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

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

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

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  • Hello Everyone!
    I was thinking about goal setting for September. I am going to aim for a pound a week with x2 24 hour fast days twice a week. I am hoping that at the end of the month that will equate to another inch off my waist.

    Does anyone want to add their September goals?

    Hi all! Though I followed 16:8 this past week, I did not do any 24 (or 20) hour fasts. So the scale went in the wrong direction. This week I’m back to skipping both breakfast and lunch today and Thursday. Got to turn that scale around again.

    My September goal is the same as your, Annette. One pound a week with 2 20 hour fast days per week. While my weight is back in the normal range (but not what I want it to be yet), my waist is still several inches in the danger zone. So, an inch off the waist is my biggest goal.

    Despite little progress on the scale, I am starting to notice a change in the mirror.

    Hello All,
    First day back at school yesterday. Masks in corridors and one way systems in place. Almost everything that I do has changed so mentally, very tiring. I was fed yesterday and will be again today, so I will go with that and then see what the packed lunch offer is later in the week. Then I can make done decisions about food and fasting in the working week.
    Like you, MM, I can also see changes in the mirror. It usually takes clothes to ‘show me’ where the changes are. I am back to walking to work and home which is an hour and a half each day. Really hoping that will help me to reach the stone/14lb threshold at the weekend.
    Onwards and downwards fast friends.

    Morning Everyone!
    My weight is exactly the same as last week which isn’t surprising after 2 slices of birthday cake and a large fish and chips. Back to work lunches have been very welcome as its been so busy, but I haven’t made the best choices.But the great news is that my metabolic age is now 60 and that I have lost 14 inches/36cms. The running total of fat lost in the past 9 weeks is now 6.8kg!!!!

    I have decided to do another FD today, which will be 24 hours when I eat dinner this evening. I am going to make better choices next week from the food offer and see how one FD at the weekend works.

    Walking back to work up a big hill has been quite a shock for my poor legs but the thighs have also lost half an inch this week too.I had thought that my trousers were looser on the thighs!

    How is everyone getting on?

    Started fasting tonight after a few weeks off including Eat Out to Help Out, wedding anniversary night out, days at the seaside and other such recklessness! Feels good to take the reins back and assert some discipline. I will check the damage on the scale tomorrow but I’m not concerned as it’s been a lovely few weeks off work with DH, seeing friends and family after all those weeks of lockdown. On the straight and narrow until Christmas now!!

    Don’t forget the tape measure Iona. It’s 17 weeks until Christmas and my goal is to have a healthy waist size then.

    My plan this week is to make better decisions for lunch this week and make sure that I have healthy options for the evening at home.

    I am planning a FD at the weekend but will give myself this week to see what the lunch offer is.

    Yes, done the tape – half inch increase ~ I will get that sorted this week. Will probably do 18 hour fast today with a light lunch and veg heavy dinner! More fasting planned later in the week. 👍🏼

    Saw a wok colleague that I haven’t seen since lockdown, who complimented me on looking very trim today. Very pleased.

    It’s real life, isn’t it Iona? I am experimenting with the lunch offer at work. I think that I will have a 24 hour fast at the weekend and make better food choices at home and at work.

    So, although I am delighted with the compliment, I still have an unhealthy waist of 38 inches. I am finding trimming the waist is slow but I just have to keep going.

    Experience reminds us that there is no quick fix however much we try to kid ourselves otherwise. Slow and steady wins this race. I’ve made better choices this week, and have enjoyed it too ~ bonus!! Fasting Thursday and Friday at work, I will try for 24 hours. Keep going fast friends -downwards ⬇️

    Sounds very positive, Iona. I have the end of the year in my sights for a healthy waist size but it will be interesting to see what the fat percentage is at the weekend.

    This week is an experiment to see what the lunch offer is for a week and then make some decisions. The current plan is to fast once for 24 hours at the weekend.

    Lunch is bread/carbs, so I am aiming for a carb free evening with mixed results do far!

