New to 5:2

This topic contains 7 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by Churmy123 10 years, 5 months ago.

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Churmy123

8:14 pm
21 Jun 14
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Hi
I have decided to give the 5:2 diet a go! Starting on Monday. Bit of background about me. I am 38 and a mum of two. I have been overweight since my teenage years. Last August I decided enough was enough and I needed to lose wait and get fit. I was a size 22/24 and weighed 22 stone. I joined Slimming World and started going to zumba classes. I continued with Slimming World until December when I decided to go it alone as I would rather spend the evening doing exercise that going to a slimming group. I have consistently lost week every week (apart from Xmas and holidays) and am now just over 15 stones and a size 14/16. Over the past couple of week I have become a little complacent and have put 5/6 pounds back on. So thought I’d give the 5:2 a go. I am a bit confused about how many calories I should be eating on the non-fast days. My figures are as follows:

Your BMI is: 30.8
Your BMR is: 1779
Your TDEE is: 2757 calories

There’s no way I could eat 2700 calories a day. I normally have about 1500 a day now, with slightly more on the days I exercise. I do on average 5/6 hours of exercise a week – kettlebells, zumba. Should I do my fast days on the days that I don’t exercise?
Any advice/tips would be appreciated.

Amy C.

8:17 pm
21 Jun 14
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The advice is to eat up to your TDEE on the non fast days. If you are in touch with your body’s hunger signals, I recommend mindfully eating only as much as you want without counting calories.

I found that fasting doesn’t interfere with exercise at all.

Churmy123

8:22 pm
21 Jun 14
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Thanks Amy. I can’t imagine ever being able to eat that many calories so I will try your suggestion and just eat till I’m full. I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and am not really bothered about carbs so will see how it goes.

simcoeluv

9:12 pm
21 Jun 14
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Hi Churmy and Welcome:

I agree your TDEE is high. I did not know your height, but using your information I came in with about 1850 for a TDEE. Here is some information on TDEE: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/tdee-for-the-curious-or-why-dont-i-lose-weight-faster/

Here are some tips for those just starting 5:2: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/warnings-to-newbies/

Many people exercise on their diet days – often the morning is best. You just have to try it to see how you feel.

Good Luck!

Churmy123

4:15 pm
22 Jun 14
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Thanks simcoeluv. I guess its going to be trial and error for the first few weeks. I am 5ft 11. I repeated the calculator but changing my activity level from moderately active to lightly active and the TDEE came down to 2400. Unfortunately exercise in a morning is not possible because of work and kids. So I can only exercise when they are in bed.

Stef.

5:03 pm
22 Jun 14
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Welcome to the forum.

First question, how do you know that you are not eating over 1700 calories? I am just asking because I had a real wake up call once I started weighing my food…it is extremely common to under-estimate one’s calorie intake and one’s exercise expenditure…

I would set my activity level to sedentary to be on the safe side. I work out 6 days a week, approximately one hour of weight training, 30 minutes elliptical or spinning and around an hour jogging a day and I have set mine to moderately active, or whatever the one above sedentary is. For the first seven months though I had set it to sedentary!

I would download the free app “Myfitnesspal” onto my phone, tablet…and start logging ALL and everything that you put into your mouth, including your drinks and the so innocent looking small cookie!

Then I would log all of my exercises in the same app and eat SOME of the calories back, on my non fast days.

For healthy people to eat under their TDEE means to lose weight. If you don’t lose when eating under your TDEE then it is very likely that you under-estimate your food intake.

Best of luck
Stef.

Churmy123

5:27 pm
22 Jun 14
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Hi Stef
I have been using My Fitness Pal for a while so that’s how I know what calories I have been consuming. I don’t drink or eat bread. I only have small portions of brown rice/pasta. And basically eat loads of fresh fruit/veg and lean meats. I make all my meals from scratch and don’t use jars or processed foods.
I think it goes sedentary, light and then moderate. This week I am doing 7 hours of high intensity, cardio classes on top of my normal daily walking so I’m definitely not sedentary! Will stick with lightly active for now. I think to get to 2400 calories I’d have to have some treats like crisps/chocolate.

simcoeluv

11:59 pm
22 Jun 14
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Hi Churmy:

Thanks for your height. My calculator (they are all different) now comes in at 2300, so both are in the ballpark.

Focus initially on doing your two diet days each week correctly. After a month or two of successful diet days, you can reevaluate and go from there.

Good Luck!

Churmy123

9:15 am
23 Jun 14
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Well my weeks shopping has just been delivered so I’m all set! I’m going to log everything in My Fitness Pal. Tomorrow will be my first fast day. I’m planning on melon and strawberries for breakfast, salad and boiled egg for lunch and then a ready meal for dinner.