Welcome Katreeona Gerringi and all
You need to understand that your body simply doesn’t use the fuel as quickly as you age. We all need to EAT LESS. This can be achieved no matter how old you are, but it does take determination, self contol and understanding.
The Fast Diet works by replicating the way humans evolved to eat…feast and famine. The non eating days allow your body to heal. Losing weight just comes with it. The heavier you are, the faster you lose. Then you will reach plateaus. Eventually you reach a goal weight (and size) and maintain the health benefits by lifelong fasting.
It does work, but it takes effort and time and costs nothing but new clothes; )
Enjoy the journey, PVE

My mother who is as slim as a bird hardly eats and she is 88. Still living independantly and still dressing beautifully but she always had a good appetite which I would say has dropped by 75% over the past 8 years.

There is no doubt as we age, we need to eat less and I also think we forget how active we were in our youth. From age 26 to 46 I taught 11 exercise classes a week,at 57 I now teach music from home so a lot of sitting when teaching.

My lifestyle has changed dramatically and so has the calories I need to sustain me.
We have to learn to eat smaller portions and this is where this plan comes into its own. On my normal days, I simply cannot eat what I used to.

remember what I have said over and over you are losing fat cells all the time even when you may not see a difference on the scales. I really think the scales are secondary to your tape measure and clothes.

Women always know how big they are, particularly if like me you wear fitted clothes.

I always used to tell my exercise students, the worst invention is elasticated waists, which enable you to relax your stomach muscles. Our mothers had to wear proper waist bands and you all know on your jeans when things are getting tighter and loser.

Do spare a thought to fluid retention if going through menopause. I have still the same wedding ring and engagement ring which are now 35 years old never changed size but at times during menopause my rings have been tight in the morning. I drink loads of water which tends to get things back to normal.

If my hot flushes bad, that is the day I tend to bloat. Through this plan I have been able to highlight some of the worst foods for me, as on the days I have a “rest” no bloating at all !

Bread is the worst culprit and I am now wondering if I have a Gluten sensitivity and am gradually trying to cut out bread and too much flour and must say feeling better.

I think your changing hormones cause changes that you do not expect. I cannot eat cabbage, broccoli or brussel sprouts as they give me terrible wind and stomach ache so just avoid them!

I think this plan does help you manage what suits you and if you think of the incredible disruption menopause causes some people, then it is logical that it disrupts your digestion too.

Insomnia particularly bad at the moment as just come back from a week in Spain and my body feels like it wants to stay the temperature it was in Spain!! Not one flush in Spain but been dreadful at night since back. Perhaps I should emigrate !! Bit drastic ha ha !

Hello PVE, LOACA and all the newbies! we have just got home, so no time to read back the threads for the last few days but I should be able to catch up on Wednesday sometime. I am WW in the morning and bowling in the afternoon so got a busy day.
We had a lovely weekend away and like I said it was nice meeting up with BooBoo I hope she is having a safe and good run back up to Scotland today. I did not do my usual fast today with the travelling so it will have to be Wednesday now. I have had a few days when I have not thought about 5-2 or for that matter any other form of dieting so I will have see what damage I have done tomorrow. Back soon, happy fasting JIP

I find I am much worse when I eat bread, bloat and have more flushes. I am sensitive to Gluten and am trying to avoid as much as possible. The only solution when you speak to medics is HRT. I don’t want HRT and at almost 58 a bit late now!

I am very wary of taking health shop herbs after a dramatic allergic reaction to St. John’s Wort some years ago so I think you have to slog on. The Cool sprays are my best friend. Icy cold, particularly in the Summer.

I have been better on this diet but when I say better, 2 hots a night rather than 5 or 6.

I think the worst feeling is that you have “lost control” of yourself. You seem to be able to do nothing much. I am definitely better after exercise but not always.

My closest friend is a year younger than me and she started symptoms at 51, me at 52. Sure its psychological, when one of us goes hot so does the other!!We are often seen out to lunch using menu as a fan.

I am a professional musician and play for a lot of weddings and funerals. At the church where I play regularly, it is a well known joke than when I start stripping off at the organ and everyone else is sitting in church freezing, it is quite obvious what is going on!!

I have just had one writing this and am dripping, it is not fun and not pleasant so if anyone out there can help then HELP !!!

Good evening or is it morning in the Southern Hemisphere – never can work that out despite having lived in Hong Kong for three years many moons ago.

Anyhow, some of you may remember my complaining of having a bad FD last week. I am pleased to report that today was fine, no probs – I believe due in no small part to the support and encouragement I received here. So, once again, thank you to all you lovely LOACA’s and night night – or g’day!

X

Welcome to Gerringi54 & katreeona, there’s lots more room under the tent for LOACAs looking for kindred spirits. It is a lovely group of ladies with lot of encouragement and patience to go around.

