The FastDay Forum

Hi. Really glad to have found this site, it's great. I have been fasting for a couple of weeks and am fasting today. I have lost 7 lbs so far. Out of interest I have been tracking my calorie intake on non fast days but don't plan to do this in the long term. My weight has gone up and down though, perhaps this is typical...? I wonder whether people have general principles that they follow on none fasting days? I know that I am not eating the calories back and I have a self imposed food curfew, but do people really find that they can eat normally on the other days and still lose weight?

There so much information here. Really looking forward to reading the posts.

Cheers...

[Moogie]

Hi galgal & welcome

I also began by counting calories on my feed days, as that was what I had been doing before 5:2. I soon realised I didn't need to and probably eat more now than I did then - and the weight still comes off (albeit a bit slower than at first, I've been doing this almost 6 months and the first 2 definately produced the most weight loss, but it's been steady since).

When you say your weight has gone up and down, do you mean on a week by week basis or are you weighing more frequently? To get a real idea of your weight loss progress it's best to only weigh once a week or less, at the same time of day. For example I weigh in on Friday mornings, before I eat but after I've been to the little girls room

Your weight will vary naturally from day to day due to various factors which I'm sure someone else can go into in more detail - but on a week by week basis the trend will generally be downward. It's not uncommon for people in the early stages of 5:2 to have a good initial loss and then regain a little, as some of it is water weight initially. When the loss slows down a bit the weight which you are losing is predominantly fat and should stay off assuming you're not gorging every day.

These days I don't worry about what I eat on my feed days. My meals are generally pretty healthy - though I probably have a few takeaways over the course of a month. Most days I'll have a bit of cake or biccies/choc. I don't skimp on my portions but I don't pile it up either and usually feel fuller more quickly than in the past.

My only restriction on my feed days is that if it's the day before a fast I try not to eat after dinner, as I then have a 24 hour total fast until my 500 cal dinner on a fasting day.

Sometimes on a feed day I skip breakfast or lunch if I'm not hungry. I understand Dr Mosley does the same. I guess we've all gotten used to eating because it's 'mealtime' whether we're hungry or not. Sitting on my backside at a desk most of the day I don't burn a lot so don't actually feel hungry much of the day. I'm certainly more in tune with my body's needs since doing this.

[carorees]

Moogie, your description exactly corresponds to what I do too!

Apart from xmas when I didn't fast and so may have gained a little and then lost it again (I didn't dare step on the scales) I have lost 1kg per week. The only exception, so far, was the week I ate less on feed days and seemed to gain half a kilo. Next week I lost 1.5 kg by eating generously on feed days. Coincidence? Who knows, but it shows that for me I don't need to calorie count (though I do keep a very rough count out of interest...I don't weigh anything on feed days.

Just want to say how pleased I am that I have found this 'diet' - more a way of life though, as it sounds so sensible. My husband and I embarked on the 5:2 diet after the first week in January and we are both pleased with the results so far. We both tend to put on weight easily and are even more aware that we should be looking at ways to improve or maintain our health as we are both in our 60's. Having lost 16lbs between us we are spreading the good news among our family and friends. The book is very interesting and easy to read - & we find the fasting days are no real effort. Perhaps it would be a good idea to say that a bit of revision now & again is a good idea. I re-read some info in the book last night I had forgotten!

Thanks Carorees and Moogie that is both reassuring and encouraging. I would like the freedom of only counting calories twice a week, so I think I will be brave and trust that I will lose in the long term and just eat naturally to my appetite on feed days. I'm so used to stepping on the scales each morning I can't get out if the habit. This is how I usually monitor my weight. I think that I will do my best to avoid this and weigh once a week. I'm fasing today and eat all my calories in one meal at dinner time. Looking forward to it later, my stomach is growling!!

Thanks