HELP! All ladies of a 'certain age'-please respond

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PreciousBooBoo

5:54 pm
23 Dec 13
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Hello All Ladies Of A Certain Age!!

Congratulations to:

bluesea (welcome to the fast diet forum and our very special thread – only the elite can post on this thread!)

bronwyn – Great going! Can I come round for fish, chips and champagne on Xmas day please?

vicki – Wow way to go girl! You must be absolutely delighted with your weight loss and so you should be. And the huge improvement in your blood markers – incredible.
I really believe that people reading posts like yours get enormous motivation from them; I know I do.

Hi sylvestra – I happily stand corrected.

Was metric brought in at the same time? Because that would mean I was still learning maths at school and it wouldn’t make sense the way metric is not in my head at all like imperial measures?
I like the ‘rambling’ and clearly other LOACA’s appreciate it too. And your lovely grandmother; what a feisty lady.
Perhaps that’s where you get it from!

Hello barbarita – I loved your post because my first Saturday job was in, guess where? Woolies!!! And I worked on the sweet counter too! It was called Pic and Mix!
Honestly what happy days – I got paid £3.75 and this was a fortune in 1973. I was rich compared to my friends!

Hi iwfama – Like others I wouldn’t suggest going onto only 800 calories for the feast days. I agree that it will probably reduce your metabolic rate and then you gain weight more easily whenever you eat normally.
Try and be a bit more patient – it will happen.

And last but definitely not least
Hello Sassy!

It seems ages since I ‘spoke’ to you! Thank you for your congratulations; they are much appreciated.
We’ll have a big catch up when you get back from your roaming.
Have a lovely Xmas with your family and a nice holiday too!

To everyone who reads and/or contributes to this thread

Have a fantastic Xmas and don’t go too mad on the grub!

sylvestra

4:59 pm
27 Dec 13
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OK fellow LOACAs – how did it go for you?

I had 2 days of ‘pigging out’ on everything…until my tummy was yelling ‘ENOUGH!!!
I actually felt quite queasy, I’m just not used to all that food!

I’m having a fast day today and, boy, is my tummy grateful!!

Ah well it’s all over now, apart from Hogmanay and New Year’s Day but they are not so bad foodwise….after that it’s back on the wagon and off with whatever I’ve gained in the two weeks.

BlueOcean

5:15 pm
27 Dec 13
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I ‘second that emotion’! sylvestra… Yesterday was my fast day and boy, did I need it because starting Monday night it was full-on Christmas feasting with friends and family….oh boy….enough! I’m even thinking of doing an extra day for the next few weeks to get back in the groove…through-out I’ve been doing my exercises and started taking walks again…so wiggle over and let me back on the wagon….!

Onwards to a bright New Year!

Applecrisp

6:05 pm
27 Dec 13
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I am a newbie from Iowa. 51 y.o. and more than overweight. I have both depression and anxiety issues and need to lose wt. due to questionable blood sugars. I have decided to do this diet because it makes the most sense.

I am impressed with this website and all the info Dr. Mosely shares for free. It is not like here buy my new line of supplements. The commenters are very kind and supportive.

I don’t leave the house much and am applying for disability benefits, which most people around here look down upon
so I don’t talk about it much.

I feel now is the time for me to lose weight. Any way thanks and I hope to be posting regularly.
Jean

sylvestra

6:58 pm
27 Dec 13
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@applecrisp Hello Jean.. and welcome.

You’ll find lots of friendly help and support on these forums, as well as just general chat, so just climb up here on the wagon and join us on our journey to being lighter and healthier.

If you have questions just ask – someone will be able to answer.

I think we all agree that this WOE (way of eating…not diet) is just the best and easiest ever devised.

Good luck and please keep us up to date with how you are doing.

BlueOcean

9:45 pm
27 Dec 13
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Welcome Applecrisp! You’re in the right place and you’ll find the success and support you need and want here with us. We’re all in this together, some ahead, some behind, all on the same path….so welcome and come along with us….

Applecrisp

11:56 pm
27 Dec 13
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I have been diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue ( the new chronic fatigue) . My cortisol levels are shot and I produce too much
estrogen and am low in testoserone. I am currently taking supplements and DHEA. They are over the counter. I am insulin resistant and am worried about my blood sugars.

In my favor I have a good doctor, I just wish he could be my primary but he is too busy. I tried this diet back in the spring when Michael’s doc came here at PBS. Just wasn’t sure of the diet . People seemed to react negatively so I did not do it for
long. Now I’m giving it another go. I bought the book and am planning to buy the exercise one as well.

My husband doesn’t know, so I want to suprise him.

Again I think this is a great site and everyone in it.

