And hi! to all the new and the regulars!
This topic contains 7,289 replies, has 660 voices, and was last updated by Opal Shine 12 months ago.
There are 1000 posts for this thread ! Great. Piper, I do take vit D as I had a deficiency about 2 years ago. I live in a northern state and I think they are testing everyone. I have heard of arm knitting but not finger knitting, that would be cool.
I only really went to You tube for funny videos, but there is so much more. You can spend so much time just browsing through all the videos. I started one about trading in the stock market. Maybe I’ll get rich.
Tomorrow is my fast day. Be back especially if I have a hard time like last week. I’ve noticed that some days you are not ready to fast, so I try to take cues from my body.
Hi, I did it for 3 weeks prior to my holiday recently and I did Monday and WEdnesday fasting and slimming world on the days in between – but not too strictly as I didn’t count alcohol! I did not increase my excercise at all. I lost 9LB in just under 3 weeks and was delighted. I did not fast on my 2 weeks all inclusive holiday and put 3LB back on but have lost this easily in 3 weeks – not even been careful on my 5 normal days.
I cannot believe how easy it is – losing approx 1 and half pounds a week just by 2 days fasting. I am 50 and post menopausal and have a BMI now of around 23.5.
I think you should get your thyroid checked and also look at what you are eating on your fast free days – although I don’t really watch what I eat those days I did lose a lot faster doing slimming world on those days. Good Luck
FifOfGrimsby, congrats on your success. I weighed myself and may have lost 2lbs. My scale and body are not always reliable. I do think you lose weight in chunks rather than a steady loss. I am pleased though.
Precious Boo we do miss each other. I am in the central time zone and I think 6 hours later than London. Is the time on this site your time as well? I don’t always pay attetion to the time. I do often go to my computer in the AM with my coffee(1/2 decaf of course) and periodically throughout the day.
My brother goes to England quite often for his job, near Coventry. When I reach my goal wt. I want a caramel colored wool coat and a Burberry scarf. I’m usually not into labels I just like the pattern.
Today is my fast day. Will check later.
Hi everyone –
I’m 50, live in States, and this is my fifth wk on the program. Fasting today and Thursday. This really suits my life and nothing else I’ve tried ever has for long. i’ve lost about 4 lbs and my clothes are loosening. Best of all, my sugar cravings are much more manageable. I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. My goal is to lose 10 lbs and then truly keep it off – so I am very interested to hear from those in maintenance.
or they could look it up on their phone 🙂
Boo congrats! just read that you have lost over 17lbs!
My sister tells a funny story about her little boy.. his parents were teasing him about what kind of woman he wanted to marry when he grew up…he was all for marrying a “homely” woman, which he thought was like Nigella Lawson or Rachel Ray, someone who could cook and when he realized what it meant was backtracking like crazy. My daughter was listening and said “oh that’s what home-ly and come-ly first meant.”
Hello lovely ladies can I join you? I’m a long time yo yo dieter and I’ve tried them all. My last success was about 12 years ago when I got down to a size 14 but since then I’ve hovered around 15.7 stone and size 16/18. Last year I tried the Cambridge plan and lost 1.7st but it was boring and expensive so I stopped and the weight crept back.we went to Germany for New Year , not the place for a low carb diet and on return with my clothes stretching at the seams I got back on the scales thinking I’m probably back to my heaviest – oh my word I was 16.6. What to do, I’d done Slimming World but hated being patronised in a draughty church hall, Atkins and Dukin worked but I never felt they were healthy and my body always reacted with horrendous constipation. I was in Waterstones and being New Year there was a table full of diet books, I looked through them and on return ordered The Fast Diet and started on the Monday, because I have so much to lose I decided on ADF, the first two fast days were really difficult but then I settled into a pattern and it’s going well.to date I’ve lost 17lbs and 3 inches off my waist. I’ve gone down from a large size 18 to a large 16. Still a long way to go. I know there are difficult times ahead but I find this forum really supportive and informative. My main problem is eating enough on non fast days as I don’t seem to be able to each so much and at the moment I’ve got a throat infection and can’t swallow easily.
A number of posts I’ve read have commented on sleeplessness, I’m the opposite, I’m sleeping better than ever. I put this down to combining the start of my fasting with Dry January. When I started drinking wine again I started waking in the night again so I’m going to keep the drinking to weekends or special occasions only.
Sorry, this is turning into a novel but lovely to meet like minded people.
