perhaps this has been asked before, but I am starting today and wondered if it was ok for the fast days to literally fast and only drink water for the day?

Hi fellow 5:2ers, my question is in regards to TDEE and fasting day calories. I am female, 48yo, 160cm and started out at 82.3kg. Weigh in day today (end of Week 4) and I have lost 3.7kg thus far. My fast days have always been 500 calories however I have just realised that I should (possibly) be changing my fast day calorie count based on my TDEE which would put me back to 415 calories on fast day this week which equals one quarter of my TDEE. Is it necessary to change your fast day calories based on your TDEE? I confess that sticking to my 500 can be challenging enough on some days and a breeze on others. Will staying with 500 calories and not changing based on my TDEE impede my progress eventually as it hasn’t impacted so far given that I am happy to lose small amounts of weight each week and don’t need to see huge numbers to keep up the motivation. Reflecting on that, I think my motivation would probably decrease trying to plan for less than my 500. I recently read the Fast Beach Diet plans and they still account for 500 calories/fast day and surely they would be based on having lost weight each week. Any advice? Thanks, Tania

I’m not the expert, but 500 cal fast day is still a calorie restriction day. So its what your comfortable with.

Another way to look at it is if you struggle with less 500. Say the 415. That’s 85 calorie difference. That’s 1lb = 3500
3500 divided by 85 is approx 41. So the extra 85 calories will only make a pound of difference after 41 fasts.

Not a significant amount. So the important thing is become successful at getting through the fasts days . Wether using all 500 or just 1. It’s just important that you do it.

My personal experience is that when I go zero calorie fast days . I tend to have a big appetite on the feed day., but when I use all 600 allotted to me Im very comfortable sticking to three meals under TDEE on feed days.
Best wishes!

I read that you do the diet as follows.
Go to bed, get up and have only 500/600 calories for the day/night then go to bed and start normal eating at breakfast.
In the book it says you can try doing 2pm -2pm or supper time to supper time(is that dinner time, we don’t have ‘supper’ here). It’s two different things and I’m confused.
I have done both now and find the second option easier for me (6.30pm to 6.30pm). I felt really sick, dizzy, unable to concentrate on more than one thing and had a terrible headache with the first option.
Can you please clarify this, I’ve re-read the parts in the book that mention this a number of times, then read something different on here.
Thanks

Hi Simcoeluv and SAMM, thanks for the feedback. I alter my TDEE each way as it goes down and generally do not reach my allocated TDEE, unless I have a bit of a treat day, and then I will reach it. Given that, I will most likely stick to my 500 on fast days rather than stressing out and overindulging the next day. I think I will keep in mind though that if I don’t reach my 500 and I am not hungry I won’t bother trying to make sure I eat up the 500 cals. Slow weight loss I feel is better for me. I did Weight Watchers last year and lost ten kilos in 3.5 months but I always felt so deprived and if I did indulge I was always disappointed by the lack of weight loss. In the end I put the weight back on. I find the 5:2 approach much more friendly and I’m happy to have two fast low calorie day if it means I can have the latte or some dessert on the other days. In fact, I find because I’m not “restricted” all the time that I crave indulgence foods less. So, hopefully this just becomes a lifestyle change for me and I can manage to keep the weight off once I lose what I need to.

Have a lovely week and thanks again for the feedback 🙂 Take care, Tania

Hi Suthers, I noticed your profile says you restrict your calories to 1000 per day and still don’t lose weight. Have you had your thyroid checked? My sister has an under-active thyroid and always found it so difficult to lose any weight she was putting on until she was diagnosed. I know how terribly demotivating it can be to try so hard to do something and not see the results so I hope the 5:2 works for you. Take care, Tania

Health benefits of dried vs. fresh blueberries – related questions
Originally Published: January 26, 2007

Dear Alice,
Do dried blueberries have the same health benefits as fresh blueberries?

Thanks,
Maria

Dear Maria,

Blueberries are often referred to as a “superfruit,” and for good reason! Whether fresh, frozen, or dried, blueberries have a ton of nutrients that make them a healthy addition to a balanced diet. While both dried and fresh blueberries have health benefits, you correctly guessed that there are important differences between them as well, including:

