Hi All,
I’ve not been on for about a week but from what I’ve read it’s a bit of a mixed bag with some staying the same and some loosing.
Well I hope the ones that aren’t loosing at the moment don’t give up as I’m sure you will soon start to see the weight loss if not in pounds or kilos the clothes should start to feel slacker.
I’m feeling great at the moment and love the fast diet. It’s great fasting and the feel you get when you finish a FD, and I can’t believe how much energy I have even on FDs, I managed a 4 mile run on Monday after a FD and was really pleased with myself.
I’m also pleased with the weight loss, so far after 3 weeks I’ve lost 10lb and my clothes are feeling slacker as I’ve lost inches.
I can’t say that I’ve been perfect either, I’ve eaten out 3 times in the last week and also otwice the week before and had wine, so I don’t know how much I would of lost if I’d been good and eaten less.
Hope you are all having a good weekend and the scales are kind to you on your next weigh in.
Debbie x

Good Morning!

Salma & Debbie….great work on the weight loss! Slow & steady wins the race!

I’m off for an early tee time this morning. It rained all night, so the course will be wet, but at least it has stopped raining and looks to be clearing out. We have been lucky as we didn’t get wet yesterday either. I played well for half the round yesterday, but then fell apart on the back 9. Oh well…today is a new day. We’ll have fun win or lose.

Back to fasting tomorrow & looking forward to it.

Have a great day!

Hi sounds like everone is on the up – or is it the down – and losing.

After three days of frankly eating wonderfully, stayed the same so far this week, which is wonderful – I have to reluctantly admit the 68,000 steps I did, including walking up and down hotel corridors at midnight to round up numbers, and walking around station platforms rather than standing, helped a great deal.

Salma, you may be pleased to know that I read a piece in the paper stating that wine doesnt affect weight loss, the calories DONT turn to fat. Something Ive always suspected (wished?)

Also, sitting in Hotel Chocolat, drinking hot chocolate and sharing a very tasty salted caramel brownie – I dont even like brownies, but this was heaven – I read their new cookbook. Apparently Mayan Warriors walked to battle, fought and won, eating only a few cocoa beans.

So I suspect chocolate should be elevated to super food, and excempt from calorie counting too!!! Though only very good quality chocolate!!!

And, the author puts cocoa on his fried eggs, interesting thought for the foodies on this thread.

Fast day today, might even lose weight this week, hope y’all have a good one!!

Hi All I’m back after a long hiatus of not posting. I tend to revolve around three threads – each thread has such a great supportive group of people – but can’t keep up with posting to all three, although I always read.

Salma don’t get discouraged, I think you said it yourself, each day is a new day and a chance to get those FDs under your belt. Milena good work, the well-deserved shine from your halo is blinding me. Janeyw, I also wish you success in the job hunt, I truly do not envy you and I really admire how you are keeping your spirit up. Shout out to BB, Ginette, Lori and my apologies to anyone I may have missed.

I posted this on another thread:

I am stuck in another rut, but I have come to a decision of sorts. I want to lose 1 more lb to bring myself to 130 lbs, and then I think I am going to forget about those last 2 lbs and start maintenance. My body seems to be sending a very clear message that it is comfortable around 130 lbs. Even though I am stalled, I am still loosing inches now that I have begun running and weight training again. I can fit into almost all my favourite clothes, there is just one last dress that I think will resolve with toning. I will always be lurking around the the thread – it was due to the support I found here that I managed to lose 22 lbs. Thank you!!!!! The same thanks go out to you all as well.

The link I was talking about is a very interesting study regarding what is becoming endemic sleep deprivation these days, the writer terms it “Social Jet Lag”. Lack of sleep causes all sorts of ills and also drives us to eat more – our body is determined to take in energy to compensate for the lack of sleep.

http://www.brainpickings.org/2012/05/11/internal-time-till-roenneber/
Keep well and keep focused everyone. After this last lb, I move on to maintenance! Wish me luck.

First of all…Well Done DJ! Maintenance is only a dream for me, but onward we go!

