The FastDay Forum

Good to hear that everyone seems to be doing mainly okay. As for me, I wonder if maybe I should withdraw from this challenge... I have not been able to eat as I would like since returning from holiday, several possible reasons, but I am not finding a solution. The "commitment" idea that did resonate is not helping now. Maybe - and hopefully - I just need to give myself a bit more time to settle back into a normal routine? But I do wonder if I am stuck with my struggle with evening overeating "for ever". Sorry for being a sad sack!!

Hi there @Sassy1 - don't give up before you've even started - I agree . . just settle back into a normal routine and you will be fine in no time. You are one of our stronger and more resilient members !!!!!!

142 lb and BMI 25.9 and getting nearer normal weight range. Yesterday it was very hard to start the FD, but eventually it was fairly easy. It feels very good now facing the weekend. It encourages to continue to myös goal, still 6 kg to go.

Oh I agree@sassy1
Please stay with us! We'll help you get back on track. We're not looking for perfection, just progress!

@Sassy1 - I'm sorry to hear you are struggling. I do have a couple of thoughts. 1) Do you want to give up your nightly snacking and 2) do you need to? You say that you eat pretty healthily in general and it doesn't seem to be causing you to gain weight, so maybe it's not that big a deal and you should stop stressing over it. Maybe trying not to do it, is making it worse.

On the other hand if it really is something you want or need to do, then you probably need to come up with some strategies to help you. Unfortunately, sometimes just saying you are going to do something, no matter how committed you are, still isn't enough. I do think the book I mentioned a few posts back might be helpful (she also has a podcast that talks about habits among other things that I very much enjoy, which you can find at: http://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/) or I'm sure there are other books that might help as well. I think you've gotten some suggestions here before, and some thoughts I have are: brush your teeth after dinner, drink a cup o tea, do a puzzle or something that will engage your hands and mind, go to bed earlier. But, you probably need to come up with your own. Good luck with however you decide to proceed!

I am still in Florida and having a nice, relaxing visit with my family. I was proud of myself because I took my niece to her first day of kindergarten yesterday and afterwards walked over to the Dunkin' Donuts to wait for my father to pick me up. I totally was open to having a donut, even though that's obviously not something I should be eating and it was well before my eating window started, but it turned out I didn't even want one!! I got myself an iced tea and that was enough!

On the other hand, I caught myself falling into a familiar pattern that I have. In 2 weeks I go back to both of my jobs and life will be chaotic. It will also though be more structured as far as my eating habits go. But, in those 2 weeks I have a lot of social plans crammed in. I started to think of all of the "bad" food that I wanted to eat before school started again and I would get back on track. This is something I've done over many years and it's so detrimental. It just means that I will have more weight to lose when I'm "ready" to start again. So, I hope that by catching myself, I can avoid this. I don't expect to be perfect, but I don't have to eat every imaginable "bad" food in the next 2 weeks!

Sassy1 wrote: Good to hear that everyone seems to be doing mainly okay. As for me, I wonder if maybe I should withdraw from this challenge... I have not been able to eat as I would like since returning from holiday, several possible reasons, but I am not finding a solution. The "commitment" idea that did resonate is not helping now. Maybe - and hopefully - I just need to give myself a bit more time to settle back into a normal routine? But I do wonder if I am stuck with my struggle with evening overeating "for ever". Sorry for being a sad sack!!

@Sassy1 Can you get your hands on Amanda Sainsbury-Salis' books? When I'm having a real serious problem like that, I turn back to the titles that help inspire me to better habits. Included in that list is also the 5:2 book by Dr. M and "French Women Don't Get Fat"

I can take you off the challenge if you really really want, but is that what you actually want?

Hey, we all struggle. Sometimes it's harder than others. But I know you can do this.

@Cblasz -- I hear you on that. "well I only have it once a year" or "it's a special occasion". What I've been trying to tell myself is there *is* a middle ground. I can have a little bit, or a taste. I don't have to have an enormous serving or three of that special thing I only have once a year. And I can also choose to make better choices during the day so that the *whatever* isn't as decimating. It's great you're choosing to get a handle on it so you are in a better place weight wise when school starts.

I've behaved very well this week and I'm proud of myself. Our son is having a Dungeons and Dragons game night today, and we're ordering pizza for the boys. I'm making a low carb "fat head pizza" for us.

Tomorrow I'm having a reward of french fries! but just a small portion.

