USA. Day 13. FD800

I just had to come back on, as this is my witching hour for a glass of wine. It maybe January, but I actually played golf today, which took me away from my late afternoon tea time (a long held tradition left over from my English ancestors LOL). Well, this means I am chomping at the bit for a glass of wine!!! :(. Nevertheless, I made ice tea, which I hope will accommodate me throughout the evening. I have also reconvened my daily exercise program which I stopped In March when I could no longer go to the gym with my personal trainer. I have a treadmill and a rowing machine which is very helpful. It’s been too cold to walk outside, despite the fact that I managed to play golf this Winter! LOL

In any case, my food count went well and my kitchen is closed.

I hope everyone bad a good day and a good fasting day, if that was what you were doing.

Day 14 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – FD

Did well yesterday, but then a suggestion of take out food for dinner, the first of 2021, and although I personally partook of a delicious warm lamb salad, there was, erm, wine with that 🍷

Yes @flourbaby, what a lot of wine connoisseurs we truly are 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Feel good today, and rearing to do my FD today, and it will be done, as the itch for takeout food and wine has now been scratched.

I have started doing sone different balance and stretching exercises from my menopause course, also in conjunction with Leslie Sansone, and my muscles are sore. But you know that pleasant sore you get, the nice relief when you stretch, so I know it means something was worked harder.

Take care all our American friends, kindness and safety is wished for you all. And to everyone here, this darned pandemic seems never ending, but it will end. Keep strong and keep on keeping on in health.

Day 14, London, UK, FD

It WILL be a FD today!! My NFDs haven’t been very good, I’ve still got some bit’s left over from Xmas and although donation is an option; I…… just ….. don’t ……. want ……. to!!!! So there😳!!

@snowflake56, I know, I keep having to remind myself that the things I would go the extra mile for aren’t necessary when I’m selling. At least I’ll get some practice in for when I have to decorate MY house!!🙏

@daffodil2010, I do wonder whether the wine industry would go under if we ‘monthly challengers’ decided to swerve the vino all at the same time!! I 💜🍷……… but 👿🍷!!!

I’m off to get a green tea and stay mindful, and maybe do some work😱!!!

“The Way Get Started Is To Quit Talking And Begin Doing.” – Walt Disney

Day 14 – UK – NFD

Dear oh dear oh dear, my fasting muscle has become WEAK!!!

Yesterday I managed a 500 cals FD and it was SO tough. I was really hungry all day! Thank god I can remember fasting days from previous years where I sailed through it all. Otherwise I would be having serious doubts as to whether this was sustainable!

This week, I have also been endeavouring to do Keto/LCHF so I think a lot of what I’m experiencing is keto flu. I was exhausted by 4pm and was good for nothing!

I really struggled this morning too, I felt weak, shaky, hot and faint. I actually had to start eating the apple which had been destined for my breakfast smoothie, just in order to feel better. I couldn’t wait!! (NB only half an apple so not breaking Keto too much!)

I do suffer from hypoglycemia and since Covid I am now also suffering with Post-Prandial Hypoglycemia (ie blood sugar doesn’t immediately normalise once you’ve eaten).

I am concluding that:

1) I need to do more fasting as it helps with blood sugar control so much – and it looks like my lack of fasting these last 11 months has really been detrimental to my blood sugar control

2) I need to remember to drink even more water as that’s such an easy win and I forgot to do it yesterday

3) I need to prepare better for a fast. I only had a really small dinner the night before and was actually really hungry going to bed. For the sake of not having a bit more dinner, I nearly aborted my FD, so I need to look at the big picture!

Anyway, lessons learned….

@flourbaby – I am so with you on the leftover Christmas food dilemma! I love making Christmas food and I love the ensuing eating….
Once Twelfth Night has passed, I find that I feel guilty if I eat it and guilty if I don’t eat it!
So tricky…!!

