Thanks Cinque & Lael. Good video by Jamie Oliver, makes it clear. Probably like many of you who’ve tried multiple diets over the years, Ive read just about every diet book ever published so I’m fairly clear on what’s a good healthy diet, the issue has been sticking to them. Breaking long time habits of habitual snacking and emotional eating are not easy unfortunately.

5:2 was suggested by my GP, she said they’d been having lots of success with it. I saw the Dr Mosley special and thought, makes sense and fairly straightforward.

I re-read the book yesterday, kept me busy and away from the kitchen. One thing I need to check up on is the 2000 cals per day amount for non-fast days. Today is a non-fast day and so far I’ve only had about 900 cals (Im keeping a food diary) and haven’t had dinner yet.

I put my weight, height, measurements etc into the project tracker here and my TDEE is about 1775 cals. So is TDEE what I should be having on non-fast days? And more if Im exercising?

~Newbie

Thanks Cinque

Thanks Simcoeluv. The TDEE was calculated when I put my stats into the tracker on this website, and I selected the sedentary box. When I start exercising, do I just go in and alter my exercise level and the TDEE will go up accordingly? I’m not asking because I want to eat more, just trying to understand it. My TDEE is about 1775 but yesterday, non-fasting day, I only ate about 1200 cals.

Hi Beth:

There is no need to recompute your TDEE. It is only an estimate and a guide. Many compute it based on their goal weight, not their current weight. TDEE is the approximate number of calories a person can eat without either gaining or losing weight. So if you have a ‘lower’ TDEE number to work with, and continue eating to or under it, you have a much better chance of losing weight. Many that try to get the highest TDEE possible for them, and then eat to it, don’t lose much weight.

Good Luck!

Hi everyone! I’m fasting today! Monday has become my usual day, though have a lunch appointment tomorrow so have moved to today. I’ve yet to consume anything but water and diatomaceous earth powder today, so zero calories and a nice beach walk as well. Am now sitting down to devote rest of day to TAFE assignments!

I weighed myself this morning and saw that I weigh exactly the same weight as I did two days ago after my most recent FD. This was even after I made a big dent in the container of activated macadamia nuts yesterday afternoon! I meant to eat a handful, though they are so buttery, crunchy, scrumptious, gratifying … what can I say!?!? I guess I can pat myself on the back for not having eaten more. Once I put them away, I didn’t desire to get them back out again, which I would have prior to 5:2.

Hey Lael and Thin I am fasting today as well. Still feeling a little unwell so don’t feel like eating anyway. So far I’ve consumed 96 calories which was my protein shake, had this about 90 minutes ago. Not sure what dinner will be, could be La Zuppa. The reject shop had the ready made pots on special for $1.50 so I stocked up on them, very tasty.

I enjoy reading all the in depth posts but I do not have any health problems or food allergies at this stage so don’t contribute to the discussions. My knowledge is becoming broader which is not a bad thing.

Lael I love macadamias. When I was on the Gold Coast recently we bought several small packets at the night markets, honey roasted, garlic and natural mmmm.

Dad is back with me now so I can give him all the leftovers!!!!!!

You might be right there Cinque, I think I did mention it first. At least when I return to two fast days, you’ll now be there on my other day. Hope you had a good day in the city yesterday Intesha. Did you have La Zuppa? CM told me about that but I find them too salty.

Hi Naptime and thank you for the welcome. I’m on my 2nd fast day today, currently sipping rooibos tea on the recommendation of Lael I think it was.

I lost 600g on my first fast day and hoping to do similar today.

I started exercising again yesterday, a 40 minute hilly walk. It felt lovely to be out there on a sunny morning but am feeling it in my calves & backside today. Off to do the same again shortly. Also helped my husband mow the lawn yesterday, that’s hard work on the sloping bits 😳

My fast day eating plan today is a boiled egg, cucumber & green beans, a cup of soup or two, fish and salad or veggies for dinner. And plenty of water.

I have a beach holiday coming up mid-October and am considering doing 4:3 to move things along. I’m feeling very positive and motivated!

Does anyone here do 4:3?

Hi everyone, and it will be a great week this week – I feel it in my bones – whatever that means🙂

Good to hear you’re going well Beth, Nap, and Lael!

Weekly graph day 65.8kgs – down 0.4kgs on last Monday. Would have been more but I did splurge a bit when we had dinner out on Saturday night. Still, a loss is a loss, and nearly a lb in old money. It looks less in kgs than lbs. Funny how our mind works like that.

La Zuppa soups are in supermarkets. I only tried 1 but didn’t like it, though CharliesMum loved them and used them on FDs right till she reached Goal weight.

