Hello to all new 5:2 starters.
Single best piece of advice I can pass on is “stick with the programme” in all that it offers, from forum advice, snippets of general info to recipes to frequently asked questions etc and in most cases, unless there is another very good reason,(medical or otherwise) you will see results in the direction in which you want to go.
“Keep On Keeping on” appears on these forums and this 5:2 idea by many accounts, is not a quick fix but a longer term weight reduction, improved fitness and an overall ‘better way of living’concept in my short experience of the programme.
I visited my Doctor about 18 months ago and he mentioned that ‘statins’ might be on my horizon as I had some health issues developing. Alarm bells rung.My weight had been increasing for years and many feeble attempts at dieting had been made.
I had even made an attempt at 5:2 but did not take the concept too seriously or focus and soon it went the way of all other diet attempts. On exertion on physical tasks I would quickly become breathless which was another alarm bell. I stepped on the scales at end of January 2015 and the game was up.I did not want to believe the reading so I recorded a kilo less, reasoning that the weighing scale could be out of calibration!.
Since starting the 5:2 that very day it has been downhill all the way (the weekly weigh-in graph that is) and as expected, encountered the odd Mogul along the slopes.
The first few weeks were a period of adjustment, new routines that were not truly painful and the need to plan for Fast Days. I increased my activity levels gradually and sustainably. I reached my target last month and lost 13kgs. One year ago when faced with a weight problem I would never have believed that what has now been achieved was ever possible, based on previous attempts.
What is noteworthy, in my personal experience, is the health and well-being values that have also been achieved which I truly didn’t expect to be so obvious.
My BP is back within normal range, full health check and cholesterol levels all good in recent checks. Fitness levels all improved, personal shape ditto, clothes fitting again, attitude to food and awareness of the demons much better, not to mention a much better mental outlook.
I believe the more you can relax in your approach to working with the 5:2 the more positive the experience (again this is just a personal view). Take the longer term view rather than the instant fix we nowadays expect of so many things.Do not stress too much about when the 24 hours do or don’t start.Do not over-complicate amounts/activities or what others advise. Get a routine going that suits yourself and as long as the trend is towards weigh reduction, stay with it. Fretting if it is 250 grams one way or the other from one week to the next is neither here nor there when we look at life spans and the grand scheme of things.
The type of excessive weight (that people like myself had) did not build up in a few weeks or months, so patience with those scales when you start the 5:2 should be observed.
Finally, I would like to say a well deserved ‘Thank You’ to Dr Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer for all the work they have put into this programme. It has certainly helped me way beyond expectation for which my health and well-being is very grateful. I would also like to thank some of the super, practical advice-giving contributors to the Forums on this website, good people,who take the time like Simcoeluv for example will get you back on track and many of the new queries and concerns I see on the site have already been answered or covered in the FAQ so read widely new folks.
Onwards to 5:2 a ‘Better way of living’ and success to all new starters.
J Cato
6:27 pm
8 Aug 15