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

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

This topic contains 3,749 replies, has 216 voices, and was last updated by  annette52 1 week, 6 days ago.

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  • Great advice Annette! There is so much more to us than that number on the scale!

    Keep going everyone!

    Fab image, Annette!

    I can’t ever imagine myself playing golf, Lori, but you clearly find it so much fun, you have almost converted me!

    Welcome julesbro; Minerva444 and hello Minnesota Miss – hope you’re still checking in.

    This week just gone, I had 1 ‘probable’ FD ie I didn’t count cals but did only eat 1 meal. On Thursday, I had a ‘definite’ FD – I’ve just totted up the calories and it was well under 500.

    Exercise was only 1 Hiit on the bike; and 2 x 6 minute resistance workouts. I do want to get back to 3 per week of the former and 5 of the latter. I have been getting very tired recently – I’ve had a lot of ‘stuff’ to do. Resolve to try and pace myself this week, in order to incorporate the exercise. I am going to fast on Tuesday and Thursday or Friday. I feel confident I can get back into the swing of things.

    Sounds like some good planning with your home catering, Annette. I’m sure you’ll find FDs loads easier in the holidays, too. Hope we can meet in Bath this summer 🙂

    Great results from the Fast 5, Lori. It must suit you.

    Have a good start to the week, Everyone. X

    Hey!

    It’s just after 6pm and I am enjoying one of the REAL benefits of fasting: dinner is all cleared away and the washing up done 🙂

    Some FDs I just know I’m going to succeed and this has been one of them.

    I hope everyone else is doing ok today

    BB

    Good going BB!! Here’s to a successful fasting day!

    It is 1:30 and I’m just breaking my fast with some coconut oil in a cup of hot tea. I’ll eat a little something this afternoon, but save most of my appetite for dinner. I LOVE not having to count calories. All I do is look at the clock. Once the window is closed, it is firmly closed!

    Have good days!

    Hi Lori, So you don’t count calories for the window approach? Despite your explanation of it the other day, I hadn’t quite grasped that. I assumed you would be counting up to your TDEE or something. I’m obviously more wedded to the idea of calories than I realised – illogically, as I rarely count them on non FDs myself. It’s obviously working well for you as you have lost weight the past couple of weeks 🙂 I might give it a go sometime myself: I know some people seem to swear by it.

    I had a non counting non FD today but felt happy with what I had eaten – no rubbish – UNTIL after dinner I had a burst of compulsive eating of dates (again). Luckily I didn’t have any refined carbs in, or else I would have eaten those. Such a shame as I had had a beautiful organic lamb chop for my main meal and I felt I ate the dates in a very different spirit. Nothing else to do but keep going, keep trying to change. Fortunately, dates don’t seem to have an adverse effect on my digestion!

    Good wishes to all Fast Friends
    BB

    Hi BB & all!

    No…I don’t count calories at all. Sometimes I run a quick total in my head as after 40 years of counting off and on, it is 2nd nature. Not sure if I’ll show any loss this week, but no worries. I can tell I’m losing fat from my back and waist and my thighs seem smaller to me. Weird, but I’m going to run with it! Speaking of running, I went out for a quick 2 mile run/walk this morning. The husband has fallen off the wagon already and hasn’t gone with me for the past couple weeks. He works part time at a physical job, so he does get some exercise, but it’s not the same as running. I don’t push him. It’s totally up to him if he feels like he wants to do it or not.

    My sister is coming for the weekend. We have a big celebration in our little town this weekend for Veterans and the 4th of July. Unfortunately, the weather looks horrible and I’m afraid the big parade will be ruined. It is a 2 hour extravaganza and many people have spent a lot of time and spent a lot of money to make it happen. Not a thing we can do about it, but it is a shame.

    Hope you all have a lovely day!

    Hi Lori and everyone else

    2nd FD of this week and all went smoothly. The warm weather helps.

    My tum feels fairly podgy at the moment, though my size 14s are still comfortable. I think it might be the cumulative effect of my couple of months of ‘lax adherence’ (good euphemism, eh?!) to 5:2. I’m glad I’m back in harness with FDs.

    I’m not as au fait with calories as you are, Lori, so if I do give 19:5 or maybe 18:6 a try, I think I might to check them, at least at first. Great news about the reduction in your various areas – well done!

    What a shame about the threatened bad weather. I hope you manage to have some fun, anyway.

    Hopefully, we’ll hear from a certain Annette at the weekend, too!

    Cheers!
    BB

    Morning All,
    Well I went dancing Tuesday evening for the first time in months and loved it. All the spinning meant that I had to sit down and recover after class, but it was great to be back on the dance floor. I hadn’t forgotten everything after all.
    I haven’t been to the gym, but out in the garden as the weather has been lovely and here in the UK we have no idea how long it might last. Garden is looking much better.
    I had a bit of a wobble before a FD yesterday and seemed to be wandering round eating everything in sight and then I felt guilty.FD went fine, even managed a supermarket shop in the evening with my friend, but put the prawns and eggs at the end of the conveyor belt and then forgot them! I was starving when I got home, so had to improvise with toast and mashed avocado-delicious but not the prawn salad that I had planned. Ho hum.
    I stopped eating after my evening meal months ago when I realized that snacking in the evening was my undoing.I found that by counting up to 500 on a FD and learning what I was consuming on a non FD, I lost weight and inches.I am not sure that eating within a time frame would work for me but glad that it is working for Lori.
    Inspired by yesterday I might squeeze another FD in on Saturday. We shall see.
    Looking forward to meeting up BB, not long now……..
    I hope that the weather is fine Lori. Glastonbury Festival is on, which usually means rain here in the West country, but fingers crossed for you all.

