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

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bigbooty

11:08 pm
4 Sep 16
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Hi Jim,

I don’t think your heart is really in this? You mentioned trying a Mediterranean diet but have been having a breakfast consisting of Pringles for the last week? And top it off with some chocolates? There is a slight disconnect there. Try changing slowly. Set your goal for one day at a time. Nothing out of a can or a packet for the day. Just some fresh veggies and maybe a small portion of meat. Breakfast, try cutting up an apple (or a fruit of your choice) or maybe an avocado. No bread for the day.

simcoeluv

11:21 pm
4 Sep 16
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Hi Louise:

I totally understand! My wife can still fit into her wedding dress after 46 years. Nothing we can do about it. But don’t worry about your activity level – you don’t have to exercise to lose weight.

Given your initial experience, my advice is really ‘standard’ to start. Use the calculator at the top of the page, put in sedentary for your activity level and put in your goal weight instead of your current weight as your ‘weight’. Then count calories for awhile and make sure you are under that TDEE on non diet days and eat 500 or fewer calories on your diet days. After a month, see how you are doing and adjust.

You actually have done quite well on 5:2 so far. The average weight loss on 5:2 is about a pound a week. You have lost twice that. Your weight loss ‘slowdown’ should be expected because you are simply reverting to the mean.

As at least a couple of pounds of your current weight loss was water weight, you might expect to regain at least that amount while in Italy. But don’t worry about it. You can lose it just as fast when you return (see my Easy On Easy Off post).

Right now, the most important thing is for you to enjoy yourself when in Italy!

Let us know how you are doing after you return.

Travel safely!

LouiseJM

9:21 am
5 Sep 16
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Thanks for your help. I did read your much earlier post.

I did what you said, logged out and put in the weight I want to be including that I am sedentary, and this is the recalculation which I don’t understand

Your BMI is: 22.6
Your BMR is: 4840 kJ / 1157 calories
Your TDEE is: 5808 kJ / 1388 calories

If I put in my true weight I get

Your BMI is: 23.6
Your BMR is: 4954 kJ / 1184 calories
Your TDEE is: 5945 kJ / 1421 calories

I only want to lose 6 1/2 pounds.

If I understand it right I must only eat a quarter of the TDEE on F days.

I am not daft but I am having great difficulty in understanding what I must eat on NFD and FDs. 😢

bigbooty

1:17 pm
5 Sep 16
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Based on your current weight you eat 1421 cal on NFD. On your FD you eat a quarter of 1421 which is 355 cal. Some people put their goal weight in to accelerate the weight loss. In this case you would eat 1388 cal on NFD and then 347 cal on FD. These are just estimates though and there is nothing magical about 1/4 TDEE. This is just what Michael Mosley thought most people could cope with. I for instance water fast on my FD and so would have less than 50 cal as I just have a 2 cups of coffee with a splash of milk.

NearlySlimJim

1:17 pm
5 Sep 16
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Louise, you need to operate that fast diet using your TDEE at your goal weight which you say is 1388 calories, so you therefore eat a maximum of 347 calories (1388 divided by 4) on your fast days and a maximum of 1388 calories on your non fast days.

NearlySlimJim

1:39 pm
5 Sep 16
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Just to clarify, when I started this nearly three months ago I weighed 22st and over about two months I lost 2st 8lbs. This was basing my TDEE on my goal weight of 12st with light exercise, which gave me a TDEE of 2100 calories (the TDEE of my weight when I started was 3100 calories).

The TDEE on my fast days is 525 calories, which I technically don’t abide to because I start my fast after tea the day before and end it with my tea on the next day when I generally have a meal of around 800 calories, but the preceding 24 hours is water only. I do three of these a week (obviously when I’m not having a three week holiday stuffing myself with Pringles), which gives me a calorie deficit of approximately 11000, which is the loss equivalent of about 3lbs of fat.

If you follow the advice in the Fast Diet book, you would start your fast at tea time on one day and end it at breakfast on the third day, giving yourself a 36 hour fast, but this is too long for me three times a week, so I just stick to 24 hours with a big sleep in the middle.

LouiseJM

2:50 pm
5 Sep 16
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Thanks for your help NearlySlimJim. Once I am home after nine days holiday I will start 5:2 again and take your advice.

cinderella

11:59 pm
5 Sep 16
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Hi all.

I’m back from a weekend in Cardiff, where we went to see a monster truck show!! Fed up of eating out now. Too many puds consumed. Husband annoyed me accepting about 5 free chocolate bars at the show!

Thanks for your wisdom Annette. We don’t go big on pasta, spuds, rice, I’ve been sneaking that down for a while. We do eat lots of the good stuff, veg and salad. I think for hubby it’s cider that is the main culprit. He doesn’t drink much, perhaps one or two a week. But over time it adds up. We all snack too much, so need a change there. As you say don’t buy it. I have been checking sugar in crisps and it varies wildly. I love sweet chilli flavour and they’re terrible so that’s why I love them! Clue is in the name I guess. I think my husband having a big frame, thinks he will wither away without regular input of food. Don’t want to be a dictator so will chip away at it.

