Day 30 Wales NFD

Staying focused on healthy Mediterranean eating but really feel more hungry during the colder weather this month…..January has felt like hard work!

Happy Wednesday everyone, back tomorrow for my last FD of the month xx

Day 30 – NC, USA – NFD

Back from having completely dropped off the face of the internet. I ruptured a tendon in my hand doing some kickboxing and it has made it difficult to type with my hand in a splint. Sadly, I am still in a sort of plateau but I am at a decent spot (5 lbs away from maintenance) and I try to remember that a year ago I would have given much to be where I am right now in terms of BMI, so now is not the time to get discouraged. I do wish I had measured myself then so I could get a sense of the loss in volume which is way more satisfying that a loss in pounds. Excited for tomorrow’s last FD of the month so I can finish with a bang 🙂

@daffodil2010 congrats on shrinking regardless of what the scale says!

@beedoo you are so welcome about the zero app. I’m glad it has been useful. I don’t know if you have had a chance to watch the interview on Vimeo with Dr Rhonda Patrick and the one with Mike Maser, the new CEO, but it’s fascinating to hear about the benefits of fasting for type 2 diabetes, MS, and cancer. (and congrats on signing up for the yoga class!)

@judyjudes, I know that black coffee or tea (without sugar or cream does not break your fast because patients in medical studies about fasting are allowed to consume those. But I really have not found anything conclusive about Stevia or sugar alcohol (cannot recall what it is called right this second). Some say that when it is pure stevia and has zero calories it will not break your fast, others say that it does in fact break it. I hope that I can find a medical/scientific answer at some point but so far it is fuzzy. Incidentally, congratulations on your success on the scale!!! So happy for you!

@dykask I was so relieved to read your posts about large swings in weight after a WFD and after you start eating again. I experience the exact same phenomenon each time. I never trust that bottom number after my WFD since I know I’ll regain 75% of that the second I start eating again. Overall, I just end up loosing about a quarter of a pound per week at most. It’s slow but I figured over the course of a lifetime, it doesn’t matter, it’s still progress.

For all of you in the path of this frigid Arctic cold front, you are most definitely in my thoughts. -50 sounds dreadful!

@at, thank you for your fabulous hosting this month!

USA Day 30 FD (water FD; 16:8)

I’ve been watching and reading the news about all this crazy weather. While we have that Polar Vortex here in the States, Australia is suffering with temperatures as high as 114 degrees F and terrible wild fires! According to the New York Times this morning, we have been increasingly going in this direction for the last 22 years! I do believe we need to take care of our environment!

I’ve been reading with interest this morning about waist size while losing weight (for women). I don’t know everyone’s ages but I do know that waist size is also age related. Post menopausal women tend to have larger waist sizes than they did before because of hormonal changes (although genetics can also play a part). Premenopausal, I had a 22″ waist. That is a young woman’s size, a woman with a small bone structure. Now that I am 68 years old, I know that I will ever have that again. I struggle to keep my waist at 30″ no matter what my weight is! Sigh! I feel so much better when my waist is smaller and fatigued when my waist is larger.

Today is another 800 calorie FD on a 16:8 eating plan! I am excited that I seem to finally seem to have found a working plan for me! I try to keep my carbs lower, though, because I think I am carb sensitive. Not eating sugar is not a problem for me. I don’t crave it. I am trying to create an eating plan to will work for me in maintenance, as well, which seems to mean not eliminating any food groups. Eliminating food groups makes me feel deprived. I just want to eat healthy foods only worrying about the quantity. When I have to give too much thought to my food, I can’t sustain it. I want it to seem natural like it did when I was younger and didn’t have to worry about my weigh

Day 30 – Eastern WA USA – FD

At 46 hours of 72 hour fast. Doing well. When I began 5:2 in the fall of 2016, I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing longer fasts. It was a great place to get introduced to the world of fasting. As I research further, I see there are different purposes for fasting and that determines desired protocols. With all the benefits related to fasting, I plan to make it a part of my life long term.

@songbirdme and others in the “cold” part of the country, keep warm. I believe I heard on the radio that 32 states are experiencing unusual cold. Here in the west, it’s the 2nd day beginning at 22 degrees F. We’re shivering but nothing like much of the country.

Day 30 pocket list:

@daffodil2010
@betsylee
@elektron (800j
@judyjudes (800)
@rafiki44
@ccco
@annemarilyn

Whether cold or hot, may you keep comfortable and move toward your goal!

