This topic contains 98 replies, has 43 voices, and was last updated by Dragon Fly 9 years, 10 months ago.
If I get through the first four weeks then I should be able to cope with this diet until I drop a dress size. I myself found I too was thinking of food all the time yesterday, but the community helped me through a difficult afternoon. Still thinking of food was a lot less in my thoughts as it had been before xmas. If I start to think of the fasting days of healthy low cal days then this will help me achieve my goal.
Lynette J
@whippetgal, me too, starting tomorrow and also doing Monday and Wednesday’s. I’m 46 and need to lose at least two stone, hoping this will work and be the least painful way of doing it!! Good luck to us all!!
Hello. I am starting tomorrow as well. Have put on nearly 2 stone in the last couple of years due to being happy in a new relationship. Doesn’t help that my other half is a fabulous cook but has not concept of portion size!!! He proposed at new year and we are hoping to get married in October so really need to lose the extra weight.
Good luck to everyone starting tomorrow xx
When getting near to 40 I sort of said to myself I do not want to be this overweight. So I ended up going to Weight Watchers. Now I am saying this again I do not want to get to 50 with all this weight on. For myself sort of harder as I am getting older to shift the weight. I have decided this diet is best for me.
Good luck.
Thanks for the replies, I was already talking myself out of it at the prospect of 2 consecutive days; particularly as I’m hooked on sugar after wading myself through all Xmas chocolate!
I’ve just made a veg soup hoping this will see me through tomorrow with some natural yoghurt.
Be great to see what everyone else is eating to get through it, I’m veggie so the meat recipes in the book r no good.
Good luck to all x
Wow – lots of people just starting out here for one personal reason or another. I started last week (only 1 day of fasting so far) and it is surprisingly easy.
For those worried about feeling rotten while fasting: you’ll be surprised.
If you are used to a very high sugar / carb / processed food diet then you might experience more ‘side effects’ at the beginning, but as you modify what you eat on the other 5 days, it will become easier and easier.
I say this from experience of doing 1 day fasts over 6-8 weeks at various points during the past 4 years or so. The better my general eating habits, the easier the fasting days. When I was going through a ‘rough time’ and having lots of sugar it was much more strenuous.
Enjoy the journey everyone, and I am looking forward to being on it with you!
Another great thread for those of us starting tomorrow! What an inspiration you all are, thank you!
I am also starting tomorrow and plan to do Monday/ Wednesday and I’m 44 so there are a few of us who have something in common so far.
What are your plans for tomorrow? I’m going to skip breakfast and have roast chicken and salad for lunch and a yoghurt in the evening. I plan to eat healthily and watch what I eat on week days with a few indulgences to look forward to at the weekends. Any thoughts?
Good luck to everyone starting tomorrow. My fasting days will be Tuesday and Thursdays, no exercise on those days. But tomorrow I’ll be starting running again, 2.4k 3 times a week. I’ve got a good app on my iPhone to count calories, MyFitnessPal, it’s free and you can enter you desired daily intake, perfect for the fasting days!
My plan for tomorrow is a protein shake made with almond milk for brekkie, the protein makes me feel fuller for longer. Lunch will be a chicken oxo cube in water only 10 cals for lunch the flavour will make me feel like I gave eaten. Then either egg on toast or beans on toast. I also have a couple of satsumas to stick in my bag if I get desperate at work too just in case.
My plan on fast days are to go a bit protein high to fight the hunger pangs and then more carbs via fruit and veg on feed days with leaner meat.
My fast days are Monday and Wednesday at the moment as these are my shorter working days. Tuesdays we have to work late and Thursday is meeting after work day.
Hi everyone,
Good on you all for making the decision to get your weight normalised and so get healthier.
I started 5:2 on 17 th November, so just starting week 8. I do 500 cal on Mon and Thurs, and on non-fast days I stick to my TDEE of 1600 cals or a bit less. I had a week off from Christmas Eve. I’m 64 and am mobile but fit the sedentary category through a chronic health challenge. My progress so far has followed what others seem to have i.e. Big loss in Week 1 (1.5kgs, about 3 1/2 lbs) and then an average weekly loss of 460gms, about 1lb. Some weeks more, some weeks less, but it amazes me that this has happened even though I have had several special occasions during those weeks. I weigh daily, and keep my weight at the beginning of the week before my 1st fast day for the week, as my checking point. I record my weight every day to see how it fluctuates and how what I do on those different days affects me.