Day 14 – USA/GA – FD

OK, time for the last FD of my 4:3 week. I’m ready for it! Today’s weigh-in wobbled but came in at a disappointing 232 lbs. That’s the same I weighed at the end of November. I’ve only wobbled for a month and a half between 233 and 230 (well ok, 229 once). I know plateaus are natural, so not too worried.

But, I looked at a few things. I wrote down everything I ate on my NFDs this week (Monday and yesterday) and was shocked. Monday, I ate so much, there is no telling what my calorie intake was (and I didn’t really think I was feasting, but when you count five or six bowls of “something,” you know that can’t be good haha). Yesterday, I behaved better, but adjusted for my new TDEE (much less my desired weight TDEE), I still estimated the calories (knowing we tend to underestimate), and likely went over it by several hundred calories. I’m seeing a pattern here! I also have to remember the holiday weight is probably just now settling in; no problem. But the holiday feast habits need to go!

My spreadsheets agree with me on this prolonged plateau. I did pull up my spreadsheet that compares week to week, and saw something interesting. I am starting to hit or cross the 230 threshold more frequently, and if I do it again tomorrow (likely), it will me the first time I’ve done it three times in a week. If I can return to a normal eating pattern more reflective of my TDEE on (at least most) NFDs and take some exercise (oops, telling on myself), the trend should start becoming more obvious. No, not saying I’m going to lose 10 lbs in a month (those early days are over, haha), but the tick downward should start becoming more obvious.

Good luck to us all!

Pocket list day 14
@lilymartin
@daffodil2010
@at FD800
@snowflake56
@i-hate-lettuce
@clemmi
@northgeorgia

ZBC
@northgeorgia

Day 14 – Rural Nebraska, USA – FD500

Yesterday was an abject example of how badly a FD can go. I decided that, since I’ve said I’m no longer going to do OMAD constantly, I could have some leftovers as lunch. That was at 1:15. Once I started eating, I never quit. Those two beers went down a treat, also. Good grief. I didn’t even get on the scales this morning, because I simply didn’t want to see that number. All my mojo from the autumn right up to Christmas is gone, gone, gone. Can someone please pull me firmly back onto the wagon and pin me down there???

@johnnyr Congratulations on the first kg of many!

@penz My BIL gave me a smoke tube that you fill with wood pellets and then light on fire with a blow torch; once the fire goes out (after a few minutes), you have lots of smoke. My plan was to smoke those ribs on Monday, but we didn’t have a blow torch and couldn’t get the pellets to catch fire. So when I ran errands on Tuesday, I bought a blow torch. My BIL said that our cold weather is perfect for smoking cheese, so I tried it, smoking some cheddar, gouda, and Swiss for a little over two hours. I think in the future, I’d settle for a milder one-hour smoke. I’m letting it “age” right now, but it’s pretty yummy and totally simple!

@ccco I hope you did better avoiding wine than I did avoiding food!

@snowflake56 “Shellac” records?? That’s new to me; I’ll go read up on them!

@clemmi That hedge project sounds like a doozey! Good luck with it all!

@i-hate-lettuce How lovely that you’re adding more and more usual foods into your diet!

@northgeorgia Sounds like you and I are having the same struggles. Christmas truly flipped my good eating habits in multiple head flips and left me floundering, and you also haven’t returned to your excellent habits. We’ll get there!

Pocket list day 14
@lilymartin
@daffodil2010
@at FD800
@snowflake56
@i-hate-lettuce
@clemmi
@northgeorgia
@suki2
@stitchincarol

ZBC
@northgeorgia
@stitchincarol

Exercise 30×5
@suki2
@stitchincarol

DTF
@suki2

It’s a cold and gusty day, with snow forecast and possibly even blizzard conditions by tomorrow…which is when DH and I were going to go out to eat. We’re too far from any restaurant to do it on impulse and too far to do it in ugly weather and too far to get it and drive it home, so I may have to simply cook. I’m longing for restaurant food! We’re all longing for lots of normalcy, huh? I just heard on the news that Johnson & Johnson is perhaps close to releasing their vaccine, which is a one-shot affair. Many prayers that this pandemic is soon tamed and life can start to expand again!

