Exactly one year ago today, I stood on the scales and was totally horrified...but not surprised.
A classic comfort eater, I had let it get so out of hand. My answer to no longer fitting in my jeans was just to buy a bigger size and then a bigger size....and also to stop looking in the mirror.
That day, I weighed in at 15st 8lbs - the most I had ever weighed in my life. It was 2013 and I had been on many a diet over the past few decades. Losing weight was never a problem, as I have a determined streak in my character that says once I've made my mind up to do it, nothing can stop me. As many of you will agree, it's the keeping it off that's the problem!
Things came to a head in November 2013 when I realised that I was still harking back to "The Great Diet Of '93" - when I lost nearly 3 stone in 3 months by eating tuna salad and nectarines day after day! That, along with exercising to a Rosemary Conley video 5 times a week.....brought great results and took me to a loose size 12 - I could zip up size 10 jeans...but couldn't contemplate actually sitting in them! That was my greatest dieting triumph to date, but in 2013 it was 20 years previously.....and it was about time that I stopped quoting this out-of-date achievement! Besides, as with every other diet I have ever done, as soon as I reached target, I went straight back to eating the way I had before.....and inevitably piled the weight back on.
I had seen the Michael Mosley documentary and marvelled at the claims it made. I had also met people in my village that had tried 5:2 and were looking fabulous. Could it work for me??
From the beginning, I threw myself into 5:2 wholeheartedly. The first couple of fasts were hard going - mainly due to the psychology. I was so used to eating whatever, whenever and with no thought for the consequences.....so having to reign myself in was going to be hard. Or was it? No one was more shocked than I was at how easily I adapted to fasting. I fully expected a gnawing hunger that ramped up hour by hour until it became unbearable. Not so. Hunger was manageable....if you kept drinking.
To cut a long story a bit shorter - I lost a stone in the first 4 weeks! I had particular date goals due to family events (April & July 2014) so I incorporated regular exercise into my week to speed up the process and was pretty evangelical at first. No one noticed until I had lost the first 2 stone (when you're big, it's difficult to see much of a change at first), but once that had gone, the compliments came thick & fast.....& were thrilling!
After 7 months on 5:2 I was down to 11st 11lbs - just 3lbs away from having lost 4 stone! In real terms, that was a loss of 53lbs, which was amazing. I still wanted to lose another couple of stone to be comfortable and at that stage, I was convinced I could do it!
Unfortunately, I lost my mojo over the summer holidays. I now think it was down to having no goals to focus on and sheer complacency. By "goals" I mean event goals, as opposed to the forum challenges that I signed up for. I now know that I need to have a definite "something" to focus on....or else I let myself off the hook!
I regret to report that my fasting has been non-existent for the past few months. Comfort eating has had me in its grip. For me, it's a comfortable familiar place. It's also the only way I know how to be nice to myself.....as I am not good at being kind to myself in any other way. As a consequence, I weighed in today, 12 months since starting 5:2, at 12st 8lbs. A total loss over the year of exactly 3 stone - not to be sniffed at - but there's no getting away from the fact that I weighed a similar weight back in the middle of May this year. Effectively, I have totally wasted the past 6 months.....grrrr! Looking on the bright side though, which I definitely think I should, I am 3 whole stone, 42lbs, 80+ packs of butter down - hurrah!!!
Over the past couple of weeks, I've been aware of the slippery slope I am on. Do I want to pile the weight back on? Lose all the good feelings I have experienced? That is the question I have been trying to answer.
I've been off the forum for quite a while - even though it has been so very helpful and supportive. Being on it kept me accountable, but as soon as I stopped fasting, I stopped logging in. Big mistake. Huge.
I have more to say, but am going to have to stop now as it is nearly midnight and I really have to post this on November 25th - my Fastiversary!
Huge thanks to everyone on the Forum. I will be back......
A classic comfort eater, I had let it get so out of hand. My answer to no longer fitting in my jeans was just to buy a bigger size and then a bigger size....and also to stop looking in the mirror.
