Morning everyone!!
I’m a newbie here – Live in Sydney – and his w just survived my first fast day. And surprisingly have woken about 6 am and don’t feel too hungry. I’ll try and wait another hour before eating. First FD went okay. Decided to split it into two and have a breakfast and then ate dinner about 5 ish. Have enjoyed reading all your posts about various bits and pieces. My starting weight was 76.4 and my goal is under 70 kG. I also have an under active Thyroid – Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis- which was the other reason I thought I would give the 5:2 a try. I’m used to daily weigh ins so this morning I was 74.9. Happy with that after the first fast. It’s early days let’s see if I can keep doing this

Hi All,

Welcome Stephy! I’m glad your first fasting day went okay! Like Cinque, the day after fasting day is my favorite too, enjoy yours Stephy!

I too have Hashimotos and 5:2 has been great. Because I have another condition related to Hashimotos, I’m not able to do much exercise, so this method of shedding fat has been a lifesaver, literally! …Because all those blood markers of mine that were leading to diabetes and heart disease are now reversing!

I’ve decided to fast today.

Thanks ladies for the lovely welcome!!! I’ll admit yesterday was a long day. I’m planning my next fasting day for a work day I’ll be able to keep busy and distract myself. I’m celebrating with a glass of rose tonight with last nights leftover chicken and veggie stir fry

Good luck Lael for your FD!!

Lael, I tried the microwave method for the cauliflower rice last night. I prefer that and I think the key is to season it well. I will happily substitute it for rice especially now that I know I can freeze portions. Did you try on your RC pants today?

Stephy, it gets easier as your body adjusts to going without food.

Fasting with you Cinque. Might you return to Sunday fasting? It’s another chilly 16C for the high today but I’ve braved the cold and been for my 5km walk including HIT. Looking forward to tomorrow’s weigh-in now that I’m at the happier end of the 60-61kg scale after Wednesday’s fast.

Hi Sunday fasters, I am joining you today just throwing in an extra day to try and get myself on the downward slope again. 69.2 this morning.

Belated Congratulations Cinque, I will be in Melbourne about the second week in December, might have to pay you a visit.

Steph welcome to our family. You’ll find that we are all at different levels. Some don’t deviate but others like me still struggle even though it really is easy once you get into the swing of it.

Well done everyone else for your loses and staying the course.

I have just processed my cauliflower for my fried ‘rice’ tonight, I am having it with garlic prawns mmmm. Haven’t eaten anything so far but will have my protein shake shortly 96cals with a cup of tea.

Pilates is going well Thin. The other reason I have not been going to the gym is because I am having some varicose veins treated. They have bothered me, visually, for years but Channel 7 had a segment in the news a few months ago about a new procedure which was non surgical. They inject some type of fluid into the veins sealing them off. I had my left leg done yesterday the right one 3 weeks ago. It takes several months for it to really take effect but the Dr was happy with what he saw yesterday. Vanity at my age but now that I am starting to wear dresses again after about 30 years I figure why not.

Hope you are all enjoying your Sunday.

Well done with the pants Lael. Hurray, along with Cinque, I will soon have you and Merry keeping me company on maintenance.

Good for you on all counts Intesha. I hope you are showing off your new legs. I’m struggling a bit today. I’m on my 4th herbal tea (same bag) and counting down to 5pm for my dinner. I can’t really say I’m hungry if I’m honest, I just really feel like eating! It will be fun if you ladies can meet up in Melbourne.

Steph, I also started at 83kgs and lost 23kgs. More actually, as I have been as low as 58.5kg but I’ve settled comfortably at 60kg. It’s completely achievable. I can hardly believe I am now a size 10 after wearing those rent-a-tent tops for so many years. I just wish Dr M had discovered this when I was 30 years younger. Hurray for 5:2! All the best to everyone.

Hi Intesha, 350 is an impressive count. I think you’ve inspired a lot of people on this thread by the way. I’m up to 265 but I still have a few hours to go. I feel full now that I’ve had the Spanish Fideos (I’m so lazy, it was the other portion of Wednesday’s fast). Well, that’s great that you stick to the FDs, well done. I don’t have any trouble sticking to them either. But I don’t know why you think I’m so strong. Don’t forget I had about a year’s head start on you. I’ve no idea what my cal count for non-FDs is as I simply cannot deal with calorie counting. I once tried to calculate it and reached about 500 with just the breakfast fare so I gave up.

