The Basics for Newbies – Your Questions Answered!

This topic contains 537 replies, has 177 voices, and was last updated by Kay-50kg.goal 3 years, 2 months ago.

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bigbooty

11:42 pm
9 Jun 17
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What Sim said. I’ll say it again, there is no magic involve. You don’t have to count calories, Ive never counted calories apart from once to just establish what 2000 cal looked like. Its NOT a lot of food. Once I calibrated my brain into knowing what 2000 cal looked like I haven’t counted since. By definition what you are now eating over the course of a week is your TDEE. It has to be as you are virtually not gaining or losing. So on your non fast days, don’t have that second glass of wine, don’t have that desert, don’t have bread with your meal, don’t have that soda etc.

fasting_me

11:23 pm
30 Jul 17
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After 4 years on the Fasting Lifestyle, my appetite has reduced. Long ago, I learned to say no to food if I am not hungry. Sherbert, you don’t have to eat what someone else puts in front of you. As for dining with clients, order food with fewer carbs and calories but more protein.
Now that I am at my preferred weight, can I eat ‘anything’ on non-Fast days? Pretty much, but remember that now I don’t want to eat everything in sight. Today, we dined on pork schnitzel with spaetzle, vegetables, and rhubarb pie. Tomorrow will be a Fast Day, back to 600 calories.
Be more conscious of what you eat on non-Fast Days, continue to Fast the other 2 days, and you should see results.
Good luck.

EveB

10:07 pm
14 Aug 17
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Hello,
I’ve just finished reading The Fast Diet book and will begin my first fast day in the morning, I have a question regarding substituting some of the veggies particularly of the cruciferous family, broccoli, leafy greens and cauliflower etc, I can’t eat these as I have an underactive thyroid and was hoping for a little advice or maybe ideas for alternatives ?

Should I just cary on as I usually do and use sugar snaps, green beans or just more of the other veg in the recipe or is there something specific I should be doing ?

Many Thanks in advance
E

bigbooty

10:25 pm
14 Aug 17
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Im not sure why an underactive thyroid would prevent you from eating cruciferous veggies? Your thyroid controls metabolic rate not digestion per se’. Proper gut flora would be more important for proper digestion. This will take time, Id allow several months. Choose other veggies as long as the starch content is low. Avoid potatoes and sweet potatoes. My guess is that a diet which increases insulin levels tends to make the thyroid produce less T3 and T4. You are needing to conserve energy as you cant access your stored fat reserves.

fasting_me

12:02 pm
15 Aug 17
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Eva, I concur with bigbooty. Feel free to substitute veggies for veggies as you plan your meals. And don’t forget the protein. Green Smoothies can be a good way to boost gut flora, but work your way slowly into them, lest it give you indigestion.

fivefootsmall

4:49 pm
20 Aug 17
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Working my way through all your FAQ”s Simcoeluv. Starting 5:2 tomorrow and really appreciate all the info you’ve laid out. Thank you.

fasting_me

9:24 pm
20 Aug 17
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Let us know how it goes for you, fivefoot, as you begin your 5:2 adventure.

Eva, how has it gone for you? You began on the 15th, right?

Our breakfast tomorrow will be Smoked Salmon & Leek Baked Eggs with Plums. Dinner will be a delightful salad of mackerel [could be tuna], hard-boiled egg, tomato, lettuce, and white beans.

What will you be eating on Fast Day tomorrow?

fivefootsmall

4:10 pm
21 Aug 17
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I broke my fast at 3.45pm with 80g of bavette steak, 240g of steamed veggies and a dab of garlic and lemon butter. I was not particularly hungry but I wanted to get my 300 calories in relatively early as I am planning a long bath and an early night.

Looking forward to my next fast, aiming for Wednesday.

Thank you for your interest fasting_me.

