Give me strength to not snack. I’m in the house alone for a short time and I really want to “sneak eat”, but we will be eating dinner when they get back………I can wait! (right?)
Go Fasters!
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This is what I do when I run (and I hate running): tell myself if I can just make it to the next telephone pole, I can stop. Somehow, when I get to the next one, I tell myself I just have to make it to the *next* one. And so on. So tell yourself that if you can wait 5, 10, 20 minutes, you can have a snack. Or 30 seconds, whatever. And then repeat.
I had to declare today an old-school 5:2 day. Nothing but calorie free liquids are allowed to pass my lips until 7pm. I have just gotten way too sloppy about calories on fast days and I’ve really been slipping. Yesterday was a failure so I’m determined to make it through today and tomorrow. I’ve caught myself a few times trying to sneak a cherry into my mouth, but I remember, and stop. It’s ridiculous, but it’s what I have to do.
Now that was brilliant – yay for teamwork, you two! That was some fine cyber-smacking, Mel. And Michel, way to hang tough. Well done to you too, Penguin, stopping to think. I’m so proud to be in this club with you amazing people.
I was rereading the “Normal Eating” book this morning. We’re doing SO WELL in our efforts to reframe our eating and reconnect with actual hunger. She cautions that this can take up to a year or more! So kudos to us. I can see our conscious choices starting to take hold — eventually they WILL become habits. That’s just human nature. Identifying our triggers is a big deal, because we have much more control over something when we understand it better. Secret eating? ALL the time before I met you all, and rarely out of hunger. Now I avoid it, and I feel better all around.
I’m sorry you hate running, P. Do you use earbuds? Finding music that fit my pace was a delight – it felt more like dancing. But either way it’ll reward you with endorphins. I love those little critters.
Happy Sunday all, I’m gearing up for a FD tmw, taking it slow and easy today. xxx jade
I had y’all with me as I stood in the pantry looking for something to eat. I could hear Melb “smacking my hand & saying get out of there!” So, no secret eating this weekend, but still we ate a lot. The scales will not be kind tomorrow morning.
Fasting tomorrow and looking forward to feeling in control.
Penguin: How did the rest of your weekend go?
Jade: Thanks for posting your insights and info from the book.
Jade & I well be taking up the lard baton tomorrow, anyone else fasting w/ us on Mon?
Stay mindful and in control!
I am trying a Monday fast, however I am off work today so fear it will be much more difficult than when busy at work.
The good news is that the plumbers are fitting our new bathroom so no danger of sneaking into the kitchen just yet and demolishing the crisp cupboard.
The bad news is I actually quite need the toilet and am going to have to head into town shortly to use the facilities at John Lewis. I will do my utmost to avoid their delicious treats floor.
After years of secret eating and snacking…don’t buy the things that you love. Replace them with something healthy, 25g of Almonds are filling, good for you and come in at around 144 calories or large banana approx 122 calories, raw carrots are sweet and filling- I love them. Avoid anything low fat as it is generally stuffed full of sugar, if it has 22g sugar/100g then it is high sugar and avoid it like the plague. Start reading labels and see how many calories are in that packet of crisps and then see how far you would need to walk to burn them off, it is quite an eye opener.
My meals were not the problem although I do weigh pasta and rice now, but snacking was stopping me lose weight and keeping me addicted to sugar.I do bake and love an Almond Croissant(600 calories), the difference is that is now a once a week treat, not every day!
There is around 18 inches less of me too.
Ha, thanks Annette.
Sadly my problem is not lack of information – I am only too aware of calorie content and I used to run quite often (now working through couch to 5 k again) so know how a ridiculously large amount of exercise is required to burn of a ridiculously small amount of delicious food!!
Unfortunately up until now I’ve been able to exercise exceptional cognitive dissonance and simply ignore what I know! (I think it’s safe to say that I was not under any illusions that dog chocolate was either dignified or good for my health!!). I guess it’s working out our best way to overcome that dissonance that is key for all of us.
Luckily the boyfriend has agreed to hide his crisps in the less-used cupboard so that they are at least out of sight unless I actively go looking for them like a truffle pig searching for truffle flavoured crisps!
