Same thing happened to me, I used to eat breakfast every single day but after starting 5:2 I noticed my fast days are easier: less appetite, no hunger pangs if I skip breakfast. I have lost 18 pounds (my goal) in 4 months and I’m now in maintainance and so far, this is continuing to work for me.

Hi I also find that if I eat breakfast I’m hungry around 11am. I prefer to skip breakfast so my fasting period is 16 hours from last meal in the evening to 12 noon the next day. I’m not hungry (day 4) and it suits me. I’m also limiting myself to 2 meals (non processed food) low carb with no snacks. Let’s see how I get on.

I have coffee with cream and honey on my fasting days and find I don’t really get hungry until the late afternoon. Likewise I find eating breakfast only stimulates my hunger, not quell it.

Hi penguin,

The concept of having three meals a day is a very new thing and has no basis in science. It was started by breakfast cereal companies in the middle of the last century. The concept of having breakfast cereal goes back to the beginning of the last century and was started by a VERY disturbed individual called Dr Kellogg. Eating cereal would eliminate ones natural urges to “pleasure” oneself. Weird but true. So the next time youre having your cornflakes think again. Short story, eat when your hungry.

ha ha. 🙂 Excuse me I need to have some cornflakes desperately.

I’m comfortable not eating breakfast and for many years I only had coffee. There has been a lot of research recently on circadian clocks that shows our bodies have a master clock regulated by sun exposure and organ clocks regulated by when we eat. Synchronizing our clocks by eating in the AM and getting exposure to bright light and stopping eating at a relatively early time in the day on a consistent basis shows benefits similar to fasting in the studies.

I’m experimenting with time restricted feeding over an 8-9 hour period. with my first meal around 8:00 AM. The catch is that anything other than water starts the clock, so coffee even black counts as food. Since I only have 8-9 hours to eat I have my first meal around 9:00. I usually eat 3 whole eggs scrambled in grass fed butter with lot’s of veggies and 1 small avocado. No hunger issues till late afternoon when I have a snack and dinner around 4:30. Only water to drink after. First week I lost 2.6 lbs and I feel great. (I’m 5′ 10″ and weigh 180 lbs)

I’m planning on adding one water fast day into the routine this week.

I never eat cereal so I guess that’s why I have such a powerful grip! LOL

It really resonated with me too. Here is a great podcast with more info https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R-eqJDQ2nU

Thanks Penguin for pointing me to this forum. So encouraging to find others of a similar nature to me. I used to NEVER eat breakfast and it wasn’t until my early 30s that I succumbed to the “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” mantra. For years I forced myself to eat breakfast, and as I still ate the rest of my meals normally, you can imagine the results. I now formally reject brekky which means my FDs are about 40 hours long, but that’s fine by me! And thanks Booty for the laugh – I knew there was a reason I never liked Kelloggs! 🙂

Diverdog, I know we call it a water fast but I permit myself tea and coffee when I am doing it. There are very few calories in black coffee and there is a lot of reliable recent research which suggests drinking it before exercise improves your performance and burns a few more calories.

I’m not sure that I should say it on this thread, but yesterday I experimented with a large breakfast. (fruit and joghurt, bacon, egg, black pudding, toast marmalade). I had nothing else but tea/coffee during the day and never felt hungry. I also lost weight. I did, however, feel stuffed all morning. As long as it isn’t too early I can take a breakfast, but I am coming to the conclusion that coffee only, a very light early lunch and my main meal late afternoon or very early evening (say 5pm?) is the way to go. The difficulty is that social activity very often involves evening meals. This week I have a wedding anniversary and my birthday!

I returned home last night from 6 days of hotel living, and six breakfasts. Sensible breakfasts: fresh fruit, some protein, small amount of bread. I am 6 lbs heavier. Alternatively it may have been the pre-dinner alcohol.

Love it! It’s right on the money but has nothing to do with breakfast. Cereal will kill you no matter what time of the day you eat it.

