Thanks a million Lolly, I’m going to read that now. It’s amazing about your skin – I’m delighted for you!! Did you eliminate natural sugars too, or just refined?
This topic contains 944 replies, has 62 voices, and was last updated by Lolly_ 7 years, 11 months ago.
NorthernGal, I eat low-carb/high-fat. Added sugar of any type is gone, along with starch and grains. Cravings are a thing of the past. I haven’t felt this well in forever, and my skin is reflecting the internal changes. I wish I’d understood this years ago — I’ve spent a fortune on topical creams which did nothing.
Thanks Lolly. I haven’t eaten wheat, potatoes or rice since January, but I do eat quinoa, beans and buckwheat and have found my carb cravings have disappeared completely. I’ve given up the sugar periodically, but it really is my downfall. I didn’t even have any cravings when I decided to “treat myself” (grrrr, it is NOT a treat for my body), but of course now the sugar craving is back again. Have you stopped eating fruit? I definitely see a worsening of my skin when I eat sugar again, but it’s far from clear when I stop, although a couple of supplements seem to help a lot. I’m just wondering if fruit is making it worse, hence my decision to not eat it either for 2 weeks. I’d hate to give it up completely however…
Hi NG well I was a little bit annoyed with myself, especially yesterday after fasting all day only to eat a McDonalds in the evening. I didn’t even enjoy it that much!! But I’m not going to beat myself up too much about it we are only human and I can get back on track next week.
That’s an interesting link Lolly has posted! I really hope you see a difference in your skin NG, keep us posted about how you are getting on over the next two weeks!
NorthernGal, following a couple of weeks of moderate LCHF while away staying with relatives I’m doing strict LCHF, which doesn’t leave room for fruit as a choice. So, to answer your question, no fruit at the moment but I did eat berries a few times while I was away.
I am surprised by how little I miss it as I used to eat a fair bit of fruit and considered it healthy and essential. How would I exist without my apple a day??? Turns out, perfectly well. Fruit is not a banned item, I just don’t crave anything sweet these days.
I just stopped and looked at that last sentence. Wow. What a miracle life-changer this has been for me!
So nice to catch up with what you have all been doing. I’m grateful to each of you for being here, for listening and for sharing. We are stronger together. 🙂
Hi everyone! Hope you are all having a lovely Friday! Lolly your last sentence was lovely! Yes we ARE stronger together!! I’m very grateful for this forum and everyone in it to be able to share all my ups and downs!! Well I took the plunge and did weigh myself this morning and Eek!!! I’ve put on 3lbs!!!! THREE!! 😔😔 So a big downer instead of up for me this week but I’m going to take it on the chin! I’ve done the crime so now I’ll have to do the time!!! Got visitors this weekend and after that going to knuckle right down!!!
Happy weekend everyone!!
What an interesting turn of events going on. Lolly that was a very worthwhile read – you link. I know that sugar is also a problem for me and I do love fruit.
In summer I could easily exist on fruit alone but I know it stacks on the weight.
I saw a dietian years ago who told me an absolute sure-fire way to loose weight. She said to eat nothing but fruit till sundown and eat as much as you like – up to 20 pieces a day! Then for dinner have a small piece of protein, a big potatoe and some greens. I told her that as much as I love fruit I know it doesn’t love me but she insisted that I had to follow this for a month. No surprises, I put on 6 kg in that month! Needless to say I didn’t go back to her after that!
I have some berries with Greek yoghurt after dinner and I think as the Greek yoghurt is slightly sour, that detracts from the sweetness of the fruit.
Well done Ghirl on you 2 pound loss. We are a similar weight so you can follow me down the scales or I can follow you as you seem to be releasing at an incredible rate.
NG and Sky don’t be too disheartened if the scales go up a little, just remember that the lesser time the weight has been on your body the easier it is to remove. I haven’t had a blowout as yet but in late June we have 5 birthdays in a week so that is never a good week and I may just allow myself to let go if I feel like it.
Lolly that is wonderful about your skin and yes it is amazing how great you can feel when your body is working for you not against you. I noticed today how much freer I am moving around.
NG like you I have been avoiding wheat and rice but having quinoa and occasionally buckwheat. I do have potatoes occasionally as we can get low GI potatoes. They are not easy to buy but worth hunting for. Carisma potatoes is the name if you check with your supermarket.
After staying at my friends for the last 5 days and being in a totally different routine I will be interested to see what the scales say to me this weekend.
Do you girls all remember to drink a lot of water during the day?
time for bed.:-)
“I release all excess fat cells and any emotional baggage that is attached to them that no longer serve me. I am safe being slim.”
