The FastDay Forum

It is now 7 weeks since the bicycle accident in which I fractured my collarbone, and 7 weeks until my 60th birthday and our trip overseas.

So I have decided to have a 7 week challenge where my main goal is to get as close as I can to my pre-accident fitness level. This is necessary in order for me to complete the partial trek around Mt Blanc that we are scheduled to undertake in mid September.

My secondary goal is to lose an inch or so of body fat, so that the beautiful dress I have bought to wear at my birthday dinner fits a little less snugly than it does at the moment. (Neither the shop assistants or my friend who took me shopping would allow me to buy the size larger, which I agree didn't look as good.)

So I am trying, yet again, to have a couple of (BSD) fast days a week - I really can't manage only 500cal anymore. But that is fine, as the amount of exercise I will be doing should mean a higher cal intake on fast days will be okay.

I will also be trying (yet again) to eat according to hunger on the non-fast days and minimizing the evening eating and the sugary snacks.

I will be gradually increasing the amount of exercise I do, from a minimum of 2 hours every day, up to a minimum of 3 hours every day plus 2-3 days a week of 5-6 hours (hilly) walking, including 2 consecutive days of long walks. This is the standard required in order to undertake the trek, so it will be quite an accelerated training schedule to reach that level again (I was at that level before the accident - at the moment I am finding 2 hours a day as much as I can comfortably manage. Frustrating.) Thank goodness I am not still in paid employment.

I started this regime on Thursday, and am on my second (BSD) fast day. So far neither day has been too tortuous - I have kept myself very active which helps a lot. On the first fast day I had a few "meals" through the day, which worked well (when I started 5:2 I used this strategy for many months), but today I have managed to get to late afternoon without eating and don't yet feel hungry. Unusual!

It has been a glorious winter's day here - blue sky and sun shining - which no doubt helped.

I am hoping that posting here will provide extra incentive to help me keep to my plan...

I wish you all the success in your efforts, Sassy. Over a year ago I fell and broke my collar bone. I comfort ate a lot and put on a lot of weight. This spring I have managed to lose all that weight. so if I can do it so can you, Sassy! Mt Blanc sounds great!

Good luck with your fitness regime, @Sassy1! You have a great deal more willpower than I have! My osteopath has told me that I must do more walking - even if i don't enjoy it - at least 150 minutes per week. I was feeling quite pleased with myself because I have walked for nearly half an hour every day since Tuesday and now you have put me to shame! Only joking - I admire your plans greatly and only wish that I could find some form of exercise that I actually enjoy. I'm 69 now so it is unlikely at my time of life but I live in hope!

Good luck with your schedule and keep reporting in here so that I can admire your achievements from afar.

Hi @Sassy1! It's good to see you! I hope you are recovering well. Good luck with your challenge. It seems like you have a lot of motivation to reach your goals!

@StowgateResident - I don't think it's too late to find an exercise you enjoy, if you really get out there and try a bunch. Do you have anyone you can walk or exercise with? I always think that helps. As you know, I love walking. But I like to find nice places to do it. When I was in Canada there was a great trail along the Ottawa River. I also like to listen to something when I walk..music, audiobook, or podcast. Or maybe you need a purpose. Is there some place you could walk TO? Then you might not feel so much like it's exercise. Anyway, just some thoughts.

Sorry to hijack your thread Sassy1! I'm looking forward to following your progress on your challenge!

An aggressive (and re-invigorating) plan! Distance? Trail or road? (Will you need shoulder pads ala Roller Derby???)

Thanks everyone for your comments and support.

@Margotsylvia, I have been in awe of your determination to lose weight and how you have stuck to your plan. A fraction of your resolve would be wonderful. I also have done a lot of eating out of mainly boredom in the last seven weeks. As we all know, for most it is so easy to put on weight, and much harder to lose it.

@Cblasz, I always welcome discussion about exercise - or anything - so I don't consider my thread hijacked at all

@Stowgateresident, I find it hard to imagine not liking walking! I agree with cblasz' comments and suggestions. I live near lots of forest, and even walking around the block is pleasant. I can't remember if you have a dog (presumably not??) - but that is a good way to have a purpose for exercising. Walking with a friend is great - you can do all your catching up while being productive!! Incidental walking is very beneficial too - look for ways to walk a bit further in your everyday activities (eg park as far from the shops as you can manage). But with exercise, it helps enormously to find something you do enjoy - whether it be cycling, swimming, dancing, exercise class, tai chi, Pilates, etc etc.

@ADFnFuel, the trek is trail walking, though it is possible some of the track may allow vehicular traffic (I haven't checked). Each day we walk up up up then down down down - I think the biggest daily climb elevation is 2000m. We get transported from "mountain" base to mountain base, so we do go around the full circuit, but only walk the ups and downs. 12-20km for 6 consecutive days, about 6-7 hours of walking each day.

