Happy New Year and Good Luck to all Newbies. I have done his before but not for any great length of time so I am calling myself a Newbie too. Thank you for the replies I had so far. I am also trying to cut out refined sugar from my diet. I didn’t realize how much was in all the “diet” products that we eat. I check everything in th e supermarket now! Hope this will also help. Just getting into all the clothes I have and them looking good will help my will power. I have lost 4st. before now with a famous diet company but hope that I don’t need to spend all that money. Will keep you posted.

Thanks Annie 92 I intend to keep up with it. Went to my Dr. who treats my hormones and he did not bat an eye when I
mentioned this diet. He did say I should do low carb like the South Beach diet.

Want to thank P. Boo Boo for the recommenadation of Dr. Peatfield. His name is Barry Durrant-Peatfield. He is a Brit
and I am getting his book about thyroid and adrenal problems. It was hard to find except on Amazon.

At this point my focus is on getting well and I think this is a good start. Dr. Mosely talks about the feeling of hunger and how we rarely experience it. I agree and am telling myself it’s OK to feel hungry and not run to the kitchen to satisfy it.

One last thing, my dr. did say a support group is key and I view this forum as a support group.

Hello, Everyone–
I’ve been following all the posts for the last couple of months since I posted one myself a few weeks into my 5:2 efforts; it was a very lengthy one since I was so excited about this new way of eating; I promise not to make this one as long! I’ve really enjoyed everyone’s contributions and will check in again after my weekly Tuesday weigh in. I am so close to accomplishing the goal I set for myself when I started last fall–to make it down to 140 lbs (I think that’s about 63 kg for the LOACAS far from Atlanta, Georgia USA) early in the new year. Although I have one regular fast day–Monday–before that time, I am trying very hard to use the days before that to stick to a stricter regimen in order to maximize my weight loss this week, and I was inspired by others to chime in here as a way of staying motivated through the long, cold weekend. For all of you who have recently begun, this is indeed a great place for support, whether you’re an active contributor or not. I am so sympathetic to the newbies who have not been able to find a long-term way to deal with their health and weight issues; I really hope that you give this strategy a long-term chance to become a new habit. I am dealing with the nearly 25 lbs (12 kg.) that I have put on in the last 8 years, after giving birth to my 3rd child at age 42, and before dropping very abruptly into menopause just before my 50th birthday last May. My weight loss has been slow and not always steady, and definitely not dramatic, but it has been very real and I credit this very livable, very do-able plan with being well on my way to accomplishing my goal. I began in late August and had hoped to break my weight loss efforts in to two stages. Stage 1 would be working my way down from 156.8 to 140 lbs., the weight that I had hovered at post-baby for a few years, which then turned out to be the ‘low’ weight I rarely saw (and only very fleetingly) as I went up and down between the mid 140’s to the mid 150’s in the last 5 years. Once that is accomplished–hopefully very soon–I plan to take on the next 10 lbs. and work my way back to about 130 or so, and maintain that weight long-term. At 5’6″, this would be my ideal weight and one I maintained for years, pre-late life baby. I really don’t care how long it takes me (although I am hoping to get there by June); for the first time in nearly a decade, I feel that I finally have the tools to accomplish my goal of reaching and more importantly, maintaining a healthy, trim weight. Thanks, ladies, for the inspiration. I thought of you all when I went down to the kitchen and made myself a nice cup of hot tea rather than pouring myself the nice glass of Sauvignon blanc that was calling to me from the fridge! I can enjoy that glass of wine in a few days when I have reached my milestone, right? Cheers!

Oh it’s so much fun to read all of the comments of this group! I really enjoy learning everyone’s story.

Just checking in to say that as well as I did on the days up to and including Christmas, somehow the after Christmas treats have resulted in a gain of two pounds! Tonight was the last of our holiday celebrations (out to dinner with friends – fun but high caloric). It hasn’t helped that our weather has been extremely cold and snowy with even colder sub-zero weather on its way. I think I’ve done some comfort eating, lol.