    Good Morning!

    Well, scale was not kind this morning and is up almost a pound. 🙁 Too much cheese and too many pretzels just before my window closes. Did it almost every night. I knew when I was doing it that it would not help my weigh in. Sigh….

    Annette…glad you had fun dancing! You must do it more often. How disappointing that you left your prawns at the market. Sounds like you improvised just fine.

    I’m afraid our weather forecast for tomorrow’s festivities does not look good. The show must go on, so the parade will happen, although I am sure many of the 200+ entrants will pull out. I’m not sure what my sister and I will do as we certainly won’t be walking up town to the parade in the rain.

    I’m off for boot camp in a few minutes. I’m feeling quite beat up this week. That is, sore muscles and tired. Friday workouts are usually tough, but I’ll get thru it.

    Have a good weekend everyone!

    Never mind Lori. Perhaps you need to close your window earlier?!

    I hope to go to dancing regularly, but I will have to pace myself and allow my balance to recover after spinning. Ceroc is such fun, aerobic, social and uncomplicated.

    I decided to try going for a run this morning rather than fast. I just went out for 45 minutes for a run in the sun-my happy place. I was quite worried as I haven’t run for ages and was hoping that it wasn’t a complete disaster. I was pleasantly surprised that it went far better than I had hoped. I might just try again tomorrow morning….

    My plan is to do 1 FD next week and more running.

    Morning all,
    I am going to cancel my gym membership over the summer and try to do some exercise at home(inspired by BB)instead. I now have some Pilates resistance tubing, which will target my upper and lower body for 9 minutes 5 times a week, according to the box. I will give it a go and report back the results.

    So we are in for a heatwave? I should eat less then!

    Happy Sunday!

    5AM and here I sit. My cat decided it was time to get up at just past 4:30. I could have used a bit more sleep as it was 11 when I went to bed last night!

    As promised by the weatherman, we had rain yesterday. Our town’s annual parade was held anyway and it was very nice. It didn’t rain extremely hard until after the parade and then till dinner dance time last night, it had eased off. It was a full & nice day. This morning we’re meeting some out of town friends for breakfast and then not much else planned.

    I’ll be more than ready to get back to fasting tomorrow.

    Have a good day!

    Morning Lori, sending matchsticks for your eyelids. I’m glad Doris (my cat) likes a lie-in. Glad the weather was considerate yesterday.

    Nice to hear from you, Annette. I don’t know anything about Ceroc but it sounds good fun. Great that the running was easier than you feared.

    I had a wake-up call yesterday. I weighed and wrote down everything I ate. In the evening I entered it into my calorie counter and discovered the total was 2,200. That is about 350 more than my current TDEE and 500 above my goal weight TDEE. Non FDs definitely need to be a focus for the next month or so, or I shall stay at size 14. Although I’m happy at having reached that, there is still scope for further down-sizing.

    In view of that, I’ve decided to fast today – my 3rd FD this week. I’m definitely cranking up my motivation. My deadline is the next Bath Uni assessment in early September: two months to effect some more change in fitness and body shape.

    Enjoy your Sunday!
    BB

    PS
    Thanks, Annette, for the acknowledgement! Good luck with the home exercise 🙂

    Hello…..how is your week going? This thread is getting much too quiet.

    I’m up and ready for my 3rd day this week of boot camp. It is cardio boxing day, so that is always fun. Nothing like beating on the heavy bag early in the morning!

    I’ve been experimenting with daily weighing this week. After pizza & chocolate last night, the scale was up this morning. Big surprise! 😉 Not sure if I’ll show a loss for the week or not, but whatever. I’ve been sticking to my eating window and working out. I’ll let the pounds fall where they may!

    I have off work tomorrow for our 4th of July holiday. When the holiday is on Saturday we always have Friday off. I’m hoping to have enough ambition to get out for a run/walk at some point tomorrow. I also have some stuff around the house that needs my attention.

    Have a lovely day!

