Hello!

I started IF at the start of the year. I have been very overweight for about 20 years and recently my weight hit 19 Stone, my BMI is 41 and I have the usual collection of weight related illnesses.

I weighed myself using my Wii balance board to get a start weight. I have used the Wii to record my weight for the last 5 years. I like how it keeps a record and shows progress on a graph. I was 258 lbs. I want to lose 90 lbs this year.

I have decided to try Alternate Day Fasting (ADF). I started on the 3rd of January. I eat between 2000-2500 cal on eating days and 500 on fast days. I track everything I eat on MyFitnessPal and wear a fitbit to monitor my activity level. I stand on the scale every morning after I go to the toilet. I also weight myself every 8 days using the Wii and track my progress on an Excel spreadsheet. 8 Days seemed sensible – 4 eat and 4 fast and then weight myself.

First weigh in I lost 5 lbs. I was very happy with a 5 lb loss after 8 days. I knew I couldn’t maintain that level of weight loss, but it was a good start. The fast days were surprisingly OK. I didn’t cheat and didn’t suffer any major side effects. My eating day average for the 4 days was 2321 cal. My fasting day average for the 4 days was 603 cal. I did have a McDonald’s breakfast once as well as a couple of chocolate bar and a few bags of crisps. I ate food I enjoyed.

The following weigh in I lost 3 lbs. I focused that week on trying to lower my fasting day calories to nearer 500. The average for 4 days was 543 calories. Again I had no real problems with the fasting days. I am eating an M&S Be Good to Yourself or Balanced for You ready meal with about 350-450 cal and a Muller Lite yogurt as a snack. My eating days are a pleasure! I do not restrict myself to what I can eat, although I do track the calories and try to stay under 2500.

Last time I lost 4 lbs. I found this week slightly more difficult though. I struggled on a couple of fast days but managed to overcome the desire to cheat. I was very careful on fast days and got my calories down to an average of 512 a day. Eating days were lower – at about 2150 calories for the 3 days I tracked. The other day was my Birthday and I ate a lot! It was a real celebration with chocolate and crisps and burgers and fries and ….. loads! I estimate about 5-6000 calories at least! I think that is why I am so happy with a 4lb loss. That is from the Wii. The other scales had me 1 lb lighter than that! CHUFFED!!

So in total I have lost 12 lbs so far. Only 78 to go!

Alternate Day Fasting works well for me because I don’t have to wait for weeks or months to have the food I crave – I can have it tomorrow (in moderation)!

I hope to post on a regular basis and I will be looking for help and support when things eventually and inevitably start to get difficult. Hopefully soon I’ll get to know some of you better and get involved in some mutual support!

Sorry for the long first post.

Hi all
Hemmy l will try dress again end of February hopefully that zip will go up.

Had a good FD today staying on 3 a week until that dress fits.

Lynda x

Hi squircle

Lovely to see you here. You sound very organised and I am very interested to know how the AFD goes. You have done brilliantly .. well done you.

I agree with your thoughts on FD days. I also have to be able to have food I enjoy or on a long term basis I would be bored. Often my meal is a bacon .. mushroom and egg sandwich on a fast day. lol

Please keep us up to speed with how its going. Xx

Gine hope your FD is going well Need nice warm food this weather. Yes, some shows in the west end would be wonderful. Xx

Hi Lyn.. Wow you are so determined it will fit for sure. How is the exercise going. Xx

Hi Aud/ nurse/ Grandma .. good going half a mile. Nice to do it in the comfort of your home. Xx

Enjoy the evening everyone. xx

Hi Milena Xx

So pleased you are Ok. We were all worried about you and also missed your brightness you add to the day.

I sympathise with you re the Tax lady. Years ago I had a small clothes business with a friend.

We also had a visit from her majesties and it was scary . We just played 2 poor little woman grateful for her advice. .. She went through our books and all was ok thank goodness. Scary though… still remember it after 20yrs. Lol

Well done on the 4lbs loss. Not easy after a holiday especially Xmas. Lol We have Easter to contend with next… Eggs in the shops now. lol

Lovely to hear you are well. Take care. Xx

Hey

A quick introduction from a newbie in every which way: first forum, first go at 5:2. I am on day 3, & the usual caper in that I am tired of bursting out of my clothes. 20lb to lose, would love to have it all gone by my birthday in June. I’ve been reading this thread for a few days, inspiring stuff 🙂 So, hello all!

