I am in my 60’s and it seems, have tried every diet with little success. I have followed WW/Slimming World etc, counting calories only to lose 1/2lb (that’s half not 1 – 2)per week. After a while boredom and a feeling of deprivation crept in and of course I cheated. Each new ‘slimming’ club regime eventually left me with more weight than I had started with, so I decided to become content with what I had. I was healthy, after being treated successfully for breast cancer, although the Tamoxifen I had taken for the last 5 years left me with a little more weight.
Then I caught sight of my naked body in a mirror! I had developed an ‘apron’ of fat on my lower abdomen. Surgery sprang to mind but did I really want another anaesthetic and more to the point – PAIN?
I had read Dr Moseley’s article about Intermittent fasting in a newspaper and decided to check it again as it seemed to be more than a diet and mean more than just losing weight.
Everything I read was so appropriate to me. I had about 2 stone to lose, had already done the cancer thing and have an 88 year old mother with Type Two diabetes. I also have a fear of having a stroke so needed to do something to keep my blood pressure fairly low.
I bought the book and decided the next day would be my first fast day. My husband promised to support me although he is only a few pounds overweight and together we started out on our journey.
I had a packet of porridge (125 cals) made with water for breakfast. The packets help with portion control.
Then a plateful of salad leaves, celery. cucumber, cherry tomatoes and spring onions with a small grilled chicken breast for dinner at 6pm.
During the day we drank tea and coffee with a splash of milk, lemon tea and plenty of water.
My husband thought his throat had been cut – he complained all day and I have dumped him as a fasting buddy!
This fasting day regime has become the basis of my fasts with salmon and tuna replacing the chicken.
The other five days I eat fairly normally sometimes after having a good lunch just eating a piece of fruit during the evening.
I have to say I have and am, enjoying IF. By the beginning of July I had lost 11lbs and celebrated by buying a new swimming costume for our imminent holiday.
Everyone says you put on 1lb a day on a cruise but I proved them wrong and put on 6lb over a 12 day cruise. I did occasionally skip lunch but had no guilty feelings when I was tucking into cheesecake or drinking wine and a cocktail each evening!
We arrived back late on a Sunday evening and it was easy to start a fast day on Monday as our fridge was empty (thank you No.2 son). After my porridge and tea breakfast the day flew past in a flurry of washing, dusting and shopping so my salad dinner at 6 came quite quickly.
Over the next couple of weeks that 6lbs disappeared and now 12th August I have lost a total of 14lbs and 2inches off my waist since buying the book in May, I also feel so much better.
I am hoping by December I will have lost another 14lbs. I do have another 8 day cruise in September so I have built the SMALL weight gain into my plan.
I am so pleased I found this forum with people taking the same journey as myself and hope I don’t bore you all too much if I post my experience in this thread.
I will also try to encourage you to reach your goal and may need propping up myself sometimes.
Thank you for ploughing through this
Lindy

Thank you for reading my diatribe – I seem to have almost written a book there!
I just watched ‘Then men who made us thin’ on iPlayer and really laughed at the WW Executive who said ‘if WW worked we wouldn’t have a business’.
Yes one of the factors that made me give up was paying so much, and suffering for so little weight loss. Having said that in the 1990’s my mother joined WW and achieved her ideal weight and has not regained it – but having said that she now has Type Two Diabetes (and has always had a sweet tooth which I don’t)
The ‘science’ bit of 5:2 appeals to me as much as weight loss. If I can avert Diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease I shall be very happy. I am looking at 5:2 as a life style change and not just a diet.

There seem to be so many benefits from 5:2
I can’t believe how good I feel after a fast day too.

