If your clothes are looser but the scales are the same, read on

This topic contains 3,812 replies, has 216 voices, and was last updated by annette52 16 hours, 24 minutes ago.

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annette52

6:32 pm
17 Feb 15
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George Clooney and Colin Firth together could not entice me to get up that early to go to a bootcamp in the freezing cold!I have balked at going to the gym that is 5 mins away when it has been pouring with rain.

I have been out walking in the sun today. Chilly but blue skies and the first lot of washing out on the line in the sunshine. It always makes me feel that spring is around the corner and the grey days are behind us. A tad optimistic for someone that lives in the UK, with rain forecast for Thursday and Friday.

My garden is waking up(well the bit not in the total shade) and I have been thinking about what to plant where that I might eat on FD in the summer.I adore raw peas/salmon/salad eaten in the garden…bliss.

I am thinking of another FD tomorrow. I have been very hungry today(I always am after a FD) but I have been mindful.So about to eat soon and then whip up some pancakes.I am very impressed with all of you doing workouts.

etherial

6:51 pm
17 Feb 15
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Annette, don’t know if you’ve ever tried cauliflower mashed potatoes. That’s all we eat around here. Saves calories, and you really can’t tell it’s made from vegetables. I don’t use milk or cream, just butter after you drain and dry them in the same pot you used to cook them in. Get all of the moisture out and stir in a tablespoon of good butter and some salt.

I also do my pizza crust with cauliflower. Totally, undetectable.

Rockin’

stephmcc

7:01 pm
17 Feb 15
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Hello Annette52, Im only on week 4 of 5:2 and reading your post from August last year is so encouraging for me . I am loosing weigh and have increased my exercise swimming and gym exercise have really helped. I weigh myself once a week but this week there didnt seem to be much differance ,however my family keep encouraging me telling me that they can see the weigh loss and I can feel it in my clothes , I will follw your advice and start measuring myself . you have been so inspiring thank you

belgianbeer

7:55 pm
17 Feb 15
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Hi all,

@Bootsybadger, yes, Belgian beers are enormous in calories – and lovely 🙂

Today I tracked my non-fast calories anyway and I still have some left for my TDEE which should be 1750. I have to say I ate pretty much today and still there are some calories left. I already find that fasting is somehow easier, because it is so clear what you can have. I did develop a headache this afternoon, I think because of 2 sweets I had at work and a salami sandwich – all processed stuff with fats / sugars in them. So I should pay more attention to what I eat on non-fast days; enough fruits, vegs.

Either way, my food awareness has grown a lot over the past weeks and I am planning to continue! Some day I might even make a nice recipe from the book..

Good night to all and good luck.
Every new day is a first one if you want it to be 🙂

jzan

9:42 pm
17 Feb 15
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I’m realizing that I can get through a FD fine, especially because I plan ahead and have lots of liquids ready–coffee, miso, tea, veg juice. But after eating my way through breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack by 2pm, I think I’ve realized I have to plan for the day AFTER the FD. I exercise every day so I end up starved the day after fasting. Does this happen to anyone else? What do you eat? I am going to be right at my TDEE or over today…

Lori_PA

10:54 pm
17 Feb 15
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jzan…the only thing I can say is be sure you’re eating enough protein and healthy fats. That’s the guidance I’ve gotten. You’re building muscles with the exercise and you need protein to feed them! Even on a fast day, I have a protein shake after my boot camp workout. It’s only 130 calories made with unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I use egg white protein(powdered) and there are virtually no carbs or fat. Lots of good protein. That shake keeps me satisfied until lunch and I have it at 7AM. On an eating day, I’ll have the shake and then also have a TB of coconut oil in my 2nd cup of coffee.

