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Fasting / 5:2 diet

Talk about intermittent fasting and 5:2, including what’s worked for others. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Countdown to NOVEMBER and beginning to think about Christmas goals

90 replies

loveyouradvice · 03/10/2025 08:50

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 - I can't believe we're approaching November: Christmas feels rather close. I've added up the weeks - it's just over 11 to Christmas itself, and 10 to "party season". So come and share your hopes and goals for this month - and for Christmas.

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

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StealthSightHound · 22/10/2025 15:50

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StealthSightHound · 22/10/2025 16:11

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Herewegoagaintake3 · 22/10/2025 22:32

Thanks @loveyouradvice. yes exactly! I had a good day yesterday, and today managed to fast until 1pm (so around 19 hours) and then had 1600 ish calories today between 2 meals and a snack.
Going to try do another 1000 calorie day tomorrow and then will weigh in Friday morning.

@StealthSightHound my mum is 65 so older than you but she has recently lost around 1 stone and it’s made her look a lot younger I think. Her blood pressure has returned to normal too. My blood pressure is borderline now and I’m only 32 so this is another reason I want to lose weight

StealthSightHound · 23/10/2025 18:13

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tiredwitless · 24/10/2025 08:14

Morning everyone
i havent caught up with reading the thread but just a quick post with a Friday weigh in 11. 9 this morning which is staying the same more or less but I’m happy with that due to having done not very well with food last weekend. Also a NSV - my clothes feeling looser and a new pair of size 14 trousers feels actually loose. So I did a quick measure and my waist is now 32 inches, down 5 inches on last February! So carrying on with alternate 16s and 22s, 8 o clock cut off, drinking more water, making sure to eat green veg and protein whatever about anything else.
To sound an early warning- mince pies appeared in my kitchen this week.. I didn’t buy them but there they were. I’ve ignored them and I’m sure they’ll be eaten by the teenagers but I feel the need for Christmas strategies soon .. other than giving up for December Smile

IDareSay · 24/10/2025 09:31

This morning I'm 62.6kg, so that move down into the 62's has stuck, even though I am posting a STS this week.

October has flown by, and I'm still working towards low 62's by the end of the month, but realistically that will be anything below 62.5kg!

I'll be 63 next week @StealthSightHound and I will ponder on your question today (also means I must really buckle down on the days leading up to my birthday as it is still my plan to have fish and chips on the beach/takeaway curry depending on the weather; a cream scone may make an appearance as well). Grin

ETA: I am just about to do Jillian Day 16 and I will wear my red headband (I draw the line at an eyepatch though, my balance is bad enough as it is!) 😆

JadeVS72 · 24/10/2025 09:52

Happy Friday!
Weighed in today at 74.1kg which is 1.6kg down on last week (after a slight gain)

SW 77.4kg
TW 63kg
Christmas TW 70kg 😆
CW 74.1kg

I did do 3 fast days as did Friday (after morning weigh in) Tuesday and Thursday because I am going out tonight and would normally do a Friday. 74 was my target for end of the month and I am not sure what I can fit in as we are going away for a few days over the beginning of half term with some friends and I want to be energetic and good company. At the office yesterday someone said I seemed a bit "low energy and down" which was probably a fair assessment! I do find fast days easier as they come along though.
@tiredwitless Well done on the waist reduction. I was looking at the last time I tracked waist measurements in myfitness pal and when I was ~75 kg and trying to lose weight for my wedding in 2013 (pre pregnancy) it was 29 inches, at around the same weight last week it was 33 ☹️ I will keep measuring though! And a stollen found its way into my basket last night in tesco but it's good until 2026 so will take it to my parents' for Christmas!

loveyouradvice · 24/10/2025 15:15

Congrats @StealthSightHound - visuals are powerful - love that you have your pile of food in front of you. I do this when I'm eating TMAD: all out on the counter, including my dark chocolate ration broken into small pieces in a beautiful bowl. Loving the sounds of that Vivienne Westwood frock coat - go on, get it, or whatever else inspires you and is beautiful and hang it up where you will see it - yes, it's art, and a reminder of who you really are. And wow re the alcohol, a huge achievement. Yes, I am so in the space of longing just to choose consciously what to eat... to pick and choose and not crave! We will get there. And SO GLAD the pirates are back! Yup, let's welcome those scurrilous desires back.

