Cathy I was the same this week too, with a pound on. I was a bit all over the place last week, with starting a new job, but am determined to be more organised this week. I’ve spent some of this morning making breakfast and lunch for Monday and Tuesday, I’m having the same or very similar meals both days.
I want to have another go at TRE, and am hoping that 16:8 will work better with my new work hours. I work 8.30-1.30 with a 10 min break around 10.30. My plan is to wait and have my breakfast during the 10 min morning break, skip lunch, or maybe just have a snack after work and then dinner at 6/6.30, this would keep my eating in an 8 hour window. It just means that breakfast needs to be portable and something I can eat quickly, I’ve made a Bircher porridge with fresh berries for Mon and Tues but may try smoothies or boiled eggs/egg muffins later in the week. If this doesn’t work out I guess I could have breakfast before I leave in the morning still but my day would be more of a 14:10.
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend, can’t believe we are more than halfway through No Nonsense November already!

Does anyone have favourite apps? I’ve just downloaded two. One is called Zero – a free fasting tracker. You put what kind of fast you want to do in and it tells you how long to go, keeps records. The second one is Ate. You take photos of each meal and it keeps a log of what you eat that way, plus has mindful eating stuff (why you ate, how you felt) and goals. A great thing about Ate is you can do it with friends for accountability. I’m hoping to kick my dark sneaky snacking with a bit more accountability (and of course requires me to be brutally honest, but I feel motivated right now to honestly track. At least, from now to Christmas.)

I use a similar free one, vora, to track the fasting period. But yours sounds better

Hi all, some great tips as always. I’ll check out some of the apps as I haven’t tried any yet. Feeling good about the TRE, I lost 900g last week so down almost 6kg in 6 weeks. I’d set a conservative goal weight as I was nervous about failing, but I’m already there! Guess I’ll keep going and see where I get to!
LouiseKangaroo I’m in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, I don’t eat out in the city often so recommendations would be great!! Have a fabulous week everyone!

Good morning from the UK everyone. I hope all our Aussie friends on this thread continue to stay safe and unaffected by the fires. That’s one of the great things about these forums, they instantly connect strangers from all over the world and make them into friends.

So how is No Nonsense November going for you? The good news is that we still have almost half the month to go! So if you’re doing well, stick with it and you will be even nearer to your goals by the end of the month. And if the last couple of weeks have not gone well for whatever reason, then you still have a couple more weeks to try and redress that balance.

I didn’t lose anything last week but am going back on 16:8 this week. I went through a phase of no longer being able to do that for some reason as it was making me feel ill, but I’m feeling much stronger now and am back in the groove again. So am hoping for a loss this week.

Whatever stage you’re at – and whatever methods of eating you are using – good luck and keep posting here so we can cheer you on X

IM having problems posting tonight .So this is a repeat .Im slightly up in weight for last week which reflects my inactivity and lack of diet control.so today I walked around the city for about an hour and I went to the gym. Trying to stop eating at 8pm.planning to do a long walk tomorrow.regained my focus and hoping I will discard 1kgthis week

Absolute failure to stick to planning over the weekend (a kids bday party & stay over threw me off) but back on the wagon brutally the minute everyone was back home. Even so the scales were kind enough to report at 2kg loss in the first week.
This week I’m looking to tweak macros, but I’m still being pulled in lots of different directions by life so I need to nail down some prep time.
Hope everyone else has positive results!

Maybe the trick is not to beat ourselves up
I shared a bottle of Prosecco during a meal at the weekend and even though 2.5k calories below over the whole weekend, didn’t lose weight
But back being strict on week 3

Good morning/ evening wherever you are.

I managed to pull myself together after my fall from grace last week and now weigh the same as the beginning of the week.
I started another round of the egg fast today and am hoping it will be as successful as the last ones! I hope I can stay the course as the next couple of weeks are going to be very stressful as my love hubby is having various assessments and seeing the memory clinic specialist. Very sad to see a bright, clever and funny man deteriorating before your eyes but what will be will be.
It’s now four weeks before we leave for Christmas in NJ and I would love to lose a pound a week – however November and December are full of family birthdays, mine included but I will try to keep on the straight and narrow.
I hope everyone has a successful week and manages to avoid the “ nonsense” which will be all around us!!
X B

Hello.
Newbie here – i will put my hand up for No Nonsense November – even though I travel a lot I have to find some accountability.
I will lurk a while and read up – I am just starting out with about 18 kilos to give away to a needy soul, any takers? 🙂
thanks already for the positive feel about the forum, its appreciated.

