4 week fasting countdown to March 2024

[Fouramclub]

Hello all

just starting a new thread to carry on the good work of @peae@HarpQuartet tagging others @welcometothenightcourt @loveyouradvice
and anyone else who wants to join! I couldn't tag everyone for some reason as some usernames don't seem to work!

checkins are on Fridays but feel free to check in anytime for support/musings/a rant/anything else!

[HarpQuartet]

Thank you! X

[Welcometothenightcourt]

Ah thank you so much @Fouramclub !

Wrote a wee intro in previous thread but here's a summary: I'm a 36yo mum of 2 trying to lose very stubborn 5/6 kg to get down to my comfortable pre-bub weight. I work in a large lab as a core scientist so that can be quite sedentary tbh so need to up my step count most days and plan is to IF in the mornings and incorporate some strength training. I don't want to become obsessed with food / weight but I want to feel good about myself. I've been inspired one my my fave authors SJ Maas who's recently lost a bit of weight and is just looking gorgeous!

Anyways good luck everyone and see you Friday for my first weight in :/

[GildedAge]

Checking in for March, I lost 7llb in January doing 18:6 but plenty more to lose.

[Saraswati]

Welcome @Welcometothenightcourt ! I too am trying to get to a realistic pre-children weight and have found this group and IF really helpful so far. I've lost 6 pounds since beginning of Jan and want to lose another 5 or 6 pounds which I think is maintainable.

Now I'm 38 it's harder than it used to be and I now mostly WFH so I'm trying to do a brisk walk at lunchtimes alongside regular strength training. Focusing on getting stronger rather than smaller! Also have 2 primary age kids so want to be a good example for them and not get into toxic diets. Been doing roughly 17:7 everyday, will check in on Friday then have a weekend in London going tonthe theatre etc. so might derail a bit this week!

[Clearingaspace]

Thanks @Fouramclub

i will have a go @ApolloandDaphne@Catherhino@CreationNat1on@FastingPhilly@Fullsteamahead@GreatHighway@HarpQuartet@LosingAndWinning @Notmycircusnotmydonkeys@PartridgeInAPearShape @PercyPea@Saraswati@StealthLaSilkySightHound @Welcometothenightcourt@loveyouradvice @pottypotamus @booksbooksbooks not sure if this will work!

[loveyouradvice]

Gorgeous to see you all on here - welcome @Welcometothenightcourt - you're absolutely right this is a friendly group with interesting reflections and lots of support. I find it hugely helpful - and enjoyable!!

Thanks @Fouramclub for bringing us together for February!

Gently hopeful for Friday's weigh-in as this week is going well!!

[Fullsteamahead]

@Clearingaspace

Thanks @Fouramclub

i will have a go @ApolloandDaphne@Catherhino@CreationNat1on@FastingPhilly@Fullsteamahead@GreatHighway@HarpQuartet@LosingAndWinning @Notmycircusnotmydonkeys@PartridgeInAPearShape @PercyPea@Saraswati@StealthLaSilkySightHound @Welcometothenightcourt@loveyouradvice @pottypotamus @booksbooksbooks not sure if this will work!

Thank you lovely! Here's to another successful month everybody

[Catherhino]

Thanks for setting this up for another month! I don’t comment much but I love reading everyone’s posts/advice and the Friday check-ins for accountability!

[HarpQuartet]

Just being nosey @Saraswati and completely off topic, but what are you seeing at the theatre and will you be child-free for the weekend?

[loveyouradvice]

I would yes, love your advice and thoughts about this ... Does anyone else find they are unexpectedly binge eating when all seems to be going well just minutes before?  And any theories or ideas about how to change this?
 
I am in the lovely position – as I was last month – of finding fasting and gently losing weight relatively easy at the moment:  eating in a 1-8 hour window (usually 3-5 hours), typically a couple of healthy large platefuls of food, with some chocolate, nuts and berries,  enjoying my food and feeling full and satisified.   If I go out in the evening, I either just drink water or adjust my eating window.   Occasionally I will have a hungrier day and eat a bit more, just listening to my body. And yes, I know it is only easy for me at the moment because I am able to put the time in to stay motivated, reading up about health, thinking about it a lot and able to make it a priority, knowing I have just 12 pounds left to lose.

BUT ... and this is the big BUT...
 
