Day 22, NFD, Aus

Experiencing a slight PFDS today but let me explain. Yesterday I was struggling mentally to find my fasting groove and around 11.30am I was so hungry, I thought, drat, I’m going to buy lunch. I was focused on a steak sandwich and chips (fries). But then I realised my wallet was not in my briefcase and therefore I had nothing to pay for lunch with. Ok, I thought, enforced FD, that’s ok. Then after a while I figured my wallet was in the car, so off I set. I was just about at the carpark, when I realised I’d left my car keys in the office. Another karmic reminder that this should be a FD. I stalked back to the office. After another while, I grabbed the keys and went to the car. My wallet was not there! Back to the office I went. So that was three times a reminder that I should not eat.

Having made it through that day time period it was far easier to resist my OH’s tempting offer of toastie sandwiches for dinner. So a successful LFD was had after all. [And I found my wallet on the floor behind the driver’s seat in the car so it was there after all. – Far less emotional than a lost dog who wasn’t really lost, @fivetwofan!]

And I’m always amazed at how not-hungry I feel the morning after a FD which really should help to round-up the mojo and bring it home.

Interesting article, thanks @michelinme. This resonated (and I see it also struck a chord with @basyjames!): “Now that’s a dumb thing to say, because sometimes life demands a banana, and sometimes life demands a chocolate bar.” So true!! But seriously, I’m interested in different foodgroups and their calorie counts – has anyone got any further resources along these lines?

Happy holiday, @stitchincarol – hope all is quiet on the pastoral homefront so you can enjoy your time away without distractions.

Which reminds me, Americans and other English-speakers use holiday and vacation differently, from what I understand. So to you, I mean have a good vacation!

Ok, enough chit-chat, I’ve gotta start work.

Day 22 – Ireland 🇮🇪- NFD

Beautiful midsummer weather we are having, yesterday was glorious, I just sat out my back garden, relaxing and reading and enjoying the sunshine and grateful that I could do so, ie not stuck in the office.

There is a competition between me and the cat as to who can lounge around the longest 😆, I don’t think I can beat the cat though!!

@penz I loved how the universe just insisted that you were having that FD yesterday, well done on staying the course

@michelinme thanks for the article, proteins really do make you feel fuller for longer. Remember there were a few of us doing Egg Fasts a while back? I remember never feeling hungry, though got fed up with eggs. Plus the weight flew off.

So my plans for today…..rest and relax. I went for my 6am walk as usual this morning, but my steps are nothing like the strides I used to take. I just can’t at the moment. Very gentle and slowly goes it, took nearly an hour as opposed to 30 minutes, but there is something about being out in the early morning air which lifts me.

I took my dressings off yesterday, which was difficult enough as there seemed so much dressing, and looking at my poor wounds made me realise again I need to take it easy. I plan for a nap fairly soon, (ha ha, its still early morning), afterwards potter about in the sunshine, ready my book, listen to the birdies. So lucky the weather is conducive to this at the moment.

Wondering where @i-hate-lettuce is these days, haven’t heard from him in a while.
Hoping @jaifaim had a great holiday on the boat, would love to hear about it.

Day 22 – Canada – NFD

Good morning everybody. Yesterday was a somewhat successful FD but the day ended with a calorie laden protein bar, so delicious though. Today I will have a mindful eating day.

@michelinme – thanks for the article. So interesting.

@daffodil2010 – so good to hear you’re healing well and looking after yourself.

@penz – oh my goodness you were really not meant to eat that day, so funny 😆 but I’m sure frustrating at the time.

Take care all.

Day 22 UK NFD

Very impressed with all the positive thinking, think we all realise we are in it for the long haul , there are no quick fixes and we just have to hang in there

I too have wondered where @i-hate-lettuce is , hopefully just too busy looking after all those gardens 👨‍🌾

Day 22 – Rural Nebraska, USA – on vacation

The scales were back to 153.4 this morning, so I was right that most of that extra weight yesterday and Sunday was water from excess sodium…but it sure was an ugly sight! Thanks, @basyjames, for your encouragement; it meant a lot.

