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!!

Kitchen closed on 518. My best FD in a while. Hope it’s reflected on scales tomorrow!

1lb off this morning from this time last week. Phew. It’s very slow but it is steady!

Well done Eek.

FD today for me. Starting the day with a herbal tea rather than proper cuppa. At a city-based music festival tonight so plan is to have tea, hit the diet cokes all evening and go straight to bed avoiding the kitchen when I get home.

I'm usually a daily weigher but this time I'm not going to weigh for the first month and just trust the process. 🤞🤞🤞

Didn't do very well yesterday, kitchen closed to around 1,000. Due to starting my period, I needed chocolate!!! Not sure how today is going to pan out either. Perhaps mini fasts will be just as effective for this week. Then just can go back to it properly next week. We will see!

@CheshireSplat that’s a good approach! I am a daily weigher, too. I haven’t seen dramatic loss but I have had steady loss (I’m on FD2 in week 5) of 1lb a week or so. What seems to happen is I that I register a loss after every 2nd fast day. For example, I currently weigh the same as I did before my FD on Monday. I expect to see results Saturday. It affects my motivation to see no changes but I find it hugely challenging not to jump on the scales all the time. I’m a bit of a geek!

Checking in quickly for FD2; finished off Tuesday’s on about 520. Good luck to fellow fasters, and can see some lovely SVs in the thread, congrats!

morning! I’m week 2 into 5:2. I have quite a lot of weight to lose (ideally 5 stone). I’m managing to stick to the 500 kcals on fast days quite easily at the minute and I actually sleep better and feel better the days I am fasting. Has anyone done 4:3 instead of 5:2 to speed up weight loss? I haven’t weighed myself but I already feel better and have lost a little weight from my face. Also I do like my wine, I obviously wouldn’t drink if fasting days but has anyone still managed to have a weekly drink and and still lose? Sorry for all the questions!

Morning all

The last couple of days travel have been as exhausting as expected. Only one crap meal though so hopefully not too much damage.

Attempting a FD today but haven't planned ahead with food so a bit nervous to wing it. If needed I will postpone to tomorrow but 🤞🏻

Hi Idon'tknow I'm on week 2 as well.

I've done 4:3 in the past but I didn't lose weight, I obviously ate far too much on the 4 days and I think it led to me eating more when I stopped 5:2. But everyone is different.

I found my FD yesterday really hard. Was nearer 700 calories. So of my 4 FDs so far I've done one under 500 and all the others have been around 700. I was also so sleepy, falling asleep at computer after lunch and had a snooze in the car when my daughter was at dancing.

Weirdly though, as I nearly cracked and gave up in the evening, I haven't eaten anything today yet. But I had had 4 cups of tea and one coffee before 10am!!

@idontknow1001 i quite often do 4:3 after a holiday to get the weight off quickly. I don’t find it too bad at all. Booze wise omit alcohol to Friday and Saturday. A) it’s full of empty calories b) it slows your metabolism.

I've found it too difficult, fasting on my period this week. I've done 3 mini fasts of around 1,000 calories. Going to reschedule the proper fasts for next week. Well done to everyone who fasted this week 💪 👏

Well, I got a result that I wanted (that’s an interim short term result not final goal weight). I’m at my lowest weight for 2 years. This weight is my stumbling block, my self sabotaging zone so 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼 I manage week 6 next week. It feels like a hurdle. If I lose another 2lbs, I’ll be my lowest weight since December 2018 and 7kgs away from goal weight.

Fabulous @SmellyMe use conquering this stumbling block as your motivation! Planning is the key for me…

Well done @SmellyMeand you’ve got this!
Checking in for FD1 of a b2b after a weekend of parties.

Morning all. Checking in next to Eek for a FD but not b2b. WK 3 for me. Getting very tempted to weigh myself as I think I might be disappointed, waiting for a month as I'm not eating so well on the NFDs but I'm going to hang in there...

Morning @eekwhatnow @CheshireSplat I’m joining you in a FD as no gym today. Tuna salad for lunch and fishcake for tea!

Also on a FD. Week 6 for me. Got a do on Friday so I’d like to get 2lbs off this week so I am going to be extra good on my NFDs (I hope). I’m hoping I can look less like toothpaste getting back into the tube 😂

Kitchen closing on 643 - tiny bit higher than planned because of a rogue piece of baklava that fell into my mouth 😬

Mini tomorrow and a PT session 💪🏻

Good luck on your NFDs Smelly, you'll look fabulous.

Kitchen closed for me too on 565 which I'm very pleased with. Didn't repeat my cottage cheese mistake of last week. Had a massive salad with avocado for lunch which worked much better.

It's much easier when it's hot though!

Kitchen closing on 652. Bit higher than I wanted because I am weak! Was planning another one tomorrow but not sure now as I’m at a gig tomorrow night. Then Wednesday (my normal FD) I’m out for dinner in London with friends. I could fast on Thursday but I’m used to that being my treat / glass of wine day to celebrate getting through the boring bit of the week.
What a list of excuses! 😆

I find the eating easier @CheshireSplat but I do also want to drink lovely chilled alcoholic beverages more 🤣

Kitchen closed on 491 tonight! I’m very pleased. I was sufficiently distracted at work that I didn’t eat until around 1130 but my tummy was rumbling all the way home. I managed to make the kids’ dinner without eating any and then made mine.

@eekwhatnow thats what I like about this WOE (way of eating is that right?). You can shift the day you do it. My DH was all in a tizz because he had a work thing on and I said, ‘just do it tomorrow.’ Duh! I don’t think I could do a back to back or front load the week. For me, Mon/Thurs works well as they are spaced out and I have lots of time to be normal. Thursday used to be a bit of a treat now but we’ve all got stuff on so Wednesday night is pizza usually and I’m nice and full before fasting next day.

fingers crossed @CheshireSplat !

@SmellyMeyou are right and I think it would do me good to be a bit more flexible in my days too, so am shifting the FD to Thursday this week. But might aim for a mini today and maybe Wednesday too.

Realised PT isn’t until later (had been 8am) so am going to push through and see if I can do a form of b2b with a mini as plan B…

New discovery I need to share with you all! Smoked salmon omelette - I love it in scrambled eggs but never thought of doing an omelette until today. 9g of butter to cook a spring onion off lightly, 60g smoked salmon, three medium eggs. Absolutely cracking, high protein lunch for 353 calories and it feels so treaty!