Ladies, hope you have room for another member. Looks like a lovely and supportive group.

I am 63 from USA (Northern VA “inside the beltway” as those of us living around Washington DC are referred to). I share a lot of the same issues you are all talking about. Have had small weight issues 3-4 time in my life as a younger woman and always was able to drop the 10-15 lbs I need to. Then menopause hit and life has never been the same. I am now full fledged obese. I lost 28 lbs 2 yrs ago on low-carb (and am convinced carbs are my big issue….both parents were Type II diabetics after they hit age 50). So its in my genes. But hit the wall last summer with a plateau and then a beloved pet’s health crisis (2 surgeries, lots of visits to the animal hospital with dinner being 2 slices of pizza to go). Never was able to get on track again, and the weight came piling back on.

I am pretty conviced that over doing anything as a drastic change comes back to bite you. Your body just figures it out and reduces your metaboic rate. I am hoping that “mixing it up” with a 5:2 diet will convince my inner engine I am not starving to death per eating nomally on the 5 non-fast days. I have to say I really found low carb worked in terms of not being hungry. The higher carbs really seem to induce hunger. When I eat enough protient and enough fat I am less hungry. But I miss eating the “good carbs”.

Have already had breakfast so am thinking I will start 5:2 tomorrow, planning for a solid lunch of a piece of chicken and a salad. Hoping this WOL will allow steel cut oatmeal, baked potatoes and occassional pasta back in my life. I can live with out the desserts (well, most of the time at least) but a life without pasta and pizza. So sad.

Wish me luck. I hope to get to know all of you well in the coming months. Its a lonely road otherwise with just you and that nasty scale staring back at you.

Hi Ladies-

My stomach issues are getting better, did my first fast, in a last few weeks, yesterday. I had breakfast and as the day went on, was just not hungry, so didn’t eat anything til about noon today. If I don’t go eat something soon, this could turn into a two-dayer.

I know a lot of us go slower than others, and although I’d also like to be in perfect shape right now- I can’t help thinking a little slower might be healthier in the long run for things like your skin and muscles, maybe even for internal organs, like your heart. Didn’t Michael’s wife Claire put the brakes on him, for a while?

Boo- two lbs could just be water weight. I can weight two lbs different from morning to evening, even when I weighed 102. Everyone’s weight loss is a jagged line.

xxP

I continue to not lose weight, and no real difference in centimetres either. I’m getting a raft of blood tests this week for my specialist appt next week. I’ve thought about whether I’ll continue or not and that will depend in part what the test results are. I’ve got my mojo back with energy levels to do things, which is likely due to IF so that’s a big plus in it’s favour.

To Applecrisp (what a dangerous UN…..maybe my favorite go to dessert), BooBoo, and all, thanks for such a nice welcome.

From all the posts it sounds like IF is just as prone to plateaus as all the countless other diets we have all tried. I was so hoping that the normal eating days would help bypass that or at least make it less common a problem.

I guess there is just no substitute for sheer determination and patience…..so much easier with the support of LOACA going through exactly the same thing. It is so discouraging to hear all the “20 and 30 something” gal talk about dropping 5 lbs a week, when we are lucky if we see that in a month.

I just hope I have not permenantly screwed up my potential for eventual weight loss with all the yoyo dieting over the years. I have to find a new WOL that becomes my normal. Cannot keep slipping backward regaining most of the weight I just lost.

However there really are only two options. Trudge forward with friends supporting you who are in the same boat, or throw in the towel. So I try to ask myself how I want to look and feel 3 years from now. Fat as I am, or having slowly inched up the mountain to a heathlier me that can easily climb steps and fit in the airline seat without crowding the guy next to meet.

I would love to do this in a year but it just isn’t going to happen. It is so frustrating that medicine and science really does not understand how weight managment works….let alone how it works for ladies over 50.

So hang in there all. Take it from someone who just did it and regrets it, that giving up even breifly just creates a bigger problem that you need to deal with ALL OVER AGAIN in another 6, 9, or 12 months. Please enjoy how far you have come and fight to stay there. Don’t let the plateau win.

So much of my weight problem is very likly due to hormones. As I stated I was so happy to get my period because my pms can last 2 weeks. I actually have had weight fluctuations of 3-4 pounds in one day. I don’t have to go into all the symptoms as everyone here knows.

Aria at one time I was diagnosed with PCOS and there is so much associated with it. So many and varied symtoms and the standard fix was birth control pills. But I could sense the drs. thought I was overreaccting. You become very frustarted and a little defeated.

