Caroline. TDEE is your suggested maximum to retain your current weight. You don’t have to eat it as long as you are getting enough nutrition to function. Not eating it will cause you to lose more weight, which I surmise is your aim.. I have been 5:2 ing for about five years and my appetite is very much less than it was, which means that what I do eat has to be of good quality. You might want to google high density foods. The meals you describe sound fine to me. If they are too much, reduce the amount of spaghetti. Never force yourself to eat.

Caroline,

My appetite completely changed after just a few fasts. I need much less food to feel satisfied now than before I started 5:2.

I think it’s part being more mindful of what I eat (do you really need that 5th slice of pizza?) and part just not being hungry.

My diet is better now than before but I’m no angel. What works for me is to have one very healthy thing each day (in my case a smoothie concoction that includes greens, blueberries, good plant fats, fiber, and spices) as a “tent pole”. After that it’s negotiable some days!

Good luck!

The exact same thing is happening to me, Im nowhere near able to eat up to my TDEE on a non fasting day, yet before I started 5:2 I must have been way above it. I figured that this was okay, so long as I was eating above my BMR?

Problem is, my BMR is around 2000 and I’m having to force myself to eat extra to get up to it.

Can I eat below my BMR so long as I’m not going hungry? Or do I have to keep calorie counting to make sure I’m high enough?

Hi Michele:

Here is a definition of metabolism: https://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Metabolism

You don’t have to worry about it slowing down, or speeding up. It is what it is. I guess if you die it slows down, but until then it keeps going. There are no foods that I know of that speed it up, or slow it down.

TDEE does go up and down with weight. So if you want the same TDEE or higher, just maintain or increase your weight. If you don’t want a lower TDEE, then don’t lose weight.

I can’t believe the number of people that worry about the ‘speed’ of their ‘metabolism. But if you really think its speed may decline, then just think of it as your body becoming more efficient – needing less food (energy) to maintain your life.

That would be a good thing, would it not? Unless you want an inefficient body so you can eat more food?

Here are some 5:2 tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!