The FastDay Forum

I have lost 5 lbs so far. I started about 3 weeks ago. I have also lost 2" off my waist, which I find hard to believe but that is what the tape measure keeps saying. (I measured myself at least 4 times to be sure). yay!

I started out doing the 5-2 fast diet but after 10 days of doing that, my Morgellon's symptoms started returning - which freaked me out because I got the horrible disease after I lost 20 lbs 2 years ago. Is this just coincidence? It seems like it has to be but I'm not taking any chances. So I am not doing the 5-2 anymore, I am just making sure I eat around 1000 to 1500 calories a day.

I am happy with losing a pound a week, I'll reach my goal by mid July. I am so excited about my waist losing 2".

[carieoates]

I have to admit that I had to google your disorder. What a Nast thing to happen, I hope it is coincidence, but not sure how 5.2 could have caused it. Maybe an eating window approach would suit you. @carorees what do you think about this?
Many members fast successfully with medical conditions and If you search the forum you will find them. I hope you can continue, good luck and congrats on the waist measurement reduction.

Gosh, poor you, I must admit that I had never heard of the awful disease which you suffer from so I had to go and google it. I can offer you no advice whatsoever only sympathy and hope that you eventually find a way to ease your symptoms, good luck and do keep posting as it will be interesting to hear how you fare,

Ballerina.

[carorees]

I hadn't heard of it either, but a search of the medical literature shows that it is now thought to have an infectious component (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25879673) and as such, since fasting is not recommended in cases of chronic infection, I think you are wise @dazzlecat2 to stop fasting for the time being. Could it be worth asking your doctor to give you antibiotics for Lyme disease? As the condition appears to be linked with infection with Borrelia?

Hi Ladies,
thanks for the kind words.
Carorees,
I do believe Morgellons is caused by the same thing that causes Lyme disease. I have been following Dr. Cowden's Lyme disease treatments with good results. I don't use antibiotics because 1) they have been proven ineffective against Morgellons and Lyme, and 2) the doctor's I have seen don't believe that Morgellons is a real illness (the CDC still says its a delusional mental illness) and therefore, have no access to antiboitics anyway.

I've been using natural anti-viral, anti-parasitic, and anti-microbial herbal tinctures (Samento, Banderal) for past 6 months with good results until now. So either the borrelia spirochetes have adapted to them, or something about eating only 500 calories 2 x wk has caused them to increase and become active again.

I have now switched to another herbal tincture (Cumanda) that Dr. Cowden also says will help fight them. And I have stopped doing the 500 calorie days. (I didn't know that people with chronic infections aren't supposed to fast. thanks for that info.)

The last couple of days I have started feeling better again. So hopefully what I am doing now will continue to work. I still plan on just eating 1300 -1500 calories each day, which seems to be enough for me to lose 1 lb. a week.

I lost another pound this week. Wahoo. Although my waist is back up an inch. I was really confused last week that I had lost 5 lb and 2 inches off my waist. The 2 inches didn't seem right to me, especially since my pants were not sagging on me. So I really must have mis-measured myself (even though I did it 3 times). Weird.

I am not doing any 500 calories days. Just eating between 1000 - 1500 calories each day. So you can lose weight (or at least I can, don't know about others) without doing a 500 calorie day. That's with no exercise (cuz my leg is still on the mend, 3 months now!!! Grrrrr!

Most of the Morgellon's symptoms have receded again. Thank God! I'm feeling good.

Another pound lost this week. yay. slow and steady wins the race. I'm losing about a pound a week by just staying within 1000 - 1500 calorie range. I know some people really struggle to lose weight even when doing 500 calorie days so I am counting myself really lucky. Still symptom free of Morgellons, although I've been really tired this week. Hopefully that will pass, could be my body getting used to the new Cumanda I'm taking.

I just re-watched Michael Mosely's documentary on intermittent fasting. I remember now why I originally started the 5:2 fast diet two years ago - I didn't want to become diabetic like the rest of my family. I was tested as pre-diabetic that summer. Thank god after losing 20 lbs and doing the 5:2 fast diet I have tested negative for diabetes for a year and a half now.

Grrr. I gained 1/2 a pound. I knew I shouldn't have made chili. Can't each chili without stuffing myself with chips. and now I have a whole pot full of chili and a bag of chips left. yikes.

I lost another pound this week! I'm surprised since I had a lot of chili and chips. but it was so filling that a lot of times i'd have that around 3 pm and then not be hungry for the rest of the day. this week, it's ham and white been soup. yummm.

And another pound bites the dust. I am now at 140.8 lbs. that's down from 150. I have lost almost ten pounds! Wahoo. I'm feeling good. Still not doing any 500 calorie days, just sticking to under 1500 calories every day. I am so excited, next week I should be in the 130s weight range.

I gained 1/2 a pound this week. I sort of forgot to count calories. I think I got into the habit of just eating what I usually eat and thinking I would still lose weight. Only I wasn't adding into the equation that I went out for a huge ice cream one night, and then I bought a huge bag of Chicago Style Mix Popcorn from Costco that I've been pigging out on.

Well, at least it was only 1/2 pound. and now back to being serious about losing weight! 10 more pounds to go until I reach my ideal weight of 130.

So bummed that I didn't break into the 130s range this week. It's so easy to gain a 1/2 pound here and there, and pretty soon I'm back up into the 150 range. But now I back to being serious.

Lost .5 lb this week, which surprised me. I figured I probably gained another pound. Part of what is happening is that I stopped writing down my calories by meal. I started doing that again yesterday. Its so much more inspiring and helps me have more willpower when I see the numbers.

It's also because I bought my favorite cheese and caramel popcorn and can't keep my hands off it. So as soon as I'm done with that big bag (cuz I can't bring myself to throw it out) I will probably start losing a lb. a week again.

But overall I have lost 10 lbs. and I feel so much better. I also ran into someone who I hadn't seen in 2 months and he said I looked taller and younger. So I told him I lost 10 lbs. That made me feel great!

I seem to have reached a point where my body doesn't want to lose anymore weight without much effort. I've been hovering around 140 for the last 3 weeks and not budging much. even though this week i was really good at counting calories and not going over 1200 per day, I didn't lose any weight. so the easy weight lose thing only works for me until i hit around 140. This is where I stopped losing weight 2 years ago, even though my goal was 130 lbs.

So I guess I'm going to maintain at this weight. no sense in making my body starve to lose weight if this is the natural weight for me. I'm 5'8" so this is a very nice size for me. What I really want to do now is strengthen my core with yoga and get my stomach muscle firm again. next on my list: basic yoga.

Congratulations Dazzlecat2 . sounds like to me you have reached a healthy weight and you have a great healthy attitude in realising that this is probably where your body is happy. Yay!
XXX julianna

Just read your journey Cat x sorry about yr chronic health probs. I have chronic fatigue syndrome / ME ...being unwell makeslife so much harder doesnt it.There's nothing as precious as good health and strength.
I think 10 stone at 5' 8" is wonderful..i am 5.2.5 and wd be thrilled to be that weight! But then i' m 65 and have struggled with my weight for the last 30 years,so i can't expect miracles!
Just keep an eye on things and if you happen to gain a pound or two,zap it before it becomes five pounds,halfa stone,ten pounds!
Fingers crossed one day we'll be well again! I love yr name by the way! X