Good luck!

snedger

12:07 am
18 Feb 15
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ummm… crossing ideologies might lead to a new idea – but according to the science – one of the main reasons for fasting is to lower IGF-1 hormone levels and go in to body cellular repair mode – that is why I have zero calories on a fast day – I’ve said it before -Weight loss is a side effect of Adf -if people want to use “fasting” purely for weight loss then they’ve got to consider becoming calorie professors – denial and calorie content ignorance is just too risky IMO.

annette52

8:25 am
18 Feb 15
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Lots of interesting ideas.
My goal has been to get to healthy weight for my height. I have to be able to maintain that in a way that doesn’t make life or food miserable. I like to bake cakes/bread and we enjoy pasta/rice/curry etc as a family, which is important to us as we usually all sit down for the evening meal.
I have no desire to become a ‘calorie professor’ or track every morsel.
The whole point of this way of life for me was to maintain the joy of food, but have less of it.Rice/pasta/meusli are all weighed, roast potatoes halved and counted.I have 4 young men to feed every day, FD or not.By cutting my daily tea consumption in half I have cut out another 4 tsp sugar/day, I drink far more water now.I also try to eliminate snacks and have a glass of water and an apple.
Changing habits are the key, I believe.I am going out with friends for the day on Thursday. There will be tea and cake mid morning, wandering round the shops with lunch out somewhere.I suspect my choices will be made on what I like to eat, rather than the calorie content, but I might surprise us both!I am shrinking, my portions are smaller and I continue to enjoy food.
Any other benefits of fasting are most welcome, but I do it simply to lose weight.
My FD is to miss breakfast and then eat at lunchtime if I am at work(or late afternoon if not). I may not be the fastest looser, but I am happy with what I eat and could maintain this forever, which is the key for me.
The joy of this way of life is that we can do this in the way that suits us best There is no right or wrong way within x2 FD and either 500 cals or 600 cals. It is a joy and i wish I had known about this 30 years ago.

etherial

3:07 pm
18 Feb 15
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Lori, sounds like you’re familiar with bullet-proof coffee. I’ve been having it every morning this week and it keeps me full until lunch. Around 11-12:30pm. I make a large pot with 2T grass fed butter and 2 T coconut oil and whip it in the blender with Splenda. DH doesn’t care for coconut, but loves this. It turns into a beautiful, thickened latte.

I truly endorse this concoction. It tastes great and I’ m literally, losing weight because of its appetite suppressing properties (fats), but because it’s 0 carbs. I’ll be in those skinny jeans for real, this time.

Lori_PA

3:32 pm
18 Feb 15
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Annette…I’m with you! I want to enjoy life and be healthy at the same time! My goal is to make good choices most of the time…throw in some Fasts and get on with life! Sounds like you’re doing great!

etherial…yes, I have often read about the bullet proof coffee, but have never taken the time to make it properly. I just stir my coconut oil into my coffee and it creates an oil slick on the top, but that doesn’t bother me. I don’t have time in the morning for getting out the blender and messing around. I’m on the move from the minute I get home from boot camp. Maybe when I retire I’ll make BP coffee the right way!

Got a boot camp session in this morning. It was cardio boxing so I got to take some aggression out on the heavy bag! 😉 We did quite a bit of running today too which I needed after my run in with some donuts yesterday. OY..it was not pretty. Fasting today and a good workout should help put things to rights!

Hoping to get another boot camp session in tomorrow morning and then I’m heading to my sister’s for a long weekend. Fun!

Have a good day all!

jzan

5:32 pm
18 Feb 15
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@annette52–wow, it’s something to hear how you seem to have found a peaceful, non anxious relationship to food. I am still working on that. I think I need to remind myself of the good things I’ve done since I started about 4 weeks ago–almost no refined sugar at all, much less alcohol, lots more veggies, getting back into yoga. I wish the scale would reflect all of that but somehow I need to stop letting the weigh in depress me so much. And I need to stop being afraid of food on my non fast days.

annette52

8:10 pm
18 Feb 15
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I work in admin in a senior school and some staff bring me chocolates for Easter and Christmas as they know that I love them. I have been saving them and sharing them out with the boys at Christmas. I have just been given some rather lovely individual chocolates and idly thought I would find out how many calories was in each one….85! So they are staying in their tin and will come home at Easter to be inhaled by the boys.
I am just more mindful. I would eat tubes of mints that come in a pack of 5, then I read the back and found out that they were 200 calories/tube!I would buy myself a packet of sweets to eat at the cinema…500 calories…..so that habit is broken.A 1000 calories for a medium bar of chocolate???It is just not worth it to me.

I would far rather be able to wear clothes that are too tight/can’t do up.It is a really long way to run to burn that up and I have neither the time, the energy or the inclination!I am a work in progress.

