The FastDay Forum

I think TDEE is unimportant if you are happy with your progress.

It does explain why any diet works, and can identify why a diet that has been working stops working.

The TDEE calculators on the net are almost uniformly high in their readings, and if you choose to check your TDEE I recommend selecting the lowest activity rate possible and going from there.

Here are some thoughts on TDEE: 5-2-diet-chat-f6/topic6600.html

I think TDEE is unimportant if you are happy with your progress.

It does explain why any diet works, and can identify why a diet that has been working stops working.

The TDEE calculators on the net are almost uniformly high in their readings, and if you choose to check your TDEE I recommend selecting the lowest activity rate possible and going from there.

Here are some thoughts on TDEE: 5-2-diet-chat-f6/topic6600.html

Thank you for the link, it was very informative.
Also, you formulate your arguments like an engineer of some sort; quite sucsinct.

Interesting replies, seems some need the motivation that 'Calorie Counting' brings, and some of us dont need the hassle !

I've decided that after watching the Program again, I'm gonna go down the 'smaller portions' on Feed Days route, - lets be honest, how many times do we finish a Sunday Dinner and feel stuffed, or any meal for that matter - its not a good feeling !

I'm feeling significantly better than I did in Feb when I started this, and today put on some jeans that used to be 'snug', today they weren't, so all's going in the right direction, despite my appparent 'plateau', and so after 7mths, I should, and am, Happy.

This is a life plan, so perhaps it will take me 2yrs to get to my goal of 14stone, and thats fine, and if I do, I'll have undone what took me 51 years to get to 15st 7lbs.
I think we all expect results to come to quickly, so I'm in for the long haul,
- just wish I could get my wife to aspire to the same too, but thats another story.

For me personally I have found that I cannot get out of the calculating, albeit approximate, cals even on a feed day, I guess its just in me now because I am doing so well - have lost nearly 8 lbs since May which is motivation enough for me. My TDEE is 1280 and I must admit I do tend to try to stick to it if I can on feed days although I do have a treat occasionally, e.g. I had a twix today. I guess in my head the thought of over eating intentionally for the 5 feed days far outweighs the goodness done on the 2 fast days.

Each to their own I guess and whatever works for you as an individual.

Why not? I don't but surely it is a matter of personal choice.

Why not? I don't but surely it is a matter of personal choice.

The essence of the 5:2 plan, as shown with the original programme, was its simplicity of 5 'Normal Days', and 2 'Fasting' Days.......which works.

To me, when we start tinkering and Calorie Counting on every day, it just becomes another 'Diet' that statistically, most of us will tire of very quickly, and fall off.

If we are to truly live with the 5:2 as a 'life plan', & the potential long term Health Benefits that the 5:2 was shown to bring, then personally I dont think 'Calorie Counting on every day' is sustainable.
Perhaps as a short term means to accelerate weight loss, but ultimately, long term denial will doom that person to fail perhaps.....

I tend to agree with you ChrisMc. For myself, I couldn't count calories or think about restricting what I want to eat on 5 days. I could do it for a while, but I know I would get sick of it. I do intend to stay on 5:2 for life and the only way for me to do that, is to focus on counting my calories on only 2 days. What someone said up the thread about not knowing how many calories are in certain foods is true of me and I have learned to use My fitness Pal to check my 500 calories. Equally, I have a pretty healthy diet on the 5 days, lots of unprocessed food, no take aways etc. My weight loss is slow, but I'd rather slow and sustainable.

I think it depends what a 'normal day' of eating is. If you are anything like me there is no normal. Somedays I feel in control of my food and other days I am binge eating to the point I want to be sick! I don't have a healthy relationship with food and so 'normal eating for 5 days' means nothing to me. It might seem black and white but there are many grey areas for people with bad relationships with food. I need a little more guidance and my TDEE helps me to see what a 'normal eater' would eat on a 'normal day'.

Why not? I don't but surely it is a matter of personal choice.

