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

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Lori_PA

12:36 pm
17 Jul 15
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Good Morning!

Annette…I am SO impressed with your running! I will never be a long distance runner and my preferred way to run is in intervals. A few minutes of running interspersed with a minute of walking. Just knowing I have that walking break in just a few minutes keeps me going. Keep up the great work!

We had a lovely day on the golf course yesterday. As expected, my eating was not “on point”, but I’m back to my fasting window today. The weekend always presents a problem as I just can’t seem to do the eating window thing when I’m at home. This weekend I’ll be walking the golf course in the morning so I like to eat a bit of something before I set out.

It’s all good. This is a life plan and we have to learn to roll with it, right?

Have a great weekend!

annette52

2:33 pm
17 Jul 15
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Hello All,
Don’t be impressed Lori, I suspect that you could walk faster than I was running and there were regular walking breaks too. Not much choice about following a regime if I am going to stagger round those 13.1 miles, which is a really long way for my short little legs. I have a slow 7 miles(all my miles are slow)tomorrow morning.
I am not fasting on running days(which is 3 a week) at the moment but that will increase to 4 in the latter weeks and I may well drop the fasting in the last couple of weeks, but I will see how i feel then.
I am fasting today which has been OK so far. I have run out of almonds, so will have to muddle along without
Prawns and salad for lunch, chicken and salad for tea, the boys can have chips.
I ran out of milk one evening and then found myself perusing chocolate in the shop, so I decided to buy myself some giant chocolate buttons and just have the 25g=130 calories once a day. Although I was fine day 1, I scoffed the lot on day 2! Lesson learned, I cannot be trusted, so just wont but them at all.
BB I had never thought of celebrating a half birthday-genius, but I have missed mine. It sounded delicious. If not fasting on course days is the way for you, then do that.Only you can know what works best for you.
Hoping for some positive news with the tape measure tomorrow. There are several tops that are simply too long and too wide now….

annette52

12:13 pm
18 Jul 15
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Sadly the tape measure hasn’t moved a jot, but I have lost another 1 lb. I was quite disappointed as I had hoped for 2 lb after all my efforts and the struggled in such a negative mindset out on the run. It was hard to keep going.

However there are numerous tops that are just too big for me now. I need to get smaller sports bras as they cannot go any tighter and my pyjamas are hanging off me.I can ‘see’ with my clothes where the changes are, but my eyes just focus on where there needs to be less of me. There are shoes that I can’t keep on my feet now, must have had fatter feet!

How is everyone getting on?

Bootsy Badger

12:32 pm
18 Jul 15
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Terrible, Annette! Another FD broken yesterday. As I feared, the course has begun to stress me out. I had terrible insomnia last night: I saw the dawn in (which was beautiful) and slept for about 4 hours after that. On the other hand, I am very grateful for the 2 sizes I HAVE dropped. I may leave it at that for the moment and focus on maintaining my new shape and fitness. Will still be on here, though! (Oh and to add to my woes, Doris, the cat, caught a bird and left it, dead, on her food plate! She has never done that before. I am phobic about birds and had a panic attack in the hall. My lovely neighbour came and disposed of it for me – bless him!)

Enough about me, I hope you’re not too disappointed after your weigh-in. Congratulations on the pound lost; and on your clearly looser clothes. I hope you can take heart from your progress.

Wave to Lori!

BB
x

annette52

1:52 pm
18 Jul 15
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Two sizes!!!!!!!!!!!!!That is awesome. Wow! You must be thrilled.

If the course is stressing you out, then it seems sensible to maintain your new shape and fitness.It seems a good idea to focus on the positive of your shrinking body to date, rather than feel like you are failing.

I am not a fan of cats and the actions of Doris, just confirm that.Very kind neighbour too.

I shall just have to remind myself that this is a marathon and not a sprint.I will also remind myself just what a lb of fat looks like.

Lori_PA

7:12 pm
18 Jul 15
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Hello Ladies!

Just in from playing 18 holes of golf in the heat & humidity. Whew……I need to head to the shower! We are invited to a cookout at our son’s tonight, so we have to get ready for that. It’s lovely to be invited, but truth be told, I’d rather stay home! I’ll be heading to the golf course again tomorrow morning. It is supposed to be even hotter tomorrow. That’s summer in Pennsylvania!

Diet and exercise went ok last week. I had one day of really eating too much, but was very active, so I’m hoping that took care of the extra calories. I won’t weigh myself until August 1, but really don’t count on a loss. I’ve been around the same weight for a long time. My body seems to be quite content. 🙁

Hope you all enjoy the remainder of your weekend!

Bootsy Badger

7:53 pm
20 Jul 15
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Hello again

I’m feeling more grounded again. I did look in over the weekend and saw your post, Lori, but somehow missed your last one, Annette. Thanks so much for your affirmative words.

