Starting the 5:2 diet tomorrow - help!

CalMcGuire

Ha! I knew that comment about masochism would get the Captain going :happy: Take it easy, sir, I'm not about to do myself an injury.

Yes, I am sure, like many things, it will work for some people and not for others. And, farway, I didn't see the Horizon programme but read about it and will watch it on iPlayer.

Thank you all for the advice and (largely) positive comments - I will pop in to let you know how I get on! Off to curl up on the sofa and watch The Americans :-)

CalMcGuire

Today has gone pretty well and I still had energy for teaching. My supper was later than I'd planned because lessons ran over a bit and I was pretty hungry by the time I'd made it! Most of all I'm happy I've done today, am looking forward to tomorrow and a 'normal' day, and also looking forward to my next 'fast' day on Wednesday because I've got my first one out of the way and know what to expect. Onward and upward (but not sideways)!

farway

Hopefully onward & downward?

SJVZEE

Well, yes, I'm starting counting calories NOW because I'm starting the 5:2 diet and that's why I joined this site

And the idea was not to fast on the two days but drastically reduce calories and not to binge on the 5 days but to have 'reset' myself in order to eat less in general (but not have to count calories or weigh out portions on those days). I don't have an unhealthy attitude to food I've just never really thought about it or wanted to do anything about my weight or health until now, as I had high blood pressure when tested last week and I'm 42 now and want to make a change. So I'm also cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, drinking more water, exercising more etc. So wish me luck!

you are not a nintendo. you don't have a reset button. everything that happened yesterday will still affect you today.

of course you still have to count calories and weigh your portions out while on the 5:2 diet. i still do while on IF.

i mean, do you even know about the 5:2 diet?? it's supposed to be 1500-1600 calories for women on regular days, and 500 on two fast days that are non-consecutive.

you are making a lot of drastic changes all at once, and it can affect you more negatively then you think. i would think that you'd know that small changes can yield big results. 5:2 won't give you results any quicker then just counting calories.

why don't you just try and count calories for a month or two, before we start with 5:2?

Per Dr. Mosley, on the 5 normal days you eat around 2,000 calories for women.

Op, I've had great success with 4:3/5:2 IF and have been able to transition into maintenance easily with it as well. I hope you have success with it to!

farway

Well, yes, I'm starting counting calories NOW because I'm starting the 5:2 diet and that's why I joined this site

And the idea was not to fast on the two days but drastically reduce calories and not to binge on the 5 days but to have 'reset' myself in order to eat less in general (but not have to count calories or weigh out portions on those days). I don't have an unhealthy attitude to food I've just never really thought about it or wanted to do anything about my weight or health until now, as I had high blood pressure when tested last week and I'm 42 now and want to make a change. So I'm also cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, drinking more water, exercising more etc. So wish me luck!

you are not a nintendo. you don't have a reset button. everything that happened yesterday will still affect you today.

of course you still have to count calories and weigh your portions out while on the 5:2 diet. i still do while on IF.

i mean, do you even know about the 5:2 diet?? it's supposed to be 1500-1600 calories for women on regular days, and 500 on two fast days that are non-consecutive.

you are making a lot of drastic changes all at once, and it can affect you more negatively then you think. i would think that you'd know that small changes can yield big results. 5:2 won't give you results any quicker then just counting calories.

why don't you just try and count calories for a month or two, before we start with 5:2?

Per Dr. Mosley, on the 5 normal days you eat around 2,000 calories for women.

Op, I've had great success with 4:3/5:2 IF and have been able to transition into maintenance easily with it as well. I hope you have success with it to!

"normal" calorie requirement is linked to age, activity, etc & depends on height

Check here

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

SJVZEE

Well, yes, I'm starting counting calories NOW because I'm starting the 5:2 diet and that's why I joined this site

And the idea was not to fast on the two days but drastically reduce calories and not to binge on the 5 days but to have 'reset' myself in order to eat less in general (but not have to count calories or weigh out portions on those days). I don't have an unhealthy attitude to food I've just never really thought about it or wanted to do anything about my weight or health until now, as I had high blood pressure when tested last week and I'm 42 now and want to make a change. So I'm also cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, drinking more water, exercising more etc. So wish me luck!

you are not a nintendo. you don't have a reset button. everything that happened yesterday will still affect you today.

of course you still have to count calories and weigh your portions out while on the 5:2 diet. i still do while on IF.

i mean, do you even know about the 5:2 diet?? it's supposed to be 1500-1600 calories for women on regular days, and 500 on two fast days that are non-consecutive.

you are making a lot of drastic changes all at once, and it can affect you more negatively then you think. i would think that you'd know that small changes can yield big results. 5:2 won't give you results any quicker then just counting calories.

why don't you just try and count calories for a month or two, before we start with 5:2?

