Thanks very much for your encouragement, la_dolce_vita_222. Really looking forward to getting going. No doubt I’ll keep you all posted.
MandaM88 – sorry but I think I accidentally responded to an old message of yours -doh, blonde moment!
This topic contains 1,342 replies, has 78 voices, and was last updated by fasting_me 6 years, 6 months ago.
Morning everyone. Well, I put on half a lb from last weeks weigh in and considering I’ve eaten badly on non-fast days and not done as much walking or other exercise these last couple of weeks with working full time I’m fairly happy with that. I’m going out for tea tonight but only taking homemade veg soup to work so shouldn’t go over my TDEE today then I’m going to kick myself up the bum at the weekend and try my hardest not to eat rubbish. Maybe NOT buying cookies and other goodies at the supermarket tomorrow might help lol!
I weigh in on Fridays too Charmaine because I’d just get disheartened if I had to record my weekend gains. By the way hope you’re ok.
Sally, I think lots of people think that there’s no way they could stick to 500 cals and not be shaky/faint, feel ill or have no energy – I haven’t really felt like that to be honest. I’ve felt hunger pangs but as you say they wear off fairly quickly, keeping busy is a good way of ignoring them or going for a walk. I think we’ve all just got used to reaching for a snack whenever we fancy whether we’re hungry or not,it’s something to do with our hands or a habit or whatever but we don’t actually need it and certainly won’t die if we don’t do it. I’ve also done lots of walking and hula hooping on fast days and felt fine too so it’s not true that you need to eat loads when you’re exercising or you’ll faint. This diet is something you can tweak to suit your life and that’s probably why it works for most people – it’s not a quick fix but if you stick with it you will lose the weight. The beauty of it for me is that you don’t have to watch what you eat every day, been there and done that and get soo bored with counting calories or not eating this with that. I was having lunch with a friend yesterday and she’s just started doing Slimming World for the second or third time – she lost about 2 stones on it in the past but put most of it back on and when I told her about 5:2 she said there’s no way she could do it even though she’s watching what she eats every day again now. Other diets restrict you far too much and I think you’re more likely to fall off the wagon because of that but with this you’re only counting on 2 days and being careful what you eat on the rest. Plus it’s got great health benefits which other diets don’t. Anyway I’ve rambled on long enough so for all of you weighing in today or fasting – good luck and have a great Friday. 🙂
Good Morning and happy Friday! How are you all today? Well the dreaded weigh in day was here this morning. Got up and stood on the scales, and off, and back on again, and even woke up my hubby to check i wasnt going mad…. 2.5lbs….. OFF!! Now sitting at 12st 9lbs. Lightest i have been in what feels like forever! that was eating enough food for a family of 4 over the weekend, and skipping Mondays spin class! I cant quite believe it. I did try and compensate the rest of the week because I knew i had a really bad weekend, but didnt think I would loose at all. So really happy. Nice start to the weekend. 🙂 I had set myself a weight loss goal to get to 11st 10lb by 17th October… That seems pretty close now! and I am nearly at my stone off!! Sorry! Just such a nice feeling. Thanks to you all for your support on this and fb, dont think i would be managing without it. (and Ken – Thanks for kicking me up the bum and motivating me when needed!)
