I thought I’d better introduce myself as I have just joined to comment.

I am an author with a degree in Biological sciences, and in interest in health and fitness.

I have been doing variations on intermittent fasting since 6th October when I joined Kate Harrison’s 5:2 Facebook Group. I found it via a fellow author who had been posting good successes. I watched YouTube versions of the Horizon programme (and the HIT one)and was convinced that this was the way, particularly as it addressed some sneaking suspicions I had about insulin.

Kate’s group started to grow, and we found ourselves reiterating the advice time and again, partly because of the ephemeral nature of Facebook, so we suggested that Kate write a book of our experiences because there was nothing at the time. This came out at the beginning of December and proved to be very successful.

When Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer’s book came out in January this year, I pre-ordered the book, read it, reviewed it, and it’s one of the books I recommend alongside Kate’s. I think they are both very good books and complement each other.

Meanwhile, in Kate’s group, I found myself explaining how the body works re exercise, fat burning and carbohydrate burning, using easy-to-understand analogies so asked the group if they would like me to update a booklet I wrote years ago when I was working in a gym. They said yes, it would be helpful. Of course, it took longer to update that I thought because much of it was out of date, but I published that as an e-book towards the end of February. I need to update it slightly before putting it into a paper version. I never intended it as an “instead of” Kate’s book, or Mosley & Spencer’s book, but as an “as well as”.

My weight loss has slowed down, mainly because I am fasting in a less intensive manner and being more permissive on non-fast days, but the trend is downwards.

What is fundamentally important with this approach to weight control is that it is sustainable. I have been doing this a year and have lost three stone. If I compare that with other weight loss regimes, I found those intolerable and unsustainable because real life gets in the way. With this approach, real life can be accommodated.

Any weight loss regime is successful short term, but the real problem is long term. This is where 5:2 scores.

I truly believe this is the answer to a lot of our obesity problems in the developed world.

Thanks StephB. Another 3 stone would be useful. 4 stone would be better, perhaps, but I’d be happy with another 3 gone.

The important thing is not to give up. I took a “holiday” from fasting because I was getting “Prickly muscles” but I’m back on it though less intensively now.

Today (7th) is my “Fastiversary”.

I am roughly three stone lighter than I was this time last year.

I have only counted calories on fast days, have done a mixture of 5:2, 4:3, and alternate day, as well as taking the occasional break from fasting.

To celebrate my Fastiversary my book is free to download 7th to 9th October 2013.

I must emphasise that this book is not an “Instead of” book and assumes the reader has already read “The Fast Diet” or Kate’s book.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fasting-Fit…81135248&sr=1-1

Chrissie, you can get an app for your computer too, though it’s a bit of a pain reading on the computer. Then at least you have it if you upgrade your phone ever etc.

It’s worth looking at the free books because although there is some real tosh, there are some great Kindle books out there.