Without sounding rude how tall are you and how much do you weigh? The 600 cal is based on a quarter of the “average” male’s calorific needs which is about 2400 cal/day. On the assumption that you have not made an error in calculating your TDEE then for your situation that would mean 1050 calories.

There is nothing magical about going to a quarter of your normal TDEE intake. I think this is just a convenient compromise as most people would find it hard to go to zero. A quarter is do-able for most people. Personally I find it easiest to just go to zero as I cant be bothered counting calories on my fast days, so its just mostly glasses of water with maybe a glass of fruit/veg juice and/or some coffee with skim milk on my fast days. If you can sustain going to zero rather than a quarter then your weight loss will be faster. Its that simple. However, find a fasting pattern that you are comfortable with and can sustain. Once again there is nothing magical about 600 cal. As long as you are significantly under your TDEE you will go into ketosis (fat burning) somewhere between 12-24 hours after having significantly reduced your calorific intake.

Good luck with it. It works.

Hi fatman,

You need to find a strategy that works for you. My mum is also trying to lose weight and was dumbfounded that I was going zero cal for two consecutive days. Initially on my fast days I was waking up wanting breakfast, because it was a ritual. So I went cold turkey with no food. After a few weeks on the diet when Monday rolled around (the beginning of my fast days) I wouldn’t even wake up “hungry” as my body knew it wasn’t going to get anything. I told mum to try and go to mid day without food on her fast day. She ended up doing it with ease. Ive now told her to try and go to 3pm. Eventually I hope that she will be able to do a whole day.

So maybe try this as a first step if you don’t think you can last 24 hours? Find a strategy that works for you. And stick to it. At lunch time I usually go for a gentle walk for 30 minutes. If your unable to do this then find some other “physical” activity to take your mind off lunch. A small amount of physical activity is a fantastic thing. Its really good for the mind!! I just think about things and focus.

It works fatman. Give it a genuine go. Set realistic goals. Maybe 2 lbs per week. If it helps keep a diary. I don’t but everyone is different. Maybe cut out that special treat and make it off bounds. I no longer eat/drink chocolate, soft drinks and biscuits. Never go down that isle in the supermarket anymore. Just doing that alone stabilized my weight.

Hi fatman,

Im 54 years old, 5′ 11″ and this time last year I was 92 kg (about 202 lbs). I used to get puffed out walking around the block. So I decided to get back on my bike which I hadn’t done for 30 years. My goal was to get down to my pre married weight of 74kg. Im nearly there. I weighed in this morning and am 75.8kg. My vitals while not bad where all on the high side of what is OK. Cholesterol has come down, LDL is down. I was always waking up with a headache, sometimes it was so back it would wake me in the middle of the night. That has disappeared. Im sleeping better.

Ive found my “happy place” which is when Im on my bike. My wife even insists that I go for a ride as she has noted Im in a happy mind set when I get back from my rides.

This may seem weird but I look forward to my fast days. I just put my ipod on with my favourite music and either go for a walk or a ride. For me its almost a zen like experience.

Find a routine that works and go for it.

Hi Fatman,

Make sure you keep your expectations realistic. I didn’t even set myself a time frame. As long as I was heading in the right direction I was happy. And yes you will hit plateaus. I hit one at 84kgs when the weight just wouldn’t budge for about a month and then I hit one at 78kg where once again it wouldn’t budge for about a month. It will happen, just don’t get disheartened. The more you lose the less you need to eat but those eating habits are hard to break. When I hit 84kgs and stopped I started riding my bike twice a week and that kicked it off again. When I got to 78kgs I did 5:2 one week and 4:3 the next week and that has kicked started the weight loss again. Hopefully in a month or two I will be doing this diet as a maintenance thing, maybe 6:1.

Anyways, just give it a go. Set yourself small realistic goals. When I first got back on my bike I was struggling to ride 5kms (3miles) but I slowly ramped that up. A year later I now do 50km rides.

