The FastDay Forum

Hi buddies, I had bad news this morning from my scales. My fudgegate affair has bumped me up by another pound and I am now 4 lbs heavier than before Christmas and 1 1/2 lbs above my maintenance range.

I have managed a reasonable fast today although it was probably closer to 600 cals. After my sugar bombing in the past 10 days, I am glad to have some restraint. When fasting, my sugar cravings disappear. I had no urge for a piece of fudge this evening but I know they have to go before my eating day starts tomorrow. DH has to put them out of sight.

I will do three fasts this week or until I am in the middle of my maintenance range again. this year, I intend to experiment with my sugar cravings and try to give up all sugar for at least two months. However at the moment I am not quite ready for it. I have never done this since my childhood when I did it for lent every year. Mybe I will start at the beginning of lent until Easter. I wonder if I can wean myself of the unhealthy stuff and will need to figure out if this means no fruit as well or only man made sugars.
Steph, I have a half finished jumper in my knitting basket and don't seem to get back to it to finish it off. I either knit day and night or not at all.
Coffee, are you OK? I hope you are fine. Have you two taken down the Christmas decorations already? I will take mine down tomorrow.

Hello Ieramul, yup my decorations are stored away until next year. I cleaned everything up on New Years day.
I started knitting a scarf today but didn't like the pattern or the yarn so I put it aside. Don't know if I will start again or pack it all up again.
Sorry about your weight gain Ieramul. Don't be discouraged, though. We can drop the weight in the next month of 5:2. Sugar sure is a problem, though! I don't crave sugar on fast days either. I wonder why? My usual go to salad has a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and a bit of maple syrup. I just couldn't face another salad with that dressing, too sweet, so instead I made a garlic and dill dressing. Sooo good. Congrats on getting through your fast day! I've made it through another fast day as well but have probably gone over by about 30 or 40 calories. Would be less if I stopped eating the carrot I'm munching on. But, it is so good and I won't be eating until noon tomorrow. I will go to bed feeling pleasantly full, from a simple carrot no less! Sometimes on fast days I think I could eat this way everyday. Low calorie, no worries about eating too many carbs or sugars. Maybe it really will start changing my WOE on non-fast days. I gotta say it is great to be eating real meals again after eating so many sweets and take out foods over the last couple of months. Even though it has only been 5 days of eating properly (mostly, damn those crackers!) I'm proud of myself for getting back into it.
I don't think you need to forego fruit on a no sugar diet Ieramul. Fruit gives us so many nutrients. Unless of course it just whets your appetite for all the unhealthy sugars. I love fruit! and couldn't do without it. My latest craving is grapes. I only buy a little bunch at a time, enough for one snack, or I'd eat only grapes all day until they were gone and my stomach complains after eating too many. These small tricks we have to use, hey buddies . I bought some lovely, tiny, little mandarins today. 3 of them are only about 35 calories. I snacked on them today.
That's it for me tonight. Have a good day ladies. I hope you are well Coffee. See you on the other side!

Good morning, buddies. Scales don't look quite so scary this morning and and I am back down at the top of my maintenance range. But I am cautious because it is not fair to count the morning after a fast. Hopefully my Monday weigh in will be better (especially if I manage my eating days well).
Steph, your post sounds very positive - I am sure we can get into a groove of fasting this year. I find it easier to have a fixed fasting schedule rather than fast as I feel. It takes less self discipline to set aside two days a week than making decisions on a daily basis. I like a certain routine but of course things can be changed if a day is not suitable - but that is different.

Steph, I have decided to finish my cable jumper. It is only a matter of remembering what I did when I knitted the back (I never keep to the pattern) and be able to replicate what I did a few months ago. I am using up left over wool from a jumper I knitted for DH a year ago, I want to finish it because otherwise I don't allow myself to start a new project.
Coffee, I hope you are feeling OK and I wish you both a great day. BIG HUG

Hi Buddies, I haven't been here for a few days, I've been feeling a bit low and haven't been able to join in with the conversations. I started writing a message several times but couldn't find the words. I'm OK today though, I've been reading through your posts which cheers me up but I still can't say too much. Weird.

I had a fast day yesterday which was OK but I ate a huge handful of nuts during the evening, I didn't count the calories but it must have been between 600 and 700 which wasn't too bad. I haven't been near the scales but I've been unable to fasten my jeans so must have put on a few pounds. I can't get on with set fast days so I have to see how I feel when I wake up before deciding to fast.

I'm glad you both seem to be getting your eating under control now that the Christmas/New Year snacks are nearly finished.

Sorry about the doom and gloom, I'm not unhappy but not quite myself yet.

All the best, I should be more cheerful and able to join in next time. C x

Coffee, lovely to hear from you. No need for a long post amongst friends - if you don't feel like talking - just say hello. Steph and I can talk for three

We are all different and for some people "routine" means security and for someone else it means restriction. Life and especially this way of life is all about how we can sustain it. Are you meeting with the age concern ladies again tomorrow? I guess your husband is not well these days and maybe going out would be helpful to you.

