I’m on the wagon too! Except I fell off last night, 2 glasses of white wine. Husband has just retired (again!) and his work gave him two cases of the most beautiful wine… literally the VERY day I’d climbed on to that wagon. Grrr. Anyway, nothing to be gained by feeling sour, just lots of flab to lose for Miss MT.
Today NFD but going a bit awry, think it’s because the sun has come out for literally the first time in a month in Scotland, seems to have melted my brain and my resolve. So came on here for a talking to and now feel that I can just. stop. right. there. Thanks team xx

Hello
I am doing my second fast day today and this support group is really making keep focused. I know it is only my first week though and I haven’t passed a Friday evening without a glass or two of wine for a while. I think it may be why the scales don’t move?
I am busy at work which keeps me out of too much trouble, I am booking orders for Christmas as fast as I can. Deliveries start going into shops early September so not long now. Now you know why I look forward to a few glasses of wine on a Friday?
I have an unread book sitting by my bed and I can’t even remember what it was called. I will read again when not so busy. I did watch the GBBO last night, cake heaven, and watch any cookery programme going which is sometimes like food torture. I love cooking though!
Ps. The sun is here at last in North Yorkshire, I will send it north. X

Hi DJ

I must disagree, not down the tubes, just stuck in the u-bend! Under a thousand calories is actually great – not quite on target but still great – body fat got used today, and no ground was lost. Just needs a slight change in perspective. And tomorrow is another day!

I rather like your wine plans. Im staying dry hopefully this month, though the holiday – the reason for going dry – looks in great doubt, as we have a date for son’s op, well before we had planned to go, but I understand he wont get a cast untl 2 weeks after the op, unlikely we will be able to leave him to fend for himself. Maybe for the best, french wine may be too tempting!!!

Hi Jo, watched 4 episodes of grear british menu, on a fast day – we nust be mad. Good luck if you manafge to hold off the wine, you too Kate.

AH, thinking of popping up to St Andrews on Saturday, sunbis supposed to shine and Im pinching my OHs Lotus Elise. And I dont even play golf!!,:-)

Some cheater-ish pounds for Stuffin Muffin.. went to my mother’s house to weigh myself on the traditional family scales to find I am 10 stone 3 not 10 stone 7… so that’s 4 lbs lost already.. fictionally speaking.
As to the fast.. oh it’s so difficult to do when plans change. I was going to stay at home, grimly staring at my empty fridge on the Fast Day but then decided to visit said mother and take her out to dinner. I had 400 calories to play with which gets you absolutely nowhere in the Early Bird 2 courses for £9.50 restaurant we like to frequent….Well, it probably gets you a starter but who wants that when you could have steak frites for your main? And then you might as well have a glass of wine… and not an actual pudding but a spoonful of your mother’s? Where’s the harm in that.

No harm…i’ve decided… cos Ma and I had a lovely time and today is now fast day. Good Luck to you all, Love from me, illuminated by the baleful light of the barren refrigerator ….

Sunny dahn London, innit!

Ps .. For those of you who love a crime novel.. this blog is full of brilliant recommendations https://mrspeabodyinvestigates.wordpress.com/

Hi everyone – wow fitnfast I like your fast day fat burning info 🙂 I did a fd yesterday and did a 45 min spin class the night before and then another one (30 mins) again on the evening of my fd (kept my mind off being hungry!) So let’s hope that’s a few fat cells destroyed for ever?! Have chosen to do 4:3 this week, with yesterday and today being my 2nd and 3rd (am pretty hungry right now but have prepared lo lo meatballs ready for dinner tonight – so excited) so will weigh in and hope to add to Miss MT tomorrow. Whilst eating my delicious breakfast of portabello mushroom with grilled vine tomatoes and 2 soft poached eggs this morning, my husband and I realised that without noticing we have radically reduced our wheat intake now that we are following this WOE. I know that when I visited a nutritionist a while ago, she said it was not necessary to give up any particular food but to always try and vary your diet as much as possible and to try and give yourself at least 1 or 2 days break a week from certain foods (eg wheat, alcohol) and this just happens naturally on fast days. Got a busy weekend with friends coming to stay with us down by the sea, so sure a few glasses of wine will be drunk, but I am planning a reasonably healthy medu (fresh sea food platter for lunch and steak and salad for dinner) so hopefully our three fast days this week will have allowed a little room for some fun. I have to say that all of Mimi’s recipes in the Fast diet 5:2 cookbook so far have been utterly delicious – and I love cooking, yet have had fun cooking new and yummy things – would highly recommend it if you haven’t got it yet. Will check in tomorrow morning with hopefully positive results from the weigh in!

