Lose 2 lb per week – join Jojo in this quest

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Apricot

10:10 am
14 Feb 16
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Hi. There are some interesting things that fasting offers that are not there in low cal. See Dr Jason Fung’s succession of articles. This is no 7
https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/longer-fasting-regimens-part-7/

He also says ( in Fasting No9) “Some would argue that the beneficial effect of fasting is due to the caloric reduction. But why is there such a striking difference between reducing calories and fasting? Caloric Reduction as Primary (CRaP) has been tried innumerable times, and failed virtually every single time. Yet fasting is often effective where simple caloric reduction is not. The short answer is that the beneficial hormonal changes that happen during fasting are entirely prevented by the constant intake of food. It is the intermittency of the fasting that makes it so much more effective. This prevents the development of resistance as detailed in the previous post. ”
The 800 Blood Sugar diet is designed for those who need to alter their BS quickly but need a steady diet rather than 5:2.
The other ref is to maintenance of weightloss among people who have lost 10-15% and need to keep it off. Generally the majority put it all back. This item studies the use of energy from 3 different diets and the one least likely to decrease your energy use was the low carb high fat diet.
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1199154

simcoeluv

10:10 am
14 Feb 16
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Hi Tasa:

Your expectations are unrealistic. You have lost almost 10 pounds in six weeks, which is exceptional. The average weight loss for 5:2 is about a pound a week, or for you about 6 pounds. Losing 4 pounds a week going forward is not realistic.

So the question you have to answer is – do you want to quit, and stop losing or even start gaining weight, or continue and lose as much as you can by your wedding?

Or, do you want to start eating less than you have been eating, and lose more than you have been, but less than 4 pounds a week?

Your choice.

Good Luck!

Nama

10:27 am
14 Feb 16
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Hi Tasa,

Adding my two cents worth – don’t give up! Of course you want/need to be slimmer for the wedding, but no one except yourself will have a clue whether you weigh 5 kgs more or less on the day. ( Unless of course you need to squeeze yourself into an outfit that is too small! ). Do 4:3 by all means. Once you get into the rythm, Mon/Wed/Fri fasts are not too bad, but as everyone has already said, your results have been great so far. It would be unrealistic to think you could lose any faster and such a shame to jeopordise what you have already achieved. Whatever your age or stage in life, fasting is a great way to get to a healthy weight and establish good habits to maintain it for life. Try to think beyond just the wedding! Good luck.

Amazon

10:34 am
14 Feb 16
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Tasa, you could try adding an extra fast day to keep the weight loss moving but as others have said your expectations are unrealistic. Keep up the good work, you are doing really well.

Hi Apricot. There is no reason whatsoever why someone who doesn’t have raised blood sugar levels cannot follow the BSD for eight weeks, lose weight and improve their health.

Apricot

11:44 am
14 Feb 16
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No I didn’t mean you couldn’t do it, I meant that it is basically a straight low cal diet and therefore potentially has some of the snags of those. I also meant that there’s a slightly different focus in that book and system. But it’s a good diet, I have the book and was considering it myself. I’m following others on the website for it and there’s a lot of success there. And some of the research outlined above suggests that the low metabolism that often results form low cal diets and is multiply researched could be related more to the carb/fat/ protein ratios than the calorie content.
There do seem to be advantages in the “on/off” system of 5:2, however. There’s a whole other bunch of research on what happens when you stress the cells, which is what fasting does, and which MM mentions in this book (5:2)

Amazon

12:55 pm
14 Feb 16
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Not sure what you mean by low metabolism as your metabolic rate is the number of calories your body needs in order to function and decreases as you lose weight.

IMHO anyone following calorie restriction including those of us doing 5:2 or variations of it can get lazy after a while and not pay such close attention to the balance in our diets or the amounts we are consuming. It can help to change direction and do something different as it is unfamiliar and we need to pay more attention to doing it properly.

I do think that the less processed our food is the more efficiently our bodies deal with it and the more satiated we feel after eating once we get used to it, which of course means we eat less and lose more weight, but it is important to eat as wide a variety of foods as possible for balance and to prevent food boredom.

I’ve found that 5:2 has helped me get rid of some of my bad and ingrained eating habits in a way that no other diet has, and along with the health benefits I can’t see why I would want to try anything else but everyone has to find their own way.

pranayama

1:48 pm
14 Feb 16
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Hi everyone,
Happy Valentine’s Day and hope you have all had a lovely day. The day is just starting here in the frozen midwest USA where the temperature is 7degrees F (I think that’s about -14degrees C).

On my official weigh in yesterday I found I have only lost a half pound this week, but although I’m far from the goal of 2 pounds per week, I’m feeling great. I am down 5.5 pounds over this period of IF, and my clothes definitely feel looser. I feel lighter and my mirror seems to show a loss :). I have 16.5 pounds to lose to reach my goal, and even if I don’t lose it all by the second week in April (our beach vacation) I will at least be down a few more pounds by then if I keep to this plan.

Doing rather well with steps and working out, but things do come up to change plans. Spent almost 6 hours in the ER with my sister yesterday (she is ok, but had a fall that needed to be checked out) so it cut down on my activity quite a bit. I did walk earlier in the day before the unexpected trip to the hospital, which was fortunate since I missed my planned gym visit.