My eating Sunday and today was well over limit and I’m aware I’ve been entertaining some rather sabotaging thoughts, along the lines of ‘Blow it’ and ‘Who cares?’, which could take me right out of maintenance mode and back to regaining weight and girth. However, this lovely site and particularly this thread is helping me steady the metaphorical tiller and get back on course. I have just read and posted on a very heartening new thread from a man looking back at his first year of 5:2. He is very much of ‘our’ mindset about size rather than weight being the criterion.

How are you both doing? Are you back at work after your sociable long weekend, Lori? Annette, did you run today?? You would either have been sweating from the humidity or wet through from the rain. I suspect Lori is sending her Pennsylvanian summer this way! I cycled 3 miles home in a downpour – sodden, I was, by the time I got home!

Good wishes
BB x

Lori_PA

8:19 pm
20 Jul 15
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Yes, back to work here after a sweltering weekend on the golf course. I played so horribly yesterday that I was almost wishing I had just stayed home! Oh well…..you’ll have days like that.

It is very hot again today, so that means another night with the air conditioner running in the bedroom. We prefer to have windows open instead, but that will not do it tonight. Without the A/C, we would have a sleepless night, I’m afraid.

Boot camp this morning was a sweaty affair! Even with studio A/C, it was still very hot. Tomorrow morning I’m planning to go out for a run/walk at 5:30 instead of heading to boot camp.

Opened my eating window at 1 today, so I must close it around 6. That means rush home and eat a bit of dinner if I feel hungry. Right now nothing sounds good. The husband doesn’t care to eat much in hot weather, so not sure how much cooking I’ll be doing.

Hope you’ve all had a great day!

annette52

9:57 pm
20 Jul 15
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Hi All,
Quick Hello before I go to sleep. Just in from no.3 sons graduation, so I have spent 4.5 hours driving, 2 hours clapping in a hot hall, half an hour eating a rather fine fish and chips, and I am shattered.

The plan is to run tomorrow morning…

Lori_PA

4:57 pm
22 Jul 15
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Happy Wednesday all!

I ended up taking the day off work yesterday as I was in the shower with a head full of conditioner and the water shut off! We have a well & pump, so there are several things that could be amiss when we have no water. As it turned out, the motor on our submersible pump died. Quite maddening as we just had the pump replaced 2 years ago! The one before that only lasted 3 years! The old one(5 years ago) had been in place for 20 years or more! Sheesh! They sure don’t make things like they used to! I heated water from the fridge on the stove to rinse my hair and waited for the plumber. We had water restored by 11:15 yesterday morning. I was a nervous wreck, so ended up snacking and eating way too much while at home.

Oh well…..back to boot camp and my fasting window today.

Hope all are well!

annette52

6:42 pm
22 Jul 15
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Oh no Lori. What a nightmare!

I am on a FD today and have barely been out of the house. I had decided to empty cupboards and sort/shred/sell/charity shop everything that I could. As a result, the house is a complete tip from top to bottom. I am just tired too.

Tomorrow, breakfast then out the door for a run.

Lori_PA

3:37 pm
24 Jul 15
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It’s Friday! YAY!

Hope you’ve all had a good week. Mine was so so. Did good with the exercise, but the eating was not great. Oh well…….nothing to do but keep going.

Went to the Dr yesterday because I’ve been having a stabbing pain in my right temple for about a month. It comes and goes and some days are worse than others.
Anyway, Doc thinks it’s probably a sinus infection since he said I’m quite swollen up inside my nose. Who knew? I’m on antibiotics and nasal spray for a couple weeks to see if that clears it up. If not, I’ll have to have a CT scan to see if there is something in there that doesn’t belong. It’s always something, right?

We were out late at our Grandson’s baseball game last night. We didn’t get home till 10:30! That is WAY past my bedtime. Slept in till 5:30 this morning. Off to the golf course Saturday & Sunday. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

annette52

8:00 pm
24 Jul 15
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Evening All,

It is chilly and has poured with rain all day. Tough when on a FD. I have been kept busy sorting stuff, but have found the evening hard going. Then I remembered my secret weapon-homemade vegetable soup. I feel much better now.

Never mind Lori. Don’t beat yourself up, that achieves nothing.I hope the antibiotics work well and you feel better soon.

Hopefully the tape measure will be good to me tomorrow.

annette52

7:41 am
25 Jul 15
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Morning All,
Very disappointed to find that somehow I’m 1 lb heavier. I will have have to tot up the calories of what I am consuming over the week.I am not hopeful that I will reach my goal of now 7 lb in 5 weeks.

Finally, smaller hips, a whole inch less!!!! I have been able to pull my zipped up jeans over my hips for a few days now.

So it is just that bit between my hips and waist…overall my measurements remain the same, BUT my clothes are showing me where there is less of me.