Welcome JAQ, I have found this forum particularly helpful. My determination, motivation and persistence have increased so much since 1st November when I embarked on a no nonsense frame of mind. I have not “ treated” myself to any carbs because they are not a treat. I want to have a discard each week which means I must concentrate on no nonsense. Have a successful lc no nonsense day. I know I will. 😊

Well said, Au Secours. I’m just finishing a 16:8 fasting day with a cup of chamomile tea. Let’s all stay positive, just believing in this way of eating and trying any way you can to be low carb is a healthy step in the right direction- no failures here!! Stay well everyone.

Thanks shoegirl. I TRE too, 16/8, and have come to enjoy the feeling of an empty stomach before I have my lunch. I was never hungry for breakfast and am completely satisfied with a coffee. I also have now trained myself to stop eating when I start to have a full feeling. When eating with friends at restaurants I am constantly being asked why I have left some food, and when I say “I am full now” and that I don’t want anymore, they look askanced,. I have spent too many years wishing I was slimmer,, so now I am determined I will be slim again and not slightly plump. It’s great to be able to zip up jeans which just wouldn’t before I got back to a lc WOE. Enjoy your lc day. 👍😊

Hi All just a quick message to wish everyone ongoing success.Im mostly posting on the weekly challenge as Im trying to be more goal focussed but I will drop on occasionally.

Hi everyone, hope all is going well and we’re all surviving the various climatic and political upheavals that are currently going on?

10 more days to go of No Nonsense November – so we can still achieve a lot by cutting out any nonsense that we’ve succumbed to so far!

Welcome JAQ and I hope you’re managing to relocate some of those 18K! I first started the BSD in January 2017 and really didn’t think I’d stick with it. I honestly thought it would be another fad and I’d give up after a few days. But the combination of encouraging initial weight loss and the support of these forums encouraged me to stick around. Since then I’ve done several rounds of strict(ish) BSD and also adjusted my long term diet along Mediterranean lines. And had lots of lapses along the way too! But have managed to keep most of the weight off – I started at 175lb and am now 142lb. Long term target is 133lb: I did reach 135lb very briefly earlier this year but managed to scupper that one :@

Au secours and shoegirl I’ve been back on 16:8 this week – even 18:6 a couple of days – and I’m beginning to see the effects. This was my standard way of eating for months and I found it really effective for maintenance and gradual weight loss. But over summer I had so many breaks and trips (not that I’m complaining!) that I drifted back into 3 meals a day which my body doesn’t really need. And gradually the weight started creeping back on again. Then when I tried to go back on 16:8 I found it very hard to adjust and ended up stuffing carbs mid-late morning as I was so hungry.

Anyway now I seem to be able to do it again (don’t know what has changed – bodies are weird like that!) and am feeling better and lighter, and the weight is starting to come off. I’m currently 142lb and hoping to be at – or even just under -140lb by the end of the month.

Keep going everyone! X

Hi DCT – it’s nice to read that you feel more back on track. It’s funny isn’t it how these things go. Like you, I’ve had a lot of time away from home this year and slowly, slowly, found myself drifting away from my activity/exercise routine which worried me, particularly as I was concerned it might lead to me slipping off this way of eating – for me the 2 things now seem to be linked.
Anyway, like you, this month I’ve also been getting back into the swing of things. I’m off to the gym in a minute and will do my 10k steps again today. And what’s best, I’ve started to enjoy it again. Still early days, but so far so good.

Hope everyone else is going well. Will try to check in later if I can wrest the laptop away from my husband (to be fair it is his!).
Jennie xx

Hi all

November has been a bit of a mixture, mostly no nonsense with one or two days off. The scales haven’t moved much but have been losing inches!
However, been feeling a bit low despite these positives. I don’t know if it’s because Christmas is coming up, it’s cold, tempting when friends invite you out for a hot chocolate and mince pie etc. I’ve also not really been to the gym so am falling behind on my strength training. Almost afraid to go back in case I have to start all over again working my way up the exercises. Have been going for lunchtime walks during work though, and trying a couple of 24 hour fasts.

