Callie,

I have copied my post to Dave from Ireland (Dreamweaverguns) a few topics below and added a few extra thoughts.

I have been doing 5:2 for around 5 months, so I can’t share your journey. However, my situation was very similar and this is why I am replying to you. I have quite a few thoughts which may be useful to you (and others). Please bear with me. I came across a thread for men somewhere which might be worthwhile resurrecting. I am not a sweet person, I like savoury/umani/tart/pastry. Cornish pasty, scotch egg, etc – YUM!

I am male, aged 60, living in the UK. Like you I was 15st,4lb / 214lb / 97kg and wanted to get to around 14st / 196lb / 89kg. I am now at 13st,8lb / 190lb / 86kg and am starting maintenance. So I have lost 24lb / 11kg in 21 weeks since the beginning of December.

My wife has tried different diets over the years and came across the book. I knew I needed to lose some weight, so read the book twice. The science and medicine made sense, rather than being a fad, and I started as well. It helps if you can have support at home or at work if others are doing it as well.

This way of life started for people to have a healthy old age, weight loss was a side benefit. Heart disease isn’t prevalent in our family, but dementia is.

What you need to work out is what is the best method for you. I have a very light lunch and more in the evening. My wife is the opposite. Others have 3 light meals a day, some one in the evening. Others have nothing at all on a fast day because any food is too tempting. There is no right or wrong. The only right is what works for you. We are all individuals with our own, physiological, psychological and emotional needs.

I only found this site several months after starting and knew nothing about TDEE. I worked to the 2,400/600 calories, though I would have been mostly under. Over the 5 months there have been birthdays, weekends away, meals with friends, Christmas and various other indulgences. I enjoyed the freedom of not worrying too much about non-fast days, BUT I did not binge or overeat constantly. I could not cope with having to be strict every day. Some days I would have been over my TDEE and on other days under. This “relaxed” attitude works for me, it may not for you. Only you know how you work. Is strict better or a style that is not too cramped? You will naturally end up eating less and being satisfied on fewer calories as time goes on. I allow myself my “danger” foods sometimes, but can now have some and say to myself “that was lovely and I’ve had enough”. Your relationship with food will change for the better.

Finally, I went into maintenance once the measurement around my belly-button was half my height (maintenance is the next challenge). This is most important of all as this is where the dangerous internal/visceral fat is. I am 6’1″ / 186cm and my belly was 41″ / 104cm. I lost inches/cm everywhere else first and have finally got to 36.5″ / 93cm. I will carry on not eating until 1 pm on 2 days a week because of the benefits. This suits me (even as someone who loves breakfast) and is helping me maintain.

Read the newbies threads (especially the trousers falling down!!).
Stay with it and persevere, it works.
Be strict and honest with yourself.
Drink lots of water.
Be prepared to feel cold on fast days (I don’t normally feel the cold at all).
Fluctuations will occur, as a man I can vary as much as 3.5lb / 1.5kg A DAY. I weigh daily and average over a week. Some people weigh weekly or monthly or not at all, but go by clothes size. What suits your personality?
Remember, the scales are not the only indicators of the benefits that your body and mind are gaining.
Listen to your body and mind carefully, they will let you know if what you are doing is correct.
Once you reach your weight, you now have a mechanism to ensure you stay there. It is adjustable as required to lose and then maintain by using this tool your way.
6 months down the line you will be so pleased that you stuck with it, believe me.

Read, talk to others on the forum, do it your way. Just do it.

Callie: The honesty thing is important. Be truthful to yourself.
There is a refrain you will hear again and again on the forum; because it is true. Avoid sugar and carbs like the plague on your fast days. If you want to be climbing the walls with hunger a few hours after you have eaten, then have them. If you don’t, then have high fat, protein, veg and salad instead.
I don’t drink every weekend but do sometimes with no problems, while being aware that they are empty calories. If I have an enjoyable weekend with food and drink (good, but bad for calories) I don’t stress. If my weight stayed the same, fine. A couple of free weekends coming up would soon start shifting it again. Obviously, if you are having 2 bottles of wine every night over a weekend, this will not help at all. Just be sensible.
Like you I was sceptical, which is why I read the book twice. I liked the holistic approach, not solely about weight.

Work out the best route for your personal journey.

Fast Benefits

Callie,

BB brings up a couple of good points. I am more fluid and relaxed than some about my non-fast days, but I am very strict that my fast days are Tuesday and Thursday. This has only altered 4 times. Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve fell on a Thursday, so those weeks I only did one day as we were away. However, I was careful some of the other days and only put on a pound over the festive period. There have been 2 other occasions when I have had to switch to a Friday. I knew this in advance so planned accordingly.

What I have never done is switch on a whim. Some people can, but I couldn’t. If someone arrives with a treat I will resist and stick to my black coffee, green tea or water. Luckily treats are normally sweet things that don’t interest me. However, if a samosa is in view then that is very tempting! I will not have it though. I would say I am not hungry and would they mind if I put it in the fridge for later (tomorrow). Something to look forward to!

As BB said, some fasters do water only days as they find it easier, not just because any food increases eating urges. I tried it, but it didn’t suit me. The general consensus here seems to be not to go straight into water fasts, try 500 calories first. Initially I had breakfast on fast days, but found it very difficult even though I always completed the days. So, I changed to what suited me – no breakfast, minimal lunch and more in the evening. You may have to experiment to find your best rhythm.

Within the 5:2 umbrella, BB and myself have taken on slightly different methods for weight loss and maintenance that suit ourselves. I think that BB would agree that both are equally valid because they both work for that individual.

7lb in 12 weeks is doable. I assume you are female going by your weight and name. Women tend to lose a little less than men on average, but 0.6lb a week is well within range if you are committed.

Let us know how you get on.

Some great tips here thanks so much.

So for my fast days I am eating fruit porridge which has 175 cals per 50 g. So I have this in the morning afternoon and evening.
I may also have a knorr quick soup to bring it up to 600.

For my non fast days I am having 2000 cals instead of the recommended 2200.

Porridge againand also some snack noodles which have 175 cals each , I am having a normal dinner of about 800 cals and if I am still hungry later I will have the low fat bread , about 3 slices of 60 cals each.

Thanks for the great tips

Callie,

did Monday’s fast go well? I hope you stick with this.