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!

Hello everyone! I'm feeling all of you that are seeing slow progress. I'm 63kg today so that's 0.2kg drop in the last week. Not much but as I get closer to my goal of 61kg I suspect it will get slower. We WILL get there!!

Similar story for me @pottypotamus but a loss is a loss, well done!

I'm down a pound this week so 9st 11lb now, I think that's my first loss in February! Slowly creeping towards my goal of about 9st 7lb although I feel like I might not get there but maintaining would be good. I did 3x5k runs this week so met my goal of adding in some running to my strength training, they felt good despite the rain so will carry on this week.

I saw a friend this week who I haven't seen since new year and she said I looked like I'd lost more than half a stone so that was a nice boost!!

The vision of life with older children @StealthLaSilkySightHound sounds fantastic. I love my ankle biters but they do take it out of you. Mine are 9 and 5 now, but since the 5 year old started school in Sept I feel like we've got a bit more time back as they are both in the same place all day, so we can do 50/50 school runs which has given me time for morning exercise. Slowly each year I'm finding a little more time for myself but I really appreciate the difference, I was on my own when I had my DD so going from single parent life to now two slightly older kids and a supportive DH is a world of difference. Any single parents/those with v.young kids should not compare themselves, the difference is vast!

79.9kg, which is a small gain on last week. I had a very unusual week which turned a spotlight on comfort eating and made me understand it better, seeing that it really does have a function, kindly meant, just misplaced. Looking forward to seeing how I put this insight into practice this week. Always good to read everyone's posts, thank you.

quick check in <waves> I have caught up with everyone’s posts and am so impressed especially at the determination when things don’t go as planned/hoped and the descriptions of changing attitudes to exercise, veg etc

SW 195.5lb
CW 179 lb so 2.5lb down
GW 150lb

we had cooler weather here so I got a couple of walks of 8k and 5k in, have done some weight workouts and managed at least 16hr fasts every day except one day when I felt shaky at 14 hours.

NSV my pajama bottoms are loose

@Welcometothenightcourt .... Huge congrats on your insights and your weight loss ....as a fellow loving-big-portions person who eats healthily I loved your thoughts.... I eat relatively healthy things but just a lot of them. Wondering what the best way would be to nourish myself properly and make sure I'm losing weight without triggering obsessive behaviour. Bit of a tightrope eh. Still here though.

I'm looking at this too and am increasingly thinking the way forward for me is to increase lean protein and most veggies.... thinking these will both lead to more weight loss and more health.... Going to explore how I feel on it anyway.

I'm increasingly accepting the slower weight loss...this year, just the 7lbs I gained over Xmas have been lost since 2 Jan!!! Ah well - I keep expecting it to be more but that's okay and I'm revelling in eating for health

SW: 14.2
CW: 12.0.... 1lb lost this week
TW: 11.2

@StealthLaSilkySightHound that waist shrinkage is SO DARN IMPRESSIVE as is the "fierce" complliment ... keep on enjoying!!

I forgot to check in yesterday - busy day!
Started the same this week; not unexpected as it was half term here and X DD wanted to go out for breakfast a couple of times (just a shorter fast as I classed it as brunch) and no opportunity to get the gym. But life needs flexibility so I'm still happy!

Same here, busy Friday so late check in for me:

SW 05/01/24 66.1 kg
02/02/24 62.7 kg
09/02/24 62.7 kg
16/02/24 63.3 kg
23/02/24 61.9 kg

Attempted 72 hr fast this week, had to cut it short by 5 hours as felt fainty and unwell. The weight is continuing to come off gradually. My goal for next week is to squeeze in some cycling and swimming as I've done virtually nothing this week.

Huge well done to everyone on your big and small achievements!

@StealthLaSilkySightHound Super impressed with your body fat loss!!! Way to go!

Thinking longer-term... What are your one or two behaviours that are MOST challenging for maintaining weight loss?? The ones most likely to sabotage your success and wellbeing - and the most resistant to change?

Like many on here, I'm really enjoying eating large portions of healthy food one or two times a day in a shorter eating window, with the flexibility to add in sociable days and meals out with more calories and a longer eating window... When it's going well, I feel like I could eat like this forever, while enjoying have a lithe body with the curves I want - and not the ones I don't!

BUT... and this is a big BUT... I have lost 4 or 5 stone three times in the last 15 years and before that was a yo-yo dieter regularly up and down by a couple of stone. I want to reach my target weight and feel confident of staying there for the rest of my life.

I think for me the behaviour I really need to crack is mindless eating - two types, one when out with friends and an array of delicious food and I just think sod it and have second and third helpings, eating absent-mindedly and finding it difficult to resist. The second, more challenging, is emotional eating - when upset/angry/sad, I will bury my sorrow in a mountain of ice cream and chocolate and cheese biscuits... or even just large amounts of healthy food. Of course I have other habits that have enabled the weight gain - such simple ones as just really enjoying good food! - but these two are the nub of it I suspect for me. Two habits I need to learn to change if I am to be successful long-term.