Am doing fairly well avoiding added sugar. I did have a tiny chocolate heart yesterday. It was handed to me as a “gift” for a small donation I made to a charity. How can I not eat chocolate that is literally placed in my hand???. I do love fruit, and that has been harder to avoid…….

Once again, enjoying all of your posts, learning from them and gaining motivation. RT, I love that you call 19/5 the “hand brake”. It surely is for me. Tasa, I’m too new to give advice, but you have received some excellent advice from others here who are qualified to give it.

Congratulations to all the losers and maintainers, and good luck to all of us. Thank you for being here. As someone (who?) said, we are all on this trip together, but some of us are taking different routes. Still, we hope to meet up in the same place eventually.

Take care, prana

ply24mp

2:42 pm
14 Feb 16
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Jojo, I am going to have to completely agree with Happy, though she is more articulate than I. Perhaps it is difficult for you to see the pattern of super strict, make some not-so-good adjustments due to lack of time/energy/willpower, get unsatisfactory results (but perhaps only when compared to expectations…see 4 lbs in January), cut back further, become bored with the strictness, and really go off the rails, become more frustrated, and the cycle starts all over.
I have made a shopping list for the BSD, and I don’t find it that complicated. I know that you do not enjoy cooking as I do, but the recipes seem so interesting and full of flavor, texture, and color that I think what Amazon says about combatting the boredom of a standard low-calorie regimen is true. There are some adjustments that could be made, for instance, several different greens are called for on different days…rocket, spinach, watercress, general salad greens; but surely the same greens could be used for all these meals. The only ingredient that seems exotic at all is the pomegranate seeds, but they are so beautiful and full of flavor that it is worth it to find them! Also, all of the dinner recipes make at least 2 servings, so you can pop one serving in the freezer each day, and you have another week of dinners ready to go with no additional time spent.
So, I encourage you to take a hard look, and decide whether to commit fully for two weeks. What have you got to lose, except a few pounds? 😘
I do not have any blood sugar issues, but I am planning to follow this for a jump start because 5:2 has been difficult lately, and getting off carbs and sweets is never a bad idea.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

sony1

5:16 pm
14 Feb 16
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Hi all.
I just started this diet last week and yesterday was my 3rd day,because i am doing 4:3 instead of 5:2.
I have under active thyroids,and i am on 150 thyroxine at the moment,and i can’t lose any weight at all,no mater what i try.I have put on 15 kg since i had my thyroids removed 7-8 years ago.
I can survive the fasting days,drinking a lot of coffee and water,and having a meal at the evening time,but i am eating a lot on not fasting days 🙁
I checked my weight today and i was down 2.2kg which is 4.8 lb and i know this is water weight,but i hope it will continue like this.I will keep you updated.
Ok,good luck everyone

Amazon

6:37 pm
14 Feb 16
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Hi sony and welcome,

It takes a while to get used to fasting and not over compensating on non FDs but you’ll get there. It might take a bit longer for you to lose the weight due to your medication but there is no reason why you can’t.

Good luck 😊

jojo58

11:10 pm
14 Feb 16
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Good evening All,
Thank you all for your advice.
I always record the food I eat and ensure the balance is correct in terms of percentages of protein versus carbs and fats. I also make sure that the food I cook has spices and herbs, I really enjoy tasty food. I eat a huge variety of veg and fish but I tend to cook very simple dishes such as spicy vegetable soup, grilled or stir fry( fat free) fish with several veg. At least it is not convenience foods.

I may be able to follow the menu if I do all the preparation on the previous evening. I will give it a shot. Obviously what I read was not designed for vegetarians, I don’t often eat chicken, I have only seen one week sample from the Daily Mail write up. The book should arrive this week, I will see what it offers. I agree the menu looks good on the whole. My diet is already low carb, no fat and low sugar so I am not expecting dramatic weightloss compared to people who have not been fasting and restricting their food choices. My poor health has led me to retrict my diet. Before I begin this diet I will check it out with my Doctor as I am awaiting gall bladder surgery.

I have made mistakes along the way and fallen off the wagon but I think most long term dieters do this, addicts don’t get the cure overnight. I have lost 42 lbs and stopped drinking alcohol and I am still trying to get to goal of 10 stone no matter how long this takes. Obviously life would be easier if I could do this more quickly but my bad habits took 40 years to develop, it’s a long process of change which has to adapted to fit in my very full lifestyle. I don’t plan to change my very busy and interesting programme of events because I love the diverse range of activities.

Well Done Sony1, Prani and Tasa on your weightloss. Tasa 2 lb per week is maximum on 5:2 with healthy plan on non fast days. Losing 3-4 lb per week is possible on the BPD but this is a very restrictive plan and not recommended for new 5:2 ers unless you have health issues or Doctors recommendation. Apricot- I have chosen BPD to address high cholesterol issues and speed up weightloss after long term dieting.

NickyF

12:24 am
15 Feb 16
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Good morning fast-trackers

Penti, how is your food-smoking experiment progressing? I’m with you on the size 10 dress. I have been gradually clearing out my sewing room cupboards and pitched heaps of ancient paper patterns into the recycling bin. However, have kept a few ‘timeless’ designs of old size 12 (=10 these days) ready for the new me.

