Hello Fellow New Fasters!

This topic contains 16 replies, has 12 voices, and was last updated by Pattience 10 years, 3 months ago.

Viewing 17 posts - 1 through 17 (of 17 total)

kaskins

4:21 pm
12 Aug 14
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Hi! I’m a 37yr old mother and wife. I’m 5’3″ with a BMI of 25. I’ve struggled with my weight for about 15 years. In highschool, I was sickly thin. After high school, I gained about 10 very needed pounds. I was healthy and felt great! Then I took a sit down job and everything changed. Before I knew it, I was looking at my engagement party photos and saw how heavy I had become. (I was at my heaviest) Shortly thereafter was my first attempt at weight loss – eager to look much better for my wedding. I did very well and lost 25lbs using Weight Watchers. However, I got pregnant right away and all those pounds and inches came back and then some. After he was born, I didn’t get back on the bandwagon until about a year later. I lost about ten pounds and guess what? I got pregnant again. This time, I didn’t gain as much and I started Weight Watchers two weeks post partum. I lost all my gained weight and more – I felt great. I was doing pretty well… until I got lazy. Then again, back on WW and BOOM. Pregnant. Then miscarriage. Then a couple months later was pregnant again. After the birth of my third child, I became a ragged middle age mom. (HA!) I’ve really struggled since the last birth. My legs look huge, my butt has saddle bags, and my belly/waist is turning softer. I refuse to have a “muffin top” and have never had to worry about that before. I ran into a friend with similar body structure and struggles and she looked phenomenal. I asked her what she was doing to look so great and she told me about the Fast Diet. She let me borrow her book and I was hooked. I can do this! I started two weeks ago. The first week, I dropped two pounds. Then we went on vacation. I knew it would be difficult to do the fast days on vacation, but i did my best. I came home to discover I was back up two pounds. But, I consider that a success, because it could have been so much worse. Yesterday was my fast day and it was a struggle – I think because of vacation; my body had bigger and better expectations. I had low sugar problems (no, not diabetic or anywhere close, but I do get sugar crashes for some reason)so I went over my 500 calories. I plan to make that up through today and not let yesterday define me. I had to do what I had to do and I just put one foot in front of the other and keep forging ahead. My husband plans to do this with me; I think he’s excited it’s not some shake or pills or funky meal plan. God speed to fellow new folk, and I hope I can be an inspiration for all of you, as this forum as been for me.

Tabbi

1:47 am
14 Aug 14
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Hi there Kaskins
Yesterday was my first fast day. It was interesting for me to discover that it is possible to do this after being brain washed that eating every 3 or 4 hours is the go. I also managed to fit in 2 exercise sessions. usually I would of had that horrible sugar low feeling but just breathed through it and drank some water, I get up at 4.15 every morning had a coffee and didnt have anything till about 1.00 just had a cup of home made vegie soup.But mind you the old gotta eat at 10.00 am tried to trick me. For me I am trying to regain my true hunger feelings and I am working on getting my waist down to healthy range and get fit again as I really enjoy feeling fit. Hang in there I am trying to figure out what will be my next fast day.
🙂

luckylucy

8:37 pm
14 Aug 14
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Hi kaskins

Welcome! I like your writing style & attitude, positivity & resilience goes far with the 5:2 lifestyle! Keep us updated. What do you define as low sugar problems by the way? Are you actually testing your blood sugar or are there physical symptoms which are the problem?

Tabbi – I too found it a big eye opener that I did not have to be eating constantly (what I had alway previously thought to ‘keep my metabolism up’). Reducing my waist measurement (which is large in proportion to my height, and to the rest of my body) is one of my aims too!

Pattience

7:23 am
15 Aug 14
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Hi I’m new too. I get it that having kids really mucks you around with a lot of things. I haven’t had them so haven’t had to deal with it myself.

Anyway re the blood sugar problem you mentioned, have you looked into GI. These are foods that take longer to digest so that you can avoid those issues. Generally lowering your carbs is another way to tackle it. I found eating at around 100 carbs a day was great. But then i’m happy to eat lentils, beans and chickpeas all the time. Still i would have the occasional bread and didn’t stop with the milk and yoghurt. If you want to try the latter, get a book on low carb e.g. Atkins. If you want to learn more about the Glycaemic Index, there is a good website from Sydney University on it. There are also books on it. Its not just the individual foods that make the difference but the whole meal that you can take into account. So you can eat high GI foods by combining them with low GI foods to get the benefit of stable blood sugar.

