Little Voices – November & December Christmas Challenge – Let's Load Up Santa

This topic contains 423 replies, has 46 voices, and was last updated by Cathyh46 8 years ago.

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FatKat53

1:30 pm
7 Dec 15
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I’ve been googling Christmas Advent traditions. It seems that the original Advent period was a time of penitence and fasting, culminating in the feast of the nativity.

Most Christians were expected to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays during advent with meat,dairy, wine and oil prohibited. Normally they would eat one small meal of bread, vegetables and beans at mid-day only. Sounds like 5-2 is nothing new. 🙂 Monasteries would fast most days but the Sundays during Advent were mini-feast days.

I’ll bet that obesity and weight loss wasn’t a consideration for early Christians.

Fastinlady

4:40 pm
7 Dec 15
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I’m pretty sure that the early Christians did not have a problem with obesity!

One more week closer and another 1.6 pounds gone. I weighed in at 130.0 on the nose this morning. I took some measurements and since November 7th I’ve lost 1.27 cm in my waist, 3.81 cm off my hips and 1.91 off each thigh. Unfortunately I didn’t take my measurements on November 1st. I’m not really looking to lose much more on the scale but wouldn’t mind if I lost a few more cms from my hips! I’m planning to continue this lifestyle through Christmas and beyond. I may reduce my fast days to 2 days a week in order to maintain. In the meantime I’ll continue with three days a week and try to stabilize at this new weight.

Coda

10:30 pm
7 Dec 15
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Well done fastinlady good results and thank you Fatkat for the interesting information. I think 5:2 maybe brings us back to our roots or back in touch with ourselves. In these days of plenty and having been told we should be eating 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks a day to keep our blood sugar level. It is no wonder we lost touch, we mindlessly ate not because we were hungry but because we thought we should. Or because we were being led to believe by clever marketing? Yet on this way of life I have discovered I can do without food and I can do a 5k run on my fast day and feel absolutely fine and not collapse into a heap. The reaction of some when I say I am doing 5:2 is with near horror and think I am doing something terribly wrong.
I remember as a child in the summer holidays we would get our breakfast and go out to play not returning till our tummies told us it was lunch time. Then off we would go again until dinner, we were not allowed to eat in between meals as that would ruin our appetite. We would then play until it was bed time. At school break consisted of milk and a plain biscuit if we were lucky. Working in a local primary some years ago I was horrified by what some children were getting just for their break!
Oh sorry didn’t mean for me to go off one it just kept coming 🙂

chipmunk13

7:47 am
8 Dec 15
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Coda, your email got me thinking about the overall 5:2 experience and the changes we make over time.

With this WOL we are busy measuring incremental changes and at times our feelings and emotions roller coaster with the fluctuations in our weight. It is easy to despair over a 1or 2 lb gain and forget that, in the overall scheme of 5:2, you may have lost 15 lbs, or 3 inches off your waist or that you can now run 5kms without thinking about it.

I thought I’d set up a separate thread just for anyone who wants to to post their data – not their whole monologue about how it has all gone for them but just the numbers. I thought it’d be useful motivation for those who have ups and downs to see a list of achievements, no matter how long it takes to make them.

For example, I have been on and off 5:2 for a couple of years but the fact is, I am 8kgs lighter and 28cm smaller than when I started.

Do others think this would be a useful thread if I got it started??

GoldenSun

9:22 am
8 Dec 15
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CHIPMUNK: I think it’s a good idea but do we need a separate thread? Could we incorporate it into the Little Voices thread? Just wondering 🙂

This time of year, I’m finding I’m tempted and eating much more carbs. I weigh myself most days to keep myself in check and this morning I was a little hesitant to get on the scales as I feel bloated and heavy. Much to my surprise, I haven’t gained. I’m glad it’s a fast day today, not because I want to lose any weight but I want to lose the bloat and heavy feeling.

I love the lightness I feel with this way of eating/living and when I stray off it, my body feels out of sync, out of balance. I used to feel that the heaviness and bloated feeling was normal and now it is abnormal to me 🙂

GoldenSun

9:23 am
8 Dec 15
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ACTION HERO : Missing you again 🙂

Upagumtree

11:44 am
8 Dec 15
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Hi Chipmunk, I think another thread for strictly stats only would be a good idea. I personally weigh daily (and keep a daily stats diary) and know it’s normal for me to fluctuate up to as much as 4 pounds over a week, however I know in the grand scheme of things that over time the gradual trend will be downward – albeit painfully slow.

I don’t think we should incorporate it into the LV thread – besides Coda has offered to run the January thread. It could still come under the tag LV though – perhaps Little Voices Statistics?

