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

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

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  • Something I’m noticing and has been mentioned in this thread is what we eat.
    Surely it’s ‘any food’ on the normal days so why not a slice of toast and butter ? Or am I picking up a vibe that isn’t there?

    I’ve re-introduced the fats too as it seems to help with making one full (Jason Fung videos – as linked to on Newbie links). It could be, is about my experience at the moment, but I know protein makes you feel full so I tend to eat a little protein if I’m hungry.
    I do get light headed if I’m on a LC/FD day, and even the following morning but I am managing ok overall. Will do my local day tomorrow… 🙂
    I don;t think I ‘could’ at the moment do a non eating day altogether – although I have had days ‘anyway’ where I’ve almost done this so maybe in time. But from the science behind this Eating Plan this isn’t ‘necessary’as I understand it. 🙂

    Hello Everyone,
    I haven’t been on here for a couple of pages thanks to a very, very busy week or two. I am still busier than I want to be (I have a chronic illness ME/CFS which means it doesn’t take much activity before I am doing too much!), but at least I am managing a leisurely breakfast and a good catch up on the forum.

    Hello to all the new people! I have been doing 5:2 since July last year, and have loved it. I had my ovaries out when I was 50 and then was not only flung into menopause, my already a bit overweightness ballooned so that I got up over 80KG and I am small enough that that was huge.
    Five or so years ago I cut out sugar which suited me really well, and I lost 20kg, but I was still about 10kg above my ‘normal’ and then started creeping up again.
    5:2 fasting has suited me so well. I haven’t bothered with scales (they do my head in!) although I have stood on my daughters dodgy scales a couple of times so I know I have lost about 10kg and I am just needing to lose the last few flabby bits now.

    Hi Patty! Are you with your darling granddaughters now?

    Hi Caterina, nice to see you getting good support here too! (I have favourited four threads that I write on regularly and it is lovely if you are on two of them!).

    Aurora, it is interesting that very few people do 5:2 simply as it is presented: ie 500 calories on two days a week, and normal eating on the others.

    Part of it may be that we have a dreadful propensity to complicate everything and, even worse, to try to turn everything into a short, sharp fad diet. But there are other factors, like I need to be sugar free as well, and that so many of us have not been eating normally, that it is quite tricky to work out how to do it on our normal days!

    I definitely have toast and butter on my normal days, and wouldn’t forbid myself from having it on fast days either, except that I use so many of my allotted calories by having milk in my cuppas…. and that is my priority!!!!
    (Disclaimer, I have my own slow rise home made bread which is very tasty, and I am one of those that avoids bought white bread because it effects me badly as sugar does).

    I am having a lovely post fast day. Next fast day is Sunday! Best wishes to you if you are fasting today! AND if you are not fasting! 🙂 Catch you later.

    guernseyjane, Your story is inspirational to me, and can I congratulate you on your effort, and your result? You show that husband of yours!

    “Finally, getting into a routine where I have to focus on things other than food at least 2 days a week is a big psychological shift for me”

    I was struck by your remark. It does say in the book that one can begin to really notice and question one’s relation to food. I didn’t appreciate how true that has been, for me, too. There is often a space in my thinking now, when considering a snack or a menu choice. I don’t just gleefully start shovelling it in! I think “Hmmmm. Do I really want this? How long since I last ate? Am I even hungry?” And I surprise myself, because sometimes, the desire simply fades away. (Of course, sometimes it doesn’t!)

    Has anyone else noticed anything similar?

    Keep on, keeping on!

    Hi all,
    I haven’t posted on here for a bit. It had been a little too quiet and I was having a challenging week or so with noticeable hunger changes, so I popped on some fast tracker/ challenge threads to keep myself accountable.

    I now realize for sure that it was hormones and I have to mark my calendar for next month. I think that fasting has got me back to being more regular and having some of my “younger” hormone symptoms (not all of which are bad, lol)

    So back to more normal hunger and now heading into July which is going to have a lot of holiday and travel challenges. Wish me luck.