Good news is I stayed away both from crisp cupboard and John Lewis chocolate gifts aisle. Bought a lot of stationery to compensate but then again can you really have too much stationery, I ask you?
Haha Melb, like a truffle pig indeed… “I know those crisps are here somewhere…”. When it comes to food knowledge I’m like you – I could go aisle by aisle and tell you the calories value of the entire supermarket as well as the protein, fat and carbohydrate levels (added or otherwise) and a good deal about the micro-nutrients to boot (donuts have none, btw) but it really doesn’t help at all when it comes to making choices if I’m hell-bent on a binge.
What does help is usually different each time. Sometimes, like annette, it’s to not have the stuff in the house in the first place or to have it out of sight where I can happily ignore it. Sometimes it helps to write about it in my journal or to exercise or to log on here for a laugh and some support. Sometimes I just need to put on my big-girl pants and suck it up (excuse the pun) but no, one, thing is foolproof and so I try to keep a lot of different strategies going and use them at different times, depending on what I think is motivating my behaviour (or should I say misbehaviour?? 😉 ).
Good for you Michell & Jade re the secret eating. I was thinking about secret eating the other day and wondered – is it only secret eating if we’re not hungry? Would you call having a sandwich for lunch during a busy day when you just happen to be alone, secret eating?
And I’m so jealous of you penguin & Jade that you can go running. I would love to be able to run for exercise but my knees are cactus basically. In fact I love the idea so much I sometimes dream I’m running (I think that counts toward my exercise quotient, don’t you?).
I’ve also been wondering if kitty is still about and fizzy and iSabella??? It would be great to hear how you’re all going and sorry if I’ve missed anyone and of course a shout out to Queen.
So, having raved about my coping strategies, today was a FD but I need to be frank my cyber friends: I’m having a very hard time of it at the moment. I’ve decided it’s the set-point-Kraken and that my body is in a desperate bid to return me to what it foolishly, stupidly, lifethreatening-ly and plain wrongly thinks is my ideal weight and is not going to rest until I am back there. Of course, I’m not going to let that happen but there is an almighty struggle going on atm and it is more than a little distressing. Today I did well with the FD until late afternoon when I had 2 small chocolate frogs (don’t ask me why they were in my desk draw or why I though I needed them) and when I got home, in addition to my FD dinner I’ve also munched on a handful of dates. So not a major, major bust but way to ‘fuzzy’ as penguin would say. Uuuugggggggggghhhh… it is a pain in the proverbial. It’s almost 9pm and I’ll be okay now till bed time, but it seems my ‘doable’ FD’s have become much less so. I hope others of you are having an easier time of it and I still want to send out super-strength vibes to you all. It’s lovely to know I can come on here and vent – thanks for listening folks xx
Ha, “secret” is my euphemism for “wicked.” I do sometimes actually exercise control when I’m alone. Yesterday, sad to say, was spent largely in bed with the Snack Kraken, doing unspeakable things, after dinner. I believe the set-point Kraken was in there too. Come one, come all.
And I had JUST been reading about how bad this all is — yet that made me want it more! I need to stop reading and start kicking my own butt. The only good part about last night’s fling is that I’d had dinner, so the sugar hit didn’t make me physically sick. It just made me swoon. Well wait, I guess that’s not so good. To paraphrase Dan Aykroyd, “Jade, you ignorant slut!!” Cognitive dissonance indeed, you nailed that one, Melb.
I guess I need some cold turkey, and not the alcoholic kind. Annette’s suggestion, one treat a week, could work — if I don’t invite it into the house beforehand! I can’t just say no more sugar, ever, I know that isn’t going to work. I feel like a total weakling next to you, Michel, you need a light saber just to go to work.
OK, today is a reset, a smackdown FD, I’ll be a good chaste non-snacker for one trip around the sun and take it from there. Spring, I had to laugh when you got to the part about confessing your handful of dates. Those wrinkly things? I wouldn’t even slow down for a date. Some pretty rugged control going on, if that’s all you succumbed to. I get that it was a (minor) lapse in control, but as lapses go….well, we all know where that could have gone. Straight into the Chicken Ranch.
