This topic contains 7,289 replies, has 660 voices, and was last updated by Opal Shine 12 months ago.
I have been back on the fast diet,for about 2 wks now and I think I may be sabotaging myself.
If I don’t eat enough on non fast days, is it making me go into starvation mode? I found it hard to eat 1400 calories, when I am used to 700 or 800 daily from the HCG diet. I s anyone else having this problem, or it it just me… Thanks
If you read through the forum iwfama you will see a lot of fasters have found dropping their calorie intake on normal days has appeared to send them into ‘starvation mode’.
I don’t think you have given your body time to adapt to yet another way of eating. Try 5:2 for another couple of weeks eating the calories allowed above your BMR and below your TFEE and see how that goes.
BTW did you research HCG before you started that diet and how long were you doing it?
Good luck
This is what Michael Mosley (and others) say about starvation mode:
Will it (meaning the 5:2 Fast Diet) put me into ‘starvation mode’?
This is another very common myth. The initial response of your body to a reduction in calories is to increase your metabolic rate. This is because, in our hunter-gatherer past, survival in times of food shortage would have depended on our becoming more active, going out to hunt and look for food. Only under conditions of extreme calorie deprivation, when we have been for weeks without enough food and our body fat has fallen dramatically does the body go into “starvation mode”. IF is not the same as crash dieting. Starvation mode does not happen if you cut your calories for a day!!
Hi! i would love to watch that ‘secret eaters’ show, but in the US i’m sure it’s not. So I was feeling strong enough last night going into second fast day of the week (today/thurs) and planned to go until dinner, did not make it! just enjoyed a veggie/bean lunch. oh well. did a HIIT workout tho this morn and hope that ONE of THESE WEEKS i’ll break thru that sticky number (current low) that i cannot breach. Everyone’s support and comments help so much, @PBB Peanut Butter & Butter 😀 i do need to get away from the daily weigh-in, but honestly am fearful of it. as when i’m not fully aware of the prior day’s impact, i get anxious of the build up of days w/o knowing. lame, I know. maybe shoot for twice a week as interim goal~ what day do people weigh who do it weekly? i was thinking of the morning after second fast day, which would be friday for me. i like that as it tees me up to be more aware of not totally blowing it on the weekend (wine is a gateway food) which seems to happen a bit, but that’s our social lives, eh? OH has reached his weight goals w/ 5:2 but keeps on it for longevity bene’s (with supplemental snacks), and now is doing GF too. so i’m trying to embrace that fully (or mostly, as a perfect croissant just is a fact of life!) and hopefully it will impact the log jam at the scale. Just think, as we approach spring/summer, how much better we’ll all feel slimmer this year than last! that is something to cheer about Sending you all a great slim weekend hello!
@preciousbooboo I’m ambivalent about my results to be honest. They’re NOT improving but they’re not a problem. Other than the cholesterol hitting the keep-an-eye-on zone, but it was there just before my gallbladder came out. Read somewhere that cholesterol can rise while fasting, and I’d been 4:3/ADF for a couple weeks before the test was done.
Before IF I was gaining weight, but not slow & steady which would indicate a need to reduce my daily food intake. It did a bolt when I first was able to eat after gallbladder surgery, but I’d had 5 months of struggling to eat over 1000cals per day. Steamed fish, berries and pickles do not add up to much!! Then after a few months it’d be fine for a few weeks or months and suddenly leap up 3kg, and unlike water bloat it’d stay there instead of reduce over a few days. At the time my hormone cycle was a crazy 2 weeks, but it isn’t peri-menopause. {shrugs}.
I’m definitely rationalising it as hopefully I won’t gain any more (other than monthly hormone-hell bloat that soon leaves).
I saw a doco similar to Secret Eaters ages ago, it screened over here around the same time as Michael Mosely’s fasting doco. I was fascinated to see how smart people didn’t recognise that their portion size was way off. I’ve always been brutally honest about what I eat as there’s no point kidding yourself.
Happy Friday everyone – I’ve been reading accounts of plateaus/gaining a pound or two with a distinct feeling of recognition – same thing here for three/four weeks at least.
BUT – got on the scales this morning and found I’d dropped two pounds, and have now officially hit my lowest weight for five years! Whoop!
So I’d just say hang in there and trust your own feelings about how it’s working out for you; sounds highly unscientific, but I think my body needs a few weeks to adjust to even a minor drop.
Query for others – do you always weigh your least the day after a fast? I find my weight falls more the second day, so if I fast Mon and Wed, I’m at my lowest weight on a Friday (great way to start the weekend btw).
Hello All,
I moved last weekend. It left me exhausted and in no mood to do 5 : 2 or observe a calorie limit and as a consequence I put on 1.5 pounds (so far). I am not kidding myself (it was a binge)it may go up some more. However this is the first increase since the I started the fasting diet in January so I am not beating myself up too much. It’s a little disappointing as I plan a weekly loss of one pound so it actually puts me back two weeks effectively, possibly three. I am fasting today and tomorrow, Sunday off, then back to Mon, Wed, Frid next week. I have now put before and after ‘fat’ photographs, blown up to A3 size in my kitchen as incentives. The slim one(10 stone) is me dressed in a Superwoman costume as I was going to a party, age 28 (30 years ago), this is my goal for next September. I think it will take a super human effort to get down another 5.5 stone but I have lost two( one since 5 : 2) the other through 1200 calorie limit previously. I could really use some support,please tell me I can do it! I really need to hear from those in the same boat! Off to the gym now, I will add an extra 30 minutes aerobic exercise today, no good kidding myself, extra effort is needed now!
