The FastDay Forum

Hi Ieramul, how was your Wednesday fast? are you fasting tomorrow as well? I plan on doing so. Today has been a write off, I went totally overboard with chips/crisps, ice cream (yes Adam used his own money to buy more) and oddles more food. I read a book called Food Junkies today which talks about food addiction. It extols the virtues of abstinence when it comes to trigger foods which can precipitate a binge episode. I'm not sure I can go that far but I have made a list of all my trigger foods which is lengthy! from sugar and bread to garlic and bananas. I've always had problems with garlic, funny hey? I NEED sweets after eating it in any form. So, I'm going to try forgoing these trigger foods as much as possible from now on to see if that will help with my binge eating.
Adam is still only eating pasta and loads of ice cream. His stitches are starting to come out so he will not have the excuse of food getting stuck in them for much longer. I'm hoping he will be eating normally by the weekend.
I haven't been out walking for a few days. Again. Yesterday was beautiful but I didn't go out. Today I worked and I planned on walking to the drug store this morning, but didn't, I read the book instead. Perhaps tomorrow I will go out before work.
I am thinking of going to an Overeaters Anonymous meeting Saturday morning. I've never been to a twelve step meeting, not really sure it would be a good fit for me as I don't think I need to work on emotional issues or past wrongs and such but it would be so helpful to have a "sponsor" I could talk to on the phone when I am struggling not to binge.
Adam wants some pain medicine and I want some more tea, and have dishes to do so I'll chat with you again soon! Good luck with your fast tomorrow! Take care, big hug!

Hi Steph, sorry for the long silence.
I am so glad that Adam is feeling better and you can get back to normal with your food choices. I don't know how you will feel at the Anonymous classes. Years ago I accompanied a friend of mine to an Emotional Anonymous meeting and I felt like an intruder as some people really had very difficult lives and I couldn't tell them about my problems as they seemed nothing compared to theirs.

Do you know, I can't even remember how my Friday fast went . I don't think it went very well and this weekend I really over indulged with too much baguette, cheese and jam (and some nutella), I also made the mistake of making a batch of cakes on Saturday. I haven't made cake in a long time but I really fancied a good old fashioned, simple marble cake. The problem is that when I make cake, there are not enough people to eat it before it spoils and so I end up eating most of it. I don't have any space in my two and a half drawer freezer compartment to freeze spacious cakes or muffins. So I came across baking cakes in glass jars which I tried out and it turned out brilliantly. (I had been saving these Bonne Maman style straight sided jars for my mum who makes her own jam) Apparently you can keep them up to two to three months. Shortly after baking in the glass jar when still very hot, you screw the lid back on and as it cools down it vacuum seals it (ie the centre of the lid is sucked down the same as when you buy a jar of jam) I opened two jars yesterday to see if they actually came out of the jar allright and they did.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-foo ... jzgoe.aspx
I will open the last one in a couple of months and if it is still as good as those yesterday, I will definitely adopt this technique for simple all in one sponge type cakes. Nicely presented and wrapped, they can also become lovely bring along presents. I might not pass on my stack of jars to my mum now.

Today, Monday I am fasting again and it feels good. I must do stricter fasts, ie lower than 500 cals (350 cals) but then I might as well be properly hungry at 0 cals. Well I see how it goes.

Take Care and BIG HUG

Hey Ieramul, those cakes in a jar are so neat! What a good idea for Christmas presents. I've bookmarked the site for just that reason.
The Overeaters Anonymous meeting was interesting, although almost the entire time was taken reading the introduction to the program and the "4th Tradition" out loud with each person making comments about the section they had read. It was a little weird saying "I'm Stephanie and I am a compulsive eater" when my turn came to talk. Afterwards I was given a welcome package including everyone's phone number with times I could call. I also got a lot of hugs I will go back next Saturday to see if the meeting consists of reading again. I won't learn much by doing so. I want to hear other's stories and how they have succeeded in becoming "abstinent". Abstinent just meaning they have decided to refrain from eating certain foods and following a meal plan. The members were not obese, just overweight and I was the smallest one there but I tend to wear clothes that hide my tummy to some degree. However, you can overeat without being over weight so there was no judgement or questioning as to why I was there.