Regarding eating occasions having to be ‘thought-filled’, I’m the same – if not it leads to disaster. Purple is spot-on. My OH is naturally skinny (I only thought I was until my 50s) and I’m learning lots from his approach. As he gets older and his work-related activity has reduced with semi-retirement his appetite (and capacity) seem to have also naturally reduced. He is 6” taller than me and I too now give myself smaller portions than him. It looked a bit sparse on a dinner plate so went to the entrée size. I take comfort that I’m becoming more mindful overall. Sorry to hear about the pizza slip – we’ve all been there. On FDs I don’t cook anything different for OH but give him more and supplement with a starch, e.g. if we grilled lamb chops I have one and steamed greens and I give him two and mashed potato with the steamed greens. If we have fish, he gets chips too but I just have the side salad with my fish microwaved rather than cooked in the pan. If we have a vegetable omelette I make it with 3 eggs and he gets 2/3. Well done on the loss. Exercise of course leads to increased muscle mass which will help a little.

Jo, I admire your resolve regarding 800cal/day – may the Force be with you! I have recently re-read Dr M’s ‘Fast Exercise’ and also some wider reading on high intensity training (HIT). Apparently intermittent high-intensity periods of exercise are more effective at fat-burning than steady-state exercise. Your total exercise makes me exhausted just reading about it, but wonder if your efforts would be boosted by a couple of HIT sessions per week? You may be already doing it, if so please forgive and ignore. Hope your back is feeling better. Do you remember how you did it or just woke up with it? Like you my bad habits have taken years to develop so am happy to have lost (and kept off) as much as I have since adopting this wonderful WOL and discovering fellow fasters, so thank you for starting this thread.

RT, just love your posts my SA mate. English is IMO designed to confuse the foreigner. Most of its illogicalities pass us by because we grew up with it but when examined …! Hope you and Mrs RT enjoyed yesterday. I was on weekend duty at Wittunga yesterday doing my rounds on the Gator, came round a bend and nearly ran over an ‘older’ couple in the middle of a big smooch smack-bang in the middle of the road. The Gator is so noisy I can’t believe they didn’t hear me coming. Ain’t love grand?

Ply, good luck with your fresh start today. Brilliant advice ‘follow my eating plan for 2 weeks’; it fits beautifully into the ‘specific’ part of the SMART strategy because it puts doable structure into the general wish ‘I want to lose x lbs/kgs per week’.

Wiwi, …’never jam today’ (at least not for Lent). Love it!

Bay, ditto to you for the 800C/day diet. Thanks for the tip about benchmark testing for 70yos – it’s my 70th at the end of April so will definitely follow it up.

Amazon, the BS diet? 🙂 🙂 What’s a BMR menu?

Happy, thanks for your interesting summary, a useful road map for us all, especially the reminder that maintenance is no different from the weight loss approach – always think about what we’re eating. Also, as someone said on this thread a looooong time ago, if we’re not gaining then we’re maintaining, so what those of us still on the weight-loss train are learning will still be relevant when we finally arrive at that sunlit upland station called maintenance.

Good to hear from you Wee, glad you found your keys and can keep laughing.

Glad to hear the scales are moving downwards again for you AO. You have had a tough 2015 but it must be time for an ‘up’.

Nama, thanks for more maintenance insights. Jamieson must be looking lovely at this time of the year – autumn tones appearing yet? Our deciduous trees have definitely registered the shortening days.

Tasa, I strongly agree with everyone else’s comments. While I understand your desire to look good for the wedding, this WOL is not a quick diet but a whole change in our attitude to eating, as you will have gathered from reading the thread. You could try incorporating some higher-intensity walking/running into your regular exercise and maybe try ADF for the short term or, as Happy suggested, not eat for three weeks. 

Prana, we all have stages when, despite following ‘the plan’ the loss does not follow in a straight line. There have been many weeks when not much happened on the scales for me (and for many others too) but I found my measurements decreased so something had clearly happened. I haven’t read a credible explanation but it is a common observation. In fact, I think there’s a thread on the forum called something like ‘if the scales stay the same but your clothes are looser’. Any loss is good. Sorry to hear of your sister’s fall and glad it’s nothing serious.

Welcome Sony! Comprehensive menu planning is the key to success in this new WOL you have adopted both for FDs and non-FDs (which many of us still struggle with). Congratulations on taking control and please keep us posted on your journey.

Monday FD for me as usual. The first few days of my Lenten challenge (nothing with added sugar) have worked well – maybe the secret was not to set the bar too high. 😉 Since last Monday’s ‘official’ weigh-in (FDs Monday and Wednesday, ≤ TDEE on non-FDs and nothing with added sugar) the scales are down 1.2kg (2.6lb) so very happy. I also went to my new yoga class on Thursday and usual weight training on Tuesday. The yoga class consists of women around my age so it was a bit less challenging than my former class, when the next oldest person was the instructor and the others were all in their 30s. It will possibly crank up as time passes but in one pose I automatically moved to the most challenging form I knew, only to realise everyone was looking at me so hastily went back two stages – don’t want to look like a smart-a***. Overall it was a bit more ‘new-age’ than my former class (scented candle, ‘nature’ music and an occasional gong) but will give it a fair trial.

