advice needed!

[AlongCameHolly2]

Hi everyone looking for a bit of advice.
I have been attempting 4:3 for a few weeks now. I fast mondays wednesdays and fridays. I usually manage my fast days just fine, but I do find I tend to over eat or even binge on my eating days
I am starting to think that 5:2 may be more suited to me but I am unsure how much slower the results are compared to 4:3. I may even just do a "modified 4:3" so have 2x500cal days and maybe 1 at around 1000cals.
With exercise, I don't do a huge amount. I average 3x classes a week such as spin or body attack and follow each up with 1hr of weights. I sometimes throw in a fourth workout but I average 3 a week.
I am 5ft6 and hover between 10st4 and 10st7ish. I'd ideally like to lose another 15lbs and drop dress size (two dress sizes would be ideal in the long run but I'm ok with just dropping one for now!)
I try and average 12-1400 cals a day but as I say this often will go over as I tend to over eat on my non fasting days.
So my question is how much slower is 5:2 as apposed to 4:3? And how many calories do 5:2'ers try to average a day?
Thanks a lot for your advice. I know 5:2 may be slower but I feel it will suit me better in the long run.

Hi Holly

Your BMI is 23.6, so already in the healthy range. Your target weight would put you at BMI 21.1
This means it will be much slower for you to achieve than for someone overweight losing those 15lb. You probably also need to be quite strict about cutting down on alcohol and any sweets, cake, bix

People sometimes binge on 4:3 but not 5:2, in which the rate of weight loss may be the same. So, you could try 5:2, possibly with a mini-FD of up to 1000 cals.

However, the main reason you are tending to binge is probably that you are trying to restrict yourself to 12-1400 on NFDs, which is far too low for most women of 5'6" to be sustainable.
5:2 / 4:3 lose weight on FDs; NFDs are NOT supposed to be diet days and a big contrast FD / NFD is important.

You need to calculate your TDEE (Daily Calories to Maintain) which is the aim on NFDs

On 4:3, you should aim for this on NFDs
On 5:2, some folk speed up weight loss by eating at 20% below TDEE on 3-4 NFDs, so the full TDEE at least one day per week.

As an example, with your height, weight and activity level (classed as light) your TDEE would be1900 at (example) age 35.
At that age, on 5:2 you should eat 1900 cals at least once per week, but could go down to 15-1600 cals on 3-4 days. On 4:3, aim for 1900 most NFDs.

Hi Holly Welcome to this WOL!

I know 5:2 may be slower

I'm not sure that it is any slower than 4:3. Some little time ago, The Fast Day forum did some research on this and found that the weight loss on 4:3 and 5:2 were just about the same - an average of 1lb per week!

I've never done 4:3 myself, but I should imagine that 5:2 is much more user-friendly!

(BTW, that forum is a mine of info about this WOL - well worth browsing.)

Holly you don't say in your OP whether you have lost weight so far? If you have, then id keep going with what you are doing atm.

To me (and I'm no expert) it doesn't sound like you are eating enough calories on NFDs for your weight/height/activity level. 6hrs of exercise per week is quite a lot IMO and only having 12-4000kcals will leave you with a calorie deficit without even doing fast days.

By the way I'm jealous of your exercise regime. That's pretty much my dream ??