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

Scale down by 1kg..so am back to where I started last week. My problem is wt gain during NFDs. My TDEE is l400, but often eating 15-1700.

@harriethoyle, possibly a glitch or massive water retention/ hormonal. I gain 1kg in a day after HIIT exercise. I read somewhere 5:2diet with exercise will not show much wt loss...not sure why.

I've had a couple of weeks off fasting and really hammered the strength training to build some muscle but I'm back on it next week. I'll be fasting on Monday. I'm writing this here to hold myself accountable.

Hope you're all well

@Witchone1 that's always my problem too, so I am tracking and planning NFD in the same way I do with FD's it makes me more accountable. I allow myself one over tdee each week. Currently I'm doing 3 FD's a week to counter some of the hideousness from the past month.

Hope today's fasters have had a good day. Kitchen closing on 522 here. Non fast day tomorrow, day off from work so a lovely salad for lunch and then lamb steaks for tea.

Well done @ginsparkles..am counting calorie on NFD now...was within TDEE today , had to stay away from snacking between meals..not easy! Anyone eating below TDEe after 2FD like A day or so on 800?

Hopefully it’s just a blip harriet.

Well done gin!

Weighed myself after b2b and I’m the same weight as last week. Not surprisingly really when I think back to what I ate over the weekend. Contemplating a third FD later in the week.

Today’s NFD went well. I eat far too much carbs and not nearly enough protein, so trying to adjust this.

remember folks, a pint of water with every meal and a pint of water before bed

That pesky kg has come back off overnight but I'm going for a mini today regardless. No reason not to and there's no bread in for toast so skipping breakfast should be easy enough!

I'm planning a FD today as well (although I have my Covid jab booked for this afternoon so fully reserve the right to change my mind later!!)

Sending positive vibes to anyone else fasting (or doing a mini @harriethoyle!) today

I've got mine on sunday @PartTimeDomesticGoddess have already told my DH to buy paracetamol in bulk for day of and day after...

Good idea to keep your options open PartTime. Good luck to you and harriet.

Started the day with a combat and core workout and lots of water. Aiming for happy weight TDEE today, which no junk, then a FD tomorrow.

@MazDazzle - I am always very impressed by Friday fasters. Friday is wine day in the Hoyle household!

Hope the fasters are doing well. A nice 3lb off today. So have just had a delicious salad bowl from a local cafe. Still planning to do an extra fast tomorrow.

FD today. I need to have breakfast as I'm dying on my feet by lunchtime if I don't. Having some of my homemade lentil soup tonight.

If I go for a walk and burn off some calories, can I have something extra to eat if I'm still within my 500 for the day? sorry I'm quite new to all this

When I had my COVID jab I was fine the rest of that day but knackered the next
and had a sore arm for about three days.
I did not bother with painkillers, I just chilled for 24 hours.

Dose two is in a few weeks but friends and family say its barely noticable.

And the benefits are MASSIVE

Stay focussed folks :-)

I don't @RaraRachael - I think it's too easy to overestimate exercise calories so I never eat them back

Hello! Please may I join you all? I've tried this a couple of times before but in less stable and more stressful situations, and I now have my own kitchen which I feel will help me with it. I'm planning my first FD tomorrow and have got in some food in which should get me in under 500 calories. Super impressed by what I've read on the thread so far as well :)

Good luck tasters and vaccinators! I had my first Pfizer a few weeks ago and apart from a sore arm, got second dose next Friday and apparently should prepare for 24-48hrs of rubbishness

Mainly place marking as FD a bit impossible while I can’t get my own food but am def consistently within happy TDEE as I’m not being brought any lunch until early afternoon most days and I can’t get to the kitchen for any snacks!

Hi Cecile
Welcome to the crew
Have a think about what went pear shaped last time and we'll find a way

Feeling fine so far, but I was talking to someone at work today whose sister is in the US and they reported side effects after the second dose because of less time between the two doses @KobaniDaughters. Managed the FD but was pleased I had dinner sorted by cooking double on Tuesday!

Welcome Ceclie!

Well done gin! Fantastic loss.

We’re having a picnic in the garden on Saturday and I’ve ordered lots of lovely food, so I really need to squeeze a FD in tomorrow. Fridays are usually wine nights in this house too harriet - through I could say that of any night. That said, I’ve only drank 4 days out of the last 25! During lockdown it was the other way around.

Pleased with my food choices this NFD: bacon and egg in a wholemeal pitta, houmous with veg sticks, fruit, steak with baby potatoes and veg. No alcohol or junk.

Yeah that may well make sense, we only have 3 weeks between the two shots

Thanks @ListeningQuietly! I'm pear-shaped all the time :) sorry, terrible joke. More seriously, I kept trying to start when I was revising for exams and just found the fast days really difficult to stick to in that context. If I can keep busy and varied days I think it will be a lot easier.

Anyone keeping me company on a FD today?

It’s my birthday next week - a big one. I never usually make a fuss, but this year I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s a combination of lockdown lifting and the fact that this was my Dad’s last milestone birthday.

I don’t want presents just good food, plenty of drinks and to see my friends and family. I’m having a few small garden gatherings through the week.

It means the celebrations are stretched across a whole week though, so I really need to nail today’s FD and then b2b Mon-Tues.

In the past, something like this has thrown me off track for months and before you know it I’m back to where I started!

Enjoy your weekend everyone.