Critique of FD menu please?

[Hopefullysmart]

Hi I'm very new to 5:2, just at the planning stage and would appreciate any input on my proposed menu:

1. Small banana 90
2. Hard boiled egg medium 68

1/2 thin WW bagel 55 Flora extra light 10 grams 20

1. Fish steak in butter sauce 105

Broccoli 175grams 61

1. Small apple 40

1 stick applewood smoked cheddar 62

Total 500. Looks ok to me and reasonably achievable but would appreciate any advice. Thank you!

Bump!

I would dum the bagel and the banana myself and add more egg or lean meat, it fills you up more and lasts longer. I would ditch the spread too, you are better health wise with a scraping of real butter. You also haven’t factored in any milk in tea or coffee.

I just have one meal on a fast day, about 8pm and until then only have coffee and water, it works for me because I find it easier to do without than to have a little. My one meal tend to be chicken or fish and rest of the calories I have as milk in drinks and maybe a Greek yogurt after my meal.

Dum? I meant ditch!

Thanks mermaid, appreciated.
I will look to replacing the bagel and spread with some chicken or ham. I drink both tea with milk and herbal so I plan to just drink herbal on FDs to save on milk. Not sure I could go all day on just one meal.

Hi hopefully. I agree with what mermaid has suggested re: ditching the carbs and replacing with protein and good fats. They will fill you up much more and keep you fuller for longer. And don't forget, it doesn't have to be bang on 500 cals - that's a very arbitrary number (even Mosley admits this) and so an extra egg or bit of cheese won't do any harm at all if it helps you through the early adjustment to fasting.

However, from your list it looks as if you are planning three small meals (and snacks?) during the day. Remember that, health-wise, it's just as much about not eating as it is about eating - in other words you do need to ensure that there are big gaps between your 'meals'.

I've noticed that lots of people get hung up on the calories on a FD, and forget that it's really just as much about the time you're not eating.
I know some people will disagree with this but imo spreading 500 calories over three meals (even tiny ones) and two snacks isn't fasting, it's just calorie restriction.

So whilst I totally understand that you're not up for one-meal-a-day just yet, you do need to think about timings and ensure you're leaving a ^^ of 12 hours a day when you're not eating at all (can be whilst you sleep!) You need the benefits of longish periods of not eating, lowering your insulin levels, allowing your body to deal with other things rather than constantly digesting food.

Apologies if that's not the case and good luck!

Ooops, sorry that should say a minimum of 12 hours a day, damn keyboard!

I find I do best weight loss and hunger wise if I do 16:8, so fitting my food into an 8 hour window.
I would also not hav fruit or bagel on fast days, as they will just make ch your blood sugar up,giving rise to the dreaded hunger.
I’ve also found I like de as much weight on 800 cal low calories fast 3 times a week as a 500 cal twice a week.
There are some brilliant threads on here too , without which I would not have lost 2.5 stone

Thanks so much for your replies. I think the penny has just dropped! My concerns about not managing to fast successfully have caused me to try to eat as much and as often as I can within the "limit" and have been missing the point completely

I'm off to do a lot more reading up before I start! Thanks again.