Hi Florasalopia, this is a helpful and active thread. I too have tried many different diets – mostly the low carb varity. This is a very workable diet. You can fast when it’s the best time for you. You have had great success so far and that is probably the best incentive to continue.
Yesterday was a fast day and it was hard. I bought some cheese puffs (on the wek-end) and they were calling to me. I’m thinking maybe my Thursday fast day is easier because it is only 2 regular days between fasts and on mondays it if Fri., Sat. and Sun. I may need to make more of an effort on regular days and eat fewer carbs.
Piper, liked your nephew story. I didn’t know they meant the same thing either.
Boo Boo I am typing this at 7:22am. If I am on the computer I check this thread from time to time. Never know the stated time on this thread until I post. To all fasters today good luck.
Hi Applecrisp. I agree with you about the workability of the diet, I don’t have to buy any special foods and if anything I’m saving money by walking to school instead of driving which I’d taken to doing because I was out of puff after even a short walk. Now I can do the walk with ease and manage the stairs too, I’m really happy that as the weight has come off so the aches and pains have decreased. What I wasn’t expecting was the improved mood, I’ve always been inclined towards depression but I’ve been really upbeat for the last few weeks.
@ Applecrisp – I find it difficult sometimes, too, with 3 days in between. March is right around the corner – I think I’m gonna try FD followed by 2 regular days, then FD followed by 2 regular days, then FD. Lather, rinse, repeat. I’ll just have to mark my calendar and make certain to have my foods on hand for the FD. Might make it “easier” …? I will have to give it a try and see. I’m posting this and the current time where I am is 8:01 a.m.
Hi fasters and welcome florasalpia 🙂
Your story is like so many of us – tried every ‘diet’ going, found them boring, expensive, unsustainable etc so left them and put on yet more weight.
5:2 is not really a diet more a way of life and has certainly turned my life around.
I did 4:3 last week as I knew I was getting two huge eating days on Friday and Sunday with family. So my fasts were Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and wasn’t to bad tbh – worth it to eat the lovely food my SIL presented on Sunday, would have been rude to refuse anything 😀
@preciousbooboo I need to lose about 2lbs now to reach the two and a half stone loss which was what I was hoping for :). I did the first 2 stone between May and December which was my target and have found it very difficult to really believe that weight has gone and is NOT coming back.
I have now decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to lose another half stone, mainly because I don’t find the WOE difficult, and I do have a dread of Type 2 diabetes and of Stroke. So its like belt and braces if you know what I mean (I have some leaway when I try maintenance)
How are you doing now?
Hi everyone! 🙂
Congrats to BooBoo on her weight loss – I know how hard won that has been 😀 and congrats to Lindyw as well – also to say that I know that feeling of disbelief re all the weight lost and fear that it will just go back on. But I do believe that this WOL does give us a proven way of losing and keeping weight off.
Simsbury, I have only been on maintenance this year, but I do know of others who have been on for longer and are successfully keeping within a pound or two of their goal. All sorts of strategies are used. Some are still on 5:2 – like me, cos I am over eating on normal days and need to work to change that – or having 2 lean days of 800 cals rather than fasting. Some doing 16:8 every day. I think most are weighing at least once a week, some every day (that’s me). Some only have a fast day if the weight exceeds a certain amount. And there are all sorts of variations in the foods that are eaten. Some continue to have whatever they like, others have gone low carb, some are able to stop evening or any snacking. Best of luck with your weight loss – let me know if you have any specific qns re maintenance.
I have been fasting Mons and Weds recently as it fits in with other commitments – I find it hard to do 2 days so close, but then do enjoy having 4 normal days in a row. So roll on getting my evening snacking under control (that has always been my weakness and reason for being overweight. Really can’t recall how often this happened during my weight loss journey tho – presumably not that often???). I do admire those who manage ADF or 4:3.
Re Nigella Lawson, I had forgotten that she once went out with Geoffrey Robertson. We had a TV program last week about Geoffrey and Kathy Lette that reminded me. I used to love the Hypotheticals that he did – he was my ideal man at that stage!
Regards to all 🙂
Hello All Ladies of a certain age and thank you to precious booboo for starting this thread. I can tell by the way that you are describing your weight loss in pounds, that you must mostly be in the US. As you can see from my user name, I live in South Australia and so I am used to kgs and centigrade but the challenges are just the same in the end.