Lovely to read all the chatter and details of your lives. Didn’t @i-hate-lettuce say he and Mrs IHL were going away again? That’s what I remembered, but perhaps I was misunderstanding him.

It’s noon, and I’m done packing, I’m done watering, I’m done washing up all the dishes in the kitchen…I’m done. Now it’s a matter of waiting for DH to get home from church so he can finish up his little bit remaining, and we’ll be off. Ahhh, but to be on vacation sounds lovely, and I’m eager to be off! Thanks for all the good wishes, and I hope everyone else’s next week-plus is lovely!

Day 23, NFD, Aus

Thanks for the reminder re egg fasts, @daffodil2010 – I should reintroduce that to my regime. Take it easy – it seems you are champing at the bit to get back to your old lifestyle, but give yourself plenty of time to heal. Give your cat a run for its money on the couch!

Planning on an FD tomorrow. Maybe I should leave my wallet at home again as insurance!

Happy hump day everyone (still thinking of you @funshipfreddie)

Day 23, UK – Will it be a FD?

Just a v quick check-in, as I feel like a migraine coming on, so I may abort the mission today 🙁

If it clears this morning, then it will def be a FD 750

Fingers crossed!

Day 23 – USA/GA – NFD

Scales were kind after a nice lunch out with my counterpart at another college yesterday. Weigh-in: 223 lbs. The bad was that my whole TDEE was pretty much in that one meal — I ate some there and polished the rest off at my desk throughout the afternoon. The good: I wasn’t that hungry in the evening and had a few snacks and a bowl of cereal instead of a meal. I have to keep learning to listen to my body instead of doing something out of boredom or habit.

Have a great day!

Day 23 North Canton OH CD – 24 days to beach vacation 👙

Slept like a log yesterday and woke up ready to hit the ground running- and I did. Ran for 2 miles, came home, did Zumba and then completed my upper arm workout.
@daffodil2010 yes, those egg fasts were very effective and a nice reset, take your time and give yourself a chance to recuperate. You will get there. By the way those detox pad sound interesting 😁😁
@michelinme incredibly busy day, and you’re doing great- big bowl of popcorn or not. Fizzy drinks are my secret weapon to conquer fast days. Sorry about those long Covid symptoms- I pray they clear up in due course.
@northgeorgia some wise words right there- break bad habits and don’t eat because you are bored
Have an amazing day everyone

Day 24, NFD, Aus

Working from home today and it’s a grey wet blustery day so I just know I am not in the right mindset for a FD.

So true, @northgeorgia: “learning to listen to my body instead of doing something out of boredom or habit.” How often do we eat/drink out of mindless habit?

Day 24, London, UK, FD

I’m aiming for a LFD today after yesterdays’ rather indulgent NFD, there was a raisin whirl that kept calling my name ……………………………. That precise fat/carb/sugar combo is completely irresistible to this particular flour loving baby!!! 😜😂

I’m sailing this weekend (praying for 🙏🌞sun!!!) and last year’s summer shorts are a wee bit tight!!! I’ve got to right off a couple of years😤 and get back to living this WOL as I had been doing😇!! Unfortunately, this weekend will be a food & drink extravaganza, mindfulness is the plan, however, we all know what happens when the vino 🍷 🍷 🍷 is flowing and some idiot puts a bread🍞 basket in front of you😱😱😱!!!! I sense a reset week starting on Monday!!!

I haven’t quite caught up on posts, but hope everyone is doing well and staying mindful …………………………. Stay strong folks!!! 💕

“The task is not to see what has never been seen before, but to think what has never been thought before about what you see every day” – Schrödinger

Day 24 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – NFD

Well, my attempt at home made foot detox pads did not work, apart from a messy, smelly , sloppy goo that dripped through the gauze, through the thick socks, through the towel, and onto my freshly laundered bed sheet 😱 So e erything thrown out and sheet put into a hot wash to get rid of garlic/onion residue.