Well done you too BigFella!
Another great benefit – its hard when your BedFella keeps you awake like that. 🙂

Saturday – I have lost another 2lbs!
Yesterday we met a friend and her son to walk and play, she had bought a picnic for the boys and I had taken some small cakes. I had intended to cook at lunchtime but the picnic seemed to satisfy everyone and Sarah understands my way of life so wasn’t bothered that I managed NOT to eat anything. Yippeee I had turned this into a fast day so easily. Dinner at 6 was my leafy salad with cold chicken and a small helping of fruit salad made the day before and shouting at me from the fridge.
So now I can enjoy a normal weekend with my husband. Cooked a huge pan of ratatouille to freeze in portions and a pan of roast veg for this evening with salmon and asparagus.
The friend I met on Wednesday rang me earlier today to ask how I had managed to lose weight and seem so energised. Well it was a long phone called as I enthused about 5:2 and she was so impressed she was going straight to Tesco to buy the book.
Only one week until we go on our cruise around Norway so if I could lose another 2lbs this week I shall be so happy!
Hope you all have a great week and there is less of you soon.

Thank you both.
Had a fast day today and cooked Aubergine (Eggplant) parmigiano from a cookery book my husband bought me on the cruise! What’s he doing buying me a cookery book!
It was delish though and only about 300 cals, I did reduce the amount of cheese though.

Just time for a quick update.
I have been to Cornwall for 5 days and been lucky with the weather, bright sunny days with a bit of a breeze and only one mornings rain.
I tried to stay on my usual regime and again stayed the same weight as before I went. Trying hard to think of that as good as I did have fish and chips (well you have to at the seaside!), plenty of wine and the owner of the cottage left us a cream tea which it would have been rude not to eat. I don’t suppose the Cornish Pasty helped much either……..
Nevertheless today I am feeling very positive and am fasting. We are certainly into Autumn now with horrible fine rain ever since we got out of bed so no walk today but with winter in mind I have all the info I need to join our local gym so may start that this week as a booster.

Well I am not weighing myself again until Sunday.
Had a good fast day yesterday and today ate really well (and healthily) so hopefully I will be lighter then.
I am wearing trousers that I practically had to lie on the bed to zip up once but now slide on beautifully and could almost be a bit on the big side.
When do I start replacing things in my wardrobe? What if it all goes wrong and I need to keep the larger size? Any advise?

Oh how lovely to hear all your inspiring stories – I am sitting here with a big grin on my face 🙂
You are all right – as soon as I have a free day I am having some retail therapy!!
I enjoy this way of life and see no reason to give it up – I think Michael Mosley is a saint bringing this to our attention.
OOOOH wait that would make him St Michael – heard that somewhere before 🙂

Well his second fast day (yesterday) went well but I think he was slightly over 600cals so I will have to be stricter on Thursday. I will have to let him know its only 4 weeks to his next Fasting blood sugar etc test, that’s only 8 fasts and I hope his results come back within the normal range then he can go 6:1
Today I discovered I have 5 pairs of ‘good/almost new’ black trousers, and 4 pairs that are good for everyday wear. Also 3 pairs that are too big and now in the charity bag. Fortunately all the others fit, only just slightly on the loose side so I am still holding out on clothes shopping 🙂

Been re-inspired by reading Symba7’s thread – quite fabulous although I did laugh at her taking her scales on holiday 😀 It is a terrible dilemma to have too many choices of clothes that fit loosely and look good as she says.
Its 26 weeks since I changed my lifestyle and somewhere along the way lost 22lbs – not too bad considering the 2 cruises and 2 weeks holiday we have taken.
Now I have my husband onboard, and he is doing really well. He has had 3 fast days in one week (due to social commitments), has completely given up sugar in his drinks and has lost 1lb. At last he has stopped complaining that he is ‘starving’. I really do hope this lifestyle will revert his fasting glucose levels.

yippeee! A 2lb loss this week.
Can I manage 4 more in the next 3 weeks? Might have to go 4:3 🙁
Hope everyone else is reaching their Christmas targets 🙂

Hi Scoobydoo
I found the fast days got easier each week, and only had two (moveable) fast days each week. I think I have only once done 4:3 and that didn’t seem to arduous so may do it again next week.
I feel as if a switch has been activated in my head (at long last) which has stopped me over eating and has also changed my food tastes. I have never had a sweet tooth so a box of chocs or slice of cake was never that tempting, but cheese, crisps and crusty white bread…………..well it was never around for long.
Now I can eat good food sensibly – in ‘normal’ portions and positively enjoy going to bed not feeling stuffed!

