Doing 5:2 IF - "red letter" days stop MFP from estimating

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CarvedTones
CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I wish they would do projections from weekly totals and allow the low calorie days. I am doing the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting diet. You eat 3 meals a day 5 days a week and on 1 meal a day on 2 of the days. It's safe to do this on days that are spaced apart. You get 17 meals a week instead of 21, so even if you have meals at maintenance level, you will have a reduction in calories of almost 20%. I am eating to lose on other days also, but the estimates are off because of the assumption that all 7 days each week will be at that level. I get the red letter warning that I am not eating enough on the 2 single meal fasting days and it doesn't estimate using the total for that day.

My initial goal is to lose 38# and I have lost 24# so far at a clip that probably isn't extremely healthy but I am impatient. I started the diet on Sept 1st.

Replies

  • canarysal
    canarysal Posts: 118 Member
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    Thats not strictly 5:2 ethos; its 5 days at maintenance calories and 2 days at 500 calories, doesn't have to be one meal, I used to have 3 meals on my low calorie days. Obviously up to you how you divide up the totals, bit like on MFP, some people eat fewer large meals, some lots of smaller meals.
  • IAparent
    IAparent Posts: 12 Member
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    I'm also new here and generally lurk, but if you don't click the "complete diary" button at the bottom,nothing bad happens and you don't get an estimate of weight down the road. I didn't even realize that that button told you anything until my teenager had to log a few days in MFP for a class and was annoyed by the messages. I'd never bothered clicking it. I just log my food and carry on. No stress.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    First, as your fasting days are what creates your deficit, your other days should be at maintenance.

    Second, just don't complete your diary on your fasting days. The warning is there for those who try to eat that low every day without a medical reason to.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited October 2017
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    5:2 diet is a defined plan for all seven days a week - you aren't doing 5:2 by eating to a deficit on the 5 maintenance days.

    My losses on it were about 1lb/week just as expected.
    And the maintenance days are great practice for when you get to maintenance at goal weight.

    It's not a plan for the impatient!
    I have lost 24# so far at a clip that probably isn't extremely healthy
    Isn't improving your health a big driver to lose weight?
  • shaunshaikh
    shaunshaikh Posts: 616 Member
    edited October 2017
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    It’s to stop people from undereating. I don’t see much value in the red letter weights anyways. It’s simple math, 3500 calorie deficit equals a pound of weight loss.
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
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    Solution: just don't click 'complete diary'
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Don't complete your diary. The estimation will be way off anyway since it's based only on one day's calories and your fast days are not representative of your overall intake.
  • katnadreau
    katnadreau Posts: 149 Member
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    Just don't complete your diary. I honestly haven't completed mine in probably a month.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Don't complete your diary. The estimation will be way off anyway since it's based only on one day's calories and your fast days are not representative of your overall intake.

    This.

    It is utterly pointless clicking on "complete diary" on your fasting days, as the number you're given is if 'everyday were like today", which in your case it is not.

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