Countdown to JUNE

[loveyouradvice]

All are welcome!

We’re a friendly group that uses Fasting in one form or another to help or maintain our weight loss. We all have our ups and downs, and welcome insights from others and laughter along the way.

Summer's round the corner so let's enjoy getting our bodies ready for June, whatever that means to each of us!

Fridays are our informal day for weighing-in (optional) and reflecting on the week – often with ideas for self-care and new goals in the coming week.

We cheer each other on, and commiserate when things don't go to plan.

If you’re new to this group, do introduce yourself and share your hopes and plans.

And welcoming regulars to our new thread...

Hello to our regulars
@ItRainsItPours
@Clearingaspace
@Fouramclub
@HarpQuartet
@IDareSay
@StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans

What self care are people doing this week??

I have a delightful one I've been doing for a couple of weeks... it always makes me laugh. I have stubby rather unappealing nails, which I've never given much attention. They got crazily dry and cracked with a couple of European flights earlier this year. And now I have a little roller-ball of nail oil that I roll over them while watching TV or after a bath... It feels so "not me" but I enjoy it, it takes no time, and my nails are already looking much more appealing! And has the added benefit of making me feel that I am looking after myself...

Hi all, do you mind if I join? I’ve been doing 18:6 for a couple of months, following radiotherapy treatment that meant I didn’t have any taste for about 3mths. So, since Jan I’ve lost 2.5st but 1.5st of that was ‘forced’ and didn’t require much willpower, the last 1st has been much harder! I want to carry on with healthier habits and continue to lose (still have a few st to go) as the cancer diagnosis and treatment has been a wake up call - I’m 45, very overweight and carry most of my weight on my tummy.

SW (Jan-25): 16.10
CW (1st May): 14.3
GW (by Xmas?): 11.10

My goal for May is to get down to 13 anything. Would love to get to 3st off (13.10) but 13.13 would be fine.

My window is usually 12.30-6.30 so I have a lunch, a couple of cups of tea during the afternoon and then family dinner. My complete weakness is sugar, I am addicted. I can’t have a little bit as a snack or to stop a craving, it just unleashes a beast so I have to avoid. During the radiotherapy I couldn’t eat anything sweet (chocolate was weirdly waxy and cake was just like dust without any sweetness) but my taste is now back (which I am grateful for, even if it makes losing weight harder!)

Anyway, that was a bit of a ramble! I weigh on a Thurs and would like to use this thread to keep me going. I have a strong history of losing 2st then putting 3st back on so I’m determined to do better this time.

Welcome @Mull. Well done in getting that extra weight off after your treatment. it’s interesting that losing your sense of taste affected your appetite so much - there seems to be so many factors with weight gain. I definitely sympathise with yo-yoing a couple of stone - I have been doing the same for the last few years and never enough to get back to a healthy weight. This time hopefully 🤞 we will both manage to keep the weight off.

@loveyouradvice yes 17 hour fast completed with an extra 20 minutes! Your nail treatment sounds lovely and soothing! My self care will be to do some formal exercise.

@loveyouradvicethats an interesting point about planning - I’ve never made eating the most important thing I do! And with four teenage/young adults in the house including some fussiness around eating, I probably come last in the planning, shopping etc and fit myself around their needs. I’ve got much better about making better choices but I’m going to have a think about what it would be like if I made eating the most important thing I do for a while.

Self care this week... I like the sound of the nail oil. I’m doing some meditation sessions online recently which actually really make me feel better. I think I’ll try to do one a day - they are very short. The problem is when to do it - no problem to find time at the weekend, then work days it feels there’s no time for anything..
Planning to stick to at least 16:8 this week but stretching to 17 or 18 hours where I can. Usually easier when busy.

@Mullhi and welcome.
best of luck to all of us with the coming week!

@loveyouradvice self care is an interesting topic for me. I have been useless at it for years (putting DC first, working and rushing around) but have recently been forced to think about it more following the diagnosis. I stopped work (there was restructuring announced in the same week, it wasn’t a good week) so have had more time to try to look after myself. New routines I am trying to implement for the long term:

• Better moisturising routine as always been rubbish at that
• Using Tepe brushes once a day to improve my teeth hygiene. The dentist said I had ‘made her day’ with the improvement when I saw her last week which I was very pleased about ☺️
• Trying some different styles of clothes as I have lost weight. I have worn leggings and a tunic top for the last 15yrs so trying to get out of this rut. I’ve even bought some wide leg jeans but feel a bit of a clown in them!
• Some exercises with dumbbells. I HATE exercise and have never been able to embed it into my life. I am trying short YouTube workouts which I can do in pjs and a sports bra.

