Countdown to SEPTEMBER!

[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.

Gosh - September seems so close now, and I thought summer had only just begun. Hopefully you've got lovely August plans and strategies to safeguard weight loss.

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
@IDareSay
@Saltedporridge
@FatLarrysBanned
@tiredwitless
@LumpySpaceCow
@conflictednow
@DogPawsMudFur
@hellotomrw
@Mull
@conflictednow
@Clearingaspace

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

Hello everyone, thank goodness it’s only the start of Aug as a delicious fish n chips may have been scoffed tonight at the end of the hols. Not weighing in for two weeks 🤣

So... what are your hopes and dreams for August?

Mine, to lose a pesky few pounds that have hopped on uninvited... lets say 3lbs in next two weeks, before heading to the Edinburgh Fringe for a week of unadulterated joy and hopefully not too much food.

So I'm aiming to be back at 11.7 at the end of the month. And gently increasing my exercise at the same time. Just more walking, a little strengths training and a few minutes dancing in the kitchen with the dog (or husband) here and there

Yum @conflictednow That sounds absolutely delicious! Look forward to seeing your results in two weeks.... are you hoping to stay at the same weight on hols, or allowing yourself to gain a couple of pounds?

@loveyouradvicedefinitely need to get to get back on it. Work is a bit sedentary but I’ve got better at ignoring the team cake desk
Aim : 2lb by end Aug
If you’re at the Fringe, you’ll burn off loads with all the old town stairs !

You're right - I'll be doing a LOT of steps!! @conflictednow and I'm most impressed by your learning to ignore the team cake desk.

How are others plans looking for this week? for the month?

This week, I'm doing two days of just 500/600 calories in a 1 hour window, alongside high-protein/low-carb/generally healthy eating in an 8 hour window. No eating with friends so hoping that at least 1 if not 2 of those recently regained pounds come off.

I'm also seeking to understand my appetites better - I've been very hungry on at least 2 of the last 4 days, eaten far more but not put on weight. I'm wondering if this is my body fighting to hold onto the weight - or whether I was just genuinely hungry for whatever reason

And pleasure? Definitely savouring life's little joys this week - the smell of coffee, some wildflowers on the kitchen table and luxuriating in stretching my body when I wake.

Thanks for the new thread @loveyouradvice
I’m still plodding along on 16:8 this week. Getting a walk (at least) every day, usually at 8pm to help with closing my eating window. Feeling really tired but did a lot of exercise at the weekend -a very long hike - I seem to take longer to recover these days. I don’t think I’m losing anything and will have to do some longer fasts again to do so but not ready for that just yet.
I’m also interested in why I’m sometimes very hungry and other times not at all.
One thing I do know is that if I eat nice bread, I want more bread! I have to stop kidding myself that I’m buying it for other people!

have a good week all.

Hello! Please can I join? Xx

Welcome @Pinkleopardprint good to have you on the thread. Have you been doing IF for a while or starting?

I did it a couple of years ago and lost a stone. But alas I've put double of that back on! I'm the biggest I've ever been :( I had breakfast at 10am and pasta for lunch so that's me now done for the day foodwise!

Well I have done 22 and 23 hour fasts yesterday and today, and a walk after dinner each day. 16:8 other days this week. Happy with that. Trying to stay away from the carbs so lots of veg and some protein. I eat a lot of nuts and yogurt too. Hoping I’ll lose some weight with the fasting this week … might weigh tomorrow but might not if I feel bloated .. 😊
going away for a few days on Saturday, my aim is to do 16:8 while away and get some exercise each day.. not too much pressure.

How’s everyone else doing?
@Pinkleopardprint how are you getting on?

Checking in after the last full week before my holiday.
I was 66kg on 1st July, 64.6kg on 1st August and 64.3kg this morning, a 300g loss.
BMI now 25.1
I’m sticking to my plan which is to fast at least 16 hours, 1300 calories Sunday to Thursday (I’ve averaged 1254 this week) and 1800 calories on Friday and Saturday.
Daily meeting with Jillian and on track to finish the 30 Day Shred before I go away.
Dogs walked every day, rain or shine!
My plan for when I’m away is to walk lots and eat mindfully, with no late eating, but to enjoy whatever I choose. As @tiredwitless says, not too much pressure. (Great fasts by the way!)
It’s only a week and I’ll be straight back on plan when I get home.

Sounds like a really good plan @tiredwitless, well done on those long fasts and hope you enjoy your days away. For me they are the biggest test - eating/fasting while on holiday and just making it my way of eating... Good luck And I agree enjoying what you eat is key.

Welcome @Pinkleopardprint . What's your plan re fasting? How's it going?

I love reading about your meetings with Jillian @IDareSay . And wow - how are you feeling after your almost 30 days of Shred?? How's your body reacted?? I suspect you've built a lot of muscle so am not surprised that weight loss is low. But how tantalising to be SO close to normal BMI - you'll get there VERY soon. Have a fabulous week away

And my check in... I stuck to plan (almost) so feel good about the two days of 500/600 calories in a one hour eating window.

BUT!!!! I got very tired - overstretched with a current project - and found myself eating too much, way too much on Wednesday. Healthy stuff but half a cheese and a chunky cod steak on top of a normal day's eating does NOT work. I must remember that for me tiredness and overeating always go hand in hand - I need better strategies to cope with that. So...

SW 14.2
TW 10.12
CW 11.10 so static from last week

This coming week, just one sociable supper and otherwise I can do what works for me and DH... so I'm aiming for 16/8 with 2 days of 500/600 calories in a one hour window. I would like this to just become my rhythm for the week until I've lost the extra weight. Calories around 1400 most days, with lots of protein berries and veg.

