This topic contains 1,453 replies, has 174 voices, and was last updated by dykask 4 years, 10 months ago.
Hello Everyone!
I just joined the site and have been loosely following the 16/8 method. I hope to incorporate the 16/8 with the 5/2. I’m only really looking to drop about 10 or so pounds, but want to adopt the lifestyle for the health benefits. Just looking to get tips and hints to make it a success. I am a teacher so I think once school starts in a few the schedule will be perfect.
Hello from sunny CO! I am starting tomorrow. My doctor recommended I try this method as my weight has been steadily creeping up over the past few years. My crappy stressful job didn’t help as apparently I was stress eating and drinking a fair bit and gained 20 lbs in 3 years, in spite of a regular exercise routine. Sigh…damn being over 40 too. New job, new outlook.
So my mister is off on an adventure climbing 14 – 14ers in one week with his cousin. This leaves me flying solo with my two beast friends and plenty of time to try a new routine. Tomorrow is my first fast day and I am starting with 500 calories broken down in three meals to start. I am actually really excited, we talk about fasting periodically just as a health reset, but I am not a fan of week long fasts, so this seems a good step for me. I need to lose at least 20 lbs, but probably would be even better if I lost 30. Anyway,, thanks for everyone’s positive and encouraging posts. Looking forward to improving my health!
Welcome NewEnglander and Dilllikethepickle. Glad to know you have learned about this way of eating and joined the forum. I am interested that you are discussing fasting periodically for better health. That is not so unrealistic after you have done 5:2 for a while.
I like this way of eating very much. I dropped 26lbs 2 1/2 yrs ago and now I want to loose 2 more lbs (short term goal). I am half way there. 🙂 My desire is to get there slowly enough to keep it off reasonably easy. I do this with my husband. ____NewEnglander We keep food in the house for our fast days. Having a balance of protein and some fat helps us be satisfied from lunch on. We do 2 meals starting with lunch, drink lots of liquids. For me that is water, but H likes a diet fruit drink and some coffee and water through out day. We both have lots of energy on fast day. I work 3 days a week at gym. We are retired in early 70s. Another tip that has come up on forum and personally; I cannot expect to eat baked goods on each feed day. It keeps me craving sweets. Much better off using fruit as a dessert and occasionally having pastry. Those are my tips. Best to you on 5:2!
Pea Jay, thanks for your post. I’m nervous about energy levels on fast days so am opting out of my body pump class today (weight lifting) and doing a walk at lunch with a colleague instead. We were going to go to lunch, but I am telling people about the fast and asked her if we could change to a walk. She was super on board! I’m hoping to get back to my pump class on Wednesday and twice a week as before. It’s good to hear you have plenty of energy on those days! I will still be Mixing it in with lots of hiking, treadmill, and some yoga.
Thanks from me too Pea Jay! I was planning to fast today, sticking with the M and TH days, and really wasn’t sure if I could handle it or not. I had a big mess in my studio to clean up since one of the shelves in my bathroom which was way overloaded with magazines, etc. collapsed.
Took my coffee and went out there to do some serious purging and completely forgot I hadn’t eaten. By the time I put a serious dent in the mess I decided to stick with the fasting since I was 1/3 there already. When I came back into the house I cked in here and there was your cool help and suggestions how you guys do your fast. So, rather than give up today I decided to open a can of tuna, added a T. each of mayo and pickle relish, some chopped onion and herbs and the cal. total came to 215. So for lunch I ate 1/2 of it and will finish it off for dinner tonight and splurge with a 1/2 piece of toast. 🙂 Sticking with it. Dinner Friday night totally ruined me so I really needed to get back on track today/this week. I’ve lost 18 lbs. with 18 more to go. I loved hearing you are “halfway” there Pea Jay 🙂 cracked me up and I can’t wait until I can say same thing! Don’t leave us when you get “there”. Your post totally inspired me to stay the course.
