Oops I said Kelee instead of Vega last post.

There aren’t many things to celebrate with CFS so I make the most of blaming every mistake on brainfog! 😉

Vega, if you need a push to get you going, why not try just one day. It is sensible not to commit yourself to the 5:2 regime when you are feeling scared it might be unbearable.

Do a one day trial and see what it feels like to eat only 500 calories through the day.

Then you can decide whether to try it for longer.

BTW Congratulations on giving up smoking! That is a great thing for your health, and I would bet that you will find 5:2 easier than that!

Best wishes, I am planning for a Fast Day tomorrow!

I was going to fast tomorrow, but I have just organised to go out for a Neighbourhood House dinner, so I will make it Wednesday instead. But let us know if you are fasting tomorrow Vega and I will send some extra special good wishes your way!

Veganchch… go easy on yourself at first would be my advice.

Decide what you are aiming for then work towards it. The aim I think is to change your habits gently enough, so that you don’t have a major lapse… after all if you eat more after a window of fasting than you would have normally eaten during the fasting time, then you really have hindered not helped weight loss….

You need to know how many cals you normally eat for maintenance. There are apps that can help you work that out. I wear a Fitbit, and link it to MFP (my fitness pal) and that gives me a clear idea of what my daily calorie burn is…. You really don’t want to eat over this on any day (or if you do, only minimally).

I suggest that rather than just starting into full “fast days” now, perhaps aim for something simpler at first. It is important that it is something you can succeed at.

Say just cutting out breakfast for your first attempt (or just having your coffee/tea and half an apple). Then eat as usual for last 2 meals. Be pleased when you can succeed at this. It will feel like hell at first, but your body will adjust and get better at doing this.

Once this is easy, then try reducing lunch as well. Perhaps not down to nothing – especially if you are working, but substantially reduced. Even something that’s only 100 cals can keep you going.

Again keep doing this on your 2 days a week (and eating your normal sized evening meals… not more 😉 ) until it too becomes easy.

Once you feel confident that you can do this, then start to cut back on your evening meal on those days. (Remembering to eat normally on the other days 😉 ) Just a little each time. If you go off the rails then you’ve given yourself too big a drop all at once.

Stick with it. Then one day when you are feeling strong do a whole real “fast” day and feel so proud of yourself for your achievement.

Does that help? Even if it takes several weeks to get confident that you can fast without de-railing, it should work as your body adjusts and starts to “trust” that you will feed it!!! 😉

Oh and to report back.. we were on the cruise last week up the Rhine & Moselle… clouds never lifted but still really pretty. I took photos & hope to put some up on Flickr soon. https://www.flickr.com/photos/136887676@N03/ (They are not there yet…)

Anyhow, for the week, I abandoned any pretence at dieting and ate all the delicious foods presented … and yeah I gained a couple of lbs in the week, but actually not much.

Loved the boat, with a big window to watch the riverbanks go by. A great holiday for an ME peep… but the travel was much more difficult for me this year than the last time. Despite having a wheelchair through the airport and the lift onto the plane, I really struggled both on the journey and after it…. meh!

Anyway, back to porridge as they say, and back to a little gentle weight loss now for a few weeks to get back to my more optimal weight again.

Keela such a pity your travel was more difficult this time. It sounds like you made the most of it anyway. I hope it doesn’t take too long to recover now.

Morning debbi,
I have been reading Fat Chance the Hidden Truth about sugar, obesity and disease by Dr Robert Lustig and have changed what we eat and we feel much better. The goal is to eat unprocessed meat, wholegrain bread, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, whole fruit and vegetables, cheese, milk, cream and butter, beans and lentils. I don’t know anything about me/cfs but I wonder if eating these foods for 1 week as a trial might help.

Hi debbie!

Welcome to a safe place! There are a few of us active on the list and others just reading as they can. Pretty normal for a CFS group, and here you will have a place where everyone knows what you’re going through as we are too. The good news is that 5:2 is successful in getting weight off sustainably. You’ve made a decision, and that is the first step.

