Hi

First post- thought it might be encouraging to anyone just starting out.

Background. I’m 59, 5’10” and have always been pretty skinny. From 15 to 35 ish I was around 10st. As with a lot of people that changes slowly into middle age, and a skinny bloke with a pot belly is never a good sight. I have always been the type to graze, and one of Michael’s programmes showed me up as a greedy so and so- when I open Pringles or M&Ms, for example- I eat em all. You get the picture. Anyway, I returned late January from a family bash in Ireland (booze n food) and I was 78 kg, the heaviest I have ever been. Over 12 stone. That was decision time. Initially I begun the 5:2 simply for discipline, simply to slow my eating and show I could. Then I looked at the science and embraced it wholeheartedly. Today I am 70.3kg (11 and a bit st), and my target is 70kg.

I have had some plateaus, but generally have lost about a pound and a bit a week over the 14 week period. I have had few ‘hunger’ days, and have only felt exhausted when I have done hard DIY work or exercise. (I am usually in the light exercise group.) My BP is down to 127/75 from 140/90 and I generally feel less tired than before.

No secrets: very strict calorie counting (for what it’s worth, I calculate everything on raw values) on fast days, a realistic appraisal of TDEE; and perhaps an extra- my wife came on board after 4 weeks, so I often eat 500 cals on a fast, a small saving. I often go all day without eating, having all 5/600 in one go. Snacks, when I do- I’ve discovered super thin ham as a filler, and I love tomatoes which are light in cals. I drink too many cups of tea, and was slow to realise that 50-60ml of semi skimmed milk is about 30 cals. For me that can be 240 cals a day!

She’s doing well too, and we’re committed to ‘the lyfestyle’ so far.

One gripe- I’m sure I’m wrong, but I feel that as soon as I have a nice big meal, I sense that it immediately swells my stomach! Can that be right?

Hope this is useful to newbies or those strugling a bit.