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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.

Blood Sugar Diet & Fast 800 Thread 22

997 replies

MysweetAudrina · 29/10/2020 08:33

Blood Sugar Diet & Fast 800 Thread 21

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fasting_diet/3993297-Blood-Sugar-Diet-Fast-800-Thread-21

Hi, noticed the thread was full so started this new one. Link to previous one above.

OP posts:
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16
PhoenixMama · 09/02/2021 21:54

Wow- busy thread today! For you newbies worried about protein & carb grams it's equally important to look at percentage of intake so: Carbs 25%, Protein 40%, Fat 35%.

@Forfecksake17 I think 30g of carbs would def be hard to get, and probably harder to maintain longer term.

I have had the most difficult, crazy day since lockdown 3.0 started today. Definitely over but also SO bloody cold and starving. I'm also having this weird thing where whenever I have a protein heavy meal it just goes right through me (sorry tmi!) no idea why but its happened a few times over the last week.

I'm supposed to run tomorrow but apparently it's going to be -8 here so that is DEF not happening. I think inspired by you Feck I'm going to do Joe Wicks and get my arse kicked! I'm so tired right now I'm going to go collapse in my bed...

texican · 10/02/2021 07:33

Morning all!

Aww @PhoenixMama that doesn't sound good. I'm having one of those weeks too, back to back calls all day, shoving lunch in in 15mins in front of emails and then dreaming about work all night, waking up knackered. Not loving it tbh.

I was also starving yesterday! I blame it being so bloody cold. I ended up eating my lunch at about 10.45am. Allowed myself a square of 85% chocolate with my coffee in the afternoon and that all seemed to keep things at bay. Had a gigantic veg stir fry for dinner which also helped!

Mediterranean definitely sounds more exotic and appealing than low GI (inc the red wine @Forfecksake17!) I guess it was helping me to see that potentially I could introduce moderate wholegrains (brown pasta, rice, a slice of bread) when in maintenance. I was partly wondering how to up the cals from 800/1000 when it is time as I have been generally satisfied on what I've been eating but it's not sustainable long term.

Agree that courgette and aubergine are food of the devil. We occasionally have a very small portion of sweet potato wedges at the weekend as a treat with burger/steak and salad but I know that's technically not on plan. I also like small portion of butter beans, mashed or whole, but again they are carby. I have realised I need something 'on the side' though to feel like I've had a complete meal (eg salad, beans, bean sprouts etc). I'm not a 'just have a big bowl of chilli and feel full' sort of girl.

Have a great day everyone. Stay warm!!!!

texican · 10/02/2021 07:52

Sorry also meant to say @BoozeHound - my week 1 & week 2 were bigger losses of around 5lbs week 1 / 3lbs week 2, then about 2lb a week since. I think I'm on week 6 and have lost 1 stone 3lbs in total so far.

I found week 2 my hardest for fatigue and hanger though so don't worry if that's the case for you too!

Forfecksake17 · 10/02/2021 10:31

Morning!
Decided to jump on the scales earlier and they said 10st 9lbs which is down from 10st 13lbs on Monday- I am sure the majority of it is water and some of the excess alcohol from the weekend but still it’s heading in the right direction!

@PhoenixMama I have just finished my Joe wicks for today 😖 at least I know what to expect now so the shame wasn’t as bad lol!

@funtimefrank thanks for the tip on celeriac from Waitrose. I have one fairly close to me so once the snow stops and I can get my car out the drive I’ll take a wee trip over. I was looking at celeriac in Tesco the other day but I had no idea what to do with it so just left it 😂

@texican I know exactly what you mean about needing a ‘side’ with dinner, unfortunately I was getting to used to chips or garlic bread along with my dinner the last few months but I would still like a bit of variety when having food.

I am going to have some mozzarella and avocado for lunch and dinner of vegetarian sausages and cauliflower mash.
Have left a couple of bottles of water out the fridge so they are not so cold and I might find it easier to drink more today 🥶

Hope you all gave a good day and work isn’t too manic for you today @phoenixMama and @texican

MintyCedric · 10/02/2021 12:30

All gone completely to hell in a handcart here.

Have had a monumentally stressful couple of weeks and totally lacking any kind of willpower or brains pace to think about dieting.

Probably going to consciously take next week off and restart on 22nd Feb.

Forfecksake17 · 10/02/2021 13:47

@MintyCedric - sounds like a good plan! You have to work with the circumstances you are in at the time. The positive thing is that you want to get back on it again once you are back on an even keel 🙂

PhoenixMama · 10/02/2021 13:49

Well I'm officially plateau'd for more than a week which is bloody annoying. Due on tomorrow so that's not going to change quickly.