I have a request though – since we are scattered all over the globe with a mixture of metric and imperial measurements can we agree to report in a common measurement? (Personally I find it hard to get my head round metric! but happy to go with the majority).

Thanks for offering to set this up!

Upagumtree

11:52 am
8 Dec 15
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This is for the attention of our leader, Action Hero:

TTL and myself met up for Xmas Lunch yesterday. This was our third meet-up since making friends on this forum. We are both almost at goal and it was great to see and discuss our body changes since our last meeting. We discussed how far we have come since starting out on 5:2 in January. We also discussed the fun we have had on the LV forum and your humorous tongue-in-cheek leadership. We both have different mental images of what you look like and thought it might be fun to see how near the mark we are. Sooo, with that in mind … and the “creepy uncle” suggestion re bikinis to TTL last month we decided we would like to present YOU with a challenge:-

“To provide an up-to-date account of your own statistics from start date to now. We would also like you to upload a picture of yourself at present so we can all admire your toned body. We insist you must wear shorts (although speedos would be preferable!)”

Wha’d’ya think? Are you up for THIS challenge??? … Let’s have a bit of fun in the last couple of weeks of our Christmas challenge!!

Yours in anticipation
TTL and Upa

PS: No cheating and downloading a Mr Universe pic !

Coda

2:09 pm
8 Dec 15
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Up – If that doesn’t get AH’s attention LOL. Looking forward to seeing our mentor.
whose absence has been noted – hope all is well?
We in the UK mainly use stones and lbs but I found using scales with kilos a better incentive – probably because I could see a smaller loss ie .200 g. We could calculate ourselves if we use a common conversion tool and could report all three but this is done for us at the moment by AH and his spread sheet.
Chipmunk I think a LV statistics would be useful but not sure how it would work if we keep posting would the information not get lost in previous posts? Would we be posting starting statistics and each weight loss/gain and inch loss etc like the tracker? Would it be better if we could incorporate this into our profile? I know AH asked sometime ago for people to give more information,some did but a lot of profiles don’t have any information.

My idea for next month is not so much to load up someone with the weight lost and a challenge to loose a certain amount. I am mindful that some of our little voices are at or nearly at their target so weight loss has slowed down somewhat. I am also mindful (as I am one of those people) who when they set a target weight loss and if not achieved I am a little downhearted and somehow feel I have failed. It takes me a while to pick myself up. So my idea is going to be accountability – the challenge or goal will be to achieve your target of planned fast days in a given week and to eat within your TDEE week by week. Please post loss or any gains and let us know if things are tough but I also need to know what you intend to do about it. Post highs if things are going to plan and what you did. Have you got a really tasty recipe you would like to share? We all know what we have lost and gained and are probably very good at keeping track but the result at the end will be how many kept to their planned fast days and how many days they kept within their TDEE. Off course we all want to hear about your total loss or inches at the end of the month or any other achievement. If everyone looks at the blank calendars AH so kindly provided – I am sure he can post the link again for everyone – you can even plan now as best as possible, given we have no crystal ball. This off course is a work in progress as ideas come to mind.

PJBR

3:56 pm
8 Dec 15
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Fatcat – Thanks for the research into Advent fasting. Oddly I have been wondering about the original traditions lately myself. I think nowadays, we want to have a party with our friends for Xmas and we have so many groups of friends – work, craft group, church, bridge group (or groups),gardening club or just close friends, etc. that we use December to have them. Heck this year our craft club had theirs in November. No wonder it has been hard for me at least to fast so far this Advent.
And let us face it ( just did) this whole WOL is about FASTING.

Fastin – Great!!!! What success!!!!!! I am so happy for you that you have your ultimate goal in hand. I must, though, say that when that goal is met do NOT abandon the fasting intermittently as a way of life. No, you will not need to do it for weight loss but for maintenance. It really depends on yourself as an individual how much you need to maintain your goal weight and you will have to experiment to find out.

Upa and Coda – Measurement units. Yes they do vary. Does it really matter? Probably to the leader of the group. To me it does not.
I use pounds, always have, always will, at least when it comes to my weight.
My education and profession required me to understand and use metric measures, but when it comes to me – pounds and inches. I have to figure out stones into pounds and kilograms into pounds and grams into pounds to understand whether a person weighs too much or too little or just right. (Like Goldilocks, methinks)

Chipmunk – I have not really been able to follow how much our LVs have lost or gained. but do I really need to know? At times, I just want to post the weight. I have found that this post really does a lot of communicating and hear that it is so helpful. I myself have found a growing friendship with regular posters and have begun to find it endearing. So……….to answer your question……. I really want this thread to continue as is and if you decide to have a related thread with just statistics posted I think it could only be positive. Would I post on both? Do not know.

