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!

Although I was reluctant this morning, I’m in the zone now harriet. Well done for getting back on it so quickly after your hols. A week’s holiday usually turns into a month off for me!

How are you getting on @Solderingon? @fudgecat? Anyone else fasting?

Didn’t have time to feel hungry today. Had to cover a lesson in my lunch hour, which definitely helped my FD, but I’m home now feeling drained. My throat is sore from having to raise my voice through a mask all day. So glad I have a day off tomorrow!

I’ve still to taxi the kids to their activities, so won’t be having dinner til later.

Doing ok @MazzleDazzle got a m&s mini shepherds pie and veg for dinner, really fancy chocolate tho...

@MazzleDazzle that sounds like you're doing brilliantly. @fudgecat mini Shepard's pie sounds lush. I'm about to go and cook poached eggs. Two eggs on two slices of wholemeal with a cup of tea and that's me done at 513.

Kitchen closing here on 498 although I might have a cup of tea in a bit (skimmed milk so shouldn't be many cals...). Was ravenous at 5pm so made a huge chickpea curry which I ate with broccoli. Lots of calorie bang for the buck!

Also went food shopping so no more sad apples @Solderingon 😂

Soup for lunch tomorrow I think and probably fishcakes and broc for dinner. Aiming to do my first Jillian Michael's workout tomorrow morning too - wish me luck!

That reminds me harriet - I’ve signed up to a workout challenge to raise money for charity. Today is day 1 and I forgot all about it!

Kitchen closed. Now off to do my workout!

Well done the Monday fasters
I was kitchen closed on about 550. Didn't mean to be so low but was on zoom all afternoon so didn't have time to think about food.

Thanks for the welcome everyone ☺️

Well done to all the fasters, any tips for me tomorrow. Shall I just go for 500 or do people ease themselves back in? I'm thinking just aim for 500.

@MazzleDazzle I hope your move went well, a week in and I'm still cleaning furiously, absolutely disgusting state the house was left in 🤮

I'm under tdee by about 350cals but gonna 'bank' them for a couple of glasses of wine on Saturday. Do other people do this?

Sounds like today went brilliantly! Well done Monday Fasters

I’m aiming for tomorrow (Tuesday) and Thursday but might make it a b2b with Friday too or least make that a low calorie day

I’m also not drinking until Christmas week now. I’m wrecked and fat and I need to give my body a break

So I've not been around as my two pre school dc tested positive for Covid. Was convinced I had it too as I felt very unwell for a few days but tested negative.. they are on day 7 now so hoping I've escaped it.

The eating has been horrendous. TakeaWays and lots of fizzy, chocolate basically the worst of the worst.

I've probably put on the lbs that I lost! So here I am again.

Read the recent thread 'why are you not obese' it was interesting..

Well done @absolutelyknackeredcow!

That’s what a lot of fasters do @heregoes74. Although I feel like a bit of a hypocrite giving out advice when I’ve put on so much weight! I lost 2 and a half stone years ago, and kept it off, so I was a fasting pro. Well done for even contemplating fasting when you’ve so recently moved!

Had a quick flick through that thread just now @needtogetfit21. So interesting to hear other people’s insights. I too am pretty much back to where I started.

Day 2 of b2b for me. I have workmen in the house at the moment. The whole house has been turned outside down and my washing machine’s on the blink! Need to restore some sort of order and get a food shop in.

I'm also on day 2 of a b2b today @MazzleDazzle. Funnily enough it feels easier than yesterday's. Did a Jillian Michaels workout first thing which was short but brutal...!! Just had lentil soup, currently on 290 with 500 to play with for tonight, although going to try and spend less than that.

@heregoes74 Hope your day 1 is going well!
@needtogetfit21 that thread is really interesting. It seems like there are quite a lot of people who are just always a little bit hungry. But I really liked the bit about how we only overeat carbs. Nobody binges on eggs or chicken and vegetables.
Has anyone else listened to the "a thorough examination" podcast with the twin doctors about ultra processed food?