    As for noticing relationship to food….I think fasting is exactly what resets us to be aware of our body’s needs and so the journey to relationship with food rather than unmindful conquered of food is exactly what happens. I often fast my cats and they eat much healthier portion sizes after a fast.

    !

    Hi. I have also noticed that my portion size has changed. I will eat BUCKETS of salad (well it’s a mixing bowl actually) but overall my meals have dropped to about half the size of those before starting 5:2. I’m lucky as I don’t have anyone at home keeping crisps and chocolate hidden in a drawer somewhere. If I eat high calorie carbs, it’s because I have bought them delibrately. I buy fruit, yoghurt and tinned fish for snacking. I don’t avoid fat on my ‘5’days, I don’t like 0% and low fat products, although I will use them on my ‘2’ days. I don’t count calories on ‘5’ days; I did in the beginning just to check what 800 cals looked like but hey, life’s too short I eat meals off a smaller plate and don’t pile it high like before. I would like to reintroduce beer into my diet at some point once I reach my goal weight and check it’s effect on my weight so I can compensate when necessary. Once I have that under control, I can rejoin my knitting group that meets weekly in the pub!

    Hello again, been away for a few weeks due to moving house, and during that time I’ve lived virtually on takeaway pizza and curry, drank wine and ate chocolate every day to deal with stresses of getting heat, light and IT linked up, plumbers and electricians to make tea and biscuits for, and despite all this, have lost a couple of pounds (my husband, already at a BMI of 20, has lost even more)! I have had a couple of about 1200 calorie days but reckon the loss must be due to stress as I’ve not exercised much either, or else the “bounce back” effect akin to the re-feed meals that low-carbers do? Either way, I’m calling a halt now and getting back on the programme, my luck won’t last forever! I do not recommend moving house as a means of weight loss, it has just been an interesting side effect.

    Animal feeding – I’ve always fed my huskies (sadly my last one died and the one before was stolen!) always had their own food bowls in their kennels neigh full. (But cycling the old to new food at the bottom and letting it fall to ensure fresh food) Anyway they always had food, this taught them that there was never a shortage, they never ate more than they ‘needed’. They’d noticeably eat more in winter months to summer months, and every now and again they ate a much larger amount. They ate to their need. It was very interesting.
    Sadly I’ve never learned what they instinctively knew!

    I thought when I started this that I was 11 stone, but a recent visit to a doctors surgery (assuming that their scales were correct) show that in fact I must have been 11.5 stone! It is a good / bad situation. Making my scales 7lb or half a stone out!
    On one hand I’ve now lost around half a stone, but on the other I was even higher than I had thought. Although I did feel v fat, and still do! 🙁

    Had a very hungry day today which is a little unusual.
    However I have managed to stick to the 500 max (don’t usually reach it according to my estimates of food eaten) and about 1200 or less on the other 5 days.
    So I hope to see more weight going soon!
    As long as it does then I’m happy to stick with it, think I’m just feeling for me what feels like a BIG task ahead.
    I’ve bought in extra soup to try them on other days too.
    I’ve bought in more fruit too to try and help some of the hungry times, like today. I’ve a LoCal day tomorrow but a very physical one on Tue. So hope I’ll be OK with that. I might do Wed & Thur perhaps….
    Anyway on one hand I think I’m ok with it, but the weight drop (which is good) makes me wonder if most is water weight and over the next few weeks I hope will prove it as a weight loss program.
    It is encouraging to see so many still working through. I do notice that there is a trend to be so aware of what we are eating that we are (perhaps) all eating & serving less over all ! I think I’m wondering how much of this is helping the weight loss.
    And I worry that I ought to be doing more…. but will see how the next month goes.
    I am disappointed that I don’t think I’m going to have lost as much as I’d like to by the end of this month (& a relative’s wedding) but I might have lost a bit more … 🙂

    I was so excited to find this thread!!!!! I started gaining weight at age 45 but was always able to lose it with dieting. I have always exercised regularly and was so confused when I started to gain weight. I had settled in at 10 pounds over my normal adult weight when I reached 62 and then gained another 15 pounds seemingly overnight! I asked my doctor about it at my annual exam and all he said was that they usually don’t worry about weight changes unless you are losing weight without trying. It has been 3 years since then and the weight keeps adding up. I was sick in June and lost 7 pounds but afterward my weight crept back up. Now thankfully I have found this plan. I’ve been trying it for two weeks and I feel much better. I haven’t really felt hungry for the last three years but I kept eating because all the websites I read said to not eat under 1200 calories/day. It seems like I even gained weight with that.