My nighties are all much longer,favourite tops have been discarded as they are all now too long and falling off my shoulders, which is weird as I am not taller. My shoulders are definitely smaller as are my arms,excess back fat seems to have disappeared(sports bra straps shortened by 3 notches).

It is possible to be menopausal, lose weight and tone. It just seems to take much much longer than those who are not.

Off out for a run in the sun.

Lori_PA

10:07 am
25 Jul 15
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Annette…congrats on the shrinking you!! Who cares what that nasty old scale says when your clothes are falling off! WooHoo!! I had a Dr tell me once that back fat is the first to “melt” as it is like the fat on pork bacon. Picture bacon frying in a pan and how the white fat melts quickly. Kind of a gross analogy, but there you go.

My headache was really bad yesterday. I think maybe it is a sinus thing as being out in the night air Thursday night seemed to flare it up. I’m hoping till next week the pain is a thing of the past.

I’ll weigh myself next Saturday(August 1st) as planned. I’m not hopeful, but it is what it is. I’m trying not to tie that number to my self-esteem. I don’t want to give it the power to make me feel bad about myself.

Off for the golf course in a couple hours. I’ll get around 14,000 steps in today.

Have a great weekend!

annette52

10:42 am
25 Jul 15
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Thanks Lori.
The first thing I noticed was the squidgy rolls of fat gradually shrinking to show a small indentation that became a waist.The padding across my shoulders and across my chest has made a huge difference, now that has gone. I look less matronly and much much slimmer.

Just topped 12,000 steps after a 6 mile(10K) walk/run. I think it is getting easier, there are bits that I can run now that I couldn’t before. The challenge is finding routes that are different and a bit more interesting within the distance.

Off out while the sun shines for tomorrow there is more rain………….

MinnesotaMiss

1:55 pm
25 Jul 15
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Congratulations, Annette! It’s how things fit and look that matters. Less matronly is the goal at our age isn’t it. I looked in the mirror the other day and said to myself, “I’ve turned into my mother.” Now, she’s a lovely gracious woman, but . . .

Your 12,000 steps have motivated me to put in a few miles on my treadmill desk today. It’s too hot and muggy outside. If I ever thought of retiring to Florida as so many do, all it takes are a few July days and I’m desperate for winter to return to Minnesota.

annette52

2:52 pm
25 Jul 15
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17,472 steps so far and just remembered what I forgot at the shops for tea!So, off out again in a moment. We are due more heavy rain tomorrow, so I am working on the theory that I will not set foot outside tomorrow, so these steps will have to do for both days.

It is far easier to exercise when it is cool isn’t it?

Back to the shops…

annette52

5:31 pm
25 Jul 15
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MinnesotaMiss,
It was a photo that really made me sit up and take notice. I had become my mum!
I was devastated that I had become round and middle aged.She was miserable about her weight and size, now I was too. There wasn’t much to be done about changing my age, but I could change my size and shape.

That photo was the start of the change to a new me and one that is still evolving. I am probably fitter now than I have ever been. No-one is more surprised than me. I want to be a strong and fit old person, not housebound and frail.

When I started on this way of life, I was convinced that I would be unable to lose weight. How wrong was I?

I must make better decisions this Christmas, perhaps should be my motto.

annette52

8:06 am
27 Jul 15
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Morning All,
Bit of a shock to find out that one of my favourite lunches is so many calories. I have had a look at my food log to see what is holding back my weight loss and think that I have found a few culprits. The ice cream(on a stick) that I love is 300 calories. One large avocado=340 cals with 2 slices of bread=252 cals giving a stonking 600 calories!

I had hoped that I would be at my goal weight(BMI 26) in 6 weeks time.That would mean a loss of 9 lb and yet the difference in my current TDEE to my goal TDEE is just 63 calories.

Plan for this week is to eat up to my goal TDEE every day with x2 fast days and see what happens as I log food and calories. Hopefully there will be a change that spurs me on. Fingers crossed.

Lori_PA

8:31 am
27 Jul 15
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Go annette! I have no doubt that you will make your goal!

My plan for this week is to cut the carbs. I have been just eating “whatever” during my eating window, but that has to change. Candy & cookies and pretzels…oh my! I will still allow myself my pretzels with hummus, but in a limited amount….not directly from the bag! The candy & cookies has got to go. I’ll focus on protein and work to get this sugar monkey off my back(again!)

Off to boot camp in an hour or so. Just having my morning coffee to get going. I’m planning 3 boot camp sessions this week and will try to get myself out for a little run/walk 2 days. It’s a very hot & humid week here, so any activity has to be done early.

Have a good week!