Wine. As you have noticed wine lowers the inhibitions. I am and always have been, pretty lightweight (and a cheap date) when it comes to alcohol. Two pub measures of wine and I am dancing on the table 🙂 So some years ago, probably when our drink driving laws came into being and my husband made me the designated driver, I started adding soda water to a small glass of wine and had it in a large glass. This was a drink I could make last for quite a while over dinner then go on to something non alcoholic.

I decided to weigh myself weekly (on Sundays) when I first started IF, but in the last week or so have been finding it hard not to weigh daily as I really want to reach my target. If I don’t it wont be such a big deal as I took years to put it on – losing it all in one year would be fine with me. Plus I am going to continue 6:1 for the rest of my life for the other benefits.

Good luck Scooby

Yippee I have made my Christmas goal with a week to spare 😀
Due to social commitments we will have our fast days on Tuesday and Friday this week, then Monday and maybe Friday next week.

Chocolate ban is still on for Christmas for everyone 😛 can’t see that happening but I have tried. Unfortunately Aldi are selling Stollen bites again – these are little squares of the most delicious Stollen (a German cake filled with marzipan)just enough for two bites if you can stop at one square.

One other thing I have noticed is that I am feeling the cold more. I did have a slight problem with breast cancer a few years ago and needed to take Tamoxifen which has similar side effects to the menopause, except my ‘tropical moments’ lasted 24 hours a day which was great for the hubby who had started Beta Blockers and felt cold most of the time. That was good for me as I could snuggle up to his cold legs in bed – anyway enough of that! I have been off Tamoxifen for 2 years now and find myself slamming the heating up in the middle of the day and we really haven’t had frosty winter weather yet!
Might have to get some thermal underwear!

In case I don’t get to post again soon I would like to wish all my fellow fasters who have inspired and entertained me over the past few months a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year.

and I hope we see less of each other in the future – if you know what I mean 😀

Me too!
I haven’t yet got the tights and wooly hat on but have laughed at the thought of you in all your clothes -can you bend your legs?
I think I am in some sort of denial about my weight loss. I know I have lost lbs and inches but I am sure I will wake up soon and be back to my heaviest weight.
Anyway I went to my godson’s nativity on Tuesday wearing a size 16 anorak and size 16 (black) trousers. I kept stepping on the hem of the trousers and pulling them up surreptitiously, and the sleeves of my jacket came right over my hands and felt very loose. The result is – I have bought a size 14 coat and it fits like a dream! I can’t wait to wear it out with a pair of black leather boots I have had for years but also fit my calf so much better (well my feet wont go blue anymore)

Jeans are the worst when they are too big, baggy bums do no one any favours!

After a fast day on Monday 23rd Christmas really was ‘feast days’ from the crack of dawn till dusk – well the crack of coffee time till after midnight.
Mince pies, Pringles, nuts, Christmas Pud, trifle, NY cheese cake, cream, any amount of cheeses and a fair amount of the bubbly stuff slipped passed my lips with relish!
We did manage to run a chocolate free house as a nod to healthy eating though 🙂 Only one son bought two boxes of truffles and only about 4 of them disappeared so I don’t think any of us really missed the usual pile of tins of chocolate, bags of Bitesize, Turkish delight and bars of Green and Blacks (with chilli)- oh wait – I love that chocolate so it may be my next treat!
I fasted again on Saturday and felt relieved to do so to be honest.
Anyway as Sunday is my usual weigh in day I am pleased to report I haven’t gained weight *faints.
I and my husband will have our usual Monday fast tomorrow then I will again on Friday and hopefully next Sunday will register the same weight or maybe a 1lb loss if I am lucky.
My New Year resolution is to continue this very satisfying way of life, join the local gym and buy the Fast Exercise book. I am sceptical about the book and feel I cannot do HIT – but how many of us said that about IF? 😀

Happy and Healthy New Year to all my Fast Friends x