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

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annette52

4:43 pm
21 Jun 16
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Hi Jim,
How did it go? Sorry not to respond to you last night, the internet went down and then I fell asleep!

Do what you think is best.But, think about any improvements that you can make along the way too.

If you had a banana/apple, the world isn’t going to end and it may be wiser to have something then, than pig out later. Trial and error Jim.

I am having a tricky time. Work is dull and not a lot to do plus food at work is also rather dull and very carb heavy. I have a suspicion that I am marking time for the next few weeks until the end of term when I will be mistress of my own food options.

Pollypenny

8:24 pm
22 Jun 16
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Hi, I posted to introduce myself last week, but I cannot find my post anywhere. Today, I read and mooned on the not losing thread.

I was very fed up this morning, as I’ve put on a pound. However, then I measured my waist and found that I’d lost another inch, 5 inches since start on 25th April. I had lost 11.1/2 lbs.

Not giving up, although I dearly would like to be under 10st before holiday in three weeks time.

simcoeluv

8:46 pm
22 Jun 16
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Hi Polly and welcome:

To find your previous posts, just click on ‘Your profile’ at the top right of the page and then ‘Replies Created’.

Here are some tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

annette52

8:48 pm
22 Jun 16
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Wow! That is an amazing loss.

Remember that the goal is to have a waist of less than half your height.A particular number on the scales in a chosen time frame is almost setting you up to fail and something that I have done many times and then been miserable.

Just keep going, enjoy your holiday and see where you are afterwards.

Pollypenny

9:28 am
23 Jun 16
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Oh, thanks, simcolev and annette.

Well, I weighed this morning and found I’d lost 3lbs since yesterday, 2 since my weigh day last week. Bit of a walk, so it must have been a hangover of gastric ‘blockage’ from the weekend.

I am now just half a pound from losing a stone. I didn’t discover the site until I needed further help, so recorded my start weight as 10.10. On return from a few days in Ireland I was my heaviest ever, including pregnancy, 11.4!

My husband has lost even more and looking good, as well as gaining confidence.

NearlySlimJim

8:54 pm
23 Jun 16
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Hi everybody.

Annette, my neighbour went to the doctors this morning for his monthly tests and it turns out his cholesterol is 7.2 (which he says is bad), his blood pressure is the highest it has ever been, his blood sugar is also very high which will affect his diabetes apparently and there was something else which I can’t remember but the doctor wasn’t very happy about it. The doctor quizzed him about his diet, so he lied and didn’t mention the waffles for pudding on Sunday but did mention the bags of crisps he has been pigging out on. The outcome is that he will no longer be able to have a pudding on Sunday (his choice), which means that I won’t need to have one neither (my choice).

We went to Morecambe today to ride our bicycles along the prom, mainly because it is completely flat. He has an electric bike but I just have a normal MTB. We parked about a mile out of the town and cycled 6 miles to Heysham and back again. According to a website I use to tell me how many calories I use in a certain activity I burned about 1500, which may go some way in reducing the calories from a portion of fish & chips we had for lunch. I’m glad weigh day isn’t tomorrow.

Legs ache, off to bed for an early night.

annette52

9:42 am
25 Jun 16
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The bike ride sounds great Jim. As for your neighbour, lack of pudding will help both of you. I have been watching Jason Fung on You Tube as suggested on another thread and I have been a fan of Robert Lustig for some time who is also on You Tube. I have a book by Lustig which is called ‘Fat Chance The Hidden Truth about sugar, obesity and disease’. I may well get the book by Fung which is called ‘The Obesity Code’ although I see that he is on you tube with the ‘Aetiology of Obesity’. Your neighbour might be interested in them both.

Lustig would say that any exercise that makes you sweat is good for you as it burns fat in the muscles and the liver.There is a view that calories in food are an incomplete picture, as fats and carbohydrates for example, are used in different ways. For years we have been told that a calorie is a calorie…but apparently not.

Exercise makes you feel better and will certainly trim, tone and build muscle. Just don’t expect to lose weight as the maths doesn’t add up. Take measurements and watch them reduce as the months pass and your fitness improves.The goal is to have a waist(around the belly button) that is less than half your height and for men less than 37″ and women 31″.

I love fish and chips and will never ever pass up a meal like that. The difference now is that I wouldn’t eat much later in the day or anything.