Well done on all of those changes.Food is just food.Your body is probably playing catch up and may well be a bit stunned with so many changes in such a short time. Keep going and you will see the changes over the coming weeks. Scales are just one tool, don’t allow the tyranny of the scales to make you miserable.

I have said it a million times but this is a marathon and not a sprint.

How is everyone?

annette52

9:10 am
20 Feb 15
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I went out with friends yesterday in the torrential rain. I had a rather large and fabulous slice of Carrot Cake mid-morning, then Fish and Chips for lunch. I ate what I liked, with no concern for the calories.I wasn’t hungry at all in the afternoon or evening, so ate nothing else. Out of curiosity I totted up the calories and found that I had reached my TDEE for the day.

I am having a 3rd FD today to see if I can and also to shake things up.Hopefully the tape measure will show up a positive change tomorrow. Back to work next week, so that will mean 5 weeks of 2 FD/week.What changes will there be by Easter? I love chocolate too!

annette52

9:06 am
21 Feb 15
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Morning Fast Friends,
I was a bit disappointed when I stepped on the scales this morning to find that I had lost 1 lb. BUT when I got the tape measure out, I could see the changes. I have lost 2 inches all over which is fabulous, and a whole inch off the real(around the belly button) waist!

This was followed by a skirt try on which confirms the waist shrinkage. I even found a couple of pairs of size 10 jeans at the back of the cupboard, that have never been worn(they were bought in a mood of great optimism). I could get them on and up, but some way to go before they will ever be zipped up.I am thrilled.

After my lunch on Thursday, I then fasted until a light FD lunch on Friday and then fasted again until my evening meal when I broke the fast at 7pm.It was a trial, just to see if I was hungry and how I felt.It was fine and I was very ready for pasta bolognaise. I slept well and didn’t wake early for breakfast either.

I haven’t been to the gym or out for a run or Ceroc either. But I have made sure that I have walked a minimum of 10,000 steps every day.

jzan

2:37 pm
21 Feb 15
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congratulations annette52! wow!

I’m personally feeling pretty depressed reading posts on this site and might have to stay away for a while. after 4 weeks my weight is refusing to change even though I’m counting calories every day and doing cross fit and lifting weights. I’ve gone off a medication that I think might have been affecting things. I only have 14 pounds total to lose to get back to my college/ideal weight and it’s taking forever. I’ve read about others who lost that in 5 weeks.

annette52

3:34 pm
21 Feb 15
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Hi jzan. thanks, but the whole idea of this thread was not to depress folk, but rather to show that for many of us this is a slow process, with ups and downs along the way.Losing 14 lb in 5 weeks seems both extraordinary and unsustainable.

Have you thought about having a week without exercise just to see what happens? Have you shrunk anywhere? I have read that several folk have stopped what they were doing and tried something else…and the lbs started to move. What about swimming and skipping? I have read that the body gets used to a type of exercise, so it is good to do something completely different for a while and then switch back.

I go swimming when it is warm, rather than run.I walk lots every day. I was thinking about trying some skipping outside when it is warmer.I am wondering if the inch off the waist is just a coincidence on the week that there has been no gym/running/ceroc.

I also have 14lb to get to the highest boundary of a weight that would be good for my height, which I haven’t been for about 30 years.Let me know what you decide and what the result is.

jzan

4:16 pm
21 Feb 15
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Thanks annette52. and of course I’m happy for everyone who’s having great results.

I swim in the summer but it’s too cold here now. On the weekends I add in snowshoeing and cross country skiing. I have read that exercise can cause you to retain water, but even with that there should still be a decline.

Measurements haven’t changed significantly although my clothes are fitting a little better. The last time I really focused on diet and exercise, in spring 2012, the pounds pealed off–I dropped about 8 lbs in just 2 months, restricting calories every day. I think it might be related to medication–Hopefully I’ll see a result from going off soon. Otherwise maybe it means 5:2 just isn’t going to work for me.

annette52

5:09 pm
21 Feb 15
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Good heavens you do an awful lot of exercise. The whole point of the 5:2 is rather than a quick fix it becomes a way of life, I imagine that when I reach my goal of a 30 inch waist(whether it is this year or next), I will continue to fast 1 day a week forever.I look on fast days as a ‘switch’ that must be re-set to enable me to eat mindfully, rather than gorge like the end of the world is nigh.