I am finding this month so stressful and disconnected. I'm trying to be good, and I'm not failing but I'm not nailing it either.

Tonight is chicken korma from the Fast800 cookbook which is probably our family favourite. I'll have it with cauliflower rice and dd with real rice. Warming & comforting but not bad for us which is great.

It was -4 when I got up so no run but I did do a random Hiit class which was clearly designed for people WAY more coordinated and graceful than me but I did it and yoga and at least that's something.

@MintyCedric It's so hard when that happens! Hope you're ok!

MintyCedric · 10/02/2021 13:54

Thanks all - just the ongoing elderly parents situation.

I will definitely get back on it. My best mate and I were walking through our deserted town centre the other week, gazing longingly at our favourite pubs, when she noted that we haven't been single at the same time since out late teens.

We are planning mucho shenanigans once Covid fucks off, but she's a complete man magnet so I need to up my game!

Squirrelblanket · 10/02/2021 15:21

Hey all!

I think I will need to add the chicken korma to my list of recipes to try.

All going ok here, we're having a bit of a treat meal tonight because my husband might need to be away at the weekend for Valentine's Day. We're having steak and chips with wine. Then straight back on it tomorrow.

shreddergodo · 10/02/2021 15:35

Hi all! Sounds like I’m not the only one having a tough day today? I’m just bloody starving and completely lacklustre! Thought it might be hormones (when I ovulate it’s like PMS for me... middle of the month madness!) I haven’t really been hitting calorie targets this week but I can barely wlak in the the snow due to my knee... not sure weather to weigh in to see if it’s working for me or not bother in case I’m really heavy? I think probably best to see hormonal period out the door and weigh this weekend/next Monday. Anyways I kind of went ‘off plan’ and had a pita with cashew butter on it. God it was heavenly. I really enjoy my food a lot more on this plan.not going to lie, I have been averaging 1000 calories most days, I can’t see to cut it down. Does everyone go below 800 every day? I’d have to eat nothing but protein I feel. Man it’s tough! Off to do some housework.
Let’s get through this guys, I know the snow is beautiful but it’s such a pain in the bum!!! 😂

funtimefrank · 10/02/2021 18:50

I stick to between 800/850 a day generally and less than 50g carbs.

I do eat low carb veg and protein mostly. Difficult as a veggie sometimes. I basically cannot face another egg.

Forfecksake17 · 10/02/2021 19:32

I actually didn’t feel very hungry at dinner time tonight, could have easily not eaten dinner but worried that if I don’t keep giving my body ‘good fuel’ it will end up going into starvation mode and hanging on to all the fat stores I currently have!!
I’ve stuck to 800 cals or little bit less so far this week but definitely struggling to get my protein up.
I need to do a lot more research I think.
@shreddergodo a pitta and cashew butter sounds immense! I love eating peanut butter straight out the jar with a spoon 🤭
@Squirrelblanket hope you have enjoyed a lovely dinner with your husband. I would happily sell a kidney right now for a glass of red wine! 😂

PhoenixMama · 10/02/2021 21:35

Stress got the best of me today (again) I do not know what's going on with the world but this week seems to be kicking a lot of people's asses!

I'm going to bed now because I feel so broken!

texican · 11/02/2021 07:48

Oh @PhoenixMama I'm so sorry things are hard. Would you be better just having a few days off (I.e. sticking to food type but not counting cals) so you don't feel restricted in every way? I think this is a hard time - it's cold, everyone is missing their old life and at the moment the end doesn't feel too in sight, although we hope it's coming. It feels like a long old lonely slog and we do need to be kind to ourselves amidst it all. It's hard enough to lose weight that the best of times but we are being battered from every angle and still carrying on. That's impressive and it's ok for it too feel too hard sometimes. A few days won't matter in the long term.

I've been Hungry and Tired this week and have finished every work day absolutely desperate to just think fuck it and get really pissed! Not in an alcoholic sort of way (!) but in a bit of a rebellious way I think. I have resisted thus far though, but I've definitely eaten over my 800 this week, and I'm not going to beat myself up about it. They've generally been healthy additions but additions nonetheless. At the moment it's damage limitation as if I don't have a few extra cals of healthier stuff I'm going to be falling into a bag of Doritos or a bottle of wine. @Forfecksake17 you really made me laugh with your comment about selling your kidney. I'm with you! Hope the steak and wine were lovely @Squirrelblanket that's my plan for Sunday.

I'm still struggling a bit with lunches as I don't have much time to prepare them and never fancy salad so I'm going to plan those properly next week. Yesterday I ended up with a scrambled egg, mushrooms, soy and beansprouts for lunch (which was actually lovely) but then also had eggs for tea in a Mexican scramble so don't want to overdo the egg!!!

