The FastDay Forum

I am so relieved to have found a diet that suits my personality & love of food.

I was too frightened to weight myself at the beginning, but my partner said he could see it was working & sure enough I had lost 3 kgs the 1st month. A lot of the blogs I have read worried me that you had to diet everyday and fast for 2 days. I wanted to loose wt but not have to obsess about it every day- like I had for Dukan, CSIRO, low carb. I didn't care how long it took as long as the wt was going down, not up. I also decided not to tell friends, again because unlike previous diets they didn't need to know or judge. Six months later with 5 weeks off on holiday(active-skiing), I have lost 10 kgs. Even though I'm still 7 kgs off my goal, I feel so slim & am enjoying wearing the clothes I have loved for years & only dreamt that I would fit into again.

I keep my fast days simple. My fast days have been usually Monday & Thursday, with the beauty of it being moveable if a social occasion is on either of these days. In January I decided to try Intermitent Fasting on my fast days as well. So now I don't eat from the previous night until about 6.30-7.30pm on fast days ( research suggest 14 hrs fasting for women, more is no more effective). I drink lots of water throughout the day. I do have tea with milk at breakfast time, chewing gum, oxo if hungry (high sodium, not good for everyone). Then my partner & I have pork, salmon or lamb grilled, charisma potatoe (only sold in Coles-45cals per 100gms) baked & Vegs or salad. Then later, an almond milk banana with nutmeg shake, very tasty & filling & a cup of tea with milk. Easily under 500 cals. We both love these foods, there is plenty to eat & very little planning ( obsession) needed in the preparation.

I have noticed I don't binge on my none fast days, I also don't feel guilty & am feeling fuller quicker. I look forward to my fast days, enjoy the feeling of not eating on these days, as I know I can have whatever I want tomorrow. The only thing I have to think about now is, is 63 kgs too low wt for my age (58, last time I was 63kgs was when I was 42) as my wrinkles may need a little more padding now I'm older? How terrible is that, I might have to raise my wt goal!!! I hope my story is of help to others as I feel so positive & hope others can enjoy the rewards of the 5:2 fast diet.

Personal Experience. I wish I had heard about this way of eating when I was younger, but scientific research hadn't got there. I have therefore been through these regimes in order to get as trim as I was in my 20s.
-High Protein ( "Atkins" type?), which was drastic, and felt unhealthy, crash dieting.
-Latest Fads only briefly as they are so horrible- Grapefrut, Cabbage, etc crash again.
-Weight Watchers disliked the group cheering, points counting for ever, supervision, did lose weight but it tailed off along with sustainability never mind the expense.
- Cambridge Diet, successful but painful, though looking back now feels like an act of desperation! also expensive crash diet again.
All of these eventually led to putting on weight again and more.

What happened. I was really "ripe" for 5:2 when I saw the MM programme, bought the book, sent it to people I cared about, and my OH joined in to my absolute amazement as he had always been sceptical and oh so logical.....calories in must equal calories out, full stop! He is now successful too. We are both from a science trained and career background and we could readily accept it. And we love good food!

Result. We have carried out our two days a week fasting which I call my " repair" days every single week for nearly 2 years and feel great, lost weight, I went down 3 dress sizes and thoroughly enjoy all the benefits that bring self esteem and feeling fit (along with the gym and HIT). So it is definitely possible to live happily and confidently with this WOE. I have recently started a 16:8 day once or twice a week and found it very easy, after all, I'm well-trained in going without food! I have become a coconut oil consumer along with only good saturated fats and I know that has been a cure for many small ailments. Never touch low fat products.

Reactions from friends,colleagues and family: amazement to see us STILL so slim and fit : "well done!" - spoken with raised eyebrows.....Our grandchildren see their parents do fast-days and respond naturally, "grandma are you fasting today?" Perhaps future generations will be healthier as a result of the example. I notice far less junk food available around the grandchildren.

Latest tests: "74 yr-old" check at the doctor: normal blood sugar, cholesterol level well below average for my age( was never so low in past years) BMI normal, waist less than 50% of height, BP high, but has zoomed down with low level medication and maybe I can come off it in time. Problems with bowels investigated last year and showed slight diverticular disease, but symptoms have completely gone.

Forum. I'd like to reach my goal which is nothing more than a random idea. Only 2-3 pounds to lose and I know I will get there without any stress. This forum is the most wonderful form of support and kindness, where everyone understands perfectly and one can find turns of phrase, advice, and concepts that personally ring true as well as catching a sense of proportion. I read a lot of the posted articles and have taken new ideas on board. So many here are spectacularly successful and happy.
Here, one lightens up with humour.

