The night before...

Me February 2009

A few years ago I lost just over 5 stone with Weight Watchers.  I got down to just over 12 stone.  I was still classed as overweight for my height, but I was happy.  I have a well built frame, there's no getting away from it.  Big bust, wide hips - and they just done go down.  A long time ago I was about 11st 7lb which is the heaviest recommended weight for my height, but I looked and felt ill.  

The thing is, that over the last 18 months or so, the pounds have started creeping back on again, and then after sustaining a nasty knee injury in June last year and being unable to run for 6 months even more have crept on meaning that I am now...I think...over 14 stone again *gulp*.

Dad and I on New Years Eve - his 60th birthday

Speaking to my darling Dad yesterday he was telling me that he went to the Doctors and was told he was borderline type 2 diabetic.  He was recommended by his Doctor to try the Fast Diet, and to his amazement, in the last 3 weeks he's lost a stone!  WOW!!  Spookily I'd just flicked through the book in Tesco, so I thought I'd dash back in there and grab a copy and see what all the fuss was about and whether it might be something I could try.  I read the book in an evening.  It made a lot of sense to me and I thought I'd give it a try. 

So what is the Fast Diet and how does it work?  Well I can only explain how I understand it - essentially our bodies are built to cope with periods of feasting and fasting - think of cavemen and people in times gone by - they would go through periods where there was plenty of food and periods when there was little or none...and they coped.  They were also lean and not ridiculously fat like we are now.  So why are we fat?  Because food is there.  We eat, well I do, even when we aren't hungry.  We've lost the knowledge that we can cope and we will be ok without food for a period.  With the Fast Diet, for two days a week you cut your calorie intake right down to 500 calories (600 for men).  For the other 5 days you eat normally.  It seems too good to be true, but then if it's working for Dad and for numerous other people, why can't it work for me?  (for more information please go to the website www.thefastdiet.co.uk - they explain the theory and science FAR better than I could ever hope to!!)

I've decided that my fast days are going to be Monday and Thursday.  Those are the days that Dad fasts (which will make it easier when I visit him for sure!!)  So tomorrow I begin.  I went to Tesco today and got in low calorie yoghurts, soup and greens so I'm ready.  It's going to be a challenge I can tell you - tomorrow nights dinner is Gnocchi and that's my favourite, but if I can do it tomorrow then I can do it...and I can look forward to eating what I like on Friday!

I'm not expecting it to be ridiculously easy, I'm sure I'll find it tricky to start with, but it's not as if I can't have anything to eat at all... So...deep breath...tub of ice cream at the ready for tonight...let's go!!!!

At the start...with my best boy x