Day 19 NZ NFD 70.1kg⬆️

@molij I completely understand and we will all be thinking of you. If you have a moment send us a 👋 Hopefully we might provide some distraction therapy for you!!😘❤️
@iona72 16lbs is a super achievement and surely must help with your checkup!!💪
@northgeorgia ⬇️despite all that stress… Go you!!
@brightonbelle Ooh a haircut!! How nice!!
I was hoping to have one before I go to the STH Island but it’s not to be. My hairdresser is now doing movie hair styling and only works on a Saturday. I have a booking in three weeks time…
@jaifaim I hope your mother is comfortable and you’re doing OK 😘
@penz Dogs are always happy with the simple things. If you wanted a mud bath and massage it would be cost a pretty penny🤣
@funshipfreddie you must be having fun!!
@excelsior12309 I’m about to to get the sourdough bug going and make bread before I go on holiday. I need to listen to your cautionary tale!!!
In the meantime steely RESOLVE is required!!

Cheers!!

Day 19 – USA/GA – ZBC

Weigh-in: 234 lbs. Skipping breakfast today, and I currently have no lunch plans either, but it is a NFD for me, supposedly. I’ll play it by ear 🙂

Day 20 NZ FD 70.6kg⬆️

Well that’s what happens when your sourdough comes out of the oven at 11pm and you’ve just started watching the ODI Cricket NZ vs Pakistan (in Pakistan)… I know you should NEVER cut the bread if you don’t want to eat it but I always like to see what the crumb is like… Duh!!

Happy Birthday 🥳 @funshipfreddie!! Sweet 16 AGAIN!!!
Looks like you’re having a great time in beautiful country side!! We used to call that a Flying Fox but it looks like a much safer set up!!
Yes @brightonbelle… It’s not that I’m eating bad food, it’s more my timetable or regimen… then I compensate by missing a meal. Time to go back to the basics but I go away first thing Sunday morning for two weeks. I have two birthdays of dear friends to celebrate before then… and the Texan is coming over for dinner on Friday night which is always a meaty affair…
Today needs to be a ”stellar” FD, in the words of @stitchincarol, whom I hope is doing well 👋
@penz I admire you for taking on a WFD… I cannot contemplate not eating just drinking water for a whole day but maybe I should try it😕 I imagine your RESOLVE needs to be 10/10 before you start? I’m not that great at sticking to the FD500s…

8 days to go, everyone
We can do this!!
Steely RESOLVE 💪

Pocket list 💝
@merry🍎

Day 0 – USA – NFD

Hi everyone,
I’m Joseph. I’m new to this forum but not new to fasting. I’ve engaged in 5:2, ADF, and many other fasting methods numerous times with great results. Fasting can be challenging, but I always find it easier with a group to share the experience with. It looks like there’s a solid community here, so I’m looking forward to becoming a part of it!

I’m 57, male, from the US, and weigh 253 lbs right now. My highest was 281 a couple of years ago. My long-term goal is to get down to 170, which would give me a healthy BMI at my height (5’11”). The lowest I’ve been in recent years was 174 in 2019.

I’m too late for the February 2025 challenge, but I’ll definitely be jumping into the March 2025 one when it begins.

I enjoy participating in daily accountability and the opportunity to share experiences with others. There’s nothing more motivating than reading about others’ successes and progress!

I’m looking forward to the journey with you all!

Best,
Joseph

P.S. If I’ve missed anything or crossed any lines with the forum rules, feel free to let me know! 😊

Day 0 – 2nd Post – USA – NFD

@brightonbelle — Many thanks for the kind welcome! I hope your fasting journey is going well for you. I may indeed start an FD on Friday, February 21. I’m excited to begin!

My intention is to have only electrolytes on my FDs, and eat healthy with a CD on my NFDs. Where are you goal-wise on your fasting journey, if I may ask?

I have 83 lbs to lose to reach my goal. I’ve lost over 90 lbs twice and reached a healthy weight both times, and 40+ lbs lots of times. So, here I go again! Long-term maintenance is the most challenging part of the journey for me. What do you find most challenging about the journey? Anyone and everyone, feel free to chime in and share your experiences!

Interestingly, I never get “stomach hungry” on fasts. It’s the boredom that I find the most difficult to overcome, but being part of this fasting forum is a major benefit! I appreciate you all! Peace, good health, and happiness to everyone on the journey! 😀

Cheers,
Joseph

Day 0 – 3rd Post – USA – NFD

@brightonbelle — Thank you! I reviewed those Day 1 posts and introductions just now. I wish you and everyone success on your journeys!

