Hello Buntymac, all I can say is keep going – it really does get easier and when you start to see the weight coming off, it’s a real motivator! Just a thought re breakfast – I actually don’t have breakfast because I find once I’ve eaten something, it sort kicks off my digestive system and I get even hungrier – I find it easier to not eat all day and then have all my calories (bar the ones for milk in coffee!) in one meal – that’s what works for me. You could also try a protein breakfast – carbs, even unrefined ones, will spike your blood sugar and make you feel hungry a few hours later – you might find it fills you up for longer if you have some lightly scrambled eggs. Good luck with it and keep smiling!

Hi again Buntymac
Are you in NZ or Australia? Most of our northern hemisphere mates are still snoozing.
I love the fizz on my tongue of soda water although hardly ever touch other diet drinks, mostly because I’m at work for my fast days and don’t really have a sweet tooth, except for chocolate ….
Sometimes if I’m desperate for something salty/umami I have a chicken oxo cube ‘soup’ at lunchtime. Apart from the salt 🙁 it’s OK, being only 15 calories (not young enough for kJ).

Not sure if this will help.c
I quit smoking cigarettes in 1991. Thayer was before nicotine gum so it was cold turkey.
#1 I decided I was going to quit no matter what.
I failed to go a whole week without smoking, but after week 7 I had made to the next week 8.
I went all the way to week 20 and took a drag and it was like starting all over again.
I tell people quitting smoking is like fasting for 4 days standing in front of a food buffet and not eating. It plays tricks with your mind. I did quit however, and what made it easier was eliminating stimulants, like tea and coffee. I was a lot less figitidy and went to bed early if I had cravings in the evening. I still had cravings for 11 years

Zip forward 23 years, and I’m actually fasting. I do still avoid stimulants on fast days and go to bed early on fasting days. By week four April of 2013 I was completing 5:2 with no trouble at all. This year is like getting back on my favorite bike in the spring. I just can’t say how many times I ate at night even though I had fasted well that day. I learned not to have caffiene on fast days, because if I needed to go to bed early to avoid eating the caffeine kept me stimed for 6 hours. Not like a energy drink buzz, but rather a restless sleep. Which is when I dream of hunger genie. 😉

Hi Buntymac and NickyF,
I don’t seem to get lightheaded on fast days – sometimes I don’t even get hungry which I guess is a bonus! On the second day (Thursday), I tend to be more hungry and look forward to my dinner!
Sleepwise, both hubby and I seem to get restless sleep after fasting – it’s definitely not hunger or caffeine -just really active head and wide awake. Mind you, as a LOACA, it’s been a long time since I slept well…. Hubby calls me Mrs Flump!
Well done on the walking – I swim on Tuesday morning before breaking my fast which I think helps with the fat-burning then treat myself with a vanilla latte ☕️

Good evening Buntymac,
I’m sure regular walking is the best thing – if you have a look at the ‘Primal Blueprint’ it says we should move a lot, slowly – as our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have done; they certainly wouldn’t have wasted huge amounts of energy doing long, intensive workouts – walking with bouts of HIIT would have been much more their exercise.
I have worked out that it is 150 steps from my classroom to the staff room/loo etc. so that’s 300 steps each time! And of course, with teaching, I’m on my feet most of the time anyway. We do quite a lot of walking and will happily do hours at a time but not on a daily basis. We also cycle, as I said, but I’m a fair weather cyclist so it’s mostly a summer activity. I also do gardening which is a great workout.
A LOACA is a ‘lady of a certain age’ – I can’t actually remember the last time I had unbroken sleep! But generally it doesn’t bother me too much – I guess I just need less sleep.
I’m not seriously overweight – it’s just those pounds that creep up and I found myself feeling ‘blobby’. I’m nearly at my target weight so I may switch to 6:1 but I actually really enjoy the fast days and the way they make me feel so I may well continue.
Keep smiling, Anne

Yes definitely need a pedometer – but I don’t think I get near the 10,000 we’re meant to do!
I’m sure you’ll get there with your target – I think it’s embracing this as a way of life rather than a diet which is why I think I won’t stop when I get to my target weight. We started the 5:2 when we watched the Horizon programme – hubby is a biochemist so very science focused and was convinced by the programme; we really started for health reasons – the science is very positive. We had a break around Xmas time and I put some of the weight back on so we restarted in the new year, but I gave up sugar at the same time which I think has made a massive difference – I love baking and I was a real sugar addict – last week I made lemon drizzle cupcakes and I wasn’t even tempted to try one – it was almost sad! My vanilla lattes are my one and only sweet treat. But I can honestly say that after the first couple of weeks, I haven’t wanted sugar.
My broken sleep is mainly to do with severe hot moments – don’t let any bloke tell you it’s just ‘being hot’!!
Keep smiling, Anne x

It is supporting having hubby doing the same thing – he didn’t really have much weight to lose but like me he was gradually adding a bit of padding! He’s lost about 10lbs and looks good on it; I’ve lost about the same and feel much better! We’re fasting tomorrow and looking forward to it. I have bought both the fast diet recipe books and we just work our way through so it makes us try new things as well – when we first started, we tended just to have prawn salad each time but the recipe books are a real inspiration. As we tend to have all our calories in one meal, we always have loads of scope for extra treats like half an avocado each, or a bit of olive oil dressing.
I can only describe hot moments as feeling like I’m being slowly filled up with boiling water – the heat just rises from my waist upwards until I think I’m going to melt – it passes quite quickly but maddening in the middle of the night! Perhaps you will escape – some lucky ladies do!
I will definitely get a pedometer to see how much I do actually walk – I would be interested to see.
Keep smiling, Anne x

Im like you buntymac I know what I like. It was very hard for me to change to diet foods. Then I started 5:2 and very pleased with my non fasting day. Fasting days seems to be a personal choice too so I like that as well. Good luck!

Weigh in this morning and now just 4lbs off my target weight! I’m so excited! I even went out and bought 2 pairs of summer trousers in a size smaller because my others keep falling off. I love the feeling fasting gives me though so I will continue – I’m guessing my weight will settle at an acceptable level and then I can just enjoy the health benefits.
Good luck to everyone else who is doing this – it IS worth it and the success is fab!
Anne xxx

Fantastic news! Well done! Yes, buying new (smaller) things is such a guiltless treat!
Anne xxx

Well done on the loss – slow but sure seems to be the way. I fasted Monday, swimming Tuesday morning, gardening yesterday – my pedometer shows I did over 10,000 steps Tuesday and Wednesday. We should be fasting today but we decided to cycle instead as the weather is so lovely. We don’t fast on cycling days because we’re big real ale fans and our ride inevitably takes in 1 or more real ale pubs…

Hi Buntymac, I wore my pedometer while riding today – it registers when I’m pedalling but obviously not when I’m coasting or downhill but it’s still registered nearly 9000 steps!
The cookie thing…? We’ve all been there and done that – put it down to experience and enjoy the weightloss!
Anne x

Hi Buntymac, well done on the weightloss. I’ve plateaued this week because I’m on Easter holiday and the fasting has been a bit hit and miss – but back to it seriously next week. Still, we’ve done loads of exercise – digging, gardening, walking, cycling and I’m already getting brown! Feeling great actually

Hi Eleanor, yes it’s looked warmer than it is a few times but actually good gardening weather – we even had a BBQ on Monday! I did 16,000 steps gardening! It must be doing some good.
I hope you have a great break – but don’t worry about the weight – remember 1lb of fat is 3000 calories so even if you don’t actually fast, you won’t necessarily put on weight. Anyway, a change is as good as a rest eh? Anne x