Hi, kajo – Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) figure is higher than the average 2000 cal quoted for a female because you are taller. I would say get as near to 2200 cals as possible on your non-fast days or else you run the risk of slowing down your metabolism, making weight loss more difficult. As I understand it, consistently under-eating leads to the body deliberately slowing its metabolism down, specifically to prevent further weight-loss, as it protects itself in the famine it is experiencing. If your intake to date has been regularly too low, in an effort to lose weight, then maybe your metabolism has already slowed and it would need a period of adjustment before being ready to let go of any fat reserves.
Your max. recommended fast day intake, using the 5:2 approach, would be 25% of 2200 cal, i.e. 550 cal. Working on that basis, just two fast days a week would give you a weekly calorie deficit of about 3300 cals, so, you would be on target to lose roughly 1 pound a week (probably more to start with including fluid loss), as 1pound of fat is about 3500 cals.
Some people eat less than their max on fast days and some prefer to eat nothing at all throughout the 24 or 36 hour schedule they adopt. Others use a 4:3 programme, i.e. 3 fast days per week. The choice is yours and it can take some time of experimenting to find a pattern that suits your own temperament and needs. However, I would say it would be a mistake to considerably under-eat on a daily basis.
Also, I think increasing your sugar intake would be a big mistake. Many health advisors now consider sugar – much more so than fat – to be the most harmful ingredient in our modern diet, from both the general health perspective and that of the problem of weight-gain. Sugar has no nutritional value, plays havoc with insulin levels, etc., and any excess converts straight to bodily fat, plus there is so much sugar hidden in many processed foods that one’s intake is likely to be much higher than one thinks.
As I’ve said to others: Keep in mind that 5:2 is best seen as a relaxed but steady jog rather than a manic sprint – a new way of life rather than a quick-fix. I hope you find your own happy rhythm and succeed in your aims.

Hi, SueWR – I hope things are still going in the right direction for you, even if slowly. I think not all calories are equal from a weight-loss or health point of view. Your experiment of reducing starchy carbs sounds like a good one but it also sounds like you do like your special treats. Maybe watch out for those nutritionally empty calories? – ‘some, but not lots’ would help, I reckon, with plenty of protein foods and green veg. Your exercise regime looks good. Have great fun with the dogs!