The FastDay Forum

Hi

I was given the book yesterday and having read through it I thought i would give it a go. I'm 147.5kilos (325.181 pounds) and 5"7 ish ( don't have a tape measure lol). Having been obese since I was young I'm pretty sure I have tried just about every diet and weight loss plan out there but I just have so many problems sticking to them. I also have poly cystic ovarian syndrome/ insulin resistance which just makes the whole thing harder sigh.

But confusion arises when I look at the 5;2. I researched it on the Internet and some people are raving whilst others have decided its the end of the world.... I'm assuming the the five days you have to eat normally but sensibly? How do I know how many calories to eat during the normal days? I'm starting a fast day tomorrow so here's fingers crossed that maybe I have found something that works.

Lizz

[Tracieknits]

You can calculate your TDEE -- just go here http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/ ... lator.html and figure out what your Total Daily Calorie Expenditure should be. Be honest when describing your activity level!!

For five days, try to eat at your TDEE. For the other two, eat 25% of your TDEE.

Good Luck and welcome!!
Tracie

Hi Lizz

I am new too and I have ALOT of weight to lose.

I think the thing with 5:2 is that you need to try and keep the non-fasting days under control but if you do slip a little or have a celebration or function on and end up eating more than 'the experts' recommend, then its not the end of the world and your next fast day will repair that damage and you can move on from it rather than throwing your hands in the air and giving up altogether

good luck. Hope to see you around

I'm assuming the the five days you have to eat normally but sensibly? How do I know how many calories to eat during the normal days? I'm starting a fast day tomorrow so here's fingers crossed that maybe I have found something that works.

Yes, normal on 5 days, 500 calories on 2. From your starting point you could try 1600 calories on feed days.

With PCOS and insulin resistance a reduction in starches and sugars of all forms is usually beneficial, favouring oils & fats over carbs.

[carorees]

I think that 1600 would be too low on feed days. Rapid weight loss can trigger gallstones. I would do what Tracie said and calculate TDEE for feed day allowance and work out a 1/4 of that for fast days and see how that goes for a month. There's no need to stick religiously to TDEE on feed days though, just to try to average TDEE over the 5 days. This will in fact be "normally but sensibly"! There is no need to calorie count on feed days if you're happy you know what that looks like!

Good luck with it!

Hi Lizz - Just to say that this WOL is far far from the end of the world - so many of us on this forum are happier, healthier people and although we're shedding weight, we're far from fading away !!- Good luck with 5:2 - hope it works for you Hope you can weather the storm (it's more like a bit of a strong breeze really) .. and welcome to the forum

I think that 1600 would be too low on feed days. Rapid weight loss can trigger gallstones.

1600 is hardly going to be rapid weight loss, and we don't know her TDEE.

The NICE recommendation for morbidly obese would be 6-8 weeks at half that calorie level so I'll shut up.

Thank you everyone my TDEE worked out at 2717 so going to try get that down to 2000 during normal days and go from there. Fingers crossed

Good luck - I am sure this will work for you. I would recommend you use Myfitnesspal website and/or phone ap to record your calories. Research shows people do better if they track their food most of the time.

[carorees]

I think that 1600 would be too low on feed days. Rapid weight loss can trigger gallstones.

1600 is hardly going to be rapid weight loss, and we don't know her TDEE.

The NICE recommendation for morbidly obese would be 6-8 weeks at half that calorie level so I'll shut up.

Isn't that under medical supervision though? It might be worth having a chat to the doc about what would be a safe calorie restriction though because gallstones are a definite risk for obese people and even more so with rapid weight loss. As gallstones can be unbelievably painful, I would not wish that on anyone. I think that the VLCD should not be attempted without a medical check up, so for safety and ease of doing, I would stick with my recommendation to start on a 2000/500 cal split and see how it goes. There is plenty of room for manoeuvre so the OP can go up or down depending on how she feels/loses weight!

From GP online

According to NICE clinical guidelines, VLCDs (less than 1,000kcal/day) may be used continuously for a maximum of 12 weeks, or intermittently with a low-calorie diet.3

Any diet of less than 600kcal/day should be used only with clinical supervision.

The guidelines recommend that VLCDs should only be used by adults who are obese (BMI> 30kg/m2) and have reached a plateau in weight loss.

Certain groups and those with some medical conditions are advised not to use VLCDs (see box below). In the longer term, healthy eating advice should be followed to achieve a balanced diet. A typical diet plan includes three or four products to be consumed every day. The supervision of a healthcare professional is recommended .

At 51 BMI the OP falls into the "surgery" category under the NICE guidelines..

"Consider surgery as a first-line option for adults with a BMI of more than 50 kg/m2 in whom surgical intervention is considered appropriate;"

but anyway, my VLCD reference was a counter to your gallstones and "excessive weight loss" thing, I wasn't recommending that nor surgery, just a level of calories that's likely to be within her TDEE given her conditions and history.

Anyone starting any sort of diet is usually advised to consult their GP, you need to hear "eat less and move about" one more time

[carorees]

you need to hear "eat less and move about" one more time

The gallstones thing is a real risk with rapid weight loss however achieved and is mentioned in the risks of a VLCD in the NICE guidelines. It is also mentioned as a risk of bariatric surgery. Slow and steady is safest if not being done under medical supervision IMO. Of course, not doing anything carries the biggest risk to health though.

Umm slightly more confused now but thanks for the advice. I'll go look up some of those terms now. My doctor wants me on the ray Kelly diet which just doesn't work for me. Extremely restrictive, no salt, sauce, potatoes etc and full of foods I really don't like. This one looks. Lot more user friendly. I'm on the fast day now and so far so good.

[carorees]

Don't worry about the terms! It's just me and Phil having our usual debate...we disagree so as to engender discussion! Just go with having around 500 cals on fast days and eating normally on feed days but without going mad! You'll be fine and I'm sure it will work!