Karen – Dont worry thats not much at all, you are doing amazing just keep going. 🙂
Hope you are all doing well. Will check in again later as i know there are a few weigh ins on a Friday. 🙂 Take care. Have a good day. A xxx
Good Morning all you nice people 🙂
sorry ive not been around lately had a few problems to get sorted out , but i am here now ,
WOW there has been some movement on here , first welcome to Doodle , Gina and Sally . we are all so pleased you have joined us on this thread , do stay with us because the Calorie force is on this thread and a bit like luke skywalker i will send it to you each day , so really you have to succeed . 🙂
Karen hey 1/2 a lb listen with everything you have had to put up with since you camr home you have done fantastic , i loved your post and there is some great advice for our new members , oh you are good our Karen x 🙂 p.s. i will officially kick your bum later ha ha
Mandy woww get in there , your the star of the week , so have 1 x extra glass of wine tonight , Tell your hubby he is paying lol 🙂
I know a few of us weigh in today so here are the results from the Ken camp
weight = down 1 1/2 lb to 12 st 4 lb
waist = down 1/2 inch to 38″
bmi = down to 26.3 thats minus 0.3
bmr and tdee are both down too , oh i am happy , i can see mandy and me dancing the loose trouser dance later ha ha ha
For all our newcomers I have been on 5:2 now for 12 weeks i started at
13 st 5 lb and had a waist line of 42″ my bmi was at a massive 28.6
So it is not a quick fix , it is a way of life and it does work . gosh i never ever thought i would say that 🙂
Well to everyone who is fasting today may the Calorie force be with you and to those of us not fasting may the Calorie force be with us too 🙂
love
ken x
Hello everyone!
Well, looks like this week will be a “holding” week for me, as no loss as of yet. It’s okay though, as I’ve done very well over the past few weeks, and I’m pleased with how much progress I’ve made so far. I’ll admit to having a harder time this week, as I had my birthday celebration, which I basically celebrated over two days. But you know, that’s the beauty of eating this way…it’s OKAY! I’m fine with that. I’m still on my third fasting day for the week, but my last fasting day I went beyond the 500 calories (again, probably why the scale didn’t move). Not by alot, but maybe close to 650 – 700 calories for the day? Anyhow, I’m feeling positive about my fast day today, and have three more to go before I head off for vacation!
Hope all of you are doing well! Anyone else joining me for a fast day today? 🙂
Jeannie
Hey everyone. Good to see that everyone is persevering. I am stuck on another plateau. It’s frustrating but I am accepting it. However, I was able to get the Fastexercise book from the library today. They had to order it in from another library for me. I am excited to read it. I think by reading the first couple of chapters so far that this might be what I need to get me past this slump. A long time ago (in a galaxy far far away) I was my current weight for several years – neither gaining or losing so maybe this is a “set point” for my body. But I am still considered obese by the BMI scales. And I want to get some new clothes!!! So, I am going to read it and then give it a try. I’ll let you all know what happens. I did pick up some “new” pants from a thrift store for a song. Actually two pairs really were new with the original price tags still on them (at a cost of 10 times higher than what I paid). I found trying on clothes to help me on fasting days – it tends to get me doing something besides thinking of food.
I found on fasting days that I can stay very pleasant and happy until someone does something to really torque me. I find that I can’t suffer fools on fasting days with the equanimity I approach when I have eaten.
Everyone hang in there. You all are inspiring.
Hello everyone, i am a 5:2 newbie as I only started on Monday and have fasted for 2 days but thinking of fasting for today aswell meaning I would have done a 4:3 this week. I ended up eating a bit too much yesterday and now i feel guilty. I have about a stone and a half to lose. Yesterday after my fast day I had some chocolate and immediately after i had to rush to the toilet with stomach cramps and diarrhea. Has anyone else experienced this?
Hello everyone
just thought i would pop on to see what is happening over the weekend , we are normally fairly quiet on this thread over the weeknds , so for all our new fasting buddies dont think we have all gone away , come tomorrw mornig we will all be back again 🙂
GinafromGA = thanx for the lovely compliment , i am no master , i just try my best and try to help others just the same as everyone on this thread
ALL for one and one for ALL lol 🙂
Jonsey84 = dont be hard on yourself , everyone on here will make you feel good , so stick with us and you WILL succeed x
Ok going to get ready for church see you all soon
Fast day tomorrow
May the Calorie force be with us all
love ken x
Morning faster family. My weight was up by 1.5 lbs from Friday’s weigh in and really need to get back on that wagon this week, I want this holiday weight back off. Thankfully my work colleague is back from her holidays so I have my Wednesday off again(yay)and finish half an hour earlier so I’ll probably go for longer walks with Harvey if the weather’s fine. I only have 4 lbs until goal but at the moment it seems like 44 🙁
So goals for this week are fasting today and Thursday and a mini fast of about 700-1000 cals on Wednesday and not pig out on chocolate, wine and crisps!
