I think you’ve answered your own question. Wine is 7 calories per gram. Comfort food? Pick a number. There is no magic involved.

Hi Sanj

yes I think it is quite doable! I lost the 5 kgs fairly quickly and remember that was the Blood Sugar Diet (BSD) – to hit weight loss hard and fast which is VERY different from the 5:2 which is much easier to maintain, and is supposed to be for the long term. I know people who are doing the 5:2 and have done it for several years and kept the weight off.

With the BSD you eat only about 800 calories a day, no sugar, very little or no carbs.
I lost 5kgs in a few weeks and have kept it off. I did the BSD fairly strictly for 5 weeks, then eased off. So I am still watching what I eat and although I have added some carbs and the occasional bit of cake I am still very careful . There is no point in losing weight and then reverting back to bad habits.

With the BSD because it is pretty severe and the best results are gained by sticking to it fairly strictly it has helped to re-set my hunger levels. The first 2 days were ‘ the worst’ though actually not bad.
When fasting, once you get used to it, your body adapts and after a while you don’t actually feel hungry.
I am really pleased that it has helped me get back on track so I am eating mindfully.
Before I eat anything I think ‘ Am I really hungry?’ ‘ Do I really need this?’ ‘ What amount of exercise will I need to do to get rid of it?’
This helps determine if I really do want to eat something.
My portion size control has altered. I am very careful to eat only small amounts which is all my body requires. Previously I was eating fairly healthily but way too much.
Also I was eating mindlessly – the odd biscuit here, 2 or 3 or 4 pieces of chocolate there.
When I went out I would often eat something with morning or afternoon tea which I didn’t do at home.

I have also cut my wine consumption – 1 to 2 glasses a week to none most weeks.
I have cut down on cheese ( adore cheese).
The biggest thing has been carb reduction. Previously I ate a lot of ( healthy) carbs – brown rice, wholemeal pasta, wholemeal bread but a lot and every day. I adore carbs.
But I have greatly reduced carb intake and it has shown benefits.

The good thing is that I am still losing weight. 0.3 kgs this week without even trying.

I am going to do the BSD for another week or two quite strictly just for my own interest , to see if I lose weight at the same rate as I did with the initial 5 weeks.

Sorry this is so long but hopefully this will give you some motivation and explanation. If I can do it anybody can. Seriously. Good luck! And look forward to the benefits of not carrying around the extra weight.

Hi Sanj:

By definition, you can’t eat less than your TDEE 7 days a week and not lose weight. I would guess you are miscounting or not counting the calories you are eating. People that estimate their calories eaten usually estimate about 50% fewer than they are actually eating.

Try counting every calorie you put in your mouth for a few days and I think you will answer your question. 5:2 works, but only if you eat less than your TDEE over time. It is not magic.

Good Luck!

HI Sanj
I agree with the posts of bigbooty and simcoeluv. Losing weight is a daily battle for some of us. The under-reporting of how many calories we consume and the over-recording of how much exercise we think we do is well-known. We probably all kid ourselves at times – human nature.
Also perhaps it is the type of food you are eating?
I absolutely ADORE carbs but since doing the Blood Sugar Diet ( BSD) which is 600 – 800 calories DAILY for a few weeks only, I really noticed a difference when I cut out carbs. ( Previously a bit sceptical about this but it did work for me and a lot of my friends stick to high protein, moderate good fats, low carbs with good long term results).
The BSD is quite difficult to maintain and requires RIGID discipline to stick to the small amount of food/calories you eat daily.
After the initial hunger pangs on the first day I actually didn’t find it too difficult for a SHORT time as it re-sets your hunger signals or did for me. I did have times when I didn’t lose any weight but I didn’t put it on either. I really did lose 5 kgs in a few weeks and have kept it off BUT I have changed my eating patterns as I’ve said before and am much more careful about what I eat. I eat a LOT less carbs than usual and some days are carb free.
Willpower only lasts for so long so for long term health and weight loss you must change your eating habits.
Perhaps if you posted everything you eat for a day or two on this site people might be able to help you tweak your diet or see what might be happening re calories TDEE etc.
Hang in there though – don’t give up. It really is worth the effort.

I think the biggest issue is patience. If your numbers are correct, and you’re not overeating on non fast days, you should be losing (unless there’s an underlying medical issue). But it won’t be overnight.

I don’t weigh myself every day, or even every week, because the scales can be misleading and discouraging. I keep track of my calorie intake and then let time do its thing. It’s so hard to be patient, I know. We all want instant gratification, even though we know logically we can’t have it.

One thing I found very helpful was to do weight training. I saw results immediately, which helped me stay on the wagon.

Two weeks isn’t a lot of time to be expecting dramatic loss. It may feel like an eternity when you’re waiting for results, but it really isn’t enough time for your body to register significant weight loss. Hang in there, adjust your diet and/or activity level if you aren’t seeing at least some result after some more time, and don’t give up!

Hi sanj, There is one medical condition that I’ve experienced that would not allow me to lose weight no matter how little I ate. That condition is when I was hypothyroid. My metabolism was so slow and my temperature so low that I simply didn’t utilize many calories in a resting state. I figure I probably only required half or less calories than a person with a healthy thyroid would utilize to maintain weight. I was also fatigued and lethargic. One simple in home test to see if it is worth going an extra step to get thyroid hormones tested by doctor is to take basal body temperature. Morning temperature before rising or moving around should be between 97.8 and 98.2 F. If it is consistently lower, that indicates a hypothyroid bodily state.

Hi rainbowbrite30
Yes we are still reading this thread! I haven’t been on for a while as I couldn’t find this thread having been on another one. I have joined a November challenge with a worldwide group of people following the 5:2 for November. The idea is simply to post daily. Being accountable has been shown to be one effective tool in helping people to lose weight, and any number of other things as well. Can help us stay on track when others are involved.
I agree with what you have said in your post re eating a larger amount earlier in the day when you are more active.
We were brought up to ‘ breakfast like a king, lunch like a lord, dine like a pauper.’
I am maintaining my weight/ slowly losing small amounts but am so happy that my weight is going down and my clothes fit better. I am even wearing clothes that I haven’t been able to for a few years. Joy !!