    Yesterday was a 21 hour fast, which was fine I never really thought about eating, busy at work all day. This morning I really fancied breakfast feeling quite hungry but had only coffee and trying for 24 today.
    Hope everyone is having a good week, keep us updated. 😃

    Morning Everyone!
    Its been a difficult week at work with food. Always filled bread rolls and something like a pasty/sausage rolls/cheese twists/pizza. Part of the problem is that I have been hungry by lunchtime and its not been easy to make the best choice. I felt rubbish on Friday night after some cheese straws and slept badly with a very uncomfortable tummy. I skipped breakfast on Saturday and went out for a walk with a friend and eventually over the course of the day, felt better but didn’t feel up to having a meal. I do feel better than I did yesterday but not tip top, so I may skip lunch.

    My weight is static since I have gone back to work but my clothes are looser and fat percentage has dropped almost 2% giving me a metabolic age of 55(I am 59) which must be linked to me walking at a pace at up a continual hill for 45 minutes. I am very pleased with that number.

    Today I suspect that lunch will just be some toast and then see how I feel later. My guess is that the total change in what I was eating has made me feel rubbish.

    How is everyone else doing?

    Hi all! Annette, my weight is static also this week. I thought I’d gained a pound yesterday, but lost it in the course of doing a 24 hour fast and cleaning the garage. I don’t think the garage had been cleaned in a decade. Yuck!!! The up side is all the mouse droppings put me off food for the day.

    Today, my usual 16:8 with no breakfast. Tomorrow, another 24 hour day. It seems they are the only way to get that scale moving downwards. I’ve scheduled my classes and office hours to keep my busy over the lunch hour, so once they start I’m hoping it will be easier to get two, or even three 20 or so hour fasts into the week. We’ll see.

    Keep on, everybody!

    Crickey MM, you are a woman on a mission!Its a great way of getting those grim jobs done during a 24 hour fast!You must be so pleased with the results of a clean garage and your fast!

    I am keen to see what fasting decisions you make over the coming weeks as your students return. I have been thinking about skipping breakfast a couple of mornings each week.I am planning to make some better food decisions next week and a 24 hour fast at the weekend.

    I have been cleaning out the cellar today to keep myself moving today while I recover from whatever has made me feel rubbish. Lots of mugs of tea have also helped and now I have a tidy organised cellar and I feel so much better! Even had a simple meal this evening, so hopefully I am now cured.

    Update. I have lost an inch off my waist and summer trousers are on borrowed time. If I don’t wear them as much ad I can this month, they are going to be too big. Tried on some jackets that I couldn’t do up, and now I can without buttons straining. Very pleased.

    I have decided to take in my own lunch for the rest of the week. I am going to make some hummus which I love and will have it with 🥕 and cucumber 🥒 sticks to dip into.

    The white carbs are making me feel rubbish and I wouldn’t eat them at any other time. Time to take control.

    Hello Everyone!

    How are you all getting on?

    I have been taking a packed lunch in with me and I do feel better. The problem has been that biscuits have snuck in again partly out of boredom at work and now I need to stop that.

    I am half a pound off losing a stone, but I have lost an inch off my hips and half an inch off each thigh. I could weigh that skirt and a pair of city shorts if I wanted to now and be able to breathe. I have had a dress try on and they are looking so much better.

    So although the numbers on the scales are moving slowly due to biscuits and lack of fasting, the body is looking much improved.

    I am treating myself to fish and chips for tea. Its been a long day and I am feeling rather low despite forcing myself out in the garden and planting up loads of flower bulbs for the spring. My plan is to fast after dinner and into tomorrow with for 24 hours. I really want to get to the stone mark next weekend.

    Well done Annette I wrote a long post yesterday that just hasn’t appeared!
    Basically I’m feeling low, scale and tape going up not down. Re-reading Lustig has depressed me more. Medical experts know losing weight is difficult and complicated, age and hormones are against me but I’m trying hard not to make that an excuse. Still fasting but now I think I also need to work on portion control! Hopefully get my mojo back soon 🤨

    Nightmare about your post,Iona. I was thinking of not posting anymore as it just seemed to be me.