Sorry for long post, will shut up now.

Take care all and keep up the good work. n xxx

pranayama

1:56 am
15 Feb 16
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Good evening everyone.

A good day today. I attended an event that had valentine-themed treats of all kinds (I don’t need to describe them to you and anyway I hardly looked at the buffet table) and managed to eat a few clementine slices and a very small portion of walnuts that I brought from home, along with drinking tons of tea. I don’t think anyone noticed that I didn’t eat treats and I don’t care if they did. No one can guilt me into eating sugar right now, lol. Good supper tonight and so eating is done for the day, what a relief. About 9500 steps today. Tomorrow I fast, and teach 4 classes (water, cardio sculpt, and two senior yoga classes) so a much simpler eating day.

Nicky, my yoga and strength-training friend, thank you for the supportive words. I will look for that thread. As of today I have starting wearing slightly smaller intimate apparel, since I seem to have gone down a size in a particular area. I guess we don’t get to choose where this weight loss actually happens, such a pity. 🙂

Sony1, welcome and good for you on your weightloss! Will be excited to hear about your progress.

Jojo, you have accomplished so much. Over my life I have probably lost the same pound 42 times, but what you have done is amazing and inspiring. Good luck as you overcome challenges, stay active and continue to lose weight.

Good luck to everyone on Monday. Take care, prana

HappyNow

7:13 am
15 Feb 16
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Jo,

I think you really need to read the book. There are plenty of vegetarian options, and plenty of fish dishes too. While there are lamb/ pork/ chicken/ beef recipes, no one is suggesting you eat meat, you will just need to substitute a different protein source into the recipe.

As you say, you may not see dramatic weight loss in the first couple of weeks (but who knows if you stuck with it longer?!). However it might at least help rebalance your gut flora which in the longer-term would help with weight loss.

jojo58

8:01 am
15 Feb 16
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Happy Now,
Yes I will read book, I really did not enjoy the one by Dr Mark Hyman – all 400 pages but it was informative.

I truly hope it works!

Nicky F- I do Hiit daily on a cross trainer, hopefully it compensates for my low aerobic exercise like dog walking and bowls. I am walking quicker on the dog walk but have to keep stopping to keep an eye on the pooches when off the lead. When they are on the lead I can do quite a pace so I get a bit of Hiit within that, certainly out of breath so that hopefully is good.

Busy fast day ahead yet already woken hungry. Keeping busy though.
Have a great fasting week everyone, keep movin, keep drinking water.

HappyNow

8:17 am
15 Feb 16
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Jo,

I think it’s fantastic that you have such an active retirement, it’s certainly something I aspire to.

No one is suggesting that you should change your busy programme, but I think you need to bear in mind that your busy programme could undermine your efforts if you’re not mindful and can’t keep at least some focus for weight/ eating issues. It occurs to me that perhaps your busy lifestyle is actually part of your lifetime of bad habits? You’ve just been too busy having a good time to think about what you’re eating?!

I don’t want to upset you, and instead of getting defensive I’d rather you just had a long hard think about what you want and how you might get there.

I hope you can commit properly to the BSD and that it gives you the boost you need. If you can’t, or it doesn’t, you will still need to formulate a plan.

As someone famous once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results.”

HappyNow

8:21 am
15 Feb 16
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Sorry Jo, didn’t see you’d posted, was just picking up on your earlier post.

Good to see you sounding so positive and enthused!

I suspect, even through I will not be cutting calories to 800, that I will scavenge some of the recipes from the book. Always good to have low cal healthy recipes in reserve.

Happy fasting / non-fasting all.

Purple Vegie Eater

10:58 am
15 Feb 16
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As I live with a recovered diabetic, who tests his bs every morning, I feel we have nearly 3 years of experience in keeping blood sugar stable. All this learnt on basic 5:2. No need to tinker with the tried and tested, when the daily results show us how brilliant the switch to 5:2 has been.
Reread Michael’s original book and try to stick to it.
My pennyth worth. 😃 P …at the end of another successful all day fast (27 hours)

Amazon

11:07 am
15 Feb 16
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Morning/evening all,
My tablet is kaput. I’ve been nursing it along for a while but it is now unusable. I’ve been out and bought a new laptop which is being set up for me and I should be able to collect it this afternoon.
This means I didn’t get to the gym today so will go tomorrow instead.
Nicky, I meant sticking to BMR calories rather than TDEE but the reality was that I ate to my TDEE which is fine.
I’m going for two B2B fasts again as it worked well last week and the 3lb loss has really helped. If I lose 1lb this week I’ll be happy.

That’s all for now as I’m using my phone.

Have a good one everybody 😜

jojo58

2:39 pm
15 Feb 16
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Just my take on what I should do!

Firstly I need to slow down my eating, it’s a rare event that someone finishes a meal before me.

I need to do ‘no food’ fasts now I have courted 350 per fast day.

I need to make weightloss my top priority, that is not so easy because currently it’s bowls. But the good news is I don’t eat while I am bowling. I have a cuppa and water.