PJBR

4:36 pm
8 Dec 15
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Hi
I just typed out a long message commending you for your achievements and commenting on the thoughts for improving this thread. Forgot to submit it!!!!!!!!!!
GGRRR!!!!!!!
Cannot do it again.
I just accept whatever you do to the thread, except for one thing – I will only post in pounds. I might secede to Kilograms but not to Stones.

Upagumtree

4:55 pm
8 Dec 15
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Hi PJBR, Where in the world are you? You have no profile listed on the forum.

Note to others on this thread – please add/update your profiles! It’s easy to do and helps the monthly leader! You don’t have to personalise it too much to give away your identity or exact location, just your country will do.

PJBR

5:20 pm
8 Dec 15
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Hi
I see that BOTH my posts came through after all????????1

Upa – I have been wondering about “profile” and have not asked. Can anyone see the profile? If so how does one look at a profile.

I live in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia in Canada – heaven on earth.

I will try to do the profile.

Coda

5:48 pm
8 Dec 15
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PJBR If you click on someones name in bold beside their post it takes you to their profile. Or if you look up in the top right beside Welcome ? log out (if you are logged in off course) you are taken to your profile. Have a look at some and see what they say. I don’t think it really matters what measurements are used as it really only relevant to you.

I think a starting weight on a profile with the current weight would be a starting point for all to see the achievement and it can be updated every so often as progress is made – maybe without the need for a separate thread? I have had a look at different threads and don’t know if I would be interested in posting on them. I like this one!

Thanks UP for reiterating the point about the profile its always nice to see where someone is from and any other information they care to share.

PJBR

5:49 pm
8 Dec 15
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Upa
Thanks for that. What fun!
I see you are from Edinburgh, my husband’s hometown. He went to Royal High School. He took me back there about 10 years ago. What a lovely country ( We had 2 weeks of beautiful sunny weather) – the area around Loch Ness is very like the area where we live – large lake with rolling hills. He has often commented on how like “back home” this was.
I had been in Scotland briefly (from the docks [Larne?] to Glasgow to the docks[Stranraer?] by train, in the pouring rain) when I was 14 to go to Ireland from where my father left 33 years before, and had never returned. My impression of Scotland was of a black Glasgow and of a wet and very poor country. What a surprise when I returned! Hope to get back one day soon. (My husband has just found a long lost cousin)

Upagumtree

6:40 pm
8 Dec 15
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Hi PJBR … And well done you on posting your first profile! That puts things much more in perspective for us fellow readers!

Nice to hear you have visited my lovely country (and in good weather!). Sorry your previous visions of Scotland were of “black Glasgow” – believe me that has all changed and I think Glasgow is now the top Scottish venue for a visitor!! – forget Edinburgh!!

I have a Canadian cousin in Toronto who tells me it is a wonderful country – I am working through my bucket list and hope to visit soon!! … Is your husband my cousin?? Ha-ha!!

Coda

6:54 pm
8 Dec 15
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Hi Well done PJBR for updating your profile – any other members not updated yet? So you left from Larne to go to Scotland – so was your father from Northern Ireland originally? What part?

Loss of 1.1 kg this week which I am pleased with!

Action Hero

8:29 pm
8 Dec 15
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Morning All, contrary to popular belief I am still alive and well and “lurking” in here however I have let you guys down a little bit this month by my absence. December can get out of control with my time, I’m heavily involved with Lions International in my Wellington Suburb, we organise a local Community Christmas Parade and it’s quite demanding time wise plus other work and Christmas social activities, plus Golf of course, all add up. However all that sounds like a big fat EXCUSE doesn’t it, so it’s all my fault not sharing my time equally with all my commitments and I apologise to you all for that.

I have been scanning all the daily emails from you all and was reassured in my own mind that everyone has been very supportive of everyone else so I knew this LV group was in good hands. Our Spread Sheet is about 10 days from being up to date so I’ll do weeks 4 and 5 and report everyones progress up to the 5th.

UPA and TTL: I suppose I deserve your little challenge after my venture into frivolity a couple of weeks ago with you. Allow me to think about how to respond and we will find a way to post a link to someone, somewhere, someplace LOL

CODA: Thanks so much for taking up the reigns for the New Year, your ideas are very good and reassuring that we continue as a Group. Like everyone, I thrive on the support of this very experienced group of 5:2 way of lifers so I’ll support whatever everyone wants to contribute. I always like reading the members Profile notes of the ones who are brave enough to publish so I encourage everyone to take a minute and complete this little task.

Take care everyone and I’ll be back soon with our updated results for the month to date. Cheers, Mike

carolinacatz

8:38 pm
8 Dec 15
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I’m still down only a half pound. This weekend we went out on the town for the first time in a LONNNGGGGGG time. So it was worth it. What makes me mad at myself is when I do the mindless eating routine around the house. I’ve been good about that and I expect to make more progress this week.