Please be encouraged to keep records. Weigh yourself. Measure yourself 1st. Record your food as you eat it ansd work out the calories.Give yourself several weeks to work out what works for you on a fast day. There are many examples on the forum. Keep busy on fast days. Drink lots of water, especially if you’re feeling hungry. On non – fast days, still record your food and calories, and eat the things you love moderately. Remember anything you drink usually has calories too. Keep learning about this way of life.
Best wishes for your journey to better health 🙂
Merry
Hi. Christene here, a newbie from the States. Doing Mon/Thurs until my daughter goes back to college bc those days work best with her schedule but I think I’ll do Sunday and Thursday since I rarely have time to eat breakfast before church anyway, and don’t usually eat out after.I don’t know what stones weigh but I’m sure what I need to lose should be counted in boulders, at least in Plymouth Rocks–at 176 pounds. But mostly I know I once lost 20 pounds in one month fasting one day a week–I WAS 26 Though and ran 3 miles every day even while fasting. Fasting is a great discipline we could live with forever and will improve our health. Let’s go for it.
Thank you for the advice Merryme! Do you tend to spread out your calories throughout the day or have 1/2 meals? What, in your opinion, is better- the 24hr fast ( 8pm Sunday till 8pm Monday) or the 36 hr ( 8pm Sunday till waking up Tuesday morning?) it’s my first day and I’m planning on the 36hr as it seems logical that the longer you fast , the more beneficial. But of course I shall see how it goes.
Iwanderer, I love the association with the Plymouth Rock! I want to lose about 10% of my body weight which is ten pounds then take it from there as I’m concerned about the effects on my skin at my age(44) I lost a lot of weight very quickly three years ago and had so many negative comments even from relative strangers that my face looked drawn. I seem to lose weight from my face and chest and have a pear shaped body which is out of proportion. My husband and I both love our food and drink so are a bad influence on each other, I guess! But hey ho, we enjoy each other’s company and are starting our diets together but he has decided to try the 17 day diet as he feels this would be too difficult. I have my doubts but time will tell!
Hang in there everyone!
Well today is the day for me too, good luck to all of us I’m sure support will be available just getting ready for work prior to this supermarket for my 500 cals also homemade soup ready for lunch. I stopped smoking 3 years ago and piled the weight on.
Positive thinking and support on these pages from others will help me along
Have a good day x
I started today (it’s 9pm in Sydney). I decided not to eat anything at all on my fast days (Monday and Thursdays) and I think that was the best decision for me, as once I start I can’t stop and obsess about food all day.
I highly recommend drinking sparkling mineral water with a slice of lemon all day long, I have actually quite enjoyed it. I did also have two cups of coffee and a cup of tea (all made at home, limited milk).
Was starving at around 11am – 1pm, but have been pretty good apart from that, the hunger does pass! I have not felt light headed/shaky or anything else.
Good luck.
me too – started today. My fast days are Monday and Friday as these are the days when I do not exercise. I lost 11 pounds in 4 weeks the last time I did this diet. It is so easy. I have gained the weight since October as I slipped a disc and was miserable not being able to dance . zumba, and walk my usual 30 miles a week. I am 65 going on 20 -lol. I weigh 12 stone at the moment and need to get back to my comfortable 10stone 7 pounds (147 Lbs) GOOD LUCK EVERYONE XXX
I was looking through some items in my larder ( maybe not the best thing to do today, but hey)and I came across one of my fav snacks, little foccaccia squares with either olives or tomatoes. Now 1 square works out at about 120 cals, and is very high in sugar and salt as well. Soooooo, I’m thinking it’s not the best of snacks ( delicious ) on a regular day.
What are people doing with theird “unhealthy” stuff they already have? I can’t throw away food, really.
So Far So Good, At 1115. Haha. No but seriously, the minute I decided to not eat after an early supper last night, to fast from 6pm Sunday to 6pm Monday, I found myself hungry! My whole family is doing it so we helped each other not to trek to the kitchen as is our habit. Woke up hungry this morn, made brkfst of boiled eggs, turkey bacon and mixed veggies for everyone, no butters, fats, etc, for under 200 calories. Drank lots of water already. Forgot to say above… I’m 55 years old and gained 160 Pounds in 27 years of marriage,fighting it all the way with every diet in existence. We only eat organic, natural foods too. Just proves some of us do gain weight and keep it much easier than others. But we do need the discipline of not feeding our faces very time we feel a hunger pang so are seriously going for it. Blessings…
Sort of going ok for me today also. Next fasting day I might cook some salmon. As this looks good and is lower in cals. Can make a low cal meal out of this.I got weighed before the shower this evening. Surprised at the weight loss. So I do know that I am on on the right track. So pleased I did try this diet before xmas. Now I know what I am doing. I need to lose 8kg to start with. I am taking the weight loss in baby steps.
