@jayegirl sorry to read about your awful hangover! I hope you feel better soon.

Welcome @sparks, it’s a great way of life and once you get used to the fast days they can become a lot easier than you could ever imagine. Try to plan ahead with your meals, what you will eat, if you will split your calories into 3 meals, 2 or 1 etc.

@jenny, I should have had a miso soup! I’m obviously still brain dead lol. I have just had a whole can of Cream of Chicken Soup with two slices of Low GI bread. I feel a lot better. I hope like me and so many others that you will find this works well for and that fasting will help you to get rid of cravings so you can make better choices on a none fasting day. Gosh I hope you never do what I did Saturday, what an horrendous outcome lol.

I’ve had 630 calories today, haven’t fasted but it’s turned out ok.

Guys, which would you think contains more calories and sugar. A can of Heinz Tomato or a can of Cream of Chicken Soup? No cheating lol, you have to guess using logic, give your first thought!

Jaye

@fastdiet, so sorry your back is bad and right before a trip! The muscle relaxant will help but mention fasting to your doctor, in case he thinks you should eat a bit more on a fast day. I’ve had two back surgeries and travelled with a bad back so I really feel for you. Don’t forget anti inflammatory should be taken with some food or at least milk. Ask if there are other analgesics you can combine while you get to your destination. For instance on bad days on top of my long lasting anti inflammatory I take co-codomol, or if I know I’m going to have to do a lot that day.

Good luck, you should get a good outcome with some diazapam or the like.

Hi guys

First fast day for me too… Not brilliant! Went over 500 to about 700! I’m determined to do a 500 day next time.
X

JayeGirl – I’m gonna go with the tomato soup, only cos today was a fast day and I came across a tin in the cupboard – let’s just say it’s still in the cupboard!

Shaza 🙂

Day 2! I completed my first fast. I’m making mine ‘true fasts’ because it’s easier for me. Yesterday, because I knew I was fasting, I was famished by 11am. By 6pm I was pretty sure I was going to die. >_>

I’m a late-night binger, it’s my biggest downfall. I “simply cannot” get to sleep on an empty belly…so I was pretty convinced I’d end up using my 500 cal around midnight just to get through the night. But I fell asleep around 11pm and didn’t even notice.

Today I woke up earlier than usual, clear headed and super productive.

Interestingly enough, when I awoke this morning I wasn’t hungry at all. This speaks to me about how much habit can affect hunger. So grateful to have found this method of eating! (Just had a late breakfast and I don’t think a scrambled egg and piece of toast have ever tasted so good. :D)

@rho1640 I’m in Michigan, yesterday was warm and spring-like. This morning I woke up to everything covered in that white stuff again. Ugh! Waiting for spring’s become almost as frustrating as trying to lose weight lol (oknotrly)

it was the tomato soup! Calories not much between them but there was in the sugar.

Tomato: Cals per 100g 59, sugar 5g

Cream of Chicken: Cals per 100g 52, sugar 1.2

I think a lot of people less aware than us would not think about the sugar in the Tomato soup and would assume it was one of their 5 a day so would be a soup with fewer cals. The Cream of Chicken, people think… Cream = Fat so I’m not having that. Yet it was the better option of the two. I don’t worry about fats anything like I do sugars.

@jennybb. Congratulations. Aren’t you surprised at how well you did and that actuslly your body took care of itself. In the morning it’s a new day, you don’t wake up starving lol. In fact lots of us don’t eat breakfast! We just eat when we are genuinly hungry. Well done, you have taken the first giant step. I bet you feel really proud! On your none fast days take note that you will probably crave less, especially as you choose to naturally make better choices as the fasting rids your body of all the naughty sugars etc. Keep posting and letting us know how you are getting on. A wonderful first day for you, well done!

Fingers crossed for you @pamton, still great that you are losing.

Still not completely well. Boo hooo…

Jaye 🙂

@mogs, I’m thinking you should have gone with ‘Popcorn’ as your forum name lol. I used to mindlessly eat an entire family bag of peanut M&Ms at the movies. Used to stop ONLY if my tongue was sore from all the crunching and ususlly that was on the last one! Lol. I could just as easily munch through a big share bag of Caramel popcorn. Thank the lords I can now go to the movies and eat… NOTHING! It can be done lol.