AdelaideE

5:02 pm
21 Aug 17
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Regardless of diet, no one should be injesting dark colas – ever. The acid and chemicals, alone, are toxic.The coloring is linked to cancer. Everone should already know about the fructose.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/01/caramel-color-the-health-risk-that-may-be-in-your-soda/index.htm

https://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/wellbeing/9-disturbing-side-effects-of-soda%3Fslide%3D1

http://www.livestrong.com/article/407851-dark-soda-health-risk/

fasting_me

1:55 pm
24 Aug 17
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Adelaide, isn’t the taboo on all sodas/colas? Why are dark colas [Coke? Pepsi? or do you include some others?] worse? Not advocating drinking them — no! no! Just curious as to the distinction. Their coloring is caramel, which of course contains even more sugar. I’m so sorry for people who seem to be addicted to their one soda a day, which they think is virtuous.

Today for breakfast, a Western Scramble with sweet cherries. Tonight’s dinner will be a grilled Lamb Patty with Swedish Pickled Cukes. This differs from what’s on my blog, since I have to post it a day in advance. Today’s blog features India-inspired foods.

Happy Fasting.

newbeginnings83

8:06 pm
7 Sep 17
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I seem to be getting a lost with all the abbreviations used. Does anyone have a link to a post that might address that? Most recently I saw the abbreviation “WOE”, any ideas?

Thanks!

Scandimum

8:20 pm
7 Sep 17
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I think it’s Way Of Eating

TruckinAlong

5:35 pm
30 Sep 17
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Hi! Is this a possible lifestyle or a short term way to lose weight. Also its my first week and my main concern on fast days is being hyper at bedtime. I know its weird.

simcoeluv

7:05 pm
30 Sep 17
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Hi Truckin and welcome:

It is what you make it.

It is not a quick weight loss diet – the average person loses about a pound a week. As with most diets, most that start 5:2 do not reach their weight loss goal before quitting. What is interesting is how many that quit come back to 5:2 after they start regaining weight. Their initial 5:2 experience teaches that it works and then they realize it really wasn’t that hard to follow.

The hyper feeling is addressed in a post or two on this thread. It is not uncommon for beginners to experience difficulty in sleeping. Many find that eating one evening meal high in fat allows them to sleep better.

Good Luck!

TruckinAlong

7:20 pm
30 Sep 17
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Ive read a lot of this thread and didnt see comments on sleep problems. ill have to have another look through. Thanks for ur help!

simcoeluv

4:16 pm
1 Oct 17
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Truckin:

See my 13 Dec 14 Post.

TruckinAlong

4:28 pm
1 Oct 17
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I found the post! Very helpful

Fosters girl

5:08 pm
2 Nov 17
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Thankyou for your post simcoeluv really loved your post, made me really laugh 😂
Goes to prove if you keep at it, it’s does work, what I like about it the most is I forget I’m on a diet as it’s only two days a week, when I tried and failed slimming world it was
all I thought about what to eat how many syns i felt it was ruling my life,
with this it’s so much better, I can swop and change my days if any thing unexpected
happen it’s sooo flexible, and reading your post as really motivated even more,
Thankyou once again and keep us updated 👏👏👏

fasting_me

11:00 pm
2 Nov 17
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Truckin’, how long before bedtime do you eat? Making the interval longer might help. Also, many people find that catnip tea is very soothing at bedtime. By the way, Fasting is best as a Lifestyle.

Hope you all had a good Fast Day today.

TruckinAlong

11:41 pm
2 Nov 17
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I have taken simcoeluv’s advice and went from evenly spacing my calories throughout the day to having a piece of fruit for breakfast, either skipping lunch because i’m busy or having something very small, and having the larger portion of my calories for dinner and that has helped immensely with the spinning thoughts.
I really like this as a lifestyle. I lost a lot of weight through calorie reduction but that’s no way to live imho. So many days i’d be dining out or at a family gathering and eating next to nothing. This way you just eat normally and schedule your fasts on days when you’re not out or entertaining.

fasting_me

1:54 pm
3 Nov 17
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Nik, I’m 5’5″ with a very small frame. I eat a 600 calorie Fast Day. My TDEE is 1450, which is a nice bunch of calories for me on a Slow Day. My appetite is reduced after 4+ years of fasting. The amount of calories to eat on a Fast Day is not based on your TDEE. Eat the 500-600 calories, eat up to or below your TDEE, and you should lose weight. I also walk 5 miles/day. Why do you want to sit and nibble? Hunger masquerades as boredom, stress, and sadness. Is the nibbling a necessity to keep up your blood sugar, or a habit which you could break?

