Day 5 – UK – FD
Day 4 – NFD

The weekend ended up a bit of disaster eating wise so need to press my RESET button today with a good FD and started the day with my early Broga class – hard and sweaty work this morning 🥵

@borealis – lovely to see you back
@karmacatkeeper – welcome to the forum – great support and advice provided willingly here with no judgement
@rabbette – you are doing amazingly well with this WOL – 40lbs dispatched since February and your BMI reaching that magic 25!!!! thank you for sharing your stats xx
@daffodil2010 – I sympathise as I had a grazing weekend too with 🥂 and definitely ate/drank well above my TDEE
@ktcaroline – who is the most supportive of my 5:2 efforts – it has to be me as I have to take responsibility of my body and health 😇 and who is most likely to derail my efforts – again it has to be me 😈
@stardustdream – very busy but hopefully it will help keep you focused with your 5:2 WOE
@lilacsparkle – yes of course you can under eat on some NFDs but be careful it does not become a pattern so you don’t fall into the trap of following a low calorie diet as that is not sustainable in the long term!!
@betsylee – sounds like you have a mechanism in place to get your stressors under control 🤗 stay positive and strong x
@quebecoise – good goals for August – when I was trying to lose weight I broke down my big goals into small more achievable ones – seems to help to keep me focused
@emma-taylor – not a good way to achieve a FD but I would take it – good to hear that your tooth is all sorted out ready for that Italian trip – just a tad jealous of your Italian holidays
@gretta – I’m sure you will do your grandmother proud tomorrow – her memories are forever etched in your heart ❤️
@ciren2 – poor you – hope the tummy settles down soon – keep drinking plenty of water
@yo-yo-fletch – You are not alone with what happened during your weekend – very familiar to a lot of us I’m afraid!!! but this WOL allows us to press that RESET button – a few of us on a FD with you today 🤗
@ktcaroline – well done on your controlled weekend 👍
@brightonbelle – I am adding you to today’s pocket list as TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER
@luminess – welcome on board – As you say the Basic 5:2 works well and is sustainable as a WOL too – I have added you to the spreadsheet in case you want to use to help motivate you – here is the link
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hCApwrLH0g7HQYZFHFtAHGz8c74KT

Pocket List – Day 5
@gretta
@funshipfreddie
@yo-yo-fletch
@brightonbelle
@luminess
@at

I love this Winnie the Pooh quote, it applies very well to our WOL
“RIVERS KNOW THIS: THERE IS NO HURRY. WE SHALL GET THERE SOMEDAY.”

Day 5- Atlanta, Ga-USA FD: Today is the first day of school here in Atlanta, GA-USA. Excited about all the things we will learn about each other this here! Here’s to a great first day and an even better year! Happy Monday everyone!

Day 5 UK FD

My first FD of this challenge. OMAD food is already in the fridge for early supper – green pea pasta salad with endamame beans, tomatoes, cucumber and beetroot, followed by berries.

Feeling extra thin & thristy today bc like @ciren2 I’ve had digestive upset and thinking it’s maybe something I’ve eaten. V glad to be able to rest the day away with gentle pottering and lots of drinking.

@ciren2 silver linings! hope you are feeling better x
@daffodil2010 have a lovely lazy day 🙂
@babs_b welcome back 🙂
@gretta I’m sure you’ll do your gran proud. Focus on looking after yourself, and being where you are – the rest can wait xx

Pocket List – Day 5
@gretta
@funshipfreddie
@yo-yo-fletch
@brightonbelle
@luminess
@at
@ccco
@michelinme

Day 5- USA (NE TN)- FD

I know I’m probably a pound up from the camping trip last weekend. I could only manage a bunch of CDs last week as everything was just so hectic. Had my 2 NFDs this weekend as usual, and now I’m smack-dab in the middle of my first FD of the week. Not as crazy this week, but my life is default crazy to begin with so I should say not “all out insane.”

Last week I started making the younger kids workout with me to get them conditioned for soccer. We have spring soccer available here, and I’m thinking of trying to talk hubby into having them play both seasons as it would be much better for them to stay in shape. Even though it means more mad running around. The thing with them working out with me though is that they are 10 and 8 and super silly! Drives me bonkers and I have to stop the video and instruct or give them water-breaks…annoying. We don’t have a good flat area here on our property where they can just run as we live on the side of a mountain, so I have them do HIIT videos with me to get their heart rate up. Or walking/jog interval videos. They are just on the low-impact beginner ones right now to ease them in.

