Hi, everyone!

I’ve finally decided to start my personal journey (and thread for accountability) with the Fast Diet. I know most people probably introduce themselves in the Introductions thread, but I’ll just throw everything here. I’m hoping to update this continuously as I embark on this lifelong adjustment in my eating.

Just a little bit about me: I am actually not new to fasting. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease when I was 17 years old and actually had a small portion of my colon removed due to extreme inflammation and scar tissue developing as a result. I had tried a few anti-inflammatory medications, but around 22 years of age, I discovered fasting as a natural way of taking care of oneself; the side effects of my prescription medications were just too much for me and honestly made me feel worse.

I’ve come to really enjoy how fasting makes me feel. It has allowed me to function without any medications for 9 years (I am 31 now). I’ve done more extreme regimes such as ADF, 46-72 hour long water fasts on a monthly basis, etc. However, no fasting routine has ever really been able to become a long term lifestyle for me. ADF is nice in terms of reducing my inflammation, but I prefer to have at least a little bit of food each day. In recent years, I’ve naturally settled into an OMAD way of eating, but I feel like it has somewhat encouraged me to overeat, since I was consuming all of my food within a 1 hour window. I know it works for some, but my fickle GI just cannot take it; I’m often just too full and uncomfortable after my meal(s).

A friend introduced me to the Fast Diet as a type of “modified” ADF. I think I’ll enjoy this eating style moreso than the others, since it combines my preferred routine (ADF) with a more feasible, longterm eating style (I’m allowed at least a little bit of something each day). Due to my GI issues, I don’t foresee myself eating throughout the day in order to minimize digestive upset, so I’m planning to combine the Fast Diet (4:3 for weight loss, hopefully 5:2 for maintenance) with a 20:4 fasting schedule (at least for weight loss, with a possible adjustment to 18:6 for maintenance). We will see!

As for stats, I’m at my heaviest weight now, which isn’t too terrible… but I do want to nip it in the bud and get down to my preferred/healthiest weight. I technically started this on Monday, with my goal being to follow the 800 calorie “down days” on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I’ll adjust if something special falls on one of those particular days. I might switch to the 400 kcal version of the Fast Diet if weight loss is too slow with 800 kcal.

Starting Weight: 125 lbs.
Current Weight: ??? (will weigh on either Thursdays or Fridays)
Goal Weight: 105 lbs. (anything between 100-110 looked/felt good on my 4’11” frame)

Today, Wednesday, is a down day for me. I broke my 20 hour fast with a protein shake and small bowl of plain oats (total of 500 kcal). I’m saving my last 300 kcal for scrambled eggs and stewed tomatoes with spinach that I will eat in the next two or so hours once I’ve digested my shake and oats.

I’ll report back tomorrow, hopefully with a big SUCCESS day. Thanks for reading and for any encouragement any of you can offer me along the way. 🙂

Yesterday, Thursday, was another successful “down day”. I will confess that I let my calories creep a bit too closely to 900 instead of 800; I ended the day at 876. Not the end of the world, but certainly something that I do not want to make a habit. In spite of being a bit over my allotted calories for the day, the scale was kind to me this morning with another loss.

SW: 125
CW: 123.2
GW: 105

I’m down another 0.6 from the day before. I’ll take this as a win, because I’m anticipating a minor gain from today. I’ll be meeting a very dear friend for dinner after work. I’m going to make sure I stick to my 20:4 schedule (possibly OMAD?), so hopefully that will mitigate any major damage I can do. I’m a vegetarian (born and raised), so I’ll focus on the healthier options that the restaurant has to offer, anyway.

I won’t plan another weigh in until next week. I usually only weigh myself once a week, but I figured I’d do it after a few 800kcal days just to see. I can only imagine how great those losses would be if I was adhering to the 400kcal version of this diet, but I really do prefer to have a sizable meal and not go to bed hungry. I want this to be a longterm lifestyle change. 800 kcal just seems more feasible for me.

If I could give myself a quick, short term goal, it would be to be at (or under) 120 lbs. by next weekend. That might be jumping the gun a bit, but it’d be great to see it. If not, that’s fine; as long as the number continues to go down, and I can see the visible changes in my body and/or how my clothes fit.