I do note your comments about weight that peeled off in spring 2002. I assume that weight has snuck back on?

Perhaps the medication is slowing the weight loss, perhaps you need to consider that a slower but sustainable shrinkage is worth the longer wait? It is, of course, your choice and I wish you well in whatever you choose to do.

jzan

5:54 pm
21 Feb 15
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Hi annette52, yes I gained 10 lbs in just the last year. I have been between 130-135 lbs for most of my adult life and am now at 146–combination of work stress, I think, as well as maybe meds. I’m 5’5″ by the way so definitely have never been a twiggy figure.

I do exercise a lot but I actually really enjoy it. That part isn’t hard for me.

desperate but driven

11:03 pm
21 Feb 15
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Hi jzan,

By any chance are you taking estrogen? I was on it for a bit and immediately put on 5 pounds. It was also taking me forever to come off! It’s so frustrating!

etherial

2:24 am
22 Feb 15
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Desperate but driven’s post got me to wondering what exactly goes on in our bodies when taking estrogen and 13 others: Paxil, Depakote (bipolar disorder, seizures, migraines), Prozac, Remeron (antidepressant), Zyprexa (antipsychotic), Deltasone (prednisone), just to name several (meant to name a few, but I got carried away). A woman I worked with was placed on Prednisone and her face blew up like a moon. Poor thing. This woman prided herself on her attire and she could hardly fit her wardrobe until she was weaned off of it.

It’s funny how the government is worried about the obesity rate, yet they prescribe medication that actually is the cause of a good number of obesity cases. It’s sort of a catch-22. Damned if you’re fat and damned if you won’t be soon!

I sure hope I never need any of those “remedies”. I’d rather eat cheeseburgers naked.

annette52

11:53 am
22 Feb 15
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There are always side effects with drugs. So if the benefits outweigh them..

I have been tinkering with my diet after reading that a low fat diet might not be as good for us as we were all told, fat might be better than we thought and that the real issue was sugar. I have drastically reduced my sugar intake in the form of chocolate/cakes/tea consumption etc. I have stopped skimmed milk and now have semi in tea. The next change is to go from fat free yoghurt to full fat to have with my meusli, with a difference of about 30cals/100g.

Last night, boys were in and out at all different times so I decided to buy ready meals for those of us at home(a rare event). Once I had picked myself off the floor with the calorie count of my planned Chinese meal, side dishes were immediately consigned to the freezer to be shared another time along with half the egg-fried rice. I thoroughly enjoyed it but was very aware that I was over my TDEE and today there will be a roast.Ho hum.

Never mind Fast Friends onwards and downwards. Back to work tomorrow for another 5 weeks, by which time I am hoping for a smaller waist and even a bit off the hips. Back to the gym next week, to improve my upper arms for the season of short sleeved tops ahead, there is ‘jiggle’ that needs to go.

My friend is coming over from Australia at the end of March and I would like there to be less of me by then. It has also occurred to me that my son will graduate in the summer and I want to ‘have’ to buy a new smart dress for that and to look toned for that great day.I also have a pair of pink shorts never been worn that are hanging in my wardrobe, which I hope to wear this summer.But my really great wish is to able to wear a bikini again and to look good in it, it might not be this year, but that is another goal and one that I am working towards.

My top tip to any new fasters is do not buy any new clothes in the shops, but keep going to charity shops as you lose weight and change shape. I have found some lovely clothes and my outgrown clothes have hopefully made someone happy too.

Lori_PA

5:27 pm
23 Feb 15
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Happy Monday everyone!

I was away for the weekend, but kept up with reading here on my Kindle. I was with my sister for 3 days and boy do we like to eat! A bit of this and a bit of that for 3 days..yikes! I’m avoiding the scales until March 1st and then I’ll face the music. I’m shooting for an every 2 week weigh in.

Enjoying a fast day today as I think my body is relieved that I’m not stuffing all manner of junk down my gullet! May do 2 fasts and one half-fast this week to try to undo some of the damage. Planning for 4 sessions of boot camp….first one of the week done this morning. YAY!

