The FastDay Forum

I have just checked my daily calorie average which is about 1300 calories because I was trying to stay within my daily BMR of around 1580 & didn't take into account the two fasting days reducing my weekly calorie count. I thought I was losing weight too slowly & had wanted to give it a boost by adding a third fast this week on Friday but not sure if I should do that now? I am 5ft 3inches tall, aged 65, slightly active & 15 stone. Any advice gratefully received please.
Thank you.

Do you feel ill currently?

If not, carry on eating enough from now on.

Isis, don't worry about it. Just go back to eating more on non-fast days.

No BBT053 I feel fine. At the moment a bit rumbly but I have planned a more calorific supper of Chicken Kiev, mashed potato & veg & low fat rice pudding with some fruit. So not fast again this week?
Also thank you Jemma. I guess I am also trying to think long term.

I think if you feel fine, sort out your numbers properly so that you do eat enough on feed days and fast if you feel like it.

trying to stay within my daily BMR of around 1580

Yikes.
Your BMR is the bare minimum your body needs to survive.
Dropping below that day after day is really not good for you.

Look up your TDEE ....
then look at your eating across the week ....

2 days of 500 calories
2 days of at or just under your TDEE
2 days of within a smidgin (10% ish) of your TDEE
1 day of splurge and eating what feels good.

if your TDEE is around 2000, then the two fasts offset by the splurge day will still leave you a deficit of around 2000 calories a week = around 1 - 2 pounds a week loss
healthily
until your TDEE drops as you get leaner.

See, this is what worries me about people combining a low-cal diet and fasting, they don't average the numbers over the week and therefore don't realise they are starving themselves, which is not sustainable.


Not having a go Isis, as yours was an error and that happens to all of us but thinking of some of the other posters, who post and say they are on less than a 1000 cals per day on average.

Thank you TIP I know you have posted this before & my TDEE is similar to my BMR about 1600.
Thank you also BBT053 I have never knowingly only eaten 1000cals apart from recently since fasting. I also agree that under eating is a worry hence my post. Perhaps it will serve as a warning to other readers. I am off to eat a hearty supper with a glass of wine.
I much appreciate you both taking time to post your advice.
Thank you
Isis

Hi Isis,
in that case I would say that if your TDEE is also around the 1600 mark, the first thing you need to do is start getting more active.
The Albert Boorman link about yoga I posted on another thread is relevant, as is walking that teeny bit faster till you are out of puff several times a day.
That and use the MFP weekly log to ensure that your total calorie intake per week does not exceed 5 x TDEE + 1000
getting your head round 'right size' meals is the be all and end all of being a lean mean 5:2 star

:( I have just checked my daily calorie average which is about 1300 calories because I was trying to stay within my daily BMR of around 1580 & didn't take into account the two fasting days reducing my weekly calorie count.

Nothing to worry about, people with your BMI are often put on half that number of calories for several weeks as you're carrying ample reserves to fuel the difference between what you eat and what you use.

but Phil, 5:2 is NOT a short term diet. Its a long term Way of Eating
The sooner people learn sensible healthy habits, the sooner the "diet industry" goes bust. GOOD.
Isis (and others like her) need to learn how to eat like the slim healthy version of her, NOT like a medical patient.

[carorees]

Phil, I have been reading several reports that say thyroid stimulating hormone decreases with longer fasting or sustained calorie restriction thus results in a lowering of BMR and explains why eating below your TDEE on a regular basis will actually reduce weight loss. I'm afraid your contention that anyone can eat 1600 cals x 5 and 400 x 2 and lose weight may not be correct. It may also lead to symptoms of hypothyroidism...fatigue, cold etc. although we have no period that this is happening to any of our members I think there are some who may have slowed metabolism. For that reason I think we should stick to the standard advice of eating to TDEE x 5 on average and ¼ TDEE x 2. Or to achieve an average of 80% of TDEE over the week.

Reading this worries me :/ my TDEE is around 2200 calories a day, I am 24, 5ft 8 and 12st 7lbs in weight, apart from maybe the weekends I never get through that many calories ever...apart from fast days I average between 1200 - 1600. Help?

Soph,
sorry but I do not believe your calorie counting. - either that or you are sedentary to the point of comatose.
try using MFP to record everything you eat and drink (rounding portions up)
because your BMR is 1610 : if you were really eating 1200 calories a day, your BMI would be under 20

Maybe I am getting confused? I do use MFP religiously, but my TDEE is 2200 and my BMR is 1600 does that sound right? I'm not eating much more than 1200 most days though apart from weekends - I healthy eat anyway as I was a Slimming World member before I joined this a week ago. Sorry I get so confused :/