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!!

Hello all!

I'm jumping on here after failing miserably with wegovy (made me really ill) and regular calorie counting. Been very inactive due to ill health so need something more than just calorie deficit.

Had a lot of success with 5:2 about 6 years ago and then with IF but have a stressful year and so found it difficult to get back into till now.

However, started today! First fast day. Had a Greek yoghurt bowl. Heat makes it easier to eat less so good day to start.

Going to have some sparkling water now and next fd on Friday.

Morning @Maplebean welcome! I am a newbie- only on week 2 so sounds like you have loads more experience than I do. Hope you are doing ok after your tricky year. Interesting to hear about the issues with the weight loss jab, did you lose any weight with it?

Well done on your first FD, the hot temps defo make it easier don't they. I am off to the pub to meet friends tonight so no doubt will undo all my hard work this week! @harriethoyle I was very jealous of your steak and malbec evening- sounds blissful!

It was @MsBertieBoo but now I am back to the grindstone - FD today, ham sandwich for lunch and fishcake and salad for tea. Then the next influx of visitors tomorrow who will be BOOZY...!! Pray for my liver!

Thanks @MsBertieBoo . Yep I know the feeling- have gone a bit heavy on the snacks today!

How are you finding the first two weeks?

I lost a negligible amount of weight on wegovy. Many posters were losing 9-10 pounds in the first few weeks and although I had appetite suppression and reduced calories I lost barely anything. Seems to be the way with me sadly. Find it really difficult to lose anything.

well let’s hope I have better luck this time.

Kitchen closing on 700 which is a bit high but better than no FD at all. I’ll skip breakfast tomorrow so it’s an IF day then all bets are off until Monday when I’ll be back and virtuous 🤣

@Bufftailed thanks for the recipe, I’ll need to to give that one a go! 73kg was peak fatness for me. That’s heavier than I was full term with my first baby. I think I might have got to 74kg at one point but refused to record it haha! I can’t quite remember when I started losing. I was calorie controlled at 1200 p/d for a period last year but 5 weeks is about all i can muster doing that. I only starting recording my weight loss from around 70kg downwards. That’s from April onwards.

My NFDs have been bad again. I blame
the summer weather. I made carbonara for six on Tues and had 6 egg whites left = meringue = pavlova last night!

debating whether or not to do a FD today. It’s a slippery slope to stop/pause 🤔

hello @Maplebean 👋🏼

@SmellyMe in summer I want ice cream and strawberries and cream and chilled rosé wine. In winter I want stews with dumplings and mash with lashings of butter. Neither are conducive to FD 😬🤣

I find the summer hard as well, so many nice things,
On a positive note I went out yesterday in a dress and no chub rub! It was that which was my wake up call ( I know for some it’s the shape of their legs - but not the case for me). Done my fast days for the week and going away this weekend so not expecting much for next week.

@Lucylurker i had chub run even when I was a teeny teenager! Lucky you. M&S do great cycling style shorts that are like tights - white and nude- that work wonders for me :)

I have decided to fast as the scales have dipped by around 200g so that means the last fast day had an impact and if I do today that’s my 1lb for the week hopefully. Still a loss. 🤞🏼

I'm with you @harriethoyle - I am a massive fan of the cured meats, humous and olives with bread and crisps in the summer in that 'oh it's only picky bits' but which once you calculate it adds up to squillions of calories! Then in the winter loads of yummy pies and things. Sigh, it would be so much easier to be one of those disinterested food is fuel types!
@Maplebean I am also a retainer of the weight, I look in envy at people that are not. I have found the first couple of weeks ok, I am off on hols tomorrow so it will all go out the window then but will be back on it when I get back.
Went paddleboarding yesterday (got shouted at by a very horrible fishery owner) and then pub where there really wasnt anything low calorie on the menu- went for chicken parmagiana which came deep fried with chips and wasnt that great so that felt like a bit of a waste. I was stuffed when I got back and struggled to sleep. Not eaten yet today. I did my FD Mon+Tues but might see how I feel today and go for a mini.

Oh God yes @MsBertieBoo the "picky tea" - which when you add up the tiny pork pies, the cheese and crackers, the hummus and breadsticks, the charcuterie and the bread is about 2000 calories even before wine and after which I usually need a late night slice of toast!! 😂

mmmm pork pies, why does bad stuff have to be so delicious!

Kitchen closed on 700 yesterday. Greek yogurt with berries mid-afternoon and a small piece of black pudding with an apple and a carrot for dinner.