Salma…sorry for the confusion about my plan. I actually eat in a 5-6 hour window. The plan is actually called Fast 5 and is meant to be a 5 hour window but sometimes I stretch it a bit. There is no calorie restriction or any food you cannot eat. You simply do not take in any calories except during your eating window. Any consecutive 5 hours a day. Some do a later window, like 5-10, but that is much too late for me. I like either 1-6 or 2-7. In the first 2 weeks, I lost 3 lbs. It is the first that I have shown a loss in a long time. I’m hopeful that it will help me lose this last 25 lbs. I didn’t know how it would work with me doing my boot camp workouts in the morning. I thought I may be low on energy and then starving all morning, but not so. I drink black coffee & lots of water and a couple cups of green tea(no sweetener) while fasting. There is a free Fast 5 ebook online at bertherring.com This is the Dr who came up with the plan. He also has a new book AC..which stands for appetite correction. It is quite interesting.

My..I have gone on and on! I’m going out for a run this morning. Have a great day!

Hi Lori

Im liking it too – finding most days I have just one meal and I can go a bit mad and still come in under 1000 calories, and on fast days a meal of 375 is quite doable, if I have two meals and a few cuppas, I seem to have very little left for dinner. I have one day off from it though, two meals and not counting calories on that day is something to look forward to and keeps me in line for the rest of the week.

Ive now got two pounds still to lose to hit this month’s target of 5lbs. Cutting it fine, but pleased Im a pound down despite going easy all weekend. Then straight into another 6 weeks of Fast Beach from the beginning of July. The seat in the Lotus is sooo much more comfortable than last year, but Im a bit concerned about sitting in it for days – my broken tail bone – sorry, cant spell cocsiss – gives me gip after a couple of hours sometimes, so Im hoping to find a better position. Cant say Ive lost enough off my bum up to now to worry much about my bony ass yet! But a stone less by my hols may help?

Enjoy the run, Lori. On telly the other night someone, Morgan Freeman, though not sure why, said running for half an hour extends your life by half an hour, though you lose that half hour in the time spent running.
So, seems all you need to do to live forever is to never stop running! Im exhausted thinking about that!

DJ – well done. I think you have a great attitude – why sweat the small stuff. Ive targetted to 124lbs, but 140lbs would actually be heaven!!!

Found out son has broken a bone in his hand. Did it weeks ago but kept being fobbed off by doctor. Finally one took him seriously instead of just giving him paracetamol.

By the way, prescriptions are free for everyone in Scotland – but I do wonder what the charge is to the NHS, to have a prescrpition written by a doctor, and filled by a qualified pharmascist, when Aldi charge 45p for double the amount? Makes you wonder what the SNP would do with FFA? Oh, I don’t need to, we have Greece for a good example!

Anyway, being a man, son is now expecting to be waited on. Good luck with that! Made his dinner last night, my bit done!

Cat survived weekend without us, but collapsed in litter tray yesterday while we were at the hospital. Luckily litter was dry, she has peed over the edge. You have to see the funny side, poor mite. A prayer to St Francis, I think.

Have a great day – Im off to Costa sometime today. If I open my window at 3, I can have a coffee and dinner at around six!

Hi Abby,

I surely am sorry for all you’re going through. I would discuss any major dietary change with your Doctor and see what he/she thinks. I’m with Milena on the sugar thing. Do some research on how cancer cells thrive on sugar. Get enough protein to help with your recovery. Again…your Dr will be the one to ask. Good thoughts coming your way.

Hi Beldy

Love having you around, I miss Jayney when she’s not here, I find you exercisers give me the kick I need – sometimes anyway . Salma, stick with the fitbit, I was walking up and down hotel corridors justvto get to the next round number, and walked around railway platforms rsther than just standing – I even took steps. Two hundred extra steps a day is two marathons a year!!!!

Good Morning!

Salma….glad you’re giving the window method a try! I love how you say the “damage is contained”. That is SO true! Some people say they just ate and ate for the whole 5 hours. I don’t see how you could do that, but I’m lucky not to have a binging problem. I have to be careful not to eat too much when my window opens, like go out for lunch, as then I don’t want any dinner! So basically I have a snack and a meal each day. Sometimes I do have another small snack right before my window closes, but I wouldn’t need it and must break that habit. Good luck!

