Hi Michel, Hi Jade,

Thanks so much for your kind words. Today has gone surprisingly well, a cup of tea with milk for breakfast and then black coffee, green tea and water all day. I know from bitter experience that all the EAT BREAKFAST OR DIE stuff simply doesn’t work for me. EAT BREAKFAST AND THEN SECOND BREAKFAST AND THEN ELEVENS AND LUNCH AND ALL THE BISCUITS seems to be more the way of it.

Almost home time now so the test will be to resist secret eating as I have the flat to myself. I am thinking courgetti with a nice homemade tomato sauce and an episode of Midsomer Murders.

Jade, I think your focus on not eating alone is a good one. I’m still trying to work through the dialogue of why I do that. Question – why do you eat alone? Answer – because I would be ashamed to eat that much in front of other people. Question – so why are you eating things you are ashamed of? Answer – *deathly silence*

I think in the past I used that lack of understanding as an excuse not to act – “How can I expect to stop these bad food habits if I don’t understand them?”. But now I think it is a case of trying to fake it til you (I) make it: my new motto is to act like a person with a normal relationship with food. Perhaps understanding of my less-normal relationship will follow, but at the very least I hope to have started to break some of my habits.

Ange, Isabella, Mel – welcome!

Mel, you made me laugh a lot because I too have eaten the animal chocolate (white chocolate for cats, if you’re asking, and yes, it isn’t that bad…). You are in the right place, girl. If possible (and it only has been about twice before) in the shop when I am making those binge purchases you described, I have tried to put the food down and think about it then and there. Once it’s in my bag, I know it is only a matter of time (time being the soonest I can get to be on my own) before I eat the lot, and quickly. I can’t say 5:2 has cured my bingeing, but I am 9 months in and it is the longest I have ever stuck to anything, and I am thinner than when I started, so those are both good in my book.

I’m doing my first proper fast day in a while. Reminding myself of how GREAT it feels to wake up the next day and not feel bloated, to feel successful (and also to wake up and say ‘oh fantastic, I can eat’!… Penguin – yes I totally do that thing too where I actually seek stuff out, and not even things I like or want, ‘because I can’ on a non-fast day. That’s the next challenge).

Queen – good to see you! For some reason I am ‘ok’ with dark chocolate too. I can still eat too much of it but somehow shovel it down slower than milk chocolate. It also makes me laugh to eat it because every time it reminds me of famous lollipop ladies like Elizabeth Hurley who say they eat “fish and steamed vegetables, and sometimes when I am feeling naughty, a very small square of dark chocolate”. Funny, cos when I am feeling naughty, I eat things that come by the DOZEN.

Jade – I went through that ‘novelty wearing off’ thing too. Til the scales started going up again and I had to re-commit.

Michell – secret eating is DEFINITELY my treat. I totally get that.

Kitty & Michell – how is the no sugar thing going? I sort of did that for a while (well sort of but my own version, where I allowed myself copious quantities of dates, maple syrup and honey. Guess what the weirdest thing about that was? I LOST WEIGHT!!! Go figure).

Kitty – on the snack before bed or midnight snack – if (when) I get hungry then I just try to have a bath & go to bed early because I figure I have done the largest part of the awake fasting already and by the evening, that’s when your body is into the real fat burning stages (the latter hours of the fast), so the longer you can maintain it in a ‘fasted’ state, the more body fat your body will consume. Somehow this thought gives me willpower.

Spring – an old post of yours but it keeps making me laugh, the advice of your friend who said “listen to your body”… my body says “more cake please”…. WOW… 55lbs.. that is FANTASTIC. Well done you.

Melb: Way to go! Enjoy your healthy dinner.
I’m all to familiar with 2nd breakfast, elevenses and so on until midnight snack. Each phase of the day is full of its own challenges.

Mcca: Way to get back on the wagon, we’ve been saving your place. 9 months in, that’s fantastic.

Jade: I have used MFP successfully with diets in the past, but can’t seem to use it consistently since starting 5:2. My non-fdays blow up the app. Keep us posted on how it works for you.

For lunch I had Greek salad w/ feta cheese, but no dressing, a chicken kabob and a slice of pita bread. I am full from my nice healthy lunch, so why am I craving sugar? The chocolate (all over the office) is really calling out today. I know it’s mental…….all the denial from yesterday and knowing I’ll be fasting tomorrow is leaving me so weak.

Ok, (mental shake) I can do this. I will drink a bottle of water & chew some gum.

Strength in numbers!

Mcca: Way to hang in there! 1 down for the week.

I’ve had my water and some chocolate 🙁 , but not as much as I wanted (or could have had).

30 min till I face the next kraken. Then it should be smooth sailing. Holding on by my fingernails.

Stay strong & committed fasters.