Welcome guys!! Glad to hear fasting is working for you. Hearing everyone’s progressowns determination definitelymotiveless me! I decided on Saturday to get my stuff together and have a 48 hour fast fro. Sunday at 7pm til today at 7, and then again from Thursday at 3 to Saturday at 3. I weighed in today out of curiosity and went from 130 to 127.5!! I know im going to regain a pound or so by Thursday, but it’s still a nice thing to see. If I keep going like this with Sunday being my cheat day, I really think I’m going to reach my second goal weight by September 8th! THAT’S FREAKING AWESOME since I originally expected to only go down to 128 by September, and here I am, already at 127.5lbs! Mayyybeee I might be able to go down to 125 by September.
Out of curiosity, is anyone reading or planning to read a good book? I’ve just made my book bucket list for 2017 and planned on reading 27 novels by this time next year. 🙂
Hi Janie and welcome:
Here are some tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/
Good Luck!
Hi gang, newbie here. I’ve been doing 4:3 since April. Lost a total of 21 lbs so far. I have been stalled in the same 5 lb range for 2 months though and getting very frustrated. Some people from another support group started the same time I did and are around 30 lbs loss. I document every single bite into MFP..even water and no cal drinks. I don’t exercise other than short walks. I am strictly at or below 500 3x/ week. My TDEE is around 2000, but changed to 1900 to see if that helped…no change. Found another calculator on Mayo Clinic and my TDEE there is 1750. I have switched to that for the past week and a half. I lost a little more, but the second I eat on my feast days, I am right back up 2-3 lbs. I eat very mindfully. I no longer eat like I did that got me here. I now eat a lot of veggies, stew with no potatoes, just a little meat and lots of veggies, quinoa instead of any potatoes or rice, etc. What more can I do? Soooo frustrated. Today is a fast day and I’m starving sitting here wondering why I am doing this!
Hi Layor, we started about the same time and have lost about the same lbs. too. I’ve also been losing and gaining back a lb. or two, lose and gain, etc. I can trace all of my gains to doing dumb things like a martini and wine or french bread and I’ve quit looking at eating days as “feast” days and have been trying to implement eating fewer calories than first recommended. It really helps me to ck in here when I’m feeling like quitting and get some inspiration. Pea Jay really helped me stay on track on M’s fast day (Thanks again Pea Jay!) I recently discovered on a fast day, that brushing my teeth helps a bunch to keep me from thinking about eating (and no, I’m not eating and supplementing with toothpaste 🙂 My fast days go more smoothly when I’ve planned ahead for what I’m doing and since I also don’t mind repetition, I usually fix a few days of whatever I decide to do so I can eat it for some of my meals on off-fast days too. Most things are protein and salad-type oriented. I’m fixing a skewered chicken cucumber dish for tomorrow’s fast (marinating chicken tonight) and tonight we’re having salmon rice bowls and I try to stick to 1/4c. amounts of things like rice. H is not joining me in this endeavor (he doesn’t really have to since his weight has been pretty much the same since HS—creep, plus he’s a junk food junky) so he knows he’s on his own on fast days unless he’s willing to eat what I’m fixing—sometimes he does, but not usually.) I gained about 10 lbs. when I let him fix me breakfasts after I “retired”, so I never eat the way he does, and I never eat beef or pork if it’s at all avoidable, with only occasional chicken dishes. He’s into all the stuff I have to avoid and he hates most vegies! I, on the other hand, love them and can’t do without.
Try not to give up, after all, you’ve lost 21 lbs. and that’s nothing to sneeze at. Yes you can! And Yes I can too! (little reminder for myself 🙂
Thanks, Crow. I am losing and gaining as well (UD vs DD), but I might lose 2 lbs after a DD and then gain 3 lbs on an UD and I am not going over 1750 calories. My TDEE on here says 1977 and BMR is 1648. So, I’m right where I’m supposed to be. I just can’t get out of that same 5 lbs range though. I have a couple of times, but then have a feast day (UD) the next day and I am right back at a 3 lbs gain. If I lower my caloric intake anymore I will starve and this will not be successful for me. I’m going to keep on trucking and hope something changes, but when I am having a DD and starving, I question why I am doing this! It is frustrating to see others that started at the same time say they have lost about 10 additional lbs than I have.
