Hi FFS and Lichtle

I am a sugarholic, in that if I have some, I want more two hours later. I have found that if I have a sugar treat one day, then fasting the next is harder. I like the 5:2 approach to sugar, as that leaves room for a treat on the day after a fast day.

Purple, thinking of you and your foot and sending you healing vibes. I notice we’re such a polite lot that no one asked why you were trying to run down an up escalator. 🙄 Many moons ago we tried that in the suburbs of Prague on the approach to the Metro. Within 30 secs a booming voice in Czech (presumably!) was telling us not to play ! Sometimes these things just have to be done. 😉

Cheers, Bay

Hi Carolann – don’t be too hasty to congratulate us : I don’t know yet whether we can do it – but we’ll try!

Thank you, P. Just beginning to dawn on me : ‘oh lord, what have I done? Committed myself publicly to do this, is all…!’ Oh well – in for a penny….and actually once it’s not available, I’m fine; I wouldn’t go out looking for sweet stuff, it’s just that I find it hard to ignore it all when it’s around! So obviously a spring-clean before Ash Weds will have to be the first step – then telling the world we’re doing it, so that failure will mean disgrace, humiliation, loss of face and expulsion from the paradise that is the MC chatbox…..or am I getting this out of proportion….?

Go for it! Just coming up to 10pm here: TV news, bath, bed – and by the time I get up at 7.30ish tomorrow you’ll be nearly there – and I’ll be starting another FD. And so the world goes round!
Night all!

Hi Lichtie – my worst Lent (so far!) was the year I gave up coffee – wicked headache, and worse temper, for the first 2 weeks – after that, fine, so let’s hope the same proves true of sugar. I was daft enough to start Easter Day by returning to coffee, so hope I will have learned better now! Between us, we’ll do it – it will be good to have company.

Well done Purple, let us know how you go over time.

Hi Maintainers, I have popped over from the Southern Hemisphere forum to say hi. I have been at or under goal (59kg) for about five weeks now so felt brave enough to venture over 😉
Still doing two fasts a week, not eating till 4pm and then having 500cal for dinner. My non fasts days are a bit of a free for all although I find my servings are just naturally so much smaller now – my sweet tooth prevails however!
I started 5:2 at the beginning of September with 11 kgs to lose and it has taken me till only recently to believe my weight loss is real, for months I had a feeling that I would wake up with the weight back on like some kind of horrible mistake.
I am now enjoying lots of health benefits including happier joints which has pretty much meant we can stay in our current home – we were thinking of selling as I was struggling so much with my knees on the stairs.
I have to say my most favourite benefit of all though is the lack of thigh rub – it’s like a miracle, I have been wearing dresses and skirts without bike pants underneath for the first time in 14 years, it’s making summer a joy.
I have always enjoyed reading this thread, it was very inspirational to me when I first started this WOL, I must say I’m rather chuffed to be here!

Jenny

@hi jenklar welcome – you seem to have reached your goal, well done. We love to have you with us.

It is great that the numbers here are rising, creating a lively and interesting atmosphere but more importantly, it is inspiring for the rest of the forum. We don’t want to give the impression that only a small number of people can maintain this WOL. It seems that fasters from the weight loss threads are popping in and seeking confirmation that this WOL is sustainable and therefore our success and encouragement is such an important function on this site.

Hi All,

Jenklar, congratulations on reaching your goal and feeling the benefits! I had that fear of waking up to find it was all a dream. Sometimes I think maybe my scales are broken, and have to check clothing labels 🙂
I was always heavy thighed, even at my previous lowest weight and horribly familiar with chafing thighs (yes, UK summers do get warm enough…sometimes!). I have spent quite some time walking strangely, trying to rub my thighs together. It just won’t happen anymore.

P, I’m intrigued by your experiment and will be interested in the results. I’m currently dropping a bit more just by breakfast skipping and no refined carbs in the week. To get better fast benefits I would have to introduce proper fast days and then overeat (for me) on non fast days. I’m slightly apprehensive about trying to change my way of eating when what I’m currently doing is working for maintenance. I’ll let you be a guinea pig before I jump in!