I managed the fast day yesterday by not eating until supper time! It was book club, and I knew I would find it hard to resist all the home made goodies. These were all savoury, so that was helpful.

I must admit I am looking forward to food today. I am hungry already, but will walk the dogs first.

Thanks again for your support, best wishes to all!

If my experience is any indication, I'd suggest a fanny/hip pack for water and goodies then instead of a shoulder pack which will irritate that collar bone. An integrated water bottle at a ~45 degree angle to the waist line works best if there's any running at all, otherwise a bottle at each end works well.

Thanks for the suggestion, ADFnFuel Certainly ideas to consider.

I have a distal fracture, so fortunately the shoulder straps of my backpack don't seem to put too much pressure on the fracture. I am practicing with a normal backpack, weighing about 4kg including contents, which seems okay - mind you, I have only walked for 2 hours so far... We are expected to carry 8kg, as we have to take layers and wet weather gear as well as food and water (2-3 litres). But my OH has bought a 12kg pack and is practising with that... Lovely man!

I did manage to defer brekkie until after walking the dogs this morning, and was going to try not to eat til lunchtime, but I was just too hungry! Ended up having quite a lot eat this morning - but I did feel I was responding to genuine hunger - and I am happy about the food choices I made. I wonder how the rest of the day will go - I am still feeling hungry....

One week down! I am happy with the week:

- exercise program on track: managed one 3 hour 14km walk with a few shortish uphills, several 2 hour walks, and a couple of 1 hour walks; 45 min dog walk most days; 40 min on exercise bike twice.

- one 5:2 fast day, one BSD fast day, and one light (1000cal) day.

- no sugary foods after dinner, apart from one Kool mint which I find works wonders for satisfying my need for something sweet and seems to stop the general evening "hunger" too.

- no overeating.

I have kept myself pretty busy and reasonably productive too. Have returned to painting classes, choir and Tai Chi as well.

Not sure what the impact has been on my body fat, I can't notice any change yet. But I do feel better for not overeating!

My resolve has been good. Let's hope it can continue!

Great job!

I didn't have the best start to my second challenge week... After a late night Friday followed by not much sleep, I woke up feeling terrible. I had intended for it to be a fast day, but soon decided that that would be too much stress for my body. Eating, in fact - and perhaps unfortunately - was the only activity that tempered my feeling of "unwellness". So I did end up consuming about 1000 cals more than I expect I needed. Also, I had intended to do a longish walk, but I only went on a couple of short ones - though at least I did manage to get the weekly houseclean done! And it was a miserable weather day to boot.

But I did go to bed early, and had almost 9 hours sleep. What a difference that made! I felt normal again, helped by the sun coming out mid morning. So I have been on a three hour walk this morning, incorporating a reasonably steep hill for the first time in ages. I did have to stop a couple of times, but overall managed it okay, and I don't feel too worn out. And so far today I have only eaten a small piece of a protein bar - I thought I should have a little energy boost before embarking on the hill (which took 25 mins to climb). I will aim to make this a light day, might even manage to keep it to a BSD fast day - will see how it goes. At the moment I don't feel hungry - if I did, I don't think I could resist food...

Great job!

Hey, just think how easy it would be to stay on the trail if we were to join the Mt Blanc trip! Just start early, then do what you can to stay within sight of her dust cloud after she zooms by!

Not too much zooming from me yet! Where once I would reach the top of the hill before my OH, now he has to wait for me. But at least I am improving.

I did manage to stick to a light day yesterday, so am pleased about that.

Good luck @Sassy1! I hope it will get easier to walk for long stretches but you’ve got an amazing trip to look forward to. I had book club the other night and broke my fast with delicious cheese and fresh dates... The weather should soon start to improve so that might make it easier, plus the habit of fasts too.

Thanks @wmr309!

Apologies for the late reply - as I think I mentioned elsewhere, I don't have as much time for Internet related activities of late.

This is partly because of the amount of walking I am doing. That part of my challenge is going very well.

I am pleased to say my walking pace is increasing and I am managing to get about 5 days a week with 3-4 hours walking each day. Yesterday I did a 20km walk which probably took 4.5 hours - bit hard to work out the actual walking time, a lot of that walk was with a group (lots of stopping!). I am doing a few more hills too.

We have had an amazing number of nice days for winter, which has made walking such a pleasure - as well as some very windy ones. Global warming...?? Nothing too wet yet, though I do need to do some walks in the rain to check out the gear.

My food management is perhaps not going so well. Since that first week I have not managed any fast days. So I decided that while I am doing so much walking, I will eat as my body demands on walking days, but try to have lighter days if not doing much exercise. That isn't proving all that easy either, as the day after a big walk I can feel pretty hungry. So it is now more a case of trying not to overeat or eat if not hungry.