Hi, I’m 56 and still in the throws of hormone fluctuations and hot flushes although some 2 years past the menopause. I had gained weight rapidly over the previous 2 years and NOTHING seemed to help lose it. I started 5:2 last July and it must have taken about a month to really start noticing weight loss. However, I felt well on the diet and persisted. I have lost over 2 stone in total now, have normalised my BMI and feel great! Dr Moseley should be given a knighthood!!!
@yipyop
Regarding your question about weigh in days, I agree. I often put weight on after a fast day (presumably due to all the fluids I drink on a fast day) and weigh less two days later. So that’s my weigh in pattern too: fast Mondays and Thursdays, weigh in Saturday (and measure too!)
@jojo58
Yes you can do it! I’ve been doing this plan since 13th January and have only lost 3 kilos so far (approximately 6 lbs) but I’m keeping going as it’s easy, good for my health, and the alternative is putting on weight instead of losing it. Are you exercising too? I am incredibly lazy but have recently been motivated by buying a fitbit tracker so I have to get my 10,000 steps in a day and by doing some low impact aerobics (only about half an hour a day as this is all I can fit in during the week): Leslie Sansone – I find her really motivating and the workout is fun and you sweat without feeling you’re killing yourself. I’m hoping my slow weight loss may also be due to putting on a little muscle! 🙂 Good luck x
@nanajan That’s great and very motivating! Well done!
To PBB and all: last week was so pleased that it looked liked I had dropped 1 lb after my first fast (after the fluids settled themselves), but alas, after a couple days of “normal” eating the loss disappeared and I was back where I started. But, I chose to test the waters to see if I truely could eat bread and had what would be reasonable (limited) amounts of bread (or pizza with real crust) on non fast days. I think my answer is no. I have to eat less than “normal” to make this work.
So, this week have done my fast (Tues & Thurs) and plan to try non-bread carbs and see how that goes. I have gotten so used to artificial sweeteners (and they have gotten so much better over the years) that sweets are not too much of an issue.
My guess is that I am going to have to do this as a combo diet. Do my 2 days of fast (semi fast actually with eating the 500 cal) AND do low carb at least 2 of the other days. That leaves 3 days of “normal” eating. Hoping I can do even just 1 higher carb/bread day a week. I know bread really packs on the lbs for me and causes a lot more water retention as well. If that doesn’t work, than we go to 2 bread days a month. I just have to do what it takes to get the weight off (and I have LOTS of it that has to go).
My weigh day is SUN (encourages me not be too awful on SAT ) so we shall see ….hoping to at least recover my 1 lb loss that went up in smoke.
Hello, LOACAS, plateaued & not! Yes, a familiar theme seems to be going on here…those ‘new low’ weights are wonderful to see, but then we get impatient to push through them and keep on a downward progression, don’t we? I, too, got hooked on that slow, steady 1/2 lb. or pound reduction each week, and it’s hard to see the scale stall. (Or, in my case, decidedly start moving the OTHER direction, and not just a pound or so! But I’ve solved that weight re-gain bump in the road and am now ready to re-commit and break that personal barrier of mine.) Jojo58–yes! You will most definitely do it! Look what you’ve already accomplished! I love the idea of your younger, fit self smiling at you in your kitchen, decked out in a Superwoman costume; how fitting, and what a motivator. And don’t worry too much about that slight uptick on the scales. You were completely realistic about what caused it and what it will take to take to remove it; it may not take as long as you think. That’s what I love about the 5:2; it accommodates what our lives actually are, and sometimes the stress of a move or the pleasure of a vacation (& a few extra glasses of wine) does result in a few pounds going back on–temporarily. But if you’re not “on a diet,” you can’t ever really go “off,” right? You just
pick up where you left off and continue on.
To respond to a few questions/comments from other LOACAS:
ThintoartinCal–I’m a daily weigher, too, for much the same reasons. I rarely see any sizable fluctuations from day to day that would discourage me, but more of a very accurate reflection of what my habits had been the previous day. I find it motivating to stay tuned in to how my body is responding to my efforts, and to know what effect certain things have on my weight loss attempts. I feel a bit like my own science experiment sometimes, and being a detail person, I like that. 🙂 But I know that the same strategy would drive some women nuts! Everyone finds their own way of doing it that works best for them, and I really enjoy hearing about the different strategies we LOACAS use to stay engaged and on track.
Luvtcook: I am the same way about bread! And pasta, rice—you name it. It is the single biggest trigger for weight gain (or interfering with weight loss) for me, worse even than sugar. And yes, I too have to eat less than ‘normal’ on my non-fast days to really lose weight–at least what ‘normal’ for me used to be. I figured that out pretty quickly after starting the 5:2. Otherwise, my non-fast days just canceled out any progress I made on my fast days, which seemed like a terrible waste of effort, especially since I am not one of those LOACAS for whom fasting seems to be fairly easy; I’m hungry from 11 am until bedtime, no matter what I do–or don’t–do! Hot tea helps, but those days take a lot of commitment for me, and I probably start more true, 500 calorie fast days than I ever finish. But it’s only when I suck it up and follow through that I ever truly move that number on the scale. But my very mindful eating on fast days has spilled over tremendously to color how I eat (and drink) on those other days now, too. I never count calories but I know that I am taking in far fewer now, just because I make such different choices. It still doesn’t feel like a diet, because I also eat everything that I really, really want to, but it is definitely quality over quantity now.
