I have never dieted at least not since my early teens a long long time ago. I don’t believe in dieting nor in calories. To count calories is like saying all calories are equal and that is just stupid. We all know that carbs triggers hunger and stimulates insulin production and high insulin makes you fat in itself while eating fat only makes you feel full.

I have read some threads on here and am astonished to see people having ice cream, cakes, pizza, rice, chips and such. No wonder they gain weight and feel the need to count calories. If they started to check the amount of carbs they ate instead I’m sure they would see a rapid weight loss.

I’m not sure 5:2 is for me but I will give it a go and see if it can help giving my metabolism a kick start as it sort of stopped when I stopped smoking in October and I suddenly ballooned from a BMI of 22 to over 26 in three months.

Turnip im sorry but i think your post is a little judgemental everyone is allowed a slice of pizza or some icecream once in a while and yes we all prob overate which is why we are here and doin 5:2. You obviously are not happy with your weight or you wouldnt be here. Also carbs are important as part of a balanced diet we are all trying to learn to make better choices and cut back on the naughty foods. This forum is for support and motivation and you quoting what other people have eaten and how bad it is really is a bit judgemental and isnt helping anyone

Oh forgot about the carbs, no you don’t need carbs as such. Quite the contrary in fact and particularly if you want to loose weight or control you blood sugar. I have diabetes so look on carbs as something I can’t tolerate, well I can’,t can I, if my blood glucose goes up above 12 on a small helping of rice?

I have been on a ketogenic diet for some time now(four years actually) and do fine indeed, my HbA1c is normal at 35 and I am very happy with that. I rarely have more than 30 grams of carbs in a day except for Sundays when I allow myself to go over board a bit if I feel like it.

So basically I eat as much fat as I fancy but very few carbs, am never hungry or when I get hungry I eat until I’m full. I don’t snack though as I don’t have the need for snacks.

I am 52 years old, self employed and have as I said never seen the need for counting calories, I find the concept of calories a bit dodgy anyway.

Kirsty, I do hope your glucose metabolism will stay healthy all your life!

I can have an occasional slice of cake as on Hubbys birthday or on one or two occasions a year but cake means high blood sugar and high blood sugar means I get very tired and get cramps in my hands, long term it means I loose my hair and memory so I prefer treats without carbs. As treats go I prefer a nice bottle of wine, a lobster, a few ounces of nice French butter, an un-pasteurised cheese and they can be so expensive you know.

Pizza is out of the question as my blood glucose would sky-rocket. Sad but something I can live with. The consequences of high blood glucose long term is pain, blindness, kidney failure, amputation of limbs and ultimately death in pain and humiliation.

Hi turnip
I do count calories only because that’s what seems to work for me, as oppossed to just starving myself which I’ve done in the past.
I too gained a lot of my weight after quitting smoking in 1991.also like you my eating habit was to eat until felt full regardless of how much energy I really needed. My understanding of cigarette metabolism is mirror an emotional one. The effect of the chemisty of cigarettes makes feel as if were being stalked, so its typical to to avoid eating u til we feel were no longer in a state of threat. That is what I heard in an Interview on the radio a few years ago. Sorry I can’t reference that at this time. I say congrats on quitting smoking. It’s one of the biggest risks of preventable death. Followed by poor diet! And alcohol

Seems your on to the two biggest risks of preventable death. As for me I want to lose my unhealthy amounts of both sub cantaneous fat, and more importantly the visceral fat around my organs. With more than 100lbs to lose it’s going to be a long journey for me. No quick 6-8week program will be realistic.
However I can break it down into 4 seasonal periods per year. This way I don’t feel overwhelm by eliminating most of my foods I’ve enjoyed for the last 46 years. What I mean to say is it’s just as important to keep the fat off long term, and a high carb menu isn’t going to help me. So my approach to long term health is to exercise and learn to eat just what I need and no more. I’ve learned to balance the three Marco nutrients , carbs,protein, and fat. O was surprised that some healthy fruits and vegetables raise my sugar levels even more than pizza. Further monitoring of my sugars. I learned if I ate pizza , the sugars trickle Into the blood stream,so later if I ate more carbs that gush quickly like an orange my sugars levels would spike. The same with healthy oatmeal and apples. Not all carbs are the same , but they are all a universal fuel eventually. What happened was I watched the two videos micheal Mosley made.
The truth about exercise
Eat , fast, live longer.

