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Fasting / 5:2 diet

Talk about intermittent fasting and 5:2, including what’s worked for others. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Original poster

Starting on Monday - anyone want to be my buddy?

416 replies

SpanielFace · 02/07/2013 10:13

I'm planning on starting next week - it's my birthday on Thursday so want to wait until after then!

I'm 32, 5'7 and have about 5 stone to lose. I have a 10 month old DS and I have recently been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid gland, which slows the metabolism and makes it harder to lose weight - I started treatment 2 weeks ago and am already feeling much better, so I'm hoping to find losing weight a bit easier. 2 stone of this weight has been gained since having DS, which I feel ashamed about, but have been feeling exhausted and depressed (due mostly to the thyroid, it turns out) and have compensated by comfort eating. Confused

I really hope this will be a solution to 8 years of yo-yo dieting, which have taken me from a size 10 to a size 18 Confused A little nervous of the hunger, but I know it won't kill me.

Does anyone want to be my buddy, for a bit of mutual support?

OP posts:
AphraBehn · 13/08/2013 09:49

Hi to everyone that's just joined the thread.

butter I don't worry if I'm a bit under on FDs as some days I might go 50/60 calories over. I wouldn't do less than 400/410 though as you could have something quite substantial for those extra calories.

goodgollygosh · 13/08/2013 09:51

Butterandcrumpets, I quite often don't make the 500 on my fast days. I know of some people who don't eat on fast days! Yesterday my cal intake came to 460 I had a packet of couscous and two lift lemon teas which are about 22cals. I'm fasting again today going for a 24hr fast tonight I'm going to have a quorn sandwich about 250cals then I'm taking the kids swimming in the evening then if I'm peckish when I get back I will have a small tin of Heinz tomato soup which is about 170cals.
Hope everyone has a good day, I'm hoping to fit in another fast day on Friday. My weigh in is usually a Saturday but I'm not going to weigh for 2wks. I get a print out from boots and stick it to my fridge.

PeasandCucumbers · 13/08/2013 09:53

Well it's FD for me again today. Did 3 last week (I count a week as Mon-Sun) so this is the first for this week. It is this time of day I find really hard so going to go and make myself a cup of tea and hope that helps.

Good luck to anyone fasting today

JetBlack · 13/08/2013 10:44

FD for me as well today. It was meant to be yesterday but DP made me a big lunch, I haven't told him I'm 5-2ing so I would have felt mean not eating it after he spent ages making it.

Think I'll do 3 fasts this week, today, thursday and saturday but I'll see how it goes.

PeasandCucumbers · 13/08/2013 23:37

Another one over Grin

Haven't decided when I am doing my next one but pleased to get fast no. 6 completed!

I have decided it really makes no difference that I didn't weigh myself before I started 5:2ing as my scales are rubbish. They gave me 3 different weights in the space of about 5 mins!! Using public ones is not a bad idea good golly, do you find them reliable?

Wearytiger · 14/08/2013 07:50

You guys are motivating me to be a bit stricter on fast days, my calories have been creeping up a bit and I am probably averaging 550 now. I know this is still a very small amount and that 500 is an arbitrary number but I will try and make sure I come under from now ... I'm short and not very active so I really need to maximise the benefit.

I think I will fast again on Friday. I'm back at work then, j think it will be easier but let's see!

goodgollygosh · 14/08/2013 09:38

Peasandcucumbers I find the scales at boots very good, I have tried at 2 different boots and have got the same reading on the same day. Its great when I can see my BMI coming down it started at 33.
What I'm finding the hardest is my husband not being very understanding or supportive. He thinks I'm fine as iam, which I'm clearly not! He doesn't understand that on fast days I need to go to bed early so I'm away from the kitchen.
Is anyone else counting cals on non fast days? I hope by my youngest first birthday in November I can loose another 2st, does that sound achievable? Or am I being a bit hard on myself.
Well today is a non fast day but I'm aiming for 1500cals on these.
Hope everyone has a great day.

PeasandCucumbers · 14/08/2013 10:46

Thanks golly I might try that then.

I'm not counting calories on my NFD's but am trying to be sensible without depriving myself. I went for a curry on Mon eve (though I did stop eating when I started to feel full) and had a bar of choc during the day but I don't do either of those every NFD.

2 stone by Nov seems quite ambitious to me but I suppose it depends on many factors and when in Nov you are aiming for. Also to have lost any substantial amount of weight before your DC turns one is a fantastic achievement so congratulate yourself regardless of the exact number. I only want to lose a stone and am happy for this not to be a quick fix.

What really helped yesterday was I went for a very long walk with a friend last night. It was along a river through fields so no opportunity for snacking combined with some gentle exercise. We were looking for geocaches and so ended up being out for about 2.5hours which meant I had the whole evening out of the house and that is usually a time I would be tempted to snack.

goodgollygosh · 14/08/2013 11:03

I have lost a stone already, that was in 4wks then I had last week off. I know that was mainly water and the fact that I was pretty much addicted to normal coke and now all I drink is water. I'm a vegetarian but was easily eating 200g of chocolate a day yes I was a greedy swine! I'm having 3 fast days every week and down from a 16 to a 14.
I too went out last night, I went swimming at 5.30 with the 3 older children (the pool is empty at that time) we were there for about 2 hrs. Even though it ast so much swimming but more lazing about in he hot baby pool it got me away from temptation!

AphraBehn · 14/08/2013 11:20

goodgollygosh You've done really well.

