Sandee, I am in England and am about to do my 14th fast day on the 14th. I have lost weight, 7Ib but this has fluctuated, my lowest weight being a 10 Ib weight loss after about 4 weeks. (I am a 64 yr old male by the way). What I would say is do not give up. On your non fast days what do you mean by “normal eating”?. It may be that you eat far more than the recommended daily calory intake and this may push up your weight. Look at this and remember that on your non fast days do not “pig out” as we say over here but try a sensible approach and be more aware on these days. Also please do try to excercise a little at least 3 times a week. A 200 calory loss each session adds up to 600 calories a week, even walking is good.But check with your Doctor first. Good luck with the diet hope the wedding goes well for you and your families.

sandee, like Dr. M says in his book, if you weigh yourself the day AFTER a feed day, your scale will show a weight gain. He tells you how to handle weighing in his book. It’s the downward trend over time that counts, not the day to day fluctuations.

@sandee step away from the scale! Of course, this comes from an habitual step-on-the-scale girl =) Weigh yourself just once a week…same day, same time, same clothes (or nekkid!) You will find more happiness in weekly weights vs daily weight (which is better for maintenance).
I lost 2lb first week…Hubby lost 2.6. I am amazed at the energy and clarity I have on fast days. Thank you, thank you for this “diet”

The 5:2 Intermittent fasting was originally introduced by Prophet Mohammed, this is what Dr. Mosley confirm, and he is highly appreciated being fair and frank. Besides the obligatory Fasting Month of Ramadan, prophet Mohammed used to do some other regular voluntary fasting including the two days a week fasting (Mondays-Thursdays) all year long.

Though, When Prophet Mohammed was asked about the best fasting, he answered ” The best fasting is the fasting of Prophet David” which is the alternate day fasting(fasting every second day)..So, though he followed the 5:2 fasting diet , he proposed that the alternate day fasting as the best. But, it seems, it is too heavy for the people to follow. So, this is why he might preferred to follow the first. By the way, Dr. Mosley almost had the same experience as it appears in his documentary 

The Islamic fasting includes abstaining from all drinks and food from the dawn to sun set which is almost 12-16 hours. Unlike Dr. Mosley diet, Muslim are recommended to eat regular meals before and after fast. Regarding breaking the fast, prophet Muhammad used to start with a considerable amount of water alone or plus 3 dates, and then have the major meal after around 40 minutes (he used to attend the Sunset ritual prayer before the major meal). Muslims are also recommended to have a nap during the fasting day.

Not only this, Prophet Mohammed also followed and instructed a restricted calorie diet, as it is shown in his following statements( my own translation):

“we are nation (Muslims) that don’t eat until we are hungry, and whenever we eat we never get full (satisfied(”

“the son of Adam would have never fill a vessel worse than his stomach”

He also tells that:
“Stomach is the home of disease, and Regime(diet) is the key of medication”

i’m from the usa in pa female. a 6th day of intermittent fasting has passed mon-frid lost 10 lbs yay! i’m so glad i came across this. i’m type 2 diabetic had blood test done all results were lower yay yay yay!! dr is watching. still have 2 take meds 4 cholesterol & h blood pressure etc. any other diet was not working and no fun. i only weigh myself after 2 fast days only. on non-fast days it is hard 2 eat what u use 2. ur body does not need or want it u are eating 1200-1400 & sometimes lower. when u could eat more u don’t want 2 weird but cool. the usda gov site helps it tracks everything. never realized how much i use 2 eat. now i really enjoy the treats i give myself on non-fast days like the 8 dorito nacho cheese chips have not bought those in years 🙂

I’ve been eating lunch and dinner on fast days instead of breakfast/dinner. Can I have a bit of 2% milk in coffee (1 tablespoon?) and still consider the morning a fast?

@california: good luck from pa. what did u both have ur first day of fast?

Michael and Mimi, Thanks!
I have just started the 5:2 (actually I do a 4:3) and find the program very easy to follow. Nothing like an induction phase, what to eat and not eat or always counting calories. I too have seen some negative press but little proof that the program is harmful. I know that everyone is different and what is good for one may not be good for another.
I have noticed that I tend to make better choices now that I am on the program (as far as food!). 2 times that I don’t want to give up are caffeine and alcohol.
I usually do 2 meals on fast days. The noon meal is mostly a pop in the oven diet dinner of between 200 and 300 calories and finish with a nice salad with low cal dressing.
Again, thanks

diet and exercise beginning at 10 pm tonight. The programs, part of PBS’ “Exploration Wednesdays,” follow Dr. Michael Mosley of Britain.

Good morning!

I have completed 4 weeks on 5:2 and have lost 7.5 lbs. I am thrilled! As a woman in menopause I have not been able to lose this much in such a short time in YEARS.

In case it hasn’t been mentioned, The FastDiet made #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, hard cover Advice section.

