Day 1 – Dubai – FD#10

Greetings from the Middle East. Thank you @michelinme for taking up the hosting duties for May, count me in.

I started this journey at the beginning of April – during the month I lost 6 pounds – not as much as I wanted but honestly being 55+–when losing weight seems to take FOREVER–I’m thrilled with the outcome. This month I would like to lose 8 pounds, might as well aim high! My ultimate goal is to be slim and trim at 125 pounds by the end of August. My weekly plan is to keep it simple with 2 FDs and 5 NFDs along with regular exercise – tennis, circuits and walking. Good luck to everybody.

Thank you for all your incredibly inspirational stories. They give me such hope. @at – you’re my hero . Yes, together we are stronger!

“Three months from now, you’ll thank yourself.”

Day 1-London-NFD

Hello, I am joining the monthly challenge as I am entering my 4th week of this wol. So far, my weight has gone down but extremely slowly (-1.5kg), which is somehow a bit frustrating. I need to get additional motivation!
I am at 68.2kg this morning (no lose last week) and my weight goal is 61kg, which is my pre-pregnancy weight (8years ago…). I am 45 now and I can see loosing weight is a lot more work than before!
I have always been active and kept my weight under control (I have always been on the curvy side but healthy) with jogging and swimming. That’s something that has nearly disappeared of my routine since I had my children. Hence re-introducing exercise every day this month!

good luck to everybody!
XX

Day 1 Belfast NFD

A bit about me –
I am a 63 year old retired primary school teacher. Weight: 150.25lbs. BMI. 24.: Waist:34
I am in the tortoise club. I’ve been doing this WOL for 2 years and have lost 2stone, mainly because my weekends get in the way! But, being a cup half full gal, it’s been slowly down all the way and I can attribute that to the wonderful support from this great international forum. I’m headed for maintenance and my main consideration is my waist diameter, which is too big. I am a self confessed sugar addict, which is my biggest demon, although I am partial to the odd G&T at the weekend.

@Mmjrbcd44 I read tour April post and I’m with ya! I hope you’ve got long arms ‘cos I might need some pulling!
@diwantsthin – I have a Fitbit, and it keeps you moving for sure. However, 10000 steps aren’t the end all and be all. I swim, do yoga, Pilates, (I’m a big fan of these for strength and flexibility) and walk 2-3miles a day with the puppy. I do like to feel that buzz on my wrist though, when I’ve reached that magic number!

My goals are this:

Fast on Monday and Thursdays
Follow 16:8 daily
Reduce sugar and refined carbs
Exercise the willpower muscle
Keep going at my varied exercise routine

Remember: Even if you lose 1/2 a pound a week, you’ll lose 26 lbs in a year.

ONWARDS AND DOWNWARDS!

Day 1. USA. FD. I am more productive at work on my FD’s I find. Good luck to all today!

Day 1 North Wales NFD

I am a retired 62 (today) year old teacher who had been struggling with excess weight for years. I started this way of life a year ago and have been doing the challenges for 11 months. I am now starting my 5th month of maintenance. I still fast 2 days a week mainly for health reasons. I don’t post very often, but I visit the forum every day to keep me motivated. I love this way of life and the support this forum gives. Hope everyone has a successful month.

NFD. Today. I was surprised that this morning I wasn’t very hungry after fasting yesterday. I still had a small breakfast.
@floridafun My fast days are Monday Thursday. So far this has been working for me.
Got to get back to my painting. Trying to save my flamigo painting. Hope everyone has a great afternoon.

2nd post

@floridafun Regarding your current TDEE of 1800, a great piece of advice is to work out the TDEE of the weight you aim for, and eat to that TDEE. It works for me ☺️
I also often do two FD’s one after the other (or back to back – B2B) and it’s not usually a problem. When I started 5:2 last summer I experimented with different times for eating, length of time between meals etc until I found what worked for me. Best of luck on your journey 🤗

@molij Happy birthday 🍾🎂

Hey guys looking for a bit of motivation! Had a very slow week last week losing only 1kg! I’m hoping I can continue to drop but scared to step on the scales and see my weight go up! I feel like this diet is my last resort as I have tried everything else 😫 anyone else had similar experiences I would love to hear them!

