Shall I do 5:2 or healthier eating/ cutting down and jogging?

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I need to lose about half a stone but realistically will be happy with 5 lbs and then lose motivation for the last two pounds. Timescale is 8 weeks.
I am 5ft2 and weigh a shade over 9 stone, quite muscular with a layer of wobble on my giant bum, thick thighs and a little on my belly. Horrible thick, chunky, manly legs. I would like to slim these down but at least some of it is muscle so not that easy,

Which option might be better for me: 5:2 plus my current amount of exercise, or upping the exercise with jogging instead of my current dog walking and cutting down meals and snacks generally e.g. One piece of toast for breakfast not two, fewer naughty afternoon snacks...

I hated the 5.2 diet it made me feel ill on the starving days. It might suit you though. I've lost over a stone by religiously calorie counting and writing everything I eat in a diary. If you cut down to 1500 a day you will lose 1lb a week. It's the only thing that has worked for me. I don't feel too restricted. There are lots of calorie apps and websites. Cutting down on alcohol helps as you will be amazed at how many calories are in that odd glass of wine. Good Luck x

I also couldn't manage the 5:2, I wish I could as it sounds great and is evidence based, but I was so hungry I felt ill on every variant of the diet I tried including the 800 cals on 2 consecutive days.

I have a lot to lose but have lost my first stone and a half by eating fewer carbs and keeping a food diary

Think I might try it but that does sound offputting. I do love food so think I would struggle.

There is a lot of scope for me to cut down carbs and general cr@p e.g. I have a couple of afternoon tea biscuits daily and a small late evening snack. Both could do or be replaced with fruit...portion control too.

I will add. At my recent health check, the Nurse told me...." If you want to be more healthier and lose weight you know what you've got to do. Stop making excuses and get on with it." It was the wake up call I needed as I was putting on half a stone a year.

I didn't find 5:2 that difficult, so I really think it's an individual thing. That said, it's about self control. I can stop myself eating anything all day, but as soon as I start, I find it much harder. So it'll really depend whether you'll find it easier to cut down on some snacks, or to cut out food almost entirely some days (that's what 500 calories will feel like!)

Both ways will work best if you exercise too. Id try and fit in some jogging even if you try 5:2.

Right, think I will try the lower calories, more exercise for two weeks and if that doesn't show any signs of shifting a couple of pounds by then, go for the 5:2.

Adding the jogging in is easy as long as it doesn't start to aggravate my achilles heel which it usually does. Will try though.

See RIGHT NOW I've got that feeling of 'I could do with a nice cup of tea and sweet thing'. Wondering if I can fend it off with something like two Galaxy Counters (two pieces not two packs!) alongside the tea.

I have done calorie counting and exercise before, when I still had post-pregnancy weight hovering and lost maybe 7lbs so that did work for me. I don't drink more than about two glasses of wine a week and stick with water with lunch and dinner so not much to drop there! So it needs to be the food and more exercise it seems.

Its always better to eat less move more.

I always wonder how people don't realise this? Fad diets don't last. Losing weight should go hand in hand with getting healthier.

Yep. To be fair I do quite a lot of exercise - maybe 4 or 5 hours' walking a week and then 2 hours of a sport.

It's definitely the cheeky snacks and too much carbs that means I have an extra half stone that I shouldn't.

I have, after the first couple of fast days, found 5:2 really easy to follow. I like not having to worry too much 5 days a week, and being able to eat the same as the children. On fast days I don't really eat at all - just a boiled egg or some smoked salmon on salad at lunch and a calorie counted ready meal for supper - so again it's an easy option. I feel so fine now on fast days that sometimes I forget that I'm doing them. I've lost abut a stone and a half since mid February; weight loss has now slowed to a steady 1lb a week (I'm considering 4:3 to shift the last few pounds before the holidays). I try to walk 10,000 steps a day (and rarely get to sit down) but beyond this don't really exercise. It suits me really well, I've never managed to stick to a diet for this long.

I've been doing 5:2 since August 2012
since December 2012 I've used it to easily maintain at happy weight
and the long term health benefits of fasting are rock solid.

My db who has lost 10kg on 5:2 has now talked me into it and I want to give it a go! I do like the idea of compartmentalising dieting and not thinking about it all the time. Plus I only have 6lbs to lose so will do 6 to 8 weeks so that is a maximum of only 16 fast days.
Does thatsound feasible as a timescale?
Not sure if I will manage as I love food but I have bought some suitable items ad day 1 is Wednesday.