The FastDay Forum

We four are an eclectic group all keen to get to our goals while giving each other support. Appreciating Juliana's concept as the mothership this is our own smaller thread

I will start first. Within healthy BMI seemed doable, but taking longer than I expected. Never mind as I plan on this being a way of life, that sustains me. Meanwhile I am investigating what is causing my plateau. I could come up with a few reasons but one thing I have found for certain is that for me more fasting is not the solution. So am going slow for a bit.

While in a fasting limbo, I am looking at the evils of sugar and working up to reduction. Also the intolerances of wheat and listening to 'Grainbrain' might spur me on to a low carb WOL. Am a keen reader of the low carb threads and am trying the recipes.

Over now to my fasting buddies yoohoo @Sue.Q @jools7 and @daydreamer21

Thank you @gillymary That's a great introduction myself and @jools7 And @daydreamer21completes our fasting foursome. So for me having lost 50lbs in my first 8 months on this WOL I'm just about 10 months in now and roughly the same weight making a stalemate situation of two months for me and have tried the refeeding with a successful 950grams lost followed by 400 grams last week so hopefully I'm getting back on board as you all know last years loss was half of the weight I'm looking to lose I was hoping do complete my journey this year and at this moment that's doubtful that's ok with me providing I can see a downward direction on my graph and now the extra support from my "buddies" as part of this unique foursome.

good morning or evening, fellow fasting foursomers!

I have been on the forum (four'em ??) since the end of October when I came back from my bike tour around Kangaroo Island - 320 km in 6 days - it was a bit tougher than I'd imagined, heaps of hills, and I think it took a lot out of me. So I promptly fell in a huge heap thanks to a really nasty cold bug, sort of like adult croup - but I managed to fast that first week without too much problem. Oh, actually I didn't join the forum for a month after I started 5/2ing, I remember now.

Since then I have been going pretty well, cruised through Christmas, started doing my HIITing on 2nd January, but fell in an emotional hole about a fortnight ago, and, since i'm such an emotional eater, that wasn't much fun on any level really. BUT I do feel I'm able to take care of myself better in the last few days. I am juggling my food with my exercise requirements a little bit too - I really don't want to end up eating from pure exhaustion, as I have had to a couple of times, and it's a reasonably common thing for me to get home intending to cook a nice dinner for myself, then just crashing on the couch & grazing, without ever getting to a balanced dinner - that's a trap for me. Today I'm hoping to pre-empt that pattern by cooking a Jamie Oliver (JO - you'll need the abbreviation in future!!) San Fran quinoa salad from 15 min meals and having a small serve for dinner since it's a fast day for me - but first I'm out for a bike ride.

So I had been 4/3ing, but since I don't want to cut back my exercise (pilates x4 per week, dance x2 per week, HIIT x3 per week (usually), and, when it's cool enough, cycling a couple of times), I think I should probably go back to 5/2. I've been feeling quite tired, particularly at night and on the day after fast days, so I can't say I've got the balance right yet. The scales have been incredibly kind to me, but I don't like to focus on the numbers too much, I'm more interested in the process of looking after myself, and the scales and the tape measure just confirm that, they're not an end in themselves.

And I'm also trying to cut down my carbs a bit, as I have had type 2 diabetes for nearly 14 years, but my exercise has enabled me to keep those blood sugar numbers pretty happy most of the time. But it's hard to cut carbs! - I've always been a big bread & milk girl, since very early childhood.

@Sue.Q, sounds like your body's really responding to your refeeding strategy, good for you!! What does that look like in practical terms?

Anyway, better get on my bike!! Lovely to share this foursome with you other lovely ladies!

Hi fellow fasting buddies well we're off on our first week as a team our fourth member @daydreamer21is offline most of this week so the three of us for now and this is my plan for the week is to actually see another loss that would keep my motivation high fasting today Monday then probably Wednesday my normal days have now naturally become more like 18:6 have only managed 2short walks last week and have got another busy week ahead with life's problems but walk I will somehow. @gillymary(explain below.
Sorry @jools7 That "tag" didn't actually get me but to answer your question I set off to do one week of refeeding my body to add confusion I ate 3 meals each day and all were carb heavy meals each day but I only managed 4 days before I'd had enough I couldn't stand the bloated feeling that had returned plus I was bored of eating and at the end of my week my scales showed a 950grams loss!!!! Back to this WOL week after but only managed 1 fastday because of calorie miss calculation on two consecutive nights and a 400gram loss as you know I was in bed most of the next day with a stomach bug and have reduced my wine intake over the weekend so that should help matters.
Edit:: to add a tag to gillymary because for some reason I can't tag at the bottom of a page so in future I'll tag
all at start

Kewl idea to make a subtent. does mean the conversations are easy to "track" and follow for those that eavesdrop (me.) lol it was getting noisy in the BUDDIES tent with a lot of cross talk

for those that dont know what i mean. i coined the idea of people buddying up with other people for a bit of a personal support touch. it has evolved to a lot of threesomes and foursomes in the tent as you can see. dont worry , we are keeping it clean.

fastonbury-glamping-grounds-f34/fast-diet-buddies-tent-is-now-up-t11260.html

Just in bed following a good fast day. Will be interesting to see the scales in the am. Hoping 2 coffees and hot choc for nightcap don't play havoc with my sleep

Hi @daydreamer21 hope you are having a nice time. Waves. Just spotted you are fasting today. Hope it goes well. @Sue.Q fasting today too I see? Wishing you both good fasting and will be interesting to see how we have progress.

I got so preoccupied with office work and lesson prep the day just flew. A fast day literally. I started a MOOC today as well, an online course that @Debs mentioned. I am doing one for a Rookie Teacher, the courses are free and online and already I am incorporating their tips.