Congrats @Herewegoagaintake3 - looking forward to hearing your Friday update.

@tiredwitless Wow - 5 inches - that is AMAZING!!! Hope the family is noticing your new slimline waist while they scoff the mince pies - yes, let's talk Christmas strategies soon.

Oh my goodness @IDareSay - those 62s have really stuck. Well done - and congrats on upcoming birthday too!!

Congrats @JadeVS72 that's an impressive drop!! And where are you hiding the stollen? Or are you giving it to someone else to hide for you???

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loveyouradvice · 24/10/2025 15:18

Here goes - Friday check-in.

Well, feeling pleased as I was back down at 11.0 for three days... however, as soon as I go out for a meal and eat moderately but enjoyably my weight soars the next day by a couple of pounds, and then takes another 2-3 days to come back off. Definitely worth it - lovely sociable evening yesterday full of laughter, but yes, scales conformed to their normal pattern.

Does this happen to any one else??

SW 14.2
TW 10.12
CW 11.2...one pound up on last week - but temporary glitch as noted above

Now aiming for 11.0 as my new consistent weight until mid November... and then... BUT THAT"S THE NEXT POST!!!

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loveyouradvice · 24/10/2025 15:33

Okay CHRISTMAS PLANS GUYS ... ENGAGE AS MUCH OR AS LITTLE AS YOU FANCY WITH THESE THREE QUESTIONS and suggest some more...I definitely found this group my secret weapon over Christmas/New Year last year and was thrilled to not put on the usual poundage despite lots of socialising.... You are the best!!

1. What weight do you want to be before Christmas? What are you going to do - and by when??
Me: 10.12 is my goal, so just two pounds down on my late October weight of 11.0: Aiming to lose those two pounds in November and then stay at 10.12 until mid January. At the mo, I'm eating in a 4-8 hour window, lots of protein, veg and berries, fairly low carb, and if I've had an evening out I go hard-core for 2-3 days until the weight's back off.

2.What do you want your weight to do between 10 Dec (or whenever Christmas starts for you!!) and 6 Jan?
Me - just fluctuate a tad, with 2-4 very enjoyable eating days (but moderately) and staying at 10.12 most of the time

3.What are your Christmas and pre-Christmas strategies?
Let's build these together - I had such great tips from so many on here last year. From drinking a glass of water if I felt hungry and having a post-it on the bathroom mirror saying "You can do hard things" to committing to coming on here every morning during my "danger period" regardless of whether I was doing well or not - that accountability really kept me present to what I wanted to achieve, and why... and enabled me to get back on it if I'd had a day that had gone off piste.

What helped me most was telling everyone I was close to that I was eating very moderately to maintain my weight loss, especially my husband who I shared my plan for the day with each morning - and having lots of bowls of my "safe snacks" around on festive days.... bowls of cherry tomatoes, olives, tangerines (which I adore, and say Christmas to me!!) and physalis and celery....and not drinking every day.

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loveyouradvice · 24/10/2025 15:35

Oh .. and anything Christmassy I buy from now... and yes, I do love filling the house with chocolate and yummy Christmassy things and alcohol... is going to be hidden by husband... probably in the garage, under lock and key! And will only come out on 22/23 Dec when daughter's back from uni.

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IDareSay · 24/10/2025 16:23

As I posted earlier upthread, I am coming up to 63. This is probably the first time I have ever weighed less than my age!

Here's the history, in case of interest (warning, turned out to be a long post!):

So, well remembered @StealthSightHound I was 72.5kg at the beginning of this year (and as high as 74.9kg at one point last year, may even have been higher) so yes, I am 10kg down, over 1 and a half stones in old money, and approximately 14% of my body weight. (I like to crunch the numbers).

