The FastDay Forum

Hi all
I have tried the 5;2 diet twice now and both times have become poorly and fallen off the wagon.
I effectively have 4 jobs, we run a pub, 1 online business, a cleaning business and I am a full time sales manager for a national company covering all of Wales. On top of this we have 4 children 12, 4 , 2 and 4 months. As you can imagine working a lot of hours, driving hundreds of miles and with 4 young children I find it hard to not rely on energy drinks and quick fixes etc to get by.
I found on the last two attempts that losing the weight came easy, I stuck to it and lost 1st (in 2 months) first time around and 10lbs second time around (in just 5 weeks). Here is where the problem lies, I end up getting run down and becoming ill, I have recently just gotten rid of a cough that lasted 3 months!!
I don't eat very well as I do not like veggies too much hence why this diet really appealed to me. I was eating on fast days a couple of bananas and some odds and sods but nothing to really help me in terms of healthy food.
I am now attempting one last time as I really like doing it before becoming ill. This time I have come up with the idea of having a Herbalife shake once on each fast day (250 cals of my 600) and an evening meal. therefore I will be getting all the vitamins, noutrition and protein I have been missing with my poor diet.
I currently weigh 14st 6 and am 5ft 11
My last attempt I dropped from 14,12 to 14,2 in just 5 weeks!

Anyone tried adding these type of shakes into your 5;2 diet or if not do you think it is a good idea?
Any advice welcome
Thanks
Andy

I'm replying more because I wouldn't like this query to slip from sight, than from knowledge. (I've been doing 5:2 for 13 months now though, so do have a bit of experience!).
I will just say Wow! to your lifestyle. I cannot imagine how busy you must be, and how little sleep you probably get... And your busy life means you are running near the edge a lot of the time and it probably isn't taking much to tip you into illness.
I'm not a huge fan of those shakes, I think you need other things from the veg besides just the vitamins, however I think it's worth a try for you!
I wondered about intermittent intermittent fasting, by that I mean doing 5:2 for say a month on and a month off. I've not read about it, just invented it for you now!
Can I just ask about you not liking veg, is it the time factor of preparation, the inconvenience/non-availability as a snack on the run, or do you just not like them? I ask because people may have good ideas if it is either of the first two reasons!
Whatever you do, good luck!

Glad you kept this from slipping away @Annurca as ive been mulling it over too. X
Broomie,you remind me of me back in the eighties/ nineties,juggling so many things,having become a single parent when DD was four,doing a fulltime job as a social worker and a weekend job as a counsellor,studying for more qualifications,socialising a lot,looking after elderly parents and taking in foreign students to help pay the mortgage.
I got ill mainly i think coz i dealt with stress badly,i didnt take any breaks,i never relaxed or switched off AND i didnt eat properly..yoyo dieted,always.
I often used shakes,at one stage i had nothing but shakes for three months.
I just want to say to you,dont be like me. Make sure you get rests and holidays. Eat properly and dont go in for shakes. I' m not sure they will nourish you like you think. They are often full of dubious fillers,chemicals etc. And they arent a good example to the children. My DD tells me that when she was seven she was scared i wd die when she watched me have only shakes for 3 months.
Make friends with fresh veg,salads and some fruits,get adequate protein.
Falling ill means everything can come crashing down, you can lose everything like i did..lost my income,my career,and my home..and myself..ive never been able to get properly well again. I learnt my lesson too late.
So,no, i don't think adding shakes into yr 5:2 WOE is a good idea in any way and would be of no benefit to you x