Ready for boot camp, but I’m SO sore from Monday that I’m almost dreading this morning’s workout. I know I’ll be glad when it’s done, but it’s a bit of a struggle today.

I think we may go out for dinner tonight so maybe just a yogurt when my window opens at 2.

Have a good day!

Hi Norlandlass,

You can do it any way you want and in whatever way works best for you since we are all different. I don’t count calories at all. I eat what I want, but I tend to eat low carb and try to be healthy. I merely do not eat when my window is not open, which is usually from 2PM-7PM. I do this 4-5 days a week and then take weekends off. I am only on my 3rd week, so we’ll see how it goes long term.

Some people still do their 500 calorie days within their window a couple times a week, but I chose to not have to count.

Good luck!

Hi all, and welcome Abby
I too got a breast cancer diagnosis last fall [initially very scary, but then just got on the train and did what I could to support my body with healing as best I could]. I did chemo first,[every situation is different], now hormonal therapy, and have just got back from Vancouver consulting with my surgeon team re summer surgery: 2 mastectomies and reconstruction. While I have heard [belatedly] that chemo and fasting can go well together, I think pre and post surgery you mainly need to be sure you are getting lots of coloured veg fruits and protein in your diet to speed recovery, and it may not be the time to overly stress the system. Everyone here does their own version of 5 2 — some more casually, and some more strictly and intensely — and you will find your own rhythm, but I think starting with more healthful foods and trying restricting to the 500 two separate days is a great start.
I know when I began 5 2, I also seemed to eat less crap on the other days too, and have much less of a sweet tooth now.
Best wishes to you. 🙂 Read lots from good websites, and remember to take time to destress and be kind to yourself.
And congrats to all you losers out there. I went up one this week with all the visiting in Vancouver!

Hi All

I hope everything is going well for you. I’m not on here much these days but I try to read posts when I can.

A special welcome to you Abby and my thoughts are with you, good luck on getting through your treatments. Positive thoughts heading your way.

Phoebe well done on giving good advice from someone who has been through it. Yes a great video.

One we should all be mindful of.

Actor reveals how he gained more than a stone and developed fatty liver disease after eating low fat foods for 60 days… because they were packed with SUGAR
http://dailym.ai/1QS0CVb

Ginette

Hi All. Dont think I will be able to really keep away, I miss you all. In actually fact I probably shouldnt stay away, my first week of so called maintenance was a disaster! It is Jazz Fest time in Montreal and I am on holiday! Doing quite well during the day, but tending to eat on the run as I go from venue to venue. By the time I got home last night I was hot, tired and ravenous. For some idiotic reason I bought a box of praline, caramel crunch ice cream bars, knowing full well I have no willpower.

You all know the ugly end of the story – all 6 ice cream bars and 1,500 calories later…. Needless to say, today is a fast day! I have been reading the discussion about starting an eating window with lots of interest. I also read some of the research about it, and it seems a great and somewhat less painful way of gaining the health benefits that full fasting does. I think I am going to give it a try. Be well all, enjoy your Sundays.

Hi Everyone,

Sorry to be away so long again. The job search has really been heating up, and this past week I had five job interviews (two of which were second interviews). At the same time the health insurance from the employer that laid me off expires this Tuesday, so I’ve been making doctor’s appointments like mad since until this past week I hadn’t either had my teeth cleaned, seen an ophthalmologist, etc. since 2002 (the last time I had a full time job with benefits). (yes, I know, we loony yanks)–but I digress.

Welcome to all the new folks! Abby51, I can’t imagine your situation, but please know that everyone on this forum (including me) supports you in your journey to health–whatever that looks like! Ginette, it’s great to see you back. I think we must both be on a similar cycle! Milena, it’s great to see you sometimes post on the maintenance forum (the only other thread I follow), and I look forward to seeing more of your posts there. Salma, hang in there with your migraines. I know they must be excruciating, but you will endure and surpass them!

