The FastDay Forum

Hi, @Margotsylvia, I am so pleased for you that your weight is showing a downward trend! Below 62kg is a wonderful thing!

One of the best things about this WOL is that I have finally learned not to allow the scales to rule my life. I weigh every morning but I know that, for me, the scales will not be consistent. My weight will fluctuate by one or two pounds, depending on my carb intake, but now it doesn't send me diving into the biscuit tin or stuffing myself with all manner of food. At the grand old age of 69, I can shrug my shoulders and just carry on! It's a wonderful feeling!

yea, my weight also fluctuates. 62 kg this morning : I know why it is. I ate more. Because I fell over on the icy road and hurt myself. Spending most of the day at a health centre yesterday, away from home, I ate more there. Trying to get back to the lower eating today No bones broken- though it is painful

Dear @Margotsylvia - just look after yourself!! Although you may have not broken any bones, you do need to heal any bruising and other damage, so do make sure you eat enough nutritious foods to help the body repair.

Best wishes.

I was 61.6 kg this morning. So the weight is going back down again . I have decided to eat normally this coming Sunday, so that will slow me down again. Up an down I go - weight wise, not otherwise I hope. It is sunny now and the roads are thawing.

I was the same this morning 61,6 kg. I am pleased about that, because normally my weight goes up on Friday nights.

Today is Sunday, 18.3. This morning I was my lowest weight this time round 61.1 kg . My BMI has finally gotten to the other side of 24. It is now 23.87. Despite of all these victories I am eating normally today and it feels good

A 10.5 kg loss in 24 hours is amazing !!!

I am sorry, that 51.1 was a typo. Meant to be 61.1, naturally. I do not think anyone could lose 10 kilos is a day. Since I started this lark after Christmas I have lost about 8 kg, which I still think is quite good. After my lovely eating day yesterday my weight was up to 61.9 kg.

Today my weight is 61.8 kg. Very slowly going down again. Only about a couple of weeks before Easter. I doubt now that I'd go under the 60 kg limit this time round. Must fast again after Easter, I think.

Today my weight is 61.8 kg. Very slowly going down again. Only about a couple of weeks before Easter. I doubt now that I'd go under the 60 kg limit this time round. Must fast again after Easter, I think.

Actually, for an experienced faster, it quite possible to lose that amount in the time remaining between now and Easter. Would you want the solution detailed now or see how it develops?

To incite a bit of discussion and potentially some controversy consider the mathmatical perspective.

We all know that an average person might consume and utilize around 2,000 calories a day. Ignoring the gender difference, this is where that 500 calorie fastday meal derives as 25% of average daily intake. We all also know that there's around 3,500 calories in a pound (~.5kg) of fat.

If you were to decide NOT to eat that 500 calorie, 5:2 recommended fastday meal, you'd be left with the fact that your body would have to supply the entire days' missing 2,000 calories. That 2,000 calories divided by 3,500 calories would result in an estimated fat loss of .57 pounds or .258kg in one day. So far, so good.

Now the potential controversy.

1.8 kg divided by .258 is 7 days of what would be a liquid-only fast. This solution is WAY beyond the limit of discussible possibilities here, and I AM NOT recommending it. (Ms Trunchbull will be along any minute with her big stick to once-again whack my knuckles...)

HOWEVER...

this solution is WELL WITHIN the idea and spirit of using ADF - alternate day fasting - of zero-calorie, liquid-only days separated by normal feast days. 14 days total.

Thoughts?

Thanks for raising a discussion issue, @ADFnFuel! I wish we discussed issues more on this forum.

Without checking the maths (!) I will assume what you suggest is theoretically possible. However, so many factors are likely to make this difficult in practice. For a start, many of us would find it hard to stick to that schedule and not overeat on the non fast days. Also, the body may react to the relatively severe reduction in calories and slow our metabolic rate.

And just how important is it to lose weight quickly? Even if we are successful in that amount of weight loss, chances are we will put it on again afterwards.