Hi Sqircle

Sorry I missed your earlier post. Welcome to the forum. Your ADF sounds interesting, I do three fast days a week. Always the same Mon, Weds and Fri. You seen to have lost well so far. I tend to have long posts and nobody has complained yet!! So don’t you worry, a few of us on here ramble on a bit, it’s being amongst friends that does it.

Don’t let the amount of weight you need to lose daunt you. There are a fe of us with quite a bit to lose. If we stick at it the weight comes off, sometimes quickly other times more slowly. As long as it is going in the right direction that is all good.

Hi Lynda

Here’s hoping that zip does up with ease!! What days are your fast days?

Hi Audrey

Well done on your half a mile, a really good start. Fast day today was home made soup and then weight watchers sausages, omelette and salad. I just fancied a change.

Hi Milena

All those tax things sound daunting and also very stressful. Good that the worst is over and that the return was in early.

Well done on the 4lb loss.

Hi Clementine

Welcome to the forum and 5:2, this is a nice way to lose and plenty of people on here who are like minded and encouraging. Many people read the threads before dipping their toes in the water, I am sure there are a few reading it now who we don’t know. We were all like that once, before we took the plunge…… Once of the best things every. No money to pay out like slimming clubs and all to gain (apart from lbs) hopefully.

That is very achievable by June. Also there are the health benefits which go alongside fasting.

Hi Shaziii

I was thinking about you earlier, are you getting to grips with My Fitness Pal yet? Here is hoping for a loss for you.

Ginette

Hello to all the newbies
Hi Ginette I do mon wed fri too FD as I don’t work these days, just purchased exerbeat for my wii as Audrey said this was a good one to have hopefully been here this week needed something different to do.

awake early this morning can’t wait to have my porridge stated soaking it over night with a few dried fruit seems to be more volume in it.
Off to work today.
See you later ladies X

Lynda

Morning clementine and welcome,

Shaziiii glad you are still with us, what day are you weighing in? Let us know the results please.

Ginette, I love soup too, it’s so soothing somehow, my favourite has to be pea n ham, although I do stack mine full if vegetables too!

Hemmy, how is the not drinking going, I have tried Shloer must admit it was quite nice, I got the low calorie version ….

Lynda let me know when the game arrives, hope you like it, ginette and myself do…although sometimes I am glad I do it alone so no one sees my arms flaying about. …hehe

KT, stick with it ot dies get easier, although I still weigh and count everything, but that is just me I am a bit ocd with numbers….

Well I am hoping to walk 1 mile today, will let you know, ……..now I could walk 100 miles and I could walk 100 more…. got that song in my head now……

Keep in touch together we are stronger

Audrey

Hi Lynda

Yes Exerbeat is the one I suggested to Audrey. Enough on there to suit most people and you get a lot of encouragement to do just a little bit more, especially if you have nearly reached a country or a time bonus. Let me know how you get on.

I do the same with my porridge when I have it. It is nice to have someone fasting the same days.

Hi KT

When I started getting shopping delivered I found that I got less of the treat type things, so it worked out better for me. I still have it delivered about ever month and go to Aldi or farmfoods inbetween. I have had many bargains as well if something is slightly bruised they take the whole price of of the order, so one potato in a bag wound get me a free bag etc. sometimes also free delivery!!

I normally buy myself two boxes of Jaffa cakes. If you get Harley’s sugar free jelly mix these are really low in calories. Audrey and I also often have stewed rhubarb, I have mine with stevia which is a natural product and doesn’t give a sugar crash but satisfy some my sweet tooth. If you have a farm foods near you it is £1 for 750gms.

I hope your foot mends soon as there is nothing worse than hobbling around. Try and sit with your foot up as well, this will stop it getting swollen.

H Audrey

Now don’t go and overdo things!! We don’t want another person off their feet. Just increase it a little each day and then you won’t feel the strain. I agree to use Exerbeat on your own is best.

