14
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Hi Bottonboots, I really enjoyed your post. Your progress has been steady and you are already
a success! Just keep doing what you are doing and I am sure that you will continue to lose weight! Sending you sunshine and reggae music from Jamaica, West Indies 🙂

simcoeluv

4:21 pm
30 Jun 14
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Hi Button:

You are doing great. Perhaps this might help: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/really-no-weight-loss/

Buttonboots

5:36 pm
30 Jun 14
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Thanks ShelleyHope!….Jamaican sunshine and reggae sounds good!….My srepdad was Jamaican and tauvht me to appreciate a few things from his home…Res Stripe Beer…Goat Curry…and Overproof Rum

Buttonboots

5:38 pm
30 Jun 14
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Simcoeluv…thanks! And thanks for the link….I wore a size 30 pair of slack today….for most people, admitting to a size 30 would be a nightmare…I’m thrilled by it! (When I started losing weight I was so heavy I couldn’t use ‘normal’ scales!)

imyuim

9:03 pm
30 Jun 14
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Hello Buttonboots,I really enjoyed reading your posts. Well done! Keep it up!

ShelleyHope

12:52 am
1 Jul 14
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Bottonboots, your step-dad taught you well mi ghal! I had my fast day today and thinking about your post kept me going. Thanks for writing about your journey. I have another fast day on Wednesday. I have not seen a big change in the scale area and I fasted only for one day last week. But it is a new week and I have completed one day with one more to go.

Simcoeluv, I went to the link to your post and it was fabulous! Thank you! You have an excellent
sense of humor.

Buttonboots

7:13 am
6 Jul 14
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It’s Sunday again!

Don’t some weeks fly past!

After the stay-the-same last week, I was super-careful to make sure I wrote down EVERYTHING this week. ….but I also did not over-restrict myself on non-fast days!

I was fasting yesterday….a small omelette first thing and then nothing all day until supper – I had a piece of cod which I baked, and had with some green beans and a tomato salad….and I sprinkled on a few pumpkin seeds for a bit of crunchiness. It was absolutely delicious!…the sort of meal I will happily eat again, even on a non-fast day!

It was football again this week…I went across to Mum again as she has the satellite TV and we can watch the German commentary!….Germany were playing France. What a match!….A little slow at first but a really good second half…and Germany won!…It was stifling hot though. Even though it was a non-fast day I was careful…I brought my own supper..PeriPeri Chicken with Fruity Couscous which I had prepared earlier and which didn’t even need reheating!….and I accepted a Strawberry Cornetto Icecream from Mum. …I just LOVE the fact that 5:2 means that I can enjoy ‘normal’ life!

Right then…this weeks results…..

July 6th (WOW July already!)….17 stone ….4 3/4 pounds

WHEEEEEE! there goes another pound! After a slight blip last week the weightloss is back on track!

And…..next week….all things being equal (which let’s face it they rarely are!) …I should reach my first stone since seriously starting 5:2 (I lost a few stone beforehand)….I’ll have to start thinking of a nice reward….a new book?…..a DVD?

Buttonboots

7:18 am
13 Jul 14
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Another Sunday comes around….a cold and wet one today…you would hardly believe this is supposedly summer!

It has been quite a week….firstly there was the business at the doctors…..I had two appointments this week, the first with a specialist and then the second a day later with my GP. Now, EVERY time I go to the doctor he wants me to be weighed…whatever the problem! Headaches? Twisted ankle? Hayfever? Repeat Prescription?….you name it his first idea is to weigh me! …and it seems to be the practice with specialists too. I saw a new specialist this time, and she wanted to check my blood-pressure too (my GP has stopped doing this at every opportunity – it used to irk him that a lard=ass like me has a lower BP than he does!….Anyway, I was weighed and BPed by the specialist and both results were looking good…..the next day I was seen by the GP who weighed me…’how’s the weight loss going?’ he asked ‘Hmmmmmmmmm not so good – when did I last see you…and this is let me see….just half a kilo off?’….Mum accompanies me to my appointments and she smirked and asked the GP to check the dates….he was comparing my weight that day to the one recorded by the specialist the day before!!!! He compared it to HIS last reading and was most surprised! He told me I was obviously doing something right!

(I haven’t told the GP I am 5:2ing….I may do that at the next check-up…..)