It feels good to summarise all this in the hope that it might contribute something.

Katharina, what a fabulous post, thank you,

Ballerina x

Great post and fasting story @Katharina Many thanks for sharing, well done to both of you and best of luck with those last few pounds
One for the collection maybe @carorees

I found 5:2 in an article in the Radio Times in January 2013 & rather vaguely remembered the Horizon programme. I had been shocked to see how I looked in a photo taken in December at Christmas. I knew then that I urgently needed to do something about my weight because I had regained 2-3 stone in weight lost two years previously after attending a private slimming clinic on a diet based on blood analysis that was basically a very restrictive low carb, low fruit & higher protein regime. After a two week cruise I had regained 9 lbs & felt very demoralised & couldn't return to such a restrictive way of eating. In January 2013 I had already joined Rosemary Conley online & lost about 5 lbs before finding 5:2. I am a lifetime yo yo dieter having also tried Weightwatchers, Slimfast etc but I enjoy good food & dining out & couldn't keep on starving myself.
I lose weight slowly but with 5:2ing up to last Christmas I had lost nearly 3 stone but since January this year with no weight loss I have also been 16:8ing thanks to Ballerina for that!
I also tried 4:3ing but for me it doesn't work because I seemed to be extra hungry on eating days. So I fast until supper on Monday & Friday, 16:8 on in between days, & have wine & desserts over the weekend. My diet has changed to exclude ALL low fat products because of the extra sugar & unpronounceable stuff that is in them. I have semi skimmed Goats milk, full fat organic yogurts & butter, olive & coconut oils & have come off all medication. I used to take Omeprazole for gastric reflux & daily Ibuprofen for sore arthritic knees. I do still have occasional multivitamins. I am also still online with Rosemary Conley purely to use the diet & fitness diary that now includes all my preferred foods & I have got used to using to keep track of what I eat. I do need to keep strictly within my TDEE or I don't lose any weight! & I now also cycle on my exercise bike as often as I can. My OH & I will continue 5:2ing & 16:8ing forever now because it has helped his Type 2 diabetes & to regain a normal BMI. I also having had breast cancer want to continue to get to my goal weight & hope the health benefits of fasting will help to prevent me getting the Dementia that my Mother had!

Caroline your new photo avatar looks great!!

Why 5:2? Because I like how easy and flexible it is, it works, and I can do it forever!
I will be 66 next week. I now weigh what I did in my early 30's--133 lbs. (9 stone 7 lbs) at 5'4"; I'm wearing the same size in clothes (US 6/8) down from a tight US14-16. My waist is about 3 inches bigger. (I had a small waist back in the day.) In my teens and early 20's, I was naturally slim and active without working at it. I actually was heavier than I looked because of low percentage of body fat (I don't know the number exactly, but whenever I tried to "dead man's float," I sank like a stone.) Highest weight (in 50's) was 187 due to poor diet, job stress and inactivity. Over 15 years, I brought it down some through more healthful eating and moderate exercise, but I was fearful of not succeeding and looking at impending diabetes and heart problems.
Health concerns:
Gestational diabetes at age 39 (controlled with diet); healthy normal weight baby girl (I gained 45lbs.)
Borderline high blood sugar--at risk for Type 2 diabetes, family history
Borderline high cholesterol--heart problems on both sides of family; good ratio
Vasovagal syncope--pass out easily and often, scary but not dangerous, low blood pressure. Undiagnosed IBS was often a trigger
Osteopoenia--no longer take medication; may be better because of zumba?

Diets I have not loved:
Stillman & Atkins--back when they were no-carb. I lost some weight quickly, but could barely drag myself around and regained the weight
Low fat--It was not effective. The food tasted like cardboard; I didn't feel well and gained weight.
Weight Watchers - I lost part of pregnancy weight with it, but disliked the vibe, the structure (detailed, required diet and record-keeping), the cost. I tried twice more, but just couldn't/wouldn't do it and felt like a failure.
Low carb--I could do it for awhile and was successful for awhile as long as I modified it to include veggies and wasn't overly strict. I did it in short spurts, but felt inadequate notbeing able to carry on.
Fat Belly Diet-I tried it, but didn't like the emphasis on prepared foods, and I don't do well with all the snacks and carbs. I don't like to eat like that. It did free up my feelings on good fats (evoo, peanut butter,nuts). We adore oatmeal with 1-2 Tablespoons of peanut butter(per serving of oatmeal) mixed in. No weight loss, though.
Chris's half-assed diet-a little low carb without going overboard on fats, lots of salads and veggies and trying to control carbs. It was very slow and irregular. It didn't seem to improve health indicators, and I was horrified at belly fat taking up permanent residence. Felt & looked old and without energy.

