The FastDay Forum

Thurs. July 12
Weight: 168.7 (168.2)
Eating Window: 11:30-8:30
Calories: 1318
Net Carbs: 125
Sugar: 46
Water/tea: 7
Steps: 9541
Other Exercise: 3 mile walk

Not too bad a day considering I went out for lunch and dinner and had a beer at Trivia night. Today I am planning to eat all my meals at home and get my walk in, so that should be good. I have a busy weekend and the worst for my weight loss will be brunch on Sunday for my friend's birthday. But I will probably indulge a bit and maybe try to get a longer walk in!

Fri July 13
Weight: 168.7 (168.3)
Eating Window: 12:30-8:30
Calories: 1462
Net Carbs: 115
Sugar: 35
Water/tea: 5
Steps: 11339
Other Exercise: 3 mile walk

It's amazing that I can be so busy and stressed over summer vacation. I have so much to do and having trouble getting into a routine and fitting it all in. Hopefully I will get there soon! I am doing good with my eating window and walking and keeping my sugar down, but struggling a bit with calories/carbs.

Today I'm going to see my friend and her daughter who was hit by the car. She is home now and doing well, so it will be good to see her. Tonight I've been invited to the high school graduation party of one of my former students. I'm very honored to have been invited. It's the first time I've ever been invited to someone's party. I do think it will be a little awkward though, since I won't really know anyone except the graduate and his mother. (There's another teacher I think would have been invited but I believe she is out of the country.) I am hoping that maybe a couple of my other former students will be there too. Anyway I'll just go for a little while. But I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit in my walk today or what I'll be eating!

Good to hear that your friend's daughter has recovered enough to go home - that will be a relief. Much nicer at home!

Hopefully there will be some people you know at the graduation party - but even if not, as you say, how lovely to be invited, no doubt as recognition of the positive influence you were on the young man's life,

And getting into a routine when on holiday can be harder than when you have the structure of work - best wishes for getting done the things you want to, but do have some relaxing time as well and enjoy the break.

Thanks @Sassy1 - trust me, I'm relaxing plenty, that's part of the problem. But since I work 2 jobs during the year and am always tired, I need to take advantage of this time to get things done. But, I have a lot of social activities and other things on my schedule as well. Again, part of the "problem"! I did manage to get my walk in. My friend's mom lives near the beach and even though I wasn't in my "walking" clothes, I decided I could at least get some sort of walk in. So I had a fairly leisurely 2 mile walk in. Now I have to get ready for the party! The good news is I probably won't eat much, since I won't be comfortable enough to do so!!

Saturday July 14
Weight: 168.7 (168.3)
Eating Window: 1:00-9:00
Calories: ?
Net Carbs: ?
Sugar: ?
Water/tea: 3
Steps: 7305
Other Exercise: 2 mile walk

I didn't track my food yesterday, but I'm sure it was much too high in carbs and sugar. And I only got a short walk in. Today is not going to be much better, since I'm going out to brunch, which is a buffet. Later I'm going to visit my mom who is in the state at my brother's house. So I need to find time to get my walk in! Maybe this evening.

Mon. July 16
Weight: 167.2 (168.2)
Eating Window: 12:00-8:00
Calories: 1371
Net Carbs: 112
Sugar: 60
Water/tea: 8
Steps: 11425
Other Exercise: 4 mile walk

Sunday was a disaster, so I didn't bother posting. Brunch was delicious, but very indulgent! I didn't really eat much after that. I also didn't get a chance to get a walk in. But, yesterday I did pretty well. I am trying not to worry too much about calories and more about my carbs/sugar, as well as sticking to my eating window and getting my walking in. I would've done better yesterday if I didn't have a Yasso frozen yogurt bar in the evening. But still the scale went down a bit! I should do well today too. No eating out plans, but I will probably go to Starbucks later and get a salad for dinner. I'm donating blood again this Thursday, so trying to get iron in as well!

Hey @cblasz! You are doing really well here aren't you! Are you finding intermittent fasting easier the longer you're on it? I know I do. I used to love breakfast but now I never have one - just a delicious cup of green tea!

Hope today is a good one for you. I wonder how much weight you'll lose once you've given blood?!!