First FD of the week for me and boy do I need it! Fish and veg for tea but only water and green tea up until then.

goodgollygosh · 14/08/2013 11:52

Thanks aphrabehn, the coke was the hardest (sound like a drug addict now) the first week I was like one big spot, my face was plastered! But I will never go back I drink about 3 litres of water a day. I was always a size 10 and 9st up until after my fourth child was born. I had my first csection and developed neuralgia not long afterwards, I haven't had an attack since February but Was house bound until then. I was doped up on tramadol and 2 other tablets to control the neuralgia and could hardly do a thing with baby.
So I'm having my first meal on my nf day. 50g rice with handful of quorn pieces, onions and peppers cooked in paprika and garlic. I plan to have tomato soup for tea then a frozen mars bar (not an ice cream one) whilst I finish my book.
Sorry for the long post and I hope no one minds me posting what I'm eating on a nf day?

Wearytiger · 14/08/2013 16:39

Goodgollygosh I gave up coke a year and a half ago and I can honestly say that a single day hasn't gone by when I haven't wished I could have it again. It's ridiculously addictive I think. I think your progress is really amazing but I wouldn't push yourself too hard as you've achieved a lot already! How about two stone by the new year? Then you can make sure you don't jeopardise all your hard work by binging over Christmas?

Wearytiger · 14/08/2013 16:40

Coke the drink! Although I am sure my comment applies to the other stuff as well!

goodgollygosh · 14/08/2013 17:01

Wearytiger I think you ae right I probably am being a bit hard on myself, new year is probably more realistic without me trying too much. I have to admit I tried that coke zero, but it was going from one addiction to the another so I'm just on water (don't like tea or coffee).
How long have you been doing this?

butterandcrumpets · 14/08/2013 19:40

I had planned a fast day today but the moment I woke up I new it wouldn't happened. So I just skipped breakfast, had a light lunch and carb free dinner. Came in at about 780cal which I thinks is still pretty good as a low calorie day. Frozen mars bars sound amazing, golly Grin

goodgollygosh · 15/08/2013 09:23

Morning all. Good luck to anybody on a fast today. I have heard all of people fasting every other day, has anyone else heard of this? I'm going to make a huge batch of lentil soup later, nice and filling for fast days.

Luvvies · 16/08/2013 08:28

Hi everyone.

I've lost 3 lb. I started last Friday, fasted then, again on Monday and Wednesday, as those were the most convenient days. I'm not fasting again until Monday.

Fast days are going absolutely fine, I even reached all 5 portions of my 5 a day in one meal according to my app on weds.

Non fast days, still picking at bad foods. Oops.

But overall I'm not complaining!

How's everyone else doing?

PeasandCucumbers · 16/08/2013 08:40

FD for me again today but my 8yo DS is home from cub camp this eve and I can't wait to see him so hoping that will take my mind off food for the day. He's been gone since first thing Mon and we have had no contact with him since!!

That's a great loss luvvies, well done

Golly I'm not fasting every other day but I have fasted 2 days out of 3 and it was fine, I thought with only one normal day eating in between the second FD would be harder but it wasn't.

goodgollygosh · 16/08/2013 12:06

Well done luvvies that brilliant!
Fast day for me too. I was really controlled yesterday though! I made my most favourite food homemade macaroni cheese and I didn't have any I just had a quorn ham sandwich and watched everyone else eat it. Then I made my lentil soup and the children all said how nice it smelt (hinting for some) so I made a batch of rosemary and onion muffins and didn't eat a single one.the kids had them buttered with soup.
Plan for today is water lots of it until 5 when I will have a bowl of lentil soup.

Wearytiger · 16/08/2013 20:33

I fasted today ... Annoyingly was on track for a great day as had 350 cal dinner bought and ready. Then got derailed by an unexpected drink after work, where I really didn't want to not drink (because they would all definitely think I was pregnant!) So I had a vodka tonic that I didn't want at all! Annoying. Never mind though. I ate no biscuits at all in the team meeting today so that's a big step forward for me!

PeasandCucumbers · 16/08/2013 20:59

Weary was it a slimline tonic? I read on the thread about going to the pub that a single vodka was only 52 cals so your day hasn't been totally derailed.

I have had a good day, very busy and hence have only eaten half a raw carrot and a really lovely Hugh F-W recipe from his Veg cookbook that has only come out at 970 cals for the lot that is supposed to serve 6. I have just had about a quarter of it and am saving a similar sized portion for my next FD so I still have about 200 cals left and I don't want to leave that many uneaten cals!!

Have a good weekend everyone Smile

Wearytiger · 16/08/2013 21:07

Doubt it. A man bought it. So prob a double as well. I didn't want it!

goodgollygosh · 17/08/2013 10:08

Hey all! Had a good day yesterday fasted all day with probably too much water, I just kept drinking pint after pint, constantly needed to wee, must of had about 5 litres. For my meal I had 30g of spaghetti with quorn meatballs with tomatoes, onions and garlic. Had 3 meatballs so a very small portion but very tasty!
Has anyone weighed this week?

Wearytiger · 17/08/2013 13:14

I weigh in on Mondays now good as it's a kind of worst case for me after the havoc wreaked on the weekend!

goodgollygosh · 17/08/2013 15:01

I wasn't going to, but I weighed down boots! I'm 3lb down this week. I didn't weigh last week because I had that week off. My b,I is now at 29 so I'm no longer obese just overweight plus I'm in the 11st region (even if it is the higher end) I've lost 17lb in 5wks (not counting my week off). I'm so pleased and its really got me back on track. I'm being good today not fasting but eating well.
Good luck everyone else for their weigh in.