It has stopped raining and the sun is peaking out from behind the clouds so I MUST go out for a walk. My doctor told me to exercise more as my cholesterol is a little high. My blood sugar is under good control he says despite my sugary binges. Don't know how that happens!

I fasted yesterday, although again about 600 calories instead of 500. I am down a bit over a lb this morning which is promising since I gained last week. I hope your fast goes well today! Great big hug!

Hi Steph, well done for a good fast day. Any day you can stay significantly under your TDEE is brilliant and the weather should now become more inviting for those walks you need to do. Welcome summer.

My fast day went well yesterday, I had two teaspoons of coconut oil during the day (80 cals) to stave off hunger and then I had two carrots, half a red pepper, a quarter cucumber and a celery stick for supper. I cut them into sticks and dipped them into a quark dip. I don't think this came to more than 250 cals. It was relatively filling at the time but it didn't last so I went to bed a bit earlier.

I think you will need to go a bit more often to those meetings in order to see if you feel comfortable there. How do compulsive eaters not get obese? Do they fast?

Today is an eating day and my husband made a cooked breakfast so I joined him and had half my calories gone. Now I have to have a very tiny lunch in order not to exceed my TDEE. Oh, well!!!

Take care and BIG HUG

Hi Ieramul! I don't know how you manage a fast day just having coconut oil, veggies and dip. You rock, girl I think I came in under my TDEE yesterday as I wasn't very hungry. Today my body is making up for it. I was starving at lunch and gave in to a little bag of cheese crackers , 160 calories worth, so not so bad after my salad, boiled egg and peanuts. My new found treat, high in calories, is salted peanuts in the shell. They are sooo good and I have to make sure I don't eat too many. I've been eating walnuts as well as they are very good to lower high cholesterol, I've read. I still want to eat but am sipping tea waiting for my stomach to signal my brain saying that its full.
I probably won't be going out for a walk today, it is miserable out. I was outside just going from my car to the grocery store and it was HAILING! All those little pebbles hurt my face The strange thing is that the sun keeps coming out for brief periods, then without warning there is terrible wind and rain and hail. If the sun decides to stick around and the wind disappears I'll go out. I have some cooking to do this afternoon. Adam went to the dentist yesterday and she took out the last of his stitches. Now he is eating normally so I'll be making shepherd's pie and chicken pot pie. I roasted the chicken on Sunday but didn't eat much of it because I was fasting and wasn't really hungry so it will go in the pot pie. I don't feel like cooking at all, but must. No time like the present!
Hoping your weather is better than mine

Some over eaters binge and purge either through vomiting or the use of laxatives. Some don't binge everyday I suppose. I know I go days where I eat smaller amounts but I still have the unhealthy behaviour of grazing all day on mostly unhealthy foods. I don't know the other people's stories so I don't know what constitutes their over eating behaviours. The group calls it "compulsive eating" rather than over eating. Curious, that.
How has your day been? The pot pie is cooked and so is the Shepherd's pie. Ready for when Adam gets home from school. He is at the library now playing a card game with his friends. Sometimes/rarely he comes home with graphic novels. I'm always pleased when he does. He's not a big reader
Enjoy your day.

Hi Steph, It is a really good idea tbo cut carrots as well as other vegetables into little sticks to eat in front of the TV instead of crackers or sweets. If you want to make it a real treat once or twice a week.you can do it with fruit. I'm always amazed how much everybody loves fruit if it was cut into bite size pieces.

Steph you are doing well, going over TDEE a little is not too bad as long as you put in two fasts a week and make it such a habit that not fasting will seem strange.

