@judithn. Happy Fastiversary. Your success is truly deserved! Great post 
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Congratulations Judithn. So good to read of your success. Thankyou.
Happy Fastiversary, Judithn. Well done and all the best in year 2!
Happy fastiversary from me too Judithn. Well done and good luck with getting to maintenance.
Its great to look back through this thread. Just re-read my post. Wish I was at goal, but there you go life and 5.2 go hand in hand.
Its great to look back through this thread. Just re-read my post. Wish I was at goal, but there you go life and 5.2 go hand in hand.
Caroline
xXx
I'm the other half of "Bean and Oates" always will be.
xXx
I'm the other half of "Bean and Oates" always will be.
Happy Fastiversary @Judithn Great reading your story very inspirational well done for sticking with this WOL when it got
a little tough, your persistence has paid you off,
Totally agree this forum helps us through the bad times and as it is a way of life therefore no problem doing those 2 cautious days.
a little tough, your persistence has paid you off,
Totally agree this forum helps us through the bad times and as it is a way of life therefore no problem doing those 2 cautious days.
Brilliant judithn! You have done so well and deserve your success!
My congratulation as well@Judithn Your approach and experience sounds exactly like mine except I am behind you weight wise and a bit slower. I'm currently struggling with a bit of a mid summer plateau as I did last year but I willkeep focussed and persevere.
Congratulations again!
Congratulations again!
Today is my fastiversary. This post will be a little different from others here, but I think it is important that we record all of our experiences as we continue to learn more about fasting and it’s effects over the long term.
I started this way of eating one year ago today as my blood pressure was just slightly higher than normal and my joints were getting stiff and creaky. At a BMI of 26, I was not outrageously overweight, but at 50 I decided that I needed to get it in check rather than let it get any further. I’m a chronic dieter and my BMI has ranged between 20 and 26 (highest) during my adult life. I had also water fasted once a month for the past 20 years and I liked how it made me feel.
The first six weeks were dreadful from a weight loss point of view. I didn’t really lose anything and considered the entire thing a complete waste of time. However my BP returned to normal after four fasts and for that reason, I thought I would hang on in there.
The first four months life was pretty straightforward. I was not working, apart from the odd bit of consulting, in complete control of my own environment, and I could prepare food from scratch. During the latter part of 2013 I was exercising strenuously most days. I recorded all of my intake on MFP every day so I could stay within my TDEE during 2013. During those 4 months, I lost on average just under a pound a week. I didn’t hit my Christmas target, but having lost a stone I was feeling pretty pleased with myself.
At Christmas I got a job in California and was a bit bored with life so thought I would take the plunge, figure out if I liked it enough to move the family over or just treat it as a project. By end April, I had put back on all of the weight I lost despite continuing to fast religiously a minimum once a week but mostly twice a week (I was doing 4:3 during 2013). There are always reasons. Mine was due to overeating my TDEE on non fast days. A combination of no longer counting calories daily, and US portion sizes being much larger than I was used to and quality produce was/is expensive. Eating out as part of the job was an occupational hazard and with a TDEE of just over 1400, it was easy to consume my daily intake in one meal.
To mitigate this, I started 16:8. I gained more weight. This is because I’m a person that needs to eat in the morning rather than the evening even on fast days and going too long every day triggered binge eating at night. I was still doing 5:2.
By mid April, OH developed an illness quite out of the blue which made our monthly commute (we share the burden) extremely stressful. During April and May I probably travelled to the US and UK every two weeks. I can’t even remember how I got through that but I did. By some miracle, I carried on fasting.
By May, my weight gain was making me extremely stressed on top of everything else going on in my life. So I stopped drinking alcohol. I gained more weight. This was because I replaced alcohol calories with sugar calories and I had previously stopped eating sugar (in most forms except fruit) completely.
During June and July I weighed more then when I first started 5:2. I stopped updating my tracker, felt ashamed and a fraud for being on this site and cut back on my contributions. I had stopped welcoming people in the spring because I felt I was a poor example. I started a course of amino acid therapy (self administered) following a book I read by Julia Ross. I thought that it would help my emotionality. It was nothing short of a miracle. My mood improved and I stopped over eating on non-fast days. My weight stabilized and I lost a couple of pounds.
I felt well enough during July to sign up with a personal trainer who is also a nutritionist. The plan is low to medium carb but higher in protein than I’m used to. (I subscribed to low protein to keep IGF-1 down). It’s bang on my TDEE calorie wise, and I’m still fasting twice a week. My weight has bounced up and down the same kilo for the last month – the same behavior as when I first started fasting. I’m gutted.
Positives
I have treated this year as a self experiment and have enjoyed trying all of the different forms of fasting apart from extended fasting.