I started a FD yesterday and despite my shock and sadness at the EU referendum results, I managed to keep on the straight and narrow until lunch. Then the wheels came off big time when I got home and bought chocolate. So the plan is the usual one of 2 FD next week. However, I am trying to ditch any snacks of fruit in the evening so that I have a longer period of fasting through the evening and overnight as I understand that constantly raising my blood sugar and thus insulin is not good.

Onwards and downwards fast friends.

Lori_PA

10:59 am
25 Jun 16
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Popping in for a quick Hello. Same old, same old here. Still trying to get off the vacation “fluff” that I put on a couple weeks ago. It sure comes on quicker than it comes off! I’m up between 3 and 5 lbs. It just doesn’t want to budge.

Like you Annette, I need to put an end to evening snacking. I always seem to reach for cheese or peanut butter. I need to learn to just drink a glass of water when I feel like I want to snack.

Well, I’m off for the golf course in a short while. I’m playing in a tournament at a different course, so it should be fun. I’m a bit short on sleep as my husband’s brother was here overnight and he doesn’t sleep well. He was up and down all night long. We’ll see how I play golf while sleep deprived! 😉

Keep the faith everyone. One day at a time.

NearlySlimJim

12:48 pm
25 Jun 16
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OMG, 37″ Annette, it’s 58″ now! that’s 21″ to lose. I was thinking I’d eventually get down to about 14 stones with a waist measurement of about 45″, but I see I will have to re-evaluate everything.

I felt okay but a bit tired after the Morecambe trip, but on Friday evening my knees really started aching and I now finding it hurts just to stand up. I was intending going for a short ride today (I go every two days to let the muscles heal) but I can’t even swing my leg over the bike. I think I’ll leave it until Monday and then do the usual ride plus the extra two miles on the off road section.

annette52

10:09 am
26 Jun 16
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Hi Lori, it’s not just evening snacking..it’s snacking as a whole that has to go. No good for the insulin production.

Jim, don’t panic or get demoralized. I had a look through the book by Lustig that I mentioned before looking for some key points that might help you and your neighbour. He believes that all diets that are successful are low sugar, high fibre and fat and carbohydrate are consumed together in the presence of an off setting amount of fibre.

Lustigs top tips for navigating food labels are don’t go shopping when you are hungry, shop in the periphery of the supermarket and real food doesn’t have/need a nutrition label. Real food spoils which is good because you can digest it-but you will increase fibre and micronutrients and reduce transfats and fructose.Find the hidden sugar(over 40 names for sugar used by the food industry)and if sugar apears in the first 3 ingredients then it is a dessert. Eat fruit, don’t drink it.Start by stopping all sugared beverages. Reduce sugar in all recipes by a third. Make dessert special-once a week.

Lustig suggests that the goal is to keep insulin levels low by consuming foods that are low sugar, high fibre, low omega-6 fats and low trans fats. This translates to whole foods-oats, brown rice, brown pasta, wholegrain bread, hummus, olive oil, eggs, nuts, seeds,milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter, beans, fruit, vegetables and unprocessed meat.That is hardly a miserable, deprived list is it?

I have changed how I shop, eat and cook. I never thought that I ate badly but I have made lots of little changes. If I eat out, then I view it as a treat and eat less on the days afterwards.

My top tip would be to look at the meals that you eat and see what improvements you can make and then look at what you eat in between meals. Rather than eating all the time, look at leaving gaps between meals and increasing those times to reduce the amount of time that you are not eating/drinking anything that is going to increase blood sugar. I am working on just drinking water between meals and leaving the evenings after dinner without any snacking of fruit or nuts, to increase the amount of time without food every day.

Exercise is great and walking is fabulous. It doesn’t need to be the gym or running to be good. Taking the stairs rather than the lift are all doable and little changes add up to big changes.

The bottom line is that changes will have to be made to what you eat/drink and how often. I am fitter/slimmer now than I have been for most of my adult life. I wish that I had shifted those 3 stone when I was in my thirties, not my fifties.

NearlySlimJim

4:25 pm
26 Jun 16
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Hi Annette.