I need to cook more intersting meals so I guess’doing what Ply and Happy suggest’ visit a vis the BS diet may be necessary.

I hereby agree that I will do these thing in March and April.

What ‘should’ you do? Will you commit to it?

Tasa

3:24 pm
15 Feb 16
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Jojo58
Here what I Should/can do to permanently change my eating habits, loose weight and eat healthy:

– Know how to measure calories e.g. what exactly 500 cal contains. Now it’s a guess work!
-Make Mondays and Thursdays a permanent fast days and stick to 500 cal
– Stop eating while i’m cooking to control my intake.
-Try my best to loose 2 lb a week and keep the focus and determination to do.
– Cut bread and fat intake and make this as a permanent change to avoid weight gain in the future.
-Eat clean food only and be realistic in my expectation as everyone suggested to me in this forum
– Follow the same routine when I eat out and stop eating compulsively when i’m stressed.
– Participate actively in this wonderful forum for support,advice and guidance.
-Walk at least 5 time a week for 40-60 minutes a day
I will follow on this later on as I need to go now.

jojo58

4:42 pm
15 Feb 16
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Good for you Tasa, I know you will succeed as will I. Go girl!

Amazon

6:12 pm
15 Feb 16
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Hi everyone,

I’ve been so busy tinkering with my new laptop that my FD flew by and I’ve only just had dinner 😋
It seems huge after my little tablet but I’m pleased to be back to a larger screen. I can while away the time tomorrow sorting oit my holiday photos 😎

Jo, whatever you decide to do we’ll be here supporting you. I agree that making more interesting meals are the way to go, it’s what I’ve had to do to get this far. If I hadn’t done so I wouldn’t have coped with fast days at all.

I hope everyone else who is fasting today has had a good one!

jojo58

6:47 pm
15 Feb 16
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Great, the book arrived.
I will read this week and report anything I think may be of interest to you. The menus look simpler than those published in the newspaper article, so that pleases me, looks doable.

Luckily after a quick glimpse at ‘do’s’ and ‘don’t’ I can see I am already in a good position. I really think I can do this.

Thanks Amazon for your support this thread really is my lifeline.

My fast day has gone really well too 300 cals.

RougeTrader

7:24 pm
15 Feb 16
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Hello Fast Trackers
Nicky Emel and Aussie O in South Australia Nama in Victoria Bay in ACT PVE in NSW WiWi & Barata in NZ and Jojo SAMM HappyNow Amazon Herm Lizzy Ply Tartan lass Smiffy Lor_PA CakeyWakey Sarah103 HealthCoachB Tessy pen nib Iona72 Pentimento pranayama and Hello World (You All know Who You ARE) 😉
Another successful zero calorie fast day yesterday with water and green tea with black coffee only a morning walk of 8839 steps and an afternoon walk of 10306 a windy day over cast hot then cold crazy weather day. Really enjoying all the robust chatter and the discussion re BSD calorie restriction and IF still powerful tools as we all know and compliance is still the barrier for us all Our old mate SAMM had the answer always just do the doable. I have a personal preference to on a fast day do just that. Some have breakfast and dinner and others save the calories for the evening meal,and under the 19/5 regime I skip lunch and dinner every day other than an eating occasion of course and have a snack in the afternoon along with the evening meal but everyone will try to follow their own study of one 😉
I just love getting this in to my posts because it is so true. Tasa I have done quite a few 4 day liquid only zero calorie fasts MTWTh and I have also done a 3 day water only fast a massive fan of 4-3 and ADF alternate day fast which means 7 out of 14 days fasting certainly not for everyone 4-3 is 6 out of 14 days fasting again not for everyone but that one extra day or two was critical for me so my best suggestion is rather than accept what is written and spoken about just get your fast on and see what is your doable. 6.6kg for your wedding day is the key driver to find or at the very least consider all available options this is good reading.
http://www.gq.com/story/six-day-water-fast-diet
Enjoy
The less you eat the more you lose.
RT

HappyNow

7:37 pm
15 Feb 16
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Right, what should I do? Except shut up, obviously 🙂

Well, I have some bad eating habits that I’m getting away with at the moment, but need to beat. Mainly to do with mid afternoon snacking while working. I’m fine at weekends or out and about, but sat at my computer… 🙁

And in an interesting reverse to you Jo, I need to focus more on my social life! All work, and a grumpy unsociable OH, make for a dull Happy.

Amazon

7:56 pm
15 Feb 16
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Happy,

whatever you do, don’t shut up. This isn’t a blog, it is a place for those of us with a commom goal to share our experiences and offer and accept/reject advice and opinions, and have a few laughs along the way 😁

And I’m sorry but I have to laugh at the pairing of Happy and Grumpy 😆

Purple Vegie Eater

9:00 pm
15 Feb 16
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Opposites attract Happy. We are Chatty and Mr Silent. Vive la difference! 😂😀

Great list Tasa. You are clearly getting a handle on this WOL. Whatever your ‘experiment of one’ shows, it must be habitual. This new world has to be totally embraced. That’s why, Jo, finding new recipes that are low gi, low cal, but high appeal, is the key to actually enjoying your new eating regime.

