[florene.t21]

Originally Posted by brangdon

Originally I thought 8pm to 8pm would count, but then I decided that having a big meal just before and just after would be cheating. Now I consider it to be 30 hours, from midnight to breakfast.

The evenings are hardest for me, so it helps me if the previous day is completely normal. I find skipping breakfast is fairly easy, and so is skipping lunch if I skipped breakfast. It gets hard around 3pm. I can usually manage until 6pm, then have a 250kcal meal. So far I've then been having another light meal around 9:30pm, partly to make the evenings easier and partly because I don't think I'll sleep if I go to bed hungry. (When I'm not fasting, I tend to snack while watching TV.)

I'm still getting too many calories in coffee form.

I've lost a couple of kilos. I've not yet done a blood sugar test, which is the thing that concerns me most.

I need to abstain from tea the next time I do it, as I used 120 calories of the 500 on milk yesterday Would much rather have 'spent' them on something I could chew!

Anyway, I made it through the whole waking day! Was not easy as am not working at moment so haven't got anything to really take my mind off it for most of the day, but hopefully will get easier. Had my egg, slice of bread and third of a tin of tomatoes combination twice in the end, at around midday and 7pm, as had used up rest of allowance on tea. Went to bed earlier than normal to avoid temptation and slept till half past eleven! So about 40 hours on 500 calories this time - fingers crossed it makes the difference doing it this way.

[KennyT]

you're supposed to drink black , unsweetened tea (or coffee, but preferably tea)!

K

[florene.t21]

Originally Posted by KennyT

you're supposed to drink black , unsweetened tea (or coffee, but preferably tea)!

K

I know, I just haven't been brave enough to try it without milk yet! Am about to make another cup so will try it now...

[bobcar]

Originally Posted by florene.t21

I know, I just haven't been brave enough to try it without milk yet! Am about to make another cup so will try it now...

I never have milk in tea. It took a bit of getting used to but like with sugar after a while you wonder how you ever stomached it with milk in.

It may take a few weeks but you will get used to it and prefer it plus you have the health benefit of consuming less milk. The key is to persevere, that applies to most food or drink dislikes.

I find that if I'm feeling peckish then a cuppa whether tea or herbal very much takes the edge off it.

[fudbeer]

Originally Posted by bobcar

I never have milk in tea. It took a bit of getting used to but like with sugar after a while you wonder how you ever stomached it with milk in.

It may take a few weeks but you will get used to it and prefer it plus you have the health benefit of consuming less milk. The key is to persevere, that applies to most food or drink dislikes.

I find that if I'm feeling peckish then a cuppa whether tea or herbal very much takes the edge off it.

Totally agree used to have milk and sugar in coffee and tea cut out sugar and thought it was awful so thought sod it might as well cut out milk too can't be any worse! Anyway I now much prefer tea and coffee without and saves on calories too.

[florene.t21]

Just tried black tea (chickened out yesterday) and it was...well, it was okay actually. Not bad. Not really anything.

Thought it had more hot water taste than usual, maybe tea isn't that strong a taste after all? Not sure it looks that nice, certainly didn't look like the lovely golden colour it is when they pour it out on adverts on TV but that's maybe down to the water here. Or the fact I make it in a mug? Might try a teapot next and see what happens.

Anyway, looks like that's saved me at least a fifth of my fasting day calories, so thanks to all who persuaded me to try it!

[Layzeegoat]

Originally Posted by florene.t21

Just tried black tea (chickened out yesterday) and it was...well, it was okay actually. Not bad. Not really anything.

Thought it had more hot water taste than usual, maybe tea isn't that strong a taste after all? Not sure it looks that nice, certainly didn't look like the lovely golden colour it is when they pour it out on adverts on TV but that's maybe down to the water here. Or the fact I make it in a mug? Might try a teapot next and see what happens.

Anyway, looks like that's saved me at least a fifth of my fasting day calories, so thanks to all who persuaded me to try it!

Have you tried flavoured green tea? I like Clipper green tea with lemon or mint (it's fairtrade too and no more expensive than most other brands). If you don't want caffeine in the evening, there's a wide variety of tasty fruit and herbal teas on the market now.

[fudbeer]

Gone quiet on here has everyone packed it in?

[Gellymiss]

Nope. Doing great and it's an easy routine to follow once you're in the groove. Weight loss is 13 lbs.

[fudbeer]

Originally Posted by Gellymiss

Nope. Doing great and it's an easy routine to follow once you're in the groove. Weight loss is 13 lbs.

Nice one well done

[KennyT]

I'm taking a break, having lost 5kg in 5 weeks (and kept it off this week too!). If I find it creeping up again I'll try a 6:1 ratio.

I've got a "serious" fast day coming up next week anyway!

K

[fudbeer]

Funny enough I find the thought of having to fast is enough to ensure I don't eat so much crap and have lost weight too without the pain lol.

[bobcar]

Originally Posted by fudbeer

Funny enough I find the thought of having to fast is enough to ensure I don't eat so much crap and have lost weight too without the pain lol.

There really is no pain in this, the fast days are very easy. Incidentally this is not a weight loss diet that is just a beneficial side effect.

[fudbeer]

Originally Posted by bobcar

There really is no pain in this, the fast days are very easy. Incidentally this is not a weight loss diet that is just a beneficial side effect.

Yes I understand that but the weight loss seems to be the thing people are focusing on.

