First Day Today – Book Read – Nothing Eaten So Far – Scales were a shock!

This topic contains 8 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by OhSuzi 8 years, 7 months ago.

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Salli1981

1:19 pm
12 Apr 16
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Hi!
I’ve been a yo yo dieter for years, dropping to 10.5 stone during my cambridge diet stint, and back up and around 12 stone during slimming world. Weighed myself today and had a shock to see 14.6 stone on the scales. I’m disgusted with myself for letting things get so out of control, although I could definitely feel it in my clothes (i.e. I’ve resorted to about 4 outfits that I can wear at the moment!)
I’m just a bit disheartened that I have more to lose than I thought, and I am wondering if I should even allow myself dinner tonight! I was planning on keeping it simple with a Chicken breast and Veggies. I’ve seen people mention water only days? Or are people losing significantly on the 500 cals option?

I usually make a diet a HUGE thing in my life, telling friends etc, but this time, I feel like I want to do it carefully and quietly, as my fast days can be more solitary days (as I work from home). I need to be wary of cooking the kids food though and nibbling!
Anyone fancy a buddy?! I’m feeling like it’s going to be a LOOOOONG Road.

symba7

5:02 pm
12 Apr 16
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Salli…

You are better joining one of the blogs some have been going awhile with lots of people with loads of information to help.

Go through them and ‘see’ which suits you.

The diet is a way of life not a quick fix..so you are looking at 1 or 2 lb a week with excerise.

Good luck to your journey, it does work if you put the effort in.

HappyNow

5:29 pm
12 Apr 16
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Weight loss is 95% food, 5% exercise. Exercise has many benefits, weight loss is not one of them!

The average weight loss doing 5:2 by the book is about 1lb per week.

My advice would be to get the hang of fasting first, then you can work on extending the period of time with no food. Most people didn’t leap straight in with water only fasting.

Good luck.

FastCanadian

5:38 pm
12 Apr 16
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I had a bit of a shock weighing myself this morning, too, Salli. I knew it would be up there but……175.lbs. Four years ago I weighed 30 lbs less. I’ve always struggled with weight but in the last 5 years I retired and took up tennis. Loved the sport and played tons. Weight fell off without really trying. Exercise and I was happy. Now I have severe arthritis in one hip and am on the wait list for a replacement. The wait in Canada is 12-18 mos. I can hardly do anything at all. Walking across the street hurts. So I spend my days watching tv and eating, unfortunately. I do know that every extra pound I put on makes it that much harder on my hips but….

Anyway, I’m going to try not to worry about the weight so much. I’ve read some on intermittent fasting and it really seems to be key to longevity and good health. Even might help with not getting dementia. So that is going to be my focus…..good health. With luck, the pounds will follow (or not follow!).

I’ve had a smoothie worth 300 calories. Now my plan is to have a big salad at 5 with lots of lettuce and some imitation crab. I think I can have a big plate for 200 calories.

I usually make dieting a big deal too but I’m not going to tell anyone. I might mention that I’m fasting now and then…..I’ll see.

I’m at the other end of the spectrum from you — my two daughters are grown (I have a 7-month old granddaughter) and I am retired and live on my own. That can make it a bit easier……I don’t have to make food for anyone else.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Salli1981

8:42 am
13 Apr 16
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Thankyou for this. I had a lovely 497 cal meal last night, and then went to bed early! So day one managed:)
Helpful reply though, thanks. xx

Salli1981

8:43 am
13 Apr 16
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Well I made it through day one okay, and I’m still alive! Feels weird to have breakfast this morning – kind of feel guilty! How was your first day?

bigbooty

9:23 am
13 Apr 16
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Hi Salli,

You need to approach this with the mindset that it is not a diet but an eating lifestyle that you will do for the rest of your life. Not necessarily 5:2 but eventually 6:1 once you get to maintenance mode. The benefits of fasting are too numerous to mention. Most diets fail because once you get to your goal invariably you say “what now?” and go back to your old eating habits. With 5:2 you never reach that end goal so you just keep doing it.

After 2 weeks of counting 500 calories I just couldn’t be bothered so I just started to do a water fast on my fast days. I actually found it easier than eating 500 calories of food, but I suppose everyone is different. I think a complete fast has increased benefits compared to reduced calories.

For your fast days avoid sugars (actually you should avoid sugar at all costs all the time!!), pasta, rice, potatoes or any other starchy foods. They will make your fasting difficult. Go for protein (tuna, chicken, meats) and fats (cheese, high fat low sugar yogurt, almonds and walnuts, avocado etc.) Then top up with lots of green veggies. Limit fruit intake especially bananas and NEVER have dried fruits or fruit juice. Its nothing more than a sugar hit and all the goodness has long been processed out.

I lost 44 pounds over the course of one year and have been in 6:1 maintenance mode for about 2 months now. Its do-able and works and as weird as it sounds I look forward to my fast day. Its like a big reset button every Monday.

FastCanadian

11:22 am
13 Apr 16
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Hey Salli — Sounds like you had a great day. Good work. My first day (which was a fast day, too) went well. I had a 300 cal smoothie around 11 am. Got very hungry in mid afternoon but was able to hang in there til 5:00 when I had a huge salad — mostly lettuce, some red pepper, imitation crab meat and balsamic vinegar as the dressing. I ate half then and then ate the other half a few hours later. All in all it wasn’t a bad day at all. I didn’t miss having my nightly glass of wine…..in fact it was sort of nice to not have it. I usually have a square of dark chocolate after meals and I didn’t miss that eithe. And I woke up this morning and weighed myself and was down one pound! I look forward to a non-fast day today. I will eat healthy — I’ve pretty much cut out processed foods and high-sugar foods — but not be so restrictive. Enjoy your day!

OhSuzi

11:13 am
18 Apr 16
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I have just started as of today and I weigh similar (14st 11) and if your user name is anything to go by we’re a similar age.
I was 9st at uni & went up about 10 and a half, then went up to 13 st 13 due to mega bad eating habits, before I thought I really ought to do something – so I joined a boot camp where I exercised 7 x a week 30 mins each hard work but not overly intense. mainly squats lunges & press ups with some cardio weights thrown in but only short bursts of exercise with lots of rests in between.
I know ‘exercise doesnt help you lose weight’, but after my own experience I find this hard to believe.
During the year and a half I was there I didn’t change my eating habits, I entire multipacks of crisps n chocolate, cakes, takeaways, I still drank alcohol – in fact I went out drinking more often with some pals I met at boot camp.
But within the year I had gone from 13,13 to just under 12 stone – whats more – I didn’t have cellulite, was more toned & fitted into the same clothes I used to wear when I was about 10 1/2 stone at uni.
Apparantly as well as muscle being denser than fat, it also stores sugar, so instead of all the sugary crap I was eating turning to fat (which is a much harder way to then convert back to energy & burn up) it was stored in my muscle where it is easier to convert back into energy.
Unfortunately I got a knee injury & had to stop, then I got very lazy as I never changed any of my eating habits so eventually over the next few years put the weight back on and then some!