The FastDay Forum

First off thanks to our lovely @Pilchards (Julia) for hosting the current challenge. We're all better off for your efforts.

In reference to an intended variation of my name here, who's 'fuelish' enough to join me in another shared opportunity to exchange some fat for a better tomorrow? As always the goal is to transform ever-present triglycerides and fat into water and gas. Although I'm quite sure we'd all readily accept it if it worked - even considering its proven detriment to others - the "gas" I'm actually referring to here is Co2, not flatulence.

Some years ago while on a strenuous hike I managed to suggest in a moment between gasping breaths on a long, steep hill that the "fleet in my feet" had somehow "turned to lead in my arse". Laughter then was as likely at me as with me but we all silently accepted what seemed inevitable for us all as we trudged along. If I only knew then what I know now. So soon old, so late smart.

But if my experiences while here are any guide, we can fix that for darned near everyone. This challenge will follow the traditions and course laid down by many braver than I at volunteering. As always, you identify your desired goal(s) for the challenge, starting today and continuing to the end of April. The job for the rest of us will be to fully appreciate (and be suitably jealous of) your periodic progress reports as well as commiserate and suggest alternatives as obstacles arise.

As teachers clearly know, to really learn something you need to be either brave or foolish - some will admit stupid - enough to teach it. Teaching - as I hereby attempt preaching to a large cohort here - is where you lay it out and accept the challenges that come with questions you hadn't ever considered before. This is where theories come to be tempered and annealed by the heat of practical application. Will everything be resolved? Hardly. Paraphrasing from elsewhere, science may have all the answers, but the fact is that we don't yet have all the science. The motivating thought is that we'll all do better if we learn together how to lighten our respective loads and brighten a future.

I'm also intending to provoke occasional thought based on presenting some portion of a range of collected materials from personal experience (Uh-oh!) to books and links as points to consider and challenge. I also plan to dig up some older but still very useful posts from the dusty fastday archives.

At any time, if you think I'm overstepping - lets call it FOS - more than that expected for a male of the species, say so! Without questions or challenges, there's little opportunity to clarify, reevaluate and maybe learn a better way. Hopefully something along the way will resonate and become the new tools and techniques that you can add to your own weight loss toolbox. As I often said at work, "If you come up with a better way, we'll be more than happy to use it."

So who is ADFnFuel anyway? A retired software engineer who likes researching in order to stuff his den book shelves with heavily annotated and highlighted sciency books over a wide range of topics in order to understand and sometimes conquer a curiosity. I started here nearly 3 years ago at a BMI of 30.5 after an overnight consideration of DrM's video which was suggested by a close friend who had seen it. I've never been one to make decisions overnight like that. During the next 5 months I managed to drop to a BMI of 25 losing 49 pounds (22.27 kg). I've maintained around that value until the very recent lenten challenge where I risked public scrutiny by quietly implying (Hey, I'm too chicken to have stated it directly) that I should be able to break that comfortable plateau by simultaneously applying many accumulated theories to that fire mentioned above. After 45 days of theory testing, my BMI is 23.6 with a potential for even lower if the slope on my PC spreadsheet is at all predictive. I'm within 4 pounds (~2kg) of what I weighed in high school! How ridiculous is that?

My own goal for this challenge is to help others as a pay-it-forward for the help I'd received from many others here past and present. I'll consider it a complete success if anyone meets or exceeds their goal even a day sooner than expected.

Thoughts? Questions? Suggestions?

So here I am, nervously pressing the Submit button...

First off thanks to our lovely @Pilchards (Julia) for hosting the current challenge. We're all better off for your efforts.

In reference to an intended variation of my name here, who's 'fuelish' enough to join me in another shared opportunity to exchange some fat for a better tomorrow? As always the goal is to transform ever-present triglycerides and fat into water and gas. Although I'm quite sure we'd all readily accept it if it worked - even considering its proven detriment to others - the "gas" I'm actually referring to here is Co2, not flatulence.

