The 5:2 thread number 26 - Bring on the Lifestyle Change Victories!

[BetsyBell]

The continuing thread for those of us following either the 5:2 diet or the alternate-day fasting diet.

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, or approximately your TDEE (see explanation below). 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 for a woman, 600 for a man, on those days.

You'll find on these threads we use a number of acronyms. If you're new to the threads, or Mumsnet in general, they might not make much sense.

WOE/WOL = Way Of Eating/Way Of Life. We use this term instead of "diet" as many of us see this as something to do in the long term.

MFP = My Fitness Pal, a website many use for keeping track of the number of calories they're eating.

TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure, 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.

ADF = Alternate-day Fasting, as it says on the tin, fasting every other day rather than 5:2.

NFD = Non fast day

NSV = Non scale victory

Michael Mosley has a website to accompany his book on the subject. Please go check them out, as he's the whole reason most of us are here!

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- 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:

All our previous threads can be found by browsing through our very own fasting section of the site.

Another thread which breadandwine has started is a good resource for some of the tips and links 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!

If you've been at this a while and are moving on to maintaining your goal weight, there is a thread here to discuss that.

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

There's a link to the aforementioned Horizon programme here.

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 by Dr Mosley himself, very informative if you're just starting. (I highly recommend this for an 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%).")

Something to consider 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.

A BIG THANK YOU to all who have been contributing. 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.

A HUGE THANK YOU to Greeneggsandnicht for putting together all this info and resources into one concise OP text, much appreciated by so many 5:2ers!

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

It is Wakame Miso Soup from Sainsbury's.

Ah, it is 100 cals per 100g. Each sachet is 18g.

Whoops .

Damnit Just realised I've eaten 609 calories today instead of 500. Anything I can do? Any exercise to undo the calories? I'm so annoyed - I misread the label of some soup. I know it's not the end of the world but I wanted to be good today as it might be my only fast day this week - work stuff going on

Some tricky starts to the week, it seems. I've never had miso soup but imagine it as salty and yeasty though, given how many people seem to like it, I'm sure it must be nicer than I'm imagining!!

Great NSV EatRiskier as i'm a classic pear with turbothighs and clunmpy calves, properly fitting boots are definitely something to aspire to.

After a good week last week, and some lovely menus planned for this week. I have gone down with back-to-school lurgy in the form of a streaming cold - oh, and yet ANOTHER period. Cue comfort food at lunchtime and a takeaway for tea. Going to bed now in the hope that I awake well enough to fast as planned.

Monday FD over. It was fine, a bit headachy towards the end and very cold (I second the recommendation for UniQlo heat tech termals - amazingly effective). Have broken fast with an apple and now will eat a ready meal (unlike me, but too busy to cook today and DH working late).

helles I have a lovely pair of 'fat' boots I finally managed to find after years of looking last year. Now they're too fat for me and they're a size too big! I'm keeping them though just in case, not making the throwing out nice shoes mistake again.

FD over here. The stew was yummy and so warming. Have had quite an active day and am completely knackered. Too early to go to bed though, or I'll be up at 4!

Dinner was delicious! I highly recommend venison as a FD meal- really low cal but feels very indulgent (was in reduced section in our local co-op so not too indulgent for a week night). The Cumberland sauce and red wine glaze was amazing too, then low cal broccoli cheese and roasted asparagus and tomatoes. Then finished off with a few raspberries and yoghurt and a delicious chocolate truffle. I am nicely under 500 calories still.

I much prefer waiting until evening and having a lovely dinner to spreading it out over various meals. Means I can go to bed happy.

Amber- don't stress the extra calories, you still had massively under a normal day's intake. You can always cut something out tomorrow if it will make you feel better. My fast days vary from about 400-650 calories.

amber just knock 109 cals off tomorrows intake. And don't do it again. The fasting police are watching you.

Wrigglebum that sounds like an awesome dinner.

