Newbie From Netherlands with Questions…

This topic contains 2 replies, has 2 voices, and was last updated by Kiwidutch 11 years, 4 months ago.

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Kiwidutch

11:16 pm
12 Jul 13
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Hello, I’m Kiwidutch from the Netherlands.

I want to lessen my risks of hereditary family diseases and cancers (my mother died young from cancer) and also lose post pregnancy weight plus extra that’s piled on after 2.5 years of recovery after an accident. I’m still not totally mobile due to severe dystrophia because I was many many months in plaster and the specialist say I shouldn’t expect to be mobile in the near future therefore exercise is problematic.

Physio is going well but recovery is very slow.

I’d like to lose 20 kg, and have a reunion to go to at Christmas 2013 so wonder what my chances are of achieving that?

I’m three weeks into a 3 days a week of 400-500 calories per day and 4 days a week of 1800 calories per day
(am I right in thinking that this is the correct recommended amount for a woman?) Should I be cutting calories further on non-fasting days? or is this counter productive?

Do you get extra health benefits by totally fasting (ie zero calories) on one or more fast days or is the difference negligible?

My current routine is:

Monday, Tuesday, Friday: Water. herbal teas no sugar no milk, a little diet cola (I’m working on giving it up) + 400 calorie evening meal.

Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: water, herbal teas no sugar no milk, a little diet cola + 1800 calories of whatever I want (but I’m tending towards low(er) fat) lots of fresh veggies, fruit and meat, few carbs.

I find that if I don’t start eating on a fast day then I don’t feel hungry at all.. when I eat just a little bit (50 or 100 or 200 calories) then I feel like it’s not enough and have terrible cravings for more so not eating at all all day whilst at work and then one tiny evening meal is fine.
Sometimes though I’m not even hungry for that… so could I just skip it and make my fast day a 100% fasting day?

The scales said I lost 3 kgs in the first 2 weeks, then this week said I gained 1 kg! Hubby however has assured me that my shape is changing and two friends who didn’t know I was trying this both commented this week that they were sure I’d lost weight.

I’m finding this really easy to stick to, am highly motivated to lose weight and keen to go to my reunion looking rather literally a LOT less like I do now…

Once I reach goal I intend doing 5:2 or 6:1 to maintain a good balance long term.

Any tips would be appreciated!
Do you think 20 kgs is realistic in the time-frame I have?

Can I lose weight faster and still do it safely?

Advice welcome! Thanks:)

Chuckk

5:45 am
22 Jul 13
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Hello Kiwidutch from the Netherlands!
I’d be your new King’s twin, but that’s another story for another time ;).
Definitely worth it for the reduced cancer risk – I recall some mention in the video with Michael Mosley of the odds dropping to 1 in 5 million of getting any cancer in internal organs, I like those odds too.
The odds I can’t place on loosing 20 Kg in time for Christmas, though this diet definitely can help! I see your point on not eating on a fasting day, though my mind thinks about mineral needs, vitamin needs (especially C), some protein for muscle replacement, although supplements can take care of this as well.
I recall something of the IGF-1 levels being affected by the caloric level during fasting, the less calories the better the outcome,but some of that detail slipping from memory, a refresh look at the videos may elucidate the answer.
The weighing business one has to take with a grain of salt as well, depending on water retention and food in your system, 1 kg +/- is easily in the normal range of variability! If exercise is a real challenge (and I understand, having had many a broken ankle and been on crutches), one other factor to consider is calories used by thinking! Also, I have a relative who could barely walk, but got in shape by doing upper body exercises (on a bike with arm pedals vs. legs) – can you manage anything along those lines? Another friend uses just one good arm and he’s gotten quite a workout in his wheelchair.
I’m not the expert here, wish I could offer you more concrete suggestions! I did manage to loose around 20 Kg. in around that time frame, as I went for sedentary to biking, just now trying this diet and fast lifestyle change after learning of it – it makes logical sense, and even if you just manage to loose a good portion of that 20 Kg, it will be worth it! I feel amazingly lighter and more flexible after dropping the weight, and given the amazing health benefits of this fasting diet, either way it’s 100% worth it & you’re worth it.
Cheers!
from Chuck.

Kiwidutch

12:17 am
2 Aug 13
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Thanks for the reply Chuck…

Sorry not to get back to you sooner, I was away on holiday… no internet.

I’m going to ask my physiotherapist for exercises I could do that involve upper body, I’ve just discovered that what I thought was fairly manageable pain when I’m working in the office and totally sedentary around home rises to unmanageable pain when I’m trying to walk further, even with both crutches instead of one. My foot is now considerably swollen so clearly this type of exercise isn’t right.

I did a lot of walking on holiday but also took far more painkillers than I bargained on too. Diet-wise I fell off the wagon a little whilst away (visiting friends for afternoon teas etc) but got back today and am fasting again tomorrow, and will do 3:4 until I get back on track properly.

I’m motivated to get going on the continued weight loss again because I see I gained 1.2 kg and so may even try to do a few weeks with 100% entire day fasting to see how that goes, and if it makes any difference to how the weight decreases.

Certainly the idea that I could so dramatically decrease my odds of getting cancer appeals (my mother died young from cancer) so anything I can do to help me still be around for my young kids is a bonus as these things surely have a hereditary factor in there somewhere 🙂

I think that if I aim high.. 20 kgs by Christmas then any significant shift towards that will be motivation to go on even if I can’t achieve it in the shorter time frame, and who knows maybe I will find I can achieve it if I can find exercises to do that help things along.

How long have you been doing this? How is progress for you?
I want to post progress reports every few weeks if I can and compare notes with others and test what works best for me (5:2 or 3:4 , 500 calories or full 100% fasting etc)

Onwards … and downwards … regards Kiwidutch 🙂