I am pretty sure that for me the whole think is psychological. I have tried to set my goal 2lb lower but it doesn’t seem to work. I have been 2lb below my goal weight only for a few months and hovered around my goal weight or slightly above for most of the time. I seem to be able to do proper (300cal) fasts even several times a week.once I get to about 1-2lb above my goal weight. Not sure what is going on but something in me stops me from going lower – either the body protects itself or, (more likely) I become complacent/relaxed once I am there.

@mahalo go girl enjoy life and have some coffee and the odd glass of wine. You deserve it.

Thanks, Lichtle.

Have recently felt like I was doing self-talk here 🙁 and my intention always has been sharing nothing else.

Maybe that sounds reproachful because we are all virtual. Anyway, needed to speak that out 🙂

Best to all of you
M

Hi Carolann,

I suspect it is the effect of insulin on fat storage, so carbohydrate and sugars (things that raise blood sugar and insulin) do result in easier weight gain. Also it’s easier to consume more calories with carbs and sugar!

Hi Mahalo,

I agree with Lichtle, re: people being busy with real life, the thread being busy in fits and starts, and the nature of your experiments with fasting.

I engaged more when you talked about 3 or 4 day water fasting, as that is something I can see myself doing in the future.

Your adf experiment leaves me cold though I’m afraid! I never did more than 2 fast days per week to lose weight, and I’ve certainly no intention at the moment of fasting twice a week, let alone every other day, to maintain weight.

Being time-poor at the moment, and not very interested in adf, I’m afraid I haven’t had anything to contribute. I’m glad that you are feeling benefits and have enjoyed it though.

Apologies that you’ve felt alone on the thread as a result…

Hi Carol
Still around, but have been travelling, with scratchy wifi.
Having not read the forum at all for weeks, I’ve lost the thread. I think my time is done. I’ve tried to encourage others and to spread the word about diabetes reversal, but the medical fraternity is SO conservative /in the pockets of drug companies, I think it will be a long time yet for the message to get through.
Thanks cyber mates for the fun ride. Keep maintaining in whatever way works for you. We are on this for life 😆
Cheers Purple

P, I understand the feeling – life moves on, and the times for intense involvement in things come and go – that’s the way we go on growing, developing and changing. There would be something very wrong if it didn’t happen. But please drop in from time to time still – your wisdom, knowledge, humour and just friendship are too valuable to disappear overnight!
If we hear less from you, thank you especially for the welcome you’ve always given to new arrivals – including me – and the encouragement to know we can stick to this, and don’t have to be part of the statistical %age who lose weight beautifully and then pile it all back on, with interest. It has been more valuable that you probably know.

Miss ‘you’

Hi Everyone,

Sorry to have been away so long. I would normally have posted on the last two weekends. However, a) a while ago I finally got a job, and b) last Wednesday I was informed I’d be heading off to Winnipeg the following Monday (two weeks ago now). What a whirlwind! Is anyone from the list in Winnipeg? Just curious.

Carolannfudd: Re: “How do you get on with the English accents Jayney?” Rather well actually. The last company I worked for was based in New Zealand, but I worked with a few Brits as well. Re: trigger foods–I find starches to trigger more weight gain for me–especially rice and/or pasta, which I hardly eat.

FastFastSlow: “Speaking of which, does anyone else go to a gym (local authority leisure centre, not posh private making huge profits) which is full of said chocolatey, crisp-y, fizzy-drink-y, machines?” Although we don’t have local authority leisure centres here in the States, my posh private gym has machines with PowerAde (like Gatorade–with lots of sugar). I don’t like it, but it’s not like it’s free, and there’s also a smoothie bar that sells much healthier drinks made to order.

Lichtle: “I can keep up the water consumption only when not out and about and recently I have had busy weekends and did not want to have to worry about how much water I consumed and rushing to find a toilet.” I guess this effects us differently, but even though I drink 88 oz. (96 when I boost it) of water per day (yes, EVERY day–weekend or no), it doesn’t seem like I go to the toilet a lot more than otherwise. Maybe that’s just because I’ve been doing this for a while, or maybe I am going a lot but it doesn’t seem like it. Just a thought.