Have a good Monday everyone and I’ll check in later x 🙂
Well, it’s here folks, my first day! Nothing’s new so far, don’t have brekkie until I get to work so no problem there. Leaving my strawberry smoothie for as long as I can. Starting stats don’t paint a pretty picture: height: 5@ 5″, weight: 12st 8lbs, waist: 40 and quarter inches and hips: 44 and a half inches (what the hell!). I know it’s not a time for regrets because I’m doing something about it. However, as I was 6 and a half stone 20 years ago I’m annoyed at myself for getting so bad. Anyhoo, here’s to the start of a new, better lifestyle!
Good Morning everone 🙂
Yes I too am fasting today but first of all i want to say to
Doodle Mom = I am only 5′ 8″ so not very tall , If you stick to the 5:2 very very very simple rule (Yes there is only 1 ) you will succeed 🙂
oh the rule , yes simple really on your fast day consume only 500 Calories (600 for me cos I,m a daft bloke ) ha ha , weigh everthing you consume and count every calorie , do a little bit of exercise , ( not too much because we dont want to put musscle on ) the aim is to loose weight and inches ,
most important of all STAY IN TOUCH WITH EVERYONE ON THIS THREAD everyone will give you fantastic support and encouragement ,
and ask anything you like , someone will have the answers
go for it Girl 🙂 🙂
Karen , Charmaine you WILL do this I will kick both your butts if you even think about eating junk ( how much is a return flight to India ) hee hee ,
Love you both really x
To everyone else wether you are fasting or not May the Calorie force be with us all have a great day
love
Ken
x 🙂
hi Doodle Mom,, my first day too and I am excited and nervous. I have planned my first weeks food and measured myself. My stats are similar to yours but I wanted to check something out. My waist, ie the curve of my waist is a good 2″ above my belly button so I have measured the area around my waist which is 34.5 but the circumference around my belly button is 38″ so which is the true measurement? My bust and hips are 43. My neck is 13. I will weigh myself tomorrow but on Friday I weighed 12st 1.8lbs. I am 55 years old and Iam 5ft 5.5 inches tall.
Woo hoo for a successful day!
Hello everyone! How are you all? Fast day today… and finding it difficult today! I done something i dont normally do today and stood on the scales this morning (not normal weigh in day) and If the scales are to be believed this morning (which is highly likely!) i have had another awful weekend (+4lbs of awful!!!!!!!) Its that TOTM (Sorry gentlemen) and i just want to eat everything in sight. 🙁 Feeling a bit down today. First fast day where i just want to say stuff it and have some chocolate cake, or pizza! but i have made myself a cup of tea and will hope that stops it. Dont know whats up with me today 🙁
ANYWAY! Moaning over. Sorry! Hope the calorie force is with you all. xx A
Hi Lovelifedance. Thanks for your reply. I would say that the 38″ is your true measurement as I did mine around my belly button. Like you I have the curve above my belly button but I’ve gone with what the book said, sorry :-(. I, too, have planned this week’s meals. I’m mixing between the women’s and men’s eating plans so I’ve having the no-carb caeser salad for dinner. I had some extra so added cucumber and celery too – it looks like a right pile! I’m ready to ply myself with Coke Zero, flavoured coffee (black, of course) and fizzy water this afternoon. Quite busy at work so that should keep my mind off things! Good luck for today and the rest of the week 🙂
Hi Jonesy84. Well done on completing your first week. I know it’s easy to say but try not to feel guilty. I suppose it natural in these early stages to perhaps go overboard as a ‘reward’ for completing your first week. I expect weekends are always going to be days when you eat more than usual. With regards the chocolate, I don’t think I’d dare have any after a fast day. I have to be in the mood for the stuff anyway, but sometimes it gives me chronic indigestion – give me some Twiglets anyday instead! Happy fasting 🙂
MandyM88,, sounds like you need to be kind yo yourself while your hormones are raging! The weight gain is probably fluid so don’t beat yourself up. How did you get on today? Hope it went well, wether you decided to fast today or discontinue. Tomorrow is a new day,, good luck, we are all in it together! X
Doodle Mom,, thanks for the re my waist ( boo hoo!! Lol!) hope you had a good day too, your food sounded yummy. I have had a massive headache all night but it’s my first day fasting so to be expected.