RoBa

6:39 am
28 Dec 13
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G’day LOACAs, hope you all had a jolly christmas and managed to hold onto a fast day or two amongst the festivities. Personally I’m too scared to weigh myself until I’ve fasted fro a few more days. I think it might be well into January before I risk the scales again. I’m still happily committed to 5:2 and confident I can be 10kg lighter next christmas but just now I’m willing to admit to being a very naughty girl. What I can brag about is not drinking too much – I really must be growing up a bit at 56.

vicki

12:01 pm
28 Dec 13
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Hi again everyone
Back to the gym yesterday – NO gain over Christmas, and I did eat (and drink) and enjoy myself!.

Jean (Applecrisp) – welcome. Don’t worry what other people think, there are a lot of people out there who think fasting is bad, unhealthy etc. Have a look at the threads “Discouraging advice” and “Personal Trainer doesn’t like 5:2 MOE”
Lots of fasters have found that their relatives and friends either ignore their progress or warn them seriously of dangers, totally disregarding that they are healthier, thinner and happier!

RoBa – you’ve been naughty, now be nice to yourself over NY – ignore the snacky things, just stick with proper food and wine (and have fun)

Vicki

BlueOcean

2:25 pm
28 Dec 13
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Great advice Vicki!… and RoBa, I’m with you….may be end of January before I venture near a scale….will have to let my clothes be my guide! Happy New Year 5:2 community!……

piper

2:53 pm
28 Dec 13
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Hi All-

Barbarita had a cool link on another post-

http://www.calculator.net/

Good to know, before Christmas, the Army would not have thrown me out! not so sure now 😉

PreciousBooBoo

7:14 pm
28 Dec 13
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Hello All Ladies Of A Certain Age!

Did you all have a good Xmas? It definitely seems like some of you did and yes, I do mean you RoBa!

I think there will be a lot of us if we are honest; who’ve all been well and truly off the old wagon (says me who has just demolished half a gingerbread house with a cup of tea accompanied by my husband).
I thought about how many calories would be in it and then, I thought, ‘Oh, it’s got to be eaten sometime; we cannot throw it out…..).

A special Hello and Welcome to Applecrisp!

I sympathise with you; have you looked at books on adrenals on Amazon at all? There is a really good one by Dr Laurence Peatfield about your thyroid and how to look after it. This includes information on your adrenals and how if they are not working properly, then anxiety and depression are just some of the symptoms you will experience.
There is another good one on adrenal fatigue – I can’t remember the authors name.

I don’t know; you may feel, well I have a doctor who is an expert in this stuff, I don’t need to read books but you would be suprised how many doctors have no idea about your adrenal hormones and how much they can affect your life if they are not working properly.
Go carefully and keep us posted; there is loads of information on this forum and help, support and encouragement.
Good Luck!

How did other LOACA’s manage on the fasting days front?
I managed to fast on Xmas Eve! My husband pointed out that this was the first time in many years that we had an alcohol free Xmas Eve. The plan was that I would fast again yesterday! LOL!
But because I felt I let myself down; we are staying off alcohol today and I intend to fast tomorrow, which will give me at least one fast day between now and New Year’s Eve.

God loves a tryer (and my husband always says I’m very trying……)

RoBa

7:38 pm
28 Dec 13
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Since no matter how restrained my family try to be over christmas there is still just too much gluttony and consumption. At least this year I did notice a decrease in sweet stuff and more attention to the ‘good’ food. MY christmas lunch was a small one this year (after decades of sitting down with 40+ people) with just my mother, daughter and partner. We ate the seafood entree and were stuffed. We had the left-over seafood platter with ham and salad for tea, with the pudding. And since I was the only drunk at the party I had one piccolo of bubbles with each meal. You would have to know me to understand the significance of such a tiny amount of booze on xmas day.

We had our big extended family ‘do’ on boxing day and everyone brought their leftovers to a great big picnic and the traditional game of cricket. I scored a few runs but really starred taking three catches in the outfield. This old girl can still do a dive roll catch, dicky hip or no dicky hip.

I managed to start several fast days … and finished none. However, I had a couple of alcohol-free days, and ate lots lots less than other years. I’m happy with that.

Next hurdle; New Year’s Eve/Day.

Markie99

11:03 pm
28 Dec 13
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Hello everyone! I have been following this thread and appreciating and thoroughly enjoying the information and experiences that you all share about this amazing WOE.

You are so kind and supportive of each other and I decided to join in so I can perhaps give some support in return for all I have gained by reading your comments.

I live in the states, in Wisconsin, where I don’t know anyone who is following IF, ADF or 5:2, and where pretty much everyone I mention it to is quite skeptical, which means I don’t talk about it very much. I’m a lady of a certain age for sure, and am planning to retire, along with my husband, in a few months.

I’m 5’4” and weighed 155 pounds (11 stone 1) when I started this WOE about 6 months ago. I am now 141 pounds, (10 stone 1), and looking towards my goal of 135 pounds (9 stone 9) sometime this spring. (I’m so proud that I can speak in stones now, lol, so if I got any of that wrong, please don’t tell me).