Still feeling poo, got a check up today and was told I will be fine in another couple of days, keep pushing fluids, rest up and start back on fasting by Monday. That’s good news. Watching my TDEE every day so hoping I won’t gain. I’ve lost 1lb. Just hoping i won’t be up come Monday.

Good luck everyone.

Just off to bed, stayed 550 cals below my TDEE BUT ACTUALLT FEEL STUFFED! I think it’s because I’ve had to eat carbs. It’s made me more hungry today and not fasting this week has made me worry I had broken my fasting spell! But… I don’t like how I feel today having had 4 slices of bread, even though low carb and 125g of rice. Don’t get me wrong it all tastes good it’s just not sitting right.

Like Jennybb this WOL in the past 7 weeks has made me feel elated and euphoric. I smile all the time, I laugh so much more, I’m so much happier and feel I can do this life. I don’t want to lose that feeling or that control and can’t wait to be fasting again come Monday. And Jennybb, you’re very welcome, it’s what we are all here for. To help spur each other on, I find this forum really extremely helpful and positive. It’s my first diet forum and I think it’s invaluble.

Night all, happy fasting.

Jaye 🙂

HI all, hope the people with bugs and bad backs soon feel better. There’s been a particularly narsty fluey coldy bug going round that’s really knocking people off their paws. Touch wood I’ve escaped it so far.

Fasting today – got my second cup of coffee which is great for easing hunger pangs. Since I discovered almond milk has only got 13 calories per 100ml, I have that in my coffee on a fast day, as it works out to just 10 cals per drink. Found myself thinking “Ah go on, why not have a biscuit or three…?” and then another part of my brain was all up in my bidnid saying, “Whatchoo wanna do, stay fat?!” and I stepped away from the biscuit jar. I can have it tomorrow.

Looking forward to four days off – shame the weather in Blighty is so blah at the moment, it would be nice to get out and about and do spring-like things, whatever they might be (Frolicking? Gathering wild flowers in a meadow? Painting a hard-boiled duckling in pastel colours? The details are somewhat hazy.) Will have to shift my next fast day, though, I reckon: have been invited to a friend’s house for eastery tea on Monday, so might consider a Sunday fast instead. I find fast days at work a bit easier because I’m busy, anyone got any tips for a weekend day fast?

Yay, great to ‘see’ you here @chippy57! 🙂

@jayegirl, take care of yourself. Especially if you’re still getting over that bug. Also, have a GREAT time! It sounds like you’ve a few fun days planned.

Today’s my 2nd fast day and so far, so good. Yesterday was my partner, Mark’s birthday so I did indulge a little bit.

Tomorrow is when I’ve assigned my weekly weights and measures day. Is it wise to weigh in right after a fast or should I wait another day past?

@mogs, unfortunately I don’t have any advice for you (having only just started) but I’ll keep my fingers crossed it goes well. I can say, I’m not ever busy unless I’m traveling. I work from home, so my fast days consist of me by myself with the kitchen calling my name all day lol. It’s not that bad, really.

First week is over and I’m down 2 lb (woohoo!) but what’s really exciting is I lost 3 inches off my waist! I’m sure an inch or two of that was water but it’s still nice to see 🙂 Also, an inch off my hips and one off my bust so 5 inches of me has disappeared and I’m thrilled. Still a lot of inches and pounds to go (my goal is 140ish and I’m 182 as of today).

2nd FD was so. much. easier. Just like you all told me it would be.

@chippy, have fun this weekend!

Btw, feeling better today though not tiptop. I am going out tonight though to see that band and will be on soda water and drinking.

I am happy to say that I lost 2.5lbs this week. Happy about that since I haven’t had a fast day.

Hope everyone else is doing well and enjoying Easter.

Please don’t beat yourselves up if you eat chocolate and naughty foods this weekend. You are entitled, we all know we can take it off next week!

