Started 5:2 in August 2013 and lost about 15lbs over the next six months.

I would avoid food all day and drink water and black coffee (black coffee really helps stave off hunger) and then have a 600calories meal in the evening. I would also use OTC sleep aids to help me get to sleep on fast nights.

Then I combined 5:2 with regular exercise (I bought a bike) and lost another 30lbs over the next 18months. I wouldn’t lose weight every week sometimes i would put a lbs or two on.

Since getting to around 210lbs (I’m 6,3″ and my pre-diet weight was 250lbs), I adjusted my 5:2 routine. I would allow myself to eat normally in the evening of a fast day and skip breakfast the next day and this maintains my weight. It also means i can go to bed on a full stomach and share meals with my family.

Cutting out alcohol in the week also makes a big difference to my weight.

Here’s something else that has happened to me. Fasting has had a profound effect on my face. I’ve got cheekbones for the first time in 30years. Maybe its because your cheeks feel hollowed out when you’re hungry!