This topic contains 106 replies, has 7 voices, and was last updated by splashabs 10 years ago.
Hi splashabs
Just wanted to applaud your ‘No stress and realistic goal’ approach. Hope it’s going well for you so far. I agree with you about thinking long term rather than quick fixes.
I don’t do gym (hate the music!) or sport (incompetence!) but I do cycle and walk and am just trying to keep that up regularly so far.
Like you, am interested in HIT – I might even join a gym for that but that’s for the future. Only been doing 5:2 a few weeks (this time) so want to get that properly established in my life.
Take it steady and all the best
Bootsy Badger
Hi Splashabs and thanks for your reply. My profile tells my story so far – I think it echoes yours (and many others’ on this site) re calories/ diets.
I restarted 5:2 ‘properly’ (after about 5 weeks on 6:1 and then a bit of messing about) on 2nd Sept so just got to end of my 3rd week.
I agree – getting organised for fast days are, for me, crucial to keeping within limit. Wasn’t quite sure whether you were planning to count cals for your fast day, or did you mean you would eat nothing and only drink water?
I’ve seen lots of people on this site recommend a cal counting app – but can’t remember name! As I don’t have a smart phone, I use a website called ‘food focus’ on my laptop – v.g. About drinks, am pretty sure it doesn’t have to be water – or do you find the thought of herbal teas/tea without milk even more difficult?! Tea with milk is my one concession. I sacrifice some food cals for enough milk for about 2 – 3 cups. Can’t stand herbals except fennel – has an aniseed taste which some people dislike but I love (and reputed to be good for digestion.)
My next aim is to increase the number of non-fast days I only eat to my TDEE. That’s something I’ve NOT been stressing about, as I have found that in general I am eating less on non-fast days, and certainly eating much more nutritiously eg no biscuits/ sweets. However, just in the ‘spirit of enquiry’ I thought I would monitor say 2 or 3 of my non fast days per week, just in case without realising I slip into over-eating. Despite what I said above about being wary of calorie counting, due to past obsession with dieting, I realise, after a few weeks of 5:2, that I am using it much more as a useful tool rather than as a stick to beat myself with.
Thanks again – good luck and hope to hear how you are getting on.
Splashtabs, bearing in mind what Dr Michael said about we should get outside as much as possible as it turns out vitamin D is not just a vitamin but more like a hormone which has more benefits than we know about or realise may I suggest MapMyRun? I only realised yesterday it speaks to you. I only went on it because my friend Robert was on there and nearly collapsed when it spoke as I’d walked one mile – it was quite a loud voice and I wasn’t expecting it! It told me I’d taken 18 minutes and I felt a bit miffed – I’d assumed I’d walk a mile in 15 mins. Picked up the pace a bit and after a couple more miles had got it down to just under 17 mins per mile. It will definitely prompt me to pick my feet up and not dawdle next time I’m out walking. Prior to that I’d used Sports Tracker because it does beautiful maps of where you’ve been and you can “share” them to Facebook and other Sport Tracker friends. You could do both – they are both free.
Hi Teresa and Splashabs
Sadly I still have an old style phone so can’t benefit from all these fab sounding apps (yet)
Splash (if I may abbreviate your name?) another non-fast day for me. How did your day go? (which continent are you on btw? Your posting times suggest you are ahead of England, unless you always post in the early hours 😉 I am in Bristol, in South West England.
I am fasting tomorrow so shortly will look at my cal-counting website and work out at least what I’ll have for my first meal. I find i need the structure, otherwise I feel a bit at risk of eating over the limit. I usually have a pretty good idea of what I’ll have for my second meal, too. Most meals are a small amount of protein and a lot of veg or salad (yes, even for breakfast – I’m that crazy kinda person!) I’m pretty flexible as to when I eat, sometimes breakfast is postponed until lunch and then I’ll have dinner in the eve. Other times I’ll have breakfast then dinner. Can’t split 500 cals into 3 meals though!
Tomorrow I’m going to an ‘informal knitting circle’ (lucky me, I’m not at work – yes I’m grateful!) It’s my first time there so I might fuel myself before I go – bit worried I might not be able to concentrate otherwise. Although, I often find advance worrying is wasted energy. When I get really powerful hunger pangs I sometimes, rather than trying to push them away and ignore them, ’embrace’ them and try and fully experience them. I’ve gradually built up enough experience of those moments to know that the pangs do pass, and that I am adding another brick to the foundation of my self esteem re food by not responding by eating. But it’s challenging a way of thinking that is 50+ years old within my life.
