The FastDay Forum

Hello everyone, I'm on my second week of the 5:2, and I'm not sure if I'm doing this right?
I bought and read the Michael Mosley & Mimi Spencer book. On page 102, it mentioned the 2pm to 2pm option. I read this paragraph repeatedly as it seems to mean that you wouldn't have to skip a meal...but surely this would mean slower progress, or, (I'm wondering now) have I misunderstood and this wouldn't work at all?
A disheartening thought, as thats what I've been following for a week and a half, and found even that terribly hard!
I expected it to feel a it less tough going, especially as I'm following this apparently easier option of 2pm until 2pm. I've experienced headaches and been driven to distraction with hunger! Oh dear! I never realised I'm such a pig!
I didn't think I was particularly over-weight to begin with (I'm 5'3/5'4 and weigh 10 stone....I thought I was less until I weighed myself prior to starting!) I go to the gym for an hour once a week, and would normally consume between 1500/2000 calories per day.
Basically I'm worried that a) I've misunderstood the 2pm to 2pm idea, and am suffering for nothing, haha!(ok, I'm not actually laughing!)
b)I'm messing with my metabolism/health when I was fine before?
c) Its going make me obsess about food, and I'll overcompensate by over-eating on "normal" days, which I already seem to be doing ( and again, I'm not sure I'm doing this correctly anyway?!)
Just to clarify: I eat normally until 2pm...then at about 7.30 have a 350 cal dinner, then the next morning have a 150 cal breakfast, then don't eat until after 2pm that day.
Sorry this post is so long! I appreciate if you've read this far without giving up. I'd be so grateful for some feedback!
Thank-you!

[carorees]

Hi Vicky and welcome!

The 2pm to 2pm thing has recently been clarified by DrM on the official website: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/different-ways ... -fast-day/

It all depends on how much you cut your calories overall when you do it this way.

I eat normally until 2pm...then at about 7.30 have a 350 cal dinner, then the next morning have a 150 cal breakfast, then don't eat until after 2pm that day.

So if you have a big breakfast and lunch beforehand and then a big lunch and dinner afterward it is unlikely you will have eaten less than your daily requirements. If you have a normal sized breakfast & lunch, lunch & dinner there will be some calorie reduction.

Most of us on the forum find the original flavour version the best...that is to say, eat normally, sleep, wake up and consume up to 500 cals the next day, sleep, wake up and eat normally (twice a week). It means that you only have to count calories two days a week rather than 4 in effect because if you don't keep control of the calories before and after the 2-2 period there will be no weightloss IMHO. However, I certainly wouldn't consider your fasts so far as being a waste. No indeed, they will have introduced the fasting process to your body and when you feel up to it you can choose to move to the 'vanilla' version outlined above whenever you want.

Most of us find that the headaches can be stopped by drinking plenty of fluids and by gaining experiencing with fasting. I had terrible headaches the first couple of fasts but they became less and less frequent. It is very rare for me to get a headache nowadays.

The hunger tends to be worse after you have eaten a small snack so most of us find that either having nothing at all until dinner time on a fast day is best and results in much less hunger. The 2 til 2 option means that you go to bed hungry on the first day I would imagine, whereas skipping breakfast and lunch and having a filling dinner (a huge plateful of veg and a little chicken or fish can be had for 500 cals) means never going to sleep hungry. For some people who find going all day without eating hard, having a late breakfast/brunch seems to help. The other thing that causes a lot of hunger is eating anything containing high GI carbs. I have no carbs on a fast day (apart from what is contained in the vegetables in my evening meal) and am sure that helps too.

Overcompensating can happen briefly. For people who have been dieting most of their life the option to be able to eat what they want results in a period of bingeing, however, this soon calms down and in fact pretty much everyone finds their appetite greatly reduced on the day after a fast which continues for some days. Cravings are also reduced so that bingeing and obsessing about food gradually reduces. At first, yes you may overcompensate but I believe this is just temporary.

If you are happy with the 2 til 2 approach why not carry on for a bit to see what the weightloss is like? If not, give the original version a go! We're here to help!

Thanks so much for your detailed reply Carorees!
I think I'm having a bad day in general today (and its not a fast day!), hence the rather negative tone of my first post! So apologies for that.
Thanks for the helpful link. Yep, I kinda guessed that results would be slower, as it did sound like an "easier" option to me,but at least that confirmed that there should be at least some results if I stick at it
I think I'll stay with the 2pm to 2pm version at least for this week, and perhaps switch to the original version, that you follow, next week, depending on how tough I'm feeling! I'm not sure if I could manage it, though, tbh, judging how difficult its felt so far!
I'm hoping, I'm just far more conscious of being "deprived", as its new to me, but once I settle into a routine (and also as my body hopefully adapts to the idea), I'll notice it less.
Thanks again for your help and encouragement!