Calories and sugar. One cup of fresh blueberries contains about 84 calories and 15 grams of sugar, while one cup of dried blueberries has over 500 calories and 100 grams of sugar. So, while you might be able to eat raw blueberries in larger quantities without worry, paying attention to portion size may be important when eating them dried (especially for diabetics!). But because they’re so calorie dense, dried fruits may be a healthy choice for athletes looking for a quick energy boost.
Antioxidant content. Up to 40 or 50 percent of the antioxidants in blueberries are lost in the drying process, meaning fresh and frozen blueberries have more antioxidants than dried ones. Certain drying processes may remove more antioxidants than others — specifically blueberries that are heat dried and processed with an osmotic treatment (soaking the blueberries in a solution that helps them dry faster) lose more than those that don’t get an osmotic treatment. Also, freeze-dried blueberries tend to lose fewer antioxidants than those that are heat dried. Dried or not, blueberries are an excellent source of antioxidants, with one cup of fresh berries containing up to ten times your daily serving of antioxidants (Go Ask Alice! has more information on Antioxidants and why these compounds are important).
Fiber. Dried blueberries come out on top in this category, containing up to twelve grams of fiber per cup versus the three to four grams per cup in fresh blueberries. Twelve grams of fiber satisfies almost half of your daily fiber requirement, making dried blueberries a bowel movement-friendly snack. 
Sulfites. Sometimes sulfur dioxide is used to process dried blueberries, which can induce asthma symptoms in sulfite-sensitive or allergic people. You may want to make sure to read the package carefully if this is a concern for you.
To sum things up, both dried and fresh blueberries have nutritional benefits, with studies showing that blueberries may lower cholesterol, promote cardiovascular health, prevent breast cancer, and provide all the benefits of antioxidants. However, all blueberries are not made equal: while dried blueberries can be a fiber-rich tasty treat, they’re also packed with sugar and calories that could be unhealthy when eaten in large quantities. Fresh blueberries don’t have as much fiber, but they’re low in sugar and calories and are bursting with health-promoting antioxidants. You might think about incorporating both into your diet, with dried fruit in moderation. If you are a Columbia student and you want some additional help or advice, you can make an appointment with a registered dietitian by contacting Medical Services (Morningside) or Student Health (CUMC). You can also check out the Get Balanced! Guide to Healthier Eating for more information on how to make healthier nutrition decisions.

Here’s hoping you enjoy some blueberries berry soon!
ALICE

——–
It’s my understanding that eating blueberries also helps as a hypertension prevention food.

I should clarify from the above post that the last food I ate was on Sunday evening around 18:00 followed by 200 cal breakfast on Monday, 400 cal evening meal, then breakfast at 07:00 Tuesday, so 600 calories in 36 hours in case anyone thought my maths was bad.

Thanks Simcoeluv 🙂

Hi PeelyWally, I am relatively new to this too however my understanding from the book is you can have your 600 calories based on, as you said, in total a 36 hour fasting period. That is your fasting starts when you go to bed Sunday night, consume only 600 calories during Monday and then eat normally again upon waking on a Tuesday.

Those who do the 24 hour fast, and please someone more experienced please correct me if I am wrong, say from 8am Monday to 8am Tuesday are not usually eating any calories during that period. I am sure the book mentioned you could do it either way however I find it easier to have my 500 (for a girl) calories over the longer fasting period than to go without food completely for 24 hours.

Hope that helps. Take care, Tania

Hi,

I just started the 52 fast yesterday. Unfortunately it did not go well. I followed one of the diet sheets in the original 52 book eating porridge and blueberries for breakfast and a chicken stir fry for dinner. I drank lots of water but no coffee (which I usually do) as I do not like it black. I could deal with the hunger my problem was extreme nausea, dizziness and I was very lightheaded so much so that I found it extremely difficult to get anything done. I went for a walk and found it difficult to walk in a straight line. I was awake all night with nausea and this morning was sick. I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. Are there any solutions or am I not suitable for the 52 diet? I am a huge fan and would love to do it but as I have a job, a house to run (my husband works away for part of the week) and an active 2 year old, I could not really continue with days like yesterday. Today it will be an easy day as I do not really feel like eating.
Thanks

Thanks for your reply Anna. I really want to do the 52 diet. I lost 7-8lbs through illness this time last year and was delighted but unfortunately have regained those lost pounds since June (being away with my husband while he was working abroad for a few months combined with careless eating while looking after my son who was very ill at the time). Could I eat more than 500 calories per fast day and still lose weight? I am more of a grazer than a large meal eater and find it difficult to sleep if I eat late. Where possible I eat my main meal at lunch time. Could I start on 800 – 1000 calories or as little as I can cope with, even if it were for 3 days and work downwards? I do not mind a slow weight loss as long as I lose it. I would also like to gain the health benefits from IF but perhaps that will come in time. Vomiting the morning after a fast is not ideal. I am fine now but it took until lunch time for me to “come around”. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks

5:2
Just guessing , but would start on probiotics . And drink water drinks like teas instead of diet sodas?

