Yay GDSA I knew you could do it!!! Here’s to you enjoying your holiday and feeling all the trimmer as you set off on it!

Poppylocks and others, I found the below post so relevant to me in that it shows me that if I push too forcefully, my body won’t always cooperate and sometimes I’ll be pushed into a physical or emotional rebound. I’m assuming that since this was posted publically, albeit on another thread that Hermajtomomi wouldn’t mind me copying it here. Hermomajtomomi writes:

“I’m now in my fifth year on 5:2 but have never posted on this thread but this topic interests me.

I’ve been overweight and sometimes borderline obese since childhood and 5:2 is the only diet that’s ever worked for me, despite eating healthily but almost certainly in too large quantities. I’m convinced that intermittent fasting has made all the difference.

“About 8 weeks ago, having so far lost a little over 20% of my starting weight, with various other healthy spin-offs, I switched from the conventional 5:2 pattern to a combination of Jason Fung’s 24-hour fasting (which I find relatively easy) with 2 fast days a week at 800 cal per day.

“I didn’t feel I could realistically stick to 800 cals for 7 day a week so I took up Dr M’s suggestion of following the 5:2 pattern for a less dramatic loss. The main difference was to be especially vigilant on sugar and processed carbs but a little more generous with “good” fats. For much of the time I followed recipes in the BSD cookbook.

“I’m sorry to say it didn’t work. I REGAINED 3 kilos. I should point out that I’m probably one of 5:2’s slowest losers and something of a plateau queen – and I mean plateaux that last for up to 5 or 6 months on end – which has meant an average annual weight loss of around 4.5 kilos. So this gain could cost me nearly a year’s extra work. Now I find myself back on a plateau and after 4 weeks, still failing to shed even a fraction of the regained 3 kilos, which has left me more than a little disheartened.

“My conclusion is that I’m one of those who needs to watch not only sugar but also fat intake. I wish I’d stuck to the principle of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, but of course this doesn’t mean that others won’t find it works brilliantly for them.”

https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/52-diet-vs-the-8-week-blood-sugar-diet/#post-200964

Hi again,
Posting regarding the discussion for the disenchanted poster Poppylocks
It can be disheartening seeing the scales go up but this Way Of Eating is no quick remedy. Your body may take three to four weeks or more to adjust to work out what it needs to do. It takes commitment and patience with sticking to under 500cals two days a week if you try more you are more likely to fail, it is not easy at the start. I personally do not count cals on non FD’s, I drink beer every non FD, eat carbs, lots of cheese, nuts and fruit. I get the nuts in their shell and crack them open this slows down the intake after 5 or 6 nuts you are done. I have fruit for a snack, peaches are my favourite at the moment. I reckon I have two snacks a day now and only eat at meal times otherwise, this is learning control because you will feel full afterwards and not need a snack.
It was on another post that 5:2 is a framework and not everyone is the same, you will find what works for you.
Stick with it Poppylocks, another poster Slimmerella was saying the same thing a couple of weeks ago then lost 5kg in 2 weeks.
Anyway just trying to let you know we have all had tough times doing 5:2 and we use the forum to help pick us up and motivate each other. All you wonderful fellow fasters you.
Night all
Joffy

Hello to everyone! I am working a double shift tonight, so I don’t have the time I want for in-depth responses, but just on a quick break. I wanted to say to everyone who has been so supportive and so friendly that your kindness is overwhelming, and I feel like I’ve stumbled onto a lovely group of people who understand the struggle. I will hopefully have time tomorrow for a longer reply, but just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to all! Warm regards, Poppy. 😊😊

Good morning all. Moggy finally came home last night much to D’s delight. Vets very happy with her progress and walking well despite a few wobbly moments. Loving all the extra cuddles she’s receiving too !

Glad it’s Friday only 5 more working days and then miss D and I have two & half weeks off for the school holidays. Will be staying home trying to get on top of house, shed and yard jobs.