    Have a look at what you are eating and drinking. I am avoiding pasta/rice/potatoes and limiting bread to 2 slices a day.

    Packed lunches that I take into school are all fine, it’s the masses of biscuits that I am struggling with.

    Iona, have a look at Aseem Malhotra and David Unwin on YouTube. Both medics and both really interesting about food and weight.

    I have only skipped breakfast, but to still lose inches, it can only be low carbs. I don’t drink, so I don’t have to equate a glass of wine to a slice of cake.

    I find it difficult to overeat on whole foods. I finally decided that I was hungry at 8 pm last night and ate 2 sliced Vine tomatoes with a sliced avocado drizzled in homemade vinaigrette. It was delicious and filling.

    Make protein the centre of any meal, which is filling and then surround that with vegetables or salad. Try having one meal every day without carbs. It makes a huge difference.

    Keep me posted with what you think and how it’s going. This too will pass.

    Hello everyone! Wow, September seems to have been a challenge to all of us. Once I hit the stone lost mark I relaxed my vigilance, stopped logging everything I was eating, and so have been stuck at the same spot, give or take a pound, on the scale. I guess I needed a break. It’s been stressful here with the school term beginning. I start teaching remotely on Monday and am dreading it.

    Annette, I’ve found the same as you. I not only need to do my 16:8 fasting, but I need to add a day or two of 20-22 hour fasting and watch those carbs. I do drink wine, and that’s my downfall. My other downfall these last few weeks is that a friend introduced me to The Great British Baking Show on Netflix. I’ve been using it as an escape from pandemic worries and the craziness of our politics on this side of the pond. There’s something soothing about watching people knead bread dough. Problem is, it makes me want to bake! I’ve been making biscuits and tarts and giving most of them away, but the occasional one does sneak into my mouth.

    Anyway, hang in there, Iona. We’re in the same boat.

    Thanks MM I’m feeling a bit better today, good to know I’m not alone!
    Annette I’ve watched Aseem and follow him on Twitter but I will look up David Unwin, thanks for the recommendation. I’ve got hummus and salad for lunch and smoked salmon (not a huge fan but Hubby likes it) and scrambled eggs for later so feel I’m making progress! Thanks for the support!

    Lunch sounds delicious, Iona. I made a huge vat of leek and potato soup last night. I ate a bowl of afterwards and it warmed and filled me up. I may take some into work when it’s chilly.

    Have a look for Unwins Infographic on different foods equating to spoonful s of sugar. This is what prompted my swaps from grapes and bananas to apples and apricots.

    I looked back to the exercise that I was taking when I was a stone lighter and I was swimming/dancing/running. I am walking about 90 minutes every day, but I have removed the rubbish that I was consuming on non fast days which I didn’t do before. I can see my body changing and can now take off several pairs of trousers without undoing them!

    I am only managing to fast at the weekend and yet the body continues to change. Must be low carb ..

    MM dealing with stress is tricky. I found preparing meals or fasting much easier when I was at home. You may find remote teaching far easier than you imagine. I was an Open University student so became quite used to learning through online courses but also teaching forums.
    I am mourning the loss of the notorious RBG. I don’t really understand your politics anymore than I can make any sense of ours!

    I think that you are watching The Great British Bake off. I have had to give up baking, I would eat it! Another programme that e might find equally soothing is The Great British Sewing Bee. I love it and I am quite convinced that I can make anything at the end of each episode. I can’t.
    I have bought a sewing machine and plan to alter trousers that are now too big for me but I love.
    School is so different now. I am not enjoying it but it’s better to be here rather than at home with nothing to do all day.

    This too will pass.

    Hello Everyone,
    After a week of packed lunches from home, and despite my biscuit struggle, I have lost another 2 lbs this week. The running total is now up to 14.7 lbs in 12 weeks. There is no change on the inches lost, so the running total is at 16 inches/41 cms.

    To celebrate losing a stone, I am having fish and chips on this chilly day. This evening tea will be soup(homemade), if I have anything at all.

    There is no doubt in my mind that low carb is the secret. I haven’t been fasting as such but I eat early evening and then have nothing else until the next day, so the time between eating is extended.

