Hi Camille,

I’m American but grew up in Buffalo so I’m almost Canadian; watched a lot of Canadian TV as a kid.

The Walden Farms stuff is great. I buy their caramel and blueberry syrups when they’re on sale here. They aren’t the tastiest syrups I’ve ever had but they can’t be beat for having 0 calories.

Sounds like you’re off to a great start. Keep it up! I hope you get lots of “Real” Canadians replying to this thread. And remember, “At Zeller’s, everything starts with Zed.”

Bronx

Hi Camille! I’m Canadian too! But no tips or tricks, alas–I’ve been tending just to go with whole foods, if that’s the right term, so on fast days, eggs/fish/yogurt/vegetables–no products particular to any country. (But I make my own yogurt, so that’s using milk in bags, which would probably strike anyone else as bizarre! 🙂 )

I’m in the NWT been on 5:2 for 15 months. However what I do really isn’t 5:2 totally as once per month I fast for 4-5 days the first monday of each month. this is for the health benefits of longer term fasting as per Dr. Valter Longo there is some discussion on it in this thread https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/5-consecutives-days-once-a-month/

I then fast twice a week as well though I extend my fasts to 40 hours plus so I’m probably closer to 4:3 in reality. All my fasts are water only. Water only fasting is easier for me than trying to eat small miserly meals. I just don’t pay attention to food when I’m fasting it’s my non-fasting days that I have to watch out for. I do have a tendency to eat over my TDEE on non fast days (NFD)(feed days (FD)) This is difficult to break from over eating portion sizes for probably all my life. I’m working on it.

Funny thing we don’t have bagged milk here. No dairy industry or agriculture to speak of either, everything is shipped in. Prices are outrageous. 7.89$ for 4 litres of milk. When my first children were young (they are now 40 and 38 respectively) I used to make a gallon of yogurt a week. I now occasionally will make a gallon when my son (11 year old) goes on a yogurt kick, maybe 3 times in the last year. He loves vanilla yogurt with blue berries in the bottom or pine apple or peaches or …. Sweetened with homemade stevia extract.

Tips recalculate your TDEE every time the scale drops. Always set your activity level lower than what you think it is. Better is to calculate your TDEE for what you should weigh for your age and height with a sedentary activity level and use that TDEE level as your measure.

I urge everyone to do at least a 5 day water fast after two months on 5:2. You will learn more about your body and food in those 5 days than you can begin to imagine. I’m not saying do it every month for many people it is not sustainable and that’s fine. But do one at least you will be surprised on the control you get and you will find out you are stronger than you think. Build up to it slowly if you want by adding a day a month and in month 5 do the five day fast or jump in with both feet and do it.

I believe that life is lived in moments grab them while you can.

Alberta did don’t know if they still do. storing the bags of milk was the issue I had with them when I lived there. Wobbly things. Would get a leak when something got set on them etc.

Actually water only when fasting gets easy after day 3 I’m on day 4 now and I’ll break my fasting tomorrow evening with some watermelon and berries. It will be late Saturday or brunch Sunday before I eat a full normal meal. Still I with all the fasting I normally only lose about 4 pounds a month. I just eat too much when I’m not fasting

I did creep up 5 day fasting too. First normal fast water only, that was easier than trying to stick to 500 calories and now when I do a normal fast it is always water fasting. Then two days four times or so. Then 3. Then to 4-5.

I’ve crept into the 7th day by a few hours but I always chicken out on going longer. Not sure why. I think it is because it becomes difficult to work, house keep, child care etc when extending fasts.

I’d love to go to The TrueNorth Health Centre and do a 21 day fast. However the time just isn’t available to be away from family, dogs, work etc.

As per the studies of Dr. Valter Longo as seen in the documentary Eat, Fast, Live Longer which started the 5:2 “diet” to achieve the maximum health benefits 4-5 day fasting would need to be done once per month. Realizing that for most people this would be unsustainable Dr. Mosley continued looking and came up with 5:2. Though no scientific studies have been done on 5:2 it’s “said” that the health benefits are nearly the same.

I don’t happen to think that 5:2 gives max health benefits and I do need the most I can obtain thus I fast 4-5 days once a month starting on the first monday of the month.

The first few times you do a 5 day fast it can be difficult especially through day 3. Day 4 and 5 seem to be easier. As will things practice makes it easier. After you have 6-12 done. The pressure is off as you KNOW you can do it.

Congrats on the accomplishment and it is difficult the first time. I had to gradually build up to it and I had more than a few broken fasts on day 3.

Zero calorie 5:2 fasting is great. I think it should be the norm but then again it’s not for everyone. The great thing about 5:2 is adapting it to you, your life and needs. Family, social, work, and entertainment etc

Keep on keeping on it does work. It is doable and sustainable

Hello everyone. Another Canadian here– living on Vancouver Island. In May I heard about 5:2, looked at online articles, YouTube videos, bought the book and I committed 3 weeks ago. I need to reset insulin resistance by fasting and to achieve better health and lose weight (according to the work about IF I read online –not only by Dr. Mosely but also by Canadian Doctor Jason Fong.

I am semi retired, young at heart, fairly sedentary but do spurts of walking and heavy duty gardening. I am concerned feeling this extra weight ( some breathlessness, and the tummy visceral fat etc. ) which has crept on in the past 5 years ( I feel through inordinate stress).

Fasting is not new to me. I have done 29 day juice fast, 10 day master water cleanse, and other types of fasts over 45 years, but this 5:2 seems the right one at the right time–gentle and doable for a senior like me.

I was hoping to hear some tips from Canadians for 5:2 especially recipes in non metric measurements ( metric I find tedious). I am happy to have found you all and I hope this thread is still active. Best wishes.