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 900 which is a bit high but it’ll do. I’ll do a mini tomorrow to make up for it!

Satisfying whoosh on the scales this morning and a mini of 800 planned for today to undo the final holiday damage 🤣

well done @harriethoyle so nice when the work pays off. I have done a b2b and then a mini yesterday (only had miso soup for lunch but dinner when I calculated it was about 750 even though it was roast cauli and rice pilaf which feels a bit unfair 😂). Tonight I am out for cocktails with the girls so will all go haywire - I am planning pasta for an early dinner to line my stomach!!

Hi all,

ive just finished the 2 week steroid course (and now moving onto 8 weeks of steroid nasal drips). I felt absolutely horrendous on the steroids so it was a case of getting through each day - I thought people generally felt good on them but nope not me!

currently awake with insomnia which can be part of withdrawal apparently so I’m planning my week. Commuting to the office tomorrow 70 miles each way and will do an FD. Diluting juice to hydrate and a can of Coke Zero if needed. Then cheesy omelette in the evening for dinner.

just need to take it one day at a time until this feels like routine again!

We were away for a few days and did some shopping … I bought a superdry coat which was a size 16!!! My previous one last year was a size 12. I swear this style must be small made but nevertheless that’s two sizes up so this is hopefully giving me the motivation I need.

one of my biggest downfalls is that we eat a lot of takeaways due to chronic fatigue, busy lifestyle and 2dc who have multiple food allergies (so I have no choice but to cook for them separately). So I need to get better at planning and having quick meals.

@tryingtomakesenseof that all sounds really tough. When life is overwhelming, I really find 10 minutes of meal planning for the week ahead can reap wonders. Even if you just do it for your fast days, it means you can buy for them and tick them off. But I think the way forward is to get yourself sorted on your new normal then ease back in. Keep your veg intake as high as possible in the meantime so you’ve got some decent nutrients!

Morning everyone. Sorry to hear you've been having a tough time @tryingtomakesenseof where are you based? I have been looking at Cook this week for Christmas boxes and saw that they do a range of calorie counted meals which are all around 300-500 calories. They go in the freezer so you could stock up with them to pull out when you're knackered!

That's a great suggestion @MsBertieBoo - I always have fishcakes and Aldi spinach canneloni in the freezer for exactly this reason!

Forgot to say I am FD today - feeling ravenous but only 24 minutes to go to lunchtime. Resisting the birthday cake a colleague brought in by eating with a different team today!

Oh and ps yes Superdry clothes are TINY!! My daughter loves it but I find it very depressing as I feel like an elephant!

Kitchen closing on 674 with a PT session before work this morning. Happy with that!

I’m in Edinburgh @MsBertieBoothanks for the tip! And you too @harriethoyleit has been very stressful.

I’ve been determined today though - I need to do this! I’ll feel so much better once im in the swing of it.

FD complete:

Drank diluting juice and one can of Coke Zero until lunchtime.

dinner : Scrambled egg with four cheese blend and two slices Warburton bread.

I didn’t measure as I forgot but I estimate between 650-700 cals.

Having some more diluting juice now and hoping to get to bed early so I’m not tempted to eat !

That makes me feel better!

I really feel like giving in and having something sweet ..but I’ve showered and got into bed and watching tv show. After driving 140 miles and a full day in the office, I am exhausted!😴

I did it 😃 went to bed and didn’t cave in. First FD down!

Now onto the next bit. Keeping the NFD in check.

Going to a charity comedy tonight and was planning to get a bite with friends afterwards. I think I’ll drink water for as long as I can (with Celtic salt) and then have a protein shake with a small healthy snack. Hopefully that will tide me over and allow me to save cals for tonight, whilst staying in TDEE

Well done @tryingtomakesenseof - an excellent achievement!!

Im on a nfd tomorrow and have been to the gym this morning so hopefully that will limit the damage of my lunch out!

Excellent work @tryingtomakesenseof , the first bit is the hardest. Onwards and upwards now. Yesterday was a complete write off for me as I felt absolutely awful after a boozey dinner with friends and basically just ate stuff to try and keep going until the end of the day- totally random stuff like a japanese noodle pot thing, sliced cheese, a pork pie although I did finish the day with a vegetable tagine (another thing used up out of the freezer!) and some leftover pilaf from the other day. Plan to try and rectify today and tomorrow. Have got the pinch of nom cook book out of the library and planning to have the chicken and leek thing with mash tonight and just coffee and water up until then.

I’ve got a sore head but persevering.

Have you ever tried a sugar detox @tryingtomakesenseof - it might help a bit?

Morning all - checking in for second FD of the week. Anyone with me?

Yup right here with you. Back up to 64kgs so trying to undo the weekend damage 😁. Miso soup for lunch and then pinch of nom cajun dirty rice for dinner.

I've got three dinners out in a row @MsBertieBoo so I have got no chance at all of undoing that damage 😩I might have to do a rare Sunday fast.

kitchen closing on 664. I’ll take that!

@MsBertieBoono I haven’t. Do I just cut out all sugar completely in one go? It’ll be the fizzy drinks tbh.

ended up having a huge peri peri burger after the comedy night last night - what do you do when you have no idea of calories? I tried to eat until comfortably full and left the rest.

today I’ve come in at around 1100 cals so hopefully undoing any damage that may have happened yesterday.

tomorrow needs to be an FD! Here I come.

Morning @tryingtomakesenseof I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I don't find sugar to be my downfall (it's more the savoury crap that gets me- crisps, pork pies, general stodge 😂) but one of my friends swears by it. I'll ask her next time I see her. I know for example that if the kids persuade me into say american pancakes and maple syrup for a weekend breakfast that I can feel my sugar levels crashing about 2 hours later and it makes me feel really shaky and like I need to eat whereas if I hadnt had anything I can fairly easily make it to dinner without the shakes! Peri peri burger sounds epic- I want one now!! I am terrible at calorie counting, I find it really time consuming and tricky. @harriethoyle probably way better to advise on that than me. Good luck with FD today.

ps can really recommend the pinch of nom cajun dirty rice, tasty, easy and the kids wolfed it down!