What are yours? And how are you getting on with changing them??

Emotional eating for me. Also the times when I start eating and can't stop, but I suspect that's really the same thing as emotional eating for me.

I've been seeing a therapist for a work issue that's coming towards a resolution, and I'm going to ask if we can piggyback my emotional eating onto this. Everything's all tied together really.

Happy Friday everyone! Up early with my son as we were both woken by the wind or rain so thought I'd do my check in.

Another pound down this week so 9st 10lb now (even weighed in at 9st 9lb a couple of times this week) so I'm really pleased with that. Over Jan and Feb I've lost 8 pounds, so nearly a pound a week which feels sustainable and I'm only 3 pounds off my original goal!

I think the behaviour that is my downfall is going for the quick option when I'm short on time. So instead of a proper dinner I'll grab a piece of toast and peanut butter because I'm busy then I'll snack later as that's not enough to fill me up and I'll feel tired after a few days of.doing this as im not eating properly. Eating good nutritious food is just as important as whatever else I'm doing and I must make it a priority.

I've been making much more effort to ensure there is pre-prepared proper food around so I have no excuse and also to remind myself this is a much better example to set for my children.

Hope you've all had good weeks!

We've arrived in March!

79.3kg, down 0.6kg since last week and in fact, in an up-and-down month, a total loss of just 0.5kg.

I'd like to carry on checking in weekly with this group please.

Weekly check in
CW: 192
Last week: 192.5
01/01/2024: 195.2
Start weight: 202

Hooray 🥳 We've officially made it to March!

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the first signs of spring.

SW 05/01/24 66.1 kg
02/02/24 62.7 kg
09/02/24 62.7 kg
16/02/24 63.3 kg
23/02/24 61.9 kg (67 hour fast)
01/03/24 62.5 kg

As expected I put back a bit this week after the long fast last week. I'm ok with that, it seems my hormones are behaving a bit better this month, no migraine around ovulation time which was such a huge relief. I consciously haven't done more than 15 hour fasts this week and allowed myself carbs and sweet stuff and I think that's what's helped.
It's a fascinating journey learning what your body needs during different times of month and learning to listen to its wants and needs.
I suspect these last 2.5 kg I need to shift will be with me for quite some time, very much in a manner of one step forward, two steps back.

@StealthLaSilkySightHound youve completely confused me because the bottom of my ribcage is roughly limed up with my belly button. Or were you measuring where the bra band goes?

I'm celebrating being my lowest weight for over 15 months....slowly, slowly getting back there...I'm aiming at 1lb a week until Easter - and as this week's my birthday with a luxurious meal out, I'll be happy if I'm reporting "no gain" next Friday.

SW: 14.2 (May 23)
CW: 11.11 so 1lb loss this week
TW: 11.2

Gentle reminder to self: IF is how I look after my body for the rest of my life: I was 11.2 for 14 months 2021-2022: I CAN do it again.

@Saraswati I SO AGREE on how much it helps having healthy prepared food in the fridge - it makes it so much easier - and more delicious - to stay on track!

Over 4 kilos in 2 months @StealthLaSilkySightHound – that’s terrific – you’ll definitely be in those new jeans by the end of March with your willpower, habit stacking and the calories you’re shaving off. I’m intrigued by the milky teas – they sound so benign!! What strategies seem to help if you are being lured? Does half a cuppa or semi skimmed milk make a difference – or are you an all or nothing woman? It sometimes helps me to focus on smaller amounts of healthy chocolate, and big bowls of berries and muesli rather than huge bars of milk chocolate and bowls of icecream but often it doesn't: I need new strategies! Looking forward to hearing what you and your therapist come up with @HarpQuartet ... especially as you summarised my issues perfectly!!!

Loving those loose pajama bottoms @PartridgeInAPearShape

Thank you for ending on such an uplifting note @StealthLaSilkySightHound - the gorgeous image of so many shapes and sizes, all beautiful in their own way, in a Swedish communal shower.... our bodies are miraculous.

@StealthLaSilkySightHound solidarity from a fellow long bodied person here, variety is the spice of life as they say but it is rather annoying when most womens tops look cropped length on me, despite only being 5ft 6!

Ah @StealthLaSilkySightHound that does explain it, and a timely reminder to me to do my measurements. I am losing enough at the moment but I know I have previously has spells where I don’t lose weight but do feel slimmer. Doing my measurements at the start of each month can help keep me motivated in such situations.

Lovely, encouraging posts, thank you to everyone for joining in. Stealth, your turn of phrase really tickles me: a sneeze of a tee shirt is great!