The FastDay Forum

We've had a few threads about dealing with negative comments, or how insensitive people can be. I thought I'd start one about amazing and supportive friends.

I've been really lucky in that I've not had much negativity about this diet or my weight loss. I get the occasional "is it sustainable?" to which I answer "I've been doing it for over 2 years, so yeah", but that's about as negative as it's gotten. Or maybe a "why don't you just cut calories a bit every day?" to which I answer "I'd rather be miserable half of the time rather than all of the time" or " that didn't work for me." Instead, my friends and family have been very complimentary about my weight loss and very supportive of my continued fasting to maintain weight loss. Friends often ask "Is it a low/light day?" or "Is it a cheat day?" One in particular always goes on about how impressed he is that I've managed to keep the weight off when so many have failed.

I've had quite a few ask about the diet, though I'm not sure it's worked for anyone or if they've been able to stick with it. They don't ask for advice, and I prefer not to bug them. It's such a sensitive topic. My copy of the book has made the rounds. I think they know they can come to me if they want to.

Anyway, have others had positive experiences like this?

We've had a few threads about dealing with negative comments, or how insensitive people can be. I thought I'd start one about amazing and supportive friends.

I've been really lucky in that I've not had much negativity about this diet or my weight loss. I get the occasional "is it sustainable?" to which I answer "I've been doing it for over 2 years, so yeah", but that's about as negative as it's gotten. Or maybe a "why don't you just cut calories a bit every day?" to which I answer "I'd rather be miserable half of the time rather than all of the time" or " that didn't work for me." Instead, my friends and family have been very complimentary about my weight loss and very supportive of my continued fasting to maintain weight loss. Friends often ask "Is it a low/light day?" or "Is it a cheat day?" One in particular always goes on about how impressed he is that I've managed to keep the weight off when so many have failed.

I've had quite a few ask about the diet, though I'm not sure it's worked for anyone or if they've been able to stick with it. They don't ask for advice, and I prefer not to bug them. It's such a sensitive topic. My copy of the book has made the rounds. I think they know they can come to me if they want to.

Anyway, have others had positive experiences like this?

Great post - hear, hear!

Yes, @MaryAnn. My biggest success is my sister. She sat back and watched me for 2 years. In the 2nd year one of her friends also started doing 5:2. I lost weight, her friend lost weight, so at the start of this year, my sister started doing it too. She comes from a background in Weight Watchers, lost a lot of weight and put it all back on. It was cool at her daughter's wedding in January. We three were all there and then there was another relation, the bride's uncle on the other side of the family, i think, who was also doing it and we all chatted about how we do 5:2 as we nibbled on the canapés and sipped champaign. i have been lucky at work too. Before I started 5:2 there were 2 other women on staff who were doing it. I was a bit snooty when I first heard about it, I have to admit. But then I got more information and was won over. They have been really supportive. We are always complimenting each other on how slim we look! Having a lot of people around me who do 5:2, I don't worry about other people's views. I know my son and DIL were quite critical at first, but I don't know or care what they think now.

[Tracieknits]

Welcome to the forum @Yellowstars - please feel free to post in the "Introduce Yourself" section of the forum so you can get a proper welcome. Not too many will notice you buried in another thread

Well @MaryAnn - I actually have had to keep fasting on the downlow. My mom struggled with anorexia for years when I was a kid, and I don't dare breathe a word of fasting to her. She has some mental health issues, including borderline personality disorder. If she caught wind that I were fasting intermittently, she would never let me hear the end of it, but she also might take it up herself, which isn't a good thing for anorexics. She's mostly been a healthy weight for my adulthood, but sometimes she gets obsessive about food and diet and it worries me. So I don't breathe a word of this diet on Facebook, that's why I'm not on the FB support groups and why I don't repost interesting things.

The few friends I have mentioned this too have seemed interested, and one even tried it. But they all said it was too hard for them. :-/

I'm glad to hear you have such great support!

...
I've had quite a few ask about the diet, though I'm not sure it's worked for anyone or if they've been able to stick with it. They don't ask for advice, and I prefer not to bug them. It's such a sensitive topic. My copy of the book has made the rounds. I think they know they can come to me if they want to. ...

I can echo those thoughts almost exactly. Better to be an obvious example than a pest.

The ratio of those I've told to those who are actually doing it is fairly low. I know of one other complete success and three partials out of maybe 20-30 people curious enough to have asked for details. Even the family has come around 'slightly'. Because I do 95% of the cooking they've little choice. If I could just do something about their continuing dependence on sugary drinks and evening ice cream.

@Tracieknits, I totally get that. I had sort of the opposite problem. I tread really carefully around my mom about this diet because I'm a former anorexic and I knew she'd freak out. I wouldn't have tried the diet if I wasn't sure those days were well behind me. I finally had to tell her when I was visiting her while still in the weight loss phase, because I wanted to fast a few days while there. My sister had my back and helped me explain it to her. She wasn't crazy about it, but I think she's come around because she's seen that I haven't gone over the deep end in terms of weight loss, and I eat really healthy food whenever I am there.

Anyway, I'm glad other have positive experiences with friends and family, too!

[Tracieknits]

I'm glad to hear you're healthy and handling it well -- and not hiding it from family! I think that's the sign you're actually in a very healthy place - that you told your mom and your sister and they're not worried about you.