Every now and then I binge... it feels as if it comes from nowhere, and as if a ravenous monster has taken over.   Yes, it follows an emotional upset – I feel overwhelmed and eat my emotions.  I eat huge amounts, often with little pleasure and at strange times such as late evening and 2 am.  Sometimes, I can make sure it is only healthy food – but a jar of nuts and three large bowls of kefir, berries and muesli?  Seriously?? And more typically it is a bit of a mix – nuts, chocolate, icecream, sometimes biscuits and crisps.  It does calm me, soothe me and often it is only a day before I get back on track, but it can be longer (and when in the depths of grief, it was months – but I am more interested in the “everyday” variety which feels as if it hijacks me and my weight loss, leaving me feeling powerless and has been a continuing theme in my life for decades

[HarpQuartet]

@loveyouradvice I do this too, and it's so weird because it can be when I'm overwhelmed (as you say) but also when I'm bored or tired or feeling underappreciated or even to congratulate myself for doing well on something (probably related to feeling underappreciated now I come to think about it).

I do have faith it won't be forever, I'm gradually becoming more like the person I want to be, but it does feel like I'm standing in my own way.

[Saraswati]

@HarpQuartet yes child free! Going to see plaza suite purely because it has sarah Jessica Parker in (was a big satc fan). Going with a friend, galleries in the afternoon, dinner then theatre can't wait and will enjoy stuffing my face!

[HarpQuartet]

Oh I think you're going to have such a nice time!

[desikated]

Can i join?

Total newbie. Trying to do 16:8 at least 5 days a week. Going for a week or so, weirdly enjoying the challenge at the moment and not feeling so bloated (I was clearly eating too much before!)

@StealthLaSilkySightHound im sorry things have been so tough. but sometimes these things just have to flex around actual life. and it sounds like a good idea to have those on the go foods ready. This makes me sound about 90, but a boiled egg I always find pretty good.

I'm looking for a bit of advice if anyone has it.....I'm new to fasting. I'm fasting between 8-9pm - 12-1pm the next day.

I'm managing not to eat (hooray) but am drinking tea and coffee with skimmed milk. Is this....ok? or am I essentially ruining my hard work by having milk etc?

Second..I'm doing the fasting Monday-friday. Weekends are tricky (for lots of reasons). I'm trying to eat relatively sensibly at the weekend. Again though am I ruining my hard work by doing this? I know it'll mean losing weight less fast.

[GildedAge]

@desikated i have lost weight fasting in the past despite one or two milky coffees. That said I am now doing a clean fast and it actually is easier. I think the milk causes a spike making you hungry.

[Carno18]

Hi,

I have been fasting for just over a week and have lost 3lb so far!
I am doing 16/8, and my eating window is 10am - 6pm. I have stuck to it rigidly other than having a mini binge of health foods last night, but not beating myself up too much as still doing well.
I quit vaping at beginning of year and then put on 10lb! So doing this to try and lose 2 stone in total.

[HarpQuartet]

Welcome, new people!

Stealth, your fortitude in a very distressing time is a credit to you - well done for prioritising your health in an environment stacked against you.

[Fouramclub]

@Clearingaspace thank you for tagging everyone. I typed out a whole load of people to tag but kept getting a message saying the usernames didn't exist even though I'd copied and pasted them. Never mind!

@loveyouradvice I just binged on 3 brioche rolls this evening. It was just comfort eating for me. I get bored/anxious and just do it to comfort myself. I don't enjoy it. I am trying to break this habit and 16:8 has helped to some extent but I do slip up every now and again. At least it's not every night (which it used to be) and I binge more closer to my period. For me the thing I miss most is the process of eating, not necessarily the food itself.

@StealthLaSilkySightHound im sorry it's been such a tough week. I'm very impressed at how you've kept going with the fasting/healthy eating at this time. In a strange way, the pickles and Philadelphia sounds like quite a tasty snack.

@desikated and @Carno18 welcome! @desikated i drink tea with full fat milk in it when I'm fasting which I probably shouldn't do but it's just a splash of milk and it keeps me going 😁

@Welcometothenightcourt i thought you were an ACOTAR fan from your username! SJM has lost so much weight and looks fab! I loved ACOTAR but I'm not such a big fan of the crescent city books so not sure if I'll get round to reading the third book unless I can borrow it from the library. Fantasy romance/fantasy books generally are my thing!

