Hey fasters!
Checking in before bed. Come in just under 500 cal for the day. Feels good………now I need to plan for tomorrow.
Be strong & in control!
This topic contains 3,042 replies, has 111 voices, and was last updated by Delayedgratification 5 years, 4 months ago.
Way to go Michel! How did everyone’s weigh ins go? I found myself 2 lbs down after the fast! Funny how seeing that on the scale made me want breakfast, after all my big talk above. Had a poached egg over half a cup of oatmeal, so a good done of protein should not cause problems. I really was energized yesterday, had a long bike ride before dinner and still kept things in 500 calorie neighborhood. I didn’t actually keep a tally, but all I had was a handful of peanuts and then my leaf dinner. Ok, I had a cookie before bed, but just one. Ok two, but they were small, and I shared one with the dog. Seriously. And I felt pretty satisfied, which was a miracle.
There is a big meeting at work today, so it will be a food carnival. But I’m on my best behavior when other people are around, right? So my goal later will be to eat like no one is watching. Haha, the dog is always watching.
Hope there is good news for everyone today! xx
I always feel good the morning after my 1st fat day of the week. I usually loose some of the weekend weight & my brain is so clear. Really makes me wonder why I can’t resist all the food that makes me feel yucky. This is the only time I understand that saying, “nothing tastes as good as healthy feels”. If only I could hold on to it for more than a couple of hours. Frustrating!
Congrats to you Jade for a successful fd. And here’s wishing you strength as you face the food carnival.
I will be in a similar boat today. It is Tues “free lunch day” and we are going out for happy hour after work. I can skip the drinks but the free appetizers drive me crazy. It is a non-fd for me, so I want to be able to enjoy some of the bounty but not be a piglet.
Today’s Goals:
1) Be selective in the foods I choose
2) Eat them slowly & savor every bit
3) Be satisfied with my share of the offerings
(I don’t need to eat it all)
Good Luck to everyone!
Well yesterday was ugly, though it could’ve been uglier. I think I reached TDEE around mid afternoon, my downfall being the darn snack they trotted out a mere 2 hours after a BBQ lunch. Up to that point, I was an angel. Needless to say, I didn’t even want a snack. As soon as I finished it, I knew it was the “bad moment” in my day, the point where I went too far.
I’m happy to say I did not then go home, unhinge my jaws, and swallow my entire fridge. But I did eat my typical dinner and the scale gave me what for this morning.
Not to be ridiculously upbeat, but despite this little setback, I learned a couple of things. One, TURN DOWN THE FREE FOOD! I know it is wasteful but I can’t solve world hunger by eating all the food myself! (Although if that were possible, I would definitely apply for the job!!) And two, I have to count calories or keep a food list on TDEE days, at least until i get better at it. I think a list will do, as I really kind of despise My Fitness Pal — sometimes I think it works only because I avoid eating simply to avoid having to look up everything. Does anyone else do that and end up recording about 80 1/8-servings of things? Eek.
Happy Hump Day to the Fast Club — good luck Michel and others fasting today and good luck to the rest of us trying to T-effing-DEE! Not sure which is harder but I’ll have a go. xx
Good evening gang!
My internet has been down for the last couple of days so I’m just checking in, I’ll catch up properly when I have more energy. Still ill, bah.
Ah, you fellow fasters are always good for boosting my morale….I’m loving how we are all becoming so much more switched on to our triggers and behaviours around food. Tis inspiring – long may it continue.
Happy happy joy joy to you all, whether TDEEing (!) or fasting. FD tomorrow for me I think. Difficult being ill, I just want to eat my body weight in buttery mashed potato and my height in buttery toast. Did I mention I love butter? Gah!
Hey gang!
Sitting here thinking about last night’s happy hour. I managed to exercise some self control, but I could not stop thinking about the food. So frustrating! I was sitting there w/ 15 co-workers, everybody is drinking, eating and having fun and all I could think was “there’s a piece of pizza left”. I ate more than my share and wanted what was left. So obsessive!
So glad I didn’t stop and add to the insanity w/ ice cream, but it was a close thing. I wonder if it would have been better to just “fast” thru the happy hour?
Ok, moving on.
Jade: My scale gave me “what for” this morning too. I agree that watching the calorie intake on non-fd is key for weight loss. Either that or try 4:3. I just eat to much for 5:2 to work. Good luck turning down free food. Obviously I’m not very good at it yet.
Today is a fd and I’m committed to not eating any of the “free” food in the kitchen (leftovers from yesterday’s lunch). I have a nice dinner planned and will wait till then to eat.
Strength and power to Fast Club members!
Hi I really like the idea of running/jogging to Beethoven maybe will give it a go. My fd this week have been rather rubbish and have not managed to keep to target – oh dear – have just returned from an ‘aloe vera’ party where detox fasting and drinking aloe Vera gel is the new thing! Managed to order a couple of items that will apparently boost my energy levels and make me beautiful too…..Will keep you posted! The party led me to the path of disaster in that I stuffed a shed load of prosecco and a lorry load of crisps that had been laid out for the party goers…tomorrow is another day maybe will try a fast day…. fizzy
Evening fasters!
Yea! Successful fd. I have just finished my dessert, a Quest Cookies & Cream protein bar. That and a sweet potato were dinner. Hard day, but I made it.
Kitty: Sorry you are still ill. Good luck w/ your fast tomorrow. Try not to go in the pantry or the fridge.