    Hi Grammaspice,
    Welcome!
    Isn’t it awful that we seem to have lost the ability to eat when we are hungry, and stop when we have had enough!
    How excellent that 5:2 is suiting you so well. I love how sustainable it is, and it is great to lose the extra weight!

    Cinque, thank you. I seldom feel hungry anymore so I don’t think I will have a promenade problem fasting twice a week.

    Haha! Problem! I don’t like autocorrect!

    That autocorrect! 😉
    Excellent that you ARE fine with stopping when you have had enough!

    Btw When you get down to a comfortable weight, and if anyone is worrying about you not eating enough, just work out your BMI http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/know-your-risks/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator and if you are in your healthy weight range, nothing to worry about. If you get much below it, it will be time to work out how to eat a little more.

    I stopped eating sugar August 1 and I am surprised at how easy it has been compared to when I have attempted it previously. Bring a LOACA sure changes how I feel and how my body acts. My weight was down just one pound until this morning and it was down 2 pounds! I was excited about that! If I had eaten this few calories for two weeks five years ago I would have lost 10 pounds instead of a mere two pounds. It is amazing to me that I don’t feel weak or lightheaded consuming only 500 calories on a fast day.

    Keep going it can be slow. Ive done 9 kgs over 19 weeks so not fast but wearing clothes ive not had on for years is awesome. My weigh ins are very up and down. Nothingfor a couple of weeks then a kg all at once. Cant be too impatient with this one but only suffering 2 days a week is very worth the speed.

    Thanks. I guess at this stage of life any drop in weight is exciting! Scale read down one pound yesterday and Down two more today. Definitely inconsistent! That makes four pounds in two weeks I’ll take it!

    Hi all, I used to post here last year but have been incommunicado for many months. I’ve neglected my 5/2 diet terribly but am now looking to resuming once again. My name is Fran, and I had gastric bypass surgery on August 16th. Since then I’ve lost 40 lbs but I’ve now stalled and I believe I need to be more serious about what I put into my mouth. The first few weeks after By-pass surgery is a delicate time for your newly devised digestive system. For the most part, only liquids. Soups, baby food, skim milk, yogurt etc. Not much fun. But after about a month, ( which I’m now approaching) a whole new set of eating rules will apply. Mainly not eating quickly and most importantly, not putting more than a couple of ounces of food at a time into your vastly reduced stomach and your newly created much shorter small intestine. I don’t regret undergoing the surgery, in fact my energy level has skyrocketed and my osteoarthritis has all but disappeared. It’s a wonderful feeling being able to move freely again after all these years of sedentary living. But as I mentioned earlier, the 5/2 diet is now tremendously appealing to me as this is the kind of eating I feel I could life with for the rest of my life. I miss the commeraderie of the forum though so I hope to get some most welcome advice and support. In return, please feel free to ask about the long and incredibly long journey I’ve now begun and whether or not you might be interested in starting your own. Have a great day all !!

    I’m 60 and unable to exercise at all. I’ve lost nearly 2 stone in 9 months. So this is no quick fix diet. However it’s flexible and easy so it is the diet for me.
    I fast 2 days a week – I choose days I’m at work as that’s the easiest for me. The massive bonus for me is that for 5 days a week it doesn’t feel like a diet. I don’t obsess about calories/ points etc. In fact I don’t think of it as a diet at all – just the way I choose to live my life.
    I still have a long way (I’m about half way to my target weight) to go but I can telly see myself getting there. I have just returned from a six week break when I didn’t follow the diet and I was thrilled to see the one pound I had gained dropped off in less than a week. I really feel as though my eating habits have changed and I pig out far less – but still enjoy foodie treats and meals out. Best of all I love being lighter and have dropped a dress size.
    So it’s slow and steady for me. Perhaps this is the diet I’ve searched all my adult life to find?