I have a busy job too so it has helped to keep me busy today. What do you do? I am a British Sign Language Interpreter and work in a forensic hospital,, it’s very interesting and I love it!
Hi Lovelifedance. Thanks for your post. Besides the headache how’s your first day gone? Found it easier than I thought but then again I was incredibly busy. My worst time came when I’d had my tea. Felt a quite hungry for about an hour! Come to bed hungry too. What an admirable and fascinating job you have! Must’ve taken you a while to study. I work in the credit control department of an insurance company. Might sound boring, but I love it. Busy every day and month ends are a buzz. What did you decide to eat today? Well, we both survived; roll on Thursday!
Hi Doodle:
For 5:2 and weight loss purposes, gap is irrelevant. The key is calorie restriction: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/52-calorie-restriction-v-fasting-for-newbies/
Good Luck!
Simcoeluv
Thanks for that really well written post.
I tried to explain the difference between 24:12 and 16:8 on one of the threads the other night and realised (after I had gone to bed and lay awake on a fast night) that, even though I had said “limited calories over the 36 hours period”, it should be called something like 16:8:12, shouldn’t it?
I agree completely with your post. It is about calorie restrictions two days a week. New folk should be following it carefully in the early months. It has to be a sustainable 36 hour fast. And, as you said, if they are not at their ideal weight, they should look at how much they consume on the other 5 days. I could never understand the 2pm to 2pm thing. That is not part of the system.
As you say, this is the 5:2 fast website. We are here to help people wanting to do 5:2.
Keep up the brilliant work. You are a champ!
PVE 🙂
Hi Charmaine you’ve just answered the question I asked on facebook! Well done on losing that lb, it was hard earned and you deserve it. I lost a lb of my weekend weight overnight and today going to focus on NOT eating rubbish like I normally do on a Tuesday and hopefully I can lose a wee bit by Friday’s weigh in. I walk every day and really apart from doing sit ups is my only exercise and it didn’t seem to stop me losing weight before so I’m going to keep on doing that (have to really because Harvey needs 3 walks a day and I have to take my turn). If you do exercise Charmaine maybe just half hour walks 3 times a week and see how that goes for now, you will still be getting the health benefits of exercise but hopefully not doing any damage to your weight loss.
Anyway hope everyone has a good day today and if you’re fasting Charmaine have a good one! x
PVE,, just read your reply re the fasting, can you help me please as I want to get it right. I ate yesterday at lunch time then again at about 8pm. What would be a good time to eat today? Should I wait 16 hours after my last food in my fast before I commence non fast day’s food fir optimum health benefit? Hope you don’t mind me asking. Thank you
Good morning
I survived day 1 of my new way of life ! 🙂
Doodle, I had 2 boiled eggs and salad for lunch then tom yum soup with mushrooms and prawns, plus a satsuma and half a portion of a sugar free jelly, 455 cals or there abouts. I hardly slept last night with a terrible headache tho so need to take in more fluids. Just off to work so will catch up later..,
Have a great day everybody! Xx
Hi Lovelifedance
It depends what you ATE. You should only do 2 days a week with a day or more between. eg fast from after a normal dinner Sunday night until a normal Tuesday breakfast, then again from after a normal dinner Wednesday night until a normal breakfast on Friday. You will have eaten only 500 cals on each of the 2 fasting periods. It is the ups and downs that make this work. (see Simcoeluv)
The point is, your fast needs to go from after a normal dinner one evening, through the next day until breakfast the day after. That is, 36 hours from your last normal meal. In that time eat only 500 cals or less.