Have a good day everyone. Be kind to yourselves. This is a really shit time and it will get better. If nothing else, it will get warmer! ☀️

MintyCedric · 11/02/2021 09:31

Hope you have a better day today @PhoenixMama and anyone else who is struggling.

I'm already making tentative plans for my restart which will be on 20th. I'm going with my friend's clever idea of weighing on a Saturday morning so if I balls it up a bit at the weekend I have the best part of a week to get back on track before returning to the scales Grin.

I've also discovered ready made microwave omelettes amongst the treasure trove of processed crap in my mum's freezer and much to my surprise they're delicious, take 2.5 minutes, have 215 kcal, only 3.9g carbs and involve no washing up! I know eggs are cheaper and 'better', but with all the running about and lack of routine going on in my world atm they seem like a very good idea.

Blood Sugar Diet & Fast 800 Thread 22
BoozeHound · 11/02/2021 10:27

Sorry to hear about everyone having a tough time, it’s such a difficult time. It seems like the whole country is on a real low ebb at the moment. Love to all.

@shreddergodo I’ve read somewhere that veggies are allowed to go up to 900 or even 1000 cals to make sure you get your protein in. But I agree it’s really difficult , it feels like a very challenging maths equation! I’ve been thinking about protein so much I had a dream that blobs of protein we’re in my hallway 😳 It is making fairly normal food seem like a real treat, I’m looking forward to a hot cross bun with lids of butter a lot!

I had my official weigh in day yesterday and have lost 5lb in a week, and 11lbs this year. This was my first week of proper blood sugar diet and finding a lot easier than what I was doing before which was just tying to keep fairly low cal. I like the quite black and white rules of this, just doing low cal sort of means you have debate with yourself about everything you eat, if I have this biscuit now I’ll have less dinner later, but it never worked out like that!

Have a good day all

PhoenixMama · 11/02/2021 12:01

Hey everyone - sorry to hear you guys are struggling too. I agree that it seems this week everyone & everything is crazy. Just never stops!

I've decided to not give myself a bunch of days off (I'm taking Sunday off already) because it will just make me more upset/things harder to get back to it. My attitude is if I eat realty healthy for 75% of the day then go nuts (last night on a dessert so sweet it made me feel stuck!) At least I haven't just had a free for all day. So yesterday I was over by prob 500 Cal's but if I'd just gone for it my day would have ended at 2500 rather than 1400 max.

Might look out those omelettes! I'm a very big fan of COOK meals for 1 (most under 300 cals) for lunches, etc. Sometimes (most of the time) I don't want to have to think about it!

Didn't weigh this morning but came on as well so will ignite the scale for a day or so and then go back before Sunday!

Squaretoe · 11/02/2021 12:20

Sorry to hear everyone’s struggling. I think the weather and just... living in a pandemic isn’t helping!

Today is day 11 and the first day I’ve struggled. I woke up starving and felt really rotten all morning, so I had a slightly larger lunch and if I stick to my planned dinner I will go over calories and carbs today, but I guess sometimes you might need a little extra? That’s what I’m telling myself Grin I’ve been on track for calories and macros up until today so hopefully this blip won’t damage my progress so far (9lbs off since 1st Feb).

Hope everyone’s okay, look after yourselves!

Forfecksake17 · 11/02/2021 13:55

Hi all!
Totally agree that life at the moment is generally one never ending s**t show!! But at least we are trying to take some control and make ourselves a better version of what we currently are so ‘yay for us ’ 😘
I went on the scales this morning and it appears that I have gained 1/2 lb 🤨 Decided to search YouTube for another HIIT session and found Chloe Ting so tried one of those - which resulted in the same outcome as me attempting Joe wicks= sweaty mess!

Did anyone find their sleep really badly affected in the early days of following this plan? I was shattered when I went to bed last nite, fell asleep really quickly but then woke up 2 hrs later and could not get back to sleep. I felt as though someone had me on an intravenous caffeine drip! My body and mind were racing.

Squirrelblanket · 11/02/2021 14:17

Meal last night was lovely! Been straight back on it today though.

I salute all the veggies/vegans doing this plan. If meat and fish were out of the equation I would really struggle!