I’m as bad as any reformed addict, going on and on about the evils of sugar, but I can’t say enough about the benefits of dropping it. I used to be so congested in the morning — gone. Rosacea — gone. Fatigue — gone. Trouble sleeping — gone. Inflammation — greatly reduced.
The greatest benefit of all — I have pulled myself back from a diagnosis of diabetes. I’ve got my doctor reading up on LCHF and asking me for advice!
My point is, even if your case isn’t as extreme as mine, sugar really isn’t your friend. There’s no real way to flirt with it, either — not if you’re sensitive to it. Speckles, I had to smile when I read about your dietician — I wasted money on one just like that years ago.
We’re all here looking for the right fit for ourselves. Not only a weight loss diet but something we can live with forever. IF is a tremendous tool, allowing for wide variation of foods and styles of eating. Figuring out our personal combo is the trick but the rewards make it all worthwhile.
Let’s tap into that strength we have, and turn resistance to change into persistence to succeed. A call to action — let’s pull the trigger on our triggers!
Lolly you are so right and though I haven’t been doing No sugar I have certainly cut back a good 75% and feel so much better for it.
I am sleeping though the night, most nights and don’t have the fatigue I used to get in the afternoons. Mind you I am also not eating till dinner time and I think that helps as well.
I saw the rheumatologist the other day and he was very happy with me as a lot of my inflammation is down (I have Lupus) and I only needed cortisone injections in one toe not 4 as I usually have.
The other thing I really think that has helped me is reading and listening to The Gabriel Method. I love listening to my CD each night and it had helped me feel better about my body.
I was raped when I was in my late teens and since then have never felt safe in a body that was attractive and desirable and while I have forgiven this person I still never felt “safe” having a body that looks good. So I am working though the emotional issues that have contributed to my weight issues and releasing them along with the kilos.
I know we all have different triggers and as you said lets pull the trigger on whatever they may be and blast them (excuse me) the hell out of our lives.
Cheers
“I release all excess fat cells and any emotional baggage that is attached to them that no longer serve me. I am safe being slim.”
Gosh, what a horrible thing to have gone through, speckles. So sorry to read that. I’ve not had to experience anything so traumatic but can relate to what you say about feeling safe.
Just popping in to report that I’m another kilo down on last week, so very pleased with that. Onederland is coming ever closer. Just 7 pounds away. 😊 Maybe in another month I’ll be there. 200lbs was the weight I sort of hovered around from my late teens until my early 30s (apart from a year or so when I got down to about 180), so getting past that point will feel quite significant.
And Skyblue! Don’t worry about it. We all have to kick back every now and then. You’ll lose those 3lbs in no time.
You are a brave and strong woman, speckles, and I honour your journey towards healing. I was unfamiliar with the Gabriel Method so I looked it up and I can see how it could be quite helpful. Emotional trauma has been the start point for so many of us, when we found food as a solution to pain and weight as a distraction from other issues.
Weight loss involves so much more than the mechanics of dieting. We are complex creatures and our actions frequently belie our words. Understanding why this is so was key to my progress. As long as I could believe that weight was my only problem, I didn’t have to deal with anything else. As I began to unravel the tangle, I no longer needed the “protection” of the weight.
Physical recovery will take time but this time I’ll make it. I believe it will be the same for you, speckles. Hugs.
Congratulations MmeM. That’s fantastic news!!!
SB, I feel your pain! I completely went overboard on my trip away. Not only that but on the evening I got back too. I wasn’t going to weigh myself today but decided that that would only be burying my head in the sand. So, I took the plunge, expecting maybe 4 or 5 lbs added and it was 3 (like you SB!). Not great, but it could have been MUCH worse. Fasting today and going to fast on Tuesday and Thursday this week too, as birthdays on Friday on Sunday. I was going to postpone my sugar free 2 weeks until after mine and my son’s birthday this week, but enough is enough and I need to do something about the sugar. You’ve inspired me Lolly and I want to feel evangelical about not eating sugar, as you are. I was at a stage not so long ago when the thought of a sweet muffin would make me feel sick and I want to be back in that place. I also need to make sure I’m getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation absolutely makes me want to overeat and although my son’s sleep is much better, he still has health issues occasionally which means that I’ve still not had a full night’s sleep in 3 years. 4 hours sleep in a row makes me feel like superwoman the next day! Compared to Saturday night when I had about 4 hours in total!!
On the plus side, my skin is looking great. I’ve been trying a couple of things that were supposed to make the rosacea worse before it improved (oil pulling and diatomaceous earth to name but a couple of weird things I’m trying that are now part of my daily routine and I’d continue, even if my skin didn’t improve). And it’s working! Or something is, because it’s clearer than it’s been since last year. So, I guess it wasn’t the sugar that made it worse, as I had enough of that over the weekend to sink a small ship. However, maybe cutting it out will make the rosacea clear up completely I’m hoping.
