Oh Lichtie – that’s the equivalent of giving me a big bag of caramels! Out to the shed with them, quick! (And if you should eat a spoonful, don’t give up in despair – fresh starts are ok!)
This topic contains 11,627 replies, has 174 voices, and was last updated by hermajtomomi 7 months, 1 week ago.
Hi, I have been thinking. Considering how many people joined and were/are contributing to this forum over the last two years, I was expecting an increasing amount of people who reached goal to join this thread. But our band here is relatively small. Why do you think this is?
Do people once they reach goal leave the forum, are happily maintaining and just don’t have the time for posting?
Not many people reach goal?
People use 5:2 as a diet (ie stop once they reach goal) and not as a way of life?
We are an intimidating bunch?
Hope it’s not that – certainly my experience has been of warm welcome. But perhaps we have to watch ourselves, and not get too self-congratulatory – even those of us giving up sugar…(!). (Actually I think it’s more likely that we are people who know we can’t do this alone – I certainly joined because I wasn’t confident I could stay at goal without some support. )
I hope it’s not that people reach goal, give up IF, put weight back on : perhaps we should start a publicity / recruiting drive on the main website ‘Don’t wait to reach goal, come and join us the minute it’s in sight, and help us, as well as yourself, to stay on track..’
Perhaps it’s just a personality thing – some people are joiners, others aren’t. DH says he’s glad I’m getting (and hopefully giving) support, but thinks I’m mad, spending time ‘talking’ online. But then he doesn’t join choirs, classes, community groups etc, either…
It’s a valuable question to ask, Lichtie. What do others reckon?
Re: maintainers.
There are a few others kicking around on other threads. I think perhaps some stay on the thread they joined for weight loss?
We’re odd though, because we mostly didn’t join a thread for weight loss. We lost weight then went straight to a maintenance thread.
And I think we’re all interested in it for health as well as weight loss?
FFS, my OH is the same as your DH. Doesn’t join in, thinks it’s weird that I have. He should be grateful, it saves him having to talk to me 🙂
I agree with you on all parts of the topic, including being the introvert in the partnership. 🙄
. I didn’t join a thread until I had lost the weight. I need this very warm supportive thread to stay the line. BTW I lost another 300 grams yesterday. Not much you say, but cumulatively in one week, I have lost 1.6 kg = over 3 lb.
I think it’s the sugar sticking to grains that is the baddie for me. 😉
Cheers, all. Bay 🙂
Hi MCs, here ie my week 1 sugar challenge report:
Due to a cold I have not really been able to feel any physical benefit (more alert etc) but my weight is down by 600g. I am taking it with a pinch of salt as I had a fast day yesterday. Mind you it was more a 750cal fast day. At the moment I am finding strict fasts difficult. I don’t know if this is due to the miserable weather or because of self sabotage. I end up eating a couple of pieces of fruit mid afternoon (which I did not use to do) and then a healthy meal which is then often followed up by a hand ful of nuts. Tat tat. ).
I am having no problem with the caffeine challenge drinking just two cafeinated cups at work and at home it is 2 cups decaf instant. The rest is approx 1 litre herbal tea. I seem to clutch a hot drink almost permanently.
So, I am very proud that I managed 7 days and quietly optimistic that I can do the rest without too much of a struggle, thanks to my fellow fasters/challengers.
Keep warm and keep the fluid up Lichtle.
You are all going well.
Bay, you are right about frenetic housework when fasting! I didn’t eat until 2.30 (and it’s not a fast day). I Decided today was the day, after I’d done the ironing, to move all the wardrobe contents. Even painted a landscape when I’d finished. Very productive. So much energy when I haven’t eaten! P 🙂
Hi All,
I am a 58 year old man 5’ 11” tall. I have been on the 5:2 since I first saw the documentary on BBC in the summer of 2012 about 30 months ago and I started before the first book came out and the 5:2 became the huge hit it is now.
When I started my weight was in the range of 186 – 190 Lbs (with a BMI of 26.5) and today I have reached my target weight of 160 Lbs. i feel I’ve had a lot of success with the 5:2 and I would like to share my 30 month journey with you, so here goes.
Because of a circulatory disorder which struck out of the blue when I was 49 years old (I went temporarily blind in one eye due to a blocked vein in the back of my eye) I had to consider making some lifestyle changes. But most of the changes just involved taking tablets.
