Please give me a boost! day 4 of Fast 800 initial 2 weeks

[Haemagoblin]

Hi folks. I went to a family Christmas do and someone sneaked a photograph of me, and wow what a kick in the teeth - I look awful! I know academically that I am about 4 stone overweight; but somehow in the mirror and in my head I feel much smaller. Some sort of weird reverse body dysmorphia? So it was a shock i can tell you to see that fat woman who looks like my mother!

So I have decided, season of good cheer be damned, I have to sort this out now. Years of binge eating, making good plans and failing by lunchtime... But this time I HAVE to mean it, or it will never change and I'll only get worse!

I'm quite an extreme person - just 'eat healthier' doesn't work for me, I just slide and slide or say 'tomorrow'. So I need a radical system to get me going.

I've chosen fast 800 because it feels sustainable to me whilst still (hopefully) giving me the quick results I need to stay motivated. I' going to do it for the two weeks before the Christmas hols, go up to 1500 cal per day for the holidays, then start the 5:2 phase in the new year.

First three days were OK; today is day 4 and I chose not to go to my office Christmas do because I KNOW I can't be there with all the cake and not eat it. Which I'm actually quite pleased with myself for realising, but it does have me feeling a bit sorry for myself.

Someone give me a little boost please and tell me I can do it!

You can do it….you really bloody can!!! The first few days are the toughest and you are through those. You have a solid and workable plan.

We did the Fast800 earlier this year after I had lost all hope when absolutely no other diets were working for me post menopause. It works. We did 2 full weeks, then 5:2 and I lost 14 kg and have kept it off. Having had a spell of absolutely no dieting and not gaining weight come January I’m going back on the 800 to kick start my next chapter.

You’ve recognised a situation that might have derailed you and planned round it, Well done you. That’s a big win!! This bit isn’t forever….but it really does get things moving. Once you are on the 5:2 don’t focus on calories but on eating the right food, meals at meal times, avoiding processed carbs and rubbish and keeping to Time Restricted Eating….we had a 14 hour fast with breakfast at 9am and dinner no later than 6pm.

You have absolutely got this!!!

You can do it. The Fast800 does need a little willpower but the food is great, which really helps. I've just done 12 weeks and lost 21 lbs, which I think is about 1.5 stone. Pretty happy as about half a stone till I'm at goal. I tried so many things and this is the only thing that has finally worked for me.

Thanks people! Still soldiering on with day 5. Noticing some very interesting things about myself i.e. that I need to be busy or I get very hungry! My day off today and I spent the whole day doing the big shop, working on the allotment and wrapping all my Christmas gifts 😂 now going to pick up the kids and that'll keep me busy. But what do you DO in the evenings? Beer and a snack are so much a part of my wind down routine at the weekend ...

Have a herbal tea. If I started feeling snacky during the morning or mid-afternoon, I either had black coffee or herbal tea. It does seem to fill the gap. I found my body did adjust. I don't even want to eat more often now.

Well I did it! two weeks on 800 calories per day. And I barely wanted to binge.

Just now though, simply because I could, I just ate a serving of dry roasted peanuts, a cheese roll and two biscuits. And I feel awful! Really honestly awful. My stomach hurts. I feel a bit sick. And most noticeably my head is really foggy, like I have flu.

I am not joking when I tell you that before the last two weeks I could have eaten a four pack of rolls stuffed with cheese, the whole packet of biscuits and a grab bag of peanuts easily.

But I was always tired, bloated, groggy. That was just normal.

I didn't notice that I was feeling particularly better than usual until just now when I stopped.

I was going to let myself off now over Christmas. But honestly I don't know if I want to! This is horrible!

What's odd is I can feel myself wanting to eat more, despite the horrible feelings.

God the body is a funny thing isn't it.

I have lost 23lbs doing Fast800, on average 2-3lbs per week and no weight gain. I am having a break for Christmas but will start again in the New Year to lose the next 20. I have all the recipe books and use them, the recipes are great. I have found it a breeze, surprisingly. I was very sceptical but gave it two weeks, not expecting it to work. If I get cravings I have found a cup of Bovril or miso good but I am eating far less and not wanting the crap I was eating before.

I do think you have to be in the right frame of mind to lose weight however and this time I was. Keep going