janda:
Good Luck!
This topic contains 537 replies, has 177 voices, and was last updated by Kay-50kg.goal 3 years, 10 months ago.
I have stumbled into 5:2 diet (first fast day yesterday) after reading about its supposed health benefits. My BMI is in the normal range (23) and I’m probably in the small minority here who has never been on a calorie controlled diet in my life – so it’s quite a shock.
Having read the book and some web pages it has been quite an eye opener. Firstly, that despite being a healthy weight, my waist line is appalling (book says this is a better indicator of future health than BMI – true?).
Also, my TDEE is supposed to be a paltry 1387 – so 500 calories on fast days is going to be making a very small, slow impact, right? Not a problem, just want to be realistic, as I really want to do this as a WOL rather than short term. I really want to improve my waist line more than lose anywhere else (I guess this is unrealistic tho?).
I’ve no idea what my normal calorie consumption is – (my weight has slowly but steadily risen since I was a teenager – I’m now 45) but still in BMI normal range so I assume I have been eating more than I need most of my life? This does seem to tally with the idea that it’s what we do long term, habitually that makes the difference.
Finally question then, I’m a bit confused about the 5:2 messaging, on one hand it’s eat what you want on five days and on the other stay within you TDEE. Having begun for the first time ever to look at the calories of everything for fast days, I had no idea how high most things are, it’s made me panic about how much I must consume over and above my TDEE on a normal day.
Hi @astumbler
First thing I’d say is: Don’t panic! I applaud your plan to make this a WOL, rather than looking for a quick fix. Well done on completing your first FD (fast day): it sounds like it has prompted a lot of questioning about how/what you eat.
Your final question pops up frequently and people have different ways of approaching their non FDs. Some are clear they don’t want to count calories. Quite often they, unlike you, are ‘refugees’ from years of calorie controlling — and feel it would be continuing a failed, punitive habit to count calories all the time. Others find calorie counting a useful structure, to ensure they are not sabotaging their fast days. I am more in the first group, with an occasional calorie monitoring day. What many people report on here; and what Michael, in the book, mentions as his own experience, is that their choice of food, as well as portion size, begins to recalibrate itself towards fewer refined carbs, more vegetables etc.
The ethos of non FDs is: ‘Eat what you want’ – in terms of types of food, NOT in quantity. From how you describe yourself, would it be an idea to count calories most days, at least for the first month or two, so that you gain an idea of eating up to (or around) your TDEE on non FDs? As we are all human 😉 I would advocate allowing yourself an occasional ‘free’ day, so that you don’t feel trapped. The likelihood is that after that time you will have gained a general idea of what it suits you to eat, while remaining within your TDEE.
Re waist measurement: my understanding is that yes, it is the current scientific thinking, although I can’t point you to the precise literature on the topic. Quite a few people on this forum report that, even though the scales don’t show a great weight loss, the tape measure does – so do keep an eye on both and keep entering the figures into ‘your tracker’, as that will recalculate your TDEE as you change. By the way, there is a thread on this forum entitled ‘If the scales are the same but your clothes are looser …’ which you might wish to check out.
I hope this is helpful – all the best.
@janda77 Wishing you good luck! It sounds to me as though you have hit on a good way of motivating yourself ie keeping focused on the health benefits rather than solely on weight loss, especially if, as you say, you might get disheartened if you don’t lose weight as quickly as you hope.
Thanks Bootsy Badger and Simcoeluv for your welcome. I’m more buoyed by the potential of a change in shape/decreasing waistline more than any weight loss. If I have lost a few pounds in the past it seems to have come off my face and made me look a bit gaunt which I don’t need at my age.
I did sign on to a calorie counter site and seems I consumed just over 1700 calories today, I have probably been a bit more conscious about what I have been eating too, so my guess is I am rarely, if ever, am within my TDEE limits.
However, for now I’m just going to focus on the fast days and sticking to them and hopefully as others have said better eating outside these will fall into place from there.
thanks so much for the comment re insomnia, been on the diet for nearly three weeks, but I dont think ive slept more than about three hours a day, usually from exhaustion around5 am. And not lost a pound.
Started well this week, but hubby was away yesterday, got a large veggie pizza and a bottle of fizz. Ate two thirds, a zillion calories and I have felt like death for the past 24 hours. Meant today was an unplanned fast day.
So, its been a real kick up the pants, still feel awful. Determined though to forgive myself and to spend the nights reading – a book a night when i dont just get up and work.
And to ditch anything processed. Life is too short to be knocked down by a stupid pizza!!!
