5:2 - intermittent fasting. FRIENDS WANTED.

So I've been doing a version of this since the end of September 2012. I only started weighing myself in mid November and have lost 26lbs since then. I reckon I've lost around 45lbs over all so far.

Here is what I do:
I fast Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I eat between 500 and 600 calories on those days and I eat them all in one meal because I prefer it that way.
On Tuesdays (my day off) and Saturdays i eat exactly what I like. For example, this week for dinner on Tuesday I got fish and chips from the chippy. It's important for me to know I can do this if I want to, because that feels more sustainable long term. Sometimes I eat healthily on those days, sometimes I eat chips it really varies depending on how I feel (which for me is the point). I like that the "extra" fast day give me slightly more wriggle room on my non fast days if i want to. That works for me.

On Thursdays and Sundays I eat fairly healthily and try to keep to a reasonable calorie amount. I try to keep my calories overall for the week to a sensible average, and it usually evens out overall.

I know this isn't the exact 5:2 fasting plan, but it works for me and I think the important thing with any change of lifestyle like this is to find what really works for you and what is sustainable long term for you. When I get to wanting to maintain, I can step down my regime easily (only fast twice, eat more on Thursdays and Sundays etc) to find a program that works well for me for maintenance.

In addition to this, I'm walking more and recently got a bike so i'm cycling places I would have caught the bus to. I eat back my exercise calories (apart from on fast days).

Hope this helps and shows that fasting type diets can and do work... I find it really easy to maintain this fasting regime and it feels like something that can be kept up long term for me in the future.

Can I join in too.? I started this week and have so far done 2 fasts, the first - Monday, was surprisingly easy. But the second - Thursday, was tough. I had lots of vegetable soup and drinks, which didn't ever satisfy me, and then iwas up twice in the night for the loo as I'd had so much to drink! I also went over a bit, to 600 cals.

I have only got a few pounds to go until I drop the Christmas weight, but the health benefits are compelling to maintain this as a way of life. I'm not sure how much weight I have lost as I will weigh myself tomorrow morning and once I get to target, will drop to 6:1.

Please feel free to add me, I have no MFP chums yet!

i unintentionally started this. ate/drank way too much on monday/tuesday so i restricted weds/thurs to make up for it. and those two days i dropped the weight fluctuation i'd gained and then some. what a great motivator it was to see that scale go down. of course i'm eating again today. i think i'll start doing this every week.

request sent

oops typed to fast...I meant 16-8

Hi everyone,

I've been tempted to try 5:2 after watching the horizon program and seeing others have good results.. but could you all let me know how to work out calories please? Like how many I should have on fast days & how many on non fast days..

So even though I have 80lbs to lose I should eat 2000 on non fast days & 500 on fast days? Or should I eat less on non fast days because I've got so much to lose?

The book recommends not counting calories at all on non-fast days, but without going too crazy.

I still track all my days, but mostly out of habit. I go for my own maintenance of 1800 cals, with the odd splurge day.

i am currently doin my first 24 hour fast, i will decide at 7pm if i am going to eat or if i might push to breakfast on sunday thereby doing 36hours. i have to say it is easier than i thought it would be but i still have 5.5hrs to go! might be climbing the walls by then!
I wanted to try a real 24 hour fast to see if i could cope before attempting the 5:2, i have heard that although both give good benefits a true 24 hour fast is better for weight loss.

I may combine this and try doing a regular 16:8 for 4 days the rest of the week and allow 1 cheat day.
basically skip breakfast for 4 days.

Hello, I started doing this on Jan 1st and seeing good results. I tend to stick with Monday and Thursday for fasting to maximise the time between. Don't really bother counting calories at the weekend but I'm very strict on the other days, I have lost 19lbs so far.

Hi Mark, this is exactly what I am doing, Monday and Thursday fasting days, counting the calories on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and not counting on the weekend.

Only my 2nd week now but lost 2.5kg and 2% body fat in the first week....

Hi!
After a number of unsuccessful attempts I started the 5:2 diet at the beginning of February after a binge, I completed a 48hr fast with incredible ease (clearly had way too much food in my system) and since then have been doing 2x36hr fasts a week. I have found over the 6 fasting days that cravings are easily quelled with some herbal tea or black coffee during the day with the only troublesome time being late evening when relaxing at my normal dinner time but once you get past 9pm its plain sailing until breakfast the next morning.
On non-fast days I am trying to stick to 1500cal a day (admittedly weekends are more relaxed) to ensure a minimum 1lb loss a week.
Maybe my body has now run out of reserves but on my non-fast days I seem to have insatiable food cravings, mainly for high calorie sweet foods, its as if once I open the food-floodgate I can't quench my body's wants, is anyone else experiencing this?