Spent some time with FIL yesterday and he’s not doing well – getting very frail and dementia worsening. Difficult situation for all concerned.

Busy week again and must go. Am reading all the posts and thinking of you all.

Onwards and Downwards Southern Hemisfaeries,
Merry

Beth, I did 4:3 for a couple of months, but I found that I didn’t lose a lot more than doing 5:2. Personally I found the extra day of fasting meant I felt the rebound tug more, and I only lost an additional 200g at most – so didn’t make it worth it. But, that is just me, I don’t know what other people have found.

Thanks for the info about La Zuppa soups, Merry – I will start hunting for them, to give them a try.

Thin, why can’t I find that Hairy Bikers pie recipe? Sounds ideal for me.

What else will freeze well for my fast days? I probably should start freezing some things so I don’t get too bored. I don’t only have one meal (fruit and yoghurt for lunch, and also have one cup of skim milk to count for the day as well), so I need to keep the cals right down to about 200 if possible).

Thanks Merry & Nap. I will stick with 5:2 for now. Just realised 4:3 means every second day 😳

Thanks for the advice. Where do I find the recipe page?

Hi Beth

I endorse what Merry, Nap and Thin have said. All my weight was lost when I stuck to a regular 5:2. When I tried 4:3 it was harder to fast and it didn’t produce the same pleasing results. My conclusion was it isn’t worth the trouble.

Welcome to this way of life. 5:2 is sustainable into the long run, particularly if you minimise simple carbohydrates and sugars.

Cheers, Bay 🌺🌺

End of FD and calories = 386, a tad over my goal of 375.

Read somewhere someone advising if you’re hungry drink 3 glasses of water and wait. Was that in the last article link maybe? Anyway tonight I got hungry at 9pm and made it through 2 glasses of water and a hot drink.

Tired = Hungry!! Is a definite challenge for me so going to bed earlier too.

Looking forward to the best day in the week- day after FD, always so cool!

What’s the goal for the trip, Merry?

Check in after fast day 80.2. Down from 81.1 last Friday. Happy with that!

wishing I was like Merry and reporting in at 65.2kg! Hopefully in time 😊

I can’t remember Merry. I think it was a prolonged plateau that morphed into my goal weight! I started off wanting to lose 10kgs and that was achieved so easily (note, I didn’t say quickly) that I went for another 10kgs. People had started making those annoying ‘don’t need to lose any more weight’ and ‘skinny minnie’ comments so I checked the healthy range charts. I’m 5’6″ in the old money and 59-60kgs seems about right. Well done you!

Beth, don’t beat yourself up. Feasting is just as important as fasting – OK, not necessarily with chocolates but you’ve done it now. Freeze the rest (less tempting when they’re out of sight) and use them as rewards at a time of your choosing. You’ve done well so far. Put it behind you.

Thanks Thin and Merry for the advice and encouragement.

It was a big deal for me to go 5 days without sweets & chocolate, I was very proud of myself. We even had Lindt balls at home and I’d had no desire to eat them so not sure why I was compelled to open the gift box and scoff 3 in quick time.

Anyhow, moving on, a lesson learned about coping with temptation I guess.

Sleep well everyone 😊

Good morning all. Just been to give blood to have my cholesterol levels checked. Hoping they are still low, no way do I want to start pill popping.

Merry you are doing so well but you and Thin are starting to give me nightmares. I also am 5’6″ and 60kg frightens the life out of me😳😳.

FD yesterday and weight this morning 68.2, 400gms down from last Wednesday’s weigh in. My new goal is 65. My daughter who is 36, tall and slim weighs that!!!

Beth who can resist Lindt chocolates, they are chocolate heaven. I’m with Merry, life is to be lived and as long as we follow this WOL 99.5% of the time we’ll achieve our goals. Even swapping FD’s around.

Happy FD Lael.

Intesha, well done on your 400g loss. May I ask what weight you started at and how long it’s taken you to get to 68.2? Whilst it would be lovely to have quick weight loss, logically I know steady, sustained loss is key to keeping it off over the long term. I know what a healthy diet is, and I’ve consumed that, it’s the snacking in between meals that’s been my undoing for the most part. (note to self – don’t ever sit down again with a tub of Shapes crackers when reading or watching tv – they will all disappear before you know it 😳 ). Long held habits will take time to break. If I don’t buy the crackers, I can’t eat them.