Now for me it is adrenal fatigue which is something I share with Precious Boo Boo and others, again with the hormones and often times a wierd group of symptoms. The endocrine system is so delicate with all these hormones working together with very small amounts secreted. These small amounts can cause very big problems. The endocrine system remains very mysterious. If I could contact Dr. Mosley, I would ask him to do his next documetary on this system and hormones in general. It is not just LOACA’s but everyone.

I am lucky to have a good Dr., I have books that can inform and reassure and a “diet” that is helping me lose wt.

To end on a good note, my fast went well yesterday. Have a good day ladies.

Well preciousbooboo I didn’t appreciate someone saying the people who posted a lack of success was negativity because she lost weight/inches. That sort of passive aggressive brings out my more direct aggressive. A distinct lack of empathy for others makes me grrrrrrr. Like I said it’s easy to be positive when you’re being successful, and it didn’t seem to occur to her they are real people with a real problem they can’t understand.

Had she simply said she’d been successful that’s one thing.

I at least know that I’ve a genetic endocrine disorder as well as PCOS and there may be no weightloss solution for me. I’ve had thyroid tests my entire adult life because that would be an obvious reason for my weight/cold hands+feet and bruising – but I’ve always been in the good range for those.

I’m interested to see my test results too – and gaining 2kg in 2 months while now doing a mix of ADF & 4:3 is not likeable.

LOL, I’ve been judged most of my entire life as an overeater when I knew I wasn’t. I pretty much accepted being fat 25 years ago and haven’t been a yoyo dieter. My flatmate around then was diagnosed with androgen disorder, but she had a very androgenic body type unlike myself.

What is, is (I might be an optimist but I’m also very pragmatic). Which is why I only occasionally wish I’d seen a specialist so much earlier. Wishing wouldn’t change my current reality.

Arla, God love you. I don’t know how to help you. Have you gotten rid of all the products that could potentially hurt you? Gotten rid of the plastic, cans, changed the shower curtain to a linen one, etc.?

I hope that you find the answers that you need.

Hi Ladies. It’s time I admitted I am now one of those LOACA. I introduced myself a few months ago on another thread but have found that I spend most time reading and laughing on either the Southern Hemisphere thread (my part of the world) or this thread.

Next month I will have been doing the 5:2 for 12 months. For most of my life, thanks to good genes and reasonably good lifestyle choices, I did not have to worry too much about my weight though somehow even as a relatively slim woman I still managed to be self conscious of my bottom and thighs. I look back now at photos and wonder what I was worried about. Anyhow over the last few years during ‘peri’ and now ‘post’menopause my weight crept up by 7kgs.

Stubbornly refusing to admit that I should be buying clothes in a larger size (despite increasing discomfort)I decided to do something about it. Like others on this site I had the good luck around April last year to see Dr Mosley’s documentary, it made sense to me as in my own less disciplined way I had been doing something like this for the past 10 years.

Over the next 6-7 months I had lost 7kg and got to my goal weight (lost numerous cm from waist and my imagined ‘thunder’ thighs!). As a person who has always enjoyed cooking (and the eating that follows) this has been a godsend. The icing on the cake, pardon the pun, has been that I have had no need for anti-inflammotories for a slightly arthritic ankle that would occasionally flare up. I haven’t had one for 12 months. All my blood tests are all more comfortably within their safe ranges now as well.

Since Christmas I have mostly been on ‘maintenance’ to maintain health benefits but also keep within my buffer zone of my ‘goal’ weight which I have managed with 6:1. I weigh myself most days, just as I’m getting into the shower to keep me focussed.

It’s been slow and steady. At the start it was a bit up and down, a plateau here and there but always doable. Like others have consistently said this is a WOL now and one I hope to keep doing ’til something eventually takes me out. At 52years of age I hope to have a few good years ahead of me.

Anways sorry for the long post but I just wanted to throw my hat into the ring and offer encouragement to anyone starting. Before you know it, it will be 12 months later and you will be lighter! 🙂

Boo Boo responded as quick as I could, it is 4pm here so maybe you are still up. Googled Bach’s and wiill check it out. Amtak is a train run by the gov’t. It will cut my travel time and I currently don’t drive. Am going to Kansas City which would be a 7 hour drive.