So what else….the cooler weather has meant I have been eating warming meals!…..cold salads and iced teas just don’t seem so appealing!….on the other hand sipping hot fruit teas is very pleasant!

Now here is a tale that is almost unbelievable…..I have a box of HotelChocolat chocolates in the cupboard…..it is open……and there are days when I just don’t feel like having one! Obviously, I don’t indulge on a Fast Day….but on Non-Fast Days then I know I CAN have one – but just don’t feel like it!…I am choosing NOT to eat a chocolate!!!!!!!!!….I think there must be something in the idea that chocolate is more tempting when it is forbidden!

Anyway…enough wittering!….time to record progress…..

July 13th……17 stone….3 and 1/2 pounds

I did it!!!! This is the first stone on 5:2!

I have treated myself to a DVD that I wanted for some time (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney…there isn’t an English Language version available, but I have managed to get a copy of the German version….it arrived earlier this week…I have been ‘saving’ it as my ‘reward’…..now the stone has gone I can watch the film!)

Off to visit Mum today…bless her, she checked with me to see if I was fasting and what was ‘acceptable’ for dinner!……and then tonight…Football Finals….come on Germany!!!!!

imyuim

4:28 pm
13 Jul 14
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Hi Buttonboots,

Thank you very much for the update. Reading your post made my day. Keep up the good work!

Shirley

weemam

4:42 pm
13 Jul 14
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Hi Buttons . this is my first week and I love to read posts like yours .. keeps me going x

Buttonboots

5:56 pm
13 Jul 14
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Thank you imyuim and weemam!

When I started to record my weight…(and my ramblings!)…it was a way of keeping myself on track….I also thought it might be good for me to have some sort of record to look back on when I have a ‘tough’ week……although I have to say that 5:2 seems to suit me – it isn’t always easy, but it is by no means as difficult as I worried it might be!

I’m glad – thrilled even! – that they amuse/entertain/encourage you too!

Good luck to you both in your 5:2 journeys…especially to you weemam as it is your first week!

Right then…time to get out the knitting and settle down to the pre-match warm-up!

WishSkinny

8:15 pm
13 Jul 14
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Hi there Button Boots you are an inspiration!

I need to lose about 2 and a half stone and have been on the 5:2 just finished week 4, my weight is fluctuating I tHad lost 5 pounds but now the scale is telling me 3! I felt flat but I read your updates and you are really helping me not to give up…..

I was hoping to have lost more but as you say slow and steady…
Watching the World Cup final…

Keep up your stories….
You give me hope x

Buttonboots

6:41 am
14 Jul 14
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*blushes*

Thanks Wishskinny!

Slow and steady is the way to go!

Remember that scales may NOT be accurate!…They need to be in the same place and on level ground. If they have batteries then these need to be renewed sometimes! Then you need to weigh yourself at the same sort of time of day, wearing similar clothes……and then the scales sometimes STILL show fluctuations!

Look for other evidence of weight loss…..(not so easy in the first weeks maybe)…and if you DO have a tougher week then that is ALL it is – ONE WEEK! You now have a lovely fresh new week in which to get back on track!

3 pounds weightloss in just 4 weeks…(maybe even 5 pounds!!!)….just picture that 3 pounds…that is 6 half pounds…6 packets of butter!…just imagine those six packs of butter strapped to your thighs or tummy….then remember – they have gone!…and they are not coming back!

Good luck this week!

(And I hope you were rooting for the Germans in the World Cup!!!!….What a match and FANTASTIC result!!!!!)

WishSkinny

5:52 pm
14 Jul 14
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hi Button Boots,
glad you enjoyed the match! I have to say I was cheering for Argentina.. and I thought in some ways they should have won the game.. Anyway today is a fast day for me.. I have done well today.. I have a bowl of porridge with water and a splash of milk… then coffee with ss milk .. and just had a fuller longer meal
from M&S.. I find them great as you can see how many Kcals are in them… I have been busy measuring myself… is there preferred measurements for neck, hips, bust depending on your weight? I have found the height waist ratio.. but and also found a hip waist ratio.. but what about neck and bust.. I guess I dont know what to put under goals for these 2.. On the positive side a lady at work said to me today that she thought I had lost weight… so that cheered me up a bit after by 3 pound not 5 pound discovery!!! still you make a good point I need to get a digital scales I think so that I know for sure… and your idea re trying on clothes.. I really like this…anyway keep the faith ps you are very brave doing a fast day on a saturday.. I do monday and thursday.. before and after the weekend……… otherwise I think it would be miss grumpy!!! speak soon wishskinny

Buttonboots

9:01 am
20 Jul 14
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What a sweltering hot weekend!….we have had storms…5 hours last night of MAGNIFICENT thunder and lightning!…and a few powercuts too -not so good!….Unfortunately the storms have done nothing to cool the place down…I am wearing over-sized t-shirts and they still stick to my constantly sweaty bod…even showers don’t cool me for long…..roll on autumn!!!!!!

