5:2 Thread 95 : Lockdowns are lifting, as are we

[ListeningQuietly]

Welcome to the continuing thread for those following 5:2 or other forms of IF (Intermittent Fasting) such as 4:3, ADF, or daily 16:8 smile

Last thread was here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fasting_diet/4128689-5-2-Thread-94-Its-a-New-Year-a-New-Day-and-were-feeling-GOOD

Basically it is 2 very low cal days ("fasts") per week - which need not be consecutive - and eat "normally" to maintain on the other 5 days.

For those who have dieted or maybe overeaten for years, eating "normally"
means roughly the number of calories your body needs to maintain - NOT reduce - its weight (see TDEE calculator below).

IMPORTANT
If you have had past diagnosed Eating Disorders or serious MH problems you should NOT do 5:2 or any other kind of fasting

JARGON alert

16:8 is a different type of fasting, which can be combined with 5:2.
Daily zero-cal fast for 16 hours and eat within an 8 hour window. To lose weight, this needs a weekly calorie deficit as well

b2b (optional) back-to-back / consecutive fast days, each with an increased allowance of 650 calories instead of 500

BMI (Body Mass Index) healthy range is 18.5 - 24.9 for Caucasians. Upper limit may be 22 for some of Asian origin.

FD = single Fast Day: aim for 500 calories (600 for men or 25% TDEE whichever is higher) or 1000 cals for BF
No alcohol or junk on FDs
Even if you exercise strenuously, do NOT increase FD cals to allow for exercise

MFP = My Fitness Pal, a useful App or website to track food & drink calories

miniFD = MiniFD, 850-1000 calories, no alcohol or junk

NFD = Non-Fast Day, averages around TDEE

NSV / LSV = Non Scale Victory / LifeStyle (change) Victory, e.g. compliment, smaller waist, clothes size

SV = Scale Victory

TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure, the average number of calories you burn in a day, is calculated from your current weight, height, age, activity level.
Aim to average about this for NFDs.

WOE / WOL = Way Of Eating / Way Of Life. We say this instead of "diet", to emphasise that we must make a permanent change in how we eat, to maintain our new healthy weight long term.

There is LOTS more information in the header of Thread 93
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fasting_diet/4057993-5-2-Thread-number-93-Drive-in-the-fasting-lane-to-goal

Jump in and say hello

I'm really losing heart with this as my weight loss isn't going anywhere - lose a pound, gain 2, lose, gain = and now I'm back where I started.

Can any of you lovely people please share a typical day's fasting menu so I can see where I'm going wrong? I seem to be starving on a Tuesday and Thursday for nothing. I'm also walking 2 miles every day I can.

Thanks x

Ah that’s a pain @RaraRachael. Are you counting calories on fast days? For me I skip breakfast and eat at 12(school lunch break) where I have 100 cals. Could be a green salad with prawns, could be 2 rice cakes with a scrape of hummus. Then only water, tea(no sugar, splash skimmed milk) until dinner of 400 cals. I have all sorts but I log it with mfp. Last week was half a tin of beans on 2 slices of toast or a 2 egg omelette with some cheese and a salad.
I’ve found weighing food an eye opener. On NFDs I never snack either and that makes it easier to come in at or under TDEE for sedentary, happy weight.
I hope you see some results soon.

Rara
What is your weekly plan?
You have to remember that if your BMI is over 27 or so, your normal is too much
so you will have to watch what you eat every single day

Hence why I suggest to everybody to try to eat at
Happy weight sedentary TDEE at least two days a week
so that you can start teaching your body how many calories you actually need

@RaraRachael if you're sticking to fast day calories, I suspect the problem won't be with your fds but your nfds. Why don't you post what you've eaten on your last 2 nfds and we can help you with what needs to change on them? (She says, eating hummus and breadsticks whilst drinking gin )

My BMI is 25 and my weight is the cutoff from normal/overweight.

Over the weekend I've had -
Saturday -
No breakfast
Coffee and a hot cross bun mid morning
Ham roll and apple for lunch
Pinch of nom Dijon pork, mashed potatoes and carrots

Today -
No breakfast
Coffee and small piece of malteser slice mid morning
Crisps, yoghurt and grapes for lunch
Hunter's chicken, 3 roast potatoes and peas for dinner

That's fairly average for my meals. I don't eat a lot of rubbish or snacks and never drink alcohol

Hi Rara
Okidoke boring time
how tall are you
how old are you
how big are your wrists (if you put your forefinger and thumb around the opposite wrist, do they touch or overlap)

that will help us work out your build / calorie needs
and come up with ideas that might work

I’d say you are eating breakfast, it’s just delayed and you’re calling it a snack but cals are probably the same. Might be better to eat a more filling and nutritious breakfast. Personally I’d ditch crisps and chocolate. High in cals but not filling. I’m sure OP will know more.