I’m not weighing myself yet. I started at 87kg (weighed myself early Aug.) I do know I’ve dropped to the lower of the two dress sizes between which | fluctuate – for the first time in almost a year. My hope is to drop another dress size by mid Dec, which gives me a gentle 3 months to do so. Even if i don’t, I feel emotionally stronger for undertaking this Way of Eating.
I hope there is something in this which is helpful to you. It helps me to put my thoughts on ‘paper’ so thanks for reading!
Hi Splash (and I thought it might be something to do with swimming and abdominals lol but Abstract art is so much better!)
Glad fast went well yesterday, extra well done seeing as ‘food thoughts’ abounded in your mind. Mandarin for lunch sounds nice! Sounds like a good idea to give yourself the option of not going to dinner with your friend (and great she understands). Trad ‘dieting’, it seems to me, is all about bossing yourself/ telling yourself you ‘can’t’ have stuff and then it’s almost inevitable one rebels at some point. Whereas this approach puts us back in control.. (There is a writer called Gillian Riley who I’ve found very helpful on this issue of choice, re both eating less and stopping smoking. Coincidentally, she is Australian.)
Great excitement here at BB Towers. A fast day and I realised I had about 100 cals left over. I was still hungry so wasn’t after doing any heroics so had half oz cheese (14g) and the last tiny pear from my tree. Sounds grand but I only planted it last autumn so the sum total of the crop this year was five!
At lunchtime I ‘invented’ a new method of cooking: ‘stir -steaming’. It’s like stir frying but done over a pan of fast – boiling water. Basically it’s blanching the veg. I dry fried a sprinkle of caraway seeds and chucked them over the crisp cooked cabbage and then ‘drizzled’ a tablespoon (15ml) of low fat plain yoghurt over.
Am also learning to love (sort of!) soya milk as it is fewer calories in my cups of tea.
Catch you later and take care!
BB
Hi Splash and Teri
Splash – glad you could have a sociable meal and make wise choices too. When you said ‘fur babies’ I wondered whether they were dog or . . . c*t. I have one of the feline persuasion, called Doris. Cantankerous, she is, but I forgive her because she is a rescue cat.
Teri – glad you felt inspired to fast. Singing is great isn’t it? I was in a choir for a while. Not v musical, so my tactic was to stand in front of the better singers and get the illusion that I was as good as them at it!
Stir steaming is done in a steamer, or you could use a metal colander or sieve, over fast boiling water. Use a couple of forks or whatever to toss them as they steam. The veg stay crisp as they are not immersed in water and not steamed long enough to go soft. Might have to take out a patent on it – could make my fortune, teehee.
I am making a note of my calories on this non-fast day, with the aim of keeping to my TDEE, which the calculator said was around 1770. If I have what I plan for dinner, I shall exceed by about 100, so might tweak the menu. I’m still not sure about cal-counting on these days as I fear I will get into those feelings of ‘deprivation, then rebellion’. One of most important things for me is simply to steer clear of sugary products, which I have managed to do since the summer (exc one or two slips, of course). I shall see how I get on with this tdee lark for a few non – fast days, but might just go back to trusting myself to eat sensibly.
The good news – am feeling lots more comfortable in a couple of tee- shirts that had been relegated to the back of the drawer. Yay!!!
Great to have daily updates, I agree. Keep on keepin’ on!
Bootsy
Hi Bootsy
Just received an email from my son showing me a photo of his new Fur ball – a toy one http://bit.ly/1uYVwcG Dave (a female!) cat had to be taken to the vet’s for her final visit last week. Ben bought this to cheer himself up. Dave adopted him and his friends 14 years ago and when the house disbanded Ben ended up with her. He’d been given notice to quit his flat of the past four years because he kept her and was struggling to find somewhere to live here in London that would allow an ageing cat who seemed to find the litter tray too tiring to use! I told him I would come with him/take her to the vets for him but he did it himself. I don’t think he wanted to feel bullied into doing it …
Hi
Teresa, that’s so sad for your son (and you). Sounds as though Dave was a real character and Ben really committed to her. Gosh he must be missing her. Thanks for sharing AB Simon’s story too.
Well Splash and Teri, I definitely did some compulsive eating yesterday. Only 2 slices of toast and jam and a milky coffee at bedtime, so compared with 3 chocolate bars and half a packet of biscuits, which has been known, fairly minor stuff – but definitely eaten as a result of mixed emotions rather than physical hunger. Will maybe reflect on this a bit more on here tomoz as am v tired.