Hello there, I'm just wavering near the end of my first fast day (am in the US, so only 6pm here). Oh my goodness I'm hungry. There, got it off my chest. It actually hasn't been too bad. I had an apple and cup of tea for breakfast, then a skimmed latte, 100g of green beans for 'lunch' and am waiting for my husband to get the baby to bed so I can eat a salad nicoise for supper. Spinach, egg, anchovies, olives, capers, tomato. I reckon that comes in under 250.

I've also done the Ripped in 30 dvd, am bf'ing, and have cleaned the house like a mad woman to avoid sitting still. As another plus, I actually played outside with the bigger boys at the time I'd usually be hiding inside with a brew and a chocolate biscuit.

How do you all avoid being horrible to your kids on a fast day? They finish school at noon on a Monday here, so I've had 4 boys prowling around me all afternoon. They're lucky I didn't eat them. I keep telling myself they didn't ask for me to do it, but it's wearing a bit thin!

Whimsicalname - you are doing really well! It will get easier as you go along. A lot of people end up not eating at all until later in the afternoon or evening, which seems to make things easier, not harder as you might imagine. :)

Morning all. Up since 4am here - don't you just love waking up at an ungodly hour and finding it impossible to get back to sleep

I don't like coffee without milk but will try to stomach a bucket of it when I get in at work soon. I hope none of my lovely colleagues annoy me because I can feel the sleep-deprived grumpiness building up...

Good luck dotty and everyone else fasting today.

southeast hope it gets better for you, i find just the teeniest splish of milk can make all the difference, and if it gets you through a fd i don't think even total fast purists can argue too much.

Had a bit of a weekend fail daily mail style here. Went drinking Friday night (cocktails, lush but v calorific) so had hangover munchies. Thought I'd get some choc puds & custard for post Sunday dinner, but dh working so had one myself on sun and the other last night when i found out it came in at 1000 cals per portion!!!!! probably explains not loosing any weight the last couple of weeks despite being relatively good during the week and making an effort exercise wise.

Oh well, fasting today & tummy already rumbling.... It's going to be a tough one :(

south oh that sucks. I was rudely awakened yesterday morning as dh had knocked his mobile off his bedside whilst the alarm was going, so proceeded to take the duvet with him as he got it so I was suddenly immersed into the coldness. this morning we had a 415 wake up courtesy of our smoke alarm saying 'no battery' repeatedly. I feel your pain!

thankfully today is an nfd.

to whoever asked about crankiness with the kids (on mobile can't double check) I've found that actually I'm not all that more shouty with them. totally depends on their behaviour. sure my tolerance is lower and it really kicks in about 4 rather than maybe 530 but after the first few fasts it was definitely more of a how they behaved thing. though a tip I found really helped was to make sure I fed them foods I wouldn't eat, so I wasn't tempted and grumpy because I couldn't have some! it does get easier.

So, fast day is now today after yesterday's custard cream binge! Knew I shouldn't have bought biscuits . My mum has recently moved nearby and was complaining last week that when she pops around there are no "nibbles". So I bought nibbles, and am promptly eating them myself!
So, sod her, once they're gone I won't be buying any more as I clearly do not have the willpower to resist them

I'm the same Dotty I never have nibbles in the house as I would just be too tempted. One of my friends often brings cakes or biscuits with her when she comes over and I always make her take the leftovers home with her. Good luck with your FD today.

Hi everyone.

Had impromptu fast day yesterday courtesy of migraine and a day in bed medicated to the eyeballs. Dinner came in at 400cals so my lowest days ever!

So at least today is a NFD which is just as well as I am dealing with after effects of meds and residual headache still with a cold coming on (thanks DC!).

At least DD is at school so its quieter as there is no squabbling. Her and DS have been terrors recently squabbling over every little thing.

Scales have not moved but I am wearing all my larger size 12 clothes and I can get all the small 12s and large 10s on but they look a bit tight and muffin toppy so am leaving those.

I guess it's mostly thanks to Jillian Michaels workouts and 16:8. I am only just moving towards 5:2 with proper fast days.