Fizzy: My ex-mother-in-law drank aleo vera juice 20 yrs ago, she swore by it. Will be interested to know how it works for you. Hope your fast day goes smoothly tomorrow.
Fast Gang: Be strong in the face of food
So…I tested my theory on eating breakfast. I just cannot do it. My last two days were constant noshing. No rip-roaring free for all in the ice cream tub (which might have been more fun) but little nibbles, in a marathon effort to feel satisfied. I think I made about 24 trips to the kitchen last night AFTER DINNER!! You’d think that would count as exercise 🙂
Thank heavens today is a FD and there are few decisions to be made. I’m going to ride the Guilt Train for just a few hours today, and actually that feels OK because as punishments go, it’s pretty quick and easy. And then voila, I will be on probation again tomorrow! There, see how I turned that sow’s ear around?
Fizzy, I love Prosecco too – so cool and crisp in the summer. I’m interested to learn more about aloe vera, though how funny that the “detox” party refreshments were wine and crisps 🙂
Congrats to you Michel for successful fasting this week! Your dinner sounds lovely – I should try that one tonight. Looking forward to being hungry instead of just “cravy” (spellcheck tried desperately to change that to CRAZY and it has a point, I’ll admit :D).
Good luck today, fast clubbers, whatever is on the table for you! xxJade
Good afternoon fast-clubbers! I’ve had very dodgy Wi-Fi lately but it’s good right now so thought I’d catch up with your goings-on. I’m in Poland for a week after eating my way… sorry, travelling through Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania. It’s great food if you need to keep the family alive through 7 months of harsh winter so can I help that it’s now summer and there’s yummy food on every corner so I probably don’t need a days worth of calories for every meal??? I’m not being very ‘good’ I’m afraid in fact I’m being shockingly naughty and need to stop “unhinging my jaw” as Jade so elegantly put it 🙂 not to mention the great Polish beer.
I haven’t figured out the psychology of this yet as I generally lose weight when I’m travelling but not this time. Oh well (as all your posts reassure me) 5:2 will be waiting for me when I get home again. Good health and happy fasting everyone.
Hi all, I hope you don’t mind me tagging onto your thread. I have read all of the comments start to finish and see many comments that feel all too familiar for me. I have 33lbs to lose and started 5:2 on 15th June so today is my 4th FD and last week I lost my first 3lbs so 30 to go!! I have always been a bit of a binge eater but used to be able to do so and stay reasonably slim…then I hit my 30’s and everything I ate seemed to turn to flab no matter how healthy. Now I don’t binge eat daily but when I binge, I really binge. I even eat nawty stuff secretly like if I know the OH won’t be home and I had a craving for fat food, I would buy it, get home, fill my fat disgusting face then hide the evidence under another rubbish bag in our wheelie bin. Then the guilt and disgust I feel is incredible. Now am 35 and desperately want to get a handle on my cravings/binges and get my weight back to where it belongs. I maintained my weight for over a yr after I lost 24lbs on weightwatcher. I think alcohol is a big contributer to my weight gain also…I have never weighed this heavy in my life. So time to take control. You all seem a very friendly encouraging bunch with some great humour as well so joining this thread seems to be the obvious move. I have found you all very inspiring and motivating so thank you for seeing me through my first 4 fasts successfully. Good luck everyone. Hope u are all having successful days. 🙂
Big “Hey Y’all!” to all the Fast Club members.
Today is a non-fd
It is 12:30 and I’m having my 1st meal of the day (no free food in the office, YEA!).
Jade: I have already run the experiment and I know I don’t do well eating breakfast. Maybe if you “ran” to the kitchen you could count it as exercise. 🙂
Comespring: Enjoy your vacation. I’m jealous of all the great places you are getting to visit. 5:2 will be waiting and so will the Fast Club.
Itd953: Welcome to the club. I can identify with the “planned binge”. I have always loved it when my OH went on a business trip, because I could eat all the things I wanted. I would “starve” myself all week in preparation. Now I fast and “try” to stick to an eating plan. It sounds & feels so much better. Of course he has not been out of town since I started 5:2, so I have not been truly tested yet. Good luck in this new way of life.
Interesting facts: I started the Fast Beach Diet 3 1/2 weeks ago (24 days). Since then I have been up & down the scale. My chart is a yoyo. I have gained 12.8 lbs & lost 16.7 lbs. I had gains on 8 days and losses on all the rest. My net loss is ONLY 3.9 lbs. Not sure has this info makes me feel.
Quote from the book:
“Axe the Snacks: No Nibbles, No Quibbles. Your objective on a fd is to achieve as long a fasting window as possible.”
Evening fast clubbers!
Michel – don’t be disheartened – your loss works out at more than a pound a week and that’s damn good in my eyes. Don’t be so hard on yourself! Congratulate yourself, my god you’ve done so well in the face of challenging food situations! So ignore the up and down chart and focus on the overall loss. And well done!
Ltd – hello and a warm welcome to the Fast Club! We are a sympathetic and supportive bunch, goodness knows how I would have got through some days without the camaraderie of this lot. Good luck on your journey, please do keep us posted.
Comespring – hope you’re having a wonderful time, enjoy the delights Poland has to offer without guilt, and come back to it when you’re home. Life is for living!
Jade – totally agree about breakfast, it seems to trip a manic feeding frenzy deep within me and ruins any good intentions. So I don’t eat until at least lunchtime, especially on a FD. Your posts always make me laugh, you have such an amusing way of writing!