MIL – not too sure, I bought her a few diabetes books and she attended a course. I think less carbs and no cakes as she’s a great baker.

annette52

8:27 am
11 Sep 16
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Hello Everyone,
First full week back at work and it has been exhausting.
I have discovered that the kitchen has gone from a 3 week menu to a 2 week one and although there have been loads of changes, I find myself making better choices. Monday-Spaghetti Meatballs, so I ate the meatballs and not much of the spaghetti and I think next time I will just have the meatballs and some veg/salad instead. The rest of the week was the same really, mainly unconscious decisions and although I didn’t feel deprived at all, it will be interesting to see how the next week goes. I have been eating a light meal in the evening…or not at all depending on how full I have felt.

Now that 1 son has returned from working abroad, I have had a complete stock take of dried goods and also made a list of the contents of my tall freezer(all on a clipboard with single and double portion of chilli and bolognaise for example). I will menu plan with my boys this evening for the week.

My plan is to get back to running. I have done very little over the summer and now that it is getting cooler, I want to aim for x3 times a week and just 2 miles each time. It only takes half an hour and I do feel pleased when I have been out, so the benefits are there. I hate the grey, gloomy days and find it a real struggle to get out then, but I also know that I need to run more than ever when it is grey-it certainly helps to lift my mood.

I have been thinking about my goals for the end of the year. I do not want to put on weight this year, that will be an achievement after the 5 lb last year and the 10 lb the previous 2 and 3 years. So easy to put on and much harder to get rid of. I also want to trim my waist and hips, improve my overall fitness which Krav Maga should help with. I do have tiny abs now which thrill me, I used to see them only when I lifted my arms, but now they are bigger and there all the time.

My goal for the coming week is to make smarter food choices at work and to walk past the biscuits! I am going to aim for 3 runs a week and I session of Krav. I am also back to walking to and from work which adds up to 3 hours walking for 5 days a week, plus several at the weekend too.

Iona72

9:19 am
14 Sep 16
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Hi everyone, I had some time of work recently and is was a disaster! Husband had serious issues at work and is very down…. and it’s dragging me down with him. Eating out of control, little or no exercise, too many visits to the bar, not good. I have made a big effort to get back on track this week and feel quite determined so far. We go away on holiday in 7 weeks so would like to see some results before we go! I would love to get back out running but still have issues with my foot after an injury earlier in the year and I’m really concerned that running will be detrimental right now. Just got to find alternatives until I feel ready I guess.
Hope everyone is doing okay??

annette52

7:23 am
17 Sep 16
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Hi Iona,
Walking is great to lift the mood, trim the waist and improve fitness.If you can drag your husband out the door with you, it may help him too. I suspect a trip to the doctors for him may be helpful too.

It has been a long week. Much of the stress a result of others complete lack of forward planning, but there is not much that I can do about that.On the plus side, I am back to walking 45 minutes each way to work, which is good for the body and the soul.

Now that the weather is cooler(thank goodness), I have been through half my clothes. There are several shirts that are too big and make me look ‘matronly’, so they are off to charity. I know that I am trimmer on the top half…the resistance is below the waist.

I am going to be taking my own lunch into work several times next week. The meals are often very pasta/bread-heavy and I want to eat less carb but more fruit/veg/fat. I didn’t go running 3 times either.

Iona72

9:48 am
23 Sep 16
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Hello team
I’ve had a much better week, eating within range and getting some exercise. Scales showed a 4 pound loss, but I’m sceptical about that. Following Annette’s advice I’m using a tape measure too, this showed a half inch loss around the navel over 2 weeks which I’m pleased with. Hope to continue that trend! I have not had a fast day but some lower calorie days. Off work for the weekend now and have a few events lined up, need to keep my sensible head on!
How is everyone else doing?

Kathieannie

10:28 am
24 Sep 16
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Hi All,
Feeling totally down this morning as the scales say I have put on 2lbs, after a good week of two fasts and trying to keep within my Calories on the other days. I think my body has just got used to the fasting and doesn’t find it a challenge anymore, but how could it after just three weeks! Also I’m not sure about my scales, I think they lie sometimes!

The good news is that I did get into a pair of jeans I haven’t been able to get on for ages!

paleofast

5:38 pm
24 Sep 16
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Thx Annette – I’m only about 2 weeks in and haven’t seen much # change but can FEEL it – everyone keeps telling me to get a tape measure so I’ll make that my goal this weekend and get base measurements & see how it goes. Thx for the tips!

LindaSue

7:17 pm
24 Sep 16
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Afternoon ladies, would love to join your friendly, supportive group.

I am a Southern Belle of sorts, live in the Missouri Ozarks right near the Arkansas border. I am 67 (will be 68 in March), married to a good looking cowboy, we have four kids, seven grands and four (in March five) greatgrands, work as a legal secretary, live on a farm with horses and a big, fat cat, love nutrition and exercise but do have that stubborn ten pounds to lose (technically 8 pounds and I am at my best weight but two extra wouldn’t hurt). A bit of extra flab around the middle for sure. I have read every single post on this thread and applaud you all for you kindness to each other, sadly not all message boards are this way. I want to live as long a life and as healthy life as I can as I do indeed enjoy the life I have been blessed with.

annette52

9:57 pm
24 Sep 16
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Hello Everyone and welcome to anyone new-you are all very welcome.