And recommitting to my resolve of last week, which definitely wavered:
I'm tuning into My Power over Food, and noticing when I make conscious and unconscious choices... I'm going to dial that up even higher this week and see where it takes me.

Hi everyone! Thank you for the new thread @loveyouradvice .

Weigh in today after a very stressful week taking an elderly relative on holiday - 2.4lbs off! Very happy with that as I struggled to drink enough water. I did manage the fasts though and kept the calorie count low. This week, back at home, I'll be able to improve the QUALITY of the calories.

SW - 155.4lbs
CW - 144.5lbs
Loss after 4 weeks - 10.9lbs

It is not particularly fast bearing in mind I'm doing Fast 800, but it is steady and sustainable. Let's see what next week brings (apart from lots more water and leafy greens).

Oh wow @Saltedporridge - that's some loss! Basically 11lbs in 4 weeks...

remind us how many weeks you're into Fast800 and how much you've lost since you started? Or is this it, which is still darn impressive since it doesn't sound like you have a lot to lose? What's your goal?? I lost 22lbs in 12 weeks with Fast800 and found it a great kickstart to my weightless.

Hmmm... I am overeating in my window at the moment, just a few more berries, nuts and yes, 2-3 extra squares of dark chocolate. Im wondering why when in the past I've found this way of eating so easy and deeply fascinating.

Wondering how I can get back into that space... as a start Im going to keep a daily food diary again, and forward plan the day's eating ... and not going to much on extra chocolate/nuts though Ill be more lenient on berries.

What are your strategies fellow-fasters on not just having a bit too much?? What works for you?

@loveyouradvice Thank you for putting it like that - 'Basically 11lbs in 4 weeks' made me realise I'm on a roll! I've now completed the first four weeks of Fast 800, but I'd still like to lose at least a stone and preferably two! I would be happy with around 9.5 stones, but I'm a full-time, active wheelchair user and it's much easier on my arms to be as light as possible, so I'm aiming (perhaps over optimistically) for 8.5 stones.

What has really helped me in the last 4 weeks is keeping a food diary. I saw someone posting about their food/sleep/water diary on a dedicated Fast 800 site and it made me realise that I'm less likely to stray if I have to write down my failings :)

Hey all,
interesting posts about how to control intake during eating window. I have this problem too:(
I’m doing quite well with time restricted eating but I just seem to often lose control in my eating window. Generally not going crazy on junk food - it’s often bread with butter or cheese, which is a bit like crack cocaine for me. Once I start I can’t stop - until I’m uncomfortably full.
The best way I can control it is if I’m out of the house, at work and busy.
I have had some success with doing some exercise after eating like a walk outside for 30-40 minutes - once I get back I no longer feel like eating.
I am very bad at recording food or writing things down but I may have to think about a food diary, it’s an interesting idea.
I think it takes me longer than other people to feel full when eating a meal… do others feel like that? I nearly always want seconds. And sometimes thirds. I sound very greedy. Which is keeping me at the same weight more or less. 12st2 at the moment.
So I closed my eating window at 5.30 today because of eating too much bread after lunch. Didn’t have dinner.

Feeling a little despondent at lack of progress even though I know why.

Two meals out this weekend which will definitely involve alcohol so I’m just going to try to stay within 16:8 and get some longer fasts next week.

Best of luck to all with fasting plans

Quick check in as going away for a few days today.
64.1kg this morning so that’s 200g off since last week and BMI of 25.

It won’t last 😎 I intend to break the scone eating record this week 🤣

Good morning!

Weigh in at the end of week 5. It's been a challenging week as I have been prescribed a shedload of antibiotics for an infection in my big toe. It's in my 'good leg' (ie. the one that I can weight bear on, so it has been taken very seriously).

I'm a bit disappointed in the weight loss this week - 0.5lbs - but I'm beginning to feel the difference in my clothes, so onwards and downwards :)

SW - 155.4lbs
CW - 144.0lbs
Loss after 5 weeks - 11.4lbs

Aim for this week - finish the antibiotics, be mindful that I might have to eat a bit more to allow my body to fight infection, drink loads of water and eat healthily. There are a lot of green vegetables in the fridge with my name on them.

Have a good week everyone.

@IDareSay Have a fantastic break! Have a scone (with raspberry jam) for me!

@IDareSay - wow huge congrats on making 25. Enjoy those scones and know that you can get back to it fast once you are back

@Saltedporridge Yes, food journals really work for me too ... probably signficicant that I am not keeping one at the mo. And like you @tiredwitless I don't seem to have an off switch ... I think a lot of us don't, and are born like that. (Read a fascinating study about kids a while back.)

Love those NSV @Saltedporridge - clothes feeling looser is the best and so inspiring!!

I'm a bit late to the party but can I join you all please?

I had a successful few months 5:2ing a long time ago and have been trying to get back into it ever since.

Yesterday was my unplanned first FD and I was buzzing with motivation. I'm now planning to fast again today and eat the same as I did yesterday but I'm already panicking that the novelty will have worn off by tomorrow and I'll be back to square one so I've come to these threads to try and keep the momentum going.

CW 16st. I don't really have a target, I just want to take each day as it comes and also interested in the health benefits of fasting.

Also, water - I drank plenty yesterday and can do the same today but work tomorrow will be a different matter because I don't always have easy access to a loo. Any tips on this?

You are VERY welcome @Bottl - I've definitely found time here reading the boards and chatting to people helps my motivation immeasurably. Actually, reflecting, those are the two things that help me the most - keeping a daily food diary, and investing time each day reading these boards, and being really focussed on making it my number one priority.

Hmmm... tips on water, that's a tough one - I'm definitely a 2l a day girl, and think it supports weight loss. Good luck!