I hope you all have a great week and that the weather has been beautifully sunny where you are too. It’s nearly the middle of the year and I can’t believe I’m 4 stone lighter than I was 5 months ago. This is the week where I get my determination back, get back on track and stop undoing all the good I’ve done. I need to get rid of the mentality that if I overeat I’ll lose it again the following week. That is true, but I’m risking getting caught in other bad cycle if I continue with that thought process, so back to my lovely healthy eating which releases my fat and toxins and makes me feel good. So there sugar!!
Thank you girls for you love and support. It really does mean a lot. This happened many years ago and I thought I had knocked it on the head until I started releasing weight again and of course as things do, it came back to bite me. I am OK with it though and better to beat it around the gils and deal with it then bury it.
We all have our own traumas and they all effect us in our unique ways.
I started to write this yesterday morning but due to the wild and wet weather we are having I lost both my power and internet. The power came on and off many times but the internet has just come back on.
Lolly, you put it in a nutshell and wrapped it up pretty well. It has been so easy to blame my weight on laziness, medical conditions and medications for years that I stopped acknowledging that there could be other causes.
The Gabriel method also deals with food issues and what to eat etc. He would totally agree with the NO SUGAR regime but says that when you are eating all the RIGHT foods, preferably organic and wholesome then your body no longer craves the foods that you used to. By visualising each night, you are training your mind and body into becoming what you desire it to be. It is a very interesting read and compliments the 5:2 nicely.
MMe WELL DONE on another kilo released. Some skinny person will be very happy to receive that, I am sure. I do think it is our responsibility to help these poor souls who cant make fat themselves by giving them ours with blessings.:-)
Time for bed and have a lovely week everyone.
Cheers
“I release all excess fat cells and any emotional baggage that is attached to them that no longer serve me. I am safe being slim.”
Not a good result for me…looks like a gain of a couple of pounds…but I am not going to let this defeat me!
We all have weeks like this! I will focus on how far I have come on this journey….and be grateful for the fact that we are here walking a little way together in mutual support!
Have a good, stron week folks!
Morning all!
NG and Buttonboots – looks like we all had a bit of a bad week last week! They were only blips and we can knuckle down and carry on! Sometimes I think its good to let our hair down a bit once in a while, these few pounds we have gained will easily be shifted! And hopefully we’ve all had a good time gaining them!! Its Monday and a new week so we can all start again with a fresh start!!
Hope you all have a wonderful week!!
Hello, I’m new to the diet – did my first fast day today. Ideally I need to lose about 7 stone but at the moment my aim is to get my weight and BMI down as my hubby and I want to try for a baby. I’ve found today ok, haven’t been too hungry but have drunk lots of water. I’m looking forward to seeing how I get on and am loving reading the success stories on this site.
Good morning! Six days since my last weigh in, but two more fasts completed. 😕 Slightly disappointed to see my weight hasn’t shifted at all – exactly the same as I was on Saturday morning. I was very surprised to see a big loss last week, so maybe this is just making up for it. I also binged on a big bag of cherries on Wednesday. I had intended to make them last but once I got started I just couldn’t stop. I bloody love cherries.
Good luck to everyone else weighing in today. 😀
Morning everyone!! MMe – oh well never mind at least its not a gain!! Its Friday weigh in today for me too – and I’ve put on AGAIN!!! Two weeks in a row! This week I’ve put on 0.75 of a pound so that’s 3 and 3 quarters of a pound in two weeks!! EEK!!! So that completely wipes out the meagre 3lb I lost in May – not a good month!!! But! This means it has given me a stealey determination to get back down to it and knuckle down! I’ve had two weeks of letting off steam now so the time has come to get back on it!! So fingers crossed for next week!!!
As MMe says good luck to everyone else weighing in and Happy Friday!!!
Morning Ladies! Disappointing about no loss MmeM, but your loss last week compensates hopefully. Oooooh cherries. I don’t blame you scoffing the whole lot!!
Oh no SB!! As you say, you’ve been letting off steam and I do think we all need to do that at times, otherwise this is just another unsustainable diet. I’ve got my fingers crossed for a loss for you for next weigh in and for a good fasting and food week next week. You can do it SB!! How’s Mr SB doing?