For years I didn’t eat breakfast because my eating schedule was tilted to eat late by habit. Dr Panda’s research convinced me that there are good scientific reasons to eat on an early schedule. My girlfriend and I shifted our eating pattern from late to early and have seen fat loss and much better sleep. She has also stopped getting acid reflux and has discontinued taking nexium.

Obviously you need to limit calories to lose fat but I’m convinced that limiting the feeding window and synchronizing your first meal with strong sun exposure has significant additional benefits.

I haven’t had breakfast since we got back from the trip a week ago. First food has been around noon, last about 6pm. I haven’t fasted very strictly or been careful on non-fasting days but I have been losing weight steadily – not as much as when I fast seriously but a small loss every day. I have had a couple of hard fitness sessions in the morning and the lack of breakfast has made no difference. I was much taken with Diverdog’s thoughts on circadian clocks but, whilst I follow the logic, I don’t enjoy breakfast so it works better for me if I start later.

Welcome back, desperate. 500 calories on FD isn’t tied to only 2 meals. You can eat as many “meals” as you want as long as the days calories total 500. I usually go for 2 meals plus a snack. Meals might be something like a big green salad with a can of water packed Tuna mixed in – about 170 calories the way I make it. Or a pound of frozen broccoli spears microwaved with salt, pepper, lemon juice and herbs – around 150 calories. Or a can of soup that’s around 200 calories for the can. A snack might be a large apple. Beans, like no fat added refried beans are a frequent meal. I go for the most filing foods with low calorie counts that I can find. And I put hot sauce, like Tobasco sauce, on almost everything. It makes my taste buds feel like I’ve eaten something exciting. Lol! I don’t spend much time being hungry. 500 calories is doable.

@bigbooty, thank you for posting that link. It would be funny if it weren’t so true. I think you would like this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Salt-Sugar-Fat-Giants-Hooked-ebook/dp/B00BFTV09K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1499315032&sr=8-2&keywords=Salt+sugar+fat

Hi All,

On the topic of no breakfast, have any of you looked at Brad Pilon’s book Eat Stop Eat? It’s a version of 5:2 in that it’s 2 day a week fasting, except you are having your 500 calories at one sitting in 24 hours. I.e.: you eat dinner 6pm and then you eat nothing until 6pm the next day. You could also do the same thing 1pm to 1pm for example. The reason I am mentioning is that I’m actually finding it a lot easier. There is no real tracking calories, you just stop eating and then eat normally. He gives a lot of science behind literally giving your. Odd a break from continuous eating. The side effect is weight loss so it’s a different approach. Personally he says it lowers glucose levels by fasting and since I recently discovered I’m pre diabatetic, in giving it a try. Please let me know if you or someone you know has had success with this type of fasting. Thx!!!!

Hi Merryme,

I’m so confused because you said that way of eating (skipping breakfast and breaking your fast in the evening, and then skipping breakfast the next day) wouldn’t work for you, but it sounds like it’s exactly what you are doing? that’s what I am currently doing too! on my non fast days I don’t eat until noon. then I eat lunch and dinner with an occasional snack if I’m hungry. Twice a week I only have liquids from the time I wake up until evening dinner.

I am finding that its almost easier for me to stand the hunger when I forgo all eating, rather than rationing tiny meals to stay within the 500 on fast days…

@merry Really interesting post. I belong to the third category too. I usually have 2 fast days, I drink 1 cup of coffee with milk and less than 1/4th tsp sugar at about 7 am.Then 2 glasses of watered down buttermilk for lunch, then have an early dinner around 6pm of some vegetables and lentil soup. I make sure I drink about 3 litres of water everyday. I have also significantly cut down on my carb and sugar intake. Today is the first time i am doing a back to back fast and its going really well.
I think skipping breakfast makes all the difference, I used to always make it a point to have a healthy breakfast but i noticed that it always made me super hungry by 10-11, then i would snack on everything i could lay my hands on and then overeat at lunch. There is always so much pressure to eat breakfast that its the most important meal in the day etc. I dont believe that anymore.

