I’m new to 5:2 today, I think this forum will help me a lot.

Hi RT,

Like Amazon, I also missed your post. You are doing great. To quote Winston Churchill: ‘Keep buggering on.’ 🙂

Amazon, you and my old man should get together. He’s supposed to be 5:2-ing and has done really well and wasn’t that much overweight in the first place.

He religiously has his cholesterol-lowering oatmeal every morning, fasting or non-fasting. Does an hour of Tai-chi/Qi Gong exercises each day and walks for at least another hour, often two. Eats all the low-cal, low-carb stuff I present him with – or which he prepares for both of us – but on non-fast days can’t resist the plonk. He makes spritzers with sparkling mineral water – supposedly diluting it – but still makes short work of 3/4 of a bottle, and wonders why his wee paunch hasn’t disappeared. 🙂

I am so, so lucky. When I gave up the ciggies coming up for 13 years ago, I suddenly found that my two favourite tipples, red wine and G%T, started to taste disgusting – the former tasted like vomit, the latter like something you would use to clean the loo. I got a lot of stick for it too, being accused of being a killjoy and a party-pooper. It does mean, however, I can spend my vino calories on other things that really float my boat, e.g. the odd baked spud or a bit of dark chocolate.

However, this last weekend down in the Forest of Dean, my cousin produced a bottle of Argentinian Malbec – he and his lady are tango teachers and are fond of all things Argie – from the local Co-op. I had half a glass which lasted throughout the meal and really enjoyed it. I heard myself saying: ‘If I still liked wine, I’d love this.’ How daft can you get?

hopeful slimmer, nice to meet you. Hope you’ll have fun on here.

Evening snacking? Tell me about it! I can live without food all day. Can’t face breakfast and find it easy not to eat much, or on fast days (like today) nothing at all, at lunch time. Evening is when I really feel hungry.

Rather than sit there in front of the box feeling guilty if you do eat and miserable if you don’t, you could try reserving a proportion of your day’s allowance for a snack of your choice. Obviously don’t go bonkers, but you could investigate the calorie count of your preferred naughties and take it from there. You can be a little more indulgent on your non-fast days.

You will probably find, as I have, that after following 5:2 for a while, you simply won’t be able to cope with large quantities of fatty or sugary stuff. You may find yourself feeling rather ill if you really overdo things, so you won’t do it again any time soon. 🙂

Forgot to say hi to William.

Hope it will all work for you as it has for the rest of us. Sometimes the weight may creep off slower than you would have liked, but don’t despair, you’ll get there in the end.

Also, even though the scales won’t budge, all sorts of other good things will be happening, like reductions in blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood glucose. Clothes will also start to fit better and some will be so big that the only place for them is the charity shop.

5:2 was originally designed to help with certain medical issues. The weight loss was just a very welcome side effect.

We are all creatures of habit, and having a glass of something to relax after a busy day is one of them. A cup of tea will do the same job, because it is the sitting down and doing nothing for five minutes that relaxes us.
Now that I’ve stopped drinking so much wine I am really appreciating it, I’m not sure that it even touched the sides previously!

Hi Jojo – we’re so bad at compliments, giving or receiving, aren’t we? Earlier this week someone was telling me about their up coming holiday to Barbados and I said, “It sounds fabulous. You deserve it.” They literally squirmed with embarrassment! I felt bad for saying what was true!

Lizzypb

Only in this context is being referred to as a ‘loser’ cause for celebration. 🙂

I do like chocolate, but only the dark stuff, which I gather is good for us. Am I right in thinking that it contains nutrients similar to those found in red wine? Not bothered about cakes, although I have been known to eat the odd muffin or brownie.

However, like jojo, I’m more likely to OD on something savoury – taramasalata (especially the smoked salmon variety), guacamole (OK, avacados are good for you but not by the bucketful), Pringles (sour cream and spring onion flavour, but any flavour will do), garlic bread, olives (which aren’t that bad, really), bacon with malt vinegar (fortunately I don’t like the fat).

Compliments: a topic that crops up on the thread every few weeks. I’ve had a few run-ins with Him Indoors, who is a clever, competent guy who often does things deserving of praise or appreciation, but always responds with a grunt and at best concedes that whatever it is he’s done is ‘not bad’.

I feel that to respond like that is to insult the intelligence and judgement of the person paying the compliment. On one occasion I paid myself a compliment for something I know I do well – there are few enough of them 🙁 – and Sir told me I was ‘up myself’.