Hahahaha – I’m laughing MAO reading your posts and I just love that this is always so much fun 🙂 A really big WELCOME to you iSabella (Yah!! another Aussie, I’m from SA) and to Melb100 and I can so relate to all your stories. A favourite trick of mine was to eat something and then replace that thing in the pantry or fridge in exactly the same ‘half-eaten’ state it had been in before I arrived… nothing to see here officer!! Have also done the drive around the block looking for a bin to dispose of wrappers/containers and hoping no one spots me, rather than put them in the home bin and of course burying binge-warppers below everything else in the recycling bin…
Oh dear, and we all of us think WE are the only one who is wired this way. But knowledge (of others’ crazy eating habits) is power as they say, in this case Kraken-slaying power. I loved the ‘fast train’ Jade and I’ll use that image the next time I take up the lard-baton (tomorrow). What days do you fast iSabella & Melb? Stay strong everyone, especially those of you with the food-laden workplaces – you deserve medals xx

So is there such a thing as a successful nonFD? I do believe I finally had one. MFP says 1400 ish calories. I am SO bad at this cal counting thing and my brain is so weird….I took a look at all that I ate today and of course it was a big variety, a bite of this and a handful of that. And when I thought about wanting dessert after dinner, I said I can’t possibly be hungry, look at everything I ate!! And sure enough, then I felt full. What a weirdo that I am relying on an online calculator to figure out if I am hungry. When did my brain disconnect from my stomach?!

Good luck with the lard baton, Spring. See you in a few hours! But where is our Kitty to pass it across the Atlantic? Hope all is OK in Scotland. xxxx

Jade: Very happy for your successful day. Sounds like MFP is really working for you.

Kitty: I was also wondering about your absence. I hope you are feeling well.

Spring: Looks like we have the baton today. Anyone else fasting today?

Jade: You have inspired me. I’ve committed to using MFP for the rest of this week. Small steps. I’m hoping that writing everything down will help me be accountable and shine a light on the secret eating. Also, I will have to slow down long enough to measure out a serving. :-\

Good luck & strength to us all!

Another kraken slain! I just finished a lunch meeting and only had my Crystal Light. (It smelled really good to) No food yet today! Certainly makes using MFP easier. 🙂

All calories count!

Go Michel, you mighty Kraken wrangler – and thanks for reminding me I had Crystal Light on hand. I just slew the monster who told me I would die if I didn’t dive headlong into the nut jar. [Bonus points to us for correctly conjugating the verb “slay” (which I mangled previously).] To distract myself from the nuts, I took the dog on a walk and even he looked at me like “seriously? it is too hot.”

MelB (are you the former spice girl??) I like your style. I have turned many a FD into a TDEE and patted myself on the back. We are the experts on just how much control we can lack, so good for you. Some days, my heart’s not in it, or something comes up socially, or damn it a Kraken jumps out of the cupboard. I have cleared it of treats before and just burped and said “well, THAT’s out of the way!” It’s pretty treat-free at the moment. Thank heavens there are no iced dog treats lying around, now that I hear they aren’t so bad….. xx

Melb: You have discovered the beauty of 5:2, you can always fast tomorrow.
I think not keeping a “stash” is the 1st challenge most of us face. Good luck on tomorrow’s fast and staying stash free for the week.

Jade: Way to distract yourself and this slay the nut kraken. One more victory.
We don’t have a dog and the cat treats really stink; no temptation there – thank goodness.

Fizzy: 650 counts in my book, especially if you had a long fasting window during the day. Good job!

I made it home – no stops! Yea!
I was right, all I’ve today is fiber & Crystal Light; MFP says I’ve had 95 cal. That’s just not FAIR!

Good luck everyone – stay committed!

Jade: Way to go! We did it! I’m ready to hand off the lard baton. Good luck Thur fasters.

I did my first day of writing everything down. (Easy on a fd) It’s been a long time since I tracked my consumption, hopefully I can keep it up.

For dinner I had frozen veggies w/ Laughing Cow Cheese Spread melted on top. Something new I was trying. Really easy & tasty. I had half a breaded chicken pattie w/ it. Filled me up. Now if I can stay out of hubby’s choc covered almonds!

Go fasters!

Spring: You are stronger than the chip kraken. Stand strong and finish your fd!

Morning All You Wonderful Kraken Fighting Fasters!

Spring: Those kraken-filed caves on the way home can be a killer. I know it’s one of my biggest struggles. I always feel I deserve something after a work. Why I can’t reward myself w/ something besides food, I have yet to figure out. (Who can afford to shop everyday?) Hope you made it safe to a small & healthy dinner.

Itd: France? I would love to hide in your purse and tag along. I went there for a couple of days my senior year of high school. It was such a blur. I hardly remember anything. I hope you have a wonderful time.