Kind regards,
Joseph

Day 20-No. VA USA-FD800
It is cold and a bit snowy, but nothing deep or accumulated. Weekend weather will be in the 40-50 degree range, so all will melt away soon!
@jaifaim, so sorry to hear about your mother. It was a long and difficult time for you all.
@icystorm, welcome! Is your name reflective of your local weather situation? Most of us in this group are experienced with the weight ups and downs, so it is a familiar situation. I think our group accountability helps us stay “on the wagon”, or to get back on, when we fall off!
@funshipfreddie, a belated “Happy Birthday” to you. Boo-boo says she is making a cake for you, but she has trouble due to no opposable thumbs…
@merryapple, during Covid days, I did quite a bit of baking, and tried sourdoughs several times. My son had more of the touch for it; I am more successful with traditional yeast breads. But I could eat the better part of a loaf, no problem, if I didn’t resist. Bread and I have a special friendship, it seems.
@penz, I admire those of you who do the water fasts. I would have to have an extremely busy day to do that and not cave at the end of the day.
@iona72, I am sure your excellent weight loss will help with your labs!
Have a good day, all!

Day 20 – USA/GA – NFD

Weigh-in: 235 lbs. I went to lunch yesterday at a new chicken restaurant. Took leftovers home and had it for supper, too, with some grapes for dessert. Only gained about 3/4 of a pound. @funshipfreddie Hope you had a great birthday!

Day 20 – 4th Post – LA/USA – NFD
Current weight: 253 lbs (114.8 kg)

Greetings, everyone! Even though I missed the start of the February 2025 challenge, I will begin an FD tomorrow as I restart my ADF journey. I had great success with it in the past and hope to replicate that again! As I read through the posts in the February 2025 challenge, your stories are all very encouraging! I want/need to lose 83 lbs (~37.6 kg) and maintain it once I reach my goal this time! The last time I reached a healthy weight, I maintained it for about four years. Sometimes it felt like the easiest thing in the world to do, but other times it was challenging.

@excelsior12309 – Thank you for the welcome! I hope your weather warms up soon. I totally agree with you about group accountability. The mutual support factor has always helped me a lot. It’s challenging to go on the journey alone, so having a group like this is beyond great! My nick, icystorm, comes from my lifelong love of meteorology! More on that later! I hope you have a successful FD! And wow, FD800! That’s awesome! 😃

@stitchincarol – I appreciate the welcome! Ah, I see the correct syntax for prefacing posts with “Day n” now! I initially read that in the organizer’s first post, but it was quite late, and I misinterpreted it to mean the FD one is on during the month. Anyway, I completely get it now! Your snowfall sounds amazing, and the temperatures you mentioned are brutal! Enjoy your coming warm-up next week! I live in Louisiana (LA). We had a rare snowfall of about 5 inches (~13 cm) in my area last month, with a low of +9°F (-13°C)!

Kind regards,
Joseph

Day 21 country west Australia CD

Day 21 NZ NFD 69.9kg⬇️🏃🏼‍♀️

Whew!! Just back in the 60s by the hair of my chiny chin chin… Discipline is certainly required!! I have just given away all my larger than life clothes to a charity in Whakatāne (East Coast, Nth Island) which sells clothing and teaches people how to grow vegetables with the profits. I love being a ‘normal’ shape but still want to lose that pesky 5kg to create a safe maintenance zone under 70kg.

@jaifaim I’m saddened to hear about your mother, may she RIP. It’s lovely to hear you were with her and her passing was peaceful. I hope you’re doing OK. It’s such a big change to accommodate…

@stitchincarol So nice to see you popping in!!
I have nearly finished my nephew’s homespun cabled jersey but have just discovered one sleeve has 4 stitches less on one arm than the other. I’m knitting the sleeves from the top down because I have nearly run out of the Gotland wool… I think I will pull it undone because these sorts of things so annoy me… I kept meaning to count the stitches but hadn’t got round to it because the pattern worked out. I’m missing a 4 stitch ‘stripe’…
@ccco No power in a snow storm sounds rather chilly. No wonder you decamped to a hotel!!
You Americans are sure having some crazy weather!!
@icystorm Welcome!! On the whole we’re all recidivists here so you’re in the right place🤣
I have just been rereading Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Cookbook which I bought in the 1980s when he became a superstar and visited San Francisco. I lived in Oakland at the time. I have just bought some Cajun and blackened seasoning to take away with me!! I loved visiting New Orleans way back then!!
@excelsior12309 Are you back on track? I have now put the excess sourdough in the freezer to reduce my access to it… I have had my bug for 20+ years and have tried to kill it on many an occasion but it revives itself after a feed…
@northgeorgia Good numbers today. How’s your mother getting on?
@at Good to see you on the sheet!! I hope all is well up there in the Lake District.
@brightonbelle I hope you’re enjoying your train trip and your FIL is doing well. I love traveling on trains esp with knitting!!
@iona72 Are the grand babies still keeping you on your toes!?
I am away as of Sunday for two weeks so am not much use as a March host but will do April.