On the basis that it is possible to gain 10 lb in a day, I don’t think that scales are accurate or helpful. Scientists suggest that the accurate way to use the scales is to weigh every day over a month and then work out the mean. I can’t be bothered with that and find that the number on the scales can make people either very happy or miserable. Using a tape measure is great to show a loss at that small area that you are measuring, but only that small area, but I believe that clothes are the most helpful to show where they are loose or tight and how they hang. So that is what I use as my most accurate guide, a favourite shift dress leaves me in no doubt where I stand!

I have had a day that after breakfast has been filled with cake and ice cream..and then finished with fruit and nuts, so not a complete disaster. I had been invited to a charity coffee morning which was great, meet up with some people that I hadn’t seen for years. Missed lunch as I wasn’t hungry and then when I was, I was out and about so I had a cake and then some ice cream. Which is why I am not having an evening meal.

Never mind, on wards and down wards fast friends. Got to dash, catch up with you all soon.

annette52

8:11 am
25 Sep 16
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Hi LindaSue,Lovely to hear about your life. That is quite a commitment to have read every comment on this thread! Like you I want to be as fit and as healthy as I can be, for as long as I can. My conclusion is that although I am eating much better quality food and far less than I was, I am eating more than I need on the basis that I lose a bit and then gain a bit. However, I do have muscle definition on my legs from ankle to thigh, my arms from wrist to shoulder and now two small but definite ‘dips’ in the side of my tummy that are there all the time. Sadly, that rounded tummy much beloved in sculptures shows no sign of shrinking!
paleofast-a tape measure can be a very useful tool to show shrinkage especially around the waist(measure around the belly button and aim for 34 inches or even a waist that is less than half your height). However, a tape is very narrow and for an over view, I use a range of clothes to ‘show’ me where my body shape is changing. I have gone from an egg shape and 3 stone/3 dress sizes heavier to an hour glass figure. I don’t want to be skinny and at 55 I don’t think that is what would suit me. I want to be fit and strong, not gaunt and look like a might snap in a stiff breeze!
Kathieannie-put the scales away for a month and just use your clothes as a guide. Don’t let the tyranny of the scales make you miserable, they are such a poor measure of success. I first noticed that there were some tops that no longer had 3 rolls of fat and just looked better. Your jeans have already shown you that it is working, so keep the faith and keep going.
Iona-congratulations on that half inch loss. That is amazing. Keep going and look to your clothes.You may shrink somewhere else over the coming weeks.

I remember that when I started this way of life that there was 1 woman who had dropped 3 dress sizes but the scales hadn’t shifted, which made me think ‘did I want to be a number on the scales or smaller?’ I just want to be smaller, but I also want to be fit and strong. One month the scales didn’t move at all and I was getting fed up but then found that I had lost 7 inches all over!

On wards and down wards fast friends. Keep the faith and keep going.

cinderella

9:46 pm
25 Sep 16
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Hi everyone, lovely to have new faces on the thread. Sorry to hear you’ve had a tough time Iona, life is full of ups and downs corresponding with our waistlines no doubt! Glad you’re getting back on track. LindaSue, I lost 12 pounds on the Fast Diet a year ago, it made all the difference. Up and down a bit since then!

I’m veering off the FD next week to do Michael Mosley’s blood sugar diet with my husband. It’s 800 cals a day. I thought if it goes well perhaps we’ll do it every few weeks and try not to go mad in between. I’ve got the week mapped out on paper. To take our minds off it we are going to gloss the wood work in the evenings.

Have a good week all.

annette52

7:02 pm
26 Sep 16
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hI cinderella,
Let us know how you get on. How much wood needs glossing?!

Back into my winter skirt today which is a little snug, so FD for me tomorrow and Friday. Off to Krav Maga shortly which should help with toning and strength. Head down now and focus on trimming that waistline in time for the festive season and this very skirt will be my guide.

Kathieannie

10:20 am
27 Sep 16
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Hi Annette,
Many thanks for your words of wisdom. I will try and resist the temptation to weigh myself every week. I never realized that your weight could vary as much as 10lb in a single day, that is an enormous amount! And of course makes nonsense of any readings on the scales, especially when you are only trying to loose a relatively small amount. I do have a lovely silk summer dress which is my goal to get into, but I still would like to know when I hit 60 kilos. Perhaps the tracker that goes with the profile needs to include clothes sizes as well, although they can vary wildly too. The waist to height ratio is probably a good indication of weight loss too (as I think was mentioned earlier). Im really fed up with all this stuff about BMI. It always makes me over weight as I’m only 5 foot 1 and have a heavy broad frame. My sister who is a few inches taller and has a petite frame can get quiet chubby before she hits a BMI of 25.

Good luck with the Blood Sugar diet Cinderella, Ive not heard of that one.

Magistra

1:31 pm
27 Sep 16
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Hi All! The title of this thread caught my eye. I don’t own a scale and only get weighed at my yrly check-ups (and I always close my eyes because I don’t want to know!). So I can’t say that I’m aware of my weight but I do know that now that I’m in my 6th week of the 5:2 I fit all my clothes better. I used to be a size US-8 and now I’m fitting all those 6s which have been sitting in my closet for a few years. It feels so good! I’m so glad I started the diet in August…

I love fasting days because they are structured, in that I can’t just eat whatever. It’s the NFD which I still struggle with. But each week is easier.

annette52

4:37 pm
27 Sep 16
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Hi Magistra, great news about your clothes fitting better. But just remember that this is not a diet, but a way of life. The changes that you make to what/how much you eat have to be maintained. I found that as the weeks passed that the NFD became easier as i chose the healthier option as I realized that I felt better with less sugar in my life. Try reducing the amount of sugar to 6 tsp/24g a day which includes that hidden sugar in tomato sauces, baked beans etc and just be aware that low fat/diet anything is usually high sugar.

