Week 1 progress: how are you all getting on?
lizz2013
Posts: 331 Member
So, it's week 1 and we're all determined to do this, but how is everyone getting on? Today is my first fast day and I just couldn't resist and had a bakewell tart for breakfast! Who else finds themselves eating high calorie foods on fast days? I have very little self control when it comes to sugar!!
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Hi Lizz,
I did my first day yesterday and found it to be ok... I stuck to the 500 cals but did end up in bed early to avoid having a glass of wine
As I want to do Mon/Thurs normally and I can't do tomorrow this week I have decided to do another fast day today. I didn't eat anything until 10.30 then I've had half a Nakd bar with a cup of green tea. I found yesterday that I couldn't stop thinking about what I was having for my dinner and that's the same today!
I'll have the other half of the bar this afternoon and then fish and salad tonight and probably another early night!
I too love sugar but reading some info about the Paleo way of life helped me to curb my intake. In super basic terms it pretty much says that your body can never have raised insulin levels and be in a fat burning state at the same time and that sugar obviously increases your insulin. Whilst I don't think we should worry too much about it on 5:2 as this has it's own way of regulating your body I do wish someone had told me this years ago as it's definitely made me look twice at the Malteasers!
Do you track/count calories on your feast days?
Thanks again for setting this group up :0)0 -
Hi there, I just completed my first fast day yesterday. I have to say that it was amazing in that I knew what I was going to eat and that's that. I didn't obsess over food like I normally do and it was a nice change of pace. I did wake up early this morning 4:30am when I was planning to wake up at 5:30am, but that's another benefit as I got to check out some articles on IF...good studies on the benefits. I'll be interested to see if I can keep it up every week, but right now it looks very promising to me. Thanks again for starting this group, the active posts helps me stay focused on my plan.0
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Hi Lizz and Harloe
How's things?
End of fast 2, week 1 and I feel ok today!
A little weak, but feel like I can distinguish hunger from being nibbly....this is a first for a looong time!!!
I thought I'd want to eat straight aay this morning as I went to bed with a grumbling stomach, but no and I did sleep fairly well. How about you Harloe?
To answer the calorie counting on feast days question - I think you do have to count,......from what I've read from extracts of the Fast 5:2 book and by visiting the site. (I'm still awaiting my book)
There is a link to calculate your TDEE - I've set mine to sedentary at the mo, as I feel unsure of doing loads of exercise on and 'tween fast days. For example, the calculator says I can eat 1757 cals on "feast" days
What does the group think about eating back exercise calories?
I would also like to know what the group feels about changing your fast days some weeks - to fit in with work maybe, or going out, or holidays!
Can't wait to hear from you all!
Jan :happy:0 -
Luvsunshine1 - I know what you mean about feeling freer - I always abuse other diets or push the boundaries but 500 cals is 500 cals so I can't push it which I like
Jan - I slept really well thanks - I didn't wake up as much as I usually do. Felt a bit groggy first thing but that may be because I slept deeper and I wasn't hungry either
I will track what I eat over the weekend and see how I get on. A lot of my friends change their days every week to suit what they've got planned and all are losing weight - would be interested to know what others think.0 -
The book suggests that you don't track calories on non fast days as this gives you a break and stops that 'I'm on a diet' mentality. Just carry on as normal. Also studies they did on people who ate healthily on nonfast days and people who ate normally showed that the normal eaters lost more weight! If you eat too little then your net calories across the week will be too low and you'll go into starvation mode. That's my understanding anyway. I wouldn't recommend consecutive fast days either, for the same reason.
It also says that you shouldnt eat back exercise calories. Especially not on fast days. 500 is it. No way around it After a few weeks of doing it I found all the fast day weakness disappeared and I actually need less sleep! Which is great because I could sleep forever!
They recommend that you have as long a period as possible of fasting. So I have my last meal at lunch and go to bed early on fast days. That way, it's a total fast of about 20 hours without food. Only having 1 meal is recommended for maximum weight loss, but its all about what you can do and what you can maintain until the weight is gone. I meal just isn't enough for me!0 -
Hi everyone!
Yesterday was my first fast day - I did stick to the 500 as well. I looked forward to my dinner and realized that too often, I don't enjoy it as I should due to either snacking/nibbling decreasing my appetite as well as appreciation for sitting down - hungry - to a nice meal. My regular fast days are going to be Mondays and Thursdays - I thought about doing a day tomorrow since I just started yesterday, but I have an event tomorrow evening as well as Saturday so I don't think that I will do so.
Thank you, Lizz, for starting this as well as for the information related to the program. I don't have the book yet so I really appreciated the input; I will have to think about doing what you do concerning making my main meal at lunchtime on fast days - not sure I could do that without it leading to a cheat in the evenings...
