This topic contains 24 replies, has 14 voices, and was last updated by Carla 10 years, 9 months ago.
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Hi Kellie,
I am 1 week in and will get weighed tomorrow – plus start my 3rd fast day. Am feeling better and positive so hoping for a reduction on the scales.
I think there are 2 main things: firstly to plan well for the fast days. I’ve only had 2 so far, but on the first one I tried to spread the calories over the day abd I found this really hard. I then took advice from the forum and on the 2nd attempt I waited as long as I could before eating, and then had a small meal mid-afternoon soup) so that I had the promise of a decent evening meal and I found this much easier to manage. You will find what works best for you but working it out in advance and having the right foods available will really help.
The second point is to make sure you stay within your TDEE on the non-fast days – not by counting calories but just by being generally aware of what you are eating. I have found that the struggle of fasting made me really aware of what I was eating in the other days and I just really didn’t want to undo any benefit and make the fasting pointless.
There are some great inspirational stories on this site (I had never posted before either) and I am really hopeful of this method of dieting working and being manageable with real life.
Good luck! 🙂
Just plan ahead because food shopping when you are fasting is not easy. Finding a pattern that suits you may take a few fast days. I go as long as i can without eating so my meal feels more substantial later. Don’t go silly on non fast days. Drink lots. Diet coke is my saviour on fast days. They are the only days i drink it.
I came across this because I searched here on fasting.
1) http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread27894.html
2) http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread28459.html
3) http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread29011.html
I read the above links and extensive comments made. The author goes into a lot of detail & medical justifications.
Here’s what I netted out from this: use common sense that applies to you & test for the desired results.
Simple.
For me, I’ve been fasting on and off for years. Mostly playing around for the sake of the experience.
More recently, I viewed a documentary by Michael Moseley on fasting, and subsequently his next documentary on exercising. The timing was right for me. He made sense and backed it up with interviews & credentialed research.
He called it the 5:2 lifestyle.
It’s very similar to what the above links refer to as the 40 hour fast.
A lot of this is similar & in most cases just stepping stones.
The Warrior Diet promotes one good meal a day. That’s apparently how warriors ate. Not today’s warriors! Today’s marketplace warriors have plenty to eat & also eat their competition for lunch. Not a position to be in when facing a well fed opponent and you’re thinking more of food than anything else. If you have a solitary work style then the Warrior may be for you.
Enter the 5:2 Lifestyle. Eat as you would your normal work week of 5 days, and fast the weekend for 2 days.
Very simple & you work smarter.
This also has all the benefits expounded in the 40 hour fast (which could be anywhere from 30 hours to 40 hours without eating, just drinking water).
I’m on my third upcoming 5:2 weekend. It also happens to be a holiday weekend. It also happens to have a lot of people partying around me.
I’ll do a modified 5:2 lifestyle. Drink lots of water & pretend to eat & sometimes, occasionally eat. Grandma will be watching.
I do have the support of my wife on my side. I’ve also discovered that when I chew gum and/or eat mints, that my chewing needs are satiated. I also drink lots of water with lemon tossed into it. I’m mostly there with satisfying any cravings. I know that Chicago styled pizza & anything tomato sauced would thwart my efforts, so I’ll have to figure something to avoid those foods or just face it directly and have some.
Again it’s also good sense & it’s all just for the fun of it all. It’s a lifestyle & I’m getting better at this.
Here’s the other discovery, for me anyway, is to stay very active. I strength train the Saturday morning of the 5:2 and run, bike, canoe, or just walk around exploring the rest of the time. I even read more books & stay away from any videos (usually because it’s about watching other people eating). The weekend is perfect for that.
I don’t go food shopping, restaurant hopping or fast food cruising. That’s usually boring, anyways.
So this may be called the new Working Warrior Way, the 5:2 lifestyle. Or something catchy like that, if I were to promote it.
But it’s already written about, over documented, and multi analyzed, so much that I’m tired of it all.
This fits for me, the 5:2, maybe for some of you, or a variance of this.
There is a book written on the 5:2 and a link for support on this http://thefastdiet.co.uk/
But why read about it, this is all there is to it: feed 5 days, fast 2 days. Forever.
Done.
Welcome Kellie368.