Steely RESOLVE – 7 days to go!!

Day 21 – USA/GA – ZBC

Weigh-in: 234 lbs. @merryapple Mom is about the same; she’s hoping insurance will reapprove the gel injections that seemed to help. Since the pain specialist recommended knee replacement surgery, she wonders if that is what’s delaying the approval. I went to the eye doctor yesterday… somehow I kept putting it off and I think untold number of years passed…yikes… I need a stronger prescription, and I have small cataracts in both eyes, but nothing to concern myself with now, she said. They must be super tiny. I don’t even see anything in the mirror! Or maybe ergo there’s the problem LOL

Anyway, I’m ready to relax a little this weekend. I still have an intense three weeks of grant writing ahead, plus a meeting in Atlanta for three days in March. Looking forward to my South American adventure, though!

Day 21 – USA/LA – WFD

Greetings! I hope everyone is well and making steady progress toward your goals! I am enjoying reading all of your daily posts and seeing the enthusiasm here! 😀

Today marks my return to fasting. I’ve started with ADF today and plan to finish out February before rolling into a full month of ADF in March. On my fasting days, including today, I’m only consuming water with electrolytes, which I mix myself using the homemade “snake juice” recipe. I assume the “WFD” tag above covers that, or is that reserved strictly for plain water only?

The last time I did ADF, I lost about 28 lbs (~12.7 kg) in my first month—though I was younger and much more active back in 2014! If I can shed 20 lbs (~9 kg) by the end of March, I’ll be happy. Of course, I need to continue far beyond March, but for now—one day at a time. 😀

Regarding weights, I will post mine once a week on Thursday, since I am using my morning weight of 253 lbs (114.8 kg) on Thursday, February 20 as my personal starting benchmark for my current journey.

@ccco – Thank you for the welcome! I share your pain regarding electricity outages. A couple of summers ago, the power failed during the hottest and most humid time of the year. I ended up booking a local hotel just to sleep in air conditioning! Thankfully, power was restored the next day. Your story from this morning about your chatty neighbor was hilarious! 😀

@merryapple – I appreciate your warm welcome! Yes, recidivism and weight regain are struggles that many of us face. I always tell myself I won’t treat this journey as if there’s a “finish line in the sand”, yet once I reach a healthy (or near-healthy) weight, I feel so great that I lose sight of that mindset. Now, as I approach 58 in April, I know it’s truly time to commit for life and follow through with great maintenance. I’m really glad I found this supportive group and all of you! Let’s do this! 😀

Regarding Paul Prudhomme, I have to admit—I hadn’t heard of him! I’m a transplant here and quite a ways from New Orleans, but I do enjoy their interesting foods. The Cajun and blackened seasoning you mentioned sounds like it’ll make a delicious meal—please let us know how it turned out! By the way, I visited Christchurch, NZ on South Island for a couple of months back in 1994. It was an incredible place! More on that adventure later!

Peace, good health, and great fasting (or healthy feasting) to all! 😀

Best,
Joseph

USA. Day 21. FD

My FD was successful and my kitchen is closed! 👍🏻

Icystorm, I like what you said about ADA. I think I am going to try that this weekend and see how it goes. 28 lbs. was a great loss doing that!

See you all in the morning!

Day 22 – USA/LA – NFD

Hello! I hope everyone is making good progress toward your goals! 😀

@iona72 – Thank you for your welcome and comment! It’s great that you received good lab results and felt relieved to see improved numbers. I hope you continue trending in a healthy direction, and I look forward to following your journey! 😀

@funshipfreddie – I appreciate the welcome! Your zipline adventure looks like an awesome way to celebrate your birthday. 😀

@ccco – Congrats on a successful FD! Yes, the ADF I mentioned worked great for me back then. I was very diligent about it in 2014. I basically had 500-600 calories on a “fast day” and followed that with eating until satisfaction on my “feast day.” I focused on enjoying myself on my eating days and not stressing over food. I was probably eating around 125% of my TDEE on feast days, which allowed me to embrace the “fast days” stress-free. I was also biking an hour late each afternoon and lifting modest weights in my garage back then. 😀

Here in 2025, I no longer bike, and I rarely lift weights, but once I drop back to around 210 lbs (~95.3 kg), I plan to start biking again and lifting more. I used my time wisely during my fasting day yesterday—I went grocery shopping and stocked up on plenty of fresh veggies, herbs, and some protein for a robust salad when I break my fast around 10:00 AM. I should be able to enjoy two of those large, nutritious salads during my six-hour eating window before rolling into my next fast at 4:00 PM. 😀

Peace, good health, and great fasting (or healthy feasting) to all! 😀

Best,
Joseph