Have just had one of the best weekends ever...& I want to tell you why!
I am a serial yo-yoer & comfort eater. Have been overweight & depressed for a lot of my adult life. I have a really determined streak....so when I set my mind to a diet, I always manage to lose 2 or more stone. The problem has always been keeping it off, because I have never sorted my head out! I go back to my destructive eating patterns....and the weight piles back on...worse than ever.
Last February (2013) I started a diet (just calorie restriction, day in day out, with a bit of exercise thrown in, done solo).....lost 2 stone 4lbs, started to look miles better, enjoy the compliments and the extra confidence that came with it (plus my joints were thrilled!)....then I went down with a simple virus in June....and jacked it all in. Talk about self-sabotage! You'd have to go in very deep to work out why I did that, because I'm blowed if I know. Why would I give up the compliments and raised self-esteem to go back to feeling a fat, useless lump of a second-class citizen???
I live in a small village and last year, quite a few people started 5:2 and got brilliant results. I had watched the MM programme & thought it sounded interesting...but did nothing about it. In September, my aunt had an 80th Birthday lunch.....and the photos shocked me. I was a fat lump...and looked hideous next to my slim sister-in-law. My flabby arms were absolutely horrible...and you'd need 2 hands to count the number of chins I had.
Something had to be done! My mother was turning 80 in April 2014 and was going to have a big party on the 26th. So, with that as my focus, I started the 5:2 WOL on November 25th last year, weighing in at 15stone 8lbs. Even I was amazed that I hadn't said to myself "Why not wait til January?" - instead, I wondered how much weight I could lose by Christmas! The first couple of weeks of fasting were a little tough - felt a bit spaced out sometimes and really craved all the chocolate I had been used to scoffing....plus toast....and cakes.....etc. I decided that if I wanted to look significantly different by April 26th, I would have to up the exercise too, so I started jogging a couple of times a week with a friend, plus walking more. I am an all or nothing kind of person.....if I wanted to lose weight, I was going to totally commit to doing so. Of course, I am also human, so have had my moments of out of control bingeing...but not 7 days a week, which is how it had been before starting 5:2.
Interestingly, I never once "cheated" during fast days - I always stuck rigidly to my calorie allowance. Not so on other days though! I guess it was a case of having to re-educate myself, because no way could I go from being totally out of control with my eating....to being a perfect saint and suddenly developing a love of lettuce! Heavens no!
The amazing thing about 5:2 is that it weaves it's magic on you quite quickly. Suddenly, I was weighing up whether it was "worth" eating a particular food! The "have it tomorrow if you really want it" principle was so strong....and as we all know, by the time tomorrow comes, you might not want it anyway! I also became strangely evangelical....spreading the 5:2 word wherever I went. I have mixed and matched 5:2 with 4:3 & 16:8 and of course, I love the total flexibility that this WoE gives you to live your life. On a fast day, I have a 146 calorie bowl of soup anytime after midday and then a 292 calorie bigger bowl of soup around 6pm ish. I also drink lots to keep myself topped up.
Joining this forum in December was the best thing I ever did. The support, advice and friendship has been amazing. Just knowing that other people are fasting alongside you on a particular day, really helps.....especially when you are struggling. Hardly a day goes by without me logging on to see what you are all up to. I love the inspirational stories, because they spur me on to succeed. That said, I totally relate to the disappointment that we feel whenever the scales are not our friend. I often feel I have deserved a better loss than I have had......but checking out the Progress Tracker re-inspires me...because I look at the trend line and realise how far I have come.
I joined the SMART Easter challenge as I like setting myself a challenge - it keeps me motivated and accountable. In setting my goal, I just asked myself what I needed to lose during those 10 weeks in order to get to a total loss of 2 stone 7lbs (a "round" figure!). The answer was 16lbs.....quite a challenge, but I figured anything I could lose would be a bonus. By the end of the 10 week challenge, I had lost 17lbs...and was chuffed to little bits!
So, on Saturday 26th April, I turned up at my Mother's lunch party 2 stone 10lbs lighter than I was on 25th November! The day before was my 5-month mini Fastiversary....and I couldn't believe how wonderful I felt! Last week, I went out and bought the most amazing dress (in my opinion!) - a fitted, bright, non fuddy-duddy looking creation that I felt a million dollars in. Jaws dropped as some members of my family who I hadn't seen for months...clocked my entrance. The compliments flowed and I spent the day in an absolute bubble of happiness and pride.
To finally feel like I have control, is an unspeakable joy. For the first time, I can really imagine living like this for the rest of my life. I weighed in yesterday (Mon 28th) just 1.6lbs off a loss of 3 stone - the most I have ever lost on a diet! I need to lose at least another 2 stone to get to a healthy weight...and my next focus is early July, when my daughter graduates from Bath Uni. I don't want a photo of her graduation that haunts me forever! With the way things are going though, I really can't see that happening. I no longer fear hunger pangs - they might come in waves, but they are not all that scary, they don't ramp up and up and they tend to go away if you drink something! The freedom this gives you not to obsess about food is amazing. Nowadays, I run out of the house, breakfastless most days, without a second thought about what or when I am going to eat! It simply doesn't matter to me! Me, the serial (and cereal!) scoffer! The formerly "who cares what I eat?" unhappy woman.
I bless the day that I took the first step and started 5:2! Thank you to everyone on this forum who continue to inspire me daily. You are all amazing!
