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General 5:2 and Fasting Chat

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Hi - I have been avoiding calorie counting on non-fast days and yet my weight hasn't moved in the past 2 weeks (although my waist measurement has shrunk slightly!!) - anyway just wanted to get some views/ideas i.e. I am considering calorie counting to my TDEE for 3 days per week (non-fast days) - I don't count on my Fast Days as I am pretty well versed in what my 600 Cals looks like and have been sticking to that since starting 3 weeks ago…………….early days still I know :)
I calorie count for periods of time because keeps me focused. If I don't do it I tend to lose my way so I always come back to it. At the moment I am calorie counting every day with my fitness pal. It makes it so easy and it is definitely helping me. I input everything in advance so that I don't inadvertently exceed my allowance.
If you've only been stuck 2 weeks, and your waist size has gone down in that time, my first instinct is to say just keep doing what you're doing. But if you want to keep a closer eye on non-fast days, there are several things you can do besides calorie counting, particularly if you hate calorie counting (a lot of people here seem to). You can try 16:8 on non-fast days. This did a lot for me because I was often having unnecessary carbs/sweets at breakfast. Skipping it cut out a lot quite easily. Or you can keep a food diary rather than counting calories. It still keeps you honest.

Good luck and congrats on your waist loss. :-)
Hello Newbie here :cool:

My plan is to use My Fitness Pal on non-fast days in order to help me track my calories - maybe you could try that?

Also can someone be so kind as to explain what the 16:8 means? :neutral: Ta very much!!! :heart:
16:8 is a form of fasting where you fast 16 hours and have an 8 hour eating window.
I calorie count using My Fitness Pal on Fasting and non Fasting days at the moment, I find it helpful as part of a mindful approach to eating, otherwise it is easy to forget those little snacks and drinks. Also it syncs nicely with my Fitbit dashboard, showing me how many calories I have eaten vs how many I have used each day, and how much weight I still have to lose to get to my goal.
I rarely count calories, and then, only on a fast day. On other days, I usually just rely on years and years of calorie-counting knowledge together with routine. I generally limit carbs as a rule--unless it's something I reeeeaaaly want. :grin: Then, I enjoy the heck out of it. I pay attention to how I feel as I eat. I don't like the feeling of over-fulness and usually stop well before I get there. I think it is the Okinawans that practice "hara hachi bu", stopping eating when 80% full. I think that is close to what I do. For me, carbs can be a slippery slope to more carbs. My body doesn't feel well when I eat too many of them. "Hara hachi bu" for me! :wink:
Thanks to you all for the advice - much appreciated!!!!
Another idea for a 'lighter touch' approach if you don't fancy full-blown calorie counting on non fast days would be just to keep a food diary of what you eat/drink and when. It is very quick, and if it doesn't flag up anything obvious on its own, you can always go back and count up the calories later.
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