The FastDay Forum

Hi, I have a question. Im on my 2nd day fast just started. I did the 1st one on sun. after a big breakfast & fasted from 12 noon till 12 noon. I had 300 calories befor going to bed. Then yesterday after dinner I started my 2nd fast going from 5pm till 5pm today. I had 210 calories so far. My question is if you start the fast later in the day do you still get the 500 calories & does it work as well since your not starting on an empty stomach like if you did after sleeping all nite & started when waking up? It seems you would have more hours that way. Thankyou.

[Betsysgr8]

I start my fast after normal dinner night before, sleep and wake to fast day, consume 500 cals til morning the following day. So basically for the duration of 3 traditional meals I've only consumed 500 cals. Many of us go 24 hours (dinner night before fast to fast day dinner) before consuming our 500 cals (or less) in one meal (dinner) then sleep and resume normal meals til next time we fast.

You can also click on the 5:2 FAQ bubble at the top of the screen for more information.

I do the same. Have dinner, go to bed, wake up, eat 500 calories throughout the day, go to bed, the end.

Hi Donna57,
I do the same as Betsysgr8, eat as normal on the day before fasting, go to bed, wake up, fast (eating 500 calories), go to bed , wake up eat as normal. There are a lot of people who do something similar to you, perhaps they can give you some tips. Good luck

Hi and welcome:

As mentioned above, the 5:2 way is to go to bed, get up, eat 500 cal. or less during your waking hours, go to bed, get up and eat normally.

I am a big believer of doing it this way, because it is the 'fasting' that is the heart of this way of eating. To the extent you try to mitigate the effects of fasting by eating more often than that you temper the effect of the fasting and turn what you are doing into a simple eat less two days a week diet. 5:2 can be very accommodative to your lifestyle, but if accommodating means reducing the effects of the fasting, why do it?

Hi and welcome:

As mentioned above, the 5:2 way is to go to bed, get up, eat 500 cal. or less during your waking hours, go to bed, get up and eat normally.

I am a big believer of doing it this way, because it is the 'fasting' that is the heart of this way of eating. To the extent you try to mitigate the effects of fasting by eating more often than that you temper the effect of the fasting and turn what you are doing into a simple eat less two days a week diet. 5:2 can be very accommodative to your lifestyle, but if accommodating means reducing the effects of the fasting, why do it?

I do it for weight loss. I don't fast for extended periods within the day, sometimes I even have 5 small meals within a fast day...
But you still need 500 in 36 hours even for weight loss...

Thanks for the input. I got the 2 to 2 out of the book. Why did he suggest it if it doesnt work? I feel like I just wasted 2 days.

Here's a link to an earlier thread about this (if I can work out how to do it)
5-2-diet-f7/topic2063.html?hilit=sleeps

Hope this helps

I fast in the same way same as those who already replied by the way.

While you're here why no put your stats into the progress tracker so that you can enjoy the nice trend line going down

Thanks for the input. I got the 2 to 2 out of the book. Why did he suggest it if it doesnt work? I feel like I just wasted 2 days.

You didn't waste 2 days, you just did it differently from the majority of us - think of it as easing your way in

In an case, you ate less calories than you would have done so that's got to be a bonus

... 'fasting' that is the heart of this way of eating. To the extent you try to mitigate the effects of fasting by eating more often than that you temper the effect of the fasting and turn what you are doing into a simple eat less two days a week diet. 5:2 can be very accommodative to your lifestyle, but if accommodating means reducing the effects of the fasting, why do it?

I agree completely with this assessment.

FWIW, nibbling throughout the day may be one way to accomodate an initial transition into this WOE, but it's not recommended in the book (primarily on page 68) from several different sources. And again (with likely equivalence) on pages 34-35.

ADF, as I mentioned above, I do it for weight loss and not for the whatever benefits of fasting. If one is doing it only to lose weight, there is absolutely no reason not to nibble.

Hi, I have a question. Im on my 2nd day fast just started. I did the 1st one on sun. after a big breakfast & fasted from 12 noon till 12 noon. I had 300 calories befor going to bed. Then yesterday after dinner I started my 2nd fast going from 5pm till 5pm today. I had 210 calories so far. My question is if you start the fast later in the day do you still get the 500 calories & does it work as well since your not starting on an empty stomach like if you did after sleeping all nite & started when waking up? It seems you would have more hours that way. Thankyou.

To be honest it sounds as though you are complicating things a bit.

If you're not starting on an empty stomach your current way..

a) eat a little less the day before, or

b) extend the fast a little longer, or

c) eat a little less during the fast.



I fasted yesterday, straight after my night shift. So yesterday was much fun combating sleep deprivation with hunger (it was ok surprisingly).

Today I thought I'd get it over with and continued into today with it.

How many calories did I eat yesterday? I don't have a clue.
How many calories did I eat today.? Haven't the foggiest.


What I do know is I ate small amounts of protein through both days and several small "meals" of canned veg, runner beans, fresh broccoli, + millions (!) of slimma soups.

Don't (IMO)take it all so much to heart!!

Just make sure you're putting your body under stress for the 12 hours. It'll soon tell you you're doing right.

My scales are now reading 13.5 stone which is now into territory I haven't seen for some time (still an absolute blinking.....am I allowed Anglo Saxon language round here.........disgrace).

Hi again, if anyone has the book on pg.95 #7 says "Try the two-to-two,fasting not from bedtime to bedtime,but from 2:00pm to 2:00 pm. After lunch on day one, eat sparingly until a late lunch the following day. That way, you lose weight as you sleep and no single day feels uncomfortably deprived of food. Its a clever trick, but it does require a modicum more concentration than the whole day option. Or perhaps fast from supper to supper,which again means that no day is "all fast and no fun". The point is that this plan is "adjust to fit". Just like your waistband in three weeks time". Also I live in eastern U.S. & would like to know what a stone means in weight?

A stone is 14lbs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_%28mass%29#History