DJ–your experience the first week of maintenance mirrors mine! Immediately after I surpassed my goal the first time I had several events featuring food over the next week and a half period (starting the day after I surpassed goal). I continued fasting two days I think, and instead of going from water/psyllium/supplements only fast days to 500 calorie fast days, I delayed that transition until I was at or under goal. It did take a while, but after just over two weeks I was back under goal, and since that time (the last seven weeks and a day) there have been eight separate occasions when my weight has been OVER goal. The rest of the time my weight has been UNDER or at goal. If I can do it, you can too! I hope you find encouragement in this.

Beldyboop, your nurse friend is right that sports drinks with electrolytes work best (I always drink them when working out), but the down side is the cals, and they can rot your teeth–that is certainly true of things like Gatorade, which I haven’t had in years. I’ve mostly been using a product made by a Seattle company called Nuun. They especially make tablets to put in water for athletes, however, they now have a new energy drink that I’ve purchased and will try when the Nuun U Natural Hydration product I have (also with vitamins and electrolytes–and NO sugar–7 calories per tab) runs out. Here is a link to the Nuun Energy product–made WITHOUT sugar at 8 calories per tab (one tab per 16 oz. water). I know Nuun is sold internationally because athletes the world over use it. Please let me know what you think of it if you end up trying it.

https://nuun.com/products/nuun-energy/

The scales have been kind to me this week. At yesterday’s Gay Pride festivities (where I was recording a show) free hot dogs, popcorn, and ice cream were advertised, so I actually had TWO water/psyllium/supplements only fast days (as opposed to one 500-calorie fast day) to make sure I was trimmed down enough in preparation. On the morning of yesterday’s event I was a full two pounds/.9 kilos/.14 stone BELOW goal, so was prepared to pig out at the festivities and packed no lunch.

As it turned out, there were food vendors at the event as well, and the organisation handing out the free food didn’t want to compete, so the only free food available was popcorn and apples. I took both, but ended up bringing the apple home. Because I hadn’t packed lunch, I bought a hot dog, but being gainfully unemployed as I am wasn’t going to buy ice cream too (which cost as much or more than the hot dog BTW), so only gained a little as of this morning and am STILL well under goal. This is important because I’m meeting with a new trainer at the gym today who will be taking measurements.

I will keep to my plan today, and if I’m still under goal by tomorrow morning will have a refeed day then, for which I have gotten a treat. However, I plan a similar week ahead due to this week’s 4 July festivities–you know, when we yanks celebrate our independence from the lot of you Brits! Won’t THAT be fun? 😉

Hi Janeyw

fingers crossed for something good on the job front – looks like at least the maintenance is going well! Let us know.

I lurk on the maintenance thread – my middle name is ‘planner’ and I am looking at the long term on this WOL – a lot of good sense spoken on that thread.

Though not going to be there for a long while, June was a game of two halves – hoping to get to my June target in spite of a trip away and even in spite of a couple of grazing days last week – Saturday was not good, but will just have to pull up my socks for July. I shall have a long talk with myself!

Travel hopefully ………

H everyone,

Just to wish you luck for the week ahead, and happy fasting

Janeyw thanks for the info about those hydration products, very useful 🙂 .It sounds like it takes a while to adjust once at target, thanks for the top tips and well done!

Milena also going to start FBD, we can be partners in crime. I’m doing a trial til Friday, as have a works meal on Thurs, and not sure if I will have a beer, have already cut out wine, to make the whole thing bearable, it will be the Freddos I miss, lol. This means I will finish on August 17, which is great because planning mini-holiday the week after.

Salma, that’s a great loss, I’m also going slow, I lose a pound every 2 weeks generally, that stays off 🙂 but hoping FBD will give me a shove..
DJ have a good 4 July.

Overall this window thing has been really good at the weekend, when I go a bit mad, so did it 4pm-8pm on Fri, and Sat/Sun 2pm-6pm works well..

Best to all

Janey, so excited for you. All fingers and toes crossed and positive thoughts of success going out to you.

Salma I am in the same boat as you, I also have to steel myself to go to work each morning. Of course I am grateful that I am gainfully employed at a salary that allows me to live on my own quite comfortably (only in Montreal though, rents here are very, very affordable unlike the rest of the big Canadian cities). I do wish, however that I was heading off each day to a job that inspired me and a job that had much, much less stress.