Yes @Benjispruce2 I agree. It also seems to me that there are a lot of places fats could be hiding - ie butter on the HCB, mayo or butter on your ham roll, butter in your mash and on your carrots etc. A quick google shows the BBC Good Food Hunter's chicken coming in at a whopping 789 cals per portion before you add any side carbs to it... So you could be well over 1000 for dinner alone on Sat.

Portion size is also really important; I could happily snarf 200g of dried pasta if I don't measure it. If it's in the bowl, I'll eat it ;-) so maybe pay more attention to your portion sizes for a couple of weeks, and avoid hidden fats and see if that helps?

Anyone else fasting with me today? Doing day 1 of a B2B...

Me @harriethoyle! Espresso and water so far.

Oh dear - this all sounds very depressing. I thought I could eat normally on the NFD to offset the misery of FD.

For the record -
I'm 58
5 feet 5
Weight 10.11
I can touch my finger and thumb around my wrists

Thanks for the suggestions

Tea and yoga so far, not sure what supper will be

I'm fasting too today. I'm feeling very pre menstual so might be a tough one.

I've got miso soup and some salad bits for lunch then prawn veg soup for my evening meal.

Fasting day for me today man it’s hard already! Very busy at work which makes the time go faster at least.
I think I need to concentrate on my NFD this week as I’m just stuffing my face and need to calm down
Going to have tinned fish on toast for dinner.

@RaraRachael I’m 5ft 5 too. I only need 1457 cals daily to maintain happy weight (sedentary)of 9st 5. Even if I put in lightly active it’s not much more. So if you’re eating 2000+ a day, you’re eating more than you need so FDs won’t have enough effect to lose but you will maintain. The mantra of women needing 2000 a day isn’t true if you’re average height.

thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-calories-on-a-non-fast-day/

Just had a rice cake with a slice of smoked cheese for lunch. 91 cals.

Hi Rara
Another late 50's 5'5" person here
My happy weight is 9st
Which means a sedentary TDEE of 1497
so that is what I have to treat as eating normally

The 2000 calorie figure is deeply misleading for most women
and a major cause of so many people being overweight

The thing is that fast days should not be "misery"
they are your hoover into the corners day
and the long term health benefits of reduced weight are so significant
that its worth it

OMG I can't ever imagine getting down to 9 stone or thereabouts.

This is going to he a long hard struggle. The annoying thing is that nobody believes I'm overweight and I don't look itapart from a bit of flab around the middle

Rara
Hang on in there and believe in yourself.

I am currently a tad under 10st
so I can still wear my skinny jeans
but I have a muffin top which I loathe it HAS to be gone before I shed the winter hoodies

Its why I asked about the wrist thing.
If your middle finger and thumb just touch around the smallest part of your wrist, you are a medium build so your happy weight may well be nearer ten stone.

I am lightly built - my finger and thumb overlap - so my happy weight is lower

Solidly built people (finger and thumb do not touch) look better at a higher weight.

Have a look at the height weight photos and see where you want to be
and set that as your happy weight and go from there.

WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT
5:2 is a weight loss method but how we each apply it to ourselves
will vary

Yes @RaraRachael I too could never get down to 9 stone. I'd look ill, frankly. I'm all pin up curves and I have a bosom like the prow of a ship! Anything below 10 and a half stone just doesn't suit me and I start to lose my boobs which grieves me a lot of it is about finding your happy weight tbh...

I'm a stone away from 9 stones 😥 and that's my happy weight. Cant believe how hard it is this time to lose weight.
Anyway, I'm fasting today and just had a bowl of homemade fat free aubergine dip, so delicious. I've decided to fast as long as I can on FD, trying to not eat for 14 hours ++ to really benefit from the fasting.

Hi all. Having had a week off to process stuff, I'm back and planning a fast day tomorrow. Off to my read all I have missed but hello and hope you are doing well.

Hi @ginsparkles good to see your name again. Hope you’re doing ok in the circumstances.
Had a small baked salmon fillet with stir fried veg and a few noodles. Kitchen closed on 510.

Kitchen closed on 634... a delicious slimwell ready meal from aldi. Sausage and red pepper casserole. Would highly recommend!