2nd post,

For any UK members interested, Dr. M is on BBC2 at 8pm revealing the effects of going booze free for a month. Very timely for myself and @happymargo, (GO team!!! ………… of 2!!!!)

@missybear, @strawberriesandcream & @at ……………. you guys can watch from behind the sofa!!!!!

Day 3, Gozo, Malta, mfd

Today I had yogurt with honey and blueberries for lunch and bake roll packet at around 500 calories.

Today I cooked duck with soup made of red peppers, mushrooms, onions, carrots, soy sauce, sweet chilly sauce, fresh grated ginger, and chicken stock. The duck is rubbed with mild curry and fried in its skin without oil. I’m serving it for dinner. For my teenage son who started high school yesterday I ordered two Mexican pizza after he had already eaten the duck soup.

Debater251 thanks for the welcome.

Onwards and downwards.

Day 3 UK NFD

@debster251 Good luck with that sugar dragon. Hope the dog forgives you. Funny how we feel guilty for doing the right thing.

@keeper if it is any consolation, you are young compared to when I did my degree, started when I was 36 years old, and qualified on my 40th birthday. And I was not the oldest in my classes. Better to do it late than not at all. I am a big believer in finding and following your dreams. As of this month, I am taking piano lessons, it is so exciting for me that I almost have ‘Old MacDonald’ pat down. I would say that studying at an older age keeps the grey matter ticking over and keeps you excited about life. My niece just completed her psychology degree at age 28.

@ciren2 so glad to hear your car is on it’s way back, what a relief it must be.

Jo

Second post

I am having a small gin and lots of tonic, I have dropped the pain killers. Drinking whilst fasting is super weird but it kills foot pain.

So defo not dry October.

Mari

Day 3, I’m around, CD

Instead of FD, today ended up being a CD but I’m not unhappy with that. At least I eat all healthy things and stayed under 1000cal 🙂

@debster251 thank you for your support :hug: and aww I can only imagine how bad you felt about your puppy 🙁 , I hope she is doing ok 🤗

@coda you’ve been in my thoughts and I really feel for you 🙁 . I don’t care if we never met but I trust that I’m not wrong when I say that you didn’t deserve that. Stay strong, things will change and get better.
They must! Sending you a tight hug and positive vibes x 🤗

@claire-suzanne we all lied to ourselves in one way or the other sometimes. Its good that you admitted it to yourself, make that your first step in making a progress 🙂

@daffodil2010 I’m glad to hear that your new dealing role is not as stressful as you thought it might be, phew! Good job on losing those 4 pesky holiday pounds 💃

@cornish-jane I’m sorry but I really LOLed when I read that you took a different route to avoid sourdough bread only to bump into it at home 😆

@lolastarr I too have an issue with control on NFDs and too many rules, I try to correct it by doing @anna6 way of fasting, 3:4 with 800cal on FDs, 3 mindful NFD and one day where I eat without counting any calories, and it seems to have helped with feeling less pressure therefore no rebelling 🙂

@ciren2 how wonderful to have your car back! #weloveourcars 🚗

@michelinme omg you sure are having a rough time 🙁 , I feel for you. But its nothing irreplaceable or irreparable so things will get better 🙂 . Sending you positive vibes x

@rainbowsmile omg when is your boiler getting fixed? Its awful being without hot water and heating. I hope it gets fixed soon, sending you a big hug 🤗

Have a great evening everyone 🌼

Day 4 NSW Australia NFD
7.23am Thursday

Hi everyone, just checking in.
Had the best FD in a long while yesterday – managed to keep within the 500 cals.

Hi @at – my OH has felt so different, in a healthy way, since his procedure – just amazing. No longer living each day wondering if a stroke or heart attack will be his outcome. He’ll soon be able to attack our list of ‘things to do around the place’ before too long! I’m truly grateful! My 1st Anniversary is a real milestone for me – 5:2 is so flexible and easy to manage, and all the support, encouragement and friendly banter from this forum is amazing – thank you!

Enjoy whatever you are getting up to and bye for now xx

Day 4, Tasmania, Australia, FD.
Pocket list (I love our spreadsheet!)
@cateaus
Arel- such good news re your OH xo
Kudos to everyone who keeps up with everyone else.
“Fasting is the greatest remedy, the physician within.” ~Paracelsus
Happy 5:2’ing everyone.

Sad 2nd post

Today a Medical Rep brought in treats to the work break room…… Oh, the dreaded, temptation-loaded, mine-field of a break room!!

