The FastDay Forum

For one week yes I'm taking time out because I've been doing this WOL long enough to know something isn't quite the same as before and I'm getting a little demoralised,confused and frustrated and because this time last week I posted
" my last 500 Fast" saying I couldn't remember the last time I actually truthfully did one well yes I kicked myself up the backside and got on with the job this way:::

Out of routine weigh-in Monday showing my Friday gain of 1kg gone
Monday = fastday = 550 cals
Tuesday= fastday = 500 cals
Wednesday = 16:8 = 70 cal lunch + evening meal out where I ate with caution having ham salad + 1 small red wine.
Thursday = unexpected fastday = probably = 600 calories
Today/Friday my official weigh-in day OK only a small
gain of 150 grams but WHY!!! What is going on?
Read @CandiceMarie famine and wondered!
Read zamale's similar struggling post.( sorry won't tag)
So I've just changed my plans of 16:8 and had my carb laden breakfast and I'm " feeding" my body in hope because my moto of "mixing " it up has worked for me in the past and that's what I've decided to do for a week right decision or not but would really like your advice forum members and @caroreesif you have the time. Basically I've not yet got back to my early December weight and I don't want to see 3 numbers on my kg scales again, off out to do the food shopping now and will check back in later.

Edit forgot to say no change with the tape measure.

Sue, I can't offer any crumbs of comfort, but think you're doing the right thing.
BUT, what I would say is - don't take a week out of this forum, because, even if you're not on the WOE for a while, you need to keep your mind focused and you also have a wealth of experience to pass on to others in the same situation.
I'm sure you'll return, full of vim and vigour, very soon xx

Sue, I can't offer any crumbs of comfort, but think you're doing the right thing.
BUT, what I would say is - don't take a week out of this forum,
I'm sure you'll return, full of vim and vigour, very soon xx

Thanks Penny
No way could I live without my biggest addiction
This Fantastic Forum

can you still get vim? Lol

[wildmissus]

Sue, glad to hear you're staying with the forum. I'm also really pleased you posted what you did. I've put on 2lbs this week after an average week. I'm well hacked off and like you still not down to my pre Christmas weight. I know it isn't much consolation but you and me aren't the only ones.

Yesterday my MIL met me for lunch and couldn't wait to tell me in a loud voice that - there are so many people saying that people are now getting ill on fasting and it is all over facebook and my SIL knows lots of people who have become ill and have been told to stop fasting. That didn't help me. The only thing I could say is that many people fast one day and binge on rubbish the next which is not good.

Anyway, I digress. As from tomorrow I'm changing things as well - 16:8 with 2 500cal days. I'm going to do it for the month of February and see if that makes a difference. As you know I also have continuing health problems which leaves me with very low physical and mental energy but I can't use that as an excuse to give up and/or put on weight.

I'm heading into town for a wander round the shops as I'm fed up being a couch potato. Will go to Morrisons and have a look at their speciality breads for a high wholegrain/seeded/low GI loaf for the freezer.

Sue, you amaze me as you are always one of the first people to greet newbies or encourage and support members who are having a tough time with your unfailing optimism, cheerfulness and humour so just wanted to say it's no wonder you're feeling a bit 'burnt out' at the moment. You have done fantastically well so far so without resting completely on your laurels just chill for a bit and stop concentrating on the numbers on the scales.
Just try to maintain for a couple of weeks and give your body good, nutritious food it seems to be craving without going overboard. You may be experiencing the dreaded Famine reaction so don't try to work against it and just relax. You won't undo all your hard work and can resume fasting once your body has 'caught up'.
Big hugs and cheers! Carol xx

I think mixing it up and remembering to feed your body sounds good.

I think taking a break is a good idea...but I encourage you to keep up your forum addiction as it will support you as you pause.

I totally understand that moment where you feel disheartened when you keep getting negative results. But i bet your journey has had many times where you've zigzagged.

I know i'm going to zigzag there are just no straight downward lines in this.


cheers and hugs
Jo

Hi @Sue.Q and @wildmissus and so glad you've both posted. Sue, agree with all that's been said above, and you are right to take a step down for a while. Please try and use the time to relax and don't stress yourself- as you know this is all about a state of mind as much as the state of the body. And deffo don't go away from this forum, we would miss you too much!

Julia - much sympathy to you, because it sounds as if you have little support coming your way from some of the people who surround you. This must be so hard, especially when you're feeling low due to ill health. I wish we could do more to help, your MIL especially sounds a real pain. It sounds like the Killer Lunch! But you know you can show them eventually! Just visualise a future lunch, perhaps in the summer, when you have lost even more ...