Day 14 USA (Illinois) NFD

I am chuffed (a word I learned here from my Brit friends)that my annual physical went well yesterday. With clothes on mid-day I was right at 165#, and that’s fine with me. Often dripping wet mornings I am 3 pounds lighter, so yeah for 6:1 maintenance and you ALL here keeping me within maintenance range.

Doctor said my slightly elevated cholesterol wasn’t bad, likely due to less activity more than diet. He also said my age range is the next to get the vaccine, and I will be on the lookout for news of its distribution.

@stitchincarol -come on, girlfriend! You can do this! Your mojo will return if you let it. I was interested to read your notice of Johnson & Johnson having a vaccine. Our investments man just bought some more of it for us. Yeah for a strong economy to have assets to share with the kiddos and grands.

@i-hate-lettuce – you sound like your old self again. Yeah.

@snowflake56 – ah yes, record collections. We have them too and ought to listen to them more. When my in-laws passed, we took far too many from their collection, but we have some great music.

@ccco – golf? In January? Wow. Good for you. Our courses around here are happy to get a last day in November (possibly early December) but then they revert to cross-country skiing. That’s good too.

@daffodil2010 – I love lamb, and your hot lamb salad sounds divine. That reminds me I have a rack of lamb in the freezer from a trip to Costco. Making me hungry for it.

@fivetwofan5252 – fasting muscle? I don’t remember that analogy, but I like it. Reminds me of a trumpet player with “good chops” – i.e. lip strength. I am sure you’re wise with your sugars and health, but we also want you to be careful and don’t faint on us!

@clemmi – bonjour to you too! Your trees sure do sound like quite a workout. We have just discovered a French 5 part drama we get on Netflix called “Lupin” quite intriguing. We can put on either French or English dialog with subtitles. If DH wants to work on his French, he listens carefully. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupin_(TV_series) Now that post tells me it will have 5 more parts. We’re enjoying it.

Onward and downward.

Day 14 UK, FD800

Thanks for the continued ‘welcome-back’ messages. @flourbaby I’m not sure I have ever bees described as a poster-boy for anything! However your point about looking back at old posts to encourage me is a good one. I also have the original excel spreadsheet with the data from 2017. I realised looking at that I stopped the diet when my mum died in Aug 17 and never quite got back on it seriously enough to lose any weight. I haven’t slapped it all back on yet, but I certainly need a bigger poster at the moment 😉

Heavy snow today but going for a gentle run with the dog around the local prison yard – sorry I mean golf course. I have some tasty gore tex running shoes with deep lugs for such occasions 🙂

I’ve re-listened to the audio book of the Fast 800. I think I’m going to use that more relaxed low carb approach than the LCHF as I already have the recipe book (which is quite good BTW). Has anyone tried the Fast 800 or combined with anything else. I’m doing TRE with either OMAD or two meals/day and no snacks at all (so far).

I refused to weigh myself at the start but got on the scales on 7/1. Today was my first official weigh in and my loss in week 1 is 1.2kg. I’ve also lost 3cm off my belly.

@stitchincarol – If you fall off the wagon just be kind to yourself and hop right back on. I find if I have carbs like beer, chips (uk-type), crisps (US chips) or milk chocolate I cant stop until I reach a point of self loathing 🙂 So be nice to yourself and remember this addictiveness of carby foods is the Food Industry conspiracy behind all this. The 2:1 ratio of fat to carbs in most processed foods is not a mistake they know it’s addictive. Here endeth the daily sermon!

Good luck. Eat, fast and die old.

USA. Day 14. FD800

For me, staying within the 800 calorie diet is easy. The evening glass of wine is not easy, although I think it has lately been a way to steady my nerves during these days. Nellen lives in D.C. but I live right outside and these are nerve racking times in this country. I will continue to work on finding other ways to calm my nerves in the evening. The daytime is fine for me. I weighed myself this morning and I am down another pound! Yay!