Stay strong and mindful!

OMG! It’s worse than I thought. I’m lucky I’m not as big as a house! When I remember all I’ve eaten in the past…..enough calories for a small village to survive on.
I wrote my calorie intake on a sticky and put it on my monitor, that way I can’t pretend it didn’t happen.

Mantra for the day:
“I don’t need that! & I won’t be happier after I eat it !”

Oh dear…hot chips, Starbucks, and the dreaded kraken caves of doom. My car almost steers itself to the nearest doughnut case. Funny that I lost the craving for ice cream after one too many bouts in the gastric cave of doom. Definitely need a new wickedness, preferably one that’s not illegal or expensive.

Hey there Ltd! Good to see you again in the confessional. I have hogged it lately but I’m happy to scoot over and make room. France sounds like a fantastic time, and I’m betting if you stick with 5:2, a few more lbs will melt off and you’ll leave feeling great.

I am still serving my MFP sentence after my 3-lb gain. Seems I rather creatively defined “mindfulness.” I usually forgot to count incidentals (vitamin chews, cream in coffee, gum, the odd caramel). I also felt “mindful” if I managed not to turn into a human buzz-saw at dinner. It was sad to leave my private island of delusion.

Maybe you haven’t visited my island, Ltd, but Michel and I were surprised that our daily vitamins etc. were close to 100 cal. I MEAN IT’S NOT EVEN FOOD! WAHHH NOT FAIR NOT FAIR. Wah. Cursing and hating MFP hasn’t seem to work, though.

So now I’m logging every single morsel, like an OCD maniac. And it may turn me into a maniac, because I just tried to log 5 crackers, and MFP says they’re “50 cals for 18 g.” Well how the **** many crackers is that?! Now I’ve eaten another 5 crackers out of pure frustration. I cannot wait to get the hang of this and send that app to Kraken hell.

On the bright side, the 3 lbs are gone. Looking forward to moving along — haha, as Melb said, nothing to see here, just a ship righting itself after floundering on some Chinese rocks last week.

Much strength and love to you all on this lovely Thursday 🙂 I have put down the crackers 🙂
xxxx jade

Michel, forgot to add: good for you for un-hiding the snack! I’m with you, confession is good for the soul, and the hips 🙂 Stopping to think = limiting the damage done, even if it’s not before any damage. We will get the hang of this!!!

Hey! Over here! I’ve been out of the loop this week and have missed so many incredible posts and it makes me so sad! I hope that one day, when we’re all at our desired weights and we’ve conquered our krakens that we can meet and laugh together. You guys are a hoot.

I’ve been backpacking around Oregon in the company of some mules. I carried far too many snack bars and the mules carried far too many boxes of wine. I’m certain that I gained weight on this trip. Fasting today to try to un-do some of the damage, but there’s only so much to be done against corn slathered with homemade butter, racks of ribs, chicken salad, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made on toasted strudel bread, boxes of wine, etc. etc. etc. And all justified because I was “hiking.” Ha. I can’t even keep a straight face when I write that.

Back to it today; weigh-in tomorrow to see what I’ve done to myself. Good luck to all!

Woo Melb that’s fantastic – go you! I also lack the off switch but maybe Michel can patent it. I bypassed the donut store then stopped at the dollar store for dog treats — really — and saw these cookies and knew all of you were saying “YOU ARE LESS THAN A MILE FROM HOME KEEP GOING.” Well I didn’t hear you 😉 but the good news is that gave me only enough time for one cookie.

Need to plan better for nonFD lunch. I have so many feelings battling it out in my head on a nonFD. As much as I hate MFP it is the only thing keeping me from orbiting my cal count into space. Well you all are a big help but I also know you’ll tut tut and make me not feel like a Ioser, so MFP is the bad cop I guess.

Penguin I so get the “hiking will take care of that” thinking. And maybe it will. That strange normalcy hormone has not made it into my system but Spring seems to have it. Would love to think we’ll all keep this up and be healthy and slender and someday plan a girls’ vacay in Paris. Stranger things have happened,,,,,
xxxxx jade

Warning: Thinking In Progress!
Delayed Gratification
Without realizing it, I think I have been using this as a technique to avoid my morning donut stops. I’ve been mentally using the Starbucks goodies as a “carrot/reward”. Saying “if you don’t get donuts today, you can have all the goodies you want next time they come in”. Somehow knowing I can have it in a month or 2 gives me the strength not to stop. I realize this is not a great solution, but maybe if I understand the mental gymnastics going on I can further modify my eating habits.

Good luck to us all!

Michel, great point. We need ways to control ourselves without feeling deprived. Delayed gratification seems to do both. Keep that thinking cap on please. Annette, thank you again for your insight.

