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!!

Morning all,

Anyone with me today? We've just got back from a mini break and I am too frightened to get on the scales 😂Absolutely nothing planned this week or weekend though so back on the path of virtue. I am going to the gym on the way home tonight and FD today.

Hello 👋🏼 @harriethoyleI am with you. Welcome to newbies, too!!
July has been a write off with moving house and holidays. I seem to have gained just 2lbs so I’m quite happy with that. I managed NOT to have wine with my cheese in France which is an even greater achievement. ;-)

I’m back to work today and eager to pick up where I left off with the 5:2 WOE. Sadly, I am in the office-of-no-forks-in-the-kitchen and struggling to eat my smoked salmon salad with a spoon!!

FD2 will be Thursday and if I am lucky, gym on Sunday. I will probably end up decorating, though! Oh well! Good luck to everyone fasting this week.

How did you get on yesterday @SmellyMe ? I finished on 872 with a good weights session and some cardio. Off to the gym at 6pm today and hoping for a similar calorie intake. Depends on how hungry I am when I get back!

Hey @harriethoyle! I fasted. Kitchen closed on target. The scales are back to pre holiday weight already 🤩. Must have had some water retention or whatevs when I last stood on them. Very chuffed.
(ps all, not meaning to be smug about not drinking on hols… I pretty much have a drink problem and gave up in January. It’s been a journey and the reason I ended up on MN. I found a very supportive thread of ladies in the same boat). FD tomorrow, friends for dinner tonight and Friday. Trying to be 😇

Brilliant NSV and SV @SmellyMe!

I finished on 912 last night and going for another mini and a weights session after work. Also attempting to stay on the path of virtue!

Oh well done Smelly.
finished my fasts for the week and weighed and a pound off which I am pleased with since I stayed the same last week. I am only having small losses but they are adding up and starting to look better and clothes fitting again. Am not finding it too hard and dare I say it enjoying it.
Good luck everyone.

Well done @Lucylurker

I am back to my pre-mini break weight which I am delighted by. Going to be relatively virtuous this weekend and early next week to try and capitalise.

Cheers @Lucylurker ! Well done on the loss. Every bit is a win. I’ve averaged 1lb a week.

i fasted today, sort of. I didn’t count my calories for dinner - couldn’t be bothered - but I’m hoping I was on target!

I’ve decided to restart at week 1. A sort of phase 2 week 1 of 12. The aim is to lose 12 lbs or 6kg in 12 weeks. If I managed it from 01/04 to 01/07, I should be able to do it again, I HOPE!

Week 1 of fasting done ✅

Have a good weekend everyone.

You fasting today @harriethoyle or @Lucylurker?

I am!

did not have a plan so I’d better sort out dinner pronto!!

Closing kitchen 615 cals

two eggs, half a bagel
2 x cracker and cheese
apple/ orange

Hope I can get through eve!!

Hello all - not fasting today as we’re meeting friends for supper but going for a b2b tomorrow with a couple of hundred extra cals as I have PT both nights. I was in the gym at 6am so feeling very virtuous! Good luck to those fasting 🙂

Yes @SmellyMe fasting today, downhill now will just have a cup of tea and a peach so another day done.
Played tennis at the weekend and the club put a short clip on Facebook😬.
If I ever feel my motivation going I am going to have another look at it. I was walking across the court bouncing my ball and obviously concentrating hard, my body language suggested I thought I was Serena Williams, but the reality was
billy butter or one of rhe Krankies! Baseball hat, sweaty, and round! Like a little ball. 😀
Will be staying in the straight and narrow!

Woop Woop @Bufftailed; I hope you manage. I find 2-5pm hardest. Then I’m ok until dinner. Typically, we watch some telly after the DCs are in bed. There are always people eating amazing looking food on fast days!!

@Lucylurker bahaha Serena Williams! Keep that thought in mind, in a few weeks you could be there.