Iona72

9:26 am
27 Jul 15
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Hi everyone Just in week 3 of FD and notice today that my trousers are possibly a little less snug! Great to read all you inspiring posts, I have no fear of turning into my mother as she has probably never weighed as much as I do!!
Annette good luck on reaching your goal, mine seems so far away, how much weight have you lost on this diet?
Lori send some PA sunshine to the UK, a whole week of rain forecast for us and temps in the 50’s. I would just like one afternoon sitting in the garden with a good book! Not a lot to ask surely!!

annette52

11:00 am
27 Jul 15
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Thanks Lori, we will see. Why not tot up those snacks in calories just to see how many calories they add up too.That really helped me to stop daily snacks and save a shed load of calories.
Lori, could you send some sunshine? It is chilly, windy and grey here.

Welcome Iona72. Great to hear about the trousers and as the weeks tick by you will notice the difference with other clothes too. I now have shoes that are too big, must have had more fat on my feet than I realized!Thanks, I hope to inch towards my goal every week.

I started this in January 2013 at the age of 52, a round short miserable 11 stone and 11 lb struggling to fit into size 16 jeans and with a massive muffin top. I really believed that I was going to prove that the 5:2 didn’t and couldn’t work for me. I was wrong. I have come off plan numerous times and piled the weight on because I have eaten too much calorie dense food that had become my way of life. It isn’t food that makes us fat, it is habit. Changing the habits is the key.

I piled on 10 lb last Christmas(as I did the year before) and found myself at 11 stone 5 lb in January this year.I love mince pies, made loads and ate loads. I love Christmas Cake and Christmas Pudding. All in all, it was really easy to put it on. Rather more of a struggle to shift it and a trap that I am mindful of this year.

I am now 10st 7lb in newish size 12 jeans that are a bit big now.I have an hour glass figure and love clothes. I am also struck how shapeless any of the clothes in the shops have become to hide the nations increasing girth.
It isn’t so much about the number on the scale, but how much less of you there is. I am striving to reach that currently elusive goal of a waist that is less than half my height.
My bust is 3 inches smaller, I now have a waist(my new natural high waist) and am 2 inches smaller across the belly button measurement, 5 inches smaller hips,4 inches smaller thighs(no more rubbing together-deep joy)and 3 inches off my calves. Sadly I forgot to measure upper arms, but sleeves that were very tight are now quite loose. So that is 16 inches less of me on the parts that I measured.
What that doesn’t take into account is how much better I feel, how much smaller my shoulders now are, that there is now muscle definition on my arms and legs as well as teeny tiny abs as the tummy is shrinking.As the back fat melted away along with the fat across my chest(kept the boobs)I noticed that dresses were longer, clothes were becoming too big across the top and were discarded.

My top tip would be to measure bust, under bust, waist(across the belly button, hips, thighs, calves and upper arms once a week with a grand clothes try on and weigh in and record it. For the weeks when the scales didn’t budge, but I shrank it was a real motivator to keep going..and for the times when there seemed to be no change anywhere but to keep going anyway.

Is that any help?

annette52

11:03 am
27 Jul 15
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Also have a look at the photos of George Osborne before the 5:2 and now. He does look fabulous.
He is my incentive when I have a wobble.

MinnesotaMiss

2:01 pm
27 Jul 15
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Hi all and welcome Iona72.

Thanks, Annette, for the long description of your progress so far. It’s inspiring. I started 5:2 in April, but was off the program for pretty much all of June. I’ve lost 3-4 lbs. so far. Not inspiring, but better than nothing. I’m going to try a harder push once again, starting with a FD today.

I don’t have that much to lose. But my mum struggled with weight all her life and has had all the weight related medical problems including needing both knees replaced and diabetes. My sister and I always vowed that we would never put on weight like that. Easy for my sister, as she has my father’s genes and he was thin all his life. I take after my mother, however. On the good side, she has always had beautiful skin and I got that. On the other side, I also have her metabolism. We were both extremely thin in our youth, which has helped. But now I put on weight very easily and need to tackle the problem while it’s still only an extra ten pounds or so.

Wish some of you could send us the cool and rainy weather. Today it will be in the 90s with Floridian humidity. On the plus side, who feels like eating in heat like that?

Good luck to everyone who’s fasting today.

MM

Iona72

3:40 pm
27 Jul 15
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Annette thanks so much for your frank and honest response!! I’m in my 50’s too and would love to be 10 stone anything! I’m currently at 12 stone and trying to kid myself that I’m a size 14 UK but I know 16 is a reality- so a way to go yet. I have taken measurements as advised and am just starting week 3 (with a FD). Love hearing how everyone is doing, thanks for the welcome.

annette52

4:40 pm
27 Jul 15
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Thanks MM and Iona.
Glad the description was helpful, it felt like a catalogue of failure from my perspective!

Remember that you can eat what you like, just not how much you might like.

It is not food that makes us fat, but our habits.

Have a look at the FAQ’s. Aim for protein and leaves on a FD.