I started the Paleo diet in late 2013 by joining a girlfriend who needed to reduce weight to fit into a dress that she wanted to wear to an engagement party. I like the principles of this diet and have stuck to them ever since. Since losing the initial weight, I have really slowed down and it was not until I read your post that I considered the impact of menopause!
So pleased to hear of your collective progress. Today is Thursday (fasting day) and my tummy is rumbling but to be expected I guess.
I am in the same age category and I think part of the problem is that we have all been tortured for years by guilt everytime we eat something ” forbidden ” .Life is not meant to be about deprivation and guilt in my opinion. That is why I think this way of eating is for me. I eat nothing at all on my fast days, (I do drink a lot of fluids and tea)from dinner one night to breakfast on the following day ( 36 hours) . I dont get hungry and I can do it as I know that on my next non fast day I can have something that I like, so I dont feel deprived and go into ” stuff my face mode” on my non fast days. Its just nice to be able to have the odd treat.
GL
Hi! Adelaidegirl, I’m glad you found this thread. There are many ladies from Australia here. It is interesting that pounds are still used in the US. I’ll never forget a teacher I had growing up who was emphatic that in 10 years we would be using metric. Well it has been almost 40 years since and no metric.
Sassy you had a lot of good info on how people approach this diet. I am thinking about doing 4:3 on M/W/F and on 1 day do 800 cal. just so I keep my cravings and regular days in check. Any ideas?
Precious, I wish I lived in your area. I would halfway through my fast day. Today is my fast day and I feel better than on Mon. I don’t usually cook on these days but will try to make stir fry this evening.
Have a great Friday everyone.
hello ladies,
well I have introduced myself in the newbies thread and after having a good look around think this I where I need to be :o) I’m 50 and peri-menopausal (I think) haven’t started with the hot flushes yet but periods are all over the place! Scales say 13.5 this morning and I’m finding it harder and harder to shift so have started on this 5:2 way of eating and so far all is good, my first week I lost 3lb and hopefully can carry on.
Doing a fast day today and haven’t eaten anything but have had cups of tea and sugar free squash, chicken curry with cauliflower rice planned for tonight.
It’s so nice to be somewhere on the same wavelength as others :o)
Hey Boo Boo! I was just thinking I would be closer to eating food when I posted. My attempt at humor. Fasting on Thursday does make an easier week-end. It is rewarding to know you did it and Friday will be a regular day. There is always tomorrow to have some little treat. Boo Boo on especially hard fast days I give myself a big pat on the back and I hope do today. Not all fast days are equal.
Sassysue , glad you found this thread. It’s nice to talk to people on the same journey. I have gotten good advice and friendship here.
Goldeelocks, I agree about guilt and forbidden food. It has been too long that food is the enemy and you can’t eat this or that. Same thing with these superfoods or the next great food. Kale has become a food superstar and we used it as a garnish at a place I worked in high school. I would eat it and people would give me looks. We take food too seriously. As Oscar Wilde said,” Life is too impotant to be taken seriously.”
Words I try to live by.
Hello there! Just signed up for the site having been reading you all on this forum for the past few weeks – how nice to have something aimed at us LOACAs, huge thanks to PreciousBooBoo for starting it.
My experience since starting 5:2 in early January has been, I’ve learned, fairly typical – lost my ‘Christmas’ weight really quickly – then seemed to plateau in the same 3 pound range for ages, before taking off again last week and this. I found the TDEE calculator eye-opening, though a bit depressing I must say – I’ll never need 2,000 calories a day again unless I become a coal-heaver.
So far feeling very positive and engaged (eight pounds down and a stone to go), and looking forward to chatting with you all on this thread to keep our collective morale up!
Have a nice weekend Ladies!
G’day to Loacas from beautiful Tasmania. I’ve not had much time on the net lately as this is the busy bit of the year for me and I’m out enjoying myself. Back in the cooler weather of 2013 I managed to shed 10kg quite easily using 5:2 then hit a plateau at 73 kg. Over xmas and the holidays my efforts were pretty slack but I did try to fast sometimes and I’ve been keeping an eye on the scales as ‘no gain’ was the ultimate test. Well today I’m within a cat’s whisker of 70kg and I’m chuffed to bits because I wasn’t really trying. This has fired me up to get back to a more rigorous 5:2 again and see if I can smash through 70 and make 65kg the next target.
So, even when I wasn’t actually doing 5:2, the lessons it taught me were there in my brain.