Today is a new day, everyone, let’s make it count and shoo off Bachelor #2 and all his Kraken friends. I’m tired of being played for a fool by them!
xxxx jade
Hellooooo Fasters!
We’ve had some great posts.
Melb: I loved your “truffle sniffing pig” analogy. I can so identify! “They’re in here somewhere, I just know it”.
Good job; staying away from the treats. I, too, am a master of cognitive dissonance. It’s like I turn off the part of my brain that holds all that knowledge and turn on the “who cares, I want it” part. Defiantly working on that finding that switch.
Annette: Congrats on your wonderful success.
I agree that not buying the things you love is a huge step.
Spring: Great insight about the many different coping strategies. How true is it that nothing works all the time.
I don’t think “secret/sneak” eating is anything like eating alone. One is a normal part of life and the other is something I do for all the reasons except for hunger.
It sounds like your FD was not so far off the mark. Give yourself some credit and nail the next one.
Jade: Good luck on your FD.
I was supposed to be fasting today, but we are having a big office lunch. Fajitas w/ chips & guacamole. My only hope is for some control. At least no sweets this time.
All those Fasting: Stay strong and committed
OK time to confess this…I would buy one of those multi packs for £1 and although I told myself I would share them with the boys…I would hide them and scoff them all myself over a couple of days.I live 5 minutes from shops too. I decided that I couldn’t be trusted to have them at home, so banned myself.It was hard in the beginning, but I don’t even think about it now. One thing that really helped me was reducing my sweet tooth by limiting my tea(with 1 tsp sugar) from 7/8 mugs a day to just 3(purely because I was horrified how much caffeine I was consuming) so that saved me 35 tsp sugar a week! As a result, I was more aware of foods tasting sweeter, so I needed less…and less.
I do love ice cream but at 300 calories each out of a TDEE(that includes moderate exercise)of 1800, I don’t have those calories spare every day. They also come in a pack of 6, so I buy them no more than once a week when I know that 5 of us are home and will hide the other one for another time.
It’s not food that makes us fat it is habit. Change the habit and lose weight.
It does get easier Fast Friends. Keep going…
Ah, it makes me feel better to see Spring and Annette in the confessional today. Thanks! I really was hogging it. I was smart today, though – I brought apples for my office fridge in case I imploded. Hate to say it but it takes true hunger for me to cave over an apple on a FD. So far so good. I’m hungry but eh, an apple? I can wait.
Annette, I can’t fathom why I bring home anything sweet in a multi-serve pack. Hubs doesn’t want it, so it sits there, just waiting for me. I set myself a trap for some reason that I don’t have time to analyze today. The sugar rush IS a thrill, one I can afford often, so I just need to do what you do and have a grand old time with a once-a-week treat. The book’s “you can have it tomorrow” mantra is too often for me, because I WILL have it tomorrow and several times tomorrow too. Ha, so I will focus on buying ONE weekly serving of something awesome. There, I said it and I’m going to do it.
Michel, good for you for enjoying your Monday. The main reason we all love 5:2 is its flexibility – especially when it’s a Monday FD. Hope the fajitas were terrific!
xx jade
Sugar is addictive, it is not your fault. BUT you can get control. If I can reduce my intake then anyone can.
At work there are biscuits freely available, with a choice of meals and always puddings. After I reduced the tea, I noticed that puddings were making me feel rubbish about an hour later-that sugar crash of tiredness which made me search for the next fix. So I stopped the puddings and felt much better. Biscuits are much more of a challenge, but we don’t have them at home anymore. I don’t make a pudding after out roast now and no one has complained. I have stopped buying chocolate mousse and yoghurts for the boys as well, no moaning either. There is cake if they want it, which I walk past on a FD.
It is very freeing to cut the addiction. I am in control and feel so much better,not grumpy either. Try not to make it too big a deal Jade and pile the pressure on, just do without it each day and see how you feel. The really interesting bit is when you eat whatever it is, think about whether it is as fantastic as you though it was. I found that it was a bit of a let down each time and then I found realized that I was no longer thinking about chocolate at all.I made Sunday the day of 1 bar of chocolate,but I can’t remember the last time I indulged……..