Hello everyone,
Have not been here for few days….hope the plan is working for everyone and everyone having success.
I survived my “birthday eating out week”… I think it was 6 different occasions I was out to eat with different ones and at different places and I am happy to say that I was able to make good choices and stay with my plan throughout!! And even lost 4 lbs. in 2 weeks.
I want to report that I have met another goal. I set little goals and it keeps me motivated. I started out at 330 lbs. My first goal was to get below that 300 mark before going to the doctor back in July. I did! My second goal was to lose 10% of my body weight. I did! My third goal was to get to that first eighty number below 290. I did. I saw 289 this morning. Yay! This makes me a loss of 41 lbs. since first of April. My next little goal is to get to the 50 lbs off mark and go see my lung specialist. Have not seen her since the weight loss.
For those of you who have not read my past posts, I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and being claustrophobic, I can’t tolerate c-pap machine, therefore, I am on oxygen at night because my oxygen levels drop a bunch of times below 88%.
I do believe that “my plan” is working for me and it is one I can live long-term with.
Good luck all and hang in there… we can do this!!! We are over-comers!!
Joybee64, great job on meeting your incremental goals! I think that’s a smart way to approach this WOE.
Bronx, yes, weight loss can improve sleep apnea immensely. Some can even go without CPAPs if they have lost enough weight, if that is the main cause of their breathing difficulties.
Best of luck to you Joybee, to be apnea free, eventually. It will be a long process but it will be so worth it as you will feel tremendously better!
Thanks Bronx and NorthernDawn.
Yes, those little goals keeps me motivated. And feeling so much better already is another motivator too. Yes, I was told that a drastic weight loss would be a solution to the sleep apnea. The sleep specialist I went to says that 60% can’t tolerate a c-pap machine. She also told me about a mouth piece that can be fitted, but has to have jaw teeth to fit onto, of which I don’t have (other than in my partial). LOL Also, there is surgery that can be done to thin out the extra tissue in the back of the throat.. but get this… success rate of it working is 50% or less and most still need c-pap machine. Another option is a hypoglossal nerve stimulator, which works on same principle as pace maker. However, my insurance requires a doctor in state and in network. Found one in state (5 hrs away) but not in network and besides my part of insurance was going to be way up there.. out of my reach. So, only other option left was the weight loss and use oxygen until I lose the weight.
I don’t know how any of you feel about healing through prayer, but I am a believer in healing and I was anointed and prayed over for healing from the sleep apnea and truly believe God is healing me. I ask for confirmation and God has shown me already of 7 symptoms of sleep apnea that I no longer have. The being overweight the only symptom left. I think God is doing a process healing of this part by helping me design “my eating plan” and helping me to stay with it. I am learning that there is a life of food that isn’t junk or fast food. Even been trying a few new things lately. Like spaghetti squash to replace pasta. Not bad!
I read something today that makes sense in a lot of things… and I applied it to my eating. “The flower that follows the sun does so even on cloudy days” and then was reading my daily devotional and found this “Trusting God’s love, we can walk with Him even when life doesn’t make sense” sooooo… keep on walking, keep on keeping on with the eating plan, even on a day when it doesn’t seem to make sense or when it gets clouded up by not so good decisions.
I have this saying on my fridge “No feeling is final” … that headache, that empty, grumbling tummy, that mind thinking it just has to have something to eat…. those feelings are not final. They will pass.. HANG ON.. We can get through it. Also, this was mine (when they set down the hot rolls on the table at FATZ for my birthday outing and that smell came right to me).. “No smell lasts forever”… it was gone quickly by time everyone at the table grabbed one. LOL… I didn’t eat any! My choice!
Hello Americans and all others! I am starting this 5:2 today with a fasting day. I suppose I could say I started yesterday with a non-fasting day. 🙂 I am hoping to lose about 10 lbs. I carry my weight well, but I don’t like it and I don’t like feeling my clothes get tighter. I’m a teacher and I’m nervous about how I’ll do when school starts up. I teach at a school where I get delicious free lunch everyday, so… I’ll have to restrain myself! I’ve enjoyed reading through this thread. So many of you have had such positive success. I’m hopeful to be amongst you all in a few months!