Kathieannie, try your silk summer dress on from time to time and stand on the scales once a month if you want to know a number. Keep the gaze on the waist measurement though…and keep going.

cinderella

4:03 pm
3 Oct 16
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Hi all. Reporting back after 7 days at 800 cals. Husband has lost a great 6lbs, I’ve lost 2 lbs. Really surprised that husband did get into it after lots of moaning and disbelief on the first day!! It must have been harder for him. He’s gained a bit more knowledge about cals and sugar etc so no bad thing. It was quite hard, 5 days might be better. Mine has gone from hips and not belly of course! I’ve never worked out our TDEE before, so did it for both of us. Makes me think that 2000 cals quoted on packaging ought to be reduced a bit! Will try to keep the status quo and do it again soon.

Re the wood work, lots to gloss as we have a 1930s house with panelled stairs etc! Husband did a lot more glossing than me I must admit. Hope you’re all doing okay.

Magistra

1:22 pm
4 Oct 16
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Wow, Cinderella, that’s a lot of weight loss for your husband and a good one for you too! 7 days at 800 calories? Now that’s commitment! Kudos! My husband refuses to participate in this with me. He’s not a fan of this type of fasting and has some concerns. I just go about my merry fasting way… 🙂

Thanks, Annette, for your advice. I know reducing sugar is something I should angle toward.

lothlorien

2:41 pm
4 Oct 16
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Hello All, I’m new to the forum, having a rough day and needed some inspiration. I started calorie counting in May, lost 13 pounds, hit a plateau, and knew that dieting like that wasn’t going to be sustainable long term. I discovered 5:2 mid July, and lost an additional 11 pounds. I have had ezcema on my feet for 10 years, and that has cleared up! 5:2 doesn’t feel like a diet, it feels like a healthy eating pattern with loads of positive benefits that is no problem to maintain. BUT…this morning I woke up and had gained 2 pounds. I started in July measuring my waist only, and there hasn’t been a significant change there. I know that I’ve lost inches in my arms and legs.

I have a pair of Hunter Wellies that I splurged on last year, and I was having trouble getting them on over my calves before 5:2. On a rainy day this week, I nervously tried them on and, Joy of all Joys!, They fit with quite a bit of space between my calves and the boots! I wish I had thought to measure my calves before I started this;)

Anyway, I know that the overall trend is good. I was just very close to hitting the 25 lbs lost mark and being in the 140’s instead of 150’s:)

Kathieannie

3:09 pm
4 Oct 16
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Hi Lothlorien,

It sounds like you are doing really well to lose 25lbs! The important thing is you have got back into those boots again! I was feeling really down the other week because my actual weight had gone up a whole kilo after a week of careful calorie counting and 2 fasts. But apparently it can vary as much as 10lbs in a day. Im sure it will go down again. The health benefits have been a real plus for me too. It must be so good to be able to control your ezcema!
I actually discovered my hip bones again! And got into my smallest jeans!

lothlorien

5:29 pm
4 Oct 16
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Hi Kathieannie,

Thank you for reminding me to appreciate eczema free feet and boots that fit!:) I’m going to avoid obsessively weighing myself this week and just focus on all the other good changes. It wouldn’t hurt me to up the water intake, as I have been lazy about that:/

annette52

8:43 pm
9 Oct 16
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Hello Everyone!
Just a quick post(laptop cable is broken and waiting for a new one to arrive) and my phone is hopeless for posting on here. I have mentioned these two before but you may find them interesting, one is Jason Fung and the other is Robert Lustig. Both are doctors and of the view that diet has enormous impact on health and what changes can be made with an eye on the food industry and what they want us to eat…and lets not forget the pharmaceutical industry.

For me this means avoiding rice/pasta/bread/potatoes. I haven’t given them up but have reduced my intake dramatically to several times a week rather than twice a day. I have given up sugar in my tea and have cut down the amount of hidden and visible sugar dramatically. For meals, rather than think what carbs I am having and then plan a meal, I am now learning to see the protein as the star of the show and then add salad or vegetables.

Lauren74

5:37 pm
14 Oct 16
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Hello all. I’ve read all 51 pages of this thread with interest! I’ve been following a mainly 4:3 protocol for 3 weeks and have lost zero weight 🙁 My clothes do feel looser, but my mind is a slave to the sad step. I must admit to overeating on my non fast days, so as of tomorrow, I will revert to my green smoothie breakfast when not fasting (good start to the day and a viable way of keeping overall calories lower). I suppose I’m popping my head up to seek some reassurance that eventually, the pounds will come off. I spin 3-4 X per week and I’ve just taken delivery of the new Callanetics DVDs, which I’ll aim to complete 4 X per week. 500 cals on my fast day, which have consisted of black coffee, plenty of water, cup of tea and a protein bar late afternoon and a 300 cal ready meal with spinach for dinner. It would be lovely to hear back from anyone on this thread. Happy fasting everyone. Lauren X

simcoeluv

5:52 pm
14 Oct 16
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Hi Lauren and welcome:

Sounds like you have identified your issue. You can only lose weight if you eat less than your TDEE over time. It sounds like you are cutting calories three days a week but eating them back on the other four. If you can control your eating on those four days you should do better. At least you are no longer gaining weight!

