Hitting a brick wall on fast days

This topic contains 8 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by NigelWaring 9 years, 9 months ago.

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Pam7of9

7:31 pm
7 Jan 15
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I’ve been doing 5/2 fasting since 2 November, 10 weeks. During 3 of those nonconsecutive weeks, I’ve managed only 1 fast day, due to Xmas related social events, but have continued to watch calory intake. The other 7 weeks I’ve done both days and kept things under 500 calories. I Started out at 83.5kg but have only managed to lose 3.5kg, and that was in the first three weeks. Back at work now and I am beginning to find fast days very tough as I seem to hit a brick wal by 3pm and have to go to bed by 8.30pm, as I’m so tired. My job is office-based, so it’s not like I’m doing a lot of physical work during the day. Although I believe a healthy diet should provide enough nutrients needed for good health, I’m wondering about supplements which might help with the brick wall?

simcoeluv

7:48 pm
7 Jan 15
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Hi Pam and welcome:

You have lost 7 pounds in 7 weeks of fasting, even going through the holiday period – congratulations!

Many people don’t believe in supplements, but I do. You are eating less food on a diet than you had been eating, so you are taking in fewer nutrients. You can try to modify your diet to get more nutrients, but many people don’t know how to do that, or don’t want to.

Taking high quality supplements – basic vitamin/mineral supplements – works for me. And although many doctors say you really don’t need supplements, that you get all you need from your diet – apparently regardless of what or how much you eat as their advice is blanket advice for all people – I challenge them to take whatever ‘daily required nutrient’ chart they want, record what they eat for a couple of weeks, and prove they are even meeting the ‘daily requirements’ with their diets.

Good Luck!

Purple Vegie Eater

8:43 pm
7 Jan 15
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Hi Pam and Simcoe
For years I’ve taken Mega B, to keep me from flaking by 2pm, magnesium, for positive attitudes, fish oil and krill, for joints, as well as others at times.
I’ve tried dropping them but really find I need them. Who wants to be tired, cranky and have aching joints when there is a simple alternative?
I agree Simcoe, even with a very healthy diet, there is a place for dietary supplements. PVE

Pam7of9

1:25 am
10 Jan 15
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Thanks to both for your encouragement! I weighed in this morning and have lost the .5kg I gained over Xmas plus another, so thats 4kg I’ve lost since 2 November. I’m stoked! I’ve decided to take a berocca on fast days to keep up the vitamin B so this should help.

NigelWaring

12:47 am
1 Mar 15
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My wife and I have been on the 5:2 for about two years and from time to time we do have to miss it, holidays, cruises etc.

I have a problem maintaining my weight so although I’m reducing my calories to 600 on the two diet days I have to eat extra on the other days to keep my weight up.

I am a vegetarian teetotaller who doesn’t like much sugar or fatty things so it is not too hard to keep my weight down, keeping it at about my right BMI is the hard part but I seem to have that part sorted now.

My ideal weight would be about 68Kgs but at one stage it fell just below 60Kgs, eventually I got it up with supplements and have monitored it very carefully ever since.

Most weeks I’m 68Kgs when I start the two days of the diet, this drops to about 66.4Kgs and then I’m able to build it back up before the next session.

We really do enjoy the diet, just missed two weeks of it because of an overseas trip, it was so nice to get back onto it and almost immediately we felt so much better for the reduced calories.

Merryme

11:18 am
1 Mar 15
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Hi Nigel,
Just wondering why you’re on 5:2, as you haven’t mentioned blood measures- blood pressure, cholesterol sugar etc. I’m presuming that’s your main goal though. After 2 yrs on 5:2 , is there much difference on your original blood measures compared to now?

Re weight, perhaps try 6:1 and see how you go. Maybe on those 6 days add more starches and grains or supplemental shake till you reach a balance.
Cheers,
Merry

NigelWaring

9:52 pm
1 Mar 15
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I have myelodysplasia, lung cancer and a few other things. Since going on the 5:2 my condition has become quite stable. I’m hoping that if I can get my IGF1 down to about 12 it might improve a few of the minor problems. I’m quite happy with my progress even if it is slow, think I might get there eventually, maybe another 12 months.

Merryme

11:48 pm
1 Mar 15
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Good to hear you’ve improved so much Nigel. Quality of life is what it’s all about in the long run. We really are in new territory with 5:2, and it is so good to find something that helps improve our health as well as gives us better control over weight.

I’ve had ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome following a severe viral incident 17 yrs ago, and consequently put on weight as well as living a very reduced life. Only thing now to improve is to lose the rest of the weight. I lost 12 kgs over a very long time but could go no further. Started 5:2 at 81.2 kgs at 73.7kgs today and my goal is 62kgs, then reassess and maybe final goal of 58kgs. I’m doing very slow rehab with an exercise physiologist to keep things functioning and get muscles etc stretched and strengthening. My step count is 4000-6000 and my goal is 10,000/ day. I’m so happy to find a way to be able to improve my health, and it seems so easy.

I really relate to your statement about enjoying getting back onto this diet and feeling better with the reduced calories. I definitely feel better overall and enjoy it too. My husband is also doing 5:2 and has a cardiac history of long standing. It helps us both to be doing this together, and both in early 60’s so health is our goal. We also do some easy travelling too and the food on cruise ships is definitely a challenge, as is food from other countries which we love to try. All an adventure I thought I wouldn’t be able to do. I’m hoping to get to my goal weight this year, and hoping to be a bit more mobile at the end of it.

Merry

NigelWaring

12:58 am
2 Mar 15
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Hi Merry, well you are certainly heading in the direction that you want but like me it is a slow process, sure we’ll both achieve our goals. Some time ago I worked with a person who had CFS, it took her a very long time to overcome it, her treatment did involve diet and exercise along with a few other things, it was about 15 years ago, anyway she had almost a full recovery the last time that I last saw her.

Yes cruise ships can certainly put the weight on, some do get carried away with it. We tend to eat in the restaurants rather than the buffets which helps to avoid temptation. We like taste explosions rather than lots of food. A short time ago we had just over a week in Singapore and I’ll never forget one of the meals that we had, it was actually the starter that is imprinted in my brain. Crispy mushrooms, a bit larger than button mushrooms, seem to have been dipped in hot oil very briefly then served in a truffle sauce and topped with a savoury hazelnut crumble, its was like a nuclear explosion of taste.

Similarly it also helps both of us doing the 5:2 together. My wife had a cholesterol problems for many years, statins made her quite ill and nothing else seemed to help at all. After just twelve weeks on the 5:2 she went from well over 6.0 down to 5.2, that was more than 18 months ago and she’s been around that level ever since.

The most that we’ve ever missed of the 5:2 diet is three weeks when on a long holiday, I have comprehensive blood tests every three weeks and my wife has them less often but we notice that we soon recover from the fasting days that we have missed.

All the best to you and your husband Merry for a successful outcome.

Nigel