Hi Hemmy

That was a nice thing to say, I have just stuck with it. Not hard as I can have my treats, I don’t feel deprived and most importantly I see results. Yes they slow sometimes but as long as I can have my treats on NFDs then I am happy. Enjoy your walk, sunny here now.

Is anybody watching sugar free farm? I feel for them especially the ones who are struggling. The meal they had the other day looked awful, I would have still given it a try though.

Have a good day all.

Ginette

thank you for your tips ginette
I have just placed my Tesco order, and it is mostly fruit and veg
the only ‘naughty’ thing is my richtea
I resisted the temptation to get anything else

it is my birthday in March, so I will let myself have something nice then, and then at Easter

I am hoping to avoid chocolate until then, as I simply don’t trust myself – I am lacking a ‘chocolate stop button’!!

I think I might get some of that sugar free jelly, as I love it. I sometimes make a lovely orange jelly filled with mango, and instead of topping up with cold water, I use orange juice which makes it so tangy.

My tip for rhubarb is to also cook it in a little orange juice, as that cuts the sourness right down

Yes, I am watching that programme, its interesting, although in agreement with you there is a lot they are cooking that I wouldn’t like.

I do find LOTS of the low calorie recipes are simply things I cannot face – I don’t like spicy foods, or curries, and recipes always seem to be so full of either things that add ‘heat’ (they call it flavour), or things I just don’t buy. Admittedly I am a very UN-adventurous cook – but then there is no one else at home so no one else to use things up

Good evening friends x

A beautiful sunny day here today. Just as well because Mum had me here there any everywhere shopping. lol

She lives in a studio in a assisted living complex. A new comer aged 82 asked Mum her age and when she said 89 the lady replied .. are you sure that’s your right birth date. Did make Mum chuckle. Bless her… her favourite saying is ” if you don’t move with the times .. you will get left behind. I am so different and would rather be left behind thank you. Lolol

Everyone doing so well here… Aud with the walking… Gine making soups… KT sharing wonderful tips. Xx

A puzzle my lovelies… As you know I had lost my very sweet tooth. Noticeably over the Xmas period. Anyway … since it seems stopping the wine drinking which is 11 days … it seems to have come back.

Any ideas gratefully received.

Hope all our new friends are doing well … plus our old ones… Come and share your highs and lows. We have all been there. Xx

Take care all. Xx

Hi Hemmy

Out posts must have crossed. No help really regarding the sweet tooth thing. Mine had never gone away but I always use Stevia to sweeten as it does the job without the sugar rush. This is part of the battle. Maybe just try to have less sweet things than you used to. I really really miss sweet things I did cut it down really well once and that was exercise that helped. Whatever exercise does to your brain it took away my sweet urges. I cagoule take or leave sweet things. In fact I was left in a room for about 4 hours with an open tin of quality street and I didn’t have one!!

I don’t mind being left behind in some things but I like to know what is out there as well. I am quite technically minded. I used to teach computers years ago, I really enjoyed that. No need to teach it now as most people have been taught at school. I am still learning though and enjoying it as I need to learn, I have to have a reason to do something. I couldn’t just learn a language for no reason. I was on an Italian course once as I ran an Italian restaurant and had to know what the chefs were talking about (I couldn’t bear missing out) there was a woman there who just did languages to improve her knowledge. She enjoyed it, I found this a strange reason as she had no intention of going to Italy!

I’m rambling again, goodness knows what triggered those thoughts and I’m sure it’s not really of any interest here either. I’ll jump back in my box now…….

Ginette

Hi all, I’d like to join in with your discussion if that’s ok? I am just at the end of my fourth fast (and week two) and am finding fasting surprisingly easier than I thought it would be. I have about a stone to lose. I stopped breastfeeding in October and that stone went on in super quick time. I didn’t realise how much breast feeding was keeping my weight down and I was a stone lighter than my pre pregnancy weight so I want to get back down to that as I’ve always been that extra stone (or two) overweight before pregnancy.

I lost 3lb in the first week which really surprised me and I’m weighing in again tomorrow. Worried what the scales will say after a stressful week drove me to have a takeaway, chocolate and wine yesterday… Not sure if my fasting today will be enough to counteract it, watch this space I suppose.

It’s great to have such an active forum to join in with, sounds like you’re all old hands at this and are really supportive of each other.