So I’m sure these are all very basic to most people but are new to me. I really want to embed better habits some that they stick when I go back to work.

@Mull i am with you on your self care goals - very similar for me. I have finally figured out this week that the red tepe sticks work best for me as they are skinny but not too flimsy!

@tiredwitless could you do the meditation in bed or is that too likely to lead to falling asleep?

I am hoping for an 18 hour fast tonight, but I have interrupted it for one coffee with almond milk. Normally I hate almond milk but I warmed it up first and then added the coffee and it didn’t curdle. I figure if vegan food is ok for fast mimicking, a bit of almond milk should be ok.

Decent day today got my 16:8 and got 9.2k steps, not bad for a work day.
I did listen to the meditation in bed @Clearingaspacebut first thing in the morning. I was awake before the alarm and it was actually a nice start to the day. Might not happen every day as more often I’m struggling to wake up and pressing Snooze..
I sometimes have a tea with a dash of no sugar soya milk first thing in the morning during a fast. (So I feel you with the almond milk!) Especially if dragging myself to work. It’s probably not quite the thing to do but it’s so lovely and helps me keep going. I mostly drink lots of water though, sometimes hot water with a bit of salt in, which I kind of like.
Love your self care routines @Mull, especially the idea of trying new styles of clothes after so long. Yay for the wide leg jeans - enjoy the changes!

I'm chanting to myself: "self-care, planning, lemurs" to get me over the hump of the next few hours because I'm hungry now but don't want to eat until 12:30pm.

Also, note to self: it's delay, not deny, AND I can do hard things 💪

Onwards and upwards, team.

hope you are still holding strong @HarpQuartet! Weirdly, planning what I am going to eat when I break the fast sometimes helps me keep going.

Yes, I made it 😀 how about you, @Clearingaspace , did you make your 18 hours? How's your day going?

Well done! Yes I made the 18 hours! I am planning to eat a bit more today, but hopefully still maintain a 12 hour gap. Will hopefully skip dinner tomorrow. I am pleased overall to have 3 fasts already under my belt since Friday.

Weigh day for me and was pleasantly surprised to see a 3lb loss taking me to 14.0, 2st 10lbs lost altogether. Not sure I’ve done anything different this week so maybe there won’t be much loss next week? Would be so fab to see 13.13 (not sure the last time I saw 13 anything, must be pre-Covid?).

However, I’ve got a weekend away now so might not be able to stick to my windows / foods that I have been quite strict about. But, I realise I need to be flexible as this WOE has to be for the long term.

SW (Jan-25): 16.10
CW (8th May): 14.0
GW (by Xmas?): 11.10

Wow well done @Mull 3lbs when you have already lost a lot is fantastic!

Thanks @Clearingaspace I was surprised and already worried it will mean no loss or a gain next week - never satisfied! I keep trying to tell myself that my good habits / better eating / IF shouldn’t be impacted by what the scales say as I am in this for the long term, but decades of yo-yo dieting are hard to break!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sw 14st 9
cw 14 st 1

Lost 1lb, slightly disappointed as I thought I was on track for 13.13 today, but I feel heavy in my bones this morning and think maybe it’s the exercise effect making me retain water..

selfcare/ NSVs

• exercised a lot by my standard this week - weights, Pilates, treadmill and exercise bike. some of these were short 10 minute workouts, but yesterday’s effort was 40 minutes!
• more or less kept to my calorie targets
• fasted 17/18 hours most days by skipping dinner - I won’t necessarily do that every week.

next week I need to get back on track with water, sleep and gums as that slipped a bit towards the end of the week.

how is everyone this week?

@Clearingaspace I get the disappointment ... I've often felt it, sometimes I put on a pound when I've expected to lose a couple ... We all need to hold onto the fact that it's a downward trend, and that some weeks you'll lose more, others you'll maintain... all is success and not always explicable. So I am going to say huge congrats on losing that pound, and the eight you've lost so far. And the 13s are tantalisingly close - you'll get there soon!!