Generally, people with ME/CFS will either get very thin or put on weight. Some people have changes to the way their bodies handle food, and they sometimes find they can no longer eat weheat or gluten. With less physical activity we will put on weight, and also with less activity, our appetite seems to be less regulated. Some people find they need more animal protein. Some, more protein in general, and some find they need to eat something every 2 hrs or they get a ‘low blood sugar’ type reaction. I don’t know if it is actually low blood sugar but the reaction feels like it is and is fixed by eating a small amount.

Debbie I have to go to a medical appointment now, but I’ll be back later, or tomorrow. Take it easy, be easy on yourself. You’ve come to sonewhere where we’ve all cried our tears, and all taking steps to improve. Sometimes their baby steps but each step gets you a little better. You’ve taken your 1 st step and come here. Let’s all go through this process together. I’m 65, 5’6″ and was 83 kgs, now 68 kgs having list 15 kgs in a year.

Back later,
Gentle hugs to you,
Merry

Congratulations Debbi! I am so glad it was a good day. I always love how I feel the morning after. And home made soups are just the best! For fast days, and non fast days too!

Hello all.

I just wanted to post how I managed to loose 2 stone by no longer consuming COW PRODUCTS!!

I’ve been suffering with ME since I was 24, then a UK size 10. I put on 3.5 stone when the illness was most acute (22 hour bed days), but since last December (2014 energies have been increasing) I have managed to drop from 13.5 stone to 10.5 stone, and from a UK dress size 16 to a 12 ALL because I have not consumed any cow products (NO EXERCISE INVOLVED, ONLY CUTTING OUT COW PRODUCTS), this includes:

-buffalo products (mozzarella)
-cow’s milk, cheese, butter, whey powder, etc.

The reason this weight dropped off me is because the fat globules found in larger animal products were no longer there for my body to be fighting, also why my fatigue has reduced because the little bit of energy I was having was being used to break down these huge globules!

I have swapped all large animal products to smaller animal products, such as; goat and sheep (there are plenty if you look out for these alternatives in any supermarket, also soy, hemp, oat, rice, etc).

Also, be careful what type of meat you are eating. Unless it is ***organic*** it will most likey have been injected with chemicals such as antibiotics, etc. For which PILES ON THE POUNDS as our bodies cannot break them down as waste and can also encourage symptoms tenfold.

I hope you all find this information as helpful as I have, I will be forever grateful to an ex ME sufferer who informed me of this knowledge.

GOOD LUCK!!!!:)

Hello to the CFSers.
This can be a difficult time of year I know. I hope you can make it a good one. I am managing that by having a quiet day for Christmas with a little Skype session to family in the morning. Bliss!
Sending lots of good wishes
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Hi Charlie,
Welcome🙂
I’ve had ME/CFS for 18 yrs and a tiny bit fibromyalgia. I put on about 4 stone. I got a bit off on my own after a number of years, once I improved a little and could regulate my food more. I’ve been on 5:2 for 19 months now. I lost 2 1/2 stone in 11 months, then I stayed stable by choice for 8 months during some of those challenges that life throws at us, and am I’ve come out of maintence mode to start losing the last 1stone 4lbs. I’m not able to exercise, and 5:2 has worked well. I am very grateful.

I bought the 5:2 book by Dr Michael Mosely and Mimi……..rest of name I can’t remember at the moment. I also read the forum thread on Information for Beginners written by simcoeluv. If you go to the top of the page, click on active topics and keep going down through that and you’ll find it. It is excellent. You could also put Information for Beginners in the search box. Also stay on here and as you go along Cinque or I can help you.

Bye for now
Merry

Hmm, tried to do the rest and it didn’t like it. I have a feeling that the link to Dr Mosley’s documentary might be the problem. If you want to watch it on youtube you can find it by googling Dr Mosley Eat Fast Live Longer documentary.
The book is called ‘The Fast Diet’

But really all you need you can get from this sites home page: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/ Click on ‘Get Started’ under ‘How to do the diet’.