    Hello Fast Friends,
    It is the end of term-hurray! It has been a mad 2 weeks at work, too hot to sleep properly or go out and run. I have alternated between eating lots or only eating when I am hungry, and not worried about it as I knew that I was going to get myself organized this weekend.
    I have decided to attempt a half marathon in 9 weeks time.With that in mind I have some new running shoes which make my heart sing and I am sure that hot pink at the heel, fading to orange with lime green soles will help me run faster!I have ordered some new running kit too.So, whether it is sunshine or raining, the plan is get out for a short run 5 days out of 7 and build up the distance/speed every week.
    I have had a try on of the shorts which are a bit tight, so hopefully I will find them more comfortable as the weeks pass. Shorts of Truth?
    The grand plan is to do x2 FD each week and keep a log on the non fast days to make sure that I don’t exceed my TDEE(too easy to do BB). Hopefully I will be able to trim more off my waist and hips, tone my upper arms and uncover splendid abs(a la Jess Ennis-Hill!)
    How are you getting on BB with your TDEE? How is the HIT going?It sounds like we both have a similar goal exercise-wise.
    Lori, it sounds as if you are adjusting your expectations with what you have eaten, which is helpful.

    Hi Lori and Annette and All

    Yes it has been quiet on here this week. I’ve been so zonked with this heatwave that I could barely think, let alone write. Good to hear from you both 🙂

    Your plan sounds beautifully simple, Lori, to stick to your window and workout regime. It could be interesting to check your weight daily for a while. I’m sure you’re enough of an old hand not to get too influenced by daily fluctuations, though.

    So glad you have broken up for your holidays, Annette. I hope it’s a lovely restful/ productive time for you – you sound full of motivation. Lo-ove the sound of the daps!! (Lori, that’s SW England/S. Wales dialect for trainers!)

    I’ve just reread my last post, of Sunday 28th. It was a useful reminder of what my own current plan is/ is supposed to be. The week has gone well. Although I haven’t tracked my food intake every day re my tdee, neither have I over indulged, especially not in refined carbs. Last Sunday, I looked at the coming week, in order to plan my FDs. I realised I needed to fast on Monday, as I had a busy time scheduled for midweek and didn’t want to squash 2 FDs in later in the week. So I did my first ever b2b fasting! About 6pm on the Monday was very tough but apart from that it really wasn’t too bad. It really got the week off to a flying start.

    Today was planned to be my 2nd FD of the week. In the end, I have compromised by eating within a 5 hour window. I have logged all my calories which came to 1200 – so well below my TDEE at least. I’m glad to say that I’m not giving myself a hard time over the change of plan, so I’m saving on emotional energy! Maybe I am really changing in that respect!!

    Will chat about my exercise routine and how that’s going next time.
    Good night, Lori. Night, Annette. Night, John Boy! 😉

    BB x

    Morning All,
    New running kit arrived last night, so took it out for a spin this morning. I ate too much last night, but kept shoveling the food in. Why? Bloated all night and was still full this am, so decided to go out for a run before I ate and see how that went. It was fine and back after 3 miles walk/run, half a mug of milk to rehydrate and then waited to see when I was hungry. Just had my breakfast for lunch!
    I have just started an activity/food log and I am going to keep my pedometer on every day and aim for 10,000 steps/day as well.
    I have begun my very own 8 week challenge.My goal is to have a smaller waist/bust /hips and be able to run for 13.1 miles without stopping until the end as well as to lose 10lb and 7 oz to reach the elusive 10 stone.
    I think that we have to be as supportive and kind to ourselves as we would be to someone else. Flexibility is the key and not giving yourself a hard time when things don’t go according to plan. After all, we never got overweight, overnight. It is going to take time to change habits and attitudes, which in my case have been going on for 30 years. I cannot expect to be ‘sorted’ within a couple of years, it simply isn’t going to happen. But I will try to get nearer to that elusive 10 stone and stick to it. Well done BB, saving emotional energy is always good.Shall we meet up in 4 weeks? See how we have done by then BB?

    Hi All!

    I’ve been away on vacation in Washington state and am only now coming back to your postings and to fasting. Back at the doctor’s two days ago and found I weighed exactly what I had in March. I worked so hard to take off a few pounds and put back every one while on vacation. Of course, given the cheese, wine, restaurant meals (though I cooked most of our meals) what can one expect? I console myself with the thought that at least it was the same old four pounds and not four new ones.

    Lori, I’m interested in the 5:19, but wonder if it would work for someone with some issues with acid reflux. Probably not a good idea. Annette, I can commiserate with you this morning, for last night a friend came over and brought a cake for the “holiday.” I took only a very small piece. And then another . . . Sigh. Tonight, more company so the wine will flow. Tomorrow I will begin again.

    BB, I’m going to follow your lead and start a food/calorie log. I have also started a 30 day plank challenge. I walk a lot, but the abs have more or less disappeared and a little beach ball seems to have taken up residence in their stead. So my plan for July is to get rid of those same four pounds again and perhaps to deflate that beach ball a bit? I’ll let you know how it goes.

    Your posts are so cheerful and uplifting. It’s a lot of help to know others are struggling with the same things. And to have a place to complain a bit. Don’t want to be a bore to my boyfriend (who is always kind enough to say I look great as I am) or my friends.

