The FastDay Forum

Thank you all for your support. It really does make a big difference knowing there are people who understand and at various stages of their own journeys cheering me on. It can be lonely trying to change the habits which have comforted you for years even if you know they are killing you, and even though I know there will be bad days (like today) I know we'll get there.

Today has been a bad day - and I mean McDonalds breakfast, two doughnuts and a proper lunch bad I understand the reasons behind it though. My step-mum died this morning and I have been smothering my feelings with high fat carbs, the oldest habits are the hardest to break I guess. I am not beating myself up too much though, just promising myself that tomorrow will be a better day.

I'm going to set up my progress tracker tonight and we're having 5:2 book turkey burgers with roasted butternut squash tonight so at least that's damage limitation.

Aw, sorry for your loss ~hugs~

IF in its various forms works so well, in large part because it's so forgiving. Back in my active weight loss days, there were many days that started out as down days (fasting days), but then something came up and the plan went out the window. The beautiful thing is, when this happens you can just move your fasting day to the next day and get right back on track If I'm converting stones to pounds correctly, you have around 84 pounds to lose? That's very doable! I lost 57lbs with IF and have been maintaining, within a few pounds, for around two years now. I used to hang out on another IF forum and there's ladies there that have lost over 100lbs and are now successfully maintaining

I know you can also have great success with it- just be kind to yourself, keep focused on the positive and off you go

Welcome and wishing you all the very best with your 5:2 journey....
My deepest sympathies for your loss.

[carieoates]

Sorry for your loss.
Just get your head into the right place and the fasting will follow.
Plan your food for the fasting day or even better the week. Just concentrate on that one day at a time, keep to that plan.
Sorry to contradict you @Katekat but in my experience If you mess up your fast for whatever reason don't try and do it the next day, stick to your pre planned days as otherwise you could end up fasting every morning and bombing out by every bed time. Hope that makes sense.
Look forward to seeing your updates.

Sorry to hear of your loss and so I am not surprised that the day you posted was a bad day. Don't be hard on yourself - it's really hard to eat healthily (or I think so) when awful things happen in life. Best wishes; keep going when you can and you will get there!

Thank you all. My step-mum was only ill for a couple of weeks so it's been a shock to get our heads round but she was in so much pain towards the end it is a relief that her suffering is finished. I am desperately worried about one of my step-brothers though, he's taken it very hard. We'll help him through it but it's going to take a long time I think.

I set up my progress tracker. It was a bit depressing seeing how much weight I have put on in my break from 5:2 but I know that the only way from here is down This weekend I am going to look at 5:2 friendly lunches and invest in a playstation move 'game' probably a dancing one.

Welcome back to fasting @phoenix77, sorry to hear the sad news about your step mum it must be such a shock to you and your family.
I wish you success in this WOE, you have come to the right place, so much help and encouragement here, we all want you to do well and everyone will be here for you on your IF journey.
Wishing you all the best along the way.

Thanks coffeetime your dog is gorgeous by the way.

Bit of a strange couple of fasts this week. Sunday was my scheduled day and it started badly because I woke up with a cold. I thought I wasn't going to be able to manage a fast but I was careful with what I ate and despite a couple of 'treats' still came in at around 650cals for the day - not perfect but by no means awful. By Tuesday I was feeling really rough and I lost my appetite, I came home from work early and slept half the afternoon. All I'd eaten was a muller rice and a couple of squares of dark chocolate and dinner was a low cal carbonara with courgette noodles (I love my spiralizer soooo much ) so that came in at around 700cals for the day - again, not perfect but not bad considering I'm feeling rubbish. I am therefore declaring myself done for the week.

Next week is going to be difficult. I have a family meal on Sunday and there is no way to keep that under 500cals so my Sunday fast is gone and I'm eating out 3 other days (unheard of for me). I'm going to try for Monday but I've had bad experiences of trying to fast on Mondays previously so we shall see. I have no clue if I'll be able to fit another one in.

Well, the Christmas season is almost done (it's my birthday next week which is always the official end of Christmas especially as that is the day I go back to work) and my fasting has been practically non-existent. I have been experimenting with some 16:8 with varying degrees of success and I got a dancing game for the ps3 for Christmas which will help with the exercise. I have a kindle app on my laptop which has come in handy for collecting recipes for fast days as well, I'm particularly looking for meals I can serve up to my husband which keep to my calorie limit without him feeling deprived. We love the hairy bikers diet books but most of their recipes are only good for non fast days.

I have a positive feeling about the new year. I have started 2015 feeling rubbish, at my heaviest and in the poorest general health I have ever been in but I am determined I will not finish it the same way. This is the year my weight goes down and my fitness goes up.

Good to see you back, @phoenix77. I find something simple like a piece of fish, or chicken or steak with vegetables does the trick for the OH. If i don't eat during the day, then it comes in under 500. And I can always cook a potato for the OH and miss out, or only have a little one. I am holding the line on dessert. 'What's for pudding?' says the OH. 'Nothing: I'm fasting.' Last night I even deprived him of Christmas cake. I said 'Why not wait until tomorrow and we can both have some?' He could have got it himself but he took the hint. I hate to see the Christmas cake gobbled up so fast that I hardly get any. It is an exceptionally good cake this year. I want to savour it over many weeks. But that won't happen.

Well I'm still here but I'm still struggling a bit. I've done a few fasts, had a few failure and significantly fewer successes but I'm trying hard not to beat myself up (it really doesn't help). I'm acknowledging that I have a lot on right now and as long as I keep trying eventually the balance will shift to more successes than failures then the scales will move down. It's tough to change 30 years of bad habits, I'm even considering hypnosis to see if it helps.

On a positive note a work friend has just qualified as a personal trainer so I've promised myself (and her) that I will book a couple of sessions with her in the summer after my exams (I sit my final exams for a psychology degree in June). I want her to check my Pilates and weights techniques.

Until the exams are over I know that my fasting will be a bit hit and miss, has anyone else tried fasting while writing essays and found their concentration slipping drastically as the day goes on? I am not giving up - I will keep trying every week but I'm resigned to the fact it will take a little longer.

[carieoates]

Hello there I missed your update.
Glad you are back and I will tag @carorees, here as I'm sure she will have something of interest to say regarding concentration and essay writing,
Good luck and stay with us

[carorees]

Hello there I missed your update.
Glad you are back and I will tag @carorees, here as I'm sure she will have something of interest to say regarding concentration and essay writing,
Good luck and stay with us

Not sure that I have actually @carieoates! I've not noticed any deterioration in the ability to concentrate with fasting but perhaps that doesn't mean that it isn't there! Maybe my ability to notice any deterioration is affected!

Theoretically, though, if you have problems switching to fat burning it could possibly be affected if your blood sugar drops. However, if you can start to produce ketones you should find your ability to concentrate improves as the brain runs better on ketones so they say.

Firstly, may I add my condolances for your loss. Don't be too hard on yourself at the present moment, you are coping with many things and need to be kind to yourself - but preferably not with food!
I was diagnosed with sleep apnoea 15 years ago. At that time I was the heaviest I had ever been - from 71/2 stone to 15 stone plus - and felt dreadful! I was constantly tired. The mask is not glamourous but it's effects are life changing. I didn't find it a complete miracle cure as I also suffer from CFS/Fibromyalgia but slowly I got myself back on track. In the year following I came off anti depressants and lost a stone in weight and the following year I lost another 4 stone. (I did make a conscious effort to lose weight) Perhaps knowing this will help you persevere with the mask.
I am sure there are a lot of people on this forum who can really sympathise with you and will support you in your journey towards better health.
Best Wishes,
SilverSlimmer