Starting the 5:2 diet tomorrow - help!

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CalMcGuire
CalMcGuire Posts: 12 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Having never dieted before I have decided the time has come and I really have to make an effort to lose some weight - I'm starting the 5:2 diet tomorrow after reading some good things about it (and it seems relatively easy) but do have some concerns about only consuming 500 calories (and I've never counted calories before).

It would be good to know there are people out there if I have a freak out tomorrow when I'm starving!
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  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
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    There are a couple of 5.2 groups on MFP, you may get lots of advice there

    The two 500 calorie days do not have to consecutive, or even rolling 7 days, so you could choose same couple of days every 7, like every Tuesday & Friday for instance, something that does not clash with your normal routine

    The 5.2 is not strictly a diet, it is a life style longevity option, weight loss is a by product

    good luck, and get some kitchen scales
  • CalMcGuire
    CalMcGuire Posts: 12 Member
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    Thank you - I will look for the 5:2 groups. I dug out my kitchen scales and had a shock when I realised how small a portion 100g is!
  • lisanfred
    lisanfred Posts: 14 Member
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    Hi, I was going to try that diet. I bought the recipe book, but im doing so well using my fitness pal, im worried ill undo all the good ive done. Dont really like the idea of being hungry for 2 days. Good luck to you though. Let me know how you get on with it.
  • angiebangie5
    angiebangie5 Posts: 1
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    I've lost 7lbs this past week not doing the 5:2 diet. If you deprive yourself too much you can rebound on the weight loss and gain back twice as much as you lost. The first week I ate special K 2 cups for breakfast. I had celery and peanut butter for lunch for protein. a special K shake if I was absolutely needing it. then for dinner a normal 400-600 Calorie Meal and exercising 20 minutes a day just light exercise into my second week and still going strong.. not starving so not giving up. I keep some gum and sugar free candy on hand if I really need a sweet fix and weight watchers ice cream is excellent to keep in the freezer or the skinny cow just in case,, I don't feel deprived at all :) good luck message me if you like. :smile:
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
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    Hi, I was going to try that diet. I bought the recipe book, but im doing so well using my fitness pal, im worried ill undo all the good ive done. Dont really like the idea of being hungry for 2 days. Good luck to you though. Let me know how you get on with it.

    i have not tried it, but from reports of those who have, assuming you make sensible calorie choices, to suit your life style, and not 2 consecutive days, it is fairly easy

    Also of course the other "normal" 5 days are just that, "Normal" calorie counted, not 5 portions of fish & chips a day
  • CalMcGuire
    CalMcGuire Posts: 12 Member
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    Thanks. I have joined a 5:2 group on here. I don't like the idea of counting calories every day so the 5:2 seems to be a way to only have to think about it twice a week, and I'm sure it will have an impact on how I eat on the other days as well.
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,264 Member
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    I am sure it will have impact, once you realise just how calorie dense some foods, like cheese, rice, or pasta for instance are
  • SheilaG1963
    SheilaG1963 Posts: 298 Member
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    I've been doing it for two weeks. I thought I would starve, also. If I keep busy, I don't notice it as much. I also make sure my fast days are on a day that I work. I keep a cup of ice handy and am always sucking on it. Your stomach doesn't know the difference between food and water. Sugar free gum and candy also help. Feel free to add me as a friend if you wish. There are also 5:2 groups on FB.

    I haven't noticed any weight loss, but did have to tighten my belt another notch!
  • x3na1401
    x3na1401 Posts: 277 Member
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    I lost a stone pretty quickly doing 5:2 and now I mostly eat back exercise cals to net 500.

    It's a great diet for people who hate to diet as you tell yourself you can have anything that you want.... Tomorrow.

    When tomorrow comes you mostly don't feel like scoffing whatever your mind was craving the night before.

    My partner has lost 21lb on this diet. It's a slow weight loss but that allows you to get used to losing the weight and hopefully means you won't put weight back on.

    We survive by having 100 cal (or so) snack packs of things like popcorn, Jamie dodgers, club bars, breakaways, sunbites etc.

    We have dinner on a fast day then have a snack later with a cuppa. We find it satisfies the sweet craving that happens after 7pm.
    If you want to add me, feel free. And good luck
  • CalMcGuire
    CalMcGuire Posts: 12 Member
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    I lost a stone pretty quickly doing 5:2 and now I mostly eat back exercise cals to net 500.

    It's a great diet for people who hate to diet as you tell yourself you can have anything that you want.... Tomorrow.

    Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow..