    Minnesota Miss

    Welcome back Minnesota Miss,
    I came to the conclusion quite some time ago that exercise has very little impact on weight loss, it is all down to what you eat and drink or rather don’t!
    Yesterday I mainly ran but also walked 3 miles in 44 minutes and burned 348 calories, which is a tiny amount. I kept my pedometer on all day and that totaled 15,092 steps=568 calories.
    It is clear from what I ate yesterday that I need to consume less over the day to reach my TDEE and if I ignore the calories that I burn(as they are part of the TDEE calculation) then I should lose weight.
    Exercise is all about being as fit and strong as I can be for 54,I look on it as investment for the future.I don’t want to be overweight, struggling to walk, climb stairs or be so restricted that everything is an effort. I want to be able to dash around as I do now.
    There is the bonus of uncovering muscles that you didn’t know you had as the fat starts to melt. I love having muscular legs, but then there is 4 inches less fat on my calves, or 4 inches off my thighs. My biggest thrill though is the teeny tiny abs, which I hope will improve over the coming weeks.
    I find that the very thought of writing down what I am about to eat, certainly make me think twice about it, but I need all the help I can get when it is ice cream.I no longer cook a pudding for after Sunday lunch, no one complains. I halve the potatoes so they think that they are having more than they are, I put more vegetables on the plate, I weigh pasta and rather than 100g/person we now have 75g.I do bake cakes, but maybe once a fortnight rather than twice a week.
    I am trying out pre breakfast runs in the hope that it might burn more fat, still got quite a few inches to go to get that waist that is half my height(I am only short)so that is another challenge!

    Good Morning Friends!

    The last day of the holiday weekend has arrived. Yesterday’s golf tournament was rained out, so a friend and I went to the mall and walked around a bit. I wanted to go out for lunch but my friend didn’t, so till I got home, I was positively starving. I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home and being so hungry, I bought stuff I never eat! It has been a weekend of eating too much and moving too little. I’m playing golf today, so I’ll get some exercise.

    Annette, you are so right that weight loss comes down to what you eat and exercise has little to do with it. It does, of course, tone you up and make you feel better. Exercise is important! One of my favorite quotes is “You can’t out run your fork” So true!

    This is going to be an odd week as my husband and I are going to my sister’s on Wednesday afternoon and we are all going to the women’s US Open professional golf tournament on Thursday and Friday. We’ll do a lot of walking, but also a lot of eating less than perfect food. Oh well, it’ll be fun and I’ll get back to my routine when we get home.

    I’m going to give it a good 2 days before we head out, so hopefully I’ll undo some of this weekend’s damage before I do more later in the week! 😉

    Let’s just do our best and keep on trying! Have a lovely Sunday!

    I love the ‘you can’t outrun your fork’. My new mantra.
    I have heard so many overweight people tell me that they can’t lose weight because they can’t exercise because of their size. I know that my very over weight friend really struggles to walk, climb stairs and move at any speed. She is wheezy waling uphill and walks very slowly with a rolling gait. There are regular problems with her knees and ankles, working is becoming a problem too. She has refused my offer of the 5:2 book in the past, but I might just try again.
    After 2 runs=7 miles I have sore tummy muscles. I had forgotten that running is so good for the ‘core’ although my legs are fine.I walk 45 minutes each way to work so I am used to being out but I must work at it over the summer. I am sure that walking is fabulous for mental health, never mind the exercise, but running certainly makes me feel great especially when I have finished.
    Cooking a roast and trying to decide if I will fast and run tomorrow.

    Decision made. Fast Day but no running. Off into town to find a dress for my sons graduation in a couple of weeks time, before the rain arrives and I am trapped indoors.

    Up early and ready for boot camp. I’ll also be sticking to my 5 hour eating window today and hope to stick to it for the foreseeable future. I have been giving myself excuses as to why I “can’t” stick to it over the weekend and that is rubbish. I need to make it my life, not something to do a few days a week. Of course there will be times when it just doesn’t work due to social obligations etc., but I simply can’t stop doing it each weekend.

    A day of work and a routine dental appointment will be my day. Hope you all have a good one!

    Fast day went well yesterday. I did my usual of missing breakfast and then went out around the shops. I got home for lunch(prawns and salad) and then was busy all afternoon. I cooked homemade chicken pie for the boys(leftover Sunday lunch re hashed and very tasty) and then I had salmon fillet and salad.
    I am debating whether to go out for a run(off to Ceroc this evening as well)between the downpours or simply walk to the shops for groceries.

    I do find that writing down what I eat and what exercise or how many steps I take, is helping me. I am not calculating calories, just noting what I eat.

    If the eating window works for you Lori, then that is your way. I would just try and stuff my face in those 5 hours!

    The 5:2 is a way of life and has to be in order to make those permanent changes to our behaviour and bodies. I know this to be true for me as when I went off plan I put on weight and slide into my old habits. So making new habits has to be the way forward.

    Yawn…what a night. Just couldn’t sleep and my eyes feel like 2 burnt holes in a blanket this morning! I haven’t had a night like that in a long time. Ugh.

    My planned run for this morning didn’t happen and my stomach is growling already. I’m going to ignore it and it will settle down soon. I like the 5-6 hour eating window and I don’t binge eat in that time as I know some people have a tendency to do. I eat a light lunch at about 1:30 and then nothing till dinner. We eat dinner early(5-5:30) and depending on what I have, sometimes I’ll have a Greek yogurt or something light just before my window closes. If I could only do my window on weekends, I would be golden. Oh well…..I’ll keep on trying.

