Hi All,

I’ve been away for a few days, so I’ll need to have a read back and catch up with you all!

Great to hear from you Hermaj, I’d been thinking about you this week and wondering how you were getting on!

Barata,

Great that you’re managing to shift your excess, but I still think it’s environmentally irresponsible of you to peddle a zero carb diet!

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6399/eaam5324

“Meat consumption is rising annually as human populations grow and affluence increases. Godfray et al. review this trend, which has major negative consequences for land and water use and environmental change. Although meat is a concentrated source of nutrients for low-income families, it also enhances the risks of chronic ill health, such as from colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease. Changing meat consumption habits is a challenge that requires identifying the complex social factors associated with meat eating and developing policies for effective interventions.”

Small, yes, but a pit pony? I don’t think so Herm!!! You look terrific, just as you are. Always keep in mind, if you were tall, you’d be desperately thin and they’d start telling you to eat more!
Btw, is ‘carnivory’ a word? I like it.
The word, not the idea.
P

Yep. I’m in that camp too. There was a time when meals centered around the meat. Now they start with whatever fresh veg are available and work forward from there. Plenty of flavour, a variety of colours and textures, that’s my approach.

Barata, I’m glad you are keeping your hand in with the gardening. We have to keep moving and doing! Hawai’i, eh? Been there before? Where will you be visiting?

After our 3 days in Wine Country, we had both gained 2+ pounds. After yesterday’s Fast, we each lost 2 pounds! We are happy. Our son the biologist says that a fast day simply means that ‘you are getting rid of all the food in your pockets’ [meaning residual food in the digestive system] and that’s why you lose weight. Not sure if he is a scoffer or not. He has developed hereditary high cholesterol and a little medicine-induced weight gain. I have suggested Fasting to him, but he is lukewarm on the topic. He eats sensibly, thank goodness.

We have meat/animal protein 2-3 times per week: Sunday, Tuesday [leftover from Sunday], and maybe on the Wednesday pasta or in the Thursday Fast meal. Red meat is rare here for us. I’m with you, PVE, on meal design.

Happy weekend, everyone. Happy September with all that it brings.

I watched ‘The sugar film’ last night – killed my Saturday night! 😂

https://youtu.be/6uaWekLrilY

(Hope that link works)

I wonder why you’re having trouble, Barata? Your winter weight maybe? You’ve maintained for years haven’t you?

I’m vegetarian so any carnivore ideas are out for me. OH eats meat on 3or 4 days, fish on a couple and just veg on the others. Hugh Fernley Whitenstall has been doing a series of programmes on sugar, with a challenge in Newcastle. It’s been both frightening and interesting.

Fasting, I like your son’s verdict. It seems that the odd indulgence or threat can be managed, but it’s the slide into habitual treats or huge portions which cause weight to settle. I need to watch my portions again. A ice lolly, like a Solero, is at least calorie controlled. On the other hand, a bowl of ice cream – oooh, just a little bit more! 🤔😏

B and I are similar ages and our 5:2 experience has been similar. I wonder if it is a settling down of the body to a weight it prefers, or us not being quite as stringent? I still fit in to my clothes and have plenty of energy to lead an active life, but a little voice pops up in the background asking ‘what is going on? Is this the slow slide back to a fat Purple?’ After all, it took decades to become overweight before 5:2.

We are skipping off to the warmth up north tomorrow. Enjoy your trip. P

Absolutely agree about sugar, fasting. And it’s the way carbs are turned into sugar which is horrifying. We have a pair of doctors/twins who present health programme. One Xan Van Tulleun (sp?) did a great programme The Truth About carbs which showed this. Interestingly, toast made from frozen bread undergoes cellular changes which considerably reduces the sugar.

I’ve been watching OH’s fruit intake like a hawk. He is better. Now our plums are appearing so he will want those. Tried a boost today, telling him he looks lovely from the back. Shame about the gut.

Had our new car yesterday- an automatic, so hopefully no more foot problems.

No doubt that diet is the main driver for fat loss but the right kind of exercise is key in the long run. I’ve boosted my RMR Resting Metabolic rate 21% in 13 months via increased muscle from resistance exercise (measure via gas exchange). It is also possible that my mitochondria are healthier / more plentiful. So I get to eat 21% more calories just to maintain my weight. My scale weight is exactly the same (175 lbs) but DEXA says I gained 20 lbs of muscle and lost 20 lbs of fat! I’m also much stronger and very energetic.