I fast on Mondays and Thursdays, usually, and try to maintain 16:8 on most days. I love this flexible, sensible, and fairly easy to accomplish WOE, and I’m so happy that I happened to stumble upon an article about Dr. Mosley, and then read his book, and then find all of you. And, thanks to Precious Boo Boo for starting this brilliant thread.

I’m fairly active and hope to remain active when I retire. I was thrilled to be able to get through (most of) the holiday celebrations without over eating or gaining weight, and am looking forward to getting back to my 5:2 routine after New Year’s Day.

Best wishes to all of you in the New Year. I know you will have continued success in meeting your goals.

BlueOcean

11:12 pm
28 Dec 13
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Amazing PBB & RoBa….pretty impressive….I ‘fasted’ on the Monday day of Christmas week and ended up at a local pub with a friend eating fish & chips with martinis, his choice and I went along with it….hmm….Christmas Eve spent with a friend and celebrated with Perrier. Christmas Day lunch with family at my home started with champagne and went on with white wine, but not too much. Still, by Thursday I was so happy to be fasting again. Today, Saturday, I’m doing another fast to make-up for the failed one on Monday. I have lots of ground to cover. Our weather here is unseasonably warm and trying to find an attractive outfit for Christmas Day was a real eye opener. Wow!

New Year’s won’t be a problem for me, thank goodness. My next big goal is end of February, it’s my birthday. I would love to be down by 8 pounds but that might be a huge ask…..I know I’ll have to work at it if I want to meet that goal….and I have lots of business to do before then so will need to be organized, prepared and focused….no pressure, no stress! I’ll see…!

PreciousBooBoo

12:57 pm
29 Dec 13
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Hello All Ladies Of A Certain Age!

Hello and Welcome to you Markie99

Congratulations firstly on your weight loss and well done for sticking with something that everyone else doubts. That takes quiet committment but you are having the last laugh though; aren’t the doubting Thomas’s wondering how you are getting slimmer and looking better all the time?

I say this fairly regularly; I imagine that there are quite a few folk (in our case LOACA’s) who are out there just reading this site/thread and gaining information, insight and above all, I think, motivation.
Posts like yours Markie99 prove that theory. I’m glad too, I started this thread way back; it seems to have taken on a life of it’s own.

Good Luck to you in getting down to your goal and All the Best for 2014!

Hey BlueOcean

Well done to you for fasting at all in this festive season.

I think again that you are proving a trend here; the fast diet is, it seems for you and me and others, putting the brakes on what we would have ‘normally’ consumed over this period, of, let’s face it, celebrating.

I’m certainly not expecting to lose any weight; I’m just hoping to not gain as much as if I’d never fasted at all. I’m really grateful I’ve got this to give me a bona fide reason to say ‘Let’s not have any wine tonight because I want to fast tomorrow’. I cannot fast if I’ve had alcohol the day before (there is too much acid sloshing around my stomach; so fasting and being seriously hungry is not conducive) so that means two days without in this crucial period!

Good Luck getting through New Years Eve etc!
and All the Best for 2014!

BlueOcean

1:43 pm
29 Dec 13
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Good thought PBB about not having alcohol before a fast day…..usually I don’t drink very much anymore but this holiday was an exception….eating sensibly before a fast day makes the fast day easier…..not having sugar the day before a fast day ditto for me….

I like your attitude about just not trying to gain weight over the holiday….inspiring….

thanks for this thread…so helpful…..

Markie99

4:14 pm
29 Dec 13
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Thanks for the warm welcome Precious BooBoo – so appreciated.

I think you are so right about not expecting to lose weight over the holidays, but hoping to maintain instead. Such a relief to not have to worry about food, eating food, not eating food, etc., each day that we have something planned. I’m going to fast tomorrow as usual, but won’t worry about New Years Eve, or even New Years Day, which is so nice.

On a side note, just came from reading a weight loss forum that I used to enjoy. Someone (not I) brought up the topic of 5:2, and the regular posters agreed that it sounded like a bad idea, and did not teach good skills for maintaining after weight loss. Someone stated that it sounded “very unhealthy”. I thought about responding, but then thought better of it. I think 5:2 and Dr. Mosley will be recognized someday in the states, but probably not ready for it today.

PreciousBooBoo

7:03 pm
29 Dec 13
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Hello (again!) All Ladies Of A Certain Age!

And Hello again to BlueOcean and Markie99
(it seems to be just us chickens about today – as I’ve told you; it’s a fast day for me so it keeps me out of the kitchen if I’m reading the site/answering posts. And it takes up a fair bit of time to type this lot out! So that helps with not reaching for the Stollen my husband has just had a nice lump of…..with a nice cup of tea….It will soon be tomorrow….I can do this)

We’ve just come back from a lovely walk in the beautiful countryside we now live in. I was discussing both your posts with my husband and we came to the conclusion that one of the main reasons that this WOE has such repeated and maintained success; is that because it is generally only two days a week out of seven, so if you blow it and give up on a fast day – you just pick another day out of the other five remaining. Or as a lot of fast dieters do; you have a damn good time, fill your boots and then you simply add another fast day in to compensate for the totally understandable abberation!