Happy Easter x

And congrats on your 2.5 lb AND to feeling better! Have a great time tonight 🙂

Hi there! I’m Bella

I’ve been reading through the threads and can see great support! which I’d love to be part of, am starting 5:2, and Tues/Thurs will be fast days 🙂 have 20Ibs to lose, hoping to hit the first 10Ibs by August. I tend to have extreme attitudes around food, so I think I’m a food-aholic, am a scoffer and a picker, don’t leave any chocolate anywhere near me 😉 but on the other hand I’ve banned many foods which I think are unhealthy, which I’d probably be better off actually eating, still, I have managed to reduce my wine and coffee drinking, which makes me sleep better, and so am less likely to eat empty calories. I’m looking to forward to see how my first day goes, and will report back. I do loads of exercise and teach Zumba, so am hoping this will help me reach my target. looking forward to hearing from you here. Good luck to everybody for the week ahead..x

Welcome Bella,

Good luck with your fast days. The best tip I can give you is to be organised! If you live alone just don’t the things you know you will binge on. Try not to cheat on fast days. Decide when and what you will eat a day in advance and count it to the calorie. Decide how you will eat, will it be 1/2 or 3 meals. I eat just once and have a long fast. If I am fasting tomorrow (which I am) I will eat my last meal at 7.30/8 tonight and then not eat again until the same time tomorrow. That said I am out to dinner tonight at 5pm with family so the chances are I will eat some fruit later in the evening as I may get peckish but I won’t eat after 8pm. I would then not eat again until the following day whenever I am hungry. I don’t tend to eat until about 12/1pm on none fast days unless I go out for breakfast as I am just not hungry. But that gives me another nice fast.

And that is what fasting will teach you… Real hunger, the difference between when your body needs fuel and when it is just telling your brain you are bored, or feeling emotional, or you usually eat something at that time! The other thing it did for me was get rid of cravings (ALL) of them! Read my post above and come join us in the ‘Fat Busting Brits’ and ‘HELP women of certain age’. The other things I have stopped doing is: eating when full, eating when I come home after going out for dinner!!! Eating because I am bored, upset, eating as a reward, eating because it is there, eating stuff because I am at the movies and that’s what I have always done, having cake with my coffee just because others are doing it. I don’t crave it so I can go without it. I am eating purely from hunger for the first time in my life and I LOVE IT lol. I finally control food, my brain and my stomach, they no longer rule me. I started at 18.2lbs 7 weeks ago, I have lost 24lbs.

I keep well under my allotted 2028 cals a day, this helps to lose even more than I do on my fast days. Go to Your tracker at the top right of the page and start tracker and see how many cals you have daily. people like to try different calculators on different sites as they say this gives them too many cals. When I did that this was the lowest cals I got for my TDEE. If you eat the suggested you won’t lose anymore weight, as it’s cals in verses cals out. I do count on none fast days but it’s easy to keep under because I don’t crave high calories/sugar foods and I don’t touch sugar from a bowl or honey. If I have sugar then it’s in the bread, milk, sauce on my food etc. I eat low carb, higher fat and as little sugar as poss. I love sweet potatoes, lovely low GI alternative to potatoes. I eat rice once a week, not touched pasta. I have 4/6 slices of low GI bread I get from the bakery in a week. Now this is my plan, you can do whatever suites you. But this is how I have changed by fasting. I got all the sugar out of my system and then didn’t crave it. If I am hungry on fast days I have cup of miso soup (this comes in a little box of sachets. 18 cals per sachet) they are great because they are a broth and taste beefy so they fill you up. I also have some Lemon tea and add a slice of fresh lemon and drink that hot. Be warned you may get cold on fast days. Our bodies digesting food causes energy = heat. Eating little or no food all day there is no natural heat in our bodies so prepare for that if you are going out to work. I also drink sparkling water or soda water. It doesn’t ‘help you to lose weight lol’ but as you know it will keep you hydrated. We get 40% of our water from food so it’s important on fast days to drink.
I use MyFitnessPal app to count calories, I just pop in what I am eating and it tells me what cals I have left. Also prompts me if I eat anything high in sugar as I have put in that I don’t want to eat more than the RDA 24g – 6 tsps which adds up quicker than you think just eating bread, milk cereals etc.

If you want any help or tips just ask and we will all help and support you!

Good luck.

