CaliBikini,
Iron will! Ha-ha-ha – I tell you a secret: I do water fast because I CANNOT STOP eating only 1/4th of TDEE. I do it because of my weakness. 🙂

I very often cannot complete my fasts, and succumb to temptations : chocolate waffle, chips, and french fries – cannot leave without them. And there are still days when i am sick from overeating. But I believe that being optimistic in every situation helps to find solution for the problem and move on. We also have to balance our mood, emotions, not just body weight. Sometimes it is better to eat a bag of chips than feel miserable. Just not too often and not too big of a bag.:-)

Melinda,
It is great to hear your success! Mirror is a very helpful when it give us complements.

It is always great to have a company when fasting. Happy fasting everybody.
Please forgive my extra chatting during fasts, it seems to help me to stay strong.

Hi Guys
Well I’ve completed 2 fasts now and the scale isn’t moving and when I say isn’t moving same #’s EVERY time. Trying not to give up but super frustrating none the less. It was great reading your posts as it will make me go back at look at my #’s as I think 500 calories is too high on my fast days. I’ve been working out on my non fast days so was hoping to see some change as I’m super motivated but my weight and bodyfat sits at the same number. On an upside I am feeling better and my core seems tighter so maybe the workouts are helping but grrrr…. nothing worse than depriving yourself on IF days and then seeing no change. Thanks for the motivating posts, I am going to fast today and hold out to see if I fast today without eating all day, that seemed to work for some of you. Got to take each day at a time I guess. We got this…

Shazzer,
Sometime it takes time to find out what works for you. The idea of fast diet is brilliant in its flexibility, so everyone could find something to stick to and reaching goals.
Everybody is different, so the diet should not be exactly the same.
I suggest you calculate your TDEE (look under RESOURCES), so you can calculate your 1/4 of TDEE fast day intake and maximum non-fast intake it order to lose weight. And then experiment with different approaches to find out what will work for you. The best!

Shazzer, I can relate to wanting this to work quickly, hence my name:) However, I have been on every diet in the universe, and here’s what I have learned: if I have 15 to 20 lbs to lose, it will be slow to come off than if I start heavier. Salt intake, exercise, etc of course are variables too. Also, when you are exercising you are building muscle- several years ago I was working out hard in the gym with a trainer- gained six pounds and dropped two dress sizes. But when I stopped working out as hard, I lost muscle, therefore burn fewer calories a day, easier to gain weight, and go back up on the dresses sizes:(
I have been reading the posts about water fasts, but that is not really what is recommended on the 2:5, although they do say find what works for you- if that does, go for it! Me, I need a bit of food every day. (Unfortunately the “fast” in the title does not refer to time! Darn.) The authors both eat 2-3 small meals on a “fast” day.
So: here is what I am committing to: taking the long view- please keep reminding me of this!!- picking a date in the future that is realistic- if I want to lose 15 lbs, that could well take 30 weeks. Trying not to weigh every day- having no luck with that, ha! But also even though 500 cal is one third of my TDEE, not a quarter, I am okay with that. And lastly, I am trying to not go over my TDEE on non- fast days – in other words realizing that this IS actually a 7 day diet, maintenance cals 5 days, reduced cals for two. I know for me, if I go at this unrealistically, it ain’t gonna work. What is helping: journaling everything I eat and drink- I use My Net Diary, coordinates with Fitbit- treadmill every morning, closing the kitchen at 8 PM. Although last night I had a wee snack at 10 PM… but, those are my intentions!
Trying to take it one step at a time…cheers! notfastenough

Yes, coldpizza, if I can actually pull it off….another matter entirely:) Thank you though, and maybe with the support here this time it will work!
cheers, notfastenough

Oh! rlw66, thank you for reminding me, I totally spaced that tomorrow will be day 2 for me too, that came around fast! You are so smart to organize what you will eat the day before. I will think it through today.
I use a food journal on my iPad, it is My Net Diary- I love it because there is such a huge bank of already listed foods, very accurate, and you can track nutrients, protein intake, etc. It also syncs with Fitbit.
Will have my glass of wine tonight, since it is back to mint tea tomorrow. Good luck!
Cheers, notfastenough

Notfastenough– I felt somewhat unprepared on Monday so I’m hoping that planning the day before will make the day even easier. Thank you for the food journal info, I have an iPad as well and Fitbit so I will head there and check it out. Here’s hoping that tomorrow goes fast (pardon the pun!) for both of us tomorrow! Enjoy your wine tonight 🙂

H took dog and me on a grocery store death march. We hit both stores that are close enough that we feel guilty if we drive (unless we’re doing a big shop and need car to schlepp it all home) but went far enough that I have definitely gotten in my excercise today (phone says it was 2.78 miles, not quite 10,000 steps but not bad) and best part, I survived!