Huge congrats too on all that exercise - definitely the best self care going!! A huge achievement. Congrats on the 17/18 hour fasts - what are your plans this week? And well done on refocussing on water, sleep and gums - those last two are top of my list too for this week.

How's your weightless held up @StealthilyEmbraceTheSilkyBeans and how's your week been after your FMD??

@HarpQuartet How's your fun things to do list looking now? What a brilliant chant - think I'm going to adopt it "Self-care, planning, lemurs" and lovely to see you using similar slogans to mine: they are SO powerful.

How's your week felt @tiredwitless? I know you've said you're not a big poster but it's fab having your contributions on here... and we tend to assume it's bad news if someone doesnt post for a week or more, and are full of compassion and support as they hope back on this WoE.

Welcome @Mull. Wow you've been through a lot - we're all here to cheer you on on the next weight loss steps: you're doing something so powerful for your health, as well as the joy of new clothes and a body that starts to feel as you want it to. Your self-care goals are similar to many on here - you'll be surprised how many of us are upping our teeth care, and it was so good to hear from my dentist how much my gums had improved from pre Christmas. And congrats on that 3lb loss - the 13s are tantalisingly close!!

How are things looking for you @ItRainsItPours and @IDareSay ?

My weekly weigh in:
SW: 14.2
CW: 11.2 so 3lb down from last week, but still 4lbs up from 5 weeks ago
GW: 10.12.... REMINDER TO SELF: I was there, I can get back there!!
GW for this month: 11.2 and possibly lower: fairly relaxed

So my weight goal for this week is to stay at that tantalising 11.2 and celebrate it by enjoying wearing my new clothes (and old new ones, rescued from the attic now I can wear them again).

I'm going to continue with 16/8 or 18/6 as my norm, with ideally no more than one longer eating day each week (12 hour window) and definitely doing my one day 500/600 calories in 30 minute window which seems to help me keep on track.

I often have my last meal at 4 or 5 or 6, which feels very anti-social and makes me feel a bit strange - but I keep reminding myself it's brilliant for my health, and my DH is fine with it, and when not seeing other friends (who live more normally and expect supper!!), doing what works for me is the best way of looking after my weight loss and health. And that has to be more important than anything right now.

Who's wanting to post every day for accountability this week? I know from experience how much it can help....

And my "cherishing myself" goals this week are a mix of practical ones like early nights and better dental care and some fun ones, like dancing more and having chunks of time just to chill given that life is quite demanding at the mo. Long soaks in a rose-scented bath with a book really work for me!

3lbs löss is fab @loveyouradvice and a rose scented bath with a book sounds wonderful!

I am happy for some daily posting! I would like one longer fast next week, even if just 19 hours. I am also intending to count the plantfoods I eat during the week and aim for 30.

Not so good here. I can't seem to get back into the groove and I am really struggling to stick to my eating window and to choose my food wisely. I think I am going to relax and stop thinking about it for the weekend then make a fresh start on Monday with a Proper Plan!

That sounds a good plan @IDareSay - and when you stop thinking about it for the weekend, do you find you can eat fairly sensibly or do you get tempted by things you would prefer not to be??

19 hours is powerful fasting @Clearingaspace - which day do you htink you'll choose? Or will you go with the flow and do it on a day when it feels easier than others?

Hoping everyone has a lovely sunny weekend

@IDareSay have a lovely weekend and good luck for next week.

@loveyouradvice i think I will go with the flow!

I'll do some daily posting. @IDareSay you might find your psychology is the same as mine: if I write here that I'm going to fast until midday (for example) I actually stick with it!

hi everyone
feeling really tired - already in bed - but sending a quick post to check in - weighed in this morning at 12 10 which is 2 lb down this week which is great (hovering back and forth between 11 and 10 all week but it’s landed on 10 today so I’ll take it). The last two days terrible for steps total around 3k/day today and yesterday 😩 but that’s typical for me later in the week. I’ll get some exercise Saturday and Sunday. Have been sticking to 16:8 pretty well and managed 17.5 hours fast today.
@loveyouradvicethanks, and I’m on for posting daily this week. I’ve found posting does help my resolve.
I love hearing about everyone’s losses and NSVs - all progress in the right direction, well done! And hang in there anyone else! Sometimes it’s hard to keep going, but you can do it..