Sue, you're such an inspiration - just reading your posts each day lifts my spirits!

I do think our bodies sometimes need a bit of an adjustment phase as things change. I really hope you can focus on how far you've come - have a bit of a break and shake things up - you know how things ought to feel - and then you'll be back on the slope down the scale.

xo

It's good to change eating habits from time to time and to surprise our body. Maybe, after your break, you could try something like the Dukan attack phase ? However, you'll after your break

Big hugs

Hi@Sue.Q! I don't know whether that's relevant to you but I can tell you what I've been going through these past couple of weeks/months.

A couple of weeks before Christmas I decided enough was enough (was eating too much sugary/fatty stuff, not going through fasts properly, all that resulted in a small weight gain or stall at best), and started to eat sensibly and less of everything and fasting properly. My aim was to go to sleep "hungry". That all did work and I lost a couple of pounds. During Christmas I couldn't eat because been ill plus had a tooth extracted. After Christmas the monster woke up and I could eat anything and everything. I didn't deny myself a piece of cake or chocolate and crisps. Those were on the menu almost every day. I couldn't get through a fast day either, ending eating too much. So, decided I have to do what I did before Christmas, since it was successful. Again I started eating less (just 2 meals a day and small ones), with occasional treat + good fasts. And... that didn't work! I was stalling. After reading the post about the Famine Reaction I thought why not try eating up until full, but only "good stuff". To me good stuff was meat, veg, beans, fat but no starchy carbs and no sugary/fatty stuff from the shops and no cake and chips. I did that for the past week + proper fasting. I didn't go hungry or wanting more food on a non-fast day. And that did work for me this week, and the trend was downward since Saturday.

I hope you will go through this bump you're having now very quickly and will find your fat-losing mojo back!

[carieoates]

Hey girl. You do what you have to do. You are so brave and honest.

I remember doing my weight watchers for all of 2012 and a quarter of 2013 and having the most rubbish of times. You think you are doing the right thing then step on the scales and bam! What went wrong.

My only advice really would be to start things as if you were starting from the beginning. And really look at what you are eating on your non fast days, even if it's only to work out any pattern causing the gains. I honestly couldn't do with out my fitness pal for making sure not only I stay in the correct calories but also everything else is balanced out. Ie intakes of protein fat etc. because it all does if for you it makes life a lot easier.

Sometimes I've noticed with diets that the longer we do them the more confident we feel in not needing to check labels etc and can often miss vital things that can attribute to our weight loss.

Also depending on our size too, I've noticed a lot of slim people in here with a healthy Bmi and figured that just doing the fast day would probably be enough for them. However if you are anything like me, my Bmi is not healthy so therefore I need to look at my overall way of eating too.

I do hope you gain your confidence back and can start a fresh. I gave up WW and before I knew it a stone went back on eeek. All the best x

Hi Sue, I hate to hear you are struggling so much. The stress certainly won't help the weight loss. So enjoy your little break then it's onwards and downwards.
It's seems Christmas has been hard for a lot on here. I'm still battling those couple of kilos. Rotten things just keep clinging on.
As others have said we will let you have a break from fasting but stay on here with us please we need your cheery chat

Good morning @Sue.Q and @Wildmissus you two are not alone in this you know, @Zamale and @Fatdog are just another two names that spring to mind that are also flagging at the moment and there are others too numerous to mention. I am one of the lucky ones as I've not gone through this but on my way here I had the most awful plateaux when I couldn't see me keep going. In fact I almost never got here because my start was non existent for weeks. Anyway, this is not about me, I just wanted to let you both know that I understand the feelings you are having. I have no magic formula or answer, you are both veteran fasters now and know how things work, or not, from your own personal standpoint. I do feel that a holiday does us all good, not from the forum obviously, but from the routine which is not providing you anything worthwhile at the moment. So, relax, do things differently for a while, enjoy some freedom from fasting till this black cloud passes and good luck and yes, we love your cheery chatter x

Ballerina x

[carorees]

I agree with all the above!

My suggestion @Sue.Q: Eat good nutritious food and no junk so that you don't feel hungry, avoid snacking and try to get at least 12 hours fasting overnight, this will ensure your body doesn't 'forget' how to burn fat! Try increasing the length of the fast to 16:8 after a few days and see how you get on, then if that goes well after a couple of days increase again to 18:6, but no calorie restriction during the eating window. If that all seems easy, you're probably ready to go back to 5:2!

I too had a few days where it seemed really hard to avoid snacking during my 8-hour eating window. So I had a couple of days of eating over my TDEE, then I put in a 19:5 which went well and I found I was back to normal again. So I think it need not take long.

Good luck and keep checking in here!