Day 30 not sure what kind of day honestly USA

So, my 5 yr old daughter most likely has had the flu for the past few days, but my kids get flu shots so it’s not as bad as it could be. My husband is traveling. So, all 3 of my children slept in my bed last night (ages 9 and 3) needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep and felt like garbage this am. So, I made my kid cinnamon. Rolls and maybe had one. Or two. Possibly 3. But you can’t prove it. BUT I have since turned it around. On way home from doctors I got my daughters happy meals and I passed on McDonald’s. I came home and made my self some eggs. I am kind of insufferably smug now. “I passed on McDonald’s and ate healthy food” never mind my sordid cinnamon roll debacle. So I’ve turned it around. I read in one diet book, if you get a flat tire, you don’t go and slash your remaining tires. You fix it and get back on road, right? So, I had a flat cinnamon roll tire (or 2) but I didn’t slash my remaining tires by eating McDonald’s.
However, last night after my fast day I felt really good. I had a lot of mental clarity, and I wasn’t tired at all. I was kind of energized actually which never happens at 9pm. I’ve started craving healthier things. That is such a big step for me.
My sister who is pre diabetic and her husband are starting weight watchers. I want to rip my hair out in frustration. I talked to my mother, who is 72 and you will never convince her that fat DOESNT make you fat. Everything in her house is low fat;drives me nuts. (If I were to talk to you about my mom and food it would be a novel. So, absolutely no help from my mom. ).
Thanks @Betseylee for your thoughts on my brother; I’d never thought about that (that he’s skinny on outside and fat on inside- he’s also pre diabetic.
So, I’m reining this day back in. I’ve never been tested but I wouldn’t be surprised if I have insulin sensitivity problems, though I never had issues when I was pregnant with my 3 kids.
A,so, @Betseylee, i would think if you’re eating a lot of cabbage/ broccoli vegetables it is something to do with that. I think when you lose weight, it’s pretty evenly distributed. (I’m not convinced, my chest is the first thing to go. Lol)i think it’s just the nature of some vegetables. If you cook them you break down more of the things that cause them to be that way? I just did a quick google search. I could be making this up. You could play around with cooked vs raw. I personally hate cooked broccoli and cauliflower. Thanks to google it’s because they release a sulfurous gas when cooked. You’ll also get more water in the raw vegetables than cooked ones, right? (I’m not a chef. Could you tell?)

Day 30, Gozo Malta, cfd

I had a successful cfd today, I’m still just under my BMI but would like to lose more before maintaining.

In a world where you can be any, be kind as Diana123 used to say.

Day 30 Minnesota, USA NFD
Day 29 FD (550 cals)
Day 28 FD (430 cals)

Late check-in from a frigid Minnesota. Just one more frigid day tomorrow and then temperatures begin to normalize. Since I’m basically homebound the last couple days I started doing our paperwork/accounting etc. in preparation for taxes. Now I have papers everywhere and trying to get it all finished before the weekend, so have not caught up on posts. I’ll try first thing in the morning.
Planning a FD again tomorrow to try to end as close to 150 lbs as possible.

Best of luck to all. Keeping you all in my thoughts throughout the day helps me to stay strong and complete my FD successfully. I’m grateful for this group!

Day 31, Wellington, NZ 800 cals and the end of the last day of January in this part of the world.

I thought I had all the acronyms down, but MFD has me puzzled – enlightenment please!

I feel for all you frozen North Americans – we are all revelling in a couple of fabulous weeks of Summer weather with quite manageable temperature in our neck of the woods. However some parts of the country have hit the mid to high 30s and that is high for our little country.

@Lorky, I laughed at your post about sibling rivalry – I have the same thing with my sisters-in-law. One of them lost about 25kg on 5:2 a couple of years ago and she has been quite competitive about it, always asking me what I weigh – we are about the same height but she is a bit taller. She has the most amazing willpower, I’ll give her that!

@at – thanks for hosting – you are amazing

I’m not sure about my weigh in tomorrow morning – our scales have been acting up – yes really! Depending on who weighs themself first, me or OH, the second person weighs the exact same as the first. And we know he has about 5kg on me. I bought new batteries for the scales and weighed myself again this morning and it gave me three different weights – the same as OH, three kg lighter after my shower (I wasn’t THAT dirty!) and then 1 kg heavier after I’d given it a good kicking.

Oh well, if I’m sticking to the programme I must be going down surely.