I eat absolutely anything I want on non-FDs. What I want has changed though. I think the things that made a difference are giving up certain carbs altogether (pasta, bread, noodles and now maybe rice); drastically reducing the portion size when I do have rice or starchy veg; having very little interest in alcohol which means an entire range of snacks have been eliminated (as well as the high cal content of the booze itself). I hate to admit that I still sometimes snack on muesli in the evening but I’m much better. I’d love to be strong enough to give up sugar but I doubt I can do it.

Happy Happy Birthday Merry!

Welcome Pam. Good luck with your FD. We are all here to help & have a chat.

I am in Dunedin NZ.

Cheers,
Michaela

Hiya Thin, My fast days are Tuesdays & Thursdays.

Hi Pamela 🙂 Welcome, and congratulations on your first fast!

I had my fast day yesterday. Very tired from having granddaughter overnight. Still tired today and was on grandma duty again as things are happening. Not fast enough so they are back from hospital, and just picked up Josie. Chances are I’ll need to go over in the middle of the night, so having and early meal and seeing if I can get as much sleep as possible. (I might be too old to be a grandma twice!)

Best wishes to everyone

Evening everyone.

Well, another successful week, another kilo down and another couple of cms off the waist, yeees!!! Had to change my second FD from Thurs to Sat which felt very strange, but managed it. This week we’ve changed today (Mon) to Tues and Fri, so will be different again, certainly enjoying the 16:8 which means I very often skip breakfast altogether so am not eating anywhere near as much as before. It’s quite strange really having been bought up where I wasn’t allowed out the door without breakfast during my school years and I struggled so much with eating as soon as I had got up in the morning, it was great when I finally started work and could set my own mealtimes! It’s only the last few years that I have started having breakfast again, and am not really sure why, can so easily skip it!

Lael – I do remember you saying you had been to NZ some years go, I am in the Roxburgh Valley and visit Lake Hawea/Wanaka/Queenstown regularly, such a beautiful part of the country.

Cinque – Yes we do have a B & B with 11 rooms and suites so max capacity is around 24/28 guests depending on bed config, with a full a la carte restaurant which is also open to the public from this weekend. Any tips……keep it simple and just take your time to feel your way through, there’s not much point doing what you want to do if it isn’t going to be the right option for your market. We have been here over 20 years now and we have just put the business on the market, time to do something else! I love the salads in a jar, I am a big fan of Sarah Wilson and she just loves toting food in jars!! Wishing you lots of luck, but sure you won’t need it, you’ll do great!

Welcome to the newbies, this really is a great forum, everyone is so encouraging and even if some people don’t post very often, you know they are listening and urging you on, it took me a while before I placed my first post but am so pleased I did.

Night night everyone,

Turn

Hi everyone, so much to catch up on, I’ve taken notes while reading!

Thin & Cinque, I laughed out loud at your description of what’s happening to your backsides 🙂 Thin, I like the idea of the trigger weight – good to keep on top of it.

Cinque, how exciting about the cafe! I will visit if I ever get to Melbourne again!

Lael, congratulations on your great blood test results! The exterior is great motiviation but what’s happening on the inside is fantastic too. And thank you for the link to cauliflower rice. I don’t have a food processer but I have a little stick blender thing with a blade for chopping etc. Not sure if it will be fine enough but will give it a go.

Intesha, what an amazing achievement, 105 to 68kg! Great inspiration for newbies like me. I know what you mean about eating everything in sight. When it happens it really does feel like addiction, it’s very hard to stop. Hope things are looking better for you now.

Merry, I hope you have a lovely trip and will be interested to hear how you go with fasting whilst away. I am hoping when we go away in 3 weeks that I will be able to continue 16:8 and have a couple of fast days during the 10 days we’re in Hawaii. I do not want to come home having regained what I’ve lost.

Welcome Stephy & Pam. I’m a newbie, have just finished 4 weeks – started at 81.1kg (81.4kg the day before I started) and this morning down to 78kg. I’ve surprised myself big time by sticking to this and oddly, find I look forward to fast days, I’m not sure if it’s the challenge or the scale that motivates – probably the scale. Am also pretty much sticking to 16:8 each day. Today did 20:4. That said, was sorely tempted to pick up chips when I walked past them at the supermarket today. I wonder if that will ever change.