I’m re-committing myself to fasting on Mondays and Thursdays and to maintaining 16:8 on non fast days and staying within a reasonable number of calories.

When my husband and I retire in March we are taking a vacation to a favorite beach area (in the south, far from Wisconsin). Although my bikini days are over, I would like to look and feel better in lighter, more summery clothing.

That vacation and reading this group will be my motivation to continue with this WOL, along with the fact that I just feel so good when following 5:2. So glad I’ve found this place. Good luck to everyone in meeting goals in the coming week.

Hello Fast Friends,
My scales must be broken. I have put on 10lb!!!!!Lost 2lb, but still a hefty 8lb just to get back to where I was.

I must be the winner(and loser) for the greatest festive weight gain.

Back to it next week.

Just a quick reply to gomarg…yes, I definitely think the cold weather makes it a bigger challenge to fast; the body craves warm, rich foods–no doubt about it; Markie99–what do you think? I may be living in the Southern part of the U.S. now, but I spent the first 47 years of my life as a Minnesotan so I know cold! (And yes, I am really glad that I’m not there this next few days as the thermometer dips to 25 below zero! You have my total sympathy, Markie99.) But even here in Atlanta, we have our version of winter and it’s cold & blustery, in the 20’s & 30’s (Fahrenheit) and it makes it harder to get out and exercise. I generally power walk as my main form of cardio, getting in 3-5 one hour sessions weekly, but this weather has pushed me indoors & I’ve been doing sessions on the elliptical instead–not nearly as fun. The temptation on these cold nights to just hole up under a blanket with a bag of chips and a glass of wine is a powerful one. I have taken to retreating to my bedroom–the farthest room in the house from the kitchen–with a cup of herbal tea and a good book. And maybe a little leftover Christmas chocolate every now and then…

And Markie99, I am also going on vacation (in mid-February) and using that as a motivator for staying on the 5:2 in the coming 6 weeks. My bikini days are also long gone, but I really would like to feel better in the suit that I squeezed myself into last summer, and pick up a few new summery things before our trip. We are headed to the Bahamas (never been there before) for our first non-work related travel/non-family vacation in three years & I am going to celebrate my weight loss efforts on the 5:2 by enjoying every minute there. Good luck to you as you make it through the long, cold Wisconsin winter–just keep reading these posts and imagining yourself in the warm, Florida sunshine at your new(set) weight by then!

And Sylvestra–I love your positive attitude. That’s one of the things about the 5:2 that is so encouraging to me; it’s not a ‘diet’ that you either succeed or fail at, but a way of life that you practice. Taking a break, eating differently for a few weeks and then returning to the practice when you’re ready is just part of the process. And what I have been thrilled with–and I’ve read many others’ posts that mention the same effect–is that the ‘new’ weight that I put back on after some time away from the 5:2 comes off far more quickly than in the past, rather than staying on and becoming a permanent addition to the numbers on the scale. I, too, went up a couple of pounds over the Christmas holidays, but in the last 9 or 10 days of more focused efforts, it has all gone away. Wow. That didn’t happen before. I don’t know if it’s a combination of my (renewed) committed motivation to cut down on the intake and increase my exercise level AND the physical effects of intermittent fasting on my metabolism, but it is very empowering and makes me fear those temporary add-on pounds far less than when I was ‘dieting’ before. Because this time I know, they really are temporary, not deal-breakers signaling a slide back into weight gain. So good luck with those few little pounds of yours; they’ll be gone again soon, I’m sure.

Good luck, everyone, whether you’re dealing with extreme heat or nasty cold–we’re all in this together.

Sylvestra, Annette and Shar, your posts have made me feel a lot better about my gain.

Annette, glad that you have already shifted some pounds. I’ve been reading your posts for months and I know how dedicated you are, and I know that you will shift the rest.

Sylvestra, so heartening to know that this rapid gain may leave fast too. I’m sure you will manage your five strict days and get back to where you want to be.