Hi fatman:

If you read any of the link I offered you know I suggested that at the start you focus on doing your two diet days correctly for at least a month. I believe that is critical. I would, however, eat less than one-quarter of your computed TDEE amount. That amount is up to you. But as a concept, if you want to lose weight your focus should be on eating less than what is allowed on the diet, not the most food possible allowed on the diet.

For your non diet days, the general rule is to eat to your TDEE or less. At the start, however, I would not be calorie counting. I would, however, try to write down everything you eat – every bite of anything – to get an idea of what and how much you are eating, and go from there. It will be hard enough to do your diet days, much less calorie counting on non diet days. But do write down every bit of food you put in your mouth – every bit, even gum or food you taste if you cook!

On both diet and non diet days you can eat the food you want to eat as long as you stay below the calorie level you choose on your diet days. There are no forbidden or required foods.

Focus on doing your diet days correctly, and go from there!

Good Luck!

PS My 12 Dec 15 post on the thread I linked outlines my suggested non diet day strategy over time, if you are interested.

Hi FM,
“one last question (for now) do you eat what you want the other 5 days? Or are you clean eating?”

Its definitely not a free for all but by no means am I a “food nazi”. As a family (mum dad and three boys) we decided about a year ago to stop buying chocolate, biscuits, chips, icecream, soft drinks as part of our grocery list. We do not go down that aisle in the supermarket anymore. This alone was enough for the eldest to lose 18kg!! Im not stupid about it, if its someone’s birthday Im not going to offend and refuse someone offering a piece of birthday cake etc. but Im not going to go looking for the second piece.

Ive made an active decision to eliminate as much sugar out of my diet as possible. Beware health cereals and muesli, they contain so much white death (sugar) its ridiculous. So I read the labels carefully (that’s just me though), I don’t think its really part of the 5:2 mantra. The good thing is that the longer you can stay on this 5:2 diet the easier it is to start eating more healthy. Ive never been a vego/vegan (love my cheese too much) but Ive naturally started eating a lot less meat. I still eat meat but I don’t go looking for it if you know what I mean. I’ll happily eat a bowl of mixed beans, lentils, some chopped lettuce and tomatoes with some cubes of cheese and a vinegar based salad dressing. Super easy and very tasty.

Looking forward to hearing about your progress FM.

Sounds awesome FM!! See how it goes for a few weeks, but give it a genuine shake. If you are able to cope, awesome!! If you are really struggling then tweak it a little. My personal preference would be to go as late in the day before having your first meal, but that’s just me. Try it, if its too hard then tweak it a little. The longer you can do this the easier it will become. Your body will become more efficient when it flips into ketosis (fat burning) the longer you do this for. I used to get headaches (even though I was drinking lots of water). Pretty convinced now that my body was pretty poor at fat burning to start off with. Now I don’t get headaches, and I can ride my bike while fasting. So the liver is really taking in fat and cranking out glucose.

No charge mate. Just donate some fat to the cause.

Hi fatman:

To quote from the link I offered you: “To start out, the way 5:2 works is you go to bed, get up, eat 5/600 or fewer calories during your waking hours, go to bed, get up and eat to your TDEE or less – twice a week.” That would mean you would eat 600 cal. or less on Wed. and eat to your TDEE or less on Thurs.

Please see this thread for more basic information – it will really answer many basic questions and clear up quite a bit of confusion that you may have: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

Hi fatman:

No problem, keep asking and I’ll answer.

Hi fatman:

WTG! Keep up the great work you are doing!

Congrats on your progress TFM.

I like a few others don’t eat on fast days. They are water fasts only.

I don’t think that you have much to worry on the muscle loss issue. There will be some perhaps but it would be negligible.

Find the pattern of eating that works for you, is doable and sustainable over the long haul. Forever in other words. You don’t want to feel deprived or you will start to fall off the pattern.

I’m in my 14th month and still learning and still trying. What I do works for me. It may not work for anyone else. I started 5:2 for health reasons and I’ve gained a lot with more to come I’m sure. The weight loss is just an added bonus I get for free. I like free stuff.

Matters not as long as you fast two days (36 hours) per week.

You’re doing well. Keep on keeping on 5:2