Being sedentary with CFS led me to put on a whacking 30kg, and I was a few kilos overweight before I began! I cut out sugar several years ago and lost 20kg, but then I stopped going down, and started creeping up again. Luckily that is when I found 5:2. I am well into my healthy weight now, and just have a few more kg to lose to be nice and lean.

Ask us more questions! We’d love to have you on this nice journey with us. 5:2 can be CFS friendly, and CFS is MUCH easier to manage without carrying extra weight around!

Best wishes!

Hi Mariane,
Welcome here,
Cheers to you on your first fast day! I hope you find 5:2 easy to do with CFS. I have found it is wonderful.

It is a trick to live with CFS and NOT be grumpy!
Hopefully all the improving things will help your mood improve too.
Hooray for a working short term memory. Mine was absolutely dreadful a few years ago and it made me so frightened for my future. Luckily my home situation improved so I was resting more, and it gradually improved.

Hi everyone! I’ve so appreciated reading through the whole thread. I’ve been so inspired by the progress and contributions here. I’ve been challenged with thyroid and adrenal issues and was hesitant about giving 5:2 a ‘go’. I’d even read that Mercola and Chris Kresser advised against intermittent fasting for those who struggle with low cortisol. In any case, I’ve been working on improving cortisol levels for a few years and feel I’ve made enough progress to consider it after all. Also, as I said, reading the posts in this thread gave me further confidence. So, today is my first fasting day! So far, so good!

Hi Merryme! Thank you for the support! I’m happy how all went with my first 5/2 fasting day. I may leave it at just one fast day this week for starters and maybe add in a second extra next week. I’ve been surprised at how well I feel today, the day after! Due to the adrenal fatigue, I can often overdo things and not feel the result until the next day. Today I’ve had plenty of energy, enough to even feel to take a walk on the beach, which was unexpected! By the way, I read that you live in Australia. I do too! I live on the Tweed Coast, which is about halfway between Byron Bay and Coolangatta. Am I remembering correctly that you live in WA? I do see that there is a dedicated Aussie thread. I did join a dedicated Aussie 5:2 FB group, though that group lends itself more to very short snippets for posts and I doubt I’ll really get to know anyone there as I feel I’m doing here from reading posts here.

Hi again Merryme! I’m still surprised at how well I feel. Today I felt light and free, a feeling I haven’t experienced for years. I know it is the result of the fasting day. I’m scheduling the next one for Tuesday, which will mark a week since my inaugural fast day.

I see there’s a 4 week challenge in another thread which looks so tempting and I see that you’ve joined in! A part of me wants to jump in too, though I realize I’m still not quite ready. Though I’m looking forward to adding in a second fast day each week, I have to take things one fast at a time! If all goes well next fast, I’ll consider adding in the second FD. What is great about this forum is that I can read the challenge thread and draw inspiration from you and the others who are participating.

Hi Lael, I’m another Aussie CFSer who has found 5:2 just wonderful. I can really relate to your feeling of lovely lightness. I started 5:2 last July and I remember being so worried beginning it (we do have to suffer the consequences of bad decisions, don’t we), but that evening I felt so good I knew it was just the thing for me, and the next morning I felt even better.

I’m down in Melbourne and finding the cold difficult! But sending you best wishes, and you too Merry!

Lael, I could have written paragraphs 2,3, and 4 or very similar! “The Holy Grail”, Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow” are 2 things I’ve been calling 5:2 for some time now. I needed to lose 22kgs to get close to my normal adult weight pre ME/CFS, and now only 3.5 kgs to go. Then I’ll think about another 2kgs over the following year maybe. It feels wonderful to have the weight off and be a normal size. I’m now noticing that the new normal in the general pipulation has shifted quite a bit.

Tomorrow I go away for a couple of weeks so may not get on any list but the challenge list during that time.

