The FastDay Forum

Hi @cblasz - I've been reading back through your posts and can really relate.........
I had done quite well on 5:2/4:3 from Nov last year until about April, then I went a bit off-piste until August and gained about 9 lbs.
Then I said enough was enough and started back in earnest and have lost 1 stone 5 lbs since August.
For whatever reason, my body doesn't seem to lose weight easily - I exercise (hard!) 3/4 times a week and don't always lose every week so I have found it is crucial for me to check and log my calories every day on My Fitness Pal - I stick to 500-600 on a fast day and aim for 1200 on a non- fast day (even though my TDEE per the tracker is double that!). It's really useful to have the history of what you have eaten on MFP so you can see what's worked well and what hasn't.
Hope this is helpful - feel free to check out my tracker!

Thanks @madcatlady! I use MFP too. That's pretty low for your non-fast days though. To me that sort of defeats the purpose of the fast diet, which is to not feel so much like you are on a diet. My TDEE (sedentary, which I'm really not) is 1700. So, I try to stick to 500 for fast days and 1500 for the rest of the week days and allow myself to go up to 2000 on weekends (basically I don't count and splurge a little if I go out or whatever.) But, it sounds like that's working really well for you - 1 stone 5 pounds is great. Probably the exercise helps too!! Thanks for the advice!

[carieoates]

I'm with @madcatlady here @cblasz. We've both been very very meticluolous with our cal logging. We sound like MFP adverts but it really works. If every time you eat something you have to then log it you are far more mindful about what's going in. Plus the TDEE is just an estimate of whet you may expend, so eating up to it is better. Looking at my TDEE on the forum its 2274 and fast day cals 568.
In reality I've been having 1500 and 500-600 and keeping carbs below 80g. That's worked for me and if you check out my tracker you'll see what's happend during the past three weeks. 4lb loss.

Hi @cblasz, fasting buddy! So pleased to hear that you have settled into an eating regime that is working for you.

You seem to have had a busy "holiday" period and in some ways you are glad to be back into the routine and structure of work - tho you do have a lot of work on your plate!

Sounds like going without breakfast isn't too much hardship for you. Just knowing you have a banana or some such available can help you keep going to a meal time! (I introduced my mother to the banana and peanut butter combination that you suggested, and she now has this when she can't be bothered making a meal! Better than those chocolate biscuits... I also have that combination from time to time too - very yummy.)

Best wishes for getting rid of those few holiday pounds - and for continuing the downward trend thereafter.

Cheers!

Hello!
It's been a little over a month since I last posted, so I thought I would post an update. Life has been a little crazy lately. In addition to working basically 3 jobs, I have some family members with health issues and also I started seeing someone. Having not dated in years, while fun and exciting, it's also a little stressful letting someone into your life. He's someone I've known for a long time, but he said he wanted to start dating and see where it goes. Unfortunately though, a few weeks in, his grandfather (who lives with him and basically raised him) got sick and has been in the hospital ever since. That has basically put things on hold, which has been stressful too!

Anyway, the good news is that I'm doing well with my weight loss. I'm at the lowest weight I've been since I started over a year ago. I've been fasting twice a week. I still skip breakfast (I resisted that for so long, but it really makes more sense) and for the most part I'm finding fasting to be very easy. I've also been better on my non-fast days. And in addition, due to all the stress there have been some days where I've had a hard time eating at all. That's not great I know, but it has aided my weight loss a bit! And I'm motivated to keep it off and keep going.

I really need to find a way to exercise a little more. About once a week, I do get outside and do walking with running intervals and I love doing that. It is so good for dealing with all the stress. But, it's getting cold here and worse than that, it gets dark very early. I want to join the local pool and start swimming, but I have to make the first step to do that.

Anyway, that's the latest. The holidays are coming up of course, but I hope to continue fasting during them and at least maintain and not gain. I'm actually not feeling very Christmasy this year, so that might help some.

Thanks for reading. I'm so glad I've found this WOE and this forum!

Well, since I last wrote, things have gotten even more stressful. I lost my brother unexpectedly 2 weeks ago. It has been the hardest thing I've ever gone through and I think it's going to take a long time for it to stop hurting so much.
As a result, I lost 6 lbs. since Dec. 20th. That combined with actually trying to lose weight and all the stress I had before, I've lost about 20 lbs. since the beginning of September. It is the lowest I've weighed in years. Even my wrists are skinnier.
I am starting to eat somewhat normally again, so I hope not to gain it back. I think I need to try to get back into my regular fasting routine again soon.
I know I have not been posting much, but I just wanted to share.

I lost my brother unexpectedly 2 weeks ago. It has been the hardest thing I've ever gone through and I think it's going to take a long time for it to stop hurting so much.

I'm so sorry to read this, the more so as it sounds so unexpected, and therefore more of an emotional ambush. My condolences to you and I hope that you find support from those whom you love and those who love you at this difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Losing someone always seems so much worse when it happens around the holiday season, even though there's no reason for that to be the case. I still have both of my siblings and, although we are not close, I can't imagine what you must be feeling. All I can hope for you is that you have people around you to help you make it through the dark times.
Take your return to fasting slowly, although I agree that you don't want to regain that magnificent weight loss, you must also be kind to your self. I hope that your new relationship is back on course very soon and that 2015 will be as good for as it's possible to be.

Thank you so much. My brother and I were very close. He was 44. I have another brother and a sister and we are close too and will help each other get through it. But, he was the one I was closest too. You are right that it's hard around the holidays, and it was especially hard this year because for the first time ever we were not all together for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. My parents, other brother and sister were all together when we got the news on 12/27.
My new relationship is very tentative right now. He was also close to my brother. It probably hasn't really had a fair chance, since for most of our short relationship we've both been dealing with stress/loss. So, I'm hoping he will hang in there a little longer and we'll see how it goes.

I'm so sorry for your loss. So young too. My thoughts are with you and your family.

So sad to hear of your loss,on top of the worry of your boyfriend's grandfather being ill x sending hugs and thoughts xx

Oh I didn't realize my update wasn't complete. My boyfriend's grandfather passed away on Dec. 3rd. So, we dealt with that and he's still dealing with that and then my brother. It has been a bad few months!!

@cblasz So sorry to hear about the losses and stresses you've had--My thoughts are with you through this really difficult time.

[carieoates]

So sorry about your brother, 44, the same as my sister.
I did miss you, and I hope you and your loved ones look after each other at this sad time.

Dear @cblasz, how sad for you and your family - such a loss. A very difficult time for you all. I had been wondering how things were with you...
Thinking of you and hope you are able to look after yourself as well as the rest of your family. Just aim to eat as healthily as you can, and reintroduce fasting when you feel ready.