Hi LGK616, it’s really just about you being honest with yourself about what you want out of it. 5:2 WILL work for most people but if it’s not something that you can fit into your life and live with forever (and it WILL be forever or there’s no point starting) then don’t bother.

Feeling ‘hangry’ and headachy will probably be common on fastdays for the first month or more until you get used to it. If you’re willing to suck it up and cope with that initial ‘detox’ portion of 5:2 then it will get easier and easier until you reach the point where you actually look forward to fasting days as a welcome ‘cleanse’ day or just a nice simple day where you don’t need to stop whatever you’re doing to refuel half way through – it becomes nice not to be shackled by mealtimes and a clock telling you when you should eat.

If you want to try 5:2 then really try it – commit to AT LEAST a month’s worth of fastdays and accept that the first few WILL be a bit like torture.

When I first fasted I couldn’t get through a whole day without eating something in the middle of my workday, so I had a bag of chopped up celery, cucumber and carrot sticks at about 11am and I’d take 200kcal worth of porridge & a pinch of sugar (which I made up with just water) for my late lunch at about 2-3pm. I’d then have 300kcal for my dinner as late as I could. Usually soup & a small roll.

This, along with BUCKETS of water got me through those first few weeks but in the interim I did lots more research on the best ‘bang for my buck’ regarding calories and I began to experiment. After a while I settled on not eating AT ALL on fastdays until fairly late (7-8pm) and having a bowl of branflakes (carby I know but what I looked forward to ALL day and eaten late enough that it didn’t matter) & a nice cup of tea (soya milk & 2 sugars). This regime lasted me about 18 months and I lost most of my weight in the first 2 years on 5:2. But the key was finding what worked FOR ME. Drinking a bucket of water will help everyone but ‘what works best for you’ will take some thought & experimentation.

I’ve now switched up my fastdays again and mostly just have 1 late meal of veg with a little protein and no carbs if I can possibly help it (carbs are the devil on fastdays).

Work out your TDEE (How Tab above), stick to 500(F) or 600(m) kcal on fastdays and your TDEE or a bit less on non fastdays and as far as ‘what’ and ‘when’ are concerned – experiment and find ‘your ideal’. If you need an extra 100kcal on fastdays to start with – don’t beat yourself up about it – just cut it out again as soon as you can).

You will be pleased to know that 3+ years into 5:2 I am still a chocoholic and put aside about 500kcal worth of chocolate calories on EVERY non-fastday. There’s no point living if you can’t enjoy your favourite things and with 5:2 you don’t have to give ANYTHING up – you just have to have 500kcal ONLY 2 days a week – that’s the only rule – the rest of it you make up for yourself.

Good luck.

Brilliant Heron

can I add one?

Liquid only fasts are wonderful

after 4 glasses of wine you stop caring how fat you are!

Ok, I’m leaving now – been teetotal for two weeks, helps the calorie intake but tends to make me a little facetious!