Hi there,
I am a lapsed 5:2’r (I’ve been away from it for approx 2 years ) and I have built myself back up to restarting tomorrow.
From my past experience, it’s about staying hydrated, having the “right foods” ready and waiting ( or easily preparable) for when you break your fast & don’t be swayed by people who will say things like “oh that can’t be good for you!”
I personally swear by the hairy dieters cook books whose majority of recipes are within 500cals and are delicious.
Good luck for tomorrow- stay strong!

Best of luck with your new journey. I’m new to the forums but have been lurking for some time. I’ve really found this way of life to be so beneficial and freeing. I hope you find the same.

Hi @daw1962

Surprisingly well. I did go about the fast days very gradually. I was having soup and fruit for lunch and dinner and then gradually cut back to just soup or fruit in the evening.

I can’t do a total fast day with nothing as I just can’t handle the hunger! When I started it felt more manageable but now I’m a few months in it seems to have ramped up. That might be because of Xmas and new year and the abundance of tempting food lying around but I usually manage to control it by thinking “I will have it tomorrow”.

I’ve lost more weight than I could have imagined. About half a stone in the a month. So in that sense it’s going brilliantly. As someone who tried to control weight (and often failed) with exercise this is freedom I never thought possible.

@daw1962 – I totally understand. It is a hard time of year to start. Once the first fast day is done there is an overwhelming sense of achievement. I never ever thought I could fast for 36 hours on 500 cals or less and yet, I am doing it. That sense of willpower is phenomenal and you won’t regret it, I promise.

Sometimes I will take a little piece of whatever is on offer – a quality street, a chocolate coin etc and put them in a drawer and think “tomorrow I can have that”. It seems odd behaviour but it cuts down on that feeling of denial. I hate to feel denied and that’s what made this way of eating possible. I am fasting today but yesterday I had cheese scones with real butter. It was epic!

Hey daw1962

Just checking in to see how you’re Going? The end is in sight!! I love fast day bed time… Easiest 8 hours.

Hi Daw

Well done on your progress – I also did three FDs and lost just under 6lb. I got back on the exercise wagon too so feel much better, like my poor body is starting to wake up after being put into a sugar stupor. Off for a long walk in the woods later today.

How did you find your fast days? Mine are getting easier though it’s early days, but may stick to trying to do three whilst I have so much weight to lose.

Are you doing anything nice this weekend/next week?

Wishing you well for another great week. Will catch up with you again soon. Keep up the good work 🙂

Good morning Daw

That must be really difficult with cake and food around in the office. I work from home most of the time so much easier for me in that respect.

I did three days last week because I had a nasty shock when I weighed (for the first time in ages). I thought I had stayed roughly the same as I had been for a couple of years but was a stone heavier. This means I have 70lb to lose rather than 56 – which was bad enough to begin with.

I’m going to play it by ear and see how I feel in terms of doing two or three days. Last week’s fast days were not consecutive but I may try to do a couple of days together this week. I’ve done longer fasts before and not found it too difficult.

I find not eating during the day on fast days is easier so I save my calories for an early dinner. If I eat a small amount of something earlier it makes me much hungrier than not. How about you?

Look forward to hearing your progress this week.

Hello Newbie,
Wellcome to the Holy Grail of diets. Last July I started the 5-2 but in the Alternate Day Fast mode with 500 calories for my fast day goal. At 63 I couldn’t walk 200 metres without aid as my knees were showing degenerative signs. I was told I could be looking at new knees in 3-5 years. I needed to get the weight off fast. I’m 5’5″ (I used to be 5’7″ when younger) and was 15.8 stone but now I’m 11.3 and back to walking the dog 15 miles per week. I’ve still got a ways to go but I’m certain I’ll finally reach my goal of 8.12. I love the freedom this way of eating gives me. It takes away all the guilt and pressure that has always nagged at me about weight and dieting matters. For Fast Days, we make a huge pot of vegetable soup (unblended and not many potatoes). This gets portioned out and put in the freezer so on fast days, that’s what I get in the afternoon. Then at dinner time, I just have salad with vegetables. Being a veggie for 50 years makes this a treat not a punishment. I actually find the eating days the hardest. It’s really quite difficult when I’m spoiled for choice on my eating days, but it’s so liberating to know that I can have whatever I want. Inevitably, I go for the healthy stuff first with the intention of having a treat, but then I find that my stomach has shrunk and I don’t want any treat after all. It’s such a novelty to just not want the “forbidden” stuff instead of the usual self denial that other diets instil. Even though weight loss has slowed, now that I haven’t as much to lose, it hasn’t had the usual detrimental effect. I love the rhythm of this way of eating. I look forward to fitting in my wetsuit (which I bought small for incentive), so that I can add open water swimming to my fitness regime. I hear the cold will help finish off my fat cells quicker. I’m hoping it will help shrink my old, now sagging stretched out skin, but I’ve always been an optimist. At least I can walk again. I look forward to working out a maintenance schedule where I’ll gradually introduce more eating days. It’s all just soooo do-able. I wish I knew about this in my 20s.

Hi Daw

Just checking in to see how you are doing. I’ve had a manic few weeks so not posted for a while but still going strong. I have lost a stone so far in just over a month so pretty happy with that – I feel like I can keep going now with no problem on fast days so happy at the moment 🙂

Hope all is well with you.

So many good stories as told by all you newcomers. Good job finding the 5:2 Plan and good job finding the way to make it work for you. And it does work. My husband and I have been Fasting for 5.5+ years, and we continue to Fast for maintenance. Be aware that Fasting should become a Lifestyle, not just a way to eat to get the pounds off and then abandon. If I weren’t still Fasting, my weight would just go up and up.
Good luck to you all.