Fizzy – hello again. Detox fasting with junk food? WTF how does that work lol!? Hope you get some benefit from the aloe Vera, I’ve heard it’s really good for you. I’ve only ever slapped it on sunburn lol. Good luck on your FD tomorrow.
Ok I think I’m all caught up, apologies if ive forgotten to reply to anyone. This illness has me totally befuddled…but it’s been great for FD – feel so sick I don’t want food! Yay! However the scales are being uncooperative. I’ve PUT ON 3lbs in two weeks….fair enough the meds I’ve just started on have caused insane water retention, but come on! Finish them next week, hopefully I’ll see realistic numbers then. Can one pee out many pounds in weight? I’ll be totally rageous if I’ve been so good this past two weeks and I’ve gained…..
Success stories – again, hubby with his bar of chocolate so big you could sail to America on it, I had two pieces and walked away again. Ha! Screw you food, you don’t control me! Then, when he was making bacon and egg and waving it under my nose (rude!) I retreated and ate some strawberries instead. Will is strong just now…think it’s the illness stopping any bingeing urges. But a win is a win right?
Out of interest, where is everyone from? I’m from Scotland, and live on a wee tiny remote island consisting of mountains and sheep and not much else. Hence crappy Internet.
Good luck to everyone fasting tomorrow and for all the rest – food does not control us! Nothing tastes as good as thin feels….. Apparently 😉
Oh Kitty, I hope you get back to normal soon! I too have wondered why I didn’t lose weight during bouts of illness, but I suppose it really is an upheaval in the system and the body deals with it differently. Water retention is a definite possibility. But I’d think fasting, for the moment, is too much to ask. I’m impressed at your good humor through all of it! Thank you for appreciating my attempts at humor – I have a pretty sunny disposition and do like to laugh at myself.
So…. I am from Georgia, in the US “Deep South.” Have also lived in Fla and La so I tolerate the heat. I was in the UK not too long ago though, and loved your weather– I love being outside anytime, but it gets meltingly hot here. Unfortunately not hot enough to kill the darn mosquitoes, who come out to suck what’s left of my blood just as the day starts to cool.
Welcome to you, Ltd953! Yes, this is a good, sweet, wacky bunch. Very funny, very forgiving, it’s like my home base most days. I have been pondering this planned binge idea (my husband is retired and RARELY leaves the house, so I do know the trick of snarfing doughnuts on the way home and hiding the bakery bag under other trash, oh dear how silly but I love all of you for doing this too). But I was thinking, maybe what I really need IS a planned binge. Just one day every now and then to stop monitoring things. I will ponder this some more over my dairy-free fish chowder that has 450 cals per serving, probably as I ponder what a “serving” is. Otherwise this FD has gone well, because I just didn’t eat anything until I took a taste as I started cooking the chowder.
Michel, I agree, you’ve done a splendid job of this! The realistically possible loss is 1 lb/week, if you do the 2 fast days and the rest Tdee. Or T-effing-dee as I call it. More like fiddle-dee-effing-dee lately. But ahem, I was in the midst of congratulating you, sorry. Well done!
Dear fizzy, I am in your camp lately, life has been a bit nuts and there has been way too much “free” food. I am not quite old enough to have lived through the depression, but sometimes I wonder WHAT IS MY DEAL with never wanting to waste food. I don’t know who it is I think I’m helping.
All right it’s time to dive into the chowder. See you all later! xx
Can’t sleep, time to chatter.
Thanks Jade, I too am an optimistic sunny soul and try to be positive at all times. I really appreciate you guys wishing me well. It’s lovely to know that halfway across the world people are rooting for you! Georgia….ooh I’m so jealous! I’ve always wanted to visit the Deep South, the culture and laid back lifestyle appeals to me. Such amazing food too… Hubby used to live in North Carolina (ok not South, but close lol) and he loved it.
Funny you guys talking about planned binges – my niece is coming to visit soon and she makes the best white chocolate baked cheesecake ever. In my head I was already creeping to the fridge when everyone is in bed and demolishing it all! And my obsession with cake and ice cream is reaching epic proportions – I feel like I NEED a binge, but I know I would hate myself afterwards. The idea of a planned binge makes a lot of sense, but I think it’s also self sabotage. But then would having say, one planned pig out a week put the brakes on the desire to do it the rest of the time? Hmmm….if I fasted one day, had a cheeky binge the next and fasted again the day after…..and ate healthily the rest of the week, that might work. Argh, am I just making excuses to binge!? Surely we should be trying to move away from bingeing….controlling the urges somehow. Maybe a planned binge will control things.
What does everyone else think?
Sorry if I’m rambling, it’s 2am here and I’m suffering from insomnia.
Why does my husband think that 2am is an acceptable time to make fried egg, bacon and toast? I’ve been on an FD today and my stomach is rumbling so loudly the cat is looking at me funny. He has promised to make me the same for brekky in the morning though, as a treat so I’m holding out. Today I ate a teeny bunch of grapes at lunchtime and a small bowl of berries, plain yoghurt, a handful of muesli and a drizzle of honey at 8pm. Success! however, I’m only doing so well because I’ve been housebound for two weeks and can’t shop for delicious crap!
I have just bought a spiralizer from Amazon. Apparently you can make courgette spaghetti. I am intrigued! Does anyone have one?
Good god I’ve been rambling on for ages, apologies for the giant nonsense post guys!
Thinking of you all and wishing you much food success!
Evening Fasters from the great state of Texas!
Kitty & Jade: Thanks for your positive words and encouragement. I need to remember that any loss is a win and better than a gain.