Shar, thanks for the weather-related sympathy. I am so not looking forward to leaving for work tomorrow when it is -15 degrees F, but I plan to not look at the wind chill temp so I won’t know how cold it actually feels, lol.
Our weight loss goals are similar. Although I am a couple of inches shorter than you, I feel so comfortable in my body when I am around 135 pounds. A trip to the Bahamas will be a wonderful treat for you in February, especially with the cold weather you are having in Atlanta, and just think of the cute clothes you will be able to wear. Hope you enjoy every minute. You will laugh, but our beach vacation in March will be in your state – Georgia – Jekyll Island, to be specific. We lived there years ago and love to go back to visit and relive our fun times there. I know it won’t be too warm there in March, but of course 50’s and 60’s are very welcome temps for us.

I do feel we are all in this together. Thanks for the support everyone.

does anyone know if the IF diet should not be used for people with Adrenal Fatigue? Just looking on the internet and
saw some sites that are not on board with it?

@applecrisp…..not being a doctor I wouldn’t attempt an answer but having posed the question to Google it appears that there are two separate camps….those who have fasted and felt better and those who appear to believe that something dreadful is going to happen to ANYONE who fasts.

Bearing in mind that the 5:2 means you can eat up to 500 cals on a fast day and general opinion suggests that these 500 cals should consist of as few carbs as possible the suggestions on this link seem to be the most balanced that I have read….

http://www.tvernonlac.com/adrenal-fatigue-diet.html

I would suggest that you speak with a medical practitioner before you start but make sure they are aware of the 500 cal ‘allowance’ as most of the ‘nay sayers’ seem to equate the 5:2 to starving yourself.

xx

You can do this heidihutch. Read all you can about 5:2. There is so much good information on this site and so many inspirational stories that will motivate you. Then relax and give it a try. Be patient with yourself. Start slowly if you must. You will feel so much better and so much in control when following this way of eating. Don’t panic if you feel hungry on a fast day – have a cup of tea or your non-caloric drink of choice and you may find that the hunger goes away. Be sure to check in and tell us how you are doing. Good luck!

Hi heidihutch …welcome to 5:2. there is absolutely nothing to be scared of and there are loads of us on here who can testify that it does work.

have you read the book? If you haven’t already done so, you need to calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Calorie Expenditure). There is a link in the right hand column of the forums to help you do this – helpful site links/ calorie calculator (TDEE / BMR / BMI).

Once you have done this all you need to do is to make sure that you eat 25% of this (around 500 cals for most people) on 2 days per week and try to keep on or below it for the other 5 days. Many of us try to keep or carbs to a minimum on our fast days for, as well as being quite high in cals, research has shown that eating carbs seems to make you want to eat more and consequently go over your fast day allowance.

You may find a site like http://www.myfitnesspal.com or http://www.loseit.com useful as you can record your calories for the first few weeks to give you an idea of portion sizes and the calorie values of what you are eating.

There is also a useful link at the top of the page to faq.

You’ll get loads of help and support on these forums so just ask.

Please keep us posted on your progress and, again, you needn’t be afraid it won’t work – as long as you keep to the basic rules….up to 500 cals on 2 fast days and TDEE or less on the other 5 you can eat whatever you like…..and it WILL work.

Good luck x

Hi loacas, just wanted to welcome the new folks, nutty, Heidi, and curly and anyone else I missed. Thanks Anette and Sylvestra for talking about holiday weight gain. I thought I was the only one. Fasting today after a not so good Sunday, I went way over my 1350 non fast day. My only excuse is that we were celebrating our daughters 18th birthday. Someone asked about fasting in cold weather. I rely on vegetable soup, the lentil and Chile recipes in the 5/2 book. I also drink a lot of herbal tea instead of cold water.