I have books and my crochting. People who have traveled this way say it’s nice. There is a dining car and possibly a real bar. I have ativan which I will take . It will be an adventure. My sister and her family are foodies, but eat heathly and all thin. I will follow their lead. They have some good restauants down there. And we have a lot to do . I will fret however as is my nature and so I guess that makes me Piglet now.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/19/winnie-the-pooh-quotes-_n_4610459.html?utm_hp_ref=email_share

Hope you can open this article.

hi- this is my first post 🙂 as a new member, and your topic caught my eye. at 48 i just began the dreaded hot flashes at Xmas, and since then my 5:2 progress has really slowed. Was a steady pound a week for about 5 months until then, very happy with that, but for the past 2 months have just been up and down the same each week, though stringent on the program. Feed days are below my TDEE and we are nearly gluten free, mosty veg eaters, very healthy by most standards. so the lack of progress hit just when the perimenopausal stuff did, which makes me curious about how to break through, as it’s deflating to be so good on the program and not show progress. Exercise is moderate 4 or 5 days/wk, so good there, and no other culprit to blame! Am thinking about shifting to 3 fast days, though that sounds a bit painful. Have read when you take of nearly 10% of your body weight, your body sort of stops for a bit to readjust, and re-set at the new lower weight. Which implies it will get going again, but i need some progress! was addicted to the steady downward numbers 😀 was becoming a fun game!! in addition to the new feelings of health! any input/thoughts/ideas are heartily welcomed~~

Hello @thintoartincal,
How I feel for you, your story could be mine!
Joyfully lost 12 kg and this year so so up and down but not budging. I suspect i am facing the same difficulty as yourself only no hot flushes and such just full on PMS without the M. And as I don’t really do PMS. I am struggling! But nice not to have the M I must say! My happiness at this point must be that with 5:2 I am at least maintaining my loss. So I continue. I do hope we both get our break through sooner rather than later!

Hello again, Everyone!

I haven’t posted in a while because of travel & a particularly busy schedule recently but I have continued to read all the new posts that are emailed to me and I am reminded again of what a helpful, resourceful and supportive group this is! And to all of you recent joiners, welcome–I hope you find this thread as useful as I have. And to all of you who have hit a slump after enjoying a slow and steady loss, I’m with you! I have been shifting the same 4 lbs or so up and down on the scale since hitting my lowest weight two months ago. I’ve written about this frustration before so I won’t repeat myself, but I am heartened by the fact that this seems to be a common complaint with us LLOACAS, as thintoartinCal and so many others have referenced. Luvtcook, you have made so many encouraging, useful comments on this site, as have so many others. The truth is, I have hit the place that usually results in me giving up and eventually regaining all the weight (plus some) that I have managed to take off through whatever measures I had managed to do so (weight watchers, low carb…you all know the drill). But this time feels very different and part of that is the sense of accountability I feel by staying connected to this process by following this thread. Yes, I am doing this independently in Atlanta, Georgia, but I do feel connected to so many other like-minded women facing the same challenges that I am at this point in my life. If you are all staying committed when things slow down or you hit a rough patch, then why should I give up? It is also heartening to hear from people like Beach Baby, who has adopted this WOL with long-term, satisfying results–thank you for sharing that with us, Beach Baby. This is not a miracle ‘diet’ and I am reminded again and again that my efforts are SO worth it. My heart goes out to my fellow LOACAS that are struggling particularly right now, even though they are adhering faithfully to their fast days; I cannot imagine the frustration. I have to admit, most of the issue with my being ‘stuck’ these past 8 weeks or so has been me and my lack of focus–and willingness to truly follow through on my fast days. The hormone shifts don’t help, but I think I needed some time to readjust and recommit to this. For a while there, my fast days felt absolutely un-doable, and I marveled at the LLOACAS who wrote about their ease with them, even forgoing food entirely those days and sticking to tea and water. I could barely make it to 1 pm, and then I would often end up caving in to a sugar craving, which I thought I had really subdued. Well, enough of that. After my travels ended and I saw the scale moving now 5 lbs away from my lowest weight while on the 5:2, I decided that it would be ridiculous to let all this hard-earned progress slip away from me. So, I buckled down and really followed the plan, upped my exercise levels and am happy to report that I’m just about back to my previous low. (Having a nasty cold that wiped out my appetite also helped tremendously; those fast days were much less difficult!) So, I am securely back on the wagon again, this time setting the firm intention to keep it up and start to chisel away at the last 12 pounds that I am bound and determined to shed this time. Thank you, everyone who contributes here, for being an invisible army of support. You may not have any idea that your post was the one that inspired me to keep going that day, just because you had such good advice for Applecrisp (hope you love your Amtrak adventure, Applecrisp!) or wrote so honestly about your own frustration or success. My very long-term goal is to be able to write on this stream about my satisfaction in reaching my goal of losing 30 lbs in a year’s time. And come next September, I feel very very hopeful that I will actually be able to do that, thanks to the 5:2 WOL–and the support of my fellow LLOACAS, north and south! Have a great weekend, ladies.