    Great tips here ladies! One thing I’d add would be getting enough protein too. Protein is so important for your whole body (not just your muscles!) and we often don’t get enough of it. Pretty much everyone should add some meat, dairy, or legumes to their diet. Although we older ladies often have a tough time eating enough meat or other whole food sources of protein, sometimes i go for supplemental sources (and there’s lots of really high quality protein shakes out there now, it’s not just for bodybuilders. This website talks about a few http://proteinbrain.com/best-protein-powder-for-elderly-people/ I’m sure there’s others too though, let me know what you use!) The human body needs everything (in moderation) including protein!

    I am 54 and in perimenopause and noticing the pounds going on. Found the FastDiet 5:2 this past week and giving it a try for the first time today. So far eaten an egg and a V8 and lots of water, tea, and a little coffee.

    Feeling not great so far so maybe will try an apple to tide me over.

    Hoping for a good result with this diet!

    hi- i want to lose more than 2oo pounds- and I mean Donald Trump- I apologize to the world

    Piper, I hear you–I feel the same way. Our country (& the world) deserve so much better. I want my father’s country back. I was so depressed all day yesterday, especially when I saw the Obamas wave goodbye as they boarded the helicopter.

    I’m a newbie to the 5:2 and I’m not seeing the results I’d hoped for. Over the holidays, I ate whatever my heart desired, so it took about 2 weeks to stop the sugar cravings again. The reset has been a challenge, but I’m now back on the road and did 1 FD on Thursday and will have another one on Sunday. I lost far more weight on Weight Watchers and I’ve yo-yo’d on the 5:2. Hope that my results improve. I think I’ll read Dr. Mosley’s book again.

    Hi Ladies! I’m 51 yrs. Old and devastated at my inability to lose weight like I used to! Grrrr~ I was always able to go low fat , high carbs and drop like crazy, now, however, no way….

    I’m trying ADF, as recommended by my Dr. My first fast day was Thursday and I dropped 4 lbs. Water I’m sure. Today is my second fast day. Fingers crossed, I’ll drop this weight soon enough!

    piper and north rancher-

    I hope you were out at a Women’s March today. You would have seen an ocean of people excited to be committed to one another and to not letting him damage our democracy or the rights of the vulnerable. I understand there were Marches around the world, in every major American city and even one in Antarctica!

    And look at things this way: he may ride around in a bulletproof limo but it’s not stroke proof.

    I was at the march yesterday and joined 100,000+ in supporting wone’s rights and sending a message to Washington. I believe this is the start of a movement worldwide and I’m so proud of all the women and men who participated. We need to shine the light…

    Sorry for the political convo–it’s just pouring out of us, I guess, and making us eat more. I meant to also say above that last week was a challenge on the 5:2 and stress makes me want to eat bad, sugary things. Today is a FD and I’m hoping to get through the day with just sparkling water until dinner.

    Hi Ladies, may I join? I’m in Canada, 51, been overweight since I had my son 13 years ago, started the FD in late September, lost 16 lbs fairly effortlessly, on average 1 pound a week. Did well over Cmas, but have fasted the past two weeks with no weight loss and today was up 2 pounds. How is that possible??? 🙁
    Anyway mostly I wanted to say “hi”. Was on another thread but it petered out to just a few of us, so we’re looking for a place to migrate to. I stick to 500 calories, breakfast around 10:30am, then dinner around 5:30 or 6, water and ginger tea all day. Yoga 2-3 times a week for exercise, plus my job can be fairly “physical” with a lot of moving around, lifting boxes on/off shelves, pushing library carts etc. I work in a university Archives.
    Read quickly through your thread and enjoyed it, am an American, lived in Canada though since I was 6, but still voted.
    Best wishes,
    Sue

    northrancher, well, you certainly got your steps in!! And Thank You. Thank you.