I don’t know why I caved in (work stress?) and ate a jelly filled donut.
UGH. Have not eaten a donut in years! …… and that’s a streak I shouldn’t have broken 😩 because (1) awaken the sugar dragon & (2) evil, awful wheat gluten.
My Crohn’s gut rebelled and I spent the rest of my work day running to the Ladies Loo with the cha-cha-cha trots.

Lesson (re)-learned.

Day 3 Ohio, US — NFD

This afternoon was so hot that I heard some ice cream calling my name and then it didn’t take long until I went way over my TDEE. I don’t believe that my overdoing it amounted to more than the last FD deficit, so thus far this week I’m breaking even. Reading that over I feel sort of like the person who buys 100 loaves of bread on sale just for the sake of all the money they save!

Have fun!

Hi! I am very new to IF and would love to join you guys for the Oct challenge!

Day 1, Sydney- Australia, FD
Started my very first FD with a black coffee. Not eating for 17 hours (counting from 8 pm last night) was actually not too bad at all. I barely feel any different! Had a salad for lunch at 1:30 pm (~200 cal). Am planning on going for a walk this afternoon 🙂

Day 4: Gloucestershire, UK: FD:
Hopefully the last time I’ll need to cadge a lift to work. Got to get my dear husband up early this time, as the work colleague who lives down the road has his day off today.
See you later.

Today’s Pocket List of Fasters:

@wacm
@heyheyceline
@ciren2

Hi @debster251

Please add me to the spreadsheet for October. I have been missing in action for several months now and struggling to get back on track. Needless to say some of my previous weight has reappreared and am feeling so angry and disappointed with myself. However, back on the wagon I go and am determined to succeed again with the help of the forums!

Day 4: UK: FD (B2B)

Swapped my fast days around so I can enjoy free pizza at the climbing wall tomorrow so having a sneaky back to back couple of days. Obsessed with the mini meals for one at M&S – all around 200kcals and so delicious!

@shinything that way of fasting sounds very appealing, I definitely need a day a week that I can eat whatever I want! I’ll be looking for something a bit easier to stick to as soon as my climbing holiday is over. I realise this isn’t a crash diet and more of a lifestyle change but time is against me and the less I weigh the harder I’ll climb!

@debster251 Thanks! I use myfitnesspal but I used to not really track NFDs properly, was a bit of an eyeopener to see just how everything added up! At least I know now to be a bit more sensible! Hope the puppy is doing okay and has forgiven you! My cats know how to lay on a guilt trip after a vets trip!

Today’s Pocket List of Fasters:

@wacm
@heyheyceline
@ciren2
@gretta
@lolastarr

Good luck everyone!

Day 4 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – NFD

My sister and her family arrive later today from the US and are staying with us for a few days. I have already prepared a good old fashioned shepherds pie for dinner, so today (and the rest of the weekend) will for sure be NFD’s.

I have the family around to mine on Saturday and have ordered a large cream sponge cake to go with the cocktail sausages, chicken goujons, and piles of sandwiches…..carbohydrates ahoy.

This trip home is supposedly for our nieces 21st next week, but it’s really to spend time with Dad as much as possible. He is not ill but he is 83 and slowing down, and can’t do the long haul trip to the states.

So going to enjoy this family time.

Day 4 Norfolk(UK) FD

Today went quite well. Lots of exercise and managed to get the run in (no stopping during run either!)
Hoping for a successful fast day today with NO RICH TEA BISCUITS!

Today’s Pocket List of Fasters:

@wacm
@heyheyceline
@ciren2
@gretta
@lolastarr
@claire suzanne

How should my name be?
@claire suzanne
@clairesuzanne
@claire_suzanne
@claire-suzanne

Day 4, UK, ?

Achieved my first FD of the week yesterday. Yay!!

Thanks for the heads up @flourbaby, I thought I was recording the series but I hadn’t, so OH and I watched it on catch-up. The results of that booze free month experiment are extremely encouraging and motivating. Maybe @missybear, @at and I can be Almost Sober in October.