With it being holidays, that means visitors…and that means cakes and icecreams and chocolates and CALORIES!!!!!! I have managed to be ‘good’…I make my choices and stick to them!….cake?..yes, but I’ll stop at one slice thank you…strawberries and cream? I’ll have the berries but no sugar or cream thanks, I’ll just relish the natural deliciousness of those sweet strawberries!….icecream? no thanks I’ll have one later!……….NOTHING is forbidden on 5:2 and it makes choosing the ‘sensible’ options so much easier!

Other than carefully monitoring the summer-snacks I have been enjoying low-cal chilled drinks…but I am trying to stay away from bottles of fizzy-pop …even the ‘diet’ ones….Iced coffee….iced fruit teas…Mum’s homemade lemon/ginger cordial…and gallons of water!

Fasting day yesterday…I had some smoked trout with a green salad for dinner….YUM!….the trout was quite salty and I only needed a small portion…but it was gooooooood!

Right then….time to record the results for this week….I must have sweated off a couple of stone…but with all the water I have been drinking I have rehydrated it all! (Sensible and healthy!!!!!)

So….July 7th……..17 stone….1 3/4 pounds

That is a pound and three quarters off in a week! AMAZING!!!!!

It’s hard to believe that in a few weeks I could be looking at ‘under 17 stone!!!!’

Buttonboots

9:08 am
20 Jul 14
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wishskinny….sorry I didn’t reply earlier!

It’s not ‘brave’for me to fast on Saturday…it makes perfect sense!….The beauty of 5:2 is that you adapt it to fit your own lifestyle…for me Saturday and (usually) Monday work best…they ‘bookend’ my weighing -in on a Sunday so give me maximum motivation!

I live alone, so don’t have family constraints on a weekend.

As for measurements…I am trying not to be obsessed with measurements. I need to lose inches off the waist and hips…and elsewhere!…and would LOVE to lose a good few inches off the bust! (In this hot weather especially, huge boobs are NOT a blessing!)…but I’m not setting targets for this!

Gingerbeard

12:42 pm
21 Jul 14
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Buttonboots, I love reading your posts! Congratulations to the great work, and please keep updating!
Big hugs from Ginger

Buttonboots

6:40 pm
21 Jul 14
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Thank you Gingerbeard!

(I am fasting today…and for some reason keep seeing your username as ‘Gingerbread’! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!)

I am really thrilled with the 5:2 way of eating….it actually seems to be working for me! Yes it is fairly slow – I am averaging about a pound a week…but it is steady! And I actually think I will be able to stick to it!

Gingerbeard

11:47 am
22 Jul 14
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Haha, when I registered for the forum I typed Gingerbread, but figured it was a bit mean, but still fynnu enough not to be completley changed 🙂
Can I ask what your goal weight is? And how tall you are? And I totally agree that big boobs in this heat is NOT a blessing, thankyou very much 😛

Keep motivated and keep working (and wrighting!), you are awesome!

Buttonboots

8:41 am
27 Jul 14
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Another week over….and it was another warm one!

Knitting is becoming more awkward as the work is so heavy and warm! But I am persevering! And come the autumn I will be grateful for the nightie-case I am working on…the new woolly hat….and the boxes for OCC will look all the nicer for the bags/hats/dolls!

Moving is hard enough – but in this heat it is really awkward! Still, I make an effort…just a little movement helps…if not for weight-loss then to keep the joints from freezing up completely!

There were visitors again this week – my sister and her family. My German roots dictate that this means coffee and cake! Lots and lots of really good coffee and seriously good cake! Mum started baking a few days in advance of the visit! I was able to time things so I turned up a few minutes late….so everyone else had already filled their plates….I chose my favourite cake and had just the one piece! *adjusts her angel halo!!!!*

Seriously, the fantastic thing about 5:2 is that I can fit it into my life…and on a non-fast day I can have that slice of cake…..and I have also enjoyed a choc-ice this week too!