    I’m going to wait until August 3rd for my next weigh in. I’m hoping to see a few pounds gone by then. We have a 2 week vacation coming up in September and I’d like to lose a bit before then as I know I’ll be gaining while we’re away. We’ll be quite active, but also eating yummy food. That’s life!

    Have a good day!

    I have sore tummy muscles still and haven’t run since. I did go to Ceroc last night though, which was fun. I am just writing down what I eat(not calorie counting) and how many steps I take each day(managing 10,000+).

    Busy at home with gardening/clearing up/batch cooking. So lovely to be at home. Taken x3 bags of clothes to the charity shops and came back with x2 jackets and a couple of scarves. I have decided that scarves and jackets are going to be ‘my thing’ and have been busy experimenting with clothes that I own.

    Lori you seem to be doing well.

    How are you getting on BB and everyone else?

    Hello Fast Friends

    Thanks for your enquiry, Annette. I’m feeling very wobbly: on food, exercise and life in general. I am starting a course next Tuesday – 14 afternoons until the end of July. Due to my health, it’s such a long time since I’ve done anything like that and I’m apprehensive about how I’ll cope with it.

    For the past couple of days, I’ve had a strange sick headache. I rarely get headaches. On both Tues and Weds I started, then abandoned fasting, mainly because of feeling so rough. I’ve been feeling very tired, too.

    On exercise, I looked in my log book and realised with some shock that I didn’t do any HIIT bike sessions at all last week. None this week so far, either. I have done a little bit of resistance work. (But most of my resistance has been of the psychological kind, haha.) One positive thing to report: I had a great Alexander Technique lesson last week where my teacher helped me work on my squats, so that I was doing them with the least amount of strain. She told me I would feel that my hamstrings and glutes had been working and I certainly did the next day. The way I had been doing them was working the front of my thighs but less so the back of my legs.

    So my plan for the next few days is that I haven’t really got a plan! I’ll try my best to be kind to myself and trust that I will find my motivation again fairly soon. If I do do some HiiT, I’ll start back with 3 x 20 secs.

    Thanks for listening, guys! It sounds like you’re both doing well/ well enough. Glad you’re on hols, Annette – a bit of ‘me time’ for you. Have a great time at the women’s Open, Lori. Oh, and thanks for giving me my new favourite simile: “Eyes feeling like two burnt holes in a blanket” – brilliant!!

    BB X

    How are you feeling now BB?
    I expect that it will be much much better than you imagine. I understand that it will be daunting, but I have grasped the nettle with one of my fears. I got back on my bike today and cycled 6 miles with a friend. It seems that my balance is much better than I thought, but that I wobble like crazy when a cyclist comes towards me!
    I suspect that I need more practice and that it will get better, although the gears are a total mystery to me.
    I have had a rubbish few days, feeling a bit low and fed up too. There is always a boy in the house and I am craving some peace and quiet.There is so much stuff and too many adults in a small house, but there is no hope of any of them moving out.
    I am fasting today and so far, so good.
    I hope that you are feeling better and have some energy now. Great news about the Alexander technique. I am a bit worried whether I will be able to sit/move tomorrow after a rather hard bike seat!

    Hi Annette

    Thanks for your thoughts. I am feeling a bit better today – but not pushing myself about food or exercise. I felt reassured this morning as my size 14 skirt is still feeling roomy (although it is an M&S one and they are famously generous in their sizing!)

    Sorry you’ve been feeling a bit down too. It sounds like you’ve got the opposite of ’empty nest syndrome’ there! Rents in Bath must be sky high (as in Bristol, even in what were once deemed ‘rough areas’). It’s so difficult these days for young people – AND thus their mums! – to strike out into independent living, isn’t it? In my 20s, I lived in lots of cheap shared accommodation but it’s practically a thing of the past.

    Well done on the cycling. If you get into it regularly, maybe you could treat yourself to a gel saddle or, as a cheaper option, a gel saddle cover. It took me ages to understand the gears, too. In essence, it is like a car: if you’re going up a hill, you need to be in a low gear. If your legs are spinning round too fast, imagine the engine is roaring, so you need to go into a higher gear. If you are pushing against great resistance, either change down into a lower gear – or decide that you are doing HIIT, lol! For me, it eventually ‘clicked’ and I just go by how it feels, now.

    I hope your FD is drawing smoothly to a conclusion. In a funny sort of way, knowing that you and others are still carrying on with 5:2 gives me hope that I will get back into it.

    Once my course is finished, I hope we can pencil in a date to meet up in August.

    Enjoy the weekend, Fast Friends!
    BB x

    Morning BB and everyone,
    Glad to hear that you are feeling better.
    It is impossible for them to afford to move out. The eldest is 25 and works in Bristol, so jumps on the train 5 mins walk away, the second and fourth both work in Bath and the third has just finished uni and is job hunting.There are lots of houses that are rented out to students and so there is no available rentals that is in anyway affordable.It makes no sense for them to move out.
    I have a gel seat cover but I certainly feel a bit sore from the saddle this morning!My bike is quite old and probably heavy so i suspect much more practice is needed. But I am pleased and surprised that it was much much easier than I imagined. I hope that you feel the same about your course.
    Just by writing down what I have eaten every day and making sure that I walk 10,000 steps a day and having 2 strict 500 calorie fast days, I have lost 3 lb!I am more determined now to finally get rid of these same lbs for good over the summer and lose some more inches off the hips and waist would be lovely.

