The FastDay Forum

I plan 5:2 for life because I feel better with it. Of course I'm looking forward to be 10kg/1stone 1/2 less but I don't want to be obsessed about it. I just stick to 500cal fast days and 2000cal ish normal feed days. And keeping active helps.

Just been told by my GP that the results of the recent 24 hour blood pressure monitoring are that my blood pressure is OK, only towards the top end of normal! I think/hope that this is partly at least due to following the 5.2 diet and losing about 11 lbs (had lost some weight before I started this diet, following the previous high surgery reading). Will have another BP check in 12 months' time and I therefore intend following this diet until then, with the intention of bringing my BP right down! Am so pleased!

Well done Brocky, that's great news!

It's fabulous reading of everyone's determination to improve health as well as lose weight and thats just how I feel too. Brocky that's a great post and well done. When you think of all the horrible health issues which can ruin our middle age onward it really seems worthwhile making the effort to do something about it.

Brocky 80, Perhaps you suffer with White Coat Syndrome. I'm like that. I go into panic mode when any automatic BP monitor is fastened to me. My GP always now tests me with a manual machine and I have had normal BP now for a couple of years.

Hi Precilla, yes, I do suffer from White Coat Syndrome to some extent. However, I also found having to wear the 24 hour monitor quite traumatic; I found it extremely painful when it took the readings (all through the day and night!)and so dreaded each one. Not the best thing to keep your blood pressure low. So I like to think that the readings would have been even lower if I'd been allowed to take my own blood pressure at home with a 'normal' monitor!

[carorees]

Hi Brocky

I absolutely hate the automatic monitors too. Because I have fibromyalgia the pain on cuff inflation is extremely high. My doc asked me to use a monitor because I was suffering dizzy spells, but the first time I tried to use it my bp was measured at 180/110!!! I felt tearful and shaky and my arm felt sore for the rest of the day. After that I could not bring myself to use it again. I went out and bought a wrist monitor from Boots. The wrist monitor does not hurt at all. I have calibrated it against the 'proper' monitor by getting OH (who has normal blood pressure and no pain from the cuff) to do his bp several times each using the official monitor and the wrist monitor. The wrist monitor reads a bit high on systolic and low on diastolic so I am correcting each reading to bring the values in line with the official one. So far my bp is averaging 125/84...a bit different from the 180/110 with the 'official' monitor!!! At the GP's surgery the doc got 130/85, so it's not white coat syndrome, its automatic monitor syndrome!

So, I can recommend the wrist monitor as a way of getting an idea about bp without having to suffer pain.

Oh, and by the way, since doing 5:2 my bp has definitely come down.

Hi Carorees, thanks for your comments; I am learning so much from this forum! I actually went to see my GP initially (I usually avoid doctors as much as possible) because I had been suffering for ages with terrible pains all over my body. I suspected I had fibromyalgia because of this and also other symptoms I had experienced which seemed to indicate fibromyalgia (according to fibromyalgia sufferers on the internet). The GP told me that he did not believe there was such a thing as fibromyalgia and proceeded to subject me to all the tests under the sun to rule out other causes. He came to the conclusion that I had mild osteoarthritis (which I know about). My suspected fibromyalgia (well, suspected by me!) was completely ignored! I do not seem to be suffering very badly with aches and pains at the moment but was a little upset at being labelled a hypochondriac! I thought the pain I experienced with the monitor seemed excessive but that would explain it, if you suffered so much too. I will certainly look for alternatives when I need to have my BP tested again!

[carorees]

The diagnosis of fibromyalgia is based on soreness at a number of 'trigger points'. If you google it you will find a diagram and you can check yourself. I have always experienced greater pain on pressure at these trigger points than should be expected from the amount of pressure. I generally don't have the same aches and pains that other fibromyalgia people get as long as I avoid pressure on the trigger points. I do however, get extreme muscle soreness if I do any unaccustomed activity, again the soreness is out of proportion to the amount of activity performed, so going for a walk for a few miles, or digging in the garden for a short time. Swimming is the only exercise I can do that does not result in pain for the next couple of days.

My GP diagnosed the fibromyalgia from the trigger points and referred me to hydrotherapy which although fun was more aimed at people in a lot more pain than I am so I don't think I got much out of it as the exercises were probably too easy as I am used to swimming!

Sounds like your GP is rather old fashioned!

I'm sure that weight loss and fasting will help the fm but I am not expecting a cure!

I will still be here, I have about 4 stones to lose!

There doesn't appear to be any hardship to this way of eating. I hope to keep it up, especially if it gives me more energy. I was beginning to forget was "enegy" was. I already feel "cleaner" somehow, AND I keep thinking about all the fab clothes I'll be able to wear this summer.

I have only just started the regime but fully intend to adopt it as a lifestyle Sooooo - I am in it for the long long haul

I agree I feel that I am in it for life. I just love the freedom it has given me to stop worrying about food and I feel so healthy on it

In it for life for hubby and me! We've been doing 5:2 since November and the weight is coming off nicely. However, it's the thought of all the other benefits that comes with this way of eating that's attractive too - so it's got to be a life thing Feeling good and looking so much better for it.

LIFE IS LIKE A COIN, YOU CAN CHOOSE TO SPEND IT ANY WAY YOU WISH, BUT YOU CAN ONLY SPEND IT ONCE
just found that somewhere and loved it so much that I wanted to share it with all of you- it is soooo true. Well- we are all choosing to spend the rest of our lives eating this way so we can loose weight, get healthier, fitter, have more energy...... what could possibly be wrong with all that? And with this sentiment- SEE YOU ALL IN 3 MONTHS TIME! I love the initiative of asking this question as I have been wondering how many people start this and fall by the wayside- by the sounds of it we will all be here in 3 months time!!-all the best to you all- ursula