Jade: Great idea w/ the apple. It just might be the trick to keep you from snacking.
You spoke my mind on the “I can have it tomorrow” topic. I really shouldn’t be having it today or tomorrow. And with my inability to control the amount, I’m not sure I should have it at all. But the thought of not having any sends me running to get some.
I hope a weekly treat works for you as it has for Annette.
The fajitas were really good. I had planned on making a salad, but they didn’t deliver any lettuce. Kinda hard to make a salad w/o lettuce. Going for the salad for dinner.
Fasters: Stay strong & drinks loss of liquid
Hey all. It’s time for my daily check-in/confession time. I fasted Saturday and Sunday mostly successfully but today is off to a poor start and I figured I should really try to get a handle on what’s going on before it just goes completely haywire. Saturday was a great and strong fast day for me and I stayed well under 500 calories. Unfortunately, instead of having my usual fast-day dinner of oatmeal, I decided to have a light salad, which sent me to bed hungry and I spent the night sleeping poorly and woke up early, already hungry and facing another fast day. So Sunday didn’t get any easier and by noon I was feeding myself roasted veggies. Once again, not terrible choices, but not very mindful ones either. I feel that I came in right around 500-600 for the day, but was pretty miserable. Today has already started with a two day-old apple fritter that was pretty gross but not to be resisted, followed by some chocolate bread that wasn’t great either. More chocolate this afternoon for a meeting with my writing partner as we work on our theses. She brought pears… I brought chocolate. And this might explain why I outweigh her by 50 pounds. Jade, I like your once a week idea. I wish i could convince myself to do that with wine…
Melb, way to sidestep that Mexikraken! I joined the Mexican theme party tonight with a FD taco salad. Mostly lettuce and tomatoes + 1/8 crumbled beef patty, smidgen of cheese and tortilla chips…funny how the “extra” bits helped. No craving for sugar today. Dr. Jekyll, meet Mr. Hyde.
Annette, you give me hope. I’ve ditched sweets before, but still swooned when I had them again. Nothing has ever been too sweet. It gets worse when I’m in the car, this intense truffle-hog sensation sets in. I’m surprised I don’t grow a snout. Hmm, that does sound like an addiction. I’ll follow your lead and just try keeping sweets out of the house. For some reason, I don’t usually want what’s not here, at least not enough to go back out and buy it. Which would also involve the cashier seeing exactly what I was up to. So I’d be forced to buy all sorts of nutritious food at the same time, right? And there you go, I’m too lazy to be an incurable addict.
Penguin, the same thing happened to my 18:6 experiment – can’t do it after a FD. I was just a petulant mess trying to hold off eating. I’m amazed you pulled yourself kicking and screaming through a second FD. But maybe b2b FDs are not worth it for you. I did them once and wanted to eat my pillow when I woke up on day 3. Ha, your writing partner brought pears….that hussy! (Kidding, I love pears, but still, pears? Writing is HARD.)
Good luck tomorrow, lovely fasters. My goal is to not become a truffle hog while passing the doughnut shop. One step at a time! xxx jade
I love you all 🙂
Penguin – a thesis!!! I put on about 20lb with my Honours thesis and another 40lb with the PhD and so some of those pounds from the I-will-just-nip-out-to-the-kitchen-for-another-snack writing sessions are only just falling away as we speak, some 6 years later. No wonder some of those pounds leave a residue of unimaginable stress as they vapourise 😉 and good for you in trying to manage your eating and write such a tome.
Michell – an inspiration as always and good call on swapping the FD and enjoying the fajitas. I love, love, LOVE Mexican food.
Jade – love the Mexikraken! For some reason I see it dancing and drinking beer. Sugar fixes and truffle hogs in donut shops and we could write our own version of These are a Few of My Favourite Things. Maybe we could sing it on the Champs Elysee when we all meet up as svelte food controllers. I am so up for that 😉
Annette – it was nice to be sharing the confessional with you but sounds as though you have not only served your penance but should be given a sainthood (sorry, it’s the lapsed Catholic in me). You are an inspiration.
Melb – under TDEE and a FD tomorrow…??? Perhaps you should take the St. kraken-slayer crown for the day? I’m very impressed.