    Just popping in for a quick hello. We just got home this morning from a fun 2 days at the Women’s US Open golf tournament. We walked over 5 miles both days! We’ll watch the final 2 days of the tournament on TV this weekend.

    Hope everyone is well. I’m happy to be back and ready to get my head in the game next week. I’ve been eating wrong and too much for the past few days and it’s time to get the weight shifting in a downward direction.

    Talk soon!

    Hi Fast Friends

    Annette – sorry if I expressed myself badly and maybe offended you? I meant to express sympathy with the plight of young people and the impossibility of them finding reasonable rented accommodation these days. I really didn’t intend to be impertinent.

    Well done on the 3lb loss this week!

    Welcome back Lori – glad you enjoyed the golf. I’m sure you’ll get back into the swing of things soon.

    I managed 3 x 30 secs HiiT on the bike this morning. I feel relieved that I’ve DONE something.

    BB x

    Not at all BB. I was simply agreeing with you. It is really tough and I am fed up with the situation that young people are in these days.When I left home it was expected that I wouldn’t return and never did. It simply makes no economic sense for them to move out, but I rather thought that I would be downsizing and pleasing myself by now. Apparently not for quite some years. It would make my FD much easier if there was just me to cater for, but I just cook what they like and I don’t on those days.Well done on the HIT. I thought about going for a short run, but I am just too sore. Must go tomorrow….we’ll see.
    Thanks but I have lost this same 3 lb several times this year and really hope that I will finally make the difference(says she scoffing chocolate)this time.
    Welcome back Lori. I am sure that you well get back into the groove very soon.
    I went out last night to a social event with some people that I haven’t seen for years and what struck me was how many were overweight.

    Morning, Monday FFs

    Ah, glad there was no problem, Annette. Sometimes I find these written communications a bit tricky, as there is no tone of voice nor body language to ‘read’.

    I have decided to fast today but tbh am a bit uncertain as to whether I shall last. I’ll just try to take it a moment at a time. As I ‘blew’ my 2 FDs last week, maybe I’ll ease myself in gently and allow myself 600 cals today. I feel I need to do something after my struggles, foodwise, last week. I don’t want to be at the top of the slippery slope back to steady overeating, interspersed with binges. The same as you at your social the other night, Annette, when I went into town last week, I was noticing the average size of the crowds – ‘big’ – and it reminded me that I don’t want to rejoin them.

    What/how is everyone else doing today? Coconut oil and 19:5, Lori? 🙂 To FD or not to FD, Annette 🙂

    Best wishes
    BB

    Morning All,
    It can be very difficult to know without the tone of voice etc, but I took it as you meant it, so no problems at all. I went out for a 6 mile run/walk on Sunday which has finally soothed my sore shoulders and neck, but has left me feeling rather tired today.So I shall fast today and rest on such a gloomy day.
    I am planning to take part in a half marathon in 8 weeks. I did this same one a year ago and was very unwell during it but managed to finish. I did state that I was never doing one ever again. I should have started a running plan 4 weeks ago but recurrent ear infections and a crooked leg have all put paid to that, plus my son is running at his own pace now, so i am on my own. Not such a bad thing as I can do what I like!So I am now following a training plan from week 5 making sure that I don’t run on a FD as I don’t want to give myself any excuses.
    It was a weird experience to find that I was one of minority that was ‘slim’ amongst the majority who were overweight with x3 that are morbidly obese. I don’t want to join them again either and as I went on a FD too, it made me feel more resolute. I opened a small box of chocolates last night, had 1 of each and then decided that they were too sweet, too many calories and I wasn’t enjoying them, so stopped(which is a new experience)and will off load them on the boys at tea this evening.My frozen prawns are defrosting which I will have with some raw peas and some kale instead of lettuce with dressing(homemade) and see how that goes. I have grown Kale and don’t really like the texture when it is cooked, and much prefer it raw. I might start a new craze! I have lettuce if it is not a fabulous as I imagine. It will be salmon for tea, sprinkled with some chilli flakes and baked in a foil parcel with salad.
    I adopt the ‘one day at a time’ mentality on a FD BB. It can be too daunting to look at the week ahead, so I just think about that day only. I realize that I have borrowed it from AA, but it works for me!

    Good Morning!

    Just a quick pop-in as I’m drowning in a sea of paperwork from being off for a couple days. Sigh…… I’ll catch up….not sure when!

    Back on my eating window train this morning and very happy to be here. 4 days of eating with abandon did me no good and I’m not feeling great. Queasy stomach all day/night yesterday. Ugh.

    Good boot camp workout and fasting until 1-2 this afternoon. Have a lovely day all!

    Good morning, everyone.