Lynette J
I started this diet today and today is my fast day. I was so busy at work this morning, I did not eat until 11:30 and had a hard boiled egg with a slice of toast (Sara Lee 45 calories a slice) with tbls of peanut butter. It kept me full until about 2:00 then I had another hard boiled egg. I am also drinking green tea and my energy level is great right now. I am using My Fitness Pal to log my calories, so far, its been a good day! I hope to have enough energy to do Zumba tonight!! Good luck to all of you!!
Hello All 5 Jan People
Well done for starting and Good luck with keeping it going (ups and downs inevitable). I noticed a few questions on some of today’s posts so thought you might be interested in the experience of a 5:2-er who’s been doing it since Summer 14 (ie Summer in England, not in Southern Hemisphere)
I totally echo @merryme‘s comments: keep experimenting and learning what suits you. This Way of Eating is hugely flexible and adaptable.
@iwanderer and others in USA: please excuse us Brits and our weird old terminology – a stone = 14 pounds!
@Loosejeans I started by eating twice a day but found I felt hungrier. Several people on this forum said they saved up their calories for evening meal. I started doing that and do prefer it now. Am v lucky as I don’t work so have lots of freedom as to when I eat. On fast days, I often eat sometime 3.00 – 4.00pm. (like they do in Jane Austen books ;-))
I agree with you @Random dieter: hunger pangs come in phases. I try not to push them away, but ‘ride’ them, as now I know they will pass. If I’m feeling really upbeat, I can even welcome them, as I know they are a sign that I’m doing the right thing for my health.
@LynetteJ I noticed yesterday that you said you got the fast-day chills at one point. Me too. I haven’t really figured out what to do about them, except jumpers or jumping up and down. If you discover anything, do let us know! And let’s just hope for a heatwave again this summer! Congratulations on your first fast day (of your return to 5:2). (And between you and me: Play up Pompey!!!)
@beccaboop: I don’t have scales either. Have only weighed myself twice in last 6 months. Get out the old tape measure, or just go by your clothes size. Have you seen the ‘Your tracker’ section on the site? You can record progress with weight and/or measurements. Best wishes.
@charlotta re tempting snacks on a fast day: just tell yourself you can have them on a non-fast day 🙂 There is no need for deprivation on this way of eating – just a bit of deferred gratification and so balance. If it is something perishable, it does feel wrong to waste food, I agree, but if it is something which you know you have trouble eating without losing control (I’m thinking of myself and chocolate), this is what I do. I ask myself whether it is better in the bin, or in my body – and reflect whether I want to treat my body as a waste-bin. This has helped me gradually buy less of the stuff, as I know I’m likely to go through that process. Give yourself time with this: it’s a process of change, not a one-off. Many people on here report that they are learning not to buy ‘trigger foods’ anymore and to eat smaller portions of everything generally. All the best …
@iwanderer, to answer your question on length of fasts, the length of time proposed in M. Mosley and M. Spencer’s book is 36 hours eg a Monday fast is: after evening meal on Sunday, eat nothing until breakfast on Tuesday. However, if the prospect of that is too daunting, do a 24 hour fast for a few times until you get more comfortable with not eating. As you implied in your post, so much of our eating is simply habitual, without really thinking. Just posted above on letting oneself experience the hunger pangs.
Have you checked out the ‘basic for newbies’ thread on here? It probably explains things a but more scientifically than I can!