    I’m 52 and was steadily putting on weight to the point that I was unable to do what I needed to do and my clothes were uncomfortably tight even though they were the extra extra large ones that came by mistake that I should have sent back but couldn’t be bothered to and ended up wearing because I hate shopping. I have always been very overweight but I was active and just carried on regardless but this felt different. I had to do something. So I did lots of reading and decided on ADF. I think I started about 12 weeks ago and have stuck to the fast days well but ate too much on non fast days over Christmas. I haven’t lost weight as quickly as some people seem to but the huge trousers are loose again thank goodness! I think I’m back to the weight I have tended to stick at for most of my adult life – a whopping 100kg. So I have lots more to lose. Getting more off will be moving into new territory. I have high hopes for how I will feel. I have already felt increased energy levels, an improvement in my arthritis and reduced levels of anxiety. On fast days I feel compelled to read more about the whole fasting business to help me get through the evening when the psychological cravings start up. This forum seems to be the best place to help with that. And on this thread others are probably experiencing some of the same extra challenges related to hormones and age.

    This way of eating works of you stick to it and don’t go crazy on your non-fast days. Hormones definitely make a difference as w age and as a general rule men carry more muscle than women and muscle burns more calories just resting. Sometimes it’s unfair being a woman!!
    I found the science interesting and for someone who’s pancreas has been out of whack I am hoping this will help reset those blood test values. I’ve definitely lost inches. Wearing pants I couldn’t get up a couple years ago. Just bought a size “L” on the weekend instead of the XL or bigger I normally wear.
    Hope all who had a fast day did well today!
    Sue

    Hello folks, I have been 5:2-ing for at least a year after watching Michael Mosley’s programme and have gone down two dress sizes and maintained it pretty much. Not sure how much weight I’ve lost as I was too scared to weigh myself when I started! But people have commented and I have been taking clothes I like to be taken in around the waist, both good signs. Also, my feet stopped hurting! For me (post retirement age!) it has worked well. If I’m honest, a main motivator was the positive impact on Alzheimers – of interest to anyone post 60. Having done it for a while, I’ve found a number of things:
    1. My body seems to have adjusted…I don’t get that hungry on fast days. It’s like my body thinks “Oh it’s like that today, is it? Oh, OK”.
    2. I do binge sometimes on non-fast days, usually on things like peanut butter and nuts.
    3. I have definitely adjusted my taste buds as regards sweet stuff. Yesterday (non-fast day) I considered buying a Reese’s peanut butter cup pack…found there were 4 in a pack, and knowing I might eat all of them in one go, didn’t like the idea, so didn’t buy them. Also, I used to always have a cake in a coffee shop, now I don’t usually as I find I don’t enjoy them. The same goes for shop bought puddings – they all just seem to taste of sugar to me. On the other hand I can go really over the top with 80% cocoa chocolate or puddings I’ve made which include the same…
    4. I definitely find I am more alert on fast days, especially towards the late afternoon/evening.
    5. I find it best to skip breakfast as others have said, otherwise I get hungry. I usually find 2 boiled eggs around lunchtime keeps me happy until the last meal of the day.
    6. I find a simple stew of vegetables based around onions, a spoonful of lentils, maybe cabbage and especially celery does very well for my evening meal especially with fresh coriander (which I love). I almost always have gem lettuces (eaten whole – weird, I know!) and celery around as they are great to graze on with negligible calories.

    I have been away on holiday to all-inclusive resorts and found that although I wasn’t very strict on “fast” days, I seemed to have regained very little weight.

    Hope this helps you all…this site is great!

    Hello ladies especially American friends who are dealing with Trump. So awful for women’s rights. I have been signing petitions here in the UK. he is so bad for the environment too.
    Fasting today. I am of a certain age too! It’s more difficult as one gets older, I really think so. I want to be the same weight I was in my twenties.

    Hi all,

    I really enjoy this thread, because people actually respond and “talk” to you. That’s really nice and I’m feeling so wobbly these days that reading a kind word or two really helps.