Perhaps a conversationtion with you general practitioner for referral for a dietitian . Safe than sorry please!
You may find the semi fasting more favorable to detox foods.

Good luck and keep us posted!

MillieC
I do the 4:3 @ 600
2 meals 300cal each and go to bed early.

Snacks are tea with stevia . A zero calorie sweet .

My preference is dandelion tea , but green tea with lemon also good.

Hello, I am a newbie. I plan to start in the morning. I have 30 lbs to lose. However, I have one question. In the opening statement by simcoeluv it said you fasted at 5/600 and 2 days of your normal TDEE. However, when I read the home page it indicated you did 2 days of fasting and 5 days of normal TDEE or below calorie intake. Which is it?

Simco,

Many years ago I read an article about European settlers in the Americas, and the detrimental effect on their health when they necessarily started eating as (they thought) the natives did. However, their mistake was to eat the lean but not the fat, whereas the indigenous peoples were eating it all…

Seems we’ve always been fussy eaters, and slow learners!

Hi – Just starting out, first fast day – I feel its gone well:

Boiled egg for breakfast after gym, slow roasted tomato soup for lunch and then for dinner steamed Courgettes, broccoli, fine beans, spinach and asparagus with a piece of lemon infused cod for dinner. One cup of tea with skimmed milk. 406 Cals in total, I may have a low fat alpro yoghurt to fill the gap. Or some more tea.

My question is this – on non fast days – we are asked to eat about 2000 cals, however, I use MyFitnessPal and can say that I average around 1500 cals per day, do I have to increase my cal intake on non fast days or am i allowed to keep it around these mark?

Hi I’m a Newbie and a LOACA. Have read your run of comments from this post. I find that on the “fast” days I tend to gravitate to vegetables and fruits. I make lots of vegetable soup combinations with bouillon and jazz up the taste with ginger and cilantro and other fresh herbs and spices. My husband is not on 5:2 but he’s started to ask me to make enough for him! Secondly, on my “normal” day, I tend to carry on being conscious of calories. It puts me in that mind-set yet I know that I can nosh on anything I want. Have I lost any weight? I bounce back and forth within a 2 pound spread. I don’t have much to lose — just 7 lbs or so but those are the hardest to lose! Just the same, I love this plan. It is flexible and makes me aware of what I put in my mouth!

No extra calories once you’re established in the 5:2 lifestyle Kgml27. Don’t worry, you CAN do pretty much anything on an empty stomach once you’re used to this WOE.

However, if you’re a newbie and/or just starting to introduce exercise on a fastday, then give yourself a little leeway while you’re finding your feet. Fastdays shouldn’t be so horrendous that you dread them (quite the contrary), so give yourself a little extra allowance to start with IF you REALLY need it.

I recommend exercising on an empty stomach and eating your full allowance after your workout if it’s in the evening, or if it’s in the middle of the day, try a protein shake/glass of milk, soup or fruit after the exercise and save as many calories as you can for the evening meal.

Hi. I’m now in my 9th week of the 5:2 diet. According to my scales sometimes I’ve lost 4lbs and sometimes I’ve lost 7 lbs. I’m a 32 Year old female and at the start of the diet I hoped (and still hope) to lose a stone and a half…so 21 lbs. I know people lose at different rates but I’m starting to lose faith and I don’t want to! I never ever go past the ‘lost 7 lb mark’ I used to really enjoy my fasting days but as my weight loss seems to be slow I’m getting disheartened now. Please help!

Hi. I’m now in my 9th week of the 5:2 diet. According to my scales sometimes I’ve lost 4lbs and sometimes I’ve lost 7 lbs. I’m a 32 Year old female and at the start of the diet I hoped (and still hope) to lose a stone and a half…so 21 lbs. I know people lose at different rates but I’m starting to lose faith and I don’t want to! I never ever go past the ‘lost 7 lb mark’ I used to really enjoy my fasting days but as my weight loss seems to be slow I’m getting disheartened now. Please help!

Hi Lollie82, I know what you mean about feeling down hearted. I did 2 weeks of fasting, lost 3 lbs, then went away for 4 days (eat and drank more than I was used to) and gained 6lbs!!!!! I think my problem is that I probably eat more than I THINK I do, on non fast days. Maybe keeping a record of exactly what you eat on non fast days may help? Don’t give up, for some people, it does take longer to see results. How much have you got to lose? I want/aim to lose 10 -12lbs but don’t think that’s possible in 4 weeks (not judging by my past record!!) but will keep on trying. Please let me know how you get on and just remember, we are all in the same boat and are all trying to reach our goals.