anybody else doing every other day fasting?

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  • Hello everyone!

    I’m new here and I’m surprised to see no topic on every other day fasting (maybe I’m just not looking in the wright place!?

    I’m fasting every second day as I’m not good at committing myself to anything and I find myself going ‘too easy’ on my days off. That way i restrict myself for a day, and eat whatever i like on the next day. No need for counting calories, or worrying too much i want a glass of baileys 🙂

    Just wondering if there are any others who are doing the same?

    I’ve been doing it for 5 weeks now and finding it much easier that way

    I’m trying to loose 37-36 lbs, so far lost 13 lbs.

    thank you

    I’m about to start – after 7 weeks on 5:2 I’ve lost an inch here & there but no weight. I think I’ll find a month or more of ADF no harder than 4:3

    I have done it, on and off for a couple of weeks. Actually, I switch depending on my upcoming weeks to what suits me best. Also I get easily bored if I follow one single path all the time. It works very well, but I believe longterm it is not easy to maintain.
    Good luck with it,
    Stef.

    I was thinking of doing this too. How do you feel doing this? Any advice?

    I did 5:2, then started to put in an extra day. Now I’m on my 8th week of ADF. Having truly got into the swing of fasting I found the move to ADF easier than I thought. However after a few weeks I found it hard to keep it going, because I’m eating only 150 cals on my fast day. For me, it wasn’t the extreme physicality of doing ADF but my willpower that failed me instead. It takes a certain mindset to do this every other day.

    Well I’m finding it easy but a bit repetitive… I’m not hungry at all and hardly no cravings too. The most difficult bit for me is to eat enough during up days ( going shopping today so need to stock up on nuts that seems to help a lot 🙂 I’m worrying that my metabolism did already slow down as I can’t see any changes on the scale for week or so. May have to get off the boose! I’m eating healthy otherwise, lots of oily fish, veg, beans, white meat etc.

    I am considering moving to 4:3 after few weeks, I was wondering though, how many hours do you fast following this way? For 5:2 diet I fast 36 hours as recommended, I start at 7:00 PM Sunday up to 7:00 AM Tuesday. How do you do it when following 4:3?

    keep going

    I have just been fasting 24 hours e.g. 7.30 breakfast, soup lunch and fish/veg dinner. Should I be doing this longer, is it more effective that way? Please advise? Currently losing one pound per week but would love to make it two. Just moved up to 4:3 but it it hasn’t increased weight loss. Other days all under TDEE and active. Help

    Mariam, what do you mean by 36 hours fasting as recommended? Do you not eat anything on your fast day?

    I eat all of my calories in one go at dinner on my fast days. So in effect I am fasting from my last dinner, let’s say Sunday night until my fast dinner Monday night, which makes it 24 hours. I then eat normal the next day at breakfast. So my intake is 500 cal in 36 hours, but my fasting period is roughly 24 hours.

    Jojo, are you logging your food? I am using Myfitnesspal and I log everything that goes into my mouth. It is VERY easy to underestimate one’s calorie intake!

    Stef.

    Hi Stef

    I do 5:2 the same way you do. I eat 500 cal in 36 hours separated into two meals. My question is, do you do the same in 4:3? Or is it different? If you could, please describe one fasting day in terms of how many hours and how many calories.

    Thank you again

    On 4:3 you do exactly same thing you doing 5:2, how many hours you fast depends on how many can you manage long term. I sometimes fast 41 hours as I never was big breakfast fan, and prefer to stay in bed as long is possible and have something to eat around midday when I start to feel hungry. At the moment I’m on maternity leave so I eat my dinner with kids 5:30-6:00 and try not to snack latter. Well or not to have glass of wine I suppose heheh

    Mariam- as issu is saying: ADF works very similar to 5:2.

    I eat my last meal let’s say on Sunday evening @6pm with Monday being my fast day. On Monday I eat nothing at all until 6pm and then I will “indulge” on my 500 cal meal. During the day I live on tea and water and (!) chewing gum (which I normally hate. On Tuesday is my feed day, so I will have whatever I like.

    Now here is the important part and this is only true for ADF: on my feed days I can theoretically eat what and how much (!) I want, but again this is only true for ADF! Dr. Krista Varadi has done the research for ADF and written a book “The Every Other Day Diet” where she explicitly says this.

    Michael has based his book on her research and for 5:2 this is NOT true. You can eat what you want but NOT how much you like! You MUST stay under your TDEE!

    I have lost 8 kg in 12 weeks and have only one more kg to go. In my case this is quite impressive as I did not have to lose a lot of weight to begin with. I am 5.6 and now at 57.1kg, coming from 65kg.