Yipyop & Billie–I find it so interesting that you actually weigh less 2 days after fasting. I definitely hit my low the next morning after a fast day, but this helps me stay motivated and not over-indulge when it comes time to resume a more normal eating schedule that day. One thing that has carried over for me from my fast days is not eating breakfast until I am actually hungry for it, which is usually 10 or 11 in the morning. I have just never been a morning eater, but I’ve always felt guilty about it since there’s so much out there that says breakfast skippers are morally deficient–or at least sure to have weight issues. It feels so good to listen to my body now, and feed it healthy, sustaining food when it really wants it.
PBB–I wish I could see the ‘Secret Eaters’ show you mentioned! Loved your comments about how delusional we can be about how much we’re actually taking in. I remember about 8 years ago when my weight first really started creeping up, I was so mad at how ‘nothing was working’ to shed those extra pounds. Now, I had TONS of information about nutrition/calorie consumption and all the rest, but I was sure that this was very, very unjust. Then, just for the heck of it (and in desperation), I started keeping a painfully honest food journal for a couple of weeks…what an eye opener! When I bothered to record what I was actually taking in, it was almost double what I liked to think I was. I know that there are truly many of us LOACAS (and others) who have real and valid health issues that make weight loss an incredible challenge, but I also know that I don’t fit into that category. Challenging, yes–impossible, definitely not, if I am committed to it. And for me, the deal breaker is whether I exercise or not. If I can do a good bout of cardio nearly every day, I am so much more likely to be successful. And feel better, to boot.
Well ladies, I am on a plane back to Minneapolis (my former hometown until recently) for a weekend of girlfriend time, eating at my old favorite restaurants and sharing a glass of wine (or two) before bed each night with my best friend and hostess. I weighed in this morning at my former ‘new low’ (yay!) while doing the 5:2, which I have worked to get back to after re-gaining nearly 5 lbs (aaaaargh!!) in the last 6 weeks. My goal is to NOT gain weight on this trip back, despite the very social nature of my time there. I managed to even lose the tiniest bit the last time I went home for one of these weekends in November, which gives me hope that it can be done. Wish me luck. Maybe if I reach for a nice, warming cup of tea rather than a second glass of wine, squeeze in a few brisk walks and practice mindful eating, I may come out all right. Have a great weekend, “y’all” (as we Atlantans say)—hope you are all successful and empowered this weekend as we make our way ‘onward & downward’ (as PBB would say.) 🙂
Thanks PreciousBooBoo for all the encouragement. It is nice to be in the midst of such kind and tenacious ladies. Its too dangerous to venture elsewhere on the site. Their success stories are science fiction for me now.
Its just a world of difference premenopause and post. When I was younger (in my 30s?) I just thought older women weren’t trying hard enough and having too many slices of coffeecake midmorning with the neighbor next door. Was sooo sure that would never happen to me. Then bam. My 30-something sexy little hot self was now 60+ shopping in the Plus Sizes wondering who that fat lady was in the mirror.
I am however unwilling to consider that hard work will not win out in the end and refuse to be condemed to fat lady clothes the rest of my life. There has to be a formula that works for me. My problem in the past is that when I hit a plateau I had assumed I needed to make a total change in the diet, that it was not working for me anymore. I am beginning to wonder if the wiser thing is perhaps an small recalibration per the new lb level, but more important, to stay the coarse and wait it out even if its 3-4 months.
Have those who hit platueaus ever come out the other side and resumed losing? Would love to know.
Hi Ladies,
My weight skyrocketed with the onset of menopause (I’m 53 & finished going through it by 50) and following a few upsets & tragedies in the family. I shot up to 85.5kg and I’m only 155cm which is 5’1″. I started 5:2 on the 1st of June last year and I weighed in today at 62kg – a loss of 23.5kg (about 52 lbs). I don’t wing it yet – I have had to re-educate my body & mind with healthy eating habits – so I record EVERYTHING and also exercise for at least 60 mins 6 days a week.
About 2 weeks in we were taken to a really nice cafe for lunch and I tried a few things that I’d never had before – fresh figs, goats cheese & pomegranate arils. I decided the way to make this work was to design relatively easy yet delicious meals that I really looked forward to. 9 months on and I find that it is now second nature & I never get tired of my meals or mind making different ones on Mondays & Thursdays (my Fast days) for the 3 men in the house – hubby, 23 & 20 year old lads going to uni (the older doing a PhD, the younger in his final undergrad year concentrating on Sound Design). My trick is to make really spicy foods on those 2 nights as I HATE chili so I’m not even tempted.
My “Fast” days are also fairly loose – sometimes 750 calories. There is just 2 rules that I abide by on them – 1. No alcohol or “treats” like ice cream and 2. My average daily calories (calculated over the week) must fall within my TDEE minus about 20-25% as I still have 7-8kg to lose to fall in the middle of the BMI healthy range – about 22.5.