Best wishes to you
@dawniedawn great idea to use an app to log calories. Just to say, remember those veg too. V low in cals and great with eggs. Good luck 😉
Well to make it easier i’ve just ordered off the fast diet kitchen! will let everybody know how i get on with the meals. more can be found here http://www.fastdietkitchen.co.uk/
Completed my first fast day yesterday and it went well. Plan was to have two meals but ended up saving all my calories for one evening meal as boyfriend had started new job and wanted a meal to celebrate. Survived on a cup of bovril all day and then made a really healthy meal for the evening with lots of veg. Other half enjoyed and didn’t realise that it was low cal until i told him. Was so good i had to eat some fruit for pud to make up the calories to 500. Got on the scales this morning and had dropped 5lbs. I know that it will not remain at this for the whole week and will be happy if next monday i have lost a couple of lbs. Good luck to everyone for the rest of the week
So today was my first fast day and it went a lot better than expected. I got hunger pains every now and then, but I’d have a glass of water and distract myself with work. I used to be in the bad habit of weighing myself daily so going to try weighing once a week only. Saved all my calories for dinner (which is coming). I get hungrier a lot faster if I have breakfast. So today was water and coffee (2 cups) with milk (a dash).
Hi all! Today was my second fast day this week, I spent most of my day at work and there was an open tin of quality street!!! Eek. I held back and put one in ky car for tomorrow then I put the rest in the staff room.
Big salad for tea and a lovely cup of coffee because I am freezing! Made stew for the family because I hate it! How are you all getting on?
@ Bootsy Badger, thanks! I actually bought brussell sprouts and aspargus for my fast day on Thursday to go with my eggs. I need to try and cut carbs but it gives me the energy I need to work out. Monday’s fast day went really well, I had energy like crazy. I had a turkey roll up before I worked out and did an hour of Zumba Toning and an hour of Zumba dancing, burned 1302 calories. Not sure that is good or bad since I am only consuming 500 calories, but I am seriously on a mission. I love all these blog’s, it really keeps me motivated!!!
Well I was supposed to start yesterday with a fast day and started well but fell apart at home when I was tired and cold and ended up eating. I did stick below my TDEE probably because I had been trying to stick to the fast during the main part of the day.
However, tried again today and have eaten only fruit, pear, satsuma, Apple and banana all day and drunk soda water. At home I’ve had mushroom and pepper in a 2 egg omelette with sweet chilli sauce. All in all just under the 500 cals. I am, however, freezing cold and am heading for an early night to ensure I don’t mess up again.
Hi Kt and welcome:
5:2 is a calorie based diet, not type of food based diet. Diet coke has no calories and you can have as much of it as you want to.
There are people that think diet drinks are unhealthy (especially sugar producers), but there is no evidence, after many decades on the market, that there are any negative health effects from drinking diet drinks. Many beliefs and opinions, but no facts. If there were, our governments and doctors would be screaming – but they currently seem to be fighting obesity. Actually, sugar seems to be a real problem – although it is a natural food and can even be organic!
Here are some tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/
Good Luck!
Diet coke is bad for you for two reasons. The sweetness is provided by chemicals which can have a negative effect on your organs and the sweetness makes your body think a sugary treat is on its way so it floods your body with insulin to counteract it.
Sugar is also not natural its processed from with sugar beet or sugar cane.
I get my fizzy drink kick from soda water, zero calories and cheap from the supermarket at about 40p a litre.
gogayly, I’m from the US too but I’ve read a lot of these forum’s and I do believe a stone is = to 14 pounds. Please anyone, correct me if I am wrong.
In saying that, I would like to lose 2 stones (28 pounds).
My husband and I decided last Sunday to get on the scale, after selectively ignoring it for about 10 months, I weighed in at 173 pounds and he at 235 pounds. I am 5’5 so the ideal weight for me is 145 pounds, my husband is 5’8 so he should weigh 185 pounds. We are both in our late 40’s.
I never thought about fasting, but after reading up on the science behind the 5:2 fast diet, I only see positive results. Not only losing weight, but health benefits. My husband has high blood pressure, even takes a daily pill for that issue, well after being on this diet for 4 days, my husband’s took his blood pressure and it was the best its ever been in years.
In regards to my fast days, I do find on my fast days, boiled eggs really keep me full. My fast days are Monday and Thursday, but I believe I am doing a back to back fast day tomorrow and Monday. I will weigh myself in on Tuesday. But I can already tell with my clothes, I have already lost that “bloaty” feeling. I am hoping for my first weigh in to be at least 5 pounds, which I know, will be mostly water. And like Balia, I am restricting alcohol from this diet as MUCH as I can.
Anyways, good luck and happy fasting everyone!
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Michael Mosley gives an update for 2019, current research in the field and announces a tour starting in February.
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