Per Dr. Mosley, on the 5 normal days you eat around 2,000 calories for women.

Op, I've had great success with 4:3/5:2 IF and have been able to transition into maintenance easily with it as well. I hope you have success with it to!

"normal" calorie requirement is linked to age, activity, etc & depends on height

Check here

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

Cool website-thanks for the link! According to that, I'd actually get more than 2,000 calories a day on my normal days I was just responding to the thought that the plan says women are supposed to be eating 1,500-1,600c, but per the actual book Mr. Mosley recommends around 2,000 calories for women on non-fasting days Definitely tweakable, but the big thing is to not under eat on your regular calorie days.

Babs1076

If you have never dieted then don't start. Dieting is where most of our troubles started. Instead, do all those boring things that we are told, the ones that no longer work for those of us who have spent years dieting, e.g. make incremental adjustments to what you eat with an increase in vegetables and a reduction in the stuff you already know you shouldn't be eating. Stop drinking juice or sodas. If you have never dieted, this will work for you. It is we "dieters" for whom these simple measures are no longer enough.

The 5:2 diet - if you want to do this and have never dieted, instead just miss a meal (or two) from time to time as suits, when you are not so hungry anyway, then take care your next meal is thoughtful (fish with salad is good).

Good luck. I hope you don't end up on this treadmill we are all on.

farway

The normal daily calorie thing triggered my response. My normal [old bloke, lightly active] is around 1800, hence need to check

I think the normal days are where it can all go wrong unless one is very careful and watching just what goes in ones tummy

sawiemken

Don't know anything about that "diet" but drastic normally doesn't work for long term. I'd suggest more water more veggies and fruit and less packaged food or fast food (not saying you do any of this just general stuff).

I don't count calories MFP does it all for me I just input what I eat and it's pretty easy. I just have a guideline and it tells me when I get close and based on that I know what I want to use for my calories a cookie vs an apple. I don't dwell on the calories other than I try to eat healthy and if I'm about to get a huge dessert I then check the calories to see if it's worth it for me. I don't drink a lot of empty calories either.

farway

.

The 5:2 diet - if you want to do this and have never dieted, instead just miss a meal (or two) from time to time as suits, when you are not so hungry anyway, then take care your next meal is thoughtful (fish with salad is good).

Good luck. I hope you don't end up on this treadmill we are all on.

I very much agree with skip a meal or two, and the fish [not fish & chips of course] just do not post about on here or you will get a squillion posts telling you how awful it is, must have 6 meals a day, or five , or three, must have breakfast, kick start metabolism, & starvation mode

Do what fits into your life

CalMcGuire

I do tend to eat fairly healthily in that I'm vegetarian (but eat fish - preferably fish caught by my partner or his friends rather than shop bought but I do occasionally buy fish and feel a bit guilty!). We are lucky that we live by the sea and some good fishing rivers/lakes.

Having two boys meant that there are more crisps etc. around (I'm not bothered by chocolate or biscuits fortunately!) and the occasional takeaway, wch became more often as my partner and I were working more (I was working 7 days a week for a year wch was not healthy in itself). I have now cut back on work, in fact, I work from home, so I can spend a bit of time thinking about what I'm eating and preparing it etc. It is in fact a relief to focus on food and looking after myself (and my family) and I've already noticed a change in my attitude to food - for the better! - instead of rushing it, seeing it just as fuel etc. though I've always enjoyed cooking when I have the time.

So, I am trying the 5:2 and am using MFP to be more aware of the calories I'm eating, and the exercise I'm doing, on the other 5 days, aiming to stick around my TDEE and if I lose weight all to the good but I'm not really that bothered about that because I feel pretty healthy generally. It would be a bonus and would set me up as I get older (currently 42).

Thank you for all your comments - I am reading them all and taking them in :-)

jenniferharrisricard

I don't think that is too healthy. You should try something along the lines of a lifestyle change rather than a quick change. Add better nutrition to your diet and drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. Rather than staving yourself for a day. You should never eat less than 1200 calories a day for woman and 1600 calories for men (Jillian Michaels) Good luck in whatever you decide

Cherry_T

I`m not exactly a fan of this diet. If you want my opinion, you should look into eating for energy
http://choppysreviews.com/eating-for-energy/

N17com

To me, I can understand that you don't want to count your calories every day, but to me being on a diet is a short fix and doesn't help with understanding food better. For example, I bought a kitchen scales and couldn't believe how small a 30g portion of cereal was. I kind of realise where i was over eating. I have now been using my fitness pal for 9 weeks and I have lost 19 pounds. I have 21 pounds to go until i am at my ideal weight.