Had a delightful little salad with shrimp (to be exact, 6 pieces of Romaine (15 cal.), 6 shrimps (?), 1T. cocktail sauce (40 cal.), 1 T. dressing (40 cal.) and two heels of Ciabatta from resident French Bakery that is on way home. I asked them how many cals. in a slice and they looked at me like I was OCD, but they were very tiny heels and very satisfying.) Splurged on a Starbucks eggwhite and turkey bacon sandwich 270 cal. and I never put anything into my coffee so it’s about zero cals. So, that was breakfast and dinner will be a small piece of grilled salmon and another salad.

Thanks to you guys, I will measure myself and figure out my BMI b/c I haven’t done those things yet and belly fat is one of the main things I want to pare down.

Weirdorama. I’m looking forward to fast tomorrow. And it helps me knowing I’m not alone. I hope everyone had great successes today! C

Today is FD and I hit a hard hunger bump in the early afternoon but it has thankfully passed. Trying to drink lots- only a small snack left for later tonight. Tomorrow I will enjoy healthy foods and try not to pig out all day on sugary snacks. What is it with pre-menopause and carbs?? I never used to dream about chips and garlic bread!! This has been a very inspiring community to be a part of and to not feel so alone in my journey!

rlw66, I bought this Miso at a local market. Two servings per packet. Great on Fast days. I cook some veggies to add. Very low cal.

http://www.amazon.com/Miso-Cup-Soup-Seaweed-2-Serving-Envelopes/dp/B000F4GPC8

crowmama, I am having a pre-fast, post-workout Martini, as I type.

Hi Shazzer:

You have done it right. Even though you did not make it through the day the way you had hoped, it was hardly a failure. If you eat less than your TDEE you have completed a solid non diet day. If, as you did, you eat less than 500 cal., you have completed one of your two diet days for the week.

Congratulations!

Dang it all. Today was supposed to be a fast day, but I realize I have a lunch date with an old friend…and we have been cancelling for months now. I cannot ditch it, so I will move FD to tomorrow. BUT just in case she cancels, I am behaving as if this is an FD until otherwise confirmed.

And if we meet at Pret A Manger, which is our usual, I can have their Miso for 50 calories!

CaliBikini, she picked a different restaurant BUT they have a great salmon and fennel salad plate that I can “pig out” on with very little damage. I can make this my main meal and have my own miso / mushroom feast for dinner. I will NOT give up my Fast Day after all.

Have strange is it to be bummed about giving up a fast day? LOVE IT!

Posting you all to remind myself I can do this even though H is frying bacon for his breakfast and the smell is powerful, but not so powerful I’m going to give in or give up on my 2nd fast day! I weighed again this morning and probably should have waited to weigh in tomorrow, as nothing lost. Good grief, I walked 3 miles by end of day, had very reasonable meals, fish and low cals and only one 5 oz. glass of white wine with my salmon. Well, no wine for me today and as soon as H gets out of the kitchen I’m going to make another pot of coffee. When we shopped I bought a big bag of organic carrots and non-fat cottage cheese. I always have greens on hand for salads so if I can’t get through this on water, coffee and tea today, I have back up low-cal choices I can turn to if need be. I’m with you Calibikini, I love the flexibility of this and don’t feel deprived but I may have to have a talk with H about having to smell bacon on fast days.

No worries K-Lo. the flexibility with this sounds like it allows us to fast when we can. Just fasting on another day should be okay, if I understand the directions.

Yes we can Everyone!

Stay strong Crowmama. I completed my yesterday’s fast and had a nice breakfast today with healthy and unhealthy food. Since I was still fasting at home (my work starts at 7:30, but fast ended 8 am), I prepare a lot of food for my breakfast at work. Guess what, I did not even eat half. Feel so full. I also allow myself a little price – 4 chocolate waffles. And ate only 3. One is still here right in front of me, and I am not even tempted. That is something new. I NEVER leave my chocolate waffles uneaten before.

K-Lo,
I really like your attitude! You find the solution to any problem. 😀

Eating today from 8am till 6 pm, and than starting my Friday fast. I was only one pound more from my April’s goal. 😀

Coldpizza, I’m determined to get two more fast days in before I go to Mexico on Tuesday. I do NOT plan to fast while I’m away.

So thrilled to see an American post because the “stones” and “kg’s” are quite confusing for me:)

I saw this segment on the NBC Nightly News last week. Maybe you can pull up the segment on-line. The woman they did the story on had lost over 100 pounds. She looked amazing…not all dolled up…just a simple looking woman that had struggled with her weight for years. She held up clothes that she wore before she lost the weight!

