Hi,

good luck with your first day!
I am doing my second fast day today and also felt that the late afternoon was the worst time. But luckily, it passes, and we can always look forward to tomorrow. 🙂

I am Austrian, 40 and need a sustainable lifestyle that I can keep up – I should lose at least ten kilos, another 10 if possible. I thought I’d try to lose 10 kilos and then do a maintainance phase before tackling the rest. But it’s early days, so let’s see how it all goes.

How long have you been vegan?

Austrian

Hi everyone, are you all still sticking to IF? Or has this thread died out completely?
I’m also vegan and doing IF, and would love to have someone to chat with on here! I’m currently (for a couple of days so far) doing 16:8, but considering incorporating 5:2…

A bit of back story, I lost 20 pounds on the 5:2 in 2014, but have put everything back on since going to uni in the fall of ’14, so I am back at it. Seems I can only lose weight through IF, I don’t even see any temporary results from regular calorie reduction! 😉 I eat primarily high carb, low fat (HCLF) and also try to stay away from simple, added sugars and processed food, although I do eff up a few times a week and have too much fat and/or sugar(typically when I’m out to dinner).

I have about 4 stone (if not a bit more) to lose.

How are you all getting on?

Alex x

Hi from Australia guys! I am wondering if the 5:2 Fast Diet is vegetarian friendly? I am eager to start the diet and start feeling ‘normal’ again. My weight has been yoyo-ing for the past 10 years and despite dieting with the occasional bursts exercise of I have managed to put on weight!!! I was recently asked if I was expecting because of by round belly. Potatoes are a favorite, sadly.

Hi Floey and Pot-bellied Heron. I would definitely also say it’s vegetarian-friendly! I’m vegan, and I’m doing very well! (Have lost 1kg since last week) 🙂 On fast days I’ve had success with soy granules in veggie sauces on top of zucchini pasta for instance, and that is really filling; or just good old heaps of veggies with some beans, followed by strawberries, or a banana for a snack 🙂 Yesterday I even swapped my protein-rich fast day meal for banana ‘ice cream’ – frozen bananas blended with a bit of soy milk, and topped with a teaspoon of cocoa powder – and some strawberries, veggie sticks and plenty of water, and that was all really filling and satisfying!
Floey, sorry to hear about that rude comment! 🙁 And Heron, carbs are awesome!

simcoeluv, thanks for your input. However, I don’t agree with a HCLF diet being the primary cause of the obesity epidemic, and nor do plenty of medical doctors who specialise in this field. Rather, the consumption of animal products (esp. animal protein), fat and oil is the culprit (especially if these ‘foods’ are eaten alongside highly refined carbs (refined sugars and flours) which is probably why carbs got the bad rap in the first place) as plenty of research has proven.

A whole foods, plant-based diet – including starchy carbs such as potatoes, rice, grains, etc, fruit, vegetables, legumes and a bit of nuts, seeds and some avocado, while excluding refined oils and all animal products – is the healthiest diet there is. Take a look at dr Michael Greger’s website (nutritionfacts.org), research Dr. John McDougall’s work, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, and plenty of other people. Also, do yourself a favour and watch Forks Over Knives – it’s on Netflix. It’s really interesting once you realise the lies we have been fed for all these years, and there’s loads of information out there on this subject.

And just to be clear, it’s not because of this way of eating that I’m struggling with my weight – it’s due to personal issues. In fact, I’ve never felt better than I have while eating this way; I was simply drawn back to the 5:2 diet because it’s a quicker way to lose weight for me (not to mention the allure of all the additional benefits, though weight-loss was my immediate motivation) 🙂

Sorry to everyone else for the long post!

Alex x

Hi allfitgirl!

Thanks for your contribution. The zucchini pasta sounds like a wonderful idea. I am thinig of making it as a pesto as well as a tomato based sauce – my mouth is watering as I write this!

Well I am glad to know that the 5:2 is vegan and vegetarian friendly. I have been vegetarian for most of my life and occasionally do vegan for a week or two but the sugar consumption is off the cgart.

Hello to everyone on here! Flora 🙂

Hi Flora,
Yum, that sounds amazing 🙂 pesto has always been my favourite sauce!
Well, I believe it’s all about slow transition, and slowly incorporating more vegan meals into your daily diet, at least that’s what worked for most people I know who’ve gone vegan:-) but how do you mean you eat too much sugar? (Added sugars or carbs?)

Hi Heron,
No, I haven’t! But I just had a look at the website and it sounds brilliant – just my kind of thinking 😉 have you seen Forks Over Knives? I believe it’s kinda the same message, and it’s great film!

So happy to have fellow veggies to chat with here 🙂
X

I love the movie Fork Over Knives!!

Will have to watch Fork over Knives now 🙂

Hi Ally,
thanks for the food tips-they sound yum. I made a bit of an effort this week and had tofu wrapped in lettuce with capsicum , red onion and gherkin slices – was good 🙂 And veggie sausages grilled with tomatoes and pickled onions, and eggs on asparagus.
I’ve heard of cauliflower rice- will have to give that a go, it sounds interesting and with currie- yum!
I have to admit I am disappointed with my results on the diet so far. I’ve done 5 fast days – 2 and a half weeks- and my weight and size and the same. Also I’ve noticed my mood is really erratic the day after a fast and my energy is super low. Do you find that at all?
I’ve started following a run/walk app so my exercise is ok.. I had expected to see some changes by now- sounds like you are getting great results. Maybe I will just blame Easter and try again !!
Di

Thank PBH, very encouraging 🙂