hi there, and welcome! i’m also new 🙂
glad you are getting the book – last year i did the 5:2 diet for a few months and lost 13lbs, my husband 1.5 stone. however i did the diet just from what i had read on the internet and seen on tv, but i have now bought the book and it gives you such a better understanding of the deeper/metabolic benefits and really helps you ‘stick with it’.
we have been back on it for 2 weeks (this week going into 3rd week) and i have lost 7lbs.
i didn’t weigh myself until the morning after the “4th day”, so two weeks into the diet, i then plan to weigh myself each week at the end of the fast week. although i’m not going to get too paranoid about ‘ebbs and flows’ as so many things can effect weight so i won’t worry too much if i haven’t lost much one week or have seemed to gain a little.
also, take your measurements (i do widest part of my tummy, narrowest part of my waist and thigh) – so far i have lost 2 inches off tummy and waist and 1 inch from thigh.
i tend to go by what packets say for calories and also weigh ingredients, i also google for fruit/veg. i find it doesn’t take too long and already have a handful of recipes to ‘rotate’ around for the fast days!
good luck! 🙂
gemma

i love abbey, there are several books out there that explain 5:2.

I have Dr. Mosley’s Fast Diet, and also The 2 Day Diet by Dr. Harvie. They are both different versions of the same theme. I think I am going to combine the two into my own personal plan. I agree with maggie that you really need to read the book(s) to understand 5:2.

Maggie, I also tried this last year before I got tempted away by another diet. I lost over 5 lbs. the first month doing 5:2. I wish I had stuck to it. I’d be at goal weight by now.

i love abbey, if you go into the home page here, Dr. Mosley gives an explanation of his book. Also, his coauthor Mimi Spencer has some fabulous 5:2 cookbooks out.

Re calories: I go on calorieking.com. It is wonderful. Also I have the CalorieKing book for when I’m not near a computer.