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

@Clearingaspace - was that a whole day as in water only.... ?

That might be a good option for me on weeks where I have work travel.

How did you find the times you would normally eat - eg was the evening hard if others were eating?

I think the trick with stray beers and crushed chocolate teddies (oh Ocado! New and surprising ways to bamboozle us!) is to enjoy them. I really struggled on sugar-free Monday this week and ate loads of salty rubbish instead, whereas if I'd had a bit of chocolate and enjoyed it, I probably would have been better off overall.

I won't abandon the idea of sugar-free days, but I will bear the above in mind.

I think I've found my people... may I join you when you set up a December thread? The most challenging month for so many of us... you'll see I've set up a Planning for Christmas thread today, the first day of advent....

And me? Like you, I've lost and regained the same 4, even 5, stone throughout my life. My goal - eating healthily and effortlessly and keeping my weight at 11.2 ... I'm 5'7 and feel great at that weight, enjoying wearing my favourite clothes, enjoying my hourglass figure with its small waist, enjoying how my body moves as I walk down the street.

Intermittent fasting has been a life changer for me and I managed this (almost!) for 18 months until Feb this year - two major family deaths have rocked my world, and I am now emerging again. And yes this is my pattern, emotional eating and I can - and did - gain 30lbs in just 10 weeks.

And now? Feeling stronger, still battered but emerging. I weigh 12.4 (yes Im another who thinks in stones and lbs) so just over a stone to go. My plan is to get back to 12 stone before Christmas if I can, and then maintain until early January, when I hope to lose 9lbs before my birthday on 2 March. 12 stone may be ambitious but I was 12.2 for a week before I got the dreaded lurgy so Im hoping I'll get close.

Weekly Weigh-In

Last week 16st 8lb

This week 16st 6lb

Loss since last week 2lb

Total loss 3st 8lb

Cheering you on Shellbeach - congrats!!

Oh bollocks, I wrote messages to folk, flipped back a page to check something and it's gone. In brief, you are very welcome here, @loveyouradvice and hello everyone, I'll probably get round to starting the next thread over the weekend and thank you @Peae for suggesting I continue these countdown threads for November and December.

Welcome @loveyouradvice sounds like a very emotional time sorry for your losses. Sounds like you have already lost lots of the 30lbs? well done for getting back on track. I regain weight very quickly too.

@TheShellBeach well done on the 2lbs - almost 4 stone down is fantastic

@putthehamsterbackinitscage yes a water fast. I wasn’t expecting good things as I had a large red wine before stating the night before! I just had water for 35 hours (2 sleeps which used up a lot of the fast) but nearly always hot water. I put a grain of pink salt under my tongue quite regularly but didn’t feel I needed it after a while. I nearly gave up at lunch but realised it was already 2:15 pm as I was busy at work which gave me a boost to keep going. I found it easier than a day where I had 800 cals weirdly. I probably could have kept going but would rather do slightly longer next time instead.

Hello All. I've stayed the same again.

@HarpQuartet I failed at sugar-free Monday.

I have stuck to my fasts though, and got some longer ones in, up to 20 hours.

Ooh, also, apart from the junk sugar, I've done very well with being UPF-free.

Brava @Peae congrats on your UPF progress!

That’s great re upf @Peae - I did the opposite yesterday and gained back my 2lbs which means this week will be harder as will be trying to lose double. Maybe it’s a scale glitch - fingers crossed

@Clearingaspace snap, I did exactly the same yesterday! For me it's a brain glitch 🫣 but not an excessive one i don't think, back on the wagon soon

I have decided to take on a Zoe Nutrition subscription (I have learned so much from the Zoe podcast). I really am feeling bad about my inability to lose weight, which I put down to constantly making poor food choices when it comes to chocolate and biscuits. It does really get me down at times.
I am hoping that seeing the results on my blood sugar levels will knock some sense in to me, and I'm hoping that food recommendations will shake things up a bit.

I'll probably get round to starting the next thread over the weekend and thank you @Peae for suggesting I continue these countdown threads for November and December.

No, thank you :) (I was hoping to pick up again in January with the 28 Day Fast Start thingymajig from Gin Stevens, but apparently it doesn't come out til the end of Jan in the UK!).

@Peae oh it will be really interesting to hear how you find Zoe! Good luck. Plus you can combine it with fasting

@HarpQuartet it’s annoying isn’t it but still, maintaining is good too. It’s a good reminder I need to be thinking about what I eat and not go bananas at Christmas. Fingers crossed we will avoid glitches next week!

@Peae even if you don't join us for December check ins please come and say hello and let us know how it goes with Zoe, I'll be really interested

Here's to avoiding glitches!

New thread here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/fasting_diet/4955492-4-week-fasting-countdown-to-the-new-year?reply=131170173

I must say, I need the motivation, I've had a shocking couple of days food-wise. I actually have two cream cakes in the fridge right now that I think I'll just throw away. My brain behaves like a complete twat while I'm shopping.