    How are you getting on?

    Well done, Annette! I agree that low carb seems to be the ticket. Also not eating at night. I had gotten into the habit of a bedtime snack and I do think that was largely responsible for my weight gain over the winter. Now I’m very strict about eating nothing after 8 pm. Also, most mornings I have only tea and then an early lunch around 11.

    I lost one pound this week. Haven’t gotten out the tape measure yet, but it’s good to see the scale moving again.

    Yes, I think what I’ve been watching is called Bake Off in the UK. Here it’s called The Great British Baking Show. I think I’ve watched most of it now and plan to give up baking once my classes start on Monday. So, one last bake tomorrow to celebrate the end of summer.

    Thank you!
    It just goes to show the difference that low carb makes. I used to snack all evening but I haven’t done that in months. After my evening meal usually at 6, that’s it, nothing more until the next day.

    I have 2 very overweight friends who are completely resistant to trying low carb. It baffles me why they won’t give it a try.

    I find that when the scales don’t move that there is often another change so how an item of clothing fits, for example. I seem to lose inches when the scales don’t move. When there are no changes it’s simply a case of holding your nerve and to keep going.

    I wear trousers most of the time, and several pairs have been retired as they are too big. They all claim to be the same size but some look better than others. I am hoping to keep wearing them until the end of the year when I can buy a smaller size.

    It’s become quite chilly now, so I have made stew and that’s in the freezer in portions. It would be lovely with roast potatoes but mushrooms instead.

    I hope all goes well with remote teaching MM. I live in a city with 2 universities and the annual influx of young people has begun.

    Morning All,
    I had another clothes try on this morning and I can do up zips that I couldn’t a month ago. I also found several pairs of lovely trousers that I have never worn because they were too small. I can get them on but another month or two from doing the zip up.

    That skirt is looking better with every week that passes, so I may have a new spring wardrobe from clothes that I already own!

    Good luck today MM.

    Hi there regulars
    Not much going on over here to report. Fasting Friday for me this week. I made some lovely curried parsnip soup today so enjoyed that for lunch with only a small bap. Casserole when I get home from work, all the winter dishes coming out now, although today has been a lovely sunny day. Scale and tape showing tiny movements downwards so can’t complain!
    Keep on keeping on🥳

    Hello All,

    Trousers are looser all over, which is great but I think its going to be a case of wearing what ever fits over the coming months as the body changes shape and size.

    Another lb lost this week and lost an inch off each calf(which I haven’t measured for a while). Sadly my waist is refusing to shrink at the moment. I am not fasting at the moment but I am mindful of eating low carb. Like you Iona, I do love soup and am working my way through some home made leek and potato soup.

    The boy with the fancy scales is moving out soon and into his own flat. I am going to miss his counsel on my weight loss journey. As the weather is vile, I shall have to research some scales of my own.

    I have been taking in my own food for lunch at school, which has been an experiment. Just 2 more weeks left at school until half term. My plan is to keep going with the low carb and then get some long fasts in over half term.

    Hi all!

    I got the tape measure out this week. One inch lost on hips, bust, and waist each! Whoo hoo! Also one more pound down. So, making progress. And I can see it in the mirror now that we’re back into leggings and long sweater season. It’s not painful to look anymore! I still have seven pounds and two inches off my waist to go. The waist seems to be the hardest place to lose from.

    Like you, Annette and Iona, it’s soup season. This week I had a ham bone, so ham and bean. The cold weather means unfortunately I’m not able to meet my elderly friends outside, so I’ve given up on the baking for awhile. But that will help the waistline, and with the term started I don’t have that much time anyway. I take my own lunch because we are not allowed to use the student refectory during this covid time. And some days I forget, so automatic fasting. It’s not that hard when I’m super busy till tea time to fast for about 20 hours.

    I’m hoping to reach my goal by the new year. In the meantime it’s only two pounds till I see the scale edge back into the 120s. Haven’t been there in years and that will make me very happy. So I’ve got my sights set on that proximate goal for the next two weeks.

