Hi All

Very New to this at week Six, have lost 6.8kgs, Fasting Monday Tuesdays and Thursdays, Have a bit of an issue with Tuesdays nites as cannot get to sleep does anyone have any advice ??

Lael, I have the lamb and pine nut meatballs all ready for dinner tonight (from the link you posted). At 480 cals, this isn’t a FD meal but one of Mosley’s healthy meal suggestions. I’ll report back. I hope you like the recipes on our SH thread.

Judyf, hope you’re feeling better. I was surprised that “That Sugar Film” made it to mainstream cinemas – a bit of a conflict of interest for them, you’d think!

Hi Intesha, enjoy those precious moments. Look forward to having you back here ‘proper’.

Merry, are you all back on track this week? Nearly at goal weight, yippee!

Naptime, welcome back. What an achievement. You must be feeling and looking great. Please enlighten me – what’s the rationale behind fasting causing high BP?

Hagar, good for you for making the healthy change. For most of us on this thread, either B2B fasting OR 4:3 would be challenging, let alone what you’re doing – both! I understand why you feel three FDs would yield a faster loss than two. But, as you have a lot of weight to lose, I have a feeling that you’d enjoy a big loss even if you were to try 5:2 initially – especially if there’s a tendency to over-compensate on the middle day. A lot of us have experienced this when we started out. In time, you’ll find your portion size normalises as does food desire.

You say your second FD isn’t too bad so it’s up to you to decide whether you can handle the sleepless Tuesday night (you haven’t said whether you have to get up for work, for example). This is a very flexible programme and I think you have to experiment a bit until you find what works best for you but it does seem you’re being a bit hard on yourself and, if you consider this a way of life from now on, you’ll want it to be sustainable. What do others think?

Good morning everyone, it is early in Melbourne. Just on the news that the reason the census website went down was to protect it from being hacked from overseas.

Hagar I know it is quite common for people to have trouble sleeping after a fast day. There is a search box up the top of this page, and if you enter ‘insomnia’ you will see heaps of posts and threads!
How interesting that it is on that particular night for you. Do you think it might be because it is after two fast days in a row?
I struggle with insomnia anyway, but fasting doesn’t seem to particularly effect it. I was worried it would.

The YamDaisy meeting yesterday was to work out our strategy for our interview on Friday. It was a good meeting! Today I am meeting with our chef, and we will work out a healthy little finger food snack we can take in with us to wow the panel. Any ideas welcome!

Nap I have been fascinated by the way some fasters found that their blood pressure soared, I was aware of the thread about it. It does seem weird but maybe there is a connection for some people. I am glad you have been able to rule it out.
I do so hope the crises in your life have settled down ( not that they ever really do!) and you get a chance to concentrate on your health. I love it when I can plan well and be mindful as I fast and don’t fast. Oh dear, things will change if we get the cafe going, AND my second grandchild is due next month.

Lamb and pine nut meat balls sound so delicious!

Off to make a cup of tea. Day before Fast Day. You’ll be fasting today Thin, best wishes. Hey my daughter and I might start shopping and cooking on Sundays to prep meals for the week, if we do that I think I will change my Sunday fast day to Saturday, and my Thursday fast day to Wednesday.

Right, cup of tea!

Hello!

I’m fasting again today (Wednesday) which makes this the third FD over the past 5 days or an ADF pattern. Wasn’t really meant to be, just how the FDs landed over the past two weeks due to scheduling issues. I’m observing that today I’ve felt hungrier and more spaced out than usual. This may be because I’m at the tail end of the throat and sinus infection, though I didn’t feel this way on either of the previous two fasts which were at points when the infection was flaring. So, I feel the extra challenge with this configuration and admire that you are able to complete the three FDs per week as well as a B2B, Hagar!

Thin, I’m glad the lamb and pine nut meatballs turned out so well. I’ve thought of making the Stir-Fry Chicken with Lime and Coconut from the same article, though as you point out, not for a FD, due to calorie content! I’m very grateful to have access to the Hemispherite’s recipe page which gives me some great ideas for FDs! I’ve got my eye on a few recipes I’m going to make, now that I’ve started preparing some of my own home made meals for FDs. …You’ve reached maintenance! I’m not sure I congratulated you on this (my memory isn’t very good at moment, will blame it on this third ADF day of the week). Maintenance almost feels beyond my wildest dreams since it has been so long since I weighed that. I can’t imagine even how my body will look. Skin didn’t ‘hang’ (sag) on my body back then like it does now!

