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

well done @HarpQuartet
I had another small loss and now at 63.5
next two weeks should see me edge towards 62.

Weekly Weigh In

Last week 16st 9lb

This week 16st 8lb

Loss this week 1lb

Total loss since starting diet in June 3st 6lb

So only a pound this week, but it's better than a gain.

And honestly, I don't deserve to have lost anything this week. I've been quite greedy.

My son has just moved to our village and I've been cooking him his evening meals until his cooker is delivered. Oops.

Well done to everyone!
Keep plugging away. We're getting there.

I'm still hoping to be 16st by Christmas.

Well done @TheShellBeach
Fingers crossed for everyone’s Christmas goals!

I've put a pound on this week :( :( :(

well done everyone on getting through the week!!

My starting weight in August was 75kg
week 1 - 72.6kg
week 2 - 73.2kg
week 3 - 73.1kg

so a loss of 0.1kg and I've been pretty much starving myself all week FML 😂 after I weighed myself, I had a treat day and my weigh shot up by 1.8kg which I was a bit surprised by but there we are.

when I say starving myself what i really mean is 2 x 800 cal days (16:8 fast) and the rest 1300 cal (still 16:8 - typically a pret soup for lunch, fruit for snacking and a small portion for dinner) Today was my treat day so no doubt my weight will shoot up tomorrow.

I have been quite active too and focussed on protein and fibre so might have to stick down everything I eat in my fitness pal to see where the extra calories are or perhaps I need to accept I am to hover at the 73-75kg range on 1300 cals a day which tbh after doing this for three months doesn't feel too bad!!

Hello! I'm new to the thread but I've been doing IF for about 9 weeks. I hope it's not too late to hop on board?
I started doing 16:8 but very quickly moved to 17:7 with a few 18:6 thrown in for good measure. I've not gone longer than that yet! I've lost about 8lb so far, so it's slow and steady but I'm happy with that. I'm quite relaxed about fitting it around my life so I'll be happy if I just maintain until new year instead of piling on the pounds! 😂

@Peae I hope you're not feeling discouraged - I know you had a sugar free Monday, how was the rest of your week?

Welcome @Catherhino slow and steady sounds good to me.

@Fouramclub I'm very ignorant about how weight loss happens, sorry, I wish I had a suggestion or some insight.

@TheShellBeach lucky son being cooked for :-)

And hello everyone, really impressed with all the check-ins 🌟

Hey @HarpQuartet I was feeling discouraged. Cheered myself up with a box of Ferrero Rocher :(

I had a great day on Monday, as you know, and this continued on Tuesday. Things went downhill from there. It really would help if my new job wasn't surrounded by takeaways and shops that sell nothing but junk. (Honestly, I've never seen grocery stores that stock nothing but fizzy drinks, energy drinks, crisps, biscuits and chocolate. At least I'm lucky that at my home address I am near to shops that sell vegetables).

This completely sucks. I am only 5lb lighter than the start of the year and I feel like a failure. All I have to do is fast and not eat sugar. What is wrong with me?

I really need to start taking this seriously, otherwise my later years are going to be dementia, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

I look at my sisters and my mum, two of whom have lost a lot of weight through Slimming World (or Weight Watchers) recently. I'm even thinking of setting up a support group for people who want to improve their health through fasting and good food choices. I think I could do with the real life community and support. But who would want to attend a weight management group led by a fat woman like me?

I do toy with the idea of just being fat and unhealthy.

Sorry everyone.

I really am sorry folks, that's so self-pitying and unhelpful for everyone. I'm also struggling with some rejection from my biological family this weekend so I am just feeling a bit of an emotional wreck.

Hey @Peae no need to apologise... we're here to support each other.

5lb loss is still 5lb... it's not a failure - just keep on trying small changes for healthier living.

This is a safe space to vent, for help - whatever you need.

Hope you have a better weekend!

@Peae I agree, no apology necessary for saying how you're feeling and I would join a support group as you describe - you're not in Hertfordshire by any chance (that's where I am)?

Also, not so long ago I had a year where I gained more than a stone, so a loss of five pounds can be seen in quite a different perspective.

Happy to do some accountability meal planning if you like? Or agree to do a six minute workout on YouTube on a particular day? The more I plan, the more I tend to stick to the plan, but let's only do what's helpful.

@Peae if it was easy, none of us would be on this thread, so don't apologise.

I'm sorry you're having a rough week.

Stick with it. You'll get there. It never helps to berate yourself for eating crap I M E.

Just draw a line under it and move on. Good luck!

....... and reading that, it sounds very abrupt. I'm sorry. I'm autistic and sometimes the things I write don't sound very supportive, although they're meant to be.

Thank you everyone (including Shell :) ) for your kind words. Yesterday was a bit of a rock bottom kind of a day. I resolved to get back on the wagon and make a continued effort.

Well done @Peae and I hope you've got the flexibility to give yourself an encouraging pat on the back.

Thanks @HarpQuartet i agree with your earlier point about planning. Yesterday I went to the shop to stock up on protein and vegetables and did some meal prepping.

Ugh, been overdoing it a bit on the sugar. Anyone fancy joining me in a sugar-free Monday tomorrow? I've managed it the last two Mondays (with thanks to @Peae for the original suggestion).

Definitely @HarpQuartet ! I managed Monday on our first week and then Monday and Tuesday of this week, so yes, I'm definitely in.

I am going to sharpen up on my on my Glucose Goddess hints too.

WEEK FOUR CHECK IN TOMORROW,
FRIDAY 01 DECEMBER!

Hey All,
I'm a bit early as I'm in Australia so it is Friday here!!
After a couple of weeks of no loss really (I am blaming being on my period and generally feeling under the weather) I have seen some progress this week.
SW (mid-Oct): 72.5kg
Weight last Friday: 68kg
CW: 66.8kg
So a drop of 1.2kg this week! After gaining a couple of weeks back, I'm very happy to be in the 66s.
Goal is now to get down to about 65kg by mid-Dec.
Good luck everyone!

That's nice progress, @pottypotamus

I'm happy too: 80.3, and yesterday I dipped under 80kg, which is my first big goal.

Would people like a countdown to January thread to keep the momentum? I know December can be a trying month, but if we acknowledge that then I know I'd still find it motivating to check in every week.

@HarpQuartet yes please! great you are in the 80s

@pottypotamus thats an excellent drop!

i am down 2lbs at the moment but will likely go back up! I didn’t fast much or count cals this but did a full day fast yesterday. It was easier than I would have expected. I have been reading complete fast better for metabolism- no idea if it’s true

Well done all on the losses... @HarpQuartet I would definitely like to continue as December will be hard and need motivation.

SW (30th October) 11 5.6
Target 9 stone
Today 10 12.8

That's a relief tbh - only 0.4 gained. I was away with work 3 days / 2 nights this week so IF has been pretty much a fail all week, a couple of beers crept in and whilst driving home I was tired so stopped at the services for coffee and chocolate.

Then yesterday Ocado brought the weekly shop and one of the Lindt Xmas teddies was crushed, so I ate that as well 😳

Start again now .... but I'm away again for 2 nights next week so need to try to avoid bad choices.