Anyway good luck with 5:2

TeenyArse

7:49 am
15 Aug 14
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I’ve completed my first two fasting days and feeling great, though trying to avoid the scales. I’ve been on every diet going since I was about 8yrs old, hopefully this new way of eating will be my new answer. I seem to have ballooned in the last year and am now heavier than ever before. I’ve set my goals – realistically I hope – and I’m feeling really positive that I can make the difference this time.
Good luck all newbies, keep it in the moment and enjoy all that luscious water hydrating our newly sagging skin!!

kaskins

12:36 pm
15 Aug 14
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Good morning everyone!
I made it through my second fast day – although not without struggles. I ended up eating all 500 calories before 5:00. Yep. At work. I am a victim of “I’ve got to be doing something and I think eating sounds like that perfect ‘something.’ ” However… much to my surprise, I was able to completely fast yesterday evening and still haven’t ate since 4:30 yesterday. Not that I’m starving myself or anything. I just told myself you had your allotted calories at work, deal with it, sista! Now, to make it to Monday (weigh in day) and hopefully see a downword change in the scale.

As for the “sugar crashes” that I experience, no I have not tested my sugar during them. I’ve thought about it, but I’m not in the right place at the right time when it happens. I have had my blood checked several times for various reasons/surveys and have never had any diabetic concerns. When I say I have a sugar crash, I’m assuming it, because of the symptoms. (plus, they ALWAYS happen when I eat a really swell breakfast (pop tart anyone? OJ to wash it down?) and don’t eat lunch soon enough to catch the downword spiral in my blood sugar dropping fast after digesting breakfast. It happens when I don’t expect it as well, but the above combo sets it off every time.

Typically it starts like this: I get hungry, followed immediately by a specific headache; follow very quickly by extreme shaking/jitters which escalates into inability to focus and usually cold sweats followed up with an extreme nausea. The only thing to bring me out is some sort of sugar/carbs. I try to use peanut butter because it takes care of the immediate need and also adds a bit of protein so I don’t turn around and crash again. Typically, it’s pretzels and PB.

I am a carb lover, so it could very well be something regarding my eating choices and my body’s ability to digest them appropriately for me. Your comments are very thought provoking; I’m goign to read up on this subject and see how far out of wack I could be making my system.

To the fellow newbies – we can DO this!! We CAN do this!!! What’s one day of backing off and realizing that we don’t have to eat all the live long day just to survive. It’s not going to be easy, but it shouldn’t be. We have to re-learn what our body really needs and begin listening to it appropriately; making sure we are speaking hunger and need, not stress and habit.

Thanks again for all the comments and suggestions. I think I’m gonna like it here! 🙂

Pattience

12:16 am
16 Aug 14
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Kaskins Do the fasting glucose test. Discuss it with your GP. You probably haven’t done that one before.

I think the symptoms you describe are hypoglycaemia. You should ditch the pop tart type of food. These symptoms are caused by low blood sugar that’s why you need to eat sugar to come right again. I have had periods of eating tons of sugar and practically nothing else and have never actually felt more than hunger with my insulin spikes. Your system might be much more sensitive than mine so i think you need to find out more about your system and how to take care of it starting with this blood test.

I think it is easy and should be easy to lose weight . If its not easy it will fail. You just have to find the ways to make it easy. I have found my whole year pretty easy. Its only stress that makes things a bit harder for me so i address it. EAting only nutritious foods around 99% of the time is the first rule of making it easy in my view.

Weightloss isn’t a punishment. Its a reward. You are rewarding yourself with improved health and a new love of healthy delicious food. And you will feel rewarded when you the pounds/kilos start to fall off. Make it fun and delicious. And you will be able to do it forever. Delicious doesn’t mean cakes and biscuits. Its means vegetables cooked in wonderful ways. Check out what the mediterranean peoples do with theirs. I’m adoring my mediterranean cookbook by Marie-pierre moines.

