Life in the Fast Lane

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CourtneySandraDines
CourtneySandraDines Posts: 4
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Hi Guys! im fairly new to 5:2 been here for 3 weeks and have been following everyone's posts and really love this way of eating. i have so much energy on my fasting days but on my normal days I actually feel really sluggish. Eating between 1000cals - 1500cals (Weighing everything that i eat and logging EVERYTHING) I work at a desk so it dosent help, i just want to go to sleep after lunch lol.

Anyways i wanted to post my weight and all that and have your opinions:
Hight: 180cm
Start weight : 66.6kg
Current weight: 63.9kg
Goal weight: 58kg

I put on 8kg over 3 years

Ive been loosing between 1kg - 0.5kg per week..
from what ive read its about now that my weight loss is going to start slowing down so i have increased my fasting days to 3x per week. I'm trying to reach my goal by Feb.. is this realistic?
and does anyone else here only have about 8kg to loose? Id be really interested to here how you are going?

am i on the right track?

p.s you all seem very encouraging and super friendly :wink:

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  • CourtneySandraDines
    CourtneySandraDines Posts: 4
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    Also i want to add something that has really helped me: i have bought the lite and easy meals for my fast days... i was struggling to stick to 500cals before i bought them but since ive been on them its working i manage to have my 2x 250cal meals and be content... for anyone struggling they should try this!
  • Calahonda1984
    Calahonda1984 Posts: 46
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    Hi Courtney,

    I need to lose around 8kgs (preferably 10!).

    I won't start giving advice as I'm new to this, so I'll leave it to the more experienced and in the know 5:2ers, but the fact you're losing that much per week is amazing! I'm lucky if I lose 0.5lb/week - my loss is going very slowly but I keep telling myself that a loss is a loss and I'll get there eventually!

    What light and easy meals are you talking about? As in weight watchers ones or are there special 5:2 ones? I'm in Spain so the WW meals over here are extortionately priced - in teh UK I could get them for a couple of £ but here they are more like €6 each!

    Keep up the fab work!

    Jo x


  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    You would appear to be eating far too low on your 5 days. That's not the idea.
    Could well be why you feel sluggish, you are short of fuel!
    Maintenance calories (TDEE) or "normal eating" is the level you are supposed to be eating at on the five days.

    By restricting those days you are turning what is designed to be a small weekly deficit into a huge deficit.
    http://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-to-do-the-diet/

    Big deficits are a really bad idea when you don't have much to lose. Instead of increasing your deficit towards the end of your weight loss you should be reducing it. Please think again.
  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    You would appear to be eating far too low on your 5 days. That's not the idea.
    Could well be why you feel sluggish, you are short of fuel!
    Maintenance calories (TDEE) or "normal eating" is the level you are supposed to be eating at on the five days.

    By restricting those days you are turning what is designed to be a small weekly deficit into a huge deficit.
    http://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-to-do-the-diet/

    Big deficits are a really bad idea when you don't have much to lose. Instead of increasing your deficit towards the end of your weight loss you should be reducing it. Please think again.

    ^^Totally agree. Your goal is also pretty low (but I don't know your build), thus you 0.5-1kg per week is quite a big loss.

    You can restrict a Little on non fast days, but you are restricting 500-1000cals on those days in Addition to your fasts. Try to go to maintenance - 25% daily average over the course of a week. You will probably feel better.
  • jknight001
    jknight001 Posts: 745 Member
    edited December 2014
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    Agree with Sijomial and Flumi_f. If you haven't watched the Michael Mosely document I would highly recommend it. See the Links to 5:2 Information announcement on the 5:2 group page.

    It may seem intuitive to cut calories every day but the program is about intermittent fasting meaning we cut calories only two days a week at eat at our normal calorie level 5 days a week. This keep body losing weight with out going into starvation mode (or feeling sluggish). We need the fuel on our NFDs to wake up our metabolism and get it going so eating on the NFDs is as essential as cutting our TDEE 25% on FDs. IF is aimed at leaving you feeling energized, healthier not depleted.

    @Calahonda1984 - I am the same way - a turtle. Most weeks it is .5 lbs or less. But as long as I am trending down I am very happy!
  • CourtneySandraDines
    CourtneySandraDines Posts: 4
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    Thanks Everyone! im going to make a big effort to up my calories on non fasting days but the more i eat the slower my day goes and it seems to me that its the food that makes me tired .. sounds ridiculous. don't get me wrong though i do understand what you are saying!
    I just watched the Doco on the weekend and ive found some clarity in that.

    The lite and easy meals i think are only here in Aus and they are so healpful because you dont have to think about cooking
  • uptightoutasight
    uptightoutasight Posts: 69 Member
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    Hi Courtney. I too only need to lose maybe 10 kilos all up and have already lost somewhere between 3 and 4 in about 2 months or less. On fast days, like you, find it helpful to have an exact count ready to microwave, so I use the Birds Eye steamed fish packets and also do the same with a pack of steamed vegetables. There is no way that those vegetables are as nice as fresh steamed ones but they will do, are quick, easy and helps me not think about,or dwell on food. I sometimes add a tsp of garlic olive oil to the veg and it tastes so much better and I am under my count. I found I was fluctuating quite a bit when I started but am now much more confident that my weights are accurate and I wish time would go faster to reach my goal weight. While I weigh myself daily, I count every Friday as my weight for the week. Good luck and keep posting.
  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
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    Courtney - are you eating alot of grain or simple carbs? Some people react to them with cravings or getting sluggish.
  • angelamb1970
    angelamb1970 Posts: 123 Member
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    I have similar issues. I have loads of energy on fasting days, on non-fasting days I'm sluggish. Been logging and noticing the trends for months now, and determined that combining 16:8 (actually I only have a 6hr eating window, so really 18:6) with 5:2 has helped tremendously in the energy department for me. I still get the calories in, but avoid that sluggish feeling (which for me leads to over-eating). Everyone is different though, Daily, I skip breakfast and my first meal is around 3pm, then dinner around 7pm and a light snack at night. Fasting days are just one meal, around 7pm. Good luck and keep logging!! you will find your sweet spot :-)

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