The FastDay Forum

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I'm an infrequent poster (but a frequent lurker!) and my last post was to mark hitting the six month mark; here I am at one year. The longest I've ever stuck with any WOE. And exercise!

So I'm 8 stone 4 lbs today, but after a fast tomorrow will be 8.3, the top of my buffer of 8 stone to 8 stone 3 lbs. (I originally started at 9 stone 10) I'm still trying to work off the Christmas excesses.....I have been maintaining in this buffer since July, with two notable bumps in this when I shot up to 8.6 (September, lots of birthdays!) or 8.9 (Christmas, arg). I went into Christmas at 8.2 and intended to fast twice over the holiday period which didn't happen, but I did do an eating window, although I obviously ate FAR TOO MUCH in my window. Not so much windows as patio doors!! But I am working my way back down, hit 8.2 last Saturday (weigh-in day), and back to bouncing around between 8 to 8.3 depending on what I eat at the weekend. I'm fasting twice a week to maintain this, principally because I like treats at the weekend (not to excess) but I will have a couple of glasses of wine and chocolate; life is for living after all!

So, good, maintaining is good stuff, but I have found it very tough at times. I read with interest the diet fatigue thread that was recently on here as I have definitely been going through it. The way in which I got over the weight I put on in September was to continue fasting two days, and count TDEE to 1400 three other days and relax a bit at the weekend. I quickly progressed to counting every signle morsel I put in my mouth, inducing a state of misery within a couple of months. Over christmas I stayed with family, and it made me aware that I'd slipped into some habits which are not good choices for me (although not bad in themselves, I feel that my body is becoming quite stressed by it, each to their own etc); basically eating less and less, rolling one fast day into another, fasting more and more every week, skipping more and more meals, replacing food with coffee. And although slim I know I wasn't looking well, grey spotty skin and losing hair. And not being medically well either; I've had a continual succession of UTI's and throat infections since September.

So after Christmas it was time to reassess! Yes, I want to be slim!! (I've got rid of my old clothes and can't afford new ones, ha ha!) And yes I want and need to escape from the trap I found myself in. I was finding a genuine need to nurture and look after myself a bit more; I have a busy life and two gorgeous kiddies and need to be well to look after them. I don't want my daughter growing up thinking that Mummy doesn't eat and lives on coffee. So I am continuing to fast but I am really concentrating on the quality of the food I am eating; making delicious salads and smoothies with nuts and seeds, eating more pulses and raw foods and less dairy and meat (I was raised vegetarian and find myself naturally returning to this). I am not saying I am cutting anything out, but making better choices and my body is thanking me for it! I have also decided not to count calories on non fast days at the moment, but to eat wholesomely instead. I'm not sure how this will effect my weight, this experiment is still work in progress so will report back in time. If the weigh creeps up then back to calorie counting....but maybe in a more wise manner? I hope so.

Anyway, sorry this is much longer than I thought it would be! I hope it might be useful to others, I'm finding my way through (hopefully!) the old diet fatigue, but have learnt that maintenance requires constant vigilance! Best wishes to you all,

CharlieCook
xx

hi Charlie, great post.
get what you mean about not wanting your daughter to think you don't eat and live on coffee. That could be me. And the grey skin too. Yes, let's keep to healthy eating, especially as your goal now is maintenance rather than aiming for a deficit. No excuses missus.

Charlie,

Thanks for posting. It sounds like you are very aware and thoughtful.

The UTIs may point to your having abnormally high blood sugar, which can happen even when we are thin. That was the only symptom I had for years in my 30s that something was wrong. But doctors never tested my blood sugar after eating because I was thin, so I didn't find out I had a serious blood sugar problem until I'd gone through a lot of hell with the urinary tract stuff.

If you can get a blood sugar meter and test 1 hour after eating your usual kind of meal, it could be informative. It doesn't have to be high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes or even pre-diabetes to be high enough to feed bacteria in your bladder. If that is the issue, cutting back on your carbs could really help.

Glad you've found your way and are eating healthly, well done on a year its a real achievement.

Thanks for posting - really interesting read!

Thanks for your helpful post Charlie and congratulations on your first fastiversary, well done you!

Well Done! Many more fastiversary successes to you!

[wildmissus]

@CharlieCook, I really appreciate your comments. It was myself that started the diet fatigue thread so I am interested in how everyone is getting on. I have started writing down what I eat not weighing anything or calorie counting and I'm finding that it is making me more mindful of what I eat and I have to say that I am beginning to realise that the good quality food that I eat is enough and I am not eating as much 'junk'. I don't want to jinx myself but my health is very good and I can't remember the last time I even had a cold - that wasn't always the case!

Thank you everyone for your good wishes and insightful comments.

@peebles thank you, something to bear in mind. touch wood, I've been clear for about six weeks now, so am crossing fingers and hoping that it was just a bad run and with better nutrition I might help myself too.

@wildmissus, good to hear that you are finding a way through, cutting down on junk can never be a bad thing. Hope it works out for you.

[Tracieknits]

Glad to hear you're doing so well one year out It's always a good idea to eat more healthy food and less junk. But I do think we need our indulgences as well. Life is for living!

I'm glad to hear you thought about modeling healthy behavior for your daughters - that's so important

Lovely post, @CharlieCook. Good thinking and well done on maintaining. I like the saying 'Eat as much junk food as you like as long as you make it yourself.' That cuts out quite a lot of junk because who can be bothered making chips, for example? It's a once a year treat, not a once a week event. I think healthy eating and following your body's cues is the key.

@Sallyo, You haven't encoutered my home made oatmeal chocolate chip pecan cookies or my brownies or you wouldn't have said that about junk you cook not being a problem. Stuck in the house this week with our awful weather, I really out did myself. No more baking for me for a while!

[carieoates]

Lurk no more Charlie, we need success stories and you obviously have one. Swing by more often as someone may benefit from your experience one day.
Thanks for sharing.

Well, I said I would report back on how things are going and the verdict is NOT GOOD. From bouncing around 8.3 or 8.4 (post Christmas weight, just over my buffer of 8.0 to 8.3) I am now 8.11.

Three week breakdown; week 1 and 2, two fasts a week and not counting calories on non fast day but eating nuts, seeds, etc, no refined foods/sugars, vegan and gluten free. Ensuring three meals a day= weight gain. Week 3: Made the decision to go back to counting calories everyday in addition to two fasts a week, but to continue with the food plan, weight started coming back down again. Cravings starting to be reduced, and hunger well managed. Husband cooked dinner for me Saturday night and I had a piece of Naan bread, went into a spiral of binge eating (ice cream, biscuits, chocolate and wine) on Sunday, yesterday, resulting in the 8.11 this morning.

So fasting again today and Wednesday as usual, will probably throw in Friday. Have to accept that I have to count calories ALL days, 500 kcal on fast days and 1400 on non fast days and maybe a bit extra at the weekends. I am wondering if I need to readjust my target weight, yes I was 8 stone before Christmas, but as I said in my intimal post, I was maintaining in what I believe to be an unhealthy manner and I do feel the need to over haul what I am eating, so maybe need to reassess......

Got to find a way through somehow, am feeling quite down in the dumps. Any thoughts or advice welcome. xxxx