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

So a maintain for me, which is ok because as expected it's the time of the month.

Non fast day for me. My tdee is 1750 and I was completely on course until a lovely customer bought me a hot chocolate with whipped cream! Was delicious but brings me in at around 1978.

Now I need to stay strong and not comfort eat, my Dad has just been taken into hospital.

Well done to all the Wednesday Fasters.

Just finished my second FD of the week. Bit easier than Monday but I will need to research recipes as my veg were quite blend. Anyone doing a third FD?

(((( ginsparkles )))) for your dad

I had 2/3 of a dinner tonight (gave the rest of my portion to DS) and am now drinking LOTS of water so I do not go to sleep full

Big love and everything crossed for your dad @ginsparkles

Thank you @ListeningQuietly and @harriethoyle He's had a CT scan and is now staying for the night. More tests tomorrow.

I didn't cave. Now to stay well behaved tomorrow.

Well done @Lilice ! I often do 3 fasts when trying to lose, but only working 2 days at the moment and can't fast at home! Too much temptation!

Sorry to hear about your dad @ginsparkles

@lilice I've never done 3 in a week. I know some do but after doing 2 I just don't feel like doing another for a few days.

Good morning everyone,

gin, sorry to hear about your Dad, I hope he is ok

I'm really struggling to be disciplined with my eating at the minute. I'll be honest and say that trying to balance the homeschooling with my own work is really heavy going - for example, yesterday I was schooling my kids from 8.45am-4.30pm, then I worked from 6pm until 1am just to get through my work. There are some days when I forget to eat because I'm so busy and others that I stuff my face because I'm past the stage of caring.

I did a FD yesterday and it ended up being an OMAD because I didn't have time to plan and prepare a healthy lunch, so just skipped it.

I need to keep fasting, both to try to keep losing weight but also to prevent me gaining weight when I do have a stuff-my-face day.

I'm wondering about just embracing the situation and going for an OMAD approach seeing as I've been doing that accidentally? Does anyone here do OMADs? What about b2bs, if I only eat one meal I'm on around 500 calories a day. Is 1000 calories across 2 days too little?

@CoffeeRequiredNow

I do OMAD on my FD's. Not sure if it's a true OMAD but I generally go through until about 2 or 3 o'clock when I have a banana or boiled egg something like that then have a meal around 6.30.

If I b2b I find OMAD much harder so I do generally have two meals. I have a lunch or something like ryvita with smoked salmon, or a salad and then a meal in the evening.

Drinking plenty of fluids tends to help me. But like you I find it really hard when at home so I fully sympathise! I am only managing two successful fast days at the moment because I'm at work two days a week.

Thanks for the lovely thoughts about my Dad. Hoping for more news today. I've a medical background so I am trying hard to not second guess what might happen!

Coffee
I have huge respect and sympathy for ANYBODY trying to home school and work during this lockdown.
It is UTTERLY exhausting.
Kids are knackered and fed up.
Teachers are at breaking point
Parents are on the edge of collapse.
To some extent I'm working on the basis of treading water until I can get back to the gym and sensible routines

Set the patterns of the 5:2
but if the fasts come in at 700 rather than 500
oh well
if some days its two meals, others its three others its one
oh well
the key point is to have your happy weight TDEE in the back of your mind
and vaguely aim for that x 7 across the week
and
all will be well

You poor thing coffee, that sounds utterly exhausting. And hope your dad is better soon gin

On my 2nd FD of the week and have a planned egg drop soup for lunch. I totted up the calories yesterday and it came to 1903 which is bang on my happy TDEE so really would like a loss this week.

I'm also doing a 40 minute work out each morning courtesy of my taekwondo instructors who have produced a post Christmas getting fit series of videos.

Evening all, how have the fasters faired today?

Today's non fast went better.
Cornflakes with almond milk, raspberries and blueberries
Salmon and avocado salad followed by a penguin
Vegan meatballs with spaghetti and grated cheese (we're not vegan dd is veggie so were trying the Tesco's meat free meatballs for the first time!)
Snack on a couple of biscuits and some cheese and crisps.
Finished on 1595 so 150 below Tdee.

Random calorie burning thought

There was a fascinating study about the Hadza and why they are lean despite eating A LOT
They do not have chairs funny that
Sitting back, letting furniture support you
rather than making the muscles work is bad for us.