    After a month off 🙁 I’m finally back on track and fasting today. Our weather here in Minnesota has suddenly decided to mimic Florida, becoming ridiculously hot and humid so I don’t feel much like eating anyway. So time to go after those same four pounds I lost last spring. Too hot and buggy for cycling or even walking much outside. I’ll spend an hour on the treadmill, but hate having to do that in the summer–have to do that enough in the winter.

    Annette, if you don’t like the kale raw, try baking it. Comes out as a sort of crisp.

    BB, glad you’re feeling better. I know what you mean about the average size of the crowds. Provides a good incentive to keep at it.

    Good luck everyone. Your posts really do help with the motivation to start again.

    MM

    Hello again, All, and welcome back MM (!) – I’m glad we’re helping to support your 5:2.

    After my post of this a.m., I decided against fasting today and instead did 19:5, except for an early morning cup of tea, which I had already consumed. The change was because I had been invited to tea by a friend (and now I am looking after her 2 boys for the evening.) We ate at 5pm. I had cheese omelette, potatoes and vegetables; a peach; a small piece of chocolate cake. Then just now their neighbour, who had cooked for her family’s Ramadan evening meal, brought some Pakistani snacks round, which have rounded off the day very nicely!

    I enjoyed getting back in touch with that ’empty’ feeling during the day. I even did a 5 minute resistance workout. It should have been 6 mins, but I omitted the lunges. I’m waiting for my next Alexander Technique lesson until I resume those.

    As I am on a course every afternoon until the end of July, I shall try the window approach again, as I think it will fit quite well with that routine.

    I hope the day has been going well for everyone.
    Stay awesome! BB

    Evening All,
    My FD was going well until this evening when the wheels came off!I had decided to cook Dauphinoise potatoes for the boys(as I had some cream that needed using up) with roast beef and vegetables.I was having salmon and salad, but one short notice phone call later, 1 less boy home for tea….so I had his portion. Then brought the chocolates to share and before I knew it, I had eaten 2!I decided that I had already blown it, so ate an ice cream covered in chocolate……oh dear fast friends.
    I have been looking at the running schedule and I will be running in the rain this week which is grim on all levels.Just trying to work out which day I will get the least wet on, which is fairly pointless in the UK and in summer!I have 2 more runs this week, 1 run of 6 miles on the hilliest course I can find, which is not difficult in Bath and 7 miles for a long slow run this week.
    Great idea to bake the Kale, I will try that.
    BB sounds like a good plan.

    Morning all,
    I missed out a 3 mile run which I also have to fit in too!
    Still 1 lb less of me this morning….but I will have to up my game if I want to shimmy another 1 lb off by the end of the week.No change in the measurements BUT my new jeans are starting to look a bit loose at the waist.
    I have learned not to buy those ice creams which I love(they call to me from the freezer), so I’ll try that for a week and see how that goes.
    Complicated trying to fit in 3 more runs, see friends, feed various boys on different days and fit in a couple of strict FD.I am also stressed up to my ears, the house full of boys and stuff is all rather overwhelming.
    Tuesday plan is to meet a friend for coffee and then go for a run after lunch. Then sort just 1 room and gather another charity shop pile.

    Good Morning!

    Went to bed early and slept in a bit later than usual too. Feeling very “beat up” from boot camp yesterday. My planned run/walk for this morning is not happening. I woke up and heard it raining and that was all I needed to decide not to go. 😉

    I extended my eating window by an hour last night as I had a snack of pretzels & cheese after dinner. I didn’t need it, but did it anyway. I really have to break that habit. A rough calculation of my calories tells me that I was still under my TDEE, but I could have saved a few hundred calories if I would have stayed out of the cheese & pretzels!

    Sounds like you have a busy day ahead Annette. Enjoy!

    Hello Fast Friends,
    I was very brave and resolute and didn’t buy the ice creams at the supermarket or any chocolate either. I looked through my food log and came to the conclusion that there were some habits that I needed to lose, ice cream every day is one of them. If I don’t have them in the house, then I cannot eat the little devils.

    Dragged myself out kicking and screaming for a 3 mile run. It was hard going and much more humid than I realized, with my water forgotten on the table there was no choice but to stagger round thirsty. Still, it is done now.

    I am attaching the pedometer to myself when I go out for a run, so that I can see what number of steps I can clock up for the whole day. It is a bit of a struggle to get to 10,000 steps when I don’t run.

    Fish and chips for me for tea tonight and I might just do another FD tomorrow…

    Hello All FFs

    As it was the first day of my course, I did 16:8 today: 11.00 – 7.00 pm. I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 meals. I even had a couple of biscuits, provided by the course tutor as a first day treat. I’m not counting calories but I feel I have eaten in a non-addictive way and that’s one of the main things for me. The hardest thing is not continuing to sup tea throughout the evening!

    I reckon the course will be ok. Today was very boring, with lots of form-filling and faffing about. I shall be glad to get down to the actual work tomorrow.

    Lori, you are such a committed exerciser, I’m sure going easy today is fine! Well done on doing your run, Annette, and for avoiding the Temptation Aisles in the supermarket.

