500 or 800 calories?

This topic contains 15 replies, has 11 voices, and was last updated by Pollypenny 6 years, 9 months ago.

Viewing 17 posts - 1 through 17 (of 17 total)

TiredStephen

10:04 am
17 Jan 18
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I watched a diet programme on Channel 5 last night and became rather confused. It was supposed to be trialling the Fast diet but the plan the girl followed was not that advocated in the book nor on the website. On the fast days the girl was restricted to 800 calories and for the rest of the week she was following a Mediterranean style diet.
Was this a misrepresentation of the Fast diet or has it changed?

LJoyce

10:33 am
17 Jan 18
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Hi, There are several diet regimes written by Dr Mosley.
The original 5:2 plan was 2 fast days per week on 500 or 600 cal, depending on your gender.
There is also a blood sugar diet designed specifically for those with diabetes or who are pre-diabetic. This diet involves 800cals and a Mediterranean diet. They have their own website: https://thebloodsugardiet.com/

In the years since writing the 5:2 plan, Dr Mosley has said that if you find it easier to do 2 fast days at 800 instead of 500 that’s ok. There are a few on this site who follow the higher limit, but it is more suited to maintenance as your weight loss will be slower with the reduced calorie restriction.

Brads27

2:55 pm
17 Jan 18
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I think it depends on what you weigh,i have been doing 800 and have lost 7lbs in 2 weeks.

Lotty G

1:58 pm
18 Jan 18
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Hi, a newbie here.
I am following a fasting diet but based on 800 cals for the 2 days. I did it last year and lost a stone in 4 weeks , but I’m notorious for my weak willpower and as usual gave up and put it back on again.
This time I want to do it for health benefits as well as looking good so I’m motivated to succeed.
I’m hoping to get lots of encouragement and support on here as well as supporting others.
My NFD’s are not calorie counted but eating healthily with lots of fibre and low GI foods.

EllaD

9:21 pm
21 Jan 18
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I am starting tomorrow and will be doing 800 calories.

I have read repeatedly that Dr. Mosley says 800 will not differ much from the 500, and is much easier to stick to.

Does anyone know if he’ll be updating his Fast Diet book to reflect this?

EllaD

9:24 pm
21 Jan 18
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p.s. I guess I should have added that I did the 500 calories successfully for about a month, but as time went on, the 500 was just too restrictive. It wasn’t sustainable. I am fasting on Monday and Tuesday at 800, and will report back how I did.

fasting_me

2:22 pm
23 Jan 18
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When my husband and I began Fasting [4+ years ago], both of us ate 600 calories/day. And we have stuck to it. I find it easy to do. If you find that the 800 works, great. If you want to lose weight more quickly, you can start at 800, get used to it, drop down to 700 and maybe to 600. See how it goes.

EllaD

1:56 pm
24 Jan 18
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800 calorie Monday was extremely doable. I was going to fast Tuesday as well, but switched it to tomorrow. I can do this! I’m also eating within an 8 hour window, so I figure between the two forms of fasting, something has to happen! Hope everyone has a great day today.

fasting_me

8:45 pm
28 Jan 18
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Good thinking, EllaD. You can make this work.

how’s it going, Lotty?

Brads, you are right that results will vary from person to person. Men lose faster than women, too.

Stephen, what’s new with you? Still tired?

TiredStephen

8:40 am
29 Jan 18
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Thanks for your reply.
Although I lose weight using the 5: 2 diet it really messes up my sleep. I’m a poor sleeper at the best of times but the diet makes it worse. I’ve virtually given up on the diet as a result of this and am simply trying to cut back calories everyday instead.

ladysae

2:59 pm
29 Jan 18
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Wish I had read this earlier. Was starving so much.

fasting_me

5:26 pm
31 Jan 18
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Stephen, try drinking a tea made of catnip in the evening. Yes, the same catnip that cats like has a calming effect for humans. worth a try.

How’s it going, ladysae?

Pollypenny

9:07 am
9 Feb 18
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Hi, I was usually a bit over my allotted 500 calories, but still lost 2st in five months.been maintaining since September 2016 now, usually 16:8. Since Christmas, I’ve been stuck at the top of my wriggle room, so we’ve rebooted with two FDs a week. I usually come out around 700 calories.

It’s very easy to go over if you think remember that an apple is about 90 calories.

Fastlady

5:59 pm
14 Feb 18
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I see a lot of people talk about fasting on consecutive days. However, I think that fasting days should not be consecutive. I’m not even sure why anyone would want to do this as it removes one of the main attractions of the regime I.e. on a fasting day, thinking about what you can eat the next day is what keeps you going. I’ve been doing the 5:2 since it first started, 5 years or so I think.

CalifDreamer

8:27 pm
14 Feb 18
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I agree Fastlady. The only time I do two days in a row is when I’m having a busy week where events involving eating disrupt my regular weekly schedule. Sometimes that’s the only way to fit in 2 FD without fasting on the weekend. I don’t like fasting on weekends if I can avoid it.

I’ve always stuck to 500 calories. As you get closer to your goal, you need less calories to maintain your present weight. 800 calories would have been more than half of my TDEE and would likely have slowed down my weight loss. As it was, I was losing less than a pound per week once I was close to goal. Losing slower than that would have affected my motivation. I am doing 2 – 500 FD per week in maintenance, but eating a little more on NFD. This works for me. It’s sustainable and doesn’t feel like a burden.

penguin

8:35 pm
14 Feb 18
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Fastlady. I have been fasting for about as long as you and from the beginning I have fasted Monday and Tuesday. Half way through that time I switched from 600 calories on fast days to fluids only – water, black coffee tea. I do it because that generates more ketones, I lose more weight and I feel really good. Once a month I will do a three day water only fast. Thinking about food is not a problem as long as I have something else to do at meal times. I am down fifty pounds and on my target.

Having read the Longevity diet book, at 6pm today I started a five day fluids only fast.

Pollypenny

8:42 am
15 Feb 18
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The great thing about 5:2 is it’s flexibility, so we do what ever fits into our lives. We rarely do b2b, but we have done when that works. We usually choose the days when we are busy, so we don’t even think about food – apart from choosing the one meal, of course.