One month I didn’t lose any weight but lost a total of 7 inches from all over!

Keep the faith. It does work and I am also menopausal.

kmgga

4:51 pm
27 Jul 15
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I’m a wee bit obsessive so I weigh myself every day, enter it into the tracker and then view my progress. My chart looks like a steep craggy mountain, with little peaks and valleys, but always the trend is down…..

cinderella

8:33 am
29 Jul 15
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I’ve been reading your posts for ages so thought I’d say hello. I’ve been on the 5:2 for 3 months and have lost 11 pounds. 3″ from waist, 2.5″ from hips and 1.75″ from thighs. Thanks to Anita for measuring tips as I may not have thought to do that in the beginning. I knew my weight had crept up but I’d no idea by how many inches! It’s been lovely that all my summer skirts fit this year and my too tight muffin top gardening trousers are now the ones of choice.

The fast days are fine now I’ve got a plan, it’s the days in between that are the problem!

Thanks for tips about Christmas I’ll have to watch that!

Bootsy Badger

1:46 pm
29 Jul 15
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Hello all Fast Friends, Old and New!

My pc is away for repair 🙁 so I haven’t been able to post. Right now I’m at a friend’s, feeding her cat, so have grabbed the chance to log on. I’ve just had a lovely big catch up of everyone’s posts. Thanks for your honesty and congrats to everyone on progress so far.

Lori, I hope the headaches are easing. Good luck with refining your ‘eating window’ approach. Well done on your 11lb loss,cinderella. Kmgga, great that you are concentrating on the overall trend – I think that’s the best way of keeping motivated – and I’m so glad for you that it’s downwards. Annette, I agree with MM and Iona72 – your account of your 5:2 journey IS inspiring but I also understand your point that it’s so easy to see one’s own progress as a ‘catalogue of failure’.

I’ve been generally posting ‘I’m struggling’ for the past few weeks but on Monday I did an eating window of 18:6; then I’m delighted to say that Monday eve to this morning I did a good old-fashioned 36 hour fast! The past couple of weeks, I had begun to doubt that I would ever manage one again. I seemed to have lost all motivation. Yesterday, I remembered how good fasting can help me feel.

Re activity: On Monday I got back on my (rather dusty) exercise bike and did 3 x 30 secs of High Intensity Interval Training. On Monday and today I did my ‘5 minute workout’ – abs crunches; squats etc.

Last time I posted, I was wondering whether just to switch to maintenance mode. I didn’t even manage that and did a LOT of overeating, especially of those pesky refined carbs! However, after even a couple of days back on track, my trousers are feeling ‘relaxed’ again, which in turn motivates me even more. I measured my ‘bellybutton level waist’ last night. I still have about 3 more inches to lose before it is half my height, so no more talk of maintenance until I am at that goal.

I’m fed up with our half-hearted UK summer and would love some sunshine – but I’d rather have chilly winds and rain than your US humidity!!

Best wishes to all: FD-ers; temperate non FD-ers or even if you’ve gone way off course today – just forgive yourself for being human and start again!
BB
X

MinnesotaMiss

1:59 pm
29 Jul 15
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Morning, everyone. Well, Monday was supposed to be a fast day and I got to dinnertime just fine. Then a friend came over with a bottle of wine. So yesterday I got back on the wagon for a real fast. Guess I’ll call that a fast day and a half for this week since I hope the 22 hours without food on Monday did something.

The scale says 132.8 this morning. Three more pounds to go to get rid of that dreadful “3”. I’m going to try to find another fast day later this week. Time to make a concerted push. Cinderella, wow! I’ve been at this for about three months myself and have lost only half what you have.

Lori, how well is the window working for you compared to the complete fast days? It would be much easier for me, in terms of my lifestyle–I’m a social eater and rarely have breakfast or lunch with anyone else. But I’m a social eater. So I fear I would cut loose at dinner and stuff myself.

A cold front came through last night. Mmmmmmm . . . a nice cool breeze this morning and open windows!

Good luck to all fasters today. I’ll be at my boyfriend’s cabin, so no fast for me today.

MM

Lori_PA

2:02 pm
29 Jul 15
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Bootsy….great to “see” you again! Congrats on the fasting and getting back on the exercise bike.

I had a bad headache Monday night and Tuesday morning, but it has eased and I feel pretty good today. Once in a while I feel a small “zing” in my right temple, but I’m beginning to think it’s jaw related as my right jaw has been feeling tight. I had jaw surgery to align my bite over 20 years ago and sometimes I think things don’t line up like they should. Monday night I ate a lot of popcorn(to the point where my jaw hurt) and that night and the next morning were my worst headaches. I looked up some exercises for TMJ online and ever since I started doing them, the headache is gone. Fingers crossed that I can keep them at bay.

We had a great boot camp session this morning. Circuit training combined with hitting the heavy bag. Lots of laughs mixed in with the hard work.