Yes the exercise was hard work but it was really worth it! I averaged 3 weight and one HIIT workout a week. My blood chems all improved as well with a fasting glucose of 69 and APO B ( bad dense cholesterol) down to 79.

I experimented with a variety of eating plans and fasting. I found that time restricted eating (10 hours) with a quarterly 5 day water fast worked best for me. Lots of veggies, good fats and about 150 G of protein a day (IGF-1 did not increase). Minimal sugar, fruit and starchy carbs. I did eat some fruit and or potato/ rice after working out to recharge glycogen. Every other day water fasting was the worse for RMR, it went way down after 4 weeks of that! I also lost some muscle and of course fat.

I’m 67 years old and was taking part in a study that will be published. Other male and female participants that did the work had similar improvements in RMR, muscle gain, fat loss, strength increase and improved key health indicators. All where over 40 YO. No one else in the group fasted.

The key takeaways are that intense weight training supported by good nutrition can increase metabolism and strength while reducing fat mass and improving key health indicators in mature adults.

I’m continuing with the program and will be tested again in 6 months.

Barata, watching the sugar film on the weekend reinforced for me how I have been letting things slide. Although I had no weight gain during my holidays since I’ve got home I’ve gone Crazy! Today is FD, got on the scales and higher than I have been for 9 weeks! (I weigh every day).

Watching the sugar film was a kick in the butt for me, so I got out my nutrition books yesterday, went through the glycemic index of all the foods I eat, compiled a list and will now start my good old food diary again! The food diary and wake up call seems to be enough to get me back on the straight and narrow.
For me, weight gain seems associated with less vigilance. I don’t know how many times a day my little voice says “that little bit won’t matter’. Sadly, everything matters!! I’m not saying my methods works for everyone, I believe we all need to find the way that works for us and so good on you for trying different methods.

I also believe we do have a set weight – a weight we will normally hover around without much effort and even some lapses to our 5:2 regime. If that 2kg has been there for a while now and you’re happy with the weight do you really need to knock yourself out trying to get below?

I get hooked on the numbers. When Happy was posting recently getting below 58 I felt quite envious! I wanted to be below 58 too – but why – what difference does 2,3,4,5 kg make? I don’t look any different, clothes all still fit – I’m just hooked on the number!

Barata, you’ve done great, everyone on here has done great! We’re a lucky bunch, we’re motivated enough to make an effort! Forget all about this, enjoy your holiday and see how you feel about it when you get back.

Safe travels and happy holiday! 😄🐠🐟☀️🌞🍸🍹

Thanks for the boost, and the bon voyage, Carol. I am, I am, very happy with where I am, just have the concern that if two kgs can sneak on and not shift, what’s in the future? Not much fasting in the short-term though 🙂 And you are right, we are a successful bunch with glowing halos.

Safe driving, Polly. We get your doctor twins here, with and without Dr M. Lots of interesting stuff, including Dr M last night on sleep. So I had half a kiwifruit, and one of the other suggestions that I have forgotten for now – and got woken at 11.30pm by OH’s snoring!

Pouring rain, blasting southerlies, and snow on the passes in the south – welcome, spring! I would send it west if I could, P.

I couldn’t think of anything worse that diverdog’s way of maintaining. 20 years ago, when I did the F Plan, I did exercise a lot , but found that I couldn’t stop losing weight and went down under 8 st, 112 lbs, looking gaunt.

Purple has beautifully summarised how I also eat and maintain. I do also manage a glass of wine every night. My wriggle room seems to have put itself down to 125-128. I can still enjoy food, drink and the occasional chocolate.

Here, here! You all make a wonderful case for women our age to maintain a Fasting Lifestyle. We are slimmer, healthier, and happier with ourselves than we were 5 years ago. And that’s what its all about.

Fasting today. Zucchini-Egg Bake with late season strawberries for breakfast. Tonight, since it is labor Day: Deviled Egg, Hot Dog, Grilled Tomatoes, and 3-Bean Salad — a real ‘picnic dinner.’ Hope to go to the beach for swimming today. The ocean will begin to cool off as the sun’s angle decreases.

Thanks for the post about basal metabolism and exercise, diverdog.

I think we all know that muscle mass declines as we age, hence our TDEE’s decline, we find it harder to lose weight, etc. But it’s good to have a reminder of the benefits of maintaining and increasing muscle mass as we age.