Hi! May I join you ladies? I haven’t read all the posts, but may I say I am 60 years old. I did 5:2 for about a month the beginning of January 2013, and I lost 7 lbs. that month! So this way of eating does work despite our ages!

More importantly, before 5:2 I wasted a LOT of money on Weight Watchers and only lost a pound in one month. Plus their points-counting made me psycho.

This time around I know it truly has to be a lifestyle; something I will do for the rest of my life or I’ll just remain fat!

So glad to be a part of your group!

To PreciousBooBoo re insomnia: Every family has its health problems and overall mine family is pretty good (hardy Irish stock that survived emmigrating to the US and working in the coal mines generations ago). But Type 2 diabetes and INSOMNIA are our cross to bear. CRUMMY sleepers.

What has made a world of difference to me is:

1. Developing as much of a sleep ritual as I can stand. For me light out 1 hr before I want to fall asleep and turning the TV (tellie to you?) on in my bed room and the “dim” settin and choosing a non-exiting (no cooking shows!) TV show ….preferably a rerun I have not seen before, without screeming and noise (I have my favorites saved on TIVO (digital taping device) and listen to them as I fall. Reruns help because I am not invested in seeing how it ends (I already know). Otherwise I run things through my head and never fall asleep.

2. 5mg Melatonin (to make me a bit sleepy and develop a “set” sleep time).

3. 10mg of amitriptyline HCL 1 hr before be which seems to allow me to go back to sleep if/when I wake up at 3 am to use the bathroom. Never used to be able to get back to sleep. Have been taking this for 5+ years and it works. This is the generic form. It used to be used under the name Elavil for depression (in much higher doses but was discontinued decades ago because it made patients sleepy. BINGO. But the 10 mg is a very very low dose, and only taken once a day. Worked wonders for me. Not much help getting to sleep but great for returning to sleep …and no drowsiness in the morning when I had to get up.

4. magnesium : I only take it once a day am with my multivitamin and vitamin D. see clip from below Web MD

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/living-with-insomnia-11/natural-solutions?page=1

Magnesium apparently plays a key role in the regulation of sleep. Research has shown that even marginal magnesium deficiency can prevent the brain from settling down at night. One of the most absorbable forms of magnesium is magnesium citrate powder, available in health food stores. Try taking two doses, following label directions, a day, with the second dose right before bed. You can also get magnesium from food. Good sources include green leafy vegetables, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, and almonds.

And thanks for asking about the fast. Did my first day on TUES and went much much better than I expected. The first 4-6 hrs the toughest, and I was very very thirsty (seemed to spend most of the day either drinking water or returning it back from whence it came). My plan to do a second fast on THURS got altered by something special going on at the office, so I ended up doing back to back TUES and WED and it went great. Couldn’t believe it was as doable as it was. Yes, I felt empty but no headaches and no light headedness. Did no breakfast, two hard boiled eggs and salad of lettuce with some lemon dressing (no sugar) at 11:00am, then dinner of a piece of salmon and another lettuce salad as late as I could stand it ( 7:30 ) beacause I was worried about falling asleep. I am a dedicated late night snacker. But I found I do not have to have a snack. Actually did not die from hunger from not eating more 2 hours after dinner. What a revelation. If I could just stop snacking in the evening I could lose 10 lbs a year from that alone.

I had to weigh myself every morning to see what was going on (too Type A to let that one alone) and on THURS morning I was down 3 1/2 lbs. I knew most of this was water weight but it was interesting to learn just how much water weight I was carrying around. I had 3 normal but not excessive meals on THURS all with carbs (which really causes fluid retention in me) and then the dreaded first weigh in after a day of normal meals. Down 1 lb. I am VERY happy with that. My normal weigh day is SAT so will see how that looks. Also, this new diet was not starting from scratch. I have already been dieting for 3 weeks so the easy stuff was already gone. Like I said, I am sold. You can add me to the list of the converted. I think 5:2 is going to be my best fit ever. I still plan to watch carbs on the normal days but plan to give myself one high crab day a week (pasta, pizza, sandwich etc) and see how that goes. If I have to cut that back to every other week, I can live with that.

Thanks so much to all of you for giving me the courage to try this because I was honestly scared of the fasting part and didn’t know if I could manage it on a work day. You really learn something about yourself when you do this. And knowing you will not keel over in a faint if you don’t eat every 3-4 hours is going to keep me in check on the normal days too.
THANKS !!!!!

