Has anyone been to a fasting clinic like Buchinger-Wilhelmi?

[Boobz]

www.buchinger-wilhelmi.com/

If so, what was it like, did you enjoy it and would you recommend it?

Very well done on sticking to that tough regime, Boobz and continuing to exercise so intensively
Fantastic experience, which must have improved the health markers you were targetting and also lost a LOT of weight in a short time.

Do post followups, particularly to let us know how things are going after a couple of weeks or a month, including how you feel and the weight, waist.

I've also found your mini blog interesting. Thanks very much for it.

Thanks all!

I haven't heard of Gerson but will look him up.

Went to Zurich airport and was soooo tempted by a mini pizza, but had an egg, ham and cheese salad. I did have a diet coke though, just to taste a drink other than water/ginger tea!

Thought you might like my skinny jeans before and after photos.

Still want to lose another couple of kg to get to my fighting weight, but generally super happy! Will report back in a month to let you know how I get on with converting my life to 5:2 (and 2 more weeks of no booze!)

Wow, well done you!

Well done, Boobz A visible difference and probably even more important internal benefits.
You are very welcome on the main IF / 5:2 thread, if you would like more company and daily support.

Hi Boobz. Well done and thanks for documenting that all. Very interesting. Like an earlier poster I've been looking at Vivamayr but Bodensee is better for me. Plus yours sounds so structured which I like the sound of. Were there many extras on top of the 2 week price? The reviews I read on Vivamyr seemed to suggest that not much was included and there was a lot of pressure to buy extras. So I wondered how much more I was likely to have to part with if I were able to ever go somewhere like that of course.

Hi Ernest - sorry for the slow reply. I bought the "compact" version which was the room and all food (what little of it there was) included for 14 days and 13 nights, which also had 250 euros per week of "extras" included, so I got just under 500 euros of massages, psychotherapy, facials etc., as well as the free schedule of yoga, meditation, walks and so on. Some weirder things weren't available to use within those vouchers, like ECG monitoring or blood tests etc., but all the pampering type stuff was.

The extra money on top I ended up spending was taxi to and from airport, a top I bought from the gift shop, an extra massage and I think some vitamin D tablets (which everyone seems to get prescribed at the end!)

I also got a few extra freebies because I went in the winter months and there were some building works happening as well, so got an extra 100 euros off the room for that reason. I think it's quite a bit more expensive in the summer months.

So I am about 5 weeks post getting back from the clinic and am 53.8kg, so a bit more than my final weigh in day, but less than a kilo over, so am very happy. I think this has been achieved by doing 5:2 but also because I have been upping my exercise massively - am doing between 25 miles running a week training for the Rome marathon, plus a couple of Insanitys and this is going to peak at 35 miles in a couple of weeks' time before the taper.

I would love to do this again in the summer, maybe in the Marbella location instead, but I fear time/money won't allow such an indulgence again!

I also have my first PET/CT scan since I was declared cancer free coming up in April, so fingers crossed that is still the case and the fasting helped zap any stray cancer cells...

Thanks Boobz. I guess you don't really know, but do you think it would also help with feeling generally run down, crap and exhausted?

I really want to go. I am sure I can sweet talk dh into agreeing, the only problem would be finding the time to do it Unless I could get time off work, I reckon I couldn't do it before next Easter or Pentecost, so over a year away

Anyway, I am so impressed about your running. Have you always run so much? How do you make yourself do it? Best of luck for the marathon.

Absolutely fingers and toes crossed for you for April for your tests x

Oh god yes I think it totally helps all of those things. A girl I was there with was there for those reasons - mainly through over working I think.

I was exhausted from chemo and Christmas with 3 small DC. The amount you reboot your mental and physical levels are incredible. You should get your GP to sign you off work if you can - waiting a year is too long when you need it now.

Defo get the psychotherapy - that mentally rejuvinated me and helped me get ready for going back to the chaos of kids and family/work/healthy life. And don't do any work whilst you are there - I miraculously managed not to open the work laptop even once whilst I was there, and it made a huge difference in clearing my head and being able to meditate and do yoga and just stare out onto Lake Constance and figure out The Meaning Of Life.

GO !

Hi boobz
Great to hear you are doing so well more than 5 weeks on, maintaining with 5:2 I see and exercising hard.
Enjoy the Rome Marathon and fingers crossed for good news in April

Ernest I suggest you check when the clinic has vacancies, say dates from now until start of the summer season. Then if your job allows you to be signed off by your GP for stress, just go.
Prioritise your physical and psychological heath.

Jut found this, boobz. Loved reading it (DCs have had chicken pox so been housebound for 3 weeks...had my first trip out solo since the tiny one was born. Had a v enjoyable haircut whilst reading your updates! Thanks!)