PS sorry peeps, 2 very long posts lol.

thanks Jaye, really nice to get your welcome on this thread! 🙂 and inspiring to hear all you peeps stories! Thanks for the tips, yes so true about the reasons for eating other than hunger, I do all of those..Am going to try with Miso or Bouillion, Soda water sounds good too.. Have been trying for a long time to get to grips with my eating problems, the Zumba has deffo helped, since becoming an instructor have lost about 8Ilbs but want to get to grips with my attitude towards food. Here we go!..

thanks Jenny!,looking forward to start and sharing on this forum 😉

Hi Everyone,

Hope all your days, if fasting, went well 😉 this was my first fasting day, and have found it quite brutal! haven’t found the hunger as such a problem, but have felt “weak and feeble” most of the day, yuck, but know the first day is tough, thanks to this forum! Note to self, is it a good idea to start the fast day after a very long w/e? I found that a bit tough, a full on day at work, and the thought of no treats ahead, sure thurs will be better. Might have to change my route home from work, as the whole world seemed to be working their way through huge glasses of wine and fish and chip in the pubs and restaurants as I passed by..or was it my imagination? Only other problems are although I wanted to quit coffee, to sleep better, may have to drink some on fast days..let’s see, all a learning process. This forum certainly kept me going throughout the day, knowing I would report back, so that’s pretty cool. Best wishes and speak soon.

@beldyboop did you not take any miso soup or caffeine free herbal teas to get you through the day. Did you eat a couple of meals or did you just have one meal in the evening. Did you prepare for it all the day before so you knew when you what you were eating? Maybe you didn’t recall it but I wrote here that the best way to get through it is to be prepared and drink plenty. You can have coffee, you can even have it with some milk (just count the calories from your 500). Home made veg soups are good to take in on work days, few calories and keep you going. Soup keeps you fuller for longer too.

It will get better. Try just looking at the floor and listening to music on your way home if you find watching others eat torture lol.

As for doing it on the back of a long weekend, I can’t think of a better time to start when you have probably over indulged more than a normal weekend.

@mad as a March Hare, I think you have answered your own question lol. It’s basic maths, calories in verses calories out. If you go well over on NFD (none fast days) any good you did on the FDs fast days) will be undone. With a possibility of even gaining.

Take some of the resistance you have on FDs into your NFD. Prepare a menu for yourself, including snacks to get you through the day under, your TDEE. If you are eating out, make sensible choices, steak, chicken, gammon etc with veg and a baked potato. Use the MyFitnessApp and put all your calories in as you eat things, put everything in and don’t cheat. That way you know exactly where you are going wrong and what you are spending your calories on. Although it says eat normally on NFDs it means eat within your TDEE, it doesn’t mean you can eat anything you want and still lose. Get yourself prepared for you NFDs and I think that will help you. Use the MyFitnessApp to check foods to see if you really want to use your calories on those things or have something more healthy. If you can do a FD you can use the tricks and tips you use on that day to get you through those days. Good luck!!

Jaye sent you a friend request on FB … May not post a ton since I don’t want it to show up on my fb page .. But I’m needing extra motivation ..

I have been stress eating and I need to get it under control .. Sounds so easy doesn’t it lol. Just stop eating … God I wish it was that easy .. I’m trying to turn fro eating to walking as a stress reducer hoping that will help .. Of course it could just mean I walk around the world eating away

Didn’t realize I’d been away so long! Lots of great comments.

I get cold on fast days, too. Last week I tried making my own version of Bulletproof Coffee (bulletproof exec website) as my calories…& no, I have no affiliation. It’s not for everyone: 1T grass fed butter, 1 T coconut oil blended into coffee. I add stevia, spices & vanilla so it’s more like chai. It’s actually creamy–butter is solid cream anyway. I added collagen/gelatin to the coffee for protein because I had some in the house while working up the nerve to use it for arthritis.

Results:
I swear the fats kept me from getting so cold.
Blending coffee with fats seemed to make the caffeine last, and metabolize more slowly throughout the day instead of a big wallop.
My brain felt better. (Sometimes I feel strange on fast days, muddled, like I shouldn’t make any important decisions!)
I saw new numbers on the scale!

His premise seems to be to omit most carbs to teach the body to burn fat. I’m not endorsing it; I don’t know much about it. Just passing along what I’m experimenting with.

Hi everyone!

This is my 2nd serious attempt at the 5:2 as shedding my winter clothes revealed rolls (not Arctic!) that weren’t there before. I’ve been on the FD for 4 weeks now and initially lost 2 kg but have gained 1 kg back this week! But I also found @simcoeluv‘s post from 2014 that talks about exercise stalling weight loss so perhaps that’s what’s happening. I play tennis twice a week, run 6k twice a week and try and fit a 6-8k walk as well. I am beginning to feel the tummy tightening and trousers loosening (yippee!) and must not lose heart and keep going.

