First day on 5:2 fast - does this sound right?

[RiffyWammal]

I decided yesterday to try this diet after reading about it online. I am waiting for my copy of the Michael Mosley book to arrive so I am going by bits and bobs I have read here and other places and I am not sure if I'm doing the fast right...today I have had the following:

No breakfast (killed me as I ALWAYS eat breakfast)
One carrot and one apple cut into batons, about 11am
Two cups of tea, milk no sugar
One cup of bovril (20 cals)
Two cups of fruit tea
One banana
Lots of water
and I am about to eat my tea, which is a chicken breast cooked in the oven with lemon juice and a large helping of boiled broccoli, cauliflower, sweetcorn and green beans. I can't think of anything healthy to flavour this with apart from lemon juice so I expect it to be bland bland bland.

So does this sound ok so far? I have not found the hunger pangs too bad, have tried to keep busy, but I am not looking forward to bedtime as I can't sleep if I am hungry!

I haven't weighed myself (too depressing) but I am about 2 and a half stone overweight, I should think. My weight's crept up as I am becoming less and less mobile with MS and I can't do any exercise apart from yoga stretches. I get very easily demotivated when I weigh myself during diets anyway, but I plan to weigh myself in Boots this week and then try not to weigh myself for another month. Oh and I will get DH to take my measurements as I gather this is a better way of measuring progress on this diet way of life.

Any tips and advice gratefully received.

Hi, I know you've probably finished your tea now- but for future remember herbs and spices are virtually calorie free.

Hi! Actually my tea wasn't bad at all, I put salt and pepper and lemon juice on it and really enjoyed it - I think starving all day made me appreciate it more!

Just had another cup of bovril, which seems to fool my belly into thinking it's had something meaty to eat. I'll definitely get some low cal cup-a-soups when I go shopping though.

Could you manage veg for breakfast? Lots of it is VERY low cal. And you wouldn't need to go hungry?

Herbs and spices all the way!!!

I don't breakfast at home when I fast on Saturdays but I leave it a few hours after I've woken up so I have brunch which is two boiled eggs and a teaspoon of salad cream. I have two cups of tea by then too. This feels breakfast-y to me so I don't feel deprived, IYSWIM?

Try some balsamic vinegar on your dinner next time.

Lots of people here don't eat anything until dinner but I'm not up to that yet.

No I don't think I could stomach veg for breakfast, unless it was in a delicious omelette!

Thanks for the tips, I do like balsamic vinegar so I will try that. I am fasting again tomorrow, I have worked out that I can have a boiled egg on a piece of brown bread mid-morning and the same tea as yesterday - chicken breast and veg - and this should only be around 400 cals, so I can still have a few teas and bovrils and carrot sticks to keep me going.

I found it much easier than I had expected to get by on so little for the day. I had a cup of tea before bed so I didn't feel particularly hungry and slept ok. I felt quite well for it actually, a bit more energetic I think!

I find it easier to have 3 'meals' and not fruit snacks (they make me feel hungrier for some reason).

So maybe:

1. Half a wheatabix or tiny bit of cereal about 10/11.
2. a 200 calorie lunch so homemade veg soup or something like that.
3. A 200 calorie tea like an omelate with salad or soup (if I didn't have soup for lunch).

I love cereal and I don't think I could limit myself to a tiny portion! The temptation to scoff the other half of the Weetabix (and a few more) would be too great.

I agree about the fruit snacks, I think apple definitely makes me more hungry.

When my hub joins me on this diet (which he plans to when the book comes) I will definitely be making some nice vegetable soups for us.

Wouldn't it be great if there was such a thing as a calorie counter machine, a bit like weighing scales, that you could put your food on and it would tell you the calories it contains! I find counting calories such a faff.

That machine exists!! I just discovered one today...DP has promised me one when we get our new house. Think they are pretty pricey but if you think you will use it then probably a good investment. We will definitely use it as we both eat clean and train a lot, so big emphasis on food in this house.

I will look up the name now and let you know what it's called.

Google the 'perfect portions scale', spied someone I follow on Instagram using it. A quick google shows its about 59 USD and not sure if it retails in the UK, but there is bound to be similar ones available. I am on the hunt now for cheaper alternatives!

Wouldn't it be great if there was such a thing as a calorie counter machine, a bit like weighing scales, that you could put your food on and it would tell you the calories it contains! I find counting calories such a faff.

It's call'my fitness pal' free website/app.
It's amazing!!