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

Good Luck!

Lauren74

6:11 pm
14 Oct 16
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Hi Simcoeluv. Thanks so much for your rely. My TDEE with light exercise (I thought I’d err on the safe side) is 2074, so with a green smoothie of 120 cals, that leaves me with a lovely lunch and dinner and the occasional glass of wine or two. Very manageable indeed. It doesn’t, however, allow for the party pack of biscuits I inhaled yesterday, so a lesson learnt there! My short term goal is to be back down to my most recent low weight of 11s 3lbs by my birthday in early December. I’m finally starting to accept that when I set myself huge goals (final target weight of 10s 5lbs by Christmas for instance), I outface myself and give up. 9 1/4lbs in 8 weeks will be a challenge, but is much more achievable. TDEEis now programmed into myfitnesspal. I hope all is going well with you. 🙂

annette52

8:45 pm
14 Oct 16
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Hi Lauren,
I started this thread a long long time ago because I was completely fed up and demoralized by all of the comments on the forum(it was much smaller then) that seemed to measure success purely on a number on the scales. I could see that my body was changing shape and shrinking, although a tape measure can be very useful, I find that my clothes ‘show’ me exactly what is going on, both the good and the not so good.

Weight is a poor measure of success. Visceral fat is the enemy, so if you want a goal, then aim for a waist(measure around the belly button) measurement that is no more than 34 inches or one that is less than half your height.

This is a way of life, not a diet. Whatever changes that you make have to be ones that you can maintain and that all those small changes add up to something big. Have a look at what you eat and drink, see if there are any changes that could be made.

My friend who has been obese all of her adult life apart from the bonkers diets that she has gone on over the years, has now lost 3 and a half stone. It has taken me months to persuade her to try fasting for 2 days a week and to cut her bread/pasta/rice/potato consumption(she has given up bread and pasta completely, rarely has rice or potatoes).She eats scrambled egg/smoked salmon(no toast)for breakfast and then fish or meat with salad or vegetables for lunch and dinner. She regularly eats out and finds that she can manage very well by eating this way, without feeling different to everyone else.She misses breakfast on a fast day, like me.

The more I read, the more it seems that not all calories are equal, the fashion for smoothies are undoing good intentions, that fat is good and sugar is the 1 thing that we should be avoiding like the plague. Exercise is good, just don’t expect to lose any weight and that habits take time to change.

Robert Lustig suggests that eating whole fruit, vegetables, unprocessed meat, nuts, seeds, eggs, cheese,fish, wholemeal bread, brown pasta and rice, butter is what we should be eating. Jason Fung suggests that the act of fasting is very important and that snacking is something that we should aim to stop. Fat has had very bad press which I think is misplaced after the criticism of the study when carbohydrates were deemed good and fat bad. We are now encouraged to eat a Mediterranean diet which is high in the ‘good’ fat from fish, meat, eggs,cheese, olive oil, fruit and vegetables but note that means no pasta or pizza!

I have just 1 more week at work, trying to make good decisions about what I eat at work. It has been tough this week, with not much choice and long boring days.I have not done as well as I could. My plan is to get through the coming week as best I can and then I will have 2 weeks where I plan to avoid rice/pasta/bread/potatoes completely and see what, if any difference it makes. Anyone want to join me?

Magistra

9:28 pm
14 Oct 16
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Hi Lauren et alii,

I’m new to this too, as I’m just finishing month 2 now. Sounds like you have a good plan and attitude for making a change. Awesome! I could definitely use some retweaking of my NFDs. I drink alcohol on Thursday-Saturday evenings and that’s just extra calories I don’t need. I’m beginning to formulate a plan for change (but it’s so hard!). 🙂

annette52

10:28 pm
14 Oct 16
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The hardest thing that I did was to give up my 1 teaspoon of sugar in my tea. After 40+ years I thought that it was going to be impossible, so I started with half a tsp and then just stopped. I moaned and whinged for a couple of weeks, but then realized that my taste for sugar had reduced and along with it the drive for more of the sweet stuff. It has been a year and I don’t miss it. I never would have believed that would be possible.

Why not start by reducing the number of days that you drink per week and see how you feel?

bigbooty

10:35 pm
14 Oct 16
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Hi Lauren,

Einstein once said that the first sign of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the result to somehow be different. OK so what you are currently doing isn’t working, so you need to change something. You do 3 FD per week and if youre just having what you said then those days are not your problem. So it must be what you are having on your NFD. Describe a typical day (be honest).

OK here are some tips from me. Im not a big fan of smoothies. They are not healthy for you, even if you put healthy things in them. They destroy your sense of portion control. They destroy fibre’s effect of locking up carbs. Instead of the smoothie just eat, as in chew and swallow, the ingredients that you put into your smoothie. See if you can eat the same amount. Bet you cant.

Not a big fan of protein bars. They contain whey protein which is “crap” and spikes your insulin. Most bars are high in sugar. I once read the label of a “paleo” bar. 55% sugar content. Are you freeking kidding me!!!! If you want protein grab s handful of brazil nuts or almonds or walnuts. All natural, no processed crap. Perfect.