Now I know that is not rocket science; but if I personally was on the usual 24/7 diet and Xmas Time came around and I went off the diet big time – I know (because I’ve done it many times before) I would think ‘Oh well, I’ve totally blown my diet now so I might aswell go mad for the duration of the holidays’. And I would actually go mad because I would know that when I stopped ‘going mad’ I would have to go back onto that 24/7 treadmill of deprivation again.

It is a totally different mind set now and like you say Markie99; you don’t have to worry about special occasions anymore because we know we can ‘rectify’ it in the very near future. And I think that too means we don’t actually go as mad as we could do! It’s a win/win WOE.

It was very interesting to hear what you said about the weight loss forum you used to frequent; you know best I’d say!

I’ve just been looking at a magazine with a photo of a well known celebrity on the front; she famously used a very well known meal replacement diet and lost a lot of weight for the very first time since her teens. It is plain to see that today she is putting her weight back on and it is really sad to see. But of course, we’ve either all been there and done that before or we know countless people who have.
It is the crash it off weight loss diet and then gain it all back as soon as you do anything like eating ‘normally’ again. And then you gain some more for good measure.

Jaybee68

12:55 am
30 Dec 13
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Hi, hope I qualify for this thread and that it is OK for me to jump in…I am way past menopausal (or is one ever??) being 68. I am Jill and live in northern NSW Australia. I have been hanging out in the Southern Hemispherians thread and also on another 5:2 site but under a different name. I recognise some names from both forums though.

I am starting 5:2ing again today after a fairly disastrous post Christmas week…Christmas Day was fine but the leftovers and Christmas gift chockies jumped out and grabbed me once everyone had gone home and the place was quiet again for a few days. I am fasting again today and feel so much better for it.

I started this eating plan at the end of November and but for the post Christmas blimp, have been following it quite successfully, although the weight isn’t “falling off” like it does for some. I have a lot of weight to lose (again)…20kg to get where I want to be but 30 to get to where “they” say I should be. I am enjoying the feeling of control that fasting gives me and so glad to back in the driver’s seat!

Sleepless

2:59 am
30 Dec 13
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I have lost a ton of weight, seventy-eight pounds through fasting and hiking and I am just at the edge of the “change”. But lately, I have trouble sleeping through the night and get up to eat two or three times. I also have this weird recurring dream right before I wake up where a telephone rings and a voice tells me I have won an iPhone5. I can see the phone number 5198195035 and everything very clearly. Maybe it is my blood sugar going up and down that causes this? Annoying and weird.

Markie99

1:36 pm
30 Dec 13
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Hi Jaybee. Congratulations on your success and for getting back to 5:2. I love the last line of your post…. I am enjoying the feeling of control that fasting gives me….. I too enjoy the feeling of control when fasting. I also feel lighter, more alert and quite pleased with myself when I fast. Thanks for reminding me of that!

Sleepless, your loss is amazing. Congratulations! Can’t comment on the dream, but I will say that when I wake up in the night (and I do) I try to stay away from the kitchen at all cost. It sometimes helps me to know that I am not alone in waking in the night – many of my friends say this happens to them too – so I picture us all trying to relax and go back to sleep, lol. I have no advice, but wish you good luck in “reprogramming” your middle of the night habit.

MaybelleW

3:53 pm
31 Dec 13
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Happy New Year, all you LOACAs. We have made it through the holidays and it seems a good time to re-commit to doing an even better job of fasting/eating/exercising in the new year. I have just done my symbolic, end of 2013 weigh-in, only the second one in the 18 weeks on the plan and I was thrilled to see that I am down a total of 17.6 pounds! it means I am now losing at about a half pound a week but that is totally acceptable to me as I have been very good about fasting but have not been as careful on my eat days and I have also just let myself indulge in two stretches of non-fasting and eating more than usual in Dec. So, this continues to be a wonderful. satisfying and entirely do-able answer to my weight problem and I could not be more thrilled. I have turned into a great promoter of the Fast Diet with anyone who will listen to me! So, here’s to another new year of progress on the weight and health front. May we all have a healthy and happy and thinner new year!

BlueOcean

4:17 pm
31 Dec 13
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Woo-ooh! MaybelleW!! Well done!! And a fabulous 2014 to you and everyone on the 5:2 way of life…..so impressive!

Happy New Year!

PreciousBooBoo

7:02 pm
31 Dec 13
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HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL FAST DIETERS EVERYWHERE!

AND A SPECIAL HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL LADIES OF A CERTAIN AGE!!

Especially the ones who read and/or contribute to this thread.

If you are celebrating tonight; have a fab time; fill your boots! If you are just wanting to get through it then I hope the time goes quickly.

Then get back on the wagon with the rest of us tomorrow!
(Actually we celebrate New Years Day too; so no climbing back up until Thursday for me!)