Thanks for the good advice, I shall try to follow your example. I have started doing two water only fasts per week as it is only difficult between about 5pm to 7pm and the rest of the time it doesn’t bother me. On the other days I have porridge for breakfast around 10am, a normal evening meal about 5pm and nothing before, after or inbetween.

It’s quite hard not snacking considering I would often have a couple of Cadburys Double Deckers twice a day and a bar of chocolate or a whole coffee madeira cake for pudding after my tea sometimes with a 500ml tub of ice cream. Getting off the sugar has been really quite difficult, but as long as I don’t have any in the house and with the nearest shop being a 30 minute drive away I think I should manage it. As far as I am aware I have not had a high sugar treat for two weeks, though I have a stock of organic apples in so I can have one of those if the cravings get too bad.

When I quit smoking I was told that if I had a craving for nicotine I should sip ice cold water and this will get rid of the craving. I remember it worked, so I wonder if it would also work for sugar craving. I may give it a try.

By the way, weighed myself this morning and I’m four pounds down since last Sunday (same as the previous week), which I imagine is probably the result of combining the fasting with going cycling every two days, two pounds from each.

annette52

8:19 pm
26 Jun 16
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Hi Jim,
You have made some amazing changes to your diet and habits in such a short time. The idea about the ice cold water is a good one. Do read jars/labels/packets if you use any of them and avoid those jar tomato sauces as they are full of sugar. I make my own using a Mary Berry recipe for meatballs in tomato sauce- I make loads and then freeze it in portions.
Well done on the weight loss too, you must be thrilled.

I have to endure an all morning training session at work tomorrow. There will be biscuits and despair may well drive me to dive in headfirst! I will do my best, but plan 2 FD later in the week. My new goals are to avoid all snacking, however healthy.

annette52

5:59 pm
27 Jun 16
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Well, as predicted, the training session was dire-6 biscuits consumed. Sandwich for lunch and cooking pasta this evening. My plan is for a FD tomorrow.

NearlySlimJim

8:05 pm
27 Jun 16
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I always have pasta before a fast day as apparently it’s very good to do the day before a big event like a cycling sportive or something similar (or so I read in the magazines), so I assume it would also carb-load the body to survive the fast day. I don’t know whether I should be carb-loading my body before a fast day, but it seems to help. Maybe it’s my way of finding a good excuse to have pasta.

Apricot

8:45 pm
27 Jun 16
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Probably not good to starch pack, no. There’s been evidebce for a number of years now that it only works short term for athletes, hence the constant sugary drinks. Many are now using low carb for endurance as you carry much more in fat than in sugar/ glycogen. Your liver stores the excess sugars ( starch and sugar are treated as the same by the body), and as long as you can use that you won’t mobilise much of the fat stored. Which is surely what you want to do to lose the weight.

I find that I’m more hungry if I starch pack, as the sugars run out quite fast and your body wants more….so tells you to eat them. Try keeping them down a bit and also as Annette says having some fat with them as that slows down the digestion. But the insulin still rises, even with wholemeal starches and a little fat. Having carbs only from green and coloured veg and upping the protein and fat is much more effective and you will be less hungry.

Apricot

8:51 pm
27 Jun 16
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Lori, I too reach for cheese and peanut butter in the evening, but they don’t raise insulin much and are very satiating. I try to stick with 20-28 g cheese max an one teasp peanut butter. Then I have a long cold water with ice and lemon, sometimes with zero cal tonic, and try to do something else till the brain knows it’s had a snack! On an FD I try to leave some cals so I can do this, but it doesn’t always work!

annette52

9:20 pm
27 Jun 16
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Hi Jim,
I run and there is a view that carb loading is neither necessary or helps you run. I ran a 10K a couple of weeks ago and tried having salmon and vegetables the evening before. I felt much better than when I had eaten pasta the evening before.

On the basis that you are not running a marathon the day that you are fasting, there is no need to carb load, in fact, most of us probably eat too many carbs in the form of rice and pasta anyway too often. The idea is to have a period of time without food to allow the insulin levels to reduce which could be achieved more quickly, I suppose if you have a meal of protein/fat/vegetables.

I always used to fast on a Monday after a roast dinner on the Sunday. It seemed to make it easier somehow, which is bonkers when I do a FD later in the week without a roast the day before! I had already planned today’s evening meal based on which of my boys were in for dinner rather than me having a FD on Tuesday.