OK, try and avoid any grain based foods like bread, pasta, pizza, biscuits, cakes. No potatoes, chocolate, lollies. Avoid sugar like the plague!!

Read the labels on processed foods. What is the total sugar content? More than 5%, put it back on the shelf.

annette52

9:30 pm
15 Oct 16
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Bigbooty-What do you eat? I am fine feeding myself, but find it rather tricky to feed the family.I like fish and salad-they don’t. I need some new ideas.

bigbooty

11:08 pm
15 Oct 16
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Im not a good person to ask for food recipes. Ive got very simple tastes in food. Cooking for the family usually involves three different meals. The wife and eldest son are vegos, middle son likes his meat but will eat anything like me, and the youngest son is typical of that age group, meat and a very plain salad or veggies. Luckily he likes his fruit, veggies not so much.

A typical day for me is 2 tablespoons of high fat low sugar Greek yogurt with a handful of mixed berries and almonds for breakfast. Lunch is 100g tin of tuna, maybe a small salad, an apple or a kiwi fruit. Dinner is usually a raw veggie salad in a big bolw. I’ll usually rotate the veggies but they will typically be mushrooms, snow peas, capsicum, chick peas, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes, bock choy, raw beetroot, brussel sprouts, eggplant etc. A splash of salad dressing and apple cider vinegar. I’ll add cubes of cheese or tofu if I feel I need protein. Sometimes tuna or chicken.
I’ll make a large batch of veggie curry, I like it spicy so its just me and the two eldest sons that will eat it. I don’t have rice but the kids do. Fish or calamari or prawns with salad. Egg frittata with lots of veggies in it. Maybe once a month I’ll have red meat.

Treats, I’ll eat handfuls of nuts like brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts. Lots of real cheese and I usually have three different ones to choose from in the fridge. Apples or kiwi fruit.

Don’t get me wrong Im not a saint and will have the odd “bad sugary” treat but its very rare, maybe once a month. I really don’t miss it anymore. The longer you go without sugar the less you miss it.

Sorry I cant help more with recipes, Like I said I have very plain tastes in food.

bigbooty

11:25 pm
15 Oct 16
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Oh I forgot to add, I’ll usually cook pasta for the kids as all of them are thin. Sometimes I’ll make a pasta bake, that way you can “hide” veggies in there which the kids are more likely to eat, especially the youngest. I probably have pasta once a month and only if Im visiting my mum. Cant take the Italian completely out of me. Weird as it sounds my mum was telling me that pasta was a “treat” food when she was growing up in Italy. It was not a food staple!! It was mostly veggies and beans and cheese with a little bit of seafood. Pasta and red meat was a sometimes treat.

annette52

4:15 pm
16 Oct 16
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Thank You.
After years of feeding 4 young men, 2 have moved out and away. I now have 2 young men to feed,but sometimes just 1 or the other and sometimes both as one of them also does shifts.They like meat and vegetables, don’t do salad or fish. I like fish, salad, fruit, nuts, meat and just peas and carrots on the vegetable front. I am coming to the conclusion that when I should plan for them and me separately.

For my breakfast I have a seed/nut mixture with full fat natural yoghurt which keeps me full until lunchtime. I make a batch of a seed and nut mixture once a week and then weigh out 60g/serving, which is delicious and here is the recipe for anyone who would like to try it;
In a large bowl add 100g Linseed, 100g Sesame seeds, 100g Pumpkin Seeds, 100g Sunflower Seeds, 60g chopped walnuts and 100g chopped almonds, 50g dessicated coconut(optional). Then add 60mls almond oil and 3 tbsp honey mixed with 3 tbsp hot water. Mix it all together and then spread over baking parchment on a baking tray and bake for approx half an hour on the lowest setting(your aiming for a golden colour) and then turn the oven off and leave over night. Store in an airtight container. Scrumptious.

I didn’t think that we ate badly at all, but we do eat better now. We used to have rice and naan bread with a curry and think nothing of it…those days have gone! I am cooking a roast and there will be roast potatoes, but we have less and only when there are 3 of us at home. I have reduced the amounts of everything else too.

I used to make cakes several times a week and always have a pudding on Sunday. Now I rarely bake and we only have a pudding if there are visitors. My youngest son who has always had a weight problem and despite working in a restaurant has lost rather a lot of weight since I told him to reduce the carbohydrates.Coincidence? I don’t think so. He has more weight to lose, but he has stopped snoring and is also cooler.

Iona72

10:10 pm
16 Oct 16
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Bigbooty, I’m with you on the plain food, I’m quite happy with a repetitive menu but my family (all slim) like variety and I do struggle for ideas.
Thought about you Annette tonight when the family asked why there was no naan bread to go with the curry!! I think I’m getting used to eating less now and have got used to not having biscuits which I used to eat every day.
Magistra, I like a drink at the weekend too -but trying to be more mindful about it.
Cinderella – if you would like to do more glossing…….. 😉
It’s 3 weeks until my trip to NYC so I would like to shed a few more pounds before then. Oddly the scales moved down this week but the tape measure showed a gain and trousers do feel a bit tight this week, all part of the mysterious ways of the human body!!
Have a great week all, look forward to chatting with you.

cinderella

10:44 pm
17 Oct 16
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Hi everyone. Since our week of 800 cals I’ve been jotting down my approx cals on the back of an envelope for a couple of weeks. I can only have 1475. I’ve resisted doing that before but It’s been quite useful to see what tips me over the edge. I’ve more or less stuck to my TDEE with no fasting and am a pound down. Strangely my measurements have gone down more, and are back to my goal of my holiday measurements from August 2015. I was 2 pounds lower with those measurements last time, more evidence against the scales. Mind you perhaps I’m fatter elsewhere! Still need toning up.

