The FastDay Forum

A year ago I had resigned myself to being overweight for the rest of my life. I had accepted that I was no longer a size 14 as I was buying more and more size 16's. I was also pretty down on myself in general.

In a year I have lost over 2 stone and have kept if off for a while. I feel so much better physically and mentally. I have quite a few size 12's and most of the size 16's have gone to the charity shop. I have more confidence and can stand up for myself a little better. I can also shrug my shoulders to things where before I would take them personally.

I've still got quite a way to go yet. My non fasting day eating habits still need to change. I would like to lose another 10-14lbs and I need to learn to laugh more.

Hi Callyanna, you always start great threads. I loved reading everyone's story of 2013.

This time last year we had not long returned from a holiday in Oman. It was very nice, but it was a time for serious reflection about 2013. I don't know how overweight I was then, but I would estimate probably more than 20lb's than I am now. I know this because I refused to be in any of the photo's and there is only one of me (wrapped up in a hijab and baggy clothing just before I went into the mosque in Muscat). Which meant you didn't really see too much of me.

I was overwrought with stress from work, bloated and continually crash dieting. In fact I recall that this time last year I was on the Lemonade Diet.

It was in Oman that I decided to quit my job which I did in February and I was so exhausted when I stopped, my body let out a huge sigh of relief and I ended up contracting pleurisy, my immune system was so low.

Over the summer. I learned how to sail, use my camera properly, grew lots of veggie's for the first time and met some wonderful people (and crazy ones too). I spent alot of time staring at a mountain in Mallorca and wondering about the future.

I didn't start 5:2 until August, although I played with the idea from April and had a go at ADF for a while. I'm now around 20lb's lower, have some wonderful new forum friends and looking forward to 2014 with great confidence. A bit like @Sue.Q, just writing this is making me quite emotional because I realise how fortunate I am. I have my life back and I intend to hang onto it and all of you lot through 2014.

Happy holidays to everyone and here is to a fabulous 2014

A year ago I was suffering a winter of repeated infections and problems with asthma. As a consequence I had put on a stone and none of my clothes fitted. I had a colleague who was doing well on this WOE, but it was April before the thought of having to buy size 20 summer trousers, and size 22 tops, finally spurred me to try it. Now I am buying size 16 trousers, and 18 tops, and feeling much healthier as well. And I can now indulge in my favourite hobby of baking, which I had given up as I wouldn't allow myself to eat cakes. Lemon and Orange Battenburg in the oven as I type, which is actually a gift for a friend!

A year ago I hadn't considered trying to lose weight, I was a size 18 and growing. I didn't think it mattered, it was three years to my 70th birthday and everyone in my family was very wide at that age. I'm now a comfortable size 14 and walking with head held high and not slouching any more - but best of all, I found this forum.
I'm no longer mentally alone in my sad little world, with your inspiration and encouragement I realise that I'm part of something special, this like minded group of kind, wonderful people all ready to help each other out. I'm so lucky.

I wonder what 2014 will bring?

I'm afraid my story isn't so interesting, but this time last year I was fed up of not wanting to go out to social occasions as I never felt like I could find anything to wear that made me feel good.

But I suppose my story starts two years ago when I got down to 12.4 by being a dukaner, we went on a massive holiday to visit friends and family in Hong Kong, Xmas in New Zealand and then new year in Brisbane. My usual profile pic was taken on that New Year's Eve, I was so happy. I didn't maintain any form of eating discipline after that holiday as dukan is impossible to maintain long term. I started to eat clean and to be honest I wanted to be like my younger sister who is very very lean.

I began to feel like I'd failed myself and didn't love myself as much as I should have, my kids are growing up and as I've said before "I started to take back ownership of myself". A teacher colleague of mine mentioned 5.2 I looked it up and that was it, I started just over 6 months ago. Didn't do it properly at first then I got the jist of what it really meant and now here I am 13 lb lighter, it was only yesterday that the penny dropped that I'd nearly lost a stone. It would have been nice but I'm not greedy.

A year ago I'd been following 5:2 for nearly 8 weeks and had already lost 8kg so was pretty pleased with myself. However, I certainly could not believe back then that I would ever approach a normal BMI, yet today I saw a number on the scales that I haven't seen for over 25 years...one that begins with a 6...yes 69.9kg, just 2kg to go to reach a normal BMI ! I never dreamed last Christmas that I had embarked on something that would so completely turn my life around.

Like others posting here before I heard about 5:2 I had resigned myself for a decline into worsening health and an early grave but, thanks to Dr Moseley's programme and the continued enthusiasm engendered by contact with all you lovely forumites , I am now looking forward to a healthy future. I've dropped from a size 20 to a size 10, lost 35kg in weight, waist has gone from 40-something inches to 29", blood pressure dropped from hypertensive to normal and I've come off the blood pressure tablets.

It really is like a miracle and even more miraculous is that I'm not just lucky...lots of other people are getting the same results!

In 2014 I'm looking forward to reaching a normal BMI, but most of all to welcoming more and more people to the intermittent fasting way of life via this forum and watching more and more people having similar success.

By the way if any of you posting here have not entered your stats on the final weigh-in thread for 2013, shame on you and get over there now and get posting! Here's the link: topic10035.html

WOWZER! I've been out for a couple of hours and have come back to read some of the most inspiring, heartfelt posts ever. Some of your stories and journeys have me close to tears, no matter how little or how much weight we've shifted this year I think we are all firm advocates of this WOL and will hopefully all continue into 2014 to even better things.
Thank you all my lovely friends, think a group hug is more than called for!

