Using clothes size to measure progress

This topic contains 18 replies, has 9 voices, and was last updated by Kallista 10 years, 2 months ago.

Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)

Kallista

1:10 pm
6 Jan 14
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Hello to all you Fasties here! Tried this method of weight loss last year over a two-week period and enjoyed it. Lost 2 pounds as well, without even trying, but I was not ready to go the whole hog. Now I am as this is going to be a bright sunshiny year for us all – so we need to get ready for that! I decided to use my clothes size as a measuring tape as I have kept clothes in sizes 18, 16 and 14, but I will be measuring weight and waistline when I do fit into a size 14. I want that last-mentioned size to fit swimmingly but only the first one fits at the minute – so I have a long way to go. Eventually I am aiming to get my BMI to be in the safe zone below 25 (<74kg) as it is now 33.1 / 98kg / 1.72cm. I am also going to do the 8 min fat burn exersize routine mentioned in the Fast Exersize book on the weekdays that I follow a non-calorie restricted diet. So only a little bit of change to my weekdays and I would so like to continue that habit in the weekends as well. I am a foodie so will be trying the recipes from the recipe book too. Tonight it will be the Thai style big prawn noodle recipe. Looking forward to the confrontation with myself the coming months – for sure!

Kallista

9:27 am
7 Jan 14
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First fast day – easy peasy – opted for MSC sourced cod though for the recipe. Tasty, filling and delicious. It was nice before I left to go to work to browse the recipes and then select what I was going to be eating for my supper! It made the 12-hour fast that much easier. Looking good after one day and slept wonderfully too. Trying the 8 min fat burn workout in the fast exercize book – so will be updating on that tomorrow 😀

ghostgirl

10:59 am
7 Jan 14
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Hi Kallista
Using your clothes is a great way to measure progress. Fitting back into things is so satisfying. Weight on the scales can fluctuate so much from day to day.
Enjoy the journey and hope you get back into those size 14s sooner rather than later.

Kallista

2:29 pm
7 Jan 14
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Well hello Ghostgirl!
Thanks for your encouraging words – we need them heh? Hope your journey is going well seeing that you have been on this regime since November, you are certainly not a quitter. Have you had ups and downs or did you take it in your stride? I thought I would copy Michael’s regime and do the 7 to 7 fast on Monday and Thursday. What works best for you?

TracyJ

3:22 pm
7 Jan 14
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Great way to do it Kallista – bon chance!

Unfortunately I’ve been a 16 since I was 16 (had a few 14 tops but that was it) so I’ve been rather sartorially challenged this past year. I am still wearing 1 or 2 pairs of trousers that were incredibly tight before and are now a bit swimmy but just about still able to stay up. Some tops are pretty forgiving as long as they’re the right cut and material but most of my wardrobe has now been given away. I’m managing with those few ‘passable items’ and charity shop ‘interim’ items for now. Maybe I should be saving all the money I would have spent on my weekly shop before? I could have a proper clothes buying blow-out in a year or so then 😉

Kallista

9:48 am
9 Jan 14
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Good day to you TracyJ!
Using clothes sizes is I think the best bet for me as I do have a cupboard full of jo-jo weight clothes sizes! The charity shop interim solution is a great idea :D. Trying my hardest to do the exersize in the Fast Exersize book in the series but am really struggling. Will be trying tonight again. I have a home trainer AND a rebounder AND a mat AND a staircase so plenty of options but I seem to avoid them all. Looking for ways to just go and do it. The diet is working though. And I have no problem with that at all. Cooking another dish out of the recipe book tonight. The prawn dish I cooked on Monday used a Japanese noodle with hardly any calories so I was full-up at 298 calories! Which was really good. Hope you can save up for that new wardrobe – I think I might open up a little account for that so that I am reminded when I look at my statements of my reward :D.

Kallista

9:04 am
22 Jan 14
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Clothes already feeling a lot looser around the waist after only 5 fasting days! So pretty pleased at the minute :D. Still haven’t done the 8 min fat burn 🙁 and I can even do it on my bike going to work and back, without thinking about it. Mental block is no more excuse. Must also stop “allowing” myself too many treats at the weekend, as I think the fat loss will be even greater then. I think if I continue at this rate and put in a little more umph I will be able to get into a size 12 Christmas party dress in 11 1/2 months! 🙂

Angie090465

10:54 am
22 Jan 14
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Great stuff Kallista!

you are doing super well, keep going, happy fasting!! 🙂

Kallista

11:48 am
1 Apr 14
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Oh this is harder than I anticipated! Stopped the fast for two months for no reason whatsoever and got my old clothes size again.

Will be starting again tomorrow! I have joined a running group though which is more than at the beginning of the year and try to do the intense exersizes in the book as well -I will persevere until I am size 12 – I am DETERMINED not to lapse into lazy comfort and excuses again.

Tah1969

12:46 pm
1 Apr 14
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I have been on this diet since end of jan I’ve lost 19lb but for last 5 fasts I’ve lost nothing!? It’s so frustrating eating nothing and going hungry is fine if you can see results I’m happy with my loss but don’t like the plateau I’ve hit it twice now any ideas?

simcoeluv

3:12 pm
1 Apr 14
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Tah:

As the average weight loss on 5:2 is about a pound a week, your loss of 19 pounds in 8 weeks is well above average. Congratulations!

Here is some information on plateaus: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/on-plateaus/

Good Luck!