    From chatting to you both over the months, I know with Lori it’s cheese and pretzels; with Annette it’s ice cream and chocolate which are the Danger Zones. With me, it’s chocolate and biscuits. Last week, when I was having quite a struggle, I lapsed into a binge on one day. I ate 2 packets of biscuits through the day. However, they were v good quality (expensive!) ones, rather than cheap and nasty stuff which I have indulged in so often before – and I take a bit of amused comfort from that. Empty calories they might have been but at least they were classy ones!

    Wishing us all well for tomorrow
    BB X

    Classy calories made me laugh!

    I walked up and down those aisles, looked longingly at the culprits and then decided that I couldn’t be trusted! I do have a box of classy chocolates in my room that were making a siren call last night, but I checked the use by date and they will be on the table to share at Christmas.

    I am not fasting today, but making a vat of Bolognaise and Ciabatta(will eat some and freeze the rest) sharing an evening meal with my boys.I also had some carrots/potatoes/celery that needed using up, so all boiled up, blitzed and now I have more soup for when the temperature plummets.A trip to the pound shop today for a stash of containers to portion it up, label and then pop it in the freezer. For me, being prepared is the key to success with fast days.

    Well done BB, I hope the course is interesting and that you enjoy it.

    Spot on with my week spot. New habits are mashed avocado on toast-delicious and almonds(rather wish I had taken out shares).

    Trying on tops that I have had for years and noticed that some of the favourites are too big and too long.My shoulders are much smaller now. I can only assume that less fat on my shoulders and back, well less padding all over, has resulted in longer dresses and nighties too.

    Onwards and downwards fast friends……

    Good going ladies! Even though those “classy calories” get to us sometimes, we keep on going!

    I’ve noticed the smaller shoulders and back too annette. I think we tend to focus on our stomach or thighs when looking in the mirror and feel disappointed, when the fat is melting from other places that we pay less attention to. It’s all good!

    Rough night here as thunder storms kept popping up all night. It finally quieted down and then at 3AM my cat woke me up. 🙁 I got up and put her out and went back to bed, but didn’t really sleep much after that. I have a haircut and pedicure after work and then I’ll come home and crash. Long day, short night!

    Off to boot camp in a few minutes. Hope it peps me up!

    Have a great day!

    Up early watching The Open golf championship from Scotland. I’ll be heading to the golf course myself in a few hours for our ladies tournament. Just a fun day with lots of laughs and too much food! Treats before we tee off and luncheon after. Then this evening we’re going out to dinner with some friends who are in town for a few days. Oh my….fasting? What’s that? 😉

    Slept like a rock last night…what a relief after the night before.

    Well, another cup of coffee, a bit more golf on TV and then off to start my day on the course. Hope you all have a lovely day!

    Hi All

    I’m going a bit cross-eyed with staring at a screen all pm on my course, so I thought I’d just pop in now. I did (sort of) 16:8 yesterday but today I have decided is ad lib. If I try ‘too hard’, I know I’ll end up rebelling.

    I know what you mean about the back fat – I noticed the other day that I can feel my ribs at the back, so some of that padding has disappeared.

    I did a blast of HiiT yesterday, so pleased about that.

    Have a lovely chilled out day on the golf course, Lori. Glad you got some zzzs in your ‘sleep account’. Happy for you that you didn’t open the choccies, Annette. Are you running today? It’s so muggy, isn’t it?

    See yous!

    BB

    Morning All,
    Just out the shower after a very muggy, ‘hilly’ 6 miles(10K), which was hard going.I ‘ran’ up hills that I could probably have walked faster, but I staggered up none the less.I am a woman on a mission and following a prescribed regime seems to be working so far.I have 7 slow miles (all my miles are slow!)at the weekend, so will fast tomorrow.
    I bought myself new running kit which has a racing back and noticed that my arms were more defined and I felt that my shoulders looked stronger. What has thrilled me is that there is muscle definition on my shoulder blades. When I move my arms as if running there are moments when there are indentations, rather than bulges!!!

    Do the best you can Lori. It is not food that makes us fat, but habits. We are changing those habits and that takes time.

    BB well done on the HIT. Sounds as if the course is going well too.Less padding is brilliant isn’t it, just wish it would shimmy rather more off the tummy, but maybe that is next in line?!!!

    Hi All

    Well I certainly had an ‘ad lib’ day yesterday! (Tarte au citron with butter pastry, mmm!!) It was my half birthday 😉

    I am fasting today and it’s a tough one. Usually, if I get past 1 o’clock, that stiffens my resolve – and it’s half twelve now so I should be ok. I haven’t done much more than maintenance (except for yesterday hehe) this week, so I felt I needed to get one in. I’m not on the course today, as they have staff training but I have done some course work by myself. I find it much easier to do at home. I’m not going to try and fast when I’m at the centre: I feel I have enough going on then.

    You’re sounding pretty well toned, there Annette! Great respect for your discipline in following a training programme.

    I hope you enjoyed the golf tournament, Lori and your break from your ‘Eating Windows’. I’m sure you’ll be back on it soon, resolute as ever.

    BB X

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