Something I picked up from those videos is to make the effort to do what is doable.
In the beginning. Just the first two fast days was all I could manage got intermittent fasting . However in the following 21 months till now. I’ve made big change in diet content. I’ve learned what works for me. Though in the beginning pizza didn’t help, except it help me not feel deprived asi learned how to use I termittent fasting to my advantage. My cravings for foods. Led me to read the research on foods and food pairings, and so overtime kick some foods out of my menu and start trying to add healthier foods.

Something else is going on too. Its difficult to change ones diet . Not impossible , but there is some ways that the human condition keeps us surviving on what is available rather than what is optimal. Even last week as my company offered us a pizza party for reaching goal. Hell I ate three pieces, but practiced HIIT later that day. I mean free food, that satisfies. I believe it’s not sabotage as long as keep focused on my goal of 1 1/4lb A week of calorie restriction, and 2,000 calories of exercise per week. Over time I learn not to count the calories as strictly as I’ve become so familiar with the content and amounts.

Due to an illness close to home , I’m serious about getting into a healthy diet and exercise program that is science based. At the cellular level. I don’t want to see my children orphaned, so yea I get what your saying about poor food choices . However for me it time time to wean of the poor foods and get used to eating in the way that may lower my risks of age related diseases and cancers.
Only 47 lbs for me to go now.
I keep all the foods in stock now. If I want junk foods , I have to out to get it.

Good luck.

If you do relapse on the cigarettes .
Quit again every Monday.

I’m trying to apply my habits of all the risks of death.
Accidental, preventable, age related .
One by one I’m making the effort to lower my risks every Monday searching for someway of doing do so ething doable to live longer.
YEP going to go jumprope now to help increase my vo2max.
Keep on Keepin on!

I have just registered my first stone loss (as has my husband) and I had a “try on” of some of my old clothes this morning and slipped into several things which had been far too tight and consigned to the back of the wardrobe. I am delighted, especially as I don’t count calories at all on non-fast days and eat and drink anything I like! I even managed to maintain my weight without putting anything on over Christmas and New Year. I have changed my “fast” days to Mondays and Thursday because I find it is less difficult with two days between (I used to fast on a Wednesday). And I now actually look forward to them, especially Mondays after a blow-out weekend. OK, I have taken 3 months to lose the stone but it has been a breeze compared to “diets” where I’ve had to count calories or points all the time. This is definitely one lifestyle change which I will continue once I reach my target (one stone down, three to go!), as will my husband who has one more stone to go. Once he has reached his target, he will just eat more at breakfast/lunch on my fast days and eat a small meal in the evening with me (mostly fish or veal with lots of green vegetables). We have vowed to continue not having a drink – even a small glass of wine – two days a week.
This is a slow and steady weight loss which is achievable for anyone who enjoys their food and drink. We incorporate fast food, Michelin-starred food, home cooked meals and even treats (my recently-made coffee and walnut cake went down a storm – OK, we didn’t lose weight that week but we didn’t put it on, either).
Just remember, this is a new way of eating – not a diet!

I am just starting the diet, have had one fast day. I am so used to using myfitnesspal to monitor everything I eat, that I was going to continue on eating days. However, after reading all the encouraging posts saying “Don’t count calories” I’m going to try and resist the temptation to count them. I know it’s important to eat a healthy balanced diet, so hope that by fasting I can re-educate myself to do that, and recognise what is hunger, and do I really want that extra cupcake!! My goal is to lose at least 30lbs, but also several inches off my middle.

I think my biggest problem will be to become more relaxed about the whole eating thing as I have always managed to lose weight when counting calories and controlling portion size, but when I stop counting calories I slip into the habit of eating more carbs, eating when I’m not hungry. I also need to be consistent about exercising. I get all my exercise from walking, but am a fair weather walker, so am easily put off making the effort when the weather is bad. It’s all down to will power and motivation!!

I don’t count on non-fast days but I am definitely more aware of what I eat and seem to be less hungry! I also often make something for a fast diet, e.g. I made a feta and tomato frittata for dinner, then take the leftovers for lunch the next day, so that ends up being a low-calorie meal too!

Unless you want to, I wouldn’t worry too much about counting on non-fast days as that is meant to be the point of this diet… you get through your fast days by thinking ‘I can’t eat what I want tomorrow’ but actually I find I have been eating healthily for the most part on non-fast days anyway! Knowing that you CAN eat that chocolate bar seems to make it easier to resist than if it were forbidden!

I started last week, did my 2nd fast day yesterday. Tomorrow is another one. So far they’ve not been too bad, I just hope I will be able to resist the lure of popcorn or sweets at the cinema tomorrow night!