Fastinlady

8:39 pm
8 Dec 15
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Thanks for the encouragement PJBR. I am most definitely not going to abandon the fasting lifestyle having finally found something that works so well. At 59 years old I have a lot of dieting under my belt and the thought of maintenance is making me a little nervous right now. It’s uncharted territory! Other than a brief period of time when I maintained between 155 and 160, I’ve either been losing or gaining weight for more than 40 years, with a high point of around 225. Now I fully intend to keep utilizing this very effective tool.

As far as having a thread for stats, I would be all for that although I’m expecting (and hoping) that my stats are going to become a little boring at this point :-). I can post my weight in pounds, kilos or stones – whatever works for the rest of the group.

Coda

10:51 pm
8 Dec 15
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AH good to hear from you, no apology needed at all, we are just so used to your support it is missed when you are not around. We understand other things need you attention from time to time and i hope your parade goes welL.

PJBR

11:05 pm
8 Dec 15
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Coda,
Memory failed. I know we went to Northern Ireland from Scotland on July 11. No my father was from the south. We landed in Northern Ireland, went to Belfast then took the train to Dublin. I remember when we came to the border a customs officer boarded the train and wanted to see what was in my mother’s suitcase. It was pretty full and she was flustered and opened it upside down. Her girdle fell out – how embarrassing. The border officer did not require any more searching of my mother’s things!

PJBR

11:19 pm
8 Dec 15
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So father was Irish. Is it any wonder that I miss potatoes so?
And I am Canadian and like my poutine (encouraged my family to speak French). I don’t. The only French in me is my fondness for that eastern Canadian dish.

chipmunk13

8:25 am
9 Dec 15
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Well, I went ahead and started the statistics thread and it is there for anyone interested. It isn’t meant to be somewhere you you regularly post – just a one off for those at goal, and an every few months for those of us still working at it!!

https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/little-voices-motivational-statistics-from-sticking-to-the-programme/#post-122860

Barata

8:39 am
9 Dec 15
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Hi Little Voices. I can assure you that AH has been working very hard with his local Lions club. Why, only last night I was sitting on the road curb enjoying the evening sunshine and who should pass by collecting for the Mission foodbank but your great leader. (Now ducks her head and flees back to her own threads)… cheers, all. 🙂

Action Hero

1:29 am
10 Dec 15
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Hi Everyone, phew, I’ve just collated all the weight reports sent in up to this post, a few ups and downs however that’s to be expected with this time of year.

What came out loud and clear was Northern Hemisphere Thanksgiving celebrations seem to be totally focussed around food and drinks and lots of it with many struggling with the after effects.

Down this end of the world we save ourselves for our Christmas celebrations around family, food, wine and BBQ’s in the summer sun. Christmas day BBQ lunches seem to have taken over from the traditional Roast Christmas lunch/dinners with a lot of family gatherings with kids and pressies of course another main focus. Bring it on.

I’ll be back soon with updates of weeks 4 and 5 plus totals to date. There are a couple of outstanding members here who are really putting in great efforts so looks like some chocolate fish will be winging their way soon.

Regarding the post above from my lovely Neighbour, she tends to exagerate sometimes 🙂 WE (not just I) were doing the Neighbourhood Christmas collection for a local Food Bank which was a very humbling experience, over 5,000 food items collected so it’s quite pleasing that we can make a difference to some families in need during this festive season. It was 3 hours very well used plus I walked >5kms so it served a couple of purposes 🙂

Action Hero

2:58 am
10 Dec 15
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OK, back again, have just updated our Doubles Chart up to everyone who has reported in to week 5 (WE 5 December)

We started off with 40 people in our group however have only heard from 31 at some time over the past 5 weeks.

Week 1 we reported 48.95lbs reduction from 24 members
Week 2 18.74lbs from 19 members
Week 3 12lbs from 15 members
Week 4 15.95lbs from 12 members
Week 5 7.5lbs from 9 members
Total to date 103.24lbs

As you can see we are having quite a drop off each week with reports from our LV’s members. That’s OK, maybe some are saving themselves for one big rush over the next 2 weeks, we can handle that. So if anyone is reading this and you know you haven’t reported in for a few weeks then don’t hold back, it’s all about support and sharing with each other so we are all encouraged by everyone’s results.

To those who have reported 3 or 4 weeks of the 5, well done for your perserverence and dedication to our cause. There are so many members in this group who absolutely thrive on others support and results, so even though you may not think you have anything too relevant to say you just don’t know what it could mean to someone who may be experiencing the same circumstances as yourself.