Hi DBD and Rahul,

Explanation of a”fast”:

1. Normally “Fast” means no food and only no-calorie fluids e.g water, black weak tea – no milk sugar or honey,mineral water, sparkling mineral water etc.

2. A 5:2 “fast” is a small amount of calories.

Dr Michael Moseley did a documentary on fasting research a few years back. He is a Dr who works in medical journalism. Fasting research has been going on internationally to find out more about overcoming things like high blood sugar, diabetes, heart disease, stroke etc (outcomes of the challenges of a Western diet and an overabundance of food supply and processed foods I think).

The documentary looked at several of these and as well Dr Moseley tried each of these under medical supervision all shown in the doco. It’s called “Eat Fast Live Longer” and it’s on Youtube.

Fasting does combat these health problems but some regimes are easier to do than others. It’s based on the idea that historically Hunter-gatherers would have eaten in a feast-famine way. Sometimes lots of food at once , sometimes nothing, and that the constant supply of food we have may not be as healthy as we thought. They found that when we fast our bodies go into repair mode called “autophagy”.

The experimental fasting regimes were variously difficult. How to make that easier for people to do? Multiple day fasts require medical supervision. The easiest of those looked at was fasting every 2nd day, but still challenging. Dr Moseley proposed that by fasting 2 non-consecutive days of the week it might be easier, and if the fast contained a few calories it might still work and be do-able by more people. That has proved to be the case.

A side – benefit of 5:2 has been that people usually lose excess weight. So as time went on people started doing 5:2 for weight loss only or health/weight loss combined. So Dr Moseley wrote a book with Mimi Spencer, started this forum and here we are.

Technically a true fast is no calories.
5:2 fast started out as <500cals for wonen, <600cals for men, or 1/4 of TDEE. You can read about and work out your TDEE on the forum Tracker.
Recently Dr Moseley amended this to <800cals or 1/4 of TDEE.

I’m glad I did the first version because I am forced to be sedentary. I now do 360cals which is 1/4 of my TDEE. I lost 21kgs and I have chosen to continue 5:2 indefinitely as I feel better on it. I haved up my calories a little on nonFast Days. I am mid 60’s female, and am now torally off blood pressure medication and my doctor and specialists are very happy with 5:2 and the results for my health. I previously needed yearly cardiac tests for a chronic health condition (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, commonly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.) i don’t need those yearly tests now. 5:2 won’t cure my ME/CFS but gives me the best chance of an increased quality of life because I’m now a normal weight – BMI 22.4

DBD – depending on the no. Of calories in your fluids you are effectively doing 5:2 and your 8lbs should go.

Rahul – I agree re breakfast, same for me. Not suitable for children, pregnant or lactating mothers though. You will find keeping the Hunger Dragon quiet is a successful strategy, and you seem to have shifted to doing that now. There are a few people who do back2back fasts , but it’s not necessary. I tried out of curiosity and did 2 weeks in a row OK but the 3rd week started having negative effects so won’t try again. Personally, looking around the forum, most people who are successful on 5:2 do straight 5:2, nit consecutive or multiple day fasts. There are a couple of exceptions , but most people who continue stay on 2 non -consecutive days. The concept of 5:2 as given by Dr Moseley, has, over time, proven the easiest to do by the most people.

Good luck to you both, and I suggest you find a long term thread to join. I am over on the Southern Hemisphere thread as I live in Australia.

Cheers,
Merry

Same for me. Hotel living for a week with sensible breakfast, no snacks but three course dinner so put on 2lbs . I’m back on time restricting and having hunch around 12-1pm and dinner as early as possible I have had coffee with cream but will now change to black coffee in the fasting period.

That’s encouraging penguin. Big dinner to celebrate granddaughters graduation tonight but back on track tomorrow. Black coffee ok black tea yuk but can’t have fruit teas as I have silent reflux and I’ll cough all day.