I’m with Turnip & Molly. I don’t count calories but I restrict carbs. I don’t eat bread, potatoes, rice or pasta. Having said I have had 2 slices of bread to accompany pate since I started this WOE two weeks ago. I have also cut down on my alcohol – only 1 glass of wine in the evening (non fast days) & said farewell to cheese – sob!

I never get hungry on fast or non fast days & firmly believe this is because I stay away from refined carbs. Oh btw I have lost 8lbs in 2 weeks. Fourth FD today.

Congrats to you Billingbabe, I love potatoes and cheese, I have cut the cheese out, but I really can’t cut the potatoes out, although I have cut down on them. I am not having any problems sticking to this so far.

Hi all. Having lost a stone before I went on holiday (2 weeks all-inclusive and I didn’t stint myself) I returned to find I had put on 5lbs (my husband put on more but he drank more and ate more delicious puddings!). However, towards the end of the two weeks I began to feel bloated and uncomfortable and was really pleased to get home and be back on the 5:2 again (yes, I know I could have dieted on holiday but what sort of sad person does that?). Yesterday was our first fast day and we really enjoyed it. I find that by not counting calories on non-fast days, but only eating what I fancy (even if it is chips, pizza or ice-cream which it often isn’t) I am regulating my weight and food intake naturally. As has been said so many ties, this is not actually a diet but a way of life I can stick to and enjoy without feeling guilty all the time.

I don’t count on eating days either. One thing I did wonder is I just don’t get hungry on fast days so end up eating maybe a couple of pieces of fruit and then having most of my calories in my evening meal.

However when I wake up the next morning (eat day) I am still not hungry and sometimes don’t need to eat again until 1 or 2 pm! Is this OK? I initially lost around 2lb a week, but haven’t lost for the last 2 weeks. Must admit I haven’t measured myself, but my clothes are definitely a better fit.

I registered just to answer this question. Let me first tell you my personal experience.

I am in my 60s, so weight loss doesn’t come easily to me. I was hovering on 10 stone and at 5’4″ that made me significantly overweight. I could not get rid of this until I watched Dr Michael Mosley’s Horizon programme and I decided to give the 5:2 a try.

Well, it started off where I lost 3lbs almost immediately. After that it was more of a struggle. Most weeks I lost llb but sometimes I plateaued for weeks. However, something made me keep the faith and eventually if you keep it up then the weight drops again. Maybe it was slow because of my age but I had to keep going and eventually I got my weight down to 8st 6lb. It has now stabilised at 9 stone. I think it took about 3-4 months to lose that weight.

So I could only do it this way. I could not be doing with counting calories. On non fast days I ate three meals a day of pretty much whatever I fancied. I ate curries, fish and chips, roast dinners, cake, chocolate, ice cream, alcohol. I had no idea how many calories I was eating, I just stopped eating when I was full.

On fast days I found it much easier not to eat at all until dinner time at 5-6pm, then I would have a light meal which I found was enough to satisfy me. I did not count calories even then but I’m pretty sure I did not overdo the 500 limit.

So do not under any circumstances count calories on non fast days but try not to binge. Eat what you like and you will be less likely to. Try not to snack between meals, that is all I would say. You need to eat a fair bit on non fast days to keep your metabolism high to burn off the fat but don’t think of them as feast days. If you eat normally on non fast days and 500 calories on fast days then overall your weekly calorie intake will be less but your metabolism will be high.

A typical non fast day for me.

Breakfast – Porridge made with water with a teaspoonful of demerara sugar and a splash of full fat milk. This fills me up until lunchtime.

Lunch – sometimes not bothered so have a couple of buttered ryvita and a yoghurt and fruit. Other times I have sandwiches or soup or leftover dinner. Today I had a wholemeal roast pork sandwich and a fruit corner yoghurt.

Dinner – Any dinner I want, nothing is out of bounds but I stop eating when full. I eat a dessert or chocolate afterwards.

So I lost all my weight eating like this. It may not be healthy but it is easily doable and losing the weight is the healthiest thing you can do if you are overweight.

I don’t count calories on any day. I have a fairly standard menu which is around 500 calories for my fast days and eat what I want on the other 5 days. This works for me

But what about liquids you say? well – I made up little cards with the picture on it – say hot chocolate with the calorie count on the card and a picture and I grab the card when doing my morning calorie count. Always use the same cup so I know how much to make. This also works for treats such as icecream where zip lock bags or containers aren’t practical. once the day is over I just return the card to the little box for use another day.

