Are you counting calories on your non-fast days?

I lose weight when I eat 500 calories below my TDEE on the non fast days. My TDEE is 2105 and I aim to eat 1600 calories for 5 days and 500 on the fast days.

You don’t need to count calories all the time, just for a couple of days to figure out how much to eat to lose weight. You may be surprised at the number of calories you are consuming.

If you get hungry, substitute hot teas or coffee for eating.

Alternatively, try eating less on your non fast days without counting.

I would be choosey about which type of carbs, and how long before I ate more. Any more than that I would just be guessing. Where vegetables are low calorie carbs and starchy grains are high calorie carbs. We have to use up the carbs everyday or it turns into fat. Thus adding more which is normal. It’s when we eat more carbs than we use everyday for thirty years that is such higher risk of age related diseases.
I know nothing about you or your circumstances, but if your able to do intermittent fasting, but also the seven compound lifts on non fasting days, or Jump rope, swimming laps. When you can’t lose weight from diet alone then it’s not a matter of losing wieght. It’s an understanding of how you personally lose fat.
For me I can barely tolerate dieting. I have to exercise and have strong muscles inside under my layer of fat on the outside. I watched The Truth About Exerrcise video by Dr. Mosley and got a better understanding of the issues with exercise and visceral fat that surrounds our organs. This has reshaped my focus on what my health priority is.
For me my priority is lower the amount of fat in my blood through exercise both low and high intensity. After I eat my most fatty meals. I basically go work up sweat within two hours to help raise body temperature that helps with metabolism. It’s really no more complicated than that. What I struggled with when I started were the emotions I would feel getting on the scales. So I stopped weigh in so often and now weighing at the beginning of every month. I know that the benefits of exercise is nearly as beneficial as calorie restriction. Though I have a pair of size 50 jeans my mother bought me ten years ago, and I still keep them , now I wear size 38 comfortably. It’s the daily change over the last ten years. To some folks might just be starting to prioritize their waist at 36 or lower the formula is the same. Eat smarter and exercise in a way that lowers fat in the bloodstream. The more important goal than waist size is longevity. With I.F., H.I.I.T, and N.E.A.T. I’m hoping they are the same formula. About the only thing I personally do differently is once a month I take a week to go as low fat as possible. As bodybuilders say when they cut. Veyquickly with that being said my understanding is that bodybuilding isn’t a longevity strategy.
Sorry for such terrible writing skills, and posting after a 36 day. Good luck and best wishes.

Necolei, I occasionally review calories and portion sizes of what I eat on non-fasting days to make sure I’m not overeating then, thus undoing all my hard work on fasting days. Another issue is that TDEE is only an average — it will actually be a little higher or lower for each person, so I use the calories from one level below what I like to think my activity qualifies me for. I have also done some recent reading on carbohydrate metabolism that leads me to think that, at least for some people, eating high-glycemic carbs may keep insulin levels elevated to the point where we can’t mobilize our fat stores for energy, even with the beneficial effects of intermittent fasting on insulin levels. So, if it turns out that your caloric intake on non-fasting days is well below TDEE and you’re still not losing weight, I would try limiting starches and sugars, adding more protein foods and leafy veg. Hope one of these ideas helps.

Hi Nicole I notice that you are 18–well I am not so sure this is a healthy lifestyle for a growing young woman, as one who has been there and done that–the diet and exercise and obsessing in my youth I beg you to take a deep breath. You are doing the 2 day fasts, you are exercising.
I would suggest to look at any excess of alcohol and fast foods that may be putting you off track but I believe that counting other healthier calories on non fast days is not a good way to go for a young person.
Your youth is so precious–a time to get out there and enjoy life, do the best you can within reason re your weight, buy clothes that flatter your shape and throw away the scales. Your weight is not what defines you honey.

I think it’s fine to tackle a weight issue at any age! Most women have achieved most or all of their height by age 18. Muslim kids start fasting during the month of Ramadan at age 12. I see no reason why an 18 year old woman shouldn’t use this healthy way of eating to achieve a healthy weight, and no reason to make assumptions about obsessing or junk food or alcohol. Just my 2 cents.

Yes it was helpful understaning you’re circumstance. 5:2 is better explained after watching the video it takes 1 hour. Basically a gymnast is a super athlete and best to get advice from those close to you’re sport that know exactly what the demands are. Were so different. Where I’m nealy sedentary, I use jumprope to save time, but get what were both after. 😉

Weight Loss is not something you can achieve quickly.
You have to follow a balanced diet and moderate exercise at first. You will surely see the results in the long run. Just try to be as active as you can however don’t overdo it either.