That sounds like hard work but with a tool such as CalorieKing.com.au (I’m in Australia), I have all my myriad of custom meals entered & stored. I plan meals a week or 2 in advance (on paper so I can be certain I give the guys a diverse selection) and I can pre-fill my food diary for the week in less time that it has taken to type this reply 🙂 As for exercise, I record that too but I ignore the “net calorie” figure as I base what I eat on hunger & my TDEE (and yes, it does change as your weight goes down so you do need to check it regularly & tweak it as one size doesn’t fit all)
I haven’t had time to read all the posts – just the initial ones – so I hope that is of help to someone. 🙂
Cheers, Kim
Hello and Thank you to Billie, SharATL and PreciousBooBoo,
Your words of encouragement really helped me get through my fast day yesterday( not exactly 500 but low for me), even when faced with a celebratory meal last night. Planned on grilled fish but it was smoked( yuk) so had to have beef(tragedy), even had pudding( yum)( posh restaurant so tiny portions and no chips). I just decided that I could enjoy the night. I am still keeping my New Year Resolution of ‘no alcohol’ which preserves my will power and saves me calories. I also go to the gym at least four times per week to burn (about 400 cals), doesn’t sound like much for an hour and a quarter hard slog, does it? Anyway good news on the scales today ‘back to last Sundays weight’ so it will only take two weeks to catch up if I can maintain the effort and put in an extra fast day. I wish I had patience but sadly I am not blessed with this characteristic. I do have have determination though and I am sure that will see me through now I have put fasting and exercise at the top if my priority list. I weigh twice daily as I am a control freak at the moment plus investigating what foods cause weight retention, salmon and most bread products are now severely restricted. It’s a interesting record combined along with MFP record. Portion control is still an issue for me too, my eyes want to see a full plate, why don’t they listen to my stomach, maybe I should eat blindfold? My Superwoman(girl ?)poster is inspiring me and the fat girl one next to it provides a constant reminder of the what happens when you eat for comfort. My new flat very peaceful, love my new sanctuary of exercise tapes, music and candles for soft lighting. Of course I can’t find anything, even my toothbrush has vanished. Teehee – how much does plaque weigh? Only joking, bought a new one.
Good Luck to you all, around the world and beyond! We can make it to our targets!
Hello Everybody
LuvTcook Oh my how your story resonates with mine . . . that matronly-like old lady looking back at you in the mirror is who?
I am one of those who can lose yet not found the key to holding the weight at my set point – keeps heading upwards when I seem to be eating less and less. I have done a couple of rounds of the HCG homeopathic spray protocol & The Perfect Diet so well used to not eating till lunch time . . . which I do remember was my preferred way always way back so slipped in nicely . . . even after an hour or two on the tennis court like today . . . I am fine to eat on my return.
Couple of things that ripcurlgirl mentioned though struck a chord! It seems our LOACA girlies need daily exercise to keep things moving. I play tennis 2/3 times a week, however will aim to step up for a daily round of some sort of exercise as this seems to stimulate metabolism. In my Deep Nutrition book it also says it is the only thing that blasts the fat cells. I love my little rebounder and I am hoping it is true that jogging on my rebounder for 10 mins is equal to walking briskly for over half an hour!!! It is also claimed that the number of white blood cells which help fight cancer can be doubled for one hour by rebounding for two minutes . . . all to do with the gravity apparently. But certainly my tennis alone is just not doing it 🙁
The other thing that ripcurlgirl mentioned was the need to cut the TDEE for the non-fast days of the week. I need to check this out to see what is ideal for me. I seem fine during the day yet after dinner just these last two nights I am getting a bit nibble-ey for something slightly sweet when I do not have a sweet tooth. Will get out my L-glutamine as this has in the past stopped that but I need to have it before I get to that stage. Will try to journal to see what I eat that brings this on.
Other thing is I need to get my head around the TDEE and the websites like my fitness pal – I set it then it changes and then I am confused!
Such big thanks to PreciousBooBoo again . . . it does seem we have specific to us bits so as to fine-tune and work with the menopausal re-set.
Have a lovely weekend all . . . the sun is warm and shining in East Sussex . . . shall nip out and bounce in the sun for 10mins before I do anything else.
JoJo58 . . . I love your superwoman photo – I hide from photos lately as my image is so different to who I remember was me . . . and do you know in the Thyroid book I mentioned . . . the author has pics of before and after images of thyroid issues sorted and the face is more puffed up . . . nose cheeks etc then they revert to non-puffy faces . . . so I am sure I am needing to work with this . . . as well managing to bring my morning temperature up . . . the more it comes up to normal the more my metabolism is up to regular speed. When I started taking morning temps were 34.8 . . . and I am now 36.3 this morning. Now I have a cheap chemists measure so probably not accurate [my daughter said a 34 temp would mean I was dead or half-dead!!], but I am still standing and the fact that it is rising is good enough for me.
Hugs to all
Kaye
Hi to you all
I joined up last week but have done the fast diet in the past. Love reading all the posts. Makes me realise that I am not different and that losing weight is a battle, warfare, actually! But we are all slowly winning, by the looks of it!
I was diagnosed with cancer in Sept 2013 and felt that keeping my weight down was senseless. However after piling on 6 kg during the Christmas period, I decided to get back to where I felt comfortable.
