The FastDay Forum

[Betsysgr8]

Welcome to the forum Annieforever!
It is calorie restriction, but not full-on everyday calorie restriction. You can still have the things you love but maybe not as frequently or in the same portions. I have found that the fast days really help to control meals on normal days as I just can't consume as much. I never was much of a snacker but I am very mindful as to how quickly I would reach for something to eat at the slightest twinge of hunger, now I can wait for a bit and see if it's real hunger or perhaps I was just thirsty.
I'm glad that you are doing really well with fast days and have already acknowledged that non-fast days are not 'feast' days. This WoE (way of eating) truly does teach portion control and lends itself to more healthful meals.

welcome Annieforever, The way I look at is that you can eat Whatever you want feast days Just not loads of it. It is perfectly O.K. to have soup and then brownie with choc sauce and ice cream for lunch without feeling guilty and then having a decent but not huge dinner. What diet would allow you to do that without feeling a failure? And then going on a binge. Once you come to terms with the fact that you can eat anything but not everything you will get on fine.

thanks for helpful replies Betsy and Nessie. I have to get my head round this and might take a while. Eat 3 biscuits before bed last night but didn't beat myself up over the excess of calories I'd logged up yesterday I just decided to do a fast day today and see if I can resist breakfast tomorrow so I cut down calories tomorrow before another fast day on Wednesday.
Guess it's trial and error to see what works for me. Managing long term will be the proof of the pudding for me. Lots of weight to lose and I really like losing weight quickly so this slower way will be another challenge for me. I know in my head its the best way but.......

[Betsysgr8]

Annie, What days are you fasting? Mon Wed? Then no need to skip breakfast on Tuesday. Take this one step at a time, First get the fast days down and working, seems you have done that. Second step, work on getting to 'normal' meals on non-fast days. If you are a breakfast eater then eat breakfast. Have you figured out your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)? Those are the calories you should be consuming each day to maintain your current weight and what you should be eating on non-fast days. Let the fast days be your weekly caloric restriction.

Betsy, I have used an online calculator to calculate TDEE but it says 2144 cals and this I don't think can be right as never managed to lose weight previously at this sort of number. I do have an under-active thyroid, 63 years young and a yo yo dieter so think metabolism is shot. I used to always eat breakfast but then wanted to continuously eat for rest of day so thought might try cutting out breakfast and just have brunch so could eat later some of the foods I really like that are more calorie dense. Is this a bad idea?
thanks for your help.

[Betsysgr8]

Oh ok Annie, I thought you were wanting to cut breakfast to cut calories but perfectly fine if you are just moving calories around a bit. There are many of us with under-active thyroids on here and I guess the majority are slow losers but they do lose. Since your TDEE says 2144 cals and you feel that is too much, then go with what you feel comfortable with for a few weeks and see how that works for you. You can always tweak your caloric intake later.

thanks Betsy, I think that's a good idea, perhaps I'll try a day or two around the 2000 mark and see what happens. Just don't want to discourage myself by not losing or worst gaining right at the beginning. I do struggle though with the idea of slow weight loss. JUst have to work on accepting being the tortoise rather than the hare but getting to finally maintaining a weight loss.
Another fast day done form so off to bed now. Thanks again

[Betsysgr8]

Good job with the fast, wish mine was done for the day. Only 4:49pm here .. tougher than usual fast for me today but almost done!

Fasting hasn't changed my habits on normal days at all. I don't have the desire to overeat, which is good, and I haven't really worried too much about trying to count calories on my feast days. I was a calorie counter for years previously and essentially know what 2000 calories a day looks like!

My advise would be that on your normal eating days if the food you're eating is something you've made yourself and you are eating a reasonable portion size then don't worry about trying to work out the calories (I am assuming most people trying to diet are not making themselves pizzas with half a block of cheese etc). However, if you are eating something processed, sugary, fatty etc then take a look at the calories really closely! Those are the foods that push you over TDEE without really satisfying you.

I think that the beauty of the 5:2 lies in the fact that on your feast day you can relax a bit. But ultimately the relaxation should be in not having to religiously calorie count and restrict rather than in stuffing ourselves with foods that we know for a fact are very bad for us!

I have also been struggling with the non fast days. I have found myself overindulging in the junk food - candy and cookies. Sugary treats have always been my downfall. I do notice I am fuller more quickly since starting 5:2, and my meals have gotten smaller. My fast days have been really good and I've lost a few inches and 9 lbs. I just need to get a hold of all those sugary desserts!

I also yo-yo lost and regained my kilos during my fulltime working/studying/family/recreation days.
Over a decade I joined the WW organisation 3 times. I succeeded each time in loss of weight, (over several years in each time period) but, even within a month of 'maintenance' I had regained some of my weight again. I then faced rejoining the groups and tracking and so on. I note that I felt a bit rebellious so decided to go it alone.
I began bushwalking, threw out my scales and enjoyed all my social invitations again. The weight conundrum remained however, so, in a skeptic's way, I tried the 5:2 fast diet.
I love it and need it. I am sure it works for me, and I will enjoy its benefits for my lifetime now.
Wow! Did I say that?