Welcome! I just started a couple of weeks ago and have lost a couple pounds. Fast days are challenging, but not terrible. I find eating egg whites with zucchini makes a great breakfast and I can microwave them in a glass container coated with cooking spray at work. A little salt and pepper and garlic powder too. I usually do that around mid morning and then eat canned soup for lunch. Amy’s organic have some options where you can eat the whole can for around 120 calories. I have usually done a dinner from one of the 5:2 cookbooks and they have been quite tasty. I like to cook, so it helps me feel like I am just trying a new recipe and staying with my normal evening routine. The day after a fast, I feel great and far less hungry than I would have thought. So far I am really enjoying eating this way. 😃 Please keep us posted Magistrate on how you find it!
Hi Dill and welcome:
Here is some information that might help as you lose weight with 5:2: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/
Good Luck!
Thanks for the welcome! I didn’t find fasting too hard yesterday, on my first day. And today I haven’t been ravenous, so…hoorah! I like how easy and yummy your breakfast sounds, Dill. I will definitely need to be creative if I’m going to keep this up! Unfortunately, I have a spouse and 3 kids who want different food, so it’ll be a juggling act, for sure! 🙂
Just started back to school and working too so I will check in when I can. Back from vacation earlier this week and won’t weigh in right away!! Back to the fasting though as I feel so much better and lighter on my feet. Will give periodic updates as time allows…
Best to all of you and I enjoy reading about your successes!
Hi… I am checking in. Don’t see many active not this thread now. Is everyone back to work and school? Well I am retired. Had success getting a couple lbs less so my body varies a couple lbs. less than it did. Some clothes feel better.
I reiterate that I like this regime. It has served me well for 3 yrs plus. Happy!
Hi fellow Americans – I am a new poster, live in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks.
Have so loved reading various threads and soaking up the International flavor of this board.
Just came back from a big Mexican dinner, everything was yummy but that will be all I eat today (well, except for a few animal crackers that I am munching right now.) This is a non fast day so that’s not the issue, I just have had enough for today I do believe.
Thanks for the welcome K-Lo. Your dinner sounds great, I just left the “gym” as well – well my exercise room. Enjoy yourself, I truly do love to exercise but our little town is sadly lacking in facilities so I converted a spare bedroom with several pieces of equipment and manage to get in at least an hour of assorted aerobic and resistance training a day plus walking outdoors weather permitting.
Hi Linda and welcome:
Exercise is great for improving your overall health, but does not help you lose much weight. Focus on doing 5:2 correctly and you will lose all of the weight you want and have a way of keeping it off.
Here are some tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/
Good Luck!
Welcome LindaSue! I’ve been doing the 5:2 since the first of August and lost 9 lbs. I love it it!! Still working out as I was, but this is the first time in years I have seen the scales move in the right direction, even during this month of major celebrating. My birthday, anniversary and husband’s birthday had me concerned, but I have stuck with the program while having success and not feeling deprived. Love it!! Looking forward to hearing your progress!
Welcome LindaSue! I imagine this begins a gorgeous time in the Ozarks. I live in Washington state and right now the light is golden and color is just beginning to change in the trees. We don’t have the New England show of color but it is a very pleasant season with red apples hanging on the trees in Sept. I really like 5:2. I have not tried 8:16. I think it would be good discipline. We recently were away for 10 days, came back to guests for 3 days and when they left we immediately fasted. I had the feeling at last “we are home.”
Nice to have you on this thread.
Dill, congrats on your success. I have about ten pounds at the most to lose but those ten pounds are the muffin top around the middle. I actually weigh quite a bit more than the “weight tables” suggest I should but that probably is because I have exercised almost daily for at least fifty years. I am 67 years old,five foot five, weigh 153 right now but my ideal weight is closer to 145. Less than that and I look very haggard and too thin. I wear size six jeans, eight dress slacks, skirts, dresses, etc. Maybe an 8/10 in blazers and jackets. I just want to be as healthy as I can for as long as I can as I do love my life, my husband, my kids, our horse ranch – and want to keep loving for years to come.