Anyway…blah blah blah.
I’m going to “grab another cup o’ joe” as they say some places here in the States.
Try to get the youngers to do their school. The teens are already working on their things in their rooms.
Going to visit all my online haunts.

Have a great day! TTFN

Pocket List – Day 5
@gretta
@funshipfreddie
@yo-yo-fletch
@brightonbelle
@luminess
@at
@ccco
@michelinme
@stardustdream

Came home from work RAVENOUS! So, at that point, ate my breakfast porridge (at 1.45pm!)
No ill effects so far….so tried out the usual salad sandwiches with tomatoes, followed by the usual lemon cake (I’m a creature of habit). If I get ill again, I will suspect the bagged salad….but it may have been just one of those things, and no explanation.
Wasp sting STILL itches….regular ice-cube smoothings are the best.
@therealwil78: You are back at school already? In the UK we generally have just over six weeks holiday from mid-July to the beginning of September. In the old days it was to do with getting everyone to help with the harvest!
@at: RESET!

Day 5 Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 FD

Usual Monday reset after a few lovely glasses of red wine over the weekend. I refuse to weigh myself on Mondays as I know my weight will be up…..ignorance is bliss……my weigh day is Friday 😉

Pocket list! Day 5
@gretta
@funshipfreddie
@yo-yo-fletch
@brightonbelle
@luminess
@at
@ccco
@michelinme
@stardustdream
@rabbette
@missybear

Together we are stronger.

Day 6: Gloucestershire, UK, NFD:

Just a quick “hello” before work. Good luck today, all of you.
See you later. xx

Day 6, London, UK, FD,

1st of my usual B2B2B of this week, I must be 100% faithful to this weeks’ FDs as I’m out for a Thai meal on Friday, which is an instant 2lb gain!!!

My thighs are killing me at the moment, Jillian isn’t pulling any punches, anyone would think I didn’t use my legs EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!! At least this time around I can still walk, the 1st time I did the 30 DS, I had to bump down the stairs on my bum and fall onto chairs including the toilet, my thighs just stopped working!!!

@yo-yo Fletch, your daughter is now green with envy since you own what is now sold in shops as ‘vintage’ for mega-$£$£!!!

@quebecoise, welcome back, we all know chips & chocolate can be a part of our NFDs, but if you’re like me, they’re a definite no-no, at least until I can have a ‘normal’ portion rather than eat the entire bag/box/packet!!!

Stay strong everyone, one FD at a time!!!

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.” – Anatole France

Day 6 – UK – FD

Hi @at – it’s good to be back. I lost 1lb after yesterday’s FD, I practically skipped down the road this morning. Hilarious how just seeing one little shift on the scales motivates, eh? My mind already feels a lot clearer too.

We had a bit of a dash to the shops last night and planned out all the meals this week. I’m following a 16:8 today (as I do most days) and I’ve packed a beetroot and lentil salad for lunch. I’m planning on doing a chilli with lettuce cups tonight.

@flourbaby – I know that feeling of thighs not working! I went hell for leather at the gym last weekend, ended up doing a lot of kettlebell work that was all squat-based. It took me about 4 days to stop walking like the Tin Man(!) and another 3 days for the soreness to subside. I definitely overdid it – it stopped me doing anything else that week, which was really frustrating. I must remember to pace myself!

DAY 6
NFD
FLORIDA
Today see my GI doc. Will be getting my results from my test. Hoping all goes well. In the meantime, trying to stay focus on what I’m eating. Keeping hanging around the 170 marks. A few pounds up or down around there. Today, down a bit. Enjoying riding my bike. It took a bit to get comfortable with it but each time, I’m doing better.:)
Hope everyone has a great week.

Day 6_Atlanta, Ga- USA. FD. Thanks @ciren2 and @at for the well wishes. I absolutely hate going back so early, but I did enjoy my time off! The first day went great. However, I was completely exhausted. When I got home I crashed. Hoping my body gets used to the schedule soon. But its much easier to stick to my Fd’s when I have such a busy schedule though. Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Day 6 Melb Aust, FD

I’m adding myself to the pocket list, even though I’m really at the end of my day (after 10 p.m. here) – but planning another FD tomorrow, so that will work. Very pleased with myself today – my first good FD in a while, so reset has really happened, yay!