    I have from the beginning mixed things up as I get easily bored. I have done a combination of ADF, 4:3, 5:2 and calorie counting, but the biggest change was the change to my diet. I am eating completely different to before. I eat much more veggies, no more pop or coffee and very little sweetie stuff.

    On my feed days I tend to start my day with a spinach smoothie. This has very little calories and it is extremely healthy. (I would never eat 400g of spinach otherwise!)I pay very much attention to my micro nutrients these days and I have read a ton of books about it. Unfortunately, they quite often do not agree on what is healthy and what is not.

    I stopped eating processed food, no more pasta, rice and white flour products. I do make exceptions though, but I do have to say I feel much better and not only through the fasting!

    Best of luck
    Stef.

    issu and Stef.

    Thank you both for the detailed clarification. I guess 4:3 is too “harsh” for my taste. I might try it though if I hit a plateau. It’s been a month since I started 5:2 diet, I think I only managed to loose two kilos. I consider that relatively good since I didn’t incorporate any exercise in my routine except for an occasional 30 minute walk every few weeks.

    Thanks again

    mariam: 2 kg makes a 1lbs a week, so it is a good news 🙂 you are on the good path

    4:3 or ADF is not for everybody I suppose, just like 5:2 isn’t for me 🙂 but is good to recognize what you can and can not do ON THE LONG TERM. Some people adding extra day fasting here and there, if they feel like they can do it that week, but not making it a regular commitment.

    whats good about IF diet you can pick and choose whatever suits you.

    Good luck!

    Mariam, losing 2kg in 4 weeks is spot on. So congrats! Keep going and you should see success.

    By the way, I tried something new last night (was my fast day): I ate 11 brussel sprouts, some broccoli, 20 asparagus and a huge salad. I was stuffed and it only used up 362 cal.

    It is unbelievable how much a plate of vegetables fills you up! I read it in a book and gave it a try. It is a pretty boring dinner though but very very filling!

    Best of luck
    Stef.

    Stef I’m having soup on my fasting days 🙂 if you make it just from veg (maybe some beans or chickpeas) is hard to make them calorie dense and you can eat as much you like) i had carrot and coriander soup today (107 kcal a portion as i didn’t use olive oil and just one stock cube- i use organic stock cube as they are full of flavor not just salt- morrisons sells them chip too 🙂 ) That way i can have something different every fasting day (I’m a bit of foodie so if I’ll eat same thing every day i get bored) there is lots of soup recipes online just google it 🙂 happy posting!

    Issu, I love soup in general, but I have found that on fasting days a whole bowl of vegetable really stuffs me! I had a fast day yesterday, and I had some calories free to consume. Originally I wanted to eat some Edamame as my dessert, but after the above dinner, I just couldn’t! This was a real first with me. I usually eat two boiled eggs with some Ryvita on my fast days, but that does not fill me up the same way.
    Tomorrow is another fast day!
    Best of luck
    Stef.

    I’m doing a mix of ADF & 4:3 because I lost nothing in 8 weeks of 5:2. I feel fine and lost under an inch in a couple of places in the first month but nothing since. Different horses for different courses – my friends said if it was going to be anyone [doing it properly but not losing] then it would be me. The only reason I’m not doing straight ADF for a month is that I will skip a fast day if a social occasion can’t be moved. I just eat lightly that day.

    arla i tried 5:2 too before i started ADF but since i stared really looking deeper into my diet and how to shift weight i learned that my THEE is much lower then average 2000 (see my rant on ‘permanent diet’ :)) so it would take me couple of years to shift my 2,5 stone 🙂 i also hate counting calories everyday. I was looking for way of life and eating pattern i could follow for life, and calorie counting bores the hell out of me, so i know i would stick to it for long. ( i did manage 1 week hahah) So far my social occasions fall on my normal days so i didn’t have to alter things, but fasting on a hangover is a totally different ball game 🙂

    this sat is my hubbies birthday- lucky is my normal day so i can celebrate with him, but if that would fall on my fasting day i would just skip that fast and do it on sun- life is too short to miss those occasions! keep me posted how you doing!

    I’ve not found it too hard but it’s only been a week! I’m just hoping that this is helping things like my inflammatory problems even if I’m not losing weight (so far). I’m willing to give ADF a decent month to six weeks to see what happens. The day a farewell lunch was on a fast day I ate very lightly and skipped desert/etc. At the least I need to lose the 10kg (22lb) that I’ve gained since my gallbladder came out a year ago, and I’d like to lose another 15kg more than that. I’d still not be a skinny minny but it would be a nice change.