I dont drink alcohol but I have a nice glass and have measured how much for a coke and have had a line engraved on the glass at the spot where my measured calories come to. Take the glass with me when we go visiting etc.

So apart from the occasional cake or such where it is impossible to know the calories count – I use this system. It works well. And my mind now says not to eat it if it isnt in the bag, container or on the little card.

That’s it from me but I will stay on this thread now – I like the people who are here.

Hi people!
I never count calories now. At the beginning of this diet I worked out a diet for the fasting days and eat exactly the same things every time, so no need to count. Does it get boring? Definitely not at all. Even if I’m not aware of it, my body must be craving food, so the same old stuff is really good. I also keep it really simple – almost no cooking on diet days. The only thing I cook is a veggie burger (a bean burger from Iceland or one I make myself). This takes the focus off food and that helps me to keep on track.
On non-diet days I mostly stick to the same sort of things for each meal. I have learned to hate chips just like I learned to hate cigarettes (so I could quit). Once a month I have a piece of home-made German style (baked) cheesecake and every couple of weeks I have a home-made scone. But I don’t count calories on non-diet days ever. I would very quickly tire of that and fall off the wagon.

Hi Ona
I counted calories every day when I started 2 years ago, but quickly learnt what and how much to eat to lose weight.
I have been maintaining my goal (healthy) weight for a year now. At first, after reaching goal, I took up counting again, but quickly found it obsessive. I now listen to my body, don’t snack, try to be mindful and only eat if I need to, irregardless of what others are doing. I’ve learned not to use food for everything…boredom, tiredness, as a social lubricant. Food is simply to sustain, and to enjoy in moderation. I make sure everything I eat is top quality and terrific. Mediocre food is for the bin!
Maintenance is easy now. Usually one fast a week and often a couple of days skipping breakfast. I weigh morning and night so I never run amok 😉
Good luck with your maintenance journey. Purple

I do not count calories on non-fast days, I’m not really even taking too much care about it.

On fast days, though so far I only have had one, I pick the midpoint between the last meal before the fast, and the first meal after the fist and eat all of the ~500-600cal then. For example, Wednesday evening this week I last ate at 18h30 and Friday morning I first ate at 6h30, so the mid-point was Thursday at 12h30 so I ate my small 360cal lunch then. Next fast-day I’ll try to bump that up to a 500cal lunch.

I’m with everyone else on the no counting thing. I can’t otherwise it would just be another miserable diet doomed to fail. Even on fast days I just eat the same thing, give or take a few calories, and call it good. I don’t eat through the day (unless I’m really hungry and then I’ll have a piece of fruit) and have myself a big cup of oatmeal before bed. I worried about the carbs and stuff, but it works to help me sleep and I’m still losing weight almost 9 weeks in. I’m actually looking forward to fast days! On non-fast days I just try to be mindful (I’ve struggled with bingeing in the past) and the drinking has been tough to be mindful of, but I’m getting there. It’s slow, but it works, I can’t deny it!

I don’t Count calories on my eat days at all – Saying that, today, I’ve definitely overeaten – one of those Family occasions. And there are some days when I eat a bar of chocolate or a bag of jelly babies, but they seem to get less often…
I’ve been on the fast diet for 5 weeks now and have lost about 4 kg – compared to all the suffering I’ve been through for the last 3 decades, this is really the least painful way to lose weight I’ve ever tried. I even Kind of look Forward to the fast days… crazy?

We (OH and me) fast on Mondays – after the indulgences of the weekend – and Thursdays – before the next weekend – and we actually look forward to Mondays in particular so you’re not alone Dorleld and it’s not crazy!
I agree completely with Secret Poster. My OH would never have dieted in his life (despite being two or three stone overweight) but he’s embraced this WOE completely, even during the past seven and a half weeks when he’s been having radiotherapy for prostate cancer.

I don’t count on non-fast days. To do so would, for me, make the whole concept too restrictive and controlling. Having said that I’m only in week 2 and so far the scale number is falling. I may get a bit more agro on myself if my weight starts to level out. For me the hardest is weekends. I just love a cold beer and a tasty dinner. Presently eating rough oats and cinnamon….hmmmmm prison food.

I don’t count calories, it is too hard! I cook my food from raw and unprocessed ingredients and I would have to look up each ingredient, adjust for different sizes and shapes! and add them together, maybe even have to weigh them. And then work harder to portion them out equally. That way lies madness!

In fact I’m not really managing counting calories on fasting days! I look things up, and get confused. But I know I am close enough because I am feeling well and losing weight, so why worry?