5:2 Diet Thread! Number 9, welcoming the new year...

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

The continuing thread for those of us following either the 5:2 diet or the alternate-day fasting diet. Both are two versions of Intermittent Fasting, which you can read more about here.

The 5:2 diet was featured on Horizon in August 2012, and essentially requires you to fast for 2 non-consecutive days per week. The other 5 days, you can eat what you like. Alternate-day fasting is just how it sounds; you fast every other day. By "fasting", we mean that we keep our calorie consumption very low, around 500 calories on average, on those days.

I know a number of people lurk on this thread, as this is currently quite popular. Please just jump in and post if you're new- we won't bite. Well, maybe on a fast day. You'll find a lot of support here.

Here is a list of links to get you started with this way of eating. Please let us know if you find a new article or some other information online:

First things first, here are links to some of our previous threads: most recent one before that another one etc!

Another thread which breadandwine has started is a good resource for some of the links and tips that get lost in these big threads. In addition to sharing links, we try to condense some of our top tips for fasting there. Keep in mind, we all do this differently, so these are just tips, not rules. This might be a good place to catch up with us if you're feeling a bit lost!

frenchfancy has a recipe thread over here, please post any low-calorie recipes there so they don't get lost in these bigger threads!

Here is the link to the BBC article regarding Michael Mosley's findings, which was featured on Horizon.

B&W has found a new link to the aforementioned Horizon programme here. If you're keen to see it, watch it soon, because BBC has been quick to find these copies and shut them down online. We're hoping they'll re-play it again soon. I know these threads are popular, maybe they'll read my request.

A blog post here gives some of the scientific explanation for why this way of eating helps you to not only lose weight, but improve your all-around health.

A Telegraph article which comments on the diet and gives a brief overview.

A study discussed here gives commentary specifically addressing the effect of this diet on obese people (both men and women), with regard to both health and weight loss. ("After 8 weeks of treatment, participants had an average 12.5 lbs reduction in body weight and a 4 cm decrease in waist circumference. Total fat mass declined by about 12 lbs while lean body mass remained relatively constant.) it also mentions "Plasma adiponectin, a protein hormone that is elevated in obesity and associated with heart disease, dropped by 30%. As did LDL cholesterol (25%) and triglycerides (32%).")

Important link if you are currently your ideal BMI: this appears to suggest the benefits for women at a lower BMI might not be seeing the same health benefits that are found on men at their ideal BMI.

And for those already fasting, here is a link to 100 snacks under 100 calories. We tend to favour lots of hot drinks during the day (count your milk if you use it!)

Another food link, here is a link to the BBC Good Food site, with a list of low-calorie soups.

We mentioned BMR and TDEE often. Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) quantifies the number of calories you burn in a day. This measure is best estimated by scaling your Basal Metabolic Rate to your level of activity. TDEE is critical in tailoring your nutrition plan to desired fitness goals. Here is a link to a calculator to help you figure out how many calories you should be eating in a day. (This is a new calculator to previous threads, this one seems to give me approximately the same results the last one did, but without the virus warnings on my browser!)

A BIG THANK YOU to all who have been contributing, btw. Most of us are learning this way of eating as we go along. All of the links above have been posted by others in our previous threads, and they've been very helpful. Sorry if I haven't given credit where it's due, but it was just enough of a job getting all the links re-copied and back into one post.

Come join us, and tell us about your experiences with this diet!

lare73 welcome, just popping in before I go to bed ( I dont stay up late on fast days ).. I've lost 21lbs since August and am now well back into normal BMI,.

You may lose more or faster if you have more to lose and i'm pretty sure we have quite a few people here who also have a lot to lose, so they could probably advise you about that aspect. But the beauty of this WOE (way Of eating) , is that its so simple and because its NOT a Diet and you cannot fail !! . If you dont manage a fast one day there's always another.

Do give it a go, I'm sure you wont regret it..

Have a look at DR Mosley's new website if you haven't read the book or seen the film .. well do anyway it has the basics on it .. and give it a go and post here.. We are a very friendly group here and Someone will always help..
I'm off now to bed now but I'm sure someone else will be along soon.
Good luck

Bedtime question, is anyone aiming for dress size rather than weight! Just wondering if that's a bit more realistic for me. I weighed in yesterday and despite feeling like I'm a good half a stone heavier after Christ,as apparently I'm 2lb lighter.

Not sure what to do because I'm feeling so fat at the moment (round the middle anyway), think I might have to just work on getting toned rather than rely on pure weightloss...

