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Not eating on your fasting days?

mabearof6
mabearof6 Posts: 684 Member
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I have followed a fasting diet in the past.....it started unintentionally after a hospital stay for one of my kiddos. I want to try the 5:2 fasting, but my question is, is it OK to not eat 500 calories on fasting days? I am not hungry till I eat and once I do then I'm ravenous. And on the other 5 day should I limit the time I eat....or is anytime good as long as I stay in my calorie goals?

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  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
    mabearof6 wrote: »
    is it OK to not eat 500 calories on fasting days?

    Sure, yeah, it's fine. IMO, the 500 calories thing is a hack to make fasting sound less imposing and get more compliance. But less is more, IMO (more time for the autophagy effect).
    And on the other 5 day should I limit the time I eat....or is anytime good as long as I stay in my calorie goals?

    Nah, eat when you want. 5:2 and Alternate Day Fasting are day-long protocols. The other intraday things (16:8, 14:10, 20:4, etc.) are separate systems.

    Some people combine the two and do them concurrently, but you certainly don't have to.
  • mabearof6
    mabearof6 Posts: 684 Member
    Thanks. Trying to plan out what days I will do fasting days now. Leaning towards Wednesday and Mondays but will shift as needed to work with my schedule
  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
    That's the beauty of 5:2. It fits into your life as you wish. :)

    If you are 'only' in it for the weight loss, eat when ever it suits you on fast and non fast days. For other health benefits, you possibly get more for your 'money' with shorter eating windows. Just depends what you're after and what is sustainable for you.
  • Enny2405
    Enny2405 Posts: 97 Member
    Im on week 3 - my 500 days are actually more like 700 days but the weight is coming off so I cant complain!
  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
    That's the great thing about 5:2...tailor it to your life and needs, not vice versa.
  • msalicia116
    msalicia116 Posts: 233 Member
    mabearof6 wrote: »
    I have followed a fasting diet in the past.....it started unintentionally after a hospital stay for one of my kiddos. I want to try the 5:2 fasting, but my question is, is it OK to not eat 500 calories on fasting days? I am not hungry till I eat and once I do then I'm ravenous. And on the other 5 day should I limit the time I eat....or is anytime good as long as I stay in my calorie goals?

    Have you done any of the reading about 5/2? If not, I would get all the info or watch the documentary before leaping into it. It's very insightful.
  • mabearof6
    mabearof6 Posts: 684 Member
    Not eating at all is what works for me, and what makes my day easier and less stressful. I have a few books and read up on it, have watched the Documentary a few times

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