Hi LittleDragon – hey great non-scale victory with your photos! Something is working eh? 🙂

Hi all newbies! Of course you are welcome – the more the merrier!!

Optimistic – great job kicking the habit! I quit like 12 years ago – best thing I ever did for myself!

Yesterday’s fast didn’t quite go as planned, I went over by about 120 calories or so. When I got home from work we didn’t have any power at home so I couldn’t cook dinner or go to the gym. And guessing on calories (that’s where I went over since I couldn’t even get online with my phone) I made a salad with cheese and lunch meat and had some triscuits. So I didn’t beat myself up over it since it was completely out of my hands 🙂

So today is a non-fast day and it’s imperative I keep the eating under control. I’ve been struggling with this so I need to stay mindful all day and not let my guard down! That’s when I get into trouble!

Hope all that are fasting have a great days today!!

LOL Flamingo, I love your last line about getting into the pants – attractively! I have some things I can just get into, but looking like an overstuffed sausage is not good!

I spend a lot of time cooking, but have put most of it (was trying to perfect a sponge cake for the local show amongst other deliciously bad things lol) on hold for a while. The only advice I have is to keep yourself distracted as much as possible and include some protein in your breakfast or lunch, it keeps my DH full longer.

Good luck.

Flamingo – don’t stress over your fast days. Don’t worry about the food aspect and just keep busy. Find your busiest days of the week and make those your fast days. The more you focus on it, the more stressful it will be. And honestly it really does get easier!

I also struggle with eating far too much on a non-fast day which I’m trying to break now. Since you love to cook now is the time to find some fun healthy low-cal recipes to try out! It would be fun for you to try some out and share with us! Make that your project for our group 🙂

Today is a fast day for me, feeling a bit peckish right now but drinking my water which really helps. The benefit of drinking so much water is extra steps today walking to the restroom more often 🙂

Yesterday (non-fast day) went well. I stayed pretty close to my calorie goal yesterday and even walked 5 miles and lifted weights! Today I’m going to also walk another 5 miles and do some yoga tonight.

Hope everyone has a great day!!!

hey all, fasting day for me today as well. defininately a good idea to keep busy, ideally even a bit frantic 🙂 i usually try to plan everything foodwise the night before, so i dont have to think too much today. I have prepped some leek for tonight, when i come home i just stick a salmon filet on top and into hot oven and have sth yummy 15 min later:-) leek stirfried and salted/peppered with a bit of dill, salmon just gets a lemonjuice drizzle, if i remember rightly that was ca 240 cal, together with my porridge this morning and my skinny flat white, i am done for the day. Where is that waterbottle??did go for a swim and might walk tonight.then again… final season of breaking bad is calling.yeez i ll be glad when i have finished that one and can go back to reading books.
I really like to cook from scratch, so on non fast days i go into domestic goddess mode and prepare soup for the rest of the week.
Great idea about sharing some low cal recipies newme@50

Hi everyone – fasting yesterday was a real challenge could ate a horse by three but hung on until dinner time and devoured a M & S count on me, never tasted anything so delicious!!!!!! Seriously though does anyone have any tips for fasting, all tips welcome.

Joined my local gym and went for the first time today, quite good fun, but having not exercised for a long time, I’ve found muscles that have been asleep for years!

Anyway all good so far but early days. Much like Peapod, the tv is helping 😉

Optimistic:

If you stay around 5:2 and this forum long enough you will find that the vast majority of people complaining about being hungry are newbies. Newbies are obsessed with food, and not having enough of it. One of the things that happens as you stay with 5:2 is that food becomes less important in life. You may realize how little of it is necessary. People report they tend to eat ‘better’, whatever that means to them personally, and, of course, less.

Most overweight people have not experienced much hunger. Most people in general do not know how the body works.

Without getting too scientific, the body has two food sources – what it eats, and stored energy, most of which is fat. If it doesn’t eat, it feeds on fat. If it doesn’t eat and runs out of fat, it dies.

‘Hunger’ generally happens when energy from food that has been eaten runs out, and the body has not yet started using stored energy for food. As all bodies are different, some switch to using stored energy more quickly than others. Once the switch is made, you are not hungry any more because you are being fed by your stored energy. If you read enough posts from newbies you will see many report surprise that they wake up after a diet day and are not hungry. That is because they are being well fed by their energy stores.

The moral of the non scientific outline is that you should focus on doing your diet days correctly, and over time your body will become more efficient in switching to its stored energy to feed you. You will be less hungry than you may be now, and you will also get used to it, know it is not hurting you, and go on with your life without worry or even discomfort.

Here are some tips for those just starting 5:2: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

Hi blacksharp and welcome:

I posted this above, but here it is again: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

I would read #s 1 and 4 to start.

Good Luck!

Hi everybody it’s busy on this thread today…. Good to hear so many inspiring stories it really helps me. I had a hellish day yesterday somehow managed not to eat my way through it. Only 3 weeks to half term I’m aiming for that as a pit stop.

Hi another day another dollar….
Hi to fast Andy

Forgot! Hi fast andy!

That is a great result oldtyke, 4.5 lbs. I know you said it is a false reading but it gives a sense of encouragement that this is working and that is exactly what you need after the first week! Especially after months of pro point counting!

I was hoping to do my first fast today but decided to make a fresh start on Monday as I think my head will be more ready for it, fresh start Monday and all that – old habits are hard to break.