Hi all, 3rd fast day for me this week. Made it an active one with my horses. So far so good. Will tell all tomorrow morning – feeling hopeful that muffin top will be growing uncomfortably tight in her skinny jeans!
Hi Coda where are you in NI? I live in Donegal.
I think I agree FitnFast – did a detox last year – no booze for 6 months and I didnt see a big difference in either weight loss or any real positive changes physically. Just saved a few euros!
Think as you say lifesabeach – changing your food (and drink) intake regularly may be a healthy approach. I live at the beach too – gorgeous when we get a summer interesting when winter comes, but nothing like a walk on a deserted beach with a force 5 at your back.
Check in tomorrow in the meantime may your clothes feel loose and your dreams be of chocolate fish.

Hi Fit – happy to stuff the muffin with 1.5 lbs from me for the week.
Actually had a beautiful day in Dundee today. Got quite a bit of gardening done . Ran out of potting compost so took myself off to Dobbies to get some. Whilst there decided to have a cuppa. OH NO,! Ruddy great big meringues and cream topped with strawberry jumping up and down in front of my eyes . Walked on by, got my tea then walked back thinking SOD IT, then you lot of Little Voices started talking to me firmly! ………And I walked on by for the second time – how’s that for will power!!!
Still a beautiful evening here so decided to bar b q the lamb . So unused to cooking this way, forgot about it, so ended up with a chunk of carbon and a very nice avocado salad! Wish I’d had the meringue now!
Now on my second gin to drown my sorrows! ……………..””” TTL

Just checking in to say that today was my first weigh-in day, and I have lost 5 lbs, or 2.3 ish kgs!

Good luck to everyone fasting today!!

No move for me, but I gained a bit after a pizza express blow out weekend, but managed to lose it again so I’m still pleased!
I like planning meals for the next few days when fasting, or food shopping, reorganising food cupboards!! I think baking would be a good shout, but I’m a picker so probably not the best for me!
Another tactic I use to get me through fast days is making my boyfriend eat anything that’s open and tempting!!
Speaking of, he’s whisking me away on a secret getaway for three days next week, I have no idea what we’re doing. He keeps joking about it being a three day lard eating fest. Got to fast on Sunday instead of Monday so I can enjoy to the fullest! I’m excited. 🙂
Hope you’re all good, sounds like you’re all doing well. 🙂 xxx

Hi O_Sunny, just reading your posts and I’m confused. Your 19:5 plan I assume is 5 fast days spread over 24 days, just like 5:2 is 2 fast days spread over 7 days. If this is the case then your 19:5 is actually less than 5:2 because 5:2 equates to 20:8 If you did consistent 5:2 then you would achieve 3 additional fast days within almost the same period as your 19:5. Still confused??? Or maybe I have misinterpreted your 19:5 meaning.

Hi everyone, greetings from New Zealand again. Also welcome on board Chipmunk, great to have another Kiwi in this amazing group of people, where abouts in this fabulous country do you live?

TTL, on the Gin eh !!! Gin is a very good drink however depends what you put with it, more Gin is OK, any of those calorie loaded mixes aren’t so good, just plain water is the best with a big slice of lemon or lime, superb…

Now, something for me to tell everyone and maybe for some of you guys to ponder. Since joining this 5:2 way of life I’ve had a dramatic personal health change in that I have suffered from Psoriasis all my life, it’s a skin complaint and anyone who has put up with this for any length of time will know all about it, how unpleasant it can be and how it can have quite an impact on self esteem. About 20% of people worldwide endure Psoriasis in some form or another.

Well my good news is since sticking to my first 40 days of fasting the psoriasis has gone, completely cleared up, nothing, no more flaky cracked skin patches. Diet has always been promoted as contributing to the symptoms and cause however no one has ever said eating specific food types has been more harmful than others. Also over the past 40 days my alcohol intake has been absolutely minimal as well so maybe this combined with very low carbs, sugars & sodium have also combined to the result.

