Please help, I'm struggling to stick to my TDEE

[kerry85]

I've only just started the 5:2 diet, I really like it and I manage fine on fasting days.
Week 1 I lost 3lb then week 2 I'm seem to have maintained (I'm not supposed to weigh until tomorrow morning but just stood on scales and it says I'm the same as last Monday morning)
My TDEE is 1800 calories, I can stick to this no problem during the week but at the weekend I've gone way over, husband and I often get a takeaway at the weekend and I'll have a glass of wine in the evening and eat out with the children etc
Therefor I was wondering if I'm best doing 4:3 to make up for the fact that I go over my calorie allowance at the weekend? Or does it not work like that?

[LikeaHurricane]

Hi kerry85, please repost this on the main thread which is now at 29, lots of helpful inspirational people on there who will advise you brilliantly. Also read the tips and links in the op, very good advice contained in there.
The main thread is under the fasting topic.
Good luck

[kerry85]

Thank you I'll do that

[BsshBossh]

kerry I always significantly overeat my TDEE at the weekend due to alot of social eating and not being in a specific routine but I counteract it by undereating my TDEE during the week. In other words I take a weekly view of calories, not a daily one. Weightloss has been fine.

[Talkinpeace]

kerry
eat out or takeaway of a weekend
both is not healthy
for you or the kids
one week takeaway
one week eat out
if they learn moderation when they are young they will never have weight problems

[GrandstandingBlueTit]

I don't get it, why is 'eat out' unhealthy?

What do people mean by 'eat out'? At a restaurant? Why is that necessarily unhealthy...?

[plecofjustice]

Talkinpeace
That's a bit prescriptive, isn't it? Part of the point of the diet is that you can ease off on the prescriptiveness on NFD's.

Kerry - I like to go out to eat and/or get takeaways and have a few drinks at the weekend. I eat less on my weekday NFD's to compensate. Do you use MFP? I have mine set to lose 0.5kg a week. By fasting on Mondays and Wednesdays, then sticking to the calorie counter it recommends on Tuesdays, Thursdays and most of Friday, I can get away with a bit of indulgence at the weekend.

[WilsonFrickett]

Talkin with respect I find that far too prescriptive. I love eating out, I work as a restaurant critic and there have been many times in my life where work demanded I was away from home 2/3 nights a week.

I think it's far more important to focus on 'damage limitation' - making good choices when out and making other good choices when at home (ie 5:2 or 4:3 if things have been particularly social/hectic). I think that will teach children far better habits too as who knows what their future work/life/social balance would be.

[Talkinpeace]

WilsonFrickett if you are a restaurant critic, chances are your regular haunts do not include KFC, Maccy D and the chip shop.
Also the food you eat will be significantly less processed and have lower levels of hidden fat, salt and sugar than most delivery meals

Eat what you like on an NFD, but do not expect to lose weight and keep it off unless you learn to eat healthily and sustainably on those days.
5:2 works because it reduces your appetite naturally.
If you battle that by having Chinese takeaway every week, your IGF system will stay nadgered.

[GrandstandingBlueTit]

But it's still not clear why 'eat out' = KFC / McDs / fish & chips. The OP hasn't said that. If it's the case, then yes, probably best to restrict to once a week.

But a flat rule of takeaway OR eat out per weekend is not in the slightest necessary for most people.

Or maybe I am living in la la land where 'eat out' means normal restaurants with good food.

[Talkinpeace]

Grandstanding
in the la la land of much of MN it means restaurants.

In the real world, "cooking" means freezer to microwave ping and eating out rarely means picking from other than a laminated menu or the Brakes catalogue.