If I were to start fasting today I would do things a bit different than I did.
I would train fasting ability until I could do 18-20 hours. I would do this without worrying about the 500/600 Kcal limit. I would do this every day (or almost every day) by trying to push the number of hours of fasting by some 30 – 60 mins. If you feel light headed first try a glass of water with a pinch of salt. If you keep getting ‘hunger’ signal then eat and try again the next day.
This is because I believe that once you can fast for long period without really getting hungry it is a sign that you can burn fat as easily as blood sugar. You are then ready for weight loss by reducing energy intake on two days a week to 500/600 KCal.
For me the fasting alone has caused a reduction in energy intake simply because I eat fewer meals in fewer hours, and I do not need to count calories.
This would be my plan. The best plan for you is the one that brings you closer to your goals. Experiment until you find it.
Hi Kellie368,
I am on my 3rd week on the 5:2 and am seeing really good results. In the first week I lost 4lbs. I have not weighed myself this week yet but I can tell a huge difference.
The way I do the diet is plan for my fast days well. On my fast days I don’t eat until dinner at around 6pm. I find this easier than eating little bits thruoghout the day as i look forward to my evening meal. I find like the book says – my hunger does pass. I start getting hunry at around 11:30am – 12:30pm and then again at about 1:30pm – 2:30pm. I feel fine just hungry. I dont feel faint or have any problems. I work 8:30am – 5/5:30pm and take a 1 litre bottle of flavoured no sugar water to work with me and sip throughout the day. I find it stems my hunger.
After a fast day I find that I don’t eat as much as i normally would – i think because i get fuller quicker? Which is a plus as my eating has got alot better.
I am 5ft 5 and weight 10stone 8lbs and would like to be 9stone 8lbs.
I hope this helps.
Hi Kellie368
Go for it!! I’m 70 and have been a yoyo dieter since I was young. However my daughter bought me the book after I had seen Michael’s Horizon programme. I started on the 5:2 on Monday 22 August and weighed in at 12st 13 lbs. I weigh myself on a Tuesday after my Monday fast(I am fasting Monday and Thursday)1 I have now lost 10lbs, am getting into size 16 clothes again(oh the joy!)I am finding that my body is thinning really quickly and I am loving the 5:2. Cooking isn’t my favourite thing so on fast days I always eat the same meals so don’t have to think about food too much. My husband is so impressed that he is doing a 6:1 for the sake of his health. I feel really well and hope that this strategy will now be my way of life. Hope this helps.
Hi DrLL,
Do you mean that you do not eat anything but just drink water, tea or coffee from for example 6 p m on a Sunday until noon – 2 p m on the Monday (18-20 hours)?
And then you do not have to be that strict with the calorie limit 500/600?
Do you really do this every day? Or do you mean you do it like this on every fast day?
Ninna
Ninna: Yes I fast from 6pm to 6pm – no food, lots of water and coffee and a glass of sligtly salted water. I then eat my normal evening dinner. So my calorie intake on fast-days is not reduced to 600 Kcal but rather to some 1000 but I am loosing weight (0.8 kg per week)
This is why I think fasting comes first then calorie reduction.
Kellie368: Good luck. Keep us posted!
I’ve been doing this over a year now, and wrote a blog about my top tips for newbies since I get asked a lot at my 5:2 forum 🙂
Hope it helps!
http://www.the52dietplan.com/top-5-2-diet-tips-for-new-fasters/
Hi Everyone. This is my ‘proper’ first day. I did do Friday last week but I think I missed the whole point by having 5 x 100 cal meals however, I received the book yesterday and hopefully I’m on track with the process. I intend to do Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I am 5ft 6″ and weigh around 10st 12lbs so would like to get down to my ‘usual’ weight of 8st 12lbs by the new year though I’m in no hurry!
I last ate yesterday at 5.30 pm and intend to eat diner tonight around the same time giving me a full 24 hours of fasting. I have devised a recipe for my evening meal tonight which is mushroom stroganoff served with mange tout and broccoli. The stroganoff is a massive portion and hardly any cals so I will probably have calories left for a low cal dessert.