Have a good weekend everyone.x

Well it’s been a week,and my official loss is 2lbs. I think the hardest thing is getting my head round “eating normally” on none fast days. I think this WOL is definitely doable 🙂

Drunner – happy belated birthday! Sounds like you had a great day!!

Oldtype – great job on the loss. Yes I have the same issue with eating normally on none fast days but I think it’s starting to get better. For instance we had a bonfire and smores on Saturday night and I had two – by the time I was started eating my 2nd one I really didn’t necessarily want it. Now that’s a first for me! Everyone else ate 4 or 5 of them!

Great start FastAndy! Glad your knee is getting better too! Don’t push your knee too much at first ok?!!

Good luck on your first fast day blacksharp! I’m fasting today as well – my tummy is rumbling and I’m already hungry at 8:00 am but it will go away. It always does!

Let’s see – I did pretty good all weekend. I think I feel a shift happening as I haven’t had near as much treats as I normally do. (YAY!!) My back however is pretty stiff and sore today after working in the yard Saturday morning. I already have back issues (disk issues) so anything back related scares me. I immediately stopped what I was doing, applied ice and heat and it’s still pretty stiff today but it feels more muscular than anything else. I’ll likely go home early today and get some more heat on it. I forgot the heating pad today! So no exercise today for me…but that’s ok as I’m fasting today!

I hope everyone has a great day!!

Hello campers!, I’m still managing just… Hungry today. Just want the scale to start with a 12 not a13. Seem to have hit a plateau bbblack coffee with a spoonful of coconut oil was recommended to help with hunger. Not sure if its helping.
I’m taking dh away for his birthday 24/10. I HAVE to keep going. Good luck all

Hello I’ll join the group please, week 3 now day 1 and still not completely within the 500 but I’m not beating myself up as I’m cooking separate meals for kids and hubby so yes I do have the odd spoonful whilst doing this.

but now I’ve always got a bowl of chopped carrots to nibble on through out the day and drinking sparkling water really helps seems to fill me up.

I have not weighed myself yet and figure if it’s coming off its coming off I’ll be able to tell by clothes fitting etc.

I’ve been awake since 3.30am! It was a fast day yesterday. Does anyone else find this?

Good morning all – non-fast day for me today! I’ll continue to watch what I eat as I have a history of eating far too much on my non-fast days 🙂

Drunner – I have definitely noticed the fast days get easier the longer you do them!

Oldtyke – sorry no fast days don’t keep me awake at night. I’ve always needed my sleep and I still do, fasting or not fasting 🙂

Blacksharp – hope your first fast day was a success! They do get easier and easier and easier!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Sorry, this was a mistake on my part. Apologies again,.

Meant to post this. Suggestions of how to do smilies.

SMILIES/PICS
1. http://www.sherv.net/good.luck-emoticon-2958.html
click on this link

2. Scroll down categories on the left. e,.g. “ Holidays and Celebrations
3. Click on maybe “Birthday” have a look at all the pics which come up.
4. Click on the one you want
5. E.g. Click on “ get code”
6. Click on the HTML code
7. Cut and paste that code onto your reply. Hopefully it will appear as the picture you chose when you press ‘submit’ with your reply.
8. If not, use the edit button to delete and experiment again.!

Same procedure here
1. http://www.freesmileys.org/
2. Click on the link
3. Choose your category
4. Select the one you want to use
5. Click on the html code make sure you copy ALL of it ,
e.g.

Paste it onto your reply.
Check whether it’s come up. If not, use the ‘edit’ button to delete it and try again! It’s largely trial and error and hopefully fun?

Drunner – I’ve just done 2 consecutive days! I usually do Mon/Weds but am going out for a curry tonight (gulp!). It wasn’t too bad and I wasn’t ravenous today so am doing a bit more of a fast today before this evening.

Am feeling positive about fasting as have lost 10lb in the last 3 weeks which I’m very pleased about. The same again and I can go down to 1FD!

Oh that sounds grand FastingFan….enjoy your curry! 10lbs is an amazing loss, well done. I’m dropping it slowly, a very sloooow 1lb loss per week. Not got too much to lose so I think that’s why (or at least that’s what I’m telling myself!),

I’m really looking forward to dinner tonight, have struggled a little today but will persevere….have been dreaming of dinner, then a bath & an early night, tucked up with the Kindle 🙂 I’ve also randomly been daydreaming of drinking a nice hot mug of an Oxo cube…my body must be craving salt!

Hi everyone, I’m back from vacation! I had a wonderful week of visiting, eating, drinking coffee and not sleeping enough! I was going to fast today but I’m just a bit too out of it, I think I’ll try on Wednesday instead! I was going strong until around 10:00 am when I gave in to almonds!!

Wicken – thanks for all the smilies…I’m trying one right now…this is how I feel today!! <a href=”http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php” title=”Smiley”>

Hope everyone has a great day!!!

How is everyone doing? I decided to take last week off namely due to a poor attitude coming back to work and regular life, but today I’m back at it and feeling good. Just like before I went away on vacation! So fasting it is today for me!

How is everyone else doing??

How’s everyone doing today?

I had a FD yesterday, was relatively easy (wish they were all like that!), kept myself busy & didn’t really notice the time going by. I then went for a sports massage last night.

My therapist hadn’t seen me in a month, and was amazed at the weight I’d lost – had to tell her it was only 6lbs, but its amazing how other folk see you! Think I am losing inches more than weight, to be honest I’ll take either one, thanks very much 🙂

Hope you are all doing well??