I am a serial yo-yoer & comfort eater. Have been overweight & depressed for a lot of my adult life. I have a really determined streak....so when I set my mind to a diet, I always manage to lose 2 or more stone. The problem has always been keeping it off, because I have never sorted my head out! I go back to my destructive eating patterns....and the weight piles back on...worse than ever.
Last February (2013) I started a diet (just calorie restriction, day in day out, with a bit of exercise thrown in, done solo).....lost 2 stone 4lbs, started to look miles better, enjoy the compliments and the extra confidence that came with it (plus my joints were thrilled!)....then I went down with a simple virus in June....and jacked it all in. Talk about self-sabotage! You'd have to go in very deep to work out why I did that, because I'm blowed if I know. Why would I give up the compliments and raised self-esteem to go back to feeling a fat, useless lump of a second-class citizen???
I live in a small village and last year, quite a few people started 5:2 and got brilliant results. I had watched the MM programme & thought it sounded interesting...but did nothing about it. In September, my aunt had an 80th Birthday lunch.....and the photos shocked me. I was a fat lump...and looked hideous next to my slim sister-in-law. My flabby arms were absolutely horrible...and you'd need 2 hands to count the number of chins I had.
Something had to be done! My mother was turning 80 in April 2014 and was going to have a big party on the 26th. So, with that as my focus, I started the 5:2 WOL on November 25th last year, weighing in at 15stone 8lbs. Even I was amazed that I hadn't said to myself "Why not wait til January?" - instead, I wondered how much weight I could lose by Christmas! The first couple of weeks of fasting were a little tough - felt a bit spaced out sometimes and really craved all the chocolate I had been used to scoffing....plus toast....and cakes.....etc. I decided that if I wanted to look significantly different by April 26th, I would have to up the exercise too, so I started jogging a couple of times a week with a friend, plus walking more. I am an all or nothing kind of person.....if I wanted to lose weight, I was going to totally commit to doing so. Of course, I am also human, so have had my moments of out of control bingeing...but not 7 days a week, which is how it had been before starting 5:2.
Interestingly, I never once "cheated" during fast days - I always stuck rigidly to my calorie allowance. Not so on other days though! I guess it was a case of having to re-educate myself, because no way could I go from being totally out of control with my eating....to being a perfect saint and suddenly developing a love of lettuce! Heavens no!
The amazing thing about 5:2 is that it weaves it's magic on you quite quickly. Suddenly, I was weighing up whether it was "worth" eating a particular food! The "have it tomorrow if you really want it" principle was so strong....and as we all know, by the time tomorrow comes, you might not want it anyway! I also became strangely evangelical....spreading the 5:2 word wherever I went. I have mixed and matched 5:2 with 4:3 & 16:8 and of course, I love the total flexibility that this WoE gives you to live your life. On a fast day, I have a 146 calorie bowl of soup anytime after midday and then a 292 calorie bigger bowl of soup around 6pm ish. I also drink lots to keep myself topped up.
Joining this forum in December was the best thing I ever did. The support, advice and friendship has been amazing. Just knowing that other people are fasting alongside you on a particular day, really helps.....especially when you are struggling. Hardly a day goes by without me logging on to see what you are all up to. I love the inspirational stories, because they spur me on to succeed. That said, I totally relate to the disappointment that we feel whenever the scales are not our friend. I often feel I have deserved a better loss than I have had......but checking out the Progress Tracker re-inspires me...because I look at the trend line and realise how far I have come.
I joined the SMART Easter challenge as I like setting myself a challenge - it keeps me motivated and accountable. In setting my goal, I just asked myself what I needed to lose during those 10 weeks in order to get to a total loss of 2 stone 7lbs (a "round" figure!). The answer was 16lbs.....quite a challenge, but I figured anything I could lose would be a bonus. By the end of the 10 week challenge, I had lost 17lbs...and was chuffed to little bits!
So, on Saturday 26th April, I turned up at my Mother's lunch party 2 stone 10lbs lighter than I was on 25th November! The day before was my 5-month mini Fastiversary....and I couldn't believe how wonderful I felt! Last week, I went out and bought the most amazing dress (in my opinion!) - a fitted, bright, non fuddy-duddy looking creation that I felt a million dollars in. Jaws dropped as some members of my family who I hadn't seen for months...clocked my entrance. The compliments flowed and I spent the day in an absolute bubble of happiness and pride.
To finally feel like I have control, is an unspeakable joy. For the first time, I can really imagine living like this for the rest of my life. I weighed in yesterday (Mon 28th) just 1.6lbs off a loss of 3 stone - the most I have ever lost on a diet! I need to lose at least another 2 stone to get to a healthy weight...and my next focus is early July, when my daughter graduates from Bath Uni. I don't want a photo of her graduation that haunts me forever! With the way things are going though, I really can't see that happening. I no longer fear hunger pangs - they might come in waves, but they are not all that scary, they don't ramp up and up and they tend to go away if you drink something! The freedom this gives you not to obsess about food is amazing. Nowadays, I run out of the house, breakfastless most days, without a second thought about what or when I am going to eat! It simply doesn't matter to me! Me, the serial (and cereal!) scoffer! The formerly "who cares what I eat?" unhappy woman.
I bless the day that I took the first step and started 5:2! Thank you to everyone on this forum who continue to inspire me daily. You are all amazing!
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