My DH fell about laughing when he heard, I had to giggle too….again, not my finest idea.

Foot detox pads are supposed to take all the toxins from the acupressure points in our foot and the darker the pads after use, the more toxins that have been de-toxed apparently. As I have been suffering with pain in my sole and heel of my left foot ever since I was diagnosed with appendicitis back in April, I am convinced it’s got something to do with it, and I though I would detox it out 😆

Next time I will try an Epsom Salts foot bath!!!

Hope everyone is having a grand Thursday.

Day 24 – USA/GA – FD

Weigh-in: 224.6 lbs (almost went to 225 a few times). Oops. I blew yesterday’s NFD big time. Started off well with my morning oatmeal. Then ate out for lunch with coworkers again. Was not reasonable. Ate an appetizer AND a huge chicken/veggie/noodle dish, then finished it off in one sitting! Next proceeded to snack around 4:00 when a co-worker pulled out six bags of assorted snacks (WHAAT) lol! And of course, came home and had a few Father’s Day leftovers (no, there weren’t many, but…) a serving of macaroni and cheese, a serving of breaded okra, a serving of slaw, a ham sandwich, a serving of stew with a side of avocado and Colby jack cheese, and a half slice of chocolate cake. The hunger dragon reared its head on a NFD for sure! It turned into a mid-week feast day that was probably predicated on an unusual stressful time at work with personnel issues. We’re trying to work on these as quickly and effectively as possible with the means we have, but it’s going to be intense into late July. A month of stress. I’m really going to have to figure out a time to walk and do something more for stress relief!

Still, as of yet, my weight has either been the same or less for each corresponding day over the previous week, so it’s going OK. Still, with the Independence Day weekend just a little over a week away, I’m planning on doing a 3:4 (ADF) next week to get myself into the 5:2 groove again. July 3 will be flexible, depending on when the feast day is (Saturday, Sunday, or Monday?)

Needless to say, VERY happy to be on a FD again and restoring my resolve.

Pocket list Day 24
@flourbaby
@fivetwofan5252
@northgeorgia

Day 24 UK FD
Day 23 UK CD

Yesterday went really well, thank you for good wishes. As I’d hoped, my brain kicked in when I sat down to write once all the distractions had been cleared away. I left home only an hour later than my plan and with plenty of time to meet colleague for a cuppa and catch up first. I’m not sure how well I’d really processed the structure of what I was saying but it seemed to work for everyone else and that’s the point!

I fasted all day yesterday and ate when I got home – the extra portion of baked sweet potato, soya mince and peas I’d prepped the day before. It really helped to do that – when i was out and tempted I had a mental image of the plate awaiting me in fridge that just needed a quick nuke. Followed with 50g fresh pineapple and strawberries – and popcorn! This seems to be my go-to atm – not great for a FD but I think better than sugar.

I had a quick weigh first thing today and seem to be down 5lbs on the month! If that stays true for my weekly weigh day tomorrow then I’ll be v pleased – goal for June was 4lbs. NB I’m at the v beginning of restart so it should be pretty straightforward as long as I actually DO 5:2 – two good FDs and don’t overeat on NFDs.

My FDs this week seem to have been derailed by popcorn. But on the bright side I’m eating loads more veg & fruit, i’m back in the habit of checking calories and writing down what I eat and eating earlier in the evening – excpet yesterday when train problems coming home. I’ve also swerved my (now back to) weekly vegan icecream treat this week in favour of popcorn – to be air popped in microwave then add some coconut oil afterwards. It’s all Progress!

@daffodil2010 General anaesthetic takes some recovering from too. And just bc surgery is minimall invasive doesn’t mean your body doesn’t need big recovery time. You’ll be feeling better v soon – rest and indulge 🙂 Your foot detox made me laugh 😀 (I once tried a turmeric bath – it took weeks to get everything clean again!)
@jaifaim welcome back. So glad you had a great time!
@basyjames your WFDs are epic – how’s it going this time?