Cinque, making snacks to serve to the panel sounds like a perfect idea! Would it be too much to make up little ‘tasting plates’ with 3 canapes or samples for each panel member? Would you have facilities to allow you to serve them something warm? I guess because I’m extra hungry, I’m especially eager to hear what you and the chef decide to serve!

So annoying Lael – sometimes the website thinks you’re not logged in and the whole missive goes away when you press ‘submit’.

thx Lael

I think it gets better as you go on but time will tell, I think I figured out my Thursday issue is as I have keep a food diary today, I seem not to have overeaten in calories however I have just eaten rubbish, and I think my issue is my body is screaming for minerals, to try to get some balance back

I will tell you after next Thursday how I get on

Cheers Hagar

Good morning everyone,
Fast day for me.

Hagar that sounds like you might have worked it out, as well as minerals and micro nutrients, if you have been eating too much High GI it messes your blood sugars around. Hopefully next week you go better!

Thin that comment about everything being 12 inches lower is what made me laugh. It is so weird having an older body!

I got a good sense of all the 5:2 issues here by coming to the website every day instead of getting emails sent. I loved reading through recent posts and finding all these different issues and attitudes. I don’t do it as much now, but if I have a bit of time (ie trying to put off something else I need to do 😉 ) I like to browse the threads.

Lael, I hope you got through that third Fast Day ok. I know that light headed feeling! However, when I am in that state I can’t read recipes (which are my very favourite browsing materials!) because I am so niggly and hungry. But you must be eating porridge by now!

Jen is going to make a little wholemeal wrap full of veggies, and then cut it so they are bitesize circles and looking pretty and colourful, and also some tiny bowls (about the size of tealights) with eency weency cubes of fruit, topped with a little blob of honey yoghurt.

Nap, how did your Fast day go? Will you be doing set days? I hope it is nice this time that you know what you are going into and can plan nicely around it.

This time tomorrow I will be heading off for that interview!

Cheers all for a good day today!

Good morning, all. I hope everyone is having a good day.

How awesome Thin, you are at your goal! How long have you been maintaining with 6:1? I think last time I was here you were thinking of switching to 6:1.
It is sad that we can’t have contact with our mothers, but I am finally at the stage in my life where I can’t do it anymore, and I need to care about myself. I have a couple of self help books which helps in the validation I am doing the right thing.

Cinque, I had a great first fast day and am having my second one today. I will probably do Monday and Thursday or Friday – I am trying to do it when hubby is at work in the evenings, so it is a matter of working around his roster. I was delighted to hop on the scales and see I have lost .5kg since last Monday. And I have not been exercising as my physical state has not been crash hot – so really happy about that.

How did your interview go, Cinque?

That’s good to hear Cinque; I was thinking of you when I woke up.

All the best for a happy FD Merry. Back on track, yay!

YAWN ALERT: Nap, I met my goal weight around September last year. When I say ‘goal weight’, I believe it was more of a protracted plateau that I came to accept as my new weight. By then, I’d lost 24kgs. I continued 5:2 until we went overseas and began 6:1. After 3 weeks, I started losing weight as we were walking 10-15kms a day so at 58kg, I stopped fasting, weighing daily with a plan to resume if I reached 60kgs – I didn’t. Once home, I resumed 6:1 until one day in April, I hit my trigger weight of 61kg and immediately reverted to 5:2. I kept that up until we went to Africa in June, again intending to fast 6:1 but my trusty travel scales told me I didn’t need to fast at all. So after 5 weeks of no fasting, I’m back on 6:1. If I reach that ‘trigger weight’ even for a day, I will be back on 5:2. I’m never going back to where I was.

I’ve exhausted myself, I can’t imagine how you must feel reading all that and I bet you wish you hadn’t asked. Sorry that was SO boring!

Silly Thin, it wasn’t boring at all! It is awesome to hear how people have not only achieved their goal weight, but also been able to maintain it. I never thought it was possible, but I am getting close to my goal weight, and I need to start thinking how I will manage maintenance at that time.

So when you went back to 5:2 in April, you obviously lost the extra couple of kilos again?

Cinque, that is an interesting link. I definitely love my sweet things when I exercise – but I love them when I don’t as well, so I don’t think I can use exercise as an excuse! 😉 But so many of us here who struggle with fatigue and exercise, it is good to find it doesn’t make much difference to our WOL.

