5:2 Thread 94 : Its a New Year, a New Day and we're feeling GOOD

[ListeningQuietly]

Welcome to the latest edition - 94,000 posts done and we are still here (just with less Chocolate Frenzy)

Links to lots of the ~ scientific information ~ hints and tips ~ abbreviations and terminology ~ are in the header of the last thread here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fasting_diet/4057993-5-2-Thread-number-93-Drive-in-the-fasting-lane-to-goal

But basically :
If you are new to fasting / 5:2 ~ welcome, introduce yourself and join in
If you are returning to 5:2 ~ welcome back
If you are a long standing Faster ~ great to see you still here

Thanks @ benji that's what I thought. Just inputted again in mfp and it and the calcium is there now, must have not been calculated in the one i chose.

Same @Benjispruce2 I find anything but skimmed milk too thick. DH and DSD think I'm mad... I tend to eat more yoghurt and cheese to get my calcium in.

NFD today - did a kettlebell class at lunchtime and all my limbs feel shaky with exhaustion!! obviously a shock to the system. Am conserving my calories for BBQ brisket and wine tonight so lunch was pineapple and coffe... I could eat a scabby dog!

Oooh but you’ll enjoy your dinner even more! Sounds yum.

I do not drink much milk other than in tea (but I have about 1/2 pint a day that way)
For calcium, cheese is great - cottage cheese, ricotta, mozzarella etc
a few small cubes of cheese really 'lift' a salad

@ListeningQuietly I think the addition of cheese lifts every dish.

I agree. I love salad but add some crumbled feta and I’m in heaven. Easily pleased
Think I’m going to take a multivitamin as an insurance policy. think it’s hard to get all the things I need with 2 days fasting.I take Vitamin D3 anyway. I’ve been low on iron before and don’t always eat dairy daily so calcium probably low too.

Green leaves and broccoli great for calcium too - I’m vegan so I get calcium, iron and B12 levels checked once a year to make sure I’m getting enough and have never had an issue. It’s actually quite hard for our bodies to take in the calcium in dairy anyway. I don’t take supplements (I do for B12) and don’t necessarily pay much attention but my levels are good - cashews are also an excellent source of calcium

I think I’m going to struggle with will power today, anyone else fasting and need some mutual cheerleading?

That’s good to hear. My eldest DD has been vegetarian for 4 years. I’m always trying to get her to take a vegetarian supplement but she’s a bit resistant.

I think Fridayi is a tough FD but if you end up over a bit, it’s still got to be good though. Good luck.

I've saved all my calories for supper
(lunch was 6 tea spoon fulls of cottage cheese and I've had loads of tea)
which is lucky as Friday is Pizza in this house

Can I join please? Just started but struggled with ideas for evening meals.
FDs are hard but it seems to be working. I've lost 2lbs each week so far.

Welcome @RaraRachael
2lb a week is excellent.
Evening meals

• shakshuka
• aubergine and chickpea curry
• stir fry veg with prawns
• falafels with LOTS of salad
• salmon on a bed of veg with a tangy sauce
• spanish omelette
• basically anything with a LOT of veg and protein
• a whole tub of one of the fresh soups with cheese on top

To add to @ListeningQuietly’s list @RaraRachael I had chicken casserole made with chicken pieces(no skin), celery, carrott and onion and garlic plus a chicken stock cube. Thickened with a bit of cornflour. Was under 350 cals and my most filling FD meal yet. Add some potato if cals allow.

Ooh, Benji* yes
what my kids call mock au vin

• cubed chicken or turkey breast,
• half an onion, half a pepper and 4 mushrooms per person
• all cut into 1 inch pieces
• toss in a bit of olive oil, some herbs and passata
• into a roasting tin, medium heat, covered with foil

ignore till you cannot we used to go to dancing and tennis and the rest while it cooked serve with pasta or couscous or bread or a HUGE salad

It’s 8:30pm so I’m closing my kitchen on 603 calories - only unplanned food was a banana, coffee and date smoothie I shared with DH as I was starving after a workout and still had 4 hours to go to dinner!

Another 0.4lb off, so total of 6lb in 2 weeks. It’s surprising but welcome as I’m impatient. I’d originally wanted to shift 7lb but ideally I’d like to get to the middle of my healthy bmi range and another 5lb will do that. Happy for it to take longer now though. Big birthday looming and being at my happy weight will help me feel better about being half a century old!

I never seem to have enough calories left to have anything resembling a proper evening meal.
Breakfast - toast with jam or cereals
Lunch - yoghurt, fruit
Dinner - tuna sandwich or spaghetti on toast
Plus a few coffees throughout the day, no snacks at all

Am I doing this wrong?

Rara
On a fast day, skip breakfast - especially toast and jam which are high calorie / sugar
and make lunch have much less sugar (so not the fruit)
and drop the carbs in supper ...
carbs are high calorie and low satiating foods

@RaraRachael on a fast day, I generally don't eat until dinner, if I must it's something under 100 cals generally- something like a Weetabix, or your fruit and yogurt . Plus toast is a massive waste of calories, I'm trying to stop that on non- fast days, never mind fast. Cereal is the same- empty calories that don't fill you up. Switch toast for meat instead.

Thanks for the suggestions. I knew what I was doing couldn't be right!

@RaraRachael it’s hard at first to skip breakfast. I was brought up hearing it’s the most important meal of the day. We know differently now. On a FD I’ve been skipping breakfast and just having a tea and black coffee mid morning. At lunch I’ll have a green salad with a few tomatoes and cucumber.No more than100 cals then a 400cal meal is quite generous. In the past I’ve done it differently so you have to find what works for you but jam is a no no any day of the week (50% sugar) so maybe save for a weekend treat.

Yeah agree re (delicious) toast @KnobJockey - I try and limit myself to weekends and post b2b day only. With varying degrees of success!

@KobaniDaughters I didn't know that re broc and calcium. Excellent top tip! I love broccoli, eat at least a head a week...

I very rarely eat breakfast at all these days realky

knobjocky
I previously had one slice of toast for lunch with fruit and snack bar or baked crisps. It went right through me. Today I ate meat, rice and salad on a side plate. Much more filling and definitely my way forward.