Chocolate fish time for progress to date:

GL502: 8.10lbs to date while your goal was 6.5lbs Well done, you are amazing

SD5: 6.80lbs to date, a great result as well

ROMMY5163: 6.10LBS (up to week 4) Keep it up Rommy

FATKAT53: 6.40LBS Way to go FK

TTL and MARYW: 4.50lbs from each of you, such dedication from you both

CODA: 3.70LBS which includes a big “blip” in the middle so well done Coda on the recovery, you inspire us with your exercise schedule plus continued efforts every week

To everyone else who has recorded reductions of up to 3lbs and more well done and keep focussed. Our international travellor CHIPMUNK has even managed 2.60lbs while tripping around the world and scoffing all those delicious on board meals and free stuff, this WOL can be incorporated into whatever lifestyle circumstances so isn’t it great that we can be disciplined while still enjoying life.

Thankyou CODA for volunteering to be in charge after Christmas. If you want the Spread sheet email me (see my Profile for email address) and I’ll send you a blank copy, it’s just a straight forward excel version if you can handle that.

Someone asked for the link to the Blank Calendar again, here it is, once you open it you can customise it for whatever month you want plus put your own brand on it http://www.calendarlabs.com/online-calendar.php

Only 15 days until you know who comes down your chimney and drinks your beer, trust you are all organised for the big day. We are having Christmas day with number two son and all our family, BBQ food, lots of nibbles and exotic bottles of “stuff” then walks along the beech to work it off. Tell us all some of your planned Christmas celebrations, we are all spread around the world and Christmas means different things to different people, celebrated in different ways which makes life so interesting. Take care all, it feels good to be sharing with you all again 🙂 🙂

Action Hero

3:22 am
10 Dec 15
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Whoops, forgot to include this little helper for those who play around with different weight dimensions:

http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/weight/

This Conversion Web Site covers anything you throw at it, just use the Nav Bar down the left hand side of the page to select the Converter you require, enter the conversion factor you want to change and click the Gold “Convert Me” button, the results pop up for every option.

Hope this is helpful for anyone who likes the details

Fastinlady

2:39 pm
10 Dec 15
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Since I am one of the 9 members who reported their weight up to and including week 5 I’m a bit disappointed that I wasn’t awarded a chocolate fish. I had lost 6.4 pounds through the end of week 5 (December 5) so I appear to be running neck and neck with FATKAT53, at least up until then. As of today I’m at 129 which makes a total of 9 pounds since I signed up for this challenge.

Congrats to all you other losers! Keep up the good work!

Coda

5:20 pm
10 Dec 15
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Oh dear – I am sure it was not intentional but just an oversight due to perhaps rushing to report. I vote 2 fish for fastinlady to make up lol! Well done!

Well done to all the other losers (meant in the nicest of ways) lol

MaryWWriter

5:29 pm
10 Dec 15
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Congrats Fastinlady!!! That’s wonderful. And the other losers, as Coda calls us.

As far as conversion, I have discovered that you can just type 3 kg = into Google, and you’ll get your answer. Or 12 stone = Or 195 lbs = You get my drift. You just need the number, the unit and an equals sign.

I am talking about converting weights here, not religious conversions. I did that once (born Anglican. Became Jewish), and have the t-shirt. Mind you, that WAS before Google. But I’m pretty sure it still requires more effort than typing stuff into a search engine. 😉

So. Now I celebrate everything. Happy Hannukah for now.

It’s my second fast day this week and I am fighting a cold. The fasting seems to help keep it under control. I’ve seen people on other threads who go off the routine when they feel unwell, but I think they are missing out on a kind of semi-treatment.

Fastinlady

6:19 pm
10 Dec 15
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Thanks, Coda and Mary. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional that I was missed. I certainly wouldn’t want to be the one responsible for reading all the posts, keeping track of everybody and tallying up the results. I don’t imagine it’s easy and I appreciate the effort.

Mary, I know when I have a cold I tend to lose my appetite. I’m just getting over one now and took advantage of the lack of desire to prepare food or eat. Hot lemon water and broth were my friends.

Happy Hannukuh to you!

Action Hero

7:47 pm
10 Dec 15
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FASTINLADY: What can I say to make it up to you, I actually have you at 8.0lbs reduction up to WE 5/12, I have a 1.60lbs reduction for that last week making 8lbs total which puts you right up there with GL. My fault when I sorted the Running Total I missed your result, so sorry because I know the effort put in to achieve that result. Hope these make it up to you. Don’t eat them all at once 🙂

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_fish

MARYW: Isn’t it great that there is always a simplier way of doing stuff and we are always finding new ways to achieve a simple result, thanks for your insight on Conversions.