Oh dear @rainbowsmile – I don’t like to hear you so down in the dumps – what can we do to cheer you up? Sending a big virtual hug x
Thanks @songbirdme – logging my food on MFP this week is certainly helping vs just writing it down on a scrap of paper.
Sounds like you had ‘one of those days’ yesterday @michelinme – I hope today is so much better.
@fasterjo – you are so right about keeping the grey matter exercised – and to this end I started relearning french about 4 months ago. I am doing it with the free software Duolingo. Not only is it good fun (and working) I am planning to use it as a distraction if I have any sudden naughty temptations.
Ahh – Dr.M has just popped up on the breakfast news – pain management by brain power is the subject.
@northerndawn – hope today goes well and you can relax tonight.
Welcome @heyheyceline – did you read @debster251‘s first post on page 1 – lots of useful information there and feel free to ask any further questions of the forum. All the best.
Good news on the car front @ciren2 – hope our foot problem is improving?
Great to see you @mia139 – you and I have been stuck in the same rut. It feels so good to be back – you’ll soon be back on track.
@daffodil2010 – enjoy your family time – you are right to prioritise it. Fasting is so compatible with life – aren’t we lucky.

A little insight I’ve had. I always filled in the spreadsheets until a couple of months ago. I’m using it again this month. Logging what I’ve done after I’ve done it is also seems to be combatting my self-sabotage tendencies. I’m not pre-committing to anything that my self-conscious can rebel against.

Day 4 UK FD
Day 3 NFD
Day 2 NFD
Day 1 NFD

Slow transition from September to October.
Well done @ciren2 for getting back on the wagon and who ever said the film Cold War was a beautiful film – ditto, very powerful beautiful film, you walk away deeply moved.

Have a good day all.
Ta

I abandoned a fast day today, but didn’t go silly. It’s a breakthrough. I think I under-ate yesterday as I was light-headed & really hungry. It was a good learning experience.

Day 4, Guildford UK, MFD

Still no heat or hot water, all the pipes are being replaced as some are cracked and others are so old they are imperial measured and fittings aren’t available. For those not in the know that’s old fashioned feet inches and yards. Imperial water pipes are bigger than metric (cms) and there are no longer connector bits. It’s a little like trying to get hold of wires for old iPad etc. We made the switch in the UK to metric when we joined the EU. Now we are leaving will we switch back? Curses and be damned. Anyway I will have a new fancy magnaflow tank and deluxe boiler. It’s only me here so I will be able to have three showers and a bath at the same time! They are cleaning the radiators out too and the tanks will go.

Luckily my dishwasher is cold fill, I cleared the backlog.

I have a toilet working so no buckets and I can poo at home. I am recommending pooing at home if you are MFD and keto. Pear drops reign supreme. Don’t want to surprise someone who follows you in to a cubicle.

I now know how great grandma felt. I put the oven on to warm up the kitchen. I go to bed early with extra blankets and I have a hot water bottle! And my faithfully battered old teddy now 64 years old like his owner. I wear PJs whereas usually I am in my pink suit in bed.

Must be saving on gas though. Weather is unseasonably warm. THANK YOU TO HEAVEN FOR THAT.

@claire-suzanne when peeps create their name originally they can include spaces. I was baffled at first by it but the use of @ doesn’t allow tags with spaces so Claire suzanne in @ format becomes @claire-suzanne thus the space is replaced by the dashy thingie . Quirky? You bet! That’s what the computer he say in computer speak.

@debster251, glad to bring a smile, I think you get my rather dark humour as a coping mechanism. I guess you have that little pokey shadow side too.

@flourbaby I can tell you why Christmas chocolate is in the shops, it’s to eat more chocolate. Usually a good thing. I don’t know if you know but special Xmas chocolatey things are made with more and different oils and fats with extra sugar. They are cheaper for the manufacturers to make and mould. I went on an Easter Egg making course and it was explained to me. In the same way as cookie stuff and choco biscuits have more rubbish chocolate on them. So when I see them I think, nooooooooooo
nooooooooooo
My nerdy thinking and hyper focus tendencies led me to research diabetes insipidus and diabetes mellitus (type 1 and type 2).
What happened in the days before insulin? How did type 1s live? In actual fact type 1 diabetics became keto adapted and ate 80% fat in their diet with almost no carbs. And they added distilled alcohol to their meals, turns out a little gin and tonic is good for getting rid of stubborn carb-fat combos and for killing parasite eggs in the liver (hook worm and things) together with malaria et al. Hence an early evening G&T, yard arm and sun in tropical locales. Very English don’t you know.

Note I said a LITTLE. Alcohol is a better option than painkillers before sleep, but not a bucket, just half a unit or so. It relaxes muscles making us raggy dolls.

I am a traditional lass.

@strawberriesandcream, I want a big long bath one I can top up with hot water at will not a tepid shower at a sports club. I want to lie in it until I go wrinkly like a prune. I want a glass of Prosecco and a dish of olives. Then I will be clean like a squid. This also relaxes my ankle and foot making the muscles nice and calm before bed. Waaaaaaaaa

On the scale of life this is minor desire but it will cheer me up.

