Here we go again

This topic contains 14 replies, has 7 voices, and was last updated by JulieK1967 9 years, 9 months ago.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)

hannahncakes

10:02 am
30 Jun 14
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Hello dears.
I am trying to start over on the fast diet once again. I did it for a few months a while back and managed to lose 10lbs but then stopped and got stressed out over various things (mainly finishing university) and have put 7 of the 10 back on. Grr.
So I am going to use this thread to try to measure my weight loss and have somewhere that I have to report to, in the hopes that I won’t fall of the wagon that way.
My aim is to lose 3 stone by November for my graduation which averages out at about 2lb a week (and yes, I know that the average weight loss is 1lb per week). Even then I will still have another 2 stone to lose before being anywhere near my healthy bmi but this is my first goal.
Starting stats are:
Age: 26
Height: 5″7
Weight: 16st7
BMI: 36.1
TDEE: 2237 (although on the one I did previously it said 1850 so not sure which one to go with there…)

I shall try to update every Monday with weight/BMI which hopefully will be going down! Fingers crossed.

Hannah

MandaM88

11:05 am
30 Jun 14
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Good luck Hannah 🙂

hannahncakes

9:35 am
8 Jul 14
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Right so week 1 weigh-in stats are as follows:
weight: 16st3
BMI: 35.6

I am very pleased with this result as this week has included a funeral (followed by many sandwiches and wine) and a birthday party (including pudding, cake and wine) so I think I have done ok!
My fast days haven’t been too hard and I have been using the my fitness pal app to track my food during the week. Hoping to have slightly less of a splurge over the weekend this week & to keep the weight going down.
Hope everyone is doing well 🙂
Hannah

JulieK1967

12:35 pm
8 Jul 14
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Hi Hannahncakes

Well done on restarting 5:2 I tried to work your TDEE out using the tool at the top of the page but not knowing how active you I couldn’t do it! I would imagine if you could keep your non-fasting days at around 2000 calories & increase your exercise slightly (unless you are very active already) the weight should come off quickly.

The trouble with functions is the calories soon pile up, 2 or 3 quarter triangles of sandwiches could be 200 calories & a slice of cake could be 300 depending if it has cream. I still drink wine sometimes on my non-fasting days but 1 or 2 small glasses not the 2 or 3 big glasses that it used to be. If I know I’m going out I change my fasting day to a day I won’t be tempted to splurge.

I find cutting down carbs has been the most beneficial thing. I kept a food diary & was eating twice as many carbs as I needed & if you’re not active (I wouldn’t be very active) they are simply stored as fat in your body. Bread, potatoes, pasta & rice I only have very small portions now & none on my fasting days. Cakes, crisps, biscuits & puddings would be a very occasional treat & not something I would have eaten regularly anyway. Cider & cheese were my downfall. Cider is laden with calories so now I don’t have any unless it’s Bulmers Light low cal cider. I used to eat cheese most evenings after my dinner & of course biscuits to put the cheese on! All that has stopped now even on my non-fasting days I just don’t need the food so much.

I’d suggest working out your TDEE properly & aim to keep slightly under it & exercise a little more if you can. You should really see the results. Best of luck

hannahncakes

2:39 pm
8 Jul 14
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Thanks for the advice! I am not too active. I exercise about 2/3 times a week and walk every day but other than that I am mostly at home with the kids. I have taken the 1850 target for my TDEE (as every website seems to come up with a different one) and am usually around 1700-1800 on days when I don’t have any engagements & then 500 on fast days so hopefully this will continue to work 🙂
I’m not huge on carbs anyway, only occasionally pasta in the evening as I have cut out sandwiches from lunch when I’m at home & just stick to salad/fruit or soup when it’s cold. Well done on your cutting down it sounds like you’re doing great!

Andi76

3:36 pm
8 Jul 14
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Good luck Hannah ! I’ve just joined the plan today ! I hope it works 🙂

Truffle_shuffle

6:06 pm
8 Jul 14
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Best of luck Hannah! I’m a relative newbie to this as only 3 weeks in and to be honest I haven’t cut down my food on a non fast day like I know I should, nor have I increased my exercise but even so I’ve managed to lose 6lbs so it must be working.

I like Julie’s suggestion of cutting carbs though, I am a huge carb fan usually but I agree should be limited. I’m going to try to stick to brown bread going forward and take out carbs from my evening meal.

I hope to be still on the 5:2 diet in September when my kids are in school again and if so I’ll fit more exercise in. Until then I’ll accept my progress may be slower. X

JulieK1967

6:53 pm
8 Jul 14
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Hi Truffle_shuffle

Since watching my carb intake one thing I’ve noticed is breakfast cereal. When you actually weigh out 40g or whatever the recommended portion is you have nothing in your bowl! I’m sure many people who eat what they think is a relatively healthy breakfast of cereal with low fat milk end up actually eating double the recommended amount so you could be having a 400 calorie breakfast without realising it.

If I do have cereal or porridge I use a small bowl & that way it at least looks full! Before 5:2 I would have Fruit & Fibre cereal for breakfast, a ham salad sandwich for lunch & perhaps pasta or meat & potatoes for dinner. Carbs, carbs, carbs all the way. Now even on my non-fast days I am very conscious of my intake & I’m sure this is helping my slow but steady weight loss.

