Hi All:

The way 5:2 works is you go to bed, get up, eat 500 calories or less during your waking hours, go to bed, get up and eat ‘normally’ – twice a week. ‘Normally’ means to eat your TDEE or less. You can eat any foods you like because it is the number of calories that count, not the food types. Initially, focus on doing your two diet days a week correctly. After a month or two, you can adjust if necessary.

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

Here is information on TDEE: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/tdee-for-the-curious-or-why-dont-i-lose-weight-faster/

Good Luck!

CrazyDogLady:

From a ‘math’ point of view, if you have an accurate TDEE and eat to it or below, and eat 500 or fewer calories twice a week, you have to lose weight. The speed at which you lose weight, and the amount you lose on a periodic basis, will depend on your TDEE (it sets your calorie deficit). The TDEE post explains this, and that most people that are not getting the results they want either are eating to an inaccurate TDEE, or are not counting their calories and are eating more than they think they are, and sometimes both.

Many people learn that it is best for them to eat one 500 calorie high fat/protein meal on their diet days. Many others decide not to eat anything on their diet days (water fast). Although hard to believe when you are beginning, you will find over time that you are not all that hungry on your diet days, or upon waking after a diet day. The reason is that your body becomes better at using its own fat for food, so you are actually being fed quite well despite not eating anything. As my warning post mentions, the longest documented faster went over a year without eating anything and survived quite nicely. So surviving for only a day with 500 calories to boot is not really out of the question.

While exercise is the best thing you can do for your overall health, it has little positive impact on weight loss, and can initially be detrimental: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/exercise-is-dangerous-for-your-diet/

Good Luck!

Going with the theory that the tdee calculator herein is the one to use and I am fully aware of my sedentary existence so I’m happy to go with that number to begin. It seems that as weight comes off the tdee needs to be referenced to keep a perspective on the number of calories for non fast days.

It’s interesting to note the number of comments in the forums that make reference to merging 5:2 with other regimes eg Weight Watchers. I think that’s a little beyond my scope today… just going to go with 5:2 for the moment.

Hi Lorraine
Hope you’re doing well? I did my second fasting day today and I’m really pleased that I’m not finding it as hard as I thought I would. My fasting days are Tuesdays and Thursdays at the moment but they might change the longer I do this 🙂

You are really supposed to eat what your body signals it needs — up to your TDEE. You can go under if you want.

Hello again, had a better day today being at work and busy helps me not ponder the next thing I can shove in my mouth to eat. This validates the theory that fasting days are best done away from home for me. A couple of busy/eating days on the long weekend so it might be a bit of a false start this week but I feel better for having made a commitment to the process from yesterday.

Doing a dog walk tomorrow morning, not far but it’s the big beast on the lead and we need to get him to the vet for a check up. I will take some comfort that I’m taking a step or two toward getting out of my sedentary lifestyle as I would normally get Otis in the car and drive around the block.

Have a lovely Queen’s Birthday weekend, stay safe and remember that it’s double demerits on the road.

CDL