I am 162cm and currently weight 60.5 kg, and my goal is to get to 57 kg by end of June/early July. I know I’m not that heavy but just need to get rid of those midriff rolls and flabby thighs.

I also wear a Jawbone fitness tracker and that has helped immensely, reminding me not to sit idle too long and I get a real buzz when the steps adds up. Does anyone else use one?

Hi @elastigirl and welcome. You will get lots of support here and hopefully dole some out yourself.

Personally I’m not exercising at the moment and when I do it will be on the wii at home so I can’t offer any advice on that. It doesn’t matter how little you have to lose, we all have our own personal goals and definitions of how we want our bodies to look. Fasting is the same for all of us regardless of how quickly or slowly we reach goal. Good luck.

@jennybb first of all, don’t panic. I know it’s awful to see that on the scale but as you say, you are approaching that time of month. Thank god I have a coil fitted, no periods, no PMS for me! A few questions, firstly did you get on the scales right from getting out of bed? Did you know that you will weigh more if you do that? Someone else posted about it. No idea why but I have done it many times to test it, and even not going the loo and it still works! Secondly, have a look over your week, have you binged at all, had things you didn’t know the calories of, guessed at the calories of things etc that might have been higher than you thought. If you don’t already please just for this week do two things. Firstly weigh yourself tomorrow after you have been up for at least 15 mins. Secondly, everything you eat this week track on MyFitnessPal or something similar. See how close to your TDEE you are. Are you under, over, right at etc. Just so that you are completely aware of what you are eating, when you are eating and also, why. Were you truely hungry or did you eat because it was there, because you craved it, because you were bored, because someone else was eating it. Just for a week and see how you fair next week. The BIGGEST change of all in me over these past 8 weeks is that I only eat from hunger. In doing that some days I am lucky to eat 1000 cals. I have a very sedate life so I probably can get away with that but my TDEE is 2011. I’ve set it to 1750 though.

Personally I weigh myself daily. It can go up on Sunday because I drink Saurday although I didn’t last week. The reason I do it daily is because I want to lose weight every week, if I see the scales go up then I reduce my TDEE for the next few days. I am not suggesting you do but I do. I am very strict to be honest just because I have stones and stones to lose lol. And as I said I want to see it reduce every week for all my hard work put in. I don’t have any treats in the week, just Prosecco on Saturdays and i use my TDEE for that too. I don’t have treats simply because I n longer crave them so can say no, even on an unexpected pit stop with friends. I appreciate that not everyone has gained that ability due to fasting.

I am sure that the scales will show all your hard work for you soon, please don’t get disheartened. Though I know it’s easy for me to say that, we are ALL rooting for you!!

I’ve reached a personal goal this week having crashed through 2 stone. I’ve lost 29lbs for this weeks weigh in. Now I just need to get under 16 stone next week. I’m 16.1lbs. I’m away tomorrow morning till late Sunday staying in a beautiful hotel in Llandudno. I’ll be having some Prosecco, I’m allowing myself a piece of cake with a coffee too since I didn’t have anything over Easter and lost 4lbs this week. I’m also seeing an old work colleague and her husband Sunday. They are driving over to spend the day with us. They are the loveliest couple and I can’t wait for her to see my weight loss lol. When we first met 2 years ago this month I was about this size, in those 2 years she has watched me gain 2 stone! I haven’t seen her since I started fasting but have sent her pics. She’s incredably supportive so will be lovely to see her and see someone who will really see a difference. My hairdresser today said right away ‘wow how much more have you lost’. She has also watched the gain and now the loss. It’s good to have people you don’t see regulay noticing the changes lol.

Off to my nieces for dinner. She’s losing inches with a personal trainer. The pics are very impressive from when she first started. She’s not losing pounds but her body is changing. She’s only a size 10/12 anyway. Spooky how even at that size you can still have rolls, big bums, thighs. So she is eating very healthy too and looks Fantatic. She’s drop dead gorgeous anyway and lovely.

Good luck guys, I hope the weekend is good to you all. I will be on tonight as I’m home and will be popping on while I’m away to keep myself on track!

Happy fasting

Jaye 🙂