4-week fasting countdown to February 2024!

[Peae]

Welcome all, this a thread for Intermittent Fasters who want a weekly check-in on Fridays. Chat between the check-ins are welcome too, share as little or as much as you like. Each Friday, log your weight, fast, whatever metrics help you.

Check-in 0 Friday 5 January.
Check-in 1 Friday 12 January.
Check-in 2 Friday 19 January.
Check-in 3 Friday 26 January.
Check-in 4 Friday 2 February.

@loveyouradvice my happy scale chart is quite the U shape, I really thought I had it nailed last time around with IF.

I'm not a persistent dieter, weight had slowly increased over my late 30s/ 40s to around the 13 stone mark (I'm 5'5) before I finally decided to take action. I'm 48 this year, 50 feels like a pivotal age doesn't it.

I do recommend happy scale though for tracking weight as it averages it for you so daily fluctuations aren't a disincentive.

I've missed the start of Adriene but would like to join. How are you finding it? I used to be religious about doing it every day but fell off the wagon due to injury, somehow yoga aggravated it.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4vbpnKkf6vlC4WcFDum0rs?si=CtxncVytTz-V26h-BoVBbg

For anyone interested this will hopefully link to dr chattergee podcast with Mindy Pelz! About menopause and fasting

@StealthLaSilkySightHound

Adriene really is amazing, isn't she?! You've inspired me and I'll definitely start Flow today. I'm like you when it comes to shifting weight through fasting, maybe because I don't have an awful lot to lose but I definitely lack tone and yoga should, hopefully, help with that.

@Booksbookbooks thank you for this. I'll definitely have a listen. Mindy Pelz is fab, isn't she (well, maybe apart from her voice 😂 🙈)
I think she's recently released a book that's called Menopause Reset, might be worth checking it out too.

I've loved reading everyone's introductions and thoughts this week. I tend to take a sneaky read whilst at work. I generally can't type a reply but I love the camaraderie of the group.

Check-in tomorrow morning!

Welcome @Fullsteamahead @GreatHighway @Notmycircusnotmydonkeys @Saraswati - sorry if I have mixed up any names!

@HarpQuartet irs kind of perfect that the weighin is on the last day of Christmas ready for a fresh start!

@StealthLaSilkySightHound well done on keeping your focused mindset!

@Notmycircusnotmydonkeys it sounds like this wol could be perfect for you - it kind of frees up a bit of time fasting rather than eating - plus I can put my portion of dinner aside to have as lunch the next day which saves me more time and means I have a healthier lunch than I probably would if making a sandwich or whatever. Great that your dh is supporting you.

@Fullsteamahead - (sorry can’t scroll to check it was you as will lose my message!) I thought I signed up to the mindy pels 3 day fast but it looks like there is another step in the process and I don’t think I can be bothered to do something else! To be honest I haven’t fasted for 2 full days yet (41 hours or so I think) and technically my period is due then so not the optimum time (to be fair my period might not be on time as not reliable anymore!)

like @Peae great to read all the messages today and sorry not replying to everyone

@Clearingaspace I didn't realise there was a second step in the registration to do, I'll go have a look at my emails. I've decided I'll give it a shot but only because I'll be in my second power phase of the month next week so I'll be ok to do it. It's definitely a good idea to give it a miss before period.

I felt very enthusiastic about Mindy Pelz, really wanted to like her ideas, but all of her evidence appears to be anecdotal and “I once worked with a woman who…”.

The only thing I’ve really taken from trying her advice is to listen to my body and stop a fast if it doesn’t feel right 🤷‍♀️

I feel similar even though I'm keen to give her monthly cycle fasting approach a go, at least for a couple of months. What I've noticed so far is that her method of not fasting before period suits me, I guess it's pretty logical when you think about it, body goes through enough stress at that time without adding extra stress of fasting.
All that said, I agree that a lot of the info she gives is anecdotal, plus she's a chiropractor and doesn't even have a qualification in nutrition.
So, I'm trying to do the same as you... listen to my body and see how it'll go

This sounds really sensible ... I think I'll give her a miss then.

I love Gin Stephens - she's done lots of research and is clear where her advice comes from so I can pick and choose what I want to try. (And Michael Mosley of course, which is where it all started for me)

The one thing I really got from her on a similar line to this is not to fast when you are under stress or ill... ie do it when it feels right.

So I feel very relaxed about flexing to suit my needs - if I am feeling challenged/a bit unwell/hormonal and feel hungry a couple of hours before I planned to open my window, I just open it and have a longer window that day. But if life is good and I'm feeling great but hungry, I just tell myself to wait and being a bit hungry isn't a problem.