When I retired, my insurance plan provided a financial incentive for achieving measurable weight and exercise goals. I jumped on it and began my own version of activity--fast walking around Europe with my daughter while carrying a backpack with a ridiculous number of shoes (What was I thinking?), attending multiple zumba classes per week, fast walking to bowling and church, and eating what tasted good and only when hungry. Progress! Slow but discernible! But post Christmas 2012, I had gained 7-9 lbs. that were sticking around. I was scared. Then I spied an article on the internet about Dr.M's appearance on a talk show (here in the U.S.) that led the female host to try 5:2 with positive results. I found a clip of the segment, read more info, found this forum and joined 60.5 weeks ago. I mainly hoped for health benefits and fitness. I just started right up, lost 25 lbs., and haven't looked back! The friendly support, intelligent discussions, and overall positivity (not to mention the hilarious stories of Ballerina and others) keep me coming back to the forum even though I'm not very good about checking in or responding to queries.
Today, at nearly 66 years old, I am at maintenance at 133 lbs. I would like to drop 3 or 4 more but am in no hurry. My waist started out at 32 inches and is around 29 inches now. I have a waist and a trim midriff for the first time in a long time! Other things like feet, ankles, wrists and arms, neck etc. are much smaller--don't know exactly how much because I didn't measure when I started. I love just being able to find clothes that fit and look great! I will be doing 5:2 or a version thereof for life--for quality of life!
My version of 5:2.... Usually Monday and Thursday (I'm flexible on days depending on schedule and how I feel) Fast Day 500 calories (or close) . Sometimes I don't eat anything in the morning if I am busy, but usually Breakfast: a few pistachio nuts and/or 1/4 cup oatmeal with 1/3c. nonfat yogurt and berries. Lunch: chicken broth with chopped veggies or spinach/greens salad with homemade balsamic. Dinner: spinach/greens salad with homemade balsamic, non-starchy veggies, steak, chicken, fish or shrimp--sometimes in a taco (sm. corn tortilla, toasted), sliver of dark chili chocolate. I usually have no problem and feel great on Fast Days and often exercise a couple of times on those days. I have called off a Fast Day in the middle and don't consider it a fail. There is always a new day tomorrow! On non-fast days, my appetite is usually not large. I eat pretty much what I want (staying in mealtimes; grazing is not my friend), and what I want is pretty healthy. I rarely count calories, but I have a pretty good idea of calorie counts. I also am careful with carbs--small amounts, good quality, great taste. For my health AND enjoyment, I try to listen to what my body is telling me.
I toyed with ADF and 16:8, but neither fit me. I am not a structured person, and any kind of rigidity just doesn't work for me. Going forward, I think that a loose 5:2 will be better for me than 6:1 or 16:8 for maintenance. I prefer its ease, freedom and flexibility. 5:2 forever!

I chose 5:2 and within a few months, realised that eating on my fast days actually made me feel more hungry, not less. So I do 5:2 with water and tea only on fast days and eat whatever I eat on non-fast days. It means zero calorie counting and zero obsessing about food.

oh well, better late than never?

I used 5/2 for the first 2-3 months, and had a good steady weight loss, but then family stuff intervened early in the new year, and I found myself eating more on feed days than I'd like for emotional reasons, and also because I was staying with my family, so didn't want to draw attention to myself by fasting - so, hey presto, a plateau occurred on my return to Melbourne.

So something @MaryAnn said really spoke to me, it was something like," I don't like to get too far away from my fast days" - I find, as an emotional eater, if I have too many feed days in a row, I lose the plot a bit. I read Krista Varady's book, and started ADF, and I'm very happy with it. I now feel that since I only eat throughout the day every other day, I'm more careful to eat more nutritious food, rather than junk, and that turns it in to a real "replenish" day. I also refuse to count calories on a feed day (life is too short!!), and so an ADF plan copes very well with just eating reasonably healthily on the alternate day, and I have a repertoire of 300-400 or so calorie dinners for repair days. I've also been trying to limit my overall carb intake, but I find that actually quite hard - a lot of my emotional eating is carbs. I do try to eat only non-refined carbs these days though, and I find on my replenish days, in the morning I have a low-carb brekky.