I do a total fast. I only have a low cal clear soup at night. I find this the easiest. Will see how I go over the long term. I am of course hoping that the health benefits will slow the progression of the cancer but in all honesty, I am not optimistic on that front. However, I feel so good after the two day fasting that it is well worth it. My energy levels have vastly improved.
Good luck everybody and thank you PreciousBooBoo for your time and effort! Lizzie
Hello all,
Had a fabulous day out in London yesterday, went to an exhibit of stitching and sewing, not very inspiring, 5 truly interesting stalls, the rest boring and too traditional. Walked around London sights and crossed the river by several bridges. Feet killing me but great fun. It’s such a vibrant place. Had a very good Indian meal which was only £15 each plus 1000 ish calories( well it was a day out).
Put on one pound today but who cares I will add an extra fast day this week. Life is for enjoying yourself.
What have you done over this weekend?
Hi to all: am posting early for me today because the east coast of the US has just had ANOTHER freak snowfall closing down the federal govt and all the schools. It was 70 degrees F (warm enough for no jacket) on SAT and SUN night it drops 40 F degrees and dumps 7 inches of snow. So am making the most of it sitting at home making the Irish-American’s signature St Patrick’s day meal of corned beef and cabbage as lovely smells drift through my apartment.
Had good luck on the 5:2 this week. Re-dropped my lost 1 lb from last week and another to keep it company, so down 2. I didn’t have bread or pasta, but stuck to very limited potatoes and dried beans. Will see if a repeat of that works again or if just a roll of the dice. I do honestly beieve your weight loss (or gain) isn’t just what you did in the last week but also affected by what you did the 10 days before that….so say the last 2 1/2 weeks total.
I would love to have a medical expert explain how it is physically possible to drop 3-5 lbs in one big plop. One day you weigh and its 180, and the next day, the “magic weight loss fairy” comes and you are down to 175. Where was it hiding? What strap broke lose to let it all swoosh away? Was the fat replaced by water and one night your hormones said “all aboard for a ride” and down the flusher it all went? I know I am being glib about this but I really truely would love to have someone explain this one. What is that intermediate stage where the block of fat gets ready to drop off. We have all had expericence with that. Another mystery of life.
sharATL: you are a brave lady leaving Atlanta for Minneapolis in March. Everytime I look at the evening news talking about the weather I think to myself, I have nothing to complain about, look at Minneaopolis.
nanajan: hats off to 2 stone lost. My hero.
Billie & Yipyip: I always weigh less the day after my 2nd fast. I think the water tends to reduce my weight (flushing out?) rather than add to it. The more water I drink the less I weight the next day (as long as I don’t eat too much salt).
jojo58: love that you had such a great weekend and your attitude is the be flexible rather than restrict you life to just your weight loss. I think we all have to take the LONG view and not have unrealistic expectations with set goal dates. I think you do the best you can but life will get in the way and we just have to shift and adjust. I envy you your lovely London weekend.
ripcurlgirl: I agree with you about CalorieKing. Have used the US version and find it the most handy around. Love that you can save entire “favorite meals” and just pop them into your food diary. To anyone that has not used it, they have a free calorie and nutrition look-up-page with extensive listings of restaurant and supermarket ready made meals. Very hand.
Again to PreciousBooBoo: thanks for the encouragement. I will let you know how things average out after a month on the plan. Too much jumping around from week to week to fully believe what I see on the scale. I will only believe if it is still gone another week from now.
hello,
Mayby my question has already been written. I am 53, I have been on the Diet since January. During the last 2 weeks I have experienced “heating up” like women can do at this age. But I just started after I began with the Diet. Do you think there is any connection?
And….I have only lost 1 pound the first month and nothing since then….hmmm.
Janne:
Here are some tips for newbies: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/warnings-to-newbies/
Good Luck!
Hi Y’all – couple quick things, as for the day after, or later weigh-in, the morning after a fast day is always the ‘low’ for me and more so after the week’s second fast day. i do mon/thurs, so tues morning is good, friday is better. the day or two following of ‘normal’ eating always put on a pound or two, even when strict on the TDEE. so something about the so-lo cal, and fasting period makes a good result, but it’s often a yoyo up & down during the week. As a few of us have admitted we weigh daily, for better or worse. but i do find it helpful and would make me nervous if i didn’t. SO funny as for years i wouldn’t get on a scale unless forced. that was denial for sure. i still have a long weigh 😀 to go, but would rather be real about the numbers and how my efforts are helping even if it’s not the full pound per week. i did squeak down one last week, and after 3 weeks stalled that was great 🙂 we just need to be gentle and realistic that the continued & concerted effort does work steadily, but sometimes takes longer to show up on the scales.
I put on a pair of WHITE jeans i’d not worn in years, and even as a big girl still, felt pretty awesome that they slid on and really needed a belt. 😀 So as many have said, even when the numbers aren’t moving the body is shrinking! All the other good body benefits are happening!