The jury is still out re fasting gaps. People play around to get what suits them. Many like a light protein breakfast (an egg and a tomato) and then the “bulk” of their fast day calories in the evening (say fish and salad or greens).
Others find they prefer to only eat in the evening. Therefore not eating from the normal dinner to the fast dinner and then not again until a normal breakfast the next day (36 hours since they started)
Others, (that includes me) eat a late breakfast/lunch of about 1/3 of the fast day cals, then the rest at dinner. Nothing then until breakfast.
All three ways eat only 500 cals or less over the 36 hour period.
You could also choose to have 3 tiny servings to spread your fast calories out, but the goal is to give your system a rest from processing food (that is having blood sugar spikes) so snacking between simply defeats the purpose. Many start on 3 tiny meals to get used to not snacking, then drop one as the months go by and you learn to embrace your hunger.
Drink only water, black tea or coffee or soda water (with a slice of lemon or lime?)
We find, if you cut out all fat, alcohol and starchy carbs on fast days, it is easy to cut the calories back. Get as much low cal bulk as you can. It leaves you with lovely fresh produce!
I hope this helps.
Have you read Michael’s books? Really gets your head around it.
Good luck PVE
PS Lovelifedance
Just read yours on the computer, instead of phone. You break your fast whenever you feel like it after the 36 hour period. Eat what you like. It is amazing how most people don’t feel desperate to eat the next morning. Also, it seems to reset your stomach (or your mind) to think more carefully about non fast foods 🙂
PVE
Hello Everyone 🙂
Gosh i do love this thread , we are all so supportive of one another , keep it up everyone cos it is so very much inspiring x
Karen well done on your loss hun , No junk today ok (see it rhymes) NO JUNK TODAY OK !
Charmaine you are doing brill and as Karen says about light exercise, I do somthing similar, I ride my bike for about 15 to 20 mins but not at a gallop its a nice steady pace, or go for a BRISK walk along the canal 20 mins max , thats really all you have to do , and i am certain in India you will have some lovely places to walk near your home 🙂
Lovelife = you are off to a great start , for a boiled egg i count it as 68 Calories , and i normally have one for my brekky at around 10 or 10:30 am
Keep going girl and keep with us x
and to all of you fasting today , may the Calorie force be with you
and to those of us not fasting too lol
NO JUNK FOOD
NO PICKING
NO SNACKING
love Ken x
Simcoeluv. Thanks so much for your post and link. It makes much more sense now. I am doing the two meals a day approach this week and was thinking about breaking it down into three small meals next week to see what works for me. Having said that, the two meals really did work. It helped I was very busy! Strangely, I was hungrier after eating my tea than I’d felt all day. I also went to bed quite hungry too.
Hi there from sunny Darlington 🙂 Sounds like a good idea Charmaine, mini fasts if you can’t quite manage a full one and a little bit of exercise 3 times a week. We’re all rooting for you to lose a little bit more next weigh in, I’m sure you’ll get there.
I’m off today – yay! It’s sunny so I plan on 2 or 3 long walks with Harvey and maybe some hula hooping. I’m also doing a mini fast of maybe 700-800 cals and as a but of an experiment, trying not to eat until tea time, just having fluids and tea/coffee then saving my cals for this evening. Since we came back from holiday my hubby has started to just drink fluids until his tea on fast days then have all his calories at night time because he said if he eats at lunchtime he’s hungry the rest of the day. I’m like that too, eating something triggers off my appetite and once I start I find it hard to stop 🙁 I’d find it hard to do at work though so will stick to my usual of no breakfast, veg soup for lunch, a salad for tea and a low cal hot choc before I go to bed. I still have no problems on fast days but non-fast days are when I tend to go over the top eating rubbish and I think it stops me losing lbs at times.
Doodle Mom, sounds like you are a bit like me in that when you start eating it just triggers your appetite. If that’s the case I’d just stick to your 2 meals or maybe experiment like me and leave all your calories until later in the day. There’s no way I could eat breakfast too because I’d be hungry all day long!