Barata and HappyNow: Re: the question of the last stubborn kilo: I didn’t experience that with the Fast Diet, but did before that. That was partly why I started with 5:2. I’d gotten to within about 30 pounds/13.6 kilos/2.14 stone of my goal and the nutritionist threw up his hands, said you’re basically healthy and forget about the weight. Once I started on 5:2, things did start to slow down when I was about 10 pounds/4.54 kilos/.7 stone above my goal. However, I only noticed the weight dropping more slowly before adding a third fast day in the week. I think I did that for maybe three weeks or so before reaching my goal (starting with stand-alone fast days, and in the last week or two having two back-to-back fast days–and all fast days with water/psyllium/supplements only). Considering how long my plateaus used to be before 5:2 reaching goal was a breeze.

We will miss you Purple, but your departure really makes me value those who’ve stayed! I’ll try to post at least once a weekend from now on.

Jayney

Oh, sorry, Jayney, congrats on the new job from me too. Well done!!! Please tell us more.

Thanks for the well wishes FastFastSlow! Winnipeg is where the head office is. As with my last job, I apparently enjoy working with other cultures so much that both of the past two (full-time) jobs I’ve had have been with foreign companies (that have American offices). This is a first for me, but seems to indicate that the universe is encouraging me in this direction. I really enjoy interacting with people of different cultures and had the chance to meet some indigenous Canadians this past trip as well, which is very important to me on a spiritual level. I also got to meet my co-workers, which is really a plus as we have such a fantastic team. I’m even being sponsored by my new company to join a Canadian training organisation and achieve a similar Canadian accreditation in my field to the American accreditation I’ve worked so hard for–really exciting for me!

In answer to your question, I’m an instructional designer. I design training materials (e.g. facilitator guides, participant guides, job aids, handouts, PowerPoint presentations, but also online training materials as well, like online interactive courses with games and questions, etc., and also course evaluations, assessments, and the like).

No offense, but I sincerely hope Winnipeg isn’t permanent! I hear they call it Winterpeg because it gets so horribly cold there at least half the year or more (though I’ve been promised that they won’t make me go there then). From what I can gather I might only be going there 2-3 weeks a year or so, so I’m happy to go in that frequency. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have more questions.

Just FYI, after three days straight of holiday eating I noticed that my weight is now .1 pound over the high end of my goal. I have another movie planned with a friend for today’s holiday, but fortunately the gym is open today. My plan now is to basically have what I normally would have on a 500-calorie fast day, but adding in veggies and treats with dinner and popcorn at the movie. I’ll also be working out AFTER the movie (just a quick 30-minute HIT workout). Hopefully that will get the scale to go down again. Tomorrow I’m back to my usual routine (workout and aerials), but will restrict calories as I meant to do yesterday, but didn’t. I’m sure I’ll be back on track after all that and back below goal during the week again. I really do enjoy this WOL!

Jayney

Hi Purple

Many thanks for your contributions over time. You have had a bigger effect than you think. 😉

Hi Lichtle, FFS, Happy, Barata

My apologies that I ran away for six weeks. I signed off without really saying adieu, and thanks for your support. It is my intention to stay signed off most 5:2 threads, until the next sugar challenge, when I shall most certainly need your support.

I am guessing that I have gained a few kilos during our journeys through Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Germany and France. We have had a wonderful time, and I have eaten and drunk whatever I felt like. I will fast as soon as I am home again this week. I have no concerns that the weight will fall off again.

I have found that wheat and sugar are my Triggers for putting on weight. All the best to everyone.

Cheers, Bay 🙂

Thanks FastFastSlow, I’ve been refraining from having nuts due to their high calorie count. I tend to have fruit or veggie (mostly veggie) snacks instead. If I wasn’t so short and could actually have a decent TDEE with all the olive oil, I think nuts would be the way to go though.

Jayney

Fast, I too seem to be switching from sugar to nuts these days. It seems to be a natural replacement as is of course fruit but more satisfying

Jayney, sorry I forgot to say congrats too on your job! Well done!

FFS I now eat more nuts with a clear conscience after an earlier reference to the absorption percentage of nuts (maybe you posted that?). Do you recall if there were specific types of nuts mentioned or is it nuts generally?