Again, congrats and thanks for the encouraging post.
Thanks PeaJay, your state is beautiful any time of year. We do love living here and the four seasons but let’s just say the winters are prettier to look at than actually be outside working in.
Appreciate the welcome and I do hope to be an active part of the thread as I think positive support is so helpful when one is on a weightloss/healthy life journey.
Hi All
just found this forum though have been on a different one for some weeks. I am a let night Ozzie contributor though it is morning here now.
The weight loss journey is an interesting, difficult, hard, constant daily one!! Learning to eat just what your body needs not what you want can be tricky.
I have done the Blood Sugar Diet (BSD) which hits weight loss hard and fast for a SHORT time and followed up with a version of 5:2. Just eating a lot less really on every day of the week as a previous chronic over-eater.
It’s good to know that people around the world are trying to get healthier. Good luck to all of us!
Hi everyone and welcome to you newbies.
I’ve just had a crazy couple of months; H’s birthday, my birthday, out of town company, going back and forth to the mountains and then one of my closest friends’ H died of throat cancer when he was expected to pull through it. It’s been rough but I’ve stayed focused with most of the diet. At least, I haven’t gained anything back but still hovering at 154 and anxious to get below that! I know it will help me a lot to check in here with you guys to keep my focus. We’re here in the mtns. right now and wish you all could see the beautiful golden Aspen trees! There are thousands of people up here, so seems like most of us have gotten to see the fall beauty. It snowed last night up high and the snow machines have now been activated so ski season can’t be too far behind. We’re leaving this coming Friday to go to an apple festival in a town near Grand Junction to visit H’s brothers. I would rather stay home but that won’t happen so I’m going and plan to be cheerful.
Best fasting wishes to you all from colorful Colorado!
Crowmama
Hey Crowmama! I am a Colorado kid as well. We live outside Lyons. September was a celebratory month for me as well, but I managed to fast around events. I’m so excited to put on clothes I haven’t fit into comfortably for some time. Super motivating. I really like this way of life. Tomorrow is a fast day, just looking forward to not doing back to back fasts this week. I much prefer a break between days. Keep posting gang!
Just started this week. Will have my 2nd fast day tomorrow. So far, I love this plan! I’ve already lost cravings for sugar & my overall appetite has decreased considerably. I’m eating healthy on non-fast days & I’m feeling great today! I’m actually looking forward to my fast days! I want to lose 8-10 lbs.
Newbie here! Just did my first fast day on Monday. Tomorrow is my 2nd fast day. So far it’s going well, the fasting days are not too bad. I’m am hungry, but not unbearably so. I think just knowing that I can eat the next day makes getting through the fast day easier. I may be singing a different tune tomorrow. Lol
Greeting from Minneapolis!!
@tiger. I see you are just starting. Me too! Good luck with the 8-10 pounds. I’m looking to lose 20-25 so I have a feeling I will be here a while. 😄
Peace
Good luck Minny and Tigers! I’m still a relative newbie since I’ve only been doing this for 7 weeks, but it is awesome. Weight loss is happening. My body doesn’t crave food anymore on fast days; it’s really become an easy day for me and I break my fast (other than coffee in the morning) for an evening dinner with my family. I don’t need more nor do I feel tired or hungry or cranky all day. I hope you feel the same way. I’m in this for an 8-10 lb loss too…and I’m getting there. I don’t own a scale, but everything fits better and easier. Woot!
