The FastDay Forum

I was out with girlfriends tonight.(I have been doing 5:2 for 8 weeks now, and have gone up and down with my weight since. But this past week I feel like finally got control. I started not counting, but monitoring my calories (a tad under my tdee) and I lost 5 lbs this week). I'm so excited. This is going to be my new WOE. I can do this for the long haul. (I heard that you shouldn't tell people you're doing this because of criticism, but I was with friends (who are overweight) so I shared). Man, O man, did I get the riot act. How bad skipping breakfast was for my metabolism, and how this will bring me into starvation mode,etc., yikes. I felt like I was the subject of an intervention. I, however, have not succumbed to their ignorance. I will continue on losing weight while having a normal life. My advise, even to people you think will understand, WON'T.

#keepitquiet #donttell

Just say 'myths, myths and more myths', and then point them to the scientific evidence that backs you up!!

Although generally people won't hear what they're not ready to hear

Yeah, I'm just not saying anything!

I agree that people's reactions are hard to predict. Being vague is my go to response to questions about my plan. (I usually start with one of these: just eating less...eating less often...walking a lot...watching what I eat...eating smaller portions, etc.) It buys time to see whether they are really interested, just making small talk, looking for a "magic pill," jealous/toxic/saboteur types and about to go Negative Nelly on me, etc. I definitely don't lead with the F word - fasting.

I was out for a Thai meal for a friend's birthday last night and 2 or 3 of the women were following Slimming World - they have lost weight but they had to pick the most boring meal on the menu and lots of discussion about what to eat. I'd done my 2 fast days this week and I had some fried rice (albeit only a small amount) and the veggie curry and I was going to have a dessert but it wasn't offered I didn't say anything though, felt it wasn't the place.

For all the 'haters' and I have to say women can be truly awful to their own sex, rather than cheering us on. You would be surprised about the amount of people who are trying 5:2! I chatted to a male colleague the other day and he has been on this for a year. Fasting is centuries old, something I always say to people who dismiss it. Being positive is a great incentive.

yes well I get a really negative response if I mention this diet to anyone too. My BMI is about 20 and weight loss isn't my MAIN reason for doing it (have lost a couple kg which is very welcome tho!). I get the third degree on my body image and told diets never work blah blah blah. I have only told my closest friends- way too much hassle to tell anyone else!

Having a low BMI I can totally understand what you are saying,toad
I started this to lose the last few kilos and having got there I am happy not to lose anymore weight.i feel so good and my eating on nonfast days has improved.
But I never tell people because of there response
If they ask i just say ,eating less ,doing more yoga,not stressing and things like that
I just can't face the stupid opinions
I feel great and that's all that counts

I have to say that i think this is predominantly a female thing. I never understood why women did not want to tell people about their diet and other things, but with experience I can kind of see why. Personally I would tell such people to F off and that would be it, but I understand that such relationships are valuable to some.

I have told a large number of people both about low carbing and fasting and I have only had interesting or curious conversations.

Haha I got a "fasting blasting" the other night at work from a whole group of people. It was the 4am (night duty) munchies time and I refused the goodies on offer stating I was fasting. Blimey had five people in unison saying" do you know how unhealthy it is skipping meals and not eating, blah,blah,blah"..................whatever, kiss my 14lb lighter tooshie!!

At the beginning I did encounter a few people saying "that's not good for you" etc. But more lately I've only heard positive comments. One person told me a few weeks after I had told them that they had talked to a nutritionist friend of theirs about which is the best so called fad diet at the moment and she said the 5:2. I've also got a scientist friend who backed me up recently while lunching with some friends (non fast day!) explaining the scientific benefits from it. I think the good word is spreading and most people now are interested and often write down Michael Moseleys name so they can search for the diet themselves!

One of my best friends is a dietitian, and she's really scathing about 5:2. She completely disagrees with it. Honestly, I don't think she's done enough reading into it, but she specialises in eating disorders so I think she puts up barriers and assumes I'm starving myself. At first I tried to show her what kind of things I was eating on fasting days, because I figured she might realise that it's not starvation, but now I just don't tell her anything. Meh.

Hi I've always said that I won't tell people exactly what I'm doing my bmi was over 44 at the start + people should be happy that I've found something I can stick to + enjoy doing, only my sister knows what I'm doing and is so pleased for me, last time I was out with certain others I was 1stone down + wore usual clothing that was loose so Nothing! all of my socialising is food related as I'm retired, my next few weeks have got stuff planed and when it comes up I shall say as tweeker says that I'm calorie counting (which I am 3 days ) also walking which most know I've started again, But i'm my own worst enemy coz no one in my life knows what I weigh + I'm not telling (my confessions are for your eyes only ) and there's some who could benefit from 5:2 so later on I may tell certain people, and yes they're always women strange but true that one
So Thank-you all as I leave the confession box I'm off for a 5mile walk and good luck fellow fasters Sue

Sue Q, you generally need to lose 10% of your body weight for people to notice. I'm the same as you, high starting BMI, I've lost 26lb, yet no one has noticed any difference.

I was lucky that hubby saw an old friend who he hadn't seen for a couple of months who had been doing 5:2. Hubby came home saying that he looked great. I had been doing this for a few weeks then told him. When I've told people I don't call it fasting. I emphasise the 500 calories. If you are able to say that you have toast at lunch and something like quorn salad or scrambled eggs on toast for dinner people don't seem to recognise the fasting bit. I already get moaned at for not eating meat as I have only been vegetarian for 2 years and others can't get their head round that either. Mil was horrified that I wouldn't have turkey at xmas!

Don't let anyone put you down. You aren't starving yourself and I bet that secretly they will buy the book just to find out more