A newbie to 5:2
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coconutbuNZ
Posts: 578 Member
Watched the documentary, ordered the book and soon to start the 5:2 diet next week and hoping it will work. Really like the sound of eating what you want and not having to count calories on feeding days! However, worried I may overeat and lose track of cals and as a result, not lose weight. Do you stick to your recommended daily calories from MFP or no?
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I had to track calories on my 5 "normal eating" days as my intuitive eating level is in fact a calorie surplus.
So if you eat back exercise calories then suggest setting your weight loss goal to "maintain current weight".
If you follow the TDEE method then suggest you custom set your goal to your TDEE.0 -
I also track... because I don't really trust myself so far (only four weeks in to 4:3). THough that said I try to mix things up a bit. Today I am trying to keep below TDEE so I can splash out a bit on Saturday (Valentine's dinner with OH). Perversely so far i have found the best losses after eating a little more which to me makes no sense at all!
This way of eating really puts food into a much better perspective. After a fast day of trying to eat well on 500 calories I have no desire to 'waste' 300 calories plus on eating chocolate! Wine, on the other hand...
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I set my food days to maintenance, I can get alot of food with 2300 cals and feel quite virtuous if I come in under 2k, but always try to get to 1500, as like ariel if I restrict too much I don't lose so much. But I have to track, it would be nice not to but I can go off the rails if I don't.
Good luck
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I too found tracking important to my progress. If I could trust myself to eat normally I wouldn't need to be here.0
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I'm a foodie....if I don't track on normal days, I tend to overeat. Guess that's how I got here...
I am close to maintainance and have noticed tracking every day messes with my head sometimes. I tend to forget to listen to the hunger signals on non fast days. So atm I'm counting on some days, just counting treats on other days (my meals are generally pretty healthy and not high cal) and not counting at all on other days. Keeps me on my toes ;-)0 -
I track what I eat, mostly to see what choices I'm making and it's amazing how many calories are in a snickers bar for example. Stop tracking had helped me choose better foods0
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Hi welcome to the 5:2 and what a brilliant programme it is. I have been doing it just over a year and do track all days ( mostly) as I find it keeps me focused. I am more aware now of what foods contain so it is maybe that this year it is not so imperative as it was at the beginning.0
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I too track on my non fast days and would recommend it until it becomes automatic.
Welcome !0 -
I do not track on my non-fasting days and was able to reach and maintain a weight well within my healthy BMI. It can be done. I eat a lot of healthy food plus a regular dose of salty or sweet treats so I may never get to only one fasting day per week. Currently at two or sometimes three. I haven't lost any weight for almost a year but I am satisfied with the weight / size I have achieved through fasting.0
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I have been doing 5:2 for about 5 weeks now, and I have consistently lost about 1lb when doing it what I think is correctly. The only question I have is this... MFP tells me that maintenance calories for me are 1920 (huge!!), whereas every other website I have been on tells me around 1600, which is what I have been doing. I am worried to eat as much as 1920 on non fast days, but would I lose more if I eat more? I am currently 161lb, so a lot to lose. I would ideally like to lose 2lb per week. Do I eat all those cals or not?0
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Jules190179 wrote: »I have been doing 5:2 for about 5 weeks now, and I have consistently lost about 1lb when doing it what I think is correctly. The only question I have is this... MFP tells me that maintenance calories for me are 1920 (huge!!), whereas every other website I have been on tells me around 1600, which is what I have been doing. I am worried to eat as much as 1920 on non fast days, but would I lose more if I eat more? I am currently 161lb, so a lot to lose. I would ideally like to lose 2lb per week. Do I eat all those cals or not?
I would like to know the answer to this too. I have set MFP to lose 2lbs a week - although not fully stuck to it this week with valentines and dinner with friends. My TDEE is 1900 odd but that feels like loads. Not sure what do do.
Can anyone let me know what they eat on non fast days?0 -
What activity level are you using? I put sedentary and still get 2300 cals, but am 200+lbs. It does seem alot tho when you are used to restricting to 12-1500 a day, but thata why 5:2 is so doable. I'm 5 weeks in and 20lbs down0
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What activity level are you using? I put sedentary and still get 2300 cals, but am 200+lbs. It does seem alot tho when you are used to restricting to 12-1500 a day, but thata why 5:2 is so doable. I'm 5 weeks in and 20lbs down
I put sedentary too. Even if I add exercise though, it still stays at 1920. If I want to lose 2lb per week it automatically goes to 1200 cals per day. This is why I find 5:2 so good because I don't have to restrict myself.0 -
So according to my tdee I'm 2006. If I subtract 25% that's approximately 1504. So do I make 1504 my calories or 2006? Or do I ignore all the above, eat what I like and just fast on my fast days?0
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Karen - different strokes for different folks, but 1500 on a non fast day would be rather low if your TDEE is 2000. You get your 20-25% deficit through your fast days. No need to restrict on non fast days.
The math...
(2000x5 + 500x2)/7 = 1570
1570*100/2000 =78%
thus 22% deficit over the course of your week.
You can count on non fast days and try to stick to 2000 plus / minus. Recalculate your TDEE every 10-20lbs.
You can try to not count on non fast days and only count your fasts. If you lose without counting, that's awesome. If not, you are eating more on non fast days and can regain control by counting daily.0