    Arla just give it a time and you will see great results! I’m on ADF since 20/01 and lost 9 kg so far. Another 9kg to go. It’s a strict regime but for it’s benefits is totally worth it. I had a easy fast today despite the fact I had 2 friends round and 6 children in the house to feed! One of my friends brought a cake and when I refused to have it she criticized me, and said I shouldn’t have my “diet day” (her words) on visitors days. Well I did stick to my guns, smiled broadly and said nothing. Had lovely marroccan chickpea soup for lunch instead staffing my face with carbs and sugar 🙂 I surprised myself totally as I was dreading it and I new my friend would comment, but I was to busy talking and making sure everyone is fed and watered to think about myself 🙂 I wish people would be more understanding and didn’t feel like they need to say something. Xxx

    Hi everyone, just joined the 5:2 discussion forum. I’m very interested in the 5:2 diet and the ADF. I would love to do ADF, have read both the 5:2 and The Every Other Day Diet books. My TDEE is very low as I’m very short (5ft) and although not classed as overweight, I’m at the very high end of desirable weight. I’ve put on about 16 pounds this past year and feel very uncomfortable with it. I’m a long distance runner and the extra weight has had a big impact on my running, so I would really like to lose this. The reason why the ADF appeals to me more, is that I don’t have to watch my intake on feast days too much (I have an appetite of a 6′ 6″ male body builder), and think I would more likely stick to ADF than 5:2. I did read in the EOD Diet book that the first couple of weeks can be quite difficult, but after that, fast days become much easier with very little hunger. Can anyone give me their experiences of this? I’d be interested to know and welcome any advice or feedback. Thanks.

    There is a man on youtube that eats dinner every night but breakfast and lunch only every other day.

    I have been fasting for about 40 hours dinner on Sunday til lunch on Tuesday and I am not at all hungry. I started that routine because I had given up breakfast intending to have a window of say 1pm to 7pm for eating and decided to wait until my appetite kicked in – but it never did!

    I’ve done alternate day fasting for decades. As a teenager I was always so busy there would be times I actually forgot to eat. Then I’d figure oh well, not that hungry I’ll have a big breakfast tomorrow. It turned into a habit. I eat basically whatever I feel like whenever I feel like. Although now that I’m in my 30’s im a little more careful with the sweets. ie. I’ll have two cinnamon rolls instead of four. I do 5:2 and 4:3 randomly. Just depending on my mood. On the fasting days I either fully fast or eat just a little. I’ve been doing it for so long that I really don’t have to deal with hunger pangs or light headededness or whatnot. Exercise is sporadic and light, at best. I’m almost 34 and the mother of four kids. I’m 5’9 and 126lbs. I still fit into my high school jeans. I’ve never had to worry about losing baby weight, etc.. I don’t believe that people should eat as much as were led to believe we should. We don’t need to chase our meals anymore so other than during pregnancy or a very rigorous exercise program, having three solid meals and snacks between is asking for weight problems once you hit middle age. I guess it’s an accidental way of life for me but it works. If you stick to it for weight loss and exercise too I couldn’t imagine someone not losing excess weight

    I’m doing it and its week 4. After two months of 5.2 I felt it wasn’t working for me so I’ve gone up a gear.

    My weight is fine and 27% body fat so no real need to diet but I just don’t like this flabby tummy I have to carry around. I’m 54 and its hard to shift.

    My weight is going down very slowly and will hang on for another month when hopefully I can go back to the luxury of 5.2.

    Very helpful is diet coke (wouldn’t normally drink that stuff)and eggs are low cal and filling. Main ration is cooked mixed beans, tuna, grated carrot and a tomato.

    Browsing this page for moral support!!!!!

    i have done it for years and it has helped me loose so much weight. i only did it for a week every time. im planning on a month. does someone want to y up?

    Fatso Jackson………..Sounds like you adjusted nicely. I had to ramp up a couple of times myself. Hit a plateau with Monday, Wednesday Friday fast. Started to do a really real every other day fast which I bagged another 15 lbs and about an inch and a half off the waist. Hit another plateau so now in addition to true EOD, I can’t feast like I used to do on feast days. A somewhat normal caloric intake is what I’m doing now on feast days but no fried foods no bread or chips etc. That extra 500 to 800 calories on feast days put a stop to weight loss after a while even on the true EOD. I’m really focused limiting my dinner after 24 hr fast to no more than 500 calories. Seems to be back on track to the ultimate goal for a small to medium boned 5’8″ waist according to charts. I want about a 31.2 inch waist. I’ve got about an inch and a half to go. I don’t care about weight per se because I lift weights a lot.

