The FastDay Forum

Hi @carieoates, life is such a bummer sometimes isn't it? Physical hunger is so easy to satisfy in a healthy way but emotional hunger is an altogether different beast, I understand this only too well and have no real insight into how to conquer this wild animal, we all just have to do the best we can. You don't seem to be struggling too much these days which is good, keep up the good work.

Ballerina x

[wildmissus]

@Ballerina, as I read your post I am eating a late breakfast of strawberries, raspberries, greek yogurt, single cream and flax seeds...very yummy, very filling and very low carb so I tick that box.

I like how you say that eating until nauseous is madness. To me this means that other people so such things and that I am mad. I also like how you don't look for the reason why we do this, I have a terrible habit of over thinking things instead of just changing things.

I do remember how good I felt when I had lost all the weight, I do remember how exciting it was buying size 12 clothes, something I never expected to be doing and I do want that every day for the rest of my life. I am fortunate enough to not have put back on all of my weight so now is the time to 'just do it'. Last night I stopped eating after my dinner at about 8pm and for the first time an ages I went to bed not feeling bloated and yukky.

Just do it!

Hello Ballerina & thank you for your wise words. I'm sure that emotional eating plus sloth has been my recent modus operandi having abandoned exercise & the motivation of trying to look better for my son's wedding last September. Since then I have been bumbling along in a somewhat non engaged brain fashion. The excitement over two years ago of discovering 5:2 & this forum has worn off & it does seem more of a slog now. However I am going to do my seasonal clothes change next week & I am hoping the reality check of what I can now get into & hopefully some things that will be too big versus too small will be concrete evidence of what I need to do. I'm so glad that you are managing your weight maintenance so well because you do continue to be an example that we can all aspire to

Wildmissus you can do it!!
In fact we all can get back on the bandwagon because we have all successfully fasted before & now need to focus again & just take the first steps & then focus on one day at a time. However I do feel much better reading all your posts & knowing that I'm not alone in going through a wobbly phase
How about a back to basics tent to share our wobbly days?

I dipped to 12 st 13 just before Christmas but now seem to be bouncing around between 13 st 6 and 13 stone 4. It's frustrating but at least i don't seem to go above 13 st 7. I would ideally like to lose another 2 stone.

[wildmissus]

@Isis, I think that is a really good idea to start a tent for those who have wobbled and still have too many wobbly bits as there certainly seems like there are a few of us around! Just trying to think of a good but positive name for it. The 'struggling tent' or 'gaining weight tent' or 'wobbly tent' don't seem to be quite right not does the 'trying to get thing right again tent' .

The one consolation for us struggling people is that we are still on the forum and still trying hard - we will not be beaten.

Thank you @Ballerina for confirming my current MO is bang on trend.
Having reached 75.6kg last Sunday after a month of illness, and feeling particularly full after a big dinner on Saturday night, I determined to try 18:6 for a couple of weeks. First week done and I'm 900g down :0)
A couple of days have even been 5 hour eating windows and, provided when I do eat it's primary protein and veg/salad with good fats included, I feel happily full for a looooooong time. Yes the carbs are under 80g daily.
I've even managed 10k steps twice this weekend. Woohoo!
So, no eating between 7pm and the following 2pm, with a half hour leeway built in each end to prevent desperate 'eat anything' mode kicking in, I hope to carry this on and fingers crossed for positive results.
\*/

P.s. By good fats I mean avocado pears, organic extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil/butter, unsalted butter, double cream.
By protein I mean eggs, chicken, fish, cheese, natural Greek style yogurt, nuts (also oily).
By carbs I mean vegetables, salads, a little fruit, occasional gluten free oatcake or rice cake.
:0)

Hi @Azureblue nice to be back in touch again with old friends and I do use word 'old' in its most generous definition. I must admit that this has been a lesson on what to do for your own body as opposed to everyone else's body but for me hunger is such a personal battle which is why I can cope with hunger in the earlier part of the day because I always know that there is going to be a lovely, delicious and satisfying meal at some point in the afternoon, the anticipation is almost as good as the food when it eventually arrives, and I am unlikely to go to bed with hunger pangs. Trying to sleep when the starvation gremlins are gnawing at your very soul is impossible and that is when I go off the rails completely, eat anything in sight whether it be edible or not, God I am a monster when that occurs and it pays to lock everything moveable in case it enters my line of sight! I have, mostly, come to terms with what works for me and what are my own personal tipping points and I really do believe that we all have to find our own Holy Grail of weight loss method, but when you do............boy........you become the most boring person on the fastday diet site.....mmmmmm, now let me think..........who could that be?.............oh no!.........not me........please........sigh!!!!!!!! Oh well, so be it!

Girls, keep going, you know you can do it, if I can do it then believe me, anyone can do it, failing that then I believe @Janeg has a wet fish secreted somewhere about her person that she is desperate to smack around the head of someone who just refuses to DO-IT. You have been warned, lol, good luck ladies, the smart money is on you so don't disappoint , PLEASE...........YOU DESERVE SUCCESS..........