Sorry if I’m a little hyper tonight but I got the go-ahead today for a 2-week work trip to an amazing little SE Asian country where I love the food every bit as much as Mexican and I can have silk clothes made for next to nothing and enjoy gin and tonic as the sun goes down. Amazing how my FD resolve has ratcheted up as I think of the round-the-pool post work opportunities 😉 Will be leaving in just over 3 weeks so need to be a good girl till then. That means staying under TDEE and I will go swimming in the morning (that’s the plan anyways).
By the way, the question I asked about ‘secret’ eating wasn’t a judgment of anyone because it’s something I used to do all the time and now do much less often but it still has a hold on me. Something about illicit pleasures and massive rebellion which I do believe is very ’14-year-old inner crazy b*t^h-child’ but I think I have to love her into adulthood rather than chastise her. Introducing her to this wonderful bunch of cyber-friends has already helped her a lot xxx
Goodness what a group of smart people I landed in! I feel even better now. I agree, Spring, Annette seems to be on the other side of the confessional window 🙂 (lapsed Cath here too). Annette, your advice is pure gold, I have reread it several times. So much more helpful to read about your actual progress from A to B than the stuff I’ve been reading, which is basically “A IS AWFUL, STOP DOING IT!” Well hell, that’s the very reason i’ve BEEN doing it – it’s wicked awful, and yummy. My 14-year-old B-child is alive and well, holding hands with my much older rebellious self.
Spring, how exciting – and new silk clothes! I’ll bet your diet resolve is like steel before a trip, a regular Kraken forcefield. You’ll be the coolest chick at the pool, totally in control, sipping your G&T. And a work trip = expenses paid, right? Jackpot!
Good luck today fasting, Michel. All clear on the Kraken path, didn’t see a single one. I could smell them though when I passed the doughnut shop — pretty sure they’re all clustered in there. Shhhhhh….don’t wake them.
Melb, forgot to say how I laughed at your dilemma in having to use the loo at John Lewis. Enemy territory, but what can you do… And you ended up with loads of beautiful stationery instead of treats?! Well done!
OK, after a light breakfast of fruit and yogurt, I’m trying again to cut the snacking. I’ve focused too much on eating as little as possible for as long as possible. No can do after a FD, turns me straight into a truffle pig. I’d love to hit TDEE just on healthful food.
Stay strong, Fast Club! Kitty, check in with us please? xx jade
Thank You all for your kind comments(another lapsed catholic!) I am glad that you have found it helpful.
I am finding that I am waking in the wee small hours now after a FD and so will try a glass of milk before bed(200ml/96 cals). I am menopausal which isn’t helping either, but not an excuse….
I find that the day after a FD is difficult and that I have to keep a firm grip on myself so that I don’t stuff myself because I am hungry.I know that I simply need to keep busy until dinner and then I will be fine.
Perhaps the fruit and yoghurt are not enough? Protein is filling. Why not try eggs and bacon? Milk is filling too. Look at foods with a low GI which will fill you up but not shot the blood sugar up which in turn makes you hungry again. Porridge oats are very good, I make my own meusli and use them with some chopped nuts and dried fruit(very calorific) and have full fat natural yoghurt(much less sugar than half fat). I feel full from breakfast until lunch time.
Oh no just wrote a post and lost it! Aagghh! Anyway here’s what’s happening in fizzy world – all fast days have failed and I have spent most of my time furtling in the fridge/pantry filling my face (not with fruit and veg) with all of the fattening stuff you could possibly think of. On the upside have just completed last run of final week of couch to 5k app. Ah swings and roundabouts as they say. Fizzy x
Hi Annette that would seem like a good idea to not buy stuff however as the lone female in a house of 2 teenage boys and 1 pre-teenage boy I would be shot as the quartermaster if there were no snacks/cake/biscuity stuff to eat they seem to grow by the day!(they are all slender) Am going to have a go at doing one of the 5k parkruns that seem to be quite popular. Will continue to run if poss a couple of times a week as it has taken me a year to get to week 9 as have stopped and started several times. Fizzy x
Hey All!
