Hi, been doing this now for 5 weeks (although had last half term week off as too difficult not to eat and have the kids around). Lost around 5lb so far. My concern is that the day after a fast I seem to have very little energy, which is annoying as this is when I would normally take a class at the gym, which I love to do. Although, I have been participating in around 4 classes per week for the last 10 months and lost a bit of weight without dieting, now I seem to have stopped at the gym (as I don’t have the energy), I have lost more (and I don’t undertake muscle building classes, only energy burning ones). With regards to sleep, for those who have just started, it will get better, I now sleep as I did before – when I first started I couldn’t sleep at all – was wired!! Good luck to all.

Only a beginner…. first fast day last Thursday and I was very pleased the next morning because I had lost over a pound. Sadly I seemed to gain back all I had lost by the end of the weekend. Second fast day yesterday – this morning have lost 1b. I’m slightly worried that if I am going to keep gaining what I’ve lost the diet isn’t going to work for me. Maybe I took the “eat what you like on non fast days” too literally. Comments would be appreciated please.

Hi all. Have been on the fast diet since October 2012 and lost about 3/4 stone! I am feeling a bit grim as I have a cold brewing and was wondering if it is still ok to fast when you have a cold?

For anyone with medical conditions I’d suggest checking with the medical profession – I wouldn’t take advice from a forum. Personally I wouldn’t fast with even a cold. I also think worrying about weekly weight is a crazy diet habit. Worry about the monthly figures and combine with more exercise if you’re remaining about ideal body fat% (but not until after at least a month of 52).

First post since beginning the 5:2 diet on the 2nd January so into the 9 th week.
My partner and I began together and have both successfully lost weight.
I have lost 22lbs and my partner 13lbs.
The reason is probably that she had less weight to lose and is now 2lbs off her target weight of 8.5 stone.
We wish we had tested our cholesterol levels beforehand and checked our BMI too but because we both feel much better we also have a belief that we are in a much better place than we were some weeks ago.
Initially we ate porridge with water in the morning and celery with cottage cheese at lunchtime followed by a 300 calorie meal / salad in the evening.
After about two weeks we just ate breakfast and an evening meal.
We have been disciplined but enjoy the fast days on Mondays and Thursdays which means we have a good feeling about weekend eating.
We have become slightly more disciplined on non fasting days but still eat cake or chocolate when we like.
Inevitably, when you are losing weight it gives you a motivation to keep it going and we found a bit more from the Hairy bikers diet cookbook that provides nice food between 250 and 500 calories, not for fasting days but for the ones in between.
We see this not so much as a diet as a life change. I like the idea of gaining extra brain cells and of my cells repairing themselves and I like the idea of losing internal fat. Fat around the organs.
So this is working for us. It is making us feel positive about ourselves and our body image and because I, especially have lost a fair bit of weight there are plenty of positive comments that reinforce the results and make me want to carry on.
Neither of us have found it difficult but for those that do I offer them encouragement and ask them to try and forget about food in the timescales that we have become used to.
Many people in the world don’t know where their next meal is coming from never mind how many calories are in it.
Oh and one last thing. We have used myfitnesspal to track calories and I don’t think you can operate successfully without an accurate guide to calorie intake.
Neither of us have become slaves to a diet but we are both enjoying the positive effects of looking and feeling a bit better.
Good luck to all of those who are considering starting.

Sorry spelling mistake!meant to say did Monday and Wednesday.

My dear hubby tells me that the weight loss has made me look a bit older because more hollows and lines appear as the fat below the skin disappears. He isn’t bothered by this but thinks I have probably lost enough for now (hovering a pound or two over my target weight). Having had a body fat %age of 35 and got it down to +-30%, I really would like to get it down a bit more but will take my time over it. It took me 10-15 years to put and keep the extra weight on so I can’t expect it to disappear without a trace. I am actually thrilled to have eye hollows back and think this well worth a few lines. I feel fitter, clothes hang better and I look more like my image of myself, if you know what I mean. Last summer I knew I had to decide between losing weight or sliding into a fat old age, then the Horizon programme…. Can’t thank you enough.

Hi Patttyboon. I too am on the fast diet and was a lifelong migraine sufferer until the menapause cured me although I still get occasional headaches. One sure trigger for my migraines was not eating regularly. Are you having only breakfast and dinner? Perhaps if you spread your calories out to have a little something at lunchtime, even just some crudites, perhaps. I have to have something midday otherwise I do feel headachey. Hope this is of help as this seems to be a great way to boost health and lose some weight.

I’ve been following the fast diet since the summer, and have lost quite a lot of weight, probably enough. I wonder if I now move to 1 day a week of fasting (6:1)will I still benefit healthwise from the regime?

Pattyboon – I’m a migraine sufferer too ( on and off) and was a bit worried about the fast diet triggering them.

I’m only on my second week, and today’s my 4th fast day, but so far : no headaches at all.

