The FastDay Forum

Oooh very well done @ferretgal on yr 100 fasts
I looked online re carnitine and someone called The Supplement Guru says :-

"One of the main roles that carnitine plays in the body is in assisting the transport of fat into the mitochondria of cells, such as muscle cells. It is here in the mitochondria where the fat is burned away as fuel. This is why carnitine is a popular ingredient in fat burners. * Research confirms that supplementing with carnitine increases the amount of fat burned, particularly during exercise. This enhances fat loss and also boosts muscle endurance by sparing muscle glycogen.*

Carnitine has also been found to improve blood flow by increasing nitric oxide production. This relaxes the smooth muscles of the blood vessels, causing them to widen, allowing more blood to flow through. This can further promote muscle endurance through better deliver of nutrients and oxygen to working muscles, along with helping to improve recovery after exercise."
It doesnt mention belly fat,just fat in general..found abundantly in red meat and dairy,also in niuts,grains and green veg.
Theres a lot online about carnitine but some of it is far too scientific for me!
@nursebean i always say 80 for a medium egg but could be wrong x i read that somewhere years ago anyways x

[quote="fancyacuppa"]Thanks @MaryAnn, I'll definitely look into Krista Varady's maintenance strategy, that sounds very workable. I'm hoping maintenance will something that happens in the next 2-3 months, so it certainly won't hurt to do a little planning now! I could be cynical and suggest that diet books don't go into maintenance because they want you to regain and then buy another diet book...[/quote

Got it in a nutshell@fancyacuppa..they deffo want us to regain and keep giving them money! X

Michelangelo didn't whack away on life size marble blocks using only his largest sledge hammer until a masterpiece statue was revealed. He moved on to a succession of refinements using smaller hammers and chisels, working all the way down to sandpaper and cultured bee's wax to reveal the results that we all admire*. Realistically, considering his results, why should your weight loss vision (and process) be any different?

DrMM's 5:2 is weight losses' easily-handled sledge hammer equivalent of that dreaded phrase "a calorie restricted diet". OMG!! I just spilled the beans and spoke the truth! Furthermore it is a psychologically sneaky, easily implemented and most of all effective and very much appreciated hammer. (Those who didn't see this coming might have also missed the alternate translation of dihydrogen oxide in an older thread. We live and learn.)

Most every diet works for a while and then fails when life intrudes because they didn't clearly define a long term maintenance strategy. 5:2 is no exception. BUT. Witness the repeated statements of those who left and came back: "It worked initially... I fell of the wagon....I'm back...". All quietly imply part of the answer: they know it works.

So, we've all learned what to do to get the weight gone (with newbies moving in that direction). Now what?

While some maintainers continue to succeed by gently whacking away with variations of the 5:2 hammer others have added refining tools as easy as time windows, food substitutions and .... Hey. Take a look around. Pick one and see if it works well for you. (I personally would suggest a 1cm flat chisel paired with a 1/2 kg ball hammer but carieoates and wendyjane just stole them from my work space here. And sheesh, CreakyP went bionic on us.)

From my experience the most important "tool" of all, and the one most often ignored, is to seriously reconsider one's lifelong and therefore totally unconscious definition of "normal eating". If you've left and returned because the weight came back, or am not sure what maintenance must eventually include, look very closely at how you define that exact phrase.



* = As a guy adrift here in a virtual sea of ladies, I lied about the Italian's techniques hoping some would understand. I have no idea what he actually did but it sounded reasonably good didn't it? To refine your own physique with easy experiments (having gracious group support) that leads towards perfection? Like the recent newbie I was at a wine-n-paint night - I could do that too.

Well, I pretty much stuck to 5:2 religiously for 2 years. At the end of that time I started to feel 'diet fatigue'. I got sick of fasting and I wasn't losing any weight. Then I broke my arm and OH took over the cooking for about 2 weeks. So I decided to take a 'weight loss holiday', with the intention of returning today. And here I am. So I didn't really fall off the wagon. I deliberately stepped off with a limited holiday in mind. i think other fasters take holidays when they actually go on holidays. I think it's interesting that people do fall off the wagon because I have always said how sustainable this diet is, and yet, may be it isn't for some. I haven't a lot of experience with diets but I did successfully do the CSIRO diet and i did get sick of it. I wasn't prepared to change my way of eating to the extent that was required - lots of protein and fruit and veg, low fat, low carb every day. I don't mind doing that twice a week, but not every day. I lasted about 8 weeks on that diet, and I did lose weight. I put it all back on. Then I went on the 'Don't go hungry diet' which is a kind of anti-diet like 5:2. It did teach me to be more aware of my hunger and satiety levels and that has helped me with 5:2. But it was the unrelenting every day attention that I tired of and that's why 5:2 is so great for me because 5 days a week I can relax around food. Now I have signed up to DODO so we'll see how I manage that. I think in my third year of fasting I might be ready to try some of the variations - 4:3, ADF and even 16:8. I am not yet the weight I want to be. On the one hand, I could just accept my body, bigger than I want to be, but maybe the right shape for me or I can try twigging 5:2, using finer tools as suggested by ADFnFuel. I think the issue of emotional eating is huge and complicated. I'm glad I don't really experience this. My trouble is I LOVE food. But I love good food and I don't usually stuff myself anymore because I don't have anxiety about not getting enough. Let's just travel on together. I think coming on the forum and the support of everyone here has been incredibly important to me.

