Hi Jackie59, I’m the same in terms of BMI and weight target. I’m 5 foot 1 but my waist is 32″! I’m in my mid 40s. Yes I can understand about the compliments (“there is nothing off you!”), but I know where it is that needs losing…. Sugar and carbs are what I’m cutting right down too. Nice to know there is someone on a similar journey. How’s your fasting going? I have just finished 4 weeks, that’s 8 fasts. Things do get easier, but progress is slow, at least for me.

I have lost just over 1kg. My starting weight was 51.6kgon 25 May , now at 50.2kg. Unfortunately the waistline has not changed, I measured mine at the belly button level. Now instead of relying on the measuring tape, I put on an old work dress and check how the zip goes. I can now zip it up (just). Still can’t zip up a party dress which was the one that got me back into fasting!!

I definitely lack in the patience department and I need bagfuls of that, for this and training my dog to be left. We have just started a daily training programme and they are very very small incremental changes. Just like our fasting journey. Sometimes I wonder if 5:2 is for me as it seems there are more (faster) results reporting by some, but for me, after 4 weeks still not quite showing, despite my husband says my belly is slowly shrinking. I am not too sure myself. Still I’m going to give it till Christmas, and doing it properly every fast day and some. This means even on the non fasting days, I’ll hold off the sugars and eat lower carb alternatives. But for special occasions, I’ll eat without restrictions, like this Sunday’s Fathers Day celebration lunch. I will take a dessert and eat the carb that’s with the main.

Yes, we need to encourage and support each other. I want to give 5:2 a proper experiment. I think for those of us not overweight but have the inches to lose, the process is longer and much slower than the conventional weight loss. I’m creating recipes that use lower carb vegetables, it’s quite fun doing that. We use plenty of butternut squash already, but recently added celeriac too. How are you finding the change of diet habits?

Hi Jackie,

Well done on following the 800 calories daily plan and congrats on the progress you have made already. How are you finding it? I have read the book too.

This is my 5th week, fasting tomorrow and Thursday. Strangely I do look forward to these weekly fasting days and try to have a gap of 18 hours during a fast. This really means tonight no more food or drinks with calories from 8pm, then tomorrow the first calorie I would take would be from 2pm at the earliest, limiting to 500 calories until 8am on Wednesday. I then repeat this, from 8pm Wednesday night, and eat normally on Friday morning at 8am. This arrangement works for me. This morning I have “felt lighter”, though didn’t weigh myself, the measuring tape showed I have lost 1 inch! I will measure again next week. “Feeling lighter” is rather arbitrary, but after 3 consecutive non fasting days, I wasn’t expecting this feeling this morning.

We had a good family meal out yesterday after church. Didn’t touch the Yorkshire pudding and ate one roast potato with the beef and veggies. As I said I would take a dessert, I did and the summer berry pudding with a spoonful of clotted cream tasted wonderful. It was so good to see family and enjoy a meal out together. What I like about this way of eating is somehow it resets the way I eat and the choices I make. I used to think “I’ll give this for so long, until I reach whatever goal (or I get disheartened) then I stop”, but am beginning to wonder if 5:2 could be a lifelong practice. I think the challenges for me are the colder winter days and in December (when really Christmas is month long!!), not eating makes me feel the cold even more. But that’s a while to go yet, so one day at a time for now.

Hope all is well on your side.

Grace

Hi Jackie,

I find the inch loss is rather elusive, but if there is any sense in this, the “sides” of the waist seem to be coming in (according to husband). As I tend to see and feel the belly from the front, that unfortunately doesn’t seem to be changing. I’m not sure if there are exercises to help tone up the waistline? I know we can’t spot lose….

On the other hand, one fast down and the next one tomorrow! Yesterday I was quite sure it was over 500 calories because of 3 olives in brine and some balsamic vinegar/extra virgin olive drizzled over a massive pile of rocket leaves at supper time (in case you wonder, I roasted a skinless chicken breast too). Even typing this makes me laugh, a drizzle killed it?? But it tells me salad leaves actually don’t help me, what I need are “chewy” greens like kale, cavolo nero, asparagus, broccoli, etc etc along with the lean protein. Cooked greens don’t need a dressing but just a generous squeeze of fresh lemon and I can eat a lot of greens whether it is a fast day or not. I’m definitely learning what works for me. That’s why I am never keen when smoothies and shakes are on the menu. I need to chew my meals, texture is important.

It seems like there is another person in my household also struggling with losing some weight. Our dog is apparently 200g over, the vet is set on 10kg max, even though I think Archie isn’t overweight. So we are both trying and persevering with “not a lot to lose but the little that we are working on are stubborn and resistant”. One day at a time, I’m going to focus on the fast tomorrow. I think it is normal we don’t “see” the progress ourselves, but others might notice and in time, when we look back all will be clear.

A lot of discipline being exercised on my side, not only this but also we are just starting to train our dog to be left. Really I should have made use of last year, but at the time I didn’t know how (and now we have a trainer giving us advice and daily training plan). So discipline and a day at a time are what we go by. Hope the week is going well for you.

Grace