This time last year, I was four and a half stone heavier, in the obese BMI category and wearing size 20 clothes. Now I am in the normal BMI category and wearing size 12 clothes, looking and feeling better than I have in 25 years. Sometimes I almost can't believe what I have achieved this year. And the best thing is, that I finally feel in control of food and can enjoy having 'naughty' things without worrying about putting weight back on.

Wow, I'm quite emotional reading peoples stories. I guess we are all in the same boat which really helps me to keep going, especially as I haven't lost any weight since August.

@rawkaren Last year when I turn 45 I decided that if my girls can sail then so can I so with an awful lot of support and help I learned how to sail (dinghy class) which means me wearing a wet suit - beached whale! I started in a Wayfarer and now enjoy going single handed in a Topper. What do you sail in? I'd love to crew in a cruiser at their races but I fear that I will be green and hanging over the side! I love spending Sundays in the summertime with the girls in the water. Something else that has helped me with my self esteem.

wildmissus wrote: Wow, I'm quite emotional reading peoples stories. I guess we are all in the same boat which really helps me to keep going, especially as I haven't lost any weight since August.

@rawkaren Last year when I turn 45 I decided that if my girls can sail then so can I so with an awful lot of support and help I learned how to sail (dinghy class) which means me wearing a wet suit - beached whale! I started in a Wayfarer and now enjoy going single handed in a Topper. What do you sail in? I'd love to crew in a cruiser at their races but I fear that I will be green and hanging over the side! I love spending Sundays in the summertime with the girls in the water. Something else that has helped me with my self esteem.

Wow a Topper! Well I'd like to say I'm as proficient as you but that is just not the case as I 'cheated'. The bug started out a few years ago when a friend of mine entered us into a yacht race off Brighton and we came 4th even though I got hit on the head by the jib a few times. However now I'm getting on a bit I thought that yachts were too challenging for me so I learned in a powerboat (Fairline). It's alot easier having a few engines to help you along (and berthing especially), so that's how I cheated.

Unfortunately I'm not rich enough to have a boat like that but it was a complete blast and I needed to get it out of my system and it helped with my recovery. I did get my RYA day skippers license though so I can charter anywhere in the world. I just have to save up now for day chartering, but if you can get a whole load of mates together to chip in, its not too bad

This time last year, I had been on a low calorie diet for about 4 months, and had maybe lost a stone. I was facing a Christmas of guilt and self-loathing for eating ANYTHING. I had heard about 5:2 from my uncle but thought it was crazy and sounded like the beginning of an eating disorder (how wrong was I!) I hated myself, I had no shape to my body, well...round is a shape. Now...I'm 4.5 stone (almost) lighter than when I started any dieting, I have a waist! and hips! granted I have a long way to go, but I know 2014 will be amazing, and hopefully soon bring the pitter patter of tiny feet

A year ago I was in a pretty dark place, having just moved house and registered with a new doctor to find my bp was 160/105. I weighed in at 92.7 kg at the GPs but I'd definitely seen 15st on the scale just before then...

I sat at my sister's house saying "I'm going on a diet"...

It's now not a diet, it's a way of life I'm entirely comfortable with. I eat full-fat and lower carb and I'm pretty fit, having taken up coached exercise in Feb. I suspect I'd be much lighter without the strength and conditioning but I'm healthy and fit, with a much better shape.

Off to a wedding tomorrow night in a size 12-14 dress, which is much improved from the size 20 of a year ago. However, for me this isn't about size or scale weight, it's about being fit, healthy and having hope for the future!

So happy! Oh and the bp is normal now...

A year ago I was heavier than I'd ever been, and actually self-conscious about being naked in front of my husband. Sometime in early 2013 I weighed myself to discover that I'd crossed into the overweight BMI category. Since the BMI scale is generous with short folk, I know I'd been quite overweight for a long time, but that certainly was a last straw moment.

Then, in mid March, I read about 5:2 in the NYTimes. Reading the article was like an epiphany. I knew immediately that this was going to work for me, and furthermore that it was life-changing. And it was.

For me 2014 will be the year to get fit - I'm now reasonably slim but very, very far from "in shape", and to learn how to maintain.

I wish that every overweight person in the world could just read this thread.

13kgs and 11months ago I was an unhappy person facing retrenchment. I knew I would mope, sit around and eat and I was already my heaviest with health conditions which scare me. So I had to do something. Came across 5:2 thank goodness and then the forum came along at the beginning of my slow down and while my losses have been glacial, at least I maintain my initial (for me) fantastic weight loss.

Thank you, MM, Moogie and mods and fellow forumites past and present for your inspiration. 2014 is the year I get into a health BMI range all going to plan.

Yes, I feel emotional reading all your stories too. Wow! I am so pleased that you have all done so well in this past year with weight loss, confidence and self esteem.

A year ago for me I was just in the overweight BMI range and having always been tiny and never needing to diet I was at a loss to know what to do about it, I had steadily been piling on the lbs for years. I wasn't really that bothered, I was a 10 bottoms and a 12 - 14 top, all my clothes were too tight and my tummy too wobbly as were my upper arms. I didn't like that sleeves were becoming too tight so SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE. I found out about. 5:2 when I saw the book, must have been last Easter because I started on 1st April. Now a lot of my size 10 bottoms are slightly too big, my 12 tops are just right, the 14's are too big but my tummy and arms are still in need of a loss. I feel so fortunate that 2013 brought me lots of inspirational friends and a weight loss of 18lbs so far and have never had to go without.