Have a good Monday everyone!

etherial

5:46 pm
23 Feb 15
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There seems to be a lot of athletes on this thread and I desperately need some advice on enduring “the burn” when I’m working out. I’m doing resistance training and my arms are screaming mee-mees part of the way through. I’m serious. It’s 15 minutes of pure hellfire! What can I do? I tried pretending I’m a Victoria Secret’s Model, working out before a show, I tried pretending I’m a triathlete, working towards the gold metal or something, but most of the time, my mind comes back to it hurts like hell and I want to quit!

Any suggestions? I really want buffed arms, but need to “man-up or woman-up or even 7-Up!” Help!!!

annette52

7:39 pm
23 Feb 15
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What are you doing exactly?

etherial

8:57 pm
23 Feb 15
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The Bar Method, and the burlesque models work out lower body. I found that one on YouTube. It’s really challenging.

I completed the bar method this morning. It’s really short I’m just being a whiner. I’ll do the other work out this afternoon.

Bootsy Badger

11:58 pm
23 Feb 15
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Oh yeah, I used to do The Bar Method. Once I even did 20 lifts (of the beer glass) in 2 minutes! 🙂

etherial

12:55 am
24 Feb 15
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HA! You’re good!

jzan

1:30 pm
24 Feb 15
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Hi ethereal, I still remember when I started lifting and felt like I’d been hit by a truck in the morning for a week. My suggestion (totally unscientific) is to take as many breaks as you need to rest and stretch the muscle you’re working. And also to modify moves. It took me almost a year to work up to being able to do a regular push up rather than on my knees, but the knee modification is what got me there.

Thanks to all for your encouragement a few days ago. I did some research and the meds I’m on are known to cause 5-15 lbs weight gain and to increase cortisol production, which explains why I have been unable to lose much in terms of pounds or inches. I’m slowly decreasing the dose and hope to see the reward of all my fasting and exercise in the coming weeks…and actually under these conditions just stopping the weight gain and losing a few pounds is a real result.

Lori_PA

1:36 pm
24 Feb 15
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Good grief……2 hard days of boot camp in the books. Thank goodness tomorrow is an off day. So many squats and jumps and running and today we did a lot of upper body with weights. I may not be able to lift my arms to wash my hair by tomorrow. ACK!!

Fasted yesterday, so I’m looking forward to some good food today. I have dinner all planned, but not sure what to have for lunch. I’ll be having a Greek yogurt at some point today.

I just can’t seem to get warm this morning. It was -2F when I went to boot camp and will be lucky to get to 20F today. This cold weather is really starting to get to me. Even my hands are like ice sitting here in my office with a heater running under my desk!

What is new with everyone?

etherial

3:09 pm
24 Feb 15
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Janz, thanks. I should be taking breaks, but thought I needed to stay in cadence with the instructor. Not by choice, but I took several breaks yesterday during the second half of the ab segment. By the time we got to the glutes and thighs, I was on permanent break for the day! What a shameful woman I was; I tossed and turned during the night and before I drifted off, I vowed I’d come back today and do the entire glute & thigh segment to completion.

I’ll embrace the burn and pretend I’m a ballerina (in pain).

Peace

Bootsy Badger

12:08 am
25 Feb 15
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Hello again

jzan, I’m really glad you looked into effect of your meds and have revised your goals (for time being). I didn’t post last week but was reading and I was worried you were being a bit harsh on yourself and might give up. Best of luck with reducing the meds; stabilising your weight and then gradually losing some. I appreciate you want to stop gaining but you are already at a healthy bmi ( and I bet a lot of the weight is muscle, given your weight lifting etc). So be kind to yourself 🙂

Lori and etherial – well done for all your vigorous exercise. It truly is ‘Awesome’ – and not just in the usual overused sense of that word!

Well, guys, I’d better fess up: I’m having a hard time sticking to anything. This is only since Sunday, I’m reminding myself, but I know the way I can go and I am concerned I’m on the top of a slippery slope. I’m incredibly tired, quite low, I have had several emotionally demanding situations in the last few days. My response has been to turn to the carbs: chips (or fries, in US); toast; etc etc. I’m glad to say I’ve not gone into refined carb bingeing – but I’m teetering. I did my 2nd fast of the week on Sunday. I went to look after 2 lovely, but lively, lads in the evening. It’s a regular gig for me but this time it did rather take it out of me. Interestingly, I also chatted to their dad about fasting in general and my fast that day. Somehow that opened up a feeling of deprivation for me. I got home and really struggled with keeping in a fasted state until next morning. I ate some nuts, some oatcakes and peanut butter and had a milky drink – another broken fast. This is only the 2nd time I’ve broken my fast since I started last Sept. The first time was a couple of weeks ago. I’m a bit concerned that it could become a habit . . .

