The FastDay Forum

Hi all - I have been bouncing around the site a bit so apologies to those (and thanks for your support) that may received a private message from me I am trying to work out how IF fits in for me 4 weeks in and what I do know is that 5:2 loses momentum very quickly and with my main issue being "night feeding" I am thinking of 16-8 maybe 3-4 days per week - any thoughts, experience or advice appreciated!!

I think it depends on what your goals are. 16:8 doesn't necessarily mean you will be in calorie deficit. Are you planning on doing that on top of a couple of fast days? What is your experience with 5:2 losing momentum? [I think all weight-loss diets lose momentum for at least two reasons: 1) early losses tend to be water weight and 2) as you lose weight, your TDEE will go down; thus, if you eat the same, your calorie deficit will not be as large.]

Thanks Maryanne - I think for me it is just the thought of 2 days without eating (much) through the day that I struggle with and the fact that it's not as structured as maybe I need i.e. The free for all 5 days a week (for me) seems to really build up the 2 days fasting as real downers - if that makes sense........

Most people find that they get used to fasting eventually; and not only that, the healthier and lighter eating carries over to "feast" days. I guess it's not true for everyone though… If you think 16:8 will keep you from overeating, it's worth a try. I think some people are successful with that alone.

Looking at the review of the Harvie - Howell 2 Day Diet programme and cookbook, it looks like one of the things that people like is the guidance on how to eat on the other 5 days (whole food template, Mediterranean).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/2-Day-Diet-Cook ... gw_p_img_3

I wonder if that's useful for some people as it gives them something to follow while they work out what best suits them overall? And if it heads off the notion of the 5 days being a free for all?

Hi@Wilson.

I posted elsewhere about my adoption of an eating window approach and have just seen this entry. From what you say, my experience does not seem relevant to you. It was only after a lengthy period of 5:2 that I fell into using an eating window, as I think that the experience re-educated me about eating. After a few fast days my eating days changed without any effort on my part, as my appetite altered. They were never "free for all" days. It was then a natural progression to eating windows.

It sounds as though you need the support of a firmer structure which will help you to actively discipline yourself. There are lots of ways in which you could do that. Mention has already been made of the "2 Day diet", but it might be (I hate to say this!) that you are better suited to the older approaches which a lot of us rejected because they did not help us to develop a new mind set and new habits.

Good luck anyway

Bracken

[carorees]

I think I'm following Bracken around! I too spotted this thread after posting elsewhere.

Like Bracken I started 16:8 after having done 5:2 successfully for a long period (8 months) and I also wonder whether it's success was partly due to the existing 5:2 effect on appetite. But that is no reason why you shouldn't give it a try. However, if you are going for the eating window without 5:2 as well then I do think it likely you will need to do it every day unless your eating window is very short. It depends so much on the individual.

The 2-day diet mentioned above is two days in a row of very low carb and then 5 days of a reduced carb "Mediterranean" diet. As the changes that occur in the body during fasting are the same as those that happen when you go low carb, then adding in a reduction in carbs to your fasting efforts can also help with weight loss. And this has been the experience of many forum members.

[Tracieknits]

There are a lot of people who have said they gained weight on 16:8, and I think the reason for that is they need a firm handle on what they are doing, even more so than on 5:2

On 5:2, the 5 days aren't supposed to be feast days, or free-for-alls. They are supposed to be eating "normally" - that means, eating approximately your Total Daily Energy Expenditure for the day (TDEE). This can be guessed at by filling in any TDEE calculator, but remember, it's only an estimate. You can be a bit flexible with this - steal 400 calories from Friday to splurge Saturday, for example. But if you grossly overeat on your normal days, you will gain weight.

I had to give myself a couple of months to learn how to eat "normally". I got a fitbit and I used that and MyFitnessPal's app to track every single bite I ate. What I learned about calories was surprising. Yes, I ballooned to over 100 lbs overweight because I was eating too dang much all of the time.

Now that I have more of a handle on what's appropriate food intake, it's easier.

Another thing I do to make 5:2 easier is that ON FAST DAYS I don't eat until dinner, then I have about half of my calories at dinner and the other half as a pre-bedtime snack. Or sometimes I've even just chosen something healthy and reasonable and let myself graze on it that night (like carrot sticks, or cottage cheese with chopped raw apples). If I'm really hungry, I know there's no way I'll sleep, so I might blow past my 500 calories with an ounce of cheese as I'm heading to bed, if I'm really hungry. I would not do this with carbs, but with something heavy, fatty and full of protein, like a hardboiled egg, cheese or a bit of meat. (I am *NOT* a low carber, by any stretch, but what I'm looking for with a cheat like that is satiety).

Finally, Dr. Amanda Sainsbury-Salis has some fantastic tips for learning how to eat reasonably in her books about "Never Go Hungry"

Good luck!

The one factor underpinning any successful weight loss is the ability to be consistent. So, whatever schedule of eating or WOE works for you is the most useful one for you at this time as long as it continues to match your lifestyle and something that you can do, day in, day out, without triggering any self-sabotage or other issues.

The obesity epidemic persists, the time has come to end the pursuit of the “ideal” diet for weight loss and disease prevention. The dietary debate in the scientific community and reported in the media about the optimal macronutrient-focused weight loss diet sheds little light on the treatment of obesity and may mislead the public regarding proper weight management...The only consistent finding among the trials is that adherence—the degree to which participants continued in the program or met program goals for diet and physical activity—was most strongly associated with weight loss and improvement in disease-related outcomes. ..Progress in obesity management will require greater understanding of the biological, behavioral, and environmental factors associated with adherence to lifestyle changes including both diet and physical activity. JAMA: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.asp ... ID=1730520

This feels rather like a cliche but it does seem to be true. If you can eat in a way that doesn't trigger over-eating (whatever those foods are and in whatever macronutrient composition they represent) that assists adherence. If you've decided on an eating schedule that works for you and reduces the multiple food decision points in a day (shall I have lunch, a snack? what looks good?) then that can also help you.

I've mentioned Gillian Riley's Times and Plans as a strategy that some people find useful (that includes me and my DH): post203414.html?hilit=riley%20times%20plans#p203414

Thanks again for all the advice and support - very useful!!