3rd post

@molij Happy Birthday!

@onlyhermes you were amazing last month, you lost 17lbs and @shimmera 11lbs well done!

@diana123 I’m so sorry, any results yet?

@lolabelle just keep doing 5:2, you’ll lose weight, we all did, some of us fast, some a bit slower.

@claireinspain, @malteserhead and @floridafun I agree with @daffodil2010 and @shinything you have to set a goal weight for yourself and change your habits, not easy, but doable and you get used to your new habits. I like to do FD’s on Monday and Tuesday, I want do have them done and enjoy the rest of the week. I don’t weigh myself often, I have a dress I want to fit in, I try it once in a while and I go by looking in the mirror. Just try what suits you best. Sometimes you’ll fail but nobody is perfect, just try again next day.

Day 1 2nd post Stevensville Maryland USA CNFD

@snowflake56 My brother is in stage 5 kidney failure due to his recent diagnose of Multiple Myeloma cancer not sure which stage that is yet. Bone Marrow biopsy this week along with Chemo once a week and dialysis three times a week, in hopes to bring his kidney functions up.

I lost my other brother when I was 15 and he was 10 to cancer, along with my mother 17yrs ago. Another reason I began this WOL in hopes for a long and healthy life.

hi @michelinme, thank you for your post. have managed Fd today and off to bed shortly. @at – inspirational post, happy birthday @molij. reading all the posts today has really helped me get through, thanks all.

also @diana123, sorry to hear of your worries with your brother, truly hope he receives some better news with health soon

Day 1 NFD Oregon USA

Hello hello and happy May!

A little about me…I’m 53. I’m the mom to four boys (men), work three days a week in my real job and four days a week (kidding, sort of) trying to launch a new business that’s all mine. 🙂

Technically I started my first challenge in November 2016. And proceeded to lose 10 pounds fairly quickly but have pretty much been stagnant since January. Well that was until April when I managed to gain 1.5 pounds back.

So…I’m diving into May and trying a LCHF approach combined with fasting days.
Today I baked my first loaf of “keto” bread.
Happily, I am not a huge sweets person, and not too bad about bread…HOWEVER…
potatoes,rice, CHIPS, popcorn…yeah I like my carbs, but clearly they don’t like me.

@debster251 and anyone else who wants to tackle it, consider us the first “pocket” for May? My goal is 40g or carbs or less a day. Obviously easy on FD’s. Will be tracking it for NFD’s. To that end, I’ve downloaded the Atkins Carb tracker.
I know @metatauta and some others try to stick to LCHF.

Welcome newbies and hello old friends. Happy to see you @coda and of course all the other lovely Brit’s.

Looking forward to sharing some real PROGRESS this month.

Here we go!

Day 2 – Japan – NFD 82.4kg

I’m having a slow and sluggish day.

@diana123, we are fasting for the same reasons, hoping for a long and healthy life. I can’t really understand the stress you are under with your brother’s cancer given that you have already lost a young brother and mother to cancer. Still we each have our stresses. Six years ago I felt like I was ready to die, now I feel like living. Fasting has helped me realize how wonderful life and even eating are.

Day 2 – UK (currently in Australia on holidays) NFD

Good Morning from an overcast and cool Melbourne atm but a top of 23 and sunshine promised…….my last full day here – I fly out of Melbourne at 1800hrs tomorrow – looking forward to being back home now and seeing my OH and DD 👨‍👩‍👧