I really don’t need a stoker’s dinner to do the small amount of work I do. I won’t shrivel up and die if I don’t eat for a whole day. I can resist the marketing of the evil food corps. Not every meal has to be served with rice potato or pasta. Not having breakfast does not make me a bad person. Eating one really nice chocolate before bedtime makes me sleep better than a pill.
If women in their 50s are invisible I’d rather be skinny and invisible than fat and invisible.
Hey ho RoBa! That was a very good and inspiring post! I am jealous as we are obviously chasing the same goals, but YOU are winning!! Congrats! Thanks for reminding me that this IS working for me. 12 kg down, not looking likely that those kgs will ever return, that is success on its own merits! But I so DO want a 70 on my number plate….. In time, in time. Off for a rare round of golf now. Heehee should be quite silly.
@freefalling, I want to see a 79 on my number plate … now reading 83.1 (kilos). At weigh-in this morning, I lost 1.4 kg, so I’m glad I have lost the 0.7 kg I gained last week on my holiday, plus an extra 0.7 kg. That’s 9.9 kg (21.8 pounds) I’ve lost since November (with a few gains in between). I still had some dietary indulgences this week – a glass-and-a-half of wine last Saturday night, plus nachos with a tomato/chicken/chorizo sauce (including guacamole and sour cream) – so I am surprised to have lost at all. I also found it easier to fast the 12 hours between breakfast and dinner on Monday and Thursday by having an espresso coffee – not black as I used to – but with 1/4 teaspoon of sugar and a dash of skim milk. I know it’s supposed to be better for the cellular-repair work if we don’t ingest any food during fasting hours, but it was still within my 500-calorie allowance and it really kept me going. I’ve also increased my walking distance (5 times a week) by about another 1/2 kilometre to 3 1/2 kms, so the extra exercise time may have helped. I’m looking forward to “living in the 70s” again (like the old Aussie group, Skyhooks)!
@gomarg 1.4kg??? Jeepers! In one week?? Wow. I would take my gear off and run naked up the street if I lost that much in one week!! Nip that is just NOT going to happen!
@piper, the same thing happens to me on this forum – takes me to the first page so I have to scroll down, click on (currently) page 21, then scroll down again! Haha @freefalling, I’m not going to do that either! It certainly doesn’t happen every week for me, especially since Christmas.
Hi Everyone, I’ve just signed up, mainly because I’ve been so inspired by a friend of mine who’s been doing it for a few months and looks FANTASTIC!!!
I’m building up to starting on Monday, I’m looking forward to getting started and to sharing successes, failures and all the encouragement I’ve already seen on here.
Hi again girls.. well had a fairy good week here. Hubby Paul is supporting me on this quest but not so strict. but this morning I weighed n a day early as we are flying off for a few days break to venice tomorrow morning very early and…. I DID IT. my first stone off. had promised myself to try and lose 14lbs before venice and managed to do it. Paul has just one pound to go as he has lost 13lb. So happy I could peel a grape LOL. remember that saying yu UK ladies!!
Now the thing is no way are we going to be able to follow this plan while away. firstly we will be out and about during the day doing a lot of walking but will be eating on the hoof so to speak so most likely sandwich or pizza…. night time dining will be italian. so lots of pasta and salads. not going to pig out bt it is going to be hard……. when we get home on Thursday night the following night we have a meal out with friends to a Chinese banquet, so think the best thing to do is get back to it a week on Monday with a couple of fast days to get back in the swing. what do you ladies think??
Hi florasalopia,
I cleared out two sizes of trousers and some big dresses last week. These charity shops will be bursting at the seems. Strangely my bras still fit, weight gone from legs, tum and waist. I am sure the charity shop will take good condition bras. If not you could put half coconuts in them and hang them in a tree for the birds. Teehee.
@florasalopia I was wondering about bras too and found this
http://www.againstbreastcancer.org.uk/get-involved/fundraising/recycling/513/bra-recycling/
I’m sure one of the cancer charity shops will know something
xx
Hey Florasalopia,
Can’t wait to see your photo, assume it will go on the Facebook page?
You do it and so will I
I may need melon though not coconut, do birds eat melon?
Guess we will find out.
Do you think we have started something?
The green police will be after us!
I think we can justify it though, recycling and scarcity of local bird populations due to less flowers in gardens.
Tonight I will dream of the woodlands with swinging bras
You must be logged in to reply.
6:02 pm
23 Feb 14