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Fasting / 5:2 diet

Talk about intermittent fasting and 5:2, including what’s worked for others. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

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948 replies

Beachcomber74 · 08/05/2024 21:06

Day 1 of this adventure. I’ve got a headache but will soon be going to bed.
My eating window today was 8am-4pm. I’ve got so much to shift & hope I can keep this up. Anyone else want to join?

OP posts:
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greengreyblue · 01/10/2024 17:17

My back is a little better thank you- made it into work but feeling it now!
It’s a bit chilly and wet today and craving spicy, filling foods. Love the sound of that Itsu ramen idea.
17 hrs fast due to later dinner last night.
lunch: crunchy salad with cottage cheese and walnuts, a pear.
dinner: just making a chicken/ chorizo/ red pepper kinda stew with bulgar wheat.

greengreyblue · 01/10/2024 17:31

I chucked in a can of butter beans too as I only had a small amount of chicken. Just to continue the bean love!❤️

Cashew1 · 01/10/2024 18:11

Glad the back is getting a bit better @greengreyblue

20 hour fast and due to the late night bagel that meant I didn't eat until 6pm today and somehow it was easy? I am about 6 weeks into fasting so I guess I am more adjusted now

So far just soup and crackers but will have something else later or maybe go for omad if not hungry

Cashew1 · 01/10/2024 18:15

Love the sound of that stew, I am a vegetarian so could do two types of beans instead of chicken perhaps?

greengreyblue · 01/10/2024 18:56

Yes. I also added lots of smoked paprika and half a jar of jalepenios. Could use smoked firm tofu? I chargrilled some courgettes too. Was really tasty.

Cashew1 · 01/10/2024 19:10

Great suggestions, I like the sound of barley in a stew too. Have you got a recipe or just chuck it all in?

Cashew1 · 01/10/2024 19:21

Queencam · 01/10/2024 16:24

How's your back today @greengreyblue ?

I did a 19 hour fast. Thought about going to 24 hours but cracked during my lunch break. Was starting to think about food too much during meetings 😅

Had more bloody leftover lentil bean lasagne, then some grapes. Dinner tonight is prawn & veggie ramen with rice. I use the Itsu cartons from the supermarket - really rate the chicken one. And a nice pack of stir fry veg. Really good for a quick healthy dinner.

I really want to get to a 24 hour fast!

greengreyblue · 01/10/2024 19:22

No I just made it up!
Heated olive oil, added onion, garlic, chorizo, chicken. After a few minutes I added tomato purée, sundried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, smoked paprika, thyme and half a jar of jalapeños and a tin of butter beans, topped up with stock and simmered.
Jamie Oliver did a barley risotto I think.

Queencam · 01/10/2024 19:30

Mmmm that sounds great @greengreyblue - I am here for the autumn comfort food. Especially with beans, pulses and lentils! Glad your back is a bit better today.

@Cashew1 yes it definitely gets easier doesn’t it. I can’t believe I’ve been doing this since the start of June now. I can’t imagine not doing it now.

I even bothered doing boiled eggs in my ramen - although almost burned the house down leaving the pan on and going back to my laptop whoops 😂

Cashew1 · 02/10/2024 07:13

greengreyblue · 01/10/2024 19:22

No I just made it up!
Heated olive oil, added onion, garlic, chorizo, chicken. After a few minutes I added tomato purée, sundried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, smoked paprika, thyme and half a jar of jalapeños and a tin of butter beans, topped up with stock and simmered.
Jamie Oliver did a barley risotto I think.

Thank you! Now on my list 😁

Cashew1 · 02/10/2024 07:13

Queencam · 01/10/2024 19:30

Mmmm that sounds great @greengreyblue - I am here for the autumn comfort food. Especially with beans, pulses and lentils! Glad your back is a bit better today.

@Cashew1 yes it definitely gets easier doesn’t it. I can’t believe I’ve been doing this since the start of June now. I can’t imagine not doing it now.

I even bothered doing boiled eggs in my ramen - although almost burned the house down leaving the pan on and going back to my laptop whoops 😂

Did you make your own ramen? Impressive !!

GameOfJones · 02/10/2024 07:54

Glad you're feeling a bit better @greengreyblue.

I lost 1lb this week again so am finally back in the 13s (just at 13st 13lbs) but considering I started at over 15st I'm really pleased.

Mussels with baguette tonight for dinner which I'm introducing DDs to. Not sure they'll go for it in which case it will be baguette with cheese for them 🤣.

