Mmm.. Bill Haley, ihaw? You’ll be at 65 in no time. ..then set another goal. 🙂 🙂
Keep up the good work everyone. Things can only go down from here 😉 Eat, fast and Live Longer. P

Good morning all.

Hi janecw, I totally agree about counting calories. It’s such a bore and after a while you get the feel for what’s happening but I think most need to for a little while to get energy values in perspective.

Well done getting back on the wagon, fancy Singapore hotel sounds like just the ticket with the winter being so cold in southern Australia. Reformer Pilates is something a friend swears by, and coupled with HIIT you should soon see results in fitness and weight loss, as well as flexibility. My much-loved late stepmother had danced with the Borovansky (the Australian Ballet’s predecessor for you young ones) in her youth and continued Pilates, retaining her lithe lean body to the end of her days.

I posted on LOACA thread so won’t bore others who also read there, except to say that after last week’s totally unjustified gain, I had a loss of 2.4kg between Monday’s and this morning’s weigh in, new low from previous best of 0.4kg so did a little jig. Now metaphorically dancing only because I’m at work with first cup of milky coffee for the week at my elbow.

Have a good day everyone, fasting or not.

Nicky xxx

That’s really great MM! Isn’t it fantastic to be the one in control, and to get such excellent results?

Hi everyone hope your fast day is working well for you. I’m trying a 16/8 for the first time which has been forced on me as yesterday when doing my weekly shop I felt I could allow myself a little indulgence after being so angelic [?] for the last year or so that I bought Triple Choc ice-cream,
a block of decent choc and several cheeses. I find the triple to die for and have to dish it out otherwise I stand over the carton and demolish. Felt very satisfied went I went to bed last night.
Have had problems in the past with stuff in the pantry hence I keep no goodies to tempt. So far today with the larder stocked as it where I haven’t been drawn to sin. YET.

Happy fasting,
Tim.

Hearty congrats NickyF and MelbMum.

The discussion around BMI is very interesting. I was reading the Fast Exercise book yesterday on a flight to Echuca, particularly the Chapter on measures of fitness. Apart from BMI (which apparently doesn’t work well for muscular people – maybe you Tim?!), there is also waist measurement (should be less than half height), body fat, resting HR, VO2 max and several fitness tests (well worth a read).

My BMI is around 21 but my body fat is 33% which puts me in the overweight range, so truly a TOFI. I don’t build muscle easily so to get to a decent BF I end up with a BMI of 18 – 19 which seems a bit low but is much fitter for me.

Fast day today and going well – started with some Fast Exercise (exercise bike sprints) and coping with the quiet hunger. Saw my in-laws last night who have done very well on 5:2 over the past year and continue to inspire me (as do all of you).

May be fork be with you!

Hi Janecw agree with you the fast exercise book has some great info but as I am now restricted by my GP to a much lower heart rate and now find interval training and some of the work outs are no longer for me. Said with much glee!

Help is at hand though as a member of Diabetes Aust I was able to ask one of their exercise physiologists to set up a programme and feel very comfortable with it.
Something to tuck in the back of your minds she dropped me from 7 days on the bike and 3 days resistance to the recommend Aust levels of 5 and 2. There you go.

Re BMI I wish there was more muscle, need help getting a top off some jars these days.

Tim.

Hi IHW, I do have an whatnott with teeth, to boot, but still like to try my luck. Male thing?

Everyone, In todays SMH theres a good article ” On finding the proof that diet improves mood ”

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/blogs/chew-on-this/finding-the-proof-that-diet-improves-mood-20140801-3cz6o.html

Tim.

Hearty congrats patsy. I’ve only started recently (3w) and hope to get to that stage where it feels natural.

Thanks for the link Tim. Studies such as those are often problematic and should be interpreted cautiously – the change in diet may be as much about what’s left out. It can also increase pressure on people with depression, making them blame themselves further. That said, I do find my mood much improved when I eat well and exercise (to exertion) regularly.

However the plural of anecdote is never data!

Hi guys, I’m from Melbourne, new to the forum and 2nd week into 5:2. My third fast day I found easier than the first week. And I’m 1.8kg down which is a bonus. I’m 97.3 looking to get to about 80. Love the support and info from the forums and looking forward to take part.
Veronica

Welcome Vwoman. I hope you visit this site regularly. It’s great for inspiration and commiseration.
Patsykona – well done!
Janecw – May be fork be with you! I love that. Might have to use it – SW house here.
– the plural of anecdote is never data! I do like that one too – might steal it as well.

Have a great day all! 🙂

Those are great results Jojo, especially with all of the extra events you had. It shows in your clothes and how you feel in them. I had a similar moment, where I had kept this special satin dress for 15 years thinking I was never going to wear it ever again, but last week I could easily slip it on and I looked amazing in it….I nearly cried.