@Saraswati sounds like you have a wonderful weekend planned! Enjoy!

I'm 38, have two kids (5 and 2.5) and work in a sedentary job 4 days a week. I try and do YouTube workout videos with weights 2-3x a week but I haven't done anything for the past two weeks as I've been hit by a flu like virus which has left my energy stores depleted and I just can't shake off my cough. I did about 15 mins of Pilates today and gave up because I felt so tired. Not felt like this ever before so I'm really hoping the bloody virus goes away soon as I miss doing weights and moving my body!

[Fouramclub]

Oh and my short term goal is to get to 70kg this month (so roughly an 1.5-2kg loss overal) and long term goal is to hover in the 65-67kg range.

[Fouramclub]

@StealthLaSilkySightHound not craving the sweet stuff is definitely a NSV. I'm sorry about how you are feeling. Sending you lots of positive thoughts and hopefully some sunshine at least ☀️

[Clearingaspace]

@StealthLaSilkySightHound i am sending you hugs - I am not a hugger so it is a very awkward stuff hug, but still… well done eating healthily through times like this - it is inspiring to me. I am definitely a stress eater.

You are making me want to try upf free again - I was doing upf free before Xmas but was going too far - buying organic and making bread, but I seem to have thrown the baby out with the bathwater and gone the other way now. Weightloss was definitely easier when eating better - finding fasts much harder now.

@loveyouradvice this seems to be a common problem - I definitely recognise what you describe. I am wfh and taking an early lunch now - I literally lunged into the fridge even though today was intended to be a long fast. It is so weird as I was finding my fast so easy - this morning I didn’t feel hungry and had forgotten that I didn’t eat dinner last night. I think I made a schoolgirl error and didn’t have my usual Himalayan salt because I wasn’t hungry. If only I had thought to have salt with my water instead of eating!! I think I might have been entering that fat burning stage as my hands were icy cold but are warm now I have eaten.

@Fouramclub hope you feel better soon, make sure you are eating enough between your fasts and getting enough sleep so you don’t put too much stress on your body - easier said than done with little ones. I am slipping into grandma mode now that mine are all teens - my mum used to always say stuff like that to me 😂

welcome @Carno18 and @desikated .

I used to have milk in tea and lose weight when doing fast 800 no problem. It made zero impact when I cut milky drinks out. Weirdly I now find I do better sticking to hot water when fasting, fewer headaches etc. If you want autophagy then you should probably just drink water - possibly black tea and coffee is ok but not clear. For weightloss a splash of milk is ok if it makes it easier for you to stay on track.

sorry not responding to everyone as need to get back to work but great reading everyone’s messages

[Welcometothenightcourt]

@Saraswati Your loss is so inspiring! Do you feel like you struggle more to be 'stricter' with diet post children? I'm also scared of is ever teaching them restrictive eating habits, even if I'm being very reasonable!!

@loveyouradvice I think it's down to dopamine, when we are feeling stressed, bad etc. pleasure ups the feel good hormones in our brain. Once our brain learns this then it's the 'go to' thing it craves for any difficult emotion... I do think unlearning this is possible (and I think that's why the third or fourth day of a diet is easier than the first for example, but gotta say I soothe with food a lot!)

@Fouramclub haha amazing! I love all her books but ACOTAR is far better than the others. Just started Iron Flame - have you read the Empyrean series? Enjoying it so far though missing the ACOTAR gang. YES! SJM looks INCREDIBLE right now and I find her so inspiring just as a woman with kids and a career and yeah I just think she's fab! Reading the books has possibly motivated me to want to 1. kick a** 2. get a bit fitter 3. rekindle things with the hubby, not just bedroom wise but romance wise... it's a bit on the dead side at the mo and it's sad because we really love eachother so much - just kids, work yayaya Anyways so cool to have another ACOTAR fan in the group :) :) Hope you feel better soon, constant illness that come from little kids is just maddening isn't it? It really throws stick in the works with eating and moving. I also have a sedentary job (I used to have a much more active job and it helped a lot to keep the weight off).

