The FastDay Forum

[Tracieknits]

I hate bracelets, so I have a Fitbit One - it's on a little clip and I clip it to my bra - you could clip it to a belt or put it in a pocket.

I've also seen fitbit jewelry to turn your regular fitbit into a pendant. Here's the official one, which is probably cheap metal
https://www.fitbit.com/shop/accessories/flex2-pendant
Or a whole lot of options on Etsy
https://www.etsy.com/market/fitbit_necklace

I would love to join. The first 5:2 challenge I did was a game changer for me as it's so easy to skip a fast day when no one is looking.

I'm planning to fast each Monday and Thursday, no wine on Tuesday either (that's three AFDs a week, enough for me), no food beyond 7pm Sunday-Thursday (so only desserts on Friday/Saturday), only baking on Saturday, three times a week I'll do a 30-35 weight or functional training session at the gym, daily morning 2-3km walk with the dog before work, minimum of two litres of water a day, and no second serves of dinner. I tend to do my supermarket shop on fast days and used to avoid buying processed foods but lately gave in more often so that needs to change too; planning more home-made soups, casseroles and sauces, served with heaps of vegetables, less pasta and mashed potatoes. The latter will be hard as winter is on our doorsteps...

I'll do all this till late June, and possibly continue until late July, to get to 68kg. Last Friday I weighed 73kg but I didn't put it in the tracker, for me a clear sign that I was falling off the wagon. I know I'm still at a healthy BMI but it's slowly moving up and with menopause about to hit me I need to focus on those kilos. I managed to maintain for two years with one fast a week and regular exercise so I'm hoping to get there with this challenge.

This week was going well but I managed to eat a whole pizza for lunch (colleague's birthday) and then had sausages with mash (and broccoli and red cabbage) for dinner with the family. The sugar cravings are enormous but I blame that on the higher carb intake lately. Hopefully that will ease soon, as do the headaches, which I experienced during early fasts, and also this week. Sorry for the rant but now I'm committed.

I hate bracelets, so I have a Fitbit One - it's on a little clip and I clip it to my bra - you could clip it to a belt or put it in a pocket.

I've also seen fitbit jewelry to turn your regular fitbit into a pendant. Here's the official one, which is probably cheap metal
https://www.fitbit.com/shop/accessories/flex2-pendant
Or a whole lot of options on Etsy
https://www.etsy.com/market/fitbit_necklace

Thanks @Tracieknits I do have a bunch of different color bracelets that I can put my fitbit in and one of the metal ones. I'm not sure exactly what caused the rash. I've had my fitbit almost 2 years, so it's weird. I also started taking biotin around the same time, so it may have had an effect. I've stopped the biotin and wearing the fitbit, but I might try the fitbit again. or maybe eventually i'll get one of the newer, nicer, skinnier ones!

@Wmr309 - we are happy to have you! I hope it helps!

[Tracieknits]

The great thing about taking time off from the diet and eating way too much is that getting back on track has a great first week or so. I'm down a wee bit more. So now I have 8.5 pounds to go to reach the solstice goal. The math is super fuzzy on what I actually weighed when the challenge started due to massive bloating from the airplane rides. It's usually at least three pounds of water weight that takes up to three days to disappear. Anyway, if I said 12 pounds to get to 195 then I've only earned 3 stars so far Perhaps by Saturday I'll have earned that fourth one.

Well, this has been a tough week for teacher appreciation. But I think I've done really well. Today I managed to resist cookies AND cheetos with my lunch. I stuck to half of a wrap and a pickle. I left the teacher's room, so I didn't have to sit there and look at them. I hope I can resist the new Midnight Mocha Mint frappucino later at Starbucks!!

How is everyone else doing? What do you find to be your biggest challenges with this WOE?

Hello, fellow challengers, I am back from my brief Spanish trip but have gained quite a few extra pounds and a UTI! However, I fasted yesterday and today hasn't been too destructive, so I am hoping to, at least, shed my extra pounds and be back to my first weeks weigh-in for this challenge by Sunday. I think that I started at 156 and was down to 153 at the end of my first week so that's what I am hoping for on Sunday morning! After that - who knows!

Good luck to you all - what a range of potential pit-falls we are all negotiating! Just keep on, keeping on!

Hi everyone, and special thanks @cblasz for your continual support and forum activity! It must be quite a challenge resisting all those teacher appreciation foods. As you have said earlier, what a pity the rewards can't be of the non-food variety. I guess supplying food is easy... (I don't think we even have teacher appreciation weeks in Australia - well, we didn't when my kids were at school.)