My weekend went quite well. I had a magnificent time at my friend’s, although it was a drag getting up this morning and coming to work. So far, things have been peaceful at least… we’ll see how far into Monday I can get with that energy!

As for eating, Saturday was a success in terms of me staying around 900 kcal. I would have preferred to be in the 800s, but I won’t sweat it too much. My total was 943 for Saturday. Sunday was a NFD, so I ate normally, while still adhering to a 20:4 schedule. On Sunday, I consumed a slice of homemade pumpkin bread, two homemade black bean and cheddar cheese quesadillas, and a small bowl of stewed vegetables (orange tomatoes, zucchini, squash, bell peppers, and sliced white onion). While I don’t care much about calories on NFDs, I still like to see a rough guesstimation of what I’m taking in. LoseIt indicated that my Sunday munching came close to 1650 kcal. Not too bad.

Since it’s Monday and the start of a new week, I’m officially back on my MWF schedule of 800 kcal. I’m several hours into my fast, but I intend to break it around 2:00 PM with a small bowl of whole grain cereal and soy milk (hopefully no more than 350 kcal). My remaining calories will likely go to a simple dinner of stir fried vegetables on top of scrambled eggs. We will see what I’m craving once I’m home this evening!

I had a great day yesterday (Tuesday). Work was surprisingly quiet, and I was able to get through most of my patient charting and accompanying paperwork. I’ve still been keeping my eyes peeled for other job opportunities in the area. I’m considering leaving the clinical side of things and considering a more administrative role wherever I go next. Hmmm.

As for food, I enjoyed myself yesterday. I decided to stick with my schedule and have it be a non-fasting day. I still adhered to my 20:4 eating window, however. I broke my fast at 21 hours with a protein bar, whole grain Goldfish crackers, and a Snickers. Not a particularly healthy lunch, but I was feeling snacky. I knew my dinner would be more robust, so I didn’t think much about it. Dinner was homemade black bean and lentil burritos. My goodness, they were tasty. My partner made them, actually, because we planned on having a game night. We each had a glass of red wine with our dinner, and it was a fun evening. My kcal estimation for the entire day was about 1820. Phew! Truly a “big belly” feast day.

I’m back on schedule today with another 800 calorie “down day”. I had another friend text me this morning and ask if I wanted to do dinner this Friday. Of course, I agreed! So, I am thinking of doing what I did last week and having Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday be my low days, rather than Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Honestly, having two “down days” in a row does not bother me. 800 kcal is more than enough to give me variety in what I can eat and keep me full until the following day’s meal. This truly seems like a way of eating that can become a lifelong habit.

I’m off work today, so I will be spending the majority of my day cleaning, running errands, and spending time on self care. It should be a good day!

Yesterday, Thursday, was a successful “down day” for me! I was slightly naughty again and hovered too close to the end of my 800 kcal limit; I ended the day at 892! I’ve got to be better about that and maybe have a smaller glass of wine before bed. That’s usually where that extra bit comes from.

Nevertheless, I woke up feeling wonderful, in spite of my period leaving me a little bit fatigued. The first day or two can be draining for me, but I am fortunate to never have experienced the dreaded “PMS” in my life. It doesn’t affect me mentally or emotionally. The worst thing that happens is I struggle with minor iron-deficiency anemia. But, I’ve learned to stay on top of it, and it’s really not an issue, minus me being a little bit tired the first one or two days.

My day yesterday was busy, but pretty good. Work was quite taxing, then I had to spend the evening grabbing groceries and doing some chores. It was nice to settle down with my big salad, topped with delicious vinaigrette and roasted chickpeas. So tasty, especially when it was followed by a flavorsome glass of Chenin Blanc wine!

Today is a NFD, but I’m going to try to be mindful of my food consumption to an extent. I’m going out to dinner after work with a friend. I believe we’re going to a Mexican restaurant, so I should be able to make fairly healthy choices. I love fajitas (without the meat) with a side of black beans. I’ll probably be a little naughty and enjoy some chips and salsa, but I’m going to stay away from queso.

I forgot to weigh myself when I got up this morning, but I’ll make sure I do it first thing tomorrow. Perhaps it is unwise to weigh after a NFD, but I do want a number for the week. Saturday will be my third “down day”, so I could just wait and weigh first thing Sunday morning… we shall see! I’m hoping to see at least 121, although it’d be fantastic if that number was 120. Fingers crossed!