We had gorgeous weather over the last few days but apparently this is about to change. What a shame you had such rotten weather that you could not go for your Walk. Good night and take care BIG HUG

Hello Ieramul,
so glad to hear you've found something that works for you. I never think of having veggies and dip while watching tv. I do love fruit and could eat it all day. I am a little silly with bananas. I cut them lengthwise in half and then cut horizontally so I have little half circles in a bowl. I eat them with a little dessert fork. Makes it last longer and it feels like a treat rather than wolfing it down in a few bites. I did well all day, even had two real meals but then ate a granola bar tonight which is tantamount to eating a candy bar they are so sweet. So, no check mark in the no sweets column of my food diary.
I did manage a short walk this evening before the rain forced me back inside. It was wonderful to get out. I forget how much I like walking at night.
Time for bed , have a wonderful day

Hi Steph, just a quick note. I am fasting and it is lunchtime now - off for my walk. I am not suffering so far, although my colleague did offer me a delicious biscuit finger which I declined not just because I am fasting but because one biscuit does nothing for me, just wetting my appetite for more. I have never understood how anybody can just have one biscuit or a small piece of cake. Once I eat, I want to enjoy it.

I am hoping to stave off the hunger with a couple of spoonful of coconut oil and see if it works again and then the left over lentil stew this evening. I think I am getting back to my pre Christmas weight again. Once there I will go back to 5:2. I have only ever lost weight doing 4:3. The 2000 cals I save on two fast can so easily be used up by over eating on the other 5 days. It only needs overeating by 400 cals per day that is 1800 cals on the other days. Doing 4:3 means not only do I save calories on 3 days ie save another 1000 cals but also I only have 4 days to overeat (mess it up). The downside is that 4:3 is quite difficult long term whereas 5:2 is definitely sustainable for maintenance especially if like me the second fast day usually is more of a half fast (fasting all day and then eat a normal meal in the evening trying to keep it to below 600 cals). The upside to this is that you don't feel hungry going to bed.

What a rotten thing that you have such bad weather at the moment. I am not sure if you are fasting, too. If you are "GOOD LUCK" TAKE CARE and BIG HUG

Ieramul, I hope your fast day went well. Good for you for passing up the biscuit and recognizing that it would just leave you wanting more. And doing 3 fasts is fantastic. I wish I had your discipline! I didn't fast today and went way overboard on the peanuts. I just couldn't stop as they are so tasty and have a satisfying crunch. I ate hundreds of calories worth. I hope I don't gain this week because of my binge. I am proud of myself, though, for only taking a little taste of Adam's left over chocolate Easter bunny and then not wanting any more. He also had a bag of chips sitting on the couch between the two of us which I didn't have any desire to touch probably because I was so stuffed with the peanuts!
I just read a wonderful if heartrending book. It was written originally in French but it has since been translated into more languages including English. Perhaps you've heard of it? Diving-Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby. It is a glimpse into his life while he was experiencing "locked-in syndrome" after a stroke. He dictated the book to a friend using just the blinking of one eye. Absolutely incredible.
That time again. Looking forward to going to sleep tonight.
Toodles!

Hi Steph, I have read half of the book. I found it too sad to finish, but I agree it is a very good book. It doesn't bear thinking about what it feels like to live totally paralyzed.

I think you are doing very well with this WOL. Remember life is never a straight line, we seem to take two steps forward and 1 back but it is important that we feel that overall we progress. You definitely seem to be able to fast and that is wonderful.

TBH I am finding 3 fasts a week quite much more difficult than 2 at the moment and I am looking forward to the end of the challenge at the end of next week. It was more doable when I had to lose lots of weight and the only reason I am doing this is because I finally want to get back to my pre Christmas weight which I haven't been able to get to even during lent. So this is my last push. I think I am now 1lb off that weight.

My fast yesterday didn't go as well as the Monday fast (never is) I ate a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil hoping it would keep hunger at bay. At 2pm I had a whole punnet of grapes and an apple. That used up all my calories. Despite that I had some lentil stew which brought my calories to about 600. But in the night I could not sleep and felt hungry. This hasn't happened for some time and as I couldn't get back to sleep, I got up at 3pm and had two handful of mixed nuts. I was a bit annoyed because I didn't want my fast to have been in vein so I tried to stay well under TDEE today.

I am planning to fast again tomorrow but it will probably more of a reduced calorie day. Let's see how long I can wait before breaking my fast. Luckily I have run out of grapes, which has been my downfall in the last three days because I was seduced to by 3 punnets for the price of 2. I just love them so much that I have eat until they are finished. On the plus side I feel that I have reduced the amount of sugary food since lent. I now tend to have sweet food mainly at the weekend. But I don't beat myself up if I do eat a bit of sugar during the week, as long it is not on a fast day.

