Hi all,
First post to this forum. I started the 5.2 plan in July 2013 after viewing Michael’s video, buying the book, and doing a bit of further research. Although the health benefits were (and are) my main motivation, I also lost about 12 pounds and 4 inches off my waistline. I didn’t get a checkup before starting, so I don’t have a good baseline for comparing my current stats and blood numbers, but here they are from a physical a couple of weeks ago. (apologies for the U.S. units — I’d probably screw up the conversion anyway)

Age: 63
Height 5′ 6″
Weight: 141 lb
Waist: 33″
BP: 120/80
Total cholesterol 197 mg/dL (HDL=49, LDL=127, VLDL=21)
Trigyceride: 105 mg/dL
Glucose: 88 mg/dL
All other blood values from CMP panel solidly in normal ranges.

I’m fairly happy with these numbers, especially since I take no medications and want to keep it that way. In the past, my total cholesterol has been as high as 270.

I’m finding the fast diet fairly easy to comply with. I start my fast days with a large bowl of oatmeal (unsweetened) with ground flaxseed and a couple ounces of cheddar cheese for protein and then tough it out until the next morning on black coffee, green tea, water, and one cup of boullion in the evening. I even managed to stick to it during the holidays.

I had expected by now to be able to back off the 2 day/week regimen, but my weight has stayed flat at about 141 lb since late November, so I assume I must have subtly increased my calorie intake on non-fast days. I’d like to weigh maybe 5 lbs less strictly for vanity reasons, but I can be content where I am as long as it doesn’t start creeping up again.

Anyway, consider this a two-thumbs up for the Fast Diet! If fasting twice a week for the rest of my life is what it takes, then so be it.

P.S I just tried to buy the Kindle edition of the Fast Exercise book, but it doesn’t seem to be available yet in the U.S. Does anyone know when that’s expected to happen?