Hasn’t been a successful week for weight loss. Have done no exercise at all, failed at both FD’s which has resulted in a scale reading of 70kg which is disappointing as i got down to 68kg. Nevermind – has definitely been a stressful week with moggy plus a few sleepless nights. I’m ready to get myself back on track.

Hi all SHs, hope you are all having a good day. It’s 30C in Adelaide today – a welcome bit of sunshine before the cold starts to creep in. I am on a FD and not remotely in the mood for it, but I will persevere.

GDSA, glad to hear your cat is doing so well. Don’t be hard on yourself with the weight gain. I’ve noticed with my own weight loss pattern that bad weeks cause a gain that includes plenty of fluid retention and it comes off very quickly – it’s the body fat that’s been there for ages that’s slower to shift.

Joffy, I vote for pleats too. I remember the 80s look – for the first time suits looked cool. Good on your for sticking to back-to-back FDs – I did it once and never again, that 2nd day feels like it’s never going to end.

Minka, thanks for the quote from Hermomajtomomi, I found it a useful reminder to not doubt myself and what I know about my own body. It is also a reminder to not be influenced by what is currently in favour or being promoted and especially not to believe that what works for someone else will necessarily work for me. By trial and error we find out what works and what our limits are – I’ve noticed that we all find our own unique balance of answers – sometimes there’s a lot of overlap with others and sometime not much. Sometimes people are so enthusiastic about what works for them that they evangelise as if they need to convince others to validate their own conclusions – I think we all have moments where it’s easy to be swayed by these loud voices and doubt ourselves. So thanks for the quote, it’s a useful reminder that we shouldn’t doubt what we know about ourselves just because others have different views.
I’m really glad that we have such a friendly supportive approach on this forum thread, with people offering their experience and advice in a helpful way. Some of the other threads on this forum that I’ve read are awful, as people fight for the supremacy of their particular viewpoint over what we should be eating or how we should be exercising – I really don’t find that a helpful approach.

Poppy, welcome. I am another with a very low TDEE (1400) – there are a few of us here so you aren’t alone with this challenge. It can make weight loss a slower journey and learning how to eat on NFDs has been even more important for me than the FDs. As frustrating as the low TDEE is, I at least finally understand why I gain weight more easily than most other people I know – my calorie needs are less than them. While that feels unfair it is also a fact that isn’t going to go away – in the end I had to find a way to accept it was my truth and live with it.

Hope you all have nice weekend plans. Mine will be largely spent in the garden I think – more bales of pea straw to be spread.

Hello All

Gday – so sorry this is an annus horribilus for you. Some years just test all our strength and resolve. And it’s especially hard when it involves our frail old folk and all the implications that go along with that. There are so many things we can’t control – maybe your FDs are one thing you can. I hope you have got lots of love and support around you.

LJ I think your comment about ‘know thyself’ is well made. I’m still learning what that picture looks like – and it’s a process I’m finding hugely valuable. As that firms up I guess the next stage is ‘trust thyself’ and recognise that elements of someone else’s picture or the fad of the week may or may not work for you. I do think that the fasting process has made it much easier to build that picture for me. Its like I am freed from food – and can think differently about it. Some things were just immediately obvious – and others are coming to light over time.

One of the things I realised just today was how fear of hunger has lost its power over me. I felt hunger pains this morning – chose to ignore them and distracted myself and then suddenly realised a while later they were gone!

A great thing about this forum is its like a smorgasbord and I can choose what things I want to try – as well as what I learn for myself.

Also I would like to say how great it is when restaurants offer ‘naked’ options for hamburgers etc on their menu! Yesterday was NFD and we were out for dinner with others and I was able to just order without having to specifically ask for ‘no bun’ and draw attention to myself.

FD today and going well – hope you are all too!

