This topic contains 1,453 replies, has 174 voices, and was last updated by dykask 4 years, 9 months ago.
Hiii! Illinois here! On week 3 and I’ve been feeling better than I have in a long time. I was in a serious funk for quite a while and my head was always tired and cloudy. For the last few weeks it’s really lifted quite a bit! I have my days still but overall I’m feeling really positive and overall calm. Down 12 lbs!!
Hi Lynn1960 … I hope you find a buddy. There is also a British group you might try posing in.
Like you I drink a lot of coffee, but for me it is mostly black. On NFDs I sometimes add milled flaxseed which give the coffee more of a thick slightly slimy texture but the coffee blunts the taste of the flaxseed. That provides a more omega 3 fats and a lot of fiber. Our coffee tastes are world’s apart!
Hi musicis4thesoul … you hit on something that I’ve noticed. After a few months of 5:2 I seems to have a lot more energy and drive. I’ve basically started several larger projects. It is almost like I’m working, taking college classes and starting a new business to boot. 5 years ago it was all I could do to walk to a store to buy an ice-cream bar. Fasting seems to really have helped my drive and energy! Great point you made!
HI Lynn1960
I am reasonably new to this WOL ( way of life) sometimes WOE ( way of eating).
Firstly I have found that slow and steady gets results although some people have quite quick weight loss.
To make this a sustainable WOL usually requires change of mindset and change of habits.
If you fast for a bit but continue with your same old habits you may to get the results you are hoping for.
I used to drink a LOT of coffee daily and I have a fair amount of milk in my coffee. If you work out the amount of calories over a day it is quite astonishing how many you will be consuming in your coffees. I have since cut back on number of coffees and amount of milk in them.
I use MyFitnessPLanner ( google MFP) and put in what I am eating and it works out the amount of calories you have consumed. I have never counted calories before and don’t plan to do it forever but it certainly helped me to start with as I was so out of whack with what I thought I was eating and what I actually WAS eating. However it is not for everyone.
There are some ‘old hands ‘ on this thread much more experienced than me who have very good advice, tips etc.
The main thing is not to become obsessive – it’s usually taken a while to get where you currently are so will take a while to get rid of the weight.
Also remember not to beat yourself up if your day doesn’t go to plan – life is not perfect and neither are we.
Having said that if you have a ‘blip’ try not to let the day get completely out of control.
5:2 is a beneficial WOL on many levels. It is good for weight loss but there are so many other health benefits – found on websites about 5:2.
Good luck. Happy to walk the journey with you and learn as we go !🙂
Hi Puzzle Lover
as mentioned before, I find
2 – 3 tablespoons full fat plain Greek yoghurt with a tablespoon of blueberries a good start.
Sliced tomato and mushrooms ‘fried’ in a pan with a smudge of olive oil or a spray of olive oil.
Omelette of an egg with various low fat toppings – again tomato/capsicum(pepper)/celery/carrot/tiny grating of cheese.
Oats ( porridge) with a little skim milk.
There are also many recipes and suggestions on various 5:2 websites. ? google search
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the welcome, love reading about the healthy food options. I am a real lover of avocado and their healthy fats. We either share a big one every night in a salad (we being my husband and I ) or when they get start getting ripe all at once, we have avocado toast. A spoonful of salsa mixed with a fork mashed avocado makes easy, instant guacamole.
Greetings NYC, Marylander here – I usually eat breakfast as usual – bowl of cereal and it is soooo satisfying. I don’t care if it is carbs – shredded wheat, or life, or wheat chex…..god, it tastes so good…..As you can tell I am on my fast day right now and this is the hardest time for me – the few hours before sleep. So I am more than ready to eat first thing in the morning. Weight coming of slowly – one pound per week. Fine with me.
best of luck, – Alan
Hi abogage, I was stuck at 82 kg for about six weeks then my weight just started dropping again. However I’m not that concerned about weight, my goal is to get into the 12% to 15% body fat range. I was pushing 40% when I started fighting it over 4 years ago and now in around 18%. I’ve been following 5:2 since last Sept., so I’m in my sixth month.
