The FastDay Forum

@peplum41 yes I am a dog walker, Hairy Kids is my business I also have no idea who Amanda Sallis is.

[wildmissus]

@peplum41, @GMH - Amanda Sainsbury-Salis -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Go-Hungry-Diet-Scientifically/dp/1863255230/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422907694&sr=8-1&keywords=amanda+sainsbury+salis

She is a scientist who was overweight and found a way to lose weight. After much positive chat on this forum I bought the book recently. I was a bit sceptical at first but I am really 'getting it' now. The book focuses around The Famine Reaction - where we lose weight and at a certain point our bodies will fight against that weight loss and do everything to stop losing more or regain the weight. The book is very interesting with lots of things in it that I have started to adopt.

Well I'm sure all those walkies keep you fit @GMH, how many hours are you striding? My little chap has arthritis now and can't put in the milage he used to. I keep eying up next doors collie, but I think he may have issues so wouldn't be so fun to walk.
That book does sound interesting @wildmissus. I've been there myself with the chips and curry hangover. Too much and too rich these days. Prefer to knick a few from hubs, about 8 is my limit. I can't handle take away stuff now, I'm a light weight with drink but chocolate. CHOCOLATE madforit.

All I can think is not another diet book!

I'll start with the good activity: fasting today. Now the bad:

I don't believe t's some sort of physical reaction with me, it's the mental obsession. The food of the week will be some sort of carb...cinnamon scroll, icecream, sweet tortas, soy and linseed bread. Then it has to be eaten compulsively until it's all gone or I wet fish myself. I like the taste of carbs, I like they are easy to buy and eat on the run, in fact I like that I'm 'allowed' them on feed days if I fast. I rarely have any 'bad' food in the house, because I!d eat it all and living alone there's no one to share it with...except my very slim neighbour, who gets lots of stuff off me

Now I'm not sure how one overcomes these problems apart from seeing a psychologist! Then there's the thinking about food...hmm what can I eat today? Now I've depressed myself!

I agree with you @GMH - carb foods are so tasty, and easy to grab on the run - but why don't we grab a banana or apple instead? Because I think, carbs are addictive, spiking up the insulin and then lowering blood sugar, causing and increased appetite and a very vicious cycle starts - any experts please correct me if I am wrong.

As I confessed before, I did not have one Hot Cross bun the other day, I had TWO and then a third later when I got home with lashings of butter - I felt possessed! I couldn't stop myself! Then of course I felt sick and bloated in the tummy after it all as well as very guilty and then I was head banging!!

I have got rid of any sweet biscuits I have in the house, and all the Christmas fruit cake is gone - now I have to set my mind power to not buy anymore Hot Cross Buns. We can do it GMH, we can and we will.

cheers
Maggie

The thing is @maggiee bananas and apples are carbs too, just fruit sugar instead of grain or cane sugar. So after all those years of low carbingdon!t eat fruit apart from the fruit I like, Raspberries and Mangoes. I might go the head banging on fruit uf it tasted like it did when I was a child as opposed to cardboard, but that's another story. But no, part of the mental affliction is that the food must be BAD! Yes there will be an answer...and it has got worse since 5.2 came into my life.

Wow @GMH - I do eat about two pieces of fruit a day - fruit doesn't give me the insulin spike like the big bad boy white carbs does which does lowers the blood sugar, hence the craving for of the white carbs.

I can certainly see how it differs for all of us, and being able to work out was is best for our body is the key.
The raspberries are a better fruit for you to eat anyway, as well as blueberries and strawberries.

When I am dedicated and not emotional eating those naughty carbs, I try and think Paleo - NO GRAINS, NO ADDED SUGAR AND NO DAIRY. I try and not think of food as bad, just some don't work for our bodies as well as others.
cheers
Maggie

@maggiee, I'm a vegetarian, so it's vegies n fat for me if I stuck to those diets. However the reason I like/d fasting was the no diet angle. Reduced calories obe day, anything next day. No more, no this no that. I'm not one to eat 3 buns, more it's easy when I'm driving around all day to buy a Lebanese spinach n cheese pie, or a cinnamon scroll for lunch. I guess easy is a big motivator too. Yes thinking good and bad food is not the best, but if people tell u not to eat something, I think oh that must be bad for me.