FFS and Lichtle, I eat very little refined sugar so it wouldn’t be much of a sadeifice for Lent! Sorry if I’ve missed this, but are you including natural sugars in fruit (and wine 🙁 ). That might be more of a challenge…

Well I only drink at weekends now (except for holidays!), and Lent is only 6 weekends, so for me (if wine was excluded and I was giving up sugar, which I don’t have much of anyway…) it would only be perhaps 12 – 18 days (evenings!) of sacrifice. Am struggling to think of something that I ‘could not live without’ for Lent. Can you see my halo shining from there?!

Perhaps I should do it in reverse? And take up sugar for Lent. Then I could do some proper healthy fasts!

Hi Em
Aussies have always abbreviated things. Maccas is what we call McDonalds. They have even changed some of the signs in Aust to say Maccas!
Never been to the tennis. It is always terribly hot in Melbourne when it is on. I’m not into that sort of self sacrifice.
I don’t do consecutive days as it shortens the fasts by 12 hours running them together and I find I have a low day after a fast anyway, so more effective than stressing through 2 days back to back. Just my opinion. Many differ. That’s the flexibility of this wol, isn’t it? P

Lovely to have had a two-day working week, now a three day weekend (with Wellington Anniversary Day on Monday), one day of work then off to Oz!

I have just finished watching the third Horizon documentary, and OH tells me that, although it has been blocked by geography around the globe, our ISP uses a service that blocks geo-location, enabling us to watch these programmes. Very interesting, the 75 volunteers losing over 100 kg in three months, and mostly very positive and keen to continue with the changes. One main point to take from this – it’s not the diet that should be chosen, but the method that is best for the self, by understanding what makes a person over-eat whether biological or psychological.

(Just a hint here – if you are unsure on spelling, right-click the word and see suggested spellings.)

OH has lost 1.6kg since Monday. He’s fine with it – no headaches, problems, reduction in bloating, totally neutral (part of the original problem, I suppose, no ill-effects of the obesity). He’s happy to continue – yay.

Thank you Lichtie. Yes, I’m doing it for improved health. I start on Monday.

Welcome, marygrace and jenklar – good to have you on board.

Emilyashen:- re 2day consecutive fasting: no, I haven’t tried it – I know myself well enough to know I couldn’t do it – though I believe the original version of IF did suggest it. But I’d endorse Purple’s words of wisdom about eating on non-fast days: I think it’s important, not just permissible, to eat normally on those days, rather than calorie counting. I understood this isn’t just because the reason this WOE works for many of us is precisely that psychologically we’re the sort of people who can’t actually manage permanent calorie counting, but also – I seem to remember – that it prevents the slowing down of metabolism which happens when the body goes into ‘famine mode’. 2 days a week of calorie counting and the rest normal eating means it doesn’t happen. (Of course, if your ‘normal’ eating is always at the calorific level I’ve just done in 2 days with my Mum, or Purple’s doughnuts and cream, you could sabotage that, but experience seems to point to naturally occurring change in our tastes winch saves us from that.
Purple – pace – your doughnuts sound wonderful, and my diet the last 2 days means I definitely can’t criticise anyone else’s, and shall be 4:3 ing this week!)

Happy: I don’t think I shall extend the Lenten sugar-fast to fruit, though I can’t speak for Lichtie: it makes up such a huge part of my diet that I’d really struggle. My real demons are toffee(!!!) and cakes, biscuits and puds – usually home-made and therefore whole grain, but still sugar laden – and these are what I want to target. Most of the time I happily do without them, but once I start I find it difficult to re-establish a ‘rare treats only’ approach; post-Christmas attitude-slip needs a bit more that a 1 or 2-day fast to re-set, so 6 weeks might be a useful length of time! I drink so little alcohol that I shall give it up but it will hardly be a sacrifice. I love the idea of your taking up sugar for Lent: perhaps you could adopt the ‘reverse Advent calendar’ idea I came across recently – every morning you open a window and pop a chocolate back in….

Oops- sorry, Purple, for slandering you. Mea culpa: I must read more carefully! And you’re right!

Interestingly, I’ve just watched the first two episodes of the ‘which diet?’ prog which I’d downloaded, and decided that as well as being (mainly) a constant craver, I also definitely have elements of emotional eating. Evidence from today: having spent time with my Mum – a complicated and less than happy relationship which always makes me feel bad – we stopped at a Little Chef on the way back (she lives about 100 miles from us) for ‘tea and a wee’. To DH’s amazement I quite deliberately ordered – and ate at top speed – a large pancake with maple syrup and ice-cream. There are worse things, I know, but the point is, I would never normally fancy it (if I’m eating carbs I normally want them whole grain, solid and fruit-laden) and it was 10 in the morning! So a bit more self-understanding – and 2 or 3 fast days to recover equilibrium! On the one hand: bother!(or words to that effect!). On the other: thank goodness I can now re-set it! Never stop learning!