@harriethoyle good luck with your b2bs. I marvel at those. I had two different sets of visitors last week so I don’t think FD2 had any impact.

oh well t’is a new week after all and FD1 is complete and on target. It was a store cupboard fast day so boiled eggs for brunch and a can of mackerel in bbq sauce with little gem lettuce cups for dinner.

@SmellyMe we are going through a sociable period - dinner with friends on Monday, in laws staying Fri-Tues (and they are FEEDERS!), university friends staying following Thurs - Mond. Am honestly looking forward to a rest at the end of the month...!!

Kitchen closed on 895 yesterday with an hour's PT session - same tonight so probably aiming for the same.

Fasting tomorrow!

Sounds like you’re having a lot of fun @harriethoyle. you’ll be right on it afterwards though 🫡💪🏼

Yes enjoy your sociable period @harriethoyle ! That’s the beauty of the this plan isn’t it.
Fasted yesterday, was fine. Weighed today only a tiny shift but think that’s what’s going to happen now, and every bit counts! Seeing my pooch getting smaller at least. Wasn’t quite so good at avoiding bread during the week so going to do that this week - well bad bread at least.
Good luck everyone’s

Morning all. I've been lurking for a few days, just created an account so I can say hi. First time faster here . I've been reading through all your posts which are really motivating! I did a b2b last 2 days and actually was hard in parts (bedtime when I couldnt sleep as I was hungry and my husband snoring like a stuck pig next to me mainly 😂) but got through it ok. My main issue is this- the kids are both out at a sleepover tonight (whoop) and my husband and I are planning to go out to a new curry place we've been wanting to try and I am worried I am going to undo all my hard work over the last 2 days! How strict are you all on NFD? Do you find if you have a blow out it then ruins all your hard work? Thanks!

Morning @MsBertieBoo and welcome! Well done on your first b2b they can be hard but a great way of fast forwarding your progress

You have to think of this as a way of life for the long-term. Sure, a curry tonight might make the scales go up this weekend but if you stay consistent in your fast days, and don't go crazy on your NFDs, a curry here and a bottle of wine there will not undo your overall progress. My weight loss trajectory looks like the stock exchange! Lots of ups and downs (mainly up at the weekend, down during the week 😂) but as long as the downward trend is consistent that's all that matters.

Do you track your calories on a NFD? If I were you I would, for the first few weeks at least and try and stay in your daily calorie allowance on the majority of NFD, and you do two FDs a week, you will soon see a steady weight loss.

Welcome @MsBertieBoo ! My trick for curry is: don’t eat all the sauce. Just extract the prawns or chicken etc and leave the oily sauce in the bowl. You still get all the taste, and you are dumping a lot of calories!

@harriethoyle and @TeaRose29 thanks so much for the replies and encouragement and welcome! Weekends are definitely my downfall- I have been trying to stick to 1200 per day which is ok in the week but come the weekend I just blow it out the water! So I am hoping fasting is going to be the answer. I have about 10kg to lose ideally. So far today I haven't eaten in the hope that any damage tonight will be more limited. I so wish I could be more of a little bit of what you fancy but I am more of an all in or all out kind of a person!
I will do as you suggest @harriethoyle and track my calories over the NFD although I find working it all out (I use MFP) soooo boring! It's really hard when you go out and they don't have calories on the menu so you really have no idea. I might do another FD tomorrow or at least a mini and see how I get on (and then eat properly over the weekend 😀).

Hello all! Just stepped on the scales and pleased to see results after week 2. I was convinced in my head that restarting after my holiday would have no impact for some reason. I’ve got through another 2 fast days and huzzah I’m back to my downwards trend.

welcome @MsBertieBoo! You sound a bit like me when I started. I had a failed attempt on 5:2 years ago because I ate too much both on my fast days and non fasting days. I think I used the wrong amount on fast days (can’t remember what number I picked but I must have read things wrong); and then I took the eat ‘normally’ thing too literally.

we must be around the same height/weight as 1200 cals is roughly what I’m allowed as a daily allowance on a calorie controlled diet. I struggled with those because I have 3 DC and an annoying DH so it meant making multiple meals and constant planning. 5:2 for me means 2 days planning/pain and 5 days of being a bit careful but enjoying way more than 1200 cals - which is nothing for us small people with big appetites and a love of eating!!