I guess I should explain it must be something off that weeks obsession, it has to be an Oregano Bakery cinnamon scroll, not just any scroll:-) or if u put a vag of wjite rolls in the fridge I'd just not eat them, but if it's something from 'dream food' I want it.NOW! It's like if someone offers me a scotch, if there's no red wine, I'd rather have water. It's a specific food i'm obsessing over. I'd bettet book the appointment now

@Maggie and @GMH such an interesting conversation you have been having. I would just like to add that for the month of January and I do this every January. I stopped the 5:2 fasting and I did a Daniel fast, I do it for religious purposes. However, you basically eat and drink as Daniel did in the bible. This means no sweetners of any kind, no animal products, no raising agents etc.
This means I lived on Fruit, dried fruit, beans and pulses, wholewheat tortillas, brown pasta, brown rice, nuts, popcorn & wholewheat Jewish cracker bread so basically all carbs apart from bread. However, as you will see everything was unrefined. No coffee or tea allowed either but pure juices are.
I thought I was going to die by day number 2 from caffeine withdrawal symptoms but I got through that. My point is I ate like a little piglet constantly because food like that doesn't really keep you full for long, I ate heaps of fruit and nuts and raisins by the tonne, I kept panicking thinking I was gonna put on weight with the sugary content in that fruit and dried fruit. Then eating huge bowls of pasta with tomato sauces on them for dinner and lunch and instead I lost 2kgs of weight and felt amazing.
I have been off it since the 25 of January and started fasting again and drinking coffee and eating chocolate sticking to high protein and low carb and I have gained the 2 kgs back ....
But like you @GMH I do seem to be a little bit obsessed about food when I am on 5:2 but I do it for the freedom of not having to watch what I eat on non fast days

@Maggiee, don't compare yourself to anyone else! I know it's tough, but just do the best you can for yourself. Keep to your plan of 5:2ing regularly so you can feel good about how you are managing your weight, but comparing to others is counterproductive. For example, I have a close friend who is REALLY skinny--I mean flat-butt pants falling off skinny. If I was to compare myself to her, I'd be permanently depressed. However, she's almost 10 years younger, but facially I look younger (not only my weight, but she has a naturally angular fact to begin with).

I've "only" lost about 25 lbs, but when I had a friend take a new photo for my LinkedIn profile recently, my face had changed a lot from before 5:2. And even though my clothing size hasn't dropped very much, I find I'm comfortable wearing tighter clothing (used to wear really roomy stuff), which highlights what I have lost.

While you shouldn't buy too far ahead, since you don't know what will fit then, make sure you find flattering clothing for the wedding. Even if you don't lose as much as you'd like, treat yourself to something that makes you feel pretty! Maybe even a spa day or a makeover...

I have to confess I have just eaten a chicken tikka kebab on pita bread
In my defence the only other thing I have eaten today is a piece of toast this morning.
I really enjoyed it I have to say though

Mea culpa!! I have had a massage, a facial, a manicure & pedicure drank wine & ate three meals a day for four days & enjoyed every minute of it & gained 3 1/2 lbs in weight! It was so lovely to be able to be guilt free & just relax knowing that with fasting I can quickly get back into routine & lose any weight gain. If I compare this reaction to my previous daily agonising when on a low fat calorie controlled diet I just ruefully smile & regret that I didn't find 5:2ing sooner!
However other diet companies are getting on the fasting bandwagon., after all this is free & works & they need to keep making money!! Rosemary Conley is offering her version of 5:2 following the recent TV programme advocating 800 calories on two fasting days like "feasters" eating.