My moto used to be “Why wait for death, reincarnate now” and I have done many different things until I settled into what I have being doing now for the past 14 years. At this point, with only 7 years left until retirement, I don’t think rocking the boat is the best of ideas. As it is, when I retire I will need to set myself up in some sort of cottage industry – house sitting, dog walking, elder assistance, etc so that I will be able to make ends meet. My goodness, sorry everyone, this is far, far off the subject of 5:2.

My so called maintenance is really off the rails – I think I did a real disfavour to my mindset when I declared myself on maintenance. I am currently back up to 131 lbs, I want to be 128 lbs and dream of being 125 lbs. What is this 5 day mimic fast some of you have been discussing? I think I need to do something a little drastic to reset myself, hoping the 5 day things might be the answer. Does anyone have some helpful links to point me to?

Beldy, thank you for the good wishes. I am actually “Canajen eh” so my celebration day is July 1st, but I will apply your good wishes there :-).

Welcome to the newcomers. This is a great supportive group.

The month’s round up (or should that be round down?) I lost 7 lbs in June, to add to the 9lbs in May, which is 16 lbs altogether which is absolutely fantastic. And really, I haven’t struggled although I have been aware and there haven’t been many ‘treats’ of the loaded calorie kind!
I put on two stone very rapidly last year when I stopped smoking (and I was well overweight already, frankly)which as well as messing with my head, meant that I felt I couldn’t ride my beloved horse (although he’s a strong boy!) So my first target was to lose a stone so at least I can start riding him gently. Rode him for the first time in ages this weekend – he looked a bit surprised as he thought he’d retired, but we had a lovely time.
I am now able to wear what i used to think of as my ‘enormous’ trousers (!!) never thought that would be a thrill! For the last 6 months before starting this wol I could only wear horrible stretchy ones from TK maxx…I have great pleasure in putting them in the bin today.
I said to my husband ‘have you noticed I’ve lost weight’? Without even looking up he said ‘No…’ (pause)’…but I didn’t notice the two stone you put on last year either’. Gotta love that man.
Thank you all for your support – I love reading the comments every day to see how you are all getting on.
Kate Eve xx

Hi Salma

look at it another way – you ARE losing all the weight you hope to – just a wee bit slower than you would like! On the other hand, you are giving your skin the best chance to shrink – every cloud eh?

Where are we at, 5 months? – so at this rate is will be around 60 lbs this time next year – isn’t that awesome – isn’t it 3 or 4 dress sizes? Do you even need to lose 50 lbs? I think I would be quite happy with that amount – and another cloud is that you get to hang with the rest of us for all that time!

I am such a half cup full gal eh?

Kate – great hubby! Mine is definitely a keeper but just yesterday he complimented me – I say ‘but’ as I asked if he didn’t just like me the same no matter my weight, he said No, I was becoming a little bit gross! Why have you never mentioned this before? I asked – You didn’t ask, he replied!

And they say communication is what keeps a relationship strong – I don’t think so!!!

Beldy did you get the FBD book – definitely much much more than 5:2 with fewer treats – if done properly. I think I did it about 80% correctly and had a great loss, but as its for just six weeks worth trying a hard as possible! Are you starting tomorrow, I’m beginning Saturday, a few celebrations out of the way first, gets me to the 15th August finish. Good luck with it!

Hi Salma

wise owl!

I had hoped to get to my very moveable target for Christmas – you may remember it was New Year’s Eve that was my epiphany – ok the size 22 top was too big but…..

Actually, I tried it on the other day, with the trousers that we always too big but became a perfect fit at New Year – I can do one of those weight loss pics with the trousers and I can now wear the top as a dress!

But – wouldn’t it be nice to have a lovely gourmet Christmas – we are still the foodies of this thread after all – before we get in harness for the final push. We don’t have to go mad – might do chateaubriand and bernaise sauce instead of beef wellington with homemade puff pastry – 600g of butter just in the pastry – to think I ate a third of this admittedly wonderful meal – all it take is small changes! Or perhaps big ones? roflmao!!!!

So a wee sojourn in the layby before we go screeching off – and hopefully our power to weight ratio is be so good (having made the chassis as light as possible) the last few miles will be easy – or we might just continue to enjoy the scenery – classics just need to look good!!!