Is anyone else feeling the struggle pre-festivities?

StrongCurves- I understand where you are coming from re pre Christmas struggles . I too am struggling. I see my colleagues tucking into mince pies, biscuits and chocolates brought in by our patients without a care in the world. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I can’t shift the excess weight. I am eating low carb, 16:8 and following the principles of BSD to no avail. It makes me so aware that I can’t afford to indulge or else I would be back to square one. I was hoping to be under 140 for Christmas but that isn’t going to happen. I am nearer to 150 so that means I have to be extra careful with the temptation of hot chocolate, Christmas market food and festive food! Weigh day tomorrow and I envisage another disappointment.

I started on some oestrogen cream (won’t go into detail!) last week and have to use it once at night for two weeks before dropping down to twice a week. My boobs are painful and massive! Sorry if that is too much information!, I feel like I’ve put on at least 5lb and my knees are killing me and I’ve only been using it for one week- that can’t be good! I am seriously thinking of stopping it. I feel really bloated! The scales won’t lie tomorrow!

I am really struggling to come up with a winning BSD formula for myself but I just have to keep trying new things. The velvet jumpsuit will not be being worn for the Christmas Party this year! I needed to lose at least 7lb for it to look good.

My pre Christmas 🎄plan is to try as hard as I can to lose whatever I can up until Christmas Eve- might only be a pound or two and then I will then have one week off plan (sorry, it’s what I do every year) and then back to it again and continue to plod and plod and plod towards goal. 🐢

Sorry to hear about all your struggles Cathy. Sometimes our bodies just refuse to cooperate and do their own thing! I might follow suit and just plan up until Christmas Eve. I think also wrapping myself up in cosy sweaters and scarves makes me feel less inclined to care about my physique, just want to stay cosy. However, my new jeans will start to feel tight if I’m not careful!

Cathy I feel your pain, I also have been really good but not lost anything whilst my husband has lost 2.5 stone!!
I believe in this wae and have therefore kept at it. I have never reached goal, in fact no where near still 2.1/4 stone away!! But am having a clear out prior to some decorating and have found a bag of clothes that were all new that didn’t look good and although the scales tell me nothing has changed and I am still very overweight I am amazed at how differently this whole bag of clothes are on me!! None of it fits it is all too big!! I have kept one dress that is baggy now and looks good!!
I am still officially over weight I have watched my hubby loose all of his excess. It isn’t easy but I realised I am in this for my health, all those tins of sweets and crap I would have eaten I haven’t and that is something to celebrate.
Last week I had had enough but I also came to terms with this is my lot!! Like it or lump it we have choices Cathy and we have to keep trying.
We can do it even if it is over years we loose it.

Great work, Denise Susan. Sometimes we need to pause and celebrate the small changes. Noticing the changes in clothes sizes can be a great motivation booster. I hope you stay on track, well done!! 👏

Cathy that’s so disappointing and I really feel for you. It does sound as if your body is going through a lot of stress at the moment, and as StrongCurves says, sometimes it just isn’t happening. But I wish I knew why and wish I could help. All I can say is be kind to yourself and keep going. I’m sure you will see some results soon but try not to let it get you down: you have been at target before so it IS possible. We are in this for the long haul and you WILL get there X

StrongCurves I know what you mean about this time of year, it seems that everything is conspiring against us. I always just want to hibernate to be honest! Do go back to the gym though, I’m sure you’ll find you are not too far behind on your strength training and will be able to get up to speed again. And it will make you feel better. Re pre-Christmas celebrations etc I personally think it’s fine to have the occasional splurge then get back on plan next day – almost like a planned outage if that makes sense. I’d rather do that consciously than either sit there being miserable or cave in and feel horribly guilty, as if you’ve failed. For me, this WOE is all about taking control and being strong enough to make the decisions that are right for you at the time.

