Hi Alimax 🙂
Sounds like a great start to 5:2 for you 🙂 Fantastic!
I think there are quite a few of us from the Southern Hemisphere in this forum – there is certainly a strong NZ contingent!
I have been doing this WOE for almost 7 months and have been amazed by the results. I have lost 16kg and my BMI is now comfortably in the healthy range. I think I may even be able to fit into my wedding dress – I plan to try that on, on my wedding anniversary in 2 days time. Still hoping for a few more kgs, to give me some wiggle room for all the holidays we are planning now that I have stopped paid work 😀 😀
I am curious to know about how Aussies heard about 5:2. I read about it in a UK magazine while at the hairdresser’s but have not seen any other reference to it apart from when I Googled it, of course (which is how I found the forum, which only happened a couple of months ago).
So Aussies, pls let me know how you found out about 5:2.
According to my 18yo son, I am obsessive about this forum, and spend far too much time reading and posting….!!! I am recovering from a knee reconstruction, so am supposed to keep my leg elevated for a lot of the time – so that is a good excuse to visit the forum (and not do the many other things I could be doing………)
So I am always up for a chat 🙂
Best wishes
Sassy
PS I am in Melbourne
PPS Turning 50 is okay! Buy yourself something really nice to wear for the slimmer you 😀
PPPS I normally fast Mon and Thurs, but am doing 4:3 (Mon, Wed, Fri) for a couple of weeks to ensure I can sit down in the beautiful dress I have bought for son’s high school graduation!!

Hi Sassy and others
I have been doing 5:2 since late January, gone from 90.8kg to 73.0 yesterday (40 weeks). Lost 9kg the first 12 weeks, then stabilised while muscle developed (1 hour crosstrainer or 2 hours swimming a day). Water only fast twice a week, because it suits me better than eating a little bit. I’m 63 and in Hobart.
Aiming for 70kg by Christmas (summer might have arrived in Hobart by then and I can buy a new dress) and ultimately 65kg.
I heard of it from an article in the Weekend Australian magazine by Mimi in midJanuary, thought I could do that, and 2 weeks later when my new doctor threatened me with type 2 if I didn’t lose “a few kilos” ordered the book from UK and started. My doctor is now VERY pleased with me!
There was a good thread called “Hello from Australia” which started in June and died in July after about 70 posts.

Oh dear a hot chicken at this time of day… I think that would be torture because it would smell so good! I think your husband is very caring and supportive, how nice of him to offer to drink your bubbles 😉

Thanks Vicki for posting that. I think anyone who hasn’t seen it should really watch, it is very interesting!

Just had a read through of the older topic from Aussies that Vicki mentioned. It was a lovely steam but it stopped pretty abruptly. I also saw that the initial contributors have not posted since then – hope they are going ok. I guess life is too busy for many people to spend a lot of time on a forum like this, especially those who are working and have young children.

Great news Alimax 🙂 commiserations KimG, but hopefully results soon. When did you start and how much are you hoping to lose? I am sure you have read in this forum that for some people it can take several weeks before a change is noticed. Keep up the new routine, but enjoy the wine tonight. 🙂
After 3 fasting days this week, I am looking forward to the long weekend. Wedding anniversary tomorrow (22 years), and I just tried on my wedding dress. Fits more comfortably today than it did then 😀 😀
Have a good weekend everyone! 🙂

Hello 🙂 Im in Sydney. I made a half hearted attempt but have decided to give it another go. Today is my first fast day. Im going to do non consecutive fast days til I get stronger at the fast.

I have 10kgs to lose and my BMI is 27.
Sarah 🙂

Thanks for the info everyone 🙂 it is early days for you, and 5:2 and it’s variants should get you there. 😀
I started with BMI of 27.5, now is 21.3 after almost 7 months – and 16kg lost, as mentioned earlier. I am 55yo, well past menopause, still have 18yo and 20yo sons at home (late starter!!) so house is always full of less healthy food… Hubby and sons are slim. I was overweight during my late teens, ok during my 20s tho prob around 24-5 BMI, lost weight prior to marriage and then post kids put it on, have lost it a couple of times since thru extreme exercise, and it went back on once exercise stopped, and since retirement had been stacking it on.
So I am sure your goals are achievable 🙂 🙂 good luck!

Dumpling – your grandmother can be a role model for us 🙂

Hi Dumpling 🙂

I was never overweight til I hit menopause. But I also got lazy too. I did another program and lost 10kgs and became quite fit but I injured my right knee. Ive put back 3.5kgs over the year. This too is because I got lazy with my nutrition.