Boring day at work so it’s going to drag. The last week of the month is usually slow. I’ll have to find something interesting to read this afternoon.

Have a great day everyone!

PS Great to see new people joining our happy little group!

Lori_PA

2:05 pm
29 Jul 15
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MM, you popped in while I was posting! I like the eating window approach and I very rarely stuff myself. I find that a lot of times if I eat when my window opens, then I really don’t want much for dinner. I try to just eat something light around 1 or 2 and then have a normal dinner with my husband. He’s leaving for the beach with the grandkids and friends for a few days, so the next 3 nights, I’ll just eat what I feel like, when I feel like it!

I do need to start keeping better track of calories, esp on weekends, as my weight is just staying the same and I really need another 25 or so off.

annette52

4:51 pm
29 Jul 15
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Hello Fast Friends,

Goodness I turn my back and there is a hive of activity!Welcome kmgga and Cinderella. Everyone sounds as though there are improvements which is fabulous.

I have just been away with family at short notice and have eaten out all the time.I think the damage is going to be very bad indeed. It was a treat to eat out last night and for lunch today, but there were a million calories consumed. BUT I had a lovely time and never eat out usually.I had a trio of deserts last night, x2 of which were disappointing, so I had a spoonful of each and decided that they were not worth the calories-not something I would have done a year ago. So that’s progress.
Christmas is really worrying me and I want to conquer the annual huge weight gain, so here is my plan;
This year I will not stop the 5:2 at the start of December, but will carry on through the festive season and will have a fast day at the start of the week and on Boxing Day, when I will be stuffed. I will use up the 3 jars of homemade mincemeat to make mince pies and then freeze them and will give away the majority. I will not make mincemeat again because I am an addict and cannot be trusted. I will not make or buy a Christmas Cake, but will buy the boys a Yule Log-I find it too sweet. Hopefully these tactics will stop me sobbing in not so quiet despair on New Years Day…again.

annette52

7:59 am
30 Jul 15
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The damage has not been as bad as I feared according to the scales. I might not lose any weight this week, but I haven’t gained anymore either.Lesson learned. Just not sure if I can fit in another FD this week.

Lori_PA

9:31 am
30 Jul 15
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Look at that Annette! You had a lovely time and the damage was minimal! No worries! We just have to do our best most of the time, but enjoy the social part of life too! Good on you!

No boot camp this morning. It is a planned day off. It was very warm overnight, so I didn’t sleep as well as I would like. Plus, the husband is away and it is always strange to sleep alone when you’re used to someone beside you. I will have to do the “chores” this morning that J usually does. Feed the birds & the deer, bring in the newspaper etc.

It’s going to be a long day at work. The last week of the month is usually slow. It makes the day drag.

I’m feeling hungry this morning, so I’m thinking my eating window will not be happening today. It’s all good. Funny how I find it easier to do the eating window when I work out in the morning. It kills my appetite, I guess.

Hope you all have a fabulous day!

Iona72

2:50 pm
30 Jul 15
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Oh dear, I can’t bear the thought of Christmas eating while we are still in July Annette!! Forewarned is forearmed I suppose!
I’ve been unwell for a few days with a bladder infection and not been eating much, so a good week weight wise if not health wise! I managed a walk in the sunshine this afternoon and felt better for it. Back to work tomorrow so I will be planning my next few FD’s. Stay strong and keep on track!!

cinderella

6:56 am
31 Jul 15
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Glad you’re feeling better Iona, bladder infections are nasty. My Tuesday FD was a washout as husband had a day off and fancied going to the bakers for crusty bread and cakes! Thought I’d do it on Wednesday instead. Ate my FD lunch then suddenly realised that we were going out for an anniversary meal in the evening! Had a light dinner last night to compensate but still had snacks. I’m off for the school hols with my 7 yr old son so snacks everywhere! Going to be harder than when working.

Agree about uk weather, I could have put the heating on last night, keep putting on socks for the evening!

My ice cream tips are mini Fab lollies 54 cals and Random lollies 48 cals, I usually have one to round off a FD. Not quite ice cream on a stick though!

Very much admire all your keep fit efforts, I do pretty much nothing except running around after son. Have just started a toning DVD, the Claudia Schiffer one I used to do when I was 20 something. Now 42 and I had to laugh at the creaks and cracks coming from my knees!

Lori_PA

8:40 am
31 Jul 15
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Friday at last! My Thursday turned into a food fest, so today must be a better day. I’m feeling quite “ugh” this morning what with all the sugar and crap I ate yesterday. Tomorrow’s weigh in will be shocking indeed. 🙁

Off to boot camp in a bit to work off some of yesterday’s indulgences. Yikes! Tomorrow and Sunday will be spent on the golf course. Playing in a tournament tomorrow and then Sunday is just a fun day with friends.