Seelie

11:52 am
27 Nov 17
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Hello all. I’ve been doing 5 2 for a few weeks now. I also read The blood sugar diet. Having turned my WOE around from high carb to low carb, healthy fat etc, I find myself very satiated, which is a very pleasant surprise. I kept my food intake statistics for three weeks and discovered that I had been averaging 800 calories a day, just 5 2 style. Do you think that doing 8 weeks, (by accident) could have similiar effects to doing 800 calories evey day as the blood sugar diet suggests? I love knowing that if I feel like it, I can eat whatever I please, but I feel so good eating this way, I’ve had little trouble with cravings.

Seelie

11:55 am
27 Nov 17
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Hello all. I’ve been doing 5 2 for a few weeks now. I also read The blood sugar diet. Having turned my WOE around from high carb to low carb, healthy fat etc, I find myself very satiated, which is a very pleasant surprise. I kept my food intake statistics for three weeks and discovered that I had been averaging 800 calories a day, just 5 2 style. Do you think that doing 8 weeks, (by accident) could have similiar effects to doing 800 calories every day as the blood sugar diet suggests? I love knowing that if I feel like it, I can eat whatever I please, but I feel so good eating this way, I’ve had little trouble with cravings.

simcoeluv

6:36 pm
27 Nov 17
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Hi Seelie and welcome:

While you will lose weight on the blood sugar diet, it was not designed as a weight loss diet. It was designed to help reverse Type 2 diabetes. It is not a diet that you can do forever.

However, a High Fat Low Carb diet is now the preferred diet of most researchers, the low fat high carb diet having been discarded as dangerous. What people find on HFLC is that they eat many fewer calories than they used to eat despite eating all of that fat, and so they lose weight. That is why the Atkins (HFLC) diet has always been so successful. So continuing to eat HFLC is totally appropriate. The HFLC diet has been combined with 5:2 for years and is very effective both for weight loss and weight maintenance after you achieve your desired weight.

Don’t worry about the calorie count you are getting, as it will adjust over time (in your case, probably up). Just continue to do your two diet days correctly, eat HFLC every day, and you should be fine.

Good Luck!

janeandmoses

10:49 am
1 Jan 18
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Thanks for this, really helpful – I have copied it so I can refer to it at any time.
Good luck everyone and happy new year x

ebninja

4:58 pm
3 Jan 18
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@mitziday Amen! I’m about 5″4 and every pound counts. I also gained about 45 pounds in 8 months right before I hit 40. I weighed around 120 for years–could eat anything and everything. I’m now 48 and up to 174. I’m horrified! Just started 5:2 yesterday.

Canadian faster

6:48 pm
9 Feb 18
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Hi. How are you making out these days? I’m also 53. I’ve just started ADF. I love it because I am working on losing the weight and feeling better to do the 5:2 to be able to start maintaining my new weight.

ebninja

7:37 pm
9 Feb 18
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A little slower than I would like. About a pound or half pound per week. I’m very strict on my fast days so maybe I need to cut on my NF days. I was hoping for at least a pound per week. You?

Kelly5019

9:24 am
23 Feb 18
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Hi i started the 5:2 on 5th Feb so am almost through week 3. I’m finding I’m sooooo hungry on the fast days although it’s better when i do the fast days when I’m at work as I’m more distracted from my hunger pains. Is this normal still? I thought I might be more used to the hunger by now?

The thing I am finding already though is that I’m less hungry on my non fast days & definately eat less food than I used to as I can go longer periods w.out foods on those days. Is this really the actual aim as you then eat less & weight loss follows?