Onwards and Downwards,
Merry

Hey Guys

I started this diet 2,5 weeks ago. I’m doing 4 FD consecutively. I’m very sedentary as I am in an electric wheelchair, People say I’m losing weight, but frankly when I look in the mirror I still see a fat girl. But I’m happy with this diet, and I will stick to it. Tomorrow is my last FD till Sunday, so yay =)

Cinque. how are you doing?
x

Hi Vikathy,

Welcome! Well done for getting started so well. It’s early days yet and the mirror can sometimes play tricks. Are your clothes beginning to look a little looser?

I’m happy with this as a way of life too. 5:2 really has opened my eyes about many things to do with food. I thought I was food educated but I’ve learnt so much more. I am not impressed by the food industry right now. But I am impressed with 5:2 as a way for all who face extra challenges getting to get our weight normalised. It has the added benefit of showing us where we have had destructive food habits and quirks as well.

Cinque has had a couple of challenging days, and is tired today but I’m sure she’d like to meet you🙂

Onwards and downwards Vikathy
Merry

Hey Merry And Cinque

Sorry I’m usually a fast replier, but I forgot to check the subsribe box..
Wow Cinque a grandbaby, that really tends to put things in perspective. Focus on yourself, though too. Take some extra rest when you can. And yes I am like you, I can be very proud of myself one day and the next shall we say not so much

Merry
I share your concerns about the food industry. They should really start putting a tax on sugar. that should motivate a lot of people into making better choices, and maybe the food industry will make better products in turn. and yes some clothes do feel a little looser, but I’m a size 14 (XXL) so maybe that’s not saying much…

I’m happy the diet is treating you both well
x
Vi

PS People with ME/CFS if you feel like every cell in your body is just trying to shut down , new research is indicating that is exactly what is happening: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2016/08/24/1607571113.long

Hello,

I’ve made it across to this thread and I will sit down and read all your posts later 🙂 I have various health issues like all of you and really need to lose weight. Thanks for pointing me to this thread 🙂 x

Hi,

yes, yesterday I started. I’m not sure I left enough of a window between eating at night and morning but I’ll work it out.Tomorrow I will go to the shop to stock up on ‘good’ foods. Any advice about what to get for fast and NF days? Thank you.

Orlaith,

What to eat? Easy. Lots of veggies and fruit, some diary, some nuts and seeds, some lean meat and fish. Not meaning to sound flippant but I have yet to read a single post on this forum that has said I feel so depressed I went and binged on broccoli. Not one! OK what to avoid. No grain based foods like, bread, pasta, pizza. No potatoes. Avoid breakfast cereals (including rolled oats) like the plague. THEY ARE NOT HEALTHY FOR YOU. This has been a food marketing con job. Might as well eat a bowl of sugar. NO SUGAR. That means no sugar in your coffee/tea/or any other beverage. No artificially sweetened drinks. No chocolate, cakes, biscuits etc. How can you tell if something is healthy or not? Without being flippant, if you had to go down one of the centre isles in the supermarket to buy it then its probably not healthy. Stick to the outer perimeter of the store. Its almost a universal layout all the world over. Not sure why.

OK here is a typical day for me (Im a 5’10” male 156 pounds, 55 yo) and this is more than enough food to maintain a constant weight.

Breakfast. Low sugar high fat!! natural Greek yogurt. Two heaped table spoons, three cut up strawberries, a small handful of almonds (unroasted unsalted). Sometimes I’ll put in a very small amount of pumpkin seeds, or blueberries or other berry fruits instead.

Lunch. 100g of tuna, a small salad. Two coffees during the day with a splash of milk.

Dinner. Large bowl of veggie salad with low sugar salad dressing (try and find one that you like with less than 5% sugar content.) Veggies are raw. What do I have? Choose anything you like. Tomatoes, capsicums, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumber, chili (love them), snow peas, squash etc. Whatever takes your fancy. Add some tofu or cheese or tuna or chicken (less than 100g). Add dressing, and add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.

Hope that helps. Did I mention NO SUGAR.