Cheeseplease: glad your FD went better for you. If you don’t start seeing lbs dropping find one pair of jeans (or blouse) that just won’t button or zip up and use that as your yardstick. I have more success with that than with a tape measure. Zippers don’t lie. You can celebrate half zipped up, then completely zipped up but the button won’t close, and then finally….zipped and buttoned. May not look good enough to go out in public yet, but it zips now versus NOT 3 weeks ago. That is what I call success.

There are some very experienced gals on this site that are very generous with their time and advice. All you new gals will get whatever support you need. You just need to look at this as the long haul. It take time. Give that to yourself as a gift. All in good time.

And HI to Piper, Nicky, LittleLiz, Smiffy, AliH61 and of course PVE. What a big crowd on this page today!

Here we go with another week. Hoping this weekend is going to be my BIG weigh day. I am 1/2 lb away from 20 lbs and sure hope the Fickle Weight Fairy doesn’t go on vacaton this week. We shall see. Please keep fingers and toes crossed for me because I will be a cranky LOACA for a bit if I can’t get through this mini barrier.

OW & DW (and welcome back to JIP…so glad all your plans worked out). When is Boo returning to us? Later this week?

LTC

PVE….LOVE your attitude. If I come up short and I am going to print off your note and tape it to the stupid thing.

Thanks. XXX

‘Morning all

LUVTCOOK – your jeans suggestion is one of the best morale boosting things anyone can do when trying to lose weight. It’s great getting into things that only very recently were definitely no-go, and if things do slow up, put on something that is now too loose to remind yourself of the achievement so far.

Re the discussion on menopause and HRT, I was on it for 8 years following a hysterectomy at 47. I had no problems with it at all, but my GP eventually took me off it. I had naively thought I wouldn’t get a menopause – big mistake. At 55, it came at me with a vengeance, and the flushes were awful. On the recommendation of a friend I started taking a supplement called Confiance, which is available from Boots, and this helped tremendously. It is designed ‘for the menopause and beyond’. Well I am way ‘beyond’ now and still take it, and feel pretty good. Just a thought for those of you still suffering.

A Fast Day for me today – In bed sipping a black tea as I write this. I actually quite like it now, provided it isn’t too strong. Weigh Day tomorrow!

Have a good day everyone, whether it’s feast or fast.

Smiffy x

Thank you to all those who have commented on menopause and HRT. It is so helpful to really confirm that for most of us whether on HRT or not we seem to have to weather symptoms. I think you are very lucky if you can get through without problems.

I am a very strong person who is very dedicated to exercise etc. but it has been four years of feeling totally “out of control”, but this diet plan has helped me feel “in control” now and I will just stick with it for life now.

The real plus for me although a dreadful sleeper 30 minutes last night, I have a boundless supply of energy, ironically more on low days.

This site is wonderful for support and although I do not really have a huge “weight” problem, it has encouraged me so much to really reinforce that my thickening middle has been a result of hormonal change not just over eating.

Thickening middle now gone but I intend to just keep up the measuring to make sure it does not creep back. These tummies have a habit of sneeking up on us when we least expect it!!!

Bonjour everyone and welcome to all the new LOACA.

I’ve been reading all the encouraging posts about dealing with slip-ups, etc. and have to confess that Sunday was a terrible day for me. I did really well all day, then skyped with my son and grandson (who live in the UK)- it was lovely and we made definite plans for them to visit me and my daughter in August, and also plans for me to visit them in November. When we had said our goodbyes, with lots of kisses, I ate my dinner, and for whatever reason a binge began – crisps, biscuits (a whole packet) a bowl of cornflakes – I think that’s all!

I woke Monday (a FD) feeling really down, with an upset stomach; but I did manage to get through my FD (partly due to feeling rough from the day before). I know I shouldn’t keep such foods in the house, but usually I can live with unopened packets for weeks on end with no problems. The reason (excuse) I have them in is that I live a 20 minute drive from the nearest shop, and then on Sundays there are no shops open (just like when I was a child in the 50’s); the french keep sundays for their families. I dread to think what I would eat if I didn’t have a few sweet things in for such rare occasions. Well, I now feel better for this confession.

Moving on to the discussion on HRT – before I moved to France in May 2011 I had been on Kliofem HRT for at least 8 years, and felt fine. However, my GP thought I ought to wean myself off them when I moved to France. This I did, and within two months of no tablets all my symptoms were back – life was hard enough adapting to a new country without feeling like that again. I had an appointment to see a gynaecologist for a smear, mammogram, etc. and she was appalled when I told her that my English GP had suggested I wean myself off the HRT – she declaimed “all french women of a certain age take HRT”, so went back on the Kliofem, and within weeks felt ‘me’ again. As I have no family history of breast cancers, etc. I have no qualms continuing on it until I expire…

Because of my slip-up I have no intention of weighing myself yet, but will get out the tape measure to see if there is any movement there!