I’m trying to get my head back into the fasting game. I really need to get more veggies into my diet as I’m pretty bad at that. We’re getting a new market opening next Friday, that is supposed to have an awesome organic section, so I’m going to make an effort to buy (and eat!) more good for me food! Enough with the cheese & pretzels & hummus. I’ve been practically living on that kind of stuff for months.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Can you believe tomorrow is August 1??

annette52

7:19 am
1 Aug 15
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Morning All,

As predicted I haven’t lost any weight this week, but have been asked by a work colleague yesterday if I had lost any more as I looked slimmer(not seen her for 4 weeks). I came to the conclusion quite a while ago that although exercise is great for fitness and toning,the calories used are actually quite small in comparison to the effort(I ran 10 miles and couldn’t outrun my fork!). No change with my measurements either although my trousers are a loose fit, so I presume that regular running is toning all over.

I might try x3 days fasting next week and rather than eating up to my current TDEE, I am going to aim for the TDEE of the 9lb less that I am aiming for(BMI 26.6), which is only 65 calories less.Worth a try to see how I get on counting up to 1800.

Iona,I hope that you feel better. Cinderella, don’t stress about the DVD. A pedometer is a very useful tool with an aim of 10,000 steps. When my boys were young, I am not sure that I would have taken enough steps even though they ran everywhere! Lori I am not a great veggie fan either, why not try not having any of those snacks in the house and have healthy ones instead and see how that goes.
Just bear in mind that it takes 6 weeks to develop a new habit.

Lori_PA

10:25 am
1 Aug 15
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Happy August 1st!

My weigh in wasn’t as shocking as I’d feared. Up just 1.5 lbs in the month of July. I was really expecting much more. I’ll be weighing 3 times a week in August and hope to see the number steadily go down.

That is the plan Annette. I WILL NOT buy any more hummus until I lose at least 10 lbs. I’m hoping by then I won’t want it anymore. HA! I’m really going to make an effort to eat more veggies. I love raw red peppers and so does my husband. That could be a veggie with dinner. Dipped in ranch dressing, they are yummy. I read a book one time that suggested at least 1 serving of broccoli a day. This person would cook it in the microwave and just eat it down. She considered it a vitamin. Anyway, the new market opens next Friday and I’m going to stock up on good looking leafy greens and other veggies.

Off to the golf course in a bit. Doing a bit of laundry first and then off I go. We’re going out to dinner with some friends tonight….this place has awesome seafood, so I know what I’ll be having!

Have a great weekend!

annette52

3:11 pm
1 Aug 15
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Hi Lori,
Just thought I would have a look at where that 1.5 lbs may have come from, although I had no idea what ranch dressing was, but having looked at the ingredients I am not surprised it is so calorific. Ranch dressing is 484 calories/100g or 73 calories per tablespoon, hummus 166 calories/100g with an average cup(220-240g) coming in at 400-450 calories, pita bread is another 270 calories. Pretzels are 380 calories/100g. It wouldn’t take much for a bit of snacking here and there to rapidly add up to 1500 calories on top of meals!

I make my own salad dressing which is 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tsp white wine vinegar and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. If you put the lot in a small jam jar with lid and give it a good shake it should last you for 4 meals. I drizzle it over salad and prawns with raw peas is a favourite of mine.

Everything is logged and calories calculated for this week with a firm determination not to go over the 1800 calories per day.Watch this space!

Lori_PA

3:41 pm
6 Aug 15
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Just checking in on all of you! The week has been fairly good, with just a few battles with some chocolate. 😉 Not sure what the scale will have to say tomorrow, but I’m not expecting a loss. Weighed yesterday and was the same as Saturday, so not hoping for much. I’m weighing Mon, Wed & Friday now.

I’m finding that I need to expand my eating window a wee bit. I allow it to open now at 11AM instead of waiting until 1 or 2. Waiting that long was making me feel very grouchy & woozy. Now I have a couple hundred calories around 11 and then a small lunch around 1:30. I’m hoping I feel better on this regime. Even if I don’t lose weight quickly, or at all, feeling good has to be the major part of the equation, right?