I love being complimented – unless it’s the patronising sort of stuff one gets when one is mature in years and short of stature, delivered in the tone of voice usually used for addressing small children and houshold pets. In such situations, I have been known to resort to naughty words, and toddle off chuckling to myself.

When I started this WOE last spring I had asparagus with a fried egg for lunch every fast day for weeks 🙂
I’m a bit of a snob though and will only buy English asparagus, so I gorge on it for a month every year!

Hi wee,

There was a time, until quite recently, when I could take or leave ice cream. But that was before Haagen Dasz started selling things like Creme Brulee, Dulce de leche and best – or worst 🙂 of all Salted Caramel. Sorry, I sound like a naff TV commercial. I do keep it to maybe once or at most twice a week, and then only modest servings. I’m lactose intolerant, not severely like some poor souls who turn green-faced and decidedly unwell at the sight of milk, cheese, etc but I have to be a bit careful with my dairy intake

I’m with you about scarves. I like wearing dark colours, black, navy etc but always set them off with bright scarves and earrings, lots of them of the striking, dangly variety. Some of our local charity shops are very good on scarves and I’ve built up quite a collection.

Hi jojo,

I don’t have a problem with receiving compliments. The problem is with peeps who don’t know how to accept and acknowledge them, which may have something to do with being brought up British.

Us Yorkies will be happy if we say nice things to each other. Every single one of us has earned a big round of applause. Better not make it too loud, though, else we might all get chucked out of Betty’s. 🙂

I love to get compliments and I should just say thank you and leave it at that ,but I still get embarrassed (not used to it) and say something silly like “My DIL bought me this last Christmas ” This is usually the truth though as our lovely DIL does buy me lovely gifts 🙂

Wee xx

I’m with Amazon! Local asparagus, in season, only. My Dad has it all year (mostly Peru I think), and I will eat it at his, but it’s not a patch on the real thing.

And strawberries, I don’t bother with them out of season.

I can delay gratification 🙂

Morning fellow fasters and a big hello to all our new posters 🙂 *insert waving madly*

WOW so many posts, just too many for me to fully catch up on. I’ll need to go back and re-read several as there are some great tips in there too 🙂

Well today is a FD for me to help counteract this last week where I’ve allowed myself to not stress about what I’ve consumed (both liquid and solid). The only good thing of last week (including yesterday) was that I did not have any coke where normally I would have drunk at least one can (often more) over last weekend and also yesterday but I didn’t have any at all (this is one of my downfalls of which I have too many to list here, lol 😆 ). Mind you I DID have a Lemon, Lime & Bitters last night at dinner along with an Icecream Sundae (chocolate topping but no nuts) which are two other downfalls which I must cut out or at the least cut down on soon (mind you I only have one each of these per week when we go out for dinner with friends).

Today I’ll have egg & bacon for lunch, tomorrow it will be an omelette. I grill my very lean, 99% meat, bacon in the microwave (on crisp of course 😀 ) then chop it up and add to a one or two egg omelette (one egg for FD but will allow myself up to two eggs on a non FD) in my non-stick frypan (no fat or oil used to cook). If just having egg & bacon, same process except I don’t scramble up the egg as I like sunny side eggs, then just put them together on the plate 🙂

Tonight I might go with a veggie only meal but not 100% sure yet.

Catch up with you all later … have a great fast/non-fast day all 😀

Morning/evening all.

Nicky, I love Ronnie Barker, he was a comic genius 🙂

I gave up with sourdough. I tried several methods and proved them for hours and hours and could have used most of the loaves as door stops! I think it is something that takes more practice than regular bread baking and I don’t have the patience for it. The final straw was the starter that exploded all over the inside of the fridge 😆

It’s another feed day for me then B2B fasts Mon and Tues. I started ADF but then my social life suddenly got busy, so I’m changing my fast days to fit in with it, which is something that makes this WOE so easy to stick to.
Our clocks go back an hour tonight and we’ll be back on GMT tomorrow, which means it’ll be dark by 5pm tomorrow evening. That’s when I realise that winter is almost here.

Have a good day/evening everyone.