Always try healthy, filling snack, such as an apple and some other fruits. Smart snacking will assist you to lose weight.Whole grains and fruits and veggies give nutrients that recover your health and decrease disease-risk and help you lose weight. They’re of course small in calories, so you can eat healthier foods. The fiber in whole-grain avoid overeating results, lose weight.

Friend
I writing to you to say congratulations .
you wer re abke to follow the 500 cals.

regardless of the scale you did do it.
not everyone can. I apologize for not knowing more about you . Ive been self absorbed latley. After I lost 10 lbs on 5:2. I switched to 4:3. I could of went onthe other diets ive been on in the past. But I hung in there fir 8 months only losing 32 lbs after go back to habits for 4 months I weighed myself and was still 27 lbs off. Thats why im sold on this lifestyle. This is first time I didnt rebound by gain more than my start weight. Yes exercise is the biggest factor in most weightloss programs . Sorry friend but if you do a side by side comparison of all the diets in tge history of diets. Exersise is typically the biggrst factor in getting it off and keeping it off. My heart was broken when I needed there to be a diet for me when I was sedentary and in hospital bed. What was the magic for me was eating enough on non fasting days tgat I wasnt hungry alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the time. Infact I choose certain foods that I never felt starved at all. Hungry yes but not statved.

So when I restarted IF. Not just 5:2 but if. I included exercise especislly walking since im out of the bed.

this year I even went to the extreme of not shopping at thethe0the0the grocery store. Rather having it delivered. When I go out to eat the only thing eat is fish. Not because I like it. But because it doesnt thwart my efforts. Also. 5:2 works best on those who havent been doing anything at all. Just lije you never see a promotion from the big diet media about a woman that had just 10 mire lbs. The first 10 is mucheasier than the last 10

im convinced youll get to goal. If your detetmined. Im guessing. But diet and exercise will be your key

this is week 72 for me ive lost 42 lbs. Thats ledd than a pound a week if uou see what I mean. I want long term results and im determined to gett them. My hoal is to lose 100 lbs over 4 years. Please stay in touch.

Angie that was what I was thinking! Can anyone who has been successful weigh in? If you have to really watch your calories AND fast that sounds worse than a regular diet with so many restrictions.

KateOnADiet,

I have lost 40 pounds on 40 weeks of 5:2 plus gradually increasing my walking to an average of at least 10,000 steps per day.

I don’t count calories on non-fasting days, but am mindful of what my TDEE is and how much I’m eating, don’t eat if I’m not actually hungry, if I get hungry late in the afternoon just wait until dinner, weigh out portions of foods that I know will give me trouble if I eat too much of them/that I tend to experience “portion creep” with.

The problem seems to be the definition of ‘normal’ eating. It’s not eating the way that got us overweight and kept us overweight. The way almost everyone around us, everyone we see, is eating. The way you would think you should eat based on the kinds of portions you get served in restaurants nowadays. It’s eating the amount that would keep us at the weight we would like to be. Many of us have to put some active effort into learning how to do that. One problem is that just getting older decreases the amount of calories we need every day. So even if we’re eating what we ate at 20, at 60 that’s going to pile on the pounds over time.

Although it is not necessary to count calories every non-fasting day, it can be a real eye-opener to keep a food diary for a week and then look everything up and analyze it.

Although I can still, and do, eat whatever I want, I eat less of some of those things than I used to.

Hi angie1, I’d be interested to know if you’ve continued 5-2. I’ve been doing the 5-2 eating plan for 6 weeks and can see no difference in my body. It is disappointing that the book doesn’t explain how that can happen to some people.

I am new to this WOE and must admit I am shocked at how many extra calories I eat just picking at food. Half of the kids’ left over biscuit, the rest of their sandwich they didn’t finish. It all adds up. My Fitness Pal has been a great tool to calculate it. Now to control my willpower.

Hi Nicolel,

I know you are very existed to lose your weight. I have calculated your BMI and came to know you are over weighing 56th percentile comparing to others(18 yrs). You have already tried out some tips and still haven’t seen any progress, as of my view all the tips you got is really good, but this is the right time to consultant a physician or dietitian and follow their suggestions seriously that will really helpful to you in future as well.

Good luck!!!!!

Mummak
When I started journaling everything intake . I too discovered I was picking at the left overs. Over time gave that up because it was hard to count and estimate the calories. I’m happy with eating meals only now, and not snacking on graze foods.