…oops, before I start reading the posts, that current post on insomnia caught my eye. The only thing (and I’ve tried them all) that’s really helped me is melatonin. I take 1 mg. about an hour before I go to sleep. I haven’t slept this soundly and deeply in years. If I can find that great article I found on it a few weeks ago, I’ll link it here.

Hello Everyone
Ever had a day when your world is full of well meaning fast saboteurs? I know that you have. My day today (fast day) started out with breakfast with a friend. Survived that. I had about a cup of fresh fruit salad and a cup of tea without sugar.

Had Lunch at home – cruskits, sundered tomato on some cruskits.

Just when I thought I was into the home straight having picked up some “lite n easy” spaghetti bolonaise from my mothers (265 calories per serve, in a single serve container), my neighbour arrived with some vegetable noodles that she had cooked just for me. She then stayed to watch me eat it and to explain all of the light salt, low cal ingredients she had used to make it. It was delicious but probably took me over my fasting day calorie count of 500 cals. So what to do – rebadge Sunday as my fast day of course. Probably had well below my TDEE today anyway so it was a pretty good eating day.

I know that there can only be saboteurs if you allow them in, but I could not bear to upset the well meaning and kind neighbour who had gone to so much trouble to “help” me with my weight loss, even if it was just the wrong food at the wrong time.

Welcome to all the new bloggers to this site.

Adelaide- you did the best thing… tomorrow’s another day, and you’ll get there. I, for one, love that you protected your friend, who I don’t think intentionally messed up your day. Sometimes, we need to be okay with the little setbacks, and deal. Way to be!

Hi everyone 🙂

Haven’t posted in a while because last time I tried, the site kept logging me out, and it has taken me a while to get back…

LOTS of posts since then, so have just done a quick read. Ages ago I think it was Applecrisp who asked about 4:3. There do seem to be a number of people who do this or ADF and often they seem to have decided to do this “forever”. They seem to manage it fine. Personally I found 4:3 almost impossible! I have tried it now and again, but I feel like I am starving myself. BUT different things work for different people, and it could be worth trying for a week or two to see how you cope and whether it does help. I am also mindful of the comment PBB made on this.

Re LLOACA being different in whether/ how we lose weight. I guess that is obvious. I have a hypothesis based on sample of one (!!!!!!) – those who suffer more with PMT and with menopause symptoms will have more trouble losing weight. I didn’t suffer with either… Your thoughts welcome! 🙂 Maintenance now, that is a different issue!

I am still struggling to control the late evening munchies – and generally not succeeding. As a result, my weight has crept up a little, even with 2 fasts a week. Hmmmmmmm……… I am trying to find some resolve, and have vowed to try to not eat chocolate in the evening when at home up until Easter. Also to try harder not to exceed my TDEE on non-fast days. Only decided this today, and today was a fast day, so tomorrow is the test!! But I must also try not to obsess about it all…

Best wishes 🙂
Sassy

Hi everyone, still trying to figure out how to post here, so am just replying to PBB’s ( which i keep thinking is Peanut Butter and more Butter 😀 ) three quick things: first to share that though the scale has not moved below my ‘low’ of a month now, i did notch my belt tighter on friday, that was a first. so somehow less girth for same lbs… more muscle i decided 😀 but still a ‘win’. Second, i just started an insomnia webinar w/ my health provider, with a key goal to improve sleep efficiency, i.e. more-to-most of the time in bed is sleeping, not tossing and turning. and the first task was later to bed, earlier to rise, same time every day. in bed no more than 7 hours. this has helped my sleep alot already, and only 2 weeks testing it. in bed @ 11:30 and out by 6:30. i drag to get to 11:30p but it IS helping me, more to come. lastly a few great health improvements i’ve noticed since 5:2 are less achy joints (huge!) happier bathroom habits, and better short term memory, really! as in remembering more from minute to minute what I was thinking to do next, and not always feeling like, “what was I just thinking about?” or “what did you just say?”, like i’m tracking better. and the memory/brain health stuff is covered much in longevity work that Micheal references, and the Grain Brain book. So Cheering us all on for a great, healthy week full of positivity and feeling in control 🙂

oh, p.s. on Adelaidgirl’s post about a kindly intentioned neighbor showing up w/ unexpected food, i read the replies to that and am in the middle. that’s a tough situation, in that you do not want to hurt this person’s feelings, but if you don’t want to eat that at that moment, I do think it’s okay to say ‘thank you so much, I will enjoy these tomorrow’ and if that is met with resistance, saying that today’s food is spoken for, seems okay to me, what goes in our mouths should be our choice. but the flexibility in moving her fast day to the following day is pretty cool.