Likewise - I would love to echo all those above, this is SUCH a great and supportive group. Like @Peae I'm reading everyday but not able to respond every day but I do like hopping on here for a chat and a muse as we all move forward with our fasting.

Friday check-in for me here down under!! I did indulge on Xmas day and Boxing Day but was good-ish the rest of the break.
I am back down to the lowest weight which I was just before Xmas Eve so extremely that Xmas didn't set me back too far!!

Todays weight: 65.6kg
Starting weight (Oct 2023): 72.5kg
Goal: 61.5kg

Aiming to hit my goal by Easter!

Excellent @pottypotamus !! Well done

Has that been keeping to 800 calories every day (bar Xmas) since Oct?

@FastingPhilly
Thank you!!
I've been doing intermittent fasting on weekdays. Trying to keep to 10am to 6pm interval.
I've been trying to be under 1000 calories on the weekdays. Weekends not as strict.

Friday check in (my 5 year old gets me up at 5 most days!)

Today's weight: 10st 2.5lbs
Starting Weight (on Tues 02/01): 10st 4lbs
Goal: 9st 10 - 9st 7ish

Happy with that as a starting point, feel like the Xmas bloat has gone. When I did IF before weight loss was slow so I expect it to slow down now.

I haven't felt particularly hungry even though I've shortened my eating window a bit to 5 hours. I have eaten healthily, upped my protein and fibre and had lots of water. I've only got one meal out planned for the next couple of weeks so hopefully won't get derailed!

@Notmycircusnotmydonkeys I love the term neurospicy, absolutely brilliant!

my Friday check in:

weight last week: 73.6kg
weight today: 74.2 kg 😬

so a gain of 0.6kg. I usually loose a few hundred grams by midday so I might go down a bit. How ridiculous does this sound though to be quiblling over a few 100g 😂

i've been fluctuating so much since I started AF in August and every week I've been saying I need to track my calories and I never do. Given the fluctuations and that I've basically hovered around the same weight range I think it's actually time I calorie count.

I'm still enjoying the fasting so will keep it up for the long term. I would love to know how the fasting has impacted my overall health. Does anyone know of any blood tests I could get done to compare (willing to do it privately obvs!)

welcome newcomers!

Todays weight: an elephant
Goal weight : a gazelle

Loss since 1/1/24 - 3lbs
Aim to lose this month - 14lbs

Today 80.4kg
Weight goal for next week: under 80kg
Weight goal for the end of Feb: 79kg

Other weekly goal: walk at least 5000 steps 5 times, and average fasting window at least 16h.

01/01/24: 195.2
05/01/24: 194.4

I'm not setting weight loss goals as I don't want to feel I've"failed" at IF if I don't reach them. Instead, I'd rather set habits! So at present I've been doing 14:10 or 15:9, next week I'll go back to 16:8 or 17:7 if I'm comfortable with that. In Feb I want to introduce 18:6 with the occasional 19:5. I've been starting the day with a cup of tea with a splash of milk, so next week it's back to black coffee 🙄 I'm listening to Gin Steven's podcasts when I can, and I just love her accent!

Morning all
Starting weight (1st jan) 11st 5

Today. 11st 4

Goal. Under 10st

So, against my goals for Jan:

• at least 14-hour fasts every day. Yes! 16s and a 17.
• at least a Zoe score of 50 per day (this means basically low UPF and high in plant-based foods). Yes again, all above 72.
• at least 10k steps a day on my sedentary drive-to-work days days. Yes, all above 12k. However today is my first sedentary day and I lost my Fitbit last night ☹️
• get to the gym and lift x6 and swim x3. So far lift x1 and swim x1.

I’m feeling good and have so far lost 2.5lb. After the last couple of months it’s a relief to see the scales finally shift. 13st 6 this morning.

Friday check in:

05/01/24 weight 66.1 kg
Goal weight 60 kg

Goals for January:
Do Flow with Adriene every day
Do my first ever 3 day fast next week (let's see how this goes!!!)

First Friday check-in 80kg
Goal - low 60s though realistically I feel ok with 68ish.

Made the mistake of not having enough to eat last night so was hungry through the night. Lots of black coffee (decaf after the first cup!) this morning.

edit forgot jan goals

IF with a 4-6 eating window & as few UPF, try to eat lots of veg
weekly: 6 of run/weights (body pump or gym)/swim per week as schedule/weather dictates. Staring properly from Monday as still school holidays here.