Hi Mimi and Michael and all , my husband and I started the fast D just over 3 weeks ago and we think its a great way to lose weight and feel healthy. I have measured my middle tummy and lost 2 inches . I now fit into my jeans more comfortably . I have recently been told I have Rem behaviour disorder , and I am on medicine for it to help me sleep , on my fast day I do sleep better and feel fab the following day . I know I have this rem problem and doing this fast D is new to me im finding it interesting to see if it helps me more . Any advice mimi , I will tell my sleep medicine doctor when I go in may that im on the fast D and it may be helpfull to her . I feel good tonight fitting into a pair of jeans I couldn’t fasten a month ago .

Hi James

I found that eating my breakfast early enough to get as many fast hours in the day as possible was proving a struggle and I really did not enjoy it. That seemed a waste of my calorie allowance so now I don’t have breakfast and eat my 500 calories in the evening, between 8 and 9 pm. This means that I get almost 24 hours of fasting, barring the milk in my 2 morning coffees between 7 and 9 am, or almost 12 hours of ‘pure’ fasting with just herbal teas, water and black coffee.

Comparing this with having breakfast, I find that NOT having it does not make me weaker or hungrier during the day – whatever I ate for breakfast before did not make a dent in how my stomach felt about fasting for the rest of the day. 🙂

It confuses me that some people snack during their fast day – that seems to be rather counter-productive. I would definitely like to see more science regarding how long it takes for the beneficial changes to start taking effect (is it 3 hours, or 6, for example), or what does a bit of skimmed milk in the middle of the fast do to this process. Or is it really more beneficial to eat protein, rather than carbs, on a fast day, once you decide that you don’t care if you feel fuller after eating protein?

Hey, done this 5:2 diet a few months ago, lost 5lb in 2 months, was slow weight loss but was happy with it, only I had a few very busy wknds with weddings an stuff an while sticking to the 5:2 diet I managed to put on the 5lb again which was disheartening!! I’m back on the diet 2 wks but haven’t lost weight, i stick to the 500 calories for 2 days and didnt overindulge in feast days, has anyone any tips for me on how to do this diet and achieve weight loss???

Michael’s show just aired in Australia! I was hooked. Have done one fasting day, I found it hard. Don’t think I had my 500 cals. Was starving that night. I’m also eating paleo style diet which is easy to convert to 5:2. I haven’t got the book, not sure I need it. I’m due to fast tomorrow but not looking forward to it. I’m overweight, 60yo girl. Any tips appreciated. 🙂

We have been on the diet for 3 months and my husband is delighted to have lost 20lb. On low cal days we have 2 meals a day at noon and about 7pm. The first is either salad with 50g smoked salmon or half a tin tuna or vegetable soup or a poached egg/omelette with grilled mushroom and tomato. The second is usually a small portion protein (chicken, fish, prawns, pork fillet) in veg stew or stir fried veg. We weigh everything and are careful on the other 5 days too as the diet has increased awareness of calorie control and it would be a shame to undo the good done on low cal days.

I’m going to start tomorrow, quick question… Is it ok to fill up on fruit on fast days? Do bananas grapes etc have calories?? I’m sure I was told before grapes aren’t good on diets as they have lots of natural sugars in them?? Hope this doesn’t sound silly but don’t want to get it wrong and give up!