@suki2, I’m not really the one to answer your question about pocket lists, but I don’t think anyone else has, so – my understanding of the pocket list is that it’s a list of the people who put themselves down as fasting on a particular day, so others can be remembering them for good success. Some people may literally write or print out the names and carry them around in a pocket for the day. It can also be a form of accountability. Anyone else? Want to add to this? I haven’t been around all that long, so lots of others could explain it a lot better than me.

@rabbette, okay, I understand now. Like a friend of mine, you feel happiest at a BMI at the bottom end of the scale. I’m only 154 cm tall, and am aiming for around 115 lb, which will be the middle of my BMI range (but who knows, I may also want to go lower – one can always “dream the impossible dream”! 🙂 ). At the moment I’m still around 161 lb, which explains the last sentence.

@ktcaroline, Haven’t really made any food swap, but I have moved to TRE and am very happily not eating breakfast. I’ve never felt I needed it, and indeed found that if I “ate a hearty breakfast”, it seemed to set me up for a day of eating. Breaking my fast later in the day suits me better. I’ve greatly reduced eating rice and potatoes, and probably increased intake of other vegetables, so that may apply(?).

@jaifaim, good to see you back

@missybear, my official weigh-in day is Saturday – even further toward the end of the week than you, but before Saturday and Sunday NFDs ruin my week. Have decided to ensure those days are TDEE days from now on. Think it will work better for me.

@michelinme, hope that tummy upset has settled.

@at, thanks for the encouragement. Things are on the improve re stress, with me refusing to do one task requested, and deciding to step down from another. It’s trying to find a balance. Being retired doesn’t mean constant availability, especially when the doctorate degree won’t magically get done by itself.

Pocket list day 6:
@daffodil2010
@ktcaroline
@flourbaby
@babs_b
@jaifaim
@betsylee

Day 6 – USA – NFD

Day 6 Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 NFD

@ktcaroline your food swaps question really made me realise how much my diet has changed over the past 2 years since beginning 5:2. Previously I did low fat everything and daily calorie counting and was still 2 stones overweight! Reading Michael Mosley’s Blood Sugar Diet and Tim Spectre’s The Diet Myth has influenced my food choices, now I enjoy full fat dairy, olive oil, unsalted nuts almost every NFD making food much more satisfying. The swap was in giving up processed carbs and sugary foods….I am no longer tempted by bread, pasta, rice or potato and puddings / ice cream is a very rare treat when dining out. I enjoy this WOE so much more than my previous low fat diet and I don’t get the extreme hunger and mood swings that I used to experience when eating processed carbs and sugars. Thinking about it now, changing to a healthy Mediterranean style diet has done as much to get me to goal as 5:2 it certainly makes maintenance easy for me. Now if I could just swap some of my beloved 🍷 for water 🤔

Have a great day everyone 🙂

@ktcaroline: Foods swaps….yes, right NOW, over the last few days I’m swapping my daily (yes DAILY!) marzipan Ritter sport bar (496 calories, I’m sure) for a chocolate flavoured protein shake (about 90, and NO sugar)! Good swap.
Right, off now to walk the dog….DH’s knee stops him from walking far at all, so it’s down to me, or the dog keeps looking at me!
@yo-yo-fletch: Tax returns! The annual grind. Good luck with VAT (probably even worse!).

Day 6, VA, USA, FD B2B

Whew hot! So when I am able to drink at least over 70oz of water (especially on an FD day) I will lose more the next morning upwards of 1.5 lbs but if I don’t get my water only maybe about .5lbs is gone the next day. Just food for thought (or maybe I should say water for thought)

I noticed this b/c it has been really challenging for me to drink enough water. Its hot as all get out, but I just feel like I can’t keep up. I officially outgrew my 20oz water canister but I really don’t want to carry a heaver/bigger one. I’ll try my SO 24oz one and see if that extra 4oz can at least get me home to get my refills for the hot season.

@ktcaroline – Food swap! (~instead of)
Fresh chopped Carrots ~ Buttery Crackers (dipping into tuna salad)
Sweet & hot peppers ~ Mayo (in the tuna salad)
Dry Arugula ~ Chips
cacao nibs ~ chocolate
Water ~ mindless snacking
Hard Seltzer ~ Stout
Gin & selter ~ Gin & tonic
Sparkling Water with Lime slice ~ hard seltzers or gin & tonic

Salt under tongue + 8oz water (~instead of) EAT ALL the THINGS!
۩ ۩ ۩ ۩ ۩ ۩ ۩ ۩ ۩ ۩ ۩ ۩ ۩ {•——» pauses “starving mode”

@babs_b – lol “hell for leather” thats a good one… love it.

