The FastDay Forum

hello ladies

just a quick catch up as is bed & got to get up for work in 5 hours-ish

have had a good week & reading through the last couple of pages it seems that a lot of us are back on track or at least trying hard.

2.8lb loss for me this week. woohoo. I finally get some palm trees.

will check in again when I have a bit more time. I hope we dont lose this site. it brings such togetherness to us & I feel as if Ive made friends here.

take care. shelley xx

Whoop whoop Shelley @johns - I will be delighted to give you some palm trees - well done my dear! Consider it done...

I, on the other hand, am slinking in here today to report a gain of exactly two pounds - boo hoo. Totally and completely my own fault - there has been some major scoffing of Maltesers and Galaxy chocolate going on this past week - plus a couple of toasted tea-cakes and a cream scone. Not all on the same day you understand...but I probably haven't had more than one "good" day in the past seven. Reasons? Have been a bit low. Family stresses, menopause, diet fatigue, boredom, reward for weighing at my lowest for ages last Monday...take your pick. I'll eat for any excuse...

Today, having done the walk of shame out of the bathroom (where the scales are kept), I've spent the last few hours battling with myself. A part of me is determined to absolutely stick to 16:8 BSD today, whilst the naughtier part of me - who usually wins hands down - says eat what you like today and start again tomorrow...

So far, I've only had my usual strawberries and full-fat plain bio yoghurt - with a bit of clotted cream thrown in - along with countless drinks. I'm planning salmon and roasted vegetables tonight. The thing is, I know I've got to buckle down if I want to shed more weight (and get below 12 stone before Mauritius) but I'm so fed up and food is all I think about at times like these...Any words of wisdom for me please?

Oh my goodness@Hazelnut20.... you are human. No maltesers here, but my aunt loves cinnamon walnut cake for breakfast, and I hear it call me loudly at night. After a day of feeling down, I scoffed a piece last night. Good news? It was only 1 piece, and no weight gain, (or loss.)

I keep trying to know how to get my needs met without the treats grandma used to give me. Meanwhile, it helps to remember a quote I borrowed from@ferretgal:
I am perfect just the way I am, as are we all.
5:2 is my Way of Life...weight loss is only one "side effect"

So here we go, starting this day again.

Hazelnut - maybe BSD is a little too strict and that's why you are struggling. I've been doing 16:8 and trying to reduce my carbs (under 100g) and watch my sugars. I have made it a rule right now, not to eat any "blatant" sweets - like cookies, cake, candy, etc. (unless it's a super special occasion) I do allow myself dark chocolate, an occasional Starbucks chai latte and these Yasso frozen yogurt bars that are really good. Just by doing that, I tend to be somewhere between 800 and 1000 calories every day, without feeling hungry or deprived I also feel like I'm eating so much healthier - lots of fruits, veggies (sorta) and nuts, etc. I'm feeling really good about it, but it is still early, so that could change.

Just thought I'd share. Hang in there and good luck with however you decide to proceed!

Well done Shelley @johns so pleased you're doing well. Keep it up hun.
Thinking of you and your mum @Tracieknits Hope all goes well, sending hugs and best wishes.
@Candicemarie I hope you're feeling better today.
And well done to everyone for take it one day at a time.
oh Pernelle @Hazelnut20 your last post could have been off me. What's going on with us girl? I'm so down in the dumps, eating the wrong things and not losing any weight Since finishing work I'm finding it difficult to get motivated about anything. To make things worse, the car died the other day and now I need a new one. The glass is definitely half empty at the mo. I know I need to get a grip with the weight loss, before I start gaining. We can't let all we've achieved so far be for nothing. I've been lurking around here but didn't want to come in (**shame**) The point of the challenge is to be accountable, so here I am. Totally off plan What are we going to do???

Sounds like a great plan you have there @cblasz. think I need to try that

[Debs]

@Hazelnut20, I'm so sorry to hear you are doing it tough and recognise all of those drivers/excuses myself.
Today when I got in from work I was tired, grumpy and very, very hungry and in need of something sweet. I recommend the following, a low carb chocolate mug cake, or coconut flour pancakes, fits the sweet craving and provides bulk for that comforting full feeling. I just had the mug cake and it really helped me. There are plenty on mr Google, but the one I used had the following:
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 scoop protein powder, but you could substitute with an extra tbsp of coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 tbsp sweetner. I know not everyone approves but rather stevia than hit the sugar!
Enough milk of your choice to make a thick batter

Mix all together in a mug and microwave for a minute. I put yoghurt on but clotted cream would do!!

Fewer carbs, no sugar but still comforting.