DeniseSusan well done for sticking with this despite seeing no loss and I really hope that you do see a change soon. But it’s great to hear about your NSVs, and that a whole new clothes world has opened up to you again 🙂

Happy Friday everyone and hope you have a wonderful weekend with something positive happening X

Another no nonsense week so I have achieved another discard of 1 lb, now weigh 122 lb. A discard of 5 lb in 21 days. (Not much in comparison to others). I was tempted yesterday but didn’t indulge in carbs. I thought what’s the point when I have not sabotaged my progress for 20 days so why do so now, when I will be stepping on scales tomorrow . I have done that for so many years and then been disappointed when there was no discard. I have chosen to be slim again and I will just do it.
Hello Denise Susan, I was wondering if you have tried TRE as that is was has helped me. I have black coffee for breakfast, protein and green veg for lunch, then protein, green veg and a mandarin for dinner, so that is my 16/8 WOE. I know others on the forum have had success too with this protocol, so perhaps you could try it and see if it will help you too. Good luck.
Have a good no nonsense lc day everyone. 🌝

I haven’t contributed much to this thread but I do read the posts. I just wanted to post a link that I’ve already posted on the Positives Thoughts thread. Sometimes if things don’t seem to be going to plan we are so hard on ourselves. Hopefully this article may help to give us back some perspective ….
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/learning-to-love-your-body-4-steps-to-self-care/

Hi everyone, I’m appreciating everyone’s updates. It’s getting busier and busier at my place with end of year things.

I thought I’d mention iron, for women. There’s a great YouTube lecture by Dr Paul Mason about anemia and weight loss. Basically if you’re anemic (and most women are!) you won’t lose weight. Worth a check if that’s what’s holding you up, unless you know it’s snacking.

I had a great “water only Wednesday” and then TMAD today. I made a low carb pear cake with some overripe pears and that was part of dinner with my family. I felt like eating a few other times but the water fasting really helped me learn how to cope with that feeling.

Hi all,
So wonderful to read your posts. Sorry to see people feeling so down.
AuSecours it’s great to see another loss for you. Small losses are still losses. I had made lots of notes to comment on progress mid week, but got called for work instead.
I’ve had a very up and down week this week. But I’m happy to keep getting back on track. My 800 a day has been more like a 4:3 week. I’m ok with that because when my mum (who is the best cook) brought out raspberry and white chocolate muffins for my little sister’s birthday, I had a mini muffin. Just one. Then played catch with my niece(3) and nephew(4). It was supposed to be a walk but they were on a scooter and bike respectively… it was a brisk walk!
I’ve talked with my mil who has been visiting and talking about her overweight (She’s had several leg operations which have slowed her down and speed up her weight gain. She isn’t as comfortable in her skin as she used to be) she’s also trying this woe now. Boosted by looser trousers and the not as bloated feel we’ve noticed. I hope it works for her too. I doubt her partner will be supportive.
I’d lost half a kilo mid week, and am noticing I need to commit to more exercise. Looking forward to reading how others are doing.
Smiles

Hi everyone,
I’m still reading all your posts. Don’t understand all the acronyms, but think I get most of them. For those of you putting in so much effort and struggling to lose weight etc, I really admire you. I always have had quite instantaneous and dramatic results so I wonder how I would fare if I put so much effort in and saw little or no improvement. Please keep going everyone – others in your boat have stated many times that they had to persevere for many months. You can do it too I’m sure.

I had a crazy week. After i posted last week, I felt a reward was due. Somehow on the way home, my wife said she really fancied having fish and chips. I didn’t take much convincing. While she waited for the fish to fry, I went and bought some bread in the supermarket next door. Chip butties. (for our Ausie friends, that is a sandwich of fried potatoes/pommes frites). And we had wine too. Had bread with breakfast on Saturday too. BY Sunday morning, I was 5 lb heavier. I couldn’t believe it!! I was so angry with myself. Killed myself in the gym all week. Extra classes. I managed to end this week 2lb down on last week. I am only 2lb off my target now, so fingers crossed I can get it done next week

So that reinforces the story of many others on here – if you have a blip, you can recover it within a few days/a week. What it tells me is that I can lose weight really quickly with this diet, but I can pile it on even more quickly if I get off it. So , I need to bear that in mind, if and when i reach a target body shape/weight/whatever combination that turns out to be. If I instantly go back to eating as I did before, I will be half a stone heavier within 1-2 weeks. I have to find out if there is a way I can revert to eating some carbs without piling on the pounds, cos I really like bread (have I said that before) and I like wine at weekends. I don’t want to have to choose between being happy with my body and foregoing simple pleasures. Any ideas on this anybody who has got there (or have all those who got there buggered off by now?)

Have a great weekend everyone.