PreciousBooBoo
(founder! – TEE HEE)

Markie99

12:27 am
1 Jan 14
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Congratulations Maybelle and all the LOACAs who have embraced this WOL. Here’s to our continued success in 2014. Happy New Year everyone!

loretta1

1:20 am
1 Jan 14
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Happy New Year to all LOACAs- after tonight’s visit from the nephew & friend it will be out with all the CH for Christmas foods, i.e cheese, chocolate, cherries, chips & champagne- & we will her back to the ABC foods, i.e Asparagus, Artichokes, aragula, Broccoli, beetroot, cabbage, carrots, capsicums, cucumbers etc…..at least on Tuesdays & Thursdays. Started well yesterday, food wise, but my partner convinced me it was positively un-Australian not to have wine on New Year’s Eve- so I relented.
Welcome Jaybee68- where are you exactly? I am up in the hills outside of Byron-and good luck with the 30k! I only have about 5k to lose and it’s taking forever- maybe by Easter?

Jaybee68

7:39 am
1 Jan 14
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Hi Loretta, I am not nearly as “north” as you…I live in Tamworth where we are currently gearing up for the big festival. Fast day and a big back on track effort for me starting tomorrow…went a bit haywire over Christmas New Year. Thankfully I don’t drink alcohol so don’t have to worry about THAT temptation.

bronwyn

8:31 am
1 Jan 14
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Happy New Year to you, too, Precious, and to all the LOACAs!

Here in eastern Australia we’re into the evening of Jan 1st, and it’s been a good year so far 🙂

We had a quiet Christmas, just the two of us, and although we had a nice lunch it was a single course only, and dinner was just Christmas pudding – although I confess to a large slice, and thick cream with it! But that was my little binge, and I’ve been pretty good for the rest of the time, and maintaining fast days on Mondays and Fridays.

After not quite two months on the 5:2 WOE, my weight this morning was lowest it’s been for about three years, since my brain surgery in Dec 2010. I’m 5.5 kilos down from where I started – I still have 25kg to lose, but I’m very pleased with progress so far and am encouraged that it might actually happen during next year. As we’ve acquired a new Border Collie puppy a couple of weeks ago (we already have a 13yo one and a 3yo one!) my exercise is already increasing, too!

Loretta, I love reading about your work – in my late teens/early twenties, I wanted to be a costume designer, and I did costume some shows for Canberra Rep. Alas, I worked out that my talents don’t lie in innovative design, and while I’ve sewed all my life, there’s a lot about it that I don’t actually enjoy! I do still keep an interest in historical costume and textiles though, and my Honours thesis in 2000 was on 18th century British worsted textiles – a wonderfully obscure topic – callamanco doesn’t come up in conversation all that often! I finally found my career in my forties, and now I write gritty romantic thrillers.

Jaybee, I’m just a little north of you but still south of Loretta – I’m 20km east of Armidale. Hope the Festival goes well for you – it’s such a big thing for Tamworth, isn’t it? Do you join in and enjoy the music, or grin and bear it?

JoolsB55

9:35 am
1 Jan 14
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This is my first fast day and you know, it never even occurred to me that being menopausal would be an issue. In fact, I’m sure the 5:2 can only be a benefit so, in the spirit of everyone’s journey being their own, I’m expecting it to work. I’m really interested in the link with exercise though and I know I could be more active so I’ll give that a boost too. This us, indeed, a helpful thread so I do appreciate it. I’m 52 and am getting off really lightly, menopause-wise. I still think I’m 17 only happier about myself!

PreciousBooBoo

4:25 pm
1 Jan 14
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Hello All Ladies Of A Certain Age!

And Welcome to the newest members of our club.

Hello Jaybee68 – Of course you are welcome to ‘jump in’! I think most of us have been indulging ourselves over the festive period but isn’t that what it’s all about? It’s pretty difficult to celebrate if you aren’t having any goodies to eat or drink.
The main thing is you are getting straight back on the wagon!

Hello Sleepness – I too have terrible insomnia which is made significantly worse by fasting but in order to lose some weight; it’s a price I’m willing to pay. I don’t get up to eat though! Still it doesn’t seem to have affected your fantastic weight loss!

Did you lose all your 78lbs with the fast diet? Result – however you did it!

Hello MaybelleW – I remember congratulating you on your first weigh in. Well done with the second; I don’t know how you can be so restrained but it does give you a lovely suprise by waiting so long in between weigh ins.

Hello Loretta1 – Have all your CH foods gone yet? Ours haven’t unfortunately though we have just depleted them a bit by having a lump of Stollen with our cup of tea!

Hello Again Bronwyn – I remember responding to you last time you posted; your health history really touched me. I am really delighted that the 5:2 has been so successful for you in particular – I remember you saying about it being pretty much a no-no for exercise etc so you didn’t have that added option available to you.
But it’s only been two months so your weight loss has knocked spots off mine!

