The FastDay Forum

Here is my message...I did this last year and really struggled( see many complaining posts of mine) but eventually lost those last few kilos
Then I gave it all up and after about 8 months was back to square one
Anyway I have been trying ago in for a few weeks and the exact same pattern as last year is happening
Fast,lost weight
Eat put back almost all
Fast lose
Eat gain back
So the loss is minimal
But last time after 6 weeks ...suddenly I was down
And then down again after a few more weeks
So message:
Stick to it
Thanks to all for listening to my complaining and giving me support

Absolutely, Sarahg. Persistence is the key. Also what't the alternative? Dieting? Not for me. I spend long periods of time not losing weight, but not putting it on. And then out of the blue, I lose weight. I have now been doing it for 15 months, religiously fasting twice a week and I have gone down 2 sizes in pants and I feel so much happier. I am still overweight, but it doesn't matter because eventually , I might get to that magic BMI of under 25 and in the mean time, I'm leading a very satisfying life. I enjoy food and manage fasting more and more easily. If I stopped, I know I would quickly put back on all the weight I have lost.

That's what I keep telling myself.i wish I had not given it all up last year. good for you sticking to it all these months.this has to be a way of life ,not a new diet,quick fix.

[carieoates]

So glad to see a positive message sarahg.
We've a few newbies about so let's give them a special warm welcome and we can show them that it's not all easy going but we've all learnt so much about food, nutrition, and ourselves. Enjoying good food and eating when hungry rather than habit.

[wildmissus]

I couldn't agree more. I've been doing this a long time - 19 months and still not reached my target weight but it doesn't matter because I've lost a lot of weight and kept it off. And what about the health benefits - no more aches and pains and I don't think I've even had a cold since I started fasting. Patience and persistence is definitely the key. I'm off for a fortnights holiday next week and my plan is that I have no plan, just being mindful and enjoy! When I'm back I'll jump on the scales, take it on the chin and get straight back to fasting.

Thanks for your post Sarah. I am six months into fasting - almost at goal but now getting their very slowly but that's fine. You are right Sarah it is a way of life. While some people take a short break for holidays I see they are straight back into fasting on return. My advice is embrace the future and leave your disappointment of previously giving up behind you. Good luck Sarah and let us know how you get on. It's good to stay in touch.

Wildmissus,I went on a three week holiday( in fact to your part of the world) I ate healthily ,drank a bit of red wine,tasted dessert and came back without gaining anything.my problem started when I didn't get straight back into fasting ,just let it all go.so have a lovely holiday ,enjoy and come straight back to fasting.

Absolutely, Sarahg. Persistence is the key. Also what't the alternative? Dieting? Not for me. I spend long periods of time not losing weight, but not putting it on. And then out of the blue, I lose weight. I have now been doing it for 15 months, religiously fasting twice a week and I have gone down 2 sizes in pants and I feel so much happier. I am still overweight, but it doesn't matter because eventually , I might get to that magic BMI of under 25 and in the mean time, I'm leading a very satisfying life. I enjoy food and manage fasting more and more easily. If I stopped, I know I would quickly put back on all the weight I have lost.

Whats @Sallyosaid!

wow Sallyo, your graph looks like mine.. the key is the purple line i say as its down down down.

and as you say you will get to the under 25 BMI in the near future.

I agree with everything everyone has said - I've been doing this for over a year now and have lost a fair amount of weight, but it hasn't been without its ups and downs and it is very slow now BUT I have stuck with it because this does work and it's not a diet - just how I eat now. It has given me control over how and what I eat, whilst allowing me to lose weight and still enjoy what I eat - meals out, treats etc. Plus the advice and info from this forum is invaluable - reading others' experiences and learning from that has really helped me. I have learned it is possible to go on holiday, have a good time, inevitably put weight on (!), but nowadays I can come back and get back into fasting, knowing that it will come off again, however slowly. Am really happy to have found this WOE

i completely agree with everyone. It has to be a way of life for me as I have the kind of body that likes to hold on to fat unless I exert a little bit of control over it, but this gives me the flexibility to enjoy myself on my feast AND fast days.
I went on holiday last week to an all inclusive resort and didn't give a thought to what I was eating (a lot) and drinking (a lot!) including lots of yummy cocktails that were calorie laden. I came back 5 pounds heavier after just a week! But I didn't stress as I knew that some of that was water weight and some was 'excess baggage' shall we say, but that I would be able to get it off with a couple of fasts, and today (2 fasts later) I'm back to my pre holiday weight...........So....Wildmissus, go and ENJOY your holiday!! x

Hi @Sarahg glad to see getting serious again, i well remember your struggles so it is nice to see you posting in a more positive frame of mind. An eating window has become such a way of life to me now that even on holidays I never seem to break my window, it does sometimes get stretched to its limits but almost never broken. I'm very uncomfortable, physically, if I over eat nowadays as I seem to naturally self limit which is a fantastic side effect for me. We seem to have been on a world tour of Europe this year with fabulous breaks and holidays with family, friends or just the two of us and have indulged in all sorts of lovely things, pasta, tapas, morning rolls and beer. Next up will be croissants and wine, not necessarily together although I would not rule it out! I cannot imagine ever living and eating in a different way, IF has certainly changed my life in ways I would not have believed. I wish everyone the same success but remember, as others have said, it is not a quick fix and I had more than the odd blip along the way but it was worth persevering as the health benefits alone are worth it and they seem to be fairly quick to show and lasting.

Ballerina x

Hi ballerina
Love hearing from you.sorry I have been such a moaning minny.
You motivate me so much.i have tried 16/8 but it doesn't work for me and I now like to have small piece of toast for breakfast and then often don't eat again til mid afternoon
Do you fast when you travel or just do 16/8?
We travel quite a lot but I found it very hard to fast when I was away.interestingly I never gain weight on holiday.probably cos we walk a lot and I eat two or three meals a day and never eat between meals .

To be honest, my routine does not change much when we are away and that is possibly because I am so comfortable with this way of life so why would I change it? I think that might be the key, find what works for you and just stick with it. 16/8 is not for everyone but have you considered having a non carb breakfast to prolong your fat burning? If you can delay eating carbs til at least lunchtime you may find this helps.

Ballerina x

Nice post Sarah. I'm coming up to a year next month and not lost very much at all - been up and down, yet religiously fasted one way or another. I can honestly say that if I had stopped, my gains this year would have been far bigger than it has been. I had one of those weeks last week where I had to eat out every single day (actually for 10 days), but stuck religiously to 16:8 and stayed stable weight wise.

However as @wildmissus has said, my bloods are normal, my BP is normal, I have no aches or pains anymore and no colds or illnesses. Sometimes we trot out here on the forum that this is a lifelong way of eating, and it truly is.

Hi.

Like many of you, I agree. I haven't posted for a few weeks because I was disappointed with myself. Weight has not gone down when I look at the scales (which I foolishly do daily) BUT I do use the Libra weight app which shows me a very slow downward trend. My fault for not losing as I have been researching a lot but not sticking to one theme, except at least 1 or 2 fast days a week and some random eating windows.

Anyway, I generally feel great, loads of energy and clothes do fit slightly better.

I love this forum, if not to contribute then to just read for inspiration.

Thanks to you all

Alex x