I am going okay. This week has been good. Not sure what has made the difference. All the reading I have done about emotional eating may have helped, but it is more likely to be a result of my stress levels reducing a bit - and choosing not to have added sugar carbs as much as possible. I have only had chocolate one evening this week. Haven't missed it either. How long will that last? There is still Easter chocolate in the house and I can't bring myself to throw it out, tho I know that is the best option. Wish I had someone to give it to!

In response to @stowgateresident's question, I do have trouble coping with feeling genuinely hungry for a long period of time. I don't like it. And the feeling doesn't pass for me anymore until I eat. So I have decided that I will eat as soon as it is convenient when I am hungry. I have found this week that if I eat 3 nutritious meals a day, that my hunger has been satisfied and I am not overeating in the evening. Mind you, I have been eating 3 nutritious meals a day most days for some while - but not everyday. I now plan to eat this way everyday and see how that helps with hunger and cravings. Resisting the sugary carbs does help too... I only intend to fast if I have seriously overeaten and I am not feeling too hungry. I am using this approach as my focus now is not on losing weight - as I am a healthy weight (even if I would like to carry a little less padding around my hips and thighs - though I am trying to accept my body as it is, as the shape is definitely genetic!) - but on having what I consider a healthy way of eating and not having to feel hungry!!

Not sure whether this approach still qualifies me for forum membership!!

I look forward to hearing updates from everyone else.

Hi, @Sassy1. You seem to have found the way forward for yourself and have decided to use fasting when required to counteract over-eating so of course that makes you a perfect member of this forum! That is just what maintainers are 'supposed' to do and that is what I will go back to doing when I have lost these extra pounds. It's my official weigh-in day tomorrow so I will get a good idea of how much more I need to lose before getting back to my 147 pound target. I'm guessing it will be about seven or eight pounds, so not too bad!

Hi, it's only me!

It was my weigh-in day today and I am pleased to report that I have shed my holiday gain (+five pounds - in five days!!! ) and am now back down to my last recorded weight for this challenge, minus a further 0.7 of a pound! I am therefore exactly 153 pounds - six to go to get back to target and only four to get within my maintenance range.

I am feeling quite pleased with that and, as I have nothing coming up in the next couple of weeks which could sabotage my attempts, I am hopeful that I will have lost the remainder by the end of this challenge which, for me, will be when I go to Belgium on 11th June.

Gulp! I have just realised that is only five weeks away, so maybe my target is a little too far out of reach! I will just have to get my head down and be very mindful of what I eat on my non-fasting days and see how close I can get! Any loss would be better than a gain though, so I will just keep on , keeping on!

Bye for now and I hope that your weigh-ins are happy ones!

Hi everyone! Phew I finally managed to get back on here. I've struggled with my password and couldn't log in - most frustrating. Anyway, I'm here.

Is it too late to join this challenge?

Bean

Good morning!!

Congratulations @StowgateResident! 5 lbs. is very impressive. Even though you say you are just back to the beginning, I'm going to give you another star!

Hi @nursebean! It's not too late at all, we'd love to have you! What is your goal?

I am down a little over 1/2 pound this week. Seeing as last week was so crazy and filled with temptations (and yesterday I had a VERY lazy day ), I'll take it. This week will be a little better, but still pretty busy. My college classes end next weekend, so it should really get better after that.

How is everyone else doing?

Good morning!!

Congratulations @StowgateResident! 5 lbs. is very impressive. Even though you say you are just back to the beginning, I'm going to give you another star!

Hi @nursebean! It's not too late at all, we'd love to have you! What is your goal?

I am down a little over 1/2 pound this week. Seeing as last week was so crazy and filled with temptations (and yesterday I had a VERY lazy day ), I'll take it. This week will be a little better, but still pretty busy. My college classes end next weekend, so it should really get better after that.

How is everyone else doing?

Sorry for the double post! I got an error on the website. I can't see a way to delete the 2nd post.

Don't worry about the double post, @cblasz, but sadly I have only lost three pounds since the start of my challenge! I managed to gain five pounds in five days because I had dropped a further two pounds before I went and then promptly put them on again! However, a total drop of three pounds in three weeks is good and with determination I may lose more this week - fingers crossed and mouth closed on fasting days!

Good morning all.
Tuesday weigh in for Week 3: 104.5kg - 230.4lbs. Yay
Loss so far 4.2lbs. or 1.9kg.