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

Oh well done @harriethoyle! Squealing for you.

Well done @harriethoyle and @Benjispruce3! Fantastic. Hearing about other people’s success gives us all a boost!

I weighed and tracked everything today at goal weight TDEE and hit my carb, protein and fat targets. Hoping this becomes second nature. I’m currently 13lb away from goal weight.

It's meant to me my fast day today but I'm having the covid vaccine this afternoon. I'm ok to fast anyway right?

@KylieKoKo I had mine on Monday and decided to fast on Tuesday instead (Monday is my usual FD). To be honest I probably should have kept my Monday FD, as I think the side effects don't kick in straight away. I didn't have any, just sore arm and a slight headache on Tuesday, but a friend of mine who also had her jab on Monday had a really bad headache and diarrhea on Tuesday.

Thanks @ChubbyCat I think will continue with the fast but will listen to my body and eat if I have side effects.

Another day at goal TDEE.

Planning on fasting tomorrow. My DD is having a friend round and they’ve asked if we can order a Chinese takeaway. I’ve read through the menu and chicken with mixed vegetables seems to be the lowest calorie option. I’m sure it’ll come with some sort of sauce, but if I only eat half, hopefully it’ll be under 500 cals. I just need to avoid picking at the spring rolls!

Not sure why I’m doing today, I think it might just end up being a low cal and if it’s in the 600-700 range I’ll do a low cal b2b, above 800 and I’ll
Prob do a FD tomorrow. Basically depends if I can be bothered to figure out tonight’s tagine calories but I think will prob just be measured today and proper FD tomorrow

I've had a NSV tonight - my DH uncorked a delicious bottle of wine when we got in after a long day and I turned a glass down in favour of water. My "dry" days are really important to me and I'm very pleased I resisted the temptation... will make tomorrow's first glass taste all the sweeter!

"d"p is torturing me by eating crisps

Hello, may I join in please?

I’m starting 5:2 today with today being a fast day. DH is also doing it with me.

We’ve had a stressful few years (bereavement & going through the diagnosis process for a child with SEN) and both of us have piled weight on.

I’m doing a slightly modified version that I found on the Jason Fung website - I had dinner last night and will now not eat at all until dinner tonight. It’s broadly the same as 500 calories/ day but I know as soon as I eat anything I’ll be starving and thinking what else I can eat but if I eat nothing it’s somehow bearable and I can just ignore the hungry feeling as eating isn’t an option until tonight.

I may try 4:3 if fast days aren’t too terrible - I have a fair chunk of weight to lose (~25kg) and DH is even worse I think (don’t know his numbers). We both sleep poorly and suffer with heartburn. I know both of these things are likely to see improvement quite quickly if we can drop some Kgs. I plan to reduce the fast days down to 2 or even 1 per week to maintain.

Well done harriet!

Welcome @MaximumVolume! Weight that has piled on quickly, is usually quick to come off too. Good luck.

I’m returning to the gym today. The last time I went was the 18th Dec. ‘See you all in a fortnight. Enjoy your holiday!’. Here we are 5 months later…

Thank you @MazDazzle well done in getting back to the gym. An unexpected benefit of lockdown for me has been getting into online fitness classes. I now do kettle bells on zoom and I’d never have been brave enough at the gym! I thought I hated exercise: turns out it’s the gym I’m not a fan of!

Is @listeningquietly still posting on this thread?

Hi there can I ask on your fast days do you keep to the original 500 Cals or the newer plan of 800 Cal's?

I know what you mean @MaximumVolume. I’m not a fan of bigger gyms where it’s a free for all. I feel like a bit of a div. The one I go to is small and privately owned. Usually it’s just me!

@Peachypips78I I aim for 2 FD at 500 and have it in one meal, as late in the day as possible. Sometimes I throw in a mini as well (800ish).

@PeacheyPeach I aim for 500 but don't worry if it ends up being 550 or something. I don't count on nfds so I feel like adding an extra 600 over two fast days wouldn't work that well for me!

Had a fast day yesterday and ended up with 438 calories, pleased with that. I tend to do really well on my fast days but overdo it on other days, especially weekends. Making a paneer curry myself tonight rather than take away, hopefully it is a bit better.
Thinking of trying to include a couple of low calorie days in each week as well as FDs, does anyone do that and does it help? I know I can't have a low calorie day every day, tried it before and failed miserably.

@PeacheyPeach I aim for 500 as well, sometimes 10-30 over that. I think the 800 is if you’re doing that every day right? Not a fan personally for obvious reasons

Am doing FD today, should be just under 500 if I stick to my tagine soup and cauliflower microwave bowl. A friend is having cocktails and nibbles this evening in her garden so I’m going to try to go and only have water and just not really say anything about it then it will be easier to stick to

Successful Friday FD! Woohoo.

We had a Chinese takeaway as planned. I had a tiny portion of rice and less than half of my main, which was chicken with mixed veg. As soon as I finished I left the table, leaving my DH to clear up, so I managed to refrain from pinching any chicken balls or spring rolls!

Hope all went well @MaximumVolume
Friday FD here - clocking off at 480 cal
I used to hate Friday FD because I'm so active on Fridays but hopefully this will translate into pounds lost .
I have calorie counted every day this week and have been under by TDEE by 250 cal most NFD.
Fingers crossed for weigh in Tom

2 pounds down which is ok but a bit underwhelming. Will keep at it

Thanks @absolutelyknackeredcow it went well.

I just had my one meal with the family in the evening (smallhomemade pizza & lots of salad).

I’m not calorie counting if I can avoid it so I’m trying these first weeks on intuition and if I’m going in the right direction I will stick with that decision. If I’m clearly kidding myself about my ability to estimate, and consequently not seeing results, I’m prepared to start logging everything.

I suspect my issues come not from my normal portion control but from feeling ill-equipped to deal with anything difficult when I’m hungry and over-eating when things are going badly.

I’m hoping the fasting will reset my attitude in the respect - plus the deficit created should help with losing the weight already gained.

That’s great @absolutelyknackeredcow!

Another 1lb down for me! That’s 6 weeks in a row that the scales have moved down the way. Don’t think that’s ever happened. Usually I have the odd week where I stay the same or gain.

Thanks all - I'm doing my first b2b - Monday /tues
Any tips

Well done losers and Friday fasters!

Ok I need to take myself in hand - Friday was a wash out for me (again)

I need to stop drinking first and foremost. I’m on a tech scout for a job today out in the desert with no food so making my own lunch which is easy enough - tomorrow I think there’s a surprise BBQ being planned for my birthday so I’m not going to calorie count but I’ll only have that middle of the day meal (love Sunday lunches for that reason!) then this week I actually have a work schedule that means it’s much easier to calorie count and do a reset.

Plan for next week is to count every day, fast on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, TDEE on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and no drinking. We go on location on Sunday so will be eating craft services and catered food Sunday-Tuesday but I think I can make it work to keep under TDEE and then after that go back to 2 FD a week and not drink for 2 months. I do better with a total ban on alcohol approach!