Survived a weekend away with my old school friends this past weekend. Didn’t hold back with the cheese & biccies, dips, chips etc so really thought I’d pay for it on the scale this morning but it only went up 200g from Friday so that was a great surprise. I did do Mon, Wed, Fri fast days last week to try and kick things along and am considering doing alternate day fasting this week with only 3 weeks till my beach holiday, followed by a family wedding ~ do not wish to be the fattest sister in the photos….

Had a good fast day today. Didn’t eat till 2.30pm (piece of cheese & salami ~ not to self, don’t buy salami again) and then, inspired by a photo of a zoodles dish I saw on facebook, went and bought a vegetti from the post office (?) and made the yummiest dinner!

I sauteed shallots, diced red capsicum, fresh chilli, added cut grape tomatos and some diced fresh veggie mix (bought at Woolies), sprinkled with a little chicken stock powder and poured over the zucchini noodles. It was so delicious, it really surprised me. Never been a fan of zucchini, I find it very bland and mushy but this was really yummy. Will definitely be doing that again, probably tomorrow! I didn’t count calories as it was all vegetables and I only made a small bowl.

My husband loved the zoodle dish too. Interestingly, he’s not doing 5:2 but as a result of my not cooking pasta, rice, potatoes etc for the last month, he’s lost about 3.5kg too which he’s pretty happy about. I’m very lucky he likes vegetables and salads (with meat/fish etc).

Googled zoodles recipes and there’s lots of yummy options to try.

Also spent some time this morning washing summer clothes (for hols) and tried on a few things that didn’t fit last summer but they do now!! woo hoo! My goal is to lose another 3kg in the next 3 weeks which will put me at 75kg. I will have to work hard and keep away from carbs 99% of the time 🙁

I agree with whoever said earlier, aren’t we lucky to be part of this IF movement and seeing the results. It will be really interesting to see how long it takes to be fully accepted and acknowledged for it’s great benefits. A huge thank you to Dr Michael Mosley and all the others researching and reporting on intermittent fasting.

Happy fasting everyone!
Beth x

Good morning all, feeling positive and so far even though it’s early a beautiful sunny day. FD today weight 68.3. Last Tuesday’s start of FD I was 70.5.

Beth it’s not about denial, this WOL is for a lifetime and it’s just about mindful eating. I still love my cakes and chocolates but find I can’t eat as much as before without feeling sick. I was never a big pasta/rice eater but love fresh bread especially cheesy vegemite scrolls which I still indulge in from time to time. My eating habits have definitely changed and probably without me realising it one day I will not crave those sweet treats.

Have a lovely day, will check in tomorrow with weigh in.

Good morning everyone.

Stephy the 16:8 and 20:4 is about the hours in the day, and keeping eating within a smaller number of hours.
Here is some info http://easacademy.org/trainer-resources/article/intermittent-fasting and I especially like the conclusion that the fasting type that works best, is the one that can be maintained.

Just heard from my daughter, they all managed a good nights sleep so that is good. Is today your anniversary Thin? It would be a lovely date to coincide with. But her sister-in-law Holly will be her birth helper and she is a nurse, so we have to hope baby waits til after her shift!

Stephy, sorry about the shorthand!

I’m trying out 16:8 which means fasting for 16 hours every day between say, 8pm and midday, then only eating in the 8 hour period (12noon till 8pm). It essentially means you’re skipping breakfast every day. Then 2 days per week I also do the 500 cal days in that 8 hour window.

Intesha, fantastic result to lose over 2kg in one week! Wow!

Good job Turn, Steph and Beth. I enjoyed your post Beth, which islands are you visiting in Hawaii? So funny that the PO sells kitchen gadgets. It’s great that your OH is getting trim with you. Enjoy the Thai food.

I’m glad you’re feeling good today intesha. The extra FD paid off then.

Just to add about the fasting window, I’d stopped eating lunch years ago as, even then, I realised I couldn’t sustain three meals a day. Since starting 5:2, I still always have a coffee when I wake up (because I’m addicted) but I wait to have my ‘breakfast’ closer to lunch time.