Second post;

@matpi, yes, it was -29 F (-33.9 C) actual air temp this morning and expected to be -27F in the morning. The wind chills were -55F to -60F ( -48.3C to -51C), but the wind is dying down tonight so maybe only -40F windchills on Thursday morning.
All of the schools will be closed for another day as well as many businesses, again. It’s for the safety of the children who have to wait for a bus and employees who perhaps must wait for transportation. A lot of cars aren’t starting and 5 minutes waiting for help can cause injury if not dressed well.

The trauma surgeons in the area are reporting 4th degree Frostbite cases, which means to the bone. That’s not seen in these numbers very often. And so far, at least one 22 year old man has died of hypothermia after his friends took him home after the bars closed and he couldn’t wake anybody up inside to let him in. Seems that always happens at least once each extreme cold spell.

I think it’s the coldest I’ve experienced, but I might be wrong. It’s the coldest I remember, anyway. It’s very hard to breath when outside, even with a balaclava on. The doctors are saying not to talk or breath deeply when outside when it’s at the coldest. Well, I’ll be glad to see it head back up to the Arctic and we can all get back to normal. Friday it’s only suppose to be -2F, so looking forward to that!

You know what Canadian’s call -2F (-18.9 C)? …….July! (lol) That’s a little Minnesota joke. 😉

@chipmunk13 MFD means Modified Fast Day, usually at 800 calories a day.

@ccco and @northerndawn
Thanks for the MFD info. Understand that must apply to the original style 5:2 as on fast 800 our FDs are 800.

@northerndawn I cannot imagine how cold it is – try the prawn korma to warm up!!

Day 31 Herefordshire UK FD
My post reading is slipping further and further behind but hope February onwards sees routine in our new life here in Herefordshire and with this WOL can fully develop.
Thank you @at for setting up the February Challenge we won’t let you down and appreciate your commitment to these challenges, to us and this WOL. It’s very much appreciated from this end, ta x

As @daffodil2010 said ‘Have a great Last Day of January!’

Pocket list Day 31
@daffodil2010
@dingping

Day 31 London UK NFD

Just a quick one in case I don’t get a chance to check in later. End of the month, we made it! Congrats to all who achieved their goals and to those who didn’t – tomorrow is a shiny brand new month full of promise and possibilities! It’s ours for the taking!

After three attempts at an 800 FD I finally managed it yesterday and am ending the month at the lowest end of my maintenance range. The days when I didn’t manage it were under TDEE and 16:8/17:7 so that must’ve helped.

My toddler had night terrors so it’s been a rough night. I’m pretty much been wake since 2:30am. Managed an hour at 5am. Exhausted. Thankfully my weekend starts on Thursday. It’s now just after 8 and he’s sleeping. Freezing outside but nothing compared to what I’ve been reading here. Stay safe everyone.

Haven’t had a chance to read posts since yesterday pm but just saw the above from @daffodil2010 – I’m so pleased to read about the progress your dad is making!

Hope you all have/have had a great day. @at thank you for all your support this month. You have been a wonderful host!

Day 31, Emden Germany, NFD

so many posts to read, so much to do here. Because of last night’s snowfall we can’t visit MIL today, it’s a 3 hours drive, no need to take the risk, she’s steady atm. Instead we’ll wallpaper the bedroom ceiling today.

@daffodil2010 I’m so glad your Dad is doing so much better now. You were a great host last year!

@northerndawn if you would like us to read your Grandfather’s letters, we could give it a try. You could ask JJ for our email adress.

Final weigh in this morning, weight 57 kg, so down 0.8 kg. After a lot of FD’s I went down to 55.1 kg and was shivering all the time, my clothes didn’t fit well anymore, so this weight seems to be too low. I now want to stay at 57 kg, I can keep that without too much effort.

I haven’t been around much here this month, will try to be better in the next challenge.

@at thanks you so much for being such a lovely and caring host. Hugs xxx

2nd post

@at enjoy your dinner tonight, where do you go to? We would love to dine at one of Heston Blumenthal’s restaurants.

Day 31 Melb Aust FD (No. 3 of 4 B2B2B2B)

Not sure when we’re supposed to weigh in and finish our month, so did it today – pleased and relieved to see that I’m finally moving off my plateau and finishing with a 1.5 kg (3.1 lb) weight loss for January. Not nearly as much as I wanted, but better than staying stable or gaining. Minimal changes with measurements, but slightly down, so that’s okay too.