My blood work and BP is all normal. My joints no longer creak, I have been completely sugar free for most of the time, given up alcohol almost completely (I have had 3 glasses of wine in 4 months). The only dairy I eat is butter and I have even given up sourdough bread which was my only wheat in my diet previously. My carbs were already low to medium, but I know that VLC is not for me. I like my veggies and fruit too much (I used to be a raw vegan). My diet is now very clean. It’s harder when eating out, but I have refined my diet so much over this year, I’m very happy with the quality of what goes into my mouth, even though it costs a fortune to eat well (organic) here in California. The great thing about fasting is that you spend less money so I can afford to buy grass fed steak and hormone free/organic chicken on the days I can eat.
I have signed up to finally complete my degree in nutritional therapy which I started a while back, but didn't finish as I got a great job in another field. I have done so much research whilst I have been here all alone, (out of sheer frustration and often anger), I thought I should get something out of it, and hopefully an alternative ‘career’ when I finally retire.
Negatives
For me this is a ‘diet’, and I’m sorry but I don’t subscribe to how people describe it here. I could cry when I read everyone’s success stories. I’m so happy for you all, but it never happened for me that way. With a low TDEE, post menopausal I have to be mindful of everything I put in my mouth and food preoccupies my thoughts and has more power in my life more than it should. The British Airways crew marvel as to how I can do a 10 hour flight in business class just drinking water when everyone else eats and drinks their entire bodyweight in food and alcohol.
I have done well over 100 fasts in the past 12 months and the difference in weight control all depends on calorie intake on non fast days but also fast days too. Also 25% of 1400 is 350 calories a day as my fast day intake. Not a lot to play with and most of my fast days are between 450 and 500 cals. Whilst I did well during the 2013 phase, I did feel it was a complete grind and counting everyday – well I may as well have just done a straight calorie controlled diet. If I’m off by a couple of hundred calories – it shows on the scale very quickly.
This morning my weight is 500g less than when I started one year ago today. My bodyfat is 3% higher than when I started. However I’m using different scales now so hard to know how accurate that body fat calc truly is. So why am I still here? Frankly it’s the friendship, camaraderie and support I have received from people here who I have never met in person (and some I since have). I’d like to say a few special thank yous. So many people here have inspired me, but these people deserve special gratitude.
@debs, @sue.q, @carieoates, @gillymary, @sallyo, @lovemyparrot, @wendy darling, @ballerina, @manderley, @silverdarling @carorees, @callyanna, @candicemarie, @pennyforthem @azureblue, @nursebean, @maryann, @julieathome, @fatdog,@janeg, @juliana.rivers, @auriga, @wildmissus, @wendyjane, @bobshouse, @creakypete and of course @moogie and the rest of the team for making this site what it is.
I’d stlll like to be part of this site, but I know that for me, fasting is not a weight loss methodology that works for me at this time in my life and I think a year is long enough to know. Besides, my tracker says I will reach my goal on 1st November 2046
However I wholeheartedly subscribe to it as a way of staying healthy and so fasting will always feature in my life. However my journey as a chronic dieter continues and maybe one day I will get to the weight I truly want to be.
Today I fly home for 3 weeks and always lose weight when I go home so stay tuned!
I started this way of eating one year ago today as my blood pressure was just slightly higher than normal and my joints were getting stiff and creaky. At a BMI of 26, I was not outrageously overweight, but at 50 I decided that I needed to get it in check rather than let it get any further. I’m a chronic dieter and my BMI has ranged between 20 and 26 (highest) during my adult life. I had also water fasted once a month for the past 20 years and I liked how it made me feel.
The first six weeks were dreadful from a weight loss point of view. I didn’t really lose anything and considered the entire thing a complete waste of time. However my BP returned to normal after four fasts and for that reason, I thought I would hang on in there.
The first four months life was pretty straightforward. I was not working, apart from the odd bit of consulting, in complete control of my own environment, and I could prepare food from scratch. During the latter part of 2013 I was exercising strenuously most days. I recorded all of my intake on MFP every day so I could stay within my TDEE during 2013. During those 4 months, I lost on average just under a pound a week. I didn’t hit my Christmas target, but having lost a stone I was feeling pretty pleased with myself.
At Christmas I got a job in California and was a bit bored with life so thought I would take the plunge, figure out if I liked it enough to move the family over or just treat it as a project. By end April, I had put back on all of the weight I lost despite continuing to fast religiously a minimum once a week but mostly twice a week (I was doing 4:3 during 2013). There are always reasons. Mine was due to overeating my TDEE on non fast days. A combination of no longer counting calories daily, and US portion sizes being much larger than I was used to and quality produce was/is expensive. Eating out as part of the job was an occupational hazard and with a TDEE of just over 1400, it was easy to consume my daily intake in one meal.
To mitigate this, I started 16:8. I gained more weight. This is because I’m a person that needs to eat in the morning rather than the evening even on fast days and going too long every day triggered binge eating at night. I was still doing 5:2.