The keys to energy density and weight loss

Three main factors play a role in what makes food high or low in energy density:

Water. Fruits and vegetables are generally high in water content, which provides volume and weight but not calories. That’s why they’re low-energy-dense foods. Grapefruit, for example, is about 90 percent water. Half a grapefruit has just 37 calories. Raw, fresh carrots are about 88 percent water. A medium carrot has only about 25 calories.
Fiber. High-fiber foods not only provide volume, but also take longer to digest, making you feel full longer on fewer calories. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains all contain fiber. Popcorn is a good example of a high-volume, low-calorie whole grain. One cup of air-popped popcorn has about 30 calories.
Fat. Fat is high in energy density. One pat of butter, for example, contains almost the same number of calories as 2 cups of raw broccoli. Foods that contain fat naturally, such as dairy products and various meats, or foods with added fats are higher in calories than are their leaner or lower fat counterparts.

Energy density and the food pyramid

Changing lifestyle habits is never easy, and creating an eating plan using the energy-density concept is no exception. The first step is knowing which foods are better options when it comes to energy density. Here’s a look at energy density by the categories in the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid.

Vegetables

Most vegetables are low in calories but high in volume or weight. Many vegetables contain water, which provides weight without calories. Examples include salad greens, asparagus, green beans, broccoli and zucchini. To add more vegetables to your diet, top your pasta with sauteed vegetables instead of meat or cheese sauce. Decrease the meat portion on your plate and increase the serving of vegetables. Add vegetables to your sandwiches. Snack on raw vegetables.

Fruits

Practically all types of fruit fit into a healthy diet. But some fruits are lower calorie choices than others are. Whole fresh, frozen and canned fruits without syrup are good options. In contrast, fruit juices and dried fruits are concentrated sources of natural sugar and therefore have a high energy density — more calories — and they don’t fill you up as much. To fit more fruits into your diet, add blueberries to your cereal in the morning. Try mango or peach slices on whole-wheat toast with a little peanut butter and honey. Or toss some mandarin orange and peach slices into a salad.

Carbohydrates

Many carbohydrates are either grains or made from grains, such as cereal, rice, bread and pasta. Whole grains are the best option because they’re higher in fiber and other important nutrients. Emphasize whole grains by simply choosing whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal, brown rice and whole-grain cereal instead of refined grains. Because many carbohydrates are higher in energy density, keep an eye on portion sizes.

Protein and dairy

These include food from both plant and animal sources. The healthiest lower energy-dense choices are foods that are high in protein but low in fat and calories, such as legumes (beans, peas and lentils, which are also good sources of fiber), fish, skinless white-meat poultry, fat-free dairy products and egg whites.

Fats

While fats are high-energy-dense foods, some fats are healthier than others. Include small amounts of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in your diet. Nuts, seeds, and oils, such as olive, flaxseed and safflower oils, contain healthy fats.

Sweets

Like fats, sweets are typically high in energy density. Good options for sweets include those that are low in added fat and contain healthy ingredients, such as fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy. Examples include fresh fruit topped with low-fat yogurt, a cookie made with whole-wheat flour or a scoop of low-fat ice cream. The keys to sweets are to keep the serving size small and the ingredients healthy. Even a small piece of dark chocolate can fit into a weight-loss plan.

In trouble in deed.

When in my first six months I was walking blind and tripping over every mistake.

I found that snacking on a fast day could trigger an appetite so strong I couldn’t fill up . A simple morsel of food could trigger a binge. I learned to stick to my planned food.

Then I learned that my planned foods could fail. If I finished my meal and was ravenous an hour later , but bed time was far off.

So I started keeping a journal. I felt I needed complete focus on what works and what doesnt.

Red beans was my answer on fast days both an antioxidant super food and lots of fiber. But also has an enzyme to aid with the full feeling. So typically I blend up the beans in some flavored seasoning water. So the volume helps get to the full feeling in 250 calories. and Lasts 3-4 hours of zero hunger.

Somedays I could careless on how it tastes as long as I dont get hunger pangs. The beans do that.
Secondly I found that when I had trouble sleeping the night before , I also have trouble on the fast day.
So I started making chickpea hummus on feed days as they have the stuff to help sleep, I think its tryptophan . Plus I put the hummus in vitamin rich red sweet peppers. So when I wake up I’m rested and not likely to get hunger pangs till noon.

I decided 2 hunger pangs is enough. Usually by 1 o’clock I’m at my wits end and need to eat.
So I decided to always eat at noon.

I read up on calorie restriction , on which is better or worse . 1-2-3-4-6 meals a day.
My understanding is it’s best to all calories in a 4 1/2 hour window. this avoids many issues.
So I choose to eat 19/5. Eating in a 5 hour window. Wether it’s a fast day or feed day.