@ccco, @judyjudes and @at, thanks for the helpful comments re waist measurement size. I have definitely found that my waist size increased with age, not just weight; however, proportionately, my waist is much smaller than my hips even now. It was just the spare tyre really above the waist I guess which has been bloated, and feeling hard – but I avoided any raw vegies yesterday and have noted an improvement already.

Re waist, my waist to hip measurement used to be around 70%, which has been said to be very healthy, even when I was fat; now it’s still around 79%. Ideally it’s meant to be 80% or less, so theoretically okay, but I’m not happy with it; it’s way over the 88 cms non-Asian females are recommended to keep their waists under (Asian females need to be under 80 cms due to their smaller frames). Like @JudyJukes, to have a waist half my height, I’ll have to get it down to 30 inches (76 cm), so more than 20 cms to go!!! 🙁

@dykask, I also notice more bloating with refined sugars, especially if I pig out on ice-cream, so you’re right with that. Also happens for me with any form of pasta. It’s generally a temporary thing though. Eat right the next day, and the bloating goes. The problem this time was that it was there all the time, and I kept thinking “I’m eating “right” but it’s still there, why?” and wondering if it could be the raw vegetables. Seems likely.

@ccco & @JudyJukes, great that F800 is working for you. My B2B, etc., has been on 500-800 cals, and not been too bad to stick to, so I may do some more of them. I do like a bit more freedom on the weekend, though, so maybe a few a week for a while.

@daffodil2010, great your dad is making progress now. Plateaus are frustrating! My plateau has finally started to shift with some B2B fasting, though I’m probably much heavier than you. Still it may be something to try.

@lorky35, thanks for the comments re raw vs cooked vegetables – see my comments above; I think the problem really was the raw vegies not suiting me. That’s fine; we’re all different.

@kaywesterman, did you find some clothes to throw away after your buying session? A Japanese woman has become famous in Australia in encouraging people to simplify their lives – not just clothes, but anything in your home that “doesn’t bring joy anymore” – hold it in your hands, thank it, and pass it on. The charities in recent months have been receiving much higher volumes than normal of pre-loved goods due to her influence. Has that been happening in other parts of the world?

@matpi, I read with envy that for you, 167 lb is a healthy BMI for your height. As a shorty, 167 lb (which I’m still above) has me on the edge of not just overweight, but obese. But, great that you’re so near your goal.

@chipmunk13, if your scales are so variable, another possibility is to keep a weekly record of your measurements. Sometimes even on the same weight, shape changes could mean you’re actually smaller. That could be encouraging.

Finally to the northern hemispherites, especially North Americans suffering the effects of the polar vortex – keep warm, stay safe.

Day 31 – Perth AUS – FD (800)

D1 weight: 77.9kg/171.74lb
D31 weight: 70.7kg/155.87lb
Total loss: 7.2kg/15.9lb

Target this month was to lose 5.9kg after starting the Fast 800. Originally I planned for about 4kg, and I thought that ambitious, but the Fast 800 book said that you could expect to lose more with the Fast 800 so I upped the ante. Beat the target, but I expect some of this nice initial loss was food mass and the fact that I had ‘easy’ fat to lose after Christmas, so expecting a slow down in Feb. The book also indicates weight loss does slow a little, but should still hopefully be able to keep losing the kilos.

I’m fairly amazed and extremely thankful that there are people like Dr M out there and places like this @fastdiet forum where we can gather and keep eachother accountable and share the ups and downs. The recipes shared are a must keep too! I have printed a few and added to my recipe folder as they were winners. It’s also amazing that the Fast Diet information is freely available and actually saves you money if you do it. The diet industry must HATE it. I’m also loving Yoga with Adriene, but am still very sore… I guess it’ll take time to get there 🙂

The Fast 800 and I seem to work well together. Hopefully it has worked well for others here that tried it this month, and I hope it works well for those of you giving it a go in February.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I might not have responded very well, (or at all) during the month, but trust me I read every post, sometimes multiple times… particularly the recipe ones 😛 and I took a great deal of inspiration from you all – especially those experiencing life challenges who kept on going regardless. That happened to me last year, and I just threw in the towel and stacked on the kilos. You’re a lot stronger than I was, and have helped me get back on track.

And of course, a massive thanks to @coda for starting these challenges and for the wonderful @at who kept us going this month. Hope to see you all in Feb!

Day 31 FD-Syracuse,USA

Catching up on posts. My kids are home from school because of the wind chill. Not as cold as it is in Midwest US though. Still, yes it hurts to breathe when I take the dog out. She’s 7mos. old and has taken to doing her business in the basement. I mean, I get it, it’s -20 below, but still Lol.

