4-week fasting countdown to the New Year

[HarpQuartet]

Welcome all, this a thread for Intermittent Fasters who want a weekly check-in on Fridays. Chat and insights between the check-ins are welcome too, share as little or as much as you like. I weigh myself in between, others don’t, some of us are in kg, some in stones, it’s all good.

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; and if your name’s here but you’re not planning to join this thread, then wishing you well.

@Fouramclub
@pottypotamus
@trainplane
@TheShellBeach
@Clearingaspace
@putthehamsterbackinitscage
@MegBusset (hope you are still on your happy plateau)
@iwantavuvezela
@Clearingaspace
@Blackeyeliner
@Thereyougo10
@bluejay5
@gettingolderbutcooler
@Scentorii
@BackSeatDriving (would you like to continue stiffening your resolve? Such a good phrase)
@Sonnet
@Catherhino
@loveyouradvice welcome to the December thread!

Well done @Catherhino and everyone else who has had a loss.

Last week 79.8kg
Today 79.4kg

Going well!

Well done everyone for checking in, lots to celebrate, apologies @Notafanofchristmas I am very ignorant about the theory and I don't count calories.

Well done @HarpQuartet that's excellent.

Carbs are well under 20g. It’s just from green veg and what’s in the greek yougurt (I have lentils maybe twice a month when it’s too close to payday
for steaks).

Perfectly sure on calories. I’ve logged everything.

And yes, my husband adopted my way of eating a dropped 4 stone in 5 months and is now the fittest he’s ever been.

I eat nothing else than what I have listed. I don’t understand it. Everyone asks if I am counting “all the little bits and bobs”. There are no little bits and bobs.

My best friend took up omad. She eats mcdonald and take aways and has lost weight. I eat so clean and I struggle. I don’t understand it.

I don’t usually count calories either - just stick to low carb. I only actually counted the calories of what I’ve been eating to see what it was.

Well done @TheShellBeach @Catherhino @HarpQuartet and everyone for checking in.

@Notafanofchristmas it seems unfair and annoying not to lose with that lifestyle. At least you are hopefully getting health benefits. If you are on Facebook it might be worth joining the fasting method network by dr Jason fung group and Megan ramos. That group emphasises that omad doesn’t work for some people for weight loss in the longer term (although it does work amazingly for lots of people) Omad Some other ideas I have gained from that group are that fasting on zero meals does not slow down Metabolism (can do the reverse) but that fasting with low calories will do. Therefore you need periods of complete fasting followed by periods where you don’t count calories and eat to satiety so that your body/hormones recognise that you are full and satisfied and not starving Blog.TheFastingMethod.com/fix-broken-metabolism
The only thing to caution with the fung group is that it’s a bit extreme and personally I don’t want to do multiple long fasts a week even if it does mean super weight loss - I am on board with trying perhaps one fast most weeks that is over 24 hours though.

one last thing I have also read on that group is that it can take women 8 weeks to start losing fat! Hopefully next month you will see movement on the scales!

Interesting.

I don't do low carb because I like eating carbs so much.

I do count calories though. I try to stick to 1700 daily.

And I fast for 16 hours.

Sorry if my post doesn’t make sense due to typos but hopefully the actual blogs linked do make sense 😂

Sorry one other thing is that some people do better keeping carbs in their diet while fasting - particularly if it’s wholefood type carbs - some people don’t lose on keto. Diets are so confusing 🫤

I'm sorry @Notafanofchristmas I too don't have any expertise. My only thought it something I've noticed recently and that is shaking up your diet tends to lead to weightloss. So, going from keto to vegan, or vegan to low carb, or low cal to Mediterranean... it doesn't really matter they all seem to lead to a bit of weight loss. I'm not sure how helpful that is, if at all.

@Notafanofchristmas I second what @Peae , completely change what you are eating. If after a month you haven't lost, well this isn't the diet for you.
You are now LowCarb, try something different, go into the other direction. Not rubbish, of course, but have legumes, beans, soups, a fist of brown rice and be mindful of the coconut here, olive oil there because calories go up so fast.
We all have different metabolism and we respond differently to diets. Some people, like your husband, will lose huge amount on low carb, other will put weight on . Try a healthy low fat, made of vegetables, fruits, a bit of fish, and see if your respond better to this one.
There is no diet that fits all.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. I am having a mini wobble as I had a lovely afternoon and evening out with family on Saturday and was relaxed yesterday but my weight is going up more than seems right! I am fasting today but we also have a family birthday this week so it will probably not be enough for a loss on Friday. Anyway I am giving my head a wobble I will have to either be ok with gain or add in some extra fasting!