So, I’m sure there are people in this Little Voices group who also endure Psoriasis in some form or other, be reassured that if this result has come to me then you too may expect to see improvements too, I certainly hope so. Take care everyone and be strong. A little thought for the week to finish on:

Sacrifice is giving up something good for something BETTER

I tend to agree Coda that 19 hours fast then eating only in a 5 hour window isn’t really “fasting” and the body would simply adjust within that 24 hours and accommodate without using fat reserves for energy.

Quite often on my non fast days I only have one snack and one actual meal and stay below my TDEE for that day so it actually becomes a restricted low calorie intake day without a full 600calorie fast. This means my body is still adjusting to low calories on those days also and still uses fat reserves for energy

Sunny, I think it would be wise to read Dr M’s chapters about the importance of actual full fast days so you can maximise your results without getting disappointed with your results of your 19:5 hourly method. Just thinking…. end of the day it’s what works for you.

Hi MaryW, looks like Chewing Gum contains about 5 to 10 calories (depending on brand) per piece (stick) so as long as you include that in your FD calorie count then of course it’s not cheating.

Hi

I too am a 19:5er. Or at least I try. Usually I managed 21:3 or even a 22:2.

I find an eating window to be a good discipline, I can stay under 1000 calories quite easily if I have just a couple of hours to eat. Otherwise I’m fine until I start eating, as I’m a bit of a grazer. Once I start I can easily go from ‘normal’ to ‘the way I used to eat’. Under 19:5 or my tighter version, the window closes when I’m still full. I just try to eat later and later in the day, I never eat after ten, so opening the window as late as possible means I eat less, and my fast is extended. Hope that makes sense.

Can’t do it on days I go out for a latte though. Working from home, a coffee shop break gets me out of the house. We have our wee ‘business meetings’ in Costa, and even work sometimes when we go. Don’t want to change that – changed from medio full fat to small skinny without really noticing though. Trouble is if we go at 2pm, it’s hard to close the window at 7. Working on it though.

Fast days are usually no eating, but I still try to stay in the window on the fasting days I do eat.

Thinking of testing benefits of olive oil, but at the recommended 6tbsp, 720 calories, I’ve nowhere to go with calories.

Sounds restrictive, but when I ease up, I plateau or even put on weight. We shorter, older women just don’t need many calories. My TDEE at target is well under 1400 calories

Re the Jack Reacher book – quite disappointed!

Has the FBI agent worked out in no time – became obvious when they took Roscoe, and worked out where they got the paper from way before Reacher.The experts would have known this – except I dont think it’s even feasible. Just started the second one.

The sun is out here in the east of Scotland, good chance we will hit 19c, which I think is nearly 70°, a heatwave for us. Everything is relative, lol! Still debating whether it’s a trip up the East coast or a visit to the Edinburgh festival. It will be quite novel watching the street artists on the Royal mile in the sunshine, though seeing folk walking makeshift tightropes on the cobbles in sunshine won’t be quite as thrilling as seeing them attempt it in a downpour. Probably the drive though, festival is on for three weeks and it’s slightly less busy on weekdays! Have a great weekend all!

Hi everyone. Oh dear,, I’m afraid allll this technical stuff and ‘window counting’ doesn’t do it for me . I just stick to Dr Ms book and gave it time to work. I changed my fast days by not eating at all till dinner time , sticking to 500 cals, then nothing after dinner till breakfast next day.l. Works for me. So ‘technically’ I guess I’m doing 23.5/.5 as it only takes me 30 mins to eat my dinner!?!

One big change I have made is to eliminate carbs from my diet.l. Since doing this I have consistently lost weight. This comes from my holiday in South Africa when I visited a kinesiologist to get to the bottom of a long standing problem. She promoted the ‘Banting’ way of eating. Low carb/ high fat. Plus found I have an intolerance to wheat. Moving on I bought the book THE REAL MEAL REVOLUTION BY PROF. TIM NOAKES. What an eye opener! Some of the eating is a bit extreme for me, but have found combining this WOE with 5:2. Is working well for me. It really is scary the processes all grains go through before it’s even used to produce food. The human body was never meant to ingest this kind of poison.
The good thing is Prof Noakes has just bought out a new book THE REAL MEAL REVOLUTION FOR KIDS.
Now that is forward thinking. What is the point of waiting till we are all adults and obese, when we need to be teaching kids how to eat, and not even get to the overweight stage.