At the time the only problem that showed up was an elevated cholesterol reading and I was slightly overweight. After the incident, I was advised by a consultant cardiologist to get my weight down to 160 Lbs. At that time I was 176 Lbs and thought the doctor was being a bit alarmist. But as the years rolled by so did the fat roll on. At One point I hit 190 Lbs. I knew I had to do something it all seemed just too difficult and nothing I tried seemed to reverse the upward trend, that is until the 5:2 came along.
When I started, for the first 20 weeks or so my weight fell off at the average rate of about one pound a week. Sometimes I would lost two or three pounds a week, sometimes one sometimes none. Eventually, it “settled” at 166 Lbs and I found I was able to maintain this weight without any real problem.
I ate and drank what I liked on my feed days (did not count calories except on fast days). On these feed days I probably overate on my recommended TDEE of 2,150 calories, but I always cut back to 600 calories on fast days religiously twice a week and that seemed to keep me hovering at this new weight 166 Lbs. I fasted sometimes consecutively and sometimes I split up the days depending on my weekly schedule. Recently I find splitting the days up is the easier option. As a nephew of mine said who also is an exponent of the 5:2, “It’s easier to fast on Monday when you know you can have a good breakfast on Tuesday”.
About 1 year ago I saw a photograph of myself and thought I was beginning to look a bit “weedy” in my arms and upper chest, so I incorporated weight training three times a week into the mix (particularly for the arms, back and chest) then eventually as well I incorporated some HIT (30 seconds of HIT) three times a week as Michael suggests in his second book.
The weight training I decided to do is not too taxing (one and a half hours a week in total) but I took it seriously enough to get a personal trainer organised before I started. He charges $45 an hour. I visit him for two half hour sessions on average four or five times a year and he keeps my routines fresh (periodization is the term). He also made sure I did not injure myself – avoiding injury is even more important when starting off.
Incidentally, for those seniors reading this, I just do one progressive set of each exercise (10 -12 reps). I read somewhere that one set three times a week builds 80% – 90% of the muscle involved doing three sets three times a week. Lifting a particular weight three times a week rather than nine times a week is much easier obviously on joints and tendons. Also, I do the weight training in a fasting state because there is some evidence out there that this is more productive in terms of muscle development rather that doing the exercise with a loaded stomach:
http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/09/13/eating-before-exercise.aspx
My doctor informed me recently that in the past 20 years there is a lot of research which points to the fact that a well-developed musculature is linked to good general health and is effective in warding off common chronic diseases in middle age and beyond.
In January 2015, I decided as a New Year’s resolution it was time to go from 166 – 160 LBs and achieve the weight recommended by the consultant cardiologist ten years ago! My belly circumference was “stuck” at around 37” – according to standard health advise it should be less that half my height so it was time to get this viseral (dangerous) fat sorted out too.
From about mid January this year I shaved 150 calories from my TDEE for five days a week thereby keeping to 2000 calories on feed days rather that the recommended 2150 for my age, height and activity level.
So, putting 5:2 and exercise together for the past few week looked something like this:
Monday: Fast 600 calories
Tuesday: Feed 2000 calories Weight Training before Breakfast
Wednesday: Fast 600 calories
Thursday: Feed 2000 calories Weight Training before Breakfast
Friday: Feed 2000 calories
Saturday: Feed 2000 calories
Sunday: 2000 calories Weight Training before Breakfast
This regime put me in a weekly deficit of 3850 calories and consequently I have now lost the remaining six pounds in about as many weeks and my waistline is now 36”. My BMI is 22.3. I’ll never make the Olympics but I am very happy with these stats.
Keeping the Weight Off:
Now that I have reached my final target weight of 160 Lbs, I intend to fast every Monday (600 calories as before) and weigh myself every Tuesday morning. If:
a) I weigh between 160-162 LBS I will fast not fast on any other day that
week (ingesting 2200 calories on feed days)
b) I weigh >162 Lbs I will fast Thursday as well as Monday (ingesting 2200
calories on feed days) and see how that goes. If the weight continues to
rise I will fast two days a week and cut calories on feed days to 2000
c) I weight 158-160 Lbs I will not fast for any other day that week
(ingesting 2200 calories on feed days). If the weight continues to drop I
will cease fasting altogether throw a party and stay out all night in a
kabab shop. Only jokin’, I will take a break from fasting and eat freely
until I get to the 160-162 LB range again.