@jaifaim – oh swimming sounds so lovely. Keep at it.

@brightonbelle – keep your eye on the prize… plan those FDs and stick to em!

@betsylee – oh from all the charts/graphs *scientist* who knows who they are… most charts I see online have 25 as still overweight for BMI. 21-22 is middle and 19 the low end… ah but who knows. I figure I’ll try and go for mid-range and see how I feel. I need wiggle room tho b/c I know I’m going to flux when I reach goal. Oh my gosh goal feels like so far away. I can do it tho. I remind myself I just let go of -40lbs I can do it. I’m going to dream the impossible dream. Lets do it!

@ciren2 – oh my gosh, I had to look up “marzipan Ritter sport bar” too funny they call it a sport bar, almost sounds like its used for endurance training. Yeah I had to give up the chocolate and if I do have it now, it is once a week. Kinda like my beloved stouts.

@stardustdream – I had to give out a sign on your sons writing being informal. I am a very informal writer, and finally my ART professor in college figured it out, she said something to me about it and encouraged me to go get tested for dyslexia. Low and behold I was dyslexic (which causes me to write way less Fromal b/c I just don’t know how to write it better.) I can usually speak with a tad more elegance, but writing is so difficult that just getting words on paper is a huge accomplishment. ** I apparently hid my dyslexia very well (not on purpose) I didn’t know that I was… I asked folks to spell things all the time and had friends help me paraphrase b/c I usually quoted EVERYTHING. Like I said I didn’t know how to say it in my own words unless I was verbally asked about a subject. (Hopefully) this is not your sons case, but keep a watchful eye over other tendencies (if you need/want to know more about it, I’m now chalk full of info on the subject of dyslexia.)

Where is that pocket list I need you. Just snacked on 2 cups of arugula. Must keep it together!

Pocket list day 6:
@daffodil2010
@ktcaroline
@flourbaby
@babs_b
@jaifaim
@betsylee
@yo-yo
@rabbette

Day 6 Oxfordshire NFD
Bit of wet one today. Managed to get the dog walked before the first down pour. We have a Tuesday market, so extra steps to walk down to buy local produce. Plant stall had some beauties, but I couldn’t carry any more. So walked home and back to buy 3 new plants.
@ktcaroline – the main thing that derails me is poor sleep. I tend to get the munchies in the middle of night.
I tell my oh & two best friends as they are all supportive but otherwise it’s possible to behave fairly normally on this diet so no-one notices.

Thank you at & Betsylee for answering my question. It seems obvious now you’ve said it.

Yo-Yo Fletch how do you manage B2B? I’m just about coping with alt days.

I’ll be fasting tomorrow & trying to keep busy, so I think its housework for me. I’m hoping that 3 FD a week will counter any extras over the weekend. Fingers crossed.

Day 7 – France – FD
(Disclaimer : I am French, so some of my phrasing may sound weird).

Hello everyone, I just stumbled upon this forum today and I am very happy it exists :).
I’ve just started with the 5:2 diet a few days ago after seeing Micheal Mosley’s documentary. Today was my second FD and I am amazed to see how simple it can be. I am on vacation right now, which probably makes it a lot easier but I’m very excited to see how it goes.
I have a substantial amount of weight to lose after two years struggling with anxiety and insomnia but I feel ready to start a new chapter. I also decided to go the whole month of august alcohol-free when I realized I was slowly getting into bad habits.
Tonight I went to the movies with my BF, which is probably one of the best ways to take your mind off food. I saw Blood Simple (1986) by the Coen Brothers. It was dark but pretty good ^^.
Hope that every one is having a nice day!

Day 7: Gloucestershire, UK, NFD:

Good morning, or whatever (wherever in the world you are)! My brief illness is over and I’m back to full health, except my wasp sting from last Friday is still itching and ITCHING on my ankle. However, I know from bitter experience from insect bites (esp. horseflies) my reaction takes a whole week to go away.

@bluevelvet: A warm welcome. You are lucky indeed to find this site so early in your new way of life with 5:2. To start with the motivation is that you lose a lot of weight, and as time goes on you will get used to fasting. Many people on these challenges have lost ALL their excess weight. I was one of them….maintenance is the key.
@winsome-waif: Congratulations….fantastic effort!