Anyway, don’t want to preach other weight reduction plans, I am def for 5:2, but anyone trying to give up carbs and finding it difficult, I highly recommend this book. The recipes are delish too.

AH – that’s amazing that your skin problem has cleared up, though not surprising. I’m sure your life has improved considerably now you don’t have the constant itching. Isn’t it very true – WE ARE WHAT WE EAT!

Hi,
I am a runner too, but a very slow one. All my chaps are back at home so the house is stuffed full of pasta, rice an bread. I have noticed that I eat far less bread than I used too after starting the 5:2 and I am convinced that it is also responsible for clearing up my psoriasis too.
My favourite post run meal is a ripe mashed avocado on 2 slices of toast, but that comes in around 600 calories or peanut butter for about half that. My son and I have a pre run tradition of a Jamie Oliver recipe that is pasta/bacon/peas and creme fraiche which is quite delicious, simple and comes in around 670 calories.
Check out your TDEE and see what you are actually consuming. It was very enlightening when I did this last week. Made a few changes and the scales are moving again.

Hi fit

yes, wine does hurt that much – I really miss it, but I can’t just do a glass a night, I like fizzy and somehow the whole bottle disappears, and Im not a lot better with still whites or even reds. Im definitely not an alcoholic, the cupboards are full of spirits, mostly used in cooking. Ive got 4 bottles of gin, been there years, I give away whiskey and have vodka about twice a year. I go through gallons of Brandy, but only when cooking. Wine gives hubby a headache, so I tend to drink by the bottle by myself, was finding I was hitting 3 bottles a week, sometimes even on 5:2.

Giving up chocolate and cake was easy, dont miss those, but never ate a lot. Portion sizes are well down, and thanks to 19:5 I dont graze.
Id be a poster girl for 5:2 if it wasnt for wine.

“If you know neither tbe enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle ”

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Hi Still confused over 19:5. I thought the idea for health and weight loss behind 5:2 was eat a healthy diet 5 days within your calorie allowance and restrict calories for 2. Sunny if you are restricting everyday you are not allowing the body to feast and famine so to speak. This may be why you are not getting the results. If you were only doing this on 2 or 3 days in the week I understand but not everyday. Or I have just not understood?

Hello all and welcome to our latest newbies! I have been flying below the radar for several days now, as I have been working all out at a local music festival (and working full time), so apologies for not too many directed posts.

I just have to say though, Rubylily I love your 6 “C” list. It is interesting that every benefit starts with a “C” and in and of itself “6C, 6C, 6C” makes a great little mantra to use when temptation strikes.

Enjoying the book talk. I consume books and when on a roll have been known to read 2 books in a day. My taste is pretty eclectic but I do tend to get fixated on a certain gendre for a while. Right now I am tearing through psychological thrillers. I always have a, for want of a better term, mind expanding book on the go – currently working on Guns, Germs and Steel.

For all of us currently on the wagon, my week was very interesting. I obstained during the week as plegded, but over the weekend I also ended up obstaining, and that coming after 2 nights of volunteer bartending! Works for me in terms of calorie reduction. Next month I will start reintroducing red wine every now and then, as the research pretty conclusively proves that there are true benefits in having a glass.

So my at home scales have gone crazy again. According to the scales I am now 123.4 lbs. Not a hope in heck that this is correct (although I do wish). Official weigh in will be tomorrow at the gym, so we will see the true weight – I am suspecting around 126 – 126.5. Enjoy your Sundays everyone and strength and resolve to all fasters.

Once again Fin, a great post. Thanks. Ray

Thanks Fit

Hi Fitnfast

Monday morning in New Zealand and it’s back to winter here over the weekend, single digit temperatures, no golf, a bit grumpty being stuck inside all weekend so not a lot of activity, however a good result on the scales this morning.

Weekly reduction is 1.2kgs or 2.5lbs so pretty happy with that as the start to my monthly goal of 4kgs (9lbs)

Thanks also for your very insightful explanation of the principle of hours between fasts, it certainly makes sense and probably explains why I have been doing quite well because, on my alternative day fasts the periods between actual food consumption quite often well exceed 12 hour periods.

Keep up the great efforts everyone, we are all amazing people who are committed to some amazing goals for this month, stay strong and keep reporting you achievements, they make great reading and are reassuring to us all, Cheers, Mike