    MM

    Well Done MM! That is a huge collective loss. You must be thrilled. Losing belly fat is just down to fasting and so a shrinking waist is a great indicator of improving health. I had to get my calculator out to work out what the 120s equate to in in stones. That’s a number I last saw 40 years ago!

    My stats are that I have now lost 15.7lb and 18 inches/46cms in 13 weeks. My current goal is 140lb(another 15.8lb to shift) which I am hoping to get to by the end of the year and then I will take stock and see what I look like. My other goal is to get into the healthy body fat percentage which for my age is between 25-35%. I am just over 36% currently. My youngest sons response to those figures was that I needed to get to 30% where as my goal is 35%!!!

    Had another clothes try on this morning and very pleased. I think that I will have a go at altering my trousers at the end of the year.

    How are you doing Iona?

    Hi everyone, just starting back on 5:2 and need support, I know it works from past experience but life gets in the way so often and before we know it our scales are screaming “what have you been doing”? So tomorrow will be my first fast in nearly two years, I lost 30K initially but have gained back 10 which just haaaang around relentlessly so might ask for support on my second journey if you don’t mind . Hope you don’t mind me coming aboard?

    Hi Puupyluv welcome to our thread! The more the merrier ~ always good to have extra support and opinions.

    Great stats Annette, you are making brilliant progress.

    I have not been too well over the weekend with an upset tum, so have eaten very little. Consequently the scale was down 2 pounds this morning! I know that it’s a blip but it put a spring in my step today! I’ve been watching Dr David Unwin on Youtube and find him very inspirational. If only all Doctors were so caring and attentive. It has really made me think about just how much of the dreaded carbs I eat. Seriously need to work on that.
    I am going to my blood donor session this evening so have to eat 3 meals today – but I am being mindful of what they are made up of. A day off work on Tuesday then back to fasting on Wed. I manages 22 hours last week quite easily. Progress!!!!

    MM back in the 120’s soon WOW I don’t think I’ve been there in my adult life, I will consider it a milestone when I get back in the 160’s, hopefully next week.

    I hope that you feel better soon, Iona. I am so pleased that you find David Unwin interesting. Well done Iona on the fasting. Remember carbs don’t fill you up, protein does.

    Although I am not fasting at the moment, I am having less carbs and the tape measure is showing me that is working. I limit myself to 2 slices of bread a day and aim to have the other meal protein/veg/salad with no carbs. The only reason that I am not fasting is that work is grim and no lunch would be a step to far. Half term in 2 weeks and then I will do some long fasts again.

    Puppyluv you are very welcome. Feel free to pop in and comment on how its all going. Have a look at other threads to for top tips.

    Thank you for the welcome, starting my day with a black coffee which I’m enjoying more than anticipated so here’s hoping my mind set is in the right place. I know it’s mind set that is the magic ingredient and no matter what diet or way of eating you follow, if the mind isn’t in the right space, neither is the heart. This way of life is so easy to follow, but it’s that little gremlin that keeps testing the resolve I have to ignore. I’ll check in later.

    Spot on Puppyluv, some days it is difficult to get your head in the right place.
    I have looked back at my spreadsheet and see the last time I was in the 150’s was 2004! So I’m making that my long term goal. Short term …the 160’s!!!

    Is that pounds Iona? Golly, I don’t think I’d ever get that low unless I was anorexic! I had a big move, a few surgeries, time to settle etcetc, not excuses, just facts, but my clothes have warned me, and my scales are inwardly haemorrhaging 😂So today is the day. I have learnt to accept rather than fight and just get on with doing what I know is the right way of eating. It suited me in the past and became habit, so fingers crossed 😃

    If I was waiting for my head to be in the right place, I wouldn’t start! I fast on a Monday and Thursday, no excuses and that works for me.

    I used to think I was magnificent for skipping breakfast twice a week but I find skipping breakfast and lunch far easier plus the benefits of fasting for longer.

    Having less carbs in my diet is making it much easier too.