Hello JoolsB55 – If you are getting off lightly with your menopause then it’s likely that you won’t have the additional obstructions a lot of us LOACA’s have to contend with.
Lucky you I say! Let us know how you get on

MaybelleW

7:11 pm
1 Jan 14
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Hi, again, on this first day of the new year. This thread has gotten impressively long and that is a sign that this plan is working well for those of us who’ve been worrying about weight gain over the years and finding it difficult/impossible to lose. This has been miraculous for me and I don’t ever use that word.
I knew December would be a difficult month because of a 10-day break while visiting younger daughter and grandchildren and then because Christmas is always challenging. I got through both without disastrous results because leading up to those breaks and after I scheduled my fast days closer together to be sure to get in enough of them. I think this flexibility is one of the real benefits of this plan.
And now that I am down a good amount I look ahead to all the possibilities: some new clothes; feeling better in those clothes; actually wearing a pair of pants that’s not a dark color? And those are just the most superficial of the changes in my outlook and life. I am now moving more and have decided to focus on an even healthier diet. I find that my usual complaints that involve indigestion or sore joints are less a problem.
I think when a woman has been overweight for a while and not comfortable with what has happened to her body, she tries to tell herself that, at this age, it doesn’t matter. No one is looking at me anymore!!! But, it has mattered and it has had an impact on this woman’s self-image and has made me feel old. I know now that feeling that I am improving myself, that I am moving in the right direction, that I can actually get better and not just older, is a wonderful discovery.
I recently told a friend that if I had lost these pounds on a diet like I used in the past I would now be worrying about how to keep going after feeling deprived for so long, I’d be worrying about how to keep it off, and I would know that eventually that weight would come back on because I’ve been there and done that.( Of course, it’s a silly supposition–that I’d have stayed on an old diet and lost this much because THAT never would have happened!) I may be kidding myself now, but I don’t see any of that as an issue; I think I can keep going indefinitely and make adjustments along the way if I should ever get down to where I want to be, e.g., fasting less frequently.

So, welcome to those just starting out. You have made a good decision to try this and I think you can feel hopeful that this will work for you. Happy New Year and NEW YOU!

Jaybee68

9:57 pm
1 Jan 14
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@bronwyn, I enjoy the festival especially the street vibe. I am also a linedancer all year round so plenty of activity for me during the Festival usually. We may have family staying with us this year so that will curtail some of my activities this year, but will probably provide different ones so it is all good.

I am still a newbie at this eating plan but what I have discovered so far is that I don’t have the quite the same guilt feeling when I do the wrong thing on this plan. Previously, if I had a binge day, I would think What the Heck and never get back on the wagon again. With this plan, I look forward to fasting days after an overindulgence. Fasting today and happy about it!!

Jaybee68

10:00 pm
1 Jan 14
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Quoted from a post by Precious Boo Boo:
“Hello Jaybee68 – Of course you are welcome to ‘jump in’! I think most of us have been indulging ourselves over the festive period but isn’t that what it’s all about? It’s pretty difficult to celebrate if you aren’t having any goodies to eat or drink.
The main thing is you are getting straight back on the wagon!”

Precious BB, I am so impressed with the way that you respond to most all of the posts and welcome the newbies…big thumbs up!! Thank you for the support and I am back “on the wagon” now and feeling motivated!

BlueOcean

12:48 am
2 Jan 14
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Great post MaybelleW–you give me hope for myself and my goals for 2014, thank you!

mikayla

4:17 am
2 Jan 14
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Good morning from Perth, Western Australia. I am a newby doing my very first fast today, so far so good. I am 69 years old, want to and need to lose at least 20kgs. 5 weeks ago I had my right shoulder completely replaced due to very painful severe Osteo Arthritis. This is just like a hip or knee replacement but not so common. I now have a lot of hard work in front of me to get it going again.
I have Fibromyalgia, a bit like chronic fatigue with pain, plus so much more. A very painful bursa in my hip stops me from exercising. So losing weight can only be a good thing.
This is not a whinge, just how it is.
Love all the encouragement and advice here, so helpful.
Has anyone tried the alternate fast days as mentioned by Dr K Vardy I think in his video. If I can manage this 5.2 I may give it a try.

