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

Big Hugs @ginsparkles

I'm fasting today. Haven't eaten or drank apart from water until now. I bought myself a ready meal , asda calorie counter chicken curry and rice. Will have another 200 cals to spare after that.

Swimming this morning was BLISS
Only managed half a mile but I've not been in the pool since last year.
Tomorrow will be easier.

Accidental fast today as I forgot to take a packed lunch to work and no shops for miles
so its rissoles and salad for supper
:-)

@ListeningQuietly you've inspired me to look up the local lane swimming times at our local pool and DH and I are going to start going once we're based back at mine (at his for this lockdown to make seeing the DSD easier). There's lane swimming every Sunday and I think it will be a fab way to blow away the cobwebs from Saturday night!

Go for it harriet
swimming is a fab exercise
my other habit is yoga

Morning! Who's with me for day 2 of my b2b?

I'm with you today @harriethoyle! Not B2B this week though as I have a VERY full on work week and need to spread them out. My second FD might even turn out to be a mini rather than a full one. We'll see
Just having lunch now, which is an M&S cauliflower and lentil Dahl (270 cals)

Hello I have just started doing the 16.8 and going ok..what amount of cals should you be eating when on eating window? I'm using mfp and it says 1200 to lose weight does it all still apply just in my Window? Has anyone lost a substantial amount doing this too? I need all the help I can get

Hi @Smile3 - welcome! We're a 5:2 specific thread (although a lot of us 16:8 inadvertently on fast days!). I think there might be different calorie allowances as we stick to 500/day. Might be worth seeing if there's a 16:8 thread in the fasting section? Good luck!

Welcome to the gang @Smile3

On a fast day its 500 calories for non breast feeding women
no matter what MFP says

For non fast days the magic number is
Happy Weight Sedentary TDEE

Use a TDEE calculator to work out how many calories your body needs on a slob out day at the moment
and
how many calories it will need on a slob out day in a years time when you are at happy weight

THen the weekly pan is :
Monday = fast = 500
Tuesday = happy weight TDEE
Wednesday = happy weight TDEE
Thursday = 500
Friday = current TDEE
Saturday = yeah well, whatever
Sunday = current TDEE

or a variant thereof

and you will lose weight at a nice steady rate
and then be able to stay at or around Happy weight when you get there

Kitchen closed on 659. How did you get on @PartTimeDomesticGoddess?

Already planning mocha coffee and bovril toast for breakfast

Hungry and feeling very empty @harriethoyle but hanging on! Miso broth with tofu and veg for dinner v soon which I think brings me in at about 500

Kitchen closing on 520. Not sure what I've done wrong today but I'm really hungry now. It's trickier now I'm back at work as I'm not going for walks.

Just checking in. Hip surgery today so on enforced fast. Assume I will eat later but will see how that goes!

Hope it goes well @KobaniDaughters

I'm fasting tomorrow. Will not eat until the evening and have all my calories then

Hi everyone, so happy to find this group 😊. Started yesterday but ended up having 800 calories. It was a tough day with bloating and lethargy. I am trying again today. Will need to do this b2b to keep up with the group. Anyone1 feel b2b is easier or better for wt loss? I need to lose 5kg for summer 🤞🤞

Welcome @ witch, sorry i dont know much about b2b but good luck today.
I am fasting today instead of tomorrow and finding it hard but will plod on - egg boiling as i type! I may do 4:3 this week to get back on track.

Lol surgery FD came in at 150cals from a flatbread

Hi @Witchone1 I always b2b Monday and Tuesday of the week. I like it a) because it means you get 650 per day rather than 500 b) it gets my FDs out the way c) if I want to I can do a third that week without it being the weekend d) it undoes any damage from the preceding weekend asap!

Glad your surgery was ok @KobaniDaughters!

Thanks @harriethoyle
Am on pain meds that can be nausea inducing so DH has me on a diet of plain carbs for now - back to healthier eating in a few days

Wishing you well in your recovery Kobani!

FD here and I’m so cold! Doesn’t usually bother me, but I’ve really felt it these last few FDs.

Kitchen closed on 530 cals: prawn curry and 2 oatcakes. Bath, book and an early night for me.

sneaks in to hide in a corner
SO
I went onto the Boditrax machine at the gym for the first time this years
Oh dear
Oh Dear
I've put on 2.5 kg during lockdown
and was 1.5 kg to heavy beforehand
whoops
And probably should not have ordered takeaway curry for supper tonight
BUT
DS goes back to Uni at the weekend and then we'll go veggie for a few weeks
So this week is a stuff it week in the annual plan

Finished at 570calories today. Still hungry! Could not concentrate much at work, tomorrow will be NFD.
@Humphriescushion, half boiled egg never tasted so good.
Good suggestion @harriethoyle, but 3 FD in a week will probably kill me. This is my 1st week.

Thats nothing Listening. You’ll shift that in no time, when you’re ready.

Not as successful a FD as I hoped. Dropped off a birthday present this evening. They insisted on giving us cake to take home! Had half a slice, but it was filled with double cream.

Ah well. It was a nice cake!

I finished on 504 today. I didnt eat all day until 8.30pm after putting the kids to bed. It's weird but I find it easier not to eat anything because once I start eating I feel very hungry. I would like to weigh myself tomorrow but worried I'll be disappointed 😞