5:2 thread 103: life is short. Fasting makes it feel longer 🤣

[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, tel:850-1000 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!!

Thank you….

Thanks @harriethoyle checking in on new thread 😀

I agree that walking feels good on a FD @OohMrDarcy - I’m consciously trying to increase my steps (although I only have a pedometer on my phone not a smart watch) and my mood is definitely improved with regular exercise.

Thank you!

Morning all

Have decided against the b2b kinda - going for a mini today and again on Friday. Got a mental busy week including travelling for work so I'm planning my energy levels and worried that doing a b2b today might cause a problem tomorrow when I have a 4hr drive.

I'm also consciously improving my steps @harriethoyle I do my longer walks at the weekend fine but not consistent with getting out the rest of the time and with a desk based job it's easy to do next to nothing if I'm busy.

I think we’re twins @OohMrDarcy - I’m SO sedentary. It’s one of the reasons I signed up for this gym programme, to force some exercise into my life. It’ll be easier now the evenings are lighter though, any days I get home and have done nothing but sit on my bum, I can take the dog out!

I'm interested in going from daily 17:7 to weekly 5:2, I'm reading a book about it and I think it could really help me if I have the discipline. Thank you for all the abbreviations and what they mean! It would be nice to encourage each other here.

You’re very welcome @SilverScales - just make sure you plan your FDs and don’t go crazy on NFD, planning is the key!

Kitchen closing on 979. I absolutely cannot do day two of a b2b on a PT day 🥲 so I’ll just have to make Tuesdays minis when I’m training. I’ll do a proper FD Thursday I think.

Checking in for a second FD after a decent NFD yesterday.

Thank you for the new thread Harriet - just place holding for now. The last few weeks have been stressful as DH was in hospital. Thankfully he is back home and much better now. My weight hasn't really changed, as it's been a combination of not eating due to worry, and just grabbing any old thing!

Anyway, I'm now re-starting the planned Glow Up.

Came in at 580 today and pleased. Now if I can just not mess it all up over the next four days...
@TeaRose29 really hope your DH is OK. It's very very hard to look after yourself in these situations.

Sorry to hear that @TeaRose29 - hope he is on the mend now and things aren’t too stressful.

@eekwhatnow that’s an excellent FD! I’m aiming for a mini today but I’ve got a long lunch booked in with a girlfriend tomorrow so all bets are off. I’ll try and be virtuous on Saturday to undo the damage 🤣

Mini achieved at 995. Happy with that!

Giving blood today so I can’t fast properly in case I faint. Hopefully will fast tomorrow.

Had a bit of a carb attack yesterday on a planned mini, but I think still came in around 1100 cals. On the NSV front a laundry crisis means I have run out of pants and today I had to resort to the spare pair in my work bag. These are a size 12 as opposed to my usual 14 and I was a bit dubious, but they have gone on fine and I can't feel any digging in or discomfort, so I'll take that for a win.

Hi everyone, I’ve been doing 4:3 for the last 3 weeks after realising I needed something drastic to claw back the weight I’ve been slowly gaining over the last year or so. I lost 10kg six years ago on WW and until middle of 2023 I’d been relatively diligent keeping it off but a stressful house move and newfound requirement to be away from home for a couple of days each week for work has made it really hard to stay on track. I’m 58 next week and about 161 cm (about 5’3”).

I have tried both 5:2 and 16:8 in the past - on 5:2 I plateaued after a time and couldn’t get past it and 16:8 just didn’t work at all for me. I think given my lifestyle I need days where I don’t worry at all about what I eat/drink and I can balance that with days where I eat extremely little. I think those two plans are fine if you’re taller and/or have more to lose than I do. In order to make those plans work for me I would have to be much more careful in my non-fasting time than I would like (not that I want to go crazy every NFD but I don’t want to expend the mental energy of tracking Every.Single.Day. That was one of the really off-putting things about WW for me after a while.)

I haven’t weighed myself since I started this WOE but I can see changes in my face and feel my jeans are looser. I will weigh myself soon but at the moment I’m feeling good about this.

DH says he supports me working on my health but he still finds it bloody inconvenient when I’m “dieting”, so confining the “dieting” as much as possible to when I’m not at home saves me some eye rolls, plus when I’m away it’s not much fun to eat alone in any event.

On my FDs I confine myself to a single meal, usually lunch though sometimes I do dinner instead. I don’t count the calories - again, I hate counting and tracking! - though I don’t get full and I don’t snack.

Looking forward to getting and giving support from and to everyone doing this WOE.

welcome @Mommybunny - we’re a friendly bunch so please join in!

I’ve done my gym class already today and off to take the pooch out. DSD has asked for a Chinese on Monday which is usually a FD 🙈 if we get one I think I’ll just order soup because that should be pretty low calorie… 😬

Congrats on the NSV @SydneyCarton. V satisfying!
Welcome @Mommybunny I feel your pain on the height front. I'm a similar height and it doesn't give you many calories to play with. Even the lovely doctor once said I was unfairly disadvantaged by it. I think it's very sensible that you've come up with a plan based around what's likely to work for you.

I am so impressed with your gym stuff, @harriethoyle . I used to run but can’t now (too many aches and pains) so I walk 10,000 steps a day on average, and I try to go swimming but have struggled to get into a routine with that. I’ve signed up for the BHF strong woman challenge (starts April 1st) as I think my body needs strengthening.

On a FD today and am trying to up the protein.

I’m genuinely enjoying it @Darker and thinking of it as an investment into my health for the next few decades too - so both short and long term gains!

Yesterday went well. Protein (salmon) then a plate of veg at the end and I was feeling very satisfied.

Breakfast today (porridge) was very welcome though.

I’m currently feeling very virtuous - in the airport lounge and have had veggie pasta bake, salad and only one piece of (absolutely fricking delicious) ginger cake. Sticking to Diet Coke only rather than wine. Polishing my halo as I type!! 🤣

Well done @harriethoyle and @Darker
I've not been amazing over the weekend, as per usual, but still hoping for a bit of a loss as had good start to the week.
I've got a week full of important meetings where I need to be super sharp so thinking I'll only manage 1 FD and aiming for 2-3 minis on top of that.

Monday weigh-in. A pound off. pleased with that because yesterday was most definitely not a fast day.

I’m going to make today as much of a fast day as I can despite being out for lunch for a work thing.

I’ve made sure all the delicious leftovers from yesterday’s feasting are secured.