@flourbaby – Hi, there! Nice to hear from you!

I suppose my system sounds a little complicated, but I am losing weight this way, because I’m (hopefully) creating my deficit by following 4:3, not 5:2. Here is roughly what my weekly intake looks like:

Monday: 800ish kcal
Tuesday: 1700ish kcal
Wednesday: 800~
Thursday: 1700~
Friday: 800~
Saturday: 1700~
Sunday: 1700~

This equates to 9200 (give or take) for a week, or a little under 1315/day, which you’ve also pointed out. If you refer to the TDEE calculator for someone of my height, 1300 kcal is the TDEE at 105 pounds, not 120 (which would be closer to 1400).

It’s very close when you’re this petite, unfortunately. 🙂 I should point out that I am also quite active and have a greater deficit than what I’m reporting; but I prefer to only track my caloric intake, not exercise. I’ve found that gives a false sense of security, and I don’t want to trick myself into eating more than I should!

I hope that helps clear up anything. I am OK with taking the slow road, but since I am still seeing progress, that tells me it’s working (at least for now, haha). I can’t complain yet!

Thanks for the feedback and for sharing your own strategy! I might incorporate shakes eventually if/when I hit a plateau. 🙂 Hope all is well with you and that you’re staying healthy amidst this crisis!

My weekend ended up being great, in spite of the rough start late Friday/early Saturday with my upset stomach. I lounged for most of Saturday morning and afternoon, but I ended up going on a walk with a friend in the evening and staying at their home. I didn’t track my kcal that day, but I only had a salad with mixed greens and Italian dressing. Sunday was similarly a light eating day, although I once again didn’t log my food. I had watermelon and about two cups of homemade, vegetarian Mediterranean couscous, plus one 8 oz glass of wine (Riesling).

I ended up accidentally skipping my weigh in last Friday, so I’ll try to weigh myself tomorrow morning. Today is my “down day” for a MWF schedule, so I think it’ll be OK to start my week with a weigh in. I feel like my stomach has been looking flatter lately, so I am hopeful that I’m approaching 120.

I have some small goals for myself this week (06/22 – 06/28), since I think it’ll be easier to focus on those vs. the long-term goal of hitting 105 pounds. For the week, I would like the following statements to be true:

1) For my three “down days”, I don’t want to see 900 kcal more than once. I need to make better efforts to really stay around 800 for those days and not sneak in an extra 100.

2) For my four non-fasting days, I do not want to see 1800 kcal more than once. Again, I need to try to really stay under 1700 on my normal eating days. This isn’t an issue most of the time, but I think I’m having too much wine on typical food days, and that isn’t going to cut it long term.

3) I would like my fasting average to be 21 or more hours; I’d like to shorten my eating window from 20:4 to 21:3 just for this week.

Assuming I can check those three things off by Sunday, I see no reason why I shouldn’t be under 120, if I’m not hovering around there already. My progress so far has been good, so I am trying not to let myself get too focused on the numbers… but it would be nice to see another big drop.

I had a great Wednesday, both at work and at home. Wasn’t too insanely busy at the clinic, and I was able to breeze through charting like a champion. Felt great to come home and be able to immediately relax.

I ate a little too much yesterday, with my total kcal count coming to 905 instead of 800. That’s OK, because I’ve agreed to let myself screw up for one of my down days… but only one! I have to do a better job on Saturday. Rather than MWF, I’m doing MWSa due to having dinner plans with a friend on Friday. I’ll make sure today isn’t too crazy with my eating, and I’m aiming to stay moreso around 1500 than my pre-planned 1700. I want to try to really set myself up for a successful weigh in tomorrow. I would like to see 120 (or less) quite badly.

I’ve not broken my fast yet, but I’m officially at 21 hours, so I’ve been hitting that goal so far this week! 21:3 actually isn’t too terribly challenging, so I may push myself to have 21 as my fasting average for next week as well. I don’t want to change things too much on myself or overcomplicate my plan… so we’ll not worry about that yet.