Can't wait to feel better and get into my groove again.

Oh and those who struggle on a FD at 4 to 5 PM. This is my danger area too. I get snippy and shouty with DC and liable to eat content of fridge. I find a hot low cal cup a soup helps or even two. It's better to use 50cals on cup a soup and manage to get through to dinner than fail full scale and eat junk or shout at DC. I think anyway.

alwaysanauntie dailymailstylefail.lol

I find that on fast day morning I cant suffer fools gladly, and suddenly everyone in the world is a fool, but by tea-time Im giddy with euphoria and its all good. Ive learned the hard way, not to fast on certain days due to the mauling some poor unsuspecting soul has received for saying the wrong thing. These are usually people whom I tolerate rather than like, and I would usually bite my tongue but theres no tongue biting on fast days.

I have a few nibbles but make sure it's stuff I don't like. And yes, on fast days I always make DS and DP sausages because I don't like it. And that's a good tip about the cup a soup around the grouchy hour. I wonder why so many of us have problems at about this time?

mrsflorrick. It's rotten having migraines - I get a headache, dizzyiness/feeling sick and numbness on my face and arm. Hope you are feeling better soon. And well done on your nsvs, without actually doing 5:2

I accidentally managed to do 16:8 because I had no time to eat breakfast before school run and then did some food shopping!

Hi notastired you are right I got my maths wrong. I allow myself 750 as I'm bf.

amber yes the beauty of this woe is you don't fail really or fall off the programme, certainly not over 100 cals! I have stopped fasting altogether few times but always come back to it and keep on losing.

Having said that I'm bibbling between 11.5 and 11.7. It is a miracle to see 11.5 so if I have to bibble somewhere that's a good place. I have had an epic belt hole NSV at the same time - had to create a new hole 2 inches down.

Dotty I'm the same r.e. nibbles inthe house. My mum always brings them and I insist she takes the remainders back. And my MIL always comments how we don't have snacks in our cupboards anymore. I have to remember to buy them in when she visits. Even my 5 yo is getting out of the snacking habit because she doesn't see us snacking and she eats fruit instead (and wolfs down her main meals these days - no more fussy picking and complaining of being full up!).

The thing is, both DH and I fast (me twice a week for weight loss, he once a week for health) and we've grown used to the empty feeling between meals. If we sack, it literally "spoils our appetites".

I am back on form in the willpower dept today so will have a small bowl of wholewheat pasta and some home made tomato sauce for my tea before heading out to a toning class. By the time I'm home, showered and in my pjs I'll be, hopefully, well past the desire to snack and then tomorrow is a NFD. Yay though still want to try to resist those pesky custard creams. I am going to try putting two on my plate at lunchtime (if I want them) to incorporate them into a meal, rather than snacks.
BsshBossh my indian mother in law would think "no snacking" the most ridiculous rule ever too . She always, always turns up with food here, or tries to feed me within five minutes of arriving at her house!

what rude people commenting what you don't have in your own home! Yes it is nice to be a hostess and provide afternoon tea but if you don't want that stuff in the house, and forget to buy for guests, then they can just go without!

I can eat today. Breakfast was parmesan and basil flatbreads with sour cream dip, guacamole and salsa. Impulse buy when stopped to buy ham for DS. Lunch was home made macaroni cheese and bacon left over from yesterday. I made too much so I could have it today for lunch. at calorie count for it though and planning on having it again for tea as busy evening so don't feel like cooking.

Have done 3 1/2 hours of housework so hoping that means calories burnt off.

Hope everyone else is okay.

Afternoon all!

FD here, going well so far - I've had an apple and a cup of coffee, dinner will be about 6pm.

DH and I are finding that eating nothing or close to all day and then having a lovely dinner is the way to go, because then from dinner time onwards it doesn't feel like a fasting day.

Weirdly I am calmer with the DCs on a fast day. I think being completely clear of sugar has a lot to do with that.