If you are having pasta Jim then make it wholemeal and weigh it-75g-100g per portion.

annette52

9:49 pm
27 Jun 16
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Apricot, I am trying to stop snacking at all between meals. It seems that it will be better for me in terms of breaking the habit and will help to prevent any insulin spikes at all.I am trying to combine what I have learned from Lustig and Fung, as I think that they are both saying the same things and it all seems quite reasonable and based on science.

I do feel fuller with more fat in my diet too, but I am scoffing more nuts than I need as well, so hopefully less/no snacking should help there too.I have some homemade hummus with cucumber for tomorrow evening which will fill/soothe/nourish.

I sometimes go over 500 calories on a FD too. I am always hungry on the day after a FD and seem to need more to eat that day as well.

Iona72

8:00 am
28 Jun 16
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Hello All,
Lori ~ I am fighting the holiday “fluff” too, but not doing myself any favours along the way. Slowly slipping back into my old ways. Not has a FD in weeks, but today I aim to change that. Snacking has also crept back into my routine, especially when I’m at home, and in the evenings, where we all struggle.😬
I need to get my head sorted out and start planning again and get back to a more structured, controlled way of eating. On the plus side, I always drink lots of water😀
I went out for a walk yesterday but still found it difficult with the remains of a chest infection, I like to exercise so it’s not something I have to force, I just need to feel well enough to cope with it!

Pollypenny

8:53 am
29 Jun 16
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Urgh! Got on scales this morning, hoping to hit my stone lost – no! Seem to have put on 2 pound! I forgot to measure my waist, though.

Have stuck faithfully, and painlessly, to two fast days. I have accounted for the small amount of wine I’ve drunk, do disappointed. Have to say that dealing with constipation has been a priority this week, though. So changed from porridge to bran flakes. I’m just hoping that normal digestion will have the desired weight loss affect tomorrow!

That stone loss is a major psychological boost!

annette52

7:39 am
30 Jun 16
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Lori, glad that you are feeling better. I too have been slipping back and need to get back my focus. I seem to be sabotaged at work if not by the food available, then by the biscuits and chocolate.

Polly-Just remember that you may have lost inches and may or may not be from your waist.Sadly we can’t choose where it goes from! Try on your clothes to ‘see’ where it has gone from or use the tape measure all over. I always regret not measuring my uppe arms, but they are so much smaller than they used to be. I have to shoot out to work now, but will post a seed/nut meusli mix which has been fabulous for sorting out by gut.Don’t worry about 2 lb.

NearlySlimJim

10:52 am
30 Jun 16
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I don’t know whether I mentioned it on this thread or another, but the reason that I started the fast diet was because I had bought loads of shirts from a catalogue when they were having a sale and then found a few months later that they were too tight and I couldn’t get them on. The first idea was to buy bigger shirts, but when they started to get tight so the second idea was to go on the fast diet and lose weight, then I might be able to get into the smaller shirts.

Although I do calorie count, mainly because I need to know the calories in every meal I have so that I know not to have a certain meal if I have had a high calorie one earlier, I mainly judge the weight loss by how my shirts fit. At the moment the second lot of shirts I bought (the bigger ones) are starting to feel a bit loose so hopefully in a few weeks I’ll be able to start wearing the smaller ones.

annette52

6:05 am
1 Jul 16
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Sounds good Jim.

You might find it useful to buy clothes in charity shops as your weight/size/shape changes. I dropped 3 dress sizes and my shape changed completely. It has been brilliant to have ‘new’clothes that fit and i like at a fraction of the price that are also of good quality. Have a look at Oxfam on line. I have used it several times.

Polly-use a large bowl and weigh in 130g each(a cup) of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, linseed, sesame seeds, dessicated coconut, finely chopped almonds and half a cup of almond oil(Sainsburys sell it) and chopped walnuts. Then add 3 tbsp of honey to 3 tbsp of hot water and add to the mix and stir. Tip it all out onto a large baking sheet/roasting tray that is lined with greaseproof paper and roast in for half an hour approx on the lowest setting, checking often. Then turn off the oven and leave to cool inside, overnight. Store in an airtight container. It is delicious and great on top of porridge or on it’s own.I am convinced that my nails are stronger and hair more glossy as a result!

