New to this need help from ppl that have success

This topic contains 6 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by Auriga 10 years, 5 months ago.

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

Elle1234

12:17 am
6 Jun 14
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Hi everyone
I’m 29 years old. I have a 2 yr old daughter. My current weight is 149lbs at 5ft 2inches tall (loads I knw for a short girl) I am desperate to lose around 1-2lbs a week. My goal weight is 120lbs so I do have quite a lot to lose. I walk every other day for exercise. I just would like some help of how the best way I can start really shifting this weight off. Need some help of exactly how many calories is should be eating on my non fasting days. TDEE is 1600 is that too much if I want to lose 1-2lbs a week. I have started the 5:2 this is my 4th fast. I fast on Tuesday and Thursdays. So far I have lost 1 pound. I eat around 1500 calories non fast days. Please I need some help.

simcoeluv

1:03 am
6 Jun 14
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Hi and welcome:

From a pure math standpoint, your TDEE is 1600 and twice a week you will be eating 500. So you are cutting 1100 cal. out of your diet twice a week, or 2200 calories. If you eat 1600 on the other 5 days you will lose about 10 ounces a week or 2.5 pounds a month.

To lose 4 pounds a month, you need to cut more calories – about 1.5 pounds worth, or 5250 in 4 weeks or about 1300 a week. Divide 1300 by 5 and you get 260 less per day or 1340 per day. This is doable, but very low.

An alternative would be to ‘water fast’ – eat nothing – on your diet days. This would cut 1000 out and you could eat around 1540 on your 5 non diet days.

There are other options that are mentioned here including 4:3: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/tdee-for-the-curious-or-why-dont-i-lose-weight-faster/

The bottom line is given your size, losing a pound a week is possible but it will be very hard. Two pounds a week is probably unrealistic. It is up to you.

Good Luck!

franfit

1:21 am
6 Jun 14
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Elle1234, welcome to 5:2 🙂

I’m 57, 5’4″, started 5:2 last August at 157 pounds, by doing 5:2 plus gradually increasing my walking to an average of 10,000 steps per day I lost 40 pounds in 40 weeks and now weight 117. At our size, one pound per week is actually very good weight loss. One tip I have is to find your TDEE for your goal weight and think of the non-fasting days as days to practice finding ways to eat that number of calories per day in a way that is satisfying for you, so that you will be ready for maintaining when you get to goal. Also, if you think you’re between activity levels on the TDEE calculator, choose the lower one to be on the safe side. Since you are younger than me you might be able to lose faster than I did 🙂

The FastBeach Diet book has some good ideas for jump-starting your weight loss, there is also a thread on this site for people who are trying to lose 2 lbs. per week.

Elle1234

2:12 am
6 Jun 14
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Thank you for replying.
Simcoeluv yes 2lbs seems hard as on non fast days the calorie numbers are really low. 1lb seems doable. I can do 1340 on non fast days. But 2lb loss a month will be heartbreaking after trying soo hard.
Franfit wow ur weightloss is great. I wish I had even a 1lb loss a week would be great. Stats for my goal weight are 1300 a week so mayb I should eat that. At the end of the week I will have a bigger deficit and the weight loss may kick start. My activity levels are set at the lowest too. I just really hope this works. Fingers crossed. Thanks so much x

Purple Vegie Eater

5:51 am
6 Jun 14
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If your TDEE is 1600, 1/4 of this is 400 calories, not 500. We have found the 500 or 600 calories is a bit high to really make a difference. Michael’s book says to have 1/4 of your normal calories twice a week. If you are smaller, you must allow for this.
You really need to do the maths for your individual body before starting and be honest about what you REALLY consume. You are only wasting your time if you cheat and the intrinsic reward of having self control is brilliant!
PVE

franfit

12:25 pm
6 Jun 14
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PVE, I lost 40 lbs. in 40 weeks (from 157 lbs. to 117 lbs.) doing 5:2 at 500 calories on my fasting days 🙂 I also increased my walking to an average of 10,000 steps per day and am quite careful about how much I eat on non-fasting days, weighing my portions of some foods from time to time. As far as I know, many other women are also successfully losing weight on 5:2 while following the 500 calorie guideline. The “25% of caloric requirement” is somewhat arbitrary; there is no special metabolic magic that happens at that precise level.

Auriga

2:33 pm
6 Jun 14
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Elle one pound a week is a good amount to lose and losing slowly is better for you in the long run, if you could see a pound of fat you wouldn’t think of it as a small amount….just imagine that as two packets of lard.
I have lost approximately one pound a week since I started intermittent fasting last September and reached my goal weight at the end of February doing 4:3. So I think if you’re losing that amount on 5:2 go with that for now…..you can always up it if your weight loss stalls.
One size does NOT fit all with this way of eating, you’ll find your own level after a little while and it gets easier I promise! 🙂