Having read back up this thread a little, I’ve 2 more comments to add.

1. As time goes on, research progresses, it’s becoming more obvious our reactions to food and eating regimes differ more than previously thought.

Along this line of thought – re breakfast early plus sun exposure comments – this doesn’t work for me. It just extends the amount of food consumed in a 24 hr period. The Hunger Dragon kicks in regardless of type of food/quantity of food/time of eating/sun and naturL light exposure. I’ve tested all of this on myself. The only thing that keeps my Hunger Dragon asleep and keeps my calorie content restricted on FDs is to eat late in the day; and to keep cals to a normal level on nonFDs is to eat in an 8hr window after 12 noon.

2. I’ve travelled, stayed in hotels with breakfasts as part of package, ditto for cruises. I skip breakfast anyway, stick to my FDs anyway. On FDs I only have dinner – clear soup for first course, or lettuce (in USA) or very light salad, sometimes none, but clear soup or bullion works best. I work out main dish ahead of time e.g grilled fish, chicken or turkey breast without sauces. Dessert/sweets: a piece of fruit eg small apple pear or orange or affogato coffee ie very smmall serve of vanilla ice cream, about walnut sized with a short black coffee, pour the coffee over the ice cream and have dessert and coffee in 1. Decaf is fine if needed.

I usually don’t go to breakfast , but if socially necessary ‘ll go and have weak milkless Earl Grey tea or peppermint tea. What constitutes “socially necessary isn’t as often as I thought it would be.

@merryme – I often travel for my job and have managed the 5:2 just fine. I do try to avoid FD when possible if I know that meals with clients or co-workers are involved. I also find that skipping breakfast works best for me. Starting to eat at noon on most days, on both FD and NFD is what suits me. I have milk in my coffee on NFD and skip it on FD, not because I think it will affect my weight loss, but because 500 calories are precious few and I would rather spend 30 – 40 calories on solid food!

When eating in restaurants with people, my go-to entree is always a filet of whatever kind of fish looks good with sauce on the side. Same with salads. Dessert, if everyone is ordering one is fresh fruit. If there’s no fresh fruit on the menu I’ll often suggest getting a dessert or two to share. “I’m stuffed! But I would love to taste the chocolate killer cake (or creme brûlée) but someone else has to eat it too. Can we share?” I seldom have to worry about others eating most of the dessert. It magically disappears without my help. 🙂 And companions really don’t keep track (or barely notice) how much I’m eating. They really aren’t that interested. “Socially necessary” is much more about being engaged and contributing to the conversation, getting people to talk about themselves, than about what I’m putting in my mouth. They really don’t care. 🙂 I think this applies to both business and social acquaintances (Except maybe that overweight non-dieting friend who is anxious to sabotage your success!)

MerryMe – Reply to very insistant sabotaging “friends”? OMG, I would get a horrible reaction if I ate that! (The horrible reaction would be mine when I looked at my scale the next morning!) Any further questions get answered with the question to end all questions: “Why do you ask?”

My hotel breakfasts on my last trip were a tactical error on my part. We were on holiday, in a holiday area where very little happened before late morning. As early risers we decided to it might be the idea to have a leisurely breakfast and skip lunch. Bad idea.

My last boss liked “team building breakfast meetings” in MacDonalds. After the first meeting it was established that I had only coffee. I was cheerful and chatty but stubborn. I gained a reputation as a food snob, but they lived with it. All my American meetings seemed to involve doughnuts (or donuts) but it was easier for me not to eat them, I was after all a weird Brit.

Alcohol can be trickier. Because they have alcohol inside them they tend to be pushier. I ate dinner last night with a bunch of people I know slightly. They have seen me drink alcohol in the past, so my reason for drinking lime juice and water of “because I like it and I have been drinking too much whiskey lately” was accepted.

There are times we have to be prepared to be different and politely refusing something you don’t want isn’t rude.