Pocket list Day 24
@flourbaby
@fivetwofan5252
@northgeorgia
@basyjames
@michelinme

Day 25 UK NFD

Morning all , struggling- not terribly but not good, trying to pull it together for the month end

Day 25 ( what? How did that happen…) OMAD London.

Thanks for the weighing advice all. I’m just scared of the scales. Physically I feel very well – I’ve been doing OMAD for a year and in general I love it. If I am losing weight, which I think I am, it’s very slow, but I’m hoping my body will adjust and not try to hang onto the excess if I do it slowly. I’m giving myself a year to lose around twelve pounds.

We went to Margate yesterday and went on the beach. It was sooo lovely. Not quite warm enough to swim yet….

Day 25 USA – NFD

I had a great pedicure yesterday, complete with leg massage. Lots of leg cramps had me sleeping fitfully the night before, so the massage was greatly appreciated. DH was at doctors appointments, so he didn’t miss me at all. But we did indulge with dinner out at a nice sports bar. Don’t want to get on the scale this morning, so I won’t. 🙂

@at -you are a marvelous host even if you miss posting for days!

@northgeorgia – sometimes those plateaus can seem like they last forever. Sorry you’ve been under stress, but hopefully will keep getting better for you.

@stitchincarol – hope your vacation is excellent!

Onward and downward.

Day 26 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – NFD

Quick good morning to all. I am losing track of the days and had to really think to figure out today is Saturday. I will get back to fasting from next week, I am starting to feel normal again, and two days in a row now that I haven’t felt the need to nap.
So recovery going well.

I am signed off work until 29th July but honestly don’t think I will need all that time. Another two or three weeks, maybe WFH for a week….anyway, not going to think work right now.

Going for my constitutional walk now with DH…I am walking faster now too…not WOAM…but faster than the toddle clinging to his arm that I was doing last weekend.

It’s very quiet in here ….hope everyone is ok. Have a good Saturday.

Day 26 – USA/GA – NFD

Today’s weigh-in: 223 lbs. Last chance for me to surge to 225 or higher before the planned 3:4 (ADF) next week! April was a “lost month,” as it appears June will be. But I have no doubt I will drift into the 210s by next month. We have to remind ourselves that slow weight loss is a good thing; it generally means our bodies can adjust to the new weight more easily, and we are more likely to keep the weight off as our minds and bodies learn healthier practices.

Although my weight is the same as last Saturday, I am happy that each day this week compared to last week measured either no change or some weight loss, so the plateau is still trying to edge downwards.

Good luck to those on the pocketlist today!

Day 27 – USA/GA – FD

@northerndawn I am right there with you! I behaved abysmally yesterday, as I did on a couple of other days last week. Too many carbs and overstuffed myself. Today’s weigh-in: 226 lbs, representing a 6 lb gain over this time last Sunday. Yeah, mostly water, but I really lost the plot on the 5:2 this past week compared to the week before, when my post-vacation reset worked wonders.

But our commitment to the WOL will win out in the end! I am telling myself that this will be probably be the last time I see 226. My 3:4 starts today with only Monday, Wednesday, and Friday planned as NFDs. Could turn into a 4:3, depending on what day we have hot dogs for Independence Day 🙂

I have to find my mindfulness on NFDs. Not sure why I threw all caution to the wind. It’s OK to enjoy a meal out, but I can get a to-go box, and I certainly don’t need to overeat at every meal on NFDs and throw in a few snacks. Summer is settling in, and I haven’t really increased my water. I remembered this as a problem last year. Going to up my hydration today while I clean house.

I am marching into July with a determination to get out of the 220s. Grrrrr 🙂

Pocket list – day 27
@northgeorgia

Day 28, NFD, Aus

Suffering from Mondayitis today, not helped by a city blanketed in fog after a minus-temperature night. But a FD it will be!

Lots of good resolve shining through the weekend posts. Let’s kick the end of June into touch!

second post.

@EmmaTaylor. I thought the same thing. I remember in some months there would be a page of posts for each day – a 30 day month would mean 30 pages to read. Now it’s only 2-3 days to go until the end of June, and we’ve barely scraped 6 pages. I don’t believe we’ve said all there is to be said!