I think it isharder to get back into this woe after the Xmas period (even though I did manage a couple of fasts during that time). I had never ever given up on a fast day since starting in August but my first fast in the New Year (1st Jan) was a disaster from the beginning. I woke up and had a peppermint tea as usual and no breakfast. An hour later I was starving like never before so DH said why not give today a miss and do tomorrow instead. And that's what I did and you know the next day my fasting was fine.
Once again this woe proves how versatile it is and how easy to do once you get back into the swing of it. We've done it before and we can do it again

Wow! 100 posts yesterday, 50 since I went to bed last night (8 hour time difference here to the UK). I think it?s great so many new people are trying 5:2. I?m really glad I decided to try it when I heard about it in August.

mandyr it must feel great to be able to take those once tight jeans off without undoing them! I brought two pairs of jeans over with me to China in September. I could do them both up but sitting down wasn?t very comfortable. They?re now so loose I had to invest in a good leather belt to stop them falling down until I can get back to the UK and get some smaller ones. Size 12 is ?fat? in China (I?m not jealous, east Asian women have a higher percentage body fat at the same BMI as non-east Asian women so they have to be skinnier) and most stores that stock jeans that ?big? don?t have UK sizing and are more expensive than the places I buy jeans at home.

Hi lare47, welcome to 5:2. I?ve been doing 2:1 or 4:3 since September and have lost 20lbs. I think you would probably lose weight faster than me as I had less weight to lose (3st3) to take me from a BMI of 30.5 to a BMI of 22.7. I?m now at a BMI of 26.9. The weight came off faster to begin with but has slowed to around half a pound per week. That?s mostly because I?m short and not very active (actually didn?t leave my dorm room at all yesterday as I was on the laptop studying for exams all day) so my TDEE is very low and I haven?t been very careful to stay inside my TDEE on non-fast days. (If you don?t know what I?m on about see GE&N?s post at the beginning of this thread for a link to help you work out your TDEE.)

AmericasTorturedBrow, although I am aiming for a number on the scales, my reason is because that?s the number that was on the scales when I was 21 and looked good in my thin girl clothes and photos. Over the years the weight has gradually gone on and the favourite pieces of clothing have gone in boxes under the bed as the wardrobe got filled with bigger sizes, which I then got too big for and which ended up under the bed themselves. I now have 5 boxes of gorgeous clothes under my bed which I?ve been promising myself to get back into ?one day?. That?s my real motivation.

I have also noticed that whenever I have had a serious go at losing weight, the precipitating factor has usually been that I?m too big for the vast majority of my clothes, I?m living in one or two pairs of trousers and now they?re getting tight too. So I have a plan: when I get my BMI down to around 24.5 I?m going to try on everything I own and get rid of anything that?s too big. That way, even if I slip badly and don?t manage to stay around my goal weight (which hopefully I will with 5:2 or 6:1), at least I?ll have motivation to stay inside a healthy weight range.

So, 2.30 and still awake. This is my second ever fast day and pretty much the first time since being pg I just can't sleep. Are they linked? Don't feel particularly hungry. Haven't had loads if caffeine. Dd2 will be up in a few hours. So annoying.

Twofalls, I m the same! 2nd fast day. Did drop off but keep waking. Not hungry or thirsty. No wine. Exercised on fast day so you think I d be tired. Grrrr...

Dearie me, it's a fast day today & I've got up to feed DS2 & I'm so hungry. How am I going to get through the day?

Dh and I suffer from lack of sleep on fast days. They are related but like everything some people are affected more than others.

Gosh those here who are pg or up in the early hrs feeding, please don't overdo it or punish yourselves! Maybe now is not the time in your lives to be fasting?

Hi
First post here having been directed from Laska. I am what feels like a lifetime Weight watcher but have lately struggled with pro points. It feels funny to be on here as I am a grandmother twice over!
I now live in France making the WW regime even harder. I put on 1lb over Christmas and started 5/2 on 3rd January with a fast day. Today is my weigh day and the pound has gone. Hubby is doing this with me and we are both finding it easy. I plan all the food and work out the calories using MFP. I am trying to be self sufficient and rarely use processed food and the 5/2 fits in with this. No such thing as skimmed milk, half fat cheese etc here!
This next week I plan to stick with 1200 cals on my feast day as I want to shift the last few pounds to get me back to my healthy weight, about 7lbs. My problem has always been maintaining my weight once goal is reached. When I first started WW about 15 years ago I was 15st 4lbs and a size 18. I got down to 10st 5lbs and size 10. Currently I am 10st 11lbs, still size 10 but they are a little snug!
Well enough rabbiting, must go and let the chickens and ducks out! I look forward to getting to know you.

Sounds idyllic where you are Bob! Rural bliss tho sure hard work also...
With you on the full-fat version- i have that or don't bother.

Wow! Only been doing this since Monday. 2nd Fast Day yesterday. Weighed myself this morning and I'm down from 9st 8 to 9st 3lbs. Okay..It was before I've had anything to eat.. and it's probably just water loss but still . Definitely feel less bloated.

I'm having a trial at it, if I find if too much with DSs then I'll stop, but I really do want to shift this post baby weight.

I really picked a bad week though, neither DS is sleeping well, plus I've got my period, still it can only get easier, right?

I'm struggling following the acronyms!
PG
DS
TDEE
WOE
sorry for being thick!