Calculate your goal weight by looking at weight for height charts and aiming for the middle. You will need “wriggle room” in maintenance. No excuses that you are an exception (heavy bones, always been a big family), then set your TDEE as it would be for a sedentary person at your goal, not current weight. Be honest about calculating calorie count until you reach goal, and NEVER eat beyond the first feeling of fullness. Reinvent what and how you eat, and never go back. It’s staggering how quickly you start totally rejecting sugary gunk.

Above all, avoid white carbs and processed foods whenever possible. Fresh, in season, homecooked food is the wonder of life!!

Cheers P 😎

bayleafoz

9:08 pm
15 Feb 16
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Happy, Amazon, RT and Purple

Love your work. Love this thread. Tell it like it is with care, compassion and wit. 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Totally endorse what you all say, and add Samm’s motto Do what is doable. There you have it. No white foods, no processed foods. Tasty and low cal and low GI foods, and life’s your oyster.
🌺🌺🌺🌞🌺🌺🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

Managed a fast yesterday for 23 hours on water and one cup of coffee. Had some homemade vegetable soup for dinner, under 300 calories for the day. May the sun shine for you all today. ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Cheers, Bay

bayleafoz

9:22 pm
15 Feb 16
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Hi Jo

I’m glad you like the recipes in the BSD book. I’m thinking of appropriating many of them into my menu. They look simple and appetising. ☕️☕️🎉🎉

In case you think I have this WOL licked, I am right now struggling to get rid of the extra kg I acquired through the last while. Everyone is different. When I go quiet on the thread, it usually means I’m lurking, reading and trying very hard not to slide backwards.

Thank you for attracting a lively set of opinionated and compassionate posters. 💐💐

Cheers, Bay 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

NickyF

9:27 pm
15 Feb 16
Permalink

Good morning all.

RT, such sound advice as always. I too limit my FD eating window to 5 hours, having a snack about 3pm and dinner at 7pm. Today is a non-FD at work so will extend eating window to 7 hours because I’m too flat at weight training if I haven’t had anything since the previous evening. Thursday-Sunday are ‘normal’ eating hours at home with OH, otherwise it’s a bit anti-social but am learning to stay below target TDEE.

Happy, I second Amazon, please keep sharing experiences and knowledge. We are all become more powerful when we combine what we know. Happy and Grumpy? 🙂 🙂 We’re mildly/extremely anti-social, always/intermittently tidy, owl/lark but we’ve hung on for nearly 48 years without murdering each other.

Jo, glad the BSD book recipes sound manageable. I too find I get easily browned off with FDs without something new to try. You don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen every day – many of the things I cook have at least half frozen for another day e.g. I spent an hour preparing a lasagne on Saturday afternoon (using eggplant instead of pasta sheets) which went into the oven with a roasting chook and resulted in at least 6 meals total for us. That’s a good return on invested time IMO. BTW not planning FD dinner for the lasagne but just something already done if I’m busy/late home from work.

Thanks everyone for sharing your ambitions. More power to your collective elbows!

I need to focus better on non-FD eating. This Lenten challenge is working out OK so far and after six weeks it might even be a new habit. More activity would be good, although must give some thought on how to fit more in. Not inactive now of course with total 40′ walk to and from the office and the car M-W, weights on Tuesday, yoga on Thursday, plus gardening and other incidental activity like playing cricket with the grandchildren after school on Thursdays and sometimes Fridays.

Relatively easy FD yesterday with <400C. Scales showing lowest reading this year, although still a little way to go to last year’s best. I find it’s best to focus mostly on the here and now because I’m too impatient for quick results otherwise.

Edit: Thanks Purple and Bay for extra insights – I think we are online together because your posts appeared while I was writing.

Take care all and keep up the good work. n xxx

Purple Vegie Eater

9:45 pm
15 Feb 16
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Well done Nicky and Bay!
Bay, you are spot on. Maintenance is just that. It takes vigilance. I stayed stable on my trip, then rose a “good” 1kg after getting home to a more sedentary life. 😕
I’ve done 3 fasts in the last 10 days and it is gradually creeping down again. I never go over my upper limit, but far too close at the moment for relaxed eating. On the positive side, yesterday’s fast was a total breeze. 27 no food hours and I could have continued. Much easier not to eat than to restrict. 😊 P

bayleafoz

10:34 pm
15 Feb 16
Permalink

PS, Jo

Drat the autocorrect. I am right now struggling with losing the extra 4 kg that I have put on over the last few months, little by little.

Cheers, Bay ☕️

jojo58

10:37 pm
15 Feb 16
Permalink

Can I just say that we all need to focus on doing 10,000 steps daily, so it is a really good idea to wear a pedometre or Fitbit. The average of most people is 5,000.
If I don’t finish 10,000 steps outside I do them on my mini trampet. Luckily my dog walk uses 5,000 daily, bowls adds 2,000 per game, play at least 4 games per week. I am also doing daily cross trainer at the moment which adds at least 3000. Michael Mosely calls this the magic number that we need to achieve daily.
Enjoy!
Ply- you should take measurements and pulse plus weight before you start BPD. I will put some info on Facebook for you.

ply24mp

11:19 pm
15 Feb 16
Permalink

Jojo, your indomitable spirit is what attracted me to this thread, and also why it has been so popular for so long.
If only we lived closer so I could do the cooking and you could drag me on long walks!
Thanks for the tip re pulse and measurements, I will do it first thing tomorrow.