Take care Ieramul

Hello Coffee, good to see you back. I hope you don't feel any pressure from us to write when you aren't feeling up to it. I welcome you always but don't feel forced to write . I know how difficult it can be to participate when one is feeling out of sorts. Happens to me frequently, too. I go days without answering my sisters emails because there just isn't anything to say, mainly because I've just shut down a bit.
Ieramul, I'm amazed you can knit a sweater without a pattern! I'm just a novice when it comes to knitting. I struggle to get the stitches tight enough making the whole project too loose. If I decide to try again with a scarf I will buy some heavier yarn.
I've just returned from the school and am so hungry. I've eaten loads of food but now I am having some bacon. I was planning on only eating a bit and then being hungry when my son returned from school so I could eat an early dinner with him. Well, now, by the time I've finished my bacon- and maybe more!- I will be too full for supper. Drat. Best laid plans . I've been invited to a friend's birthday bash on Friday so I'm changing my fast day to Thursday. I hope it works out well enough.
Talk again soon.

Hello girls
I am experimenting today (fast day). Instead of keeping all my cals for the evening, I had some nuts (150kcal) at around 11am and then a weight watchers meal (266kcal) at 3.30pm followed by two apples (90kcal). I reckon I have just hit my 500kcal mark and that should be it for the day/evening. I must say I am not hungry but it is only just 5pm so it will be interesting how the evening pans out. Normally I come home and really crave eating SOMETHING. This is partly psychological and partly hunger.

I walked into the small supermarket "Lidl" next door for some tissues in my lunch hour and came across this weight watchers meal "chicken hotpot" for just £0.99. Now, I expected this to taste foul at 266kcal at these calories and price, but I have to admit it was OK and really warming in the afternoon. It wasn't a huge amount of food but it was definitely enough to satisfy me and if I don't feel too hungry tonight I am tempted to go next door and buy a few more meals for the next few fast days and change my fasting eating times. I will keep you posted re this experiment.

Hello Ieramul, coffee, I imagine you two are in bed as I type. I'm curious to know how you made out today Ieramul. Did you get hungry in the evening? My friend and I were going to go to Gisela's house this afternoon but the roads are awful with the snow we had overnight and it is still falling this evening. I had planned on fasting all day and then eating a small portion of what Gisela would have on offer. That didn't happen since we didn't go and I was just too hungry at noon to want to wait until I returned home from visiting my elderly friend, Marion. So I had some eggs and a bit of bacon. When I was at the seniors' home there was a "Name that Tune" activity with ice cream sandwiches served at the end. I am so pleased with myself for resisting them! I came home, waited a couple of hours until I actually felt hungry to have a really delicious supper of Thai chicken and rice and veggies. But, I still want to eat- the story of my life!- so I ate a couple of teeny, tiny mandarins. One little thing is like eating 1 or 2 segments of a real orange. I have to confess, though, that I have had some raspberry and some apricot jam the past two days on some melba toast. Just little bitty smears of the sugary stuff but I don't feel guilty for eating it. It was just enough to satisfy. Darn it, that is now what I want to eat LOL.
Tomorrow I intend to fast. Not sure if I will be working as I'm sure there won't be many customers braving the roads. I will call my boss in the morning. It will probably be harder to fast than if I worked since I work through the lunch hour so I can't eat then.
Good night my friends. Sweet dreams.

Hi buddies
Steph, we seem to have two people in ourselves - one minute we can be heroically restrained and then when we can have a little all seems to fall to pieces. That's why fasting is so good for me. It gives me restrain/strength for a couple or three days.

I didn't eat any more yesterday evening, so I stayed within my 500kcals. The jury is still out if it is better to have my main meal earlier. When I got home, I really wanted to eat (especially psychologically) and so I cleared up the kitchen just to do something. Whilst it is nice to come home after work and have some food to look forward to, it is also quite tempting to over eat (or hard to stop) once I start eating. I think I will try again tomorrow.
Keep well both of you.
BIG HUG

OMG! I lost 3 lbs this week! I find that astounding. Now, the challenge will be keeping it off until next week's weigh in. All week I'd been hovering around 134.6 and then overnight I lost another lb. I'm not sure it is all fat loss, though. Seems too good to be true but I will revel in it regardless . It sure is a slippery slope when we eat a bit of a treat. I know I will want to eat more and more. I'm with you on wanting to eat after having a meal on fast days or feed days Ieramul. Last night I tucked into more melba toast after I had my delicious supper. Just couldn't resist. Still seemed to stay within my TDEE allowance. Good for you for not eating in the evening! I'm not sure I could do that! I would hate going to bed hungry.
I haven't called my boss. The roads have been plowed so I will go in and see what he says. It is supposed to snow again tonight so I don't know about tomorrow. If the roads are bad again I will take the bus if my boss wants me to work. My friend, Ille is having her 74th birthday tomorrow and has invited me to come and join her and her friends after work. Again, I suspect the state of the roads will prevent me from going. She lives in the country.
On with the day. I left all the dishes strewn about on the kitchen counters last night. Just couldn't face washing them all. Must do them now. Have a great day you two!

