Am I doing this right??!!

This topic contains 3 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by Clickbeetle85 9 years, 9 months ago.

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Charliefarley89

9:56 am
4 Feb 15
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Hi guys, need some clarification! Have been doing 5:2 for about 4 weeks & have lost 8lbs so far. Loving how flexible the diet is & it has really made me think about my eating & drinking habits. I have put on a stone since being with my lovely fella (happiness & too many meals out) so decided that I’d give the 5:2 a try. There is one thing I am slightly confused about & I just want to make sure I’m doing it right so here it comes…
2 days of 500 calories based on women’s average of 2000 per day, however having calculated my TDEE my calorie intake has come out at 1200, am I still right having 500 calories on FDs or should I be having a quarter of 1200 e.g. 300??!?! I know this sounds dumb but I can’t find a definitive answer…hope you guys can help!
Many thanks & happy fasting!
CF89

simcoeluv

5:53 pm
4 Feb 15
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Hi Charlie and welcome:

The guidance is 500 cal. per diet day or less, so you can do less if you want to. But you seem to be losing weight, so I would continue with 500 for a month or two and readjust if you want after your body has become more used to the eating pattern.

Here are some tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

stephanieefany

10:16 am
5 Feb 15
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Are you sure your TDEE 1200? That should be with your exercise/lifestyle taken into account. That just seems really, really low. A toddler’s recommended daily intake is about that. You might want to make sure you put your details in correctly as 1200 sounds positively minuscule for a TDEE!

Clickbeetle85

10:37 am
5 Feb 15
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TDEE 1200!!?? Ouch! I wouldn’t like to have to stick to that! I agree with Stephanie, you might want to double check the calculator. Are you teeny tiny? 🙂

With regard to the calories on your fasting days, everybody works it differently. 500 cals is a good figure to aim for initially, as it gets you into the habit of greatly restricting your calorie intake whilst still leaving you enough to have a satisfying amount of food.

If you look through the forum posts, a lot of people have their own way of dealing with fasting days. Some people stick with 500 calories throughout, others reduce their calorie intake as they lose weight. Some even avoid eating at all on their fasting days (just water/ zero calorie fluid intake).

I have been following this plan for about 5 weeks now, and I am still eating 500 or fewer calories on every fasting day. I find this works well for me.
I may decide to drop to 400 or less for the next 5 weeks.

It’s entirely up to you. This is a lifestyle change, so it has to be something that is workable for you. Like Simcoeluv (a fantastic source of info on these forums!) says, if 500 calories is working for you right now, keep at it! You can always make a change later down the line if you choose.

Best of luck! (But check that TDEE!) 🙂