Tonight my state’s governor is having a live press conference. I am pretty sure he is announcing that I will be getting the vaccine, finally. I believe that the National Guard was going to help us but right now they are protecting Washington, D.C. Nevertheless, I am already making plans for what I will do post vaccine! :). Can’t wait!

Pocket list day 14
@lilymartin
@daffodil2010
@at FD800
@snowflake56
@i-hate-lettuce
@clemmi
@northgeorgia
@suki2
@brightonbelle
@ccco FD800

ZBC
@northgeorgia

Exercise 30×5
@suki2
@brightonbelle
DTF
@suki2
@brightonbelle
@ccco (Dry January)

Play golf today and will again today. Normally, SongBirdMe, we wouldn’t be able to play golf In January, either. Usually, we are done in October but the weather has been strange and has offered us an extended period to play. Thank goodness because it offers us one more thing we can do during these challenging times.

If you fall off the wagon (like me with the wine), get back on. I don’t know why but I seem to have a sudden surge of ambition. I even began my exercise program again and I am walking the golf course, which is something I have never done in my life! I feel good and positive right now and I send on those vibes to all of you! 🙂

Day 14 Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 FD

Getting comfortable on the wagon has been hard work after my extended Christmas food ‘holiday’. I may have my rampaging sugar dragon calmly back in her cage, at least today’s FD is going well. During my Christmas 5:2 mini break of 3 weeks I drank alcohol every day 😳 and reverting back to DTF is a struggle but I’m doing it. I so admire those of you doing a dry January…..red wine is my weakness and I need the promise of a few glasses over the weekend to keep me on track through the week.

I think we’re all doing great to be keeping on right now with all the madness in our world, so let’s be kind to ourselves and keep on striving to be our best healthiest selves 🤗

Day 14 North Canton OH FD
I just found out that a Nothing Bundt Cake Bundtini (cupcake) is 220 calories!!! 220 calories for a 3 bites of cake. This is why logging what we eat is so important.
@flourbaby LOL. Way to be honest  
@fivetwofan5252 some fasting days are a breeze and others can be so difficult. Every experienced faster that I know struggles to fast sometimes. I do agree that fasting helps with blood sugar control so getting in a routine can only help
@clemmi I concur as well, regular fasting suppresses appetite and shrinks the amount of food we are able to consume over time
Love the analysis of your dietary and exercise patterns@Northgeorgia. I predict that you will see the desired number on your scale soon
Looks like yesterday was a sabotaging kind of day for many on this forum. Someone once said that the difference for us is that a day (or a season) of sabotage does not translate to lifelong residency in the land of sabotage. We hop on and hop off, especially when we are engaged in this forum. We are all trying to give it our best shot and if we review our long-term trends, we are succeeding. So kudos to us all
I was all set to donate blood today and they turned me away because my veins are “too tiny”. They only had 16 ga needles. It made me sad because I was really looking forward to it.
@northerndawn praying right with you, and praying for us all. Just so heart breaking what is going on
Thanks for the prayers everyone, stay safe and find reasons to smile today

Pocket list day 14
@lilymartin
@daffodil2010
@at FD800
@snowflake56
@i-hate-lettuce
@clemmi
@northgeorgia
@suki2
@brightonbelle
@ccco FD800
@bellyblast
@basyjames

ZBC
@northgeorgia

Exercise 30×5
@suki2
@brightonbelle
DTF
@suki2
@brightonbelle
@ccco (Dry January)

Day 15, NFD, Aus. TGIF!!

Good FD yesterday but like you, @fivetwofan5252, I struggled and felt hungry. My Monday FDs are usually easy, Thursdays’ a challenge. Still, ½ a kilo down from the beginning of the week so I know my body is responding positively.

@missybear – you are my 5:2 soul-sister “I need the promise of a few glasses over the weekend to keep me on track through the week.”!!! So me!

My OH does not do 5:2 but the good news is when I have a FD he is much more mindful of what he eats. Last night he made himself a lettuce salad with artichokes and roasted capsicum. It looked so good I said we should have that together one day. He agreed! This really is progress as he’s v much the sort of person who could survive happily on steak and chips (fries) with nary a green thing on his plate at all.