I'm 159cm tall, about 5' 2" (I've definitely lost 2 or 3 cm over the last twenty years). BMI was 28.7 (29.7 at its highest) and today is 24.7, so I've never been technically obese, but have certainly been overweight for around 6 to 7 years now. Occasionally made some effort but slipped back into old habits again very quickly. It does not help that I am married to someone who eats a lot, and can drop weight very quickly when his waistbands feel too tight.

I have done this by using IF and calorie counting, fairly dull (and cc can be time consuming), but works for me, and lost on average 1kg a month. This hasn't been linear by any means; I have had good months and months when I totally lost the plot!

We were without dogs for the first few months of the year, so not really having what I would call decent walks, but we are a dog household again now so that helps. I also came across a 30 Day Shred thread on Mumsnet quite by accident and started exercising properly again about 3 months ago.

So what are the benefits of being 10kg lighter?

First of all, health-wise, I simply move more freely and easily; I can run up the stairs rather than haul myself up holding the bannister.
My joints hurt a lot less; whilst I still need a new hip, my knees rarely bother me at all now.
I don't get out of breath nearly as much now unless I really push myself; e.g. going up a very steep hill or doing the cardio in my exercise app.
I can easily touch my toes; I've always been fairly flexible but my belly was getting in the way! Still have a belly, but it's much reduced.

I'm sleeping better; no indigestion keeping me awake, and drinking less alcohol has definitely helped improve my sleep.
I've never had a blood pressure issue so can't say if that's improved or not.
So in terms of health, the big win for me is I simply feel much healthier and have far fewer aches and pains; it's hard to describe, but I feel like I am looking after my body properly now and it is rewarding me by moving me comfortably through the world.

Smaller wins are really all vanity related!
I can wear almost everything in my wardrobe again, so I'm enjoying dressing up a bit more. No need for ballgowns in my lifestyle, but I don't feel like I'm bursting out of all my clothes and I'm now wearing more flattering fitted things that suit me, rather than just wearing whatever fits, even if unflattering.
I'm much more inclined to dress more smartly, even just to walk the dogs.

Friends have complimented me on my outfits recently, which hasn't happened for a while, and it isn't just the clothes, I'm sure it's because I'm feeling more confident and people pick up on that. I was falling into the elasticated waist/baggy tops trap, which I think can be very aging.

I did take some before photos at my heaviest. Not brave enough to share those, but the difference is astonishing to me when I look back at them. Really must take some new measurements too at the end of this month.

Quite simply I feel happier and more like myself again and don't feel a need to hide my body; hell, I'd even wear a bikini if we were somewhere warm!

IDareSay · 24/10/2025 16:48

Christmas plans! I posted my food shopping thoughts a couple of threads back so I would just copy and paste but no luck finding it 😁

What weight do you want to be before Christmas? What are you going to do - and by when??
I would like to be 60.something kg by 22nd December, which means an approx 2kg loss in the next 2 months. Should be doable, not over ambitious.

What do you want your weight to do between 10 Dec (or whenever Christmas starts for you!!) and 6 Jan?
I'll be happy with a 1kg to as much as 3 kg gain as I know I can shift that quickly by going back to good habits in January. I know I will eat more calories over the break, they are likely to be sugary/carby so my weight can fluctuate up quickly from those and isn't a 'real' gain iykwim.

What are your Christmas and pre-Christmas strategies?
Pre Christmas is to carry on exactly as I am with eating and exercise, and most importantly not buy all the Christmas goodies early as I did last year! We ate them, bought them again, rinse and repeat. Any treats will arrive on the supermarket delivery on the 23rd and not a minute before; (I have told DH that if he wants things sooner he must keep them in the garage; I cannot resist a Lindt Santa!)
I'm not going to buy anywhere near as much food as I usually do.

I'm going to log everything because I don't want to break the habit (and I am enjoying using the Nutracheck app, no more random bits of paper with recipe counts on and the bar code reader is great), and I think it will help me to limit any damage; if I gain 2kg overnight, for example, but know I only went over my calorie allowance for the day by 1000 or something, then I know it isn't a 'real' gain, just a blip probably due to water retention or something. This will stop me going for 'sod it, may as well scoff everything!'