@Juliana.Rivers we decided to consolidate our chat to a specific thread of our own but will pop across to the mother ship thread so thanks for the link.

@jools7 know what you mean by being an exhaustion eater. That was my pattern pre 5:2 I used to eat to fuel my energy, being much lighter, exercising and having a handle on IF has taught me a different way to eat and now if I feel exhausted it is usually my carbs are too low. At present the odd piece of toast fixes things but want to find other ways. Have set myself the task of understanding what 'Low Carb Vegetarian' by Celia Brooks Brown has to say, some lite bedtime reading

Thanks for the link @Juliana.RiversYe I'm popping in daily but wasn't sure about posting yes sometimes noisy and with my vertigo I'm better this way and have noticed others following @nursebeanAnd@carieoates have now found themselves a quiet corner but not sure burst can be kept quiet for to long lol.

Great idea to have a tent within a tent. Well done ladies xxxx

Great idea to have a tent within a tent. Well done ladies xxxx

Hi @Wendy Darling You're our second visitor since we flitted a few days ago all the flirting about would have played havoc with my vertigo.
Fancy a coffee while you're here or should you be working?

Lovely to get some visitors here too! Welcome! Just a quick note, since it's 4.30 am, but that's post-menopause for you!

Had a good fast day yesterday, quite busy, after my ride (nearly saw a brown snake! At least a runner in the opposite direction warned me she'd seen one on the track, so you can imagine I kept my eyes peeled! But it had obviously run off by the time I arrived, thank goodness!!) and cooking session I taught a Pilates class of four, which is the maximum I teach at a time, since I teach everyone individually. So four in a class the time goes very fast, but it's more fun for everyone too. Then a dance lesson, then my JO dinner in the studio, then another class of 2.

A bit overtired when I came home, so it took me a while to get to sleep, which is unusual for me.

Sorry to be self-focused, it's now 4.50 am and I should try to sleep! Love to all, esp my foursome, @gillymary, @daydreamer21, and last but not least, @Sue.Q! Goodnight/morning!

@jools7 you sure packed in a lot physically yesterday. Hope you got some sleep there, well I know lack of sleep, it is a constant bedfellow tee hee. What JO dinner did you do by the way. I am still looking at his book but feel I have not used his 30minute book enough to warrant. Also just got Donna Hay 'fresh and Light' which I haven't even opened. It's an addiction with me ~ cookbooks. But I do agree his book looks good I have had a look at it when in supermarket, the fish recipes look fabulous.

Oh so looking forward to food but am off for a walk first, carrying out one of my HIT commitments walk our dog Max more. Hope I won't be too tired. @Sue.Q is the vertigo real or virtual. Hope it settled as that must be hard.

Agree it is lovely having visitors and we certainly welcome one and all.

Hi @gillymary Yes I do suffer vertigo but only now and again its not troubled me much lately with this WOL has worked wonders with my OE plus I've not suffered a migraine in the 10months I've been doing it so I'm getting a triple bonus plus the obvious changes due to the 50lbs
I've lost.
@jools7 you sound as if you should fall into bed knaced what stars you both are all this exercise you're both into
that was my pledge for this year to work more on my fitness as in joining the gym and maybe swim but for now we're just to busy doing "other" stuff and if I joined now I wouldn't get value for money so I'll perhaps give it another month and in the meantime up my walking when I can.
Today's fast went OK not brilliant but I can do Wed or Thur or even both depending on how I feel after tomorrow a family friends funeral so that won't be good and will keep me off the forum for most of the day so forgive me if you think I've gone awol again. Sue

@daydreamer21@jools7 @gillymary
Not much to report in with today an early morning funeral and the usual "nibbles" unfortunately I've had a chunk of pork pie that is now 3hrs later sitting very heavy indeed.
This is a feed day but I'm not hungry at all what is that all about? Made a quiche on Sunday and I think I'll remove the pastry on a piece and have it with salad for my meal, this with one glass of wine earlier should come well inside
my TDEE
However I just wish I could bottle this feeling..
Have decided to make tomorrow my second fast of the week as an Indian buffet meal out has now been cancelled.
So how are the Australian duo doing today?

Sorry @Sue.Q I am feeling sorry for myself. Have been having some niggles with right hip since I started HIT. Earlier on the HIT thread @jools7 suggested a particular stretch and I was doing that on the roller with other stretches to counteract all that tension in muscles. So at the outset of my walk yesterday my hip just clicked and now it is so not happy. By the end of the day it was heat bags and all I could do was rest. Slept like a baby thank goodness. This is what happens, I could steam ahead in my fasting and exercise thinking 'yes' says she punching the air, but my body somehow manages to put the kibosh on me. I think it is saying something and I am not listening

I am going to have to take it easy re hip so no gym but will fit in a long soaking bath, do all my usual stretches and get some physical therapy of some sort. It's soooooooo frustrating. Had a good feed day yesterday post fast and am in the same weight range. Even if the scales and tape measure don't budge I see my silhouette changing.

At these points with having to be light on the exercise I swing back to really being meticulous with fasting. Am now looking at my new Donna Hay 'Fresh and Light' cookbook, it is a beautiful book and she now has a 'e' version you can check out her site https://www.donnahay.com.au/online-store/books

Sounds like a plan with your quiche @Sue.Q. Clicky hip here signing off

Oh @gillymary, that sounds a bit sad! But for acute injuries like this sounds like, I would be using ice, not heat, for the first 72 hours - as in, packet of frozen peas ( if a dedicated cook has such a thing!) for 20 mins every 2 hours if you can bear it - and rest. definitely no heat or massage or work for at least 72 hours! Ice is magic stuff!

Gtg! Love to all!