Well, I know I need to take my own advice – be kind to myself. I often find that, once I’ve posted on here that I am having difficulties, I am able to get a grip on things again.

Keep warm, everyone!

Lori_PA

2:54 pm
25 Feb 15
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Good Morning All!

Having a bit of a time with myself the last couple days. They are “eating” days, but have gone a bit off the rails. Well…today is not over, but already ate some no-no’s for breakfast. Can you say chocolate? :-O I think I can still manage to stay near my TDEE so I’m not too worried. I have no exercise scheduled for today as it is my rest day from boot camp(Yay!). I’ll be back to it bright and early tomorrow and tomorrow is Fast day #2 for the week too. I’m going to try to fit in at least a 1/2 fast on Saturday as Sunday is my weigh in to begin March.

If this bitterly cold weather ever changes, maybe I can get off the comfort food wagon on my eating days. This winter is really starting to get me down.

Have a good day everyone!

annette52

7:41 pm
25 Feb 15
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BB how are you today?There are times when I have found it very tough and there have been lapses. I think that rather than feel deprived about what I am missing, I am starting to feel that i am gaining more in terms of clothes feeling looser and even the scales moving sometimes, but most of all the waist measurement has spurred me on.

I had a FD yesterday, which was fine. I am trying full fat yoghurt with my meusli which certainly kept me from feeling hungry, but I felt deprived(no idea why) so I ate a couple of biscuits then had pudding with my lunch…and then I felt very sleepy, so had another couple of biscuits(why?).I ate some almonds when I got home and they now taste very sweet and they never used to and an avocado with tomatoes for tea. I feel better now.
I just don’t think that the pudding or biscuits made me feel very well. So I think that I will avoid puddings and biscuits from no on and see if I feel better without. I think that I already know the answer. Anyone else felt the same?

Bootsy Badger

12:33 am
26 Feb 15
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Hi Annette thanks for asking and sharing . . . I’ve given myself a real ‘no pressure’ day today. I don’t think it’s likely I’ll fast this week but I’m not throwing the towel in. I shall keep faith with myself and I’m sure I’ll get back into that positive frame of mind.

I hope everyone has a good Friday x

annette52

5:35 pm
26 Feb 15
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Hi BB,
That sounds sensible. Give yourself a break and then see where you are.I find that short term goals work for me and are quite wide-ranging. A goal might be 2 fast days in one week, or smaller hips(very much a work in progress)or no biscuits for that day, or refusing to eat mindlessly in front of the TV.

Perhaps a good walk every day will help your low mood?It doesn’t have to be too far, just to get outside for half an hour. I find that walking really helps me when I feel overwhelmed.Don’t forget to pamper yourself either, a soak in a bath, trip to the cinema etc…

I am very glad that it is almost Friday. It has been a very long week.

Lori_PA

5:50 pm
26 Feb 15
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A planned break may be just what the Dr ordered BB!

Great suggestions for all of us Annette.

I’m fasting today, but it started out rough. My alarm didn’t go off, but my cat got me up in time to hurry to boot camp. Got there to find out it was cardio boxing day(hitting the heavy bag) and I did not have my gloves with me. They ALWAYS send a text AND an email to let us know to bring our gloves, but they did neither today. Anyway, I refuse to use the communal gloves at the studio(ugh), so I just went back home and had another cup of coffee! What a way to start my day! A small thing really, but just enough to start me off wrong! It’s 1PM and I’m still holding strong. I think I’ll make it!

Hope your day has been smooth sailing!

Bootsy Badger

8:13 pm
26 Feb 15
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Ah, you’re lovely women, Annette and Lori, you really are. Thanks so much for the support.

As a result of your helpful ideas, I’ve made a positive decision to have a break this week – so that’s an immediate turn round from the feeling ‘I’m not managing to fast’. I have also accepted that it’s difficult to cook when I feel like this, so have bought some ready meals to tide me over. I’ll add some veg. It’s better than resorting to toast, as I have been.