PVE, I agree that good old 5:2 is the best thing! I have been unable to get myself on track with it, so I am tricking myself with the excitement of the new and shiny BSD!

Nicky, RT, and Amazon, good points and info , as always!

Completely understand opposite couples. My guy and I could not be more different in terms of temperament, but I like to think that we agree on the important things.

Coming off a stressful week after a visit from my brother and his wife. Brings up lots of emotions and memories of long-ago betrayals which I am usually adept at dealing with, but this week was quite hard.

(Some of) My shoulds:
Manage stress with exercise and meditation.
Separate my needs/wants/desires from those of others
Find an activity to keep my mind and hands occupied at night

Happy day, all. xox

Purple Vegie Eater

11:31 pm
15 Feb 16
Permalink

Hi Ply
I also need constant refreshment and , like you, love cooking new recipes.
Mmmm…pear, blueberry, plain yoghurt, walnuts and cinnamon for brunch today Yum. P

bayleafoz

12:07 am
16 Feb 16
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Hi Ply and Purple and Jo

Things to aim for. Must keep on routine of 5:2 as I am only managing 6:1 at the moment and it’s not enough to keep weight loss moving. Must learn to eat more slowly, savouring each mouthful. Try out new low GI no carb recipes. Make sure I reach 10,000 steps each day. Averaging 7,700 steps without trying this week. I reach 25,000 steps when I walk the dog, and play golf. Must Eat mindfully on non fast days.

Cheers, Bay 🌺🌺

jojo58

12:22 am
16 Feb 16
Permalink

Oh why oh why do such dynamic, outspoken, intelligent self aware women and men (RT)have weight problems? Now there is a question?

Stress is a major factor in that scenario, selflessness is another reason. Spending most of our time caring for others and we neglect ourselves.

I strongly recommend ‘yogic alternate nose breathing’ for 10 minutes a day, colouring when sitting watching TV (my latest hobby because my knitting was causing me stress( I still can’t make fingers in my gloves- arrggghhh.

Having Fasting buddies! Absolutely essential!

pranayama

1:24 am
16 Feb 16
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Everyone has been so busy writing great things. Fast day done, and being out of the house most of the day surely helped.

Thanks for asking about what we can/should do to accomplish our goals, Jojo. Here are my “cans”:

I can delay eating as long as possible every day (thanks RT). I know this works best for me, and takes little or no effort to accomplish.
I can drink more water at the gym. At home I drink tea, coffee, water frequently, but at the gym, especially when teaching classes, my intake goes way down.
I can do 10,000 steps every day.
I can turn my workouts into HIIT. As long as I am walking, working out on the elliptical, etc. anyway, I can do a minute of HIIT every 5-6 minutes.
I can avoid red meat, processed foods, simple carbs, saturated fats and sugar whenever possible and instead can eat vegetables, fish, complex carbs, occasional fruit and healthy fats.
I drink very little alcohol, and can enjoy an occasional glass of wine without guilt.
I can eat one piece of dark chocolate every day. (Just kidding. I can never stop at one, so chocolate can only be an occasional treat).

Jojo, I second the idea of yogic breathing. In addition to alternate nostril breathing, a very calming breath is breathing in through the nose to the count of 4, breathing out through the nose for the count of 5 or 6. This breath can reduce anxiety, and help us gain a feeling of peace and comfort. It can also lower blood pressure that is elevated due to stress or anxiety.

Regular eating day tomorrow. Going to an art exhibit with my OH and will most likely eat lunch out. Already planning how to handle that. Good luck to everyone. Thank you for being here. I depend upon you all.

prana

NickyF

1:33 am
16 Feb 16
Permalink

Hi again

Just taking a quick break for lunch …

Jo, I was reading without my specs and thought you wrote ‘alternative yogic bleeding’! Knew that couldn’t be right – reading spectacles on and now all clear. Thanks Prana for the additional suggestion.

Alternate breathing was something new for me in my first (new) yoga class lst week – really interesting as it requires so much concentration other thoughts are kept at bay. I usually use the in for 4 and out for 6 type when settling for sleep.

Nicky

Sarah103

2:55 am
16 Feb 16
Permalink

Hi Everyone,
Following posts twice or three daily. Very addicting. Wanting to do a three day fast. All in the mind. I need to spend more time processing and being persistent.
Tasa, I do not have any advice for you.. All I know is this is wol and a journey. Everyone is on there own journey and practice.. kind of like yoga. Fell off the wagon this weekend, going to start again tomorrow.
Have a great week everyone.