I think I was reacting to lack of sleep and despondency re lack of weight loss.
But weighed myself tonight, lost a kilogram!!! I think the angel on my shoulder decided to pick me up!!
Help please,
I’ve been following 5:2 (or thought I was) for 2 weeks. I’m not doing it primarily to achieve great weight gain – I’m 1lb over my ideal weight. However, I suspect I may have visceral fat and want to eliminate it, and gain the other health benefits associated with 5:2.
My question is this – my TDEE is only 1420 so on my fast days should I only be consuming 355 calories?? I’ve been swanning along quite happily on 500 but now wonder (after reading parts of this forum) if I’m “doing it right”. I also want to continue with 2 fast days but maintain my current weight – is it reasonable to increase my calorie intake on feast days and continue fasting 2 days per week. (I also read that reducing the number of fast days can reduce the health benefits accordingly???
Much confused and apologetic if these are stupid questions….
Jakeinthebox
Your questions are not stupid, and I hope I’m not the only one to respond.
The 500-600 calories are there if you want them. You don’t have to consume they are your choice.
I feel the best thing I can do , and is just a personal opinion. I have 3 fast days a week usually. On the other 4 feed days I am vigilant about completing HIIT exercise. Jumprope is my choice. Of exercise due it’s low cost and availability to practiced just about everywhere. I’m hopefull this is my best approach for keep visceral fat from getting worse until I can my total body fat ratio down to healthy levels. I jump after my last meal on feed days. When I started I could only jump for 30 seconds before running out breath. I would then do jumping jacks at slower pace. After 1 year of trying to increase my stamina for jumperope I can go for ten minutes. That’s only about 160×4 calories so my opinion is the biggest factor in my weightloss is from the calorie restriction on the 2-3 days of fasting per week.
Milena
Yes it’s my experience that it slows. I keep on with it. Slowly improving my food choices on the feed days.
However week by week is my personal approach. I’m slowly adding exercise too. At first it was very little, just walking and stability ball, but have improved my health and have become much more active. The fasting is just 1 part of my overall agenda.
Samm and Milena, thanks for your replies. I confess to being bone idle – I do very little exercise and I work at a mainly desk job. But I just can’t seem to get motivated at all. I do walk on occasion but not a structured walk, maybe into town, (approx. 4 mile return walk) around the shops and back home. Jumprope is quite possibly a stroke of genius. I thin that’s what I would call skipping!!! And it’s something I can do with no special preparation, or special clothing etc etc. Thank you for a wonderful idea…
And yes Milena, like you I know I need to exercise – maybe skipping will do it for me. And, of course, improving my food choices.
Amazon here I come – for a skipping rope!!!!!
Yes ,i did start walking before starting the jump rope.
The reason was a foot injury, walking was out of the question for me. So I tried to find a HIIT.
I was rope jumper in my youth , going on demonstrations for our heart association outings.
I could tolerate the foot pain for short spans of skipping to get in a HIIT session.
If serious about jumping rope some day. Don’t expect to be doing it right away. I took me four months to get to 3minutes even with my experience in my youth. My instructor used to tell beginners. Practice making 1 revolution at a time catching the rope under your feet . And leaning forward so it passes under your feet. Do that when out of breath. I aslodo jumping jacks when the a rope is out reach.
I full heartedly agree with simcoeluv. That walking is very important if not the only proven method of extending longevity. IMO it’s the combination of fasting, exercise, and health foods that synergies their individual benefits.
Three weeks into 5/2 and really liking it. Both my husband and I are following the diet (although he cheats a little!). We’ve only lost a couple of pounds each but we’re 79 years old and I don’t think our metabolism works the same as it did when we were younger. We’re only exercising three days a week–he goes to an exercise room while I walk on the treadmill. I don’t think we can do much more–do you think this will be enough? Also, I’m diabetic so I’ve been breaking my 500 calories on fast days into three small meals as I thought that would keep my blood sugar steady but wonder if it really makes any difference?
Am looking forward to everyone’s advice and support!
Thanks Simcoeluv, will take you up on your advice and adjust my calorie intake on both fast and feast days. mmmm, maybe now I’ll find it a little more difficult on the fast days. I think I’ll be a wimp and reduce my calories gradually – eating nothing frightens the life out of me!!!!
Anyway, here goes….
Samm my skipping rope is on it’s way. I think I will definitely be taking it slowly – don’t want to give myself a heart attack!!!!
kkirkm I think it’s fabulous that you’re doing this – I wish it had been around when my parents could have benefitted from it!!!