@StealthLaSilkySightHound Good LORD you are going through it aren't you?? No wonder you feel sad. Reading your post, I remembered when I cut out crap from my diet last time that emotions felt much more intense and real because I wasn't numbing them with sweets and other junk. I don't know if that's the case for you but it could be kind of a side effect. One thing I've learnt from bloody years of therapy (5 years total) is you gotta feel the feelings for them to go away. Put some sad music on and go for a walk and have a proper cry, let it all wash over. I swear it's the only way I can actually 'deal' with sadness that deep. Deaths close to you are so scary because they bring that mortality closer eh... and it's scary and sad. Take care of you, sending hugs!

First day today - had milky coffee but will cut it out next week. Just easing myself in so I don't give up. Heading to the gym in about 1h and will need a protein snack after thatWeighed in for a start weight (it won't be less tomorrow obviously but was just curious before starting my first fast day). 66.8 kg. So if I could get down to the 64s in a couple weeks that would be amazing as I've got a date night with DH planned and just feel good about myself for once. I'm also getting some self care done including making sure I epilate my legs, get a wax and take care of my skin, eyebrows etc. as I feel like such a slob right now and I'm sick of it.

Any tips for staying on track?

[loveyouradvice]

So so gorgeous to come back today to a flurry of posts - welcome @desikated and @Carno18. I do a clean fast. Gin Stephens (my go to person) is pro a clean fast with just black tea and coffee and water (and Himalayan salt), not even herbal teas in the fasting window. She is clear that everyone is different and some people react to these or the splash of milk, while others don't... Only you can find out for yourself which camp you are in. I agree with others though, that many say that a splash of milk often makes it tougher to fast as hunger pangs can follow.

And I too am a big fan of the hardboiled egg - I've often taken a couple in a bag for a work event, being unsure what the food will be and knowing I can eat something safe. And one of my favourite "lunch in a pots" is chopped hardboiled eggs and tomatoes with some capers.

Regarding 5 days on, weekends off - why not shift your thinking to I am fasting all week, and choose the windows that work for me - so perhaps choosing an 11 or 12 hour window for Saturday and Sunday? Deciding each weekend and recognising that 12 hours or less is a win. Does this appeal??

Oh yes @HarpQuartet - for me it can be a tiny trigger too and once Ive started it is difficult to stop ... and its not the carb craving cycle as it is too fast for that. @Fouramclub , enormous empathy here, recognising myself in this. IF does like you help me most of the time, and is the reason this works for me so much better than other diets - I feel full and satisfied so much of the time. I hope you recover soon and totally understand that yen for exercise but do do do give yourself and your body time to fully recover, however frustrating it is, knowing that you will recover faster without the exercise if it is too stressful for you body that day.
 
@StealthLaSilkySightHound that is so interesting that it is the no 1 reason, I am clearly not alone and love your almost-encyclopaedic knowledge of what others are saying/researching.

I am so very very sorry to hear of all your losses. I hope you can be kind and gentle with yourself as you grieve, it is huge and I so understand it opening the floodgates for historic sadness to come spilling through. Are you able to ask yourself what's best and most supportive for you each day as you go through this challenging time? and wow, those are two serious NSVs - on the sweet stuff and of course on the mental health front. All the more important to care for yourself gently, to support this extraordinary strength you have gained, giving yourself time and space to recover.
 
I love your reflections on being prepared, and I realise it is now usually at home that I get caught out, in the evening or the wee hours... my first step forward on this is going to be to make sure I know what my go-to food is when the demon strikes - yes, a piece or two of dark chocolate but swiftly accompanied by berries/kefir/muesli and a small amount of cheese if they continue. I am going to practise talking to myself out loud when it happens, slowing down my thought processes and asking myself what might work to eat that is a bit healthier... and if possible, gently remind myself that eating a mountain of unhealthy stuff is unsatisfying, while curiously 3 large bowls of berries/kefir/muesli at 2 am did somewhat soothe me when grieving my sister. And writing this, I think I am going to imagine a little red demon on my left shoulder egging me on to eat a monstrous amount and even consider having a conversation with them!!

I am becoming more adept at giving myself permission for a longer eating window when I feel I need it - giving myself permission without guilt is so important and a skill I am developing. So yes some days 10-12 hours rather than 3-8 is what I need to stay on track and genuinely nurture myself with compassion.
 
@Clearingaspace icy  hands and fat burning – tell me more...I've not heard this before and I often get cold when fasting!!