Weigh in day today and I’ve lost 600g. A steady drop each week so I’m happy with that! I totally understand you keithm, I know big changes were needed in my lifestyle/ eating and I love the weight loss from this woe but how/when can I bring back small occasional glasses of wine etc without going back to square one?? Any one have any tips?

@keithm – I’m chuckling about chip butties! Thanks SO much for the translation for us Aussies 😀 We do have them here, but at least where I live more likely to call them (hot) chip sandwiches…

TMAD = two meals a day
OMAD = one meal a day

When you’ve been eating low carb, and you have a big carb day, you can gain 1-2 kgs/2-4 pounds. Your glycogen stores have lots of water. It’s like when you first start the diet and drop a couple of kilos in the first week but in reverse. Don’t panic. Just know what it is. I’ve done it plenty of times since going low carb/Fast 800. Skipping breakfast and eating really low carb the next day goes a long way to fixing it up.

In terms of maintenance, I’m currently self-experimenting with water fasting one day a week (this is not something out of the Fast 800 book and not for everyone and not medical advice, just an idea). One of the best things I’ve gotten out of Fast 800 is understanding fasting is not bad for you. And thanks to this forum for introducing me to Jason Fung, who’s helped me understand that I can go for a whole day without eating and it helps reset cravings and body set weight to cycle between fasting and feasting.

Hi Keith, I don’t post on here very often but do read the forum. My mouth was watering at your description of your little indiscretion!!
Earlier in the year my hubby and I both lost 3 stone on the Fast800 plan, neither of us are insulin resistant. We’ve been in maintenance now since July, apart from a trip off piste for my birthday when I put 4lb on ( which I’ve since discarded), we’ve managed to stay very constant. We do IF ( intermittent fasting) and only eat between 12pm and 8pm, it happened naturally as we found we weren’t hungry before then. I’m sure this helps keep our weight steady. We do try to stay low carb and keep in ketosis but don’t fret about if if we don’t manage it. I eat a little dark chocolate every night, my hubby loves his wine and has a glass every night without any change in his weight. He also loves and misses bread so now I make some low carb bread buns every week from the diet doctor website, they’re the nearest in taste and texture to the real thing and are only 2g of carb each. This is the link to the if you’re interested
https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/the-keto-bread
He feels the same as you, he knows he needs to keep the weight off but has to have a WOE that is sustainable and enjoyable in order to do that . I’ve also been experimenting recently with baking cakes etc with almond flour, coconut flour and erythrytol as a sugar substitute, apparently it doesn’t spike your insulin levels . However, beware, if you are prone to binges it might bring your sweet tooth back and set you off again. It seems that if he keeps his portions small he can also eat cake a few days a week. He’s a happy bunny and can venture out knowing he wont be tempted by what hs sees in the shops as he can have his cake and eat it when he gets home!! We also dont think about what we can’t eat, but focus instead on all the delicious food we can now eat that we wouldn’t have looked at before when we thought low fat was the way….. cooking with full fat cream and butter is a joy!
Hope that helps

Hi everyone,
I’m jumping on this thread as well as the weekly one to keep me motivated. I lost 12 kg a couple of years ago on BSD and put 6kg back on. I now feel like crap, tired, aching knees and big toe and disappointed in myself for allowing myself to fall back into eating rubbish, when I knew what it does to my body. I also have just had surgery to remove a large kidney stone (omg the kidney stone was extremely painful) so drinking lots to help prevent more. My urologist told me I need to cut back on protein so I’m doing that also. Hopefully tomorrow I’ve discarded something ..enjoy your weekend wherever u may be ..onwards and downwards 👍😁🌹

Thank you MelBelle and Artful Owl for the information and advice – much appreciated. And a bread recipe!! Yay! I will try it this weekend

Shoegirl – based on the advice provided above by Melbelle and AO, I am thinking that when i get to where I want to be, I clearly still need to maintain the WOE in the main, but then have special days where I have very low/no carbs and/or very low calories too. TIme will tell eh

Strike that. I don’t have the ingredients. Anyone in the UK know if any of the supermarkets have psyllium husk powder?

keithm,
I live in France and get mine from Amazon, perhaps someone else can tell you where it’s available in the UK.
Incidentally I don’t buy the powder I use the slightly more textured husk as I find it gives my bread a better texture

This is the link to the make I use
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plan%C3%A8te-au-Naturel-Blond-Psyllium/dp/B074N73QCY/ref=sr_1_12?crid=T7ZR9523VK3N&keywords=psyllium+husk&qid=1574528199&sprefix=psyllium%2Caps%2C468&sr=8-12
It’s not that cheap but last ages!