Right now I have about 9 hours before sleeping and I’m really looking forward to breakfast. Pretty typical for me too! Oatmeal with some peanut butter and lots of fruit.
Hello all – I happened upon this website this afternoon while looking for intermittent fasting information. I lost about 60 pounds 2 years ago while trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Ended up being lactose intolerant. Not a fun way to lose weight, but it really helped focus me on continuing to lose weight. I was also going to Weight Watchers. I’m from Indiana and have gained 20 pounds of the 60 that I lost so it’s time to get back in control. I’m so glad to have found this site. I’m hoping it will help get me back on track.
I did major juice fasting about 5 years ago for about 30 days. After about a week, I wasn’t hungry at all and it was very easy to do. Unfortunately, even though I lost a lot of weight, it came right back on.
Looking forward to getting to know all of you and encouraging and being encouraged.
Oh hi everyone! I am joining the forums and back to start Fast Diet again this Tuesday. I am in Florida the west coast . I did 5:2 a few years ago and it worked! I got off track and am back to do it again.
I like reading what everyone does on their fast days, what time do you start? And how to stay motivated/ although like we all know…. its only one day twice a week! And knowing we can eat fairly normally the other days is so delightful.
Welcome OS. I’m from sin city (Las Vegas). I’m 66 YO man 5’10” tall and weigh 185 lbs. I usually have my last meal about 6:00 PM. I’m up ~ 8:00 AM and start my FD with black coffee. I eat one 400 calorie low carb meal at ~4:00 PM. I like to do a HIIT workout on a spin bike in the morning to burn off stored sugar in my muscles and liver to jump start fat burning.
Having someone to check in with and a like minded group to support you is a great way to stay motivated.
Hi @diverdog! So then, do you end the fast the next day at 8 am? Wow you go low, 400 cals! Great idea about the HIIT too.
Yes I am already motivated just by reading these posts here!
Hi I’m in Louisiana and stumbled across Dr Mosley’s documentary on YouTube several weeks ago. I started the 5:2 on Feb 2 and haven’t lost a single pound. Feeling a bit frustrated especially when I see the success that others are having. So far, this has been very sustainable but again, so disappointed that I’m not seeing positive results.
Best wishes to everyone else who is doing well.
Wendy3 there are lots of reasons while a scale might not show a drop or even show a gain. I’m at a point now that when I step up my exercise I typically quickly gain a pound or two, but generally it is just water retention.
I’ve lost about 12 to 13 pounds with 5:2, but that is since early September. Before that I lost a good amount of weight by cutting refined sugar from my diet. Before that I spent 3 years suffering with the eat less and move more standard diet that only really worked for about six months. I actually gained about 5 pounds over two years starving myself and working out harder and harder. It wasn’t until I cut sugar and stopped working out so much that I began to lose weight again. So in 4.5 years I’m down about 60 pounds and I’m almost trim now. I had to figure out what I needed, for me that was avoiding added sugar.
The thing about 5:2 is that it is much easier than pure calorie restriction, at least for me. I’ve tried a lot of things and 5:2 coupled with low sugar diet and HIT type exercise works well for me. However my weight does get stuck, even for 6 weeks once on 5:2.
So some things to do:
* Just look at yourself, are you losing fat? If so don’t worry about the weight.
* Use a cloth tape and measure your self.
* Or just keep using the scale.
While I do eat a lot of food on NFDs (Non Fast Days) I really try to mostly eat healthy food. I’m pretty sure if I stuffed myself with fries and other junk or heavily processed food I would lose weight. So you might want to look at your diet too. For me the biggest gain was getting away from added sugar. That can be really hard to do. At least for me it was worth the effort.
Wendy 3, if your not losing weight the answer is simple. You are eating too many calories! For a woman a FD is ~300 calories and NFD is TDEE or less.