I have it with homemade yoghurt made from full fat milk, which is very easy to make.My thermos flask holds a litre of milk, so I use 850 mls of full fat milk which I heat to a temperature of 85C(Use a probe like thermometer) and then allow to cool to 46C(I put it by the back door) and then add a small pot of ‘live’ yoghurt(150 mls) and then stir. Pour the mixture into the pre warmed thermos flask, put the the lid on and leave for 8 hours and then decant into a container with a lid and store in the fridge( I re-use glass jars that have been through the dishwasher). It is fine for a week by which time I make some more.

NearlySlimJim

7:46 pm
3 Jul 16
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Hello everybody. The catalogue is having a sale again (if you are in the UK it’s called Premier Man, sizes up to 64″ waist and they have a female clothing site called Fifty Plus with sizes 10-32, should anyone be interested. Up to 60% off and the prices are quite reasonable to start with).

I’ve bought myself some wind proof cycling jackets, one size XXXL which I can just about fit into and zip up as long as I don’t lean over too far, one size XXL which I can get on but not zip up due to the gap being about four inches and another in size XL which is a bit tight and has a gap of about eight inches between the zips. I will therefore be celebrating each event when I can get each successive jacket on culminating with the XL.

K- Lo

8:26 pm
3 Jul 16
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Nearly Slim…I like your plan!

NearlySlimJim

11:31 am
7 Jul 16
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Annette, just out of interest…if my waist is supposed to be half my height, which for me would make it approximately 34″, what should my chest be?

annette52

5:07 pm
7 Jul 16
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The waist measurement is the best indicator of health as a smaller waist indicates less visceral fat. I imagine that you would be looking for shirts in medium on the basis of my chaps and their waist measurements.

The only measurement that is important is the waist, so just focus on getting that smaller and don’t make the mistake of looking at the figure on your trousers as that is rarely accurate. Keep us posted with each jacket fitting and then becoming too big!

annette52

9:32 pm
7 Jul 16
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As the school year ends, I have been given 3 boxes of chocolate.One large box is coming in at 1900 calories and the others are coming at 1500, so a grand total of 3400 calories that will be put away and shared at Christmas.

I have had a tough few weeks and have eaten a mixture of the healthy and rather a lot of those that are not. Never mind, next week I will be back to 2 FD and eating less sugar/pasta/rice and more vegetables, salad,fruit, good fat, meat and fish.

I am going to get back to keeping a daily food diary, which will also include my mood and what exercise I have taken that day. I hope that this will help me see where/when the wheels come off and what is going on in my life, so that I can learn not to ‘eat my emotions’ but to cope without using food to self medicate when things get tough. That will include a weekly weigh/measure/clothes try on.

I intend to start the new autumn term in just 8 weeks, a slimmer and fitter with better food habits and coping strategies. It is complicated by the fact that 2 of my sons have just moved out, a third is away for 2 months and the last one is working long hours. So I have gone from cooking for 5 to just having to please myself most of the time, which is quite an adjustment. I have to find things that I like to eat, that are good for me and inexpensive..and find a range of meals that fit that brief.

annette52

9:43 am
11 Jul 16
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I have stood on the scales, got the tape measure out and started a food diary. I need to get the pedometer on though and make sure that I clock up at least 10,000 steps every day.I hurt my ankle dancing a couple of weeks ago, so might brave any rain showers in a moment to see if I can manage a couple of miles.

On the plus side, I have loads to keep me occupied. Loads of stuff that I don’t want or need and will be dispatched to charity over the coming weeks. Now that the second son has just moved out there is another room to redecorate, which brings it to 3 with the hall, stairs and landings too.Fast days should whizz by with this lot to get done.

Bought myself a whole Sea Bass from Lidl for my FD tomorrow. I am going to have a bash at not eating until the evening as many people do and see how that goes. I need not to have any nuts for a week, I am an addict and scoff to many in a day.

Onwards and downwards fast friends.

Iona72

9:57 am
11 Jul 16
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Hi Annette
I am starting the week with renewed enthusiasm! Scale wasn’t too bad but trousers that were comfortable are no longer so 😕
Nuts – I have to portion them into little pots or I eat the lot! Do you buy them in Lidl too? They have a good selection.
Good to have plans to keep your mind off food, good luck with your FD!

annette52

10:20 am
11 Jul 16
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Hi Iona,
I am disappointed but not surprised by the scales. I had allowed myself to eat nonsense in the past few weeks and my once comfortable trousers are not anymore! I love Lidl.