Thanks

I’m doing this eating plan to loose weight & reduce my stomach size so far I’ve lost 2 cm on my tummy which is great but no actual kgs lost yet,

simcoeluv

9:40 pm
23 Feb 18
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Hi Kelly and welcome:

How many calories and what kinds of foods are you eating on your diet days? And what time(s) are you eating on your diet days? All of these go into whether, when and how hungry you get and, depending on your answers, there might be some things you can do to temper the hunger a bit. But the fact is if you have been used to eating a lot every day and then start eating much less a couple of days a week, you do get hungry, especially at the start of the diet. Over time, you will find you get less and less hungry and at some point you will discover that the less you eat, the less hungry you are.

Over time, the two diet days each week will usually cause you to recognize when you are really hungry and when you are just eating for some other reason. Some also report that it seems their ‘stomach shrunk’ and they get filled up more quickly. So they eat less. The diet days will also cause you to evaluate the foods you are eating and most find they slowly change their diets toward more ‘healthy’ foods.

Initially, people sometimes continue or even begin overeating on their non diet days (because they think they can and even should), but they soon learn that they don’t lose much if any weight doing that and scale back their non diet day calorie intake.

So please let me know about how you are eating on your diet days, but continue to focus on doing them correctly – 500 calories or less. Once you have done eight or more consecutive diet days correctly, you will probably find that you are not very hungry any more, your weight is dropping and your diet is changing for the better!

Kelly5019

3:29 am
24 Feb 18
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Hi Simcoeluv

Thanks for replying. I’m sticking to 500 cal on diet day and have 2 hard boiled eggs for breakfast at around 10 & then nothing but water & one herbal tea until dinner which is usually at 7.30 although sometimes I can’t wait & make it earlier at 6pm! I’ve been eating meals similar to those in Fast Meals & no sugar or treats on those days as recommended

Good to hear that it gets easier & the hunger lessons over time

simcoeluv

3:56 am
24 Feb 18
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Hi Kelly:

The two eggs are really not a problem, and not eating any processed carbs is a must. The only recommendation I can come up with is only eat one meal in the evening – go all day without eating. You might be surprised how well that works.

Otherwise, the hunger comes and goes, and you might have to learn how to deal with it for awhile. It is interesting that people that stick with 5:2 literally never post about being hungry.

Jeff1f

5:07 am
24 Feb 18
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I’m on my first week…fasted (500cals ) Thursday and found it pretty easy to keep it to 1000 today (Friday) looking forward to fish & chips and beer Saturday night 🙂

Cinque

10:13 pm
24 Feb 18
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Hi Kelly,
Just wanted to let you know that I have a lot of hunger pains on fast days and they have probably got worse over the two and a half years I have been doing 5:2. They are in the afternoon and while they do come in waves, and I can distract myself, they are a big feature of my day.
I hope you are not like me, and the hunger pains lessen, and go away completely. But even with continuing hunger waves on fast days, 5:2 is worth it.
I was only eating one meal in the evening, but now I have a big bowl of veggie soup in the early afternoon and that is helping a lot. It would bring my fast day calories up to 500, and maybe a little over it, but I am on maintenance now so that suits me fine.
Best wishes.

Moodswings

7:11 am
25 Feb 18
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👋 Jeff 1f
I started yesterday and only had around 400 calories, I’m starving at this very minute 🙁 but don’t want to break my fast until noon, I’m just wondering how you went on the Sunday and when your next fast day is? I’m looking all the help and advice I can get as I have 4st to shed 😩 Hope to hear from you 🙂 good luck on your journey 🍀 ☀️🌈✌️💖

BevG

4:20 pm
10 Apr 18
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I am 54 and have absolutely the same story first day yesterday and full of hope
Bev

Emma1202

11:11 pm
12 Apr 18
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Welcome Bev, I’m pretty new here too (I’ve only been doing this 6 weeks). I don’t do any eating at all during my fast days but I admit I do get hungry. I drink seltzer water and unsweetened licorice tea all day to keep myself hydrated as that seems to really help with my weight loss.

I’m still playing with the diet and seeing what works best for my body. In my case, initially I found it easier to not eat at all than to eat the 500 cals allowed. Once I open the gates of eating, it’s just very difficult for me mentally to restrain myself. I read somewhere that the more often you eat the hungrier you get so the suggestion of eating only once per day in the evening might help.