Good luck to you Minny & Magistra! I tried Stevia in my coffee this morning & didn’t like it, since I don’t crave sugar/carbs anymore. It’s amazing that the fast day & healthy eating already has changed my mindset. It really helps me to stay motivated! Down 2.2 lbs so far & tomorrow is my Fast Day. I think Mondays & Thursdays will work for me most weeks. I actually didn’t have much of an appetite yesterday, so I put my meals into MyFitnessPal & I only had a little over 500 calories, so it was like another fast day. Felt much better today, but still not as hungry as when I ate junk food. Let me know how ya’ll are doing. So glad I saw the documentary! I read the Obesity Code (even though I don’t need to lose much) & he had a recipe for homemade chicken bone broth, so that’s what I have for lunch with green tea. I had a chicken breast & broccoli for dinner. I figured out my calories for TDEE for my goal weight, & I’m eating only 1/4 of those calories on fast days. The first one was so easy to do, I was shocked!
Hi everyone
Isn’t it great to see so many people making changes for a healthy lifestyle. Apart from being good for the body it is good for the purse too as it can cost less if you eat less. Or you can buy better quality food but less e.g. I now buy Lindt 70% dark chocolate. It is so expensive that I only eat one square ( and not every day) and a block lasts much longer than the el cheapo chocolate I used to indulge in and eat far too much of!
I am sticking with eating a lot less on every day of the week and very little on my fast days – trying this just for a few weeks and then will revert to 5:2.
It is interesting that by fasting we can reset our hunger signals and eat just what the body needs and be more in tune with our body.
So happy that something like this brings people around the world together. Who knows – we might get world peace through healthy initiatives !!
Well hello everyone. It feels good to be back. I followed 5:2 for about 6 weeks back in the Spring and had great success. Then life got in the way and I went back to my poor eating habits. So I gained back the 13 lbs I had lost plus 5 more. Way easier to put on than I realized. My mom had the gastric sleeve done 2 months ago and she is down 35lbs so I have to catch up. I started back yesterday and had my first fast day today. It was way easier than the first time so I am very hopeful. I plan to fast on Mondays and Thursdays and maybe sneak in a third day when I can. Keep up the great work everyone and I will check back soon.
Hello everyone! I’m a 65 YO man in Las Vegas NV. 5’9″ and 182 lbs. I weighed 240 lbs when I was 50 YO and I lost ~60 lbs and have kept it off for 15 years Well actually I lost 75 lbs but I’ve put on 17 lbs over the last 18 months. I like intermittent fasting for the health benefits and I will be doing 4:3 with a compressed eating schedule (6 hrs) on NFD. to get back to 165 lbs
I’m also quite active hiking and dancing. I like to keep my gym time to a minimum with weights and HIIT workouts done in 15 minutes.
It is possible to lose fat and keep it off for a long time. Lets get it done together!
Hello there. I’m new to this forum but not quite so new with 5:2. I don’t know what I might be doing wrong. Reading the blog, a lot of people have had great success but me. I started 4 months ago and have only lost 7 lbs. I do stick to the 500 calories but have to have my coffee in the morning which is counted in my 500 calorie allowance for the day. I tend to sometimes snack on sunflower seeds in the middle of the day to get me through but that’s breaking the shell and everything so there’s not much that I’m consuming. Feeling a little demotivated and considering quitting. I have 13 more lbs.to lose but can’t seem to get there.
Hi brown:
First, you are being successful. Women tend to lose a little less than a pound a week on 5:2. You have been going 16 weeks and have lost 7 pounds, so you are ‘in the ballpark’ for amount of loss. Many that start extremely overweight lose faster at the start than those, like you, that do not have a lot to lose.
If you want to lose a bit faster, you might look at your non diet days. Many find if they eat over their TDEE on non diet days they don’t lose as fast as they would like to. Coffee has no calories so it is not a problem unless you are adding sugar and/or cream.
Here are some tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/
Good Luck!
Good morning everyone. Just finished my second fast for the week and I have to admit it was much harder than the first one. I was hungry all day and never seemed satisfied. I went over by close to 100 calories but 600 is still better than 2000. I like to weigh every day to keep me focused, but I record it once per week. So far I am down 5lbs. I know it is water, but seeing the scale move in the right direction keeps me motivated. We are headed into the holiday season, but since I work from home it should be easier to avoid parties. The summer in Memphis is hard with all of the food festivals around town. I’m anxious to hear how everyone is doing. Have a great weekend.