Well, another fast day done and dusted. I forgot how I almost get a high at this time of the evening – knowing I have achieved another successful fast day. How did other fasters go today?

Good morning from sunny Melbourne, complete with birdcalls.

Thin, I am a great believer in repeating good messages, maybe not at politician’s rate, but often enough so everyone hears them a few times and they get to really sink in. So I wasn’t yawning as I read your piece either.
(You need to copy and save it ready to paste in next time 😉 )

Thanks for thinking of me yesterday morning, it was so good to feel the good wishes of lovely people at my back!

I made a really big soup yesterday! A huge container for the freezer and another one, and a container for the fridge. It will be my standby!

Nap, hooray for another successful day. It is an exhilarating feeling at the end of the Fast Day (but the morning after is still my very favourite!)

Off to make breakfast, riceflour dosa. And maybe a second pot of coffee.

Best wishes for a good day. I’ll fast tomorrow, and see how it works meal prepping with my daughter.

Hi All,

Thin, I too really appreciate reading the details of your journey around moving to maintenance and how you make that work. I scan other threads from time to time and come across quite a few who reach their 5:2 goal weight and then drop the program completely and I suppose in the aftermath, allow that train to get far down the track so far out of sight that they end up landing back here with as much weight to lose as they did when they originally did. The details you described help me realize what is important to keep in mind once I reach goal weight so that I can avoid the sharks in the maintenance waters!

Cinque, the veggie wraps that you served to the panel sound so yummy! Your description made me think of vibrant color, freshness and nourishment and I’m envisioning the panel welcoming you to proceed with your plans!

The link to exercise and eating sweets was interesting. I remember when I worked with a personal trainer many years ago and did an hour of weight lifting and intense aerobics how starving I felt afterwards and I’d often crave and gorge on sweet treats. Throughout the couple of years I worked with the trainer my muscles enlarged and so did the layer of fat covering them (measured by the pinch test)!

Hi Merry! Good to read the intolerance episode is now far behind.

Nap, good to read of your smooth sailing fasting days!

Glad you got to the bottom of the sleeplessness Hagar. I too require specific minerals for my body to function well. I take a fair bit of magnesium including before bed which does help me sleep. I also try to focus on eating whole foods or I don’t feel well.

Unfortunately a perfect storm of factors set me back this past week and as a result my adrenals are worse for wear. It started with the the chest/sinus/throat infection which knocked me out of my homework schedule so that by Tuesday I was up against a number of deadlines for submitting TAFE assignments. To meet the deadlines I was required to stay up into wee hours of a couple of mornings to complete the work. All this took place during my default foray into ADF, which was like the straw that broke the camel’s back and I crashed. I admit, just before I came down with the infection I was feeling so fabulous that I’d lost perspective of reality, of where I’d come from, which is starting the program in June questioning whether I would even be able to handle 6:1.

Over my ADF days I didn’t vary from the numbers of calories allotted and ate quite consciously and respectfully on all my alternate feasting days and by the end of the ADF week, I didn’t see a difference in the scales that even came near to the extra amount of effort I felt I had to put in to pull off that extra FD. In other words the scale registered an extra 100 grams loss after that third FD for that week whereas I noted a greater improvement after the first two FDs. This might have been because I was definitely in low cortisol territory by that third FD which would also mean that the thyroid hormone I take orally would be working less efficiently. So, in effect, a hypothyroid state was triggered which precipitates slower metabolism and lower body temperature and weight preservation. Because of my adrenal weakness I’ve concluded that even without the infection and sleeplessness, ADF probably isn’t for me.

I’m not sure when my next FD will be. I’m feeling kind of under the weather today so will consider that when I’m feeling better.

Lael, I hope you’re starting to feel better today. It’s good that you understand your body so well and can learn from what happened. Take care of yourself.

I’m looking forward to my FD today. The sun’s shining, the forecast temp is 21C. Yesterday, my OH bought a motor scooter for fun so I’ll drive him over to collect it today and then he can amuse himself with it.

All fine thanks Lael, it was an easy FD. I’m wondering about Cinque though – too much food prepping to allow time to report in. I did get a short ride, yes! It’s quite a cute bike. All the best to you for tomorrow – and all the Monday fasters.

Morning, all. A lovely day here in Canberra, I feel like I need to go and sit in the sun to thaw out.

Thin and Cinque (and anyone else) how did FD go yesterday?