Hello everyone, I’m afraid I don’t write as much as I’d like but I read everyone’s posts with great enthusiasm. I love it when my Fitbit alerts me to a new post. I’ve been finding the FD pretty doable.Yesterday was a NFD and I woke up suffering with vertigo. I felt too dizzy to exercise so allowed myself a “couch day” and indulged in some very foody comfort. I’m looking forward to my FD which begins at 8pm tonight. I find fasting easier when I’m working. My shift starts at 10pm. Poppy locks, I hope you survive your double shift ok. They can be brutal.I hope everyone has a lovely weekend! 🙂

Hello,
A few of us have some very similar life mottoes. Mine is: ‘Reality is my friend’ Important for me as I spent most of my childhood lost in dreams and finding reality very hostile!

I’m also with those of you who find that 5:2 has freed complicated eating patterns, and urges, and concepts, down to something simpler and a lot more normal!

Gday, I am sending best wishes. I hope you can spend precious time with your dad. It is a hard year for you. I hope you can get over the rough ground as easily as possible, and that an easy gentle time is not too far ahead.

I’m off to my daughters again for more cuddling grandtots while she packs. They were planning to be at a family do today, but have changed plans.

Best wishes to anyone fasting today, and a lovely mindful, happy eating day for those of us who aren’t! Come to think of it, the fasters can also have a lovely mindful, happy eating day… the times you do eat little fasty things!

Welcome Elasticity! We could do with a few more male perspectives. There are a few of us of the 1956 vintage. You’ve come to the right place. NOR or SOR?

Just up the road then, I’m in South Perth. I walk 5-10km along the river every morning. A few of us from this thread occasionally meet for coffee so, if that’s something that interests you, we’d love to have you join us. Look forward to hearing your progress. 0.6kg is a great start.

I had some mobility issues before I lost 23kg on 5:2. My knees are very grateful. I hope you enjoy similar benefits.

Hey all

Strange thing happened today. My D bought a pinwheel pastry thing for my H. I took a whiff of it in the bag and actually recoiled. It was like I could smell a whole cocktail of artificial everything. I would never have noticed before.

G’day – a ‘naked’ burger is one without the bun. You might do it already. They just serve up all the innards!

A lot of places do it if you ask but recently I’ve started to see them actually on the menu although its not that common yet. Its nice to be able to order something that isn’t an ‘exception’ 😉 I very seldom eat bread and when I do I go for grainy seedy ones as a treat. Its easy for me to pass up a white bun and I’m sure I can taste sugar in brioche buns – but maybe its my imagination.

Once I ordered a naked ‘Reuben’ sandwich – corned beef, sauerkraut, cheese etc. They looked at me like I was insane – but it was the best!

Struggling to stay controlled on my NFD today. Looking forward to my FD tomorrow –
think it will be actually be easier. Then will do one more before we leave on Wednesday. 4 more sleeps.

Hello Australian peoples, and all our friends here!

I am new here. I have just read the book. I am on my first day. I need to lose 25 kilograms, which is a challenge. So I am here to work on it.

I am not really sure how to count calories on the non fasting days.

I have some poor eating habits – like eating four or five helpings in one meal. I am working on not doing that.

Comfort eating has been a challenge for me. I did lose four/five kilos and then I got upset and did some binge eating. So one of my focusses is to focus on Mindful eating, which I have found very useful – eating one dessert mindfully meant for the rest of the day that I was able to remember I ate it, and then not eat more because I felt that I had missed out.

I ate tofu/brocolinni breakfast, and had it again for lunch. For dinner I ate a spinach fetta cheese filo pastry, and three koftka balls with tomato sauce.

