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 @Peae - I was in full on eat all the junk mode yesterday (must have retrained myself!), we were waiting for a delivery and had all the wrong food in. At this point I should fast today but it’s Christmas Eve and I will be making gingerbread with youngest and it feels wrong not to at least have a mince pie and mulled wine 😂 if I can at least keep it to a window and eat some vegetables maybe that will help. My scales are up about 4lbs but hopefully on the 27th if not the 26th I will have a 24 hour or so fast to bring it down a bit.

I hope you’re ok love your advice💐

Stealth ops that sounds like a good plan with alcohol. Hormones can do funny things

I’ve had lots of Christmas and birthday occasions and so have put in a pound. This is great for me though as I normally put on a lot during this period! I have been known to put on 1/2 stone over the Christmas period and won’t be doing that this time!

I’m doing well with the fasting and normally waiting until lunch time to eat. So around 17 hrs of fasting. 19-20hrs is my sweet spot and so I’ll be doing that from January 2nd!

I’ve started Slimpod. Have any of you heard of it? I have high hopes as it seems to be working with me. It’s not a diet plan but works on subconscious thoughts to control eating. It’s working really well alongside fasting.

My aim over the Christmas period is not to focus on weight (I’ll do that in January) but to focus on habits. So for me that means.

Fasting until lunch (apart from Christmas Day)

Sweet things only after meals (no grazing)

Walks

Trying hard between now and NYE. Stick to fasting window, don't use Christmas Day chocolate as an excuse to keep ordering more from just-eat etc. Be careful today when placing tomorrow's supermarket delivery.

There's lots of salad in the fridge. Roast is sliced down and most in freezer. Some is in fridge for easy meals and there's jars of stock for soup. Get outside for exercise.

TL/DR: brain dump, this post can be safely skipped.

I just wanted to check in with people who understand I. have felt a bit of a shift in myself the last few days. I have made a couple of decisions to leave some heavy emotional baggage and commitments in 2023, and this has really freed up some "space" for me and my health.

I'm going to get in touch with a therapist for a short piece of work to process all of this (I used to be a therapist so I've struggled to find someone local) and I'm going to try joining the local council gym/pool for a month. I am feeling curious and experimental rather than all 'grr' and NewYearsResolution-y.

Thirdly, I am hoping my Zoe information comes back soon. I am still loving fasting (because I feel so much better when I do it) but I want to improve what I eat when I'm in my eating window. And try some longer fasts.

Fourthly, not only am I feeling curious in my approach, but also kind. So I'm going to treat myself to a nice gym bag, as I know organisation is going to be key for getting to the leisure centre after work when all I want to do is hibernate. I'd like to buy some nice gym kit too, when I figure out what my style should be.

Happy Christmas everyone - similar feelings here about feeling better when I balance the healthy choices. @Peae i have similar hopes for the new year about eating more healthily between fasts. I have no idea where to start with emotional stuff - probably needs doing though.

I weighed myself yesterday and was up 5lbs - the good thing was I made better choices a reasonably healthy breakfast and enjoyed Christmas lunch and the seriously overpriced M&S desert at my parents! I then fasted from 3:30 and today Boxing Day I have been so much more productive than usual - walk with dh and some tidying up (not like me to be proactive about tidying!) feels good! My weight had also gone down 1lb. Will be breaking the fast soon and will probably have a baileys latte or some other treat we have been gifted after we didn’t buy nearly as much Christmas treats as usual but have been given things I would like to have in moderation!

hope all doing well x

Nice to read these check-ins. @Cozytoesandtoast00 I don't want to leave your question unanswered, but I'm one of the people for whom Slimpod didn't hit the spot. I do hope it works for you.

@StealthOps I woke up at 4am today with a mean stomach ache and had an, erm, emptying out... I can't think of a previous time when that's ever happened in the middle of the night. It can't be a coincidence that I ate a lot of After Eights and cheese late last night. I think my stomach has become used to be treated more kindly than that and couldn't cope. Quite right, stomach, I need to look after you!

WEEK FOUR CHECK IN TOMORROW,
FRIDAY 29 DECEMBER!

I’m staying at a hotel until Saturday so I’ll be checking-in late. Well done to everyone sticking to their plans!

Thanks @HarpQuartet - hope your stomach has settled down.

@Peae enjoy the hotel - I really really love staying at hotels - no clutter or distractions.

my pre Christmas gain is going down as I have been doing omad. I wish I had done similar to omad the four days before Christmas rather than totally relaxing. My original plan of a long fast this week was not practical when the kids are home. Think I will eat 2 meals today as I am feeling a bit headachey - that might mean I am still up a couple of lbs on my lowest last week (179 flickered on the scale briefly!) but at least it won’t be a huge gain.

I'm on my own for the next few days, and find myself in a contemplative frame of mind. I've been getting up to tidy and declutter in the house, and not eating until noon. I feel so much better like this, and food obsessions are lessening. I want to stick with this as long as possible, but part of me dreads the return of family members some day next week, when it will be hard to maintain this discipline.

