Countdown to AUGUST

[loveyouradvice]

All are welcome!

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

Summer's here so let's enjoy getting our bodies ready for August, 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 for 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.

Some of us find daily posting helpful for accountability - others just pop in every now and then

Hello to our regulars and those who joined us on the last thread
@Clearingaspace
@Mull
@IDareSay
@tiredwitless
@conflictednow
@LumpySpaceCow
@kittenhug
@EATmum
@jayni149
@xSoFarSoGoodx
@2Early4Breakfast
@2Early4Breakfast2025

Hope I've caught everyone - please add any you notice I've missed!!

Thanks for thr add! Loving this group! It's so motivating! Hoping to lose 1kg by Friday but would be happy with anything!

Can I jump on this thread please, I need some accountability... I've a big event in 13 weeks and need to lose a stone. I've been IF for the last week as well as keeping calories to less than 1200 a day.

I've done itbefore and it worked. I don't naturally eat breakfast anyway and tend to do a 19/5 split. Weekends are hard though. Being at work keeps me away from food and I just don't take anything with me. At home though...

Down 1lb probably thanks to a week’s holiday where all - lunch and dinner - veggie options were aubergine based. I like aubergine but…

Checking in thank you @loveyouradvice

Well, I remembered to weigh and measure this morning and I am at my lowest weight for some time. Having gained between the end of March and end of May, I was determined to get back to my end of March weight.

I have achieved that and actually gone under it by half a kilo (1lb) so my new lowest weight is 66kg as of today. I think that's about a 2kg loss in June. The daily posting for the last week or two definitely helped.

Not such good news on the measuring front; waist is at 87cm (34") which is a fair bit more than half my height, so I need to either grow 14cm (6") taller, or get my waist measurement down a lot more! Much as I would like to be taller, I think reducing the waist is more practical

So, goals for the end of this month: I will be happy to lose 1kg but even happier to lose 2kg, and I really want to get at least 2cm off my waist.

I might not post every day, but will keep tracking cals/carbs/protein and sticking to 18:6, 16:8 if not.

Today's fast about to be broken with pancakes, strawberries and yoghurt.

.

Kitchen closed at 6.30pm. 1300 cals, 68g carbs, 89g protein.
Decent day, 6 hour eating window after an 18 hour fast.

Huge congrats @IDareSay - utterly magnificent! Great plan for the month and I'll look forward to celebrating your 1-2kg lose with you at the end of July. How are you planning to lose the weight round your waist?? Just expecting it to come off as your weight goes down, or anything extra??

Welcome @FatLarrysBanned ... it sounds as if you have a great and achieveable plan. It's so satisfying knowing its worked before and we can do it again.

Loving the aubergine, aubergine and more aubergine holiday @conflictednow - How did that happen???

What are people's goals for the month?

Mine above all is focussing on eating consciously ...
"eating consciously, for pleasure and for health" whenever I eat or drink anything

My overall aim is for this to be happening naturally and easily by the end of the year... I feel like Im learning a new skill, or developing a new muscle. I've had decades where I have mainly eaten unconsciously in almost all situations - whether celebrating with friends, or comfort eating in stressful times.

And I'm going to support it with two helpful reminders to myself when I'm faltering:
I can do hard things
And Gin Stephens hugely helpful Delay don't deny

So this month I would love to get back to 11.4/5 which means losing the 6/7 pounds I put on in the last 3 weeks.

I'm going to post on here daily for at least the next 2 weeks, recognising that my DC is here for the next 7 days, which means eating in longer windows most days, but when eating separately I'll be looking at 4-6 hour eating windows.

Yesterday was her birthday, so I hugely enjoyed a pancake with bacon and maple syrup for brunch - and made her cake and drank some Aperol. So I mainly ate consciously, but did find myself "accidentally" eating some melted chocolate and cake batter while baking. Hmm.

Today I think it's a 6 hour window, all of my own choosing so favourite berries, yogurt and muesli breakfast, and some fish, eggs and veggies. Looking forward to it - I love the balanced feeling when I'm eating well and my body isn't craving things.

"How are you planning to lose the weight round your waist?? Just expecting it to come off as your weight goes down, or anything extra??"