That day, I weighed in at 15st 8lbs - the most I had ever weighed in my life. It was 2013 and I had been on many a diet over the past few decades. Losing weight was never a problem, as I have a determined streak in my character that says once I've made my mind up to do it, nothing can stop me. As many of you will agree, it's the keeping it off that's the problem!
Things came to a head in November 2013 when I realised that I was still harking back to "The Great Diet Of '93" - when I lost nearly 3 stone in 3 months by eating tuna salad and nectarines day after day! That, along with exercising to a Rosemary Conley video 5 times a week.....brought great results and took me to a loose size 12 - I could zip up size 10 jeans...but couldn't contemplate actually sitting in them! That was my greatest dieting triumph to date, but in 2013 it was 20 years previously.....and it was about time that I stopped quoting this out-of-date achievement! Besides, as with every other diet I have ever done, as soon as I reached target, I went straight back to eating the way I had before.....and inevitably piled the weight back on.
I had seen the Michael Mosley documentary and marvelled at the claims it made. I had also met people in my village that had tried 5:2 and were looking fabulous. Could it work for me??
From the beginning, I threw myself into 5:2 wholeheartedly. The first couple of fasts were hard going - mainly due to the psychology. I was so used to eating whatever, whenever and with no thought for the consequences.....so having to reign myself in was going to be hard. Or was it? No one was more shocked than I was at how easily I adapted to fasting. I fully expected a gnawing hunger that ramped up hour by hour until it became unbearable. Not so. Hunger was manageable....if you kept drinking.
To cut a long story a bit shorter - I lost a stone in the first 4 weeks! I had particular date goals due to family events (April & July 2014) so I incorporated regular exercise into my week to speed up the process and was pretty evangelical at first. No one noticed until I had lost the first 2 stone (when you're big, it's difficult to see much of a change at first), but once that had gone, the compliments came thick & fast.....& were thrilling!
After 7 months on 5:2 I was down to 11st 11lbs - just 3lbs away from having lost 4 stone! In real terms, that was a loss of 53lbs, which was amazing. I still wanted to lose another couple of stone to be comfortable and at that stage, I was convinced I could do it!
Unfortunately, I lost my mojo over the summer holidays. I now think it was down to having no goals to focus on and sheer complacency. By "goals" I mean event goals, as opposed to the forum challenges that I signed up for. I now know that I need to have a definite "something" to focus on....or else I let myself off the hook!
I regret to report that my fasting has been non-existent for the past few months. Comfort eating has had me in its grip. For me, it's a comfortable familiar place. It's also the only way I know how to be nice to myself.....as I am not good at being kind to myself in any other way. As a consequence, I weighed in today, 12 months since starting 5:2, at 12st 8lbs. A total loss over the year of exactly 3 stone - not to be sniffed at - but there's no getting away from the fact that I weighed a similar weight back in the middle of May this year. Effectively, I have totally wasted the past 6 months.....grrrr! Looking on the bright side though, which I definitely think I should, I am 3 whole stone, 42lbs, 80+ packs of butter down - hurrah!!!
Over the past couple of weeks, I've been aware of the slippery slope I am on. Do I want to pile the weight back on? Lose all the good feelings I have experienced? That is the question I have been trying to answer.
I've been off the forum for quite a while - even though it has been so very helpful and supportive. Being on it kept me accountable, but as soon as I stopped fasting, I stopped logging in. Big mistake. Huge.
I have more to say, but am going to have to stop now as it is nearly midnight and I really have to post this on November 25th - my Fastiversary!
Huge thanks to everyone on the Forum. I will be back......
Started BSD 09/05/16 @ 213.5lbs BMI 32.9
Lost 43.3lbs as @ 10/10/16 - got down to 170.2lbs. Fell off wagon (again) but jumped back on 09/01/17...weighing in at 187.2lbs....oh dear
16/01 180.6lbs
Lost 43.3lbs as @ 10/10/16 - got down to 170.2lbs. Fell off wagon (again) but jumped back on 09/01/17...weighing in at 187.2lbs....oh dear
16/01 180.6lbs
look forward to hear more of what you have to say..meanwhile, a link to that song... xXXx
I hope we can help you find that lovely mojo back for 2015 
x