BoozeHound · 12/02/2021 08:44

Had a bit of a slip up last night and drank 1/3 of a bottle of wine and ate a tablespoon of mashed potato!
I’m more cross with myself about the potato as it was totally mindless. I made a decision at about 5 that I was going to have a drink as have only drunk once this year and I really wanted something to break the monotony. So I did that very consciously but the potato was probably a result of the wine! I’ve woken up with renewed vigour to keep going until at least next Wednesday when I’ll have done two weeks.

shreddergodo · 12/02/2021 09:03

My goodness somethings in the air! The freezing weather is def a huge downer, I can barely get outside because of my knee. I slipped quite badly last night taking the dog out. I was scared of crushing him, he’s only tiny, so I slipped really weirdly and my knee made a weird popping Noise. I’m praying I haven’t set back my healing!!!!!!!
I weighed in from five myself motivation, another pound down but I don’t know why I felt very negative about it. It’s silly because I’m down into a ‘kilo bracket’ that I haven’t seen in over a year.

@texican your post was so welcome, so good to hear that we are all doing a very good thing in a tough time. I’ve also been consistently slightly over 800... sigh... at least weight is still Coming off! I don’t know if this appeals but you could try tofu a scramble instead of egg scramble? It’s pretty nice and amazingly low carb high protein.

@BoozeHound haha that dream made me laugh! But I see what you mean! Thanks for the tip about veg, I might just stop putting it into my calorie counter and just focus on the rest of it, I’m just consistently between 850-1000 if I’m getting my protein in but I’m a way I prefer that, I don’t want to lose my muscle! Especially as I’m barely excercise Nd at the moment. I’ve also had some really crazy dreams... scary ones and sad or awful ones that make me so glad I’ve woken up! Shudder!!!

@PhoenixMama I think that’s a good plan, I feel like you’ll feel less like full bingeing if you’re on plan and as you said getting back on it on Monday will be better!

I’m meeting with a pregnant friend on Monday and she will def want to get a treat somewhere and I don’t want to miss out so I might give myself Monday ‘off my fast’ but still do as you are and rest of the day be eating fast800 style.

@Forfecksake17 1/2lbs probably water weight or weird scale fluctuation though it’s probably made you annoyed 😒 Have you been drinking caffeine? I’ve cut out caffeine after 4, I used to struggle with the exact same thing and I read that caffein doesn’t actually affect you when you’re tired, it just prevents you getting tired once you’ve slept so it will stop the sleep hormones affecting you when you wake up if that makes sense? Just the way it works on the brain. So best way to Get caffein to wake you up is drink a cup before a nap, then when you wake up you’ll be super alert... I also found that food was a way that i soothes my anxieties so a lot came up in the first week and I’ve been doing headspace to deal with that.

@Squirrelblanket Glad you enjoyed your meal and well done being straight back on it

I’m going to focus more on water, ive really not being doing great on that either ... but hoping it’s just a learning curve.

Forfecksake17 · 12/02/2021 10:13

Morning!
Weighed myself and I’m down by one pound - bit disappointed tbh 😕 I am trying to keep it in perspective though as I suppose I started this week on 10st 13lbs and today im 10st 8 ( and a bloody 1/2!!) think I am just mentally so desperate to be in the 9st bracket 😩
I debating whether or not to allow myself a couple of G&Ts this weekend. Not sure I have done enough to ‘earn’ them but then I’m wondering if it will help me feel that I’m not depriving myself of everything if you know what I mean 🤷🏻‍♀️ @BoozeHound you made me laugh with your teaspoon of mashed potato! I was sooooo tempted to eat a little teeny bit of my daughters fried rice that she left but I managed to resist- had I had a glass of wine I would have probably face planted in it and inhaled the whole lot!
@shreddergodo no I don’t drink much caffeine at all, I can’t drink coffee as I am really sensitive to caffeine and get those feelings that I was talking about- can’t sleep , agitated and anxious feeling. I had been drinking one green tea during day but haven’t for last few days now in case it was that 🤷🏻‍♀️ Maybe my body is just in utter shock and disbelief that all alcohol and utter crap has been eliminated 😂

Off to do my HIIT for the day and might search for some beginners yoga 🧘‍♀️
Hope you all have a good day!

Spotsandstars · 12/02/2021 11:22

So Macro question, I've seen what Phoenix posted as ideal macros but my average carbs are around 15/18g so obvs that means protein and or fat is higher does that matter? Is the idea just that you eat more protein than fat?
I'm almost at the end of my second week, no cheats at all weight loss has stalled a bit which is fine as I know it happens but I want to tweak and understand macros better.

Forfecksake17 · 12/02/2021 11:42

@Spotsandstars ive still not really managed to get my head around all the macro stuff ratios of one to the other- sorry!!
I’m super intrigued with how you are managing to keep your carbs so low! Do you mind me asking what kind of foods you have been eating on a typical day? I’m struggling to keep my carbs below 35g 😕

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