    Fortunately Annette I’m not a breakfast eater, so there is seven meals a weekI go without for starts. Doing the Monday Thursday fast used to work, but found it adjustable depending on commitments. I think the biggest help is support,and belonging to a forum,as you feel answerable to others but also know and understand the struggles of others, so able to give support and understanding in return.
    You are right, carbs are the big problem, and the yummiest 😂

    Woohoo, made my first fast throught to 5:30, dinner cooking, but still not hungry 😃so much easier when the mind set is in the right place and my determination is ready. Nothing but black tea all day so will be eating at 6;00 …….24 hours after my last meal!🤔

    Whoop whoop!well done.

    I am finding clothes are hanging differently, tape measure out and the body is shrinking. Hurrah.

    How fabulous annette, that’s the incentive you need 😃

    Thank you!
    I was rather rotund with a round pregnant looking belly. No more, I have a waist again and no longer look pregnant side on. Very pleased.

    Oh wow, can I ask. What you weighed. I have chrinic back issues annette, and the extra weight makes me stoop badly, adding to my belly size 😩I hate seeing a reflection in a shop window but getting rid of the 10-15 extra K’s does help with my posture 😃BUT one day at a time, and it IS doable, patience is a virtue 🌻

    On the 4th July, I weighed 77.8kg which is a lot for a short soul of 1M 55.

    I immediately and overnight fasted twice a week for 24 hours until term started in September and was then 72.1kg. I had also lost 36cms all over. I measure bust/under bust/natural waist/waist/hips/thighs/calves and neck.

    I have been reducing carb intake which I think is key. Olive oil, nuts, cheese, full fat milk and yoghurt, etc are not evil but rather been labelled as the villains to the piece when its processed food of which carbs are a large part.

    Have a look at David Unwin, Aseem malhotra both on You Tube and twitter. I think that Jason Fung is really interesting about fasting too.

    I have arthritis in my foot/ankle which was much more painful than it is now at 70.7kg-last week, which makes complete sense, doesn’t it? My current goal is to get to 63 kg and then see what I look like.

    My top tip would be, look at what you are eating and drinking. As you don’t eat breakfast, could you have a carb free lunch or evening meal every day? I aim to have one every day. Protein is filling, not carbs.

    I have a favourite skirt that I couldn’t actually get on at the start, but I could actually wear now and be comfortable. I have loads of goals, one was for my trousers to be comfortable when I went back to work and I achieved that goal(some are too big to be worn now) and several colleagues commented on my slim appearance at the start of term, which was lovely.

    Losing weight is going to have a big impact with your back but why not aim for 1.8/2kgs each month? My goal is 4 lb every month. Marginal gains all add up.

    I weigh/measure/try on clothes every Saturday. No more than that and find that its the combination of these that show me a change that I often cannot see.

    Is that any help?

    Wonderful advise thank you Annette 😃I somehow got up to 100K and dropped to 69K in six months with 5:2 it was far too quick giving me so much lose skin, but I felt and looked like my normal self again. Abusive marriage and comfort eating all contributed to the huge weight gain. But, that’s all behind me, I’m 70 at Xmas and health wise, need to get back to 65-70K for my backs sake. It’s a marathon not a sprint so each fast contributes to a healthier life style.You have given me the incentive I needed, thank you 😘

    You have achieved a great deal. Keep going and remember marginal gains all add up.
    Do sorry to hear about your abusive marriage, I can’t begin to understand what the impact was on you and your confidence.

    We are here to support you in any way that we can, we are a friendly bunch.

    Keep in touch.

    Thank you so much, oh, I’m in Australia, so could be a while before you get my replies, depending on the time, or if I’m in bed 😂 You are soright about the confidence being squashed, but time helps as do good friends, and I’m very positive by nature, so looking back isn’t the way I’m going, I look forward ❤️

    Puppyluv – look on Youtube there are loads of fasting videos, those Annette recommends are excellent. Wishing you every success, sounds like you are ready for some better times.

    I will Iona, thank you, just out of bed, having my first cappuccino since Monday, oh so yum, but another reason I don’t miss breakfast because it’s all milk and quite filling.

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