Ballerina x

[carorees]

Right then girls, this is my anti gluttony modus operandi......NEVER eat before lunchtime........NEVER eat late in the evenings............have one day EVERY week with little or no carbohydrates............( Come one, it is only one day once a week and it doesn't mean you cannot eat, just think cheese omelettes, roast chicken or a steak with salad or some nice fish, yuck, fish, sorry, some nice fish followed by berries and cream, lovely!) ...........the rest of the time I eat whatever I want but I have greatly reduced my overall consumption of SUGAR, food of the devil that one, which in turn means that my carbohydrate consumption had dropped considerably whilst my consumption of things like double cream, full fat milk, butter etc has increased and this naturally ensures that I am rarely hungry. If you can satisfy your hunger with food which will not increase your weight then you are at a huge advantage, if you keep yourself hungry you will never overcome your moments of Caramel Wafer madness. If you are hungry in the morning then a low/no carb breakfast like cheese or some cold meats or even just a coffee with cream should tide you over without breaking your overnight fast.

I have been thinking about this thread ever since yesterday evening when I first spotted it and have only now found time to come onto the forum to write a reply...to find that @Ballerina has written it for me! Thank you Bal!

I would just add that there is some research that is pointing to one cause of overeating being that the body has a target protein intake which it needs to get and if it is being fed a low protein diet it will keep hunger levels up to try to satisfy that need. I wondered whether the loss of muscle that @wildmissus has noticed might reflect a need for more protein? I know that MM was keen to stress that we should not over-eat protein, but on the other hand, we need to make sure we are getting enough. The research I mentioned points to around 75g of protein per day being what our bodies are aiming for (for the average woman that is, for a man it could be more like 100g).

Hi@carorees and thank you for your kind words. I have taken a long time to work out what works for me and it seems that I am not so abnormal after all. Low carb, moderate protein and moderate to high fat seems to be the magic formula for me. I know that a lot of research is indicating that this might be the way forward for most of us so perhaps I am not so unusual after all. From day one on this forum I have 'tweaked' it rather than be a slave to the dogma and that has paid dividends for me on a personal level. You have been such a source of knowledge and inspiration for us all and without the invaluable input from yourself I would not have persevered and subsequently achieved the success that I am now enjoying, so, a big THANK YOU from me, now known as the skinny one in this house, lol

Ballerina x

Thank you so much @ballerina for your most helpful, detailed and thought-provoking contribution.

I love the "do-it" idea! You talk such sense. I will return to this thread for thinspiration from you whenever it is needed - probably quite often!

I would love a new tent especially for us wobblers! I've somehow managed not to properly connect with two potential buddies since joining the forum (they both disappeared from the forum, sadly, but I've no idea why) so I could do with a place to go where people could get to know me...& vice versa. Having the wobbling in common would be very helpful, I'm sure......

Thanks to everyone for their contributions on here - much appreciated and really helpful xx

Oh Beanarilla @Ballerina thank you SO much for your friendly and positive advice. I shall definitely look to increase my protein intake...and fats! Thank you B xx
Hazlenut you know you are always welcome to join us buddies in the Bean & Oates tent. After all, you are now, officially, Queen of the Dodos
Bean xx

I love the idea of a Wobbly Tent and think we should nominate @Hazelnut to kick it off. She is such a good listener and has great advice.

What a fascinating thread, and what lovely contributions. I will be reading and re- reading here.
My own experience is that I must stay with two good fast days, but keep an eagle eye on my TDEE. It has not been easy to keep my eating under control these past weeks, though the recent Challenge helps me to focus. My weight has kept level, some big spikes up too......smaller clothes still fit. (Interestingly I seem to be going the way @Ballerina has done with nutrition and timing and she expresses it all so well )
I don't want to be neurotic but there's no getting away from it that past conditioning takes some getting over, if one ever does. I think of this change, WOE/WON, as the only thing that lets me partly neutralise what I did for years. I will always have that overeating indulgent tendency.
I see myself as glad and willing to make amends to myself by being watchful, adjust, THINK about it more, NOTICE what I'm doing and adjust while keeping my cards close to my chest, ( it's now smaller! ) but come only to the forum to "talk the details" and endlessly reinforce what I know - just like everyone else on the forum. So, the rewards are great!
A Very Big thank-you to all for always opening up so honestly. It is such a help in our various quests.

[carieoates]

Good luck to the WIBBLY WOBBLY FASTERS (WWFers ) I will join you all in the new tent when it's erected.

This time of year in the UK the BBQ and salad days are upon us so I personally find it easier to fast. Getting out for a walk is also easier for those wishing to up their activity. @Pennyforthem and @Wendy darling, always have the most amazing salads and I believe that great tasting wholesome foods help us to keep our cals down on fast days and having real food throughout is most helpful. Just keep remembering that you can put it in the fridge and have it tomorrow instead (if you still want it that is)
Perhaps we could get some recipes and lighter cal meal pictures in here too.

Im coming up to my second fastiversary and believe that we are all foodies who love putting our tasty meals together, because when we get to eat we want the best we can have.

I'm not perfect as I often eat because I ate and yet again my goal is teasing me, calling to me from behind that high wall, I can hear it whispering when I'm having a small blip and cutting a lump of cheese which I shouldn't really have today but leave till tomorrow.....
So if you're starting this new tent @Hazelnut20 I will pitch up with my camping stool and my salad day pics