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!!

Hi all,

I’ve just come across this thread. I have been doing a 6:1 diet for a year now. I fast from Sunday evening to Tuesday lunchtime, no food at all just green tea and water. The rest of the week I eat normally with no restrictions at all.
It’s worked well for me as a weight maintainer (have lost a couple of pounds over the year but I’ve been aiming to maintain only) and although Mondays are never easy I’m always proud to get through it and enjoy being able to eat pretty much whatever I want for the rest of the week.

Good luck everyone!

That’s brilliant, @jewelcase . It’s hard to maintain.

How did everyone get on? Kitchen closing here on 832 and a PT session which has made my legs feel wobbly so I’ll take that 🤣 doing a loose b2b tomorrow because I’m back at the gym - will aim for similar I think.

@Alllll its pretty simple to make but I cheat and buy the Aldi ready meals. 410 cals and absolutely delicious 🤭

Kitchen closed on 493 today and about 1.5hrs walking - one lunchtime and one evening walk.

NFD tomorrow and then FD2 is Wednesday.

It sounds delicious! Will have a look next time I’m in. Just having my tea now and for 400 calories it’s delicious. Enjoying getting creative.

Got through FD1 with just dinner. I’m sure it was more than 500 but less than 700 so I’m cool with that.

The thing I really like about this WoE is that there is no such thing really as a “disaster day”. With the birthdays and Mothers Day and family visiting last week I ate and drank a fair bit, but I am not beating myself up over it because I just got right back on track yesterday. I found with WW I was letting the perfect be the enemy of the good - it was so hard to track all the time and if I couldn’t get the data to track I didn’t know what to do so I would delay tracking and everything would get off track, so to say. No concerns about that now.

Very interested in the 6:1 maintenance plan!

Wish me luck on FD2 of 3!

Made it through. Lots of tea with milk, lots of sparkling water, a can of Diet Coke and dinner was roasted salmon with steamed vegetables. Somewhere between 500-600 calories all in.

@jewelcase that sounds like a really sustainable way to eat. I’m glad it’s working so well for you.

The Times had an article today on how fasting works better than simple calorie restriction for weight loss…

Morning all, signing in for day 2 of a loose b2b. Aiming for 800ish again with the gym after work…

Just ate my one meal of the day and definitely came in under 600. I have to say I’m not finding this that difficult - I was a teeny bit hangry around lunchtime and my breath stank something awful while I was having my hair cut this afternoon but I didn’t feel like I was desperate to get dinner when I finally did.

It really is so much easier to do this when I’m in the office than when I’m at home and DH is needling me for attention! That’s when the hanger makes me snap and I can be rather unpleasant. But I do barely notice it when I’m away.

So far I see no reason not to have a 3rd FD tomorrow, and have a decent sushi dinner on my train home. We’ll see.

morning all

FD2 here - soup for lunch and chilli for dinner for me (without the rice or nachos!)
Feeling good at the moment... not sure if I mentioned previously but was going through some clothes and working out what fit / didn't recently and found my first dress in a 14 that fits again! Don't get me wrong, I know its the shape and I'm not properly that size, but I love that dress so am over the moon (just a lovely summer dress)
Also doing well at making my daily steps more consistent which has been a challenge forever! Being a home working desk worker for 11 years has meant there are days when I don't hit 5000 sometimes.... for the last week I've hit 12000 every day with more at the weekend

Morning. I had a good FD yesterday despite being at work where there was a lunch served…. All sandwiches and cakes, which are not good for anyone! I gave it the swerve and woke up this morning feeling extremely virtuous.

Some great FD successes here, well done all! I came in around 930 with a PT session so c. 1700 for the b2b. A bit too high but balanced out by the gym I hope.

Normal day today and then a mini tomorrow, aiming for under 1000 although I am at the airport tomorrow night and food is always difficult to track there... Will have a FD lunch and then I've got some wriggle room.

Yay @OohMrDarcy on the NSV!

Chugging away on my 3rd b2b FD, looking forward to sushi this evening but hanging in there! I really feel I’ve got this.

Hmmmph, it's my second FD of the week. All gone ok so far but now it's 6, I'm feeling fed up of trying to be good all the time, and all I want to do is eat a big portion of the mac n cheese my husband is making, washed down with a big glass of white wine. I don't actually think I'm going to be able to, or even want to try to, resist. And already feeling cross with myself for it.

You can always have some tomorrow @eekwhatnow if you can hold out!

It’s a pleasure delayed not forbidden @eekwhatnow - try and hold out!

And tell DH not to cook delicious things like mac and cheese on a fast day 🤣

Well exactly!!! All his fault.

Sometimes the devil just gets in my head and I get so bored of trying not to eat, drink or spend any money all the bloody time

I did have a very small portion and a very small glass of wine but have talked myself back down and am now on a herbal tea and heading for bed. Still under 1000 I hope so I need a mini to make up for it!

I had a successful second fast day with a few cups of tea with milk. Dinner was a roasted chicken breast and steamed veg for a daily total of about 560 calories.

@OohMrDarcy well done on fitting into your size 14s! I know what you mean about homeworking and steps, there’s a massive (like 8,000) step difference between an office day and wfh for me.

Well done @eekwhatnow that’s excellent flexing of your resistance muscle 💪🏻 and sounds like you’re really getting into the FD groove @pinkfloralcurtains !

Well done all fab FDs!

@eekwhatnow that is some serious willpower... One bite would have sent me over 😁

Kitchen closed on 556 for me and just about 12000 steps. I'm really having to focus on making time to get out but I feel so much happier for it! @pinkfloralcurtains I'm normally the same- can go for 10-15km walks at the weekend and barely move all week! Hence working on getting more regular activity in now!

A new low this morning of 93.6kg.🎉

Woke up and thought I would finally weigh myself as I hadn’t at all since starting this. I was mentally prepared for delight at anything under 65kg. I was 62!!!! That’s a normal BMI for me!

What has amazed me so much about this is, I will say it again, how manageable it is. I just did 3FDs b2b and while it wasn’t fun, it didn’t break me. @harriethoyle you are absolutely right - it’s pleasure delayed not denied. Whatever is calling you today can be eaten tomorrow (if you still want it!). @eekwhatnow have you been doing this long? It really does get easier. The hangriness really does abate after a couple of weeks.

So I’ll carry on for now - I’d like to get down to some south of 58kg if I can. It’s so good to know I don’t need to torture myself about it.

Brilliant results @Mommybunny and @OohMrDarcy

Yes all too true, it's just delaying.

I've been at it for maybe 2 months and normally find the FDs fairly easy but the combo of sunshine, the end of term, and hormones has brought on a very unhelpful 'damn it all' attitude. Super annoying as now heading into holidays where I'm unlikely to be able to have FDs. I guess I need to focus on moderation for the next couple of weeks, never my strongest area.