I also love fruit and my sister suggested I might be eating too much of that. My husband grows the best mandarins I’ve ever tasted and I have to admit over the last month or two there were probably plenty of days I ate three of those plus strawberries & blueberries. They’re finished now but it may be what helped to push up my weight to the 80’s where it’s never been before. I also had a tub of brown rice/quinoa & hot smoked salmon for lunch quite a lot lately – quick & easy but perhaps too many carbs.

The other thing I’ve increased over the last few months is blueberries. They’ve been sooooo good! I go into the supermarket, pick up a punnet, start eating them while I shop and can’t stop until they’re gone. They set off something in me and I literally feel like I can’t stop eating them. I will have to make a rule to not open them in the supermarket, and at home just take a few out, put them on a plate and put the punnet away. Either that or stop buying them altogether. It would be nice to think I can learn some discipline and just enjoy a few.

I take cholesterol medication and hope to be able to stop that when my weight goes down and health & fitness improves. Aside from anything else, medication is expensive. I’m told it’s hereditary but it only shot up when my weight went up so I am hopeful for positive changes.

Happy FD to anyone fasting today.

Thanks Thin, good advice, onwards and upwards. I look at it as a lesson and will do better next time.

If OFM’s are other family members (still learning the lingo 😉), I’m lucky as it’s just me and my husband and he makes his own breakfast and lunch (he’s a farmer and comes home for lunch while Im at work) and we’ve been eating the same thing for dinner on fast days (just less for me to keep within the 500 cals.). I think it would be tough if you were preparing meals for multiple family members several times a day. As it is Im doing ok but you’re right, long time habits don’t change overnight. Just do the best I possibly can.

Thanks all for the support and encouragement, much appreciated!

Good morning,
I’ve had a rough couple of days as my daughter and son in law had early appointments (and needed me to drive them there). Early appointments are bad for my health! But I have a couple of quiet days now to recover and catch up.

I’m fasting today! Not sure if I’ll keep to Wednesdays and Saturdays. I’ll see.

Good to read all the conversation. So much sensible advice. Only thing to add: I loved eating Lindt balls straight from the freezer! :0

Suggestion re blueberries: Think how many are good to have per week, eg 1 punnet or 2 or 3. Buy them and eat them however you enjoy them most. All at once on the way home, or sprinkled in small portions each morning on your yoghurt. It doesn’t matter, make the most of them, but then wait for a week for the next punnet.

Good morning everyone,

Cinque, hope today is a really good resting day for you, and tomorrow too if you need to. You are such a good mumma and grandma! Those early mornings are not easy on you and 2 in a row ….take care. Are the Wed/Sat fasts not sitting as easily?

Beth – I’m sorry, I was forgetting this was such early days for you on your fasting journey. I remember the conflicting feelings when I was presented with my thank you box of ‘those’ chocs..going to make them nameless. I also had the challenge with ‘it’s a gift therefore I feel guilty if I don’t ‘ so my solution was to give most of them away, but, I had already lost a significant amount of weight with 5:2 before then, and I wasn’t sabotaging my first week or two. 5:2 is really good at showing us food lessons. I’m impressed that you hadn’t eaton the ones you already had, and didn’t say ‘well, I’ve been given these so I’m going to have them’. 2 good things you’ve achieved right there. Also, probably best not to buy them at all. Strawberries are lower calories than blueberries, so not as much sugar in them. I’d suggest choosing strawberries over blueberries. That said blueberries are still healthy so I’d agree with Cinque. I find blueberries very more-ish too, but for me it’s the shape and texture that are part of thier appeal.

We are learning to navigate the food journey of life. We’ve got out of whack along the way, gone the wrong way. Now we’re learning how to go a much better way, correcting our misperceptions, but also learning how to live in a society where there is too much food, and too much of the wrong food. we’re also encouraged to overeat. For me a big part of this journey has been learning so much about myself and how I relate to food. Another part has been learning, via a few Dr Moseley videos as well as exposes on sugar, more about how our Western food production has gone so wrong. Some manufactured foods are deliberately made to be addictive. The food companies know the psychology of food and use it shamelessly. Sugar and salt together are very compelling – I’m thinking that popcorn with sugar and salt here, but there’s plenty of other things. Equal quantities of fat and sugar in a food also make them more addictive. The food manufacturers are not our friends and our health doesn’t get considered at all.

Anyhoo……. Onwards and Downwards!
Merry

Intesha the Intrepid – you have lost 20kgs, and you are no longer the person who started 5:2. Ok, so 3 of us are the same height and our final weight will be…..drum roll….whatever we each personally choose it to be, because 5:2 gives us that option, and it’s about us individually, our health, our bone structure, light, medium, large, and various other things including what makes us feel good when we look in the mirror, and how we feel in our clothes. So, what were you thinking was your final goal Intesha?

