Starting on Monday - anyone want to be my buddy?

[SpanielFace]

I'm planning on starting next week - it's my birthday on Thursday so want to wait until after then!

I'm 32, 5'7 and have about 5 stone to lose. I have a 10 month old DS and I have recently been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid gland, which slows the metabolism and makes it harder to lose weight - I started treatment 2 weeks ago and am already feeling much better, so I'm hoping to find losing weight a bit easier. 2 stone of this weight has been gained since having DS, which I feel ashamed about, but have been feeling exhausted and depressed (due mostly to the thyroid, it turns out) and have compensated by comfort eating.

I really hope this will be a solution to 8 years of yo-yo dieting, which have taken me from a size 10 to a size 18 A little nervous of the hunger, but I know it won't kill me.

Does anyone want to be my buddy, for a bit of mutual support?

[crazy8]

Hi. Just wondered if anyone had advice regarding this diet. It is week three on the 5/2 diet and although I initially lost weight it seems I am putting it back on!! Where am I going wrong?

[Curioustiger]

crazy are you weighing yourself at the same time every week?

[SpanielFace]

Hi Butter, That's really why I started this - I found the main thread a bit confusing & intimidating, and couldn't work out who was who. Good luck in your first week!

[SpanielFace]

Crazy, the main thread might be better for answers as we're all newbies! But my initial thoughts would be - are you weighing yourself at the same time each week (and not directly after a FD one week and after a NFD the next)? Are you definitely sticking to 500 cals on FD

[AphraBehn]

crazy I'm no expert but check that your daily TDEE reflects your correct activity level, that you are eating enough on NFDs and conversely, not overeating.

The main thread will be able to give you more advice though.

[crazy8]

Thanks for the advice. I will read the main thread and also check my TDEE. I have to be honest, I have been weighing myself everyday and the panicking. Will start weighing on the same day from now on.

[butterandcrumpets]

Crazy, I am finding it hard to resist to weigh myself all the time too. I have now set a weigh in day - only once a week on Saturday mornings.

[PeasandCucumbers]

Hello everyone, do you mind if I jump on too?

Had my first FD today and think I have done OK assuming I don't eat anything else. I was up to 490 cals then had 6 cherries which I don't know the cal value off but am hoping they can't have taken me too much over!!

Bit annoyed with myself as I didn't actually weigh myself this morning and don't want to do it tomorrow as I don't think it will be accurate. I have weighed myself fairly recently so am going to take that as my starting point. I am hoping to resist the temptation to weigh and only do it once a fortnight in the hope of seeing bigger numbers.

My hunger levels seem to have really fluctuated today and this morning I didn't think I would make it so quite chuffed that I have

Everyone seems to doing really well and actually sticking to it and it is nice to hear that some people think the FD's get a little easier!!!

Looking forward to eating normally tomorrow!!

[Wearytiger]

The fast days get loads easier peas. I personally try to eat as late in the day as possible now and definitely skip breakfast. I don't generally find them hard as long as I'm an environment where I'm in control ie not watching everyone else eat at a restaurant or something like that. Good luck!

[butterandcrumpets]

FD went well I think. Had a snack at about 4pm and dinner with dh at 7.30. What I find hardest at the moment is that I am not particularly busy during the day (teacher on holiday, no dc, husband working) so the temptation to pick is big. Especially when cooking. Has anyone got any tips? How do I stop tasting every 5 minutes?

[Wearytiger]

Cook something you don't like! I made my son a dish with mushrooms the other day for that reason - I hate mushrooms!

[butterandcrumpets]

Now that would work

[Wearytiger]

Fasted again today. It went pretty well and I probably ended up eating about 515 calories (myfitnesspal is really amazing, I would be lost without it!) I was a bit annoyed though that through lack of planning the only food I could get for my one and only meal was a packaged sandwich from a garage forecourt though. I'm not a fan of sandwiches in general so was not a happy bunny!

