Newbie – astounded by positive mental attitude!

This topic contains 4 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by JessPops 8 years, 2 months ago.

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Bathsheba2

12:40 pm
28 Sep 16
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Hi there

I’m a 47 year old woman with about 4 stone to lose. I’m on day 3 of my first ever 5:2. I’m taking things slowly but surely as have a slight tendency to be initially over-enthusiastic and then get bored easily.
So my 5:2 approach is:
* fast on a Monday and Wednesday/Thursday
* record everything I eat on fast days and try and stick to 500 calories but not beat myself up if I don’t
* eat what I want on Non fast days
* walk more
* read through these forums and do the full research on the diet

Things I have achieved after only 3 days!
* I managed 629 calories on a fast day by just making good food choices, frankly didn’t know I had it in me
* woke up after first fast day with a ridiculously positive attitude despite poorly child up all night and new students next door keeping us awake
* forgot to drive into work this morning! now this is plain ridiculous for me. I drive my children to school, drop them off and get back into the car to drive the 0.6 miles to work. And this morning I just thought, what the heck, I’ll walk in. And I did. And now obviously I have to walk back. Blimey!
* have only eaten (as I just checked on my fitness pal) 400 calories for breakfast and lunch and it’s not a fast day!

Frankly, given that I am going through a particularly stressful and painfully emotional time in my life, I am really surprised. I feel that somehow by taking charge of the food I eat (and I don’t eat that unhealthily, I just eat and drink too much and don’t exercise) and strangely the whole fasting business has turned my mental attitude around and very quickly. And I do suffer from mild anxiety and insomnia for which I take anti-depressants so this is decidedly abnormal for me. I also think diets are rubbish and am utterly disinterested in calorie control so this is totally challenging for me. I so hope this is sustainable but I am just so encouraged.

Anyone else have this experience?

alexa5

12:59 pm
28 Sep 16
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Hi!
So happy to read such a positive experience. It really sounds like you’ve found something that works for you. And well done for not driving to work!
I fast on the same days (second fast of the week today), and have done this for about 2 weeks now. I was very enthusiastic at first but found it immensely difficult as well, but now I’m really experiencing the benefits! Better mood, I sleep A LOT better (all night now), and generally don’t eat as much as I did before. And a lot more energy! (So even if you fear your enthusiasm might dwindle, just know that the ‘side effects’ will probably help you stay committed to this.)
I’ve done 5:2 a couple of times in the past where, even though I saw immediate results and lost a bunch of weight (10 kg), I eventually strayed because I though I’d find something bigger and better elsewhere. But turns out fasting IS the best thing! I’m actually also aiming for a 4 stone loss (although a bit more than that would also be nice).
Don’t believe other people if they tell you fasting is either 1) bad for you, 2) a quick fix or 3) whatever else they might come up with.
I really hope you’ll stick with this (and I’m including myself in this hope as well) as it is by far one of the best things you can do for yourself. The added energy, increased mood and weight loss aside, the range of other benefits is so worth it, even if it might get difficult at times. But it sounds like you’ve got it under control!
You can do this! Xxx

Bathsheba2

11:42 am
3 Oct 16
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Thanks, Alexa for the positive feedback.

I did only manage 6:1 last week but I have so muc energy and am now walking to work and back every day.

And my first weigh in shows a 3.5 lb weight loss, something I have never before experienced.

Today is a FD and it’s not a good one as I don’t usually work Mondays but had to swap days off and I have a headache but I’m committed to this now and looking forward to doing 2 FDs this week.

HealthyTanja

3:23 pm
3 Oct 16
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Welcome @bathsheba2

I had a horrific headache last Tuesday on FD 2 (sugar withdrawal I gather after four day birthday weekend) so bad I spend most day in bed. FD 3 last Thursday was better already and FD 4 today is an absolute breeze! I guess because with each FD my body gets a bit more healthy and after each FD I have a little less tolerance for eating sugar.

Stick with it, it’ll get better and better 🙂 Well done for being so positive about it!

JessPops

3:48 pm
3 Oct 16
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Hi!

This is my 2nd week of 5:2ing and today is the first day I’ve had a headache too… although in fairness I ate a LOT of sugar over the weekend because my lovely long-distance boyfriend surprised me with pic n mix.

I’m finding this fasting stuff reasonably easy, which is a really lovely surprise for me as I’m often quite a hangry lady… I’ve not killed anyone yet!

Quite by accident I ended up doing 3 fast days last week instead of 2, but I think I’ll stick with 5:2 for now and see how I go, and then maybe try 4:3 if I get stuck further down my health journey.

Lovely to ‘meet’ everyone by the way 🙂

Jess