    K-Lo, thank you for the kind words. I did get my steps in at the protest, even though my eating was way off. Sugar & carbs are my go-to when I’m worried. So, maybe the silver lining to the political crisis is more walking in rallies! We will get through this and commit to staying healthy doing it.

    Smeagle, yes, everyday is another horror coming from the Trump White House. We are embarrassed and apologize to the world for this odious man. I take some comfort in knowing most Americans did not vote for him by 2.8 million, and those of us who opposed his election, will continue to exercise our democratic right to protest his hateful, divisive policies. I spent the morning (with my family) calling our Congressional delegation to voice our opposition to his executive orders. This is not who we are…I am optimistic that good will overcome evil.

    I have been so off the rails with FD because of all the stress. But, this week, I am getting back on track. Over the weekend, my husband and I did an open house at our new community center–signed up for exercise classes and yoga & it’s all free. Hoping also to get back to playing tennis in a few months. I’ve been so sedentary and this was a nice reboot.

    I hope everyone is off to a good week. I’m fasting on Thursday & Sunday this week and on my NFD I’m cutting out all carbs & sugar. Hope that jump starts weight loss, because I haven’t lost any weight in 2 weeks. Sending you all a virtual hug.

    Hi all. Stress eating gets us all. I’m proud of those participating in protests and marches. I’m in Canada and the university I work at is having a rally tomorrow. Mostly because of the Muslims killed in an attack on their mosque in Quebec, but so many of our students as well as faculty and staff are international. So the world is on your side, believe that.
    I’m having very hungry days on my FDs and haven’t lost in three weeks. Hard to stay motivated. Over all I’m eating less than j was before starting this in September and I was off the great guns but now seem “stuck”. At 5 feet and 160lbs I am not near an ideal weight. I don’t eat a lot of sugar, my vice is popcorn. Very few carbs. No sugary treats on NFD’s. Not sure what’s going on. doing yoga 2-3 times a week which has really helped with flexibility and my mental health too.
    Keep with it. Try to stay positive. That’s what I tell myself.
    Sue

    Hi Siouxzee, i wish I was 160lbs. That is my target, but I am 5ft 9. I am of a certain age and finding this WOL brilliant but also frustrating sometimes, like last week when for the first time I did 3 fast days and lost grand total of 1lb!

    I usually do water, tea, coffee only fasts but have succumbed to a bit of cheese and handful of nuts today. For me as for many others carbs seem the key. I have been doing this since early September and I am just over half way through, about 21lbs to go.

    I can also relate to the political sentiments. Brexit and then Trump…..

    Good luck all

    @northrancher I agree about the stress regarding this so called prez of the US> UGH … I am glad to be back on FD< had my 1st FD yesterday, went a bit over 500 cal, but when I did this a year or 2 ago, it still worked even when I went up to 700 on FD ( shhhhhh) …. but tomorrow is my second FD and I will do my best to be at 500. Today I don’t know if I stayed at TDEE, I just am so sick of calories and points….( weight watchers) , I am just going to do the best I can for a while and see how it goes. Tighten up if I have to!

    Dear LOACA,
    Thanks for posting your thoughts. I’ve been reading them, but was too shy to chime in. After an operation, I put on lots of weight and now have 60 lbs to lose. I exercise alone because I feel so horrible in my clothes. I’ve tried Weight Watchers, slimming shakes, diet pills, and all sorts of things. I lose weight and then gain it all back. Starting 5:2 sounds like a way to lose (perhaps slowly, since I’m 58) and keep the weight off. Please keep posting so I can continue reading your inspiring thoughts. Best of luck to all of you.

    Hi Corpora,
    Welcome here!
    Have you figured out which day you will make your first fast day? I was nervous, but by the end of my first day I knew 5:2 was for me.
    My tip is to plan out how you think that 500 calories will work best for you: what you will eat and when.
    Remember it is only one day!
    Waking up the day after a fast day is wonderful!
    Best wishes

    Hello everyone!I am a lady of a certain age looking for some supportive peers to lose weight, be more active, and lower my cholesterol levels. I heard about 5:2 about a year ago and dabbled a bit with some success then drifted away. However, this year, I had a breast reduction which revealed signs of high risk for breast cancer. This has scared me into action. My pathologist recommended changing to a primarily plant based diet and shedding weight or taking medications with some pretty severe side effects. Anyway, I look forward to chatting with you and hearing about your journeys.

