Hi Coda,

Thanks for hosting. I started the fasting diet on May 22nd and am combining it with my fitbit walking goals… so trying to get my calorie deficit two ways… reducing calorie intake and moderate exercise. In the last 5 weeks I have dropped from 170.4 lbs to 155lbs so far, which I am really pleased with but I have worked at it.

Am pleased to say that I now have clothes which are too large … I’ve discovered my hip bones again and two days ago i had to tighten the strap on my fitbit!!! Also my BMI hit 25 yesterday so am now officially at a healthy weight so next general goal ( not July’s) is to reach my midrange BMI which is 133lbs and then just continue with a maintenance way of life…. or maybe weigh of life !!!! 😉

I joined the June challenge and will be weighing in for that tomorrow morning ( July 1st) which of course will be my starting weight for the July challenge. I have found the camaraderie on this forum really helpful especially at plateauing times or days when you feel a bit fed up with exerting self control on fast days. Also really lovely to hear everyones’ fasting and family news ! I personally enjoy using the spreadsheet but understand that it’s not everyone’s thing !!!!

Nice to see some familiar names already down on the starter sheet ….See you all on the next bit of the journey starting tomorrow.

Hi There… wrote a long post introducing self and progress and it seems to have got lost in the ether…..cant face writing it all over again as have schedule to keep …. might try again later… please add me to the July challenge !! Thanks for hosting Coda

Please count me in too! Another pocket wino/gourmet (with skinny OH sigh). Have been watching you all from afar for the last month, experimenting with my FDs, low GI and low carbs … and am down 4.3 Kg yippee! BMI now at 28.5, so still have a way to go. I’ll be on hols for last part of July on a wifi-free mountain top so I know I won’t get the gold start but hey. I live in France, but originally from UK.

@coda – hello and please count me in for the July challenge. Thanks so much for hosting!

Hi to all the familiar posters and hello to any new people taking up July’s challenge.

Just a quick intro: I’m 42, 5ft 9, currently hovering around 12 stone (STILL!!!!), 25BMI. I started the 5:2 around 3 years ago after watching the TV doc and reading the Fast Diet book. I did well, getting down to around 11 and a half stone. But a change of role in work, getting complacent …it all piled on again. So I started again at the end of March 2017- not only to just lose weight but to hopefully reap in the other benefits (mental and physical). My brother has diabetes as did my granda so I’d like to reduce my risk of this (along with other illnesses).

I just feel that this way of eating/way of life suits me. I love my food, good wine, cold beers – I am Irish 😉 – eating with family and friends but there has to be a balance. And I’m working on that.

I started March 2017 at around 175lbs (12 and a half stone). My overall aim is to get to 147lbs (10 and a half stone). I’ve no strict time frame, but these monthly challenges are enabling me to set achievable monthly targets. And checking in every day, especially on Fast Days (FDs) really keeps me motivated.

So that’s me. Good luck everyone!! See you in July!

@coda count me in please ,not a very good month June, so will be putting it behind me and starting afresh tomorrow

@fuvvie – lovely to see you back

Please add me to the July challenge.

Many thanks to Coda for taking over the reigns from Strawberriesandcream, who did an admirable job keeping this crew in check! Welcome to all those familiar faces and those embarking for the first time. No better place for support, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to bend and some laughs on the way. This is truly an international forum.

A summary of my journey:
I lost 20 lbs last year, then travelling and Christmas got in the way. After being in the doldrums for months, (although I was maintaining) my morning weigh in showed a 3 lb loss for June. So I’m well and truly on the wagon and holdin’ tight! Today, I’m at my lowest weight for 25 years, which is heartening. My ultimate goal is a stone off, which I would like by Christmas.
So my goals for July:
** Reduce my waist size
** keep working on eradicating sugar from my diet
2 FDs per week, usually on Monday and Thursday
Drink 2 litres of water per day, (work in progress)
During my frequent caravanning trips, keep the gin and tonics/wine in control!
Keep up my exercise regime and include some weights and strength exercise.