    When you say you lost a stone pretty quickly, how quickly was that? :smile:
  • PatchFan
    PatchFan Posts: 19 Member
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    I've lost 7lbs this past week not doing the 5:2 diet. If you deprive yourself too much you can rebound on the weight loss and gain back twice as much as you lost. The first week I ate special K 2 cups for breakfast. I had celery and peanut butter for lunch for protein. a special K shake if I was absolutely needing it. then for dinner a normal 400-600 Calorie Meal and exercising 20 minutes a day just light exercise into my second week and still going strong.. not starving so not giving up. I keep some gum and sugar free candy on hand if I really need a sweet fix and weight watchers ice cream is excellent to keep in the freezer or the skinny cow just in case,, I don't feel deprived at all :) good luck message me if you like. :smile:

    In order to have lost 7lbs in a week, you'd have needed to burn 3500 calories a day. Considering you consumed around 1000 calories a day, considering the fact that 20 minutes of exercise isn't going to burn 1000 calories, and assuming that your metabolism isn't burning 3500 calories a day, it's safe to assume that you likely lost somewhere along the lies of 2-3lbs of body fat, with the rest being water weight. Of course, 2lbs a week is very commendable, and definitely something to be proud of. That's the rate at which I've been going for the past two weeks.

    You are right, though, that diets aren't necessary. When it comes down to it, it's a matter of calories in vs. calories out. Certain foods may increase/decrease one's metabolism, but that doesn't suggest that dieting is in any way necessary.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    Ask yourself this: "Am I going to eat like that for the rest of my life?"
    If the answer is no, don't do it.
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
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    I keep a cup of ice handy and am always sucking on it. Your stomach doesn't know the difference between food and water.

    Mine most certain my does.
  • x3na1401
    x3na1401 Posts: 277 Member
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    Actually we have eaten this way since January.

    When on holiday we don't bother but every other normal week we have at least 2 fast days and we do consider this to be the best way of controlling food consumption and weight that we have ever tried.

    Now this will not be for everyone, but it certainly is for us
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I keep a cup of ice handy and am always sucking on it. Your stomach doesn't know the difference between food and water.

    Mine most certain my does.

    I just giggled over that one, too. My body can sure tell the difference between eating ice chips and drinking water vs. actually eating food. :laugh:
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    personally, i'm not a fan of the 5:2 diet. to me, it seems dangerous, and a way for people to binge and then fast in the name of a diet. i think it's recommend to eat 1500 calories on a regular day, and 500 on fast days?? doesn't sound healthy to me at all.

    now, if you were interested in Intermittent fasting, where you don't eat for about 16 hours, and then eat all your days calories in an eight hour window, that would be a different story. in intermittent fasting, as detailed in leangains.com, you typically have a big dinner at night, and skip breakfast the next morning. coffee and water is allowed. you don't eat until lunch, which if you ate dinner at 7pm, your next meal would be at roughly 11am.

    also, the approach to this style of eating is slow. you just don't wake up and eat like this every day. you condition yourself, little by little. first you just don't have breakfast a couple of days a week, or just push it back later in the morning.

    personally i find this method more sustainable then anything. occaisonally i do still eat breakfast, but for the most part i don't until about 11am. and yes, i train fasted as well.
  • CalMcGuire
    CalMcGuire Posts: 12 Member
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    Ask yourself this: "Am I going to eat like that for the rest of my life?"
    If the answer is no, don't do it.

    This is a starting point for me to consciously try to lose some weight for the first time - so I will see how I get on with it and may then just reduce my calorie intake in general. Got to start somewhere and I don't really want to have to count calories every day so this seems to be the way to go.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    Ask yourself this: "Am I going to eat like that for the rest of my life?"
    If the answer is no, don't do it.

    This is a starting point for me to consciously try to lose some weight for the first time - so I will see how I get on with it and may then just reduce my calorie intake in general. Got to start somewhere and I don't really want to have to count calories every day so this seems to be the way to go.

    you just joined this website. you should be counting calories.

    i think i strictly counted calories for eight months before i started experimenting with intermittent fasting.
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
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    5:2 is a pretty extreme form of IF. I don't recommend it if you have existing binging habits or other abnormal food relationships.

    I also don't think that 5:2 should be anyone's starting point. It is too easy to justify eating whatever you want with the idea that Oh I will fast for two days, its not a big deal. I know a lot of people fall into the vicious cycle of essentially binging for 5 days and then they end up getting to the 2 days of fasting and can't reign in their appetite enough to compensate for overeating the previous days.

    I also don't see how not counting calories for only two days is really that less of chore than continuing to count for 7 days. If counting your calories is that taxing, somehow I don't imagine you're going to last very long on the 5:2 eating schedule.
  • x3na1401
    x3na1401 Posts: 277 Member
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    I have a friend on here who has lost 125 lbs doing 5:2.
    Undoubtedly it saved her life.

    I don't binge eat as a rule but I do struggle with portion control. I don't eat 500 / 1500. I net 500 and then eat upto 2000 depending.
    I think each person can tweek it to suit their needs

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