Suffice to say I felt much more ‘centred’ today and ate more sanely. Had a v enjoyable afternoon helping ‘my gardener’, as I rather grandly call her. I splash (!) out on her help everyone now and then as I am a very unconfident gardener, with a huge garden to maintain (as a condition of my tenancy here!) A nice way to do some physical activity during a beautiful autumn afternoon.
Well done Splash, steady progress from the sound of it. Hope your day has been ok, Teri.
Splash sounds like she’s “steaming” ahead of us Bootsy. (We’ll have to pick our feet up!;)
My day”s been horribly sedentary – I’ve been completing job applications. I’ve got a 20 mile walk on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday so I try not to feel too deprived. Thought about Christmas shopping and just sold two things on ebay – hooray! Great incentive to find more things and de-clutter. I felt hungry about 6pm. Had steamed cabbage and leeks but the devil in me made me eat a weetabix and then (argh) some Cheerios (so sugary I had to add another weetabix to dilute the sugar – groan 🙁
Hello
Thanks for those wise words to us, Splash, at the end of your last post 🙂
Teri – do you mind me asking, were you on a fast day on 25/9? If you weren’t fasting, steamed veg sounds very little for supper. Whether you were fasting or not, I reckon all you can do is forgive yourself for the cereal (and maybe one day I’ll practise what I preach in that department, LOL)
I’ll just about see you in the distance as you walk your 20 miles and run 13 at weekend. Fantastic and hope you enjoy them!
Splash – congrats on motivating yourself to do the treadmill and for being brave enough to go to gym on your own (not easy, I know from experience, with all those toned lycra-clad (spandex?) bods in there.) Sounds like it was a real ‘step forward’ (groan!) for you.
Well, guys, as I indicated in recent posts, have been having a bit of a tussle with myself over TDEE on non-fast days. I think I had hit a Layer of Resistance in my psyche (like a stratum of rock in the earth’s crust …) After going well over again yesterday, I went back to basics and rechecked my TDEE on the tool they have on the site. Still not sure if I’m ‘sedentary’ or ‘lightly active’, so ended up splitting the difference and got a TDEE of around 1800, so on a fast day really my limit needs to be 450 cals.
I spent some time reading other threads (it gets v absorbing, don’t you find?) I realised I wanted to stop pi%*ing about and commit myself to 5:2 as a way of eating. After all, I told myself, it’s only myself I’m fooling if I just dip my toe in the water and don’t commit. I do know that for me at the moment, keeping to my tdee on non-fast days is going to be more of a challenge than doing a fast day. So think I need to get into my ‘experimental’ frame of mind and just notice what’s going on when I want to bust the 1800 limit. Feel like I’ve moved onto another step with this.
It’s great to be able to share all this!
Best wishes to you both with whatever the weekend brings … and I look forward to reading about it 🙂 BB
Splash – Ah, yes, I meant to ask you what liteneasy was when you first mentioned it. Sounds a good idea to get you started in ‘stress free’ mode.
Am happy to report I planned my meals today, ate plenty, enjoyed every mouthful and came in just under my TDEE 🙂 It’s strange, I used to hate the thought of planning every meal, not just with 5:2 but with other things I’ve tried, but I seem to have turned a mental corner. I looked at a very helpful thread (will post link later) which is discussing the merits of eating two, rather than three, meals on a non-fast day. It appealed to me as it meant I could have two jolly good feeds, rather than spreading TDEE over three. It means that I’m having a 16 hour fast (overnight) so break-fast will be just that!
Today I loved the feeling of having a structure to my eating, which basically is what has been missing for so long (except when I did manage to use the Gillian Riley approach but unfortunately I never kept to it long term.) I’m sure this forum is a major factor in my keeping going and feeling so motivated: it’s such a great source of support, info and opinion.
Hope you’re having a good weekend, Splash, and well done on getting a commission – scary but exciting!
Look forward to hearing from you, Teri, about your mega-active weekend.
Take care and enjoy the journey
Bootsy
Hi again
This is the thread I mentioned
http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/food-thought-fast-day-better-eat-several-small-meals-day-rather-couple-large-ones/
Gah! I did a long reply but it got lost when I switched screens. I’m just going to say that whilst looking for that TDEE calculator I stumbled across the ad for the exercise app – which I could not see on my phone but did stumble across the 7 minute workout. (Review on youtube here http://bit.ly/1pkSwSq) Going to download that and see how it goes. I failed to do the half marathon today because of a late night last night and being woken by neighbours throughout.
Splash I got told yesterday by a lady called Bola that she finds the treadmill exhausting but can walk 20+ miles outside and not think twice about it.