RougeTrader

5:19 am
16 Feb 16
Permalink

Cheers Bay May you always stay
Blissful
Brave
Brilliant
Bright
Bullish
Bubbly
Beautiful
Peace RT 😉

jojo58

7:45 am
16 Feb 16
Permalink

Morning All,
I have decided to extend my fast because I woke up this morning less hungry than yesterday morning. Interesting because I was desperate to eat all day yesterday and no amount of water or green tea satisfied me. I finally had lunch at 3 pm( ww tomato soup 74 cals)this kept me going until dinner at 6 pm. I had a real craving for meat( unusual for me) I had three slices of beef, very thin cut, 120 calories and a tin of chopped tomatoes 80 cals ( my cupboards are pretty bare as shopping planned today) finally I had 2 cups of tea at bowls 14 cals each and lots of green tea and water for the rest of the day. I did 10,000 steps at bowls and dog walking plus cross trainer. Total 302 cals so very happy with that plus I slept well albiet a very late night.

Result 1 kilo down this morning. Usually my fast is 500 cals and same exercise and if lucky half a pound down per week with 2 or 3 fasts. Not sure why 200 cals less has made such a big difference. Could it be the switch from salmon to beef? Who knows?

I was thinking about the ‘stress factors’ in my life. Obviously it is not that high because I am retired, financially secure and not directly caring for anyone so it is pretty low level. I am generally confident and calm( years of yoga training) even when playing bowls competitively. Then it hit me – fasting and dieting is my highest stressor. It’s that constant worry, what can I eat later, how many calories does it have, bla, bla. Have I met my 10,000 steps. So my thoughts are:-

More planning of meals and preparation the night before, calories counted and recorded in advance.

More yogic breathing, build in 3 ten minute episodes in the times now not spent eating
Or preparing food.

Start daily recording of three positive things that happen daily(MM suggests this) e.g yesterday won a game of bowls against strong opposition, reduced fasting calorie total and received a compliment from Ply another long term faster on this thread.

Go to bed earlier and get up early and do my 10,000 steps by 8.30 am so I can forget it for the rest of the day. That will have to start tomorrow because I am lounging in bed writing this Ha Ha!

What is your biggest stressor and what can you do to relieve it?

pen nib

8:56 am
16 Feb 16
Permalink

Bit of a long gap since Christmas – I’m still achieving a small weekly loss of about one pound a week slowed down by some trips away when food type is less manageable – I’ve managed by cutting out a meal and limiting quantities where possible
I’m really encouraged by the fact that I’ve just got 21lbs to lose now before I arrive at my goal healthy weight smack in the middle of the area on the graph for my height (for any one who hasn’t read my other entries I began this v positive journey in February last year needing to lose six stone!! I am 69years old and haven’t been any where near a decent size for about twenty years!!)
This means that if I keep up the two pounds a week I’ll get there by approx end April! Brill!
I’m already planning some clothes shopping expeditions for that time and have begun ditching clothes that I couldn’t decide over because I was too ‘plump’ to decide how they looked on me!
I also happily discuss food issues with by ‘bean pole’ husband who has his own diet/food tolerance issues to contend with and I no longer need to feel defensive about my choices!
I now enjoy walking a lot – moving briskly is now a pleasure and a 10,000 step outing very do-able!
I plan to exercise vigorously for a short time every day to encourage the trend – even if it’s up and down the stairs a few times
Feels good to be on the home straight!!

Amazon

9:00 am
16 Feb 16
Permalink

Morning/evening all

A lovely frosty and sunny morning.
Another FD beckons and I’m off to the gym.

Have a good one eveybody 😜

jojo58

9:47 am
16 Feb 16
Permalink

Pen nib
Fantastic job, you are my new heroine
I had lost 5 stone then regained 1 but I am back on track( as we all say)
Keep posting, we need your words of wisdom.
Bet your Doctors are pleased with you?
Off for my walk now, cold but dry day here Amazon, hat and scarf essential.
Bowls this afternoon.
Kitchen and bathroom planner visit tonight, dreading that, more expense but long overdue.

bayleafoz

10:30 am
16 Feb 16
Permalink

RT. 😏😏😏😏. Bay

Purple Vegie Eater

10:49 am
16 Feb 16
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It’s interesting, Jo. Yesterday I absolutely breezed through 27 hours without food. Today, an eating day, after a light brunch, we were busy and, although I planned a healthy salad by 1pm, it was after 2 before we ate. I was ready to kill someone if I didn’t eat soon. I put it down to the expectation of food. My body was eagerly anticipating food, so I becane desperately hungry, and cranky. If I knew I wasn’t going to eat, I would have been fine. Hunger is all mind games, isn’t it? P

ply24mp

12:26 pm
16 Feb 16
Permalink

The forum s fast and furious lately, which usually means we are feeling strong, staying active, and sharing goals and successes. Hooray! I am off to shop for the first few days of the BSD, and looking forward to some yummy meals later. It’s a double-edged sword, as PVE explains with the anticipation of food!
So appreciate all the posts. The Aussies are the maintenance kings and queens! I am curious about whether pounds gained during maintenance come off as easily as at the beginning of 5:2, or are a slow slog like the last few pounds.
BTW, My brother is headed to Perth tomorrow for work, but will have some personal time. Any must sees that I can share with him?

Amazon

12:44 pm
16 Feb 16
Permalink

Hi ply,

Awalk in Kings Park is worthwhile. It is a lovely place and affords great views of the city and the water. I always ask my friends to take me there when I visit them.

Great morning’s work at the gym and in the pool, time for some much needed caffeine ☕