So onward we go. Good luck to everyone

It’s still 30 June in my time zone but I’m thinking of all of you ahead of the international date line and wishing you the best of luck as you kick of July. Remember your inner strength – the mere fact you are here shows you are strong and can do this!! And collectively we’re all here to support. Good luck and I look forward to sharing our collective progress.

Coda – would it be possible to measure the total amount of weight we shed in July? It could be tonnes!

Hello!
I’m Rachel and I started the 5:2 on the 31st January at 86 kilos. As of today I’m 75.3 and my ultimate goal is 70 kilos.
This month I will only be able to participate till the 16th July as we leave for a 3 week vacation BUT I intend to do 3 FD a week for the next two weeks, and I’ll try my best to be mindful the last two weeks. I won’t be able to fast as such but I’ll be happy if I can maintain my current weight whilst away.
Thanks for hosting Coda!

Coda
Thanks for hosting! Count me in.
Metatautata
Did you try the noodles? I am curious to see what you think. I wanted to comment yesterday, but I wanted you to try them first. I finally found them at my grocery store last month and gave them a try. How were they

Day 30 – USA – NFD

My goodness, I’m all screwed up….@fatteacher, I’m sure you get the gist of what I was trying to say, but just in case I garbled it again – I did not comment about the noodles on the blown FD, but the next day, which was a NFD. No idea why. Need to proof my posts more.

Is there a spreadsheet for July? If so, how do I find it?

Hello @coda, Please count me in for the July challenge. I am just starting out again with the 5:2

Day 1/NFD/Perth Australia ( holiday)

Very happy to be here with all the inspirational challengers. Many thanks to all the wonderful hosts and thanks @coda. I was here when you started last May!

A little about myself. I began 5:2 in September 2014 weighing 74.3kg with the aim to improve my health. By April 2015 I’d reached my goal weight of 59kg. I’ve been under goal since and maintain around my happy weight of 56 – 57 kg. Usually when I reach goal weight I revert to the style of eating that caused weight gain, I self sabotage and my weight rebounds. Not with 5:2. Fasting, combined with a healthy Mediterranean style of low carb eating and watching portion sizes has proved a very sustainable WOL. I am very, very grateful to have found this WOE.

Day 1, Guildford UK, FD

Start weight 67.4 Kg aim 65.7 Kg

It’s a dress I want to wear for my sister’s birthday party on August 28 2017.

And I have a couple of pairs of jeans I am desperate to get in.

I would like to join, not sure how, I’m new 🙂 I’ve only done fasting for one day. I’m about to start a new job so unsure how things will go this month. I have GI issues and the day of fasting seemed to help a bunch, just gave my stomach the day off — but gosh I was moody and ended up quite sad and crying buckets out of the blue. Husband thought I was just gone bonkers. Would like to make friends too, I’m a bit of a homebody and boring ;-P *cheers*

Day 1 in Phuket for July NFD

@coda thank you so much for hosting. Good to see some familiar names from June and some new names too. I had a great June 5:2-wise – helped greatly by the group’s messages, tips and motivational stories. My June goal was to lose 1.5kg and I managed over 2kg. Going to take the measurements today. I am setting a modest 1kg loss goal for July.

My problem will be trying to resist the tasty food on my doorstep, the chilled Beer Singha and the hot weather which makes exercise tough. But, it would be churlish to complain about any of that! So I will be aiming to head out at first light, doing Couch to 5k (again) and trying to keep up with the program when my two 20-something kids arrive.

My last weigh-in was 64kg – but now I am using different scales and have just had a hectic last few days of a school term (much wine was consumed …). Won’t get weighed until after my 2 FDs this week. Will try to follow @at ‘s advice about keeping busy.

Congratulations @rainbowsmile – it is a great incentive to get out of the “overweight” label on BMI. Hope you can find strength to draw on with the divorce hearing.

@onahealthyhigh – your brief weight history is inspirational. I started in February at 73kg and am down to 64. I too have an “ideal” of about 58kg. Great to hear that it can be achieved and maintained. I am so nervous about even writing here that 5:2 is a WOL for me – I wonder how long you need to do something for it to become embedded? I fear, particularly during this holiday, that I will slip into bad habits. So I will be checking in often!

