The FastDay Forum

OK here goes. My journey on 5:2 has been very interesting, since I started 8 months ago. First a background to my eating b4 fasting: I was into low GI carbs, never ate pasta, rice, spuds only if I was stuck in a situation out where the only vego option was chips, rarely had bread in the house, though ate wheat based lunches, rarely ate fruit, mostly Raspberries and the odd Mango. I would eat something sweet most days, even if just a protein bar and my main carb intake was low GI vegies and red wine! Hadn't eaten butter (or marg) for years, used Olive Oil liberally, used avocado & egg based mayo too. I was putting on about 1kg a year. I went to the gym 3x a week, plus walk dogs for a living. Fairly healthy lifestyle all in all. I was just into the overweight BMI range. Then I started fasting.

I quickly discovered I could eat all of, those things that I had cut out and lose weight by cutting my cals to 500 on 3 days a week. So I went to town, after all those years of denying myself. I lost 9kg, friends were telling me I was 'so skinny' and then it was maintenance time. At first I was Ok but I quickly slipped and have gained 2kg, but have maintained my bad eating ways I picked up in my fasting months. Had my bloods dne, sugar higher, total cholesterol higher 7.2 but hdl 3.6 or something, BP is all over the place. So now I am finding it difficult to fast and need to get back into my old way of eating! And I mean hefore fasting. I also need to try to fast again, tho I seem to have lost the willpower to be hungry Sadly if nothing changes I'll be back where I started.

Been wondering how you are getting on GMH. Look forward to replies in that what really does happen to out bodies when we have gained the key to successfully lose our excess weight, but our blood chemistry results reflect changes from what was our pre IF norm.

I am curious as to what do we need to do to maintain the kind of diet which enables our blood results and chemistry to be in acceptable ranges. You will find you fasting mojo I am sure, you have just hit a bump in the road.

Hi GMH, 2 kilos isn't that much, maybe think of fasting as a way to fix it before Christmas. I don't think I will ever get to maintenance as I've been doing 5:2 since Feb and after the initial loss I've stayed about the same. Actually I think 5:2 is my maintenance and that's ok.

Good to hear from you GMH. That's disappointing, about the blood test results. I agree that 2kg isn't much to worry about. I put on and take of 2 kg on a regular basis. Today I weigh 72, a few days ago I was 70, but it doesn't mean I've actually put on 2 kg. After today's fast, it'll be down again. You can fast again, certainly. You've done it in the past and you can certainly do it again. What about 1:6?

Welcome Back GMH
Well firstly 2kg isn't that bad at all (I gained 5kg on holiday )
So I quickly got back on board and it took me 12 day's hard work to get rid of it, but I've still loads to lose so it's a battle.

However can't believe your blood results not sure how/why this sometimes happens, after my 3 months + 2 stone loss my cholesterol had gone up point something so nurse said not to worry as it was so small, think I'll be getting retested soon because I have serious hair loss deffo Sue.

Well the problem is that eve

Well the problem is that every fast I start is over by lunchtime. I am putting on about .5kg per week. Need to slap myself with that large wet ish! I will try again Sunday and I suspect that since it is no longer maintenance but weight loss I'm after, it may work. I here u wineo, 5:2 is def maintenance for me and 4:3 for loss. But really i need to go back to my old way of eating...omelette for bfst instead of carbs (porridge), salad for dinner...i used to eat 4+ cups of vegies every day. Then throw in some fasts. I'll let u know how i go. Ps the blood sugar was just over normal...all the grains I have been eating for sure!

Sorry to hear you are disappointed. Sounds like you know what to do too. I'd wait until your brain is ready to flip into gear again. Welcome back and good luck

Hi GMH - you sound like you know exactly what to do - so good luck. Yes pick your moment. One thing about this WoE is you never finish discovering more ...

[carieoates]

Sorry to hear you are disappointed. Sounds like you know what to do too. I'd wait until your brain is ready to flip into gear again. Welcome back and good luck

I agree with Karen, you are a fantastic inspiration for those of us who are just getting" into the groove". You know what to do and know what you are capable of. So when you are ready, you'll do it. Good luck.

Thanks everyone. I'll go again Sunday and sleep lots

I decided to try maintenance for a couple of weeks. I have found it quite difficult actually. I slipped into a few biscuits, lots of bread. Fortunately I have caught myself, and am back into 5:2. I really need the structure, but will retry my maintenance in a few weeks.

On the upside. I undertook a full blood test. The previous was taken just before I started. Everything is well into my normal range...hasn't been this good for decades!,,

Well I think I need to "pull my socks up".
So here's the deal let's both do the next 4 fasts as if they are our first ( remember the careful+ cautious ones ) the ones where we don't give in to the treats or carbs or whatever it is that b**ls it up for us coz for me I quickly repaired my holiday damage but have stuck now and I am introducing crap back into my life a sneaky peek yesterday tells me that I'll be lucky to stay the same as last week
Are you in GMH ? I could do with you to support me

yes I've also let life get in the way which is so wrong because I was in control of my life no the other way around, so sod of life I'm back in charge Sue

move over I've a Xmas goal to meet.

SueQ sorry just logged in after a few days. Well I had a terrible day on Friday, had a majorly stressful week and with a combo of stress, not enough sleep and I believe too many high GI carbs, I went into a vad spin. I actually felt like I was going to pass out, the brain fog was so bad, I couldn't remember WHERE I was driving too! I haver never felt so exhausted, ever. So I thought I need to get more sleep, less stress, more vegies, less sugar and wheat and I need to fast! So Sunday I had my first successful fast in a month and I'm fasting again today. I find it's easy for me to be determined when I have somewhere to go, but less so obxe I am there. I am up 2.6kg and need to lose at least 2 of those. Good fasting to you too. Another trick is to read lots about health and healthy eating and how bad all the crap is for us. My brother has been reading 'Grain Brain' and I have been looking at 'Wheat Belly'. Nothing new to me, but a goodly reminder. I have seriously trained my mind over the years to think of pasta, white rice, white sugar and white flour, crisps, crackers as poison. Trouble is I haven't trained my mind to think a piece of choc cake is full of these poisons lol, that's the next task. @SueQ

GMH you keep fading out, it's most disconcerting. Missing letters on your keyboard or alien abduction?