[butterandcrumpets]

Oh no, tiger, that doesn't sound too nice. I meticulously plan my main meal for FDs as otherwise I panic . Finding fasting a little hard today so have given up on the idea of a full fast and had a lunchtime snack of houmous and celery to keep me going. Still leaves me 380 cal for my evening meal. Chilli crusted fish with green beans. Yum.

[AphraBehn]

Another successful FD yesterday, tea and Bovril during the day and then dinner around 6pm of Italian seasoned pork chop and veg. I'm not a huge fan of pork though and wish I'd cooked myself some fish instead. Next FD tomorrow, haven't done 2 close together before.

[Wearytiger]

I'm fasting again today. OK so far. I am about to go and choose myself a delicious sub-500 calorie dinner to avoid the sandwich fiasco of last time! Good luck for tomorrow Aphra. It feels as if we've got the hang of it now and perhaps it will be more about keeping to the discipline of having the fast days, rather than struggling through the fast days themselves ( I hope).

[AphraBehn]

I think that's exactly it wearytiger. I could be more disciplined on NFDs as I don't calorie count at all but I am making better choices and recognising the full feeling. If I can stick to the 2 fast days each week then I am happy with a moderate weight loss in return for the ease of this method.

Having said that, going for a 5k run and then a blood test today, before breaking my fast was a bad idea. I have no energy today and may have to nap.

[Wearytiger]

Fasted yesterday as per earlier message. Annoyingly I picked up a bottle of volvox strawberry flavoured water thinking it would be zero calorie - no 50 calories! For nothing! I still came in under 500 but won't be doing that again.

[Wearytiger]

How did you get on aphra? Sounds like a busy day.

[SpanielFace]

Hi all, sorry I've been quiet. I've not fasted at all this week. It's been a difficult week - my back, which has been playing up for a few weeks, suddenly got a lot worse. GP sent me for an MRI (waiting for results), but Physio thinks its all to do with the SPD I had during pregnancy. No one has said it, but I'm sure being 4-5 stone overweight isn't helping. Can't wait to be slimmer & start to feel a bit better.

Anyway, DM has been over every day to help out with DS, and fasting has just been impossible. My back is slowly improving (although Physio says no quick fixes as it's to do with muscle weakness), but hopefully I'll be back on track on Monday.

I hope everyone's had a good week, and hi to all the new people!

[Wearytiger]

Oh spaniel... That sounds rough. What days are you planning to fast next week? We can nudge you a little bit in support if that helps?

[butterandcrumpets]

Spaniel, I hope you see improvements soon! I used to have back issues and it really is a pain (well, literally). Gentle nudge from me to, if you want it.

FD today and it's going well. Only calories counted so far are 100ml of skimmed milk for my morning coffees. It's my weigh in day tomorrow and I am wondering whether I have lost weight. It's only been one week so if not it's no drama I suppose. I do fell better, less bloated etc.

[PeasandCucumbers]

My second FD today and so far so good. I had planned to fast yesterday but caved around lunchtime!! Am about to go and watch my DS in a holiday club drama show then have an innocent veg pot for 311 cals ready for dinner after. I am at a wedding in Ireland at the end of next week so am planning on fasting Mon & Weds, hopefully that won't be too difficult only having one normal day in between!

Thanks for the heads up re the water Weary, I would have been so cross with myself, who would have thought a bottle of water could be 50 cals!!

[SpanielFace]

Thanks A gentle nudge could be good! I'm planning on fasting on Monday & Thursday next week - anyone else the same?

[Wearytiger]

Definitely me on Monday... Get it out of the way early! So spaniel I will gently nudge you in the morning, try and sign in. And you can do the same for me when I waver!

Hope your back feels better soon, it must be miserable with your DS needing a lot of your time as well. I sometimes look back on how 'good' it was to be ill when I didn't have children in a really self pitying way... I realise that's ridiculous!