Pregnant
Dear son
Target Daily energy expenditure? Ie number of daily calories you need
Way of eating

Mornin' Bobshouse welcome to this community .Lots of us grandmothers and als0 (whisper) blokes here! . I hope you'll like it as much as the other.. . I've shifted my old WW goal twice now and am now aiming for what i think will be my ultimate goal of 9.10 ( which will mean 4st off all together having lost 21lbs on this WOE and the rest on WW but just got stuck on PPs over the last 18months not shifting at all ). I'm expecting this last stretch to be much slower than the rest though as I'm well within my BMI now and have finally realised that to do it I HAVE to tackle the exercise devil!

Do check out your TDEE as above .. you might be surprised at hoew many few calories you can eat to MAINTAIN your weight (and this is very useful for eating days information .. Though i know you are very active with your lovely self sufficiency lifestyle) .

Lots of new people finding us every day now,Welcome We are a friendly group here with lots of us being here a while now and have been having great losses and as important hopefully are seeing the other health benefits...Those of us (like cyclistist ) who have had bloods etc done have seen some great changes...

We have a Hints and tips thread link above where we try and answer the regular questions and have links to the science and other relevant stuff as we find it . Also now Dr Mosley has his fastdiet site up .. .. sadly that can up the day the lovely Greeneggs started this new thread , so the link is not up there..(will check its now on the H&T) I will try and keep posting for newbies it until the next thread ..( which at this rate may be sooner than we think!)

Thanks to all who motivated me to stay on the fast day yesterday - I was struggling around 10 am and the day in front felt very long. Dug deep though and managed a very good fast day by only having a meal at 6 pm of Laska's delicious soup. So under 500 for the day.
Now have a feed day to look forward to, though as feel full of cold - not sure if I fancy anything!
Interesting that so many people have difficulty sleeping after fasting, especially in the early weeks - I wonder why that is.... I tend to sleep like a log! Do any long-timers have the sleep problem or is it just an adaptation issue in the first few weeks/months?

Americas I think I've got about a stone to lose but am not sure as haven't actually weighed myself for years! My goal is definitely clothes-related. My specific motivation is my favourite pair of Diesel jeans, which used to hang off my hips (even when 5m pg with DS1) and make me feel good about myself and now won't go over my bum .

I do not feel like the person I want to be at the moment.

But I am so glad I found this thread - you are all brilliant, and I am full of admiration both for those who have been doing it for months and for fellow newbies who have decided to take the plunge.

Was my 2nd fast day yesterday - I stuck to 500ish calories, managed not to get snappy with the kids, and went to bed actually feeling full and happy.
One of the biggest revelations for me so far has been learning about my 'danger times': kids' tea time (I usually hoover up leftovers) and about 9-10pm. These are the habits I need to break.

Good luck to all fasting today!

Talking of cyclistist hi Bro.. how are you? Getting that christmas blob sorted? . I seem to have stuck at about 2lbs up , but still claiming my 21lbs as I did do it! and am very nearly back there.. This weeks fasts have been hard , due to being back to work I think and back in a shared environment for the first time since i started this WOE and where everyone eats al. the time! so the place always smells of food (grr!, Lardya$$es) ..

iwear black glad you liked the soup didnt you do it with parsnips? its Your soup then!! DO post it up on the recipe thread ( I would never make a soup with parsnips ..shudders !! )

re sleep , I used to have trouble sleeping on fast days regularly,but its usually ok now, but still do sometimes.. its not hunger i think.. I reckon my body is just so active burning up all that flob!

Link to the fast diet site now is on the Hints and Tips thread
.

Good morning all,

Totally agree about the changed sleep patterns. Over the 5 or 6 months I've been following this WOL (way of living) I've had a range of issues around sleep. I seem to wake up a lot more often and a lot earlier, my long time issues with snoring have ceased (much to the relief of those that live with me ), and I sometimes have problems getting back to sleep when I awake.

However the sleep disturbances seemed to relent somewhat when I got into the swing of things and have only just returned since my 'break' over Christmas.

Throughout though, although I seem to be getting less sleep and generally waking up earlier, I do feel a lot less tired both on a Fasting or a normal day. I used to get a dip in the afternoon sometimes and find it pretty difficult to keep my eyes open...all of this could of course be down to my nasel choir ceasing it's unglorious charms through the night, probably down to the reduced weight.

But I think this WOE/WOL definiately has an impact on sleep and the quality of that sleep.

Still battling to get those Christmas pounds off (12lb ) but have dropped about 7 of them so far and pretty hopeful that the remaining extra baggage will be gone by Feb. As with some of the others upthread I've found it hard to get back into the swing of things but this is for the long term and not a 'diet' so whether it takes me a few days or a few weeks to get to where I want there's not a problem. As hopefully there a many years in front of me and following this WOL can only lead one way where my health and weight are concerned. As long as I keep focused on making the Fasting days as easy as possible a part of my life, keep my protien intake fairly low and eat 'fairly' sensibly on normal days, I should benefit in health and weight terms

Have a great day all and a huge warm welcome to all the newbies and delurkers, give this WOE several weeks and you'll see some great results

Dh and I have been doing the 5:2 since August, sleep has been an issue from the beginning and it's unfortunately not one of those things that gets better but some nights and worse than others. I now monitor my sleep with a Fitbit - on the worst night I woke up 16 times!