Mmm, pancakes and maple syrup. That works! Also there’s not much American food I like, but add a bit of a bacon and it’s acceptable also…!

Is it always emotional eating though? Is the ’emotion’ sometimes now a good excuse to order something that you might always (at least subconsciously) want but can’t normally justify!

Hi happy – definitely yes to the bacon! Best mix ever – up there with smoked salmon and scrambled eggs!

I’m sure you’re right about the emotional eating, too – sometimes (like all our psychological/physical eating triggers) it’s just an excuse for plain greed – and not always a bad thing for that! On this occasion, I’d had a perfectly good breakfast, wasn’t hungry, wouldn’t normally have fancied that food at that time or place, and was feeling extremely churned up. it did the trick, made me feel better and I ate minimilly and mindfully the rest of the day, so no real harm done. Perhaps better not to examine too closely, every time — that way lies obsession! – but just an interesting reflection to note, and add to my store of useful self-awareness!

Ah well, a new day dawns, and with it a new fast – even on a feast day, so it must be necessary! Whatever you’re all doing, have a good one!

Hi Carol
C’est le probleme!!
Very tricky getting that balance, isn’t it? Only very long term, unless we have expensive tests, are most of we early guinea pigs going to know if what we have chosen does have benefits.

I guess managing to stay within your own healthy range of weight has to be paramount. Then choosing healthy, varied food options would be the next priority. A sensible amount and variety of type of exercise would come next. (No comments about my total lack of any idea what sensible is!).

I suppose when we eat on fast days, how many fasts per week and what we eat otherwise, end up fitting in after the main priorities.

As we are all living organisms, not machines, there must be millions of combinations of these variables to choose.

I’m doing my current “Pure 5:2” for a month, just to see if it is workable for a maintainer.

Monday fast day now 11.15am so I had better get out and do some really careful, sensible walking. ..not swimming weather.
Cheers MCs Purple

So I’m the guinea pig, H? 🙂
Just ate at the end of another 24 hour fast. Getting easier every time. I even went shopping in a grocery shop at lunchtime!
Seriously easier to eat nothing all day, than a little nibble. And the reward is, relatively, a good feed at the end, if you call 400 cals a good feed! I don’t count calories, either, but I make well known food on fast nights, so I know their calorific content.

H, I don’t think I’m increasing my consumption consciously on the other days, but I’m probably not restricting myself as much either. I had got to the top of my range last night, so I don’t think I’ll lose by doing this. After 3 days of eating, I still put on weight. But then, with a sore ankle, I haven’t been as active either. SO many variables. What experiments with eating patterns are the rest of you maintainers doing? P

That’s the approach I was taking before. I guess, as you are younger, you probably burn more calories just living.
We don’t want our HappyNow fading away 😉 You can eat for both of us! I know I would put on weight if I increased other days much. ;(
P

Good on you Carol. You know the drill. Have a glass of water, get busy…I even did ironing at 5pm to kill the time out of the kitchen.
I figure if my OH can do it, we all can. He’s been eating only once a day since last July. I did it very occasionally, but now know it is the way to go. I love stretching my self control!
Good luck. P

I know now there’s no way I can do two fast days in a row. I need to see the light at the end of the tunnel! 🙂 Fast day today for me. I still haven’t been brave enough to survive on 0 calories until dinner time. My brain needs some calories to function during the day it seems.

Has anyone read the new edition to 5:2? I’m considering reading it since I am so invested in this WOL now. I’m a believer ;).

However, my 5:2 is turning more into 6:1. My motivation isn’t seeming to help me through the second fast of the week. I’m thinking about eating closer to 800 on Thursdays and see how that works for me. Any weight loss now is bonus, yah! I love the confidence I have now, have a good one MCs!

Em

Barata, I can drop everything and pop into town most days. Just message on this thread. Cheers P

Agree utterly Happy. Only do what you are totally comfortable with. Maintaining a healthy weight is already giving your bidy massive health benefits. Anything else just stops the boredom 😉 P

Yep. Typo! 🙁
Can’t multitask so well on the phone with one finger!!!
P, an old biddy.