I wanted to clear up what I ment by a “planned binge”. This was before 5:2 and I only did it 1 or 2 times a year. I agree that binging is unhealthy and something I’m working to gain control over. But I totally understand where Kitty is coming from with the late night raid on the fridge for cheesecake.
Kitty: I agree; a win is a win. Congrats on your control in the face of chocolate.
It’s late and I’m off to bed…..Be strong & in control!
Texas….again, somewhere I’d loooove to see. So many amazing places, and again, damn fine food! Why do I live where it is freezing cold with sideways rain??? Nearly July and everyone is still wearing winter coats and boots. Maybe it’s time to emigrate….hubby would be more than happy to live in the States again!
Update: sneaky weigh in today – I’ve lost 4lbs in 2 weeks! Mega happy but it was well earned, god I suffered for it! That’s 16lbs since the start of May….only another 30lbs to go until I reach my first target.
My stats:
starting weight 1st May – 15st 4lb
Weight 24 June – 14st 2lb
Thank you 5:2 and the fantastic community I’m proud to be a part of!
Target – 12st by December
That’s fantastic, Kitty – very happy for you! Wishing you continued recuperation and strength. Those are hard-earned losses. If you skip enough chocolate, maybe you really can sail to America and enjoy our heat 🙂
I want to clarify “planned binge” also – for me, it would not be the free-wheeling Tasmanian devil in the ice cream binge, but a calm “eat what you like” day that is SUPPOSED to be 5 days a week. HAHA, if I eat what I like, TDEE will be in the rearview mirror around mid afternoon. If I had one free day a week, maybe I wouldn’t be so nutty the rest of the time. As it is, I begin my “regular” days feeling deprived, thinking about how to squeeze in what I really want into my TDEE, so I try to stick to it, can’t, and end up feeling like a failure again. Let’s face it, FDs work because they’re only 2 out of our 7 days. The TDEE is everywhere else. I need a day off, I guess?
But ironically, it is time to get myself to work! Weigh in today was meh, I was up 2 lbs from the Monday weigh in and only shave one off with yesterday’s fast. Work in progress…..
xx
Oops, tried to send another post to give a shout-out to Comespring, but the Internet ate it. Anyway…have a blast as you enjoy the wonderful cuisine of Poland and the Baltics! “Shockingly naughty” cracked me up. I’ve been naughty lately, but I want to go for shockingly now. Safe travels — we will indeed be here when you get back :). xx
Afternoon fasters!
It is 12:45 and I have just finished my “free” breakfast taco. I saved my breakfast for lunch. It was hard not to eat w/ everyone else, but I knew that would end in disaster.
Kitty: So happy for you with all your losses. You are such a “big loser”. 🙂 Jade is right about coming & sharing the heat. We melt in the shade.
Jade: I know what you mean by “starting the day feeling deprived”. I feel this way a lot on the weekend. One thing about all the “free food” at work is; I know a treat is only a week or 2 away. I was up a lb today. Kind of surprised, didn’t really over eat yesterday but I did have chips (salt). I’m going w/ “it’s water weight”. 🙂
Quote from the book: “Eliminate illicit food stashes: empty your snack drawer at work; clear the house of junk food.”
Healthy choices and happy fasting!
Thanks Jade and Michel, I was so excited to share the news with you all. A win for one is a win for us all!
I’m embarrassed, I totally got the wrong end of the stick about the planned binge thing – I had visions of choosing a day to eat like an uncontrolled beast!!! Sorry for the confusion! Ah that’s what sleep depravation does.
You guys have such nightmare work environments for food, I don’t know how you manage to resist in the face of all that free food and nonstop temptation. I admire your determination hugely!
I’ve also decided only to weigh myself once a month, on the 1st. I find I obsess over it too much….we gain and lose over the course of a week and if we weigh ourselves during a gain day it can be morale busting. But that’s my thinks today, who knows what I’ll think tomorrow lol!
I’m dreaming of heat and sunshine….it’s a tropical 13 degrees C here – soul destroying! Thank god I’ve got Mexico in September to catch some rays. Although my pale blue Scottish skin just turns beetroot red, then back to white again, no tan!
Love your daily quotes Michel!
Here’s a favourite of my late daddy’s – “No matter how bad it gets, there’s always some poor bugger worse off than you. So no point in whining!”
Kitty: I’m intrigued by your idea to weigh less often. I have thought about weighing only once a week, but I’m afraid I’ll just gain all week unless I count calories every day. Keep us posted. Mexico? Where? Like your quote. It’s true, someone is always worse off. I guess we should be thankful more often.
May you all have strength in the face of food!
Michel – I’m off to the Riviera Maya, near Playa del Carmen. We went two years ago and loved it so much we’ve been saving ever since to come back! Can’t wait…
Will let you know how the weighing monthly goes, it’s all well saying in theory I’ll do it but I have an overwhelming urge to weigh every day, and I’m trying to break the link with obsessing about food and weight. Trying to gain back a bit of control I guess….I’m disabled due to a spinal problem, and have had a lot of control taken away from me body wise (mobility etc). So if I can get a handle on my crazy relationship with food I’ll have some control back. I think.
Sorry if that’s oversharing, but being a part of this group has helped me so much, to get stuff off my chest that I can’t say to anyone else. I never talk about my food problems except in a self deprecating way….this is the first time I’ve openly tackled these issues in my life. Funny how in only a few weeks I’ve got my head around a lot more. Again, thanks guys. Heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you.
