Low Carb 5:2

[Salbertina]

Anyone else? Been low carbing with the occasional wobble for a while and have also tended to fast overnight say 8pm- 1pm or even 5pm next day 2-3 times a week, but am now in 1st week of trying the 5:2 diet. Anyone else?

[teaandthorazine]

I've sort-of fasted this week, but mainly because low-carb kills my hunger if I'm doing it right! So I'm not doing the 5:2 officially but do go long periods between meals - this week I had a 24-hour period with just a protein shake and some water (iirc).

Felt fine and suddenly that pesky couple of pounds I'd been losing/gaining over and over for a few weeks has disappeared, apparently for good!

I read something on Mark Sisson's blog about WHEN - eating When Hunger Naturally Ensues - I think that's what I'm doing really .

How're you finding it?

[teaandthorazine]

Or even Ensues Naturally [duh]

[Salbertina]

Hi, ok so far! Am a fan of daily apple also, mainly low carb but have yo-yoed rather losing about 4kilos and gaining about 3 of it back over past few months. Mainly due to tricky time tho when alternately let it all go hang or just rarely ate...things calmer now tho so thought I'd try this, more to be healthy and lose just a lithe weight.
How do u find fasting/low carbing?

[teaandthorazine]

Well, I'm a firm believer that fasting only really works on low-carb anyway, because it controls your blood sugar. It's sooooo much easier if you're not feeling hunger pangs, dizziness, weakness etc (I've noticed quite a bit of that on the big 5:2 thread). Once your blood glucose is steady, fasting comes pretty naturally, ime. My appetite is pretty dead if I'm in ketosis!

I think the MDA blog also says something about women in particular not fasting if life is very stressful, so you've done the right thing in waiting until life has calmed down!

Anything's got to be better than counting bloody calories

[SpringGoddess]

Yep, me too. I get hungry on low carb though - properly hungry. Started last week fasting for 2 days in a row and that was tough. I'm doing lots of exercise, which I've been doing for a long time without carb loading, it's not before or during that kills - it's afterwards, I feel enormously hungry, about 2 hours after I run. I'm going to try 100kcal of Total Fat free yogurt for lunch and then a 300kcal dinner this week. I need to burn off my holiday weight.

[2kidsintow]

Waves at teaandthorazine!!!

I'm not doing 5:2 officially either. I am also doing the 'wait until you are really hungry to eat no matter how late that might be' diet too. Sort of fasting on some days, depending on how late I get hungry. Today I wasn't hungry til 6pm, despite spending the day baking and icing a birthday cake. It might turn into a proper 5:2 fast day as tea was only 430 cals, but if I eat a bit more than 500 cals, I won't worry about it. And I'm following that rule every day at the moment without much of a problem.

In my mind, all my daily activity while I'm not eating must be burning fat. And when I eat, I don't make more than 1200 cals, not matter how big or bad my food choices end up to be.

I am losing weight too (yay).

[Salbertina]

Hi everyone! Sounds like good progress going on! Am fasting & low calorie today, will just wait as long as I can- last week was 545pm so will aim for that again. Need to after too much choc at weekend again

[ILoveStripeySocks]

Im doing a mix of low carb & fasting, as I wantthe benefits of both but with some normal daysthrown in! So I have devised my own plan 2 days a week low carb, 1 fast for 36 hours and 2 days eating normally.

[Salbertina]

Wow, 36 hours? How do u find that?

[SpringGoddess]

ilovestripeysocks sounds like a good plan. I think you have to find an eating plan to suit yourself. The dieting forum can get a bit evangelical with everyone defending their diet has the only one that works, the only one that works is the one that works for you.

[Salbertina]

I agree completely. Wondering if I should up carbs a little on normal days so as to avoid carb-fest at weekends once wine kicks in..need to stabilize things.

[Slumberparty]

Hi, I've been low-carbing for a few weeks now and started the 5:2 last week. I feel if I'm fasting I may be able to up my carbs a little bit? I'm not craving carbs as such, just a bit more variety in my meals from meat and veg.

[Creamtea1]

Hi all, I'm a long time fan of fasting and have been combining with low carb since jan. have been on various fasting threads with tea and goddess before iirc. Can really recommend it. I fast mon to fri - have a small breakfast, then no lunch (protein shake if feel hungry). Dinner is low carb around 8pm. Then nothing till breakfast around 9 (do childcare/school run first). I have a small breakfast, which can be carbs no issue. At weekends I stick to the same but usually end up having a lunch those days - either low carb or if it's got carbs then try and make sure it's only small.
I still eat occasional cakes and cookies!
3 stone off so far, on my own tailor made diet :)

[BerylStreep]

Well having lost 4kg on bootcamp, and then regaining it, I need to do something. I may lurk for a while if that's ok.

[Creamtea1]

Hi beryl!
I've been bad tonight and had some baked rhubarb with tiny bit of sugar but good scoop ice cream, so strict needed tomorrow. Breakfast in morn then nowt till dinner (and gym)- but the rhubarb was nice!

[Jacaqueen]

This all sounds rather interesting to me.