I’m going the in the wrong direction. The more I tell myself not to; the more I’m doing it. I’ve had no control since last Fri morning. It does not matter what it is, I’m eating it. So far today I’ve had 1/2 a box of cookies (thanks co-worker) and lunch has just been delivered.
There are a few personal issues going on and maybe they are having a bigger impact than I thought. ie: escaping into food.
I hope everyone else is feeling the force and staying mindful.
Hi Fizzy,
Single mum to 4 young men too.It is difficult I know and I am trying to remember exactly what I did. I do remember adopting an AA approach “just 1 day at a time” and I just focused on that FD. There were several that it went fine for the day and then fell apart in the evening, I was completely demoralized. But I tried again and I won’t say that it was easy, because it wasn’t, but it got easier as the weeks ticked by.Some weeks I did 1 FD and some weeks I did 2.
I always cooked my sons things that I didn’t like but they did on a FD, drank a glass of water before I did, sometimes ate before I cooked for them. I bake cakes to keep the hordes fed and would put the goods in the cupboard out of sight on a FD. It has just got easier as the months have passed.
Never done a park run, they sound fun.
Thanks Annette.
I spent my lunch watching Michael Mosley’s documentary. I plan to watch a little every day. I’m hoping it will help me refocus. I also wrote down all I ate in MFP.
Spring: Talk about motivation. Your trip sounds amazing.
Melb: I hope your FD is going well. No truffle hunting!
Penguin: b2b fasts are crazy hard. Good for you that you stuck it out.
Fizzy: At least you are exercising. Good luck on your Parkrun.
Just don’t buy it! (Note to self)
Sigh. I bought it, and bigger sigh, I ate it. Danish pastries check, French fancy cakes check, Indian takeaway check, Colin caterpillars from m and s (one for the Brits perhaps) check.
Feeling quite shitty because a good friend has just been diagnosed with a bad illness FOR THE THIRD TIME, “A statistical Anomaly” her medical team say. She can’t even have any more chemo so the only option is more surgery and cutting out lots of things from her diet… And somehow my response, after speaking with her, was to go and buy piles of shit and eat it by myself until I felt sick. Because you know, that will help.
I know that deep down I was looking for an excuse to eat and I took advantage of the situation to justify it. That feels pretty shit. You’ve got cancer AGAIN? GREAAT! Time for me to eat!!!
Apologies, probably not making much sense but the bottom line is I have been rubbish today, time to draw a line under it and aim to be better, healthier, more grateful tomorrow.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy Wednesday! X
Melb: I’m so sorry for your friend. I understand your need to escape. Why is eating so soothing? And then, so not? Try not to beat yourself up. Fast when you are ready and try to eat healthier till then. You will want to feel good & strong to support your friend in her time of need.
Fizzy: 5:2 and the Fast Club will be here when you are ready to come back.
Now if I can just make it home w/o meeting the ice cream kraken 🙂
Oh Melb, that’s awful — no one would react to such painful news by worrying about diet. Give yourself a mental break from any recriminations for being pissed. Little harm done, and in my view a righteous rebellious FU moment to life’s unfairness.
Clubbers, it’s a struggle some weeks, for sure. Somehow this week I’ve emerged from my tunnel (perhaps temporarily) and the sugar monster has not followed. It’s been quite a while since I felt the power. It is like a different kind of high. I sound like a telemarketer, sorry….
Fizzy, are there snacks your guys like that you can live without? Somehow Annette is immune to cake (holy cow, that’s impressive!) so maybe there’s some way to satisfy everyone. I used to get my daughter those sour things that creeped my tongue out. Or maybe just make sure they eat it all!
Love and hugs to all of you — sharing joy and pain and all kinds of coping strategies here is so meaningful to me. xx jade
Doing a little re-reading, I am amazed at all the coping strategies we’ve shared. My problem is that I want to do them ALL, every day, because of course I can cope like a badass. My to-do list had turned into: Skip breakfast. Stop snacking. Eat till you’re full. Don’t eat unless you’re hungry. Figure out when you’re hungry. Weigh yourself. AGGH, never weigh yourself. Eat good fats, limit carbs, cut out sugar. OMG sugar is in everything, cut out everything. And don’t drive, anywhere. Or be alone.
