Jié Xī
Full Member
Back again. Probably about the same weight as I was when I last went AWOL as I've been stuck between 165 and 173 for over a year and a half now. Most of that was low carb, low cal with protein shakes and little to know bread, rolls, etc. About 1x a month, I have a "treat weekend" that turns into a binge. Repeat this for 28 years. *sigh*
In my 20's through mid 30's, I maintained roughly 150-155 pounds, but gained 15 after quitting smoking. Then, in 2012, HERE AT MINIMINIS (gotta give a shoutout!) I actually achieved goal of 129 from 170 (doing low cal/Keto). I maintained 135 for over a year, but only because I was always low carb. Took a break for the summer and put the 15 back on. Then got pregnant (back-to-back) in 2015 and was about 190 for 4 years. Finally lost it doing one of those wager things, but then had a horrible emotional year in 2019 and put almost all of it back on (back to 183). Then 2020. Need I say more?
So anyway, I am down a bit from 183 — 166 as of this morning. But the lowest I have seen in 1.5 years is 162. I've been seesawing from 165-173.
In June (started at 168), I decided to try 16:8 fasting. I didn't lose any faster than normal (averaging about .5 a week) and so lose about 2-3 pounds which includes about a 5 day binge.
In July (started at 165), I decided to try Autophagy Eating (<20 carbs gr., <25 gr. protein, everything else fat) and same thing — lost about .5 a week and I just came off the biggest binge I've had in a long time.
In August (started at 163 BEFORE the binge), I've decided to try 5:2. Because in theory, I will never binge again, since I'm allowed to eat the foods that I deprive myself of for 20+ years 5 days a week. (There is a part of me that is really sad that if this works so much of my life was spent not "allowed" to enjoy food. But anyway . . . )
So, at 163, I went on an unplanned 8 day binge culminating on Sunday at which I ate slices of cheesecake after church and then later went to the store for a slice of tuxedo cake. Really? Even on a typical binge, I only have one dessert on a day. Even if I have several helpings, but never several helpings and then, oh, let's go get something else too.
This made me realize something has to radically change. I read the JUDDD book Sunday night (while eating the tuxedo cake) and spent Monday as my first Down Day (500 calories). I was STARVING. But kept reminding myself that I was actually allowed to eat bread the very next day (today). All day, dreaming of not seeing food as my enemy ever again after nearly three decades, I knew I could do 500 calories only one more day -- I could not do it a third time (esp considering that would be a Friday or Saturday). So I thought, I'll just tweak my Friday to be an in-between day. But that meant that I was only fasting 2x a week. That's not JUDDD.
So, in 5:2, you only have to fast 2 days but you have to track calories the other 5 days (you don't have to track on JUDDD). I have NEVER considered anything more than 1200 a diet. Allowing myself to eat 1400-1900 (weight loss-maintenance) and eat whatever bread I want (I can actually have my burger on a real bun and not a low carb wrap???) does not feel restrictive at all. If I can eat a burger on a bun with French fries from my air fryer I have just eliminated one of my biggest reasons for bingeing. The other would be pizza and the other General Tso's, both of which I can fit into a maintenance day (usually, eating them would mean the diet is off so I may as well eat dessert and ice cream and other things I can never have because Monday/diet is coming).
I am slightly skeptical and optimistic at the same time.
I can't imagine losing .5 a week eating a burger bun or allowed to have Chinese.
I am so used to deprivation I know that I can do this diet for life IF it actually works. Meaning, I have lived my entire life "on a diet" at least on Mondays and usually Mondays through Friday afternoons (then treat/binge from Friday night through Sunday night). While I will admit that 500 was hard, I think it was because of what my choices for "food" was. Once I hit goal, I will give myself 700 on my 2 Fasting days and test that for maintenance. On 5:2, you can eat maintenance calories (1900) the rest of the week. But I would rather give myself 700 and eat 1800 the other days because that will give me a heartier meal.
In my 20's through mid 30's, I maintained roughly 150-155 pounds, but gained 15 after quitting smoking. Then, in 2012, HERE AT MINIMINIS (gotta give a shoutout!) I actually achieved goal of 129 from 170 (doing low cal/Keto). I maintained 135 for over a year, but only because I was always low carb. Took a break for the summer and put the 15 back on. Then got pregnant (back-to-back) in 2015 and was about 190 for 4 years. Finally lost it doing one of those wager things, but then had a horrible emotional year in 2019 and put almost all of it back on (back to 183). Then 2020. Need I say more?
So anyway, I am down a bit from 183 — 166 as of this morning. But the lowest I have seen in 1.5 years is 162. I've been seesawing from 165-173.
In June (started at 168), I decided to try 16:8 fasting. I didn't lose any faster than normal (averaging about .5 a week) and so lose about 2-3 pounds which includes about a 5 day binge.
In July (started at 165), I decided to try Autophagy Eating (<20 carbs gr., <25 gr. protein, everything else fat) and same thing — lost about .5 a week and I just came off the biggest binge I've had in a long time.
In August (started at 163 BEFORE the binge), I've decided to try 5:2. Because in theory, I will never binge again, since I'm allowed to eat the foods that I deprive myself of for 20+ years 5 days a week. (There is a part of me that is really sad that if this works so much of my life was spent not "allowed" to enjoy food. But anyway . . . )
So, at 163, I went on an unplanned 8 day binge culminating on Sunday at which I ate slices of cheesecake after church and then later went to the store for a slice of tuxedo cake. Really? Even on a typical binge, I only have one dessert on a day. Even if I have several helpings, but never several helpings and then, oh, let's go get something else too.
This made me realize something has to radically change. I read the JUDDD book Sunday night (while eating the tuxedo cake) and spent Monday as my first Down Day (500 calories). I was STARVING. But kept reminding myself that I was actually allowed to eat bread the very next day (today). All day, dreaming of not seeing food as my enemy ever again after nearly three decades, I knew I could do 500 calories only one more day -- I could not do it a third time (esp considering that would be a Friday or Saturday). So I thought, I'll just tweak my Friday to be an in-between day. But that meant that I was only fasting 2x a week. That's not JUDDD.
So, in 5:2, you only have to fast 2 days but you have to track calories the other 5 days (you don't have to track on JUDDD). I have NEVER considered anything more than 1200 a diet. Allowing myself to eat 1400-1900 (weight loss-maintenance) and eat whatever bread I want (I can actually have my burger on a real bun and not a low carb wrap???) does not feel restrictive at all. If I can eat a burger on a bun with French fries from my air fryer I have just eliminated one of my biggest reasons for bingeing. The other would be pizza and the other General Tso's, both of which I can fit into a maintenance day (usually, eating them would mean the diet is off so I may as well eat dessert and ice cream and other things I can never have because Monday/diet is coming).
I am slightly skeptical and optimistic at the same time.
I can't imagine losing .5 a week eating a burger bun or allowed to have Chinese.
I am so used to deprivation I know that I can do this diet for life IF it actually works. Meaning, I have lived my entire life "on a diet" at least on Mondays and usually Mondays through Friday afternoons (then treat/binge from Friday night through Sunday night). While I will admit that 500 was hard, I think it was because of what my choices for "food" was. Once I hit goal, I will give myself 700 on my 2 Fasting days and test that for maintenance. On 5:2, you can eat maintenance calories (1900) the rest of the week. But I would rather give myself 700 and eat 1800 the other days because that will give me a heartier meal.