As you know, I feel that focussing on the amount of weight lost is not an ideal approach - the emphasis should be on nutritious food and a healthy and positive approach to eating. (Not that I always achieve that!!) I see so much negativity and disappointment when the amount of weight loss is the focus...

Thanks for raising a discussion issue, @ADFnFuel! I wish we discussed issues more on this forum.

Without checking the maths (!) I will assume what you suggest is theoretically possible. However, so many factors are likely to make this difficult in practice. For a start, many of us would find it hard to stick to that schedule and not overeat on the non fast days.

"...so many factors...make this difficult..." are subjects, once identified, we might address in the future. Many have simple solutions that often require a different approach. (Am looking forward to participating.)

Success does critically depend on tipping the balance of ones actual desire to lose weight against retaining the status quo and the problems that will continue to drag along behind it.

Also, the body may react to the relatively severe reduction in calories and slow our metabolic rate.

Hence my point of saying "an experienced faster". There's no doubt at all that a newbie would find the idea difficult to nearly impossible to implement. Surprises lurk and they don't yet have the tools to handle them appropriately. Experienced fasters however have already adjusted their biology back towards their natural ability to use fat as a backup energy source. For them, the idea of skipping that measly 500 calorie evening meal is not at all severe. A newbie will likely trip a metabolic trap that an experienced faster has already learned how to avoid.

And just how important is it to lose weight quickly? Even if we are successful in that amount of weight loss, chances are we will put it on again afterwards.

As you know, I feel that focussing on the amount of weight lost is not an ideal approach - the emphasis should be on nutritious food and a healthy and positive approach to eating.

Absolutely and totally agree on both counts! Losing weight is only the first step! Our bodies never forget how to store fat and will do it with a vengeance if we don't proceed carefully. Gradual weight loss provides the time needed for the second step: re-assessing our sense of what "normal eating" really means so that we might permanently achieve what we all want: an active and healthful life.

Fair points you make, of course!

But just what is an "experienced faster"?? I stuck with 5:2 pretty religiously for 2 years, and generally had little trouble with fast days. I would have considered myself experienced at that style of fasting. But I rarely was able to not eat anything at all on a fast day. And over time I found that I was needing to have 2 fast days a week just to maintain my weight, and I was in fact increasing my percentage body fat while trying to maintain the same weight... And now I find it very hard just to do a "normal" 5:2 fast day...

IF is certainly a way to lose weight, but maintaining that loss will always be a challenge unless we change whatever behaviours cause us to weigh more than we would like (eating greater quantities than I need and eating out of habit, boredom and for reward are my issues).

The point you raise about the balance between the desire to lose weight vs maintaining the status quo is one that has had some discussion in this forum before (eg the "commitment" and "motivation" discussions). It's the big challenge I think! Tied to the concept of "delayed gratification" perhaps? Some people find it easier to not give in to immediate reward knowing that in the longer term they will get a greater reward. But some of us aren't so good at that once the novelty wears off...!!

PS I would love there to be simple solutions to my issues... I feel I have tried every idea ever suggested but most of these have not proved sustainable... Tho I have to admit often because I don't want to do them...!

NB I haven't been posting much of late as I am away on holidays and prior to that was very busy in preparation for a major bicycle ride. Not doing much yet today as there is constant drizzle so it has meant I have a bit of time on my hands. But we will be going out shortly and will have a busy few days after today, whatever the weather!

Today my weight was 61.3, so it IS going down. As to the ongoing discussion here, I do not think i am going to change the way I am fasting, because it works so well with me. I do a window fasting. I have a snack at tea time 15:00, and then I have a low carb dinner at 18:00 and no dessert. Every day this routine and me and my body are used to it now, and it is no hardship. So I think I'll continue this yet after -Easter, because I would so much like to weigh less than now.

This Thursday my weight was 61.2. Slowly going down again. Only 10 days of fasting left. A chocolate egg is going to taste soo good.