Have a great weekend everyone. Stay strong, and if you waiver, be kind to yourself and come back stronger on Monday.

USA. Day 14. FD800

LitProf, I just read your post. I am also doing FD800, eating two meals a day. I am good to lose weight as long as I don’t drink wine. You could be eating too much salt and be retaining water. From what you said, I can’t imagine any other reason for it. Down Under, you are in your Summer, I believe. I know when it is hot and humid out, that makes me retain water, too. Don’t give up! 🙂

Day 15 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – NFD

Quick check in, wishing everyone one well

. @litprof it may well be water retention due to the heat, you saying you felt heavy is a symptom of that for me when I am dehydrated. Maybe drink some more green tea, Spring water, flush it out. Don’t give up.

Myself, I have stopped gaining weight but am staying around the same kilo point for quite a while now. I have increased my exercise, my muscles are sore so I am hopefully making them stronger, but the weight maintains. I won’t give up though, it has to be a lot better for my health doing this, than NOT!!

Just realised we haven’t heard from @dykask for a while. And @michelinme, hope you are still there?

It’s the weekend, and like my kindred sisters @missybear and @penz, heck, loads of us….I am so looking forward to my red wine 🍷

R

Day15 – Lake district UK – NFD

Good morning everyone

Friday, weigh in day for me, another good FD yesterday and my weight has stayed the same. Good, as I’m still being careful, building myself up slowly and quietly, want to maintain where I am for the moment. Found a place/weight where I feel comfortable, things might change a bit when the weather improves and I can come out of ‘hibernation’ and get back in the garden and longer walks, too wet and dreary yesterday, more ice and freezing this morning.

I’m wondering what’s happened to the ‘Inner Warthog’ maybe I’ve changed over the last few months and with the treatments. Have I tamed him or at least got him under control? Either way I’ve settled back into the 5:2 WOL and finding it easy to maintain where I am now.

@litprof – Don’t worry about the ‘ups and downs’ certainly over the short term, many strange things happen with 5:2, then suddenly you realise the numbers are falling, it just takes a while. Sometimes you can have what you think is a really good week, doing everything right, numbers go up! The following week, without trying too hard, numbers drop, we’ve all been there. Don’t forget water, I had a habit of forgetting water when exercising, made sure I recorded water intake, sure enough week or so later ‘whoosh’ body sorted itself out and the scales started dropping.

@daffodil2010 – “Just realised we haven’t heard from @dykask for a while. And @michelinme, hope you are still there?” I was also wondering about @funshipfreddie the other day, hope they’re all OK

Take care all

Day 15 – USA/GA – NFD

Good FD yesterday and weigh-in this morning at a dull 230 lbs. Still plateauing, but I think with realizing I was sabotaging my NFDs with Christmas-style eating and seeing how for the first time I hit the 230 boundary three times in a week, I suspect the plateau will be coming to an end soon. Returning to work on Tuesday will also curb the excess calories. I’m thinking of doing 4:3 for a second week, starting Sunday, to keep my body trained on the new trend (and also, with the MLK holiday on Monday, I can do a FD on Sunday and on Tuesday, my first day back at work), then ease back to 5:2 on the last week of the month. At this point, I’m hoping just to reach my December goal by the end of the month lol

Seems like many of us are feeling a little discouraged, but I’m sure it’s just holiday habits, stress from world events and the pandemic, and the extreme weather (height of winter/summer) that’s affecting us. I think if we stay steadfast, we’ll be fine and start dropping the weight again soon. In my case, I needed to take a peek at what I was or wasn’t doing, and for the most part it was simply feasting too much on NFDs without getting any the nice spring/fall weather exercise as I did last year. I can find some housework and indoor projects that will be really good exercise, and I can also stop feasting, especially during the work week. I have to remember that this is a WOL and adopting more healthy and moderate eating habits (along with a bit of exercise) is something I need to do for life. Not going to give up pizza, soda, ice cream or cake ever, but I don’t want to catch myself having six bowls of “things” on a regular basis LOL

Have a great day, everyone!