The news crew did part of the story at her home and it showed her and her husband sitting down to a non “500 calorie fast” day meal and she had 2 fried chicken breasts on her plate, mashed potatoes/gravy…I can’t remember what else.

The 2 days a week that I chose to do my 500 calories fast days are Monday and Thursday (you can choose your own days; it’s not set). I was more concerned that it would give me a headache but I felt great all day. I did the calculation that they give you on their website to see how many calories to stay within on the other 5 days which I thought was awfully high but a lot of the people that do the diet don’t even worry with counting calories on the 5 days…just like the woman they interviewed.

Monday I had: 2 slices of Ezekiel (flourless) sesame toast w/egg and a slice of “regular” Sargento cheese (DELICIOUS)! 330 calories
2 cups of chicken broth seasoned w/pepper & parsley…0 calories
Sugar free jello 20 calories
McDonald’s fruit parfait 133 calories
Small apple…53 calories

I did go over a smidgen but didn’t fret it 536 calories for the day.

Also, I drank a large tea w/lemon and stevia and a lot of water (I like naturally sparkling water). The other days have been just watching what I eat and counting my calories for each day ( I get 1674 calories the other 5 days).

I had a delicious salad one night from a restaurant in town that is 500 calories + the 6 ounce grilled salmon that my husband and I split. My husband and I had our own 500 calorie salad Anyhow, we love it because they put chilled grilled vegetables in it (asparagus, zucchini, peppers, grape tomatoes) plus feta cheese, pine nuts, lettuce, red cabbage, red onion…it’s amazing!

Last night we went to another local restaurant near our house and I wanted soup so their soup of the day was a creamy chicken mushroom soup. My husband gave me a couple bites of his salmon tacos and steamed broccoli. I left feeling so satisfied. AND!!!…I even had a glass of red wine Yep! You can have wine on your 5 days.

Finally!…something that I feel like I can do the rest of my life!

Good plan, K-Lo, and ain’t the flexibility of IF fantastic?! Have a fantastic time in Mexico!

You’ll be amazed to see how easy this gets when you eliminate those trigger foods, CaliBikini. I’m four months into IF and I don’t even miss those starchy carbs anymore. I can’t even believe to this day that I’ve eliminated fast foods, sodas (both naturally and artificially sweetened), starchy carbs, sugar and nuts don’t even want them anymore because I feel so much better without them. Maybe you don’t *need* to eliminate the same things I did but, whatever it is that’s your trigger food, when you figure yours out you’ll be so much better without them. I promise!

Yay for your restraint, crowmama and even bigger YAY for the miracle of a healthy appetite that knows what it wants and what it DOESN’T!!!!

I’m so glad IF is kicking in for you now, MelissaShay! You’ll be baking again before long. And you’ll be frying bacon and not even being tempted, crowmama. It will happen. I promise!

Welcome, reeree! Sounds like you’re really making the most of the potential of this program. It really is inspiring what people do with IF, isn’t it? There are people here in these forums who have already lost 100 pounds! Some who have lost 100 had still have another 100 to go. And people who use it to lose 20 or 30 or 40.

It’s amazingly flexible and just plain sensible and healthy! Wishing you great success!

Hi Everyone!

I’m on my second fast day this week as well. First week of doing this. I’ve gotten on the scale and have maintained the loss of my first fast day even after two days of eating normally. That’s encouraging!! I even went out last night and had Mexican food with margaritas! I have been watching my calories though because I really want to lose the weight. I feel like this could definitely work for me and I’m excited!

Hi cold:

Another great insight!

What you eat on your non diet days will decide whether or not you will be successful on 5:2. Apparently the ‘book’ says that people can eat ‘normally’ on non diet days. But for overweight people, ‘normal eating’ is by any standard ‘over eating’. So they diet for two days, over eat for five, don’t lose weight, and quit.

The diet days are critical. They teach what 500 calories look like. They ‘shrink your stomach’ so when you eat normally the next day you feel stuffed and wonder how you could have been eating that much before. They cause you to evaluate the calories you are putting into your mouth and perhaps decide to cut sugar calories and increase more healthy ones.

So understanding that what you eat on non diet days will make or break the 5:2 diet for you is critical.

Way to go!

Hi everyone!
I am having a late start to my day. It is my day off work and my second fast day. I have enjoyed reading the morning posts, it’s becoming a great way to start my day. I weighed myself this am for encouragement and was amazed to find that I lost 5.5 lbs. I think I weighed myself about 10 times just to be sure it wasn’t a false reading. So, I am really enjoying my water and tea today. I am hoping That I can hold off eating until this evening. My husband comes back tonight and likes to go out to eat. He worked some extra hours and maybe he will be too tired to go out. I can only hope.