I don’t have a gall bladder and when I overdo the nuts, I have to sprint to the loo. So I need to give myself a week of no nuts and then weigh them out like you. I just have a handful every time I pass the kitchen cupboard, which is a recipe for disaster.

So the plan is to weigh and measure next weekend and I hope to see a decrease. Off for a short run before I lose more confidence. I am having a free trial lesson of Krav Maga this evening.

Iona72

11:16 am
11 Jul 16
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I had to google Krav Maga! Sounds like fun, hope you enjoy it! I need to run more but have a tendency to plantar fasciitis which is not pleasant, so I tend to head to the gym more these days.

annette52

11:57 am
11 Jul 16
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I hurt myself dancing at a party a few weeks ago, so haven’t run for 3 weeks. I lose my nerve as the weeks ticked by and knew that I needed to go this morning, showers or not. It went much better than I thought even though I will never be speedy and clocked up 5,000 steps too.

I am a bit nervous of Krav maga but will give it a go later this evening. I have strong legs but weedy upper body strength and I hope that this will help and teach me self defence. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I am also thinking about having a go at a ‘learn to skull’ course in a few weeks time. I was inspired by the last Olympics to have a go. I am not sporty at all but as I have the time and there is the opportunity, I might have a go at that too.

Lori_PA

8:06 pm
11 Jul 16
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Just popping in for a quick Hello! Seems like we all have our minds set on a restart of sorts. I’ve joined an online 20 day low carb challenge that will then turn into a 90 day challenge. Not sure how I’ll do as challenges tend to backfire on me for some reason. I really want to get this final 20 lbs off, so I need to get serious!

Annette…hope your ankle does ok with running. I’m not at all familiar with Krav maga or Skull, but look forward to your report!

Iona, I sympathize with the PF problem. I had it for over a year and what a pain…literally! Funny thing is, it seemed to improve when I resumed a run/walk program a few years ago. I used to roll my foot on a frozen water bottle after boot camp sessions. OY! The thing that helped the most was wearing a night splint every night. I was sure glad when I was able to abandon that contraption!

Rough, rough boot camp this morning. Whew! Tomorrow I’ll go for a couple mile run/walk with a friend from boot camp. We are taking it VERY slow, but enjoy our early morning jaunts.

Have a lovely week!

annette52

9:04 am
12 Jul 16
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Hello Everyone,

Very glad that I have never had PF. But I know lots of people that have and the road back to running seems to be a long and slow one.I run/walk slowly and will never be fast but I do enjoy running through the local park and now finding different routes to extend my run. It makes me feel happy afterwards if not during!

My first FD today in ages and despite the poor weather, I have loads here to do indoors. I am a little sore after Krav Maga but not ‘broken’ which is what I half expected. There was a warm up with running in a ring, press ups(which I am rubbish at)then were were partnered up and then did some punching into pads with both arms and then practiced several moves of self defense. I loved it, was glad that I wore a sports bra and think that I am going to be rather bruised. It was a full body work out which lasted an hour and a half.

Skulling is rowing. I live in a city with a river that runs through the middle and one of the Olympic gold winners for rowing both lived and trained here. There happens to be a 5 week beginners course later in this month, which might be fun.

I have a persistent 14lb to shift, I lose some and then gain it back. I have been thinking about the festive season and the changes that I have made each year to prevent that prevoius 10lb weight gain which was down to 5lb last year. This year I am aiming for a zero gain.

So, I am aiming to ditch the sugar, eat more whole foods and learn to cook tasty nutritious meals for one as my boys have either moved out or are working. I like fish and they don’t, so I need to learn new recipes.

Lori_PA

9:44 am
12 Jul 16
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WOW Annette…an hour and a half workout…hard core! Hope you are not too sore today. Your rowing sounds awesome. I think that would be a fun activity to get into.

Off for my run/walk in a few minutes.

Have a good day!

annette52

3:45 pm
12 Jul 16
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I am bruised Lori from being grabbed and pushed around last night. Very pleased that I wore a sports bra but I might need another layer to protect my assets, which do get in the way!