I make myself nuts. When I “stopped snacking” over the weekend, I think I had a panic attack over the sudden cessation of food on demand. Not to mention I was trying to do things that were the literal opposites of each other.
My goal for the next week is to calm the **** down. Skipping snacks is starting to take hold, and a by-product is eating less sugar. Well whattya know. I say “one step at a time” a lot, but I need to focus on one bad habit at a time. I have a lot, but it took quite a few years to develop them 🙂
xx night all — jade
Jade, I love cake and crisps and chocolate and ice cream. But I started this way of life on the premise that I was denying myself those things for 2 days a week to lose weight, but along the way I realized that I was consuming these things on a daily basis. I thought about my always slender friend and realized that food was simply something that she did to stay alive, but it completely controlled my every waking thought.I have 4 young men to feed too, so food supply is important in this home too. I always have pasta, rice, potatoes etc.
I weigh myself on a Saturday morning, measure bust/hips/waist/thighs/calves and try on my clothes then. I have found that there are times that the scales seem to be broken or the tape measure doesn’t move, but I can see from my clothes that I am shrinking. That really helped me to cut out the snacking and then I realized how much better I felt without all the sugary goods. I would go out in the pouring rain and walk to the shops to get my next fix. I have come a long way.
I can walk past cake or go out with a friend and watch them eat cake on a FD, because my mantra is “just for today”. If I can do it…anyone can.
Really interesting book is ‘that sugar book’ Damon Gameau. For 60 days he consumed perceived healthy foods and in that time he put on nearly 60Kg and developed the beginnings of fatty liver disease.It is a very readable bright book which not only shows the effects on Damon but also has advice on kicking the habit, foods to avoid, how to shop and read labels etc. Also shows how the food industries make and sell our food. I started reading labels and couldn’t believe how much sugar was in frozen yoghurt or southern fried chicken!
Oops, sorry Annette – I misinterpreted “I can walk past cake” 🙂 But that just makes me appreciate you more. Your matter-of-fact description of conquering sugar and “if I can do it, anybody can do it” really got me motivated again.
Once I gathered my petticoats and settled on just ONE new strategy for my 5:2 routine (to stop snacking), I have felt a brain shift. So I’m just eating meals, breakfast when I get hungry in the morning (hasn’t happened yet today). All centered on protein/veg, but some bread or carb (usually at dinner) because, well, petticoats. Can’t give up everything at once.
Without snacks, I’m not doing the “secret eating,” not eating in the car, not eating the insulin-spiking thing at 10 a.m. or 4 p.m. I still WANT to, maybe a bit, but I’m not possessed. I “can walk past it” in other words 🙂 And btw, I like still feeling the allure of treats, they’re a fun part of life, I just hate feeling imprisoned by them. Holy cowz, if I just could be normal. Please let it be happening.
Off I go to work, doing my best impersonation of a normal person! Cheers lovely fasters, lots of love to all.
xx jade
Morning Fasters!
Jade: You had me in stitches this morning. How clever of you to figure out that “stopping snacking” will cover so many of the “do ‘nots” on our lists. What a great step to take. Enjoy your healthy meals today.
Annette: You have made such progress. A true inspiration. Thanks for sharing your stories.
I’m fasting today. The path seems kraken free.
Good luck to us all!
Hi Fast Club!
MelB – I know all too well what a Colin the Caterpillar is… we all have those days, and at least you were big enough to write down the full list of offenses. I’m usually too horrified by myself to even be able to face up to it. This is a long term way of life, you will have slips, and stress eating is totally understandable under the circumstances.
Jade – how is the not eating alone thing working out for you? I’ve discovered that I don’t like eating with other people at all, I’m very self conscious that I eat way too fast and I do find the food does not taste as good to me when I am in company. Secret eating is totally bound up in my head with pleasure, which is ridiculous, because it actually causes pain and distress. I’m absolutely convinced that stopping eating alone is the way to go here, just not sure how to do it!
Anyway it’s 3:30pm and after two consecutive FUFDs I am trying to make today count… already up to 450cals so have to limp through the rest of the afternoon and make it to bed on water – aargh!
