The FastDay Forum

Just completing 4 weeks and 1 pound total gain so far! Would love caloric intake recommendations on non fast days from those that have been successful. Previous to the 5:2 was on 1300-1500 cal per day and not losing. Fasting days are not difficult for me but would love to kick start my weight loss. I am 62 yrs old, large boned and active. My metabolism has always been difficult to kick into high gear unless I drop down to 800 cal per day. Difficult to do that at my age now. Even weight training 3 times per week with a professional, avoiding carbs and staying active did not yield much weight loss. Frustrating to say the least. I'm in this to stay but wonder how to be more successful. Thank you for suggestions.

[Moogie]

Hi Patt & sorry to hear you're not doing as well as you might like with this.

In terms of calorie intake for your feed days, you should calculate what your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is to get an idea of what you should be eating to maintain weight. If you stick to around this amount on your feed days, and a quarter of it on your fasts you should find this helps.

Bear in mind that if you are weight training you'll be gaining muscle mass, which is heavier than fat, so may well maintain/gain on the scales. Have you tried measuring yourself to see if you've lost inches rather than weight?

You might find this topic helpful:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1006

It would also be useful to know how you do your fasts - 1 sleep or 2 sleeps? How many meals? What do you drink?

Having the same issue... starting to track everything I eat on non fast days. They say to eat your TDEE on non fast days. I think I was eating more than that.. my TDEE is 1700 calories. I think I bought into what others said about not worrying about what they eat on non fast days... slow losers need to track their intake more than others... I am 48 with hypothyroidism. Good luck.

Thank you.....I am not weight training now but did for years. I eat an early dinner, sleep, late morning vegan protein shake then non fat yogurt mid afternoon then early dinner to stop fast. OR, one chopped vegetable salad with garbanzo beans and herbal tea for lunch on fast days without other foods. Drinking hot lemon juice with water in the mornings then water during the day. I don't drink alcohol or coffee or eat sweets.