Wishing you all food successes tomorrow!
I love the quotes too – thanks Michel and Kitty.
I will ponder this monthly weigh in idea. I didn’t weigh at all while traveling, because I had no scale – so I was fairly restrained around food for fear I was turning into a large sea mammal. I don’t know which would make me obsess less! I do have a weird reaction to a weight loss – after a brief sense of satisfaction/relief, I convince myself that I am starving and must eat asap. Good lord why am I so weird?! Hmmm, maybe it is better if I don’t get on the darn scale at all, ever.
Kitty, I am thrilled for you that you get to spend your holiday at a place you love. Mexico is gorgeous, not to mention warm! And thank you for sharing part of what gets in the way of control for you. It’s what we are all doing here, one way or another. Dear heaven, did that even make sense? Anyway, you seem to be making the best of things with your physical issues, so hooray for you. I love reading your posts and having a laugh with you.
My dad also had some equivalent saying about those who were worse off, and I sometimes feel ashamed that I go on so about weight and food, when there are so many worse problems. I suppose that is why I have never discussed any of this with ANYONE before. And also probably why I feel the need to eat up all the free food lest it go to sinful waste in the garbage bin? Somehow I have turned world hunger and self control into a physics problem. Obviously if I just eat enough for 10 people I will cancel out the hunger in 10 unfortunates somewhere. Right. Clearly it is time for bed before I actually test that theory.
Good night dear Fast Club. Thank you for being here. Wishing you all sweet dreams. xx
ps: indeed it is water weight MMB
Jade – you are eerily similar to me….the day after my weigh in success I somehow convinced myself that I deserved the two little GU cheesecakes my husband had bought. And *ahem* several other sundry items! Cue self loathing, disgust, poking at my belly while calling myself fat cow…. Pride comes before a fall, serves me right for being so bloody smug. However, I’ll do 4:3 next week and hopefully even things out.
Where is everyone? Hope you’re all doing well, remember Fast Club is always here to lean on and find support if things aren’t going as well as hoped.
Wishing everyone happiness and success in the face of the evil binge!
Yes we’re quite the similar bunch, aren’t we? I can talk myself into just about anything. Listen to this one now.
I was coming home today from a morning wedding that was a highway drive from my home and, on the way back, there was an accident on the highway, nothing serious but traffic was jammed to the gills. I was able to exit at a road that is home to a Krispy Kreme factory. Michel I bet you know Krispy Kremes, but if the rest of you don’t it’s the sugariest doughnut ever made. Oh my lord. They sell them in the grocery stores but the only place you can buy my favoritest of all — the glazed+creme filled sugar bomb — is at the factory. (Darn sneaky spellcheck tried to change creme to CRIME. Begone spellcheck, and let me commit my food crimes in peace.). Anyway, fate led me there and fate carried me home, let me tell you. I bought THREE. ONE of them made it home, and I sweetly told my husband I had bought him a treat. I’m am just rotten to the core.
Maybe the bike ride I just took worked off the creme in one of them? Off to the showers with me. Hope the rest of you are enjoying the weekend one way or the other. Stay off the highway lest you fall into a food trap 🙂
xx
Oh fellow fasters. I had disasterous first fast. Absolutely food free till about 17pm followed by complete pig out. And than next few days just full of rubbish food and as Jade would call it ‘ugly few days’. I didn’t dare to hop on the scales. I think it is great Michael that overall you have lost, but can understand how exhausting the jojo effect must be.
Kitty complete get the love for butte!
And ‘planned binge’ was an interesting idea.
Last few days, I have tried to Fast. Always managed till about 16pm and then ate about ‘healthy’ 1000kcal. And I feel like I have lost some weight. Scales run out of batteries so couldn’t check. But thought about the struggles with breakfast starting the day of eating and fasting is still difficult. But perhaps I could just fast half a day and follow it by big healthy dinner. Today will be my day 4 of eating like this and have averaged 1000-1200kcal a day. Will weigh myself tomorrow.
So far it seems to do the trick as I binge late afternoon.
Xxxx
Thanks moturam, for tipping us to that post. Excellent reading!
I confess I am enjoying my slip-ups a bit too much lately, so allow me to focus on what’s been good. 5:2 has kept me from going off the rails. Chris makes great points that are true for me as well. Fasting puts the brake on my appetite and resets it (even if I lose control, it’s not as bad as before). Lately, I’ve simply managed not to gain, but paradoxically that is a big win for me after a trip, when I’m less active AND pouncing like a tiger on the foods I’ve missed. And don’t get me started on the special foods that remind me of good times with loved ones or loved places. I’m always going to have good food around, so I need 5:2 on the horizon even when I’m dipping my toe into the binge pool. But even I can tell I’m not diving straight in anymore! Isn’t that what most of you are experiencing?
I doubt I will try a full-out fast, because it would make my husband sad. Dinner together at night is special for us, with him retired and me working. I usually try to make my light FD meal look like a regular full plate, such as by tucking spaghetti squash under a few strands of real pasta (really tasty, btw – the pasta adds texture).
I’m happy to report that, despite all my legendary naughtiness this past week, I weighed today (after a big evening out last night – I designated Sat as my “day off”) and have not gained since returning home. I am not hungry this morning so that’s grand, too.
Some things I need to remember: (1) when I’m not hungry, do something else besides eat; (2) when I think I’m hungry, I may just be thirsty (amazing how often that’s true); (3) when I’m sure I’m hungry, wait; because I am not good at recognizing hunger, right? If it doesn’t subside, then I need to eat a decent portion. I’ve ben trying to hard to eat as little as possible and I’m never satisfied, because my brain says I’ve just had a snack. Even if I’ve had 10 snacks, my inner foodie doesn’t interpret that as a meal.