    I have lost 31 pounds fasting every other day for 2 months. I limit my calories on the days I eat that is specific to my body mass index. I have 5 pounds to go to reach my goal.

    I am doing the every other day fast and find it so easy. It has only been two and a half weeks for me. I have lost 7lbs and I feel terrific! It is so easy because every other day I don’t even have to think about dieting. It is also true that I don’t over eat on the days off. I just feel like eating mostly healthy. The first week I was grouchy and weak on the fast days by the second week I was full of energy every day. I have even found myself at the gym twice on the fast days and still feel great! I have another 8lbs to lose, but I think I will continue the diet to some degree for maintenance.

    Hi calicaprice,

    Like you I find the ADF both easy and enjoyable. There is no decision to be made, no choice. And that makes it simple. I initially intended doing 5:2, but the first day of fasting was so good I started looking forward to the next one. And on ADF the kg a week+ weight drop for 8 weeks has exceeded my best hopes.

    Hey Calicaprice, congratulations on doing this and you know what, the knowledge of the incredible benefits, the miraculous benefits of fasting really helps with the enjoyment of it. Feeling and seeing the benefits mean a lot also. The weird thing is that on my feast days I actually have to make an effort to eat more because I’m now at my ideal weight for my height and bone structure. I say weird because I don’t know of any life extension/weight loss plan that I have to remind myself to eat
    more.

    I thought I’d share my experience, i’m male, 35, I’m currently 4 months in to the Every Other Day Diet, (or Alternate Day Fasting) I’m down 2 stone since I started 4 months ago. I can see changes all over, my face has just started getting thinner looking lately. I’ve got another stone to lose to put me right in the middle of myBMI. The weight loss has been very consistent, I weigh every morning on digital scales in lbs so I can see the increments coming on or off. Some days the weight goes up a fraction instead of down but over time the trend is always down. On a fast day I eat a 400 calorie Jamaican curry with rice ready meal from the coop, and a dry piece of dry bread 100 cal. Instead of tea coffee I have twinings blackcurrant tea (very few cals) they taste lousy but they have grown on me. With ADF I have found my guaranteed way to lose weight, really chuffed, just need to keep doing it. First week I was hungry on fast days, but after that I’m not. I look forward to them, I’m more chilled out on a fast day. ( I feel a bit like I’m over indulging now on abnormal day, maybe your stomach shrinks) Krista Varady says you should eat the 500 CAL’s at lunch time, but I have mine at dinner time with the family and it seems to work the same.

    I’m really pleased to see so many losing weight on this…I do Monday Wednesday & Friday 500 cals ….other days between 1500 & 2000 cals….i lose a lb. Each fast day then put it back on the next….i don’t understand why I’m not losing weight….anyone else experience this?

    Hey Jaques2go….Just guessing but I believe you can be assured that you’re losing fat. I’ve had the same experience where I would seem to lose more than a lb after a fast (usually 36 hours zero calories) but a lot of that is also water. So when I resume eating, I gain the water back and so I can fluctuate between 149 lbs and 154 and once in a while up to 162 in a couple days. My waist keeps getting smaller and that is probably the only way I know for sure if I’m losing fat. It has become the only barometer I care about these days. I lift a lot of weights so sometimes I don’t lose any weight at all for quite a while.

    sorry i haven’t read everyones responses but day on day off sounds great to me… no matter how hard your fast day is you know its just till the end of the day and you can get through it!

    Hi bobby…..thankyou for your response…..i had hoped i qould notice a little change….ive been doing 3 days fasting & feel terrible. Im exactly same weight as when i started so maybe i have to cut the calories in the feast day …had been having 1700 – 2000 cals on those days nut only 500 on the famine day. ….I will try cutting down though it kinda defeats the object …..as I’m still dieting & can’t look forward to eating normally on days off….I need to cut down to 1500 😊

    Hi wattfast….i hope you get good results……this way of eating does seem to work for most people. In theory its a very good eay to lose weight & improve health…😊

    Glad to see the various results here

    I am doing ADF and loving it! I like not having to think about food as often on my FD days. I’m NEVER hungry. I eat my first meal at 11 AM and last meal at 5:30 PM. I attribute my never being hungry to drinking more water. I drink 32 oz. in the morning and another 32 oz. in the afternoon. I drink all my water by mid- afternoon so I don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom. I also work out on my Gazelle (like cross country skiing off the ground) for 20 minutes every day or walk my dog for a mile (weather permitting). Have lost 7 1/2 pounds since Feb. 6th. I lost 5 pounds on my own before starting FD. Started 5:2 on Feb. 22nd and switched over to ADF on Feb. 24th. On NFD days I stick to my TDEE number of calories. By the way, I also have hypothyroidism that I take medication for and I’m turning 65 years old at the end of May. So exciting when you find something that works for YOU and gives you quick results!