I had a little BFOTO moment yesterday when I was in the middle of a Fast day, I was thinking about what we all eat on our FD’s. I for one eat the same every FD because I know it works for me. So what do you guys eat on your FD’s? Do you have something simple that works for you and want to share it with us? Do you know the total calories of that intake? Have a little think and let’s know your secrets. I’ll post mine shortly.

Well done agin FastinLady, thanks for keeping me accountable to the Group.

chipmunk13

9:30 pm
10 Dec 15
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Hi AH and all – reporting this week a modest 400gms – 1lb – loss for the week.
Congrats to all the Biggest Losers!! Very inspiring, esp at this time of year.

The only consistent thing for me on a fast day is breakfast – one poached egg on Vogels ancient grains toast (no spread) and a TFW (that is only meaningful to other Kiwis – it is a Trim Flat White – the coffee choice of discerning Kiwis everywhere, a double shot of espresso with silky steamed low fat milk, no fluff or bubbles!!) I have a home espresso and know I only use 50mls of milk, so the breakfast adds up to 194 according to My Fitness Pal.

chipmunk13

9:31 pm
10 Dec 15
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BTW, what’s BFOTO????

PJBR

9:57 pm
10 Dec 15
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AH – I am posting today, one day early, as I am SO pleased with my results. I forgot what it was last week but this week I have made my goal, after having gone up so many pounds from my Nov 1 starting weight, in fact just squeaking past it.
Starting weight 163.4 —— today, 158.9 — 4.5 lb. My goal – 4 lb.

Starting fat 41% ——– today 38%

I do not know what one has to do to get a chocolate fish. But whatever it is, do NOT give me one. I do NOT want one. I would HATE it. When I was a kid, the good Easter eggs were chocolate covered marshmallow – yuck! I hated them then and I do not want them now. Now if it was a solid chocolate high quality solid chocolate, that would be a different matter entirely!

What do I consume on my fast days?:
Water, water with apple cider vinegar, tea, coffee with cream, 1 bulletproof coffee, kambucha (1 small glass) bone broth.
Calories? no idea. I do NOT count calories. Never had, never will.

Happy fasting all, till next (and last ) posting.

Please wish me well. I have 4 Christmas parties in 3 days next week.

Fastinlady

10:27 pm
10 Dec 15
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I had to look up BFOTO (Blinding Flash of the Obvious). Thanks for the fish AH. I’ll save them for a non-fasting day.

My fasting days are a little like PJBR’s without the kombucha and with one or two hard boiled eggs thrown in. I also have a couple of wedges of Laughing Cow Jalapeno cheese which are 45 calories for two and I’ve recently discovered Bick’s Crunch-em mini dill pickles which are 8 calories for three pickles. A little snack of cheese (one wedge) and 6 pickles comes to 39 calories and is surprisingly filling. My fasting day calories are usually around 500. I tend to stick with the same things. I don’t have a problem with that although my husband doesn’t understand how I can do it. I do that on my non-fasting days too.

Fastinlady

10:28 pm
10 Dec 15
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Good luck with the Christmas parties PJBR. I’ve got one on Saturday too. I’ve appointed myself the designated driver so that will help me to resist all the goodies that are bound to be there.

Action Hero

10:29 pm
10 Dec 15
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Well done CHIPMUNK on your weekly contribution, a “modest pound” is ANOTHER pound, so modest or not, it all adds to the sum total.

My FD menu is always made up of 3 or 4 “snacks” starting about 11am and ending about 7pm. I enjoy Ryvita Crisp breads (38 cals each) spread with 20gms of Hummus (2 t/spoons) plus a few drops of hot chillie sauce just to spice it up a little. Each one of these is 75 calories so I consume up to 6 during the day along with 5 cups of tea with a splash of low cal milk or black coffee, and this keeps me well under my 600cal daily intake allowance.

I find intermittent snacking keeps me happy and it’s now very easy to just do it a couple of times a week. Quite often the day after a FD if there are no social engagements I can go through until lunch time before my first meal and I have only one reasonable meal usually under 1000 calories, so in total I can do two consec days at around 1500 calories.

This is where I use my Planning Calendar every week and plan my FD’s around known weekly events. As I said, this works for me. I know it could get boring however I enjoy Crisp Breads with Hummus and the Chillie Sauce keeps it interesting.

A BFOTO Chipmunk is an old term I have used with Clients for years which makes them realise they know more than they realise, it’s just that their ideas have become buried but are logical when they think about them. It’s a BLINDING FLASH OF THE OBVIOUS, maybe something you know but have forgotten until it’s pointed out again or remembered and you have an Ah Ha moment when it dawns on you that “Hey, I know that” We all have them, just some more than others, and when they occur it makes you feel good in yourself.