Was just wondering how you were getting on? How'd the scan and maintenance and marathon go?

And, bcf, is there a reason places like this say no caffeine? I know you start the day on an espresso or two, as I do, and have wondered if that's a habit I'll need to kick at some point? I def find it gets me through to lunch or dinner, but still.

Don't worry, gardengirl Prolonged one-ofd fasts have very different rules to Intermittent Fasting and often different aims, e.g. rehab after chemo.

A prolonged fast requires that every single calorie is optimised for nutrient value and that nothing be included that raises stress even slightly.
VERY strict rules, no wiggle room.
It is usually vegan, 250-400 cals daily, no starchy carbs, fat or fruit, no alcohol, no caffeine etc throughout the fast. The same also on a few days prep before and a few days refeed afterwards.
It must always be done under medical supervision, with daily medical checks

In contrast, caffeine, fizz and other stimulants are fine on 5:2.
However, on FDs only, I very firmly recommend no alcohol and preferably no added sugar.

Hi Gardengirl!

I did my marathon in April, in 3:50, so was pleased with my time! I must admit though that by the time I was running 16+ miles on a long run, I was really really hungry so started to overeat a bit. I maintained my weight at about 54kg for most of the training but then went up a bit at the end.

I am now heavier - closer to 56kg so need to lose a bit, but have been travelling a lot for work (and not training for the marathon, so it has crept up). I am back on my Insanity routine now though, and am doing 5:2 again (started this week) so hope to get back down to 53kg by mid July in time for my bikini holiday.

Oh and I had my scan - cancer is still gone - phewy.

Just read this thread, fascinating stuff!

I'm about 59kg like you were at the beginning of your thread OP, and want to be 54 by my wedding day in about 6 weeks. I would love to do it in 10 days like you did

I do know that's not why you did this, but it was interesting reading nonetheless!

Good luck Quim - it's a pretty hard core way of doing it but it does work! I am also hoping to shed about a stone between now and 6 weeks' time as I am going to a festival which I want to be slim for! Am doing the MM blood sugar 800 cals diet at the moment, and daily Insanity work outs in an attempt to get there!

Good grief Boobz you're trying to get yourself under 8 stone?! That sounds tough! I'm on the 5:2 and trying to stick to about 800-1000kcal two other days of the week. I'm planning a big burn session next week: I'm hoping if I go into it in the 58s I'll come out of it in the 56s, and then I'll have a month to shift the other 4-5lbs which sounds pretty doable... The problem I have is that I find it very difficult to exercise when I don't eat - obviously not a problem for you, but I'm clinging to the 80 / 20 exercise / diet thing people always talk about...

Comhrats on your marathon time, boobz
It's quite common for women to gain a little on marathon training, because of the physical demands, but you soon zapped that away
Great news for you on the cancer front
It's fine if you want to trim down further for your festival, but remember you are already slim. so you have already achieved that goal. Keep patting yourself on the back for that.

Quim You are fasting 4 days per week, which is ok for a few weeks, but remember that is not sustainable or healthy longterm.
Do try for a daily walk and achieve your 10k steps - Mosely recommends this for BSD and I think it is a wise minimum aim in any weight loss plan.
Also his 5 min fat Blasts on a few days, see the OP in 5:2 / IF ExerciseThread3

If you don't fancy the BSD, you would lose fat at the maximum on
4:3 Bootcamp
. 3 proper non-consecutive FDs at 500 cals.
. Daily 16:8
. Keep around TDEE on NFDs - it is a common mistake to keep adding fasts to compensate for uncontrolled NFDs
. Cut out alcohol if poss. At least stay within nhs alcohol guidelines
. Cut out sugary carby junk e.g. ice cream, chocolate, sweets, cake, biscuits, crisps, pizza, chips etc.
At least restrict these to 2 days per week, 1 portion only

After all that hard work, you don't want to regain, so plan your maintenance
If you return to your old WOE, you return to your old waist & weight

Thank you BigChoc I do definitely intend to only do this for a few weeks! My interim days are very sedentary so actually a smoothie or a bowl of porridge, a couple of hard boiled eggs and some tuna, and a dinner of white fish and veg doesn't feel restrictive and comes in easily under 1000 cals. Generally speaking between Monday and Thursday I try to avoid sugar, booze and carbs, so the calories just aren't there.

The boot camp looks good, I will see if I can schedule it in!

Interesting thread.

Am just place marking to read later when I have time.

Very interesting read Boobz Thanks for sharing your experience. It is something I would quite like to do. Just to reset my eating I think.

Sounds like it really did you the world of good. Am super impressed that you could still run on empty.

I struggle to run without my breakfast!

Boobz, this was really interesting.

Have you continued to fast since? Have you been back to the clinic?

I know this thread is 2 years old, I am interested in whether the benefits of fasting are ongoing.