Gomarg

5:55 am
2 Jan 14
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Hello fellow LOACAs! I am yet another Aussie butting in on this forum. I’m 58 years old and well past the menopause, although I still get the odd creeping hot flush/flash, especially in our current hot summer in Queensland. I recognise many of you ladies from the Hello Southern Hemispherites’ forum, which is also a bit “bottom-heavy” with Aussies (don’t know where the Kiwis and South Africans are). I have been doing the 5:2 fasting regimen for 8 weeks and have lost 5.9 kg (around 13 pounds) as of last Saturday. I have read Michael’s and Mimi’s book 3 times and have ordered his “Fast Exercise” book from the UK on eBay. I walk 5 times a week for 40 minutes as my exercise and fast on Mondays and Thursdays (with 12 hours of no food between breakfast and dinner). After a few initial headaches on fast days, I have no problem with them now. I’m only 5 ft 4 ins (163 cm) tall and currently weigh 87 kg (13 stone something, 190- something-pounds), so I am hoping to lose another 27 kg (roughly 4 stone or 60 pounds) by this time next year. All of this metric/imperial figuring is doing my head in (maths was never my strong suit). I did notice that one lady on an earlier page wondered what a 16C bra size was – it’s a 38C cup. I remember when I was young, I was a 34B (12B) – now I’m a 20C! Australia got decimal currency (dollars and cents) in 1966 when I was 11 years old, so that was easy to learn. Then we went metric for weights, measures and temperature in about 1975, so that wasn’t too hard to get used to, either – although, when my children were born in the ’80s, I still remember their weights as being 6 lb 4 oz and 7 lb 6 oz, respectively. I couldn’t visualise them in grams. I’ve always been a yo yo dieter in the past – lost 20 kg in weight twice in the last 30 years, but always regained it (and then some) after a couple of years. The best thing about intermittent fasting for weight loss seems to be that you can continue for the rest of your life to maintain your goal weight, by just fasting once a week, or by fasting twice and eating more on the other 5 days. At the moment, I have to be strict on the other 5 days as well. Another good thing I have found about this WOE is that it has greatly improved my mood. I have always been a “glass-half-empty” person, but now I am more positive and cheerful.

Cathyork

8:35 am
2 Jan 14
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Happy New Year to all you lovely LOACAs.

I can see you’ve all been busy over the festive period. Not been around during the last couple of weeks – gave myself a few weeks ‘off’ the 5:2, and I think I have eaten little but drank FAR TOO MUCH over Xmas and New Year. There’s no doubt I have gained weight – but I am fasting properly today and will have my weigh in tomorrow (Friday) as usual (gulp)…I expect to have gained several lbs. But back on it now.

Cath x

hermajtomomi

2:10 pm
2 Jan 14
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Happy New Year to everyone from hermaj, currently walking beside the wagon but intending to climb aboard again on 12th Night – Jan 6.
It’s been a conscious decision to ditch 5:2 over the holiday. After 6 days in the somewhat damp south of France (there was one stunningly beautiful day which took my right back to my youth mis-spent in that part of the world) and eating what I fancied, I didn’t put on an ounce, which is both gratifying and galling, since I’ve stayed at the same weight since September while observing the 5:2 regime pretty strictly. Not putting any on while eating what I liked did make me wonder why I bothered at all.
I’m staying off the wagon until my latest MA assignment is done, dusted and delivered on the deadline of Jan 6. I don’t have the willpower to stick at producing a bit of decent academic writing AND avoid the occasional naughty.

Jaybee68

8:12 pm
2 Jan 14
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@gomarg…I read with interest your comments regarding the metric/imperial measurements. Even after 48 years of metric, there are still some measures that I cannot visualise. Of course I do decimal currency and never think about what it equals in pounds shillings pence, but I still mentally convert metres to yards, centimetres to inches AND I still refer to our babies (now in their 40s) birthweights in imperial measure. Change comes slowly :-D.

Jaybee68

8:15 pm
2 Jan 14
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I completed a successful fast yesterday, and will attempt another probably on Sunday and perhaps again on Tuesday depending on what the scales say this morning…first weigh in since before Christmas as I was too wimpy to step on the scales during the holiday season. I felt so good that I was back in the driver’s seat once again.

luv fasting

2:46 am
3 Jan 14
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Hi loacas greetings from Iowa where we are “enjoying” the lowest temps in over 100 years. Just finishing up my second post holiday fast. YES I did gain nearly 5 pounds in 11 days! How is that even possible?!? But after a strict (under 400 c.) Fast on Monday, I’d dropped a pound.I did enjoy the holiday break, and I’m on the IF way of life so it’s all good.I am going to try a few new things to shed my final 10 pounds. I’m going to be MUCH stricter about practicing hiit and I’m going to try some raspberry ketones. Wondering if you all have tried any supplements? Also one more pat on the back, went with my teenage daughter to see frozen today. I sat there with my bottle of water while she had buttered popcorn and Pepsi :).Maybel totally agree with what you said about clothing. I wore a winter white outfit today. I would Never have done that when I was at my heavier weight.

mikayla

4:02 am
3 Jan 14
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Hi from Perth, my husband and myself did our first ever fast day yesterday, we did well, so far so good. We look forward to the benefits this will bring us. I have spent too much of my 69 years dieting and whipping myself when I failed which of course I did sooner or later. Never again.

Gomarg

7:09 am
3 Jan 14
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While you are freezing in Arctic temperatures in Iowa, “luv fasting”, we are boiling here today in the outer-Brisbane area with 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 F). I can’t complain, though, as we have home air-conditioning. I didn’t have it for my first 45 years, so I know how hard it is to cope with just fans, especially when trying to sleep at night. I couldn’t face going for a walk in this heat today. Tomorrow is weigh-in day and I’m not looking forward to it. Last week I lost 0.6 kg (just over a pound), which was a surprise after Christmas, but I’ve had too many left-over baked treats this week and I know it is going to catch up with me.