David, where are you? Have you got lost in deepest darkest Cumbria? How are you doing? I think I saw a post a little while back that you were not managing fasting at the moment, (or did I dream that)come back and we’ll encourage you:-)
Well better go, Harveys pacing around waiting for his walk (his way of hinting lol). Will check in later to see how we’ve all done :-)xx
Hello from a sunny Rochdale too , Hey Karen we are doing ok for sunshine arnt we shhhhh lol
Karen I do understand where you are coming from with work , it has to be hard to say no when you are in a close enviroment , it wasnt so bad for me in Prison cos i had lots of places to walk around
Errrrrrrrrr for all our new 5:2 ers I was a Prison Officer at Strangeways for 20 years after I served 15 years in the Army so im not a bad boy , lol , well not that bad anyway ,
Charmaine , keep it going my girl cos i may only be able to afford a one way ticket to India , then you would have to put up with me as well as lil one ha ha 🙂
Doodle = you just experiment and do whatever is best for you , but keeping busy on a fast day is the right thing to do , my own personal way is to eat 3 times a day but keep the bulk of my Calorie allowance for my tea time meal and i usually have that around 7 to 7:30 pm then its not long before i go to bed ,hope that helps you x
David = where in the world are you . come on my pal get your bones on here , I cant get up to Cumbria cos i have to go to India hee hee
ok everyone have a Calorific day ( just made that up ) 🙂
CALORIFIC
may the calorie force be with us all
love Ken x
charmaine, thks for asking, fast wise i have been having “challenges” so from today I will do my fast for the next 3 days.
as able as I am to-
I started it well with just a bottle of water.
so will try to calorie count each day- bottle of water is almost a routine now on the way to work .so i dont have to think about it.
Great to see you back with us David. I totally know where you’re coming from with ‘challenges’ because I’ve had a few myself since I came back from holiday but Ive tried to stay focused this week with 2 fasts (Mon/Thurs) and a mini fast today. So far doing well today, trying to save cals till tea time and just drinking fluids through the day, I’ve planned my tea and counted it in mfp and it comes to under 500 cals so far and I’m giving myself a limit of 700-800 cals for the day. Doing 2 or 3 walks with Harvey (45 min one completed already) and maybe hula hooping later.
So are you doing 3 fasts back to back David? That’s quite tough if you are but I’ll keep fingers crossed you manage. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t though, I have problems with 2 back to backs
David, didn’t know you were on Facebook, you kept that quiet! I tried to find you but couldn’t, maybe you could send me a request? My name is karen creegan, think there’s only one of me!
Why don’t you just cut back on carbs and alcohol, that way you get to join in with what everyone else is eating/drinking and it shouldn’t bother your weight too much.
Hi all – First post but have been reading posts for a little while now. Day 3 for me. Day 1 a fast day with 500 calories spread over lunch and dinner with lots of drink incl. tea with skinny milk no sugar, and water.
Yesterday was very careful to be just under my calorie allowance for the day (is that TTDE ?). I have two stone to loose as getting married at the end of the year and am really trying to kick start the weight loss so being really really mindful of what I am eating.
Decided to do another fast day today, with just some fruit at lunch, no breakfast and saving the bulk of the calories for small evening meal.
You are all great on here with your fantastic advice and encouragement, just what I need.
Hi twitter and welcome. TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure and you eat between your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and TDEE on non fast days. Did you work out what yours are from the ‘how to’ at the top of this page? If not work it out then you know what you can eat up to. Obviously fast days are 500 cals. You are welcome to stick with our thread, we’re a friendly bunch from all around the world and some of us have been doing this since March so kind of old hands at it now! We have ups and downs but there is plenty of support on here to keep us on the straight and narrow:-) Good luck in your weight loss journey 🙂
Karen
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Michael Mosley gives an update for 2019, current research in the field and announces a tour starting in February.
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26 Jun 14