Hey, @Sassy1, sorry to hear you are going through a tough time at present. You are both strong and wise (sorry to sound like a mystic sage) and will be able to get through this. You serve good advice here (although you will never convince me not to weigh daily ha!) so if you listen to your own advice you will overcome this tough time. Challenge schmallenge. Skip this one if you want. I skipped the last one. Just don't go crazy and then come back. I think you'll probably stick with it though.

My first challenge report in and this week's average weight was 99.3kg (218.9 lbs). That's down 1.8 lbs since last week which was an unexpected big jump. Yay.
Total lost so far on the challenge is 3lb 12oz.

Thank you for your comments, support and suggestions @lovemyparrot, @nycnyc2013, @cblasz, @Tracieknits, @fat_teacher - much appreciated.

I don't think I have much to say that I haven't already said before in a post somewhere...

Cblasz makes a valid point about whether I do really want to stop the evening eating. Although ideally I don't want to eat food as a reward (or for comfort) I am not sure if I can change my "need" to do this. I have read books and articles related to this subject and although the suggestions and approaches make sense, I am unable to stick with these longer term. I will have a look at the book you suggest though - it may have some new ideas that will resonate with me.

My "fear" is that I will gradual regain (all) the lost weight, as a result of evening (over)eating. I am already at least several kilos heavier than my lowest weight achieved via 5:2, as judged by how clothes fit. Having said that, I am sure I am still in a healthy weight range, and don't have any health issues that mean I need to lose weight. But I don't want to put on any more...

The advice to "stop worrying about it" is probably exactly what I should do! The main negative for me for having followed the 5:2 "diet" and losing a significant amount of weight - after hardly ever dieting as an adult and certainly rarely stepping on scales - is that I think about eating related issues a lot of the time, which I never did before. I just accepted myself as I was, whatever weight I was, and ate as I pleased without thinking about whether or not I should have any particular food. But I do like being slimmer, as I am now, and do want to stay that way!

I know I don't want to give up any foods and I do still want to eat for the pleasure that a whole range of foods gives me, even though I know that maybe some foods are better not eaten (though I do also believe that moderation does play a part - most healthy people eat foods that "ideally" we shouldn't).

Anyhow... Thanks once again for your thoughts, and best wishes to you all.

Well, the scale is up a bit, which is not really surprising since I was away last week and didn't really eat normally and I did have pizza last night! It wasn't too bad and I will try to do better this week! I spent a lot of time yesterday planning for what I will eat once I go back to work. I think once I do, I'll be able to do much better!

@sassy1 - you know yourself best! I do agree that obsessing isn't good. If you're a healthy weight, you should be able to eat everything in moderation. The key word, of course, is moderation. As long as you aren't gaining, you're nailing it!

@Fat_Teacher -- CONGRATULATIONS!! boy you got that one early Well done!

I'm doing reasonably well. I stuck to very low carb (30g or fewer) for five days last week. I was under 50g for one of the days, and then I was supposed to have mini splurges on both Saturday and Sunday. Well Saturday afternoon, after my mini splurge of about 25g carbs worth of French Fries at lunch, we got a call that the family get together for Sunday was moved to Saturday due to a funeral. Ooops, I think I had about 80g carbs on Saturday. not the end of the world, and fewer than I would have had otherwise. But still more than planned. I was proud of myself for getting back on track yesterday and I don't see anything stopping me from staying on plan this week.

Not stepping on the scale today, because hormones and Saturday's carb fest. I think a couple of days behaving should right things.

Wow @Tracieknits!! Look how far you have come with adopting a low carb diet. So far that you are calling 105 g of carbs a carb fest!!!! Good for you! I hope it pays off when you do finally jump on the scale!!

Hi all, I'm going well so far. I missed my challenge target last month so I set a target I was fairly sure I should be able to make this month: 3.5 pounds to lose. As of last Saturday I was 3.25lb down!! My whole diet plan has me losing 14 pounds in 14 weeks before I go on holiday - Saturday was 8 weeks in & 9.25lbs down so I'm really happy. Just got to keep this up.

Just!

Hello,
Checking in! I had a terrible weekend, lots of stress and a funeral with lots of alcohol and carbs. I did manage to stay away from the sugar and desserts so at least there is that. It's interesting how the stress and strong emotions are what makes it hardest for me to stay on track.
I've been staying low carb, grain and sugar free since I got back and my weight is where it was when I left so that's good! I didn't weigh in between even though I usually weigh everyday. I have plans tonight, but I should be ok, and tomorrow I'll fast.
Cheers