Day 18 USA (Illinois) NFD

Going to lunch with friends tomorrow,so I need to have a good CD today.

When I started 5:2 my BMI was about 31.5, and now at maintenance it is about 25, so I am content. If I use what my real height ought to be (as it was before I lost 3 spinal discs due to degeneration) then my current BMI is more like 24.3 — certainly not skinny, but it is working for me.

Onward and downward.

Day 18 FD
Day 17 NFD
Day 16 EFS

Sorry to disappear,been a bit full on. Tues was chest xray & birthday when much icecream & chocolate were consumed. Weds was just v full and i ate popcorn at bedtime then stayed uplate, both of which were unhelpful. Today has been FD amd GP.

So, chest xray was normal but Bp is still v high. As it was low normal a few months ago it’s time for more tests. GP thinks could be viral or infection, or something out of balance in my body. Coronavirus antibody test next week incase i’ve had it and symptoms are weird sequalae – all sorts of cardiac symptoms are appearing post covid & some cardiologists developing particular specialty. Then 24hr BP & 24 ECG monitoring – both have a waiting list of a week or two, so I wait to hear. And meantime, I just wait.

Feels good to have seen my own GP – he has been my doctor for more than 20 years, understands my regular symptoms & lets me think out loud & ask random questions. He was v reassuring about all the normal tests and the fact that I’m living an otherwise healthy lifestyle. it’s a wait & see time – never easy, but it is what it is.

So I’m back to fasting gently, drinking plenty of water/ herbal tea, avoiding stress, good boundaries and – mostly – getting plenty of sleep.

I’m sorry to be behind in posts but hope all’s well, sending love & hope to catch up on a quieter day xx

@penz – thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow with the Prohibition list. And glad I’m doing the same for you. The five hour eating window seems to be working fine for me, and I’ve got wine AND beer in for tonight, but I’ll have to drink fast to get it all in that little window. I’m just surprised that I don’t feel hungry during the day, but like lots of others, I do find that eating just a little makes me hungry. We shall see. I went to a friend’s allotment today and mindlessly ate some gooseberries off a bush. It’s years since I’ve eaten gooseberries. They were terrific.

Day 19, Emden Germany, CD

@michelinme although a bit late: Happy birthday!

@i-hate-lettuce when I reached my goaI weight 3 years ago I was sure I would never gain again. I gave away all the clothes that were too large. I bought new clothes and most of it is too small now. I’m not sure if everything will fit again.

For today’s question: I don’t have many tips or tricks. I try to eat my breakfast late in the morning and eat small portions.

Have a nice day everyone!

Day 19 – Lake district UK – NFD

Good morning everyone

Weigh in morning, but i’ve ‘flat lined’ again, don’t panic, it’s only on the ‘MyTracker’ graph! Another plateau that makes the graph pause on it’s downward trek, but that’s 28 weeks now since my ‘post christmas’ weigh in, not one single week has the line gone upwards and I’ve gained weight. Think the My Tracker graph is another of my ‘motivators’. That and things like the unworn pair of trousers from the back of the wardrobe yesterday needed a wider (thicker, not longer!) belt.
Found a suitable one and when I put it on ….. it was 5 notches smaller, now that was a nice reminder 🙂

Checked back through the week, food calories good, less than my BMR for the week, but the exercise/walking calories were down again, a busy week it may have been but need to keep the balance right.

Beer finished its fermentation, now conditioning for a few days before bottling, the sample drawn for hydrometer reading looked good yesterday and tasted very nice already.

Take care all.

Day 19 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD

PFDS for me, & another half a kilo gone 🏋

@michelinme – belated birthday wishes! 🎊🎉🎈🎂

@saffy420 – did your Kindle survive? Mine once briefly finished up in a washing machine when I was working on the ships. I tossed it into my laundry basket, but by the time I got to the crew laundry I’d forgotten it was there! It flickered on & off for a couple of days, but then it just gave up the ghost & died on me.

@jaifaim – ‘DTF’ – I like that! ☕️

@penz – tips or tricks? I don’t think I know any tricks, & my tips are probably what most other fasters already do; eating as late as possible (usually 6/7 pm for me) on FDs; weighing food, instead of ‘guesstimating’ – especially calorie dense foods like cheese & nuts; and I always eat from a small plate, or maybe even two small plates. Avoid the white, starchy carbs, i.e. rice, bread and potatoes. Oh, and never buy more than one KitKat at a time 😜

Day 19 UK FD

Good morning all
Pleased with progress so far but very early days. Managed to stay under 1000 calories yesterday and scales were kind this morning with no weight gain. TBH (getting the hang of these a abbreviations) I was expecting a little gain.
First Fd was a breeze but today is a little more taxing but ok so far.
Too soon for me to offer any tips but I do decide on food to be eaten on FD in advance.

