Moving from 5:2 to 6:1…..what do you think?

This topic contains 13 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by Linds 10 years, 3 months ago.

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

Monde68

6:56 am
9 Aug 14
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So I’ve been doing 5:2 on and off for probably I year now. I’ve lost about 6kg and would like to ideally lose another 2-3kg. But I am finding my motivation is waning. I used to be 100% committed. Now I feel almost resentful on my second fast day and think that on a feast day I almost “stock pile” knowing I won’t be eating much the next day. So I’m thinking I’m going to switch to 6:1, which I know is really for maintenance. But I’m thinking if I fast one day a week and eat 1200 cals the other days, then hopefully I can still lose the last little bit. I’m not too stressed about last couple kg. just don’t want to gain weight. Anyway, I’d be interested in any thoughts about this.

kindle

8:01 am
9 Aug 14
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Hey Monde, I am in a similar position. I have been doing the 5;2 for about 6 months and I had lots of success. I need to loose about 9 more lbs, but the motivation is waning. Like you I was always 100% committed ,but now fast days seem harder and Im eating too much on non fast days. Last week I put on one lb. So Im going to try the 4;3 next week. I tried it before and found it very hard. I dont seem to be able to count cals anymore on non fast days…..Im sure I eat about 2000 cals, but this MIGHT be offset by doing the 4;3????? Im not too stressed out either, I mean we have come so far, we can handle the last bit somehow!!! Overall I think my metabolic rate is higher than when I started the 5;2, and for that I am grateful!!!! Let me know how you get on and good luck with the 6;1.

kindle

8:07 am
9 Aug 14
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Oh sorry, I meant to say I have 6lbs still to loose, not 9. I am 10 stone 9lbs and my goal weight is 10 stone 3lbs. Cant be bothered to track cals at the moment, but I will attempt the 4;3 next week!!!

Monde68

10:47 am
9 Aug 14
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Thanks for your reply. Out of interest, how tall are you? You don’t have much to lose either. These last few kg are hard! I admire your trying 4:3. I’m struggling with 5:2 let alone another fast day. Keep me posted in your progress with this.

dlroseberry

10:52 am
9 Aug 14
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You’ll probably gain weight, at least after awhile when you resent even the one day and all the other restrictions. After you’ve gained it all back you might become remotivated, or not. It’s a very old story now.

kindle

11:42 am
9 Aug 14
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Hey Monde , Im five foot four, and you? Im not sure I understand you roseberry……..’when you resent even the one day and all the other restrictions’….what does that mean? I hope you are doing well.
If Im gaining when doing the 4;3 then I will go back to counting cals on non fast days. Its just that now Im tired of the awl routine. I need a break from counting cals every day right now.

dlroseberry

1:10 pm
9 Aug 14
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Monde asked for my thoughts about the fact that he/she “resents” the second fast day and thinking of going to 6:1 and counting calories on non-fast days. What I think is that there’s plenty of room for “resentment” of any kind of dietary restriction, or any restriction of any kind for that matter, and I don’t really think there will be any difference in “resentment” from one restriction to another over the long run. Giving in to resentment of dietary restriction is a prescription for gaining weight. So I guess what I’m saying is that in my opinion, he/she would be better off sticking with 5:2 since it has worked, and wait at least until achieving goal to indulge in resentment of the restriction. In fact, it would be better to just accept the fact that the restrictions will be never ending if you want to maintain weight and that you will never be able to indulge your resentments without gaining the weight back.

Monde68

10:25 pm
9 Aug 14
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Hmm I disagree with you diroseberry. I would essentially be following a Michelle bridges style, eating 1200 cals a day, the one day a week “accelerating” or in my case, rating 500 cals. I enjoy cal counting. That’s not my issue. My issue is that I think at the moment I’m tired of this routine and feel like I need a change to re motivate.

Monde68

10:26 pm
9 Aug 14
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I’m 166.5 cm, 72 kg.

HappyNow

11:25 pm
9 Aug 14
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Hi Monde, maybe intermittent fasting just isn’t for you? It certainly sounds as if you can’t or won’t make this a change for life?

My experience of 5:2 was that it was easy and I did not have to calorie count, on fast or non-fast (what you call ‘feast’) days. I just ate significantly less on a fast day, and then ate sensibly on non-fast days. I didn’t think of the fast as deprivation and did not try to compensate on non-fast days. And I didn’t find the last few kgs hard. They were no different, or possibly easier, than the first few kgs.

