Hi Anne, the best thing to do is to read how to do it and look at the BMR and TDEE calculator in the “How” section of this site. Basically though yes, you have 500 calories on 2 days per week and eat what you want (not how much you want though – which is where the calculator comes in) on the other 5 days. You can have the calories all in one go. Some people like to have just one main meal a day or you can split them up over the day. Just make sure you drink plenty of water or zero calorie stuff like herbal tea etc. It may take a few fasts to get you settled because it’s all a case of what works best for you.

There’s also lots of ideas, support and encouragement from everyone on all the posts on here so give some of them a read too. Good Luck, Linda

Hi Anne and welcome:

The way 5:2 works is you go to bed, get up, eat 500 or fewer calories during your waking hours, go to bed, get up and eat to your TDEE or less – twice a week. On all 7 days of the week you can eat foods you want to eat – there are no forbidden foods, or foods you have to eat. For the first month or so focus on doing your diet days correctly (500 calories or less) and most everything else will fall into place.

Here is what TDEE means: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/tdee-for-the-curious-or-why-dont-i-lose-weight-faster/

And here are some tips for beginners: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/warnings-to-newbies/

Good Luck!