The FastDay Forum

Well, I'm kind of fasting today. It's Monday, after all. I just had some breakfast because I have to take antibiotics. I had a very thin slice of rye bread with goat's cheese - because it needs eating up and it's too expensive to waste, ( what happened to 'I am not a compost bin'? ) And a poached egg and some left over tomato and cucumber salad - too good to waste! So basically I've had breakfast! And now for black coffee. Then nothing more will pass my lips until dinner time and I will have a light dinner , ham and salad- before getting on board the Spirit of Tasmanian and setting sail across Bass Strait on my way to Melbourne. I'm so excited and I have so much to do before then! I can't say I won't have a G&T when I get on board. It is the tradition and I don't think I'll be able to pass it up. Happy fasting one and all.

Hi @Sallyo I think a G and T is a must. Enjoy your trip, hope its a smooth crossing.
Im in and back at work with a black coffee.
Happy Fasting all

I'm in too. No breakfast for me (although yours sounds delicious Sallyo - enjoy Melbourne too) will stick to tea and loads of water all day.

Hoping to back in my twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, no excuses fasting after 3 or 4 weeks of really random attempts here and there.

Ooh yes @Sallyo a BIG old G n T i think!
Bedtime for me then a reallllllly good fast n repair day tomoz!
Good luck all Monday Marvels! X


We are the Queens of IF!

So funny to think you guys in Oz are at work now. I'm just coming to the end of my fast day and thinking about going to bed!
Good luck Monday fasters...I'm sure there'll be many more of you later

It's Sunday but the early hours of my usual 4:3 Monday fast

to fellow Monday fasters...

Yes, I am in too!

Although I had an active day yesterday (11km strenuous walk including steep climbs), I also decided I was going to let myself have some of the foods I had not had all week (as I had been basically grain and added-sugar free all week). So I had... thick slice of bread, hot cross bun (yes, I am sure you have seen all the Easter foods in the shops already), Roses chocolates, mini Magnum ice cream, jelly beans and dried fruit...all in the space of 2 hours and enjoyed every mouthful of it. Didn't feel overfull, though I do definitely have a carb tummy this morning. (I also had had fruit cake and a shortbread biscuit immediately after the walk!).

So a fast day is definitely on order. Best wishes and good luck to fellow fasters.

@Sallyo - definitely a G&T once on board - and enjoy the trip! Have a great time during the week and see you Friday.

@nursebean great avatar! nearly fell off my chair
@Sallyo shall we drink Campari and soda with a slice of lemon and ice ..... in Roma? Enjoy Melbourne
Bed time coming up. Yes, I'm fasting in the morning. Happy fast to all.

@Sallyo antibiotics? Is all well with you?

Hi everyone,
Yes I'm in today. Had egg on ryvita and a white tea. Now to spend some time on the forum, then vacuum, do some gardening and try to do some walking. Only overcast and 29oC here in Perth today. Should be able to do all of that. !
Ooops, I just realised that this is turning into a moan. Please let me indulge. I need to chat.
I have been told via my new doctor to looooooooose 10 kilos. And a 30 minute walk each day to reduce cholesterol. Only just lost a whole heap in the 13 months I have been on 5:2.
Explained this to him and also the fact that arthritic knees (where did they come from) are not happy walking. His reply was a 30 minute walk each day. Asked my work hours and said I had plenty of time to walk. I did tell him I work in a school and am constantly on the move all day. I tried to walk last week in the mornings and found I was racing myselfand on the same day later went out with people and walked even more. Result painful knees and off to bed really early. Yesterday I tried a 15 minutes slow walk around and around x 10 the house. Then a slow 15 minute walk, walking the block in the evening. Tired again. I do not weigh myself at all but the doctor weighed me to do an ECG (I think) to sort out my cholesterol level. Since April last year my weight has stayed the same and I am stunnned. I have gone down 3+ dress sizes and feel really good in myself and noticed other things intenally have improved. I did weigh myself at the end of last week, saw Dr on Monday but scales do not move. I find I am confused and am trying not to head in a downward spiral. Yes I follow and do 5:2 all the time (save xmas). I am just wondering what's going on. Thank you for reading, I really needed to air this.
tenshi

@tenshi its good to get things off yr chest here...a rant is healthy!
do you have an exercise bike? Could you go on that as a non weight bearing cardio vascular exercise,rather than walking?
It seeems v strange that you weigh the same if youve gone down three dress sizes! Maybe somebody here will know the reason..in the meantime,just enjoy feeling better and buying those smaller sizes!
PS @lizbean Campari! Bliss! X

Hi @tenshi all I can say is you are in a better place today. I don't think the Drs realise the difference between walking and working on the spot whether teaching or sitting at a computer. I'm 24lbs lighter today (loss over 12 months) my knee is much better, the pain has subsided and I walk happy miles. I'll never be able to run again, but that's ok. Do you have to crouch with infants?

Hi @tenshi, how frustrating for you! I echo the other comments/suggestions. Cycling is much better for your knees than walking, though some walking is good to do - you can build that up as your knees get better. Have you seen a physio - they would recommend exercises that help you strengthen the muscles around the knee - I know about that as I have had knee problems including an ACL replacement.

Re no change in weight. I always weigh heavier at the doctors as there I am weighed with clothes, after eating etc, but that would not explain a difference of 3 dress sizes. Perhaps you have lost fat but gained muscle, which would mean that your body has toned and shrunk, but the weight has not changed? And maybe you are retaining fluid at the moment, partly due to the 'damage' from exercise??

I know it must feel disillusioning to have stuck with 5:2 and apparently not had any weight loss, but feeling better and having reduced 3 dress sizes is wonderful. So do stick with it and keep using the forum for ideas and support. Perhaps examine your diet and see if there are some high carb foods that you could manage without or reduce - pasta, bread, rice, biscuits? (Of course, you may already eliminated these.) Keep a food diary for a few days - you don't have to necessarily calorie count - and see if that gives you ideas for changes you could make.

Would having a fasting buddy help?

Good luck and best wishes.

NB I just popped in to the forum while having my first black coffee for the day. I have also been in the garden, and will head back there soon. I find it is the best fast day activity - distracting AND productive!

@Tenshi, walking with sore knees doesn't sound very good. I suppose it depends what's wrong with them. But I agree with the person who said see a physio. They often know more than doctors about exercise. I would think a non weight bearing exercise like cycling or swimming would make more sense. I get a sore knee and I have an exercise which I was given by a physio and if I do it, my knee doesn't hurt and I try to do a lot of walking. So it depends on what is wrong with your knees. When my husband was waiting for a hip replacement he was told: don't walk if you can drive; take the lift, not the stairs. So if you are a knee replacement candidate the same would apply. Anyway, happy fasting today.
@Lizbean: I'm on antibiotics for a persistent cough, which came with that virus which I got in the first week of December. It's getting better and I am on my 2nd course of antibiotics. They are ok.

@tenshi, my hubby has two very dodgy knees, and he sticks to cycling and swimming. Both help strengthen muscles, but don't increase the inflammation of the arthritis. I agree with the physio suggestion too. A good physio will be able to help you with specific exercises to strengthen and stretch the muscles which need it. Often muscle strength and elasticity are imbalanced around the knee, which contributes to the pain. If you do keep walking, a fitbit or other pedometer is a really useful way of seeing just how much you do move - with an fairly active job, you probably do more than you think. Also, measurements are a much better way of seeing how healthy you are than just weight loss. Going down 3 dress sizes is a big change.