Welcome, heidihutch–you and I seem to have a lot of similarities in having later-birth babies, weight loss/peri-menopuause issues & our hope that the 5:2 plan offers a long-term solution to what’s ahead. This peri-menopause phase could make you crazy! I went from having very regular periods one month to absolutely no cycle–bam!–and a million hot flashes that seemed to come out of nowhere. I was sleepless, exhausted, a little nuts, and putting on weight so easily it would’ve been funny if it hadn’t been so NOT FUNNY. Especially since I was already a very regular exerciser; adding even more seemed a little extreme. Then, after 3 months of that, every symptom disappeared, my cycle became completely regular again I started the 5:2 plan in late August. Now, as of a month ago, the hot flashes are back, my period has disappeared again but..I don’t feel helpless as far as the weight gain is concerned. You have absolutely nothing to fear–I really think that this is a strategy that works for most people. And I have to admit…I am the most laid-back practitioner of the 5:2. In fact, I’m afraid all the LOACAs may expel me if they knew how slapdash I am about it most of the time. Although that’s what I like most about this thread: how human everyone is! And kind about our efforts, whatever they are. My fast days probably tip more toward the 6 or 700 calories sometimes, and I never calorie-count. I eat a pretty limited range of pretty healthy foods & ‘ballpark’ it more often than not. Yes, I go to bed hungry on fast days (and yes, I start a number of fast days that don’t turn out to be ‘fast days’ but then I just dedicate the next day instead.) I did adhere more strictly on the front end and I do think that that helped establish the pattern and get some rewarding results that were very motivating. The important thing for me is to look at this as a long-term approach; NOT a diet. I have made some significant changes in what I eat/drink because of the increased awareness that those fast days bring, and I enjoy the food I do choose to eat–the chocolate, the wine, or the egg white omelette–much more now. The most important thing to me is to be completely happy with the slow progress I’m making. Yes, if I ate dramatically less, I would see more dramatic results–but for how long? In the 4 months that I’ve been doing the 5:2, it has just become how I eat–not a sacrifice.

So good luck to you, heidihutch, and to all the other newbies who are reading this. Enjoy the ride, enjoy the posts and let us know how you’re doing. I am very excited to report tomorrow on my 4 month mark weigh-in and measurements–not because they will be astounding, but just because they will be mine and they will be REAL. And because I know that this downward trend will continue in the coming year. Cheers!

Quoted from Precious Booboos post above:

“I have just spent a long time typing out a welcome to all our new members and there are a lot of you (since I last posted) – Welcome one and all! but my husband was doing an electrical job on our new home and the electric went off and all my post was lost! I suspect some of you will say Yay!!!

Does anyone else know of a way of typing out what you want to say where it is stored until you want to actually submit it? This is not the first time I’ve lost a long post”

My suggestion: I keep a notepad document open over to the side >>> and type my responses there if I am making a long post. Then copy and paste into this posting box.

What a wonderful thread. I have spent the last couple of days reading the entire thing and it epitomises all that can be so positive about women’s relationships. I too am of a certain age and after a lifetime of being quite slim (57kg, 1.66m) have found to my dismay that I have developed a tummy that is very reluctant to leave. I’m sure the disrupted sleep occasioned by multiple hot flushes a night is a contributing factor and I’d be really interested to know whether anyone has found that fasting helps to alleviate this symptom. I’ve just finished my first two weeks on this program and have lost a bit less than a kg so far, which is motivating. Reading of everyone’s experiences here even more so.

I’m looking forward to following all your stories over 2014 – celebrating your successes and commiserating when things don’t go quite to plan.

PS: someone mentioned having a hip bursa – I’d recommend googling Dr Alison Grimaldi and gluteal tendinopathy as her research has changed views on diagnosis and treatment. I have also had to cut down on my exercise as a result of this condition but am now recovering and hope to be back running within the next few weeks.

Hi! Everyone. Did first IF day this year and it wasn’t too bad. Bought some fruit teas and I have a bouillon cube at lunchtime to keep me going. Is this ok? They are very few cals. but I felt like I was cheating. It did get me through till 6./6.30 in the evening. Anyone else have any ideas about keeping going through the day?