Some years ago while on a strenuous hike I managed to suggest in a moment between gasping breaths on a long, steep hill that the "fleet in my feet" had somehow "turned to lead in my arse". Laughter then was as likely at me as with me but we all silently accepted what seemed inevitable for us all as we trudged along. If I only knew then what I know now. So soon old, so late smart.

But if my experiences while here are any guide, we can fix that for darned near everyone. This challenge will follow the traditions and course laid down by many braver than I at volunteering. As always, you identify your desired goal(s) for the challenge, starting today and continuing to the end of April. The job for the rest of us will be to fully appreciate (and be suitably jealous of) your periodic progress reports as well as commiserate and suggest alternatives as obstacles arise.

As teachers clearly know, to really learn something you need to be either brave or foolish - some will admit stupid - enough to teach it. Teaching - as I hereby attempt preaching to a large cohort here - is where you lay it out and accept the challenges that come with questions you hadn't ever considered before. This is where theories come to be tempered and annealed by the heat of practical application. Will everything be resolved? Hardly. Paraphrasing from elsewhere, science may have all the answers, but the fact is that we don't yet have all the science. The motivating thought is that we'll all do better if we learn together how to lighten our respective loads and brighten a future.

I'm also intending to provoke occasional thought based on presenting some portion of a range of collected materials from personal experience (Uh-oh!) to books and links as points to consider and challenge. I also plan to dig up some older but still very useful posts from the dusty fastday archives.

At any time, if you think I'm overstepping - lets call it FOS - more than that expected for a male of the species, say so! Without questions or challenges, there's little opportunity to clarify, reevaluate and maybe learn a better way. Hopefully something along the way will resonate and become the new tools and techniques that you can add to your own weight loss toolbox. As I often said at work, "If you come up with a better way, we'll be more than happy to use it."

So who is ADFnFuel anyway? A retired software engineer who likes researching in order to stuff his den book shelves with heavily annotated and highlighted sciency books over a wide range of topics in order to understand and sometimes conquer a curiosity. I started here nearly 3 years ago at a BMI of 30.5 after an overnight consideration of DrM's video which was suggested by a close friend who had seen it. I've never been one to make decisions overnight like that. During the next 5 months I managed to drop to a BMI of 25 losing 49 pounds (22.27 kg). I've maintained around that value until the very recent lenten challenge where I risked public scrutiny by quietly implying (Hey, I'm too chicken to have stated it directly) that I should be able to break that comfortable plateau by simultaneously applying many accumulated theories to that fire mentioned above. After 45 days of theory testing, my BMI is 23.6 with a potential for even lower if the slope on my PC spreadsheet is at all predictive. I'm within 4 pounds (~2kg) of what I weighed in high school! How ridiculous is that?

My own goal for this challenge is to help others as a pay-it-forward for the help I'd received from many others here past and present. I'll consider it a complete success if anyone meets or exceeds their goal even a day sooner than expected.

Thoughts? Questions? Suggestions?

So here I am, nervously pressing the Submit button...

How thoughtful a post. My challenge in the Easter challenge was to learn lots more about food nutrition, biology, the benefits of eating more plant based foods and so on.

Not sure if I understood correctly what you are planning.. tell us more.

Is like to join the challenge! Today's weight is 14st 10lbs. I'd like to see 13st 13lbs by the end of April. Feeling motivated!

Well done you for volunteering, @adfnfuel. I half thought of signing up on the basis of challenging myself to log my daily protein intake and keep it around 55-60 g until I remembered that I will be away from home for nearly a fortnight in April, so not suitable circumstances for an n = 1; staying sugar and grain free will be hard enough. I look forward to your educative posts though. I am another Fung fan.

I am definitely up for another challenge! I think it should be a little longer though. Here in the U.S. we celebrate Memorial Day at the end of May and it is considered the unofficial start to summer. Perhaps we could go until then?