Cinque, yes it’s today. We’re going out for a seafood platter (hoping it’s not too deep fried). We’re going for lunch at my suggestion. That way I won’t need any breakfast or dinner but I didn’t say that out loud. OH has thought outside the box and bought me a silver ingot from the Perth Mint!

Oh Lael, the ulcers sound painful! I hope you find the answer at the doctor. I can’t eat too much pineapple, it makes my tongue sort of sting after a few pieces but luckily no ulcers, they hurt :(. Thank you for the suggestion, could try the grater as well.

Thin, happy anniversary to you! Hope you enjoy your lovely seafood platter for lunch, just thinking about prawns makes my mouth water… We get fresh seafood every Wednesday here in the country. A couple goes to the fish markets and does a milk run up the New England Highway.

Our trip to Hawaii is a belated wedding anniversary celebration. We’d planned to go in May but work was too busy so we postponed. We got married there 3.5 years ago which was my husband’s first trip overseas. We’re spending half the time on Maui and the other half in Waikiki (a spot of shopping!).

It is weird what the post office sells these days, I’m often surprised. The veggetti worked a treat.

Off to buy the cauliflower and more zucchinis. I swear I’ve never eaten so many vegetables in my life.

Had some sour dough roll with avocado, cheese, tomato and bacon just now, so good. Trying to up the cals on non fast days as I don’t think I’m eating up to my BMR. My appetite has changed over the last month and my BMR, about 1440 is a lot of food. What do you all eat on nfd’s?

😍😍😍

Happy Anniversary Thin, hope you had a wonderful lunch.

Steph we all obsess about the scales except for Cinque who doesn’t own any. Wise lady. We have to remember they are just a guide as a lot of the transformation happens on the inside.

Welcome to the world Penelope! What a lovely name.

Thanks for the good wishes Intesha, Beth and Cinque. It was a delicious seafood platter with a bottle of wine. A bit naughty.

Steph, don’t forget to count the cals in the skimmed milk. Unfortunately, no amount of exercise counts in the balance sheet against intake on FDs but you’ll soon settle into a rhythm. Make sure you’re only eating a quarter of your TDEE.

Beth you asked what we eat on nonFDs. Hmmm, just about anything I want. As I’m still addicted to Carmen’s muesli, (oh dear, so much sugar) I enjoy that for breakfast late morning with plain yoghurt, chia seeds and FF milk. I don’t usually eat anything else until dinner, which we have early compared to most people, at around 5 or 6pm. Then it’s lots of different veggies as the main part of the meal, I’m trying to reduce the meat intake for the whole family but sometimes I’ll have a small bolognaise sauce on courgetti, maybe fish or chicken with my new best friend cauliflower rice. I allow myself a small handful of cashews or roasted almonds if I’m desperate for a snack.

Lael, that sounds horrid. I hope you soon get over that. My nan would’ve recommended TCP. I doubt anyone knows what I’m talking about.

Congrats Clinque!!! – and my Mum tells me I was nearly going to Penelope but they preferred Stephanie!!!

Thanks Thin – I always count the skim milk – but still trying to figure out the coffee calories. Just not sure. And we also eat dinner by 6 – my hubby cycles for an hour there and back to work so is literally starving when he gets home about 5.30 ish. It works for us anyhow

Lael I can empathise, I had a really bad experience like that with pineapple, I rarely eat it now, but if I do it’s just a little bit & have to make sure there’s absolutely no spiney bits at all. Hope you’re feeling better soon!

FD was a complete success yesterday horray!!!
Lots of fluids were had & only 250cals consumed!!
But yet again I forgot to weigh in this morning 🙁

Congratulations Cinque!!

Congratulations Cinque. A new baby brings so much happiness hope you enjoy every cuddle.

Weigh in this morning 68.3. Must have hit that dreaded plateau again but at least this time there is no stress associated with it just disappointment but I now know the drill and you just keep going because nothing else has changed. I still look good, my clothes fit well and the other day I bought a size 10 top. I can’t remember when I last fitted into that size probably 40 or 50 yrs ago!!!!!!!

I too now have dinner before 6. When I was working it would be 7-7.30. Having Dad with me now it is all about routine.