A VERY BIG THANK YOU to Penz. Your initial post this month was what finally decided me to join in.
It was so friendly and welcoming. I have looked in the past at the monthly challenges but when it got to spreadsheets I switched off. You said I didn’t need to do one and that was such a relief. Too old to learn and can’t really be bothered.
I count my calories in a note book, strictly on a FD and a little more relaxed on other days. I did try MFP some time ago but it was not for me, too fiddly and pen and paper much easier.
I really enjoy the international flavour and as someone mentioned, because of the world time difference, there is always someone on line.
Motivation here is terrific so thanks to all.
Planning to relax a little over weekend and then back on plan on Monday.

Day 19 Brazil NFD

@penz We are living a scary moment in here! unfortunately most people are not respectinmg the quarentine rules 🙁

Hello, guys!

Finished my second FD yesterday.It was 3x more difficult than the first, I got emotional, irritable and had intense headaches, but my hunger was pretty much tolerable. Nonetheless, I will continue with full force on the 5:2 diet. On NFD Im eating a bit over maintenance calories.I will check my weight after 7 days to see if I will lose some body fat.

Day 19 UK CD

Weekly weigh day, I’m down another lb and back down to 154lb / 70kg, BMI 24.9. I’ve touched this weight 3x in the last 3 months but not gone below: this is the time!

Looking back at my tracker I’m 2″ and 14lb up on my weight of Sept 2019, before I fell off the waggon. Perspective is a wonderful thing! Last time I was at this weight and going down was June 2018, just before I got ill with pneumonia! What is it with me & summer illness?!

I’m doing a 24hr retreat from this evening so aiming for a gentle prep day, clearing space and getting my head ready. Just a couple of emails to send then it’s all about the pottering. Spinach and calendula ready to plant out – a nice Sunday afternoon job. Next week will be incredibly hot – touching 29C for a several days. Back to living around the weather.

Catching up with @penz‘s questions:
* i came across 5:2 when feeling huge and out of control in Nov 2017. I’m a charity trustee and several colleagues had noticeably lost weight since our last quarterly meeting so I went quietly round the table over lunchtime and asked how they’d done it! 5:2 sounded like my sort of thing so I read up, watched the Eat Fast tv programme,found this forum…
* weight or inches? Weight for a rhyhtm, inches for a guide. I’m happier lean and heavier than bigger and lighter.
* I reached maintenance without realising it because I set my goal too low. Bouncing around 140-144lb for a year was great but I kept thinking I needed to be 133-140lb. This time!
* Easiest reset for me is back to basics – plenty of water, weigh and write down what I eat. Once I’m accountable to myself and really seeing what happens it begins to change! The mind is a strange thing 🙂
* I don’t eat breakfast but usually eat 16:8 with 2 meals/day, avoid carbs & sugar xc as occasional treats. I’ve got into the habit of having one treat a week that’s in the house so I don’t go out hunting – at the moment it’s a tub of icecream, and when it’s gone it’s gone. I’ve cut out wheat, most oats etc as they just puff me up and instead use red lentil pasta or red carmargue rice, flours are coconut, tapioca, rice or almond. I bake cakes but no carb bloat or sugar rush – it’s all about creating new habits 🙂

Lovely to catch up with posts and sorry not to respond. Sending lots of love to all. Whatever the day brings, go gently x

Day 19 – USA/GA – NFD

Aww, expected disappointments. I’m back up a little over a pound to 261 this morning. I started yesterday’s NFD OK and did my walk in the afternoon, but was a little naughty last night with so many leftovers and a lot of milk that needed drinking, etc. I knew better. Thankfully, my refrigerator seems to be “greening” and becoming more colorful with lots of fruits and vegetables than it had a few months ago. I have three more NFDs in a row, so I better behave so I can maintain right around that weight. Eleven days left in this month… come on, 259; come back for the June 30 showdown!

@penz I think my mom is convinced! She wants to be discrete about it since my dad is diabetic and tends to go overboard (we could totally see him not eating; horrible idea!). I’m actually following the FD500 instead of the recommended FD600 for men, and find it’s fine for me. As my mom is prone to mysterious leg and foot cramps that the doctors can’t figure out, I don’t want her to miss out on her banana a day for extra potassium, so I suggested she try the FD800 instead, at least to start out with. She wants to begin next Monday. Not sure if she wants to join the forum yet, but after she gives it a try, I’ll encourage her!