Fasting days are settling down nicely…I seem to have found a routine that is working for me. Protein based breakfast (eggs are a favourite at the moment) then nothing until the evening ….apart from LOTS to drink!….and a light meal of chicken/fish with veg in the evening (with plenty of spices!). I make my own soups too…if the weather continues to be so warm I may look at some sort of chilled tomato based soup…should be easy enough to include on a fast day!

So….time to record the weight for this week…..

July 27th:……17 stone….and 3/4 of a pound!

One more pound has gone!

Hard to believe …but the next weekly update will bring me into August! where has the year gone?

WishSkinny

8:53 pm
2 Aug 14
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hi Button Boots wish skinny here – well I took your advice and have been measuring… and thanks so much.. since the 16th of June I have lost a half stone.. and I invested in the Tanita scales so am keeping a close eye on body fat etc.. I measured my bust, waist, hips and neck and already I have lost an inch from my hips, half an inch from my neck and an inch from my waist… so am really pleased… still have a long way to go but getting there slowly. I have also taken up tennis again and am trying to play on my fast days which really seems to be helping..

anyway keep inspiring us
Wish Skinny

Buttonboots

6:49 am
3 Aug 14
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Wish Skinny…well done! Half a stone since mid-June is fantastic!

Maybe you have a long way to go (tell me about it!!!!! I try not to focus on how far I have to go…I try to look at how far I have come!)…but every half-a-pound is one half-a-pound nearer that goal!

This is a terrific site to come for inspiration and encouragement.

Keep it up!

Buttonboots

7:04 am
3 Aug 14
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Sunday again!

It has been a little tough this week….I am a woman in my fifties…and am pre-menopausal/menopausal….and without going into too many details this week was one of those few and far between times when the body decided it isn’t fully menopausal yet!!!! (Listen you stooped body-of-mine…we both KNOW that children are not an option for me!….so why not just zip through this ‘change’ alright???…just let’s get this over and done with okay!!!!!)….understandably this meant I have been a little antsy about getting on the scales this morning!

More relatives were visiting this week….and once again this means I was invited for coffee and cake! This time I was ‘extra’ good…guests came at just after 9am…..I was able to refuse any cake and say quite truthfully that I had had a late breakfast…so I just sipped my coffee and listened to all the gossip!

My ‘lifesaver’ this week has been frozen berries…and fruit tea. Frozen berries are just amazing! I keep a pack in the freezer and just grab a handful to throw onto my branflakes in the morning or to add to joghurt for a quick pud…..Fruit tea is great because it tastes so good hot or chilled….add a few cubes of ice and a straw and there is a lovely treat for a hot fasting-day!

Roast beef for dinner today, with roast Mediterranean veggies….once again it is a non-fast day and I am choosing NOT to have potatoes/rice with my main meal…it seems that 5:2 DOES change your eating habits!

Right then….how did I do this week?….may I have a fanfare please?

3rd August…..16 Stones ….13 and 1/2 pounds

*Does happy dance* (Okay, I can’t dance or mobilise much for that matter…but I am doing a happy-jiggle in my chair!!!)

16 stone 13 1/2 pounds….I DID it!…I am under the 17 stone mark!
One and a quarter pounds off this week!

I LOVE 5:2!!!!!

WishSkinny

7:06 pm
4 Aug 14
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Button Boots well done you that is amazing news… you must be so proud!!!
Persistence pays!!!

I am having a down grumpy day… I was 180 pounds on friday and now 184 today!!!
and today is my fast day…

I find that my stomach just is not losing it.. I look like I am pregnant a lot of the time…………… maybe I am lactose intolerant or something.. I had cheese and crackers yesterday……………..

anyway onwards and upwards… you give me hope 🙂

newme@50

8:13 pm
4 Aug 14
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Well done Buttonboots…I’m new to 5:2 but really enjoying reading all these posts. Very motivational if I may say so! Today I am fasting and doing fantastic – I have found what works for me and definitely staying away from sugar as I swear I’m addicted it 🙂

I hope you have another great week!!