Today has been easy.(I probably wont often say that!) I found a product called Slim Pasta that is very low in calories and I’ve had that for dinner with some pasta sauce and mushrooms. Id be interested to see how things go with weight loss and this program. I’m attracted to this program for the health benefits.

Sarah

Thanks Iwant2Beincontriol 😀 it certainly did feel good when the dress was easy to do up (hubby had to do that as has lots of little buttons). I almost felt like a princess again, which was how I felt on my wedding day 🙂 (the dress is a very conventional white, sequins and beads, full skirt with hoops, puffy sleeves – just so NOT me who has always lived in casual clothes, no make-up etc, not at all a girly-girl – I loved how surprised many of our guests were at the wedding!! Apologies for going on about it….)

Sarah – other suggestions I have seen for pasta substitutes include lightly cooked thinly sliced white cabbage or zucchini strips. Cauli and broccoli also used as rice substitutes – steamed and mashed. Good luck with program 🙂

Dumpling – size 12 jeans sounds very doable for you if you are only 14/16 now. Go for it! 🙂

Better head for bed now.

Hi KimG, maybe I am ‘lucky’ that I have never been on the small size??!! It made fitting into the wedding dress possible. I was older when I got married too,
Your goal should be achievable, especially since you have set a realistic one. As I have inferred in this topic, and said elsewhere (tho I am forgetting where I say what!) for many this WOE seems to be truly remarkable in how relatively easy it is to lose weight in a reasonable amount of time. Hopefully that will happen for you. I do remember in my early months being impatient for results, and frustrated when I had plateaus, but now that time has passed – which it does all too quickly really – I am virtually at my goal weight. So try to think 6 months ahead of how things should be, and try not to worry too much on the way 🙂
I also set an interim goal, which I have revised a couple of times. So doing that’s a good idea I think.
I only joined the forum several months into my journey, but reading and contributing has helped tremendously with my motivation – so I hope that also works for you 🙂 There are lots of ideas and thoughts from others that can really assist.
Best wishes
Sassy

Fantastic! 😀 keep happy dancing, you’ll lose more weight!!

Hi everyone! I have JUST bought the book today and thought I would browse the forum to try and get as much info as possible, was so very happy to find an Aussie forum.
I have talked my husband into starting this with me and see how we go. If I do the background work he is more likely to stick to it as then he doesn’t have to think too hard!! Typical Guy..lol.
I am glad there are some people who have recently started as I don’t feel so behind everyone..I seriously NEED and WANT to make lifestyle changes for both of us and I am really looking forward to giving and getting back info along the way.
I definitely feel inspired from reading all your comments so far..THANK YOU!

Hello DragonFly

Congrats on starting! This is only my second day and yesterday I didn’t think I could do 2 fasting days in a row. But I found one day easy so am doing consecutive this week. Will have to try a few variations with work to see how i cope.

Good luck 🙂

Thanks RandomCat and dumpling, I am looking forward to the fast day tomorrow, still working out whether to alternate or ??
I am not really a early morning eater, where as my husband has to eat as soon as he gets up?
I was thinking of having a Brunch and then Dinner at night as I think it would work that way for me?
Don’t think I could do consecutive days? but who knows?
Be interesting to see how you went RandomCat?

I find I have so much to do in the mornings that it is past 10am anyway by the time I get around to be able to sit back a bit..so…it just seems the obvious choice to skip Breakfast..OTHER THAN A BLACK COFFEE???

Enjoy your break!! How wonderful.
Yay exams.!!

I went 21 hrs today.
Had my boysenberry smoothie ( with just water and ice!, I miss ice cream and milk)
And then Couldn’t finish the salad and a couple hours later I made my stir fry and again, it was 2 big plate fulls!!???
I Would have thought I had miscalculated again, but i have been Over the cals a million times and I know it was only about 270
Pick your veg carefully people! You can have a lot if you stick with 100 grams of Celery, spinach, mushrooms, courgettes, bok choy , cabbage, etc and leave out corn, and potato, and spread your 1 carrot ( 100 grams) through your salad and your stir fries

And the protein was kidney beans ( 25 grams) shrimps ( 50 grams) chook boob ( 80 grams) vermicelli noodles 25 grams ( 86 cals, but ohhhh so worth it!)
Morrocan seasoning, stock, and ginger and chili.
Oh my, like a Thai soup. But 2 huge bowlfuls, not to mention the salad earlier which was 102 cals. Again 100 grams each, is quite a lot of salad

Anyway, very pleased…will be going to bed on a hugely bloated stomach.
I made the kids a baked cheesecake for dinner, so I have that ready for breakfast tomorrow.
Tomorrow I will be having breakfast!!!

