5:2 thread 96: Slinking into summer, one FD at a time!

[harriethoyle]

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!

Newboy is currently sleeping on my toes.....
It's moments like this that make it more bearable 😊

I've never had a puppy @BaconAndAvocado, have always rescued but I have been told it's akin to having a baby in terms of the levels of commitment, disruption and sleeplessness!! (Definitely one of the reasons I also haven't had a baby..!)

harriethoyle that sounds about right, a newborn with teeth and no nappy 😂

One thing to bare in mind @harriethoyle is that your body retains water when it is hot so might be why it's harder.
Not much of a drop today for me tbh

But SO CUTE @BaconAndAvocado!

Hope so @absolutelyknackeredcow I'm going to pick up a couple of litres of water at lunch to make sure I'm properly hydrated too

Kitchen closing on 723 which makes c630 for each b2b day. Happy with that! COME ON SCALES!

Good luck on the scales harriethoyle
Remember the rules of weigh-ins:

1. Only ever weigh yourself first thing in the morning.
2. Have a wee first.
3. Weigh yourself completely naked.

Crossing everything@harriethoyle xx

Half a kilo off! Phew... and now off on holiday for a week and a half so no doubt I'll put on KILOS . Ah well... 3 FD planned for the week after I get back - I can't get too hung limiting the damage!

Another broken night of sleep 😴
All to be expected with the early weeks I guess!

Did a weigh in and I've maintained so really pleased with that as I've done no fasting.

Hope you're enjoying your holiday @harriethoyle!

Slightly dodgy couple of days here where I didn't get to cook the meals I'd planned for various reasons so went into my fast day today without enough preparation, having eaten banana on toast for dinner last night - not quite on plan

This weekend is going to be challenging as my mum is visiting. She generally eats healthily but she doesn't approve of low carbing so I'm definitely going to be having an interesting conversation with her at some point

Well done @harriethoyle - a strong loss.
It's been a brutal few days here - physically about 17k steps a day / 3 days and lots of nights out, drinking and eating food! I am having a duvet day today catching up on life admin and also fasting.

We will see how it goes - I feel very bloated but also not that great at fasting when I'm this tired

absolutelyknackeredcow I too can't fast when I'm exhausted, without feeling very dodgy!

Kitchen closed at about 600. Pretty pleased with that tbh especially because even though I spent ages resting I still walked 13000 steps

Hello everyone. I'm sorry I disappeared. I've seen alerts for this thread pop up and I won't like, I just quietly ignored them. The last 6 weeks have been a disaster diet-wise - school holidays, DH sick, DS sick, (neither serious but more work for me), and work exploded even more than usual in August while one of my most reliable and brilliant contractors had a mental health crisis and basically disappeared for a bit!

Needless to say, fasting wasn't an option.

However, I am back to my all time biggest (although from experience, I know that the first 1.5 -2 kg will go fast as at least some of it is probably bloating etc). I mean, while I can hand on heart say I haven't been drinking to excess it is ALSO true that I think I have had at least one glass of wine every single day for the last month.

But I feel awful and there's no doubt I have to get on top of it. FD today. I'm also in process of starting to diarise exercise so that I can start doing Couch 2 5K again (will have go back to week 1). Unfortunately, I've learnt that between DH's shifts and my work, if I don't diarise it, it just doesn't happen (and in fact, the first session I'm diarising for this week is Friday because things are already that manic).

In the meantime, I've skimmed the thread and you all look like you've been doing really well. Brilliant work ladies!!!

Hello everyone, is this the same thread that @BigChoc used to run, on 5:2 fasting? I joined 2 years ago and did really well, I stopped doing it when my mum died end of last year. I've decided that I'm now focused enough to start doing it again.

@TiredButDancing Welcome back - hopefully now we are into September you can get some routine and start fasting again.
I'm attempting a back to back to regain some discipline and maybe a mini on Friday.
Horrendous period pain all weekend and very bloated so feel huge even though I have been very active

Afternoon all,

Have posted here before under other usernames and I successfully did 5:2 in between my first and second child. However I've really struggled to get back into it since having my second and lockdown / pandemic has NOT helped. He's 2.5yo now and I need to make this happen.

Can anyone help me pick days to fast?
I am child free on 3 week days but these also need to be the days that I go to the gym (about to start). Exercise will have to be very slow since I suffer from fibro/ JHS and shielding has physically deconditioned me.

I've tried fasting when I have the kids but I cave in, maybe because I feel I need to eat to meet the energy demands of two young children.

So my question is, does anybody go to the gym on fast days?

Wondering if I should do gym on Monday and Thursdays

Then b2b fast days Tuesday and Wednesday (maybe Wednesday with the kids will be ok)

That way I can still do date night on Fridays and have NFD's on weekends

@needtogetfit21 welcome
I usually do a back to back on Monday / Tuesday and my extremely active days are thurs/ Friday. This includes a personal training session and normally at least 15k steps a say
That said, if I can bring myself to fast on Fridays I do loose more as I tend to staff the weekend early

[quote absolutelyknackeredcow]@needtogetfit21 welcome
I usually do a back to back on Monday / Tuesday and my extremely active days are thurs/ Friday. This includes a personal training session and normally at least 15k steps a say
That said, if I can bring myself to fast on Fridays I do loose more as I tend to staff the weekend early [/quote]
Thank you this is good to know. Is it 650 cals allowance if doing a b2b?

Yes 650 although I do tend to
Stack my calories on the second day.
I always say that the thought of it is worse than that actual reality
The thing I like about b2b is done for the week

I'm finishing on 472 officially. I am happy with that as I think there are other small bits - eg tasting while making fajitas for the family etc.

FD in the bag yesterday

My plans have changed today so might make it into a b2b. It means I can still have 750/800 cals today as I had 550ish yesterday

My scales are playing up - they give different weights every time I stand on them. Change batteries?

Well done @needtogetfit21 !
I came in at about 550 yesterday and aiming for about 650 today.
I have done an hours walk in the pouring rain and I'm hungry and it's time of the month so we will have to see.