I did my own share of lurking and reading before deciding to take the plunge and join the discussions, so welcome, fellow lurker SugarandSpice! Thank you for your kind words. I’m looking forward to hearing about your own journey, if you feel like sharing it. I’ve learned so much from reading about the solutions others have found — 5:2 is truly remarkable for the way we can apply it uniquely to ourselves.

Congratulations on completing your fast! After three days, your body is clear of a lot of junk and you’re ready for some of those better choices. I have a feeling that you’re going to do very well at this.

Fuvvie, I share your wish. But here we are, better late than never, and slowly making sense of it all. Glad to have your company on the road forward.

Wednesday Weigh-In, and I’ve shifted another 2 lbs. Only 3 more to go and I can start the clock again!

Feels so good to be doing what my body wants to do again. It’s clear to me that it’s smarter to listen to it than to my hijacking thoughts on the subject of food…

Wednesday Weigh-In again already — these busy days before the holidays are flying by too quickly! I’m down another pound despite several events chock-a-block with goodies. They looked so pretty but I had no trouble by-passing them and finding better choices. Didn’t feel the least bit deprived and enjoyed the company of others. I wish I could bottle that attitude to pull out in need…

People see me happier now, and think it’s because I’ve lost weight. I think it’s the opposite: I’ve lost weight because I’m happier now. The mood changes began with the elimination of sugar and I had no idea just how much it had been affecting me until I was clear of it. All these years spent under a cloud, thinking it was normal to feel depressed. I wish I’d known sooner, but at least I know now.

Perfect timing, Fuvvie! I’m home again at last. Saw lots of people and enjoyed the hols but am more than ready for some quiet time and my own routine.

I had already decided that I wouldn’t do any fasting while away so I was interested to weigh myself today. I’m up 2 lbs. in 2 weeks, which doesn’t surprise me at all. The food itself was fine but the balance was off — moderate carbs/fats doesn’t suit me as well as low carb/high fat. I’ve had a chance to prove that to myself clearly now, several times over. So it’s a fast day for me, and a sigh of relief to see a kitchen full of things which make sense to me.

What a difference from last year! I was in full binge mode until somewhere in February, feeling sick and miserable, but unable to stop. To be able to do my shopping today without a glance at the piles of reduced-price sweets is such a blessing. And why not? My basket was full of beautiful things — butter, cream, bacon, eggs and cheeses — and not a “diet” item in sight.

The bottom line is that I have to do what’s right for me. This last couple of weeks is probably the final time I will modify to fit in socially. My confidence is growing with each proof that I’m on the right track. I stand by my choice for this Christmas but I think next year will see another change.

So, here’s a New Year’s cheer for what we achieved in 2016 — and to the thousand tiny steps of a great leap forward in 2017.

Weigh-In Wednesday, and those 2 lbs. from Christmas are gone again. So good to be back in control of what’s in the cupboard! No more major festivals until Easter. I welcome the chance to quietly do my own thing.

Fuvvie, as you know, I have found LCHF to be the way of eating my body likes best. In combination with 5:2, I experience peace with food I never thought possible, and I’m so grateful.

Aside from harping on about sugar — which NOBODY needs! — I happily accept that there’s more than one way to skin the proverbial cat. Plenty of success stories on this site to demonstrate that!

It’s about finding a fit for your own life: what makes sense for your body and your situation. I will never suffer through another diet again. But I will keep losing weight, eating good food I love. That’s the magic circle you want to find.

I do recommend Dietdoctor.com — despite the dreadful name! — as an excellent resource for LCHF newbies. They aren’t selling anything, but have lots of helpful things like recipes, menu plans, and inspiring success stories. Dr. Jason Fung is associated with them, and I find his work on insulin and fasting outstanding. Then 5:2 puts this into a framework.

It is thanks to all of these together that I am no longer considered diabetic. Such an amazing thing! But I am conscious that the best plan in the world will only work when I work it. That requires my willingness to do what is in my best interest. Which leads to the question of “choice” — something I’m thinking about a lot these days.

Wednesday Weigh-In, slightly delayed. Down another pound, and happy to take that result. My progress from this point forward might not be the flashiest, but I’m just going to keep heading down the road and doing my best. No-one can do more than that!

Wow, Fuvvie — that spreadsheet sounds like a lot of work! But I’m glad that it’s helping so many people stay focused, including yourself.

I was thinking of you earlier today as I stood with a tin of almonds in my hand. I had counted out a portion, enjoyed them, but then wanted to finish the rest. Not hungry, just wanted them. They were preying on my mind all afternoon, for no apparent reason. I ended up giving them away. It’s far too easy to eat quite a lot of them very quickly, so, at least for the moment, they are on my “no go” list. I know you have mentioned issues with nuts several times so I wondered if you’d found any answers there.

I agree with you about the nuts — although they are nutritionally a good fit with my food plan I can’t keep anything in the cupboard if it makes me uneasy. Perhaps it’s the snack-y connection in my mind? At any rate, I have plenty of other choices which aren’t triggering me so I feel better today.

Once the junk has been cleared out it’s so much easier to see when there’s a problem with a food. I want my meals to be delicious but I also want to walk away from the table with a clear mind until it’s time to eat again. This, for a life-long binger, is nothing short of miraculous — and I don’t take it for granted. If the removal of almonds is what it takes for peace of mind, so be it. I already know better than to have cashews or macadamias around! Walnuts don’t seem to be an issue for some reason.

I do love how easy it is for everyone to find their own way within a 5:2/TDEE framework. I’ve learned so much from the examples of others but in the end only I can monitor what works best for my system. Mindfulness, rather than obsession, so that I can make a tweak here and there as needed.