Clawus… I am sorry your second fast day this week was so difficult. Having the gnawing hunger all day is really a drag. Yet you persevered and that is really a major victory! When it is relatively smooth on a fast day and you get through it well that is superb, but it didn’t take such personal determination with effort to stay with it. I hope this won’t be the case for you very often. It hasn’t been for me. I have had some tough feed days wanting to eat when I am not hungry between meals just to satisfy some other need. I admire your victory.
Browneyedgirl… Stay in there. I agree with Simecoluv that it might be the feed days that are keeping your weight loss slow. Do you consider this a diet? It is helpful to me to look at it as a life time eating plan. I do actually see it like that. I think it is a fantastic to loose and control my weight this way. In other “diets” yes there was an end and that was the beginning of another weight gain. Ugh, indeed. This is a dream come true. I can adjust fast days according to social things and still maintain weight.stick with it. You are doing a good thing for yourself and it can become a habit you actually like!
HI everyone. From Georgia USA, I want 30 lbs. gone, of course overnight, but I know that won’t happen 🙂
New to 5:2 but not new to ‘basic IF’ situations while dieting thru my life!
I am starting 4:3 because I am hoping that that extra day will kick it up a notch.
I never truly ‘went on a scheduled’ IF type plan so this will be my attempt at making this routine work in my life.
Fast days (approx. 500 kcals) will be Monday, Wed, Friday.
My other days the calculator said to eat at about 2100 kcals, but I am controlling that down to 1800. I hope this deficit moves me along.
Since it is Sat. (my start day) I will control kcals to 1800 today and tomorrow and kick in on monday with my first controlled fast day.
Can someone recommend basically what they are eating on fast days to me?
Soup seems like a very low calorie, filling situation I might try? With a small salad?
Being the type that gets super hungry/starved even more the minute I start eating for the day, I think dinner time will be my only eating time on fasting days. I am worried if I start out with food for breakfast I will want more and more food thru the day. Anyone have this problem? Just wondering.
So that is basically ME in a nutshell. Want 30 lbs gone sooner than later and I know this is not a race and stop, I know it is intended to be a life change and routine for life. Graduate to 5:2 and maybe 6:1 in maintenance.
Nice to meet everyone!
Hi NowVoyager welcome to the club!
I know some people find it easier to only drink on fast days – water water water, coffee, black tea, broths, low calorie soups as you said.
I also sometimes find this easier. Once you start to eat it must trigger hunger hormones I think because the days I don’t eat anything at all are easier than days I eat a little. Why ??
If I do eat on fast days I eat 1 tbsp greek natural yoghurt, a boiled egg, an apple, salad – lettuce, celery, tomato, carrot. Sometimes I eat a 60 gram tin of tuna in spring water if the other foods don’t add up to 500 – 600 calories or as a substitute for some of the other foods.
Soup is actually a good one because if you have the right kind as in low in calories , you can actually have quite a lot which can make you feel full for longer.
That’s my thoughts. I’m sure there are others with good ideas and suggestions. Good luck!
Hi lily
thank you so much for that post. you gave me a good insight on how to handle this.
Fruit, never eat it much, but I do like a few, never usually buy it anymore, but now I will again to put into my fast days.
Yes the soup caught my attention cause I do feel like I can eat alot of it and maybe trick myself into thinking I am eating big cause I really do eat with my eyes also. I need to change this. I like big portions and alot of food on my plate so it might be time to start working on that problem I have, lol
I sure have bad habits I must address.
Could you please tell me what success you have had so far? Any other tips or tricks that make this change easier? I feel like if I can’t handle 4:3 I can easily back to 5:2 so I do feel like I have options, not that all or nothing type attitude when one goes on a diet.
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We pay tribute to our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Michael Mosley. Michael was an integral part of our lives, […]
Michael is touring Australia this September! Here's a link to dates and tickets. Hope to see you there.
Michael Mosley gives an update for 2019, current research in the field and announces a tour starting in February.
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7:42 pm
7 Aug 16