Even when I was recently travelling for 3 weeks, I managed to fast (or at least do a decent 20:4) on alternate days, and despite eating pretty amazingly (chilli crab, anyone?) on the other days, I'm absolutely thrilled to come home to discover I haven't gained any weight at all. I can imagine that when I'm closer to my ultimate goal weight (I'm about a third of the way there atm), I'll probably go back to 5/2, but at the moment it's full steam ahead with ADF. It just keeps me honest.

[Debs]

That is a real revelation isn't it, not gaining on a holiday? Well done!! And yes to the chilli crab!!
I can totally see where that comment comes from,I am the same as I find I 'drift' if I have too many days between a fast. Having said that, ADF hasn't worked for me so far but when I get back from holiday I shall combine it with low carb for a little while and see how I go. I shall eat breakky etc, but low carb and laternate that to see how I go.
Yep, keeps me honest too!!

I chose 4:3 after a particularly bad IBS flareup last month. I barely ate a thing from it, but found that at night and when the symptoms subsided (as they tend to with me. When I worked at a cafe I always asked my boss to give me the latest lunch break at like 3-4 pm. By that time I was so hungry I ate...well, not very good things) I was craving bad things. I guess this has gone on for the six years of my condition - I'd get into a cycle of unwittingly fasting all day and only getting hungry early evening, when I'd want to eat anything and everything!

That in itself did two things; the bad thing is without really paying attention to things like calories or a balanced diet the pounds piled on and I could stand to lose some weight. Also, it meant that I was pretty much used to fasting as I've had six years of practise . A friend is trying for a baby, but as she's pretty big (20 stoneish) and tried 5:2 a year back. She suggested it, and I thought "hey, aside from all the wine, bread and chocolate I'm sort of doing that already!" Three weeks in, I've cut the bad stuff out, strangely enough my IBS flareups have gone down (either because of the diet, or the fact England's gotten cooler this month, or probably both), and have tons of energy. Couldn't be happier, really.

I choose fast not only for weight loss but also for other health benefit include improve digestion, vision, detoxification. I feel really good after fast as it also up my mood. Fast is also important as eating healthy, working out.

I choose 4:3 because three non-fast days are too much for me now. I like it, it fits in my schedule and it's good to know that I can do at least 5:2 if I have more social events in one week (I rarely have though).

I am currently using JUDDD (Dr. Johnson's Alternate Day Diet). I am combining this with a 16-hour fast on my "Down Days."

I am just finishing up my 2-week induction period. I am a low-carber who just received, to my shock, an A1C reading of 5.8. So I am using JUDDD not just to lose weight, but to deal with obvious "insulin resistance." I am losing weight slowly, building muscle and burning small amounts of fat. My weight is 139lbs., I am 5'2" and am 67 years old. I am sedentary due to many years of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.

My weight loss goal has changed from 125lbs. to 116lbs. due to my increased study of what actually is a healthy weight and the discovery of various body weight calculators that many Intermittent Fasting sites have provided. I also have access to a medical scale and handheld Body Composition Analysis equipment, both of which provide me information that most dieters do not have.

I don't know if the JUDDD plan along with a 16-hour/day fast is the right one for me, but it is too early to tell.

I am a weight loss professional and am exploring "uncharted waters." It is difficult to find answers to questions that I have. I look forward to reading much of what is offered on the FASTDAY site and forums as an aid professionally as well as personally.

[Tracieknits]

I am currently using JUDDD (Dr. Johnson's Alternate Day Diet). I am combining this with a 16-hour fast on my "Down Days."

I am just finishing up my 2-week induction period. I am a low-carber who just received, to my shock, an A1C reading of 5.8. So I am using JUDDD not just to lose weight, but to deal with obvious "insulin resistance." I am losing weight slowly, building muscle and burning small amounts of fat. My weight is 139lbs., I am 5'2" and am 67 years old. I am sedentary due to many years of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.

My weight loss goal has changed from 125lbs. to 116lbs. due to my increased study of what actually is a healthy weight and the discovery of various body weight calculators that many Intermittent Fasting sites have provided. I also have access to a medical scale and handheld Body Composition Analysis equipment, both of which provide me information that most dieters do not have.

I don't know if the JUDDD plan along with a 16-hour/day fast is the right one for me, but it is too early to tell.

I am a weight loss professional and am exploring "uncharted waters." It is difficult to find answers to questions that I have. I look forward to reading much of what is offered on the FASTDAY site and forums as an aid professionally as well as personally.

Welcome to the forum, Medicinewomon!

I have to admit that i don't know anything about the JUDDD plan. But I'm wishing you the best of luck