Time for work….see you later. xx

Day 7 – Ireland 🇮🇪 – NFD

Excellent FD yesterday, dropped 3lbs of weekend weight (easy come easy go weight) now to concentrate on a good NFD with healthy tasty options and lots of water and early to bed…prepping for tomorrow’s FD.

I had a look at last years August spreadsheet…yikes, I am today 12lbs heavier. Got to knuckle down to the WOL.

@ktcaroline I don’t have white carbs in the house since circa 2013 and only have had them as a treat ….but as per last weekend, the rice and pasta and potatoes and white sliced bread all made an appearance. So I am vowing now, NO MORE for August!

What I have discovered since starting this WOL is the wonderful range of tasty food that are anti-inflammatories and really help…I don’t suffer any joint pain any more. Oh and homemade Bulgarian Kefir….never heard of it before until @shinything recommended it and WOW!! I make at least 3 batches a week of that yummy creamy stuff that is so good for our gut health.

@ciren2 Argh, horseflies!!! Seriously I would rather a mosquito bite (and they always get infected on me) to a horsefly. Last year I got bitten twice, both times through my clothes and oh my, the swelling on my leg in particular was really bad. The entire thigh and past the knee came up. I know now I should have gone to the doctor in case it was serious but I get a reaction to most insect bites anyway that I just bimbled along.

@gretta so good to hear that the funeral and your eulogy to your Grandma was all it should be. Take care of yourself in these tough times.

@bluevelvet. Welcome! I found this forum two years ago when I was only about 5 days in and it has truly supported me since. Looking forward to getting to know you.

@winsomewaif That’s a big Woo Hoo for you. Fantastic result…may you’re that blue ink more often ☺️

@suki2 I am a sucker for new plants too. Kudos for getting in the extra walk 👍

Have a great Wednesday….its hump day already!! @funshipfreddie, hope you post the camel emoji, I like to see it on Wednesday, and my iPad doesn’t have it 😆

Day 7 – Ireland – CD
Hurrah! I’m not sure how but my weight is in the way down again and just one pound off my ATL 😀 I don’t get carried away as I had a particularly good FD yesterday and was a little ill at the weekend so will be careful and just keep the focus..
Hospital tests today for two chronic conditions I have but hope that they will return normal. 🤞
Still tired, hot flushes and focus is rubbish but think that’s just female life and will deal with this when blood results are back.
Thanks @betsylee it feels so good to be back… I just couldn’t fit everything in recently but you realise very quickly that this is the place to be 👌
@gretta you are so right… that’s just two days (Monday was CD and sugar free too) of being back in the zone and already I feel so much better! A lot of it is simply just feeling like you are back in control which is what had completely been missing for me over the past two months… I was able to pass all the holiday sweets in work, ice creams etc.
Also I had some acupuncture on Monday which I’m sure helped me hugely…
@ciren2 that swap should make a huge difference!!! Hope you heal from the sting… wasps and jellyfish seem to like me too and they are so bloody painful!
well done @winsomwaif that is a fantastic achievement 👍👍
@bluevelvet your English is great!! Welcome to the forum!
@rabbette i used to swim at Christmas in the sea as a child so I’m hardy but it had been a while since I’d been in … it was a shock to the system on the first day – nothing like your Pacific!! Love any sea though 💕

Onward and downward ⬇️
We rise by lifting others 💕

Day 7 – UK – MFD

Hi all. Daily check in to say hello & to keep myself on track. I’m another lb down overnight, very happy to see that on the scales. I used to hate daily weighing but I find if now helps me just keep track of where I am. Today I’ve planned a MFD – going do the usual 16:8, followed by lentil & goat’s cheese salad at lunch and then the lamb saag recipe from the F800 book tonight. It takes a good 45mins of cooking so my plan is to do something productive during that time – ie go out for a walk.

@gretta I’m sorry to read your news (I was a bit late joining this thread). Carry on being kind to yourself x
@brightonbelle we have totally got this! I want to get up on that stage and have my photos taken knowing I won’t be as critical on how I look (ie how puffy my face looked)
@rabbette lol my quads were not happy after that gym session, let me tell you!! I don’t know what got into me to spur me on like that! Haha

Have a good day all x

Ooops! forgot to add this to the end of my post.

Happy FD Fasters!

Day 7 Pocket List:
@bluevelvet
@gretta
@yo-yo