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Fasting / 5:2 diet

Calorie question

6 replies

thewalkers · 08/09/2016 17:11

Hi,I hope someone can help with this....I started 4:3 on Monday and on fast days keeping my calories between 0-500 as low as possible,but I'm confused about up days,should I be at maintenance calories or the calories myfitnesspal has suggested to lose weight?

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Chasingsquirrels · 08/09/2016 17:18

Maintenance calories.
I did 5:2 - 2 days at 500/600, 3 days at maint calories, 2 days when was happy to go over main calories by around 200/300 although I didn't aim to.
I have MFP set at maintain.
Don't forget that you maint calories will decrease as you lose weight.

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thewalkers · 08/09/2016 17:29

Great news thanku I'v been going by myfitnesspal calories,will change it now to maintenance and can have a nice tea :-) ...I'v got 2&1/2 st to lose,if(WHEN) it happens or is close to happening I will go to 5:2.

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Chasingsquirrels · 08/09/2016 18:54

I lost around 2.5 stone, started last Easter and was working on 13 months to my birthday this May, I actually lost most of it by around Dec and have been doing 6:1 to maintain.
I've found it really easy as it's only the low-calorie days that are an effort (and I don't find them an effort any more) and tomorrow you can have whatever it was you wanted - just don't overdo it! I found after a month or so it became 2nd nature.
Good luck!

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thewalkers · 08/09/2016 19:08

Wow that's great going and gives me hope,I'm finding the fast days not too bad at all,it's the up days I was struggling with,but think it should be a lot better now I can eat more than I was.

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Chasingsquirrels · 08/09/2016 20:31

Yeah, I'd really struggle keeping to (say) 1,200 a day, every day. Even more so if you have fast days in there as well.
Also, eating at the maintain level enables you to train yourself as to what you should be eating going forward, rather then losing the weight then just reverting to what you did before (that put the weight on).
Remember that the maintain level will drop as you lose weight. Mine started at 1,850 and is now at 1,620.

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thewalkers · 08/09/2016 20:43

Mines 1860 right now,it's insightful just how many calories I was eating even when I thought I was being good