Love the hug, that cheered me.

@arkelade I am pleased about OH new lease on life. It’s astonishing how that works.

@yellowandblue I don’t do NFDs anymore. I just do everything else and allow myself planned cheat days when I am allowed anything I like at all. Anything, no holds barred. So either it’s a WFD, 500 cals, 800 cals, 1200 cals or it’s a feast day. But that’s me doing things my way. I have minimal will power so I store it like a miser stores gold for an emergency. I am also out of sight out of mind type. So I simply avoid having to exercise control by the it’s not there philosophy. Craving for chocolate? It’s not there. Wanting to buy Haribos at the petrol station? Pay at the autopay. If I want a treat I buy what I need the day I need it. I also have the freezer in the shed, it’s far too far to go in my very wrinkly pink suit for the goodies. It sorta works.

Ms Grumpy is still well grumpy and alive and kicking. Ankle is sore but puts up with me.

Today’s Pocket List of Fasters:
@wacm
@heyheyceline
@ciren2
@gretta
@lolastarr
@claire suzanne
@mia139
@debster251
@missybear
@rainbowsmile MFD

Together we are stronger 💪

Mari

Second post

@sarahbob we cross posted, sounds like a blood pressure thing? Unsure but has that been tested? Gave me headaches too, I started sinus rinsing and the bleeding stopped. Haven’t a clue what that’s got to do with blood pressure, must get my nerd on it.

Today’s Pocket List of Fasters:
@wacm
@heyheyceline
@ciren2
@gretta
@lolastarr
@claire-suzanne
@mia139
@debster251
@missybear
@sarahbob
@rainbowsmile MFD

Mari

Day 4, Michigan, NFD

Good morning friends. This day is going to be a long and busy one. Time to shower and put on my war paint. Work, paper writing, quiz studying, class, class, exam, studying for another quiz, finishing another paper. Here we go!

@ciren – Yes! Sugar is my vice.

@fasterjo Thanks for the reassurance! Congratulations on your success in piano! It can be so rewarding to practice and finally get a new skill down pat.

@AnnMarilyn I know, it’s a degree combo that isn’t too common. I have tried experimenting with different types of low calorie cooking, but it usually ends up depressing me because I know that if I JUST add some butter and salt everything would taste so much better! Hahahah, old habits. Those pancakes sound delicious though. Willing to share the recipe? Also, my schooling history is similar. So comforting to know I’m not the only one who returned to college as a more mature 20-something.

@cornish-jane that bread sounds like a gift from above. Why is something so pure, so addicting?! (And bloat inducing)

Day 4, Finland, FD

After derailing Tuesdays FD, am having another go today. Tuesday I made it until I came home from work at 9.30pm and then stood in front of an open fridge with a fork wondering what I could eat. Made a good dent in the left over pasta. Today I am in a different mindset. Just been to the gym with friends from work, and am sipping a hot meat stock drink. Am avoiding the rice cakes cos I know as soon as I eat that will be that. Am planning fish and salad for dinner, kids get potatoes as well ;-). I have slackened off logging my food on MFP the last 3 weeks, so getting back onto that. I find it really helpful, and love seeing at the end of the day how much I could weigh in 5 weeks if continue the same way. That is very motivating for me!

I would join the sober-October crew, but I am going to stay with a friend next weekend and have definite plans to partake in some wine. I don’t generally drink much anyway, a cider after sauna once a week or so, so admittedly it wouldn’t be much of a stretch for me anyway.

@flourbaby only 13 weeks til Christmas! Only 3 paydays and haven’t started shopping yet. While it might be early for christmas choccies, it is getting late for me to be starting Christmas shopping.
While I have read all the posts, thanks for coming straight to my phone, I think it is almost impossible to reply to everybody. It is again a big and very active group. I find everyones stories relatable and helpful to my own journey.

Today’s Pocket List of Fasters:
@wacm
@heyheyceline
@ciren2
@gretta
@lolastarr
@claire-suzanne
@mia139
@debster251
@missybear
@sarahbob
@rainbowsmile MFD
@kerryn73

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Day 4 Stevensville Maryland USA CNFD

I really miss popping on here and ready all the post. My life has taken a real shift with my failing MIL. In some ways it is a very hard thing to watch a loved one slowly slip away, yet in some ways it is a very beautiful thing know that this is the cycle of life and her wishes are being granted. She is at home with a full time care giver and Hospice.

My maintenance is going really well. No weight gain.

We can not become what we want by remaining what we are. Have a great Thursday.