and I’m starting on Monday. I’ll be doing 800 cals two days a week and eating according to his recommendations. Count me in everyone!
This topic contains 7 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by dykask 6 years, 7 months ago.
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Not me! I simply detest calorie restriction and find that it is a form of torture. Yet I find water fasting strangely rewarding and much easier than just restricted eating. I’m thrilled that I can eat way over my calculated TDEE and still lose weight mostly from fat loss while I’m adding muscle. It may not be fast but I’m thrilled with the results. So I say take your 800 calories and … 😀
However for those of you that it helps, congrats!
Hi Sheryl,
Welcome to the forum! I started 5:2 in January 2014 when the recommendation for women was 500 calories, but my fast days now I’ve reached my goal weight (yes, I still fast to maintain my new weight, it’s now s way of life) are probably nearer 800 than 500.
When I started I was splitting my calories over two meals, but over time I’ve graduated to just one meal a day. I find it’s easier for me to eat nothing than to try and eat a little and stop.
I also find that fast days are easier if I haven’t eaten a lot of carbohydrates (or sugar) the day before.
If your first few fast days aren’t easy, don’t despair, it can take a bit of getting used to.
Also you might want to have a look at some of the busier threads here and join one, that way you can usually find someone to talk to/ ask for advice/ get support.
Good luck!
Welcome Sheryl,
Have fun doing 5:2.
Here are Dr Mosley’s articles if people want to read them
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5669191/Dr-Michael-Mosley-new-Mediterranean-5-2-diet.html
Hi, Sheryl. Most of us find that calorie restriction does work. It took me 5 months to lose 2st and I’ve maintained for 18 months on 16:8. Whenever I’ve infulged, say on a meal out, I will fast, but usually around 600-700 cals. My TDEE is only 1450 as I’m short.
Just had to buy some new linen trousers for next week’s holiday -size 10!
dykask, you sound rather bitter.
Pol 🙋🏼
Sorry I came across as bitter … I went through two years trying to force calorie restriction to work after I hit a plateau around 94kg. It was quite a chore counting calories and I was constantly hungry. It was very miserable and the worse thing was I was losing muscle and putting on fat. For a little over two years before that I had good success with calorie restriction dropping from 106kg to 94kg. I was a CICO zealot.
When I finally accidently cut sugar out of my diet and my hunger went away. I actually started replacing foods and my total calories went up but I started losing the fat. I learned about fasting as I studied trying to understand why reducing sugar was curbing my hunger. I started fasting and started putting on muscle. After watching the BBC documentary about fasting that started 5:2 I decided to give it a try. However by then I was already fully water fasting and found that easy. If eat much while fasting the fasting is over for me because within about 30 minutes of eating I have too much hunger to fast. That is why I now always start my fasts in the evening, because by the time I wake up I’m okay with not eating.
So I’m sorry I sound bitter, but those two years I tried to force calorie restriction to work were hellish. Frankly I don’t know why I stuck it out, I guess I must have enjoyed the pain of it in some fashion.
Personally I find 5:2 quite pleasant and easy. The best thing about it is that it is working and I’m albeit slowly reshaping my body. My progress is kind of slow, but I’m losing the fat and putting on muscle. I’m also down about 12kg from my calorie restriction plateau, even though on a weekly basis I eat more food than I used to when I was using simple calorie restriction. I was holding myself to around 12000 calories a week and now I’m in the 14000 to 15000 range. Not crazy but not low either. The best thing about fasting is how good I feel.
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12:12 am
10 May 18