Bean

Tues. July 17
Weight: 167.6 (168.2)
Eating Window: 1:00-9:00
Calories: 1432
Net Carbs: 133
Sugar: 31
Water/tea: 7
Steps: 11633
Other Exercise: 4 mile walk

Hi @nursebean - unfortunately I'm not doing really well at all. I've lost about 6 lbs. for the whole year, which I lost pretty early on and was mostly holiday weight. I'm sure that some of it is due to my age/metabolism, but also I am not strict enough. I have too many "off" days. I've got to figure something out. Right now I'm off for the summer and therefore end up going out a lot. But, I can usually do well from Sept. to Nov. I am going to try to decide what to do. I might join Weight Watchers again just for a bit or maybe try to go much lower with my carbs, I'm not sure!

Yes, 16:8 is pretty easy now. It's just a habit not to eat breakfast! Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be helping much!

A pint of blood weighs about a pound and supposedly your body burns 650 calories to regenerate it. So I should see a difference on the scale tomorrow, but it probably won't last long!

Hi @cblasz - sorry you don't feel you're doing well. I would recommend you look at Diet Doctor because they give you so much good advice about THE best way to lose weight. Its crammed with loads of information on the subject as well as recipe ideas, menu planning AND shopping lists! Its great!

Thanks @nursebean I was looking at it a bit yesterday. I may try the 2 week challenge at the beginning of the school year. One problem I have is that I'm not real big on vegetables!

Yesterday was not a great day and the scale is up about 2 lbs. I went into work to help with the schedule for next year. I thought we would be done by 12, but we were there until 3 (and still not done.) I had plans at 5, so couldn't get my walk in. Also, my principal bought us lunch, and I did choose a salad, but then I had dinner plans, as well. I made fairly reasonable choices, but still more than I would've had at home. Today I have jury duty! I could be there all day too and then I am donating blood, so there's a chance I will not get to walk today either! I'm really hoping I get out early. I also have to find something to eat for lunch, if I'm there all day. AAARRRGGGHHHH!

Have you seen the Dr MM doco on "The truth about getting fit"? There were a range of exercise options explored. He presented some evidence that 3@10min brisk walks a day will be of greater benefit than 10,000 steps - would it be possible for you to try that alternative?? Also a 5min Intense exercise session can give lots of benefits. Another interesting issue explored was willpower. The doco is worth a look.

I'm not just shooting for 10,000 steps. Right now, I go for a 4 mile walk every day. And in the fall, I do get in a few walks every day as well and long walks on the weekends. I need to add some swimming back in.

I assume you do your 4 mile walk briskly? Especially if it is cold!! Assume it takes about an hour? So that is miles (!!) better than doing 10,000 steps according to MM. I guess what MM is saying is that if you don't have time to do a long walk, then try to fit in a few short brisk walks which might be more possible on a busy day.

That video is currently unavailable (at least in the US). I found a slightly cumbersome full transcript here:

https://subsaga.com/bbc/documentaries/h ... g-fit.html

(Click your mouse in the spreadsheet area to scroll farther down.)

I've offline, stripped it to just the text by passing it though a spreadsheet....24 pages that needs more editing.


From experience, we all know that willpower is a limited resource that can fail when it's needed most. This is because it invokes our fight or flight reflex which unfortunately, as a result of evolution, increases our stress which shuts down our higher thought processes.

There are alternative methods that effectively avoid our western-world default near-total dependence on will power, personal conviction and the pain-no-gain approach. Go big or go home! What hooey. (Translation: Total nonsense.)

I assume you do your 4 mile walk briskly? Especially if it is cold!! Assume it takes about an hour? So that is miles (!!) better than doing 10,000 steps according to MM. I guess what MM is saying is that if you don't have time to do a long walk, then try to fit in a few short brisk walks which might be more possible on a busy day.

Right now it's hot here, but yes, still briskly, it takes me a little over an hour! I'm also planning to integrate some intervals of jogging in eventually. In the fall when I don't have an hour, I get in shorter walks, like my walks around campus during my lunch. I wouldn't be able to get to 10,000 steps without actual "walks." By trying to get in my 10,000 steps it encourages me to get in my walks. It is pretty commonly touted that that even shorter bouts of exercise that add up to 30 minutes are good for you, not just MM. But it is also pretty common knowledge that exercise is not the main factor in weight loss, unless you really exercise hard and long, which I'm not going to do. But I do feel it helps a little and helps with many other health factors.

Right now I'm not on a normal schedule, so every day is different. Working yesterday and jury duty today were unexpected and not something I could plan around and really I didn't even have time to get short walks in, in between.