I am not hungry at all and haven’t even thought of food (until now). I think the biggest challenge will be Friday as usually I’m in late from work and therefore usually enjoy a nice cold glass of chardonnay! Another challenge will be when the children have treats! I have a sweet tooth which is my biggest downfall.
I have just ordered the recipe book though after I’d seen the negative feedback comments online however, I’ve loads of ideas for meals and love cooking so I am excited to get started.
I read the book tells you to measure and weigh beforehand. I may do this but if my clothes feel better and I look better in the mirror then I’m happy with that. I do not want to get obsessed with the scales as it can be very demotivating I=when the needle doesn’t move in the right direction! How does anyone else feel about this..should I weigh myself?
Tips and comments from experts and newbies would be greatly received.
Good luck to everyone.
Hi – I have eaten my main meal m stroganoff with carrots and broccoli. I also had cals left for 6 almonds and 3 glasses of soda with a tiny dash of lime cordial and lots of ice. I am very full and don’t have the sweet craving I often get this time of night.
I have devised a recipe (changed a few things) for my meal wed which is around 340 cals. I call it apple chicken.
2x onions
900g chicken thighs (skinned, boned and fat cut off)
2 x garlic cloves
1tbsp plain flour
250/300 ml of apple juice
1tbsp wholgrain mustard
….fry onions till soft in 2 tbsp of hot water (keep checking it doesn’t burn and add more hot water as it evaporates)
add thighs until slightly browned
dust/sprinkle over the flour and crushed garlic and cook for a few mins (don’t let it burn)
stir in the apple juice approx 250 ml of it and bring to boil
then simmer no lid on and stir in mustard and simmer for 10 mins no lid
add a lid and cook on low for 15-20 mins (you may want to add the remaining apple juice at this point). I sometimes add a little cinnamon and chilli powder to this. Enjoy. It migh not be everyone’s cup of tea! You can use chicken breast/lean pork or turkey, which is a healthier option.
Hi – I thought I’d post a marinade which I make for my children which we all like. It’s a bit of a Sat night marinade; I marinade chicken the night before and eat it diced on skewers (nicer than a take-a-way leaving room for ice cream or goodies and cheaper). The marinade is quite high in cals (total of 144 cals approx) but it goes a long way if you marinade the meat the nigh before.
you will require:-
2tbsp maple Syrup
1tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 small crushed garlic clove (optional)
zest from an orange
1-2tbsp soy sauce (to taste)
PS. THE APPLE CHICKEN SERVES 4 PEOPLE
1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
Reminder – if you are putting meat on skewers remember to soak them in water first!
I know that there is a certain nervousness when undertaking your first fast day. But it does get easier. Here are my Top 10 tips for anyone looking to start their first Fast Day.
Anyone have any additional tips and advice?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbOUy8RUgDA
Hello Kgb48 🙂
Welcome to the last diet you will ever need! Started the 5:2 last August and reached my target weight by February.
http://mymorningcup-chc.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-cup-of-success-52-diet.html
Started at a little over 170 lbs and am currently at 135 lbs and doing the 6:1 to maintain it. The best part is that if I see any sign of “creeping back up” I can just start the 5:2 or 4:3 and get rid of it quickly.
My best tips would be
Don’t let others discourage you. There will always be naysayers…ignore them. Better yet…show them…by getting the body/health you have always wanted!
If you plateau don’t get discouraged. Sometimes ramping up to a 4:3 seems to kick start things again.
Measure everywhere. Some weeks the scale doesn’t budge but the measurements shrink.
If you have a binge day…let it go…start fresh the next day and don’t beat yourself up over it.
Don’t overthink this diet. 2 days a week keep at 500 calories and the rest of the time eat what you like (reasonable portions of course). My best-friend called this my Cupcake Diet,because occasionally on the Non-Fast Days I would start the morning with a nice bakery chocolate cupcake…lol.
Drop the unhealthy associations we have been taught through years and years of yo-yo dieting…foods aren’t good or evil…and drop the guilt and feeling of failure…every day is a new beginning on this diet.
On typical eating occasions (Christmas and such) or on holiday…drop the diet all together…enjoy living life and savoring what there is to savor…you can pick it up the next day or when you return from Holiday.
You CAN do this! Wishing you much success…and looking forward to followig your progress!
Carla
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