Wow this is the most boring post ever, but I’m going to post it anyway. I want everyone to know that 5:2 is helping me, for all my jolly missteps, and maybe my rambling thoughts will strike a chord in someone else’s head. Onward, Fast Club!!
xx jade
Hi guys, hope you’re all having a great weekend.
Jade – I am familiar with the delight that is Krispy Kreme, there is a store in Edinburgh where I used to live….I can understand your little detour, they’re heavenly. And come on, you only ate two….not four, or six. Damage limitation! And I’m glad to see you focusing on the benefits 5:2 has brought you, it’s a very positive thing to do. Many congrats on not gaining while you were away! Now that’s a victory, well done!
Moturam – hello again! Glad to see you back. Forgive me if this sounds rude, but it doesn’t sound like you’re following 5:2, that sounds more like calorie restriction.
If you’re unsure, the basic 5:2 consists of two fast days a week, eating under 500 cals and five days eating under your TDEE (mine is 1900). Have you calculated your TDEE using the Tracker? This will tell you how many calories you should aim to eat per day to achieve an average pound a week weight loss fasting two days.
Perhaps try some home made vegetable soup at lunchtimes on your fast days, to set you up for the afternoon so you don’t undo all your hard work at teatime….it’s certainly helping me. Also, I’ve found that if I ruin a fast day I don’t try again the next day, as I’d feel too deprived. I allow at least a day between and then try again after I’ve had a day of TDEE.
Fast for half a day and have a big dinner if that’s what works for you, take success where you can get it. If you can manage it though, studies into 5:2 have shown that the longer you fast, the greater the benefits. I always try for 36hrs but 24hrs is usually what I manage.
Again, I apologise if I’ve come across as patronising or telling you what you already know, that’s not my intention. We are all here to help, support and share our experiences so far on this way of life. For what it’s worth, I’ve pretty much followed 5:2 to the letter, apart from a few binge days, and have lost over a stone since the beginning of May – it definitely works if you follow it.
Chris’s post is excellent isn’t it? Very inspiring.
Monday is looming, who is fasting with me tomorrow then? Good luck to everyone!
Hi all. Just checking in from the south east of England! Thank you all for the warm welcome. Today was weigh in and sadly after being such a good girl, I didn’t lose at all this week 🙁 that said, at least I didn’t gain anything.
Have loved reading all your posts guys. Jade, loved ur krispy creme story. I think although u ate two you did very well. I find it easier to have none than one or two… I would have eaten all three lol.
Anyway, very disappointed with weigh in and did console myself with some French stick and cheese oopsy…so that will help won’t it. Grrr.
I’m off on holiday on Friday for a week so think the scales will be coming with me. I weigh obsessively… The last time I stopped weighing myself daily for a month to stop my obsession I put on 8lbs!!! Scheduled fast days for Tuesday and Thursday and hoping for a loss after week 3.
Hope you are all having a lovely weekend. I’m gonna go eat dinner now…aiming for a small portion but I make no promises.
Have a lovely evening all 🙂
Kitty: Lucky girl! We went there in 2011 & loved it. We stayed at the Valentin Imperial Maya.
I find I also sabotage a good weigh in. What’s up w/ that. We work so hard and then lose control for what? There is no satisfaction. I want something else right after I eat what I didn’t need in the first place. Ugh!
Jade: A Krispy Kreme fresh from the factory made it to the house, I’m impressed. I don’t think I could have done that.
moturam: Are you planning you fd meals? I have to plan exactly what I will eat. No thinking about what sounds good our what I’m hungry for. I eat it slow w/lots of water and then I’m done for the night.
Sat was a bust for me. Had to redo my resume, which totally stressed me out. I ate all day. Not to the point of being sick, but went to bed w/ a Winnie the Poo belly. Trying to stay focussed on other things today. Mon night we are taking our daughter to Baylor freshman orientation. I will be traveling for a couple of days and I’m sure fast food will be on the menu. Thank goodness 5:2 will be waiting.
Fasted today and managed well within 500kcal. Soup is amazing. Lots of it and little calories.
Kitty u are absolutely right about my diet that is not really there yet. Have read the book and website so just trying to find my way around it. Somehow ignored the health benefits-part of it. Just hoping it will help me control the binging first. I am just so relieved that I haven’t binged for last few days. Sometimes one binge day roles into another and it is difficult to brake from it.
I seem to have realized that there is direct connection between carbs and binging for me. And so determined to plan the meals better so I prevent overdoing it in the evening.
Itd953 don’t give up. I think not putting on weight is achievement for us bingers. And we must take that as achievement. Holiday is always difficult but enjoy it and see if u can leave those scales at home.
Michel can’t get my head around the sabotaging good weigh in. As if it gives us permission to binge and we undo all that good work. Crazy and why!!!! Comforting that I am not the only one.
Jade we all seem to behave as if we are deprived of good food, happy food, memories food …..yet we binge on all of those for years. Any excuse. Another sabotage!!! But sounds as if u feel in better control than prior 5:2 so that is encouraging!
Night night! Will weigh in tmrw so a bit scared
Aaaaaaargh why did I just eat a pile of white toast with butter!?!? I was doing so well today…even resisted my husbands chocolate cake I baked last night. Yet the carbs called to me, shouted in fact. Nothing short of a stack would have done. Now comes Binger’s Remorse……..