Again thanks to Michael Mosely for putting all the science together and coming up with a workable way of eating healthily. Thanks too to all the previous posters here for their inspirational stories.
Dino
Hi Purple,
Thank you for the welcome.I have learned a lot from other contributors including yourself.
Actually, I just re-read my post and I should have added that on the days I do the weight training, I also do 30 secs of HIT on a stationary exercise bike. Basically one minute peddling easy, 30 seconds pedaling as if I was being chased by a polar bear, and one minute of easy pedaling to finish off.
I also believe that if I had followed the routine as described from January 2015 to yesterday I would have reached my target weight in about 30 weeks rather than 30 months – that’s how efficient the exercise element is when coupled with the 5:2.
Dino
Morning L 😉
Dino, your introduction of muscle building techniques for the upper body sounds familiar. I have been doing a variety of pool workouts : swimming different strokes, energetic treading water and knee lifting combined with arm punching against the resistance of the water. My puny, skinny arms are starting to develop a bit of form again after a summer of this effort. I guess, as the weather starts to cool, I’ll have to develop some equivalent, on land, exercises. Walking has been brilliant for my legs over the past two years, as long as I concentrate on my ankle stability. 😉 P
Good morning Purple 😉 when you say “…as the weather starts to cool”, what exactly does that mean? A chilling 25 degrees? 🙂
I don’t do enough exercise but I am quite an active person and I do walk every day for about 50 minutes. I still haven’t signed up to Pilates/Yoga but will do so very shortly. All I want is to be agile and not “creaky” 😉 and a bit toned.
Another sugar free day with quite a few pistachio nuts for desert. 😉
Hi Lichtle 🙂
In Sydney our average January top temp is 25.9C and our average lowest in June is 8.1C.
I live in the hills, so I get slightly warmer in summer and slightly cooler in winter. We get the occasional high 30s, usually cooled off in the afternoon. Up here we get frosts in August, so my hibiscus have to be sheltered. February is our worst month as the proximity to the ocean pours humid air in. Even at 25 it can feel a lot hotter. We do have distinct seasons here, but are blessed with sunny winters.
I guess the temperate climate is a good reason why so many from the UK (and NZ) live here. 🙂 P
Hi Lichtle,
Thank you for the kind words.
I was pretty motivated because of what happened to me health-wise 10 years ago, but as I have progressed on the 5:2 I began to learn about healthy eating and incorporating that with exercise and a more balanced approach to life. I now understand that that four things must be in place to really make the 5:2 sing:
1. One must cultivate the correct mental attitude: This is helped when one begins to gather the right information while learning to make healthy choices in such a way that one does not feel a sense of denial. It is important also to develop coping strategies that put you in charge. Once you’re salivating over that glazed do-nut or fish and chips it’s too late. You have to avoid getting into that situation in the first place. Structuring things so are in charge is important work so that one is not using will power all the time to “deny” gratification. With the 5:2 there is no “denial” merely “deferral”.
2. Fasting for two days honestly and feed for 5 days honestly. By that I mean that one must stick to the calories allotted either on fast days or feed days. Sure, we can all “fall off the wagon” from time to time but just do the two fast days every week and you will be fine. If you overeat – don’t sweat it just go for a long walk afterwards and try and figure out what happened (see point 1.)!
3. Incorporate HIT routines into the exercise to reduce visceral fat. This is all explained in “Fast Exercise”. But the best explanation about the harmful effects of a large “Omentum” (the organ that holds on to all this belly fat is contained in Chapter 4 here. Everyone should know this stuff:
4. Incorporate strength training routines into the exercise to increase muscle mass. The health benefits from doing this speak for themselves. The best advice I can give is to read this book:
And then, armed with the facts, go get a personal trainer to help you put it all together.
Of the above four points the first one, cultivating the correct mental attitude is the most important one. This is what gets you going and keeps you going. As well as the Fast Diet Books available on this site which are great, I learned also a lot from the following books:
http://www.amazon.com/The-End-Overeating-Insatiable-American/dp/1605294578
and this one
This last book is humorous, quirky and quite tongue-in-cheek but I found it really informative. It gets a brief synopsis here:
http://globaleuropeans.com/foodandthought/?p=215
But the book itself is quirky, humorous and full of wisdom.