I’ve been hopping into peanuts quite a bit lately instead of my usual almonds with a few Brazil nuts and I think that has contributed to a bit of a weight Spike I had recently. I very anally (Happy 🙂 count my almonds out but the peanuts I was taking by the handful so that could explain it! Anyway I have decided not to have the peanuts anymore.

Jayney I tend to have fruit or veggie snacks too but find sometimes I just need something with a bit of protein to fill me up a bit. So then I add a few almonds to my snack. Heading your side of the world very soon Jayney 🙂 We ended up booking a few days in San Fran and LA after we leave Edmonton.

Thanks for all your wise, considered thoughts Bay. Time for a break.
Happy, it seems you are the “last man standing” from the old MCs team. You do a great job keeping us all on track.;) I’ll always be grateful for the sensible, grounded opinions that came out of this, Auriga’s, thread.
Cheers Simcoe. It’s been fun. P 😆

Hi Milena,

Sorry to hear you won’t be in that bikini at Christmas! Maybe next year, when summer must surely reach us up north! It sounds like you’re making good progress though (1.1lbs per week average I think? Very respectable results).

To be honest I was hoping that even fewer calories were absorbed from nuts 🙂 Yes, my habit is that bad. I think what helps me too is the fact that I don’t chew each mouthful 50 times… Working on the principle of the finer the pieces, the more readily digestible. That’s certainly what I tell myself, the alternative being that I’m greedy and too lazy to chew my food properly!

Oh, and my waist is definitely NOT around my belly button. The narrowest part of me is above that and is where waistbands sit. That is my waist. I suspect the guidance on measuring around your belly button was developed for men who have a less defined shape and less obvious waist!

Yes, Livhtle, I do – in theory – and will gladly join you and be glad of your company. I’m still within my wiggle room, but at the top end of it, when I’d rather be at the bottom – result, I think, of getting blasé about my 6:1 fast (ie letting it creep up to 700, 800 calls), and letting the Friday treat day spread into Friday to Sunday treat long weekend! (DH is having the same problem, so I know what the cause is!) I know it may seem a bit obsessive, when I’m sort of at goal (and have been under it) but I’d rather be a tad under than a tad over – I know how sneakily 1lb can become 1 stone, while I look the other way and say ‘oh, it’s not much…’ It’s actually more about feel than actual weight – I may not be up by much, but I can feel my sugar-belly coming back, and it doesn’t feel nice.

New year (September always feels more like it than January, to me) sugar campaign?? I shall be 70 on the 25th of this month: help me lose 2lbs and a tummy roll by then, please? And I’ll do the same for you!

Hi Fast, you are so right to take action before the weight creeps up. This is exactly what has happened to me. I have been telling myself off for being obsessive when I was just a few hundred grams above goal weight. After all our weight fluctuates and tomorrow I might be down again by a pound. And then it goes up to a lb over goal but then it is just someone’s birthday or some excuse to do something about especially as some days it does go down but more often it is above the goal weight.

I also always feel like September is the time for new start and I am happy to join you tomorrow for another fast day as I gave up my fast on Monday due to a colleague’s birthday.

Also I am with you should you want to do another sugar challenge. We could do a short one until your gloriously fabulous birthday (or one day before) starting tomorrow when we are fasting anyway. This would make it a mini challenge, which is also interesting psychologically – will it be easier knowing it is only for a short period?

Oh, and I hope I have found a solution for my failed fasts in the past months. As I am not not organised food wised – (I eat as I feel like) and DH does all the cooking, I have been treating fast days too haphazardly. I just didn’t take anything with me to work and when I came home I either ate a small portion of DH (high calorie) food or make a boullion with an egg. But once I start eating his food which is not I tend to cave in and eat more as I feel that I have now broken my fast. I used to get cross for breaking my fast at the end of the day which is why I decided to give it a rest.

With this renewed resolve, I have decided that I need to pre-cook my meals and freeze it in portions so that I know I have a filling low cal meal waiting for me when I get home at the end of the day. Last year I just made batches of soups for the week, but a soup is fine at lunch time when I am cold but I would rather save my calories and have a filling meal at the end.