Thank you @ADFnFuel for your kind words. Running the Lenten Challenge certainly spurred me on. I would like to join your challenge and commit to lose 2.1 kgs by the end of April and to achieve my Fitbit goal of 13,200 steps per day on 6 days out of 7. My starting weight is 68.1 kgs. Am enjoying the Easter long weekend but will be here for my normal Monday fast tomorrow.

[carieoates]

@ADFnFUEL you know you're my favourite old timer....age and forumite. You put things so well and we've exchanged a few laughs over the years. Never have I known one sentence be relaid in five paragraphs so well before.
I'm in 6lb off forever please.
That's all thanks.

Well, coach, after such wise and stirring words what is your recommended course of action for this month of good intentions?
I'm in by the way, and need something to startle this extra winter 4 kgs away.
Preferred methodology please

@ADFnFuel Thank you for your witty call for success and I was moved by your motivation to put something back into this place after all you'd gained from it. I'd love to join in and gain from your experience as well as everyone else's.
HISTORY: I read M.Moseley's 8week BSD and realised after three years of diligent 5:2 keeping my weight down from a start of about 154lbs for the longest spell ever, that I can safely do a blitz eating far fewer carbs between fast days and be re-educated in the process. For 2 weeks I've done 5:2 + low GI carbs (50-100g per day and healthy fats - no guilt and delicious foods.) I use MFP. It's been excellent to get rid of December gains so quickly and to feel even better. BMI now 25.1.
It is sinking in at last about low GI carbs and that "knowing and reading" is different from doing properly. So this 4 week challenge and support might just be the ticket.
GOAL: to reach longed-for 126lbs(BMI in healthy range) at 7 lbs lighter, as a source of pride and a point for maintenance.

Thanks ADFnFuel for doing this. I joined about 10 weeks ago and haven't done a "challenge" yet. I just read this and want to try it. Presently losing only a half pound a week, but that's because I can't resist girl-scout cookies or home-made Easter pies! Yo-yo dieting, and learning how fast a sweet-cheat shows on the scales and waist. Someone left 'thin mint' scout cookies in my home. After resisting 2 days, I actually ate 1/2 box at one sitting! Word is out- no more of them in the house.

I want to lose a pound a week, and walk 5 days a week, further each time. I measure by the number of telephone/utility poles I pass. Still taking 'brain' meds that can have side-effect of weight gain, but I want to see progress.
Hopeful Annie

:smile:
Thanks ADFnFuel for doing this. I joined about 10 weeks ago and haven't done a "challenge" yet. I just read this and want to try it. Presently losing only a half pound a week, but that's because I can't resist girl-scout cookies or home-made Easter pies! Yo-yo dieting, and learning how fast a sweet-cheat shows on the scales and waist. Someone left 'thin mint' scout cookies in my home. After resisting 2 days, I actually ate 1/2 box at one sitting! Word is out- no more of them in the house.

I want to lose a pound a week, and walk 5 days a week, further each time. I measure by the number of telephone/utility poles I pass. Still taking 'brain' meds that can have side-effect of weight gain, but I want to see progress.
Hopeful Annie

Thanks grannieannie,

I love your delightful post and those @#$ thin mints. Candy, cookies and other miscellaneous edible offerings from worthwhile groups are easily deflected with a most fun tactic. Here is what you do:

To thoroughly surprise the nervous youngster holding the order form and garner mom's watchful concern for her daughter's obvious confusion and looming threat - immediately counter-offer with this statement: " I'll give your group 100% PROFIT right now, ONLY if you will promise to deliver absolutely nothing." Then hand them whatever [$, pound] amount you considerable reasonable, notice mom's accepting glance, the daughter's relief, and walk away with a big smile. Try not to laugh; it'll ruin the moment.


Thank you also for an excellent inspiring and identifying introductory/welcome topic to kick off this challenge while I otherwise collate, staple and mutilate a subsequent post of current members and goals.