And actually, for us ladies, it’s really important that we do factor in weight-bearing exercise in order to maintain bone density. Walking is great exercise, but it’s not enough to ensure we live long healthy lives! We might not want to go to the gym, but perhaps we should be. And if not, we ought perhaps to have some weights/ a kettlebell at home? I know my upper body strength and muscle mass is declining, and I’m approaching 50, it’s something I’ve been ‘thinking’ about for a while… time for action methinks!

Barata, and P, have you considered that your extra couple of kilos might simply be due to reduced muscle mass, a natural side effect of aging? Rather than going to ever more extreme diets and upping the number of fast days, adding in a couple of high intensity weight bearing exercise routines to rebuild muscle and increase basal metabolic rate might be worth thinking about?

Carol,

I’m back in the low 59s now 😊 But fasting today, so back in the 58s tomorrow…. I’ve had a week off, eating bread and cake every day, so need to knock the sugar habit on the head with a good fast!

And I’m with you on 2 or 3 kg not showing, but I would notice 5kg!

7-Minute Fitness. It is a FREE app for the phone or tablet. [I use the men’s version because of the familiarity of the exercises.] In 7 minutes it takes you through a series of exercises for the major muscle groups, along with bursts of high energy activities. Plus there is time built in for you to get out of one position [ex: off the floor] and into another position, so it really does take only 7 minutes. I have done this at home and in hotel rooms; in the barn and in the car lot. Exercises include: jumping jacks, pushups [you can do the modified girlie ones on the floor or on the counter top], squats, triceps dips, lunges, step-ups, running in place, front planks, side planks. I think it qualifies as HIIT exercise [without the gym membership].
Happy, you are so right about muscle mass and aging. Build the muscles, raise the metabolism.
PVE, how about I travel the world but without the very heavy suitcase?
Yesterday’s Fast saw both of us lose a pound. We discussed reducing sugar while breakfasting.

F_me,

There’s loads of 7 minute workout apps in the app store, but ‘7 minute fitness’ isn’t returning any results. Too much choice!

Hi, patilpooja. I have seen you writing on various threads. Are you an Ayurveda practitioner or healer? Or do you follow that lifestyle? You made me curious, so I looked up the recommended diet:
Intake of six rasas or tastes. At each meal, you will incorporate foods that are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent. You begin your meal with foods that have a sweet taste (like sweet fruit), then consume food that salty (such as seafood) and sour (citrus fruit, for example), then finish with foods that are pungent (like onions or peppers), astringent (such as green apples or tea), and bitter (celery, kale, or green leafy vegetables).
Eat mindfully and with concentration. Avoid talking, laughter, and other distractions to fully appreciate your meal and the wholesome benefits it provides
Eat slowly enough that you can savor the taste of the food
Eat quickly enough to prevent the food from getting cold
Eat the proper quantity of food. Be aware of hunger signals and signs of fullness to avoid overeating
Eat only when your previous meal has been digested. Guidelines suggest that you do not eat within three hours of your previous meal or snack and you should not go without food for more than six hours. Many Ayurvedic practitioners also recommend that you eat a modest breakfast and a larger, satisfying lunch. Dinner may or may not be consumed based on your hunger levels.

Sounds very comparable with the 5:2, although without the calorie restriction 2 days/week. But I must say that not talking or laughing during a meal does not sound appealing!
When I looked at the 3 “personalities” for the purpose of focusing the diet, I found that I was intense, intelligent, calm, focused — in short, I was combinations of all three personalities. Since the foods to avoid/foods to include do not overlap, I can’t really see how I could decide among them.
In your above message, you say ‘this is a great idea.” To which idea are you referring? Surely you didn’t mean going out for a big curry meal?! LOL. Perhaps you meant reducing sugar? Or was it the exercise?
You are always enigmatic in your posts, so we have no idea of you and your journey in Fasting.

On to Fasting: Ham & Mushroom Omelette this morning, which was very good! Tonight will be lamb kabobs, but I haven’t got the recipe worked out yet.
What are you all eating? I know that some of you are not eating, so happy Fasting to all.

PVE, I notice that the Admin removed it. It did make me curious, which is why I looked it up. I like to needle these people to see if that shuts them up or makes them squirm.

Fasting today: Roman Breakfast [diced cucumber, apple, chicken, date + whole-grain thingy] and Vegetable Quiche for dinner.