Today I've been making a real point of sitting up tall

• I have a yoga bolster and have sat cross legged on the floor while web surfing
• sitting on my heels while web surfing
• standing up while web surfing
• standing up while taking phone calls
• sitting forward in the chair during zoom meetings

I reckon I've made my postural muscles work for 5 more hours than normal today and by GOLLY I can feel it

Interesting fact listening, I may have to try that out tomorrow.

Kitchen closed on 603 today so bring on the scales tomorrow morning.

Hi there, I'm just starting my first week 👋🏼
I have done 5:2 before a few years ago and lost 9lb or so before giving up, so am back on it for another go due to major lockdown face stuffage

I don't own scales but am 5.6'' and a size 14. Lots of weight on my belly for the first time ever, possibly perimenopause related as am 42 now. I have a degenerative bone disorder and am on the waiting list for a hip replacement which means it's not possible to exercise, even yoga hurts now! 😫

So it's gonna have to be diet all the way! Have just finished my second FD, I have a huel shake midday as they have a lot of good stuff in and are easy to track calories and then a piece of fruit or something in the evening. The rest of the family are having bbq Korean spatchcock chicken which smells amazing so am hiding upstairs 😂

Nice to be here, good luck to us all!

@ListeningQuietly that's so interesting...

Well done @moonlight1705 and welcome @JudyGemstone - you poor thing with the bone issues. How is swimming for you? (Once the pools re-open, of course).

How's your dad @ginsparkles?

A good NFD here today - one piece of wholemeal toast for breakfast, hummus cheese and cucumber sandwich for lunch and delicious carmelised pork and peanut noodles for tea. 1206 cals in total which suits me just fine. And have stuck to the teetotal plan this week, huzzah! But I did wake up this morning and say to DH woohoo tomorrow is a drinking day; in my defence, today was a VERY stressful work day and I knew it was going to be..!

Took the pups to the beach yesterday and they loved it, it certainly blew our cobwebs away too. Going to set the alarm tomorrow morning and go there before I start work I think - a good way to start the day. And have the house to myself tomorrow afternoon before DH and the DSD's return, so I might sneak in a kettlebell class... Before falling into a vat of gin!

I used to be able to swim but unfortunately I can only do breast stroke and the leg movement isn't good for my hip.

Tomorrow is definitely drinking day! Was thinking of getting a bottle of gin and some slimline tonic instead of the usual beer/wine.

What do others drink that's not too sugary?

Welcome @JudyGemstone

@harriethoyle .... no further news. He's waiting on more tests and scans. They don't think it's a stroke but no further info as to what it could be. I don't like the not knowing! Well done on a successful non fast day!

@JudyGemstone I like tonic with a hint of lime in or I squeeze a wodge in - it really cuts through the sweetness of the mixer. Bitter lemon also a hit in our house. Lime and soda is a good mixer with vodka.

I just wish they could slimline decent red wine!

Welcome Judy, lovely to have you join us. I'm a very similar height, size and age to you, hopefully we can both make progress together.

Thinking of you and your Dad Gin

So, I've just done b2b OMADs. Am very surprised that I am not absolutely ravenous, I seem to get hungrier when I eat more and am less hungry when I eat less... go figure?!?

Lived on coffee all day, then had a healthy evening meal, hoping to see a good result on the scales tomorrow.

Welcome @judygemstone

Another new joiner and thank you for all the information - i am working my way through it.
I usually do slimming world but it is no longer working for me despite being very strict with it so thought i would give this a go. I did do it a few years ago with some success but stopped because i used to dread the fasting days so much, so will need to try and overcome that.
I was thinking so sticking to slimming world on my non fast days but not sure this is a good idea since it is so carb heavy - probably why i like it! Should i stick to calorie counting to make sure i am within my calorie allowance? Evenings are when i struggle the most. Going to go through threads and do fast day on monday.
If bigchoc is reading is missed on the data thread.

Welcome @Humphriescushion !

I am an ex slimming world girl too! I tend to count calories on non fast days because I find it way to easy to over eat on those days and undo all the good work from the fast days. I don't tend to use slimming world recipes now, preferring to use full fat non diet options instead.

What made you dread the Fast days?

Morning all, I've lost 0.6kg this week so a decent 1.3lb which is making me happy that it is going down.

Counting calories on my non FDs too now although Friday is always my sod it day as we have fish and chips in the evening.

@CoffeeRequiredNow I definitely think your stomach shrinks on FD...

Thanks @ gin, yes i think i will have to calorie count on my non fast days i otherwise will not really work.
Not really sure why i used to dread the fast days so much, think it maybe because i am okieh in the day but struggle in the evenings. Can I eat the more of calories in the evenings to counteract this to have something to look forward to?