Anyhow, today has been a good day as well. I actually was able to work from home, since most of my tasks revolved around charting and patient documentation. No need to go out and conduct visits, so why not knock everything out from the comfort of my house’s office? I’ve planned for supper tonight to consist of homemade lentil and coconut curry with brown rice. I’m thinking of also making a side of stewed spinach and tomatoes (spicy, naturally). And, to top it all off, a nice glass of red wine. If my mental calculations are on point, I shouldn’t topple much over 1500 kcal for the day. I’ll track diligently and pull back portions if needed.

Yesterday was mostly a good day. Work was a little bit crazy, and I had to stay later than I would have liked. However, dinner was exceptional. My friend and I went to a local, privately owned Italian restaurant in town. It was absolutely delicious! I was proud of myself for only having three small rolls, a small salad, and a slice of spinach lasagna. My rough kcal total for the entire day was 1327, which really isn’t that bad for a NFD!

In spite of being good with my eating yesterday, the scale did not show me as kind of a drop as I was expecting when I ended up weighing this morning.

SW: 125
CW: 121.8
GW: 105

About 1 pound is all I’ve lost since my last weigh in. I know that practically speaking, this is still decent weight loss progress, considering my overall drop within a three week period. Even still, I am disappointed to not be at 120 at least. I’m not sure if maybe my salt-heavy meal last night is skewing my results a little bit? I don’t normally weigh after a NFD, but I never got a chance to do it yesterday.

Hrm. I suppose there is no point in crying over spilled milk. I’m trending downwards, and I’ve been diligent this week in eating mindfully and sticking within the goals I had set for myself on Monday. Today is a “down day” for me, so I’m going to stick with it! 21 hours of fasting at least (but I’m hoping to get closer to 22 or 23) and no more than 800 kcal for the day. I may try to make Sunday another “down day”, so that I can re-weigh on Monday or Tuesday to see if I’ve been able to offset whatever (alleged) water weight I might be carrying from last night’s meal.

I will say on a positive note, I was happy to see that I could fit into one of my size 2 work dresses that was a bit snug even a week ago. I have a big job interview for the state next week; I wasn’t kidding when I said I was ready to exit my current hospital/clinic and transition into something not as chaotic from the COVID-19 crisis. I do love my work in Public Health and Health Education, but goodness gracious… it’s been madness these last few months. Fortunately I have extensive experience in general education, having taught at a university for two years and a charter school for a year. I’m interviewing for a Program Manager position that would oversee education and vocational services for at-risk youth. I think it would be a rewarding shift, and certainly my years of experience in Public Health will remain applicable.

I’m going to continue to focus on getting off this extra pesky weight and keeping my eyes peeled for new career opportunities.

Had a busy, yet good day yesterday. Work kept me occupied, which did admittedly make the day seem to blast by. We ended up having a clinical meeting that turned into a get-together and dinner, so I decided to have Monday be a NFD. I still managed to fast for 23 hours, so that was good! My kcal total was 1553; I had two slices of vegetable pizza, a rather robust salad, and some beer.

For this week, my “down days” will be today (Tuesday), Thursday, and Saturday. Since we are off on Friday, I will want to eat normally. US Independence Day (07/04) isn’t a holiday that my family celebrated, since we were immigrants. As such, my Saturday will not need to be too special for me; I am fine having it be a “down day”. I will likely spend the weekend with my friend once again. We are planning to revisit paddle boarding and be-bop around outside. Should be fun!

I will weigh in on Friday, and I am looking forward to it. Today I am wearing a size 0 dress that had been quite a tight squeeze previously. While it does not fit me the way I’d ideally like, it’s nice to be able to fit into it (and breathe). My waist and stomach seem to be shrinking, even if the scale is taking its time in reporting me beneath 120. Maybe this Friday will be my day.

I had a rather successful “down day” yesterday (Wednesday)! Managed a 25 hour fast, and my kcal intake was only 765. Pretty darn good, if I do say so, myself. I’m aiming for today to be an equally low consumption day. Not sure what dinner will be yet, but I’m thinking some sort of soup?

Work continues to be a little bit crazy, but thankfully we are off tomorrow/Friday for the US Independence Day extended holiday weekend. I’ll be spending Friday and Saturday at my friend’s home. I’m hoping for a fairly active weekend that will keep us outside, on our paddle boards, and traversing many trails.