@Clearingaspace ... I don't know about you but I do know my weight goes up VERY fast if I dont keep an eye on it... think 30lbs in 10 weeks when I was grieving, or easily 5lbs up in 2-3 days eating festively with mates....

Might you consider aiming for maintaining rather than losing now we are into the festive season? It might be more achievable and means you can feel good about not putting on in the next 3 weeks, rather than chastising yourself for not losing?

I'm approaching this season by adding in BOTH some extra eating and some extra fasting.. I'm up by 3lbs and hoping that 4 days of OMAD this week (yup means drinking sparkling water and nowt else at one festive event, but eating at others) means most of it will have come off

How would you feel about putting in some extra fasting?

ps My plan looks good on paper but I'm aware my weights gone up because I didn't follow it .... so reckon there will be plenty of Oops this season, which is fine so long as we get back on it...

I nearly accidentally had another sugar-free Monday. I had a couple of Cadbury's chocolate fingers after my dinner and then realised tonight that's all I'd had.

Due to Zoe (I'm still in the testing phase) I'm going to try having fruit and nut butters when I'm fancying a sweet snack, and whilst I'm off work I'll try making some of these "protein ball" type things made from fruit, seeds, dates and/or nut butters.
Also over the break I'm going to try to take advantage of the flexibility and eat to my most natural rhythm which is a main meal for late breakfast and then a light salad or pickles or something to tide me over til the next day.

Thanks @StealthOps and @loveyouradvice . Yes the speed my weight goes back on is very alarming. It was also an element of could I really do fasting as a wol and if I don’t I will just regain. I think extra fasting is a really good idea - and i have days coming up where I don’t want to do any fasting but actually I have lots of days over the holidays where I could add in some fasting.

I am on my way back from Christmas shopping - I told myself I could break my fast for a festive hot drink but managed to resist! I can have it another day.

Stealth - serenity is an amazing nsv - I would take that over weightloss I think!

Missed your post @Peae my natural rhythm is probably similar. I am most hungry early in the day. I do get hungry around 3pm but not necessarily for a big meal

Me too, but it just doesn't work very well with working office hours. I've decided to stop wringing my hands about this, and just make the most of weekends and holidays as and when I can.

Edit - in response to @Clearingaspace :)

@StealthOps serenity is the most wonderful NSV - congrats!!

And I do think our bodies will adapt... so although now when we've just lost it, they will regain very fast - I imagine a cartoon image of my body grabbing those pounds back as fast as it can!! - once we've done it for a while and established a new set point, it won't soar so fast

When I did the Dukan diet 12 years ago (horror and hard work that it was), one thing that has stuck with me is the idea that for each 1lb you lose your body needs 5 days to recognise that that is your new weight... so to stabilise takes about a month for each 6lbs. But once you have "stabilised", you can both eat more on a regular basis and not put it on superfast if you over eat.

So yes, it IS going to be a woe for all of us, and an enjoyable one at that!!

I thought this might make you laugh... I make a couple of notes alongside my food diary each day.... 21st Nov suddenly caught my eye... we had had a few friends to supper...

MUST LEARN NOT TO EAT LEFTOVER CREAM AND TO DRINK LESS WINE

Feels very apposite as we head towards Christmas ....

@loveyouradvice thats an interesting idea about 5 days to keep a lb off. my set point definitely seems to keep leaping higher. I first lost a lot of weight as a 15 year old so I have no idea what it is naturally - I could really do with fasting being the tool to finally shift it down. lol re wine and cream I ordered a small wine on sat to save money compared to a large - so naturally ended up having more small ones instead.

@StealthOps its a real struggle to know what is the right approach with food. I am worried I have screwed up food for my dc - particularly the girls. My eldest ds is skinny and not interested in food so I relaxed and thought they could regulate their appetite but doesn’t seem to be the case. I totally use food as a celebration- my 3 kids are all teens but I still do the naughty elf (16 yo dd said she liked the elf presents better than Christmas presents 🤔) but I’m not usually organised enough for elaborate pranks so all mine revolve around hiding chocolate or breakfast treats - today was terrys chocolate oranges in the fruit bowl amongst satsumas.

thanks all for the support yesterday - my wobble turned into a 41 hour fast and I enjoyed my lunch sooooooooo much!