Bootsy I haven’t become as disciplined as you about logging and planning food. I drink coffee with semi-skimmed evaporated milk until I “can’t take anymore” then I have some steamed veg and when that’s not enough I have some brown rice with cooked Suma Black Turtle Beans which I buy from Amazon. There is a website called “No Meat Athlete” full of vegan recipes and they had a black bean chocolate brownie recipe. I find the black beans so sweet and tasty it seems a shame to corrupt them with anything other than salt and vinegar so have not made any brownies yet.. Bootsy – there’s an amazing website called “Borrowmydoggy” where – for £10 for the year you can register and borrow dogs in your area. I’ve had to jump through loads of hoops, scanning in proof of address, recording a video saying who I am and where I live. They have now uploaded it and I’m waiting for owners to contact me. It’s a great website – have a look.
Best wishes
Teri
Hi All
Imho, I don’t think it matters how or where we get active – different strokes, I say! (No, I didn’t mean go swimming LOL!)
Talking of swimming, I used to be v keen. Think I liked being less ‘visible’ in the water than I was on dry land. Getting old and cranky now: I can’t stand public pools with the shouting, width swimmers cutting across one’s path and stinky changing rooms. On my ‘millionaire’s’ list is def a pool of my own, though how I am going to achieve said status, I can’t really explain 😉
Teri, so sorry to hear about your disturbed night and not being able to do the half marathon.
Black turtle beans sound intriguing – though not a vegetarian nor vegan, will have to try. Sorry if my comment re steamed veg sounded a bit presumptious, Teri, though hope you know it came from concern. Note to self: ‘different strokes’ for food and eating, too! I’m amazed at myself for having become such a devotee of planning and logging but am not evangelical. I think the truth is that I know I have such an addictive attitude to food, that, now I have finally stopped resisting the notion, I am finding the structure very helpful.
I will have a look at the dog website, thanks, although I wouldn’t bring one home as I would be risking the wrath of The Doris. But could be good fun to go ‘walkies’ with one.
Best wishes to you all for the week ahead.
Bootsy
Oh wow 1kg… amazing.. that is SO many calories.. Well done from me too Splash. Bootsy, don’t be silly – of course I don’t mind you questioning my veg. I had typed a really interesting reply but literally it vanished when I switched to another tab for a minute and I lost interest! And you are right of course about The Doris.. I will never forget the awful look in our cat’s eyes when we brought a “stranger” home. We thought he was homeless and took pity on him but it was like a knife in our hearts when we saw our own boy’s face and we promptly took the stranger back to where we’d found him..
Splash, I can’t wait to see your work on FB. I took “The Facebook Challenge” on 6 September. It’s like the ice bucket challenge, but you give up FB for a month. It was my son who challenged me, which is weird because it was him who put me on it in the first place! He said he’s not missing it at all!!
Phew! Fasting today and it’s been a real toughie. But it’s nearly bedtime and I’ve got through. I accept it’s not all going to be ‘Wow, this is brilliant’ – c’est la vie. I logged on earlier and posted on someone’s thread who was also having a hard day, and sharing helped a lot. It’s all a learning process. (An American friend told me of the phrase AFGO – “Another ‘Flipping’ Growth Opportunity”. Amusingly cynical and quite a comfort when one has cocked up big time.)
I hope you’ve both had a good day, both food and life wise.
I typed Splashabs into FB but couldn’t find that or your paintings, so assume you go under a different name.
Best wishes
BB
Hello 🙂
So glad it’s today and not yesterday! Sounds like you were having a few battles too, Splash. Hopefully we’ll breeze through our next fast day! I noticed that, instead of breaking my fast, I had a ‘telly binge’ instead – distracting myself. Never mind, not beating myself up and you don’t sound as though you are either – GOOD. I’ve decided not to count cals today – it can get ‘all work and no play’. I really fancy a piece of red meat (so I shall have one but I have to go to shop for it. If only I could just ring the bell and the butler would appear with a silver salver . . . WAKE UP BOOTSY!!)
Good news: when I started I was on the 4th hole of my belt. This morning, with no squeezing, it was the 6th. Yayyy!
How are you both sleeping? I’ve read lots of posts which report difficulty on fast days. I’ve experienced that but, now, since starting keeping within my TDEE, I’m feeling pretty wakeful on non-fast nights too and am waking early as well. So I am tired, but can’t seem to let go and crash out. I live on a very busy road, which doesn’t help – I’m sure it affects the quality of sleep even when I am asleep. So I am feeling pretty crabby – it’s like being back in the good old menopause! Glad I live on my own, as I can stomp round and swear to my heart’s content. Am sure if I resumed a little meditation everyday, that would help, but of course there is a Great Wall of Resistance around that!!
