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!!

I believe we should eat more veg and less meats.

Hello everyone! I came across this thread and would love to join you. I have been steadily gaining weight these past few years, to the point where this morning I weigh 10 stone 11lb, which puts my BMI in the overweight category (I’m 5’4).

I’m planning on starting the 5:2 diet next week with a target of 9 and a half stone, fasting for two days (eating three meals a day adding up to 500 calories). Is that really all there is to it? How long did it take you to see results and can you really eat what you like (within reason) on the other days?

Also, have you found that fasting makes you feel lightheaded and how do you deal with embarrassing tummy rumbles at work?

Thanks for reading!

Sorry, another question! Would something like this make a good dinner? (It’s 125 calories per half pot):

www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/waitrose-hearty-chicken-vegetable-broth/767250-109105-109106

I’m doing my first fasting day today! Am I doing this right?!

Breakfast: 1 satsuma, 1 small yoghurt (75 cals)
Snack: cup of tea with milk (15 cals)
Lunch: corned beef roll with salad (190 cals)
Snack: 1 Babybel (60 cals)
Dinner: very small portion of leftover ravioli (70 cals)

Total: 410 cals

I will add a banana or another Babybel to get to 500.

On fast days I take a chicken stock cube dissolved in hot water. This stops any hunger and headaches for me on fast days. I’m starting back next week as we’re still surrounded by chocolate and cake! I prefer to fast most of the day then at 2pm eat a banana and apple. Then eat dinner at 5pm. I drink hot water all day and a filter coffee in the morning. Do what feels best for you. Update on here when you’ve done your fast days. Good luck.

Am I right in thinking the 5:2 is meant to be a 12 week diet? Or do you just carry on until you reach your target weight?

I found today quite doable and had dinner fairly late, which means I’m not going to bed hungry. Tomorrow I’ll be eating normally!

Hello all,

My first 5:2 thread was #3
I am back because I've really let myself go in the last couple of years
so from Monday will be finding a new routine to hit my targets.

I was ListeningQuietly for several years so some may remember me under that name.
Hold me to account till my jeans are comfortable again !

Happy New Year my fasting buddies!! I’m back here on Monday, back to the gym tomorrow and posting here for accountability… hold me to it! 🤣 Mon, Tues and Thurs planned. We go skiing in a fortnight and that’s always filled with delicious food so I need to get SOME Christmas indulgence off before we hit the slopes!

I’m back on it Tuesday fingers crossed!

Am I right in thinking the 5:2 is meant to be a 12 week diet? Or do you just carry on until you reach your target weight?

Can anyone help me out with this?

Also, I’m feeling a bit disheartened today - after my fasting day I dropped 2lbs on the scales. I then ate just below 1600 calories (my maintenance level) yesterday and this morning I was back to where I started at 10 stone 11lb! I know it’s early days, but am I really going to lose weight on this diet? My fat seems so stubborn, sigh.

5:2 is a way of eating, its a variant of Alternate Day Fasting.
I used it very successfully to lose weight and then maintain for a decade.

Covid and menopause and stress mean I've put the weight back on.
BUT
Once at "happy weight" I used to maintain by

strict 5:2 for 24 weeks a year
rough 5:2 for 24 weeks a year
eat what I like for 4 weeks a year

I need to get back to that for the rest of my life.

@Talkinpeace i meant to say welcome back! I remember your former name 🙂
@freshstart2026 - @Talkinpeace has explained 5:2 exactly right. This isn’t a diet, it’s a way of life. I’ve been fasting for years, I find it is so much maintainable than any diet.
the key is to think of it as a long term thing and when you are starting out track everything RELIGIOUSLY on an app like my fitness pal. It’s shocking how many hidden calories are in things like sugar or milk in coffee, a grating of cheese on pasta, a guestimated portion of granola as opposed to a measured one!

I’d advise keeping a strict food diary for every day for a fortnight then assessing where you are and how you’ve found it. I’ll be doing that this week until we go skiing and I’ll be doing it as soon as we get back to get straight back in the swing of things!

Thanks. I’ve been measuring things very carefully and keeping notes of the exact amount of calories I’ve consumed. I’ll see how much weight I’ve lost in a fortnight and reassess.

I think I will start weighing myself weekly rather than daily too. The fluctuations are demotivating.

BigChocFrenzy says hello from Germany.
She is 70 now but still does 16:8 every day and lots of walking and regular Zumba classes.
She nagged me to cut down on my drinking (yet again) and reminded me to eat LOTS of types of veg
so I shall pass the nag on to the rest of you :-)

When I first joined this group it was run by bigchocfrenzy ! She was very encouraging. Tell her hello from us. My name has changed along the journey!

Well, I stepped on the scales again this morning (it’s not Monday but I couldn’t resist) and am 10 stone 7, so that’s 4lbs down since Monday. But I’m sure that firstly it’s just water weight and secondly that it’ll go up again tomorrow as yesterday was a fasting day and today is not. We shall see…

Hello all! I am starting back next week. I have gained the expected 4-5 lbs over Xmas! So annoying as I knew I was going to do that but I have found fasting in the cold v hard. I also think I had Covid or something like it which has made me feel a bit shit for a long time.

anyway, I think it was you @Hdjdb42 who suggested I don’t eat until lunch time. That’s what I’ll try. I have found if I give in to hunger and eat before, I can’t stop myself eating normally. If I get through the pangs, I can soldier on with my FD meal.

@freshstart2026 i echo OPs recommendation to track on your non fast days, too, as it’s easy to deviate.

good luck; see you next week 🫡

Morning all. I’m starving 🤣🤣🤣 signing in for day 1 of a b2b. Going to stay strong! 💪🏻

Two real life friends are back on 5:2 this morning.
I always have white tea on fast days
but am planning a bean chilli for supper to get maximum nutriends for minimum calories

Kitchen closing on 837 - bloody husband made my sandwich with normal mayo 🙈

Aiming for a bit less tomorrow so won’t be catastrophic hopefully!

Supper was bulky but good.
Bean and sweetcorn chilli with onions and peppers and tomato
served with a few tortilla chips, some cheese and soured cream.
Will sleep well.

That sounds lush @Talkinpeace - I might have chilli tonight now you've reminded me of this!

Day 2 of my b2b and a gym session this morning. Aiming to come in c.780...

Well done @harriethoyle 👏 It’s my first fast after Christmas! Today’s been fine! I’m very pleased! Think it’s going to take 2 weeks of 3 b2bs to get rid of the last 2 weeks worth of extra food! My day will end at 731 with my planned (already made low fat chicken curry). Doing a back to back tomorrow fingers crossed 🤞

Well done @Talkinpeace 💪