I’m aiming for 10-12kg loss. I started
in April and I’ve lost 8kg. I took July off for moving house and holidays. I fast Monday and Thursday, eating 1/4 of my total recommended calorie intake. I plan my food so it’s really tasty and I’m not miserable and feel like I’m starving myself. Then I try and aim for 1500 calories on my NFDs. The final figure is nearer 1600 after ive
had a treat with my coffee in the evening.
I use MFP, too. I’m not religious about what I record, but if I feel I’ve been ravenous and had too much at lunch, it gives me an idea of how to curtail dinner etc.

if you’re out, avoid carbs and eat
fish maybe? Eating a couple of small plates can be better than a main course. @Lucylurker the Indian sounds hard- all that naan and glorious sauce! I can’t remember if you have gone already? What you can do is fast a bit on a non fast day so eat something small to keep you going, eg i might eat two hard boiled eggs with hot sauce for breakfast (<200 cals); crackers and cheese later (<200 cals) and then have 1000 cals to play with for dinner :-)

I’ve averaged about 1lb a week. No cascade. No surprises. It’s a long slow journey but worth it.

good luck!

Erm, I’ve no idea how that gif got in there!! I never use gifs

Oh well done @SmellyMe youve done so well. It’s not me having an Indian ( I wish) think it is msbertieboo.
Some good tips and inspiration here.
i am going to have a look what my calorie intake should be since I haven’t done this for ages and can’t remember.
hope everyone doing ok.

Just did the calorie thing and is horrifying. Said I need 1616 to stay the same ( I.e overweight) and need 500 a day less to lose weight. Ok with that. What was horrifying was the suggestion I should be 55 kilos, no way was I aiming so low, I’d never get anywhere near that. Just going to aim for 62 and hope I get there. Going to get a second opinion 😀

Morning everyone and hello @SmellyMe - nice to meet you and yes it sounds like we are similar! Happy birthday!! Massive congratulations on your weight loss- something for me to aspire to. I also have DH and 2 kids which makes meal planning every day to hit 1200 really hard- hoping as you say a couple of days of less calories will be much easier. I absolutely love food- thinking about it, planning it, cooking it so it's hard to resist. I do love healthy stuff - for me kale, mushrooms and peppers with egg for breakfast is totally delicious but my portion sizes are so out of wack and I find it hard to cut this down.

Sadly the curry wasn't all that so felt like a bit of a waste but it was lovely to be out with DH without the kids so I will bank that nice feeling! I had 3 puri, half a lamb curry and half a chicken curry, some mushroom side (which really wasn't great) 1 pilau rice and half a naan oh and 2 na beers so definitely blew my NFD calories . Today I am going for a bit of a mini as I felt so stuffed last night and my tummy was gurgling like mad in bed! I have recently given up drinking ( massive issue with booze sadly) so that is one less thing to squeeze into the allowances. I believe my normal calories are around 1600 so I am going to aim for that on the 'normal' days. So far on my 2 NFD I have waited until the evening to eat a dinner that feels satisfying (day 1 chicken fajitas and a bit of homemade guacamole and day 2 salmon fillet with loads of veg and those barenaked noodles- have you tried them? Smell weird but once you wash them I find them fine). Today I think Cajun chicken breast with a big salad and maybe a couple of potato wedges. Currently resisting oat milk in my coffee which is so lovely and creamy but about 40 calories a time 😯

Kids are off to scout camp as of Sunday💃and I have sort of persuaded DH to do this with me so next week should be loads easier. Although I am meeting friends for a pub dinner on Wednesday and having looked at the menu it is all stodge- fish and chips, burger, pie. The only salad is a ceaser which I think wracks up almost as many calories as something way heartier so will have to see how I go! My plan is to have FD Monday and Tuesday.

Have a fabulous weekend everybody x