Michel – you have a pool?????? That’s it, I’m moving.
Moturam – your post appeared after I started writing, how funny that you talked about bingeing on carbs and that’s exactly what I was just posting about! I’d definitely say on the whole though my bingeing is better controlled on this diet so I think you’ve made a really good choice. Some of the others have reported feeling more in control etc too which is brilliant. Anything that helps us crush the mad urges is a blessing.
Ltd – hello again, is your weather down South as bad as ours just now? Well done on not gaining, as Moturam rightly said, any week where we don’t gain is good! Don’t worry about the scales on holiday, relax, eat nice things and have a wonderful time. As we said to Comespring, 5:2 will be there for you coming back. Life is for living!
Michel – congrats on your daughter starting college! You must be so proud.
Travelling is tiring and stressful so I think you’re right to just get back into it when you return. Have a safe trip.
Good luck to all of us trying to muddle along on this new way of life, stay strong.
moturam: Congrats on a successful fd. Soup is a great choice. Good catch on the carbs being a trigger, I try not too have carbs on a fd. I know what you mean about 1 binge day rolling into another. That’s a good thing about 5:2 a fast day is always around the corner.
Kitty: Sorry you got caught by the carb monster. Tomorrow is another day for gaining control.
I’m committed to fasting tomorrow even if we will be on the road for dinner. I can always get a salad. 🙂
Somehow it helps knowing y’all are out there pulling for me to succeed.
Good luck and stay strong!
Go Michel!! Hope the fast day works out for you. I have found that the no-food-till-dinner approach does allow for eating out. Big hugs to you as you pack the child off to college. Many emotions there…Baylor’s a fine school, and I hope she loves it. How lovely to have a pool – I used to love flopping around like a big fish and diving for pennies.
Ah Kitty, I can relate to the call of bread and butter. Funny how we can avoid the fancier temptations only to succumb to the unassuming one right there on the counter. (I’m sure there is a biblical allegory in there somewhere!) And of COURSE white bread and butter reminds me of days with my dad. I even have a bread machine now, and thank heavens it requires the crucial step of putting in the flour etc. or I’d be as big as a barn.
Congrats moturam (spellcheck says you are “motor jam” haha) on beating the binge and killing a fast day! What kind of soup did you have? I’d love to have recipes for more low-cal soups that are fast-club tests. I liked my dairy free chowder but one bowl was 450 🙁 Hope your weigh in brings good news.
Thanks Ltd and everyone – it took some control to leave that last doughnut alone 🙂 I know it can be disappointing to maintain, rather than lose, but I’ve found that the victories come along if you just stick with it. It’s a slow program to be sure, but I’ll take not gaining for now. Also, I know that my TDEE varies a lot depending on the day’s activities. Curiously, I tend to burn off more calories using my brain than when out exercising, I’m not sure what that says about my brain – not very efficient I suppose!
Are we all fasting today? I am, so will probably do a nice big salad for dinner. Bought some lovely beefsteak tomatoes and avocados (have to be careful with them, I know) and other beautiful fresh vegs could be grilled and added. Better stop thinking about food just yet though! Good luck everyone!! xx
Hi All – such truly awesome work going on here, everyone should just stop and pat themselves on the back :-0 My computer is going to die soon and I’ve left the charger somewhere I can’t get to for a while but I just wanted to say KEEP GOING!! I honestly think the most important aspect of 5:2 for me is that it makes me think about what goes into my mouth not from the perspective of guilt so much now but of nourishment and enjoyment. Now that’s a major change and worth a lot even if I am not losing at the moment, although happy to report that I don’t much like Hungarian food, too heavy/stodgy (and no offence intended to any Hungarians on the thread) so I have cut down a bit just recently! I also read Chris’s post and could relate to a lot of it. The only differences for me are 1) it sadly hasn’t gotten easier but harder with time and 2) as a binge eater I don’t yet feel I can say “It’s sustainable and now it’s my way of life” as there are just too many booby traps along the way. That kind of talk is for the ‘normal folks’ and I’m far from being one of those just yet. Glad there are plenty of us crazy people out there to hang with on both sides of the world (I hail from Australia btw). xx
Hello ladies! I’m back, literally and figuratively. I had a great time backpacking down in California and came home ready to get back on the wagon. I have read through all your posts and have been so inspired! I can’t possibly begin to respond to all the great stuff I’ve read, but here are a few things that stuck with me: donuts eaten on the way home and empty bag hidden under other trash — check, done that. Next: who’s up for a house swap? I want to try living on a remote Scottish island and someone else can come battle my rooster in return for fresh eggs and enjoy the gorgeous, sunny, completely not rainy Oregon summer!
Today is my fast day and I’ve only had coffee so far. I haven’t weighed myself except with a bunch of clothing on but I know I gained a few pounds (like 8, so not exactly a few) and I’m hoping they come off pretty quick again. I’m excited to renew my commitment to the process!
Best of luck to everyone fasting today—you’re in control!
Yay, Comespring and Penguin are back! Hmmm I could possibly be Hungarian (I love goulash), but agree it’s not the best summer food. You sure are a long way from Australia! And Penguin, I’d love to hear tales of Kitty battling your rooster. She HAS mentioned sailing to America, albeit on a chocolate raft.
I agree also that the FDs are not really getting easier. I do get through mid-afternoon without too much trouble, but the dog’s rawhide is looking pretty tasty at the moment.