Thanks Waitaminute for reminding me how bad I felt 3 weeks ago before I started this diet – no energy, aching, dizzy. Now 10 lbs lighter already and a lot of symptoms gone
It’s hard when I’m currently surrounded by the family eating pizza but worth it x

Hi Julie it doesn’t take long to start feeling heaps better after just a few days of eating properly does it? I’m feeling a lot better even since the other day when I cut out all the nasties.I didn’t wake up feeling like I’d run a marathon this morning like I have been ..minor changes feel so good ..I can’t go back to eating lots of carbs anymore,it’s just not worth feeling disgusting. I fasted for 22 hours without even thinking about food, that was amazing (I used to be thinking about food constantly not too long ago)
I was super busy and that helped to take my mind off eating and I probably could have lasted longer only my hubby cooked a fantastic stir fry which had loads of veges so I gave in and ate ☺️ . I’ll be busy for the next couple of months as we are getting the house ready to sell so there’s lots of gardening and work to keep me occupied in the next few months so I imagine fasting will become easier and easier.
Everyone on these forums are so welcoming and super helpful I’m going to enjoy being part of them..this time I intend being here a long time I need you guys ☺️🌹🌹
Ok that’s me done for today night night 🌛🌛😴😴

HI Everyone.Im still here , one step forward and one back.I gained 1kg over the weekend.suffered with a really sore tummy and ate a few carbs.probably back to plan tomorrow.good news today from the Drs.my cholesterol is down to 4 .it was 7.9 when I had a stroke 8 weeks ago and my a1c sugar is 5.1..So cut statin meds in half and maintain current diet.my glucose tolerance is above normal but not bad enough to be type 2 diabetes.Im happy with this progress..I just need to be more consistent to stay on plan to get the weight down. I hope everyone is doing well.

Good news Butterlover (I love butter too!)
You have done so well in 8 weeks and I’m sure you will find it easier to keep on the straight and narrow after your health scare.
All the best
X B

Hi guys, I just added another link to a podcast to the Take a Look at This thread which is a talk by a Dr on the mechanisms within our cells on how our bodies process carbs v fat.

Hi everyone – hope everyone is doing Ok, can’t believe it’s almost the end of November.
thanks JGwen, I’ll have a look, I like Ted Naiman. I came across a good video the other week on lowcarbdownunder by someone called Robert Szabo – don’t know if you’ve heard of him – which I keep meaning to post. Will do it later.
keithm – the chippy butty incident made me laugh, too. I have a half-used bag of psyllium husk powder but bought it that long ago I can’t remember where I got it from. But on a different site recently a couple of people recommended the one that Artful Owl recommended from Amazon. The only other place I can think of is maybe a Holland and Barratt if you have one near you.
butterlover – that’s smashing that you’re doing so well – all the best from me, too xx
artful owl – I really enjoyed reading your post. At this point I also don’t think about what I can’t eat, because I eat some really lovely food. For me, that’s the only way I can stay with this woe – finding new meals I really like. Portion size is my problem, especially now when I’m trying new recipes again. If I’ve cooked it and I like it, it’s really hard not to eat it!
MelBelle – I’m maintaining at the moment (although I might try to lose a bit more after Christmas as my waist/height ratio isn’t right). I do 16:8 generally and if my blood sugars go higher I’ll do a 24hr water fast which brings them down, but I’ve also been thinking about doing a regular 24hr water fast 1 day per week. Won’t do anything now ’til after Christmas but will be interested to hear how it goes. Maintaining is definitely something I’ve got to get better at.
Au Secours, Julie, shoegirl – great to hear you’re doing so well – hope things go well this week, too.
Cathy, and anyone else who’s been struggling my only tip is to just hang on in there – even if you don’t lose/progress but stay where you are – that’s still good at this time of year.
Waitaminute – hello and welcome – I’m a second timer, too. I’ve just reached my target weight second time around. One of the things that kept me going is all those great things you get with this woe – have a good week.
I had a couple of blips this week – which means I laid off the scales and didn’t test my bgls but enjoyed myself and now I’m back to it.
Jennie xx