One poster mentioned Marie Kondo. She’s the Japanese, decluttering sensation. She has a Netflix show. I bought her book a few years ago. She is so cute and I love her. Apparently, since her show came on all the thrift shop donation places are full in our area. Everyone is decluttering! Me included. I watched one episode and then spent a snowed-in weekend refolding my entire family’s clothing to the size of postage stamps. (Ok, not exactly, but close.) The first thing you declutter is clothing. You’re supposed to hold it and see if it “sparks joy” if not, you thank it and send it off into the universe. Or the salvation army. Or no, cause they’re full. She says you’re supposed to gather all of your clothing in one big pile (so everywhere you store clothes, pile em up) I didn’t do that. I was aiming for my dresser drawers to be 90% full (which I read in an additional book she has) and they are since everything has been refolding microscopically.
Next step is books; I’ve already decluttered a lot of books thankfully I donated them to library before her show came out; they’re probably full now too! And I took a garbage bag to kids playroom. (I went out of order but I was inspired) Toys with many tiny pieces that puppy has chewed were all chucked;if I never see them play with them, yet I always pick them up-they didn’t spark joy. More like misery.It was liberating actually. If they were in good shape I used to bag them for the goodwill but they’re full and I don’t want to punish other parents with these things. Seriously.
But say you have an item like a toothbrush. Toothbrushes don’t exactly “spark joy”. But you shouldn’t chuck it. It does spark joy, you just don’t exactly appreciate it. (I am not making this up, I swear)How would you clean your teeth without it? You wouldn’t. So it sparks joy because it does a necessary yet unappreciated function. So you’re supposed to thank it too.

I taught my husband how to fold all the laundry her way. As he’s folding I said, “Wait!!! I don’t think those pants feel very loved. Are you telling your pants that you love them?” Ok, he wasn’t super amused but I sure was!!hahahahha

USA Day 31 FD (800 cals.; 18:6)

Lorky35, even though I just posted, I had to respond to our post! This weather may be miserable and preventing us from doing things we might like away from home, but it does serve a great opportunity to declutter. I am that very same process. I have done so much around my house (including gathering clothes to give away), that I have told my family that I think I have gone where no one has gone before. So much cleanliness! I even hired a truck to hall things away! It really feels good to have that burden lifted off my shoulders ! Go, girl! Also, about not seeing your pet play with his toys! Over the years, I realized with our pets that mischief time and playtime started after we went to bed! LOL Have a great 5:2 day!

2nd Post

Closed my Belly and the month of January on 801 Cals @ 17:30 hrs. January 2019 has ultimately turned out to be THE most successful month of weight loss I’ve ever had in about 16 months! This has been facilitated by:-

* Fast800
* TRE between 18-6/21-3
* Lower carb, higher fat, moderate protein version of the Mediterranean diet.
* More importantly, this wonderfully supportive thread and all the lovely people in the worlds ether. For that I thank you and @at for being Thread mummy.

@daffodil2010 fantastic to read your father is improving. Long may it continue!

@betsylee How wonderful to end January on a high with a good reduction!

@shinything & Ciren2 you can do it! Holds an hand out to hurl Shiny & Ciren onto the wagon 🙂

@elektron 15lbs is fantastic. Congratulations!

@lorky35 Great minds think alike. I’m also Marie Kondo’ing. She is very watchable and I agree cute! Plus her methods are so simple and work.

See you all on the February thread 🙂

Peace & Love

Day 31, Gozo, Malta, nfd

@at thanks for hosting this month, you’ve been amazing. I need to shed 1.4 kilos to be the weight I desire. This month was a record I shed 5.9 kilos.

Take care everyone, have a great weekend.

Oh and re the Marie Kondo thing -I hear charity shops are getting a bit snippy in some places with this massive clear out everyone is doing!!

Hi for the January challenge, I lost 3kg. At the moment it’s hard to weigh myself as I have broken my arm in 2 places and have a permanent fibre glass cast which has to be on till March 2 and it obviously makes me weigh from between 500 g to 1 kg more plus all the swelling. I when I got the cast on January 21 , I weighed 67.2 and at the beginning of Jan I weighed 70.3. I’m happy I achieved my goal loss during a month of holidays and parties.

Day 31, Rocky Mountains, US, CD

Kept maintaining throughout January and am in the middle of my maintenance weight allowance.😊

@at: Thank you so much for another month of great guidance. 💐😊⚘

See you all tomorrow at the beginning of a new month! 😊😊😊