I'm going to carry on with Jillian; the programme has days off so I'll make those fit around the days I really want to sink into Christmas sloth Wine

I am very curious as to what weight I need to get to before my scales stop telling me I am 'slightly fat' 😂😂😂

thenewaveragebear1983 · 24/10/2025 19:47

I’d love to join you please. I am really contemplating doing a few weeks of fast800 to give me a kick start , I’ve spent the whole year calorie counting but I am just not getting anywhere fast. I feel like I need a shake up to get me back in the zone.

I did 8 week BSD years ago and had good results. Is anyone still doing fast800 these days?

loveyouradvice · 24/10/2025 19:53

So brilliant to hear @IDareSay - and yes, Im enjoying wearing a bikini in my 60s which is never something I thought I'd do. A friend told me I looked better in it than a one piece as my figure's an hourglass.... though waist still much larger than in my 20s!!

Loving this - I feel like I am looking after my body properly now and it is rewarding me by moving me comfortably through the world.

This is so how I feel - and like you, more myself again - isn't it wonderful??

And like you I love Lindt - the wee teddies and reindeer are part of our Christmas decorations! Your Christmas plan sounds fab... looking forward to cheering you on when we get there.

And welcome @thenewaveragebear1983 - lots of us have kick started with fast800 - it was great for me. And I go back to it for the odd couple of weeks if I've put weight on. Are you happy to share where you're starting from and what your goals are? Most of us are doing shorter eating windows too - mine range from 4 to 8, occasionally 10 if Im going out.

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thenewaveragebear1983 · 24/10/2025 19:56

I like your Christmas questions as well, so here’s my answers:
weight before Christmas : I’d like to be under 11 stone again as I was before my birthday, that would mean losing an average of 1lb a week between now and Xmas

what do I want my weight to do between Xmas and 6th Jan? Well. I try not to start ‘fuck it it’s Christmas’ until as late as possible. This year I have the added help of being gluten free, that should really curb the amount I eat. Provided I don’t buy GF versions of course. However, once the 23rd rolls round, I am off piste until I go back to work, which will be 30th dec this year. I know in myself that this is all my decision, I could gain as much as 7lbs or I could keep myself in check and get away with 2lbs.

my pre/ post Christmas strategies are: I need to apply the same control I have over gluten (as in instantly eliminating it and never eating it again, not a morsel in 6 weeks) into sugar and dairy (both of which give me horrendous palpitations) but I can’t seem to crack it. I need to eat more veg, I like veg but I’m lazy and I don’t bother with it. I exercise regularly so I want to feel like I’m training hard and improving rather than sluggish and knackered. I suffer with chronic fatugue and honestly, my 2026 goal is just to feel better, a spring back in my step, and not constantly feeling tired. I know that food can do this, I just need to get my head in the game.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 24/10/2025 19:59

Thanks @loveyouradvice, my starting point is 11 st 7, I’m just on the cusp of overweight. I would like to lose a stone or more but honestly anything is better than the eternal plateau. I am ending the year weighing exactly as I stated it, but I’ve lost and gained about 10 lbs this year! Several times!

IDareSay · 24/10/2025 20:00

Welcome @thenewaveragebear1983

I dip into 800 cal days on occasion if I want to get back in the groove. Still use a lot of the Fast 800 and Fast keto recipes. I think the principles are sound and always keep it in my toolbox!

StealthSightHound · 25/10/2025 09:54

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StealthSightHound · 25/10/2025 10:09

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StealthSightHound · 25/10/2025 10:14

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IDareSay · 25/10/2025 10:31
Talk Like A Pirate Day GIF

I have just been yelled at by Jillian for half an hour 😁

StealthSightHound · 25/10/2025 10:35

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loveyouradvice · 25/10/2025 12:15

And I'm about to plunge into a cold pool... I will walk in rather than Walk the Plank but will imagine a cheery pirate galvanising me from the edge, and my wee dachshund can deputise very successfully for the squawking parrot... its now under 14degrees so not sure how long Ill last - It was 25mins at 16 degrees and has plunged down fast with the cold nights

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loveyouradvice · 25/10/2025 12:15

Thank you @StealthSightHound for reintroducing pirates... need a few laughs as I gird my loins!!

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