The FastDay Forum

Hello all. I am new here, I have been struggling with my weight ever since I got ill with M.E./CFS in 2006. When I have had the energy, I have tried various diets, and have had some success, but it always goes back on when I am iller. My illness means that I cannot do any exercise at all and I am sometimes bed bound. I am hoping that the 5:2 diet will bring health benefits, as well as helping me loose some weight, hopefully with more success as I only have to be thinking about what I eat two days a week. Any tips would be very welcome, and also is there anyone else with similar problems?

Thanks for reading

You should lose on this provided you stick to your daily allowance on non-fast days. It is always best to do some form of activity if you can manage it of course. The more you have to lose the more success you will have to start with. As people get closer to their goal it gets more difficult and, I know, if I don't keep up my walking (3 big walks a week - more when I am on holidays) it does creep up again.
Good luck!

Hi Lizchuter and welcome
I started 5:2 after a knee op....and Im waiting on a hip replacement....have nt been able to do any exercise at all and am loosing at a rate of 1 1/2 lbs per week
Its a steady weight loss
I Dont count calories at all on the other 5 days....that is what attracted me to this(but try to eat normally)....dont do any exercise at all....
I hope that when Im in better physical shape/health I will be able to take the dog out for a walk etc ...until then Im still loosing steady weight , loving it and feeling better in myself
Good luck....I know how debilitating ME can be ...but I honestly yhink this is something you can manage during the tough times as well as the good xxxx

I'm doing 5:2 with minimal exercise and have lost loads. By minimal, I mean very minimal. Nothing structured - only walking to the bus etc. I work in an office. I walk a bit more in summer, but have been practically hibernating for the last 5 months as it's so bloomin freezing outside.

I'm trying to build in some resistance exercise though - lifting a small weight 20 times while sitting on the sofa. Not to lose more weight, but just to build a bit of strength and tone.

So I'd say go for it and don't worry about exercise if it doesn't suit you. The mood enhancing benefits of 5:2 are bound to help you when you're feeling worst too. Best wishes!

ooops...also meant to say Lizchuter....check what your TDEE is...that will give you a rough idea of what your calorie intake should be on non fast days taking in to account that like me you cannt exercise

Hi! I am a newcomer who cannot exercise right now too. I had an accident about one month ago which injured my leg and makes it difficult for me to walk as I used to do. Fortunately, it's temporary. Thanks for posting this question.

Hi Redhead
just noticed you are from N Ireland !!! the first Ive seen on here
what part...Im Ballymena !!

Hi lizchuter, i've gone down over 3 dress sizes since august 2012 doing the 5:2. I too had ME from July 2006 and was bedbound then housebound for a year. Sine then i am a lot recovered, but trying to jog a couple of years ago led to a relapse so all i do now is a bit of walking. So yes you can lose weight with ME and no exercise but IMHO you need to ensure u are getting all the nutrients you need. I still take a variety of supplements daily - just in case. Good luck and let us know how u get on.
Best wishes

Hi Virginia! I'm God's own county - Derry~Londonderry! Limavady. Check out my booze thread, proper name Alcohol and its impact, you'll find the other NI wans there!

Hiya! I have ME/FMS so I have to get by with little or no exercise. You just have to accept that you wont be one of the front runners and that you are going to need a bit more grit and determination than some of the others.

I was diagnosed with ME in the mid 90s and managed to struggle through. Thought it had gone only to be wiped out by FMS IN 2001. I heaped weight on and it looked worse with having the typical sway-back and pot-belly of FMS. I managed to lose some weight by my own devices but the 5:2 is so much less effort! I'm hoping that maybe it will go somewzy to reversing some of the neuro symptoms.

It is possible to tone up even in our position. Again, we just have to go very slowly. I use light weights. At the start it was as much as I could manage to do a few reps with the very lightest dumbells but recently I scrounged the next set up from my son. If you can build a bit of something like that into your good days you will feel the benefit in your muscles and in your balance. Could be worth a try.

Good luck on your journey with us.

Thanks everyone for the replies, it's encouraging to know that other people have lost weight with no exercise. I had a relapse with my ME last summer as I got glandular fever on top of it, and although I am better than then (I was totally bed bound for a couple of months), I haven't got back to where I was - I still have to have a carer to do personal care and make all my food. The slightest bit of exercise atm can cause a relapse, but I will work on building up my walking from the current 5 yards or so once I feel up to it, lol.

I have used the calculator and worked out that if I can, I should eat about 450 on my fast days, but I might start with 500 calories whilst I'm getting used to it. I know that my system finds it very difficult to cope with change as it is so overloaded, so I'm thinking of starting with one fast day a week for the first couple of weeks, or do people think that will make it harder to adjust?

I'm sure not having to lug around 3 stone extra weight would make my life easier, and I'm very keen to do what I can to prevent cardiac disease, diabetes, cancer etc, as people with ME get them younger and can't fight back in the way other people can.

Thanks for posting the question I have the same problem., had a knee surgery a month ago. Replies were all encouraging. Tomorrow is my first fast.

I'm lazy. Except for housework, walking to the bus/metro stop and to various errands a few blocks from my house I do no exercise and I am losing.

Hi
I was diagnosed with ME in 2006, had to leave work and was more-or-less housebound for a long time.
Like you, I gained weight and thought I would never be able to loss it!
I am less exhausted now and can walk my dogs but have no energy for exercise or any other activities.
But....
I have been on 4:3 since January, have lost 1.25 stone and 5 inches off my waist ! My weight loss has slowed but my BMI is now back to 'normal' levels and I feel much better for it.
Good luck with your journey and I really sympathise with you. M. E. is a miserable illness but with this diet, you can lose weight even if you can't exercise much.

Thanks for your replies everyone. Really good to hear your story EveS, that's the same year I got ME. Glad to hear you are no longer housebound. My second fast wasn't as easy as the first one, I felt really ill in the evening and the next day was in a lot of pain, but I will persist as everyone says it gets better. It's really encouraging to hear how much weight you've lost even with the restrictions of ME, today I have been feeling so exhausted I don't know how I'm going to manage another fast, but it is obviously worth it, hopefully by Tuesday I will feel more like it!

The good news is I have lost 3lb after just one week , which on any other diet has taken me at least three weeks, usually more.