Tah1969

4:08 pm
1 Apr 14
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Some was lost before I started the 5.2 no doubt I have lost steady averaging 1 lb a week which I was very happy with but nearly 3 weeks with nothing is hideous, you need to see results to keep you motivated this plateau stuff is rubbish if you are eating less calories you should lose weight that’s just the way it is I’m beginning to think the feast days are what stop weight loss even though that is disputed in horizon cannot be any other reason

Lindyw

7:06 pm
1 Apr 14
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I have had two periods of ‘plateauing’ and yes it is a pain in the **** but usually I have found that my body shape has changed (for the better) in some way during that time. You are right FEAST days do stymie weight loss – so stop thinking feast and think normal! Have your usual non fast days food and watch the portion size then one day the scales will surprise you.
Good luck.

Tah1969

7:52 pm
1 Apr 14
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I never overeat on feast days I just eat normally I am going to fast thurs if no loss I’m giving up for a bit and just doing healthy eating x

Kallista

11:52 am
2 Apr 14
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I do tend to overeat on normal days as I am still struggeling with the emotional comfort eating that I am prone to. Trying to catch the one domino that make the other ones go which normally would lead to a cupcake or something comforting. It is so hard when you are prone to this. It is a family thing. The domino would have to lead to a walk in my spring garden which is looking lovely now but my head & heart lead me where I should not go. The “hit” from sugar/flour combination, especially in cakes and dairy/cream, is quite overwhelming. I am also looking at maybe natural remedies to stop these signals from doing its thing in my brain. Anyone any suggestions?

hermajtomomi

12:23 pm
2 Apr 14
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Hi Kallista,

To go back to the title of the thread, I think that using how clothes fit to measure progress is the most reliable way there is. I speak as one who has taken 14 months to lose between 9 and 10 kilos (20-22 lb) with a 5-month-long plateau in the middle. Nevertheless, clothes that were once way too tight now fit perfectly. Yesterday I was wearing a blouse which this time last year I couldn’t even button up but which now sits perfectly with room to spare, even with two layers underneath. Other “fat” clothes became so voluminous the only place for them was the charity shop.

I am so, so lucky; I don’t have a sweet tooth and actively dislike most fatty, sugary stuff, but don’t let me get near Pringles of practically any flavour or smoked salmon taramasalata, which I could eat by the bucketful. As I result, I buy myself a tube of the former and a small tub of the latter about twice a year.

I have to go easy on dairy products, although not avoid them altogether, as I’m lactose intolerant.

Nor do I comfort eat. If I am angry, upset, frustrated or whatever, the appetite goes straight out of the window. I’m still too large, though.

LadyTexan

5:24 pm
2 Apr 14
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Just want to thank everyone for sharing their stories. This is only my second post but I come to the forums and read/lurk on most of my fast days! I’ve been frustrated the last few weeks because in the first five or six weeks (I started fasting the first week of Feb),I lost almost 7 lbs., but since then, have mainly seen the same pounds simply fluctuate. (I did have a vacation week of 6:1 where I went a little carb-crazy, so I’ve had to take those 2 lbs off to get back on track.) I don’t know who all among you are women, but I also find the monthly water weight issues frustrating. Even though I understand exactly what’s going on, I can’t get past the number on the scale. I try to skip weighing those weeks, but it’s hard to resist sometimes when I know I’ve worked hard. I can SEE a difference though, in the way things are fitting. My boyfriend can see it, and is full of compliments. But it’s hard to switch to long-term thinking where the numbers are concerned, when I’m looking at taking 20 more lbs. off, which I realize may take a year or longer. Any tips on switching your mindset to long-term/way of life? Other than paying attention to clothes?

Thanks everyone!

Kallista

2:17 pm
3 Apr 14
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Hi Hermajtomomi! thanks ! It is such a comfort to know that there are so many people doing their utmost to get the right balance in their lives sorted. I think the mindset that I will stick to (after my pityful Fasting pause) is: “lifetime 5-2 fast”. I am just too prone to comfort food for me not to do something as part of my lifestyle. I also want to stop the jojo effect – that is actually my main aim. To fit into the right clothes size and actually never even thinking of changing to another size. Lady Texan – at the moment I do that mindset on the two fast days very well – delay eating that piece of fruit or nutbar on fast days and savour it on the five other days. The thought of having that delay-mindset for the rest of my life does not seem that much of a bad thing and if it prevents the jojo effect it must be good for me. I think the up-and-coming app for fast exersize is going to be FAB!I already have one for running training at home and it does help to get me off the couch. I wonder if the combination of a sedentary lifestyle based on convenience in everything and eating what you like when you like isn’t the worst thing that could have happened to humans. Not fair really. We never asked for it and changing is very hard.

Kallista

2:20 pm
6 Oct 14
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Started a new round. Going very well – lost 2.4kg off of my person and 7cm off of my waist just in the first week alone! This is my second attempt at 5:2 and I am doing it now with weight, waist AND with clothes size measurements 102.1kg – 109cm – size 16 (44)

Cutting out nearly all bread and potatoes, only sweet potatoes now, most processed dairy so only whole pasture-fed dairy and in small amounts, plus nearly all Sugar and both natural and artificial sweetners has nearly stopped the severe bloating that I was experiencing for years and the abnormally protuding tum.

Also attacking head-on the foot and nail fungus Candida infection that I have had for decades with probiotics, very low Sugar diet and only good oils and fat and a Rainbow of fruit and veg every day. I actually had quite a good diet, bar the Sugar and bread, so it must be a combination of the lot. Also have a “prescription!” on a weekly organic fruit and veg box and that is quite a challenge as I have never eaten so much fruit and veg in my life 😀

Going swimmingly. Exersize-wise I am still working on that one. Joined a kettlebell class 2 x a week and a yoga class at my local gym and will try to crank up the intensity level of my crosstrainer which has found its position in the pathway between the fridge and the telly – so here’s hoping…