Regarding those utility poles that you mentioned. There's a concept known as the grazing principle from a similarly named, now ancient book somewhere on my shelf and currently out of view. The idea behind it is the question of how migratory animals got across such amazingly long distances like those in the days of the buffaloes or across Africa in mass migrations where the distances are in thousands of miles? And they did way back then and even now without a travel agent, airline or GPS!?* The answer is head-slappingly simple: one nibble at a time. If you listen carefully you can hear them even now on their well worn paths: "Oh look at that! That's an even better bit of tender sweetness than the bite I just had. In two steps it's mine if Betsy (that old cow) doesn't see it first. Umm, munch, munch. Ohh look at that..."


This visual happens to be very applicable to the weight loss efforts here and every other life project where we face the seeming immensity of what lies ahead of us. For best results any new challenge must be undertaken one step at a time, often requiring just a bit more effort each time than we've experienced before. Too easy? Nah! A waste of time, we won't bother. Too much? That's impossible and insane - we just won't do it. We frequently know not to try because we're all too certain that what's asked is beyond our current sense of self and ability. But in-between those extremes? Theres hope.

Grazing most unfortunately, also works in reverse. How did we get fat? One nibble at a time (of the wrong things). Listen carefully while they wander along their well worn ruts: "Oh look at that! That looks like an even better bit of tender sweetness than the bite I just had. In two steps it's mine if Betsy (that old cow) doesn't see it first. Munch, munch. Ummm, Oh look at..."

Now we, hopefully - as supposedly sentient, rational moderately-conscious humans - intervene with a rare and mindful moment to gracefully suggest that Betsy have it. After all, she saw it first (that old cow).


I promise, we're nearly done: At some point in this challenge - as an example of yet another supposedly sentient, rational, but only occasionally conscious human, I hope to expand a bit on being incremental, mindful, and occasionally mindless to tease away a little more of the mental and physical "inertia" that we no longer need.

For clarification requested earlier, my potential topic list is gelling slowly. Have also considered including a week long challenge each week and possibly a smaller daily one. In any case I'll interject something if things get slow, or just follow the cows and nibble whatever comes along.

As to the idea of extending the challenge, I'll leave that to the grazers.


*=Hey, they actually do have a kind of GPS!! From mounting evidence that many if not all migratory animals have an internal inclination compass that points down, not around in the usual sense. They use a variation of the cytochrome in their eyes (or beaks in the case of birds) that can sense the Earth's magnetic field. We however use our cytochrome as a detector of blue light as input to our circadian clock for staying awake. But I digress.

Challenge members and goals so far are:

#0 @ADFnFuel - foolish leader and amateur bean counter (crnt goal: DEXA scan)
#1 @Cupcake - 14s 10 to 13s 3 (Welcome cupcake!)
#2 @barbarita - Noticed your 1,000th post! Congrats!
#3 @cblaz - currently in for...a longer sentence (and a steepening trend line slope.)
#4 @Pilchards - 13,200 steps for 6 of 7 days ('cause 7 days make one weak), 68.1kg to start (-2.1 kg goal)
#5 @carrieoates - -6 pound target ("Here, a lucky one, that #5 is." - Yoda)
#6 @azureblue - defrosting -4kg
#7 @Katharina -7 pounds towards 126 (echoing my recent drive to break a plateau)
#8 @grannieannie - progress please! 1 pound a week, walk 5 days longer each time


Welcome everyone.

Just lost a post in space - apologies if this is a repeat. I'm in - though I'm not quite clear how long this challenge is. I'm aiming for 1lb a week, so if to end April then target is 4lb; if to end May then 8lb.

Can I sneak in and have a go?! I'm a lapsed faster who is trying again for the first time in AGES! My first fast - its going well so far!
Anyway, does this challenge end at the end of April? If so I'd like to lose as much as poss - I guess a realistic(ish) figure would be 4 pounds off. So I'll go for that! So at the moment I'm 10:13 - I'd like to be 10:9!

Good luck everyone!

Bean xx

Good to hear from you again @nursebean