@BlunderingAlong I've come to a similar reflection regarding preferred eating patterns, but I can't see how to work them Monday to Friday, so I'm going to focus on doing them on the weekends when I can do them. Will there be any times when you can push breakfast on until later?

@Peae Thanks for asking. Breakfast and school run are difficult times,and I tend to eat my emotions. I will plan my mornings better the night before, to be too busy to be distracted by food thoughts when I get back home, at least until 10am. Then gradually push it back to 11 or noon. Sat Sun will be easiest, then add in Fridays. Mon - Thurs are definitely going to be harder. I could close the window earlier the evening before, at 6pm. I will persevere.

It’s odd isn’t it? I’m in this hotel and haven’t eaten anything sweet and only had a diet Coke today because I was getting withdrawals. Yet next week, back at work, I’ll be sat at my desk by 8:30 thinking about Diet Coke and biscuits!

Well I've been stuffing myself with the last chox and mince pies.

Last week: 79.1kg
This week: 80.1kg

+1kg after four days of gluttony and eating Flying Saucers and Wham bars at 3am feels about right. Today will be a bit kinder on the tum, and tomorrow too, then I'm not bothering to think about New Year, then back to my comfortable pattern of IF.

Start weight 203lbs
Last week 180.4
this week 181

sorry to bore on, my mind is blown by the difference having no eating window and mindless grazing on sweet stuff makes. So Thursday morning 21 dec I hit my Xmas goal and was 179.9 I think, and I then went into full on ‘treat’ myself mode. It’s all a bit of a blur, I don’t think I went completely crazy but I do remember feeling over full a couple of times and having late night mulled wine etc. Christmas morning I was 185.4 and then took action and for 4 days I had 1 or 2 meals a day and was more mindful but also with some Xmas stuff added in. I still did some socialising/family eating, baking with dd etc but the scale still knocked off a chunk of the rebound weight every day. Intermittent fasting seems to actually work 😮

I am having 3 meals today let’s see if I can do it without gaining too much. New Year’s Eve we have no plans, maybe I will open the 10 month old valentines meal deal Prosecco (dh and I bought 3 Morrisons meal deals in February as such good value) or maybe not as there is no one else likely to drink it - although dc (teens) probably would if I offered it to them 🤪possibly buying a mini bottle to have with dinner will work to mark the occasion. Anyway happy new year everyone!

I know what I need to do to shift this but right now I feel very bleak and despairing.

I feel so sad reading your words, I’m afraid selfishly in part due in remembering when I felt like that. I wish I could say how to move on from it, but all I know for sure is that you will.

@StealthOps i took a classical studies a-level so love the reference.

Lovely words from @Peae . I am not good with words but I also completely understand how you feel stealth, I was definitely in a similar place September this year. I don’t think my normal eating is that bad but clearly it’s just a little bit too much and too processed and I am probably insulin resistant. I never thought I would be over 200lbs, even post having kids I have been as low as 133 and thereabouts at various points. Even as recently as 2022 i managed to fairly easily and quickly lose a big chunk and feel like I was looking a lot slimmer only to gain it all back and then some at the speed of light . I am currently mid 40s perimenopausal, 5ft 4 and the weight was very slow to start to move this time round for at least a month or 2. I am very prepared for the fact I should only do things now to lose weight that I am happy to continue forever for maintenance (and likely get stricter to maintain in upcoming). However it is hard to take that I can’t really eat freely if I want to be a healthy weight one day and maintain that.

@StealthOps have you read fast feast repeat by gin Stephen’s. I have only started it but she says not to expect any weight loss for the first month. Sometimes reading a health book helps me with getting on track and new ideas. Also if not losing is essential part of the plan it will still feel like a win of sorts! maybe give yourself a break and enjoy the rest of the hols until you have the things around you that you need to get in the zone x

I've gained lots of weight but I was expecting it.

Back on the wagon today.

Today I weighed 17st 2.6lb.

I think the last time I weighed myself was three weeks ago.
Or was it two weeks ago?

Anyway, I'm not bothered. I knew it would leap up because of enjoying all the chocolates and mince pies.

Definitely back on the Orlistat today, and will start fasting again from tonight.

Cheer up, all of you! What did you expect over Christmas?

Not weighing this week as I know I've put on massively. Will weigh on Monday morning, 1st January to set my start weight for the year! Well done to everyone that's managing to stay fasting- I've managed a few days of 14/15 hour fasts but not really denying myself what or when I eat at all! Looking forward to getting back on track next week 😫😂

Willpower of mist is an excellent phrase! I have thoroughly enjoyed my Christmas week and I like new year too. I've had lots of good things happen this year and am looking forward to building on those.

I just came on to say that I was doing the NY Times Spelling Bee game and tried the word "Peae" and took a second to realise why it was telling me it's not a word 😁