Day 1 NFD Huntingdon UK

This post is a copy of the one that I have posted as end of June challenge just for those that are new to the July challenge. I wanted to share my history so far and what I managed to achieve in my first monthly challenge in June.

“Pleased to report that I started to fast in combination with walking on May 22nd and my start weight then was 170.4 lbs. my start weight for the June challenge was 166.4lbs and my weight this morning was 154.2 lbs. My June goal was lose 10lbs. Since May I have lost 16.2lbs and during the June challenge I have lost 12.2 lbs. I am just so happy.

In the last week I have had to tighten the strap on my fitbit, I now have some very lose fitting and baggy clothes and I have discovered my hip bones once more !!! I have had some problems with my own body image for a few years and the new me that is emerging is more confident, energised and happier than before.

I have put in a lot of work to achieve this but it was not alone. I would like to thank everyone on the forum for their posts which have been a great inspiration, also to Strawberries and Cream for keeping us all in order, on the right track and offering support to all and last but not least to my partner who has walked many miles with me and reduced his own calorie intake on my fasting days.”

For July my goal will be to lose 8lbs. This is less than my last goal because as my weight has reduced it means when I walk I am carrying less weight and therefore the calories burnt will be less. My only other alternative would be to carry weight while i walk and I don’t want to do that as I enjoy the freedom of walking unencumbered!!

So picking up on the quote that was provided in last months challenge…..

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. W. A. Ward

Am looking forward to sailing along with the new crew…… let’s set sail and adjust as we need to !

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. W. A. Ward

Day 1, UK, NFD

Weight this morning = 86.0kg. Target for month is my ultimate target of 79.5kg / 12.5 stone / 175 lb.

Day1 UK NFD

Thanks to @coda for hosting this month and @strawberriesandcream for brilliantly supporting us all last month. Just a bit about me, I started on 5:2 in February and managed a month on my own but was getting very discouraged then I found this forum, signed up for March and haven’t looked back. So far I’ve lost 32lbs and my target for June is another 2. Truthfully I’ve got about 50 to go but these challenges allow me to keep it realistic and breaks my ultimate goal down to achievable chunks.

I’ve lost, gained, plateaus in the last 4 months but got through each month with the support of this forum. It’s great and when I’m tempted I’m accountable to this group – hate to let anyone down!

I like a glass of wine or two or several, and in this wol I’ve found a way to eat and drink the thinks I like without the guilt that comes form trying “normal diets”.

@coda I’m one of the ones who doesn’t really use the spreadsheet. I’m tracking my weight on mfp and Fitbit so no need to put me down but I will be trying to post 3/4 times each week.

DAY 1 – UK – NFD
Starting weight 10st. 02lb. 140.02lb.

Coda thanks for hosting again. On reflection last month was soo difficult for me – maintaining when I was hoping to lose knocked my confidence….but when I look back on the months past, I have at least stayed more or less the same weight despite all sorts of treats. Summer is always more difficult…..but…..here I still am, and by December hope to achieve my goal of losing 7 lbs. which would be wonderful. I was 70 yesterday, which sounds soooooo old, but still feel like an 18 yr old.! (Hopefully I don’t act like one). 9st. 7lbs. would be a v. good weight for me – I have never been below 9st. as an adult. (I’m 5ft. 5 1/2″)and is probably unrealistic at my age, but I am going to give it a go, and see if I can make it and maintain for ever and ever…….. Yesterday had a wonderful meal in London and had Champagne etc. at the Royal Opera House -went to see La Traviata, a wonderful treat from my daughter, to-day my son is downstairs preparing a picnic and then bbq for later – he brought all the weekend food with him…including a huge Chocolate cake made by his wife…..what more could a Mother ask. So no fasting for me this weekend….and then lots of lunches out with friends next week – but from the following week I intend to “get down to business” and hope to lose 1-2 lb by the end of the month. A bit of a ramble – sorry folks – but cathartic to get my thoughts reasons and intentions down. Good luck to all in July and thanks to all for the continuing support.