With your chocolate cravings, I suspect that you may have a magnesium deficiency, and are craving chocolate due to its relatively high level of magnesium…and the fact that it is incredibly yummy. So if you wanted to try taking magnesium supplements you might well find that the cravings ease, as well as any cramping, tension and sleep issues, particularly around those hormonally charged times. I lot of us are magnesium deficient and don’t know it. It’s a mineral needed in many functions in the body, but is necessary to relax muscles, aid neural function and build strong bones and blood cells. Give it a go, you might be surprised at how quickly you get relief.

I also sympathise with watching people I like…. who could really benefit from 5:2, go off and spend tons of money on ridiculous weight loss program’s that I know are unsustainable and may well fail. It all comes down to the power of advertising, rather than looking at the reality of the science and who’s actually in control. A lot of people sadly believe that if they pay a motsa, and get loads of brightly coloured packages containing some wonder substance which is even better than normal food, that it MUST work….. right?

Well that’s enough of my ravings for one night! Time to go back to sleep and dream of dancing some ballet, Swan Lake anyone? Love those white tutus!

Having said all that, Jojo there may be some subclinical deficiencies on a calorie deficient diet so perhaps worth reviewing whether you’re getting your five serves of veggies a day.

There was a recent study that showed lower rates of death from ALL causes (cancer, heart disease, accidents,) for people who consumed at least five serves daily. Most of us don’t. I certainly don’t and I’m now making a conscious effort to improve.

A great web page shows what five serves actually looks like http://www.kathrynelliott.com.au/blog/2007/01/07/what-actually-is-five-serves

Thanks IHAW and Jane. I’ve recently had a whole host of tests…. Zinc deficient, b6 and b12, Estrogen through the roof, no progesteron, and something called Kryptopyrole is a new addition to the family history. I’ve stepped one foot through the door of change but unfortunately looks like the doorway has quite a long path to travel to get to the other side. So I’m on a range of natural supplements as well bio-identical treatment.

The chocolate cravings are definitely not a regular thing IHAW, but when I get it don’t come between me and a block of whatever I want at that time! I’m also quite young to be starting this process so I am thankful for a wonderful husband and (almost 16 and 20) children. The headaches I think are due to a stressful job, stuck at my desk most days and despite my best interests and knowing better, hunching into my computer screen, because getting closer clearly helps resolve those issues. Thank goodness I drink so much water it makes me leave my desk. I’ve also taken to pacing when on long phone calls.

Yes, my dear friend has been on diets as long as I’ve known her. WW many times, meal replacement shakes, even hypnotherapy! She is dedicated and gyms several times a week. It frustrates me a little that she won’t even try this for a month to see if she gets any results, because I know if she did she would be happy and continue. I’m a fairly new Thermomix owner and love that I can now cook things for my family that has no preservatives …. Butter, yoghurt, curry pastes, stock, meals, so much. And then others are just happy to shove additives down there throat as well as stuff like pre-workout and protein shakes several times a day. I shouldn’t rant and not my intention to judge, but breaks my heart when she wears blinkers and quite frankly has a bit go cognitive dissonance going on.

Good for you IHAW, great strength to hang on to that dress for 15 years and I hope you did have a little tear of you when you looked stunning popping it back on. I trust you swam Swan Lake beautifully and the white tutu looked fabulous!

Happy Saturday everyone.

Good for you wanderer, I’m so happy it’s curbing those chocolate cravings!

Afternoon all.
IHW, you do realise that the thought of you in a tutu is enough to put a man off his diet!, there are just so many sensual situations that spring to mind, dancing around the house OK but in a tutu? 🙂

Janecw thanks for the URL of the info on the 5 serves often wondered what size they would be.
Realise now I have been piling the vegs up somehow thought it was around a total of 5 cups.
One type of veggies I miss are the root ones as counting Carbs they were a No No.
Except every now and then I breakout have a baked dinner of just root veggies, lots of Pots and Parsnips,Carrots etc.
As I’ve said before I could live on fruit alone.

Its early days for me at my target weight but feel that I will remain on 5:2 with the second FD used as back up for calorie adjustment rather than blowing the diet and having to start over again. Must say I seem to hanker after the FDs.

Now for a glass of vino and a few biscuits and stilton.

Have a good one tomorrow.

Tim.

Hi Guys,

Just a heads up.

The “Eat, Fast and Live Longer” documentary by Michael Mosley is being replayed tomorrow night (Monday) on SBS at 8.30pm.

They have played a couple of his documentaries at the same time over the last couple of weeks so I imagine they are working their way through the various ones he has done. It would be great if they play his Fast Exercise one too, I would like to see that one again.

Happy watching!