@champinator Yes, it can have that effect, especially the first week. The best thing to do is to increase your intake of water by an enormous amount. I’m running to get more every 15 minutes it seems on a fast day. Also, I find having a pickle or two helps, as they are very low in calories and the electrolytes can help alleviate those symptoms. If you google it, you’ll find that “they regulate nerve and muscle function, hydrate the body, balance blood acidity and pressure, and help rebuild damaged tissue.” Just what I need on a fast day!

Oh, and just to clarify on the Australian study: “One of the most frequently asked questions the authors have encountered is whether simply breathing more can cause weight loss. The answer is no. Breathing more than required by a person’s metabolic rate leads to hyperventilation, which can result in dizziness, palpitations and loss of consciousness.”

And this: “At rest, an average 70 kg person consuming a mixed diet (respiratory quotient 0.8) exhales about 200 ml of CO2 in 12 breaths per minute. Each of those breaths therefore excretes 33 mg of CO2, of which 8.9 mg is carbon. In a day spent asleep, at rest, and performing light activities that double the resting metabolic rate, each for 8 hours, this person exhales 0.74 kg of CO2 so that 203 g of carbon are lost from the body. For comparison, 500 g of sucrose (C12H22O11) provides 8400 kJ (2000 kcal) and contains 210 g of carbon. Replacing one hour of rest with exercise that raises the metabolic rate to seven times that of resting by, for example, jogging, removes an additional 39 g of carbon from the body, raising the total by about 20% to 240 g. For comparison, a single 100 g muffin represents about 20% of an average person’s total daily energy requirement. Physical activity as a weight loss strategy is, therefore, easily foiled by relatively small quantities of excess food.

Our calculations show that the lungs are the primary excretory organ for fat. Losing weight requires unlocking the carbon stored in fat cells, thus reinforcing that often heard refrain of “eat less, move more.” (BMJ 2014;349:g7257)

Don’t get discouraged — June 30 is in sight!

Pocket List Day 19
@dykask
@annabelle48

Day 19 UK NFD

Moving into my danger zone – the weekend . I really want to move on from the yoyoing so I’ve set myself some fairly challenging limits the aim is to end the weekend at least the same weight as I enter it 🤞

Day 20 – Ireland – CD

I’m going to try to be good today and not go overboard just because it’s the weekend… and I now have 3 day weekends which represent a danger 🆘

I was very tempted yesterday to celebrate the end of the week with a takeaway but resisted… but… I did eat two Ice-creams that I really didn’t need. Luckily the rest of the day was very controlled 🥴

@northgeorgia you seem to be doing really well at the moment 👏 bravo on the loss and the plan to lose 2lb a week. I
always tend to skip over science and mathematical explanations generally in life (I’m not sure what that is with my brain 🥴) but found your last posts very interesting so thank you! I‘m sure you were a very good teacher!

@flourbaby I love this: “ at no point in time will it be easier to get in shape than now!!” ……………………. I take this to mean, I’ll never be younger than I am , I’ll never have as much time (left!) as I do, and I’ll never regret making this choice ……………………. RIGHT NOW!!!!💕” thank you for posting this – you are SO right!!! Like you, lockdown has been mostly good for me too and came along at a time where I really needed to press pause, as life had become crazy and stressful even though I didn’t realise it… I feel so much fitter (although today I ache 🤒… I’m up to a 4 minute plank amongst other things 😂😂) and feel much trimmer BUT again don’t see the reflection of my efforts on the scales yet (with the yo yoers … @brightonbelle and others). I do have faith and I’m so Impressed at how well you are doing… like you, I’d never in a million years have thought I’d have more control while WFH than in the office so a really important life lesson has been learnt 👩‍🎓 ✅
Well done to the other “losers” 😂 this week 👏👏👏

Actually having written the above I just jumped on the scales and I am down 2lbs from last Friday (normally my weigh day) ⬇️ so very happy with that but I do bob around at the moment so not quite celebrating just yet 😂… always a tortoise 🐢 @snowflake56 😊

@shinything you’ve been doing well so far this month so I’m sure it’s just a momentary blip… next week is a new week 🌅

@annabelle48 and @champinator well done on your first week down 👏

Onward and downward ⬇️
We rise by lifting others 💕

Day 20 – South Africa 🇿🇦 – NFD

Quiet on here this morning! I’m striving for a mindful weekend, after my ‘one or two drinks’ turned into four last night 😳 Two hundred calories too many of junk! Still, it’s been a good month so far, and only ten days to go…

@judyjudes – well done on the 10,000 steps! 🥇

Have a good weekend! 🌈 ⛅️

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” ~ Thomas Edison

Day 20, London, UK, NFD,

I’m planning to keep today mindful and if I feel like a treat, I bought 2kg of Greek yoghurt …………… so THAT’s gonna need to take priority over a biscuit!!! Doing ADF means you really don’t get through as much food as you expect!!