Lael it sounds hectic for you at the moment. I hope you soon get back on top of things and can resume the fasting.

Weigh in this morning. After my first week back on 5:2, I lost 1.5kg. Woo hoo! I said to OH this morning “See, this is why I love fasting”. I know it is so much because it is the first week back on – but it is still awesome. 2.5kg to goal weight, although that weight was modified from what I originally wanted – so I may decide to try for the 5.5kg to lose.

One thing I regret with my ‘journey’ is the fact that I didn’t take any ‘before’ photos or measurements. I honestly didn’t think I would succeed, so didn’t bother taking any of that. Now I wish I had, because I don’t have many photos of me, and certainly none showing how big I was.

Who else is fasting with me today?

Woo hoo, Lael! Glad you got it together for FD.

Good morning from glorious Melbourne, sunshine is back and growing stronger!
I was so slow yesterday I forgot things I had to do and now I am really behind. Must have coffee and get to work.
Determined to have a good normal eating day today!

I hope yesterday’s Fasters had a great day. Nap, so nice to hear how good it is for you to be fasting again!
Lael, I so hope you had a good ‘getting back on track’ day! Life is a trick, isn’t it!

Nap, I am the same with photos! I so avoided them, plus I got really good at dressing to hide the weight and then hid behind other people if a photo did have to be taken, that I haven’t got any good photos to show how different I am now. Ha.

Cheers to today’s Fasters!

Bye all, wish me luck catching up!

Hi Everyone, My FD ended up going well yesterday.

Hagar, I’m curious of what type of region you live to encounter -1 temps?! I think alpine New Zealand or Australia! I believe it’s been snowing on Mt. Hotham! I hope you recover from your cold quickly! I’m at the very tail end of mine, thank goodness! The hot soup you made sounds like a perfect remedy!

Nap, that 1.5 kg loss in one week is impressive! If you go for the the 5.5 kg distance, that’s around what I’m aiming at! …About before and afters, I’m one who wouldn’t even step on the scale just before my first FD. In tracking my progress, I’ve had to use a weight measurement taken weeks prior before I was triggered into that week long snack fest that precipitated my inaugural FD. Because of this, I’ve probably shed more than I realize, though I’ll never know!

Cinque, here’s to a very productive day for you! Did you complete the Census? I’ve still to do that. Now that I’ve completed my TAFE assignments for week, I too have a list of things to do, though feel in a bit of slow mode myself! I at least hope to get a batch of cabbage set to ferment into sauerkraut. I have a couple heads of cabbage that have been in the fridge for a week. It’s time!

I was thinking of adopting a Monday and Wednesday FD schedule, though am feeling to experiment instead with a Monday and Thursday configuration.

Hagar! I love Christchurch! In 1985 I cycled north and south islands of N.Z. When we got a ways down the west coast of south island (Pancake Rocks) near there we put bicycles on train up to mountain top and glided down into Christchurch, which I decided was my favorite city in the world! I loved the being in the presence of the Wizard in the city square and was delighted to spend lazy afternoons in the park along the banks of the Avon! The friend I cycled with ended up staying in N.Z. and where he continues to live at Lake Hawea decades later! I went on to Australia, where I stayed!

Lael, that’s some more that we have in common then. I left California and spent 6 months hitch-hiking in NZ in 1985; the kiwis must be the most hospitable people in the world. I’d often get picked up, reprimanded for hitching and told they’d only picked me up because it’s very dangerous to hitch-hike, taken home, fed and sometimes even put up for the night. Amazingly kind people. I had a sign that simply read, “HARMLESS” which seemed to make people laugh even if they didn’t stop. I later changed it to, “Dire Straits” because it seemed the whole nation was heading to the concert in Christchurch. Ah, I wonder what became of the wizard?

Hi Thin, I’m still here. Read the posts daily but just don’t seem to have the time to reply. My daughter and family drove to Melbourne on Sunday and since then I have been so busy getting organised for my Mums 90th on Saturday which is all self-catered. I’ve gone through packing cases etc and dragged out Mum’s Country Roses dinner set, crystal glasses and gold and silver cutlery sets. Shopped, prepared and done so much organising in the past few days I’m exhausted”

Managed to do a full FD yesterday and weight this morning 68.7, so still travelling okay, considering what has passed my lips the past few weeks.

The family goes home on Monday and I will be facing another crisis that I wasn’t really expecting. The marriage is not doing well and they are talking of separation. So sad, especially for the children.