My weigh in today. I’ve released 2 1/2 lbs and am now back to 13 stone 1/2lb after my blow outs last week. Oooooh still so close to 12 something but not there yet – entirely my own fault of course! My fasts haven’t been great this week as I’ve been getting dizzy spells so haven’t done any proper fasting really, so I’m happy with the loss. Not sure what the dizziness is about. I’m hoping just the heat. I’ve not been having my delicious, colourful fruit salad breakfasts this week and I am really missing them (could this be causing the dizziness? Surely not). Not from a craving point of view, but simply just because they make me feel great. I’m going to try another 2 weeks sugar free (including fruit) and see if it helps my rosacea, otherwise I am definitely back on the fruit as it just makes me feel good and my tummy happy. I’ve been feeling really yuk after breakfast this week, with a heavy tummy.
Anybody doing LCHF recommend anything light for breakfast? I don’t want meat in the morning and everything seems to revolve around eggs which is fine once a week, but I don’t want them every day.
Well it’s my birthday on Sunday and I didn’t make the 12 stone 10lbs I was hoping, but then back in Jan my birthday goal was to be 14 stone something, so I’ll happily take the 13 stone!
Have a great weekend everyone!
I’ve been off the air all week staying while I was dog sitting and though I could read you posts I couldn’t reply.
Firstly welcome Mandza I hope you get as much out of this thread as I have. You have a wonderful incentive and why not try putting a baby picture on the fridge or cupboard to remind you in moments of weakness. It has been the best support for me and somewhere I can pour my heart out to and share my darkest secrets. A lot which wouldn’t be understood by someone who hasn’t had to struggle with weight issues.
Girls DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED. You have had your fling and now it is time to get back into the saddle. We will all have up and down weeks (literally) so don’t let it get to you and tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity for a fast day – OK well maybe Monday is. LOL
I am doing OK with my cleansings, I am in a good routine which helps and though with the long weekend here this weekend we have a couple of parties I am going to take healthy food along so if I am tempted it wont be so hard. I am getting close to my first goal and want to reach it by my 55th birthday which is the 22nd June.
Speaking of birthdays NG, I hope you have a lovely day and 21/2 lbs. is great!. It is my nephews birthday as well but he will be 2. Have you tried some Greek yoghurt for breakfast? I have come to love the slightly sour taste and often have it after dinner if I want a little something extra. As it is not sweet I don’t then crave more sweet things. or you could have some homemade hummus with some veggies. I know it isn’t standard breaky food but who cares!
The thing I am finding the hardest is the change of seasons and going from salads each night which I really enjoyed to cooked vegetables. I don’t have a lot of proteins, just a small amount and that hasn’t changed, though I have been making casseroles / slow cookers which have added ingredients = added cals. I usually add the veggies in to cool all in the one pot which does usually mean not quite so healthy meals as I was having.
I have just been selected from the office to go to the next conference which means I will need to get some clothes to wear. I don’t want to get anything yet as it is not for 2 months but there is a formal night as well as a Gala night and I have nothing appropriate that fits. Either too small and very old (saved it ) or is now too large. So added incentive for me.
Have a great weekend everyone
“I release all excess fat cells and any emotional baggage that is attached to them that no longer serve me. I am safe being slim.”
Thank you for the welcome speckles, I’m enjoying reading the posts. I’m weighing myself daily at the moment, started my fast days on Tuesday and have lost 1lb a day since then. I’m a little nervous about the weekend as we’re going to visit relatives so won’t have much say in the food but I will try to be good. But my hubby is suddenly excited about it too as he’s felt a difference already so that is helping to keep me motivated 😊
NorthernGal, you might try a full-fat unsweetened yogurt (Greek style, perhaps?) with some berries. Berries are the least sugary of the fruit section. Also, dizziness may result from salt loss in LCHF. Try a cup of bouillon or add some extra salt to your meal and see whether that helps. Just speaking personally here, my rosacea did clear while I was still using a little fruit, so my finger is pointing more at refined sugar. I’ll be most interested to hear your verdict on the two-week experiment. I’ve learned a lot by testing my own reactions these past few months. Well done on the weight loss and I wish you a very happy birthday!
Sky and MmeM, it’s baffling when we do do everything right and we see a gain! But we’re in this for the long haul and I love your determination to succeed. So I know you will. 🙂
I was able to report a dismissal of 4 lbs. this week although I’d hung fire for the previous fortnight, so I don’t worry about the fluctuations any more. My focus is on the health benefit of LCHF, and any weight loss is pure bonus.