Well, @loveyouradvice I would like to think it will reduce as my weight reduces but I might have to put some effort into exercise too. I was over on the fitness boards and was reminded of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred which I used to do half my lifetime ago. In a rush of blood to the head, I bought it on my Prime account so I suppose I should actually use it now!

Not today though, just climbed the big hill by our house and I'm hotter than a young Brad Pitt

So my goals for this month are to lose 1 to 2kg, 2cm off my waste, and become familiar with Jillian again.

Wonderful images of a young Brad Pitt now flooding my mind... thank you!!

Congrats on getting to know Jillian better again @IDareSay

Stayed within my window. Poor food choices due to upset in the morning. Stuck with window closing at 6pm, and felt better.

Eating in your window is an achievement @2Early4BreakfastJuly , the food choices will get better I'm sure and hope the morning upset was resolved.

I forgot to post before going to bed, but had a decent day. Less than 6 hour eating window.
Kitchen closed at 6.30pm again, later than I would like but not too bad.
1150 cals, 28g carbs, 59g protein.

Broke my fast at 11.30am, so that's 17 hours under the belt today.

Just checking in. I'm finding it hard to eat my 1,200 calories in the 6 hour window which is something I thought I'd never say!

Yesterday I had a toasted cheese roll with half a tin of baked beans around 2.30pm to break my fast (402 cal) and then a bag of steamed veggies and a piece of chunky breaded cod at about 6pm (275 cal) even though I wasn't hungry then, so my total from the day was 677. MFP won't register it as it's too few calories, but I've had a few days like this since I started.

I don't want to eat for the sake of eating, that's how I got this belly! I've cut out sweet stuff completely, I have literally no will power once I start.

Good news is I'm 4lb down in 10 days and now 11st 5lb (5ft 6in) and am feeling a little less rotund. I don't measure cm lost, but I have a pair of jeans that used to fit comfortably and if I could get back into those I'd be a happy woman.

My goal by the end of July is to have a number on the scales starting with a 10 and my mantra this month is "Do not reward yourself with food, you are not a dog". 🐶🐕

I have occasional days like that @FatLarrysBanned but I think if you aren't hungry then why keep eating? I think if I am as low as being under 700 cals I would ensure I had more the next day (especially protein) to balance it out, but otherwise I wouldn't worry.
Maybe 16:8 would suit you better?

I remember the kerfuffle when Michael Mosley came out with the Fast 800; the consensus until then had been people should not go that low calorie, but he proved it works and is safe.

As long as you feel well and are keeping yourself hydrated then you know what is working for you and what isn't.

I love your mantra!

Kitchen closed at 6pm, DH cooked.
1165cals, 112g carbs (had rice with dinner, very carby!), 70g protein.

Hi all, sorry I’ve been quiet as I’m still away, coming home today. Eating while away has been OK, certainly more than normal but I have tried to be mindful and not binge eat.

I have been eating breakfast as it’s included but it’s continental and extremely carb heavy. I don’t like fruit, never have, so options are cereal, toast or pastries (a lot of them!). I haven’t really eaten lunch and then had dinner. A couple of puddings over the week but not for the sake of it.

So, I might weigh in tomorrow morning and see where I’m at. My first goal for July is to be back to 13.3 next Thurs (my ‘official’ weigh in day). Then there are 4 weigh ins (inc first week of Aug) until our family holiday so I would LOVE to see 12.13 by then.

@IDareSay I would also love to lose some more off my tummy, I will do another measure when the inevitable bloating from this week has gone down. Think it was 100cm last time I checked so much, much more than the 80cm I need to aim for 😬

Weighed in today and down 0.8kg which I am pleased with! Keeping to calories, fasting has been easy and managing to work out! We will see how the weekend goes as this is when I fall down! I hope you all have a great weekend 😊

@LumpySpaceCow well done, sounds like you are doing really well. Hope you have a great weekend.

Thanks for your post @IDareSay I think I'm going to do 16:8 at the weekends and 18:6 during the week and see how I get on. I was a total of 5lb down yesterday, but went out for a meal which was impossible to calorie count (lots of different dishes), but it was blooming delicious so I regret nothing 😋 , back on track today with no guilt.