You can buy his DVD set for this program through Fishpond at a pretty good price. I sat down with note pad and followed his path through the research for 5:2 and it was very useful to see again.
I guess I’ll tackle the exercise next 🙁 although I’m with you on the Pilates Janecw. Just love it, two sessions a week and fortnightly myotherapy sessions have pulled me out of chronic pain and pain-killers.

Ros, it’s great to hear that you have excellent results with Pilates and myotherapy. Isn’t it so much better to be able to move without pain and restriction?

Hi Deb, I was wondering why you feel this way? Have you been weighing and measuring yourself before you started and as you go though each week of the 5:2? The calculator here is a great tool.

*I strongly recommend reading the book, as it explains the whole reason why Doc Mosley started it in the first place, as well as how to do it.
*at first it is a bit of a shock to the system! and learning how to feel that hunger and not giving in can be tricky at first. But don’t worry, you won’t fall over, raid a cake shop or die of starvation….you adjust and soon get the hang of distracting yourself, drinking water or tea, taking deep breaths and dancing around while the sensation of hunger subsides. It comes in waves, then before you know it it’s the time to eat your next small meal.
*its only one day! not an extended period of calorie restriction….so just look at the moment, and soon it too will pass. Tomorrow you can eat four times as much!

I hope that this helps, and keep us posted as to how things go for you. Remember be kind to yourself, for perfection is impossible to achieve and we are all unique and just simply humans working towards a healthier future.

Happy fasting everybody! I think a little sixties go-go dancing is in order….remember Ding-dong Drysdale moving like a ferret on speed, in that tiny mini dress? Haha those were the days!

I know that you’ll get plenty of support and friendly help right here Deb, we’ve all been through so much and love to make this way of life and eating, work for anyone out there! There is a lot of power in community and communication, you aren’t alone!

Hi Deb,
Dr. Mosely’s TV program Eat, Fast and Live Longer which was the start of the Fast Diet is being repeated tonight on SBS 8.30, it’s well worth watching if you can.

I’ve just iced a lemon and coconut loaf with lemon icing and not tasted it!!! For the first time ever, I always have to make sure icing is lemony enough, chocolatey enough etc. but managed to resist, even the blobs that ran down the sides onto the table – it is only one day. My sister in law set out to impress her new boyfriend decades ago by cooking him a meal finishing with lemon meringue pie – but she was a non taster and didn’t find out the meringue was made with salt (???!) until he tasted the first piece! He must have been impressed because they married but he did a lot of the cooking. I hope I put lemon juice in the icing….

Thanks Jane (?) for “May the fork be with you” because it reminded me to find my spork to pack for my Canadian Rockies holiday which may involve some hiking and camping.
Have a good day fasters

Hi everyone, just popping in to say hello and provide a one-woman e-cheer squad for all (like me) Monday fasters.

So far so good today, as easy as last week and have only had 2 minor hunger pangs since breakfast. I have been busy at work so easy to ignore them till they got the message and left 🙂

Had yummy Spicy Saag Aloo from the LOACA Recipes thread for dinner last night – similar to an old recipe of my mother’s with bacon, onion, capsicum, potato and cabbage all chopped and in together in the pan, but with Indian spices and no bacon.

Keep up the good work!

I’m struggling today! I have spent some time reading old posts on the forum to stay focused and motivated. It didn’t help that I went out for “lunch” with a friend. He had food and I drank a peppermint tea. Thankfully he is very health focused and understood why I wasn’t eating.

Dinner tonight will be steamed zucchini, broccoli, green beans and mushrooms served with oven baked chicken in a chili coriander yoghurt marinade. 500 calories worth waiting for!

I have BBC iPlayer on my iPad and I watch Horizon programs there – including the fast diet episode by Michael Mosely. Here is a link to the app https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/bbc-iplayer-global/id449130604?mt=8

Hi all, hope everyone is having a good start to the week. I’ve had a failed fast attempt today. Think I better stick with Tuesdays and Thursdays. Seems to be easier on my longer work days. Tomorrow is a new day!!

Hi everyone,
No fast for me today as I had a uni assessment to finish, and I needed my coffee to keep me writing until I submitted it after lunch.
IHAW I remember some time ago you talking about getting into shorts for the first time in a long time. For me it is getting back into skirts. I have found I have confidence in being able to make them in smaller sizes, and I have even started to make them a bit shorter, so that I can see my knees, it just feels so good.
Must go Michael has just come back on TV.
Have a great week everyone
Charlie

Hello……this is my first time ever participating in an online forum! Have known about 5:2 for at least a year and toyed with the idea, but watching the doco tonight on SBS has pushed me to give it a try. Husband also keen to try, hurrah, it’s taken so long for him to agree with me on the nutritional side of things! Fingers crossed, jumping in, deep breaths and all that……..