Thanks for listening, Jan

Hi everybody! What an active lot you all are! I cannot keep up with all the posts. however I quite liked littleliz44’s comments on portion reduction. Yes, with 5:2 I have realised we need to eat smaller amounts at our age. I also find calorie counting a very sobering exercise. I no longer eat biscuits or sweets without thinking if I can afford to.

I find it really difficult to exercise, though. I am always very tired, even the thought of FIT makes me cringe. I used to be very active, doing nordic walking every day for over 70 minutes. I gave up a few years ago and age and a sedentary lifestyle put me where I am today. I try walk a bit every day, but some days I am just too exhausted.

ENJOY YOUR DAY!

Hi everyone and welcome to the new LOACAs.

Jan/ femme Anglaise, I am trying to learn not to beat myself up when I have a bad day – I did say “trying”! I think because so many “fail” with the ordinary type diets we automatically get into the guilt thing, which makes us hate ourselves so we go on reinforcing that by “failing” again and again. I am starting to feel different about this WOE, because I feel it is a way of life and not a diet – hope I am making sense in my stumbling way!

I am also on HRT, Elleste Duet Conti. My previous GP decided to take me off them really I think because of his own views. I really suffered big time, night and day sweats, terrible aching joints, cranky as hell, etc. I felt so out of control of my life, so my new GP has put me back on them carefully checking blood pressure, family history etc, and I feel like I have my life back – and along with the increasing weight loss about 20 years younger! So my sympathies to all who are suffering.

And isn’t it wonderful that we have such a wonderful international community, 5:2 ers around the world!

Hi littleliz44
Wow, what a fighter you are! Well done on conquering bulimia on your own, and I agree with you about how fixated we can get with jumping on the scales every five minutes. However to see those numbers dropping can be a great incentive. I know from how my clothes fit that I am losing weight, but it’s hard not to have it confirmed by the scales. What great work you are doing by going into schools, there is so much pressure on kids these days to conform to a supposed “ideal” that doesn’t even exist.

littleliz, I second Cheeseplease’s comment – maximum respect for conquering your problems so bravely. I was a war baby with what you call a ‘feeder mum’ (also very overweight, as was my dad) who grossly overfed me and my brother, not junk food but good home cooking which might even have been healthy had it not been for the ginormous portions.

I only realised how ginormous when I went to eat at schoolfriends’ houses where the portions were considerably smaller and then when they came back to our house where they had trouble eating more than half of what was on their plates. And of course, we were expected to clear our plates and were told ‘be grateful for what you’ve got – think of the refugees”. As far as I was concerned, the refugees were welcome to it.

My mum used to complain to people that I ‘wouldn’t eat bread’. If she had meant bread instead of more expensive food she would have had a point. What she meant, though, was that I wouldn’t eat bread in addition to the overloaded platefuls. I was also regularly in trouble for trimming every scrap of fat off meat, as I still do – can’t stand the stuff! Had I done as my mother wished I would have been morbidly obese.

It was also a kind of status symbol to have bonny (for which read ‘fat’) kids. I left to work away from home at age 20 – didn’t go to uni until my mid-30s – and started to revise my whole way of eating. While living in France and Spain, I managed to get close to optimum weight but put nearly all of it back on again in record time when I returned permanently to the UK.

Of course with age it gets harder, even with a healthy diet avoiding all the usual fatty, sugary stuff, but finally I’ve found a WOE that works, albeit very, very slowly, including a 5-month-long plateau. But I have learnt not to demoralise myself by climbing on the scales every five minutes. The way the clothes fit, or are now fit only for the fat ladies’ rail at the charity shop, is proof enough that I’m finally on the right track.

Hello everyone! I am 58 (and a half), on a low-dose Estrogen patch (HRT) as well as a low-dose hypothyroid med, and I want/need to lose about 20 pounds. I eat a healthy Mediterranean diet most of the time. For the last couple of years, my weight has been creeping up and I’ve become rather lethargic and uncomfortable in my skin, if you know what I mean.

This morning, I looked up the 5:2 diet, and found this forum… so, today is my first FD!

I usually walk from 1 to 4 miles a day (with the dog), and today I started running again – well, run/walking (about 2 miles) – even in the heat (it’s about 92F here). I’m determined to make this work. I belong to a gym, but haven’t had the motivation to go – In the past, I’ve worked out with free weights and machines, and am a bit of a loner when it comes to exercise classes, although I think I’d like to try Pilates.

I really do appreciate all of your comments and the warmth and candor that you share. The brief time I’ve spent today reading this Forum has given me the motivation I need to get started.
Thank you all and…
Wish me luck!
ms.m

PreciousBooBoo and Jip – you ought to exchange e-mail addresses rather than post personal messages on this forum. It would probably be a more efficient way to communicate.