Take care everyone, only 8 or 9 days to go until we end for December. How many FD’s can you squeeze in (or do you NEED to squeeze in) to get close to that Christmas goal? Let’s all make this last week a good one. Or if your social calendar is too busy then maybe it’s all too late and you are happy with efforts to date. Whatever your decision ensure it’s done in moderation so all the combined effort to date is not wasted. Cheers Mike

Action Hero

10:43 pm
10 Dec 15
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PJBR: Just read your post, well done on reaching your goal (exceeding it actually) I have recorded you to date as +2.6 and -1.4 up to week 5 so to be 4.5 under in total this last week means a 5.7lb reduction, does that sound about right or have I recorded something wrong? Whatever, you have done very well.

Third time lucky

11:02 am
11 Dec 15
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Morning all. Have to put my hand up to losing the plot this week. A big Christmas lunch out with Upagumtree and spouses (including pud, and wine), it was great meeting up again, and comparing our lost pounds!, a bowl of chips and two pieces of gingerbread and butter throughout the week, and up 1/2 lb this week. There is no doubt that as soon as I put carbs in my mouth, I am going to gain weight. Other than that I have kept to 1000 cals a day, so I guess things could have been much worse. Why do I keep eating these things when I know the outcome? Because I think stupidly that I can get away with it! My intolerance to wheat is still with me, although most of the time I can deal with it. Just a small relapse ( Christmas came early!)
On a fast day I don’t eat breakfast or lunch. I find once I start eating, I get hungrier quicker. So I choose to eat my 500 calories at one meal around 6 pm. That’s a 23 hour gap between meals. Most of the time I choose something from Mimis recipe book. The calories are all counted for you. I have a simple dessert too. Fresh fruit with Greek yogurt. That keeps me going through the night. I have woken through the night feeling ravenous before. I find doing it this way is better for me. I don’t snack at all, but drink plenty hot water or herbal tea.
Got myself a wee job this week working in a new farm shop 5 minutes away from me. Yesterday was a FD and it was very tempting seeing all the biscuits and chocolate around, but resisted thinking if it got really bad I could munch on a carrot! Working again today but not fasting, so will have to be extra vigilant, or I may start thinking I can get away with it again!
Well done everyone who is reducing, especially those at target. Hope to join you soon. Have a great day all
TTL
PS Action, well done on your charity work!

PJBR

4:38 pm
11 Dec 15
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AH
Thank you, I think you are being over generous, counting the weight loss from my weight gain. Myself, being less generous, am using my starting weight only.
Was not going to report today as I did yesterday, but, as we are talking anyway, I will. My weight today is 157.7 another loss of 1.2 lb.

Now I do NOT want a chocolate fish, as I explained yesterday, but I would like to know what one must do to get one. Please let me know.

PJBR

4:51 pm
11 Dec 15
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TTL
Well done! Only up 1/2 pound even with all those extras.

What temptation working at a farm shop. All that food around. Could you fast on those days you are working if that helps?
Another thing that might help is using The Emotional Freedom Technique to reduce the temptation when they occur. Or then again, sometimes we need to give into our temptations.

Are you in Edinburgh too? It would be great to live near a fellow faster to meet at “chew the fat”

About recipes. The salad in the original Fast Diet book that uses fish sauce is definitely one of my favourites

MaryWWriter

9:02 pm
11 Dec 15
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Well, I’m up half a pound. No surprise since work and my cough/cold have kept me from getting out much. I’m feeling cabin fever and feeling better so I hope to turn this around next week. We have one week to go, and I am not going to make my goal (which was seven pounds) but I hope to be down five (one more than now). It’s definitely been a struggle this month. The fast days are fine but I have been lax about the other days.

On fast days I eat 200 cals a.m., usually cottage cheese and blueberries, usually around 8 a.m. And then around 8 p.m. I eat whatever protein we’re having for dinner, which is often grilled salmon, and steamed vegetables or sometimes salad to a max. of 300 cals for the evening meal.

As much as possible I try to do the routine of fasting 12 hours between my last meal before the first meal of the fast day, 12 hours between the breakfast and dinner times on the fast day, and then 12 hours until the next day’s breakfast.

Now if I could just get as sensible a routine going on my nf days, maybe I’d get rid of these last few pounds. December is hard: short days. But no excuses.

GL502

3:05 am
12 Dec 15
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Since our Christmas feast last Sunday I have managed a 400 gram weight gain. Not quite a pound. I have managed to lose most of the gain during the week. On the converter site I have discovered I am now under 10 stone. Now I have under 10 kgs still to lose.