I had to go to my friend’s to drop off a birthday card, so I cycled there and then went to the supermarket too. Most of it was along a cycle track. Although it was freezing (well, not PA cold, Lori!), the sun was shining and the winter trees looked like sculptures. So am with you on the benefits of getting out, Annette.

I meant to tell you that, last week when I was in a lively phase, I cycled to Bitton, which I reckon is halfway between Bristol and Bath, on the railway path. (Geographical note to other Fast Friends: Annettte lives in the posh, ancient city of Bath 😉 I live 15 miles away in the slightly rougher environs of the city of Bristol 😉 There is an old decommissioned railway which has been turned into a cycle/pedestrian path, which links the two.) Maybe one day you could run; and I could cycle, to Bitton and we could have a cup of tea in the cafe there!

Thanks, too, for those ideas on short-term goals. I’ve heard you mention them before but didn’t think of setting them as short term as ‘today’. It’s a great idea, though, especially if I’m feeling daunted, as it will be metaphorically paddling, rather than trying to dive straight into the deep end.

And, yes, Lori, think I would have to love someone VERY much to share boxing gloves with them!

Take care, everyone.

annette52

8:53 pm
26 Feb 15
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Oh Lori, what a pain!But well done with the FD.

BB, I am glad that you feel more positive.My ‘go to’ FD meal is a fillet of frozen salmon out from the freezer and sprinkled with some chilli flakes, wrapped in a foil parcel and oven cooked for 25mins, served with a heap of peas with a blob of butter. It is warming, filling and quite delicious.

I have a 45 minute walk mostly uphill to work. If i have felt grumpy on the way there, I am chilled by the time I get there and vice versa.It also means that I get 5,000 steps in each way!

I was talking about getting my old bike out again. It has been many years since I have ridden to Bitton, which is about 12 miles from me. I couldn’t walk or sit down for 3 days!But that is a lovely idea to meet there at the cafe. OK, new goal for me then!

etherial

9:42 pm
26 Feb 15
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Yesterday, I wanted crunchy potato chips, but know that I can not have them. I needed the salty, thinness of a chip. I needed the “crunch” and satisfaction, but I didn’t need the carbs, so I turned on my oven and roasted some brussel sprout leaves.

I separated them and I coated them in a large metal bowl with duck fat and salt. In they went into a 400 degree, preheated oven for about 20 minutes. I checked them after 10 and decided I would turn the oven down to 300 and let them stay in and cook a little more.

I had a huge bowl of “chips” yesterday. Complete with the salt and crunch. I don’t need no stinkin’ potato cheeps!

jzan

6:21 pm
27 Feb 15
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well all I finally have some good news…this morning the scales says I dropped 2.5 lbs! Let’s hope this means that the meds are wearing off and it will be onward and downward! I have never struggled to hard to lose weight but I am going to believe that I will finally start seeing results over the next months. Thank you so much for the support and encouragement along the way.

Lori_PA

6:34 pm
27 Feb 15
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YAY! jzan! That is a nice loss!

Worked my butt off at boot camp this morning and am trying to eat mindfully today and tomorrow so that my official March 1st weigh in on Sunday can be a good one! I’d love to see a new number, as I seem to be stuck only going up and down by the same tenth of a pound!

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

annette52

10:12 am
28 Feb 15
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Good Morning Fast Friends,
I am really really pleased to find that my hips are finally half an inch smaller, along with my thighs and calves.The trousers are zipped up and perhaps wearable, but I would like them a bit less snug first.
Since January 2015 I have lost 11 lb and a whopping 8 inches/almost 21 cms all over.

I have no doubt that since reducing the chocolate/sweets/biscuits and sugar generally, has had a massive impact.Nothing is banned, but I am finding that snacking on almonds is better-makes me feel fuller and they are now tasting very sweet. I also think that all this sugar, doesn’t make me feel very well, but that I am only aware of that now that I have reduced my intake.

This week alone I lost 2 lb and that elusive half inch off the hips, which is interesting as I have switched to full fat yoghurt with my morning meusli, which is also making me feel fuller for longer too.

So not only have I got rid of the festive lbs and inches from 2014, but also started to make a dent in those from 2013, with 6 lbs to go. Clearly being 54 has nothing to do with losing weight and inches, but sugar is definitely the culprit.