@dykask – I did not decide to go “all the way down to a ultra slim weight of 55kg, BMI of ~20″ – I am only 5’4” and my weight just seemed to eventually stabilised nearer to 54kg. I mainly eat healthy Mediterranean types of food and enjoy a slice of cake with a coffee a couple of times a week and drink wine with my meals on 3-4 times a week. I don’t have a dessert at home but indulge when out. I do 16:8 days every day and fast one or two days each week but rarely do a water fast! I normally eat around 400cals on my FDs. @snowflake56 – I too have no idea what my body fat percentage is and like you I don’t think that I am too skinny as I definitely have spare fat still around…….I don’t do strenuous exercise but when at home my weekly exercise schedule involves 3hrs yoga, 1hr pilates, 1hr aerobics and I go hiking at least twice a week for 2hrs at a time – I am full of energy and sleep well normally.
@cornish-jane – I’m with you regarding yoga, it changed my life too – I started 2.5years ago and just love it for both the mental and physical benefits it has given me 🧘‍♀️
@daffodil2010 @stoic @matron65 – 🤗
@missybear – welcome to maintenance and vigilance is the key and not complacency – For me 5:2 is a WOL and a permanent one if I am not to regress to where I used to be……
@Strawberriesandcream – I totally agree that setting restrictions just backfires on me too…..
@coda – welcome to a positive May and we will help you stay on that wagon xx
@molij – Hope you had a fab day yesterday celebrating your 62nd 💐🥂🎈🎁
@cutegirl365 – 1kg lost in a week is a good one 💃 celebrate it with a happy dance – hope you find my little section below for those new to this WOL useful x
@diana123 – just 🤗

To all those new to this WOL I would advise that you set your TDEE for the weight you want to be and don’t overestimate your exercise level!!!!!!!! This allows you to lose weight faster and gets you used to what you should be eating when you reach your target. Also stick to the basic 5:2 for the first month i.e. eating 500cals or less on your FD and sticking to your TDEE on the NFDs – it works!!!!!
If you are unsure of how much you are consuming keep a strict calorie count of everything you are consuming for a week and you may surprise yourself at how big your “normal” portions are in fact and how many calories you are actually eating. I certainly learnt that what I considered to be normal was in fact not the case……..The free MFP app is very useful if you have not used it before.
As to the question when to weigh yourself – just be consistent – choose a day or time of the day – e.g. for me my official weekly weigh day is the day after my 2nd FD as I think that this will hopefully be my lowest weight for the week 😇 Sometimes having a pair of trousers or a skirt/dress you aspire to fit into once more is a great marker of your weight loss…..
If you do no exercise at all just start by going for a daily walk and you will soon feel the mental benefits of being out in the fresh air and doing some light exercise – GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR JOURNEY

To lose the weight and keep it off we cannot go back to doing what we did before when we gained the weight! “IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT LOSING THE WEIGHT; IT’S ABOUT LOSING THE LIFESTYLE AND MINDSET THAT GOT YOU THERE” Steve Maraboli

Hi everyone!
Is anyone else from Canada? I’m in B.C., the west coast of Canada.
So far I feel well with this WOL. I follow the old Weight Watcher’s point system, so today was a morning of Oatmeal with almond milk, some veg soup, then a fast from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m. where I only drank veggie stock and ate an apple, some celery, and some carrot sticks. I had a serving of fish and loads of plain steamed veges for my evening meal. It totaled 18 points.
I find I get a little growly in the tummy, but I remember to drink water or tea when that happens, or I nibble a few apple slices. I’m getting used to it.
I feel like I’m off to a good start. I hope to lose 5 pounds by the end of May. I don’t mind a slow weight loss, as long as it’s happening. I am encouraged! Oh yes–I am 62 years old, 5 feet 6 and one-half inches tall. My long-term goal is 148 pounds.
Eat well! Feel well!

Day 2 – Ireland 🇮🇪 -NFD

Finished 2 of my FD’s for the week and looking forward to my midweek NFD before tomorrow’s final FD. I have been doing 4:3 since the beginning and will continue until I get to goal. I plan to switch then to 5:2 in maintenance and @at I really take note of your watchout that vigilance is key in maintaining. That’s where I went wrong before, but I am confident this way of life will now keep me on track.

