In my view diet drinks are not a good idea. They are filled with chemicals and don’t really satisfy our basic needs to chew food in order to remember that we’ve eaten it (a key factor in keeping hunger at bay). If you have small children then it’s the easy option but I would encourage you to focus on eating the foods that contain minimum calories for maximum nutritional benefit and focus on the food as you eat it. Keep foods as whole as possible. Losing weight is about being healthy and finding a diet that you can live with for the rest of your life. Shakes don’t fit that bill.
Like you I have found that I am more hungry at the end of the day. I tried to save as many of my calories for that part of the day as I could. I certainly found that if I kept busy during the day I could overcome any hunger feelings and if I did feel hungry I tried drinking first (water or fruit tea) which often stopped the pangs. I then had a bit more room for manoeuvre in the evenings when I seemed to need more food.

Good luck

I’m in agreement too. One of the best things that happens with 5:2 is that we learn to eat a healthy balance of food in the right amounts. There is no point embarking on weight loss without combining it with learning new eating habits that will keep the weight off.