Hi all
After lurking for several months I feel it’s time to say hi and thank you.

My name is Mark, 48 years old and I’m from London, England.
I started the 5:2 diet 3 months ago and have so far lost 12kg. My starting weight was 97kg and now I’m down to 85kg. I’ve also gone from a 38 (pushing 40) inch waist to being able to get back into 34 inch waist jeans. I’ve also had to add 3 extra notches to my belts.
I’ve been strict with the diet on fast days, but I’ve also set some other rules such as not eating after 8pm on non-fast days and only allowing myself a treat of biscuits/cakes/chocolate etc once or twice per week. Other than that on non fast days I wouldn’t say I have what many would consider a healthy diet. I do enjoy a full English breakfast or bacon & egg butties. Also I have a very physical occupation which means I walk at least 12km per day. Which has obviously helped in reducing my weight.

Some fast days are easy others not so, but I’ve stuck to my guns. I’ve also found Konjac flour noodles and rice a godsend on fast days. I read about them on this very forum a few months back, but cannot remember on what thread or who it was who posted about them. If you’re reading this and it was you, then THANK YOU! I don’t think I could’ve stuck it out without them. I now buy them by the crate.

I still have at least another 5 kg to lose to reach a healthy BMI and once there plan to switch to 6:1 to see if I can maintain a healthy weight.
So overall I have by no means found the 5:2 diet easy. Although definitely easier than other diets where you restrict calories daily, and it definitely works for me.

So all this preamble is my long winded way of saying thank you for this forum and the posters on here. The information and inspiration has been invaluable.

Onwards & Upwards

Mark

Hi and thank you AnnamariaV.

I’m amazed that it’s work so well. Although some fast days are a struggle, like today for example. I do look forward to fast days now.

Also I feel much better in myself in terms of overall well being. Not sure if that is due to just losing the weight or the additional health benefits of the diet.

Hi fasting_me.

Thank you for the comment and support.
5 years? Wow that’s some dedication right there. I have seen people say that this is a lifestyle and not a diet.
I’ll see how it goes with the 6:1, but I still have a good few months on 5:2 to go yet.
If it doesn’t work for me on 6:1 I’ll happily stay on 5:2, but I’d be worried about continuing to lose weight?

Hi bigbooty

Thank you for the comment.

22kg is pretty impressive too. Well done and thank you for the advice regarding 6:1. I have seen that it does work for some people. So hopefully I may be one them too.
The added health benefits do intrigue me, but if I am honest I started this diet solely to lose weight.

I have a big test coming up. I am now on annual leave for 2 weeks. So I will not be exercising no where near as much as I do whilst working. Also I am going to a music festival on the Albanian Riviera for a week and will not be fasting during that week.
So It will be interesting to see the scales once I get back.
Hopefully I won’t put on too much weight, but if I do I know I can lose it again once I’m back fasting and at work.