Not that I wouldn’t rather get that bonus every week…
Ahh thanks NG! Congratulations to you on another 2½ loss!! That’s fantastic news and I bet you will be in the 12s next week!!! Happy Birthday for Sunday and be careful with that dizziness NG – that doesn’t sound too good? Hopefully it is the heat. Mr SB hasn’t dared weigh himself unfortunately but that’s perfectly okay – it’s his call. I wanted to because I want to be accountable for my actions, so to speak, and its given me a bit of a shock seeing a gain two weeks in a row. I LOVE Speckles word for it – a FLING!!! That’s just what it was a naughty fling and now I’ve got that out of my hair I can hopefully knuckle down again!!
Love Speckles suggestion of yoghurt for breakfast too – I love natural Greek yoghurt and I know what you mean NG if you are doing low carb and don’t want meat there’s not much choice other than eggs!!
Hope you all have a lovely weekend!!
Lolly!! 4lbs!! That’s absolutely amazing well done!!! I’m slightly ashamed to confess though that I haven’t been doing things at all right these past couple of weeks and have been an absolute PIG! So it shouldn’t be such a shock to me really – but never mind this is the beauty of any ‘diet’ it doesn’t really matter, every one of us will have weeks where we lose, stay the same and even gain but as long as we all get back on the saddle after a little hiccup then its all good!!
Well done Lolly 4lbs. even over 2 weeks is wonderful.
Mandaz, you are doing so well at releasing a lb a day. Don’t be discouraged if this doesn’t keep up though. I think most of us have been releasing 1-2 lbs a week in the long run and of course there are those weeks when nothing disappears then boom it goes the following week. Don’t be too hard on yourself over the weekend. It is more difficult when you are visiting, it is just making wise choices. It is great you have someone onside with you.
When I started, I was getting on the scales every day like you but now that I have been dog sitting and not near my scales I have only been weighing once or maybe twice a week. In a way there is less expectation and it is easier not to weigh so often but I can understand your excitement about wanting to. I know some on here don’t weigh at all but I couldn’t do that.
So often I find myself walking near a shop and thinking ” oh I could get a …. for afternoon tea (etc.) then realise I don’t want it. SO that is great!
SB- you have a great attitude and yes sometimes we need a break from it but you are back on board and you have stuck with us throughout so that is the main thing. Do you have a long weekend for the queens birthday this weekend like we do?
Well I have released another 1.3kg so only 1.2kg till I hit my first goal. Exciting!!!
Off to work now. Cheers all.
“I release all excess fat cells and any emotional baggage that is attached to them that no longer serve me. I am safe being slim.”
Well done Buttonboots on your release. You are quite right, it is very flexible eating this way and I know today I went to a party and ate quite a bit of cheese a bit of birthday cake and a couple of spinach triangles. I was so full I wont be having dinner tonight except maybe a bit of Greek yoghurt.
Have you found you cant eat as much as previously. My eyes want to but my stomach doesn’t.
SB, it must be so good having your Mr SB do this with you, even if he doesn’t step on the scales.
Cheers
all and here’s to a good week from all.
“I release all excess fat cells and any emotional baggage that is attached to them that no longer serve me. I am safe being slim.”
Hi ladies 🙂
Ive got a long story but will start back in 2002. Im american and had a gastric bypass at just under 29st (402lbs). Lost about 12st (235lbs) with relative ease over the next year. In 2003 I met my (English) hubby and we got married in 2004 and I moved over here (NE England). Lots of reasons lead me to gain weight pretty rapidly after moving here and by summer 2005 I was back up to 280lbs and pretty unhappy about it. Had our first daughter in 2009 and after she was born weighed in at 301lbs. I panicked and got the weight back down to 275ish pretty quick. Then in 2012 we had our 2nd daughter. And again 303lbs. So in 2013, I had had enough of struggling and battling still and enough of WW and SW, Scottish slimmers and various other failures (ive done every diet going!) and just constantly having to think about it, worry about it, track points, count cals, count checks, etc etc I walked with hubby and I got his ok to try VLCD. I order my first week supply of sachets and at the end of the week I had lost 11lbs. HELLO! SOLD! It was hard but I loved that I could just not think about anything other than mixing up my sachets when it was time for a meal and that was it.