[Blackmanta]

I had a break from it last week as I was on holiday but went straight back to it this week.

I so wish I had weighed myself at the start.
I feel as though I've lost a couple of kilos from my middle though.

I've started an exercise class (Irish Dancing)
so I'm hoping that will help.

[bobcar]

Originally Posted by fudbeer

Yes I understand that but the weight loss seems to be the thing people are focusing on.

There are two main reasons for that I think. The first is that it is very difficult to get the blood tests done where it is easy to use bathroom scales. The second unfortunately is that many people would rather be thinner than be healthy (note the popularity of Atkins despite it's major health risks) though of course all other things being equal thinner is usually better.

The focus of the programme though was most definitely on the better blood tests so I decided to do this on the basis that just getting thinner would be healthier in itself as I know my blood pressure improves at a lower weight and that is easier to measure and it was likely to improve my health in other ways or at least not make my health worse.

To be honest this is so easy to do as it requires no lifestyle changes (I ate healthily anyway apart from the volume) that I can't see any reason I won't keep this up forever. By contrast a general cutting of calories is much more difficult.

[fudbeer]

Originally Posted by bobcar

There are two main reasons for that I think. The first is that it is very difficult to get the blood tests done where it is easy to use bathroom scales. The second unfortunately is that many people would rather be thinner than be healthy (note the popularity of Atkins despite it's major health risks) though of course all other things being equal thinner is usually better.

The focus of the programme though was most definitely on the better blood tests so I decided to do this on the basis that just getting thinner would be healthier in itself as I know my blood pressure improves at a lower weight and that is easier to measure and it was likely to improve my health in other ways or at least not make my health worse.

To be honest this is so easy to do as it requires no lifestyle changes (I ate healthily anyway apart from the volume) that I can't see any reason I won't keep this up forever. By contrast a general cutting of calories is much more difficult.

Totally agree with your statement about people would rather be thinner than healthy,exercise to me is an important part of being healthy I excersise for an hour or so most days but not sure I would feel like doing that or indeed if it would be safe to do so while fasting.

[bobcar]

Originally Posted by fudbeer

Totally agree with your statement about people would rather be thinner than healthy,exercise to me is an important part of being healthy I excersise for an hour or so most days but not sure I would feel like doing that or indeed if it would be safe to do so while fasting.

I exercise on fast days with no problems, yesterday for example I did a 10 mile walk and that whilst not being as heavy as say running does still consume a fair amount of energy (I do run as well just not yesterday). I do have a very large part of my calories on fast days from carbs which I think is important if exercising heavily, there's no problem with protein as that has a greater storage capacity and won't come close to running out in a day.

I don't do my 2 fast days together, if I did I would be wary about heavy exercise on the second day in case I had depleted my glycogen stores. That's not to say I wouldn't exercise but I would be careful to listen to my body and make sure I didn't go hypoglycaemic.

Having said all the above I do tend to save my heavier exercise for non fasting days just because it's nice to be able to tuck in afterwards.

[fudbeer]

Out of interest how many still doing this?

Be suprised if its more than a couple.

[KennyT]

Originally Posted by fudbeer

Out of interest how many still doing this?

Be suprised if its more than a couple.

i'm still on my 6:1 scheme.

K

[Blackmanta]

I'm still doing it and so is another chap I work with.

I can't say that I've noticed much difference but can't bring myself to give up just in case a miracle happens
I'd hoped for something that would work for me for once.

I might have to try something more severe like a 3 day fast once a month to give myself a kickstart.

[bobcar]

Originally Posted by fudbeer

Out of interest how many still doing this?

Be suprised if its more than a couple.

I'm still doing this. I find it no trouble at all cutting the calories on 2 days a week and feel much better as a result so I can see this being a lifetime change.

[bobcar]

Originally Posted by Blackmanta

I'm still doing it and so is another chap I work with.

I can't say that I've noticed much difference but can't bring myself to give up just in case a miracle happens
I'd hoped for something that would work for me for once.

I might have to try something more severe like a 3 day fast once a month to give myself a kickstart.

How do you know it hasn't worked? Have you been having blood tests?

Maybe you were using it as a weight loss diet and were expecting to lose weight? If so then you need to make sure you don't overeat on the non fasting days. It isn't a weight loss diet but if you eat sensibly on the other days then you will lose weight just because of the reduced energy intake. I have lost weight which is fine because I could do with it but when I get down to what I feel is an ideal weight I'll eat more on the other days to prevent any further weight loss.

[fudbeer]

Well you proved me wrong

ref weight loss think I mentioned it before would imagine one of the reasons people maybe do not lose weight is because your metabolism slows right down on your fast days as your body goes into consevation mode and is probably still in that mode when you start to eat again,just a thought.

[bobcar]

Originally Posted by fudbeer

Well you proved me wrong

ref weight loss think I mentioned it before would imagine one of the reasons people maybe do not lose weight is because your metabolism slows right down on your fast days as your body goes into consevation mode and is probably still in that mode when you start to eat again,just a thought.

The whole point of the diet is that your body goes into conservation mode however because you then eat normally you should come out of it. Certainly that seems to be happening for me as I'm losing weight without trying and it also applied to Michael Mosely who's wife made him cut back as she thought he was getting too gaunt.

I think the key is to make sure you don't over indulge on the non fast days. Also maybe exercising helps to prevent the metabolism lowering.