I joined up so when I finished the 800 calories Blood Sugar Diet, then I have somewhere to come after I do that. ***fingers crossed***

Regards,
Wadjda

Good morning all. Love reading all the posts. The recent comments on “know youself” resonate with me too. Early here, the sun peeked thru my curtain early and that was it, no more sleep for me. FD today, salad planned for lunch, or whenever I need to eat. I find that if I eat about two, I don’t need to have anything else for the day except a few nuts.
I was listening to a radio interview about ME the other day. I had know idea of how severe and insidious that could be, so to sufferers on this thread, my hats off to you. It is more to luck than planning that this 60 something old bag has reach this age with nothing more to complain about that a bit of BP.
Have been a bit slack on non fast days this week, and have lost nothing, more vigilance required. I am managing the motel again this week, lots of stairs to climb, about 20 times a day. I am enjoying pilates. She really gives us a work out, I can pull in my gut now. Yay.
Don’t you just hate the in between sizes when you’re current jeans are too baggy and you can’t get into the next size. I was able to get the zip up on size 18 the other day but the muffin top was really unattractive.
Have a good week everyone
Lynn

Hello Elasticity!
Congratulations on your first week! Welcome here!

Welcome too Wadjda!
Congrats on doing the 8 week BSD. What was it like?
5:2 will be like a holiday!
You can just work slowly at getting Non Fast days better. I don’t count calories but I have a picture in my mind of what a good ‘normal’ serve of food looks like, and I try to just have that, and then wait for the next meal. You’ll figure out what works for you.
Bingeing is hard, fingers crossed you will be like most of us and your binges will get smaller and further apart.

I love the ‘naked’ option concept Slimmerella! I think I will start asking for it. I can eat good bread, but that white, sweet fluff they use is awful and makes me unwell.

Hi Pin, so glad to see your post! It is cold and windy and raining in Melbourne this morning! I stayed in bed! Congrats on getting below size 18, but Oh dear, you need size 17! With the motel stairs and pilates you will soon be in size 16! I hope you can fit a couple of good fast days in. I hope it is a good two weeks.
Thanks for your kind words re ME.

Best wishes everyone!

A warm welcome to our new posters. I am sure you will find this forum a great means of support and dont be afraid to ask questions – no matter how silly you think they may be.

Miss D is playing at a friends house today so im left to do the housework, which has been builing up over several weeks, on my own. Struggling to get motivated but i must get into it and get it over with.

Another great night sleep last night of 8 hours. It takes me several weeks to adjust to end of day lights savings so still feeling a little out of wack.

Enjoying re-reading MM’s books again, lots of advice and facts I’d forgotten about. Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone and happy FD’s.

Hi LJoyce, wow I feel your pain re the bingeing brought on by a change in plans. I too have to prepare myself ahead of FD. Tomorrow my partner’s son and family arrive for Easter and while I’m really looking forward to it I know I will have to stay focused. This is only my third week so I have only just started to change some ingrained bad habits. Fingers crossed. Even after such a short period I too notice the difference if I overeat. It’s quite a journey we’re all on.

Hi, thanks Goldenheart & Thin.
Thin – yes I’m fasting today. With no appetite today a NFD wasn’t really an option. Yesterday I did think of logging on and asking for help. I even got to the point of logging in and after a few minutes of staring at the screen not knowing what to write I logged out again and walked away. I’m even contemplating the uncomfortable thought that perhaps I actually didn’t want to be helped yesterday.
I think the reason it hit me so hard was that things had been going so well and I felt so much better about food, appetite and portion control that the speed with which old behaviour patterns were able to take over again was both alarming and depressing – it raised the though that I will never be free of this, I’ll always be fighting this battle. I know that I’ll put this behind me and perk up again.

LJ – that’s rough, sorry you had a bad day. Sounds like things will even out over the two days but it’s the head thing isn’t it and once the dragon wakes up…. Feel better!

G’day – I’m not sure if pinwheel was the right word to use. Its like a pastry snail with raisins but bready? I took a whiff and even the cinnamon smelt artificial. Interesting you mention plastic. If I drink from a plastic PET bottle like a diet coke, or eat from a plastic spoon that has a rough edge – my lip will swell up like an allergy. I always thought plastic was inert – but it’s happened too often to be coincidence.

Elasticity – welcome. I’m a newbie too – just a month. But I’ve learned a tremendous amount from this forum in that time.

Hey Goldenheart!