Day 15 France NFD second post

I forgot to say. I’ve lost 2kg so I’m determined it’s not going back on. The only way is down.

Day 15 Oxfordshire, UK – NFD
FD was ok yesterday until I went to bed. Woke about 2 am couldn’t get back to sleep. So got up, made a drink and had a biscuit or 3. I’d had a headache most of the day so wondering if that might have been the problem.
Nice chilly dog walk this morning which got the blood circulating. Will try to be sensible over the weekend, and like many of you I’m looking forward to that glass of red later.

Day 15 North Canton OH WFD 3

@litprof it has to be water, there’s no way you gained a kilo in a day or even two with all the activity you are engaged in. Our bodies are weird – but not that weird. Inches lost is actually a better indication of your progress, especially since you are working out as well. You may appreciate these 2014 posts from @simcoeluv

https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/really-no-weight-loss/

https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/exercise-is-dangerous-for-your-diet/

@snowflake56 Nothing Bundt Cakes is a Cake Franchise. They make the moistest and most delicious bundt cakes in different flavors: white chocolate raspberry is my favorite- they also have bundlets ( smaller size) and bundtinis (cupcakes). The Bundtinis are so tiny, I thought maybe 150 calories tops but the sugar content is probably through the roof, so 220 calories apparently for a bundtini.

@i hate lettuce not sure about @dykask but @funshipfreddie told us he was taking a break a couple months ago.

Stay safe everyone and find reasons to smile today

Day 15 USA (Illinois) NFD

From what @northerndawn and @stitchincarol have said about their Midwestern weather, we didn’t get it as badly as we could have. But of course, winter in Illinois is always unpredictable. We just got a couple inches of slushy wet snow yesterday, and so far it hasn’t been “polar vortex” cold.

@clemmi – glad to hear you’ve enjoyed “Lupin.” I get confused some with the time shifts, but think I have it figured out now. He is quite a character!

@litprof – I would be right with you, frustrated at the climb. Hopefully other advice will help you to be back on the losing path.

@johnnyr – good to see you back again!

Onward and downward.

Day 16 – Lake district UK – NFD

Good morning everyone

Sounds like a few of us in Northern climes are getting the wintery weather, keep warm and if you have to, hibernate!
Very wet and gloomy out this morning so can get house jobs done and settle down to a rugby match on the TV this afternoon, not long before the 6 Nations tournament starts up, the only bit of winter I look forward to!

@michelinme – Sounds like a good plan, resting, eating very easy healthy food and sleeping. I did quite a lot of that late on last year and it got me through, hope you recover well.

Take care all

Day 16 – USA/GA – NFD

Just a quick check-in this morning. Weigh-in was 231 lbs. Looking forward to another 4:3 next week; being very mindful this weekend about overindulgence in snacking and eating to feel satisfied, then upping water intake between meals. Hopefully, this will reset my habits to align with my TDEE.

I hit 230 three times this week, so although officially a plateau week, my weekly “median” and “mode” averages showed a small tick downward to lay on the 230 line for the first time. I don’t believe I’ll hit my January ambitious goal of 225, and I may or not hit my December goal of 227, but I’m ready to see the permanent crossover into the 220s this month. Fingers crossed!

Off to the grocery store. Have a great weekend!

Day 16 USA (Illinois) NFD

My teenage girl piano student sent me home with about 2 dozen of the most wonderful chocolate chip cookies we’ve had in ages. I hardly ever bake – occasionally muffins for breakfast – so they have been quite the treat. I’ll have to offset an occasional cookie and try not to eat them all!

Yes, snowy patterns are coming through many of our climes. Guess it goes with January.

@suki2 – hope you enjoy Lupin. We finished E5 last night, and it gave us a cliff-hanger! I haven’t read when the next 5 episodes are due out.

Onward and downward.

I make my own vinaigrette. I small jam jar with lid, I table spoon of virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar and 1teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Give it a shake. Delicious.