5:2 diet

Old_Socks_old_Stick

teaandcakeordeath wrote: »

I've just read the fast diet book after watching the horizon programme. I was wondering if there's anyone on here who does the diet like the programme/ book details- as in calorie restrict on your 2 fast days but just eat as you normally would any other days?

I worry that if I calorie restrict on all of the days I won't stick to it at all (either that or I'll become a calorie counting menace which isn't what I want to do either) but was wondering if anyone is experiencing the benefits from doing as Michael Mosley said to? Thanks.

I just eat normally. I'm not doing this to lose weight. I'm slap bang in the middle of my healthy BMI. But I do use myfitnesspal and if I go over my daily cals, I go over. To maintain my current weight I need 1800 cals a day, plus I exercise every day, that can give me an extra 350-500 cals. I certainly don't beat myself up if I eat 2500 cals in a day. But because of how much I am allowed to eat (1800 + 400 ) 2200 cals, that's a lot of chocolate my friend ;):D

Gloomendoom

Obesecow wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. I've had 1200 cals today and am starving. I don't know how I'm going to fast successfully tomorrow all day until tea time if I'm hungry now. I'm female so am thinking that I should be having 1200 on my non fast days.

Perhaps my stomach will shrink and I'll get use to it. I found it easier fasting yesterday than I am finding it today on a food day. It's probably just a case of mind over matter.

If you put your figures in here you will get a guide on how many calories you should be eating on your non fast days...

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Gloomendoom

Jei70 wrote: »

Well, I am female (and tall), and online calculators say I should eat around 1800 kcals per day if I want to lose weight (I burn 2200). The figure of 1200 kcals sounds abnormally low.

That would be normal for a 35 year old, 4 foot tall, sedentary female weighing 9 stone.

Obesecow

Gloomendoom wrote: »

If you put your figures in here you will get a guide on how many calories you should be eating on your non fast days...


Thank you for that helpful link. To maintain my weight I should eat 1925 calories and for weight loss I should eat 1624. I think I'll be comfortable with around 1500 to 1600 cals on my non fast days.

Mado

murphydog999 wrote: »

You need to add protein to the stir-fry, veg. won't fill you up on it's own and - unless you want to - it will stop you snacking later on.

I have very little protein on my fast days and find that a large helping of veg fills me up until bedtime. But I need to have something with some bite.

teaandcakeordeath wrote: »

I worry that if I calorie restrict on all of the days I won't stick to it at all (either that or I'll become a calorie counting menace which isn't what I want to do either) but was wondering if anyone is experiencing the benefits from doing as Michael Mosley said to? Thanks.

I have never counted the calories on non-fast days... and only do a rough estimate on fast days, and I lost 6 kg in 2 months, so I would say, based on my experience that it isn't necessary. I put on a little weight over Christmas, and it's coming off slowly, but then, I only want to lose another 2kg, so I'm happy going slow.
I eat like the rest of my family; most of our family meals are very healthy with loads of vegetables, but some days are not so healthy and I have enjoyed takeaway curries which I know are very rich.

I would be careful not to restrict your eating days too much, as you wouldn't want your metabolism to adjust and start being more economical as often happens in calorie restricted diets. Plus, I find that what makes the fast days easy is knowing the following day is a non restricted day.

Good luck to all our new starters!:D

azureblue_2

Oh Mado you have made my day! 6kg in 2 months would be fab and no counting? Wow! I'll have some of that.

teaandcakeordeath

Thanks to Old socks old sticks and Mado. I'm going to start next week now- was worried with all the talk on calorie counting on non-fasting days that it wouldn't work if I didn't calorie count too. I generally eat pretty healthily but I don't beat myself up over cake... it's a weakness!:o I'd love to lose 6kg in 2 months- it would put me right at the top end of a healthy bmi (25- am currently 27-ish) which I don't think I've been in since leaving sixth form 12 years ago! :eek:

Mamjak

Obesecow wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. I've had 1200 cals today and am starving. I don't know how I'm going to fast successfully tomorrow all day until tea time if I'm hungry now. I'm female so am thinking that I should be having 1200 on my non fast days.

Perhaps my stomach will shrink and I'll get use to it. I found it easier fasting yesterday than I am finding it today on a food day. It's probably just a case of mind over matter.

I use myfitnesspal too and I am female, 5ft 4 in and weigh 13 n half st and it has given me calorie allowance of 1200 as well. When I put in all the figures to Weight Watchers calculator it came out at the same amount of points I used to be allowed to have on that diet so I feel it is accurate.
BUT this is based on a daily allowance to lose weight and most diets nowadays realise that our weight lose is based more on a weekly allowance so as you are having 2 days at 500 you can afford to eat a bit more than 1200 on non fast days.
I'm trying to keep roughly around this figure though as i have a problem with impulse eating and i want to be in control of my eating not have it in control of me. I am doing the fasting part for the health benefits as i am finding that my body appreciates not having to concentrate on sorting out my stomach and can concentrate on sorting out my other health problems.
Hope this helps you out a bit Obesecow

Obesecow

Thanks Mamjak. It was my fitness pal app that put me off in the first place saying I should eat 1200. I'm going to eat 1500. I scuttled away last night and made two crumpets with flora and marmite. 250 cals so that's ok. Today I feel I can handle this quite well until teatime when I'm having a 340 cal chicken and cashew nuts and a side serving of stir fry veg and a low fat yoghurt for dessert.

gardenanna

Hi everyone. Just popped in to wish everyone luck.

My DH and I have been doing 5:2 since the Horizon programme in August with a couple of weeks off at Christmas and a 4:3 week for my DH to get back on track.

We stick to the 600/500 calories on fast days but eat completely normally with no counting on the other days - last night we had fish and chips in the pub with a couple of beers.

My DH has gone from 15st 11lbs to 13st 10lbs:j - he's aiming for 13st 7lbs. I went from 8st 12lbs to 7st 12lbs by December and have been doing 6:1 ever since. I was aiming for 8st but easily slipped under and as I'm small with very tiny bones it feels about right.

Sometimes fast days are still really hard (we call them starving days) - this week I was so hungry and cold in the afternoon I had to have a little lie down:) - but knowing the next day we'll be back to normal seems to work for us.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE - IT CAN BE DONE