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

@MazDazzle I totally read that as you had 300 calories for your birthday meal!!

No, no, no @KobaniDaughters. You’d have had to add a zero on the end for that!

Had 2 Jaffa cakes at DMIL’s, so closing on 450.

Just weighed myself for first time after compleing my planned 12 weeks of 5:2 - as I'd hoped, have lost half a stone, taking me back to 9 stone. The 8/8.5 stone of pre kids is long gone and I'm not bothered about that, but I think I should try and keep around 9 if I can.

My plan from hereon in is to drop lunch during the week and have snack instead to keep my daily intake down - found going without lunch much easier than I expected, plus it means not having mid-afternoon slump, so I'm aiming to keep that going.

Excellent fasts today

Amazing @Echobelly! Well done. I used to also be 8:8.5 stone but the lowest I've been after pregnancy is 9 stone. Currently 10. Hoping I can get it to under 9 so that 9 is my limit iyswim. What height are you?

5ft 1ish. Not necessarily that overweight at 9.5 stone, but weight goes straight to my waist so before I did the 5:2 my waist was about 2 clothes sizes bigger than the rest of me, which was making buying clothes difficult!

I have an issue with one of my hip joints as well, so I should keep my weight down to avoid putting too much weight on that hip and avoid having to have it replaced for as long as possible - I'm in my early 40s now and was told that I may need it replaced in my 40s or 50s.

Well done to all the Thursday fasters.

Congrats to @Echobelly xx

Hahaha quite - I thought that was incredibly restrained @MazDazzle

Congrats @Echobelly!!

So far so good on FD today, just had lettuce and hummus as a late lunch - b2b so allowing myself up to 600 calories and will be rewarding myself with pizza with DD on Saturday if I continue

Kitchen closed on 577

The scales still haven’t moved. It’s a little bit disheartening.

I lost 4lbs over 4 weeks, then gained it all back in a couple of days and now I’ve maintained!

Must be the wine and cheese.

I haven’t jumped on the scales since before surgery......unlikely to again for a while and just concentrate on how my clothes feel - any difference in that department @MazDazzle?

Aiming for 2nd b2b today

Thank u @ginsparkles. I love you name 😊..I try to stay within TDEE this week. What you mean by happy weight Tdee? Is that for goal weight? Hats off for doing 3FDs. You are a . I am panicking about going overboard during the term break and bank holiday. 🤞

604 for second b2b, setting me up for the weekend!

@Witchone1 yes it the tdee for your goal weight.

Half terms etc tend to go a bit awol for me, this one I am expecting a gain. I'm off on hols with the family for the first time since all this COVID nonsense began so I won't be fasting at all for 10 days.

I think the best way is to be kind to yourself, accept it's a new way of life and some weeks won't be entirely 5:2. As long as the majority are then it's all good! I track my weight daily, but use and app the evens it out and gives me the average. Then I look at the monthly loss. It keeps me feeling more focussed and worry less about the smaller blips and weeks without a loss.

The scales have started to go back down, but I’m still 2.5lb up overall.

Thinking about it, I have reached this weight a few times in the last couple of years, but haven’t been able to stay there comfortably. So I suppose it would count as a NSV that I’ve pretty much been this weight for the last month!

I've reached my target weight of 10 stone but am going to keep going and try to get down to 9 and a half in time for my holiday which will hopefully be happening at the end of July

Hey well done @RaraRachael!!!

Yay!!! Well done @RaraRachael

Thank you. LOL I just made a complicated slimming recipe and it was horrible - not worth all the effort.

[quote ginsparkles]@Witchone1 yes it the tdee for your goal weight.

Half terms etc tend to go a bit awol for me, this one I am expecting a gain. I'm off on hols with the family for the first time since all this COVID nonsense began so I won't be fasting at all for 10 days.

I think the best way is to be kind to yourself, accept it's a new way of life and some weeks won't be entirely 5:2. As long as the majority are then it's all good! I track my weight daily, but use and app the evens it out and gives me the average. Then I look at the monthly loss. It keeps me feeling more focussed and worry less about the smaller blips and weeks without a loss. [/quote]
Excellent advice!

Well done @MazDazzle @RaraRachael !
Must feel good to get to lowest point after some time

So I finished yesterday at between 350-400. Had planned more food but was so tired I was asleep for 9:30.

Thinking to make today day 2 of b2b. Will mean I can have 900 cals which is decent.

In the end, last week I only managed to have 1000kcal deficit which is equivalent to 1 FD. It was week 1 so thinking of it as easing myself in!

Oh and I've lost 1.8lbs in week 1! Some of that will have been water weight.

So I'm 10 stone exactly.

How many lbs loss do you all set yourself for mini targets?

@RaraRachael well done. That's great news

I am on day 2 of a b2b - hoping for a good loss tomorrow

Family event coming at weekend so want to be skinny so might do a mini on Friday too

I'm back on the fasting wagon after a weekend of indulgence. B2b today and tomorrow...

I'm doing B2B fasting days for the first time this week - not looking forward to it but at least I can enjoy Thursday for a change. I find it easier to eat less in hot weather. Made a large PoN meal last night and most of it went in the bin - that's one way of losing calories I suppose

Oh no @RaraRachael that's frustrating? Was it just not very tasty?

Kitchen closing here on 462 which I'm happy with