Still keep poring over the Grain Brain book and i think the near-removal of gluten from my normal days will help too, as i’ve always felt bloated & congested after bread products – but still crave that perfect croissant 😀
I found Secret Eaters on YouTube, just search for it, its there, fun to check out all the Brit food~
I met a cool gal in our neighborhood who’d had recent success at a ‘medical’ diet franchise, but was spending alot of money going and getting injections that made me nervous for her. I wanted to shout out about FastDiet, Healthy, Effective & Free, but need to share it in a way that doesn’t trample her enthusiasm for her program. it’s funny how people say ‘wow! you look great! what are you doing?’ and then if I go into it (after gauging real interest, not just a passing comment) how people’s eyes glaze over at the word ‘fast’. So i talk about it as a two ‘skinny’ days and 5 normal days, where overall calorie reduction does the magic. somehow less drastic to the un-edified. and yet it’s SO not drastic, as WE know, eh?? 😀 i’m rambling… i know. just really enjoy our little group here and look forward to checking in and finding out what you’re all up to and feeling and thinking~ signing off in shaky California…
hi again and to Luv2Cook 🙂 wanted to mention i read about the big swings in weight, esp those overnight, are due to our exhalation as we sleep, and that we literally exhale enough moisture from our bodies over the sleeping hours to be a pound or two on the scale, of course you’re probably peeing twelve times like me then too 😀 so that impacts. but a few times i’ve weighed ( again:obsessed!) at night just before bed, and then right after getting up and it’s down 2. which of course seems crazy, but made sense when i learned about the sleep process.
i agree completely about needing to wait a bit for the loss to ‘stick’ to believe it. But i have to say how fantastic it is now on FD (as never before) i feel confident that the progress will stick over time as i’m doing this for the long term. not going ‘off’ it at a certain time and then stressed about how to keep off the loss weight that i never could before. there is comfort in that.
Also to Everyone, i felt my last post was too much “Yay Me” and not enough “Yay Us” with the white jeans and all. Here we have a new member who is dealing with a serious condition, Lizzi53, and somehow the perspective of your positive attitude and health goals really adjusted my thinking this morning, so thank you for that and we wish you well and strong in your battle 🙂
We are all blessed in different ways and stronger every day as we continue our efforts and bask in the results – Have a super day everyone!
Thintoartincal: Don’t worry! We are all cheered on when one of us have some success . . . it gives us hope to carry.
Preciousbooboo: I am adding iodine as a supplement. I take an iodoral and then I top up with drops that I paint on my skin – and that is the only change since reading the thyroid book. Also again it seems as if it is helping incrementally with weight loss but very early days still.
Also I came across this little book that says my very ridged nails is a sign of a need for Vitamin F [now called Vit K2] – and that Vit F raises iodine levels making iodine more available to the thyroid gland and other tissues. Also bit F found in unrefined fish liver oils, so taking a tsp of that daily too. Got to say also my fingernail beds going a nice pinky colour whereas before very pale and I used to get freezing finger tips they call it raynaud’s.
Trying things as nothing in the past held that weight!!
Keep going everyone till we find that essential key to make it all work for us.
Yikes! Fast day today, and a charming young barrista outside Starbucks was giving away sample size vanilla hot chocolate with cream…absent mindedly guzzled one before remembering. Grrr!
BTW, really interesting thread about thyroid, am going to seek out the book. Thanks to everyone who recommended it.
Hey Thintoartincal: I love that you look sharp in a pair of white pants that now need a belt. I look longingly at white pants in the clothes catelogs that clog my mailbox daily, but am afraid I would look like a white delivery van in a pair right now. But I dream, oh how I dream.
And ditto on the peeing 500 times a day. I think I have figured out the secret to this diet. You actually are getting a pretty good workout just running to the ladies room at work all day equivalent to 30 minute on a treadmill. Sneaky diet this 5:2. But if it works, it work.
Good for you. I think hearing anyone’s success stories gives others a little more determination that the answer is there for the taking. Not bragging….just celebrating. This is such a lovely group of gals.
Hi everyone
I have just completed my two day fast. For various reasons, I choose to do two consecutive days. And I do a total fast. I only have a cup of clear broth on the first evening and then a small bowl of steamed veg the second day. I am now considering the ketogenic diet in between. I know it seems a bit extreme but there is no treatment for the liposarcoma I have, except surgery, and there is some evidence that the diet might help. It gives me a feeling of control, like I’m DOING something! Some of you have mentioned that I am positive. Some days! There are times when it feels a bit overwhelming. So that’s why its so good to be able to vent to a group of women who are so caring but not personally involved. It is difficult to talk to my family sometimes as they find it very confronting.
Today is a good day! The sun is shining and the humidity is not too bad! And I’ve lost about 1.2kgs over the past two days. I know how it goes though: quick weight drop at the start and then slower and slower and slower ….
By the way, I live in Brisbane, Australia. Any other Aussies on this forum?
Oh and another thing, some of the posts here have had me laughing out loud! You are all awesome! Perhaps we learn, as we get older, that we can laugh at ourselves, feel good about ourselves even when we are not model skinny! I don’t have any white pants but I do have a pair of lavender linen pants that still don’t fit over my hips. When they do, you will be the first to hear about it!!
Hi Lizzie53,
I’m an Aussie from Tassie named Lizzie haha!
I’m on the forum intermittently and also gain much from the fb page ( highly controversial) 🙂
I know exactly what you mean about sharing and not wanting to cause more concern, pain or reactions to those closest to you. This is a great forum with amazingly supportive ladies who have all got hard tales to tell but regardless are so caring. Perhaps we are all in need of the kind of support you describe. So welcome aboard! Glad your day goes well and look forward to hearing all your 5:2 stories. Cheers for now!