On the plus side, I am fitter than I thought I was. I had been for a 3 mile run in the morning too.

FD going well. I managed to push lunch back to 2pm and should be within the 500 calories by the end of the day.

Enjoy your walk/run. I am off to the charity shop again to offload more books that my chaps don’t want.

annette52

7:56 pm
14 Jul 16
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I have kept to meat/fish with vegetables/nuts/fruit but I have been hungry. I have tried 2 different breakfasts and will try bacon and eggs at the weekend. Today I had bacon and eggs for lunch and was still hungry..so had some toast afterwards. Hungry again all afternoon, so made a simple chicken crumble with some potatoes sliced and oven baked and then followed with a fresh fruit salad. Felt full and satisfied. I knew that it would be trial and error to find what worked best.

I have run twice and manage at least 10,000 steps each day. Keeping busy has been easy as I have loads of sorting out cupboards and getting rid of the unwanted to charity shops.

I have decided that I am going to buy a sewing machine. I have made curtains in the past and have found a stash of fabric which would be perfect to make some more. It will also keep me busy and out of the kitchen! I am hoping to learn how to make clothes in the future, there is a dress that I loved about 3 dress sizes ago that I would love to be able to make.

Iona72

3:48 pm
15 Jul 16
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I feel like the week has gone ok for me despite not getting a lot of exercise, foot is quite painful at the moment. Eating has been under control, smaller portions and less snacking has been my mantra this week. Back to work tomorrow which is always easier than being at home for me, but we do have a night out for a friends birthday and a Chinese restaurant has been mentioned.It will be hard to keep the portions under control I fear. 😕
I will have to be steely from next week as daughters first year of teaching finishes today and she will be at home for the summer holidays; she has a healthy appetite and is as thin as a rake!!
Annette – any news on the pink shorts?

Pittonte

3:18 am
16 Jul 16
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Hi annette52, I’ve just started the 5:2 diet and have just read your reply here 19 Aug 13, re looser clothes, etc. I found it re/minding, encouraging, sensible and inspiring and I thank you. All best wishes to you.

Pittonte

7:09 am
16 Jul 16
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Also, annette52, thanks for your alert to Dr Jason Fung. I just watched this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIuj-oMN-Fk and his 36 minutes of information shows, with diagrams and charts, why it’s hard to lose fat with most diets, and then shows why it’s possible to actually lose fat effectively on a fasting diet. It’s good information that rounds out my vision of what’s going on in my body, and it supports my decision to follow a 5:2 way of eating.

annette52

9:43 pm
16 Jul 16
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Iona-I hope that your feet feels better and that you had a lovely time at your friends Birthday and enjoyed the Chinese meal. The pink shorts are at the back of the cupboard and are long way off.

Pittonte. Glad that you have found this thread encouraging and thank you for posting the link to Jason Fung. Very interesting and seems to make sense.

I have spent the week keeping a log of what I am eating and how I feel, what exercise and how many steps I take. I have been trying to cut out snacking completely a la Fung, and eating less rice/pasta/bread less often with more meat/fish with salad or vegetables and fruit and nuts.I am eating full fat yoghurt and seeds/nut mix with meusli and just seeing what proportions keep me full for longer. I made some hummus today which was delicious with carrots dipped in it when I felt hungry this afternoon.

I have spent the

annette52

9:46 pm
16 Jul 16
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week trying to think whether I am hungry at mealtimes and what I would like to eat, and then adjusting food to suit.

geofflloyd

10:13 pm
16 Jul 16
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Excellent post annette52 and it has given me a good idea for my weekly weigh in. I’m going to measure the key areas and try the same ‘T shirt’ and shorts on after every weigh in, to see how they fit and feel.

And a big well done for your weight loss and the 21 inches lost too! An inspirational set of posts.

Regards Geoff

annette52

7:16 am
17 Jul 16
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Thanks Geoff. I noticed how everyone was obsessed with the scales and never mentioned how their bodies were changing shape. I could see that mine was from the tape measure, but mostly from how clothes fitted as the weeks tick by.

Don’t forget your upper arms as well as your thighs and calves, Geoff. Some weeks I found that there seemed to be no difference at all except my legs!You could try taking a photo every week in the same t shirt, but I would also suggest that you try on loads of your clothes to get a good idea of where you are shrinking too.

