4-week fasting countdown to December 2023

[HarpQuartet]

Come one, come all, this is the thread to see us through to December. We'll have four Friday weigh-ins: 10, 17 and 24 Nov, then (drum roll) 01 Dec, from whence time shall speed up scarily until the end of the year is in sight.

Thank you @Peae for previous threads and for asking if I'd be interested in starting this new countdown, and here is a roll call for those who may wish to continue with accountability, encouragement, sharing your wisdom, wins, or woes. All are very welcome plus of course anyone new who'd like to join us. Sincere apologies to anyone I’ve inadvertently missed out.

**@Loubelle70
**
@Fouramclub

@LucyWardrobe

@Thereyougo10

@coffeecupslinedup

@iwantavuvezela

@violetcuriosity

@Cherryblossom81

@pottypotamus

@littleblackcat27

@rockingbird

@putthehamsterbackinitscage

@Clearingaspace

@RudolphTheRedNosedSpaniel

And of course @Peae

Hi @Sheisready I did it too!! Some cad brought in biscuits to share at work and 100% I'd have had one (at least!) had we not agreed to go sugar-free today!

Leftovers for lunch, Pret for dinner, I think it helped that I was in a really long meeting that took me most of the way to lunch, and I'm out of my routine this evening - theatre.

It was actually completely fine!!! But again, without having specifically made this plan, I would definitely have bought something sweet too at Pret.

Instead today, for sweet stuff, I had a pink grapefruit with my lunch and an apple and peanut butter mid afternoon.

I would probably have had a chocolate bar on the way home if not for our agreement. Do you fancy repeating this on Wednesday?

@Thereyougo10 do you mind sharing some of the things you eat on OMAD? (I too am enjoying the lack of cotton wool between my ears feeling).

@Peae, on good days, usually the first 3 days of the week as the weekend allows for better planning, I have quite healthy meals. A typical day would be steam greens, quinoa/baked potatoes/brown/black rice with either salmon, sea bass, chicken, or any protein I can get my hands on that can quickly be grilled/air fried. I also have berries with kefir for dessert and add a bit of dark chocolate to it.

On bad days, whatever I can get my hands on, that is quick and easy to make. Could be any thing like pizza and a salad or pesto pasta again with salad.

I do try to stick to the dessert bit as I find the kefir helps a lot with my gut health and the mix curbs my sweet cravings. On desperate days I add a scoop of peanut or almond butter. I desperately miss fizzy drinks which I have decided to cut out as of Friday last week.

How are you finding Omad? Are you eating whatever you want or still watching what you eat?

@Peae yep, let's do it, Thunderbirds are go for Wednesday

Hello! I've missed the last Friday check-in! Whoops!
I've been very strict with IF during the weekdays and then continuing to calorie count during the weekend but relaxing the fasting window slightly because I like to have brekkie with the kids.
SW: 72.5kg (16Oct)
CW: 67.8kg (this week I've seen a drop of 1.4kg)
GW: 60kg

I'm hoping to reach 65kg in another 4 weeks. And then 64kg by Xmas. But very aware that due to social events around Xmas, things kind of go pear-shaped weight loss-wise

Found my 800 cal day very difficult yesterday - hardest so far. I fasted after lunch and should be 18 hours at least, thinking I might try skipping breakfast tomorrow instead. Up day today though!

well done vn on sugar free hope today goes well.

well done and good luck with Christmas goal @pottypotamus

ah brilliant i've been looking for an accountability thread

Starting weight 101kg
target : 91kg

I realize I've got a long road ahead, but a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.

Absolutely right!
I'm heavier than you. I'm aiming for 101kg by Christmas.

Really struggling with the sugar-free day today. Monday was busy at work and I hardly noticed it. Today I'm at home and not feeling super happy and I've just finished therapy and feel like I want a reward, and I don't know if it's better to give up, eat the sugar and try again on Friday when I'm back at work and it'll be easier, or if it's worth sitting with the miserable feeling of wanting something but saying no to it 😑

(I have to catch up on the thread, but just to say @HarpQuartet i failed on sugar today).

Ah @Peae it's hard! I haven't turned to sugar but I ate an insane amount of Tuc biscuits so I'm not claiming a win. I'm having dinner at 6, then tomorrow is a brand new day.

@HarpQuartet hope you are feeling ok now. yesterday sucked for me but today was a lot better so I am sure either way it will work out.

welcome @bluejay5

i weirdly ended up low cal today so unexpectedly my 2 800 (ish!) days this week have turned out back to back. Now to not undo it all tomorrow when I up my cals as Friday is weigh in day! I really like the group weigh in it is good for focus

It is a good focus isn't it - I've been experimenting with weighing in between too, and have noticed that I put on a bit over the weekend and then lose it over the next five days, thereby creating my own plateau!

Let's see if I can break that pattern this weekend.

I am impressed by anyone who can do low cal days 👏

I am impressed by anyone who can do low cal days

I have tried to do low-cal days in the past and found it was just unsustainable.

I might manage one day of it, but the next day I would eat thirty cakes.

I prefer to try to eat about 1700 cals a day, and try to stick to the fasting window.

I prefer to try to eat about 1700 cals a day, and try to stick to the fasting window

Not that I always succeed, needless to say.

I was doing similar @TheShellBeach but wasn’t really losing - it was without proper fasting though so not sure if that would make a difference. I did fast 800 years ago and lost a lot - but not sure how good for me it was, so if I can keep losing with only 2 days at 800 I will be delighted tbh! I also hope to not do any 800s in the run up to totm so potentially only 6 days a month 🤞

I definitely believe that Orlistat has helped me.
I was really sceptical (and concerned about the side-effects) but it's been fine.
I bought the first two months' worth from an online pharmacy but my GP has now started to prescribe it.
And as prescriptions are free in Scotland it doesn't cost me anything.

Really good that it’s working @TheShellBeach

Thank you @Thereyougo10 for that insight. I haven’t done OMAD for months, but I often manage 20:4 with a small green salad followed by a meal a bit later.

i have also noticed that i stick to my goals better at the beginning of the week, due to more brain space and less stress.

Bit of a late reminder, but...

WEEK TWO CHECK IN TOMORROW,
FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER!

Hmmm, a small gain for me this week (+0.4kg) which I think is a fair reflection of some panic eating on Wednesday and Thursday, the two days when I spent a lot of time on my own. I need to plan those days as well as I plan the rest of the week.

@HarpQuartet don't beat yourself up- it's a small gain that you can understand why. Just put it behind you and see what you can do next week.

You made a massive change this week in terms of sugar - so actually it's a Well Done and see if you can sustain the change.

No weigh in for me today - am on holiday and have relaxed eating patterns and eaten and drunk what I wanted. Will find out the damage in Monday then try to settle back in to a better routine for the long haul.

Have to say I am really not happy with how I look on these holiday photos so the motivation is to change that before the next big trip in 2024.

Just dropping in to wish everyone a good weigh-in day :) I seem to have found my plateau at around 8st 12 - 9st - am still doing 14:10 most days and eating around 1400-1500 calories- this seems sustainable to me so going to stick with this. May need to pop in more regularly after Christmas 😄

Have to say I am really not happy with how I look on these holiday photos so the motivation is to change that before the next big trip in 2024.

I hate photos of myself. I look much worse than I always imagine I look.

Will weigh later, just before breakfast.

I'm doing the 5:2 too.
Only for a week so let's see how long THIS lasts 😩
Gone from 106.5 to 105.5
It's a start sigh