Second post

@northerndawn and @northgeorgia, thank you for checking in and keeping the forum going when as @EmmaTaylor says there aren’t too many people checking in I guess right now?

@penz – well done, it sounds like you are fasting through gritted teeth today given the cold fog!

@northerndawn – we went out to dinner last night and my clothes weren’t as loose as they have been recently either!!! It’s quite a motivator isn’t it!!!

@daffodil2010 – glad you continue to feel better…

Day 28 – USA/GA – NFD

A -mindful- NFD, of course. I’m at 224 lbs post-FD this morning, and at the end of May that number was 220. I did hit 220 again on June 20, but a week of NFD feasting is partially to blame for the regain (as well as a mid-June vacation for the first round of gain). I won’t be meeting my June goal; I’ll forward that 217 lb goal into July. I do feel good for holding the weight between 220 and 226 during this wild month, and I’ve been patient, but it’s time to get back on track and start ticking into the “two-teens.”

With Independence Day next weekend, my 3:4 is off to a great start. Sunday FD down, and three more to go this ADF week. I’ve just finished my bowl of oatmeal and have my sandwich and fruit packed for lunch. I will be lighter in July. It will not be a “lost” month. I’m facing this outgoing week with renewed determination that had just vanished last week (not sure why!!). Again, I did fine on my FDs. It was the NFDs that sabotaged me as old habits snuck back in.

Sounds like a team of us are building up a mid-year resolve this week! Good luck to us all!

Day 28 Minnesota, US CD

I had a reasonably good attempt at a FD yesterday coming in at about 860 cals. I’ll count that as a success of sorts seeing as I hadn’t planned to fast until being inspired by @northgeorgia. Today, I will keep calories to under 1000 for a nice CD, and plan another FD for tomorrow.

Looking back over all of my food journaling and weight and exercise charts, especially for the last 6 months, has me realizing that my best months were when I:

1). Planned and prepared ahead: low calorie but nutritionally dense foods…. both for FD meals and to have on hand to “snack” on (if needed). Special focus on fiber and crunchiness.

2). Had no alcohol intake (Lent), or minimal (maybe two or three times for the month). It never fails that with wine or cocktails I end up eating/snacking on carbs, and the next day the carb cravings are ridiculously difficult to ignore.

3). Made myself keep track of calories…..as honestly as possible. It’s easy enough with MFP on my phone. (And it doesn’t have to be exact to give me an overall idea of the days/weeks intake. I like to have a “weekly average-goal” calorie range that I can work with. For instance, 9100 to 10,500 calories. It allows me to be flexible on certain days for special events, and cut back on the days I have nothing going on).

4). Kept to ZBC and an 8 hour window of eating.

5). Walked at least 1 mile/day, and added a few push-offs, squats, and planks, and an Apple+ workout of 10-20 minutes….just enough of an obligation to feel I’d done something daily. More often than not I would go on to walk 3+ miles and do a couple different 10-20 minute HIIT workouts, throughout the day, once I started.

6). Weighed daily and averaged the numbers each Saturday.

7). Posted daily on this forum.

Those are the most important “rules” for me to adhere to in order to continue losing weight. I think I should actually decide on my goal weight, which I really haven’t done. I’m really undecided at this point. I’ll have to think about it seriously and decide. That should give me a real target to aim for and motivate me a bit more.

August will be my 1 year anniversary for this restart of 5-2, and I had thought to host that month, but I will be far too busy with other obligations. I’ll host for July, as long as no one minds that I will probably not be able to post daily, but I’ll try to respond to posts frequently. Hopefully, @at can set up the spreadsheet for it, or someone with such skills (which I don’t have). If anyone else would like to host July, please feel free to do so!

@basyjames – I think you are right that everyone is busy and enjoying the freedom of this post lock down summer. Fasting doesn’t feel as important as enjoying time out of the house and with family and friends, for now, anyway.

Stay mindful and strong everyone.