Within a few weeks, I started to feel ill and went off the diet. A few months later (and another go at WW!!! and fail!) I decided that I would probably be ok doing it again if I added a low carb meal or an extra sachet in. So i went back on it in Oct 2013 at 265lbs. And by March i was down to 214. Felt great. Im 5’9″ and have lots of loose skin as well…so this was actually a very comfortable weight for me. I felt better in my skin, I could move far more freely. I felt really good. However, I kept thinking that I should probably get closer to my recommended BMI (mistake!) and was aiming for 185-190. So was doing ok but it was, obviously, incredibly restrictive. And I grew tired of having to avoid social events and not having the freedom to just live. We also decided that we would move to the USA so things got hectic and I just sorta went off the diet and tried to maintain by kinda continuing with low carb and low cal but with food. The move over went very wrong when 3 weeks after we got there (Oct 2014) my eldest daughter was hit by a car. She was, thankfully, ok. Only suffered road rash on her leg, lots of cuts/scrapes/bruising. And quite a lot of emotional and mental trauma. But she mended and is fine now. However, that gave us the push we needed and we realized that it wasnt going to work out and we returned home to the UK and started from scratch again. Over the last year and a halfish since we got back to the UK I have maintained my weight at 250ish (give or take 5lbs) and that’s been through trying to get back onto vlcd packets (and failing). Every time I would try to start again, within a couple of days I would feel dizzy and just very unwell. Ive kept carbs low and tried to keep cals low as well, in the main. But have had enough “bad” days that I havent made any headway with losing and have only maintained.
My most recent attempt was the body coach’s lean in 15 book. But its just too calorie, fat, carb and meat heavy for me. Im a vegetarian.
Last night I was sitting here thinking about everything I have tried and failed at and trying to figure out where Im going wrong and what would truly be est for me…etc. And I for some reason I remembered seeing Dr Mosley on the BBC at various different times and thought I would google what he was about. So I did….and that lead me to here. Ive had a look at the various books there are and am not really sure where to start. I would like to get 3-4stone off and really want to start exercising (have started to dip my toes into HIIT and working out. its never been a strong point for me) and get myself not just thinner but stronger and healthier.
I generally eat a decent diet, its just the junk that add in that is my downfall. I really want to find something that i can just do for life – no crazed tracking of points or healthy extras or eating “space food” sachets as my hubby calls it.
Any advice on which book (s) to get would be appreciated.
Sorry for the long post and thanks! xx
All of us on this thread have got a few things in common…we have all got a fair amount to lose…and we are all on the 5:2 plan….there’s always room for one more…so a big welcome!
Oh, I know how you feel about having tried every diet going! The terrific thing for me is that I don’t see 5:2 as a diet. This is great, because diets don’t work!….even better is that 5:2 DOES work. It is slower than some diets, but stick with it and you WILL see results.
You won’t need any faddy ‘space food’ sachets…this is ALL about eating real food! 2 days a week you will need to track your calories – and stick to 500 calories. The other 5 days you eat up to your TDEE (this is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure…the number of calories you need each day…you can find a little button on the top left of this page …I think it is part of the ‘tracker’ that will work this out for you)…for a few weeks you might lick to track/count these calories, but many people find that they soon get an idea of how much to eat on their 5 non-fast days.
On fast days, I go low/no carbs – purely because I get more food for my 500 cals this way!…On other days I eat healthily but still keep an eye on the refined carbs. A small treat of good quality chocolate is vital for me! But sweet fizzy drinks are something I like to avoid – even the ‘diet’ variety….I think my body is better for not having them.
You don’t need any books – but if you WANT to then Michael Mosely and Mimi Spencer have written the guide to 5:2..and there is a good 5:2 recipe book if you are a keen cook.
I am all for making 5:2 fit into your life…which is not really all that hard! You should be able to fit in all your favourite vegetarian recipes…and even adapt some of them for fast days!…and there need be very little difference in what you cook for you and what you serve to your husband! (He gets larger portions, and on fast days you can add potatoes or rice to his plate)
Best of luck!…and you will find the gang here are very supportive and friendly!
Thanks Button!
This seems so much in line with what I have been doing over the last couple of years…but with the added bonus of not having to do it every single day.
Do you have/recommend the book(s)? Or should I just go for it. I understand the principles and its pretty straight forward.
I also totally get you with regards to more food on FD if you cut out carbs. I have a feeling quorn stir fries/salads and egg whites scrambled with veg are going to be mainstays for me on those days. I already use MFP and have a fair idea of how much to eat but will definitely track it all for a few weeks at least, just to make sure im on track. also, my tdee is really high *gasp* I havent really eaten more than like 1800 cals in a day in a very very long time. And even that is not terribly common. Would it be ok to stick to a lower number on NFDs? Not ridiculously low, but maybe 1500-1800 – bearing in mind that I dont eat meat and will also be low carbing on NFDs. So that’s quite a lot of food. lol.
I have the guide to 5:2…and the recipe book too (for inspiration)…maybe you could get them from the library and see what you think?….It is by no means necessary to have them.
I would stick to the TDEE figure given for the first week…but be strict with weighing! I had a VERY high TDEE at first, but I still lost weight – and of course recalculate your TDEE as you lose the weight – your fast dat cals stay at 500, but your TDEE will go down!…Having said that the TDEE is an upper limit, feel free to eat less – but not too much less…the whole basis of the plan is 2 fasts and 5 ‘normal’ days.