Good luck with the plan, I’m sure more exercise is the key I really should stop being lazy there is a little lane with a steep hill opposite my house if I walked up & down every day that is 1 mile & if I walk up briskly I’m a little out of breath so it must be doing me some good lol.

Truffle_shuffle

8:00 pm
8 Jul 14
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Thanks Julie K. Yes I was the same with my carbs. When I took a look at what I was actually eating it was toast for breakfast, more toast as a snack mid morning. Then sandwich for lunch, maybe finish off some chips my kids left at tea time, then pasta or potatoes etc. Just full on carbs all day everyday.

I never even realised just how much I was eating (full time mum at home so easy food access). This diet at the very least has open my eyes to that. I think for me I’ll change one thing at a time so yes I’m cutting carbs first ( and surprisingly not missing them !). Then later I’ll add the exercise and then maybe just maybe I’ll cut down the weekend wine (much much later ). Slow and steady for me, I know I could lose weight quicker bit I really want this to be a long term change not a fad diet so that’s my plan.

Good luck to all x

Purple Vegie Eater

10:18 pm
8 Jul 14
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A good sensible approach Truffle. You take control of your food choices and use your enhanced awareness of what works for you. Carbs seem to be my downfall too. So easy to overdo them when filling flavoursome veg would have been much better.
All the best
PVE

hannahncakes

9:36 am
15 Jul 14
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Week 2 weigh-in time:
Weight: 16st0.5
BMI: 35
Loss this week: 2.5lbs
Loss in total: 6.5lbs.

I am quite pleased with this although I am dying to get under the 16st mark as that would feel like a real achievement for me that I haven’t managed to get since before Christmas!
This week I did 3 fast days which were difficult, especially the evenings. I’m drinking so much water I don’t feel like I’m ever off the loo- constantly needing to wee! But I’m glad I did the 3 because I was far too overindulgent on my non-fast days- mostly due to stress eating which I really need to work on. I’m hoping if I carry on with my fasting it will help me learn to eat less on non fast days.

How’s everyone else doing? Hope it’s going well.
Hannah

JulieK1967

8:07 pm
15 Jul 14
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Hi Hannahncakes

2.5lb lost in a week is great going. I’m not sure why you are drinking so much water on your fast days unless you live in a very hot climate? Are you drinking water because you’re hungry, bored or think it is beneficial? I never drink water in its raw form at all during the daytime ever, never have. I just drink tea & coffee (3 or 4 cups) with milk which I deduct from my 500 calories so I have a 450 calorie evening meal. I take a small glass of dilute cordial (squash) to bed if I’m thistry in the night which I rarely am. 2L+ water per day for the health of your kidneys is just another myth. Drinking a lot of water isn’t necessary unless you are exercising like mad. A healthy female bladder should only feel full every 3-4 hours or so really.

The 5:2 will only work if you try to stay below your TDEE on your non fast days & don’t “splurge”. I was 10st 7lb last October & I’ve lost 10lb since starting the 5:2 properly again at the end of March. I only need to lose probably 20lb in total & tried last Autumn & did OK but gave up over Christmas & January was my birthday so with all those excuses I was back to square one but now I’m determined to lose lose the last few pounds & be nearer to 9st which for my 5ft 2 height is more than enough!

hannahncakes

8:37 pm
15 Jul 14
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I always have to drink lots anyway because I get very thirsty but pretty much everyone else I’ve seen on here has said that drinking water is the best thing to do to stop you being hungry & that often hunger pains are actually that you are thirsty. Either way I find it stops me being hungry. Plus I think I have inherited a weak bladder from my mother (or after having children) because even without drinking a lot there is no way I could manage 3-4 hours!
I am hoping to manage to stick below my TDEE more this week but it seems to be working so far with occasionally going over so that’s something.

Amy C.

8:48 pm
15 Jul 14
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I drink at least 4 liters of water in the summer and 3 in the winter. Sometimes I flavor the water with herbal tea, but usually not.

It keeps the hunger at bay.

JulieK1967

11:26 am
16 Jul 14
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Hi hannahncakes, I go over my TDEE occasionally as well I think everyone does. The water in tea or coffee counts as fluid intake so I’d probably drink just over 1L per day of tea/coffee & maybe 500ml of dilute squash (cordial) if I go for a brisk walk or happen to wake up in the night thirsty. Depends what I eat, salty foods makes me thirstier. Hunger pangs are not a bad thing in themselves, often distraction rather than drinking water will take your mind off them. By sipping water frequently you are diluting your stomach acid all the time & so your stomach produces more acid as a result so you feel hungry more.

I rarely get the “growling stomach” hunger pangs & if I do I try to ignore them or have a cup of tea! I’m at home all day I run a small B&B & cook full Irish breakfasts for guests most mornings but even with all that tempting food in front of me I don’t feel hungry usually & just eat my one 450 cal evening meal at 6pm on my fast day having not eaten from 6pm the evening before so a 24 hour fast followed by another 15 hour fast till my normal breakfast at about 9am the following morning.

By the way needing to pee more frequently than every 3 hours can be due to Overactive Bladder Syndrome which is very treatable & nowadays women are encouraged not to put up with the need to pee very frequently. I had both my babies within 16 months (both full term 8lb born) & I can go 5 or 6 hours easily without the need to pee if I have to.