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 am doing a FD today - have had a miso and a cup of tea and a rich tea
Lots of water
Tend to have soup at about 5 and an options before bed

@ChubbyCat

I use myfitnesspal. You can save recopies so only need to enter the ingredients once then you can add them as a meal.

Thanks @KylieKoKo
Guess it's easier to estimate the calories when you are actually cooking the meal and count the calories for the whole lot?. Like I used oil for frying the onion and pepper but no idea how much I would have to allocate towards a bowlful, or how much of any other ingredients.

I tend to use whole packets of things and make 2 or 3 portions or weigh ingredients out. I also use olive oil spray for cooking which one cal per spray

@ChubbyCat if I think I’m going to use a stew or chilli I count it all out as I’m cooking, portion it out and label a FD portion for the freezer. Pain in the bum but helps on days when I then don’t want to calorie count

@ChubbyCat when I calculate calories, I will weigh all the ingredients to total the calories in the whole dish. Then I weight the finished qty and divide by weight per portion and that's how I work out the calories per portion. It's not quite as bad as I've made it sound, and I have a note somewhere of how much my main two pans weigh so that I can weigh the whole lot when I've cooked it! It's the only way I think you can be sure...

It’s my day off today, so a nice easy FD (hopefully!). Did the food shop and planned my meals for the the next few days. Put my workout clothes on this morning, but not attempted any exercise yet! I’ll try to squeeze something in before dinner.

Thanks @KylieKoKo, @KobaniDaughters and @PartTimeDomesticGoddess Think the next time I make chili or similar I will definitely weigh the ingredients and count the calories, much nicer to be able to have that as your dinner rather than just some boiled egg and steamed veg!

@kyliekoko thank you for your reply xx I tend to eat quite late now while I do 16:8 so hopefully that won't be to much of a shock for me!!

Kitchen closed at just under 500 cals: cous cous & turkey steak salad. Yesss. It’s such a relief when you nail a FD after a failed attempt.

I use this recipe for spag bol @ChubbyCat. It serves 4. Comes in at 364 cals per portion.

Evening all. Second day of B2B done. First day kitchen closed on 411 and today on 583. Planning to throw a third in on Friday.

Hope everyone's fasts went well today.

Well done @ginsparkles and @MazDazzle. Hope everyone else got over the line too
Kitchen closed on 490 and in bed trying to pretend I'm not hungry

Came in at 470
Very impressed @ginsparkles with your b2b and a third fast - are you trying to lose loads

What are people eating on FDs as I really struggle to get down to 500. I need breakfast otherwise I'd never manage to last until lunch at 12,45. I never eat a proper dinner on FDs. It's usually soup and by now I'm starving.

@absolutelyknackeredcow no, I have half a stone to a stone to lose. But freely admit that I'm not massively well behaved on NFD's (especially at the moment as I just lost my dad) so 2 FD's keep me maintaining, the third tips it into a loss usually! I tend to stick 3 in when I need to boost things, or I'm going somewhere and want to look my best. Currently I'm compensating for emotional eating more than I would like! It also gives me a safety net, of an extra FD planned, in case I crash and burn on a FD, which has happened a bit lately.

@RaraRachael I usually skip breakfast, have some cherry tomatoes or apple/banana and a yogurt around 2-3, then a dinner like soup, stir fry or curry without any rice for dinner.

Some days I'll do one weetabix, some salad for lunch and soup in the evening but if I eat breakfast I'm hungry earlier. Like once I start eating I'm just hungry constantly! So I find it way easier not to pop that cork until later! Drink plenty of fluid and I don't even notice I'm hungry until 1 or 2 in the afternoon now .

@RaraRachael Sorry to hear about your Dad - sending love

@ginsparkles Sorry to hear about you Dad - @RaraRachael sorry to tag you

Thanks @absolutelyknackeredcow ... it's been rough so I'm being kind to myself and taking each week as it comes.

I'm under 70kg for the first time in about 6 years! SQUEEEEEEE!!

@harriethoyle

I'm under 70kg for the first time in about 6 years! SQUEEEEEEE!!

Woop woop! Congratulations!

Hi everyone, not read the thread but just thought I’d pop back in. I reached my happy weight about a month ago and am maintaining it( fist pump) so far. I’m doing a fast on Mondays then keeping to roughly happy sedentary TDEE on the other days. If I have a day where I eat or drink more, I skip breakfast the following morning and that seems to be working so far. It feels great to fit in all my clothes .

Congrats to you both @harriethoyle and @Benjispruce3

Yayyyyyyy @harriethoyle !!!!! So pleased for you!!

Well done @Benjispruce3 xxx