Thank u Jennie10, I have a confession..I pinched a handful of chips off of hubby’s plate.felt bad as I swallowed them but still did it 😕 I was doing great up till then .. hopefully it hasn’t done any damage and today is a new day so onwards and downwards ☺️❤️

Hi everyone!
I had some stressful news about my mum, and rediscovered comfort eating. Cherries are just coming into season here. I ate heaps of cherries the last few days. Also on Sunday, I was at the shops and bought a scoop of “Bounty” gelato (and then couldn’t eat more than a few mouthfuls – it was way too sweet – I thought what am I doing?) and a rocky road (same thing happened, ate half and then threw the rest out) so maybe my “sweet tooth” will fade away one day. However all the carbs finally had their effect of fluid retention. I’m feeling not so stressed today, so aiming to just have one meal (OMAD) and water otherwise, but may have herbal tea if it’s tough. Stress hormones…
@jennie10 glad to hear of another maintainer who is considering a once a week water fast. I’m going to try/do from lunch today to lunch tomorrow this time, because it will fit with my week. Not feeling as mentally strong right at the minute and processing why I wouldn’t be able to do it if I decided right now that’s what I’m going to do!

Sorry to hear things are tough at the moment, MelBelle. Hang in there and just do what you can. I’ve made the mistake of trying to stick to “perfection “ at stressful times when sometimes just “good enough” will do. Always be kind to yourself. 👠

Sorry to hear you’re having a tough time MelBelle, take care of yourself first and foremost!

I’m mooching along as per, can’t believe it’s only a month until Christmas! Telling myself to make these next few weeks count then just enjoy the festive period. Recently I’ve been trying OMAD, which wasn’t as bad as I thought. However, now that it’s colder and darker, sometimes it’s the last thing I want to do. Not exactly that I want to do the opposite and stuff myself with carbs but just to eat something warm and stay inside.
Weight has gone up and down by a pound or so recently. Haven’t been controlling the carbs as much as usual, it’s been more like 60 or 70g a day. I’m not so worried about the scales now but do want to lose the fat around my midriff. The main kind that bothers me! My mother is trying to convince my father who is pre-diabetic to try intermittent fasting (not very successfully) and it reminds me I can’t afford to go back to such a carb heavy diet. With diabetes on both sides of the family, I’m probably at a higher risk than some!

Sorry to hear things have been a bit stressed, MelBelle and I’m glad to hear you’re feeling a bit better. I agree with shoegirl and StrongCurves, take care of yourself. Let me know how you go with the water fast but no worries if you decided against it.

StrongCurves – I’m like you, it’s from my waist I’d like to lose. I’ve still got about an inch/inch & a half to lose to be at the right waist/height ratio, although at 9st I’m well within a healthy BMI. That’s why I want to play around with fasting. I already do TRE 16:8 but want to see if more regular, longer fasts might help with midriff fat as well as building in 24hr fasts to help with maintenance. Any of the regular fasters out there got any views? Does it help shift fat from the waist? About your Dad, even not snacking between meals and/or not eating after his evening meal until breakfast will help, as well as just reducing even by a bit the amount of carbs he eats. I’m like your Mum, trying to persuade my OH but it’s not easy – he’s back on buttered toast for breakfast – and it smells delicious!

Waitaminute – I’ve got a confession, too. I did my 10,000 steps on Friday afternoon – big tick because it was cold – but then I bumped into my husband on the way home – just as we reached our local pub. Never one to miss an opportunity, he suggested we go in for a drink. I usually only have 1 wine & soda but ended up having 3 on an empty stomach, went home, fell asleep, woke up to a massive Indian takeaway – it was low-carb (meat and salad) but I ate a lot and had the no-go dip – oops. No bgl testing or scales for me over the weekend.
Anyway, like you, I’m back on track today.

Hope everyone else is going well. Soup for me now.