Buttonboots

7:22 am
5 Aug 14
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Wishskinny

*hugs!!!*

Don’t weigh yourself too often….once a week is enough. Weight fluctuates so often, you probably have NOT put on 4 pounds in less than a week!

Generally speaking to put on a pound you need to eat 3,500 calories over and above your needs….are you seriously suggesting you have managed an excess 14,000 calories in just a few days???!!!!! (How big WAS that lump of cheese you had with your crackers???!!!! 😉 )

Chances are there is a good and logical reason for the scales …..could you be retaining ‘a little’ water?….are you wearing different clothes?…weighing at a different time?

Stick with it!…..Stick to your planned fasts and be watchful but not over-restrictive on your non-fast days.

If the end of the week DOES show a minor blip then that is all it is …a MINOR blip.

We know that 5:2 works…so you just stick with it!

Best of Luck!….You CAN do this!

Buttonboots

7:28 am
5 Aug 14
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Hi newme@50!

I’m thrilled that people find my weekly wittering to be motivational!

As you say, finding what works for you is the key….otherwise you won’t stick to the plan.

Sugar is so sneaky! It finds its way into so many things! Thankfully I don’t take it in tea or coffee – so I can happily enjoy my cuppas! One of my ‘non-negotiables’ is that I will NOT give up my first cup of tea – even on a fast day!

Have a good week – and good luck with 5:2ing!

Myfatmeania

9:08 pm
7 Aug 14
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Buttonboots amazing achievement !!! Well done. I had my 2nd fasting day today and it was much easier than on Monday.
Starting weight : 16st 3 (103 kg. want to go down to 66kg ).

Hopefully soon I will be able to share my success with you as well.

Have a good night

A.

Buttonboots

6:29 am
12 Aug 14
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Myfatmeania!

Well done for starting 5:2…it really does work!

The fasting does get easier…although there will always be good/bad days!

Keep us updated with your progress!

buttonbooots

Buttonboots

6:38 am
12 Aug 14
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Right…it is Tuesday morning…

I didn’t log in on Sunday…with good reason…most of the day was spent on my bed feeling sorry for myself!

I somehow managed o pick up a tummy-bug…a few other people (including my lovely old OAP mum 🙁 ) have got it too…No need for details but I was unable to keep food in or down!

Understandably I am feeling a bot weak at the moment…and I didn’t fast yesterday!

However, this is just a blip!

Made the choice not to weigh myself this morning…will weigh in on Sunday as a ‘fortnightly’ reading for once.

Just glad that I can actually start eating again today…but will take things easy – tum still feels a little ‘precious.

Looking a little more positive…Mum has been mentioning my birthday…YAY!….a couple of weeks yet, but I need to decide what cake(s) I want!!!!

And just as a thought…my birthday is on a Saturday this year…do I treat this as a normal ‘fast’ day and have my birthday dinner and coffee/cake morning on Sunday instead?…or do I rejig things and fast on the Friday instead?….decisions decisions!….but I LOVE the fact that the 5:2 way allows me to plan for a coffee/cake morning on special occasions!

Right onwards with the rest of the week…and hoping my metabolism hasn’t been thrown out-of-whack by the tummy-issues….I want another loss on Sunday!

Buttonboots

9:19 am
17 Aug 14
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Sunday morning again….

It has been a really rough week. …to start with I was still REALLY drained after the tummy bug. No energy at all and no enthusiasm/interest in anything….which meant that the temptation to just grab something ‘quick’ to eat was nudging its way forward….

And then a few days ago I found out that a really close family member may be seriously ill. That really shook me – they are always so full of life! The very last person I would expect to be hit like this.

In the past this would have been a real reason for me to over-eat…can’t be bothered to cook a meal so I’ll just have a big mug milky cocoa and a whole packet of custard creams!…and crisps! A real failing of mine!….Family sized bags? Yes please I’ll take 3!….

But somehow it didn’t play out like that…I know that this special person has been thrilled to see me lose weight…and the last thing they would want is for me to start comfort-eating because of them!….so whilst I haven’t been as ‘strict’ as previous weeks, I have been much more in control than I expected!

One thing I have been grateful for this week…I have individual portions of home-cooked meals in the freezer! This means that on those days that I haven’t felt like cooking then I have been able to have a healthy meal without really thinking about it….I bake my own bread too – a wholegrain seeded loaf, which I cut into slices and freeze in small portions…SO grateful for that this week too – otherwise I would probably have found myself at the bakers…..