Hope you’ve all had a good week!

annette52

4:32 pm
6 Aug 15
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Hi Lori,
I don’t think it matter at all what time you start eating. It is all down to the calories consumed during the time that you eat/drink, which dictates whether there is a loss or shrinkage in comparison to your TDEE.
It is a real education to find out what the ‘cost’ of calories are in any given food and with that information I am starting to make different choices. I have lost 1 lb after the first fast day and will do another tomorrow. I am eating up to the TDEE of 1800 which consists of breakfast, lunch, evening meal with some calories over for some fruit or a piece of cake depending on what I have eaten during the day.I am writing it all down in a little notebook so that I can look back and see what the calorie composition is of various meals or foodstuffs. It really only takes a couple of minutes.
I don’t feel hungry or deprived. I want to be a healthy weight for my height more than I want to snack throughout the day or have a Almond Croissant(600 calories)every week.
Apart from Lori and I, how is everyone getting on?

cinderella

7:53 am
7 Aug 15
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Hi everyone

Well done on the 1lb lost Annette, admire your TDEE recording. I’ve tried to avoid doing that so far and accepted that I won’t loose when I’ve been eating ‘silly’, it is scary how easy it is to gain back those cals from the FD though. I’ve only a few pounds to go but they do seem harder. I’ve messed around with my FDs the last couple of weeks so haven’t weighed in. I did do them successfully though but not on the usual days. Have been out a fair bit though so…. Isle of Wight by Hovercraft on Tuesday with my son and sister was blissful, lattes by the sea and the rest! Another day a pub lunch. FD today so will weigh tomorrow.

Will try that salad dressing some time, very easy.

Will you be at the veg market today Lori? I’ve eaten more salad than ever before on the Fast Diet!

Lori_PA

8:38 am
7 Aug 15
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Good Morning!

No plans for the market today. I’ll be on the golf course all weekend, so I won’t have much time for meal planning. Poor husband! 😉 He manages to survive. I had a big salad last night for dinner, so got some veggies in. Scale was up a half pound for the week. Too many treats/chocolate.

Feeling a bit down about the whole weight loss thing at the moment. I just can’t seem to get my head in the game. I just have to keep going and do the best I can on any given day.

annette52

9:26 am
7 Aug 15
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I always remember reading ‘eat normally for the other 5 days’ and wondered what normally might look like on the basis that if I knew what normally was…I wouldn’t be fat!
I have resisted the calorie counting bit for quite some time now on the basis that it seemed like another diet, I suppose. The interesting thing is that now I know what my TDEE needs to be and I am logging it all, I feel empowered.The ability to lose these last 8 lb is within my grasp now, I just have to eat up to and no more of my TDEE. Information is power.
I want to maintain the loss, so it seems sensible to me to learn what those calories look like, so that I can do that with relative ease. Well, that’s my plan!
Look up your TDEE, spend a week writing down what you actually eat and tot up those calories. It is quite an eye opener, my guessing was often way out.Why not up to your TDEE and then see what happens?
It is not food that makes us fat but habit.

Lori_PA

12:38 pm
7 Aug 15
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Yes Annette, I resist counting calories, but I must do it for a few weeks. I already use myfitnesspal, so it’s not a great hardship. When I have done this in the past, it really didn’t help me lose weight. I often only get to 1300 or so calories and with my exercise my TDEE is much higher. I know that doesn’t make sense and I suppose on weekends I was a bit lax on my calorie counting and that made the difference in whether or not I lost. It’s just all getting a bit tiring now.

Sorry to be such a gloomy gus. It’s been a long week.

annette52

3:15 pm
7 Aug 15
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Hi Lori,
I completely understand and sympathise.
Have you checked your TDEE on this site?
At 10st 6lb and 5 ft 1 inch my BMI is 27.6 and as I exercise moderately(within that definition) I have a TDEE of 1859 with exercise included to give that figure. If I change my weight to 9st 12lb(haven’t been in the 9’s for 30 years!)that gives me a BMI of 26.1 and a TDEE of 1803 which includes the exercise.
I have been of the opinion for some time now that exercise is wonderful for toning and fitness, but whether my weight goes up or down is all down to how many calories I shovel into my mouth. I love a mashed avocado on x2 slices of wholemeal toast, it is very healthy post run meal…but comes in at 600 calories!So I have substituted the daily avocado for peanut butter and halved the calories.
You may find that the calorie count for each item is not as bad as you fear. If it is higher, then you may find a substitute or limit the frequency of consumption. A treat for me is something that I enjoy and makes me feel good. I now choose to spend those 600 calories on an Almond Croissant if I have them spare to spend and then choose to do so. My previous devil-may-care approach was making me fed up in the long run, so not worth the short time pleasure.

The proof of the pudding will be the scales tomorrow.

annette52

7:39 am
8 Aug 15
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My scales are broken. I tripped over them last night, moved them onto their side and this morning they claim that I am 9st 12-I wish!

However, I have lost another inch from my natural waist(I am high waisted)and another inch off the round the navel measure, which is fabulous.I am keeping my fingers crossed that the shrinkage will now move to below my waist, such a shame there is no control where the fat goes from.

Last night, to keep myself busy on a FD, I tried on loads of my clothes and now have a large pile that are too big and don’t fit, or I will never wear. I have came to the conclusion that I am smaller across my back, shoulders and arms. There is quite a tummy to go though and that is holding me back in several pairs of trousers and those elusive pink linen shorts.

Digital scale shopping……