Our Christmas lunch is roast chickens with stuffing. We also have roast potatoes, pumpkin peas and gravy. Instead of the normal plum pudding I discovered a Black forest pudding last year and it is a little bit lighter but very delicious. Even though it was 38 degrees the male members all went outside to play cricket aussie rules and soccer. After about 20 mins they came back inside for liquid refreshments. With newer members within the family I have had to adapt the menu a little bit as one person does not eat sweets. So I sent him into town to choose a selection of cheeses and dips. Its not the food but the coming together and enjoying each others company.

GoldenSun

8:13 am
12 Dec 15
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I think I had mistaken my original pledge as 3lbs instead of 4lbs. So I have lost 1/2lb this week which means my total loss to date is 4lbs which was my original pledge.

ACTION HERO – apologies for any confusion as I imagine it can be challenging keeping record.

Wow, what a week. I had a Christmas lunch on Wednesday and although it wasn’t my favourite choice of food, Chinese, I overindulged….WHY? 🙂 Then I couldn’t stop. I felt stuffed but later that night I bought chocolate????

Thursday was my fast day. I managed to fast most of the day but couldn’t resist having spaghetti and then a small bar of chocolate.

Friday then became my official fast day and I had less than 500 calories, hence the 1/2lb weight reduction.

Next Friday another Christmas lunch out but I have 3 fast days scheduled in so hopefully I will be able to maintain.

My weight now is 8st 12lbs.

GoldenSun

8:13 am
12 Dec 15
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I think I had mistaken my original pledge as 3lbs instead of 4lbs. So I have lost 1/2lb this week which means my total loss to date is 4lbs which was my original pledge.

ACTION HERO – apologies for any confusion as I imagine it can be challenging keeping record.

Wow, what a week. I had a Christmas lunch on Wednesday and although it wasn’t my favourite choice of food, Chinese, I overindulged….WHY? 🙂 Then I couldn’t stop. I felt stuffed but later that night I bought chocolate????

Thursday was my fast day. I managed to fast most of the day but couldn’t resist having spaghetti and then a small bar of chocolate.

Friday then became my official fast day and I had less than 500 calories, hence the 1/2lb weight reduction.

Next Friday another Christmas lunch out but I have 3 fast days scheduled in so hopefully I will be able to maintain.

My weight now is 8st 12lbs.

GoldenSun

8:14 am
12 Dec 15
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Repeat posting….:)

Coda

9:04 am
12 Dec 15
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Hi all I haven’t been able to do any runs this week 🙁 since having my sore throat I have the beginings of a cold tight chest, sneezes etc while I don’t feel too poorly I don’t think running in the cold and wet would be beneficial. I too feel keeping to fast days even while feeling poorly helps. After all when not digesting the body has time for other tasks like cleaning and protecting.
On my fast days i generally wait until my evening meal to break my fast. Lately I dry fry a few slices of onion add a can of heinz tomato soup poured into a bowl with 1 oz of grated cheese on top. Very tasty and just over 300 cals. Other days I may buy some fish or if I have made a pot of homemade vegetable soup. Throughout the day I may have a couple of cups of coffee and I keep ryvita on standby, if I am feeling a little peckish will have 2 lightly buttered with one of my coffees. I try to drink water but not always achieved apart from my hot water and lemon that I start each day with.

lifesabeach26

9:49 am
12 Dec 15
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Morning all – feeling very down this morning…. Just stood on the scales and cannot believe they are reading 5lbs yes FIVE POUNDS heavier than last Saturday despite 3 fast days. Now I’m not pretending or fooling myself, I know that the last few weekends have been pretty full on celebrations with quite a bit of drinking and eating so I wasn’t expecting to see any reduction but a gain of 5lbs – how the heck has that happened? I’m now so worried for the next few weeks as I have so many parties and events coming up that I want to enjoy. I can’t see me sipping water and nibbling lettuce leaves when there is champagne and smoked salmon and cheese (I’ll stop there…..) I am now back to being 11 stone something which I really didn’t want to hear myself say, and therefore will definitely not manage my pledge for this challenge 🙁 sorry guys. On a plus note I have never felt fitter, I go to the gym at least 4 times a week, am doing 3 crazy 45 minute spinning sessions and now attend the new Synergy classes which are full-on circuit training (not bad for my 50th year). I really wanted to get to ten and half stone by the time I go skiing end of January, and I guess all I can do is keep being true to myself and not avoid weighing in each week (I really didn’t want to weigh myself this morning but knew that would be foolish). Well done to all you amazing successful people out there who are at or nearly at target – not going to lie, feeling a teensy bit jealous of you but I know you will have worked super hard to get there. Sorry AH I think I am basically where I started plus a pound 🙁 BUT still 21lbs lighter than I was at the beginning of all of this I guess. I will still weigh in next Saturday to complete this forum – hopefully I will have managed not to have put on even more – “Dear Father Christmas…”