My problem is that I lack will power a... - Weight Loss Support
My problem is that I lack will power and after a few weeks I give up. Hopefully I will have the staying power to see it through.
Hunger passes and doesn't get worse. You can allay hunger with a hot drink and keeping busy. I lost three stone by fasting two non-consecutive days a week, 500 calories on those days, and that really works because you can tell yourself you can eat that biscuit tomorrow. Millions are losing weight successfully on the 5:2 Diet (otherwise known as the Fast Diet). I run on my fasting days and feel great for doing so.
I am SO glad I have just read this as that's what I am wanting to do and just beginning, although I can't do the running. What did you eat on the fasting days? I'm not much into effort, so anything simple would suit me. Oh, and well done!!
It's so much easier than you think it's going to be. You can divide up the 500 calories however you choose. I've never been a happy breakfast eater and only ate it because I felt I ought to and I and many others find that the longer we can delay our first meal of the day the better. It's my fasting day today and I'm only going to have my first meal of the day around 6pm. You may prefer to have an egg for breakfast, soup for lunch and then lean chicken and vegetables for dinner - it's entirely up to you.
There's an excellent book called "The 5:2 Diet" by Kate Harrison (or "The Fast Diet" by Dr Michael Mosley if you want more scientific background). Both are on Kindle very cheaply. I'd also suggest you watch the excellent BBC Horizon programme that started it off, "Eat, Fast and Live Longer" (vimeo.com/54089463) for inspiration. There are many Facebook support groups on the 5:2 Diet or Intermittent Fasting that are very supportive.
And don't worry about the running. I know many disabled people who have successfully lost weight on this way of eating without exercise.
The beauty of this is that once you've lost the weight you want to you can just fast one day a week as I do to maintain my new size 10 shape - I'm nearly 64 and have never felt so healthy and fit.
If you have any more questions then please do ask - and good luck with it, it's wonderful!
Hi, thanks for replying, yes I have already ordered the two books and saw the program when it was on tv and again last week which is what inspired me, so it was great to hear that it helps with weight loss as well as general health. Once I have lost some weight then I will start exercising again too. I finally feel some kind of inspiration.
I started 5:2 in September and by January I was feeling great. I heard about NHS c25k and downloaded the podcasts and off I went for my first 60 second run, in trepidation as I hadn't run since hating it at school. I'll never run marathons like the elderly Sikh but I walk every day and run for about half an hour three times a week. As you can see I ran the Race for Life on one of the hottest days of the year in Hyde Park. I'm still amazed!
Two weeks is a real boundary for me. I'd never made it past that before last month. As the 14 day mark approached I was desperate to break it but I used techniques to fight cravings and made it through. I've now been entirely sugar-free for over a month and plan to stay that way. As I've kicked the habit I don't even crave sugar anymore and dieting is far easier. I would recommend it to anyone. And if the very thought of life without sugar sounds too drastic, you are addicted. Look up the latest info on sugar and scare yourself into giving it up! It really is evil stuff.
Hi Beanutz,
I wondering just what you mean there.
If you're on a sensible weight loss regime, you shouldn't end up feeling hungry. One tip is to snack. By eating something, even if only a tomato or an apple, so that you don't do without food completely for more that about 4 hours at a time helps prevent that. It kind of 'tides you over' to your next meal time, or as my Mum would have said it "skates the hunger off of you".
My sense is that you really mean you have problems persevering with a weight loss regime.
Well, all I can really say to that is in my own case sticking with it was just sooooooo worthwhile.
I mean - especially if you are fairly significantly overweight - getting into sensible eating habits, losing the weight and ending up living a slimmer, lighter, easier to move around in, body will feel really great.
Good luck with your weight loss efforts.