Did you fast today? How did it go? If you are fasting tomorrow, let me know and we can fast together.

Take Care BIG HUG

Hi Ieramul, I am exactly the same when it comes to grapes. In the past I've bought a large bunch telling myself I would eat some right away and then save the rest for the next day. Doesn't work that way! I end up eating every single one. So, now, I buy small bunches which I can eat entirely in one sitting. Grapes aren't as low in calories as one might think, especially when we eat so many!
Sometimes the fasts can be difficult, but you are so dedicated to reaching your goal. I'm sure that last pound will disappear soon enough I fear I have gained again, I don't know if I will step on the scale this morning. I may wait until my official weigh-in tomorrow morning. I'll be amazed if I haven't gained. Doesn't seem to matter if I fast, I destroy any progress by eating poorly on non-fast days. Yesterday I had crackers and banana bread and peanuts on top of lunch. I ate so much at lunch time that I was too full for supper. That didn't stop me from eating, though. Perhaps I should have called one of the women from the OA meeting. I am fasting today. In two weeks I am going to a dinner for Fresh Start Maternity Supports at 6 p.m. on a Friday, my usual fast day. I am wanting to see how long I can go without eating on a Friday to see if I can manage until 6:30 or 7 p,m. the time the dinner will be served. So today will be a trial. Good luck to you today! happy fasting! big hug

Well, I went over again a bit today. I ate an orange at 3 which held me over till 6:30. I am really hungry now and want to go out to the all night doughnut shop and get a toasted cinnamon raising bagel! I won't though, and perhaps I will get one for breakfast tomorrow as a treat. I'm supposed to be eating low carb and not sure how well I've been doing. Problem is if I buy the bagel it may just be a trigger that leads to over eating all day long. Hm. Maybe I'll have bacon and eggs instead, with a salad perhaps.
Anyway, had a good day at work. I got nervous when I was on cash, though. It was the second time on a new touch screen machine. I didn't make any real mistakes this time around although I was slow. It'll just take practice and will be less nerve-wracking if my boss and coworker aren't standing over my shoulder. It was very busy and the time went by quickly.
Time to do the dishes and head to bed after I drink my final mug of tea for the day. I hope your day went well. Happy non-fast Saturday!

Hi Steph, I can see from your signature that you have lost a bit of weight. Congratulations!!! Keep going. I know it seems to be like 2 steps forward and 3 back but somehow we still move forward. I hope you had a great weekend.

I had an excellent week last week with three successful fasts bringing me down to almost pre-Christmas weight - AND THEN I BLEW IT. Bigtime. The weather was lousy at the weekend and I didn't feel like going anywhere and I started eating. Oh I won't bore you with what and how much but TOO MUCH SUGAR. All the calories I saved last week were used up and more. So this morning I am back to square one.

I am OK all week - no sugar craving etc. And then I don't know what my brain thinks when it says: "Enjoy yourself - it's the weekend".

All I can say is - I am glad I can undo the things I do but it would be great if I didn't have to engage "damage control" all the time. Next weekend I will hopefully break the viscous cycle as we are going to visit DH family - where I won't just go to the cupboards and help myself. So provided I can stick to three fasts this week, I should be OK.

Take Care and BIG HUGS

Isn't it great that we can just recommit to this fasting WOL and undo our binges? I gave in on Saturday and ate licorice. Only 5 pieces but enough to make me enter it into my little food journal and get a big red X for the day . I've started this journal to keep track of the number of meals I eat-my goal is 2 per day-, the sugar I eat like ice-cream or cake, the junk food like chips and candy -and licorice , and finally the amount of carbs. Since starting this last weekend I have lost 1 and 3/4 lbs! I have greatly reduced the carbs. I wonder if I can keep this up .
Time to clean some lettuce, something I detest but I am having a salad for supper and if I don't do it now I will end up eating something else, either high in calories and/or not as healthy because I will be too lazy. I have more determination in the mornings. Big HUG. I know we can have a successful fast today!