I still managed my fasting days this week…crept up to about 550 calories on the first one (I NEEDED a warm sweet drink that night..)…but managed the 500 yesterday.

To be honest, even though this was a two-week weigh in, I would have been content with a stay-the0same result – or even a minor gain….I know that a small gain happens sometimes and I can deal with it!

So….the weigh in today showed:

17th August….16stone and 12 1/2 pounds

I actually lost a pound!….If nothing else it shows that 5:2 is working even when I have a really crappy couple of weeks!

I remember saying a few weeks ago that I wondered if I could be under 17 stone for my birthday?……Well my birthday is on Saturday…and the 17 stone barrier is well and truly broken!

Well…onwards with another week!….Is it just me or is the weather definitely autumnal now?…I will have to start looking for some tasty warming stews and casserole recipes! (But none of my favourite semolina dumplings on a fast day!)

treat89

11:22 am
17 Aug 14
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Hi Buttonboots!
I just wanted to say thank you for your brilliant, honest and funny posts! You have done amazingly!!!

I started fasting in January at 19st8 and lost 3 stone. Then I had a 3 month blip and managed to put on a stone! Eeeek!!
So I started again 2 weeks ago, at 17,8. And have since lost 6lbs (probably just water weight). But your posts have made me feel so positive, and optimistic! Thank you! You’ve made me realise I can do it again!
It’s brilliant to know someone is at a similar weight, and doing so well!
Have a brilliant birthday,
Tracey x

Louloub

11:56 am
17 Aug 14
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Hi button boots!well done on your weight loss dedication to the plan!what caught my eye on your posts was that you gained a pound a couple of weeks into your plan!i am 3 weeks into my plan and it happened to me this week!i was HORRIFIED!!anyway good to see you had this and carried on!my first thought when I stepped on the scales was this diet is rubbish!!

Louloub

11:57 am
17 Aug 14
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But good to see that it is working for people

Louise

Buttonboots

7:48 am
18 Aug 14
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Treat89…thanks!….I do try to be honest in my witterings!…losing weight can be a struggle at times – and there are downs as well as ups!…Well done on starting again!…you have done incredibly well so far!

Louloub…like you my first thought on gaining that pound was that CLEARLY 5:2 is rubbish!….But I was persistent – and the weight loss picked up again…I think we just have to accept that some weeks there may be a minor ‘blip’ but that is all that it is!…My weight piled on over a number of years, it is not going to come off quickly….I AM dedicated to the plan!…it is the first thing that really seems to work (albeit slowly)….and it is terrific that it can be adapted to my life……..Sorry to hear that you had a gain, but remember that if you stick at %:2 then it WILL work – all that has happened is that one week you had a slight hiccup…refocus and keep to the plan and you will see results!….keep us updated!

Louloub

9:36 pm
19 Aug 14
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Thanks button boots!having gained that 1 pound I decided to eat the contents of my house (furniture even looked tasty) and am afraid to even look at the scales!fast day tomorrow first this week so starting from scratch again!

Buttonboots

7:36 pm
1 Sep 14
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Things have been really ‘off’ over the last few weeks….So much so that I didn’t get to put in an update last week!

I have been so tired and listless. I know that this is linked to the really poor health of a close family member. It honestly looked as he we were going to lose her last week. But, praise God, she seems to have turned the corner and is getting better – although it will take time.

Through it all I have kept half a focus on my diet…..I have managed to do my two fasting days each week….but have also been taking quite a high dose of my meds…which slow me down (even more than usual) and which can really give me the munchies!!!! (And why is it always for the refined carbs?….especially crisps – a real weakness with me!….why do I never get cravings for a nice crisp lettuce or some delicious crunchy cucumber?)

So….when I weighed myself yesterday….

31st August….16 stone 11 1/2 pounds

Another pound gone!

This means I have had a ‘slow’ month…4 weeks and ‘only’ 2 pounds gone…but I REFUSE to see it like that!…I have had the most rubbish few weeks. And I have managed NOT to pig-out on anything and everything…I have actually managed to lose weight!!! ….And 2 pounds is 4 packets of butter …or maybe 3 fairly big lumpy potatoes!

This week I really want to get fully back on to the plan…and also spend a little time re-stocking the freezer!