Ieramul, in reference to your point about restraint, I agree but wonder why it is so hard to carry through on non-fast days. I had such trouble in December keeping to my TDEE because I wanted to just eat what I wanted. As if I was feeling deprived of all the "good" things on the fast days. Somehow I have been changing that this time around and finding low calories, non junk foods that are satisfying in there tastes, sweet or salty. I'm glad that this is happening and hope it is manageable long term. I'm a little nervous about eating cake tomorrow, fearing it will send me down the wrong path of wanting even more sweets.
Goodness, just wanted to make a short point! Onwards...

Steph, how greeat , I am so pleased for you. I agree, we need to get over the feeling deprived state and not think that we deserve that sweet etc because we were so good the day cbefore. I believe that if we can manage a few restrained non fast days we will gain confidence in ourselves and keep going. our mind will sort it out for is. Mind over platter... i read somewhere.

Lets keep it going. Well done for droppin 3 lbs!!! BIG HUG

Thanks for your support Ieramul! It really makes this WOL feel special Another fast day done. It was easy today. Ate my first meal at 3:30 after I came home from work and my second at 9:30. Waited until I felt hungry which is still hard to figure out as my stomach feels full for hours even when I feel a bit shaky with slightly low blood sugar. I'm trying to recognize the hunger earlier so I don't get shaky. Both meals were filling. I'm amazed at how much I can eat and still stay under 500 calories! I had a tofu stir fry with rice (only 25 calories for the rice. that was a shock) for lunch and a scrambled egg, fried potatoes (with only a tsp of butter to fry them in) and a salad for supper. All that was 500 calories or less! amazing. Now I am nicely satiated and am looking forward to eating tomorrow. Not sure what I want other than some sweet grapes I bought today. It looks like I won't be going to Ille's birthday party. The wind is terrible with blowing snow obscuring the roads. It will only be worse out in the country with all the wide fields, plenty of snow cover to blow onto the highway. Too bad, I was looking forward to some of her amazing cakes - she always bakes a selection.
Time for bed. Was just popping in to say it was a successful fast today! Yeah! Enjoy the morning buddies.

Hi buddies, here I am again. You both seem to be doing very well on your fast and non fast days. Well done with your 3 lb weight loss Steph and I hope you got on well with your fast today Ieramul.

I'm still not back into the swing of fasting since Christmas, I've had one successful fast since then. I was 9st 11 lb this morning and was thinking of fasting but messed up when I ate a huge breakfast. Hey ho, I'll probably leave it until next week before trying again.

I didn't go the Age UK coffee morning this week as hubby had a hospital appointment. Next Wednesday he has two doctor's appointments, one early morning and one late afternoon, he has to have a blood pressure monitor fitted. I might try to fit in the coffee morning too depending on how he is feeling, sometimes he makes a lot of fuss about little things and if he has drunk too much alcohol he might rip the monitor off again. Atm he is not too bad and being very pleasant.

I received a letter from Age UK Cornwall this morning letting me know that they have requested references from the names I put on my application form, the next step is a police check - why does that make me feel like a criminal? I suppose it has to be done as I will be going into the homes of vulnerable people.

Ieramul I've just realised where you read the 'mind over platter' quote - it's part of Steph's signature!
Cheers

Hi buddies - how lovely to have us all gathered here around the fire.

Coffee, you will get back into fasting in no time. You are only a few pounds above your target weight and you should be able to lose that fairly quickly. Police checks, I am afraid are necessary for anybody who takes reaponsibility for vulnerable people. Everyone has to do it and you are not to feel bad about it. What a shame that your DH hospital appointments fall on the same day you have your age meetings. That is just typical.

Steph congratulations for managing yet another successful fast day. Well done to you. What a shame you can't go to Ille's birthday party. It would have been very nice for you to (if not a bit too tempting )

I have managed a reasonable fast day today. I had nothing until 3pm then I ate some of my home made natural yoghhurt and when I got back from work I had some mince meat with half a potato and a cup full of peas. That probably just got me over 500 kcal but then the little devil in me wanted to keep going.... What is it about this "once I start, I mght as well keep going" mentality? Luckily I managed damage limitation and cut an apple into many small segments and served it to myself on a little plate followed by a cup of coffee.
The thing is - whilst I was a little hungry before my meal, - I ate for psychological reasons and right now I am not much fuller physically. I know tomorrow morning I won't feel hungry at all.

All in all my three fasts were about 600 kcals, not great but OK, enough to get me back in the maintenance range. This week was important to me because in the past I stopped fasting in January only to have to spend the summer months losing weight again. Maintaining (or losing only one or two pounds) is so much easier than the anxiety of Having to lose lot of weight. I really want to stay motivated this winter and luckily it hasn't been too cold so far (that was always my excuse). This is where this forum and especially this thread is so important and encouraging. Thanks girls. BIG HUG