The TDEE you should shoot for is not based on your present weight but on your goal weight.
If you are not doing heavy weight training the scale is an accurate indicator of loss if you weigh yourself on the same day of the week at the same time. But it’s not a bad idea to use a tape measure to back it up
Hi Wendy3
I’ve only been doing 5:2 since November last year. Lost some kgs fairly quickly but have been on a plateau most of January and February. Fast days ( FDs)I eat under 500 calories. Fluid only FDs are a migraine nightmare for me and following a 5 day monster headache last week after 2 consecutive FDs mainly fluid I have decided once and for all to have some calories.
On nonFDs I eat to TDEE.
My scales are like a trampoline and bounce all over the place. Despite being very mindful and doing fast days I have lost the princessly sum of 400 gms this month!! Hardly seems worth the effort BUT the other health benefits are worth it and I’m thinking the scales will head downwards soon.
Moral of the story – hang in there and keep posting, reading and fasting. Also remember that what works for one person might not work for you.🤔
WEEK 4 progress,182.4 – 184.4 +2.0 LBS. Total loss in four weeks, 6.2 LBs. Well the fickle scale says I gained two lbs and body fat went down 1% this week! Go figure!! LOL I ate pretty good did one fast day and got in my workouts so I’m not sweating it. This week is going to be challenging because I’m traveling for a race and won’t be doing my normal workouts. I’ll be happy if I just hold steady.
Hi LA Chubster,
There is a doctor in Canada called Jason Fung who advocates longer fasts, and he has written a few books that are on Amazon. I use the 5:2 Diet Book by
Dr Michael Mosley & Mimi Spencer and The Complete Guide to fasting by Jason Fung MD. I mix and match depending how I feel but am getting the results that are the best I have ever had.
Hi Wendy3,
I am sure that if you persevere with the Fast Diet you will get to your target. I have tried so many different diets and this is the only one that has given me some hope and as I am 69, I don’t lose weight very easily but I just know that I am helping myself and keep going. Good luck in your endeavours.
@tann. Me too!! I’m on my 4th day/2nd fast day. However, I’m not finding the fast days easy at all. I am finding the fast days doable and I hope they get better as go along. Just not particularly easy!
Good luck to you all!!
Hi @minnygirl. It sounds like we started at about the same time. I look forward to cheering one another on as we progress. I’m eating pretty good on my fast days and have come up with foods that I can eat and stay within the 500-calorie limit. For instance, I made a big pot of veggie soup (no meat) at the beginning of the week. I can have a nice bowl of it and some small amount of protein with it and still be at 200 calories for that meal. The warm soup fills me up and tastes great. For my protein, I have either a boiled egg; some cottage cheese; or a small portion of salmon, tuna or chicken. I can also switch the soup with a small salad drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. For breakfast on FD, I have two egg whites, one slice of turkey bacon and a small serving of raspberries for right around 100 calories. I still get fairly good nutrition for the day. I have a couple cups of iced coffee with stevia, a touch of milk and lots of ice that I sip on to stave off hunger. So far so good!I love having the support of everyone on this site!
@musicis4thesoul. I am so impressed with your 16 lb weight loss in 7 weeks. Congrats!!! That is amazing. Are you doing the 5:2 or the 4:3 regime? What is your weight loss at this point? I am hoping for the same good results.
My wife and I are just wrapping up the third week of our 5:2 regimen here in Boston
We are finding it challenging so far, but we are managing OK… mostly we struggle with irritability and feelings of deprivation…
Planning the fast on a busy day is key, I find my energy is more consistent strangely,especially in the afternoons when I am prone to crash after lunch.
My strategy is to eat breakfast late, usually a bowl of miso with a few tofu cubes or a couple of poached eggs, and then hold out until about 130 or 2 PM when I’ll enjoy some raw vegetable crudités.
Our favorite low cal evening meal is tomato broth with barley.