I also had a much shorter (3 hour) eating window yesterday and ate my "dinner" at 3.30pm yesterday. I thought I'd really struggle all evening but felt absolutely fine as I kept busy and didn't even think about it. That's a revelation for me as I would previously have felt I had to eat simply because it was the evening. I've woken up this morning no hungrier than usual and am planning to go through til lunchtime. I considered pushing through until dinnertime to see if I can do more than 24hrs (my current record) but I've got a busy day at work so probably won't.

Cashew1 · 02/10/2024 08:03

GameOfJones · 02/10/2024 07:54

Glad you're feeling a bit better @greengreyblue.

I lost 1lb this week again so am finally back in the 13s (just at 13st 13lbs) but considering I started at over 15st I'm really pleased.

Mussels with baguette tonight for dinner which I'm introducing DDs to. Not sure they'll go for it in which case it will be baguette with cheese for them 🤣.

I also had a much shorter (3 hour) eating window yesterday and ate my "dinner" at 3.30pm yesterday. I thought I'd really struggle all evening but felt absolutely fine as I kept busy and didn't even think about it. That's a revelation for me as I would previously have felt I had to eat simply because it was the evening. I've woken up this morning no hungrier than usual and am planning to go through til lunchtime. I considered pushing through until dinnertime to see if I can do more than 24hrs (my current record) but I've got a busy day at work so probably won't.

Amazing, really impressive!

Queencam · 02/10/2024 08:08

Cashew1 · 02/10/2024 07:13

Did you make your own ramen? Impressive !!

No, I use the Itsu carton - the chicken flavour. I also use a pack of stir fry veg and a pack of brown microwave rice. Very little to no cooking…

greengreyblue · 02/10/2024 16:05

Well done @GameOfJones ! I love moules et baguette or frites so I’ll have theirs !
18 hr fast
lunch: I’m calling it a poke bowl but really it was a Tupperware of leftover bulgur wheat, boiled egg, salad of radish, avocado and grated carrot and cottage cheese. A n apple.

dinner: pasta tonight with smoked tofu and leeks( adapting a Jamie recipe of smoked bacon and cabbage pasta)

My back is a little better again today so hoping to be walking the dog tonight.

Cashew1 · 02/10/2024 17:50

18 hour fast

Udon bowl with tempura courgette
Two chocolate rice cakes
Dinner will be paneer and lentil soup with bread

Hoping the scales show some progress tomorrow! Going for Thursday weigh-ins I think

Cashew1 · 03/10/2024 08:15

A maintain this week. A bit disappointed but my fat percentage has gone down (I have scales which record it) so that's still progress!

And I think this is a slow and steady thing with fasting.

Anyone else weighing today?

Queencam · 03/10/2024 13:35

It really is slow @Cashew1 ! It's annoying as most stuff I listen to they all say the weight just falls off etc. I guess as long as it goes slowly in the right direction then I'm happy.

Will aim for a weight in tomorrow.

Have found that Dr Mindy Peltz book Fast Like A Girl is on Spotify as an audio book so am listening to that. The first few chapters are v boring and basically just slag off regular diets and wang on about why they are terrible. Takes a while for her to get onto fasting and why its so good.

18 hour fast done here. Feel particularly good about it as I ate a heap of shit at my parents house yesterday evening - pizza, trifle, jelly sweets. Listening to Peltz harp on about sugar storage was NOT what I needed to hear after scoffing all that 😂

greengreyblue · 03/10/2024 16:08

18 hr fast
lunch: cottage cheese and chickpea salad, an apple

SNACK ALERT! I was flagging after work- just a very demanding class, so I’ve just had a rice cake with peanut butter and a cup of regular tea.

dinner: will be a turkey streak with a sweetcorn salsa and a small baked potato.

Weigh day for me tomorrow. I don’t feel lighter but I have caught my reflection a few times and can notice a slimmer silhouette and autumn clothes are a little looser.
I listened to a podcast about the body adjusting to new ways of eating. Think it was Dr Fung. He said your body will be trying to drag your weight back up to your old weight when you eat a lot less. Then if you hold strong it will realise this is the new regime and let it go. This is why the length of time you are overweight for matters. Your body registers the weight and tries to maintain it. If it’s a short term gain it is easier to lose.

Cashew1 · 03/10/2024 17:31

18 hour fast

Whatever was in the fridge salad for lunch
Jacket potato and beans will be dinner with more salad
Also a snack of a rice cake, @greengreyblue are we living the same culinary life?!