Jaybee68

9:16 am
3 Jan 14
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Ive been watching the extreme US weather on the TV news…it made me feel a tad cooler as I sit here in our maximum of 44 degrees today, and it is still 40 degrees at 8.15pm.

Does anyone else get confused about what you have posted where? I am posting on 2 forums here on this site and on another 2 at another 5:2 site (those don’t move as fast as the ones on this site though)and I forget what I have said and who I have said it to:(

annie92

11:45 am
3 Jan 14
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Hi! I am 62 and did start the 5:2 last Jan. I did it for 3 months and didn’t feel any thinner. I also had back pain and knee pain which meant I stopped exercising too. I started again in November and did feel better again but still in pain. Well, a New year has given me a new incentive and I am tackling the pain and starting the 5:2 when I restart work next Monday. I find it easier when I am at work. I will buy some new bathroom scales and monitor the weight loss! Wish me luck!

MaybelleW

3:34 pm
3 Jan 14
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To Annie92, I do wish you luck. I sympathize because I have had to deal with joint pain for some time and it’s no fun. But, I am also finding that I feel better all over now that I’ve dropped 18 pounds and am not carting so much extra weight around. I know for some people that weighing regularly is necessary but I have found that it’s better if I don’t weigh. I can tell by the fit of my clothes that I am losing a little at a time (I’m resigned to losing at a slow rate at my age–68) and I think that if weight loss is slow–maybe a half pound a week–it’s better if I don’t weight often because I may fluctuate up and down a bit in a short stretch of time. I have only weighed after about 8-10 weeks and then the loss of several (or a few!) pounds is exciting news! I wish you well and I hope that your pain subsides and you feel good about keeping at the 5:2 plan until you have real results. Happy New Year!

BlueOcean

7:47 pm
3 Jan 14
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thank you for the great post MaybelleW…..I don’t weigh often either as I just can’t face the disappoint of fluctuation anymore….I’m letting my clothes and how I look in the mirror be my guide and so far I have quite a ways to go.

I love hearing about all of you who have been doing this for some time and are having success….this is my 8th week, so I’m a newbie, and the last time I weighed I was down by 5 pounds, that was after only 3.5 weeks…..I won’t weigh myself again until maybe the end of February….or whenever….maybe June…..all I know is that this is working for me, maybe not quickly, but it’s the only thing I’ve been able to do this long that I can live with….

anniebc

8:59 pm
3 Jan 14
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Hello everyone, hope you don’t mind me joining you. I’m 63 and very overweight (about 4 or 5 stone to lose) I have high blood pressure, dodgy knees,very inactive and in recent years I’ve given up even trying to diet, because I’ve always failed in the past – usually I don’t even manage a day. Now I know if I don’t do something, I will shorten my life a lot and cause all sorts of medical problems in the near future. So I’ve been considering what I could do to help myself, and found this thread when searching for success stories for people over 60 losing a fair bit of weight.

I’m veggie, but also an emotional eater. So I eat lots of junk food and diet cokes. Terrible I know. I think I could possibly do the 5/2, so I’m planning on starting in a week or so. We still have loads of tempting goodies in the house, and I need them all to be gone. I may take some into work Monday so they don’t tempt me.

I’m readng through the forums taking notes and getting ideas. I work in an office 3 days – my initial plan is a half hour brisk walk the other 4 days, pus some Wii fit. Some of you have done so well, I just hope I can do it too. Bye for now.

PamelaJayne

9:34 pm
3 Jan 14
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Hello there all and a very Happy New Year to you.
Hopefully I make it into the LOACA group. Not yet menopausal (I don’t think) but will be 51 in March so probably not far away.

I am nearing the end of my first fast day and finding this thread very inspiring and helpful in managing the last hour or so….. I was goring to start this WOE on Monday but when I hadn’t eaten by eleven this morning I just thought ‘ why wait’. So I made myself a mainly egg white omelette with tomatoes and set off on the path of the 5:2!!

I have had a great day, including a baking session with my eight year old who made almost 30 vanilla Star biscuits from his fantastic new baking book received from a dear friend for Christmas. I managed to get through this without licking the spoon or trying them once. I think I will definitely treat myself to one with a cup of tea tomorrow though. I even spent an hour in the pub with friends and had a coffee (not the normal latte I would have had…).

Made myself a lovely veg stir fry using spray oil which I thoroughly enjoyed. Much to my delight when I said to my husband that I had started this WOE he decided immediately to join me!! Always helpful to have company I am sure. So, having managed today with no major issues, roll on Monday when both of us will fast……

Look forward to conversations with you all over the coming weeks – the support you provide for everyone is phenomenal.
Here’s to a healthier, lighter, highly motivated 2014!!
Ta Ta for now, PJ