I probably wouldn’t attempt fasting at work. I find myself being a bit lacking in energy and alertness. Fasting is best timed with a rest day. I eat my first meal when i start to get hungry which is at about lunch time. I might have a few calories left over for the evening. That is mainly to address boredom or the eating habit, but i eat most of my calories at lunch time and then i’m good. I also eat a low calorie type of meal i.e. with lots of vegetables. This is a low GI type of meal so the energy lasts longer. Steamed then sautéed vegies in olive oil with garlic makes a tasty and filling meal. Next time i going to try a high protein meal (a spanish fish stew ) to see how that compares.

coffeebeaned

1:24 am
16 Aug 14
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Hi everyone! I will start my first fast on Monday. We can all do this.

kaskins

12:39 pm
18 Aug 14
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I’m at day one of week 2. I’m down 1.5lbs. WOOT! I’ll take that!! How did everyone else do? I’m super excited to be doing something that is so rewarding in more than one way.

Now to get my hubby on the “fast” track. 🙂

Tmadl

5:57 pm
19 Aug 14
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I’m down 2.2 lbs in my first week. BMI was 26+. I have to change that. I’m going every other day fast for 24 hours. Are people doing 24 h or 36 h fasts? I’m thinking of switching to 36.

wynnifred

7:07 pm
19 Aug 14
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I have lost 3.5 lbs in my first week and on day one of week two on my fast. I eat 500 calories on my fast days! Feeling very chuffed with my weight loss and so far I am finding it easier than I expected! My aim is to to reduce my appetite! Had lunch out on the weekend and a few glasses of wine but otherwise have been very good. Well done everyone!

knittinghippiemom

7:07 pm
19 Aug 14
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Hiya Kaskins! It’s nice to hear from another mom with little(ish) kids. I have similar stories to yours – pregnancy, weight gain, weight loss, pregnancy, weight loss, miscarriages, weight gain, pregnancy…I am 5’4″ and my BMI currently stands at a shocking and horrifying 30.6. This is my first week.
I love your “We Can Do This!” attitude – having that kind of positive outlook is going to go such a long way for your success.
What you’re describing with the sugar crashes sounds a lot like hypoglycemia. I had it as a teen – it resolved once I moved out of my parents home and started eating better and more frequently. Like Pattience said, it’s probably a good idea to get your glucose checked – but I will tell you, I’ve had mine checked many times, even while symptomatic (I had the shaking/nauseous/passing out thing literally in the lab!) and my blood sugar was still totally “normal.” The symptoms aren’t though. You might just be more sensitive and I’m betting with some dietary tweaks (eat protein at breakfast, have snacks of nuts or nut butter and veggies between meals or small gaps between meals), you might find your swings evening out.

And Pattience – I love this: “Weightloss isn’t a punishment. Its a reward. You are rewarding yourself with improved health and a new love of healthy delicious food. And you will feel rewarded when you the pounds/kilos start to fall off. Make it fun and delicious. And you will be able to do it forever. Delicious doesn’t mean cakes and biscuits. Its means vegetables cooked in wonderful ways. Check out what the mediterranean peoples do with theirs. I’m adoring my mediterranean cookbook by Marie-pierre moines.” – Totally great way of putting it! Thanks. I’m going to keep that in my head today as I attempt to do my first non-fast day and stick to my TDEE.

MissAdri

7:29 pm
19 Aug 14
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Hi

Okay, so heard about fasting 2 weeks back and tried it twice now.
I never thought this is good because I’ve always been told if you don’t eat your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolic rate drops…
Over the last 2 weeks I kinda figured that this is not true… not sure what will happen over time though.
So in my 1st week I did a total fast for 2 and a half days as I saw on the Eat, fast, live longer docu. I lost 3kg’s and was exercising and didn’t feel weak at all until the 3rd day when I was a bit dizzy after a heavy workout.
The next week I tried the less than 500kcal for 2 days and lost 1kgs…
One day I didnt even eat half of the 500kcal’s.
So according to the calculator on this site I should eat like 1900 or so kcal’s on the days I’m not fasting…
My questions are therefore:
1) on fasting days, is it okay to eat less than 500kcal?
2) Is it 1 meal only or small nibbles through the day?
3) Is it okay if I eat about 1200-1500 kcal’s on my non fasting days or does it defeat the purpouse?
4) Can one eat absolutely anything on those eating days?
5) Does it matter what the kcal’s macro’s consist of?