I agree with comments about spreading your calories out. I definitely seem to suffer if I skip a meal. So this is how my fast day looks, to optimise that feeling full for longer feeling:
Breakfast: 1 poached egg on unbuttered wholemeal toast
Lunch: 1/2 carton of New Covent Garden Minestrone soup + 1 ryvita
Dinner: 1/2 tin sardines in brine on unbuttered wholemeal toast + 1 ryvita with a teaspoon low fat cottage cheese on it.

I find at the moment I sleep better if I have a ‘substantial’ dinner. I drink water and herb tea across the day. I’ve been surprised that the hunger pangs haven’t been too bad so far … Early days yet, but I’m hoping to be slimmer and healthier by summer ( if we get one!).

I have a question about timing the fast (I’m just starting). There’s a big difference between the 2 pm-2 pm method (mentioned in the book)–a 24-hour almost-fast–and almost-fasting from after dinner on Wednesday until breakfast on Friday–closer to a 36-hour almost-fast. Fasting for a regular day–say, Thursday–is really a 36-hour fast, no? Is this addressed anywhere? Does anyone have advice about this?

Well, regarding the 2:00–2:00 Plan, I figure the point is both to have fast periods and to reduce calories. I’m having all 600 calories at breakfast, so I have a 16-hour fast, a meal, and an 8-hour fast. Ellie’s system produces a 6-hour fast, a 12-hour fast and a 6-hour fast. (Is a 6-hour fast still a fast?). So the single meal perhaps will produce more fasting benefits, but they both should produce the same calorie/weight loss benefits (unless fasting produces some Atkins-like magic multiplier effect to weight loss beyond calorie reduction). Well, we’ll see. Good luck.

Hi! Writing from California, USA.

Will the new cookbook be available here as well?

LOVING this new way of eating. I’m in menopause and haven’t been able to lose weight in years. I am now! This diet is genius. Thank you.

Hi all, well this week was better! I did Monday and Friday and lost 2pounds really pleased so have lost7 pounds in three weeks. I even had a hot cross bun and did not feel guilty it’s my feast day after all !!
Love this diet good luck to everyone can’t wait for the recipe book to come on the shelves.

I decided to do my 2nd fast day on a Saturday when I work from 10-8. Being busy helped. The late afternoon was the hardest and I ate one plum, one small clementine and one hazel nut! Throughout the day I drank loads of herbal tea and allowed myself one small cup of organic Luaka tea with a very tiny splash of semi skimmed milk as a pick up around 5pm. When I got home, I heated an organic mixed grain tortilla: 20 cals
and heated 4 organic falafals: 60 cals
spread a very thin layer – less than a teaspoon humus: 20 cals with a tiny squeeze of lemon over
added 170g mixture of –
small plum tomatoes/rocket/cucumber/carrot 50 cals
All organic and very yummy – total approx 320 cals
I have to say approx, cos not absolutely certain how many calories in the salad mix but about right.

As I write this on 23rd. March 2013 Britain is engulfed by Arctic weather, we have the coldest March weekend for 50 years! So, I thought some fellow fasters might like a recipe for a warming winter soup that won’t break the calorie bank on a fast day!

VEG POT SOUP

(Makes 7 x 250ml portions)

This recipe is adapted from one for veg. stock by Sarah Brown in “Vegetarian Kitchen” (BBC Books 1984)

Ingredients:-

450g potato (peeled and diced)
150g onion (coarsely chopped)
100g carrot (peeled and diced)
50g celery (chopped)
30g garlic (optional) (crushed and peeled)
7g olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1.4 ltr water

(note: veg weights are after peeling)

Method:-

1) Take a 2 1/2 litre heavy based saucepan and heat the olive oil gently (do not burn otherwise this will produce a free radical, carcinogenic effect).
2) Place the prepared veg in the pan and continue with the gentle heat for about 5 min.
3) Next add the water, herbs (and garlic if using) and bring to the boil.
4) Allow to simmer for 1 1/2 hours in the covered pan.
5) Let the ingredients cool sufficiently and then purée in a food processor and weigh the purée in a suitable container (remember to allow for the container). We are aiming for a total weight of 1.75Kg. If it’s less add boiled water to bring it up to this weight. If it’s more, reduce by further cooking without the lid.
6) After the target weight has been reached, decant the soup in 250ml portions (there should be 7 portions) which can be frozen for future use.

Calorie count:

78 calories per 250ml portion.
(Calorific value per 100g = 31Kc)

73 calories per 250ml portion without garlic)
(Calorific value per 100g = 29Kc)

Do try the version with garlic, the flavour is fantastic.

Enjoy,

Colin (Fast Cat)

Long live the fast dieters! (hopefully we will).

Hello, I am seriously thinking about trying this plan out. A little background is hi BP, hi cholesterol, and type 2 diabetic no meds controlled by exercise and diet. And of course overweight with obese body fat. UGH

My question is, can a diabetic successfully take the fasting days? Anyone out there in my situation? Would love to hear your thoughts on it. Thank you

Just browsing this thread- I am usually one of the LOACAS, losing weight EXTREMELY slowly…..but I’m curious- don’t all EU countries use metric weights? Most of these posters read like they are in the UK- but all talking about pounds & stones. Did I miss something?