As for exercise - I was never one to eat exercise calories - seemed counterintuitive, still does (Of course, if I actually earned a lot of them I may feel differently!)
Have a great day!0 -
Today is my second fast day this week. I am hungrier than I was on Monday (as I had a ton of pizza Sun night) but I am still determined to see this through. Tomorrow is a new day, right?
Fasting menu:
Brunch: Fritatta with artichokes, spinach and roasted red peppers
Afternoon meal/snack: Miso soup with oyster mushrooms
Dinner: Happy Herbivore's white enchiladas and a few tortilla chips
I think my actual planned calories are closer to 600 than 500 but I am not too concerned about that.0 -
Hello All!
Today is my first fast day this week. I plan to do two fast days in a row, fits more easily into my schedule, we'll see how it works. I try very hard to not eat back exercise calories, therein lies a slippery slope to an unhealthy relationship between exercise and food for me. I am still tracking on the off days, trying to stay at around 1800 cal per day, more to keep the habit of tracking and paying attention to the quality of the food I eat, than to really stick to the 1800 number.
Onward!0 -
I will have my first fast day tomorrow starting at noon to noon Saturday. I plan on just having liquid drinks. If I chew food then I will want more. We will see how the plan goes. I am finding that I do not eat back exercise calories because it always turnes out that the food that I choose to comsume for a day only uses up the non exercise calories.0
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Doing a 4:3 this week - already had 2 fast days and the OH offered to take me out for dinner tomorrow night but it's a fast day
I considered scrapping it but that's what got me here in the first place! We're going to figure out a better time to do it x 0 -
Way to go at it!0
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I had my first fast day on Tuesday and my second one will be on Friday. I tracked my calories yesterday and day as per my goal. I know the book advises against it, but I think I need to get a handle on whether or not I'm undoing my fast day progress. (My break will be on weekends and I'm hoping to drop the week-day calorie counting eventually.)
I did find Tuesday's fast to be a challenge. I had not fasted from Thursday to Monday because of travel (front loaded the fast days last week), so I think maybe it was like starting again. But I did make it.
I felt pretty hungry yesterday, My calorie counting kept me from diving headlong into a big bag of almonds. Today I'm feeling a little better.
I have taken off two of the three pounds I put on during my last trip. I think flying and restaurant food make me retain water, which is why the quick weight loss this week. It was the same pattern pre5:20 -
Today is fast day 2. I think I will still track, just so I don't overdo it. I am looking forward to tomorrow, to see how I feel after a true 500 cal fast. My first fast day was Monday, and I was closer to 700. Weekends tend to be my "days off" from calorie counting, but I am really busting my butt to lose a few more pounds before my birthday. I can't wait to post pics of me, last birthday and this. Really excited!1
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Today is day one and I've had a victorious and kinda cheating day today.
Victory: NO Coffee this morning...this is nothing less than a miracle--YAY, thank you Lord!
Cheating: Well...I didn't eat 500 cals only. Today I had my Almased w/Trader Joe's Super Red Drink Powder, Flax Chia seed mix and with my Barlean's Chocolate Mint Women Swirl, then my Almased w/Amazing Grass Wheat Grass Powder and other stuff. The three liquid meals =700 some odd cals. When I got back from my 2 mile walk with various old school gym exercises...I had some homemade stove popped corn with lots of dill & garlic powder. My total food was 1037 and because I ate that popcorn, I'm doing an extra work-out (Leslie Sansone Walk Strong, which is 30 minutes of brisk walking w/intervals and is a 2 mile walk).
Victory: Today I walked a total of 4 miles w/various SWEAT producing exercises for a total of 476 cals burned--whicih I ate back. So my net eating for today was 561 (which includes/takes away from my exercise cals)--but the cheating is I ate my exercise cals. total food cals eat/drank today was 1037 cals So............:drinker: AND :ohwell: AND :flowerforyou:
I've only just begin...not discouraged in the least--just reporting and will do better and better as time goes on...God Willing (I know He is Willing to see me thru this completely victoriously)--it's really if "I'm" willing
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Today is the second fast day of this week. I woke up at 5.30! Now it's 8am, I'm sitting at my desk at work with a cup of tea and I'm really hungry, this will be a long day.
Planned meals;
late afternoon; protein-shake (easy here at work)
dinner; sallad, tomatoes, carrots, grilled chicken, lemon juice, curry powder0 -
So yesterday was fast day 1, but I went over and then pretty much failed, so trying again today! I find if I'm crazy hungry drinking water loads works, distracting myself and letting the hunger pass, or changing how I feel about the hunger (so instead of thinking wow I'm hungry, I tell myself it is just the feeling of fat burning)
looking forward to weighing in 0 -
3rd fast of the week for me today. Thought I'd weigh myself to see how I'm getting on (official weigh in tomorrow) and I'm showing a 4.25lb loss!!! Had to jump on and off a couple of times to believe it hehe!