I can certainly identify with that, fatrabbit! Pasta was one of the first to go for me. What I have now is a list of acceptable foods pinned up and I only buy what’s on there. It’s looking a bit untidy from the scratched out entries so today I’ll do myself a favour and write out a fresh copy.

It’s important that I eliminate any food which triggers me to binge. As someone committed to keeping diabetes at bay without drugs, I am particularly conscious of my carbohydrates. The obvious things are long gone but occasionally I will be surprised by something otherwise healthy, like those almonds.

Whatever it is, it can go. Plenty of other fish in the sea! An obsession-free day beats any treat, hands down.

Wednesday Weigh-In already — they seem to be coming around so quickly now! Down another pound and so pleased to be almost ready to start the clock again.

It’s Robbie Burns Day, but I’ll be passing on the traditional dinner this year in favour of roast lamb and greens. I doubt it will spoil the poetry.

How amazed Robbie Burns would be to find himself celebrated in faraway places like Nigeria! Haggis is much nicer than people usually expect it to be but it’s prepared with oats, which puts the carb count too high for me. The neeps aren’t so bad, but it’s the tatties which really make the carb count soar. As it was, I simply joined the group who didn’t care for haggis. We all had the roast lamb, and I substituted well-butter greens for the other veg and didn’t feel conspicuous at all. I passed on the pudding of course, but lots of others quietly did the same thing. I’m far from being the only one out there watching my intake these days!

You are so right, Fuvvie, about going over old ground. It was disheartening to see the numbers up after the disruptions of November. I nearly cried when I stood on the scales that first day home. But I never let go of the conviction that I had a workable solution in 5:2, and finally here I am again ready to break fresh ground.

The experience has not been wasted. I’ve learned a few valuable things.

The most important one: no more “go along to get along” for me when it comes to food. I am owning what I’m doing and I won’t be giving up my fast days again, no matter where I am. I am far enough along my path that the results can speak for themselves, and I don’t have to defend myself for “odd” eating.

Also important: WHAT and WHEN matter. I now know the food which works best for me, and experience has shown that 2 meals within an 8-hour period for a NFD and one meal for a FD is my ideal. It really doesn’t matter what others can do — this is what fits my needs. There’s nothing forced or regimented about this: I’m listening to my body and following what makes it happiest.

Feeling strong — it’s a good day.

Thank you, eskimogirl and Fuvvie — it really was a joyful thing to see those numbers!

I have a renewed sense of purpose and an understanding that my food needs must take priority, even in demanding situations. I don’t have to be a prima donna about it but I’ve been working on polite but firm “no, thank you” responses. I have found that many people take rejection of their food personally so for them my bottom line, if pressed, is a reference to managing diabetes. That seems to work, socially. Family is another story — but I’m working on that, too!

I had a moment yesterday while waiting for an MRI. There was a rather petulant woman whining that she was STARVING as she’d had no food for 2 hours and her scan had been delayed for 15 minutes. My own test required no food or drink for 4 hours prior, so I’d made it a fast day and was feeling fine. I thought back to a year ago, and realised just how far I’d come — I used to be that woman. She wasn’t much fun to be around.

The longer I follow 5:2, the more refined my process becomes. The key remains being willing to change as soon as I am able. Having a plan in place can carry me through less willing times, at least for a while. It’s just the way I live now.

Rules are made to be broken, Fuvvie — or so my brain seems to think! So let’s not make rules we set ourselves against. Let’s just make choices in our own best interests, consistently.

Even more important than food changes for me has been attitude change. I wouldn’t still be here if 5:2 was just a diet. It’s never to late to reassess and move forward, wiser for the experience.

Today is the only day you can ever have — make it a good one!

Love the marlin-on-a-line, Fuvvie! It really paints the picture of what we go through before accepting change. Resistance may be futile but it never stops me trying.

I have a theory that we only do what we want to do. Any plan based on “should” is doomed. For years, I knew that I should lose weight — but I wanted the sugar more than I wanted to be slim. I hated the sense of deprivation that came with diets and my emotions were so entangled with food that I couldn’t separate the two.

An eating plan is just mechanics — we know what to do. So why would we not do what’s good for us?

In the end, I can’t take any credit for being clever: I just want to be here more than I want to be there. I want to be free of diabetes. I want to lose weight. I want to feel healthy and I want my thoughts to be clear. I don’t want to be ill. I don’t want to be controlled by a substance. And I don’t want to end up dead before my time in an out-sized coffin.

So, yes — it’s a no-brainer for me, at long last. I finally get it. The light bulb’s on and somebody’s home.

There’s no deprivation here. I eat well and enjoy every mouthful, but food is neither consolation nor reward. A year ago, I wouldn’t have believed it possible but today I am grateful beyond belief.

I wish I had a magic formula to pass on — I’d make a fortune! All I can say is, everything became possible for me once I was free of sugar. Staying free of it is the price I am willing to pay for what I have now.

Each one of us has to find our own path, and I know you’ll find yours, Fuvvie. That candle is in you, too. 🙂

I’ve been away on a retreat for a few days and it’s given me lots to think about. Talked late into the night with people with very different perspectives and experiences but we all agreed that we dislike being called “cancer survivors”, as if that defined who we are.

I think I like being “that woman who’s lost a lot of weight” better than “that fat woman” — but other people’s shorthand for identifying me isn’t as important as how I see myself.

There’s a danger in defining ourselves by weight loss. If I don’t lose one week — am I a failure? If I do drop a pound — am I a better person?

Successful weight loss is a mechanical process. Follow the formula that fits you and it will happen. It’s not a moral issue — it’s biology. Being slim won’t make me a “good” person, just one who’s at a healthy weight.

I’m gradually learning to shift my success measuring stick to where it belongs but this takes some work and self-awareness, and I’m really rather lazy! The scales can give me bonus good news but I can’t let them define my day. Nor who I am.