I think at the minute you’re probably exercising the about the same amount as me!!! (I’m only 54!!) Good luck with it – I really hope it has the desired effect for you both.
Thanks for the information and support. I too wish this diet had been around a long time ago–think I’ve been on almost every other one! Would lose 15-20 lbs. and then regain it plus more, mainly because the diets were too difficult to stick with. But I believe this will be a WOL for us. For you folks who are younger (everyone?), now is the time to stick with the program and get to your ideal weight. Believe me, it’s much, much harder when you’re in your 70s. I don’t expect we’ll get down as low as I’d like, but I know we’ll be healthier and at least somewhat slimmer!
Hello I am starting today. I watched the fasting programme and have been inspired. I am going to try just having one meal using my 500 calories which is going to be breakfast. I have been looking at the posts and the menu suggestions for ideas for breakfast and they are not for 500 calories. I always have porridge with raspberries and honey or banana but need more to make up the calories. Any tips would be helpful as I do not have a calorie app. My hubbie is fasting without any food on his fasting days but I feel it suits me better to have breakfast so I will see if it works for me.
This issue has been aired in the “Diarrhoea on day after fast” thread. I hadn’t seen your “Basics for Newbies” thread at that point, but now that I have, I think that maybe this is a better place for it. The issue is getting diarrhoea after eating on the day after fasting, and it seems to affect several people. I have tentatively concluded that the problem in my case may be excessive release of bile in response to a sudden intake of fat after a period of fasting. This is based on the fact that my diarrhoea has an alkaline smell (like old-fashioned hair perm solution) which is consistent with bile, and my reading that bile is released in response to fat in the stomach. I have tried to tackle this by reintroducing fat slowly in the day after the fast. I did this this week and it appeared to work. However another contributor expressed a concern that the actual storing up of bile on the fasting days could increase the risk of gall stones in susceptible individuals, and therefore speculated that consumption of small amounts of fat throughout the fast day might be better. Would you like to comment? (Btw I am doing the fasting for health rather than weight loss reasons, and am starting gently with 6:1 rather than 5:2).
“5/600”, I’m meant to eat 5 out of 600kcal on fasting days? I thought it was 600? (I’m male)
I’m also confused by something somewhere said. Apparently eating my TDEE (whatever that is for me ‘o.O) the day before and after a fast, I’ll not lose weight, … yet you’re supposed to eat your TDEE on all none-fasting days. I are confused. Can someone clarify, please?
Also, how do I get my TDEE? Is it just a regular maintainance amount of calories to sustain my weight? One site tells me it’s about 2600kcal to maintain, provided I exercise 4 times a week. (depends what counts as exercise, so I kinda hate answering that.)
Cheers in advance.
Hi,
Just joined so thought i would say hello.
I understand how it works for the most part,
i do have one question srry if its been asked or sounds daft.
On my fast days i understand i have 600 cals for the day,
My question is is there any restriction to how you eat these?
As in say 300 for lunch 300 for dinner?
Or is it ok to break it down?
Eg.
I can make soup in my Soupmaker to the equivalent 600 cals now from that pot of soup i can get 5 or 6 bowls and when im at work can have a bowl every 2 maby 3 hours so im not thinking constantly about food as my job is boring.
Thanks in advance.
Hello,
I am new to this. Today is my first ‘fast’day and I feel I am coping very well. Feel i have eaten enough so far today and not really thinking about food at the moment. I have tried so many ways to lose weight including home CD hypnosis. I am a type 2 diabetic and have been overweight since the age of 11 yrs (currently 28). My Dr actually suggested this plan to me as all of the Dr’s at the surgery are doing it. I take tablets for my diabetes and they also help with the PCOS. Both of these conditions cause weight gain. I feel this plan could be rather promising but was wondering if there could be any complications with the diabetes and PCOS. I also read in an article somewhere (cannot remember where) that this plan can cause problems with fertility. Is this true as I would like a family once i have reached goal weight.
I also exercise approx 14 hrs a week (spread over 7 days). This includes HIIT, Gym, Swimming, Ju jitsu an i also work with school children and run around the playground at play time 🙂
Thank you.
Hi new correspondent with a few general queries please bear with me.
I am recovering from BC last year and now on AI’s(aromatase inhibitors) have recently undertaken a vlcd – as weight management/loss has become problem, now have just 9lbs to BMI25. think this may suit as a lifestyle change and way to manage loss and management.
Are there any others with similar experiences and are there any indicator that this should not be embarked upon at this time?
thanx for any info
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