For me, it definitely helps to do the fasting when I’m working and I’m actually pretty good until about 4 or 5pm if I keep busy. But after that, I get extremely cold and pretty hungry. But over time, I do think while those few hours stink, it’s worth it.

kaywesterman

4:20 pm
13 Apr 18
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Made it through my 2nd FD with no problems. I continue to watch my portion sizes. Still need to get my exercise going.

Emma1202

5:56 pm
13 Apr 18
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Great job on getting it done Kay! 🙂

Ah-tee

11:07 pm
13 May 18
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Wow, THANK YOU, simcoeluv !!
This is amazing !

Ah-tee

(Brand — )NEWBIE : )

Eddie R

5:41 pm
28 Jun 18
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Hello Everyone, my husband and I are “Newbies”, just finished our second FD. All is going well and I have to say I am feeling great! My husband, Mike, is 76! He appears much younger and is in very good health. I am 66, female in case you were wondering (my name is Edwina but we don’t go there!) I have had some health issues but now recovered and really excited about this new way of approaching food. We both have about a stone to loose after a very lazy winter but mainly are attracted by the health benefits.
I am using the “MyFitnessPal” site to monitor our calorie intake and we are sticking with the TDEE calculated on this site so on FD Mike is allowed 509 and I can have 414. I just wanted to ask if this sounds OK to you knowledgeable folks. It’s not a problem for us but I have read a few posts here which advise using the 5/600 limits irrespective of your individual figures. Don’t want to starve the old boy do I hehehe.We walk every NFD about 4 miles at 3 mph speed.
Can’t tell you how good it is to meet you all, and we both wish you all the success you wish for yourselves.
We can do it
Eddie

simcoeluv

6:23 pm
28 Jun 18
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Hi Eddie and welcome:

What you are doing sounds fine, and if it is not a problem for you and your husband that makes it even better.

Just focus on doing your two diet days each week properly for at least a month or two, and everything else will fall into place. There is no need to ‘modify’ 5:2 before giving it a chance to work. The post that started this thread includes several links to posts that answer many common questions. You might check them out when you have the time.

Good Luck!

Eddie R

12:53 pm
29 Jun 18
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Thank you Simcoeluv, it is good to know we are doing ok. Actually we are struggling to get up to the NFD intake, but I think we can fall 2/300 cals short without wasting away so I won’t worry about it. We are eating healthier without causing me problems. I have digestive problems which I can control by limiting my insoluable fibre intake(wholemeal anything and fruit skin and raw veg) and so far everything is fine.
I first saw the Michael Mossley program last year and really wanted to start then but my doc advised to wait and be sure I had a handle on how to control my prob long term. So glad we have been able to get going now. I feel amazing!!!
Thanks again for your reassurance and good to meet you
Eddie

simcoeluv

4:26 pm
29 Jun 18
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Hi Eddie:

You’re welcome.

Don’t worry about reaching your TDEE on your non-diet days. Just view the shortfalls as calories in the bank you can draw on for the special occasions or occasional overeating episodes that will occur over time.

Good Luck!

Luce68

9:17 pm
5 Jan 20
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Day 4+5 fasting today. Down a pound and change since Day 1. I’m not much of a cook but made a pretty good soup today. Cannot imagine doing this forever. DH ate breakfast and lunch out in support of me an but he’s planning on a pot pie for dinner. My challenge will be holding myself back from ripping it out of his hands and running. :). It’s not that bad and I have vegetable bloat to keep me going. Good wishes for my fellow journeyers and prayers for Australia.

Kay-50kg.goal

11:10 am
27 Jan 21
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Hi all, first attempt at fasting and I chicked out at night. Feel ashamed and bad that I raided the fridge and probably ate 2000 calories in the last 2 hours. Has anyone else experienced the same thing? I know it might take a few attempts to get it right. Any tips on how to manage? I have 2 kids who want food/ snacks frequently so that makes things hard for me too.