Now I can’t actually overeat anyway. I recognise ‘full’ and stop. 5:2 has re-wired my brain and altered my relationship with food.

I’m female, in my 40s, 5ft6. I started in January at 72ish kg and since mid June have been 60kg, maintained on 16:8. I can’t even do 6:1 anymore without losing at least 1lb per week which I really don’t want to! And I’m actually sad that I can’t do a full fast day anymore…

I started 5:2 mainly for the health benefits of fasting, with weight loss an added bonus. I don’t really know what you hoped for, but perhaps if you rethink your reasons for doing 5:2, you might see the fast day as a treat (for your body) and stop resenting it?

Personally I would be far more resentful of calorie counting and conscious calorie restriction on 7 days of the week, as you appear to propose. I’m with dl on this one.

At the end of the day, I keep asking myself how could I ever have thought that overeating, and being overweight, was in any way a ‘treat’? I’m in control now, and enjoy eating just enough and no more than my body needs.

I know now that I’ve got all the tools I will ever need for weight loss and maintenance. Good luck finding what works for you.

PenelopeP

1:19 pm
12 Aug 14
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Thanks for this post Monde68, I’m in a similar position. I’ve been doing the 5:2 diet since February this year and have lost around 7kgs, I feel fantastic and am at my goal weight of about 58kgs. I’m trying to shift to 6: 1 but my motivation has lapsed a bit, and I’m also trying to eat less on most days – not only in order to maintain my new weight but also because I feel so much better.

My bigger fear is that work is about to get very busy and when winter approaches my current craving for, and reliance on, salad will pass. I’m not sure 6:1 over winter will be sufficient. But I guess time will tell.

Linds

2:30 pm
12 Aug 14
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Hi All, just wanted to add my comments as I am in a similar position in that I have a few more pounds (10) to lose (lost 25) but have lost my motivation a bit as I seem to keep losing and gaining the same couple of pounds over the last few weeks. I also think it is harder to lose those last pounds and keep them off too!

A holiday in Australia coming up soon and new (smaller)clothes to go with it should be motivation enough but I still can’t control my overeating sometimes and I don’t think I ever will. Knowing what you are doing wrong and being able to do something about it are two different things! Some days I am really good and some days not so good. I am just hoping that the good days outweigh the bad ones.

I know what you mean though Monde about feeling resentful – I sometimes feel like all my hard work has been for nothing when I don’t lose anything but then I think how much worse it would have been if I hadn’t been fasting etc. I know my biggest downfall is snacking and not being able to have “just one” so, as long as I don’t have more to compensate on non-fast days, this WOE works for me as I know that for at least a couple of days I don’t eat the junk etc. There’s no harm in trying 6:1 and seeing how you go.

Let’s face it, most of us are doing this because we want (or need) to change our eating habits because we won’t lose the weight unless we do. I know weight loss is not supposed to be the primary aim of this WOE but it does seem to be for a lot of people. At the end of the day losing weight is a case of eat less and move more and if this plan works for you stick with it. If I worked out the number of calories I am allowed per week and divided them by 7 I could lose the same amount of weight but it’s counting calories every day again.

Sorry, I seem to have gone on a bit – hope it helps someone! Good Luck to you all, whatever way you are doing this. Linda

kindle

3:36 pm
12 Aug 14
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Well for me, its not the fast days that are a problem. I can stick to 500 or 450 cals those days no problem. Its the non fast days that are problematic. I now hate having to check my cals on those days. When i signed up I was happy that I only had to count cals 2 days a week, but now its more like dieting every day. However, I dont think I will loose weight if I dont count on non fast days. So I going to try the 4;3 and just count 4 days a week!!!

Linds

3:11 pm
14 Aug 14
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I know what you mean kindle. I’ve never actually counted calories on a non-fast day but I now know roughly how much is in the food I am eating. I don’t think I am too far out but that’s why I have only myself to blame when I don’t lose anything because I know how many calories were in the chocolate I ate! I am also trying to factor in the calories I consume over the weekend when I have a drink. I don’t drink a lot but I am not prepared to give it up so perhaps I should give up chocolate instead. Maybe that is where I am going wrong though and I should start counting them – now you’ve got me thinking!

Let us know how you get on with 4:3