Had a fantastic week last week (until the two truffling pig FUFDs when I went totally nuts). I ate as much like a ‘normal’ person as I have ever done, eating what I felt like, stopping when full, putting food on plates etc. I have to keep in mind how great it felt. It was a constant effort to be mindful around food, but it was worth it.
Hello lovelies
So sorry to have suddenly vanished – the last 2 weeks have been an absolute whirlwind of hospital visits over on the mainland so I’ve been travelling (and eating) tons. Got visitors up now then I’m back over to the mainland on Monday for more hospital joys, so I won’t be around for another wee while…but know I’m rooting for you all and wishing you strength. I see there’s tons of new posts…once I’m back to my normal routine I’ll catch up.
Hope you’re all well and succeeding where I’m failing! Back in a week or so x
Popping in to say so-far-so-good. Nothing in the office but leftovers and I can easily pass on those.
Mcca: Congrats on “normal eating” last week.
I find it very interesting that you don’t like to eat w/ others. Like you, I get tons of pleasure from secret eating, but I also love to eat with others. Are you saying that you eat most of your meals alone? Maybe you can start by having lunch w/ a friend. Someone you really like & trust. I know that putting my fork down after each bite really works to slow me down. Another trick is to take a drink of water between bites. I’m sure you’ve heard these before but they might be a way to start.
Kitty: So good to hear from you. You’ve been missed! I’ve been praying for your health. Keep us posted when you can.
Looking forward to my healthy dinner.
Stay positive fasters, you can have a treat next week!
I decided to join you, Michel – so far, so good. Fended off a kraken around noon who reminded me I had peanuts in my desk. Dumb kraken, I brought those for nonFDs. I can definitely “walk past” peanuts and apples 🙂 Thank you Annette for my new mantra.
Yay Kitty, so good to hear from you. We’ll be here whenever you can join in. Sending love and prayers for improved health.
mcca, I eat alone all the time, controlling myself at an actual meal was never too hard. But my “secret eating,” the (let’s face it) orgasmic interlude with the doughnut or cookies, another story. Always alone, often in the car. No doubt I haven’t seen the last of those sessions, because DOG-GONE that is some wicked fun. In fact, I’m actually planning to allow a treat this weekend (NOT in the car) and I’m interested to see how I feel before, during, and after. It helps to know a food orgasm possibility is on the horizon.
For now, my plan is to eat what I want, but just at meals, up to TDEE (except FDs). Without snacks, that TDEE is a WHOLE lot easier. It’s worked for 3 days lol, so maybe I’m getting normal, maybe I have a virus! Today is a struggle, but just the FD kind. My gigantic salad and roasted veggies will taste good tonight.
Love to you all; we can do this together (even eating alone :))– jade
Jade: Keep on “walking past” all the kraken.
I see you are having salad & veggies; do you ever have protein on a FD?
Melb: Way to get back on the wagon and rule a FD. And a bonus: You didn’t have to cook.
So, I finished re-watching M M’s documentary. So many things I had forgotten in the year since I first saw it and started 5:2. The main thing I had wrong was the concept of fast today & eat what you want tomorrow. That only applies if you do alternate day fasting; not 5:2. (if I got it right) I had convenienly forgot just how bad for you “bad” food can be. I’m going to try and focus on eating “healthy” on NFD and not “normal”. Normal here at work is now where near healthy.
Stay strong fasters!
Wow! You all seem to have done well today.
You can eat what you like, just not how much.
Really interesting thoughts about the secret eating.
I am on a FD tomorrow.Might purchase Colin the Caterpillar for my son who has been away for his 24th Birthday. M & S holds no fear for me on a FD, I just avert my gaze!
Just noticed that I have some muscle definition on my upper arms to go with my teeny tiny abs(bit of a dent)-very pleased.
Onwards and downwards Fast Friends..
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We pay tribute to our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Michael Mosley. Michael was an integral part of our lives, […]
Michael is touring Australia this September! Here's a link to dates and tickets. Hope to see you there.
Michael Mosley gives an update for 2019, current research in the field and announces a tour starting in February.
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8 Aug 15