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!

Still rescued @harriethoyle - well done.
Remarkably easy for me today with kitchen closed about 490. Have the pancake batter made for tomorrow already.

This thread has been wonderful this year - thanks everyone. Wishing you all a Covid free Xmas with the people you love.

Back on it on the 3/4th January
My 2022 plan is

1. Lose Xmas weight
2. Maintain at target weight - need to work out how best to do this
3. Tone up - have made a massive start on this this year and I'm really proud but would love to go step further!

See you on the other side b

Merry Christmas @absolutelyknackeredcow!

You too @harriethoyle

Hello all 👋

FD here today - I even did the Xmas food shop and still managed so I'm quite proud.

Might do another on Wednesday - see how being stuck in with DC this close to Xmas goes. But I'm going to have a stollen bite with my morning coffee tomorrow.

Well done to everyone finishing the year on a success! Thanks for the support and accountability.
Im slowly inching my way down the scale. But the FD's are much easier so will definitely pick right back up in Jan.

Well done @Solderingon !!!!
Sounds like an excellent brief

Not brief - fast day

Well done @Solderingon - see you in the New Year!

Plans for today's mini already abandoned... didn't get to sleep until after 1am and been awake since 5am so I've had a coffee and a couple of shortbread fingers and am getting on with some work!

Happy Christmas everyone. See you in 2022!

I'm now taking my two+ week Christmas break from 5:2. Will be back here again sometime in early January.
Have a lovely Christmas and New Year everyone and see you in 2022.

Merry Christmas @EatYourFive - see you in 2022!

@absolutelyknackeredcow I thought you were just suggesting my post was very professional and worthy of being called a brief. Was flattered.

Todays FD has been very unenthusiastic. I have had an extra half a crumpet and have had to compensate by losing some dinner. And I am quite sad I cannot have mulled wine or chocolate. But all the same it is a FD!
Merry Christmas!

Morning all - Happy New Year all. Just done my first weigh in of the year and I'm half a stone up. Fucking hell why do I do it to myself !
Attempting to do my first b2b - Hoping to lose a bit of water at least

Hi @absolutelyknackeredcow - happy new year! I'm doing b2b tomorrow and Thursday. Dreading getting on the scales, not least because today's lunch has been lasagne using up all the leftover cheese... so ooozy and delicious but must be c.1000 calories per serving

That was me yesterday! Enjoy

Happy new year!
I haven't found the courage to weigh myself yet, pretty sure after two weeks of daily chocolate and wine it's gonna be pretty bad. Kids are not back to school until Wednesday so will be back in the game from then onwards, will be doing b2b Wednesday and Thursday this week, and then again Monday and Tuesday next week. Off wine now for a couple of weeks at least as of yesterday.

Happy new year @EatYourFive !
Yes it's the wine and chocolate that do it for me too. Only Friday, Saturday and Sunday drinking until end of January and only if within my TDEE. ..
I closed on 570 on day 1 on my b2b - I feel better already

Same @EatYourFive. I'm having a last evening of wine tonight then back to usual weekend only drinking...

2.5lbs down this am - that feels good

3kgs on over the last two weeks! 😱😱😱 Good thing I'm back on the wagon today... work out planned for lunchtime and meals planned for today and tomorrow so hopefully it will come off as quickly as it's gone on

It's so frustrating isn't it @harriethoyle
My TOTM has also now started and I think that was just adding to the sense of bloat

TBF @absolutelyknackeredcow I think I've earned every single gram... we did not hold back over Christmas and New Year! Supposed to be skiing next week (which I am doubtful about) so I can't get a good run at fasting but on the plus side, if I do a b2b this week a kilo should come off and then, if we get away, at least we're active there... Should be back to pre-Christmas by Feb with a following wind!

Hello! Can I join please! I started 5:2 around 14th December at 13 stone 9lb. I did this diet many years ago and found it relatively straightforward for me, then for some reason I stopped. Now I'm 2 kids later and the heaviest I've ever been in my life (not pregnant). I'm turning 40 at the end of October and had an idea in the back of my head that losing 40lb by 40 was a nice idea So I'm hoping if I say that out loud I might stick to it! I've kept going over Christmas but have definitely overindulged on my eating days so am currently sitting at 13st 5lb. Hoping to get under that 13st mark by the end of the month

Welcome @Emmsyg the more the merrier! That's excellent to be lighter post Christmas than pre. You'll have no issue getting into the 12's by February!

@emmsyg Welcome - I also did similar for My 40th! I felt amazing
I now pretty much maintain on 5:2 .. once I have lost my Christmas weight

Ah thank you both for the welcome, it's so great to hear about people losing weight and maintaining it on 5:2. I've been fasting today and really welcoming the feeling of being a bit hungry after all the Christmas eating! I find fasting at work so much easier than being at home with the kids. We always have dinner really late, and then I just eat, eat, eat until bedtime, so I find it really helps me to notice that I'm doing that on non fasting days! I also had gestational diabetes this pregnancy (diet controlled) so I really don't want that to slip into type 2 (1 year on and no issues though so hopefully all good, and the fasting will improve it even more). I'm also a keen runner but have wrecked my knee by overdoing it a couple of months ago, so now am really struggling to find any exercise that doesn't make it worse. Hopefully a bit of weight off the knee will be a big help!

I have a long standing hip issue which is loads less painful when I'm lighter.
Kitchen closed 560 on day 2 of b2b. Breakfast made and ready for me already 😂