The essence of the 5:2 plan, as shown with the original programme, was its simplicity of 5 'Normal Days', and 2 'Fasting' Days.......which works.

To me, when we start tinkering and Calorie Counting on every day, it just becomes another 'Diet' that statistically, most of us will tire of very quickly, and fall off.

If we are to truly live with the 5:2 as a 'life plan', & the potential long term Health Benefits that the 5:2 was shown to bring, then personally I dont think 'Calorie Counting on every day' is sustainable.
Perhaps as a short term means to accelerate weight loss, but ultimately, long term denial will doom that person to fail perhaps.....

There are two things that you have to keep in mind:
1. From what I've seen here, very few people lose weight with the simpler edition of 5:2 (500/600 for two days, eating whatever for 5).
2. Not everybody does that for the long term or the health benefits. Some just want to lose weight. And if they have LOTS to lose, losing half a pound or a pound weekly is very slow.

So, each to their own. You're not counting, I'm not judging. Some are counting, we should not judge either.

That's the way I feel too. Just make it work for you - no judgment on how you do it. That is a stressor in itself. I can't take any moral high ground - I can only say what works for me and what makes sense in my head.

I calorie count, measure weekly, weigh daily, do 5:2+16:8, eyeball my TDEE, have days of gay abandon, I exercise at gym. Might be a tad obsessed but I am a happy little camper floating my own 5:2 boat. Two sizes down. Read MM book, watched program. Love this forum capacity to support me. Why not calorie count and mind your TDEE I say, if you feel that it's your thing!

If you don't want to count don't!

Lol@gillymary

Why not? I don't but surely it is a matter of personal choice.

The essence of the 5:2 plan, as shown with the original programme, was its simplicity of 5 'Normal Days', and 2 'Fasting' Days.......which works.

To me, when we start tinkering and Calorie Counting on every day, it just becomes another 'Diet' that statistically, most of us will tire of very quickly, and fall off.

If we are to truly live with the 5:2 as a 'life plan', & the potential long term Health Benefits that the 5:2 was shown to bring, then personally I dont think 'Calorie Counting on every day' is sustainable.
Perhaps as a short term means to accelerate weight loss, but ultimately, long term denial will doom that person to fail perhaps.....

There are two things that you have to keep in mind:
1. From what I've seen here, very few people lose weight with the simpler edition of 5:2 (500/600 for two days, eating whatever for 5).
2. Not everybody does that for the long term or the health benefits. Some just want to lose weight. And if they have LOTS to lose, losing half a pound or a pound weekly is very slow.

So, each to their own. You're not counting, I'm not judging. Some are counting, we should not judge either.

Interesting post. Now I'm curious, are there any statistics on this board of counting vs. non counting for the 5 days? I've heard lots of positive success stories (here and elsewhere) of folks NOT counting calories as suggested by Dr. M, on their "eat" days and losing weight. (I'm not talking about binging or compulsive overeating). Ultimately though, we all have to find what works for us.

I had never been on a diet in my life. I knew I had to get control before I started to have serious health problems. When I started 5:2, I counted every calorie for 3 months - it was eye-opening for me. Now I don't for either fast or normal days. I am nearly at goal and am VERY happy!

Interesting post. Now I'm curious, are there any statistics on this board of counting vs. non counting for the 5 days? I've heard lots of positive success stories (here and elsewhere) of folks NOT counting calories as suggested by Dr. M, on their "eat" days and losing weight. (I'm not talking about binging or compulsive overeating). Ultimately though, we all have to find what works for us.

About a third of the men in our survey reported a feed day calorie number, if that helps.

Small self selected sample, usual disclaimers apply.

Of the total survey sample it was less than a third.

In my opinion it depends where you were at to start with - if you were weight stable and in control then 2 days of calorie reduction will work well.

If you were all over the place or gaining weight then 2 days of restriction may not even be enough to stop your weight gain, let alone reverse it.

I'm always mildly amused when obese people express shock at how many calories their TDEE is - like they didn't eat a lot more than that to get obese in the first place.