The FastDay Forum

Group B "fat burner" / 1 for me for around eight months of doing ADF. I had no problems at all.

These days I might count myself as more of an A/ 3 though lol. Since then I think I just don't have the reserves I did, so I'm usually extremely hungry and fasting has been tough since Christmas. I hope this is just a temporary thing, but I still don't have much of an issue spreading meals out, usually skipping breakfast and eating as late as possible.

Obviously I don't do 5:2, but it's close enough. For me at least I had little problems. It makes sense though when one has less than 10 ibs left to lose fasting gets a bit tougher.

At the beginning, definitely and A1. I was a frequent eater who was so sure I would get headaches, dizziness, nausea etc when I first started 5:2 but then none of it happened! I found the side effects have worsened the longer I have done 5:2 - I am definitely prone to headaches and nausea on 5:2 days if I don't take a short 'fasting holiday' every few months.

I'm not very good at fitting into categories either. I probably am more a B than an A and definitely a 1 minus. Before, I ate relatively healthy stuff, just too much of it, and definitely too many carbs. I also ate too often, for sure. And I was too sedentary. When I read about 5:2 and Dr. Mosley, I thought it sounded eminently doable, so I just started. I had one or two headaches and a little bit of light-headedness (I faint at the drop of a hat), but I lived through the headaches and sat down when I felt light headed. The weight came off quickly. I felt really hungry, but it didn't scare me and I actually came to like the feeling, especially when I finally ate and everything tasted incredible!
I have shared with others how I have lost weight and regained my body shape (at 65 then and 67 now), but everyone either has been scared off or hasn't been able to deal with the #2 and #3. My daughter, who is like her dad in this, gets light-headed and cranky and views it (hunger) as a danger. The thing is, many of the people who talked with me and went on to other diets are still dealing with the same weight (or more) than before.
I did try the eating window, but it didn't fit into my lifestyle. I am pretty hungry in the morning, but am satisfied with a few nuts or a tiny bit of oatmeal, fruit, yogurt and/or cheese. Then, I pretty much go until a very light lunch and then a very light supper fortified with lots of seltzer and black coffee with, as a treat, a tiny sliver of dark chile chocolate.
In short, the framework of my eating on fastdays is not that different from my nonfast days, just much smaller and lighter. I find restricting carbs, especially processed ones, on most days helps me to feel better.
It is frustrating to see the unthinking opposition to Intermittent Fasting by nutritionists in the face of mounting evidence demonstrating its benefits.

A2. The thought of skipping a meal horrified me at the start. Love breakfast, still do, and plan what to have for morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner about a day in advance. The regular snacking is still my weakness. I also had bad headaches but because the kilos dropped, and I felt so good the day after, I stuck with it. After about 4-6 weeks I got into a pattern.
I have skipped the odd meal, to avoid a 500 calorie fast and stay within my range, but am now committed to start again mid-Jan when visitors have left. I imagine two weeks of 5:2 and then back to 6:1.

Responding early, during week 2. I am experiencing difficulty, but am learning how to use suggestions.
1) My first fast went very well, but I was not well the following day. Perhaps a coincidence, try to keep a journal Ferretgirl suggested.
2) My fast yesterday was poor. It was a learning experience. I need to plan ahead the day before and label my food so no one else eats it. I need alternatives handy if someone does use it, and not quickly break fast using a resentment as an excuse.
So, I am learning and not giving up. Love the positive attitudes here!
Ann

[carorees]

Were you an apparent “sugar burner” before 5.2?
Yes!

Did you eat frequently, and feel uncomfortable if you didn’t do so? (headaches, nausea, emotional upsets, etc) (Group A)
No

Or, did you eat meals for the most part, and have no trouble (see above) skipping meals or going several hours without eating? (apparent “fat burner”) (Group B)
No (must be group A/B!)

Then, for each of these groups, rate how your first few weeks of 5.2/fasting went:
1. Pretty easy, hungry the first few times, but nothing more than a transitory headache and some hunger pangs.
2. Pretty tough for at least 4 weeks; headaches, etc, but eventually settled down to a livable routine.
3. Really tough for more than a month; either unable to continue, or just toughed / toughing it out.

I'd be an A/B2...but only tough for about 2 weeks.

If you were in Group A2 or A3, did you find that after being on 5.2 for awhile, you could space out meals better on non-fasting days as well? (such as, but not limited to, not eating breakfast regularly)
Yes

I’m asking this so as to fine tune our recommendations to potential 5.2ers; if we know they might have more problems initially, perhaps they could “ease” into 5.2 by eating less frequently for a few weeks before jumping into 5.2 (12+ hours without eating). I’ve said elsewhere that I was Group B1, but years ago would have been Group A (probably A2).
Yes, I think you're right, extending the overnight fast and not eating between meals is good preparation and we have an article on the main FastDay site that recommends this approach