Thin we do have Grill’d – but I haven’t tried it yet. I will save that one for a treat in the future. Thanks for the heads-up about the buns!

Wadjda – comfort eating is so hard. I have a couple of boxes of NZ custard powder. Custard is my ultimate comfort food. Haven’t needed it of late – but maybe I should put a plan in place now for when I really think I do!

Pin – apart from NLNL dance, Pilates is the only exercise I can stick to. It has totally sorted out my balance. And I even know where my glutes are now – when I started I couldn’t isolate them at all! My goal is to get strong enough to go to mat classes – Hopefully not too far away now. I had a rotator cuff injury and muscle tear in my shoulder a while ago and rehab has taken a while. My whole left side has become weaker. Pilates is sorting it though!

FD tomorrow. Very best to all!

Good morning,
I am here with little miss 2 year old granddaughter (currently eating breakfast) as it is moving day for her family.

LJoyce, I’d take the binge day as a learning experience too. It isn’t reasonable that a long term habit your body has been using as a strategy to cope with anxiety could suddenly, completely, disappear. But, depending on just how many easter eggs you ate ;), it wasn’t that bad. You ate yummy satisfying things, you were aware of it coming on, and you are aware of the consequences. Those things take such a long time to sink into our brain, but every binge they take another little step. And hooray for 5:2, you get an easy reset and counterbalance. That’s my perspective on them anyway!

Must go and take the little one for a walk before it rains again. See you all, hooray for pilates and recycle shops!

Hi everyone,

Welcome Elasticity and Wadjda🙂

I’m still away from home and out of routine. Back home soon. Shifted my Monday FD to tomorrow and Thursday’s will go to Friday as I do need those 2 nonFDs between. I get to catch up with reading but not able to post much till I’m home. Who’se doing what gets a bit muddled along the way, so sorry I’m not able to answer individually much. We’ve been here to help and provide some extra hands, and it’s been good. I’m not able to do much heavy stuff but I have been operating on an almost continuous laundry duty. Today is sunny and windy and will help dry out the north coast.

Joffy – I vote for the pleats. Tall men, especially, wear pleated pants well. Looking at the photo of Don Johnson, those pants had a double pleat and were linen, and no belt. Your suit will be great. I like the 2 colour thing.

L J – there are 3 sorts of days – Fast Days (FDs), nonFast Days (NFDs), and learning days, or maybe they should be Learning Days. (LDs).. not officially a 5:2 day, but definitely something that wenall go through occasionally. They are different depending on the person and whatever food issues they’ve had, but we all have them in some form or other. They may come on a FD or a nonFD, and are very necessary and beneficial if you look for, understand, and learn from the lessons they teach. Successful 5:2ers all say they’ve learnt more than they expected from the 5:2 experience. That’s why so many of us call it a journey, and why so many of us, especially us older ones, see it as a lifestyle change we’ll continue to do. I haven’t always liked my LDs but I’ve sure appreciated them and what I’ve learnt. What I’ve learnt about myself and my relationship to food has freed me from any control food has over me. It doesn’t mean I don’t struggle occasionally. I do. But it means that I go through those days without beating myself up, feeling guilty or thinking it’s all over. I know now I’m in control and it’s only a very short time that it takes for 5:2 to have me back on track. I can eat and drink what I want when I plan to because now I know how to do it and stay healthier and a normal weight. In other words, priceless! It took me a while to get to this point – 2 yrs, and it was worth every step of my journey.

If you fall off the horse, get back on.
Onwards and Downwards,
Merry

Hi and welcome Elasticity and Wadjda!

I just caught up on posts and want to extend moral support to you GDSA with the stress of your life changing as your mum and dad’s circumstances also changed.

Thin, what a delight to see dolphins you actually recognize as familiar and that some have names! What a wonderful place you get to walk!