    Hi All. I am new to the 5:2. This is my 3rd FD and so far I love it. I find the FD so far really easy. I think because I know I can’t drink my beloved red wine and that I know exactly what to eat and when. My issue so far was my NFD because I thought “Well I did so well on the FD…” I haven’t been tracking my calories as much on NFD. That all ends now. I had thyroid cancer years ago so I don’t have a thyroid so I think that is part of my issue. I have never successfully lost any significant amount of weight. I’m hoping I will on this adventure. Thanks for being there and listening.

    Hello and welcome 135South and Patiger,

    135South, I hope you find 5:2 more sustainable this time. Being part of the forum has helped me. Those are such good changes you are making in your life. Do regular fast days work for you? I started off choosing the two best days in the week ahead, but now I have settled down to pretty regular Wednesday and Sunday fasts.

    Patiger, I do understand those NFD temptations! Luckily most of us find our tastes and portion sizes naturally change on 5:2 so that we do end up eating less and better on NFDs, while still enjoying their freedom!
    What does being without a thyroid mean for you, does it make losing weight more difficult? How wonderful that you are still here after having thyroid cancer though!

    It is Saturday morning here in Melbourne Australia so I am gearing up for my fast day tomorrow.

    Hello everybody, this is my first post. Been doing the 5:2 for five weeks now and did lose a couple of pounds at the beginning, but it is going on again! I have lost some inches at the beginning, but now static for three weeks, so feeling a bit underwhelmed! I fast on Monday and Thursday and just have the one evening meal on those days and eat as normally as I can on the rest. Perhaps I am eating too much, I don’t know, but I get really hungry on fasting days so drink lots of water and have milk in my tea and coffee. Having dieted for many years, without real success, I find it very difficult to know what “normal” is for a diet. I am now eating bread and potatoes, having not eaten them for ages, but feel that I need them to bulk up my meals. I do have a drink at the weekends but good grief at 73 life is too short to have no fun at all! So, where do I go from here?

    Madmavis, what are do you eat on NFDs that you feel you need to bulk up your meals? Not understanding.

    Thank you for the welcome Cinque. I am hoping that participating in this forum will be helpful. In my previous attempt, I found that doing it alone was part of why I didn’t continue 5:2. Fasting wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be but I noticed I have unconscious urges and find myself wanting to eat even when I’m not hungry. Work is the worst since people tend to bring in sweet carbs. Therefore, I am observing that I need to change my habits by routinely creating new ones but need some place to get support while this takes shape.

    I have decided to fast on mid-week days when work is most demanding and distracting. Do others find it more likely that they are adherent when they fast two days in a row or spreading them apart? I would love to hear from others who have experimented with these patterns.

    I do not know whether it is my age, menopause or just that I am greedy but I do need to do something. I did my two fast days on Tuesday and Wednesday and am now on the other five days. My plan is use Lent to kick start a healthy lifestyle with no rubbish food. I am feeling a little deflated by the real life stories of lesser success than the rose-tinted stories in the book and on this site. Onward and upwards and hope that I get what I need from this 5:2.

    Good morning everyone,

    Hi MadMavis, Welcome!
    I am putting a link to a post here that I hope will give you a bit of perspective: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/really-no-weight-loss/

    I loved reading that when I first started 5:2!

    It is so easy to treat 5:2 like a short term weight loss diet. But I think it is a lot more useful, and a lot more correct, to look at it as a lifelong habit to incorporate into your life for long-term health.

    I was glad to do it without scales because I know I tend to obsess about all the natural up and downs, but I know a lot of people find weighing themselves a useful tool. Advice is to do it once a week, and then take then graph it over months. It will still go up and down, but you will see the overall trend that way.