I am 49 yrs, 6 foot one and 190 pounds, but I have arthritis in several places and want to lighten up my body to reduce the strain and facilitate movement…
It is so nice to see more people posting in this thread!
@musicis4thesoul – The great thing about fasting is that it is flexible. Even when things don’t work out with the fasting I don’t feel like I’m losing ground.
Hello from TN!
Have been on the monthly challenge forum since Feb., but decided to look on other forums because my 5:2 life has been enhanced by info about LCHF, which I smugly thought was “decadent” when I viewed a few YouTube testimonials. Now after doing proper research, I’m reminded of my 3 year Atkins journey where I lost about 15 lbs. and my blood count numbers were incredible for my age. 50 pounds, high bp and 13 years later, I NEED to do 5:2 and LCHF to right this wrong! I’ve been on 5:2 since 1/7/17 and lost only about 5.6 lbs, but started incorporating ACV daily with a view towards 16:8, although I am not the cook of the family, and to keep the peace, I acquiesce to some carbs on nfds that I don’t personally approve of if I had my druthers. I also started exercising 1 hour a day. Already in the past 10 weeks, my bp has lowered consistently. I’m hoping for a 40 lb. loss by fall 2017.
@minnygirl – It is good to hear that your fast was easier. I’ve probably done over 50 fasts and every fast is at least a little different. Sometimes I have trouble sleeping, sometimes I have more hunger, sometimes I lose more weight … there are a lot of variations. However in general I’ve found that every fast has some impact on my body and the sum of those impacts has been very positive. In general it is much easier to fast now than it was a few months ago.
No fasting this week but fat loss anyway. Lost 1.8lbs and 1.2% BF. Not happy with the scale by quite happy with the BF. A little bit sore from ramping up the UB weight workout volume yesterday but also still very motivated to work my plan! One thing that has been a detriment is getting a huge dose of pollen in CA two weeks ago. The pollen here in Vegas has been at an all time high due to the wet winter and warm spring. The itchy eyes, swollen soft palate and lethargy have been a PITA. But I’m really grateful that I avoided the nasty flu and colds that have been rampant this season. Planning a fast day tomorrow with a HIIT workout on the spin bike.
Hi Kaleb:
How many calories are in your aminos?
That will answer your question. If your drink contains calories, and, when combined with other foods you eat you exceed 600 cal., then yes, the aminos will ruin your fast. If not, if your total calorie intake is 600 or less, then you will be under 600 cal. and your ‘fast’ day will be successful.
Here are some tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/
Good Luck!
Hey there! I live in the states, in Missouri. I am 31 years old, a stay at home mama/foster mama & wife. I have a chronic syndrome called dysautonomia which means I have a dysfunction of my autonomic nervous system (think automatic), so I have struggled to reach my goal weight. I learned about IF in school a little bit but we just broached the subject, so when a friend who is a personal trainer, mentioned she uses it as a tool, I started doing more in depth research. She does the 16/8 method but I couldn’t make that really work because of my morning and evening medications, or at least I couldn’t figure out how. So I have decided the 5:2 would probably work best for me.
I’d love to be apart of your accountability group. I do a barre classes 1-2 x a week, spinning 1-2 x a week, as it warms up and is less rainy, I’ll also take my dog on walking trails. I probably need to add some more exercise… Maybe I’ll do some lap swimming too. We’ll see.
So I’m doing my IF days on Monday/ Wednesday so I can have the weekends, when my husband is home, so I can eat with him and not worry as much. Plus I won’t be quite as busy since I’ll have help with the kiddos.
Here are a few of my struggles:
Motivation to exercise, or find more classes/exercise that I enjoy
Night eating with sleeping medication (I’ve only done it once but now I’m freaked out about it)
Energy (of course I JUST started, so assume this gets way better?)
Planning
Carbs… I love carbs.
I’m super excited to get to know each of you!!
@la Chubster, that is a great idea about climbing your hill
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Michael Mosley gives an update for 2019, current research in the field and announces a tour starting in February.
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