Thanks for link Splash, will have a look. Thinking of you, Teri.
BB
Hi Splash,
Had a wobbly few days since my last post but I’m beginning to feel a bit better. Despite a dip in mood: still no bikkies or sweets! (Just pausing to give myself some credit for that!)
Thanks for your supportive comments above – so important to keep it all in perspective. I haven’t been cal counting, think I was getting a bit oppressive on myself with it. Not sure when I’ll fast again this week, but still have 3 days to choose from. I’m going in the right direction and that’s the main thing.
How are you doing? You sounded very chirpy so keep it going, lass!
All the best,
Boots
PS I splattered your FB page with ‘likes’! So colourful and sensual.
I am missing Facebook. Just started a new job this week and diet’s gone out of window. I am going to take a plastic box to work and make the food last 2 days instead of one. I walked home 6 miles last night which made me feel better and about 4 miles on Wednesday. V tired which must mean I am over my calorie allowance! 😉
Good to hear from you again Teri – lots of walking, gotta be good. And good luck with the new job. Hope you’ll find ways to support yourself with it and your eating.
Thanks for your thoughts, Splash: not rambling at all.
I have eaten a lot today – I know it’s well over my TDEE – but still feel positive about maintaining 5:2 as a way of eating. I went on a lovely vigorous cycle ride today, to make the most of the sunny autumn – it’s forecast to change to cold and rainy from tomorrow. I looked at my watch and realised I’d done an hour, and I was still a couple of miles from home.
V sleepy so will close now. Enjoy your Saturdays!
Well done on continued downward trend, Splash. You must be well pleased. I know what you mean about the heat – some people thrive on it but I slow right down. Teri will confirm we had an amazingly hot summer this year. I loved the light and longer days but spent a lot of time seeking shade. Surely Aussie gyms are air conditioned, though?
I fasted yesterday and it was a LOT easier than my last day. It’s all in the mind, isn’t it? I’m feeling a lot chirpier in general and more motivated over 5:2 again.
I hope your second week at work is ok, Teri and good luck with establishing a routine. Hope your week goes well, too, Splash (you are lucky to have an awesome boss!)
Toodle pip!
Bootsy Badger
Oh, ps – Splash, I ‘see your carrot cake’ and ‘will raise you’: I had a brownie today, made by my friend’s 10 y.o son – and very yum it was too.
Hello Splash and Teri
Well Splash sounds like you were going well with your fast day and hope that continued. Keep that bloke of yours on the straight and narrow with you!
No two ways about it, I binged today: a packet of chocolate sweets and a chocolate bar thingie. I was in town so when I got home I checked:578 calories. I could go into the trigger reasons why I did it but the top and bottom is that I allowed myself to eat addictively. No good telling myself not to be hard on myself about it: I am angry and disappointed with myself. Once I’ve allowed those feelings, however, I also feel that I’m not in danger of going on a mega-binge with that old sense of ‘I’ve blown it now, so might as well go completely off the rails’. So in a way I have already left it behind. Had a nutritious supper of things I’d already planned to have.
I know I shan’t be fasting tomorrow as someone is coming to help me with my garden and it will be quite a long day, nor on Wed as I am out and about and think I’ll find it difficult. I like having a definite space for my meals when I’m fasting, preferably at my kitchen table. So I’ll fast thurs and then Sat or Sun. The worst effect of the overeating today is that I can feel it has dented my trust in myself to maintain this WOE – it proves 5:2 is, for me, as much about self-esteem as size. But all I can do is trust the process, trust myself, trust to the support from this forum, too and keep as present as I can with what is going on.
Final thought: there was a huge qualitative difference between my brownie yesterday and the sweets today. The former I really enjoyed, sitting on my steps looking at the garden and drinking a cup of tea. I didn’t enjoy the sweets: I was walking round town and on the bus eating them non stop; they tasted synthetic and I didn’t enjoy the experience. So that’s a useful learning experience.
Thanks for reading and best wishes
Bootsy
Hi
So far (late morning) so good with fast day. Just off to have a grilled herring fillet and some grilled cherry toms – mmm. Will probably be checking into a few threads on here to tap into this amazing community.
Hope to hear from you both soon. How are you Teri? Splash, I see it’s the opening of the art show tomorrow, so good luck with that.
BB
Hi BB I tried to reply last night but the website forgot who I was! My temp role plus job hunting and my new hobby.. choir.. don’t leave much time. Well done you with fasting today. I’ve been getting by one meal a day and fruit in the evening. Don’t feel up to fasting at the mo. I shall probably jump back on here if I do. X
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