Sorry I can’t reply to all the posts but you are all doing amazingly in your journey. I am now into my 80th week and I’ve had more than a few glitches but still only .7 off a 20kg loss. I’m in this for the long haul. So never ever think this doesn’t work. It’s not how many times you fall but how many times you get up.

Will be back into it next week. Bye for now 😀😀

Nap, just .7 off 20kg. I don’t know that I ever had a firm goal in mind. In the beginning I just didn’t believe it would work or that I could do it. I started off at 87.1 and when I got to 70kg that was a huge milestone for me. I could probably lose another 10kg but I feel and look so good at my current weight that I am going to let my body decide. I know longer stress about my weight or what I eat, which is a huge achievement in itself.

I do have old photos of when I weighed 105kg and I look at them now and then and can’t believe it is the same person. Over the past 18 months I have thrown away so many clothes, to a worthy cause, and some still had tags on them. Although most of my clothes are now size 12 I still have some 16’s around in jeans that will be going out shortly, I use them for around the house and quite a few of my winter clothes will not be here next season!!!!😉😉

Hi everyone,

Following the messages, and coming up for air today. It’s been pretty full on for the last week with various things including OHs father, days out with lots of people, days here with lots of people, and today is supposed to be the same, but I think I’m going to have a rest day instead. Just the timing of everything coming at once has been a challenge, and it’s included a family birthday and the usual overkill of food when people get together. I’ve been handling it Ok, but have not done my 2 FDs fully. Thursdays FD got put off till Friday then I went over 500 cals that evening. Monday FD also went over 500. I began 5:2 with 500 cals on FDs but for awhile I’ve been doing 1/4 of my TDEE, about 375, so over 500 then becomes quite a bit over. Monday I was catering for 8 people here, including gluten free things for another person and me. More visitors yesterday, and today was to be out with more people for a once a month thing, but I’ve decided not to go, rest up, go slow. I thought about doing a FD today, but I think I’m going to stick to my FD tomorrow. I do better when it’s routine. And hide the nuts! Writing this down makes me see that the over calorie episodes on both FDs was probably due to tiredness. I’ve simply done too much and lost a bit of perspective.

Will be back later🙂
Merry

Intesha, you are so right. Success really is not about how many times you fall off the horse, but how many times you get back on.

Intesha, good to hear from you. I’m echoing what Cinque said. It’s a big worry for you. I hope it all works out for the best for everyone. For all the rhetoric about children being resilient, bla bla, it does affect them, of course it does. I’m sure your lovely family will do their best to support the little ones in whatever decision they make. All the best for the big bash with all the finery and let’s hope your mum can enjoy it too. So good that you’ve shed that 20kg and kept it off. You have stayed so strong. Cheers to you!

Cinque, for how long have you been living with CFS? Are you sticking to the Sunday fast this week? Neither of us have a ‘spare’ so we probably worry even more than most about our girls. Have a wonderful day today.

Nap, you’ve achieved so much. Your post is a reminder to any newbies to measure & record everything. I came across a photo of myself at my worst the other day. Not a pretty sight.

Merry, you’ve had a busy week. We celebrate everything with food. And usually too much of it. But, for you, this is a WOL forever so you can enjoy the occasional hiccup. We visited friends last weekend who kept apologising for not having any ‘treats’ to give us. I explained that we’d come to see them and didn’t need anything to eat (I’m not sure OH agreed with me). I supply my neighbours with endless cups of tea and coffee during the week but they never get cake/biscuits as I don’t keep them in the house. One of my neighbours does 5:2 so we often share a herbal tea bag over a good chat. Who needs chips and dip?

I have that Italian restaurant meal coming up on Friday and it’s consuming my whole week. It’s interesting how anxious I’ve become about eating out. OH warned me the other day that he’s planning to take me somewhere really special for our 25th anniversary next month and he doesn’t want to hear any complaining about it! I reluctantly agreed to lunch out on Monday and gained 900gm. All’s good now so I suppose our bodies can absorb these indulgences now and again but it’s not sustainable. Fasting helps put the brakes on that runaway train and keeps it from disappearing too far down the track as you so cleverly put it, Lael.

I’m celebrating two years on 5:2 today! Hurray for fasting. Thanks Dr M. You’ve changed my life. It’s raining quite hard so I’m off to the garage for an hour on the treadmill and will try to finish a particularly hard cryptic crossword to pass the time.