Morning all, Welcome to Rosalam,

Hope you are all doing better than me diet wise. Have not really had a good week so far with sick grandchildren and husbands home. ..

He is back in work tonight so hoping for a better few days before the weigh in on Wednesday next week…

Keep in touch together we are stronger

Audrey

Morning All,

Felt a bit deflated yesterday seemed to have a headache I can’t shake off. Completed my second FD of the week so my next one isn’t till Tuesday. Don’t think I slept very well as still in zombie mode whilst trying to get the kids ready for school.

I’m sure you will have done just fine Audrey everyone needs a cheat day here and there.

No work for me today so that’s a huge plus. Going to jump in the shower whilst the temptation for jumping back into bed is really strong! Have a lovely day all x

Thanks for the welcome from so many of you. Already picking up tips from you so thanks for that. Weigh in went well. Another 3lbs off so I’m very chuffed with that. Another 8 or so to go I reckon.

I like the idea of bovril to help with head aches. I haven’t had any yet but that sounds like a good idea to try. I’m just having issues with a tantrumy child which drives me to food, luckily only on my non fasting days though. I seem to manage on fasting days, even when preparing her food as normal.

Hi Hemmy

Well done on your wine free days, maybe that is where you are feeling the sugar withdrawal. Do you drink read or white, sweet or dry? I think it makes a big difference to sugar content.

Hi Audrey

Fingers crossed for you Wednesday. It is probably easier when Ian is working I imagine.

Hi Shaziii

Yes it does happen at the beginning. Lack of salt and water I believe. Where we cut down on food we also cut down on both of these things without realising. I hope you feel better soon.

Hi Lynda

I missed that I shall see if I can get it on catch up. Thanks.

Ginette

Morning Audrey

Just came back from a wet and windy walk only another 3,000 steps to do which I will do as going shoe and handbag shopping today so under decided what colour to get.

Have a good FD
Lynda x

Morning all,

Just hot off the treadmill, very hot n sweaty…..

Did 2 miles in 45 Mins. …wow feeling great, my back is holding out very well, let’s hope it lasts …

Have hopped on scales for mid week weigh, up 2 lbs… 😈😈… Let’s hope this liquid day puts it all back…

Lynda enjoy your shopping I am sure you will find what your looking for. .. it’s so exciting isn’t it?

Hemmy afraid I have lost the track but am determined to get back on… who knows may try another walk later. I sometimes have a lovely break when ian goes back to work and I stay at the caravan… I usually watch my dvd collection, I have I Claudius and roots…. both really good series I can watch over n over again. .

I am up to 7000 steps so far….

Audrey

Hi Lynda

Well done on your steps, hope you get what you want shopping. I really don’t enjoy shopping and prefer to avoid it when possible.

Hi Hemmy

Nice for you to have a lazy day, well done on keeping off the wine. I hope you find something good in the charity shops.

Hi Audrey

As you know weight can fluctuate so much from day to day, tomorrow you may be 2lbs down again. You are doing so well on that treadmill. As you say it is nice to know that when you are tired you can just stop it and get off an Ideal way to start.

As you say it is quiet on here.

Ginette

Milena

Will be doing 2 separate fasts next week, got girls coming for lunch on Sunday, so will be doing sat and Monday I think…or if b2b Monday and Tuesday. ..not next Monday but week after! With possible Thursday fast next week with Ian. ..

Sorry it’s a bit up in the air at the min….

Audrey

I had my gall bladder removed about 2yrs ago and I certainly don’t have that trouble is if I I eat fatty foods it gives me heartburn and intergestion.

Had a good shopping day got my shoes and bag really pleased.

Lynda x

Audrey
Just put a photo on fast friends
It’s a jacques vert two tone lace purple and champagne colour dress and purple shoes and bag to match and I’m wearing a fascinating which is purple looks lovely on.
Lynda xx

Lynda photo looks great, you will have to post pictures on Facebook after wedding too. …

Celtic, the mind boggles doesn’t it? Chicken in cola? And I get its full fat cola too full of sugar eugh. …. I grilled my chicken and had it with roasted veg…..was very tasty… I had a glass of cola at xmas I got an instant headache. …

Audrey

Lynda’s right, apparently its a slimming world recipe with diet cola.