Oh, and for your fasting eggy scramble – maybe consider one yolk…and consider a drop of oil on green veggies…a little fat is needed in a healthy diet…some of your vitamins are fat-soluble too! …I often save a few calories for a teensy bit of oil on my veggies – tastes good and is healthy!
I do use coconut and olive oils and also grass fed (kerrygold) butter (not massive amounts though) as I too think a bit of good quality fat is really healthy.
Thanks for the advice and info! 🙂
Im gonna have a think about it and decide when to start properly with a FD. I need to make sure I am prepared and stocked so I can be sensible and reasonable with it all. But also, quite eager to get going. Have both my 38th birthday and our holiday booked in Sept and i would like to have made a nice little dent in it by then.
Hi Bee,
Youre vegetarian and youre eating less than your TDEE currently? Then you need to do a very honest audit of what you are eating and the portion size. Im suspecting that it must contain lots of sugar and simple carbs like pasta, rice, pizza, potatoes, bread and grain based foods etc. Grain based carbs will spike your insulin levels. Eliminating simple sugars and carbs will lower the insulin spikes which will help a lot. To significantly lower your basal insulin levels there really isn’t any short cuts. You need to fast. 500 cals gets you there, sort of. If you can do a water only fast for 36 hours that’s even better. Not saying its easy but its do-able. You might get slight headaches for about a month but they go away once your liver actually starts functioning as a liver again. It will take a while for your liver to process and convert fats into glucose and ketones as it hasn’t had to do it for a long time.
When I first stared 5:2 I did 600 cals for about two weeks. Couldn’t be bothered counting calories so decided to just do my 2 days as water only fast days. To my surprise I actually found it easier to do water only fasts!! Im now in maintenance and still do one day per week as a water fast.
Give it a try, drink lots of water. Prior to eating anything try and drink two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. It will decrease your insulin spikes. I drown my veggie salads in vinegar.
Good luck.
Hi Beelishy and welcome on board. Buttonboots and Bigbooty have given you some great advice. The one thing we all have in common is that we have all been on numerous diets and while they may have worked at the time, they were not a long term solution. I did a VLCD drink for an entire year. Put not a thing in my mouth but the diet drink, black coffee or water and I did lose 30kg and got to 154lbs. This was my lowest weight since childhood. However, it wasn’t sustainable for many reasons, I wasn’t comfortable at that weight and mentally you have to be there as well as physically and once I got back to eating, I wanted to taste all the things I has missed out on.
I have been on 5;2 since March and have now released nearly 35lbs. I still have along way to go but that is OK as I can see it happening and it is consistent. As I am not a breakfast person and I tend not to get hungry till I eat, most days I don’t eat till dinnertime and have a good healthy meal with often some Greek yoghurt and fruit for afters. I have found that I am eating less as mu stomach has shrunk and often don’t finish my meal.
The other big thing I am doing is visualisations. I bought the book the Gabriel method and it is a really inspiring read. He talks a lot about different types of obesity form physical to mental to emotional and how traumas in our lives can make us put on weight just to make us feel safe. The book came with a CD which I do every night as I am going to sleep. He also is very knowledgeable on foods and what is important to our bodies so I have incorporated a lot of this into my diet. Such as eating organic and grass fed produce as they have the essential nutrients we need and how the processed foods while they have nutrient, they are usually corrupted and out bodies cant assimilate them. Well worth a read and a listen to the CD. I am not advocating this instead of the 5:2 but as an addition to it as you can follow both.
I would also recommend finding a photo of you at your most comfortable and putting it somewhere where you will constantly be seeing it.
Oh I did buy the 5;2 book before I started as I didn’t understand how it worked and it did help me but I hadn’t found the board at that stage.
What is hubby like? Does he need to release weight as well or have you taken it on for the both of you. And your daughter? I am just curious as you have been through so many traumatic events.
In the end, you will try variations of the 5:2 and come up with the one that suits you best and that is the one you will stick with for life.
All the best and keep us posted.
“I release all excess fat cells and any emotional baggage that is attached to them that no longer serve me. I am safe being slim.”
Bigbooty, that is interesting about the apple cider vinegar. I will put it on my shopping list for tomorrow.
I suspect that the reason I feel hungry and tired after eating is because of the insulin spikes- I do have insulin resistance.
Thanks for sharing that.
“I release all excess fat cells and any emotional baggage that is attached to them that no longer serve me. I am safe being slim.”
Morning 🙂
Thanks for the warm welcome and the advice!