Hi melbelle I hope everything is ok with u now , take care.
I too need to get rid of the waist and stomach podge..
I still haven’t weighed myself, it seems to get easier every daythat I don’t..I’ve gone to being a daily ( sometimes twice daily) weigher to not really caring ..I think I scared myself when I weighed myself the last time and went into shock at how much I’d put back on.Yes my clothes were tighter but I didn’t think I’d punished my body by that much 😮anyway after reading verano’s post with the little Buddha thingy on it ..I’ve decided I’m going to love and accept my body and be kind to it by feeding it only the good stuff..well that’s what I’m telling myself anyway..I know I’ll have hiccups along the way but I’ll accept it and move on..☺️ now that sounds good in theory let’s see how it goes in practice 😁
Have a great day/ night wherever u may be ☺️❤️

Hi Guys, I would like to pick the collective brain please. I am trying to decide between two different options. Thanks the the weight training research project I have been a guinea pig on for a number of months I have had a number of body scans which measure the location and amount of fat. From that I know that although my shape has been changing, and I don’t have fat around my organs, the level of fat under my skin is high and there has been little change in the amount of fat over the last 7 months.

I am certain that I have a very low metabolic rate thanks to years of following dietary recommendations to count calories while I was eating a high carb diet.

I think my two options are.

1. Increase the length of fasts. – Following Dr Fungs protocol of 3 x 36 or 3 x 42 hour.

2. Work with a personal weight trainer. – There is a local person who obviously provides a much more comprensive service than you get in the council run gym. Before he takes someone on as a client he asks you to keep a diary and exercise log and then bring that with you to an initial meeting to decide if he can help you. – The program then is a 12 week program, where he works with you on diet and you work out with him twice a week. Its £550 for that program, which would help remind you to keep the appointments.

I don’t feel that I could do both at the same time. Winter with the darker nights is the best time of year for me to take on a program of working out in the gym, but I am not sure if this is the right order, or if I should try longer fasts for a while. I wondered what others experience has been of either option.

JGwen firstly huge congratulations on reaching the point where you have no fat around your organs ….. I envy that more that an hourglass figure! Truly a great achievement.
Thinking about your two options my gut feeling, if it’s of any help to you, is to try your idea of fasts until after Christmas, keep a diary and then in the new year, when hopefully you’ll have an uninterrupted 12 weeks, try the personal trainer.
As you probably know I’m not a great fan of fasting so can’t comment on its effects. I do think fasting has a place though. I have had a personal trainer in the past and I have to say it was a great motivator and I was happy with the results.
I’m sure you will get much more informed help from others …… I really just wanted to say a ‘Huge Well Done’!

Hey Jgwen, it’s so lucky that you got all the insights thanks to regular body scans. I have been able to do 2 body scans this year with one more to go. I think you will know what my preferred option is out of the 2 you have outlined 😉
My anecdotal “evidence” :
when I was doing extended fasting, the fat melted off my body and I seemed to have increased my lean mass during that time. I put it to the increase in growth hormones and repairs to bones/muscles but can’t prove anything. I personally found it very easy to sustain and my appetite was in check and I felt quickly satisfied on my eating days where I was eating like a queen. No more calories counting! Good healthy fat, lots of veggies and some proteins. At that point I did a new body scan and my fat level were optimal.
I then switched to 3 times a week HIIT training with a personal trainer. I did put on muscle mass and my strength is much better, no more back pain, 8 weeks in. However I did put on fat too. The reason was simple, I was eating way past my appetite especially on exercising days. I was ravenous. 
I am still looking at a way to marry both the extended fasting and the HIIT training but for now I will finish my HIIT program then go back to my 3 days of extended fasting each week and get ride of the extra fat. Then I’ll give HIIT or weight lifting another go.
Anyway, IMO, EF is best and great at melting fat off. So if your aim is to lose fat, I’d go option 1. Dr Fund and Megan Ramos also say that EF is a way to increase our metabolic rate. Weight training is great at building muscle mass but not so great at getting ride of fat I believe. There were a lot of very very strong people in my HIIT class that also had a lot of fat around the waist/bum. Another anecdotal “evidence” 😉

Also, I just wanted to add that most (but not all) personal trainers believe in eating quite a lot of carbs. Some can be receptive to a different diet but in Australia I have found that the vast majority will fight you to eat more carbs. With those trainers I would quietly node and say yes yes I’m eating x grams of carbs but then it felt silly paying them for advice and support and having to lie to them to get them off my back. Hopefully your local trainer is better versed in diet science – just wanted to highlight that to prepare you for worst case scenario.