Yes I wish it was a bit faster on the weight loss but making my peace with it as I am in the healthy weight range

greengreyblue · 04/10/2024 07:15

Weigh day! 🎉
I’m at my first target finally.
SW: 10st 6 late June
CW: 9st 10
Revised TW: 9st 7 /bmi 22
Pleased as I’ve barely done any steps this week because of my back. Last couple of nights it’s been a short walk holding on to DH. Now I’m at target I said I’d review as I suspected 9st 7 is where I want to be and I can see that will be a good weight for me and get back to what I used to do which was when I got to 9st 10, take steps to get back down.

GameOfJones · 04/10/2024 07:51

Well done @greengreyblue! And @Cashew1 my weight loss is also slow. And I have loads to lose so I did hope it would come off me quicker. But it is definitely going down over time and I feel so good when intermittent fasting that I want to keep doing it long term so hopefully over time I'll get to where I want to be. I'm not even sure what weight that is to be honest. I've always been overweight since being a teenager. I was 11st when I was 16, 12st when I got married and got up to over 15st post children. For now I'm just focusing on each milestone so getting into the 13s has been a boost.

Two long fasts for me in a row this week because work was so busy, I was working between different sites so driving over lunchtime. One of 26 hours (my new record) and one fast of 23 hours. I felt fine! But going out for brunch with a friend today so will be a much shorter fast. I really like that it is so flexible I can mix it up a bit.

IdLikeToBeAFraser · 04/10/2024 10:35

@GameOfJones I think we are similar in how it feels, the speed and how much we need to lose. It is slow - and I'm a little despondent that in this cycle I seem to have lost very little at less than 1kg - but I do feel better and it does feel like a sustainable long-term lifestyle change so I'm just sticking with it.

Also, the first two months there were clearly similarities in terms of hormones impacting things but that seems to have shifted this month which might explain the lower loss BUT, and it's too early to tell, it does also feel like I might be moving into less weird fluctuations and weight gain according to time of the month. I'll see over the next few weeks. Certainly, I had all my usual PMS/hormone symptoms this month... but at weird times and in weird ways and I'm now on day 2 of my period, which came unexpectedly slightly early, and appear to be only slightly bloated and so far I've not seen the weight balloon. I really really must go listen to those podcasts about IF and hormones! Grin

Without a doubt though, if I walk every day, it has more of an effect on both the scales and how I feel, than if I don't, no matter what I eat during my window. I think that's part of the insulin resistance issue.

To use a bit of an overused term, it does feel like a very mindful way to eat/diet doesn't it?

Queencam · 04/10/2024 12:31

greengreyblue · 04/10/2024 07:15

Weigh day! 🎉
I’m at my first target finally.
SW: 10st 6 late June
CW: 9st 10
Revised TW: 9st 7 /bmi 22
Pleased as I’ve barely done any steps this week because of my back. Last couple of nights it’s been a short walk holding on to DH. Now I’m at target I said I’d review as I suspected 9st 7 is where I want to be and I can see that will be a good weight for me and get back to what I used to do which was when I got to 9st 10, take steps to get back down.

Amazing! Well done 👌🏼👌🏼

Queencam · 04/10/2024 12:35

IdLikeToBeAFraser · 04/10/2024 10:35

@GameOfJones I think we are similar in how it feels, the speed and how much we need to lose. It is slow - and I'm a little despondent that in this cycle I seem to have lost very little at less than 1kg - but I do feel better and it does feel like a sustainable long-term lifestyle change so I'm just sticking with it.

Also, the first two months there were clearly similarities in terms of hormones impacting things but that seems to have shifted this month which might explain the lower loss BUT, and it's too early to tell, it does also feel like I might be moving into less weird fluctuations and weight gain according to time of the month. I'll see over the next few weeks. Certainly, I had all my usual PMS/hormone symptoms this month... but at weird times and in weird ways and I'm now on day 2 of my period, which came unexpectedly slightly early, and appear to be only slightly bloated and so far I've not seen the weight balloon. I really really must go listen to those podcasts about IF and hormones! Grin

Without a doubt though, if I walk every day, it has more of an effect on both the scales and how I feel, than if I don't, no matter what I eat during my window. I think that's part of the insulin resistance issue.

To use a bit of an overused term, it does feel like a very mindful way to eat/diet doesn't it?

Yes absolutely agreed on the mindful bit.

re fasting and menstrual cycle - I’ll share anything I can summarise easily when that part comes up on the Peltz audio book. I have a feeling it’s going to be lengthy though, she doesn’t half wang on.

Been fasting four months now and my PMS symptoms are definitely improved. Also my energy levels.

That said, am not fasting today. Went out for work drinks last night and went to bed late and drunk. Couldn’t face fasting on a hangover.