Anyway, I’ve had my NFD mocha and now to start the housework😟, then a yoghurty lunch at about 2pm 😜.

As usual, it’s a quiet day today on the forum, I hope everyone is staying mindful of the ‘weekend pitfalls’…………….. DTF is NOT an excuse to down 3 bottles of wine Fri – Sun!!! Although I MAY have done that a few times!!!😂🍷😂

We can do this people, it’s just a weekend!!!

Teresa of Avila: “Patient endurance attains to all things.”

Day 20, UK. FD

Yesterday I fasted well, apple for lunch then fish and salad for tea. I managed a glass of wine later but still stayed under 600 cals.
I never fast on weekends – it’s much too hard so I’ll try to be mindful. Off to mum n dads later for a late birthday and early Father’s Day celebration. Hopefully the weather will allow us to sit in their garden for a chat. I’m back in work on Monday so that will be my next FD.

@funshipfreddie, yes the kindle was well and truly drowned, I tried the bag of rice trick but it didn’t work. So new Kindle expected on Monday.

@flourbaby, that’s a lot of yoghurt- enjoy Greek yoghurt is lovely.
@shinything, the uncertainty of facing redundancy must be really hard, hoping things go your way and fingers crossed.

The science behind losing weight is fascinating, our bodies are marvellous and sometimes frustrating things.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Day 20 UK NFD

I did it – stuck to my limit of drinks – which sounds similar to what you had @funshipfreddie but obviously I’m an old lush 🤪
@flourbaby I am in awe 👏
@saffy420 RIP kindle . Mines ancient but I’m very attached to it it’s very basic but I think the newer ones are very bells and whistles
Looking forward to the rest of the weekend Have a good one all

Day 20 NFD UK

After yesterday’s fast I was rewarded this morning with a 4oz loss. Not much in the grand scheme of things but a loss nevertheless. Also for some reason found it more difficult but stuck with it.
Weekend now so am off calorie counting but hopefully still mindful of what I am eating.
Have been invited for tea in a garden, socially distancing and only 6 people.
If there are cakes must be careful.
Next fd will be Monday.
Enjoy the weekend everyone.

Day 20 – USA/GA – NFD

Don’t you hate digital scales? I can step on mine thirty times and get something different each time. Some days seem worse than others; this morning was one of those days. I could gain a lb. in five seconds or lose half a pound in ten. Is it the barometric pressure? LOL Anyway, I just use middle number and the most frequent number as my guide (these are called median and mode, if I go back to those teaching days haha). That makes it 260, which will make my calendar happily show a 1 lb. weight loss over last Saturday instead of no weight loss (oooh, ulterior motive).

My mom is joining the FD800 next Monday, and my dad, too, apparently. A little worried for him; my mom wanted to do it under the radar as my dad is on medication for diabetes and he can get a little too enthusiastic about things sometimes. And you know how we men can be about “consulting our physician first.” I wish he would, though. Thankfully, she hid the fact that I am actually doing FD500. Does anyone have advice for diabetics?

@jaifaim Thank you! So far, so good! And I realize it will slow down, but I have a lot of weight to lose, too. I hear it can also affect weight loss. If I were just 30 lbs. overweight instead of over 100 lbs. overweight, I’m sure my results would be different. Trust me, I would prefer to be only 30 lbs. overweight instead, losing just 1 lb. a month or so, than where I am now. But how does that expression go… How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. I keep that visual in my head as the huge “elephant in the room” made of Play-Doh, which is my weight issue. How do I get rid of that elephant? One squishy handful at a time.

Ten days left in the month! We can do this! Enjoy your weekend and try not to overdo 🙂 !

