5:2 thread 102: Faster than a speeding bullet!

[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!!

Well done Mrdarcy. Weigh day today and for a moment thought I’d lost a kilo, but was a a pound. Seems to be a steady at least pound a week. Am contenting myself with that is 4lbs now so all counts. Am on holiday next week so am going to have to be a bit careful.
good luck everyone.

Taken a break from fasting for the holidays, but need to get back on the wagon now. Definitely finding the weight comes on much easier in my mid-forties and takes more time to shift! This week I'm going to focus on eating to TDEE to remind myself what that feels/looks like, then start the fasting next week when I'm in the office three days - either three minis, or two FDs and a 16:8.

Checking in for a FD today - the good weather is helping. Going to just hold off and have nothing til this evening then a decent meal. Not quite certain if it’s the first of a B2B or if my 2nd will be on Thursday.

Kitchen closed at 550 - I’ll wake up tomorrow, skip breakfast and hopefully decide it’s day 2 B2B. Get it out of the way anyway. I’m definitely finding it easier to do 650 2 days in a row over 500 separately. 2 very small meals suits me better than one reasonably small one. Early bed essential though.

must try and weigh either tomorrow or Thursday morning and see how accurate. My very tight jeans are still tight but less. Wearable but only just. And I reckon I could lose a good 5 more pounds before thinking they look ‘good’.

Kitchen closed 40 calories over TDEE, not stressing about it. I did feel a bit hungry still after dinner but did some cleaning to take my mind off my stomach! I always feel like I have a lot of calories to play with and then get to 4pm and suddenly realise I have about 400 left to cover dinner 🙄

Hi all could I join been fasting for 9 months and lost 25 kgs or 55 pounds.

I am now stuck and my goal weight is 65kgs and I am stuck at 71 kgs. I need to join a group to push me further x

Hi Daisy, that weight loss is amazing, well done. Is a pain when you don’t have far to go and you get stuck, I’ve been there before! It will happen and little amounts make a difference. I use this thread to stay motivated and that has really motivated me this morning so welcome.

Plan was to do a b2b today and tomorrow but this wretched virus still has its claws in me and I've woken up feeling sick.

Think I have to leave the 5:2 hour on hold until I'm completely well.

Peed off....as I've got older, it seems to take waaaay longer to get better after an illness.

And welcome @Daisy155 you've done amazingly well!

Once I'm better, your loss will help to spur me on!

Morning gang - signing in for my paltry one FD of the week before jetting off for some sun and R and R on Saturday for a couple of weeks. Very tempted this morning to fall face first into a bagel but stoically resisted 😂I figure I'll give in to temptation enough when I'm on hols! Can't come soon enough, I am absolutely knackered and lacking in mojo....

I am gritting my teeth towards the end of the 2nd B2B. I intend to be in bed by 9 - just as well I was a little under yesterday as I’m teetering on being over today. 730 I think.

Looking forward to breakfast!

Well done @CrabPuff ! A B2B is so tough! Hope it pays dividends 🙏.

I am another pound down on last week - so 14st 7. It’s slow but sure. Worth it! It’s the morning after the last FD of the week that makes it worth it!

Forgot to check in last night - a pathetic 888 (although a pleasing number). I have totally lost my mojo!! Am hoping some time off and lots of reading in the sun will reset me when I'm back...

@CrabPuff well done 🙌🏻

Here's the six million dollar question....what can I replace chocolate and biscuits with that's healthy, low cal and equally as satisfying?

My meals are generally healthy....it's the bits in between that just aren't!!

@harriethoyle I’m sure there is a joke in there about three fat ladies, but I am NOT going to make it 🤣. Hope you have a lovely relaxing holiday and come back refreshed.

@MonkeyTennis34 my go-to is quark – 250g is 30g of protein and only 150 calories. It’s bland and tasteless of course, but you can add a bit of fruit or cheese to make it bearable. I sometimes add rosewater, which makes it taste like Turkish delight, and grate a tiny sliver of dark chocolate on top. I’ve also got some low-fat low-cal cocoa stuff, which you can add to the aforementioned quark, or use to make a hot chocolate with skimmed milk.

Hello all
I have just started the 5:2 way of life.

Age 53
Starting weight on Monday 11 st 12
BmI 24.6
Aiming to lose as much as I can before Xmas. Ideal target weight is 10st 5 or below.
FD yesterday of 500 cal. Struggled towards the end of the day but pushed on through! Also walked 15k steps.

Few questions for you all

I am a little confused about what to eat on NFDs and how many calories to target.
Do you limit yourselves to TDEE cals on NFD?
Do you have any recommendations for <500 cal meals for FD?

Thanks.

Sorry one more qu

Do you track cals religiously and if so how?

For cutting down chocolate and biscuits, I’ve had to stop buying them. I do a weekly food delivery instead and don’t add them - I usually get lured in buying petrol or if I have to do a top up shop - I have a VERY sweet tooth, and no willpower if it’s in the house. So jt has to not be in the house. I do like pineapple or melon or grapes (snore) though. Hot chocolate if desperate.

@Sagarmatha I chart my calories religiously on both FDs and NFDs...when I don't for the latter, it all goes belly up!

@CrabPuff
You're absolutely right re not buying the sweet stuff. Tricky with 3 teens in the house ...maybe I'll get them to hide it 😀

@MonkeyTennis34 how do you track and do you use tdee for nfd?

@Sagarmatha
There's an option on Nutracheck where you can follow the 5:2 (think you choose 500 or 800 for FDs) then it calculates your TDEE.
Mine is 1800!!

Sagarmatha - I don’t really count my calories on NFD but I’m outside a healthy weight so I think 5:2 is reliably good at getting the pounds off if you’re already fat. There was a tip here to eat to the TDEE of your goal weight on NFDs which seems a good one.

NFDs all fine here - not all that hungry which is good and back on it tomorrow - I think a B2B for Monday and Tuesday and poss a mini on Friday depending how I feel.

enjoy that holiday harriethoyle - back on it with a vengeance on your return!

Got back from holiday yesterday, did not attempt to track or do any fasting just enjoyed all the food and the wine. Weighed this morning, 1.6kg back on..
It was expected but still sad to see it go up! I don't want to do it where I have to restrict myself on holiday though so it's fine. Back on it this week! FD tomorrow.

morning all

Had a crappy food week (including Dominos) last week with zero FD, so as an expected result I have weighed in at 97.8kg today which is an increase of 0.6kg

Back to it with a Monday FD and the routine of school starting back will hopefully help me to get back to my usual routines!

so far so good, only a cup of tea at this point