I particularly like rule 11 🙂
Dino
Hi ST
Welcome to this thread and congratulations on your long term achievements. I loved reading how you achieved your goals, and now your proposals for the future. I walk around the golf course 😉 and am about to begin Pilates this year.
When I began 5:2 I wanted the Heath benefits. I have never been on a diet and I always thought that I could lose the weight, but that it would be harder to stay at maintenance. It is 13 months since I began 5:2 and I lost 17 kgs in six months.
With the support of these lovely people on this thread I am maintaining desired weight, healthy BMI and 0.5 waist to height ratio. My doctor has rduced the strength of my BP pills by a third.
For an extra challenge a few of us have gone sugar free for Lent. Will post separately on this.
Cheers, Bay 🙂
Hi Dino,
I’m impressed with your maintenance regime. I must admit I tend to just weigh daily and then eat a bit more or less. And I don’t count calories at all. Have you worked out a set of menus to meet your TDEE or are you working it out on a daily basis?
And I must admit I’m not really exercising enough at the moment, but I’ve had a sore foot and the weather’s bad…That’s my excuse anyway 🙂 I do daily HIIT weights though, lugging sacks of animal feed, logs, shovelling and carrying coal, etc. My biceps are good, my ‘upper chest’ stays stubbornly ‘weedy’…Think it may be a lost cause…. 🙁
Lichtle, have you managed to stay away from the shed?!
And P! We have our own temperate climate here in the UK, thank you! Can’t imagine why you’d think we’d be unhappy with it… 🙂
Lichtle and Fast.
Well done both of you. Confession time. Yesterday was Day 8 of the Lenten sugar free challenge. I had a small glass of 20 year old red wine to help friends celebrate. I am hoping this is within the technical aspect of Lent 6:1. I left the dark chocolate squares in the bowl, and the mango sorbet.
I have had no added sugar nor any processed food as we agreed, no juice etc. I have eaten less than one piece of fruit a day.
Even with wine and Burmese spicy food and rice, I only put on 300 grams, but looking at me I am the slimmest I have been since beginning intermittent fasting as a WOL. 🙄
Today I fast for my health. 😉
Cheers, all. Bay
Hi Dino
I have always been fit, and used to run every day. Then I stopped around age 50, and continued with walking the dog and golf. I have always been interested in nutrition since having kids. I was conscious that I was slowly getting plump around the middle which is the danger zone for health problems, and that this fat was very bad for my health.
When I saw the Michael Mosley documentary on TV, I thought that it was what I had been looking for. I am definitely an all or nothing kind of person. I recognised that if it worked for me, the health benefits were what I was looking for. I found fasting easy, and I really enjoy the energy boost I get during and after a fast, when my body is not busy trying to digest too much food. I have known for years that processed carbs and sugary foods are bad for me. So I gave them up to boost the original weight loss.
When I began 5:2 I lost 8 kg in the first 7 weeks, and this included two clothing sizes. I lost the weight but still had fat just under the skin. I don’t look scrawny and I gained a waist. This meant I was losing the bad fat deep within around my organs.
So I knew straight away that fasting was very good for my health. This was a fantastic reinforcement. My doctor reduced my BP meds by one third at this time, and I bought a new wardrobe of clothes. 😉
I have a very sweet tooth, and will always have to watch my sugar intake. Hence joining the sugar free Lent challenge to see how hard it is to live without sweet things. The first 3.5 days sugar free were cr*p while the sugar withdrawal symptoms were dominant. Now it’s fine. Almost nostalgic. I miss dark chocolate and a glass of wine.
Thanks for asking. Hope this isn’t TMI.
Cheers, Bay 🙂
Hi Happy,
I weigh myself once a week at the same time as I read somewhere that there would be natural fluctuations of a pound here and there daily so it is better to average it out every seven days.
As regards my requirements after watching this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Aj6hRYg4A
I worked up a weekly calorific TDEE figure based on the calculators on this web site. They have indicated that my daily/weekly requirements are as follows:
BMR 1600 (Cal) thats me resting
TDEE 2150 (Cal) thats me with light exercise
2150 Mon Fast 600
2150 Tues Feed 2000 HIT + Weights
2150 Wed Feed 2000
2150 Thurs Fast 600
2150 Fri Feed 2000 HIT + Weights
2150 Sat Feed 2000
2150 Sun Feed 2000 Weights & HIT
15050 Cal 11200
Difference between Wkly TDEE and Actual 3850 = about 1 Ilb of Fat
This 3850 puts me into “weight loss” mode. My maintenance regime as described earlier should keep things out of the “weight loss” bracket.