Hope to hear an answer soon please..

Thank you

Amy C.

8:18 pm
19 Aug 14
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Answers
1. You can eat up to 500 calories in a day. 500 is a better number, as studies showed weight loss happened with that number. But then, the study was on every other day fasting.
2. Most find that you can’t really control little nibbles through the day. One nibble too much and repeated several times, adds up to too many calories. Eating 1 snack of about 100 calories and the rest for a meal is easier to follow and stay within the calorie range. You can nibble if you want, but drinking liquid – tea, coffee, water – is better.
3. You really ought to eat closer to your TDEE. The shift between lots of calories and very few is what does the trick. Eat what your body tells you it needs.
4. Most find that 500 calories of veggies and protein is a larger volume of food and more satisfying than 500 calories in wine, but you can eat what fits your fancy.

claremaxx

9:27 pm
19 Aug 14
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I did my first fast on Monday,and it was so much easier than I expected.
Tuesday came around, and I decided to continue, It’s so much easier than thinking about what to eat,I think this will work for me 🙂

kaskins

11:18 pm
19 Aug 14
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knittinghippiemom – seems like we are pretty darn similar for sure!

My week two day one went very well!! breakfast was grapes – yummo! I took a 2 1/2 mile walk on my “lunch” and in the afternoon had a very yummy snack of fresh strawberries mixed with strawberry yogurt. So satisfying! For supper I had a salad and grilled chicken. My biggest accomplishment was that I didn’t need to chew gum or have any hard candy to curb the habit of eating. I was soo excited when I realized that. I count those calories, but they make me angry at myself for being so weak.

I’ve not had too many issues with the sugar crashes, but I believe what you folks are saying is correct. It has to do with what I choose to eat; and it’s typically not balances. I really really love me some carbs. If I have a craving, it’s usually for carbs; not chocolate or other sweets. However, carbs are still “sugar” and I think that’s my downfall. I’m working on it, I know it’s a problem.

Thanks so much for all the good words of advice and support. Keep it up, ya’ll! Together, we can accomplish anything!!

Pattience

8:26 am
20 Aug 14
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These days the buzz is all about how starvation mode is a myth but this is wrong too. There is such a thing as starvation mode but its not what most people describe. You won’t go into fasting mode after a few days of low calories. You go into fasting mode after a prolonged period of low calories and significant weight loss. This is why it gets hard to keep lost weight off.

I am not sure how it will go with this diet. Anyway in my body i know i’m in starvation mode when i seem to be less than about 60kg say around 55kg. If its too hard to keep the weight off and your weight is quite low for you, then you are in starvation mode.

Miss Adri, i suggest it would be better to reduce your calories only a small amount on non-fasting days. If you eat at your TDEE, after a period of time your weight loss might slow too much. But eating a big reduction will get boring pretty quickly. Its better not to rush your weightloss. Also the great losses you made were mostly water. With less food, we hold less water. Especially when we eat few carb foods. Try to pick a moderate weight reduction process. but then i don’t know if you are very overweight or what and if you are most people in the heavier end do tend to lose quite a lot at first anyway.

Yes it matters what you eat. To lose weight in a sustainable and healthy way, you should maximise nutrition and minimise junk food and sugar and processed foods. That’s the bottom line so focus on learning how to maximise your nutrition through increased consumption of whole vegetables, quality protein foods, moderate carbs, and more good fats than bad ones. Eat a wide variety of foods all the time. Eating the same meal day after day is not smart. A lot of people do it when dieting but i am sure they either change this practice or end up back where they started.

I prefer to eat one main meal and whatever light meal or drink my calories allowance can fit in. The main meal is the key thing for me and i eat it at lunch time. nibbling as someone said will not satisfy hunger. A big healthy meal will.

Clare, yes after doing the odd water fast, i was surprised who east a low cal fast is. And its wonderful how it makes your appetite get back in control.