Well done @LumpySpaceCow that's a great loss 💪🏻

Think we have the same goal in terms of waist measurement @Mull , I also need to get down to 80cm, preferably less.
Though last night's late dinner did not help, but like @FatLarrysBanned I enjoyed every morsel of it and the wine that went with it!
You are doing so well @LumpySpaceCow 0.8kg is a great loss

I have had a go this morning at a rough calculation of my stats yesterday, including the late dinner, pudding and wine, and it's quite eye-opening as this would have been a fairly normal day's eating for me in the past, especially at weekends.

Cals 2700, carbs 160g, protein 95g.
So that's going to take 2 or 3 days of below average calories for me to even out. And I woke up very hungry this morning so made myself an omelette much earlier that I usually would, so just a 12 hour fast overnight, not great.

But back on the wagon today (though I am still giving Jillian the side eye...) otherwise one FIAF can descend into a week of indulgence!

Hi all and thanks for the new thread @loveyouradvice
Had a really busy week or two so haven’t posted much but still here and IF-ing. I weighed in at 12st 3.5 on Friday so very happy with that as my goal weight was 12 5 by end June. My goal for this month is to get to 11st anything!
Still doing 16:8 most days but also have done several 24 hour fasts and one 42 hour fast this week. My first time to do an extended fast and not too difficult overall. Having said that it was stressful and felt a bit jittery towards the end and even afterwards for about a day. Have been listening to TFM -the fasting method - podcast for lots of info and will plan carefully before attempting that again.
This month I want to get serious about reducing carbs. I don’t count calories at the moment but try to eat whole food, home cooked as much as possible. I’m very weak around pastries though and I definitely undo some of my efforts there.
Im also planning to get back to my regular 15 minutes of yoga and physio exercises in the morning , doesn’t take long but makes a big difference to how I feel.
To keep me on track I’m going to try post here even if v short, good or bad day, on a daily basis. I know I won’t make it every day but it’s still the goal.
Thanks for being there everyone, welcome to all new people, and best of luck with all your goals for July!

Kitchen closed at 6.30pm
1230 cals, 110g carbs (still too many!), 62g protein.
Planning an 18 hour fast now.

Hi, hoping I can join please?
About 4 years ago I managed to get down to a weight I was really happy with using IF and Mediterranean diet which included cutting out sugar and processed food.

Due to life stress I’ve managed to pile the weight back on sadly. I’ve dabbled in IF a couple of times again and just can’t stick to it :-( Def harder now I’m 40. I’m wondering if 5:2 could suit me better. As gives a bit more flexibility on my non-fasting days. Anyone do 5:2 successfully? And what sort of thing do you eat on your 500 Cal days? I’m veggie so I guess that limits things a bit as a lot of the stuff I see is chicken breast and stuff

anyway- really welcome any thoughts :-)

Just a quick check-in - ate within 5 hour window today but probably ate too much including a snickers bar.. back to work routine tomorrow which helps me stay on track.
welcome @Millie2008 I don’t do 5:2 , so not much help I’m afraid. I do 16:8 and occasional longer fasts and try to do low carb and as little UPF as possible.

Just been looking back over this weekend to see what I can learn from it.
Thursday was good on calories but quite high carb due to having rice with dinner.
Friday's high calorie high carb day was planned for but it did trigger a less than ideal weekend; Saturday wasn't too bad but I lost the plot a bit yesterday.

Started well with a 17 hour fast and an omelette for lunch, but DH went to the shop and came back with some Crunchie ice-cream because he had seen me eat a Crunchie earlier in the week and thought I might like it.
Foolishly, I decided to try it and ended up eating far too much of it. Looking at the ingredients afterwards I was horrified, it's really not good stuff (which I knew but managed to ignore while I was eating it...)
I was feeling quite nauseous so I didn't have the planned dinner (DH ate it all; you can see why he isn't always a great help!)
Calories weren't horrific, at 1440, but all that sickly sugar meant I had 167g carbs and only 42g protein yesterday.

So I basically have fasted since 3pm yesterday in an attempt to get the crap out of my system. I'm not saying I won't eat ice-cream again, but plan to only eat the expensive stuff from the local bakery which has recognisable ingredients and the occasional fruit lolly.

My joints are aching horribly, which may be a coincidence, but that means I won't be starting Jillian today. I'll need to feel a lot better before I attempt it.

Currently 20 hours into a fast. I'll see how long I can manage.