By mid April, OH developed an illness quite out of the blue which made our monthly commute (we share the burden) extremely stressful. During April and May I probably travelled to the US and UK every two weeks. I can’t even remember how I got through that but I did. By some miracle, I carried on fasting.
By May, my weight gain was making me extremely stressed on top of everything else going on in my life. So I stopped drinking alcohol. I gained more weight. This was because I replaced alcohol calories with sugar calories and I had previously stopped eating sugar (in most forms except fruit) completely.
During June and July I weighed more then when I first started 5:2. I stopped updating my tracker, felt ashamed and a fraud for being on this site and cut back on my contributions. I had stopped welcoming people in the spring because I felt I was a poor example. I started a course of amino acid therapy (self administered) following a book I read by Julia Ross. I thought that it would help my emotionality. It was nothing short of a miracle. My mood improved and I stopped over eating on non-fast days. My weight stabilized and I lost a couple of pounds.
I felt well enough during July to sign up with a personal trainer who is also a nutritionist. The plan is low to medium carb but higher in protein than I’m used to. (I subscribed to low protein to keep IGF-1 down). It’s bang on my TDEE calorie wise, and I’m still fasting twice a week. My weight has bounced up and down the same kilo for the last month – the same behavior as when I first started fasting. I’m gutted.
Positives
I have treated this year as a self experiment and have enjoyed trying all of the different forms of fasting apart from extended fasting.
My blood work and BP is all normal. My joints no longer creak, I have been completely sugar free for most of the time, given up alcohol almost completely (I have had 3 glasses of wine in 4 months). The only dairy I eat is butter and I have even given up sourdough bread which was my only wheat in my diet previously. My carbs were already low to medium, but I know that VLC is not for me. I like my veggies and fruit too much (I used to be a raw vegan). My diet is now very clean. It’s harder when eating out, but I have refined my diet so much over this year, I’m very happy with the quality of what goes into my mouth, even though it costs a fortune to eat well (organic) here in California. The great thing about fasting is that you spend less money so I can afford to buy grass fed steak and hormone free/organic chicken on the days I can eat.
I have signed up to finally complete my degree in nutritional therapy which I started a while back, but didn't finish as I got a great job in another field. I have done so much research whilst I have been here all alone, (out of sheer frustration and often anger), I thought I should get something out of it, and hopefully an alternative ‘career’ when I finally retire.
Negatives
For me this is a ‘diet’, and I’m sorry but I don’t subscribe to how people describe it here. I could cry when I read everyone’s success stories. I’m so happy for you all, but it never happened for me that way. With a low TDEE, post menopausal I have to be mindful of everything I put in my mouth and food preoccupies my thoughts and has more power in my life more than it should. The British Airways crew marvel as to how I can do a 10 hour flight in business class just drinking water when everyone else eats and drinks their entire bodyweight in food and alcohol.
I have done well over 100 fasts in the past 12 months and the difference in weight control all depends on calorie intake on non fast days but also fast days too. Also 25% of 1400 is 350 calories a day as my fast day intake. Not a lot to play with and most of my fast days are between 450 and 500 cals. Whilst I did well during the 2013 phase, I did feel it was a complete grind and counting everyday – well I may as well have just done a straight calorie controlled diet. If I’m off by a couple of hundred calories – it shows on the scale very quickly.
This morning my weight is 500g less than when I started one year ago today. My bodyfat is 3% higher than when I started. However I’m using different scales now so hard to know how accurate that body fat calc truly is. So why am I still here? Frankly it’s the friendship, camaraderie and support I have received from people here who I have never met in person (and some I since have). I’d like to say a few special thank yous. So many people here have inspired me, but these people deserve special gratitude.
@debs, @sue.q, @carieoates, @gillymary, @sallyo, @lovemyparrot, @wendy darling, @ballerina, @manderley, @silverdarling @carorees, @callyanna, @candicemarie, @pennyforthem @azureblue, @nursebean, @maryann, @julieathome, @fatdog,@janeg, @juliana.rivers, @auriga, @wildmissus, @wendyjane, @bobshouse, @creakypete and of course @moogie and the rest of the team for making this site what it is.
I’d stlll like to be part of this site, but I know that for me, fasting is not a weight loss methodology that works for me at this time in my life and I think a year is long enough to know. Besides, my tracker says I will reach my goal on 1st November 2046
However I wholeheartedly subscribe to it as a way of staying healthy and so fasting will always feature in my life. However my journey as a chronic dieter continues and maybe one day I will get to the weight I truly want to be. Today I fly home for 3 weeks and always lose weight when I go home so stay tuned!
Words fail me Karen,
God bless you my lovely.