Hi Everyone! Happy new year!
I’ve been on and off the “fast diet” since mid January 2013 and have lost about 38 lbs altogether. My body shape has changed so much too, especially when I hit a plateau around late summer, even though the scales weren’t showing any loss, the clothes were.
As a 58 year old, with a lifetime of being overweight, this has been fantastic for me. Like a lot of people I had an indulgent Christmas, but that doesn’t bother me sine I know I can lose the gained pounds very quickly. I still want and need to lose another 20 pounds, and will continue with this eating plan. I actually missed it over the holidays. This diet has made me feel so much better in many ways. I have far more energy and my thyroid problems have almost disappeared.
So…as a “lady of a certain age” it’s never too late.
I find my 2 days easy to manage, and actually to give my self a kick start again, I’m doing 3 days this week.
Good luck to all of us……happy fasting!

Triple yay JoolsB55! Well done!

Annie92, congrats on getting through your first fast day. Drinking hot tea almost continually really helps me get through fast days, but I see you already drink tea. I’ve read that some fasters drink something called Bovril, but not sure what that is. It might be similar to bouillon. A UK person may be able to explain it.

Kmck157, wow, 38 pounds lost is awesome. And you are right, it’s never too late to get into the body you are supposed to have.

L1inda, I love your attitude about not giving up. You are right – it doesn’t matter if weight loss is slow, as long as it’s happening.

Successful non fast day for me today. Closed the kitchen at 7 pm and will maintain 16:8 again tomorrow. Not eating after our evening meal has become a habit that makes me feel great; when I wake up tomorrow I will have already restricted calories for 10 hours and will enjoy an early lunch around 11. One pound seems to be gone. Sylvestra, you said weight that was put on fast would come off fast too, and I think it has.

Good luck to anyone who is fasting tomorrow.

In answer to Markie99’s question, Bovril is a thick, black salty beef extract that comes in a jar and is used by the teaspoonful to mix with boiling or hot water in a cup to make a drink. It is British and is also available in Australia. My mother used to call it “Beef tea”. Apparently, to appease the vegetarians, it is now made with yeast extract instead of beef and is more like Vegemite or Marmite. When I once lived in Japan for six months and ran out of the Vegemite I’d brought with me, I bought some as a last resort from the American Pharmacy in Tokyo so that I could spread it on my breakfast toast. Used sparingly, it wasn’t a bad substitute for Vegemite.

Gomarg and Sylvestra thanks for explaining Bovril. The salt content does make it a risky choice unless used very sparingly. I realize now that I actually have something similar in my refrigerator. It’s a paste called beef base and is 680mg salt per tsp. I sometimes use it in soups or stews but always with care because of the salt. Thanks again. I’m fascinated by products and ingredients I read about on the forums – Bovril, Marmite, Vegemite are very exotic to me.

Good luck on the “journey” you’ve just embarked on. I have to agree that I will never be skinny…wouldn’t suit me anyway! But…since being on this for almost a year on and off, and being 38 lbs lighter, I have mountains of energy, sleep well and regularly take on younger women in tasks in our community. I am heading off shortly to return to a special school abroad as a volunteer, the last time I was there 2 years ago, I found the heat and humidity horrendous, so I’m lookomg forward to coping with it all more positively.
I was away with my sister recently, and we were enjoying a tipple in a pub (needless to say, no 5:2 then!), when younger girls told us they were full of admiration for our outlook…..they aspired to be like us….quite a compliment, I thought!
Age is only a number…..it’s how you feel about life that counts. As for the menopause…..millions if women go through it and no one has died from it yet! So I keep telling myself!! ……even on the “bad” days…..
You go for it…..don’t let the bad days get you down….they will pass.
Good luck!

Fantastic- well done you. Such a timely post with so many new joining this WOE.
Elaine

Hi all. Enjoyed your posts. I have a query about sleep. I am 61 and not the greatest sleeper and fasting doesn’t help. I have just completed my first 2 days fasting. I have at least 7 kgs to lose. I have seen both my brother and sister lose weight very successfully on the 5:2 diet but my sister has also trouble sleeping. Any advice?