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

So today ended up being a TDEE day as I had to move various things around for boring admin reasons. Sticking to weds and Friday and will make tomorrow an additional FD for a b2b

Fast day today, the kids are off DH is grumpy after dog walk yesterday....oh wish me luck! Good luck to all the other fasters today- we can do this!

Good morning, can I join your thread please? I'm starting 5:2 today as I need to lose weight. Hoping to lose around 2.5 stones.

Having a FD today, skipping breakfast then having leftover Mexican vegetable stir-fry for lunch and a small portion of beef stroganoff for dinner.

Welcome @Tiredandbored

I'll be joining you on the FD today 👊 I'm planning on fasting as long as I can and eat around 5 PM

Morning all, hope you had great Easter weekends.

I am doing day one of a b2b today. Couldn't bear to get on the scales this morning to see the damage ;-) Onwards and downwards! Am hoping quickly on, quickly off...

Good morning fellow fasters. I lost 2 pounds last week with really counting calories and lots of walks. Saturday was so warm we were in t shirts, last 2 days no walks due to howling gales and intermittent snow

Welcome @Tiredandbored
Have a read through the opening posts of the last few threads
and check some of my random thought posts in each thread

• particularly about weekly and annual plans

You will succeed.

Rara
Counting calories is a drag BUT it is the only way to really get an insight into how much you are really eating
and with that knowledge you'll never look back.

lilice
I think the fox must have had the last egg now!

Stay focussed folks

Thank you for the welcome @ListeningQuietly and @Lilice, it's lovely to have the support available on a thread like this with like-minded fasters.

Just to share a little of my background, I was a very active and slim person until 4 pregnancies in 6 years combined with a reduction in physical activity due to family commitments and increasing age led to weight gain.

I successfully shifted weight using weight watchers after my first two pregnancies, but got fed up with having to count everything I ate.

However, I never got back to my pre-pregnancy weight and despite fluctuations the overall trend was increasing weight until a couple of years ago when I was more than 3 stones overweight and I started 5:2.

Saw good success until lockdown hit and a combination of home-schooling stress, work pressure, losing my exercise class and boredom led to me giving up and regaining all the weight I'd lost.

So, here I am again. Excited to be taking control again and hoping to be able to sustain a new way of life this time.

Same @RaraRachael - drinking delicious rose in the sun on Saturday, snow on Monday...!!

Welcome @Tiredandbored, you know this WOL works, so here's to a successful first week for you

I am STARVING today after 4 days of gluttony. Had eaten my (meagre) lunch by 11.45am...! It's going to be a loooooooong afternoon!

I’m starving and caved in and ate a hotel chocolate egg(65cals) a bit of cheese when making dc lunch......but oh! Roll on dinner time which will be around 7pm.....

Hope everyone else is keeping to the fast.....

Am managing so far @SparklingXmas, though was very hungry for a while this morning. Am not used to skipping breakfast, but managed to stave off the hunger pangs with a black coffee and enjoyed my lunch.

Well done on not caving in and eating more chocolate!

@Tiredandbored since then I’ve scoffed a chocolate custard pot! I need more self control- won’t over do dinner tonight. Was going to be a frittata and salad, may cut back my portion size an see if I can manage it....until tomorrow.....

The cold wind does not help
but I've lasted out the day
and its jacket potato with tuna for supper
warming and filling

I’m with you @harriethoyle on both b2b and stomach expansion after a whole week of gluttony!!!!

And it’s only 12:21 here

Massive vat of lentil soup to basically have in a 2 hour window later today

It's been tough today @KobaniDaughters... but kitchen has closed on 608. Happy enough with that.

I managed to fast until 8 pm tonight, closing the kitchen on 490. I wasnt very hungry today, probably because of the evil kinder egg - still have some left, might feed it to the kids 🤣 or to a passing fox 🤭

Well done both!

I spread my lentil soup through the day and had enough calories for a bake at home mini baguette with my supper allowance.

Kitchen closing on 550

Make that 575 after an alcohol free IPA

Morning all! Who's with me today? Am nursing a black coffee and cursing the BALTIC weather. Fasting is definitely much harder when it's cold...

I'm with you today @harriethoyle. Small portion of chickpea, spinach and tomato curry for lunch and a protein shake portion with me in case I need it. Black coffee about to be nursed here too

Welcome to the thread Tiredandbored!

Fast day for me today. Anyone else?

Lucky fox, ListeningQuietly! Over the years our Easter hunts have evolved to include clues and a map as I’d always forget where I’d hidden the treats and the kids could never find them!

I’m day 10 into a 14 day challenge through my gym (each day I have to drink 3L of water, do a HIIT workout and get 14,000 steps in ). There is also a meal plan to follow - 3 meals a day, to eat when you like. They are surprisingly delicious and all under 500 cals, so very handy.

However, I’ve worked out that the total calories per day is roughly 1200. Difficult to stick to and on the days that you don’t, you feel a failure. I am so glad I can throw a fast in some days and indulge a bit on others! This way of life is so much more achievable and rewarding.

It has been a kick up the backside to get me moving though and I’m really enjoying that side of it.

I hope you enjoyed your NA IPA Kobani! For the first time in my life I bought some NA beers and Prosecco. I’m really looking forward to trying them.

Really missing my walks due to the rotten weather. I've not been over the doorstep for 2 whole days, so am going to brave the elements today before I go mad.

KobaniDaughters is that a specific low calorie lentil soup? Sounds lovely.

@harriethoyle @PartTimeDomesticGoddess and @MazDazzle I’m joining you today! First b2b in a long time. Aiming to save about 400 calories for 4pm (quinoa and lentil dish) so I have a full belly of protein before I go to my physical therapy session

Maz it was a little weak to be honest. But there is such a big range now (in the states anyway) so I’m excited to try others. I managed the first 3 months of this year booze free then went totally overboard over spring break, am attempting to go back to booze free for a bit but it’s a bigger mental challenge this round

@RaraRachael no not particularly, I tend to do a Persian style mung bean soup (with cumin) and an Italian style lentil soup (with parsley and basil) but otherwise it’s just a basic chopped onions, garlic, carrots, cabbage and lentils usually thrown in the instapot. I made it on Monday and worked a big ladel was 50cals so that made it easier to portion out over the day

Should say I always sauté in water not oil, that keeps the calorie count down considerably

Another cold day but a busy one
so had a banana for lunch but chicken and bean enchiladas for supper

I admit that I'd rather eat fewer full fat meals
than skimp on flavours to have more meals