Hi! to everyone. Got back Sunday eve. and was very tired. A lot of new people which is great. To all of you thank you for the support. Boo Boo and LUVTCOOK the train was good and my anxiety was helped by knowing people are on my side. Had a great time.
This is just a short message, we went out a lot esp. for lunch and Kansas City has great restaurants. I had trouble fasting yest. so did it today at 800cal. I wanted to do something because I see my dr. on thursday and hope he is happy.
Will post soon.
Hi PreciousBooBoo,
Thanks for the STAR 🙂 I most definitely have NOT given up alcohol – white wine is my drop of choice – only on my “fast” days; I drink on the other 5 (Fri, Sat, Sun, Tues & Wed). If a special event clashes with a fast day then I just move it to the next day or one before. I’m going to the theatre tonight to see a performance of “To Kill a Mockingbird” with my 20 year son who doesn’t drink. We have to leave late afternoon & train it to inner Sydney (no parking) so I will be having an early dinner. Knowing this in advance, I have switched tomorrow’s fast day to today instead.
I should say a big HI to Beach Baby, lizzie53, Freefalling, Adelaidegirl & any other Aussies on LOACA or the forum in general. I’m from Cronulla Beach Sydney.
oh PBB – you are winning! you are fasting and staying true to the program and our cheerleader extraordinaire – the scales will catch up and when they do, you’ll really be onwards and downwards 😀 your support and making the effort to address everyone here is exceptional, i’m feeling very ‘mama bear’ right now 😀 rocking those white jeans! – but to be fair & honest ,they are size 16, though well-cut 😀 they have laughed at me from the closet for 5 summers now, and i’m so glad i’d not tossed ’em yet. more of a talisman than actual clothing, i mean really! who can wear white pants out in the world and expect to sit on anything! plus i have a dark cat!! more laughter… they look *awesome* covered in fur. so it was a bit shaky here in CA lately, down near LA and up by my in SF, just to remind us the land of milk and honey (channeling a croissant :)comes w/a few drawbacks. now, where is that earthquake kit? mine will be filled with canned beans, pickles and miso broth. fast day faves! have a great nite/day everyone, how cool is it that we’re posting from every hemisphere & time zone. it’s 8pm on Tuesday here…
Hi Lizzie from Tassie!
Had a fabulous holiday in Tasmasnia several years ago.
This is by far the best forum I have ever come across. Nobody is a know-it-all or critical. Everybody seems really honest about their achievements or the lack thereof!
Its just good to know that there are alot of girls out there who battle the bulge on a daily basis. Perhaps we lose a battle or two but we are winning the war!!
Lizzie from Brissie
Hello Ladies
I love how we hail from all over yet are joined in this way together!
I am hoping my banging on about the proper working of the ‘thyroid’ is ok but it has taken me so long to get a handle on my health and I am relentless to do this as I am a tennis fanatic, and intend to be playing forever . . . so remaining mobile and flexible, and also keeping my weight healthy so that I am speedy round the court, and not dragging extra pounds around, therefore putting pressure on my joints, organs and body.
So wanted to share this from the book:
Hypothyroidism can cause the body’s tissues to become thickened and boggy . . . the tissues appearing to be waterlogged, yet apparently in autopsy no water seeped from incisions . . . this was the finding that this ‘myxedama’ is unique to hypothyroidism. It was then found that the substance causing swelling to the tissues was an abnormally large accumulation of mucin.
Now mucin is a normal constituent of our tissues . . . however, it is a jelly-like material that spontaneously accumulates in hypothyroidism. Mucin grabs on to water and causes swelling . . . and up to 30 times the normal amount of mucin can be found in the skin of a woman with hypothyroidism . . . all other tissues will also contain excess levels of mucin.
Doctors coined the term “myxedema” . . . ‘myx’ the Greek word for mucin and ‘edema’ means swelling . . . myxedema was adopted as the medical term for hypothyroidism.
Book also goes on to say this swelling begins around the face!
Now what I am thinking is that face looking back at me in the mirror does not look like the face I had before . . . and I just thought it was just fat gained – my pictures say the same. How many of us are experiencing the effects of this ‘mucin’ and labelling it mere fat?
PreciousBooBoo:
Iodine supp is newish to me and early days but seems to be important . . . still testing though! Though fasting is not. I have been doing daily intermittent fasting whereby I fast from 7-8pm till 1-2pm the next day so only 2 meals and this has helped keep about 7-8lbs off so far. Now trying fasting mon/wed/friday . . . and see below I need this obviously!!!
I started a temperature journal and checked and the very first entry is 31st May 2012 and my temp was 34.8 . . . many at 34.3 . . . this morning it is 36.0. So my intermittent fasting has helped there for sure. Interestingly yesterday morning was 36.5 – a feast day and I went out to a birthday party where there was cake and risotto. This morning I am 36.0 temp and just under 2lbs UP in weight. I find I am not phased . . . instead I am becoming more sleuth-like in finding the key to this. Today is a fast day and I have my tennis coaching where the coach almost kills me – I will play in fasting mode no breakfast just coffee – rest of day will just drink home-made chicken broth and see how I go.
