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!!

You have to find something that works for you, @MinnieCauldwell, or it just won’t stick. I find that the very low calorie days get easier as you go along and you learn what works best. And you can still have that glass of wine, just not every night.

@MinnieCauldwell why don’t you try 5:2 with two “proper” fast days then IF ie skipping breakfast the other 5 with wine at the weekends? A hybrid approach might work better for you.

@aberjenagain I’m REALLY enjoying the PT thanks - and seeing a big difference in both body and scales. Almost 3.5kg down since I started and muscles where I didn’t know they were! The biggest transformation has been my mood though - I feel so much more balanced. Weird really but I’m going to keep going!

Mini yesterday came in at 888 and 1300 today. Normal FD x 2 will resume next week 😊

Hi all, can I join? Only came across this diet yesterday and decided to give it a shot. Today is my first 500 cal day (is that a fast day??).

I had a grape and melon pot earlier and now having chicken and cauliflower rice so felt confident, but then I took my nephew to the soft play and caved and had a quarter of a cheese sandwich so I’ve had 656 calories. A bit annoyed with myself because I could’ve resisted if the sandwich hadn’t been in front of me.

Evening all

Kitchen closed on 479 today. Happy with that.

Welcome @Alllll - that's a really good first FD! Keep working towards the magic number and drink plenty of water!

@MinnieCauldwell - harriets suggestion is a good one to try!

@harriethoyle sounds like the PT is working wonders all around so definitely worth keeping it going

@harriethoyle thats brilliant. It’s fantastic that you are feeling the benefit of all the hard work and fasting.

@Alllll agree that that’s a pretty good start. I bet you will enjoy your breakfast today.

Morning all - thanks for the love! New low weight on the scales this morning which is very motivating 😊

@Alllll i think that’s a great first FD - I quite often come in around 600 cals on a FD so I really wouldn’t worry you were a tiny bit over 500. Keep it up!

Thank you! To be honest I couldn’t think of anything worse than eating at the moment - I can never stand breakfast. I’ll be ravenous in a couple of hours though no doubt!

morning all

back down to 94kg today so just a fraction off my previous low - so just reminds me a few days of focus really gets things moving. I'm going to look at next weeks diary this evening and plan my days in - also need to start plotting for how I can work it over the easter holidays

Welcome @Alllll and well done @OohMrDarcy and @harriethoyle, thats so motivating!
I'm also not sure how to handle Easter. We're away for a week staying with friends and family, which is tricky.

Morning. FD today. Also gardening.

I’m going to menu plan for Easter and make sure I’m the cook - we have the in laws here for 5 days and they’re lovely but will turn up laden with goodies 🤣 will freeze anything I can to take the pressure off eating straightaway and also IF so I at least get that benefit.

Went on the scale early and I’ve lost 2lb since starting on Monday, but I was out last night so not sure if it’s just a result of dehydration.

As long as week on week you’re losing @Alllll id take the little wins! 🤣 I weigh most days but only really compare my Friday weights against each other. It gives a more accurate picture and stops me panicking about random gains which are due to water retention, bloating etc

Fab SV @Alllll .. I'm with Harriet and weigh most days for info, and with the understanding that weight fluctuations are normal, so I track by the morning after FD2 each week

Had a great FD yesterday and only just eating breakfast now - porridge with blueberries, raisins and sunflower seeds. It’s not really a spring time breakfast but it’s what I felt like eating and I’m eating it outdoors in the sun.

Fast day for me but I'm taking advice from the doctor who invented it and doing up to 800 calories on my fast days

Morning all

Monday FD for me. Got some leftover roast chicken and salad for dinner.

Been a busy weekend here, went for a long walk with the dog on Saturday.. ended up doing about 9km which was lovely. Then got home, did the usual pottering/ lunch etc and went to get my nails done. Yesterday was mother's day, and one of the things I said to the DC was the only thing I really wanted was time with them. (Teenagers!) So my boy suggested we went for a walk to where he did a practice DofE walk recently and we did 11km then! Came home and had an amazing roast (including pudding which was hopefully offset by all the walking!)

Morning all. I’m back on the 5:2 today. I actually happened to see Clare Bailey Mosley shopping in our local supermarket last week so I’ve taken it as a sign to get back on the horse.

I’m going to keep it remarkably simple and do what I’ve always done: milky tea and water all day, and roast chicken breast with green vegetables for dinner.

Hoping to steadily lose a stone and get within cooee of my pre-pregnancy weight.

Hi everyone, it’s been a while since I posted but March has been truly mad! We’ve had three birthdays (including my own last week) and DS20 in hospital with emergency appendectomy (he’s fine now). I’ve also had to do two university Open Days with DD18 on top of my usual work travel every week.

But that said I have still managed 3 fast days every week except last week when I did 2. And I’m finding the hunger is definitely getting more manageable, especially when I’m busy. I still haven’t weighed myself since starting this but I take a photo of myself in the same clothes every Monday morning and am definitely seeing a difference.

I’m on the train right now on my way to London for 3 days and I’m thinking of doing 3 fast days in a row. It would make the rest of the week so much easier when I get back if I’m not fasting at home - we have FIL visiting and DH will be doing most of the cooking so if I’m able to eat whatever it will save a lot of stress. I can handle the hunger when I’m at work in the office in a way I struggle to when I’m wfh.

Is 3 fast days in a row a bad idea?

Morning all! Amazing resolve @Mommybunny
Checking in for FD1 today. Not sure I deserve a loss after the spoily weekend I have had but we'll see on Thursday.

Morning. Had a disappointing weigh-in this morning. Down fractionally. But I know that these things fluctuate so I’m pleased it’s going in the right direction.

@Mommybunny three days in a row seems ambitious!

Morning all, signing in for my first FD of the week - have PT tonight so probably aiming for c700 cals. Chicken sandwich for lunch and spinach canneloni for tea.

@Mommybunny I think 3 true FD in a row would be tough but why not try to stay sub-1000 for the third and see if that is doable? I am always ravenous after a b2b so would struggle doing three...

Morning all, Monday FD check-in over here too. Overindulged rather a lot this weekend (cheese, wine and Lindor featured heavily) but it sort of felt needed, and I figure the main thing is I’m back on the straight and narrow today. Probably dal and a couple of hard boiled eggs for tea, already had miso for lunch. Good luck fellow fasters!

Monday FD for me too. Had a hen do weekend so the weekend was a bit of a disaster.

Having tomato soup as a late dinner then sweet and sour chicken with cauliflower rice for tea. Spinach canneloni sounds interesting, I'm away to Google.