Day 20 – 2nd Post

@northgeorgia – your Dad really shouldn’t fast without the guidance of a doctor. It is possible to reverse type 2 diabetes and come off medication. It could be life-changing for your Dad; but he really needs to talk to his doctor first, so that he knows how and when to reduce his medication. Check out Michael Mosley’s book, ‘The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet: How to Beat Diabetes Fast (and stay off medication)’.

https://www.amazon.com/8-Week-Blood-Sugar-Diet-Medication/dp/150111123X/ref=pd_sbs_14_3/139-4816003-1964266?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=150111123X&pd_rd_r=b2949b87-6a65-4999-a95d-a74bb5b001e6&pd_rd_w=kv3jJ&pd_rd_wg=ZjT23&pf_rd_p=d28ef93e-22cf-4527-b60a-90c984b5663d&pf_rd_r=XJX0NY2M2HBWW0CZR5B3&psc=1&refRID=XJX0NY2M2HBWW0CZR5B3

Of course, @bert1802 — welcome back to the best place place you could possibly be. We love all our peeps, fallen or strong! Glad to see that ol’ ragamuffin back in the fold.

Hugs –

Day 21 Melb Aust TDEE
Day 20 TDEE
Day 19 FD

Same weight yesterday morning as last Saturday. Not surprised, as I wasn’t as careful as needed during the week. At least I didn’t gain!

@northgeorgia, great that your mother is joining the 5:2 clan. And echoing @funshipfreddie, your dad really needs to be under the care of his physician if he is following the FD800 diet, as his meds may need adjusting as he loses weight. Re your mother, do you know if she has tried magnesium supplementation for her leg and feet cramps? It can work wonders.

@songbirdme, As I’m 70, I think I also qualify as a “lady of a certain age” 🙂

@Bert802, welcome back to a WOL that works!

@saffy420, RIP Kindle! Hope the new one gives you many hours of enjoyable reading.

@daffodil2010, good luck with the start of the new job tomorrow, and hope the weekday traffic isn’t too horrendous compared with Saturday’s.

@michelinme, you’ve caught up to me! Oh no, how did this happen? I’ve been sitting on exactly 70 kg for the past week or so.
Hope all the tests go well. I’m pleased to read that you’ll be having an antibody test for Covid-19. The virus really does seem to cause some strange ongoing effects on people who’ve had it.

@penz, how about Arnott’s double-dipped Timtams? (You mentioned the Mint Slices, so on your head be it! 🙂 )

Re your question, having had many years of calorie-counting diets where I’d lose then regain weight yo-yoing down then up, I have a fairly good mental calorie count of most items, and I just tot them up as I go through the day. I also check the listing on the packages of items I don’t know, or check a calorie-counter book I have.

This week will be better than the last (I’m determined!, Thanks @flourbaby)

Onward and downwards everyone!

Day 21 – Lake district UK – CD

Good morning everyone

Missing in action yesterday, no idea where the day went, just very busy indeed, had an early start then the day just went away from me!
Project time (again!) kitchen refurb, new wall tiles, new floor, doesn’t sound much, but its an old house! So yesterday was sourcing the tiles and floor covering etc …. Mrs I-h-l had some ideas already, but finding exactly the right stuff has taken a while, but finally sorted yesterday.
Meanwhile, I need to top up on some of the things needed to do the actual work, anyone with an old property will know, start one job, create a couple more!

@daffodil2010 – hope all goes well tomorrow, fresh start!

@betsylee – sometimes no weight gain is almost as satisfying as a loss! There have been occasions I’ve done my weekly weigh in and thought maybe I perhaps don’t deserve to be on ‘a plateau’ but slightly relieved! Especially after one birthday bash this month and another to come…..

Take care all

Day 21……. Florida……. CD

Thank you, my friends for the warm welcome back. Well…… let’s see where did I leave off……. tons of crap happen how about we just say that. I did however go from 127lb, healthy, happy and sassy to 143lb, tired, joint hurting, IBS back crabby women. I threw my self a hell of a pity party….. lasted a week and I ate everything in sight….. then it dawned on me, I hand a bunch of friends that could help me….. So, here I am!

I’m having a controlled day because of being Father’s Day and trying to get back into my old habits. I did stop eating at 7:30 last night…… okay…… I did have coffee cake and ice cream before that.

Well, I just finished a 6 days run, so, today being my first day off…..I’m off to get my life back in order. I recently went back to the flylady system too…….

Grow up, they said become an adult , it will be fun….. You can have ice cream for dinner……… They LIED!

Day 21 USA (Illinois) NFD

Happy Father’s Day to any fathers we have out there. Church is actually meeting this morning -will have to see how it feels sitting wide apart and not singing. That alone makes me sad. Singing expels and spreads far too many molecules.

Onward and downward.