The coconut pancake is my other go to, with warm berries and yoghurt. You could substitute for almond meal flour.
I hope that helps, it is less guilt inducing too

I understand about the sabotage when you get to a low weight, I find myself giving myself licence which can easily get out of control as it did last week. That's when I do a complete fast for a day or two to mentally get back in the groove.
Today I am as low as I've been in several years and I can sniff 24 point Something BMI but it ain't easy. I feel your pain

Quiet in here this week! How's everyone doing? I feel like I'm doing pretty good, but I have hidden the scale. I will take it out tomorrow morning for my weigh in day. I hope to share good news.

I was getting some headaches, that I thought might be related to fasting (even though I'm only doing 16:8) or reducing my carbs or possibly my vision getting worse. I went to the eye doctor yesterday and of course yesterday morning I had no headache. So hopefully it was no big deal and has gone away!

I bought a book yesterday called Low-Carb dieting for Dummies. I've sorta been figuring out my new plan on my own and by looking up stuff here and there, but thought I should really know what I'm doing. I'm really happy with this book, because it isn't actually "low-carb", it is reduced carbs and focusing on healthy carbs/foods in general. It's pretty much what I've sorta put together for myself, but more formal and has recipes and such!

Have a great day!

Hi @cblasz

Good to hear you feel you are getting your way of eating sorted!

I am glad to hear that your low carb book is more about focusing on healthy eating in general. The term "low carb" is not very specific and can be interpreted in many ways. From the reading I have done, I do feel that whole food carbs (including whole grains and starchy vegetables) are not the problem with weight management (unless you have specific allergies or other problems) and in fact can be important for your diet. I have found the links some in this forum have provided to the Precision Nutrition articles very informative. Their arguments for why such carbs are important for middle aged women ring true for me. it is all about balance of course, and finding out what works best in helping you feel happy and healthy.

Yes, it is very quiet in the forum, it was quiet when I "rejoined" a few weeks ago and Moogie's announcement no doubt put a dampener on things.

Best wishes.

Well, I'm disappointed to report that I'm up 1/2 pound. But, it is that time of the month and I did splurge last Sunday. So hopefully next week will be better. I feel like I've been very good, but I'm also going to make sure I'm really doing what I'm supposed to be doing and not getting lax. It's easy to be like "oh well, 5g of carbs over is ok" and then it becomes 10, 15, etc! And I haven't been really strict about my eating window. Most days I wait until 12 to eat, but I don't always stop by 8. So I think I will focus on that this week!

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Howdy folks x feeling for you @hazelnut20@justdee@cblasz...
Its nto always plain sailing is it?sigh... Ive lost two pounds in 22 days so tho it means more palm trees,its another plateau i guess,which is a bit disheartening when ive stuck religiously to the BSD rules.
All we can do is grit our teeth keep going in some way...if that means damage limitation,so be it..
Just dont go off the deep end coz ultimately just gonna make things worse!
We are only hoomin after all and constantly surrounded by all manner of foods! Bound to be tempted and give into it at times
But... keep the horses fed,watered and saddled up in readiness for more galloping towards those palm trees!
@grannieannie has yr aunt moved in permanently..i must admit that cake sounds good
@Debs sniffing distance of 24!! that sounds fab!
Big commiserating or congratulatory hugs all around,whichever apply xx keep yr peckers up girls! X

Just remember this when youre struggling....xx i tried to post a pic but it doesnt want to know so here are the words...
REMEMBER HOW FAR YOU' VE COME,NOT HOW FAR YOU' VE GOT TO GO
YOU ARE NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE,BUT NEITHER ARE YOU WHERE YOU USED TO BE
XXXXXXX

Hi, this must be the 4 week mark for me - where has the time gone?

I think I will award myself one halo. It has been a funny week, without power for half of it, but I managed one fast reasonably well and didn't have any major overindulgences (just some minor ones!).

As best as I can judge from how I and clothes feel, my weight is remaining pretty constant, and that is fine. I am gradually getting a little bit fitter, mainly due to the cycling, and it does seem to help with my legs - they are a little less padded, I think.

Best wishes and good luck to all accountabuddies. If you are unhappy with what the scales are telling you, try to judge how well you are doing by what you are doing rather than what the scales say - you know that hydration levels and retained body waste etc can easily make a variation of 1-2kgs between weighings, which will mask any fat loss (or gain!!).

Although, it's unofficial, I peeked at the scale this morning and it is back down. So I feel a little better. I know that sometimes weight loss is slow and you have to keep at it. So, keep at it I will. I actually cancelled some plans for tomorrow, that would've involved food and drink, so that should help too!

Have a great weekend!

Greetings, my lovely Accountabuddies!

Sorry for being AWOL for a while. Lots going on...not much of it good.

Oh woe...on the eating front. @justdee - we need to formulate a plan, you and me. I'm not being "good" & I need to put a stop to it ASAP.

The scales are going up instead of down..but deservedly so. Am feeling in need of comfort...& using food (as usual).

Tonight I'll post some more and catch up with you all - but I've got to dash right now as I'm meeting my Auntie from a train soon...

Have a great day everyone! Big hugs all round xxx