And yes Ladies re the “invisible shrinkage”, I went to a funeral 2 weeks ago where some black pants which did not fit before for ages now – they fitted but just a little too snug for my liking. I wore those black pants yesterday and there was definitely more room in them.
Oh and another thing . . . with the hypothyroidism . . . there is constipation. Something that for me had gotten worse over time accompanied with bloat . . . again something we LOACA take for fat. My friends call it ‘menopot’ belly. . . and I seemed to have lost this for the moment, as long as I remain unconstipated . . . and I feel the iodine supplementation is helping in this regard.
So just keep on keeping on everybody!
All good wishes to you all.
Hello, All–and welcome to all our new posters! How fun to see this group growing; who knew that there was an army of LOACAS worldwide, doing the 5:2 and looking for a little support from each other as we make our way on this journey? I’ve been reading everyone’s posts while on my long weekend in Minneapolis and want to address at least a few specifics that were raised since I posted last week, in no particular order:
ThintoartinCal–this is definitely the place to celebrate successes, like slipping into the white jeans that have lived in the back of your closet for 5 years and not worry about appearing to brag! Yay you! We all know what kind of effort it takes to accomplish that, and it is so fun to have a place like this to share those little victories. I love hearing about everyone’s bumps along the way–makes me feel that I’ve got company on this long journey–and their successes as well, which are fun to cheer for. Out in the real world, I’m much less likely to talk about my personal experiences on the 5:2 for fear of sounding like one of those tiresome ‘dieters.’ But on this forum, there is a great audience of like-minded women who are actually interested in
how a fast day went, whether or not we’ve broken through that plateau or reached an exciting milestone. So, please–share the good stuff, ladies, and let us celebrate with you!
Applecrisp–welcome back! Glad to hear that the train ride was a good one, and hope all goes well at your appointment on Thursday.
Yipyop–I laughed at the ‘unconscious guzzle’ of the delicious Starbucks sample on a fast day; who hasn’t done something like that? At least it was a sample portion, right? My fast days are always kind of a ‘ballpark’ estimate of calories anyway, so I would likely have told myself that that one didn’t count since it was so tiny. 🙂
Lizzie53–I am amazed at your ability to do consecutive fast days, and I so admire your commitment to your wellness. I can understand how making that choice empowers you as you deal with your health challenges, especially when there are so few treatment options. And wow! 1.2 kg over the last few days; that’s well worth the effort, and inspiring, too. We are all in your corner as you do this; and maybe you have some tips for fasters like me that really struggle to make it through the day? Tea, tea and more tea seems to be what helps me the most. That, and staying as far away from the kitchen as I possibly can by evening time! Hard to do when cooking for a family of four…I usually try to make things for them that I don’t really like on my fast days, but depending on how hungry I am, that is not always very effective!
LuvTcook–sounds like you are off to a great start this week; congrats on your 2 lbs! It always seems to me that that kind of encouraging progress carries so much momentum, with success be getting more success.
PBB–hang in there! You are a wise woman about the sometimes-circuitous route to success that we LOACAS travel, but it can get discouraging when those scales are stuck and those fast days seem particularly daunting. I spent 2 months bobbing around in the same 2-4 lb range, not managing to get below my lowest weight again for ages. (And it appeared on the scale only very, very briefly before flitting away!) it seems my plateau has finally shaken loose a bit–AT LAST–which I offer up as encouragement, because it felt like I had stalled out (and much of it was, admittedly, due to my own wishy-washy commitment to the 5:2) and would never move downward, and finally–progress. Keep us posted and let us know how we can support you during this frustrating phase.
Well, that’s certainly enough for now. I’m up very early as I couldn’t sleep–part of my fast day side effect, sometimes–and thought this would be a perfect chance to get caught up here. I returned from my weekend in Minneapolis without gaining, and am hoping to share good news later this week after my 2nd fast day…wish me luck. Hoping that everyone has a wonderful week, and that there will be more happy anecdotes about ‘white jeans’ and such in our futures. 🙂
So glad I found this thread and that is the sentiment I read over and over on this thread. Hi! to all the 1st timers here YipYop – I could see myself trying a sample, forgetting the fast day. K8tie very good info on your posts.
Like sharATL, I feel I can talk freely about the diet without the blank stares here. Generally, I think the best result of any diet is that you can put on old clothes and they fit-nothing better. The only problem is are they in style?
I am a little concerned that I could not fast on Monday or Tuesday was iust too hungry. I know this can happen but I want to show my dr. I have lost weight.
Next week will be better, my cold will be gone and no doctors appoinment. Thanks for the support.
Hello all! I cannot be as detailed as some posters, but please know I am happy to be here and appreciative of all the wonderful info and support! Not into any “new” clothes yet, but feeling less like a stuffed sausage in the outfits I am wearing! I am a little obsessed with the scale, but forcing myself to weigh just once a week after my second fast day, which means weighing in on Friday morning. I have to go out of town for work this week, so am debating whether to take the scale with me! A little crazy, I know, but it is probably going to happen!
I started going to the gym early in the morning this week to do some cardio, so hopefully that helps nudge things along! I find that the biggest benefit of exercise for me is that it keeps me more on track with the food, regardless of the calorie burn and other benefits.
Happy fasting!
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4:41 pm
11 Mar 14