    I also wonder what you mean by needing to bulk up meals?

    I am like you and mostly drink cups of tea and my pot of coffee over my fast days, and then have a big bowl of miso soup (with chicken, mushrooms and greens in it) in the evening.
    On non fast days I concentrate on healthy meals that are just the right amount (which I still find tricky to judge) and only a rare snack or junk meal.

    Yay for a drink at weekends!

    let us know how you are going now!

    Hello again 135South,
    I am writing such long posts that I will do them separately so that it doesn’t get impossibly long!

    I think you are exactly right, in that the trick is to make 5:2 the new habit, but the simple truth is that, as soon as things get hard (or boring), we are drawn back to our old habits. So hopefully the forum will help .

    I started 5:2 in July 2015 and I think it was September when I found the forum. It has been lovely to share and to hear other people’s experiences. I got to the lower end of my healthy weight range in November last year so now I am sorting out this thing called maintenance! Still working to make this ‘Way of Eating’ my habit!

    Oh dear, work must be hard if there are sweet temptations there all the time. I have a long term chronic illness that means I am out of the work force, but I do have a community project that I work on as much as I can. It is about healthy food though! 😉

    So many people on the forums (me too!) start off working so hard to make the Fast Days fit into their lives, and work well, and then find that the Non Fast Days take just as much work! But it is all doable, and it is a very interesting journey to be on!

    I’m definitely one for keeping my two fast days as far away from each other as I can. I do tend to sit through the hardest part of a fast day saying ‘It is only one day! I can do anything for one day!’
    But I do understand the argument for having two back to back and getting them over and done with. All you can do is try and see if it suits you.

    Even though distraction helps so much, I found, to my surprise, that I like fasting on Sunday when I just have a quiet day at home. I can just go with the flow and it feels almost meditative. But I generally have my other fast day on Wednesday, which is a busy day.

    Cheers and best wishes for the week ahead.

    Welcome Little Sparrow!
    You did do back to back fasts!
    Using Lent to help start new patterns of behaviour is a great idea!
    I expect their are many people who try 5;2 and give up because they are hoping for quick results and then to stop.
    And also because when things happen (as they do!) it is easy to feel that you have failed, and feel so bad that you want to avoid that situation again.
    And also because it really isn’t easy in a life where stress and family and work demands make eating healthy and sensibly almost impossible!

    But on the positive side, 5:2 is such a simple clear idea and it is flexible enough to fit around most people’s lifestyles and health restrictions, and likes and dislikes. It is about longterm health, and weight loss is just a by product of that.
    It really is a journey because as you go you are likely to find that your tastes change, that you see social events differently, and you make better decisions.

    I think the rose tinted glasses are just for beginners. Reality is our friend! I’ve lost over 30 kilograms from when I was at my heaviest weight. The last 15 were thanks to 5:2. I’ll still pull a size 10 dress from the wardrobe just so I can put it on and look in the mirror in wonder! I haven’t been at this weight my whole adult life! Clothes shopping is great fun!
    I’ve also had other health benefits and I really, really hope that the research that correlates 5:2 with protection from Alzheimer’s stands up, as it is so rampant in my family.

    See how you go over the next few weeks and you’ll be able to judge by how you feel if 5:2 is for you. Best wishes!

    Hello Everyone,
    I am 56 and took retirement/redundancy 5 months ago, since which time I have gained 14lbs. I would like to lose them again. I have been successful in the past with a complete fast one day a week, but haven’t the willpower for that these days, so am going to try 5:2 and see how I get on. I thought it would be good to get some encouragement from this forum as I sometimes get to the end of the day and wolf down a few calories, undermining the whole day!.

    Welcome Gillian 🙂
    I’ll cheer you on!
    A lot of people sort out their eating on a fast day so that they have a meal at the end of the day, something like eating 200 calories for a late breakfast or lunch and then 300 calories in the evening.
    Infact I just have cuppas (mostly with milk) through the day, and then soup in the evening.
    Hopefully being easier fasts you will fit them into life without a problem

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