Reading day here, so I’ll share a bit of news about food and hormonal imbalances that cause weight gain (https://intensivedietarymanagement.com). Lots of science….but the biggie was that snacking b/t meals — on almost anything (tho processed food is the worst) — can contribute to weight gain. And NOT due to extra cals but from the constant insulin spike. Which leads to insulin resistance, which leads to insanity, cravings, blindness. Ok kidding, but it’s bad. And of course before we were encouraged to snack all the time, there was less obesity.

According to the science, even a short fasting window (5-6 hours) allows the body time to process the food and return to normal insulin levels. So, fewer cravings, easier to recognize hunger. Snacking interrupts that. In addition to fasting, the website also advocates super-clean eating (many negatives about sugar, dairy, wheat). Sorry, I’m into 5:2 but not ready for super-clean. Aiming for semi-clean is hard enough.

But I’m going to try cutting out snacks. I’ll add more good fats at meals to feel full (just had an avocado, roasted veg, and half a PB on whole wheat for lunch, MFP said WTF really? but then admitted just 600 cals, fine for a nonFD). We’ll see, but the snack-Kraken are crawling up my leg here, esp at night. If my body were to report on how I treated it yesterday, the food police would have carted me off.

Happy Friday all — no lard baton for me todaybut sending good vibes to whoever’s got it 🙂 xxx jade

Jade, I was just about to talk about how I’ve given up yet ANOTHER fast day because of my (albeit healthy) snacking, and I read your post above. And it makes so much sense. And I’m still trying to get my two fast days this week. I’m committing to Sat. and Sun., knowing that I only have those two days left and hoping that it spurs me to greatness. The slow-cooked taco meat and roasted vegetables were too much for me today.

Well, Michele, I’m still waiting for my successful fast day and I didn’t weigh yesterday. I couldn’t bring myself to after giving up at 8pm (WTF?? REALLY?) and going for fried shrimp and beer with friends. And I’m doing the same tonight, though this fast day has been lost to too many cherries (we’re getting them by the bucket-load) being pickled, dried, or just simply being there. Same goes for all the food out of our garden – I have no idea how many cherry tomatoes I’ve eaten. So I guess there’s a silver lining… I’m eating berries and veggies and lean meats, but I’m determined to get my two fast days!

Oh, and Jade, I’m down for Paris. Though, given all our tendencies, we’d probably be better off in a food-desert like Antarctica, where our only options were baby seal or whale-blubber batons.

Adore you all!

Oh mercy….THAT went well. An hour after I vowed to cut out between-meal snacks, all I could think of was a snack. (Who couldn’t see that coming.) So I lasted 4 hours, had some nuts (could’ve been worse), and then polished off the largest dinner ever consumed. Because of course I couldn’t have a snack later. I can still barely move, so I guess I accomplished one thing — I do not want a snack!

Penguin, we had not-so-great days, but we can get our $**t together. You when you’re not hiking around with mules (they’re really slow lol) and me when I’m not chasing the latest shiny new psychological edge. Still gonna try the not snacking thing, but holy heaven I’m like a new convert when I do these things — I would have done almost anything today to avoid a snack, including having a 1200-calorie dinner. In the meantime, the team is at work figuring this out for us. Michel is working on mental gymnastics that I clearly need practice with, and Melb is not eating cream while watching, of all things, the British bakeoff. I’m impressed by that – I think I’d have eaten the TV if I’d been watching today. Technically not a snack 😉

Good night all you special things — xxxxx jade

Quick note to say I had one of my worst eating days in months. Started with pastries (no willpower today) and ended with pizza. Just when I think I’m getting this down, it blows up and I start over.

Tomorrow is another day and I will exercise control over myself.

I too had trouble “wasting” food and wrote about it a while back. You’re so right, it’s still wasted if we eat too much — it isn’t saving money or solving world hunger, it’s just making us feel bad.

Love your perspective too on kraken : non-kraken — the bad days are fewer it seems. Funny that a lot of us had one yesterday! Are we somehow in sync?! Ha, what a sisterhood. It’s good to remember that we’re making progress in many ways, though the scale may not show it.

Speaking of which, here’s some exciting news — I gained 2 lbs! I’m excited because I know I did NOT gain 2 lbs from an 1800-cal day. Not 2 lbs of fat anyway. I had a very big, salty dinner — not good (well, it really was delicious), but not a 2-lb crime. Wow, can I really be free of the scale’s tyranny? That would be all kinds of awesome. Seriously, this is the first day I’ve ever seen a “bad” number and said “pssht scale, you know that’s not fat.”

But yesterday definitely wasn’t a normal-eating day, so I’m back to work on that. Giving up is not the answer, plus it’s no fun. I’m always up for a challenge 🙂 Good luck to everyone this weekend — enjoy it! xxxx jade