Big, I use MFP to track my intake and I can tell you that I honestly don’t eat any pasta, potatoes, rice, cereal…etc. I do have half a bagel thin ever morning with my eggs though. My problem is this. I will stay on track for a few days…and inadvertently fall off the wagon. I will have a few biscuits, a bar of chocolate, a pizza, a BK veggie burger/fries. (Not all on the same day!! lol Havent dont that kinda eating for years). So Im eating really quite healthily and way under tdee (tdee is about 2200 for me…I calculated it yesteday but cant remember the exact figure. will do it again) most days, yes. But then on bad days..its not just extra food…its crappy stuff. And that happens approx twice-three times a week. Almost the reverse of 4:3 and sans fasting. lol. This is why Im maintaining and not gaining weight. a typical good day for me is this
B: a half a cup of egg whites, handful of torn spinach, a slice of quorn ham all scrambled in 2 tspn butter and a slice (presliced) of cheddarwith sliced small tomato on a half bagel thin.
L: Salad leaves topped with roasted sprouts and quorn chicken pieces. 1tbspn hellmanns caesar dressing
D: Quorn chicken pieces (100-150g) stir fried in a little olive or coconut oil with cauli rice, torn spinach, half a chopped courgette, a large mushroom. Cooked in veg stock powder and a few spoons of home made tomato salsa (tinned toms, onion, garlic, corriander, lime juice blended together).
Snacks are usually a WW yog and an alpen light bar or a rice cake with philly light
I know that there are several sources of sugar in there but if you plug it into mfp – its not anywhere near the levels where I would be failing to shift any weight.
The problem comes in when Im having a greedy day and my insolent child-mind decides that I will flamin well have A BISCUIT IF IT WANT ITTTTT. lol. *sigh* Because then it isnt just 1 biscuit. Its 5 or 6…and a few of daughters’ crisps. And a bananaa with pb. And a handful of chocolate buttons….and then “i cant be bothered to cook tonight, lets just order pizza”…do you see what I mean?
So this is what I have to nip in the bud. And if I can eat well and normally 4 or 5 days out of 7, a bit more lax and higher cals (but obvs addressing my appalling snack choices lol) then I think I would breeze through 2 or 3 fast days a week. It makes sense in my logical mind – the trade off is worth it.
I have ACV in my cupboard which Ive just bought as my balsamic ran out and I thought I would try something different! havent had it yet but will do today. Woo! Little things make me excited. Ha!
Speckles – I commend you for sticking to shakes for a full year. I couldnt ever do shakes only and (I used exante) often had their meal replacement pancakes. Like…very very often. 3 x a day for several days. It worked brilliantly for me but isnt sustainable and i got bored and rebellious and other life things happened and I just couldnt be bothered anymore.
Hubby is also overweight but he does his own thing entirely. Ive tried to get him to come along for the ride with me several times but he just cant complicate things like that. He has breakfast (similar to mine, 3 eggs a slice of ham, a tomato and a whole bagel thin) and then eats nothing all through the day. Then has either 2 veggie burgers (he isnt veggie but theyre lower in cals) or a big egg scramble with lots of veg and ham and 2 slices toast). Then he has a babybel, rice cake and cereal bar before bed to take his tablets with. He is losing weight well and consistently and he likes the simplicity of his own regime.
My girls are perfectly fine and healthy. We dont discuss dieting in front of them and try not to make a big deal of food. Nothing is forbidden or not allowed, but we always have good healthy things in the main. I was determined not to pass this on to my girls! My 6 year old does have food issues but its a sensory thing as opposed to a “your parents are fat and have messed you up” thing. So she doesnt like squidgy things (think eggs and cheese and pasta and cooked veg etc) but she loves fruit and raw veg (spinach, broccoli, peppers!) And she has peanut butter (natural. no added anything, no palm oil, no salt or sugar. just nuts) for protein along with greek yog with berries from time to time. My 4 year old is autistic and has the most healthy attitude to food. She eats if she’s hungry and leaves it if shes not or when she gets full. WE let her get on with it.
Hubby is off work Sun/Mon so Im planning to has my first FD tomorrow. I may start off with doing the 500 to start and then drop it completely and just have water as i go along, after a few FDs under my belt as I also like the idea of “less hassle” and if its even better for you, why not, right?! lol
Thanks again ladies! 🙂 Im actually feeling a strange, but welcome sense of relief now.
Morning all
some great advice in the last few posts. Just a quick personal update on the last 2 weeks – stayed the same and last wk down 3lbs. Pleased with that as it covered short breaks away and lots of eating out. Thanks as usual for the reminders and ideas for a change – dark chocolate in my shopping basket this week and thinking might try Greek yoghurt with small pinch of coconut and fruit…..
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