Tee, hee! Even McDonalds offers a ‘Naked’ burger option instead of a bun with its ‘Creative Tastes’ menu! I’ve ordered it when there has been no other option, such as Christmas night when all other restaurants are closed. I was actually impressed since I was also able to choose pesto sauce, a range of other vegetables such as grated carrot, onion slices, sun dried tomato and at least at the time could choose the type of lettuce I wanted my burger wrapped in and I chose Cos lettuce and the burger was beautifully served on a wooden cutting board. Admittedly, it wasn’t cheap. I had to pay extra for a lot of the ‘goodies’ I added on, though it was worth it. It tasted as good as it looked with all veges crisp and fresh. The following year on Christmas night I opted for a chicken salad that was also beautifully served in a porcelain bowl and the chicken was grilled and real, not the chopped, pressed and breaded stuff I’ve been served in fancier restaurants. I just thought to mention this if anyone in the forum is caught out in the middle of nowhere with nothing but other fast food places such as KFC and greasy spoons that McDonald’s offers something at least, in a pinch.

LJ, I feel for with your binge triggers. I know how challenging these can be since I feel mine often come out of the blue from unexpected places. I admire that you stopped yours in its tracks as soon as you did and want to acknowledge your strong constitution in that you reported a FD without excessive hunger or other ill effects. To me all that points to the healthy choices you’ve been making otherwise (like working in your beautiful flower garden which I regard as a healing practice in itself).

Cinque and LJ, I’m glad you enjoyed Hermajtomomi’s post up there at the top of the page.

Merry, I so agree with you about how important it is to refrain from beating myself up when I’ve strayed from what I consider ‘healthy eating’. I’ve certainly done a lot of that over the past couple of weeks.

Sometimes I’ve started to wonder if I really know what ‘normal’ eating actually is! …Of course I do, deep down, though sometimes when I’m living out of old habits I lose touch. That’s what FDs are all about, they help me find my way back.

With regard to positive vs. negative incentives, in that Dr. Helena Popovic link to her interview with ABC radio, she compared two weight loss studies. Both involved overweight individuals whose fat had become a risk to their health. One study informed participants of their ill health would shorten their lives and used that as incentive for them to stick to the prescribed diet. This group succeeded in shedding the weight, however, when followed up 2 years later, most all of them had gained it all back and some had gained back more. Another study utilized meaningful positive reinforcement as an incentive for those shedding weight. Among other things participants were asked to write down 50 ways their life would improve by shedding weight and were guided through a number of visualizations about these reasons. This group also successfully followed the program and shed weight though when surveyed 2 years later 75% of them had kept it off. To me, this points to the power of knowing the positive reasons why we are losing weight. I can’t remember if it is in the book or from that talk she gave but she mentions that when she works with clients she advises that they also find at least 50 tangible reasons how/why their lives will be better when they are slimmer. She intimates that the making of this list actually grows new neural pathways in the brain which acts as an incentive not only for keeping with the plan during weight loss phase, but as ongoing incentive once goal weight has been reached.

Hi GDSA! I’m joining you in fasting today! Your eggs and spinach sound delicious. I’ve decided to have cottage cheese and blueberries a little later. Since the temperature is feeling nippy, so I’ve decided to opt for La Zuppa soup.

Happy fast day to any others joining us and nourishing and mindful NFD for everyone else!

I think I’m getting into the habit of eating only as much as I need, and only when I am hungry.

LJoyce thanks for that i thought some bits of MM’s TMIAD i had seen before and some bits not. Mid 20’s in my part of SA and absolutely divine in the sunshine.

Love the hotel pics – those quirky little places are fun – how on earth do they come up with those ideas, very creative indeed.

My local pub in our little country town has an open fireplace which they always have going from opening to closing time during winter. Like the rest of the pub it would be an original fixture from 1885 – very little if anything at all has changed which is just the way i like it!
FD going well so far. My belly was growling around 11ish so kept sipping the water and pushed through it. Have kept very busy to keep my mind off food.

New pair of jeans today, previously was a size 14 now fit comfortably into a size 12…..yippee