As regards counting calories, like you for the first 24 months I did not count calories – but I was on holiday for an extended period recently and I began counting calories so I would not come back carrying an extra 20 LBs excluding luggage allowance.
I discovered that the phone app myfitnesspal is a great help and lets me know what calories are likely to be involved if I order pizza over the grilled fish. As it happened I came back 4Lbs lighter because I kept things to a weekly intake of 11,000 calories.
Routinely, I do not plan my meals at all but just add things up as I go. My wife is a great cook and she does the planning! But I have discovered that generally:
A good Breakfast = 500-600 calories
A good dinner = 700-900 calories
and I can “spend” the rest in between
Hope that helps.
Dino
Hi Bay
Me too. I fasted until 2.30 yesterday then ate normally (including the second brulee). 😉 I’ll eat some time today, but low cal…trout tonight, no wine or starchy carbs. Mr P finds simply skipping breakfast brings his bloodsugars straight back down after indulging.
My bp has stayed down despite dropping to minimal drugs. Must be doing something right. 🙂
Happy fasting. P
Hi again Dino
You have it all worked out. I love the way the men on this play with the numbers. Mr P is the same.
It is staggering comparing the cals in 2 choices of equally satisfying foods. I think I will always be vigilant when trying something new as it is not always obvious. On fast days we stick to basically fish and salad as I know they work.
Smart phones and food aps are very convenient to quickly and discretely calculate potential mistakes, aren’t they? P
Hi Purple,
Thank you – but I can assure you, that sadly I haven’t it all worked out 🙁
You know I was always kind of afraid to investigate how many calories are in such-and-such a food. Because there was a little voice in me saying “it’s better not to know – just enjoy!” But when you start doing it you see really where the problems are. And your right, the phone apps are great. I tend to update mine daily at about 6pm so I know how much I can eat for dinner – which is the most important meal in our house. I had a slice of home made coffee sponge tonight – 450 calories all within my daily allowance. The trick is not to go for the second slice. AS Michael Pollan said, “Let the first bite be your banquet”.
I discovered counting calories really wises you up. I watched a guy cooking omelettes to order recently. He used a ladle to add the cooking oil to the pan. Some people were going up asking for a two egg omelette with spinach not realizing that there was about 100 calories of cooking oil added before the eggs hit the pan. When we make omelettes at home we would not dream of using that much oil.
I love all the fattening foods and the sweet foods and I make sure I get them too -but lately I’m trying to calculate the damage before I eat them because I don’t love do-nuts enough so I want to carry them around with me. And when I make a mistake, as I often do, I go for a long walk – and sulk 🙁
Dino
Bay, wine is definitely not part of the sugar challenge unless it is desert wine. 😉 We agreed only added sugar is off limits in particular if it comes in the shape of a sweet treat.
I eat 2 pieces of fruit every day since doing this lenten challenge. Before 5:2 I used to eat 2 – 3 pieces of fruit mid to late morning for breakfast but when I started 5:2 I almost gave up breakfasts. I really enjoy my fruit again and could quite possibly be the reason, why this sugar challenge is quite manageable.
Bay, I’m sure the odd glass of wine isn’t going to jeapordise the sugar challenge. As you say it can be part of your 6:1.
Dino, your story is inspirational and very interesting. I am particularly interested in the physical activity you are undertaking. I am due to resume gym classes next week after a long break. I am now going to be doing yoga/Pilates type classes Instead of the more high impact aerobic classes I was previously doing. I have Michaels fitness book too but haven’t read it for a long while so need to refresh my memory re what he recommends we do. When I have some more time I will have a closer look at the links you have included.
I am on holiday at present and going great guns until I fell off the wagon today. And it was those damm Vietnamese cakes that did it purple! And it’s all in my head – I went shopping and in my head going on a shopping expedition means having a treat. Although I wasn’t hungry, hadn’t eaten any processed, starchy food for several days, I still ate not one but TWO of those custard filled cakes. It’s like I have to break that habit. I need to look more closely at your point Dino – ‘ One must cultivate the correct mental attitude’. Not sure how I’ll tackel it but will need to replace the cake eating habit with a healthier one somehow. Hope you’re going to stay on this forum Dino!
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