Thanks Intesha and Nap for the good wishes for my FD, it’s going well! Intesha, I’m eager to read any info you want to share about your blood results you think pertain to having been on 5:2, when you get them back. Also, wonderful news that you are another pound (rounded and in the old style of measurement), closer to your goal!!

Nap, I’ve written long posts and had them disappear too! I click ‘submit’ and they disappear. I’ve had it happen enough times that now I do a quick copy onto my laptop clip board before posting, just in case I need to re-submit.

Cinque, I loved reading your suggestion about buying the decided number of punnets of blueberries for the week and allowing oneself the freedom to consume them any which way! I like that! …For me overtired = hunger dragon so I’m glad to read you are resting and taking care after the early starts and drives and hoping that this FD progresses with ease.

Beth, you sound like you’ve been an ‘old hand’ at this, especially as you mention mindfulness! That is the only way I’m able to approach this WOL (way of life). I have to be caring towards myself. If I’m too strict, I find myself rebelling. That’s why I love this WOL so much, because by practicing 5:2, rather than needing to be my own task master as I’ve had to be following various diets, with 5:2 I’ve instead become increasingly more aligned with my own body’s wisdom and like the others have mentioned, I’ve begun to naturally make healthier choices. Moreover, when I go off track, FDs are often a relief as they escort me back into a ‘zone’ of clarity around food, though in what the rebellious part of me perceives as an indirect, which is good! …Kind of like I’m ‘herding’ myself in the healthier direction without actually prodding. In other words, I’m not telling myself I can’t have anymore home made coconut cacao truffles ever again because they are unhealthy for me. I simply have a FD in which there is no caloric room for them. Then the following NFD is like waking up in another world compared to where I left off with the truffles and more often than not, I’m able to take them or leave them at that point or I simply don’t desire to eat any. From observing this, I’ve gained implicit faith in this process to the point of knowing that if one sticks with 5:2, they’ll get ‘there’ where ever that happens to be, since as you point out Merry, it is different for each of us!

I’m actually happy with the shape I’ve reached so far with 5:2 except for my protruding belly.

So Thin, I finally got around to finding a piece of cardboard that was long enough to fit across my middle to measure and there was a 3 1/2 difference in my belly between standing and lying on the floor. You’d pointed out didn’t you, that there weren’t specific numbers to indicate whether our fat is more visceral or other? As I sit here and grab, I contain quite a sizeable roll of padding in my hands! My motivation is the continued reduction in size of this.

Beth, here is the ‘cardboard test’ instructions that Thin shared with us a few pages back in the thread…

HOW TO MEASURE VISCERAL FAT
The texture of visceral fat is extremely hard (so it doesn’t slide around to the side when you lie down). Measure the comparison between standing up and lying down. Firstly, stand against a wall and hold something flat across your tummy such as a piece of cardboard. With a straight ruler, measure the length from the wall to the cardboard. Now lie down on the floor. Repeat and measure the length from the floor to the cardboard.

If the measurement doesn’t change at all or with only a very little change between these two positions, then there is a high likelihood that you are carrying a fair amount of visceral fat in your body.

Great chat today! You have a great attitude Beth and I’m sure this is going to work so well for you. “Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels…”. I love that. That’s going right alongside my other favourites, “don’t eat anything your grandma wouldn’t recognise” and “eat mostly plants”.

Like you, I started in mid-August and when the silly season rolled around, I continued fasting twice a week throughout, switching the FDs around to accommodate the social engagements and keeping Christmas Eve FD-free so I could continue to mainline mince pies & egg nog as I had for years. I didn’t miss out on a thing and, OK it was a longish plateau, but I was so happy to stay the same weight all that time when, in previous years, I’d have gained 3kgs or more. Anyway, I just mention all this to show that this fits in with ‘life’ perfectly well mostly because we can all adapt it to whatever is going on at the time.

Merry, thanks for reminding us of those docos like the men who made us fat, etc. I do recall when we watched & commented on the programme about fat/sugar ratios. Those dirty dogs!

Good to hear from you Cinque and Lael. Cinque, why am I so rigid? I can’t quite seem to move to Saturdays yet. I will wait and see what you decide because switching twice would be traumatic! Part of it is that I now have family and friends trained for Sundays. Lovely as it to have your family closer, and of course the desire to help out where you can, I hope you are taking good care of your own needs.

Intesha, you already look great. If you get to 65kgs and say that’s it, you’ll be a goddess.

Yes Lael, the test was a bit flawed as no specifics were given to define ‘very little change’. Yours was nearly double mine so that sounds good.