Thanks @adfnfuel - your post was really helpful and thought-provoking. Speaking as someone who is very hard on herself at all times, I like the "work in progress" concept. I am a returning faster....had great success, threw lots of it away, then returned in March this year pretty cross with myself for being so silly...and facing an uphill struggle to even get back to where I was last July.......grrrrr!

Will definitely return to your post for inspiration whenever needed. Cheers!

Hazelnut20: you write such honest inspiring posts youeself. Please stop being hard on yourself. Here you are back on track, older and wiser and on the road again. Who knows why we sometimes don't act in our own best interest! Here you are today and well done, you!

Thanks so much for your kind words @sallyo - they mean a lot x

Very pleased to hear you are nearly back to normal wrist-wise. I love reading your posts, but don't always have time to reply...

I got pregnant.
Which was planned and probably Only happened because I lost weight through fasting. I was thrilled with the weight loss and the things I learned doing 5:2 certainly helped me not spend 9 months eating constantly. Although a fair amount of cake did make its way onto my plate!

Baby was born 9 weeks ago and I'm breastfeeding so not doing 5:2 right now but I am more aware of what I'm eating and when. I was massive by the time i had the baby, the majority of weight gained was water though and I am now about 5kg off what I was before I got pregnant and maybe 10kg from an ideal perfect weight.

I'm fairly relaxed about losing weight now, once the baby is 6 months old then I'll be more serious about it. But for now, exercise and being aware is what I'm doing and I'll return to 5:2 in four or five months.

@Ayjacee congratulations to you and your new baby and family. I love your post, you sound so well. Take your time, we are always here

I am somewhat reassured that I am not the only one to have found maintenance less easy than I thought. I lost 3.5 stone up to last summer, when I decided to take a break "knowing" that it would be easy enough to restart when needed. I put on odd pounds here or there, but did not worry unduly. The fact that I am back here says it all!
Even though I did not find fasting particularly hard, I am struggling to get going again. I can be good until evening, then it all goes to pot! I have gained about 10 pounds and do not want it to get any worse. I know I just need to commit myself properly - once I get back into the routine I will probably be fine. Maybe just writing this will help.
Any thoughts anyone?

I am somewhat reassured that I am not the only one to have found maintenance less easy than I thought. I lost 3.5 stone up to last summer, when I decided to take a break "knowing" that it would be easy enough to restart when needed. I put on odd pounds here or there, but did not worry unduly. The fact that I am back here says it all!
Even though I did not find fasting particularly hard, I am struggling to get going again. I can be good until evening, then it all goes to pot! I have gained about 10 pounds and do not want it to get any worse. I know I just need to commit myself properly - once I get back into the routine I will probably be fine. Maybe just writing this will help.
Any thoughts anyone?

If you can get through the day on zero calories but find it hard to restrict once you start eating, why not try an eating window approach? Of course there is a downside - you have to do it every day, not just 2 days a week - but as they say there is no such thing as a free lunch! There is a section about eating Windows on this site, and a free e-book on http://www.Fast-5.org. If you don't see it as a lifetime way of eating you could give it a go for 2 months or so to get shot of the 10 lbs then return to 6:1 for maintenance?

In a way that is what I have been doing - but not every day and I eat too much in the window! Once my hunger switch is turned on it doesn't go off very easily.

Hi, I'm a classic leaver and back again. I had a great result last year and did the fasts no problem, went on holiday for a week and somehow just couldn't get back into it. Work and life intervened and I've blinked and it's June 15. I think part of the problem is that I don't have masses to lose , 21llbs give or take so at size 14 in the right dress I look great but I know it's getting harder to shift, age 46 and counting......so there we are, I'm back and aiming for a wedding in Aug (not mine) and have decided I'm back on track for a pound a week.

I got pregnant.

Baby was born 9 weeks ago

Congratulations, Ayjacee!

Same answer for me, I stopped fasting because I got pregnant and was breastfeeding for the next 7 and a half months. Immediately I stopped breastfeeding my weight shot up and my blood sugar became uneven, because I had gotten into the habit of eating a lot of carbs and grazing whenever I had a moment between taking care of the babies.

I've been fasting again since 1 and a half months ago, because I missed the health benefits and because I was so happy to be able to fit into some old clothes I had thought I'd never wear again. The clothes for size 38 are much, much nicer and better fitting than the clothes for size 44. So far I've been putting on weight but have slowed my weight gain - on feed days I've eaten whatever I wanted without worry, which happened to be a lot of cake and ice cream. My blood sugar is much better now, I'm not ravenously hungry on fast days anymore, though still very hungry as soon as I have breakfast on the first feed day after, so now I've decided to try to match my TDEE and stop eating junk, and to help me I've returned to you all here at the forum. Hello again!

I used to use my fast days as days to pamper myself with long walks or jogs in a beautiful area, followed by a home spa treatment or a trip to the movies, but I just don't have the time anymore. I kind of want to do some home exercise, like push-ups and squats, but that's not enjoyable for me and it does not distract me from eating, so it can't be part of a sustainable plan for keeping my weight healthy. I have no idea what I'll do once my maternal leave is over and I'll have even less time to take care of myself

Maybe I'll find some inspiration for that here, as well.

Welcome back, @glassmarble, and after such a life-changing event! A new baby is a wonderful thing but they can leave you feeling that there is no time for anything that is just for you. You've made a good start with getting back into fasting and you have realised that you will have to control your non-fast days too, so you should be well on the way to turning this Way Of Eating into a Way Of Life! Good luck to you and your baby!