Hi

Gerringi54 – You definitely have an incentive to get trimmer and have given yourself a realistic timescale without crash dieting. As we all know crash dieting doesn’t work long term, a new way of life is much better and 5:2 is the way to go. How about trying on that jacket every two months to see how much closer you are to doing it up? Keep posting and we will all give you moral support. I’ve just done another fast back 2 back, B2B, the scales don’t always show so I’ve measured myself this morning. It’s a real nuisance as I’ve list my measurements from 12 – 18 months ago when I was 21lbs heavier. I can now wear my “going away dress” from 19 yrs ago! Looking forward to spicy saag Aloo very soon.

Smiffy – I’ll look up Confiance and give it a try, got nothing to lose except a little money and hot flushes!

Ali x

Welcome back Precious 🙂
We’ve missed your chatty posts. Glad you enjoyed the camping experience. I’m curious, though. Over here camping always involves a large camp fire that the you sit around with a group of friends, drinking into the night, telling tall tales and true. Eventually you climb/crawl into your sleeping bag in the tent and fall asleep. Some don’t even make it that far! Our faces are always burning hot and our backs cold. But, hey, that’s campfires for you. We never sit in the tent. I hope you enjoyed the stars, lying in the tent trying to avoid toiletting (;) ) and that first cuppa in the morning ..that’s when we usually see ‘roos.
Now, don’t panic about the holiday pounds. You know what to do now and you KNOW you CAN do it.
Jump back up on the wagon in those sexy pink trainers.
All the best
Your Aussie mate, PVE

Hi PVE
What great memories. I was also told about the starving Indian children. I wanted them to have my dinner but couldn’t work out how to get it to them – wouldn’t it get all squished in the post? I read an article recently which suggested our perception of what a healthy child looks like has altered. People shown photos of perfectly normal kids in the 50’s judged them to be under weight. I was always a skinny child, plain food as you describe with a roast on a Sunday and then lemon meringue pie – yum! The leftover meat went to shepherds pie on a Monday, there was no waste like there is now. It took me a long time to gain weight, but I can’t blame it on my mum and dad who were slim to the end, bless them, it was all my own doing!

Welcome back BooBoo! What a pain it is that at this age it only takes a few days of indulgence and up those scales go again. As you say, it’s no doubt only fluid retention, you couldn’t possibly have eaten 17,500 additional calories, which you would need to do to make that much fat! A couple of fasts will soon put it right.

I do admire your camping prowess. I’m afraid I’m very much a home comforts person. The holiday home was bought for several reasons – mainly because my other half doesn’t do holidays abroad, and in any event, now that we have two dogs it’s more practical to holiday in this country. Also, our pension pots were sitting earning us next to nothing, so we thought we might as well put it to good use. As for living there permanently, nice as it would be, we love our old cottage where we live now in rural Gloucestershire. We are so lucky to have lots of lovely neighbours who have become good friends over the years – so much so that because we don’t have a local pub, every month we take it in turns to host an evening whereby we all turn up with a couple of bottles and some nibbles. There can be anything up to 24 of us – great fun. I also have my elderly mother and other family few miles away, so really wouldn’t want to leave here permanently. The holiday home is only 2 hours drive, so hopefully we can enjoy the best of both worlds.

Msmantis – don’t let someone like an ex make you stray from the straight and narrow! Not worth it! Full marks for being strong.

PVE , Hermaj and Littleliz – your reminiscences about your childhood are so similar to mine (and no doubt many other LOACA). You’re right – there were only ever one or two fat kids in the class, and the other children being children, could be very cruel. My mother is also a very glamorous 88 – she has more lotions and potions on her dressing table than I have ever had, but like yours Liz, it was her life’s mission to feed us, and still is.

Liz, you are amazing to have overcome the problems you have experienced. Fantastic.

Ali – I’m sure you will find Confiance helps – it isn’t herbal, but a vitamin and mineral supplement especially formulated for us LOACA.

Well, goodnight everyone. Tomorrow is another day…….

Smiffy x

Yes Liz. I understand. I also think being able to afford any food we want, being used to making enough for the kids who have now left home and the ease with which we can access food 24/7 are significant factors. Add a slowing metabolism and bingo. ..fat people’s clothes 🙁

I still love to see chubby breastfed bubs.( Your bonny babies) That’s the way they should be. They won’t get obese on breastmilk. It’s the excessive crap they are fed later that’s the problem.

Keep up the good work Liz. The rewards ARE amazing.
Purple

Hi Precious

Don’t be down hearted, you’ve lost the weight before so it WILL soon go again, keep strong on your FD. Remember we don’t “holiday” every month and surely we are entitled to enjoy ourselves from time to time. Ali x

Great work Smiffy. Don’t stand sideways or you won’t be seen 😉 Purple