Day 2 of a b2b here - just tried a cup of miso soup for lunch, which was surprisingly nice. I've got a sweet potato groundnut stew for dinner this evening which should bring me in under 600.

[quote Solderingon]@heregoes74 Hope your day 1 is going well!
@needtogetfit21 that thread is really interesting. It seems like there are quite a lot of people who are just always a little bit hungry. But I really liked the bit about how we only overeat carbs. Nobody binges on eggs or chicken and vegetables.
Has anyone else listened to the "a thorough examination" podcast with the twin doctors about ultra processed food?

Day 2 of a b2b here - just tried a cup of miso soup for lunch, which was surprisingly nice. I've got a sweet potato groundnut stew for dinner this evening which should bring me in under 600. [/quote]
Oo I'll check that podcast out thanks!

Yes and actually I always feel better when I leave a bit of space and get the hunger pangs..

I agree @needtogetfit21 - we went all inclusive for the half term break and my husband turned to me half way through and said "I miss feeling hungry"...!! I think that probably says more about our overindulgence though! I am REALLY bad at eating because it's breakfast time rather than because I am actually hungry. It's a hard habit to break...

@harriethoyle I’m like that about dinner! If it weren’t for the kids at home I think I’d happily have my main meal in the middle of the day and just a snack whenever I get hungry in the evening but I love cooking for the family and us all sitting down together

FD for me today. I’m going to do 3 this week. It’s TOTM and I’ve found i bloat so easily and become so uncomfortable it’s a double whammy of goodness to keep my calorie intake in check

It is thanks @Solderingon
Had salad with cottage cheese and 2 satsumas for lunch, gonna have soup and maybe some more satsumas for dinner. My belly is rumbling slightly but I'm trying to embrace the feeling 😁 I understand what your dh means @harriethoyle

Hope everyone else is having a good day

Smashed day 2 of b2b!

Had coffee and water through the day, with a cheeky can of Diet Pepsi to get me through the mid-afternoon slump, and a mushroom omelette for dinner. It was cracking!

Hopefully the scales will be kind to me tomorrow.

Kitchen closed on 729 which gives 1227 for both days. Happy enough with that!

Well done @MazzleDazzle @heregoes74 @KobaniDaughters and @Solderingon - lots of FDs today so let's hope the scales are kind tomorrow! 🤞

Well done @harriethoyle and @MazzleDazzle

Kitchen closed here on 495, it was awful watching bake off, my belly was rumbling 🤣

Looking forward to breakfast. Good luck anyone fasting tomorrow

YES @heregoes74 Bake Off was bloody torture!

Gosh everyone is off to such a good start. It’s only 4:45pm here, I am pretty bloody hungry having had vegan gumbo for lunch and a massive bowl of lettuce and lemon juice to try to trick my tummy into feeling full, holding off until 6pm to eat and it should bring me in at 515

hope you managed @KobaniDaughters

Bloody scales are out of battery! No SV for me...! 😂

@heregoes74 I did! Thanks for asking - clearly inspired by all th early week successes here!

Hi all,

I am going to try 5:2 again.

I had amazing success with it about 7 years ago between my two pregnancies. I ate whatever I wanted on NFDs, literally anything, and a couple of stone just dropped off.

I tried it again a for a few months a couple of years ago and I really struggled. I didn't really lose anything. I didn't count on NFDs, I did count on NFDs, I lowered my calories on NFDs a bit too. Nothing seemed to help. The lack of progress often lead to fuck it days, which obviously didn't help!

This has continued in all attempts of losing weight. I just never seem to get anywhere, or if I do, it's so slow for the amount of effort I'm putting in. 2 or 3 pounds in a couple of months.

Anyway, I'm starting again tomorrow.

My TDEE is just over 2000 calories and I was considering lowering it, but I'm not going to. Im going to aim for 10000 total calories over the other 5 days, rather than 2000 each day. Does that sound ok?

Thanks :)