The FastDay Forum

... still eating chocolate!

A year ago today (a Sunday too) I started my first fast. Lots of support and advice that first day - which has continued throughout the year - many many thanks for that. Remember having a conversation with @TML13about measuring and ribbons (had no tape measure) - well yesterday went and had two more holes punched in my jeans belt - 7in lost in a year!

A really unexpected bonus has been the friends made on here over the last year - some I've met and more I hope to meet. You've really made a huge difference. It's amazing to realise how small the world actually is (and how much in common we all have.)

And now to the nitty gritty

Start weight 11stone (154lb) waist 39in, BMI just under 25.
Now 9st 12lb (138lb) waist 32in, BMI just over 22.

The waist was the main reason for doing this -I wanted to get it under 50% of my height, and out of the danger zone. It's now 48% something, so very pleased with that, but would like to whittle away a bit more. Dress size was 14/16, now 10/12.

A very slow start, with no weight lost the first few weeks, but did lost inches - so the advice to newbies to measure is very important! I stuck to 5:2 then added 16:8 in June, and now don't eat breakfast except on Sundays (woop that's today!) - breakfast has become something to look forward to, but I honestly don't miss it. And apart from a babybel disc of cheese to keep me going, now don't eat on a fast day until teatime, and not after 7pm. Don't really do exercise. Have cut down on carbs, ie bread, rice, potatoes, but don't measure, calorie count etc as find it too onerous. It works, but slowly ... And I can still have chocolate!

Thanks to everybody on here for all the support, laughs and bonhomie, but especially @Moogiefor setting this whole thing up, and all the mods, especially @carorees for explaining to us non-scientific types how it all works. Onwards and downwards ...

[Debs]

Bert! Congratulations, it works and your little comments underneath say it all don't they?!

Once I got past the chocolate comment and read the rest, I am so pleased at how well you have done without this turning into painful and prescriptive diet of, you can't eat this or that. Good luck for the rest of the journey!

Loved reading this SD!
Very well done on an impressive loss and a great routine youve got into! Xx

Well done SD that is such an inspiring story! Are you now the lightest/smallest you've ever bean? Did you ever think you'd get there?

Very pleased for you. Keep up the good work...although it's not really work is it...but it IS workING!

Bean xx

Happy Fastiversary @Silverdarling
Congratulations and well done a very inspirational story especially to the newcomers because its the small things like not having to ban chocolate or anything else for that matter that makes this WOL so doable, you've had a great year and achieved some great stats in that year
good luck with the rest of your journey

Happy Fastiversary!

Congratulations and well done, you inspire me onwards with your superb successes x
Onwards and downwards :0)

[carieoates]

Happy fastiversary from me too you lovely lady.
Great comments and routine is key I think.
It's not just the loss it's the friends, the knowledge and the giving back that makes this place so amazing.

What a heart warming post SD, and an inspirational one, too. Congrats from me as well, though I do rather wish I hadn't discovered Moser roth chocolate!!

[wildmissus]

Well done @Silverdarling.

I said to @Ballerina in Edinburgh 'who would have thought it would have come to this', ie. making and meeting up with new friends. Losing the weight has been great for us all but gaining friends has been such a bonus.

Beanissimo - @nursebeanpossibly smallest (size10) but not the lightest - remember being 8st something in my teens, but do not realistically expect to get to that again.

@wildmissusit's such a bonus isn't it having made new friends, especially with all the excitement of the meet-ups - can recommend this for everybody who is hesitating or nervous about going to one

Fantastic post from a lovely lady! So pleased you have done so well and seen such great results with the added bonus of making new friends along the way! what more could one ask? x

Oh wow, congratulations and happy fastiversary @silverdarling I am so happy for you and your lovely waist. Thanks for sharing your journey. Gosh, like others have said on other threads I too feel quite emotional (in a happy way) reading all the fastiversary stories over the last few months and the positive outcomes people are celebrating. Powerful stuff!

Hope you have a lovely fastiversary breakfast with chocolate too.

Eh oop our Bert, just RED your post, what a great year for you and everyone else who has had success on this way of life. Like you, I love the fact that I've made friends, met lovely people I would otherwise never have met and lost weight. Life just gets better and better, well done,

Ballerina x

Inspirational post alert needs to be copied in to the inspirational stories thread I think.

Well done daahlinkkk @silverdarling all of that but no mention of the reading group that you set up and kept going despite personal adversity? I have learned so much from you and have loved your humour and intelligent conversation.

What a great community this is. I second you on the meet ups so far. I would love to meet you but as we are separated by long distance I can't see that ever happening