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!

How about moving to 16:8 for a couple of days a week? So one 5:2 and then 16:8

@absolutelyknackeredcow

How about moving to 16:8 for a couple of days a week? So one 5:2 and then 16:8

Interesting option.

FD done ✔️ in bed with water. Got to find the willpower.

@absolutelyknackeredcow

How about moving to 16:8 for a couple of days a week? So one 5:2 and then 16:8

16:8 isn't pretty at about hour 13.... my blood sugar gets so low!

Well done @needtogetfit21 - great result!
I've done a FD but planning another tomo although we will have to see how I feel first thing

@absolutelyknackeredcow

Well done *@needtogetfit21* - great result! I've done a FD but planning another tomo although we will have to see how I feel first thing

Same here! Hoping I can do another tomorrow and will give myself up to 800 cals (500 today)

@absolutelyknackeredcow @needtogetfit21 I'm joining you in first post holiday FD today, fmfl...!

Decided to move my second FD until Friday.
I'm going to be not able to fast until the Wednesday and Friday the following week so need to space them a bit more.
Well done to everyone fasting today. You can do it!

You're a hero being able to fast on a Friday @absolutelyknackeredcow - Friday night is Wine night at Hoyle Manor!

On the plus side, I've lost 2kg of plane bloat since Sunday so the scales are looking slightly less daunting

Had a good day yesterday, 469.

@harriethoyle It is for me too. I hate a Friday fast

You're even more of a hero then

On the subject of booze, I'm away at a training course next week, two days. I've totally revisited my attitude towards, and usage of, alcohol. Any tips for how to fend off the nosy who ask why I'm no longer dancing in tables, two bottles down at the dinners?! I'm feeling a bit anxious about it tbh...

Should have said: new WOL is alcohol free sun-thurs so it will be apparent.

@harriethoyle

Should have said: new WOL is alcohol free sun-thurs so it will be apparent.

Personally, I think you should just say, "for my health and because I feel better, I don't drink Mon-Thursday any more". There will be SOME people who will give you a hard time: "Oh, but it's a training course, come on, just one glass" probably which is always annoying. Depending on how bolshy you want to be your response can vary from, "no no, really, i'm fine" to "why on earth should I drink just to make you happy?"

But I know it can be hard. In my circle it's not unusual for people to choose not to drink for whatever reason at specific times and I've been amazed how easy it is because when I worked in the City, that was definitely NOT the case! :) Not drinking was akin to suggesting that you wouldn't attend the meeting with the big cheese or whatever!

@absolutelyknackeredcow good planning

I didn't feel v hungrh this morning but as the morning has gone on my head has been banging. So I've had a baked potato for lunch (400 cals) and taken a painkiller. Hope it disappears soon.

Means I still have 400 cals left for tonight. Have saag and chapatti on the menu.

Next week I think I'll have to do tues/wed b2b as I'm planning to go to the gym hopefully on Monday and Thursday.

@TiredButDancing yeah, I'm in law and it's a VERY similar ethos! One of my friends is on the same course and she's fully teetotal so I'll just do a little softies round with her I think. It'll save me a fortune!

Anyone fasting with me today? 3kg of holiday weight off since Sunday (majority of which will have been plane bloat!) so only 1.5 to go until I'm back to pre hols weight...

@harriethoyle I'm fasting today with you starting to feel really hungry, and it's only 2pm!

@harriethoyle I gave up alcohol as it wasn't helping my weight. When people ask, I just say that it doesn't make me feel good the next day. That seems to work well. If I ever said it was to help lose weight, they'd be pushing it towards me!

Yes @Beautiful3 my weight has definitely dropped since I've only been drinking 2 days a week. I think even a gin and slim in an evening slows your metabolism even if it's only 60 odd cals!

[quote harriethoyle]@TiredButDancing yeah, I'm in law and it's a VERY similar ethos! One of my friends is on the same course and she's fully teetotal so I'll just do a little softies round with her I think. It'll save me a fortune![/quote]
It's so frustrating that attitude. I've done a bit of consulting with City firms on internal comms (it's not my speciality so tends to be on the side) and one of the things I often point out to them, much to their SHOCK, is that after hours drinking is often alienating to all the people who don't want to do after hours drinking - for religious, health, family etc reasons. Without fail, my suggestion that they come up with alternative team building activities is greeted first with total shock (bear in mind, the conversation usually starts because they tell me that they're struggling to keep teams together, particularly during high growth periods). Then at some point, someone will point out that actually, Mary is a single mum so she has mentioned that evening drinks are hard and someone else will comment that Saraya doesn't drink so doesn't really like the wine tasting etc and the next thing you know, there's a bunch of senior lawyers/bankers sitting around going, "wow, I really never thought of that."

Unfortunately, I'm not involved beyond that so it's possible that I've missed it, but I don't get the sense that anything then changes.... sigh. I did have one client who created a take-out friday lunch to overcome this and said it was surprisingly effective so much so that they did it during lockdown with everyone getting their own take out!

Today closed again at 652. Thought it was going to go wrong, but it was fine!

I'm on ten more cals than you @Beautiful3 - 662! But today has been hard... possibly because I've done c25k and walked to the supermarket today which was a total of 5.7 miles. Which probably didn't help with the hunger pangs although hopefully will help with a sv tomorrow

@harriethoyle wow you've done really well today, excerise and a fast! Well done! The only daily excerise I do, is an hour's walk with the dog! I was exceptionally hungry today so really thought I was going to fail! Think I need an early night to avoid snacking!

@Beautiful3 I didn't want to 😂 but I had a really light work day and also I had to get back to c25k having only done one treadmill session on hols!

My 2nd day of b2b didn't go ahead yesterday as I gave in and ended up making it a NFD

I'm only on 400 cals today but 160 of that is 2 x digestives and it's been a really really tough day with the kids. I'm not hungry but I want to emotional eat I could alternatively just curl up in bed and get to sleep quickly. But I think I'll end up writing today off and start tomorrow fresh. Unsure when I'll fit the next FD in though