And 1.5 pounds off this morning! It won’t last as we are going to a barbecue tomorrow where there will be lots of lovely food and wine, but at least I’ve been proactive! Yesterday wasn’t too hard, so I think I will try for another FD/mini today. I’m working on a complicated project at the moment, so it’s quite easy to forget about eating. And it’s TOO HOT. I live in the far North, so I can’t even imagine what it’s like in the South!

Another 1 1/4 pounds off this morning, so I have finally broken through the 10 stones barrier and am 9.13 3/4! I’m sure it won’t last as we have a barbecue at friends today 😊, but I will be jumping back on next week!

Amazing @TeaRose29 !

I fasted - sort of - today. I might have gone over by 50-100 cals. I didn’t count properly with MFP. It’s day 1 of my cycle and I felt crap.

im still not behaving on my NFDs so
the scales are a bit haywire. Ill
see what the scales say on Saturday after FD2 on Thursday! Week 4 this might be 🤔

good luck all for this week

Morning all! Back after a fabulously indulgent long weekend. Just took it easy yesterday and am doing a b2b with PT today and tomorrow so I’ll be aiming for 700-800 each day. Wish me luck… 💪🏻

Kitchen closing on 965 which is a bit high 😭 bloody cous cous for lunch was higher than I’d estimated when I entered it and I have the second half to eat tomorrow! Good PT session though and I’ll IF Thursday and Friday too…

Hey I’d love to join! I’m currently doing 16:8 but have plateaued so I want to do a couple of days a week doing the 5:2 to help kick start progress again. I’m 9 months post partum, I’m 11st 2 and I’m aiming for 10st.

today was my first day, I had 2 x teas with skimmed milk (1with collagen)
2 x gooey boiled eggs with lettuce, cucumber and tomato, a tiny amount of grated cheese and couple of teaspoons of EVOO and balsamic
snack was a satsuma
dinner was 1 fish cake, plus lettuce, grated carrot and tomato and a couple of teaspoons of dressing
an apple.

I may have gone slightly over calorie wise. But not a bad start! Will go again on Thursday.

Morning @Magicmushroomsauce and welcome. Accurate tracking on fast days is key so download something like my fitness pal to keep track of your calories.

Aiming for 800 cals or so today, and weekend indulgence is already off which is great 💪🏻

10.0 3/4 this morning, so I have managed to keep off half of my recent loss, which I'm pleased about. Going for a mini today (played hours of tennis yesterday, so 500 calories not feasible today).

I bought some of the Twinings Superblends teas yesterday, as I find them a lovely calorie free drink in the evenings. I've also ordered some Yerbe Mate tea, having watched a YouTube video about its apparent appetite-suppressing effects! 😊

Report back on the tea @TeaRose29!

I have decided to have a couple of weeks of abstinence. The weekend was sooo boozy which is to be expected, but I definitely need a reset from it. Am hoping both sleep and energy levels are assisted...

Bit of a fail yesterday. I’ve been working on something very mentally demanding, and suddenly it was 8pm and I was exhausted and starving. Ended up having cheese on toast. Will try again today. Hoping to get this work finished by lunchtime 🤞. Might join you in an abstinent week @harriethoyle from Sunday (as we are going to a lovely new wine bar on Saturday 😊).

I’m hoping that the yerba mate will arrive today!

I also had an indulgent weekend! Away for weekend and mountain food not good for weight loss, though I did some hiking so hopefully that helps. Back on this week but late starting so fasting today. One month to holiday and hope weekend hasn’t done too much damage.
Good luck everyone.

hello all! I did have a FD on Monday and got thought it. Today has also been on target. I don’t feel like the scales have budged in 3 weeks though. I haven’t been to the gym since I moved house and that’s been quite a few weeks now. I’m booked in for an update with the PT on 11/09 but really ought to get back in the saddle before then.

glad the week is done and dusted. I hope it leads to something pleasing on fhe scales. I’d love to know about the tea, too, @TeaRose29!

I am glad the week is done as well @SmellyMe , and i have not gone back to gym either, so that’s on my list for next week. Had a tiny loss this week ( 0.2 of a kilo) but happy with that after the weekend and is going in the right direction just about. The weekend away was well worth it but it messed with my fast days.
Three weeks till my holiday ( thought I had 4). So would like another kilo before that, and to get back to gym.
Hope everyone doing ok and I have taken heart that even tiny losses are adding up!