I, too enjoy the flexibility of this plan. I agreed to work some extra hours on Monday before I realized it was my FD. Working a 12 hour shift 3a-3p may be a bit too much for a FD. I will fast on Sun or Tues instead.

I really need to increase my activity level. I am starting to read the section about fast exercise. It is HIT. I did this around 10 yrs ago and it was the catalyst that helped me reach my goal back then. Too bad the weight crept on when I stopped dieting and HIT. Guess life got in the way. No more excuses! I did spend time on my stationary bike watching the Warriors win last night. 39 min just flew by.

K-lo have a wonderful time in Mexico. I am looking forward to hearing about your adventures. I wish to go to the Cancun area some day.

I wish everyone a great day!

Just made my “fast” lunch — salmon and broccoli with lemon pepper and an Iced Chamomile/ginger tea! So nummy. Can’t believe this is my “fast day” and I still get a wonderful chili-lime chicken cabbage salad for dinner! I LOVE how I feel on my fast days (this is only my second one!!). I wasn’t sure I would be able to workout (Latin hip hop for an hour this morning) like I usually do with so little food ( I had 1/2 cup Greek yougart with fresh strawberries) — but surprisingly I felt just fine. But, boy is my “head” playing games with me. Keeps telling me I NEED TO EAT. I just keep reminding myself, every hour, that I’m DOING THIS! 🙂

Crow — I don’t know if anyone answered your questions about pounds to kgs but I found an option to change it to pounds somewhere but I can’t remember where now 🙁 ….maybe in account settings?

K-Lo — Chli-Lime Cabbage Salad is:

Two 2.5 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (or tenderloins) **I just use a bunch of tenderloins because I make for my daughter too (but she doesn’t do the salad part)**

Marinade (below) for 2 hours (or more or less 🙂 )
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3 teaspoons fresh lime zest
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped finely
2 jalapeño, chopped finely
4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 tablespoon honey **i omit or cut WAY down on fast days**
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chili powder or to taste

When ready, take chicken to grill or cast iron on stove top and place chicken with a little marinade in the pan and cook until done.

Then I cut it up and throw it on top of my cabbage salad which is (keep in mind this serves 8) so when I make it I cut it WAY down, but the recipe below is for 8.

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

1 (16-ounce) bag coleslaw mix
2 (3-ounce) packages of ramen noodles, crumbled (you will not use the seasoning packet)
1 cup shelled and cooked edamame
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and julienned (or diced)
1/2 cup thinly-sliced almonds
1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions (scallions)
Asian honey vinaigrette (see ingredients below)

ASIAN HONEY VINAIGRETTE

2/3 cup vegetable oil (or any cooking oil)
1/3 cup honey (or agave, to make this vegan) ******use significantly less of drops of stevia on fast days******
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
pinch of salt and black pepper
DIRECTIONS:

TO MAKE THE SALAD:

(Optional first step: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread the crumbled ramen noodles and sliced almonds out on a baking sheet, and stir a bit to combine. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the almonds and noodles are slightly toasted and golden. Remove baking sheet, and give the mixture a good stir to toss. Then return it to the oven and toast for an additional 3 minutes. Keep a very close eye on the mixture so that it does not burn. Remove and set aside.)

Add ingredients (including the vinaigrette) together in a large bowl, and toss until combined.

Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (This salad is much better eaten the first day, as the noodles lose their “crunch” the longer it sits, and the avocado may brown a bit. Still, it’s perfectly edible and enjoyable even after a few days!)

TO MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE:

Whisk all ingredients together until combined.

So I put the cabbage, edamame, avocado and mango all in a bowl. I keep the ramen and almonds separate as well as the dressing. I measure out exactly how much I want and mix it fresh then. On fast days I use VERY LITTLE DRESSING AND RAMEN/ALMOND mixture — just need the little bit of crunch.

This is one of my favorite meals even on a non-fast day — so easy and fresh!

🙂

Me too! I have a cabbage in fridge now just begging for chili lime chicken on it.

K-lo, How cool to have a cabana and well water in Mexico!! Will we be able to talk you into coming back home to us?

I really wanted to not even eat my 500 cal allotment, but caved and fixed myself the 6 romaine lettuce pieces with a small handful of mixed greens 15 cals, like radish and some other kinds of sprouts, no cals., 2 tsps. of viniagrette which = 8 cals and 11 carrots which =35 cals for 3 oz. So I’m still well within my 500 limit. My head was playing games with me too and I know I don’t really have to eat, but I also was experiencing lightheadedness and figured it in my best interests to have a little something, and believe me, it’s very little and I’m eating s-l-o-w-l-y to make it last. Switching to iced coffee this afternoon.

Oh, and I’m knitting too. Finishing up a sock for H.

Me three. I love everything with cabbage. Thank you,rlw66.