I am so happy to find a diet I can make a lifestyle and live with forever. Much thanks and gratitude to the authors of this book. I look forward to the cookbook hitting U.S. shores.

@Wiltl
May I ask what your goal is 10 lbs in 6 weeks is fantastic!!
Congratulations!!!
Keep up the good work
California

@joyce Coffeehead so so true. wish the cook book was here

is there an american forum w/ recipes so we could exchange them? or is there someone who is a technical guru would create one.

Thank you so much! I don’t know of any American forum, I belong to the international 5:2 forum and am really enjoying it! People from all over the world – Italy, UK, etc. are logging in. This way of eating is taking over the world! ha ha!

Let me know if you need the link.

I would like to add that an official Fastdiet forum would be very nice, kind of like Weight Watchers has their own “official” website with forums. I hope it’s in the works.

@california: u will not take long to take off 15lbs if that’s all u need to do .just do what mosley is doing one fast day a wk to stay healthy. i was too curious had to weigh myself since i only drank water all day down to 206 lbs yay that means since 3/2/2013 12 lbs. what a great feeling.:) not irritated in fact i have more energy.

I was so excited to finally see Michael’s show on PBS in the US this past weekend. And USA FastDieters, Amazon will ship Mimi’s FastDiet Cookbook starting June 4th. You can preorder now. Cheers!

I decided to try the fast/feed after watching MM on PBS and already look forward to my fast days. I don’t have a lot of weight to lose, but was interested in the other benefits. What I have noticed is I feel more awake, aware, and upbeat on my fast days. The only downfall is I am hungry when I go to bed and have difficulty staying asleep. Does anyone else find this?

Michigangirl, today is my first day starting 5:2, but another member of my family saves most of their calories for evening. I’m going to do that too, because if I don’t eat at bedtime, I can’t go to sleep. It’s been my habit for years, and I’m not going to break it now! So I’m going to drink a lot of tea with milk (counting calories in the milk) during the day. Tea with milk really fills me up, so this will work well. Then I’ll have the majority of my calories toward evening.

Is there a beverage you like that can fill you up? I’m also taking fiber to keep me full. Dr. Oz recommends a fiber called Glucomannan, so I’m starting that today as well.

I’m determined to make this work for me!

Hello, I’m a rather staid and reserved 63-year-old woman writing from a still-chilly Britain in Springtime – the daffodils are JUST starting to burst forth but they are yearning for some sunshine. It’s so much fun being in contact with the energy and enthusiasm of – can I say ‘all you folk’ without sounding condescending? – all you folk in America! Thanks for that and all best wishes to all newcomers to the forum.

just watched online @ pbs The Truth About Exercise with Michael Mosley wow i’m going to combine it w/ this intermittent fast lifestyle. i don’t have a stationary bike. wonder what i could replace it w/ michael or mimi?

Hi…need some advice. Haven’t lost anything yet, but I don’t have a lot to lose. Maybe 5-10lbs. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. Another question – when working out on a fast day and burning approx 250 calories, is it ok to consume that amount in addition to the 500 calories? Any advice is appreciated. Thx

lavenderlilacs, The nighttime hunger is getting better! I am trying to eat dinner a little later, and discovered, as you have, hot tea really helps. My favorite is an organic apple cinnamon with a tiny sprinkle of stevia I got from Whole Foods. Best of luck to you with the 5:2!

Well my husband and I have only been on diet 2 weeks but so far so good, doesn’t feel like a diet at all and very surprised that the fast days are nowhere near as hard as I expected (i usually have no will power!). I am only a couple of pounds overweight, but for me I am heavier than when I was 9 months pregnant with my 2 boys! My husband has a lot more to loose, ideally 5 stone, but he has done exceptionally well, 6lbs week one and 5lbs week 2, overall I have lost 4lbs but am really chuffed. Just got the fast diet recipe book this morning from amazon and it looks really useful, the soups look delicious and can’t believe how low cal they are.

Sarahbuz; I wouldn’t think you’d want to “make up” the calories you burn during exercise. I feel much better when I exercise on fast days. And I usually do 60 minutes on the Elliptical machine. That’s about 600 calories. I do admit to feeling a bit lightheaded if I stand up fast later in the day but exercising on a fast day is a big “kickstart”.

I have just completed my 30th fast day and scales show a weight loss of 16Lb. As a 64yr old male my BMI is still in the obese range but coming down. I did not have my blood and cholesterol checks done before I started this “Lifestyle” diet but have just had them done. I have some worries over them but hopefully because of my diet these will improve. Triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol are both borderline high. HDL readings on the low side and combined cholesterol reading is 5.4. I have a 25% Cardiac Risk. Blood pressure is in the healthy range. I know that I have to keep working on improving these readings and that sticking to my fasting days will help. Having done a little bit of research I am more aware of healthier foods to eat on my non fast days so this will also help. I also go to the gym doing cardio vascular workouts 3 times a week.
I live in England but hope you all over the “pond” have success with this. Good luck to you all