I’ve cut sugar a bit, no sugar in tea for quite a while now. Tea is not quite the treat it used to be which probably proves it was good to stop it. I try to make meals protein and veg/salad based now. I do still eat toast but not so much. Husband has lost another pound just being mindful, we had a pile of bread left over at the end of two weeks!

Want to do more 800 cal stints with hubby as he has lots to lose. Not sure he quite realises it though! Still not finished the glossing Iona! NYC, sounds exciting.

Lauren, perhaps 4 3 is too much, sending you over the edge on the non FDs. Some people work out their TDEE for the weight they’d like to be. I have a good book, Carbs & Cals, which gives a visual of plates of certain foods with the cals, carbs, etc. It has things like 3 slices of cheddar. Good luck.

annette52

6:12 pm
19 Oct 16
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Iona-the body is indeed a mystery.There doesn’t seem to be any change on the scales but there is certainly less of me above the waist. My bra straps have all had to be shortened and they are now on the tightest band setting. Have a wonderful time in NYC. Very jealous!
cinderella- I had wondered how you were getting on with the 800 cals. Tea without sugar doesn’t set my world alight either. I too am being more mindful around meals and trying to have less potatoes/rice/pasta/bread less often. It is getting easier but we have all been brainwashed for so long about fat being the enemy rather than carbs. My overweight son has lost weight by eating less bread/rice/pasta/potatoes less often and despite working in a restaurant he has lost at least a stone and stopped snoring too.

I am doing my best with what food is available at work and then trying to make good choices in the evening.My plan is to have a potato/rice/pasta/bread free couple of weeks from next week, as an experiment to see what happens and if there are any changes either to my clothes or to the scales. If I can I will share a couple of links after dinner, one is about what a cardiologist eats and why and the other is from Diabetes UK and how to assess your risk of type 2. I need to get that smaller waist and soon to reduce my risk, a bit of a wake up call.

annette52

4:40 pm
20 Oct 16
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I can’t make the links work.

Conversations at work with people wanting to lose weight and also saying that it is alright for me as I run. When I point out that I have hardly run for months and that the real change is down to what you eat and drink, there is resistance to making any changes in how much alcohol they drink or what they eat. So, why are we willing to make changes and they are not?

A work colleague brought me all of the empty cereal bar packets to show me, and when we looked at the sugar per bar, the numbers were much higher than either her or I had guessed. I suggested that she just ate fruit instead of the bars. She is going to reduce the rice/chip consumption too, so it will be interesting to see if there are any changes. I told her about my 2 week challenge, so we will compare notes then.

Merryme

12:59 am
23 Oct 16
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Hi annette and everyone here,

Thanks annette for starting this thread, and I keep seeing the title in the list of ‘active threads’. It has kept in mind the possibility of size/shape changing without a loss on the scales. I’m one where the scales have always stayed pretty true to what was happening with clothes fit, and I had new scales at the start, not oldies mucking up. I find measuring very tedious so haven’t done that. I weigh daily 1st thing in the morning, record it in my diary and graph my Monday morning weight.

I’ve been on 5:2 for 100weeks this last week. I’m 2kgs from my final goal weight. In the middle I had a time of extended high stress for 8months and still did 5:2, though some of my FDs were aborted so over that time my weight maintained within 1-2kgs up and down. My total loss for the remainder – is 19kgs (42lbs, 3stone), I’ve gone down dress sizes, off BP medication, and no longer need a yearly batch of cardiac tests. My medical team are all very happy with my progress on 5:2 and happy with 5:2 itself saying they are hearing and reading good things about it. I’m mid 60’s and have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (Commonly known and badly named as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) which means both aerobic and anaerobic exercise are contra indicated. This is a multisystemmic neuroimmune condition where things like having a shower is exercise, washing hair is extra exercise, making a meal is exercise, etc. so I have no exercise to help with ramping metabolism up, extra calories burned by increased muscle use or build. 5:2 has done it’s magic anyway, a bit slower yes, but very doable.

So… Why am I here today? I am on working on losing my last 3kgs, my scales are staying about the same but my clothes are getting looser! For the first time in 100weeks my shape is changing without the corresponding weight loss. How wonderful. 5:2 still keeps throwing up it’s secrets and surprises for me! As you have said Annette, this is a way of life, and I made that decision to make this a way of life after about 3months. I can see I can do this for the rest of my life quite happily, just adjusting to life’s circumstances as they happen..let’s hope this turns out to be a growing revolution that changes the insidious effects of manufactured foods, and too much food too often.