Lori_PA

10:23 am
28 Feb 15
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Great report Annette! I am in complete agreement that sugar is the bad guy, not fat, although that’s what we’ve been told for years! Like you, I feel much better off the sugar, but sometimes(last night) I still overdo it.

Today I WILL NOT eat anything until at least 11 as I want to have a 16:8 day plus a VERY low carb day. March 1 weigh in tomorrow! We didn’t get to go out for dinner last night as planned since hubby had to work late at his part time job. He’s retired, but works a couple part time jobs on an as needed basis. The nice thing is, he can decline if he doesn’t feel like going in. Anyway, that means we’ll probably go out tonight, unless I decide to cook since I want to stay low carb. We’ll see.

My goal for this week is to cut the sugar and include more veggies in my diet. I’ve been very bad about the veggies for the past few weeks. It’s not that I don’t like them, I just don’t take time to fix them. What a lame excuse! I think I’ll make a pot of my veggie chili(no beans) as that’s a way for me to sneak in veggies and it is yummy!

Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!

Goingfor52gold

10:33 am
28 Feb 15
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Thanks for the excellent and encouraging post. I have been learning this new way of life for 6 weeks now, have lost 14 lbs, 3 inches off my hips and 1.5 off each thigh. I can feel the fit of clothes changing and bought some new smaller, pretty underwear to reward myself . Good luck with the running. I am consistently meeting my walking target of 10000 steps a day and now am trying to walk faster. I swim too. Definitely have more muscle so no surprise my weight loss is not steady or faster.

HappyNow

12:20 pm
28 Feb 15
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Hi Annette,

Fantastic news on the shrinking you!

I pretty much cut out added sugar when I started 5:2, and massively reduced my refined carb consumption (I was eating a lot of white bread and pasta).

I now have refined carbs occasionally and sweet ‘treats’ at weekends only. I think that’s been the key thing for me, certainly for maintenance.

And almonds are my go to snack now also!

annette52

3:20 pm
28 Feb 15
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Thank You!

I have made sure that I have walked at least 10,000 steps every day and have averaged between 14-16,000 steps. My walk to work is 5,000(45 minutes) each way.

I always thought that the sweet stuff would help when I was tired or fed-up, but I think that the sugar has made me more tired and low.So, it is very much little and not daily anymore, and as a result I feel much better with more spark.

My son is running the Bath Half Marathon tomorrow.So that means a large roast dinner followed by chocolate brownies with ice cream for all of us, which I will enjoy but will be a bit more mindful in the following week, I hope!

My next goal is to lose 1 lb which will bring me to the 10st 7lb mark= ear rings that I have promised myself. Then 10st 5lb= 14 lb lost, then 10st 2 lb= 2013 festive lbs/inches lost…..and then the really big/huge/massive goal of 10 st.I haven’t been that for more than 20 years!

HappyNow

3:42 pm
28 Feb 15
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Well your son will have earned his roast dinner, and you can’t let him eat alone 🙂

I have found I tend to eat smaller quantities, and far fewer roasties than I used to (and I do like a nice roast spud…). But it doesn’t spoil the enjoyment, who knew?!

So if it’s earrings for 10st 7, what’s 10st?

annette52

4:07 pm
28 Feb 15
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And I will have walked down with him in the morning, wandered round some of the course to spot him(there are thousands running)and then wandered back with him.

I certainly eat less than I used too. I love roast potatoes, but do not enjoy that feeling full feeling anymore. I cut the potatoes in half and par boil them all, but instead of cooking them all and simply sharing them out, now I count out 3 halves each(let the others cool and then freeze for another time. The brownies are a traybake(Nigella)and can be frozen too.

They are silver ear rings from a local jeweler that I love. Might be the matching necklace for 10stone, but that seems such a long way off and a complete dream…..

Lori_PA

4:14 pm
28 Feb 15
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What great goals Annette! Nothing like the promise of something sparkly to keep a girl on track! Good luck to your son in his race tomorrow. Our son does a lot of running too. It is quite fun to follow them around the course and cheer them on!

I made a trip to the market and bought a bunch of veggies for the week. I’ve entered all my food for the day into MFP and it comes to only 1200 calories! I won’t log calories each day, just once in a while to see how my choices add up. My carbs for the day are low too…now just to keep from any mindless snacking.

Keep up the great work everyone!