So here it goes. Time will tell whether I was just making excuses for a weak(ening) mind, or if my lack of organisation was really to blame. The chances are that it was/is both. 😉

Lichtle – I’m sure you’re right about organisation: I’m driving poor DH mad at the moment, preparing the foundations of each meal as we get up from the last one, but it does help me to be mindful about food. Particularly helpful, I find, is to think at the.beginning of each week what will be our low cal meal(s) for fast day(s), and either cook and freeze/refrigerate them or at least have all the ingredients ready, together in one pot. It’s so much easier without working regularly, so I admire you for doing it.

just to update up on other things which were preoccupying me: Mum was discharged from hospital mid- July, having been told she definitely needed 24hour care, either at home or in a care home. Still deep in denial, she opted for a care home for 4 weeks’ ‘convalescence’ (we found her a really super one) and at the end of the 4 weeks, opted to stay ‘just a bit longer, until I’m properly better’. Next review is on the 21st, by which time she will have been there 10 weeks and a definite decision will have to be made – but care home and social worker say not only that it’s the only realistic option, but also that she appears really happy and settled there, and they anticipate she will want to stay permanently. So perhaps by the 25th there will be more than a birthday to. celebrate, and I shall be able to relax, knowing that she is safe, happy and cared-for. I’m sure that will also help me in caring for myself!

FFS, thank you for the update on your mother and I can feel for you. It is great that she is familiar with the home so the element of fear of the unknown is removed which is what makes us resist change most often. I sincerely hope that she will give you this most wonderful birthday present of relieving you from the worry about her soon.

Fast, you seem to be very organised. Recently. I have been cooking a few meals and I try and cook low cal meals of which I can freeze any left overs for fast days. DH just cooks delicious but high cal meals and I wish he would join me on 5:2 like your husband and purple’s. But I don’t want to complain because I have always found thinking about what to cook more of a chore than the actually cooking and DH is very picky.

@carol I am glad I am not alone. I too find the routine of regular fasting may be the key be it 6:1 or 5:2 or even every other week and I too find fasting harder the longer I have been avoiding it.
I love your idea of tinned tuna and vegetables as I am not a fan of fresh fish but the tinned versions. I tended to do lots of soups and eggs with vegetables but even I am finding it more and more important to have a variety of dishes to look forward to when I get home from work. I am a big fan of pulses also which is incredibly filling. I always put a small piece of smoked ham into my lentil stew and make it really stodgy to signal to my brain that this really is filling.

Have a wonderful holiday and I hope that your dad will be absolutely fine. Shouldering the responsibility on your own is of course not easy. It’s a pity your siblings could not come and visit or invite him to stay with them. But if he is like many older people, he might not want to stay away from home. How great though that he can still live independently. Save return.

@judy, it sounds as if you still do two fasts every week. That is fantastic and I intend to get back into it again, too. It’s only a matter of making up my mind and getting the first few times out of the way and after that it will be easier.

Here goes the Thursday fast!!! Have a nice day everyone.

@happy. Excellent news about your stable wriggle room weight. You have been for some time so well done and I am sure staying off the sweet stuff is a big part of your success. Well done.

Me too, just a little over the top of my preferred range. Since going off sugar two weeks ago my body has refused to recognise the fact that I am still fasting two days a week. So back on wine, at least! Darn. 🙂

Im on the same page as most of you. I dont eat a lot of carbs normally but today i had a pasta dish planned for dinner and when I went out with my mum for lunch there wasn’t much at this small cafe so I had toasted sourdough with melted cheese and ham – boy it was good!! lol

Hi Lichtle and Fast and Happy and Barata

I am with you on the mini sugar free challenge. I hope we are still doing the Advent sugar free challenge leading up to Christmas. I intend to do it, but would very much enjoy doing it with you. 😉

Fast, great to have the solution for your mother. Fingers crossed it goes well.

As I thought, while away for six weeks in Europe eating and drinking whatever I wanted, I gained 3 kg in weight and put on 7 cm around the waist. It was because I had baguettes or croissants each day, ( wheat and sugar being my trigger foods), plus something to drink each day. Sugar and white foods do it every time for me. I did not fast.

Since getting home I have fasted one day (loved it), had no white foods or alcohol, and have already lost 1 kg. My nibble of choice is nuts, either raw almonds or Brazil nuts. Happy talking.

Cheers, Bay 🙂