The FastDay Forum

Hi everyone!

I have been doing the 5:2 for a little over two weeks now and its proving successful but I am confused about what I am allowed to eat on non fast days.....is it anything up to 2000 cals allowed for women or my resting daily calorie amount which I work out at being around 1440....? I am very hungry the day after a fast day....!!!


(I have lost just over half a stone in 16 days which is ace!)

This is often debated on many sites MrsL. If you want to follow 5:2 as reported on Michael Moselys Horizon program, based on his research into all types of intermittant fasting, and then followed up with his book co-authored by Mimi Spencer, then the whole point is that you dont count calories on non fast days. Some are doing this but then it reverts to a calorie counting diet. This is what Mimi Spencer says in response to this on their 5:2 site. Dont binge but eat what you would normally have done before 5:2.

thanks...Trevmum....I think I have maybe read too much and my mind is in a whirl of info!! It really is as simple as fasting 2 out of 7... must try to keep it simple!

Hi, I'm quite new to this experience too, this is my first fast day, doing ok I think, not really hungry so far, but not used to counting calories and really only want to do that on fast days anyway as it does all become so tedious! It is easy to read so much info about this and you can
Get overloaded with it all, but I think the key word is 'simply", just eat normally on feast days and
Count 500 calories on fast days, at least that's the approach I'm taking. I've found keeping extra busy today has helped a lot, just hope I actually loose weight for my efforts and not put on!

Thanks MrsL just about to ask the same question, my mind is also in a whirl reading 2 Day Diet and the Fast diet which has the edge because of this brilliant helpful forum and Thank you Trevmun for the answer.
Jayne59 good luck, think I will use the"simply" approach too

Intermittent fasts have been shown to provide a number of health benefits.......and also people do lose weight. Like putting weight on, it sometimes comes off gradually too, but I dont get worried about this and my experience is that it zig-zags down. Practically all weight reducing diets would be effective as we understand the principles of metabolism, the reason they dont is US!. We dont like eating cabbage soup for ever!!. That is why this is such an interesting plan as it looks at the psychological aspect more. Keep it simple, yes, eat what you usually do for 5 and fast for 2.

:Thanks cockaduck!, I must say I don't think I would have started this new experience if it had not of been for this very useful site, it's been brilliant, most of my questions have been answered on the FAQs straight away! I've been especially anxious about this new diet as I've lost one and a half stone doing a really popular diet which has been good but I needed one that gives real
Flexibility as I am only half way through my weight loss journey!
I do hope we all get what we want from it.

I restrict the calories on my non fast days but then that's because I'm trying hrd to lose weight fairly quickly. Once I've got to where I want to be I'm looking forward to two days fasting and five days back up at around 2000-2200 calories.

Trevmun has hit the nail on the head - the whole point of this diet/way of eating etc as that two days of fasting should be sustainable indefinitely if you can enjoy yourself on the other five days

James

Also as time goes by you become more aware of calories in things, especially fats like Oil, Cheese and Milk, and Carbs like Potatoes, Rice & Pasta. So on normal days I think you treat these with a little more respect, 300 cals in a tbs of Oil nearly 5000 calories in 400g of cheddar cheese, 250 cals in 100g of Rice, these are things I didn't know, now I choose to cut back on these on Feast days, as really I would prefer to Have courgette and Mange Tout anyway!

Alcohol is the killer for me, I can eat normally to get to 1500 - 2000 calories, quite happily, but then 4 pints and a bottle of Red with Tea, and its another 1500-2000 added to the Pot!

Still, I now understand how I got Fat!

Absolutely JamesM! I couldn't agree more! Surely that's the whole point of this isn't it? Who really wants to spend their whole lives worrying over a piece of cake? That's the reason I'm doing this as I surely hope this is the most sustainable way forward!
Hope it is!

Thanks for all the info folks......am aware that I am prone to overeat on feast days....need to watch myself ...! its frightening when you look at the calories in meals out and alcohol though isnt it? yikes!!

I can write a bible (not a book) on diets, but this diet is just so different from what i have tried before. I have found the fast days so simple and easy to do, then on non-fast days i go back to normal but i'm aware i don't over eat, where when i first started thought i would do. But its really weird as when i've been on a diet before i instantly thought of food and what i'm going to eat ALL the time. But this diet i don't. I haven't lost very much in 3 weeks but i have noticed i have lost weight from my hips so it is working. There are 4 of us that are doing this diet together which is given us the motivation

MrsL I asked a similar question on my thread today. If you work out what your TDEE amount is using the calculator link under FAQs and work on the basis that you need to eat 3500 less calories than this per week to lose 1lb, it will give you a rough idea of where you need to be calorie wise on feast days. Whilst I understand the idea of this WOE is not to think about the 5 feast days, I can't trust myself to be sensible!!

...yes mistygray - I have to watch myself or I will overeat on feast days and make my fast days pointless.....in the last week I have not lost anything but am an inch and a half smaller round my waist....today is a feast day and I am being careful!! hopefully will loose more next week....I do feel like this is the thing for me to do long term though....my only urge to drop weight a bit faster is my holiday in 4 weeks!!