I'm hoping with another fast day today I'll maintain that loss!
Have a good day everyone x 0 -
Congrats on the loss!
I love the positive attitudes in this group - very motivating!0 -
Fantastic results. Fingers crossed it will show even more tomorrow
Newlifestyle4 you're right not to be discouraged. it is a process and can be really difficult for some. like yesterday I just couldn't seem to manage it. Well done for being accountable and working up a good sweat 0 -
Closing in on my last (2nd) fast day of the week. I'm about to have dinner and I'm starting to dream about the treats I'll have tomorrow. Scones. Frozen yogurt. Pizza Maybe a frappachino.
I won't eat all that stuff. Tomorrow I'll wake up and want my usual breakfast: milk and oatmeal. But it is feast-day eve and visions of sugar plums are starting to dance in my head right now! : - P0 -
I'm finishing my second fast day as well. Had a couple of quite hungry times but seem to have seen them through.
I lost 2.6 lbs this week! I really like this way of eating. The only thing that bothers me some is having difficulty concentrating at times. I'm off work today but will be working on my fast days next week so hope that gets better.0 -
Hi Luvsunshine
I hit a hungry time around 3 o'clock. I find that a 15-minute walk helps. And believe it or not, an aerobics class at about 7 pm helps.
On my first two fasts, I couldn't sleep well at all. But that went away.0 -
Thanks Cindy, it's good to know that the decrease in sleep gets better. I just function better when I get enough sleep.0
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I used to have trouble concentrating, but now I've been doing it for a while I find I can focus more on fast days. Maybe it is because in the beginning we're so focused on fasting and trying not to feel hungry that everything else gets forgotten.
Please please don't think of it as Fast and Feast days. That is the wrong mentality and could lead to overeating. just try to be normal on non-fast days and if you want to then indulge in a little of something you fancy, guilt free.0 -
Hi all. It sounds as if everyone is doing well with the challenge.
I do track my calories every day and I only allow myself 1200 calories on the days I am not fasting. I know it doesn't sound like a lot but with veggies and some fruit I feel it is enough.
I am finding that I am craving carbohydrates even more so now than ever. Potato chips, ice cream, what have you. On your days that you are not fasting do you indulge with junk food? Or do you stay on track and try to eat things that are healthy?
I do adjust my fast days according to what I have planned for the week.0 -
High insulin levels = no fat burning. Interesting. Makes sense to me. Thanks for sharing.0
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I've been working on this by trying to balance healthy eating with occasional indulgences. It's hard for me to avoid thinking "Okay, today I can eat all of the stuff that I couldn't eat on my fast day" and then overdo it. So I've been allowing myself a few extras that I couldn't normally "afford" on a regular daily calorie restriction diet.Hi all. It sounds as if everyone is doing well with the challenge.
I do track my calories every day and I only allow myself 1200 calories on the days I am not fasting. I know it doesn't sound like a lot but with veggies and some fruit I feel it is enough.
I am finding that I am craving carbohydrates even more so now than ever. Potato chips, ice cream, what have you. On your days that you are not fasting do you indulge with junk food? Or do you stay on track and try to eat things that are healthy?
I do adjust my fast days according to what I have planned for the week.
As for the carbs - I crave those quite a bit as well. I know that when I start the day high-carb without much protein it is a struggle for me the rest of the day. For instance, I really wanted a bowl of a cereal I like Thursday morning, the day after a fast day, and ate it with fruit and milk. I was hungry within 2 hours - for more carbs - and for much of the day as well. Try bumping the protein and fat to balance it - that seems to help a lot of people from what I've read.0 -
Hey Guys,
This is my first week on the challenge and yesterday was my first fast day and somehow I managed to stay in the 500 calorie range( I really thought I was going to cave at night) anyway I found that I was not that hungry today. Has anyone else experienced that? I had a decent breakfast which kept me feeling full until dinner. I'm not sure if this is a result of the fast or just my good breakfast. I think I'll have my second fast day tomorrow and start on a regular week day fast schedule this coming week.
I was wondering however, are you supposed to "load up" the day before a fast and do you guys usually exercise on the days you fast?0 -
Hi, i had my first fast day on Thursday as i thought 'why put it off till next week?' I'm starting the week with a fast day tomorrow then again on Thursday. Unfortunately my holiday starts on the 31st to France for 2 weeks so red wine, bread and cheese, my downfall. Ho hum!
Well done all and keep it up!!0 -
Completed my fast at noon today, it was easy doing the noon to noon the following day fast. I will stick to doing the fast this way, stuck to my calorie limit and was not hungry. I did Zumba yesterday and got through it ok.0
