Hi Mike,

Are you counting calories or guessing how much you eat on non fast days?
If you are guessing I suggest you count calories for a week or two, it is a real eye opener on how we tend to underestimate how much we eat.

As for what people eat on typical non fast days, why don’t you tell us what and how much you eat and maybe one of us can work out why you aren’t losing weight and give suggestions on how you can change things to get your weight moving in the right direction.

Hi Mike,
You might want to have a read through this and the linked threads: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/
There’s a thread in there about what could be happening if you aren’t losing weight.
The advice to keep track of what you are eating on non-fast days is sound, it’s amazing how easy it is to overlook things like calories from drinks (alcoholic and soft drinks/tea/coffee with sugar and milk), or the snacks you don’t even think about like cakes or biscuits at work. When you start tracking you may also find yourself shocked at how many calories are in some foods. I’ve had to resign myself to never eating sausage rolls again as they are crazy calories and I can’t justify it (550 cals for a Ginsters Sausage Roll). Hopefully the above will help you figure out what isn’t working for you.

The concept of TDEE is overly simplified. The concept of a calorie is overly simplified. Both can vary significantly for the individual involved and the foods they eat. If you attempt to run a calorie deficit two things can happen as your body adjusts: It can make up the shortfall from stored fat and this is what most people would like as you will loss fat and weight. Or the other possibility is that the body will reduce your required TDEE consumption. You lose no fat and weight. You run slightly colder, you feel slightly sluggish, your tired most the time etc. There the two options your body has. Which one it uses depends on the foods that you eat. Eat foods that spike insulin production and it has to opt for conserving fat and slowing you down and making you run colder. No fat loss. Eat foods that lower insulin levels and it will opt for burning fat. Now its not 100% one or the other but you get the idea. You want to heavily bias it to burning fat. So eat foods that do not spike insulin production.

Hi BigBooty
Do you eat on your FD’s or just have liquids? Also on NFD’s do you stick mainly to small protein servings and lots of veg? I’m guessing you cut out all/most sugar, “white” foods (pasta, bread rice??) and all processed foods. Do you still eat fruit on NFD’s?
THANKS

@belmc. I now only fast one day per week as I am in maintenance. 92kg down to 70kg (Male 178cm tall 56 yo.) My fast days have always been water only (I do allow 2 cups of coffee with a splash of milk, maybe 50 cal?). I just found that easier to do than worrying about 500/600 cal. But you need to find what works for you. It will be tough for about one month and after 6 months I found water fasting had become easy. The vast majority of my NFD foods are veggies, legumes, beans etc. I might have red meat once per week at most. Tuna in a salad maybe 3 times per week. I eat cheese nuts seeds high fat low sugar yogurt daily. I usually eat 1 or 2 tart apples daily. Usually berry type fruits daily. I might have other fruits occasionally. In maintenance I don’t think whole fruits are overly bad. Trying to lose weight Id have them sparingly.

I do not add sugar to anything. No fruit juice (pure junk), no processed grain based foods. No bread, pizza, biscuits, breakfast cereals (pure junk) etc. Well maybe a serve once per month depending where we are (eg friends house for dinner its rude) I don’t eat rice.

@mikef00. Yes. If your insulin is high in response to a glucose influx then there is virtually no way you will be able to access stored fats. Your body will be forced to slow your metabolism in response to your will power not to eat. Or your ghrelin production (hunger hormone generated by your stomach) will win out and you will cave in and eat.

Most processed grain based products have already been turned into maltose (two glucose rings) in your mouth before you’ve even swallowed. After entering your stomach they will have been turned into glucose. Damage done. Grain based foods are not healthy in my opinion. I don’t think whole fruits are overly bad but I would limit their consumption if your primary goal is weight loss. You can get all your micro nutrients from veggies.

Avoid starchy veggies like potatoes and sweet potatoes. Potatoes are worse than bread on a glycaemic index. Potatoes can be made “safer” by first cooking them and then freezing them overnight. It changes the molecular arrangement of the starches making them resistant starch. But who does that?

Hope that helps. Good luck.

Thanks @bigbooty. I’m not a big bread or cereal eater and can easily live without those but I do enjoy some fruit. Have a berry smoothie most mornings and an apple most days. Don’t have fruit juice so that’s not an issue for me either. However I love pasta and rice but have kept away from the pasta in particular as I find if I have it I crave it for next couple of days.(and it makes me feel bloated) Love dry white wine but am limiting it to weekends only..that was probably the hardest change for me as I did enjoy a glass or two after work most days. However I’m used to it now and drink tea instead.
I agree with others that its about finding what works for you so that you can sustain the 5:2 way of life. I haven’t had to make huge changes to the type of food I eat so have not found it too difficult. I have been only doing this for a month but am losing weight at around half kilo a week. The benefit for me is not just weight loss but I am feeling so much BETTER! More energy, sleeping well, and improved concentration and thinking. Stick with it @mikef00, look forward to hearing your progress.

@belmc. It took me a little over a year to lose my weight. So about 0.5kg per week. Wasn’t overly fast. Some people find my eating regimen way to strict. I personally don’t find it strict as I don’t think Im missing out on anything. Find something that works for you. The part that amuses me is when people ask for advice because 5:2 isn’t working for them. You make suggestions and they come back with “Oh no Im not willing to change my diet”. So what makes you magically think your results will change if youre not willing to change anything? You will find that as you eat healthier you will naturally start avoiding certain foods until one day you suddenly realise you don’t miss them at all. Im of Italian background and I virtually don’t have pizza and pasta anymore. Might have it once every couple of months and only when visiting my mum. Good luck with it.