Counting calories really ain't that bad, because when you have the my fitness pal app on your phone it becomes so easy and the previous food entries are saves, which shortens the time it takes. Using my fitness pal, doesn't make you feel like your on a diet, so it enables you to still eat the foods you want. I think the best thing about it is that you can link other exercise apps with my fitness pal, and i have now started to use it when I'm walking, to count the calories i have burnt.

But im sure you know what the app offers, but still i would say give the app a go, you have nothing to lose cause it free.
Plus usually doing a diet means you have to buy foods of low calories, which half the time are really pricey. Dont get me wrong I've tried almost every diet, meat diet, cambridge diet, cayenne pepper diet, Atkins diet, cabbage diet, and let me tell you the minute i stopped those diets, i ballooned in size, cause i never learnt portion size or limitations and i believe my fitness pal teaches you limitations. My advise is get the app on your phone and try it out.

Cause when i was on the cambridge diet, i could only eat 500 calories in the day and i was starving all day every day. I would advise if your an active person, never try a diet that only has 500 calories a day, not worth the health problems. And don't get me started on weight watchers, i lost 6 pounds in 5 weeks, soon as i stopped i ballooned 10 pounds heavier. The problem with WW is that you still don't really learn portion size because you focus more on points and how much you can have, then you have to buy WW calculators to convert calories into points. My fitness pal makes it so easy because on your phone you can just scan items barcode like drinks and add it so quickly to your food diary. You can also add friends and motivate each other and give your own advise to each other. I use it with my mother in law, i think adding friends, enables you to be completely honest with where your going wrong.


Anyways i think i've ranted on enough, i have no reason to sell the app to you, all i know is i lose weight every week, and the app is almost 100 percent right about my estimated weight lose every week and when i add exercise i lose even more. Its definitely been my miracle for weight lose. I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do. Please remember losing weight should be done in a healthy way and should be a life style change instead of a quick fix because you will see you will never say at the right weight and will have to always starve yourself.

maryd4love

I agree the point of the 5:2 is you do NOT count calories on the 5 days. In saying that, you do not need to a 2 large pizzas and a cake during those 5 days. That is why I think this diet is going to work for me.

LBNOakland

bump

CalMcGuire

I do indeed use the MFP app and intend to do the 5:2 for a period of time to lose weight for my upcoming wedding and then reduce my calorie intake on a daily basis (using MFP as suggested). It certainly makes you aware of portion size and which foods are nutritious, although I've always had a pretty healthy diet, I just had a few 'baddies', such as bread, cheese, pasta (and too much coffee and alcohol!) and I've already changed my attitude to those. I've always drunk plenty of water and am always telling my pupils to do so as the brain requires 2 litres of water a day to function at it's best. Thanks for the advice :-)

LBNOakland

I am thinking of trying this. My problem is that I lift heavy weights 3x a week. I know I need to fuel my workouts. The day after my workout probably needs to be the light calorie day but I am STARVING from the previous day's workout! LOL Summer means boats, seadoos and rum punch on the weekend so I have got to get some control during the week!!

AJLComputers

I realise this is an old thread but having found it through google I just wanted to say that there are some terribly negative comments in reply to the OP.

I appreciate what people are saying about doing a fad diet and then stopping means you'll probably gain weight once you stop and I can agree from personal experience that this does happen but 5:2 can easily be changed to 6:1 once you reach your goal weight and that should maintain. If it works to lose weight then why are people discouraging the OP from trying?

Simply telling someone to calorie count is not the answer, I tried calorie counting and found it horrible, I eat out a lot with friends and it's almost impossible to work out how many calories are in restaurant meals, do I have to take my scales to the restaurant and weigh everything? Do I have to ask the chef if things are cooked in butter or oil or if there's anything in there that might add a lot of calories?

Someone also said "ask yourself if you're going to do this for the rest of your life and if the answer is no then don't start" That applies to calorie counting for me. I can barely count calories for a week before I forget to add something to the diary or have a meal that I have no way of knowing how many calories are in it, then I get disheartened and eventually give up.

With the 5:2 lifestyle I know I can go out and have a nice meal, I can enjoy a takeaway and I can let others cook for me without worrying about what they're cooking and in exchange I just have to have a couple of days where I don't eat much, that works for me and has worked for many others too so if anyone's reading this thread and has been put off then don't be. If you think it'll work for your lifestyle and you can keep it up then why not try it, if you don't lose weight or find you can't stick to it then it's not for you but you don't know till you try.

AbsolutelyAnnie

^ What you said.

Dodorap

I started my 5:2 diet on 22nd April with a fast and then another fast 24th yesterday and I jumped on the scale this morning and my weight has dropped from 76.7kg to 72.1kg which is 4.6kg down about 10.2lbs. I'm so excited because it was my first time to try it after buying the book on the eve of Good Friday. I'm so motivated to keep doing it, I can't wanit for my next fast which will this time be next Monday. Yippeee!