The reason I’m sitting at my computer reading this forum right now is because I struggle on my fast days. I have to stay out of the kitchen, away from the fridge, and distract myself.

I often get to about 4 or 5pm in the afternoon and get the wobbles. On other threads I got the advice to plan my fast days so that I’m eating at this time, and I’ve found that it works. I can go out to the kitchen after posting this and make a two egg omelette with mushrooms using a little olive oil and a knob of butter, and ground black pepper. I’ll have a few leafy greens and some chopped parsley to fill up the plate so it looks like an enormous meal. I will eat it very slowly and savour every mouthful.

Then I can sit in the garden and sip a slimline tonic with ice and lemon (pretending it has a huge shot of vodka in it) and I’ll have a nice cup of herbal tea in my favourite fine china mug a bit later on and go to bed early with a good book.

And I’m still (probably) under 500. And if I’m not, who is going to come round my place with a big stick and beat me? 500 or 600, it is still about 2000 less than I used to eat every day.

Go slow, be kind to yourself, learn to love the 5:2, find ways to distract yourself, and plan your fabulous low cal meal for just that moment when you feel most hollow. You can do it. Just like the longest journey starts with the first step, the biggest weight loss starts with the first 11 lbs.

I love 5:2 because (1) it is free (2) no one nags or picks on you, and (3) it really works in some other strange way than just consuming less calories.