@diana123 and @dykask I too have continued with 5:2 for its health benefits due to family illness. I lost my darling mother to a heart attack when she was only 53 (and I was just in my 20’s). My Dad had a triple bypass 10 years ago, one of my brothers has Type 2 Diabetes, various other health issues with other siblings (there are 8 of us!). When I git to the stage that I was out of breath walking, pain in my arms and chest, I realised I could follow my mothers path if I did not do something. I have never been healthier. I took the cardio tests and I am good heart wise. This lifestyle is truly a life changer.

I virtually hug you too @diana123, I lost a brother in a road accident 20 years ago. I have no idea how you are feeling now but I can only imagine it’s so hard…….we stand strong behind you.

Have a good day everyone.

Day 2- UK – Reading FD

FD hasn’t started well as OH’s son stayed over last night and I made porridge for everyone this morning. Yummy, but I believe porridge also contains calories. Bummer. So today may turn into a CD.

Hi my name is Dena from UK 52 yrs old day 4 NFD. I have a lot of weight to shift following months of endometriosis and a full hysterectomy. All is good food and I don’t get on well as I never eat enough so the fasting days are a breeze for me. I am struggling with non fast days I am eating about 1200 calories a day which is massive for me is this enough food or do I need more xx

Day 2, London, UK, FD (2nd of B2B2B)

Yesterdays FD was a little over, nearer the 800cal mark, but that’s ok, it was all good healthy stuff!!!

@borealis, Who knew??? But I’m with you on that 1st week thing, having completed Arid April, the red wine dragon is calling me, luckily May started on a Tuesday (work day & FD) otherwise I would have been cracking a bottle open & calling it breakfast!!!! The relief of completing a challenge month does lead to that holiday feeling the 1st week of the new month ……………………………… lightbulb moment, I must remember this!!!!!

Happy belated Birthday @molij & Happy maintenance …………………………one day I’ll join you!!!!

@diana123, thinking of you and your brother, Praying & sending healing vibes his way.

@songbirdme, Happy, Happy Birthday to you!!!!! – I wouldn’t dare sing YOU a song (2nd year in a row too!!), but you can sing one to yourself …………….. from me(?), that does make sense!!!!

@diwantsthin, Welcome!!! I too make sure that ½ inch is made clear, at 5ft 2 ½” I need ALL the help I can get!!!!!

@cornish-jane, I’ve had a couple of anxiety induced disturbed nights recently, so I took my own fabulous advise(!!) and spritzed magnesium oil on the soles of my feet whilst lying in bed, the rubbed them together using my feet to massage each other up to the ankles……………………… et voila!!!!! Back to waking in the same position as I went to sleep in!!! I CANNOT stress enough the fabulousness(?) of magnesium oil!!!!

https://wellnessmama.com/5804/make-your-own-magnesium-oil/

@ktcaroline, are you sure about the porridge???? Surely it’s in the zero calorie category with, biscuits, crisps, potatoes, nuts and chocolate!!!! Hhmm – That magnesium oil is miraculous ……………………………………..I may still be asleep!!!!

Happy fasting everyone, surprisingly, it really isn’t that difficult to just NOT eat for a little while!!!!!

Day 2, Newcastle UK, NFD

Thinking of you and your brother @diana123.
Happy birthday @songbirdme – a fellow Taurean – yay!

Yesterday’s FD started well and ended badly. I was in a strange mood all day and leftover cheese and wine from Sunday was calling my name. Common sense has returned this morning. I’ll have an FD on Saturday to compensate.

Welcome to all the newbies and hello to fellow veterans.

Day 2 UK FD

Fasting again today as really feel in the mood for a weight loss!
Happy Birthday @songbirdme! Hope you have a great day. Belated birthday wishes to @molij.
@coda, lovely to see you back on the forum! After all you are the architect of all these challenges!
Onwards and downwards!

Day 2 – Dubai – NFD

Just checking in to say hi. Happy Birthday @molij.

@floridafun, my fast days are Sun and Tues (they are work days) and it seems to work for me. I like to get them out of the way at the beginning of the week.

“Three months from now, you’ll thank yourself.”