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!

Morning all,

Good efforts @absolutelyknackeredcow
And @Beautiful3 - 3 fast days , you are hardcore!

Fast day for me today, anyone with me?? Just about to sip some herbal tea. It's freezing!

@needtogetfit21 I'm with you today! Got to burn this fat on me!! When I feel smaller, I'll drop the third day. Now I'm older I struggle to lose weight. This is the only thing that works for me, still takes time though.

@Beautiful3 your willpower is amazing. What's your target and where are you at just now?

I think I'm going to postpone my fast day till tomorrow or potentially do both days with 1000 cals each to still give me the same deficit. My last proper meal was yesterday lunchtime and I'm really hungry

Todays closed at 585. I'm looking forward to pizza and a magnum tomorrow! @needtogetfit21 good luck for tomorrow, you can do it. I was at my target weight last year but had to stop fasting, as I lost interest in food. This January my appetite returned, and I've put on a stone and a half. I'm aiming for a slim uk 10, at the moment I'm a chubby uk 12. I'm hoping to lose it all this year!

@Beautiful3 thanks. We had some bad news yesterday so I comfort ate last night - pizza and chips. But I hardly slept and I feel horrendous today. I have fibromyalgia and Ive been suspecting that gluten really flares me.

I'll hopefully be fasting today and on some weeks I may join you with 3 fasts. I find that if I do a b2b (which I find fairly easy) then it's too long until my next fast so adding a third in is ideal!

I'm about 10st 2lbs and would love to lose a stone. Only just above 5"2 so I am currently overweight. What I struggle with is takeaways - I can't and don't want to give them up because I'm so exhausted at times with my health and I have 2 small children 4 and 2. But one or two takeaways over the week stalls any loss. So I often stick around at the same weight for a while.

Morning fasters! Sorry I went off the radar Course last week was good and I managed to stick to soft drinks without too much comment from my mates. It was a revelation! Am going to gloss over the cooked breakfasts though...

Fasting Monday and Tuesday this week and reintroducing intermittent fasting on other weekdays (apart from the Wednesday). Is just an easy way to cut down on calories for me and I'm often not hungry til 10ish so it's not too bad to push through to 12... that's the plan anyway. Going to go for a run today I think.

Sorry you're having a rough time @needtogetfit21 - slow and steady wins the race though! Excellent fasting @absolutelyknackeredcow and @Beautiful3.

@needtogetfit21 I'm sorry for your bad news. I hope you start feeling better soon. I have a Don Tolman book, he writes about food healing the body. I'll have a look and post on here, what he recommends for you. He is very good, cured my daughters continuous ear infection and acne (with a bulb of raw garlic and sucking on some sea rock salt every night). It was unbelievable, one small thing helped, when the prescribed things didn't. I used to do 2 back to backs, to get them out of the way. But I don't think I could do it again though. Prefer to do Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. I'm only 5ft2 too, wish I was taller as I could carry off this extra weight. But when we're small it's really noticeable! Sounds like you're doing really well, especially with 2 little ones (as they make us feel tired and have an endless stream of snacks!) @harriethoyle Im glad you enjoyed your time away, well done for avoiding the booze. The cooked breakfast sounds amazing, I wouldn't have turned that down either! Enjoy your run today.

Thank you both @harriethoyle and @Beautiful3 !

That's ever so kind of you @Beautiful3. Yes it is hard being short isn't it!

Mon, wed and fridays doesn't sound too bad either. I've recently started the gym on Mondays and Thursdays and noticed that I feel ravenous on those days. So was hoping to do b2b on Tuesday and wednesdays. But I'm with the kids on Wednesday and Fridays 🙈 they have relentless energy and I find I need to eat to keep up.

I'm doing better than I was though, the youngest is bit older now (2) but whenever I tried to fast since his birth I just couldn't manage the fasts.

So just trying to find a routine that works now!

Anyways, today MUST happen. Dh is out for dinner so as long as my willpower doesn't let me down I should manage

@needtogetfit21 here's what I found in the don tolman book about Fibromyalgia.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Not sure if I can fast today. Not feeling well so need alot of hot drinks today. Might end up being a mini fast? Not sure yet, will see how the day pans out.

@Beautiful3 thanks for sharing that!

Oh no hope you feel better soon. Well I never really managed a full fast the last few days despite trying so it was more like a 2 or 3 mini fasts...

At the gym just now and tomorrow I'm
Getting the Covid booster and flu jab. Not going to be too hard on myself and focus on eating nutritious food today and tomorrow. Hoping to either make these mini's or fast Wednesday (if I feel ok) or / and Friday. Going to a party Saturday night but I'll fast until the evening (dinner will be served).

Basically no clear cut fast days this week but that's ok. It's a way of life right.

Well done going to the gym today @needtogetfit21. Hope you don't feel ill after your jabs. Yes agree with you, a couple of minis are still good. Nutritious food sounds good and wholesome right now. I'm going to have chicken soup today. Enjoy your week.

Thanks and you @Beautiful3

Hi chaps. Skidding in late for the beginning of the week register - busy day yesterday which meant my FD went with a swing, ending on 630. On track for b2b today, should be finishing around the same I think all being well... also busy today which helps! Going to try and mini tomorrow, have it planned for about 1000. Then weekend is my own!

Well done @harriethoyle. I've got a stinking cold (not corona). I've had numerous hot drinks today. Today should end on 687 if I eat a home made cookie later.

Hot water, honey and lemon (with a tot of whisky if they was inclined) @Beautiful3

Kitchen closed on 642. Watching trashy tv and drinking lime and soda until bedtime!

Well done @harriethoyle. I'm not a fan of honey, makes me feel sick! Today's ended on 670.

Dropped off the thread and WOE in April when I had hip surgery so I’m baaaaaaaaaaack ready to re-lose the same old 10lbs

Thursday Fast planned - anyone else in?

Welcome back @KobaniDaughters! Hope your surgery was successful. Good luck today!

FD for me today, picked up a cottage pie mini meal in m&s to have for dinner with carrots and runner beans, it was more filling than I expected so pleased with that. Probably finishing the day on roughly 550/600

Well it’s only 6:30pm and I’ve had all I am going to have today and am hungry - not a great sign!! Will try to keep going on tea knowing it will likely mean getting up all night to wee but I want to do it because I’m going to a new vegan bakery with a friend in the morning!

L: hummus, kimchi and lettuce, cup of miso mushroom soup
D: Mexican cauliflower rice with lentils

520kcals

Well done @fudgecat and @KobaniDaughters! I've been making a concerted effort to skip breakfast on NFDs (apart from wedding morning immediately after b2bs!) and I'm definitely feeling trimmer for it. I don't always manage it at the weekends though...!

Happy Friday fasters. Already looking forward to tonight's glass of red wine 🍷