Caroline
xXx
I'm the other half of "Bean and Oates" always will be.
xXx
I'm the other half of "Bean and Oates" always will be.
I feel for you @rawkaren, I really do. I'm 90% certain that your troubles spring from stress...as you know this causes cortisol to rise and once it reaches a certain level that simply scuppers all weight loss attempts. No wonder you lose weight when you are back at home where you can relax a little! You have done so marvellously well to cope with a very stressful year. You should be very proud of your achievements in that respect 
, I'm so impressed with your fortitude. You seem to have plans afoot to reduce the stress and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will be accompanied by a downward movement on the scales.
Sending you lots of hugs
Oh and congratulations for sticking with this place for a year!
, I'm so impressed with your fortitude. You seem to have plans afoot to reduce the stress and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will be accompanied by a downward movement on the scales. Sending you lots of hugs
Oh and congratulations for sticking with this place for a year!
Happy Fastiversary @rawkaren
Well you've certainly had a different year than most if us but everyone's journey is different and NO-WAY are you a fraud and please don't feel as if you are, we've all got something to contribute and apart from many subjects you're very knowledgeable on your support
to me and many members is unquestionably.
Well done on getting back down to your previous weight that's a difficult one second time around and small consolation your fighting your weightloss battle at just the right age not finding "the one" 15 yrs later like me!!!
That said if I'd have had your pressures of this year I do honestly believe I'd have gained all mine back, so be kind to yourself you've come through the mill and through the other side yes smiling yes another plan yes a decision that this is hard work for you and yes with loads of new friends
Love and hugs to you Karen safe journey back home
to us and enjoy your time with hubby and return to California a slimmer younger woman then build very slowly on that motivation. ♥♥
Good Luck Karen
Well you've certainly had a different year than most if us but everyone's journey is different and NO-WAY are you a fraud and please don't feel as if you are, we've all got something to contribute and apart from many subjects you're very knowledgeable on your support
to me and many members is unquestionably.
Well done on getting back down to your previous weight that's a difficult one second time around and small consolation your fighting your weightloss battle at just the right age not finding "the one" 15 yrs later like me!!!
That said if I'd have had your pressures of this year I do honestly believe I'd have gained all mine back, so be kind to yourself you've come through the mill and through the other side yes smiling yes another plan yes a decision that this is hard work for you and yes with loads of new friends
Love and hugs to you Karen safe journey back home
to us and enjoy your time with hubby and return to California a slimmer younger woman then build very slowly on that motivation. ♥♥
Good Luck Karen
Hi Karen my love,
I feel truly gutted for you reading your post. You are one of the lovliest people I have ever met, generous, kind and so bloody good looking I could cry. I really do feel that stress has been your undoing and if your life could achieve some sort of balance then I'm sure things would work out well for you. I truly hope the next year is kinder to you and am glad that you are not leaving us as the forum would be a much poorer place without you. Hang on girl, we are all rooting for you and lets hope your husband's health problems settle down so that you can be at peace again.
Take care of yourself my friend,
Ballerina x
I feel truly gutted for you reading your post. You are one of the lovliest people I have ever met, generous, kind and so bloody good looking I could cry. I really do feel that stress has been your undoing and if your life could achieve some sort of balance then I'm sure things would work out well for you. I truly hope the next year is kinder to you and am glad that you are not leaving us as the forum would be a much poorer place without you. Hang on girl, we are all rooting for you and lets hope your husband's health problems settle down so that you can be at peace again.
Take care of yourself my friend,
Ballerina x
I can totally relate to all you said. I am the same. I cannot cope with calorie counting anymore and am struggling with fasting too. My stress levels have caused the return of my migraines and I am fully back to comfort eating. I can see no end to this for now which is why I have not been around much. Next week I am in the UK for more meetings about the care of my father. Maybe some relief will come from that. I can but hope.
Thank you for the help you have given me, I hope you find your way soon.
Thank you for the help you have given me, I hope you find your way soon.
Karen what can I say? You really have had everything flung at you this year. As Caro and Bal say, surely it has got to be stress relatef (and am sure Debs would agree with that. ) pleased to hear thst fasting is part of your life and will stay that way. This is for the long game,and I'm sure that only by sticking with it we can win out in the long run. Good luck over the coming months - I among many others will be rooting for you. Much love and huge loads of respect.
[color=#40BFFF]STILL cake, biscuits, chocolate, fudge, tablet, shortbread, butter ...
(not forgetting salted caramel ...
)
but only 5 days a week!
(not forgetting salted caramel ...
)but only 5 days a week!
Thank you for your very interesting post @rawkaren and for sharing about your life issues and stresses. Tales of unmitigated success may inspire newbies but when things get tough it is people like yourself, Sue.Q and others of true grit who inspire us to keep on fasting. All the best in year 2 and I hope you find the right "diet" to lose the weight you want to lose.
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