Once started doing that. I was so used to not snacking. That fast days became much easier. I’ll note because I’m so used to the hunger feeling. Feel it everyday. Wether it’s a feed day or fast day .

I choose to eat at noon because the morning is when I have the strongest will power.
If I had more will power at night I would of chosen eat at 8 am and eat 1 pm . I tried it. And it doesn’t work for me. However having my last bites at 5pm , choosing fiber rich foods with water blended into them I can get to 10pm sometimes without hunger pang.

So I only feel hunger level of 1 hunger pang about noon.
Then I not feel hungry again till 9pm with stronger hunger pangs about 10pm. I simply go to sleep.

Whe. I wake up on a feed day I and I’m ravenous . I eAt a small amount of nuts,multiple vitamin, dried blueberry and cherry. Foar less than 100 calories. Sometimes just a protein shake in the morning on a feed day .

I find the 5 hour feed window is very successful at sticking to intermittent and ADF.
As I found it tolerable to feel a little hungry everyday.
When I have troubles is when I restart after a break of just 4 days I seem more sensitive to hunger.

So knowing this is my personal response. I feel empowered and what to expect.
For mine own health reason I take a planned break for two weeks a month due my diabetes concerns.
However my doctor and I aggree that I’m ok to go on an ADF of 600 calories for 12 days a month.
Craming 7 fast days into 12 days . Then b2b fasts 1 time a week.

This leaves me with 11 -13 fast days a month-
So if I stick to my TDEE on feed days, My calorie restriction is enough for 4-6 lbs a month.
What I look at is the hunger management , specifically my hunger pangs.
Doing it in this schedule halos me to feel only 22-26 hunger pangs a month, but not more than an before eating or going to sleep.in other words I can lose 4-6lbs of fat a month with only 25 hours of hunger out of 6944 hours In a month.
I’m worth it! I want it ! And I will keep on keepin on!

I’ll add that as my family as well as extended family literally drag me begging and screaming to the buffet restaurants. I drink water with lemon and stevia . I eat the vegetable first, then some fruits. Then chicken legs and a lobster. That’s still in the 5 hour window. I still lose weight every month.

Enjoying my dandelion tea and blueberries this morn as I start my ADF FAT ATTACK on Monday.
I typically gorge on fruits and vegetables for vitamins and minerals prior to my monthly ADF.
Chicken leg and thigh stew on my feed day menu today to help with vitamin and mineral loading.

Also I’d like to add a bit about chicken eggs.
If you look up the search for
if you crave This but what really need is this

http://imgfave.com/view/1529660

Then you may notice how many times eggs appear as what you really need.
So many times when I go boil an egg as a snack to head off a craving that may lead to binge.

As I many times refer tothis chart when making a two week ADF menu. So that I don’t encounter cravings in addition to hunger pangs.

Good morning/evening fellow fasters. Well it’s me up at a very early hour again (will go back to bed shortly for another hour or two) but no use tossing & turning for hours (did this for 30 to 40 mins then got up).

Had a great FD yesterday, another today with hopefully even less calories consumed. This way I’ll ADF remainder of the week.

If I find this doable on weekends where there’s nothing social planned then I will repeat this. Mind you 2 out of 4 weekends between now and Christmas are already planned social ones and it’s likely to escalate shortly. But I will do all I can to lose 2lb each week and more on occasions but won’t beat myself up either if I don’t make it occasionally.

SAMM fantastic information there, Okra sounds great and I’ll look it up here if it’s available and then methods for cooking (I guess it gets cooked?) or other methods of preparation 😀 .

Amazon you really are an inspiration with making all those foods and not eating any other than a little of the bread.

Jojo I hope you had a good session at the gym.

Hi to all the new people, please don’t be hesitant about posting, although I do understand as I am relatively new in here too.

Hello to all my Aussie and SA fellow fasters as well as those across the seas. Not naming you all as I’m likely to miss someone and even though it would be unintentional I don’t want to take the risk …

Catch y’all later 🙂

SAMM, sorry to hear about your friend :hug:

Chicken and dumplings sounds very good 🙂

SAMM, very sad to hear about your friend.

I think it’s lovely, though, that even as you mourn him you are already remembering, and probably smiling about, the fun times you had together. I’m sure he would be happy with that.

Big hug.

SAMM,

Dumplings mean different things to different people in different places. When you have a moment, please could you tell me how you and your wife go about making your version? Thanks, Hermaj 🙂