Cool weather has descended on the North Shore of PEI. It was 10 C. this morning! Sunny and brisk, but certainly not beach weather. Maybe a good day to work in the garden. With the constant wind and frequent salt spray, it is tough to introduce plants here. I am trying to carve out a small fruit garden within a 40-foot wide ‘hedgerow’ on our property, hoping that the native plants will shelter the small fruits from the elements. Lots of clipping and then I should pull the roots. Already have black currents [donation from friends’ garden], gooseberries [volunteers], wild cherries, and wild apples. We’ll see how well I can keep that up…. Never too good on follow-through.

Happy Fasting.

Hi FFS!
Yes, I agree. I’m always jealous of FMs “fast day” food!
We were travelling during yesterday’s fast, so it was eaay to just sip water all day and ignore the “snacks” offered by the airline. I still find zero food fasts the only way to fast frankly.
9 deg at home this morning. A bit disappointing after warmer weather up north 😏 At least we’ve had some rain to keep my little new spring veg growing. P

Hi Happy, et al – so glad you remember me! Yes, just lurking, and fine, thanks, though I admit the lurking-without-posting started during a spell of ‘too knackered even to read’ (unheard of for me) earlier this year, which then morphed into ‘too busy to get back into the swing. Thanks, Fasting, for exciting my tastebuds enough to get me going again!

We’re ticking along, maintaining nicely, though my regular summer fruit-induced couple of lbs gain is currently sitting on my tum, and OH, whose poorly back has meant a summer of comfort eating and no exercise, has once again developed some rather Pooh-like love handles. . But still on target (- his BMI still just about healthy, and I’m, in fact, being lectured by GP for being ‘underweight’ – can’t win, can you?) so relaxed but vigilant, and pretty sure it will disappear when my daily patrols of the garden, harvesting what has ripened, eating on the go, and cooking up a storm, come to an end… Fasting properly this week, as we have a Golden wedding anniversary on Friday (don’t ask me how – sheer stubbornness, I reckon – or as I’ve heard it better put, ‘two imperfect people refusing to give up on each other’!) and our offspring have just told us they’ve arranged a rather indulgent night, so I shall need the wriggle room…

Met up with the beauteous Herm for an all-too-brief time in London last week, between one appointment for me and a different one for her. She is looking fab – a brilliant advert for perseverance and IF!

It’s good to be back – thanks for the welcome!

Dear FFS, of course you are an integral part of this thread. Better Pooh than Eyore for OH!

No FDs at the moment, soaking up the Hawai’ian sun, temp got up to 96f today! So pleased with how easy it is to skip a breakfast or lunch, wish I could say the same for OH, who is suffering from aching joints which in the early hours I reasoned might be his carb indulgence, away from my evening menu control 🙁 Off to Oahu from Hawaii tomorrow, started on Maui, bliss. And only two hours’ time difference from NZ!

Hi, Fast, where’ve you been all this time? I’m another envying fasting’s menus, especially as we’ve got s bit dull recently. OH has stopped pouring over Mimi’s recipes. I did the first real fast in ages last Friday as I felt stuffed. Generally around 126lbs, though, on 16:8.

Oh, Hawai’i! You lucky thing, Barata. I’d love to visit there. Anyone remember James Michener’s book? I think there was also a film. Surprised at comment from you doctor. What’s he looking at, I wonder.

I’m involved in a discussion on weight on another forum. This was prompted by an obese model on the front of Cosmopolitan. Views range between fat-shaming and body-pride. My feeling is that it could encourage acceptance, to the detriment of the health of individuals and added strain on the health service.

Polly,

I’ve read some articles about that Cosmo cover. I’m afraid I struggle to think that anyone should be ‘proud’ of being morbidly obese. It should not be considered normal. But that doesn’t give me the right to verbally abuse fat people in the street! However, people that are large clearly need clothes so having models in a range of sizes that more accurately reflect society, and clothes designed for bodies other than beanpoles, seems appropriate. But personally, if I did buy women’s magazines (which I don’t), I wouldn’t buy those targeted at the overweight/ obese demographic.

Difficult. I don’t see the obesity crisis getting sorted.

Exactly, Happy and Fasting. Two Guardian headlines adjacent to one another one day last week: one pointing to the recent report that a huge proportion of the population is grossly overweight and unfit, the other advertising an article complaining about ‘fat shaming’ , claiming that the (extremely large) writer is perfectly fit, despite her size, and vilifying the reluctance of fellow travellers to share a (normal-sized) bus or plane seat with her as prejudice and abuse. Nothing gives anyone the right to abuse another person about their body shape (or colour, sexuality, gender, beliefs or anything else – understood) but sometimes I wonder whether we’ve lost the ability to discern the ridiculous – despair is close!