Onwards and downwards,
Merry

annette52

8:44 am
23 Oct 16
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Hi Merry,
Thank you for your kind words and the explanation of your health limitations. That is an extraordinary weight loss with impressive health benefits. I am thrilled that you can see that your shape is changing. I measure my waist, bust, hips, natural waist, actual waist, thighs and calves and used to measure every week purely to ‘see’ if there was any change. However, as the months passed it became clear to me that clothes were becoming loose, the folds of fat were decreasing and I was gaining a waist. My shape was that of a Buddha..and now it is an hourglass. I am delighted.
If I look to the scales then I need to lose 5kg, if I look to the waist(around the belly button) then I need to lose 2 more inches to get to the magic 34 inches that is the maximum size for a women, if I look to have a waist that is less than half my height then the goal is 30 inches.
Lots of clothes have gone to charity and I buy from there too. It seemed daft to spend money on clothes which I was wearing for months rather than years, so my wardrobe is full of clothes that suit my new shape.
I am struggling to shift that padding below my waist and above my thighs, so I hope that 2 weeks of rice/potato/pasta/bread free meals might have an impact. I eat a lot less than I did, buy very little that comes in a packet, and cook mainly from scratch which I enjoy.I also think that it tastes much better too. I was very short of time and with poor planning bought a jar of tomato sauce for the boys to have with pasta, I was shocked to see that per quarter of the jar had 8g of sugar! when I make enough for 4 I add 1 tsp of sugar in total.
My freezer is almost empty, so I will be batch cooking tomato sauce and all sorts of meals and portioning them up into individual meals. I really like fish, so my plan is to learn some new recipes and eat them with vegetables and salad. I might also try my hand and making soup to freeze in portions.
Looking forward to catching up with my friend who has been on a cruise for a week, who had lost 3 and a half stone, simply by cutting out bread/rice/potatoes/pasta and having 2 FD a week. She also goes out to eat several times a week.
Onwards and downwards fast friends….

Kathieannie

10:25 am
23 Oct 16
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Hi Everyone,

Congratulations Merryme on such good progress. Its so good you are off those BP meds. Does the 5:2 help with you CFS at all?

I am just over the moon with this diet and cant believe how well I am feeling on top of losing a bit of weight. I have only a couple of kilos to lose to get to my goal now, but the health benefits are so great I will be sticking with it for the rest of my life now. I used to suffer from Fibromyalgia, but the symptoms have improved so much. My energy levels have increased and the stiffness and aches and pains have reduced. I’m hoping its not just a respite and that things will stay this way. I guess Ill have to see if things change over the winter.
I even had a week away eating out and didn’t put on any weight. Though I was sensible and didn’t over indulge. I did however find that my appetite has changed so I don’t want to overeat so much now.

Its great to look in the mirror and see such a change to my figure. I guess you do too Annette, congratulations on the hour glass figure!

annette52

11:57 am
23 Oct 16
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Thank You kathieannie,
I am 23lbs and 23inches down and have found that my psoriasis has all but disappearred completely. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I was reminding myself that my thighs used to rub together, my ankles ached all of the time and I didn’t have much energy at all.

It is a way of life and I think that once you get your head round the changes that you make and realize that this is ‘the way I eat now’, it becomes much much easier, because if you go back to the way you were eating and drinking…the weight will go back on.

My supermarket shop doesn’t take very long as there are several aisles that I simply don’t go down and pass by those freezers. Festive food is on display and there is very little that I will be buying of that sugar filled nonsense. I am no paragon of virtue and there is a large box of chocolates in the cupboard to share on the big day.My goal this year is not to put on any weight this year over that week.

I eat less too which all makes sense. It is also costing me less too. My weak time is an emergency stop at the shops, and all those bags of chocolates for £!I have to remind myself that it is all a marketing ploy.

Kathieannie

5:32 pm
23 Oct 16
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Yes, Annette, I think marketing ploys are responsible for a lot of ill health. The NHS would be in a much better state if we didn’t have all those rows of crisps, biscuits and sweets in supermarkets.

When I was a child we never used to snack between meals, but now it seems to be the norm. I do enjoy chocolate now and then after a meal, but before I started the fast diet I cut out all sugar. It probably helped keep some weight off, but didn’t stop me from gradually piling it on. Its nice to be able to have the occasional treat now, knowing that I can keep things under control.

annette52

9:23 pm
23 Oct 16
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It is complex isn’t it?
As a child there were no snacks between meals, no one ate outside the home, shops had limited opening hours and there simply wasn’t the range of food available.There wasn’t any pasta, pizza or rice either(I am 55 years old).

From everything that I have read, the misinformation that seems to have triggered this obesity epidemic of the last 30 years was the apparent evidence that fat was making us fat from a study that was funded by those with interest in our increasing sugar consumption. I tried low fat diets when they were popular and got fatter.

The more recent beliefs that the consumption of good fats-nuts, avocados, olive oil, meat, fish, cheese, eggs, milk, cream, fruit and vegetables is essential for good health are not widely available. If we eat this food then the food/diet/pharmaceutical industry are going to lose money…lots of it.

There is so much conflicting advice on what we should eat and how often, I find myself questioning ‘who benefits from this?’ I don’t think that it is often for my benefit. I think that we eat too much sugar whether we are aware that we are consuming it or not…and far too much rice/pasta/bread.

The single best thing that I have done is to cut my tea consumption from 7/8 mugs down to 3 which reduced my weekly sugar intake by 35 teaspoons…and then giving up sugar in my tea completely. I am a sugar addict and when I have some, I want more.

I am very much a work in progress. Have a great week everyone.

annette52

9:29 pm
23 Oct 16
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I can’t post the link, but have a look at Dr Aseem Malhotra about the truth about fat and sugar-he is a cardiologist.