I low carb and really enjoy it but I still have the tendency to over eat especially when the food is good. Ketosis stops me being hungry but does not stop me being greedy.

Do you still eat something on a fast day then. I thought you had to go a few days without food for it to be effective?

can anyone give me more details.

Thanks

[Treadmillmom]

Just to clarify, I am sure you do not have to restrict yourself to one meal, the 500 calories can be spread over meals and snacks.
This is my second week, my fast days are Monday and Tues and I eat approx 600 cals;
Breakfast - 50g plain porridge made with water
Snack - 25g peanuts/sultana's
Lunck - Shredded Wheat with Skimmed Milk
Dinner - Roast chicken with stacks of steamed veg
Lots of water/green tea/black tea in between.
I am not in the least bit hungry as I've picked carb based meals to keep me fuller for longer but only 600 calories for the day.
Week one I lost 2lbs, I was genuinely amazed, I've lost 14lbs since January and had hit a plateau 4 weeks ago.

[vnmum]

HI fellow low carbers,

I have been fasting sort of for a while, while low carbing. I just don't eat breakfast and always workout fasted in the morning. Sometimes lunch will not be until 1 or 2pm. I have to say though, that it wasn't really making any difference to weight loss, then I read on MDA that IF isn't always siutable for women as some women react differently too it than men do.

After the horizon programme I did do a few full day fasts but this week I have gone back to trying to eat 3 meals a day and just counting my carbs, just to see what I would consume in a normal week. Monday was a very high cal and high fat day with 30g carbs and I then dropped 1 3/4lbs overnight, so maybe it is best for me to not do it for too long.

spring Cardio is notoriuos for making you hungry, I think that is why Mark Sisson and Briffa don't recommend doing lots of it as it does make you crave carbs. I would suggest plenty of fat and protein after your run, preferably within 1 hour and see if that helps, or a protein shake. Some have carbs but if you find a diet whey one that has few carbs it might work as a post run snack

[teaandthorazine]

Jacaqueen, everyone does it slightly differently but you definitely don't need to go several days without eating, don't worry! Around 16 hours is average I think though some people will manage longer.

[SpringGoddess]

vnmum agree that cardio can make you hungry so I have just moved my rest days to coincide with my fast days and the problem has been solved. I'm cutting back on fat currently as I'm in weight loss phase....not doing low fat - just moderate fat, low carb..I only have a couple of pounds to lose but those are the hardest to keep off.
I don't find my energy depleted after a fast day and can still do quite an intense run the following day before I break the fast. I know Mark Sisson and Gary Taubes don't promote cardio as a means to weight loss but I do it because I love it, I find it a great mood enhancer, i feel it for a good 4 hours after i stop.

[vnmum]

spring I also go against the grain with regards to low carb and exercise as like you I enjoy a good workout and run.

With regards to the fat, if those pounds don't shift then maybe try upping the fat. I ate alot more fat than usual the other day and then had a whoosh that night.

[SpringGoddess]

Upping the fat is something I don't get - I have read Briffa, Taubes and numerous other low carb bits and pieces and I haven't come across anywhere that says eating excessive fat will not impact on weight, from a scientific perspective what happens the excess fat? No one seems to address this issue, would be grateful for any links.
Our low carb diet has allowed us to maintain our weight loss and eat the foods we love but we went on holidays and we enjoyed a full range of foods, now we need to lose our holiday weight - not much I was a size 8-10 and now a size 10 but i don't think low carb, high fat will help me loose that wee bit extra, I lost nothing for months doing it before - I know I don't need to lose it - I just wanna!

[vnmum]

I think it is something to do with when your body is in fat burning mode, you have to eat fat to make it know it is meant to be burning fat, or something like. I do get what you mean though, it does make sense in some ways to decrease your dietary fat to make your body use it's body fat. I can only go off what I have found myself in that the times I have upped my fat seem to coincide with a drop in weight. Maybe it is to do with satiety. The more fat you eat, the fuller you feel, so therefore cut calories?

[vnmum]

oh spring I forgot something. I have read another forum that is about a diet called 'carbnite' where they eat less than 30g of carbs a day for 6 days then on the evening of the 7th day they have a 6 hour carb binge. It is supposed to create an insulin response and therefore increase leptin but eating so many carbs (they're talking 350g +) in such a short time means they are burnt as energy rather than stored as fat. One of the trainers at my gym suggested it to me as alot of his mates were having success with it. It is used by bodybuilders to lean down to really low body fat apparently.

Anyway I will get to the point, when they are eating low carb, they say not to have more than 10g carbs per meal and to keep well under 30g per day (for ketosis) but they say to have fat to protein ration as 1:1. I don't know how that fits in with your way of thinking regards fat but it an interesting perspective.

[SpringGoddess]

It's an interesting approach but I want to eat good food, focusing on quality and flavours not to the point where I need to balance protein and fat - that seems too much like over thinking it to me.

I am of the belief that we all have to find our own level, one diet does not suit all, I know that I don't lose weight on low carb at my level of weight and dh does. Some people gain weight on low carb and others lose lots....the trick is knowing your own body.