However, one thing that gives me a weird sense of relief is that, based on the plan, it’s normal to always need a FD in my life for maintenance. I.e., it is normal to overdo a bit. It makes me happy to know I will be “normal” even when I eat two Krispy Kremes, and that continued fasting is normal, not to mention healthy. And this lovely group has convinced me that eating just two KKs = moderation! Haha thank you for that!
Stay strong everyone – we can tame this beast. xx
Hey fasters!
Riding in the car and reading the posts. Wellcome back comespring & penguin. Hope your travels were rewarding.
OH has decided to have dinner in West, TX. Anyone who had been to West knows it is known for its kolaches. No salad in sight. Everything is wrapped in dough, fruit or sausage. That is the menu at the place we always go to. My goal: to not have 1 of everything.
Power on and be strong when faced w/ carbs
Comespring and Penguin – welcome back, hope you both had a wonderful time!
I’ll be quite happy to battle roosters in exchange for sun, you may have to battle sheep at this end though! As I write it’s pouring down sideways rain and the wind is howling. Good grief no wonder a vast percentage of the population of Scotland is fat, we all have SAD and comfort eat! I’ll set sail on my husbands chocolate bar asap. Warn the rooster. I may fight it for food!
Michel – what are kolaches? Dough something….I like dough, although at the moment I look like I have been fashioned from dough, all soft, lumpy and pasty white! I’m sure you will be strong in the face of dough…and if not, well there’s always another FD round the corner.
Jade – I actually LOL’d at the eyeing the dogs rawhide! I also find it easier to fast through the afternoon, it’s when I hit evening that it can go horribly wrong. Evening always has and probably always will be, my weak time. Also during the night….does anyone else ever wake up about 3am and chow down? Then come to with jelly all over your face wondering where it all went wrong? Hmm probably just me…. Hehe.
Wow we really are a spread out bunch aren’t we? Britain, America, Australia…I’m sure there’s somewhere else I’ve forgotten too….excellent, lots of potential new holiday destinations lol!!!
FD tomorrow for me….I sort of had one today, then hubby made gorgeous curry and I couldn’t resist. As Michel said, power to us all! Hell yeah we can do it.
Kitty: West, TX is a community of Czechoslovakians. The kolache is dough, wrapped around different kids of meat &/or cheese. They also come as a little dough square w/ fruit &/or cream cheese on it. Both are baked & served warm. Apologies to anyone out there that is Czech. This is my only experience w/ kolaches.
I had 3. More than I needed, but that was my plan going in. Considering there was about 30 choices I thought I did pretty good. Good luck on your fd tomorrow.
Off to bed, Happy Fasting!
Jade ‘motor jam’ sounds like superb nick name. Moturam is actually an endearment for anyone chubby and round in Punjabi.
Welcome back Comespring and Penguin!!!! Battle goes on.
How funny Michel. Was also wondering what kolache was and was thinking of something exotic from Texas. But I was stuffing my face on those all my childhood as I was born in Czech and my granny would bake and cook and I would be like a hoover. These delicious things can also be sweet and stuffed with jam/blueberries and quark or poppy seeds or nuts …..I am salivating now. And best to accompany by a full fat milk from your own cow!!!
Well better stop there before nostalgia gets me. Now in London the weather has been fab. Managed normal day without binge yesterday and weight 88.5kg so down by 0.9 since last time. Very happy with that. Did some bikram yoga today and since we have friends staying till next Sunday I am pretty sure I will be good with food. Always am around people as feel too ashamed to eat too much.
Secretive eating is my speciality!
So perseverance and one or two donuts is progress over full box (done that before)
Motor Jam – heheheheheh! Congrats on your loss, and willpower over bingeing. Amazing how quickly this way of life can have an effect, subtle at first then one day you realise that you don’t lose control quite as much. Bikram…is that the yoga where you do it in a hot room? Sounds so good for you…mind as well as body. Enjoy having your visitors over. I’m the same with social eating, don’t want to seem like a pig in front of people so I eat normally then wait until I’m alone to scoff.
Michel – well done on only having three, brilliant you resisted the urge to have one of each, goodness knows that would have been seriously tempting. Will of steel!
FD today, not had anything yet, planning on doing some roasted veg Meditteranean style tonight, yum. I have an addiction to sweet potato just now, cut into wedges.
New tip: instead of drizzling oil over your veg to be roasted, put them all into a freezer bag with just half a teaspoon and shake to coat them all. Save loads of calories. You all probably know this, but I’ve just found it out and it’s a revelation to me!
Doctors appointment tomorrow for my latest round of blood test results….wish me luck?
Love and strength to you all, our little fasting family!
Holy cow I googled kolaches and there are millions of varieties! Great willpower Michel. You could bake an old shoe in dough and I’d eat it. And hahahahaha Kitty describing yourself as a human kolache!
I am on a true plateau, Eat or fast, I weigh the same. I’m happy enough for now. Thanks mostly to you all.
Thanks for that explanation moturam, I wondered how you came up with your name. Although at some point you need a nickname that doesn’t mean chubby! Enjoy your company. I am the same around others. (Of course I am!)
Kitty that’s a good trick re the sweet potatoes. They are so good baked into chips/fries. If I could stay away from the ketchup it would be better.
Good luck today all who are fasting! I am trying to eat like a normal person. So far so good! Had a bagel at noon but so far it isn’t leading me into food crime. Must stay strong. xx
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Michael Mosley gives an update for 2019, current research in the field and announces a tour starting in February.
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