Hi!!
Another Aussie here. Still reading through the book and I have to admit not fully started. Have the odd day here and there. Trying to work out what will be my best days, when I know I really should just do it, I can spend too much time trying to work out the best way of doing anything that nothing gets done/started 😉

Hi everyone again 🙂

I got through the 2 fast days but by the end of the 2nd fast day I had a splitting headache so bad I had to take 2 panadeine forte! I rarely get headaches. Im surmising my body was having a reaction to the lack of calories. I was drinking water so much i was peeing more than every hour! so it wasnt a lack of water. I have fasted completely for spiritual reasons and find if I dont eat at all, it doesnt stimulate my appetite so on this diet my plan is to eat late morning breakfast, then an early dinner say around 5 of a little fish and salad or veggies. I think thats doable.

I couldnt help myself – I weighed in after 4 days and lost half a kilo already. Perhaps this was only fluid but I cracked into the 69’s which has eluded me for many months. So I feel more inspired now.

As long as I behave myself on my non fasting days(Im using my fitnespal website to count my calories as close to 1200 as possible) Im sure the weight will come off. It will take me longer to feel the health benefits probably.

Now my next challenge is to work out when to do the fast days. Do most of you do consecutive or split? If split are you getting good results?

Hello from another “near Brisbane-ite”
I’ve been looking at the LOACA forum, but not really getting much from it.

This is my 3rd week and I’m not exactly sure of the weight loss, as I had a gastro bout the day before I planned to start!

I’ve chosen the Mon/Thur option and am finding it suits me.
I have breakfast and can miss lunch, but do get the cravings around 4pm.
Herbal tea is a boon!
Weigh day tomorrow, before a Melbourne Cup buffet at the local!

@ Qvo Vadis, I too, am feeling so much better in myself – have more energy, sleep better and am even thinking my IBS may desert me…if only!

Thanks for all the positive feedback, it’s certainly helping 🙂

Hi everyone
Am enjoying my day of eating (hope you are too, dumpling), after lots of fasts in the last week 🙂 this week I am attempting to do 16:8 rather than quite so many fasts, will be interested in how this goes.

Welcome Qvo Vadis, feeling well is probably more important than weight loss, so it’s great that your general well being has improved 🙂 And not everyone loses weight quickly, there are many factors that influence rate of loss. Do you have much to lose? How you manage your fast and non-fast days may impact too. Let us know if you have any questions about this WOE. Best wishes as you continue 🙂

Alimax, wishing you a speedy recovery from your weekend; hope you enjoyed it even if it was tiring and hectic. Quiet week should help 🙂

RandomCat, congrats on breaking a weight barrier! Your plan for fast days sounds ok – what will you have for brekkie? I don’t do consecutive fast days by choice, one is hard enough!! Have you calculated your TDEE – I agree with Dumpling that 1200 is very low for non-fast days. One of the beauties of this WOE is that you don’t have to deprive yourself on non-fast days (of course can’t go overboard, need to stay around your TDEE) – that’s what makes it doable on a long term basis for so many. Over time you will probably find that you gradually replace less healthy foods for more healthy ones (tho not everyone does) which helps with health and well being, and weight loss, but initially it is fine not to make many changes to what you eat on non fast days. But you need to work out what works best for you. Good luck 🙂

Astrid – welcome – and just start! When I started, all I had to go by was a short article I read in a UK magazine, I didn’t know there was a book or anything. I just thought that this was something I could do, decided that I would fast on Mon and Thurs (tho I vary these as necessary), worked out roughly what I would eat on those days, didn’t change what I ate on non-fast days (to start), took all my measurements (I weigh weekly, I monitor body fat and water as well, use tape measure monthly), and off I went. Didn’t find this forum until months into this WOE, but have found it v useful for keeping me motivated.

KimG, trust the essays got done! 🙂 No idea re the reduced tolerance to alcohol, guess it is possible, and if you are happy with this, then 😀 (tho I have noticed that others find alcohol is the one thing they find hard to give up!!)

Best wishes to all
Sassy 🙂