Flumi_f... Good luck with kitchen and that is great you can run then shop getting in so much exercise!

I haven't lost at all since following 5:2 but it is because I have overeaten on non fast days. Thanksgiving and the last two days have been hard. Almost binging. Can't decide if this is the fast days causing me to reflexively over eat or just perfect storm with TOM and food heavy holiday and junk in house that is not usually there. I will fast Monday and Thursday this week and continue to try to kee calories to 1800-2000 on non fast days.

Sounds like the challenges of the holidays are well upon us. It almost feels like the Hinger Games...haha, pun totally intended!
Hawaii was MOST unkind to me. Let's say I feel "fluffy" at the moment. It was such a food-centric trip (my mom and sister are obsessed with food and the perfect meal), I don't think I ever really felt hunger. Yesterday, I did a fast, but ate a little more at dinner. It just felt good not to have anything in my system for a day. This week will be about recalibration before stepping on the scale and declaring "its go time". I sense I will be gearing up for my battle cry by weigh in on Saturday...one can tell when they are over a little.
Flumi, have fun creating your new home. It can be both stressful, fun, and overwhelming. Glad you have a good team!! Meg, this is a time when it's hard to pinpoint why exactly you aren't losing. So many factors play into the holiday season. Just stick with it because even maintaining is a total win!! Mama...I'm so sorry to hear you're injured. I use a foam roller on my lower body most nights and when I roll on my hip flexor, I nearly fly through the roof, but then it feels so much better afterwards. As you've counseled me about strength training, I shall do the same about stretching!!! I never before gave much thought to it. However, with the emphasis of flexibility in ballet, I now see how much easier it is moving throughout the day when you are flexible (literally and metaphorically). So I highly recommend committing to a solid stretching routine...give it a trial to see how you feel and let me know!!

Well I went for my annul exam today. I'm healthy except for overweight. I was telling the practitioner about 5:2 intermittent fasting and she said "that sounds like the worst diet and it is terrible to restrict calories in a peri menopausal woman". Of course she then went on to tout eating every 2-3 hours and not getting hungry and portion control blah blah.. Even though I would have liked some support and encouragement I felt strong in my conviction that this way of eating makes sense. For years I have literally tried everything... and I believe most all diets work if you can find a way to restrict your calories and stick to it. I just couldn't stick to it 7days/week. But I can do it 2 days/week!! So I hope I wont feel foolish like I have after other diets fail and I move on to the next fad.

Kmbender0908 ... I'm new to this fasting and group
too! I am actually not struggling most fast days but admittedly have been eating more like 600-700 than 500 calories. I have NOT lost much weight , maybe a pound or two but it makes sense to me and I am going to keep at it !! I have found skipping breakfast , miso for lunch and most calories at dinner is easiet. But this is only my 4th week.

My main concern is I will reflexively eat more on non fast days and won't lose. So I am really going to monitor calories on those days.

Flumi_f... sorry you blew a fast day! Good thing there are more days to try! Thursday will be better!

One thing I am committing to this month also is way more water. I plan to get in about 100 ounces/day. I bloat so much and eat too much sodium that it makes it hard to track weight loss weekly!

I made it through my first fasting day yesterday. Even ran 5k with my running group at 7pm before going home and making dinner of steamed summer squash, ground turkey and tomato sauce and the tiniest bit of rice and parmesan cheese. It tasted like heaven. Ended up the day with 570 calories which I will call good. I was more than a little pissy though...kind of feel bad for my BF as I nearly bit his head off after the run about something I normally would have just let pass....hangry for sure!

Weighed myself this morning and I'm down 3 which I know is water but considering the scale had only been going up previously, I will take it. Normal day today and I'm going to track in MFP just to make sure I don't go totally nuts.

megellcor71 - I am menopausal and I will tell you that during peri I could lose weight by just eating clean and exercising, not counting calories. But as soon as I crossed over into menopause, I have found it's like a switch was flipped. The pounds have been packing on like crazy and mostly around the middle which has NEVER been a problem area for me in my life. It's like I don't even know my body anymore. I look in the mirror and see more of an apple than a pear. And I was a definite pear. Anyway...I am ready to do something completely different. And I thought...why not? I don't have a lot of faith in doctors knowing much about nutrition and weight loss. But I do feel like what works for one person may not work for another and you just have to keep trying until you find the fit for your lifestyle that will also allow you to lose. My non-professional 2 cents.

Hi all! Ok here's my bit. I totally agree with what 'works for your own body' plan....& also with drs getting one course in nutrition does not make them an expert on health necessarily, however, I also partially agree with Meg's doc.... I was always told by my drs that being a little heavier at this stage of your cycle reduces symptoms like headaches, sweating/hot flashes, irritability etc etc. I started 5:2 right at the time that I became menopausal and found that losing weight just melted off with this 5:2 plan. So maybe it's coincidence, maybe I worked at 5:2 diligently, maybe it was being in menopause..... either way, I lost 8" off my waist relatively fast and did not and do not suffer thru menopause symptoms other than a warm flash every now & then. Your cycle is unique to you. I'd just say careful trying to lose too much during the peri-menopause stage of the game, our bodies are suppose to chub up for reasons we don't like or understand.

I'm doing a fd today!!! I waited until noon to enjoy a mandarin orange and look forward to tea after my dog walk! Feeling hungry so I'm heading to the kitchen now and down 2 glasses of water. Upon looking back at my last years food diary entries, I would down a glass or two before reaching for the cupboards. Funny how I'm not doing that now.... maintenance vs complacency....? I'm inspired by the new people joining this group, so all of you great job and keep posting! When you're in maintenance mode it's really helpful to read about your achievements, struggles and successes!!!!
Peace out

Planning my 3rd fast for today, then I'll weigh myself hoping the detriments of my trip were temporary. Like sanjo, I've been doing 5:2 for a few years. My lab results have also been favorable. I see my endocrinologist next week and we will see if my cholesterol and hormones continue to stay in check. I'm 47 and I may be in peri?? Sometimes I think I am, but other times not. I'm still fairly regular in my cycle with a few aberrations, but that happens outside of peri. One thing that has not improved for me is my blood pressure. Hypertension runs in my family, so I may not be able to do anything about it on my own (I mean, I'm a normal weight, exercise most days, and eat a vegan diet...what more can I do). I have recently added HIIT two days a week to see if that helps. While I'm not carrying around a huge ziploc bag full of medication bottles, I still take more than I'd like. I'd hate to add another!

Mama, I think it's great that you have available your diet history to reflect on what helped you be successful in the past. My tracking is spotty, at best. And so is my memory

Thanks for the welcome back, ladies! I've missed you guys! I'm happy to see we have some new people to the group.

I'm totally new at this. Today is my first FD. Getting a bit hungry, trying to drink a lot of water. Hope to lose some weight before Christmas!