You’re absolutely right! One of the things that appealed to me about this diet (having been using Weight Watchers to maintain weight previously) was being able to “eat as much as you want”. Well, sure enough, and unfortunately, I found that not to be true. When I ate as much as I wanted on non-fast days, I started putting on weight again. The thing is that even when I’ve eaten “enough”, I’m still hungry and could keep eating. Some people do not experience this – those in the study who only ate 110% of normal after a fast day (restricted to 25% of normal), because that was all they wanted – and THOSE people don’t need to count calories. For people like myself however, for whom the “full” feeling doesn’t kick in, you still need to count on non-fast days. The difference is that those calories are now packed into 5-6 days (I do 6:1), rather than 7, so you get to eat more on those days, but total calories for the week mustn’t go up. The only reason I was able to lose weight to begin with was seeing a documentary in which they said that there were people like this, who didn’t get the “full” feeling kicking in, and so I accepted that I would just have to become accustomed to feeling hungry if I was going to lose weight (which I did). If you’re someone who does feel full when you’ve had eough, then you don’t have to count. If you’re like me and could just keep on eating regardless, then you do still need to count.

Correct. I’m on maintenance, so I only fast 1 day a week.

I am three weeks in, and losing weight. The first week I found that I had become so sensitive to calories that I analysed calorific content of everything on my non-fast days. I’ve calmed down a bit now and although I eschew the very high-calorie items I have resumed a more normal eating pattern on non-fast days and it still works. In fact, I feel better – and leaner – this week for doing it that way. I do wonder whether it’s better not to get over-conscious of calories on other days so that the body really does benefit from the short sharp shock of fast days and doesn’t get confused by a big calorie cutdown all through the week. Or is it me that’s confused?!

I can’t help counting calories. I tend to be the obsessive type. My initial goal was 10 pounds. It came so fast, I went to 15 pounds… blew through that and now am focused on total of 20. I am close, and will probably get there in 2 more weeks, after almost four months, then will go on maintenance 6:1. But in between fast days, I just had to count and try to control impulses to eat. I now find it easy to resist most eating, but still like my afternoon cocktail (or two ;>).
I am anxious about long term and what happens when I go on maintenance and lose the fervor of the chase, so to speak.

Hi, just done my first fast day! Wasn’t as tough as had anticipated, but tough enough never the less. Should we be eating our full TDEE on our non fast days, or just what we feel we want?

Those statistics make happy reading! I hope to achieve some success in the months to come. Enjoy your cyber-retirement, Jeanius!

Jeanius..hope you will read these last few comments before you sign off for good!

I have not posted for ages; partly because as you say one can spend an awful lot of time on-line…

I really admire your patience and tenacity following up leads and doing research; and answering so many of the same questions that come up time and time again.

Well done on your weight loss; I wish you all the best and good health for the future.

Sara-gee