    Started ADF three weeks ago (with a break in the middle when I was traveling). I’ve found it is a lot easier than I expected – so far at least – and that food (broccoli in particular) tasked different (better) on fast days.

    Anyone else had that experience?

    Hi Skyyindigo, yeah, I found even bicycle tires and car bumpers taste great on fast days.

    Isn’t 150 calories on a fast day a bit excessive? I’ve just joined this, and already feeling this shows too few calories. I thought if you were to do every other day, you still have 500 for women on those fast days, not 150? What is the purpose of 150? You can’t run a car on water 🙂

    2 kilos is a over 4lbs! Well done.

    Hi Wagner:

    One of the things newbies come to understand if they do 5:2 long enough is that it is not necessary to eat all of the time. The body stores excess energy as fat for use when not enough food is being eaten. So if you don’t eat, you burn fat and lose weight.

    The longest documented medically supervised water fast (no food at all – just water) lasted for over 54 weeks. So as long as you have enough fat, you can indeed run your body on water!

    Good Luck!

    I am 54 and did Alternate Day Dieting very successfully about 6 years ago.

    Unfortunately, have put it all back on.

    This time, I’m doing it for keeps!!!! Starting weight 87 kg, target 72. I am currently 82 kg.

    So I have lost about 5 kg (11 pounds) in 3 months!

    I do find ADD difficult some days. It was fearsome at the start! It is easier now, but I still have my moments. Some weeks I just feel I can’t manage it. Either I’m busy or on holiday or just “beat up”! So, I have switched it around 4:3, 5:2 and Warrior diet (eating only in evenings) when I need to, to make it easier. This helps me to cope, as I do find the fasting challenging.

    What I like about it is it re-trains my appetite in terms of quality and quantity, and gives me freedom.

    5 kg loss might not seem much to some, but for someone like me who can’t exercise (disability) and finds it difficult to lose weight, it is significant. Lost it first and foremost from rather puffy face. Clothes loser.

    Besides, losing weight more slowly I believe is better for you. Your skin elasticity is less challenged, and make longer lasting changes.

    I am planning to keep this up until the end of the year, December, ie. another 8 months. If I lose half a pound a week that will be another 16 pounds, which will take me happily to my goal weight!!!

    Great to see the inspiration stores on here!

    Hi everyone,
    I have been on 5:2 for a few months now without much success. Like some others I had problems with counting my calories both on fast days and normal days. I find it easier to eat nothing at all on fast days, so I decided to try ADF for a few weeks and see what happens. After two weeks I have lost 2 kg and feel better than I have in a long time. Only problem is a constant headache on fast days, I drink lots of water and coffee but maybe still not enough…
    Thank you all for sharing your experiences with us, reading your success stories really helps a lot!!!

    Hi Dida, I was about a month in on ADF and was finding it too difficult at times, so I did 5:2 for a while. Then the Warrior Diet. But the only way I really lose weight is on ADF. Which I have happily returned to and finding it a bit easier. But perhaps 5:2 is useful for maintaining.? I am amazed that people lose so much dieting on 5:2 just 2 days a week. Perhaps they are young or very active (I am not!).

    Hi:

    The key to 5:2 is what you (don’t) eat on non diet days. If you eat too much, you don’t lose much weight.

    With ADF you almost double the number of calories you eliminate from your weekly diet, and almost cut in half the number of non diet days you have to over eat.

    So it is much easier to lose weight on ADF, even if you overeat on your non diet days.

    Here are some 5:2 tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

    Good Luck!

    Hi Dida:

    While you have to drink some extra water on diet days to make up for the water you are not getting from the food you have eliminated from your diet that day, many drink too much water and that causes some issues. One is that it flushes salt from your body and lack of salt can cause headaches.

    So add some salt to your diet day intake, and you will probably find your headaches go away.

    Good Luck!

    I’m an early 50s, 6’2″ male. On March 20th I stepped on the scales and discovered I needed to lose 65lb to get to the middle of my BMI range. With that in mind, I put a temporary ban on booze and started on ADF, which I’ve had great success with in the past. With limited willpower, I decided 600 calories a day on fasting days would lead to ruin, so I’ve gone for total fasting.

    So far I’ve lost 16lb and hope I’ll get to where I want to be in early August. This time round I’ll hopefully remember to stay on 5:2 as a maintenance regime to keep the weight off long term…!

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