I could ‘see’ from tops and trousers where there was less of me, and yet that wasn’t always reflected in the scales or tape measure. I tried to ‘have faith’ that it was working with my goal is less visceral(the stuff that kills you around the organs)fat. I remembered one woman who said that she hadn’t lost any weight but had dropped 3 dress sizes which inspired me to keep going when I was fed up.

I have dropped 3 dress sizes and have lost weight, given up sugar in my tea and avoid anything that says low fat or diet(stuffed full of sugar), got fitter, eat much more healthily, feel so much better and look in better shape now than when I was 30!

Keep going Geoff. Remember that the goal is to have a waist(around the belly button) that is less than 37 inches for a man minimum with a goal of a waist that is less than half your height.

annette52

7:58 am
17 Jul 16
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Today I am having a FD and I am going to try not to have anything to eat until this evening when I will cook for my son and myself. To keep me busy and occupied, I have washing to do, walls to paint, cupboards to clear out and attic to organize…and loads of tidying before a potential visitor who will stay for a few days next week.

Lori_PA

9:47 am
17 Jul 16
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Just popping in for a quick Hello!

Hope your fast day is going well Annette. My goal for this week is to have a couple proper fast days. I’d like to make it most of the day on just coffee, tea and broth and then have dinner with my husband.

I, too, love reading posts by Jason Fung. I think he is right on the money. Have you read his book? It does a great job of explaining the science behind fasting. I think he’s coming out with another book this Fall.

Off to the golf course in a little while. Lots of steps today!

Enjoy your Sunday.

annette52

10:36 am
17 Jul 16
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Enjoy the golf, Lori. It is only mid morning here, so a long way to go yet. I have been up painting walls and now have moved onto some attic sorting and clearing.

I do find that hunger comes in waves and a hot cup of tea will keep me going for a few hours hopefully. I haven’t yet read any Fung, but have watched some of the youtibe and like you think that he is right on the money. He and Lustig seem to be on the same wavelength. Neither of them are going to make the food or diet industry any money, quite the opposite, and their clear science-backed explanations seem sensible.

Depending on whether the visitor arrives or not next week, I am going to try another couple of days missing breakfast and lunch and see what the result is. I am also working on having longer times between meals without food, so cutting out snacking, however healthy the food.

My son who is at home with me is overweight/dyslexic/dyspraxic and also has Aspergers. He is applying for post grad jobs and I am aware that he may find it even harder because of his weight and I have explained this to him too. He finds change difficult and is very specific on what he will and wont eat. He is working in a restaurant and has lost weight by being much more active and walking to and from work. He has point blank refused to try the 5:2, so I am trying to guide him to make better choices when he is at work and is given a meal. I have been talking to him about losing weight and improving is health and the benefits(he is always hot) and about avoiding sugar and instead having meat(he doesn’t like fish)and either vegetables or salad(which he likes). He is happy to try it provided that he is not hungry, so I have made us both a fresh fruit salad for the last couple of days-which we both love. I suspect I may get bored, but I don’t think that he will.

Back to the grim cupboard sorting and increasing charity shop pile. Onwards and downwards fast friends.

annette52

6:05 pm
17 Jul 16
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Well, I did it!

It will be 23 hours without any food by the time our meal hits the table in half an hour(from 7pm last night until now) and it has been fine. I have done loads of washing, sorting, clearing and painting walls. Just a mountain of laundry to put away this evening.

I will certainly do this again and spurred on by Jason Fung(you tube), I am keen to see if there are any results tomorrow…or I might have to be more patient!My goal is to shrink more at my waist to be a healthy size for my height and I have a little way to go.

How is everyone else getting on?

cinderella

11:32 pm
17 Jul 16
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I feel like I’ve been gone a long time! My son who is 8 had a weird reaction to a flu/cough. His lips swelled up and then cracked open, infected and pretty nasty. Ulcers too. He hadn’t eaten for 6 days. Antibiotics hadn’t helped so we ended up in hospital for a couple of nights. Never been so glad as when he finally took a little bite of bread. Not much sleep for two weeks and lots of stress. Food is highly emotional I’ve decided! Anyway he’s back at school now. Don’t think my eating habits have been very good lately.

Nice to hear your stories from the real world.