5:2 thread 98: If you're looking for Fast love... some Fast love is all that I've got on my mind! (Gotta get up to get down)

[harriethoyle]

Welcome to the continuing thread for those following 5:2 or other forms of IF (Intermittent Fasting) such as 4:3, ADF, etc.

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.

Jump in and say hello!

@LoisLane23 I tend to lose weight (maybe one or two pounds a week) in the first half of my cycle. Then maintain or even gain for second half and then have a larger loss (maybe 3 or 4 pounds) once my period is over.

I find it useful to plot it on a graph in Excel so I can see the downward trend and don't get disheartened. MyFitnessPal will also make a graph for you if you put your weigh in in there.

@LoisLane23 I've also plataued majorly and then had a downward whoosh in my time!

It might also be helpful for you to track a week of non FDs - you might find you're way overcompensating to treat yourself on NFD and it will just need a bit of evening out until you're at goal. Also track strictly on FDs - don't guestimate, weight everything etc. Anyone who has ever guessed a pasta portion and then actually weighed it knows how easy it is to overserve yourself!

Thanks all.. I exercise as much as I used to, and am fairly good on non FD, (obv half term and jubilees were not helpful), but you are right might be good to keep on track on those days too and under a calorie count. At least its a loss not a gain. I have one stone exactly to lose, so it also might be coming off a bit slower anyway. Fasting today, its so hot that at least it means I am drinking lots of water and trying not to think about ice lollies.

@harriethoyle I was amazed that she didn't want them, but turns out she preferred milk and a jam tart - she does have more of a sweet tooth.

Day 2 of b2b for me - had a black coffee with half a tsp of sugar (8 cals) which definitely improved the taste, but not sure if it negates the whole "coffee as appetite suppressant" thing. The IF Facebook group I belong to gets very het up about dirty fasting and insulin triggers if you drink anything other than pure black coffee.

DP is making noises about going for a late Wagamama lunch (we work in the same office) - I prefer to eat as late as possible on a FD but we rarely eat out, especially without children, so I'm scanning the menu for low-cal options and hoping I can hold out for the rest of the day.

Mini twisters are 40 something cals each for anyone fasting and sitting in the heat wishing for a cold treat.

Wow, I am in awe. I find it impossible to turn down free food and drink. Well done.

Having delicious lunch of raw salad veg + balsamic + 20g cheddar cheese. Danger for me tonight as I am cooking the DC's tea. DH is out so I think I'll eat at the same time as them. Normally we eat later so children's tea time is a disaster on a FD as I keep pinching bits when I cook. So planning my strategy.

I've been listening to "A thorough examination" on BBC Sounds. V good around ultra processed foods and addiction. There was a great quote that Xand knows he needs to improve his diet for his health but that is never the priority for today. I could relate to that.

I really enjoyed that series cheshire but good lord the volume-up noise of Xand mainlining crisps / takeaways made me want to switch off more than once. But the message was spot-on.

I listened to that too @CheshireSplat
Some interesting info and I know what you mean about the eating noises.

Hi everyone, thinking of joining you! I need to lose at least 4 stone after having my baby 8 months ago (I was too fat before that too!)

What have your losses been like?

Kitchen closed on 478. 2 FDs have been remarkably easy this week. I wonder if it's because I am still stuffed from the weekend. 😄

@Ivegottagoforaliedown I've only been doing this a month but have lost 4 or 5 pounds. In previous phases over the years I've lost half a stone but then stopped. I was eating too much on my NFDs. I have about a stone to lose to put this in context to get me down to a BMI of 25, but I only hit that weight once, when I'd starved myself for my wedding day because my dress didn't fit.

Welcome @Ivegottagoforaliedown ! This is a great way of life to slim down. Really flexible and if you crack the basics you'll see losses straight away. I've lost 21lbs and 2 more to be back at my target weight after 10 days on holiday in Italy.

1107 calories for today's NFD. Happy with that!

Kitchen closed at 530. Had the veg lunch and then a chicken breast with cucumber and a half portion hot chocolate. I will be going to bed as soon as I can, to make sure the contents of the fridge don’t come and get me.

I have a pain au chocolat in my sights for tomorrow’s breakfast.

Thank you! I'm hoping it's something I can stick to (for once!) I'm aware of the health benefits too so seems a good idea all round.

Kitchen closed on 579 (chicken tikka ready meal, couldn’t be bothered with actually cooking 🤣). 1270 across my b2b and four alcohol free days in a row, looking forward to a cold beer tomorrow evening though!

Argh, I'm doing so well on my fast days (I don't eat at all, and find this easier than eating a little) but not well at all on the non-fast days - it's like I'm cramming in what I have missed
Need to get a grip on this or I'm wasting my time fasting! Has anyone else had a problem with this?

Another 1.8 pounds down this morning and my BMI is below 28 for the first time in years! I'm so hungry though!

My appetite is out of control today. Does anyone else get this after a b2b?

@Badlifeday sounds like you're in a cycle of deprivation then binging which is tough. Sometimes if I have "treats" ie chocolate or crisps it makes me crave more so a bag of crisps with lunch on a NFD actually make it worse rather than sating the craving! Could you do what I, and a few others do, and do strict FD or tracking during the week and then let loose at the weekend? Honestly I don't track at all at the weekend and as long as I've done 2 FD and 2 minis/properly tracked NFD I lose. Tracking a couple of NFD might just make them feel easier to control.

Yes @KylieKoKo sometimes I'm RAVENOUS after FDs - make sure you're properly hydrated and fill up on things like veg or salad with meals so you're getting a lot of bulk to feel satsified.

That sounds like good advice, thank you. I think it keeps me in check if I can strictly do alternate days - but for the past few weeks I've had something at the weekend that has meant I could do one of Fri-Sun and so have had b2b eating days and that has not helped - fortunately that will calm down soon. I'm still 9lbs down on starting weight and it's been about 3 weeks so far.

@Badlifeday you can't be eating that many calories on your eating days if you're losing 3 pounds a week!

You'd think, but I lost the vast majority of it in the first week!
Although I'm sounding negative, I am actually feeling very good about my progress in that I haven't chucked in the towel after a week, and haven't had my biggest love, bars of chocolate, at all.

Kitchen closed at 550 tonight. It’s been an easy day because of the heat, I haven’t felt really hungry at all.

@Badlifeday I also have found the feast/famine thing hard to control. I definitely now try to be careful on non fast weekdays and have easier weekends, after taking @harriethoyle‘s advice. I find eating things like white bread and rice on a NF day always makes a fast day more difficult than if I eat low carbs. I eat smoked salmon and goats cheese with salad quite often on FDs and I’ve recently found it much easier if I cut them up into weighed portions and freeze them so I know what I’m eating if I eat them on non fast days too. And I’ve replaced chocolate (a big weakness) with those low cal no sugar sweets which satisfy my sweet tooth. That has really helped me. I don’t think I would have been able to do it otherwise. You are not alone in finding this difficult. We all struggle in various ways to get this balance right, I think…

Anyone any advice for how to manage holidays? We're going to Tenerife next weekend (Scottish summer holidays start!) and our hotel is b&b.

I've been doing 18:6 since January, but wondering if 5:2 or 4:3 would work - allow me to enjoy hotel breakfast every other day? And on fasting day just stick to a very light dinner?

Or is that too over optimistic? Any other suggestions?

We're away for 10 days and I really don't want to undo my hard won slow progress since January (22lb down).

rode I tend to fast on the flights/travel days (because I have three young kids and I'd stress-eat otherwise), and then not fast while there. A holiday is a break, after all. I do put on weight, but it's come back off easily enough.