Anyone on 5:2? Have I ruined fast day?

n_green_l
n_green_l Posts: 74 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm supposed to have 500 calories twice a week, and I'm calorie counting the rest of the week 1480 so overall it works out as 1200. I've had about 600 calories today, have I ruined the fasting day?

Replies

  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    As mentioned 500 is simply a guideline based on averages. I would imagine you are still in a calorie deficit since your intake is quite low overall at 1200. I used run a similar schedule where my low days were around 1000-1500 calories (this was insanely low for me) but they were a huge drop compared to my high days.
  • angelsja
    angelsja Posts: 859 Member
    I thought with 5:2 it was 2 low cal days and 5 maintance days 🤔
  • freda666
    freda666 Posts: 338 Member
    edited May 2020
    I used to do 5:2 - 1500 calories and 500 calories - but I found the 500 just a little too low so have experimented and at the moment I am following a 4:3 routine - 1800 calories and 600 calories - which I find far easier to work within.
    Point is, this is not set in stone how you use IF, it is just a methodology and we are free to fiddle with it to get it to work best for us as individuals.
    I am 35kg down (getting on for 80 pounds) so it can work but only if it suits you.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    I always did 600 on fast days when I was on 5:2. And like 1800 other days.
  • lgfrie
    lgfrie Posts: 1,449 Member
    When my wife and I did 5:2 for a while years ago, we quickly migrated from the 500 to 600 for her and 800 for me. It didn't last long - 5:2 just didn't fit our needs.
  • freda666
    freda666 Posts: 338 Member
    edited May 2020
    angelsja wrote: »
    I thought with 5:2 it was 2 low cal days and 5 maintance days 🤔

    You are right to a point and when I first read read about IF it was described as 500 calories on fasting days and "eating normally" on the non-fasting days. But my "normal" got me obese (god I hate that word!) so that was never going to work for me. :/

    So I looked at how many calories I wanted to max out at across a whole week and worked backwards from that. I originally set my fast day calories at 500 but I found that a bit tough so I now have it at 600, but with 5:2 that meant I would have to reduce my non fast day calories a little too much to fit in what I wanted to be able to eat hence I have now shifted to 4:3.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,238 Member
    edited May 2020
    freda78 wrote: »
    You are right to a point and when I first read read about IF it was described as 500 calories on fasting days and "eating normally" on the non-fasting days. But my "normal" got me obese (god I hate that word!) so that was never going to work for me. :/

    So I looked at how many calories I wanted to max out at across a whole week and worked backwards from that. I originally set my fast day calories at 500 but I found that a bit tough so I now have it at 600, but with 5:2 that meant I would have to reduce my non fast day calories a little too much to fit in what I wanted to be able to eat hence I have now shifted to 4:3.

    If you're consistently having trouble implementing aggressive deficits that exceed 20% of your TDEE... you may want to consider whether more benefits could be derived from right sizing your goals to something that feels more sustainable and easy to implement, even if it takes a bit more time, as compared to trying to square what increasingly looks like a circle!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I did 5:2 to lose my weight - 2 days fasting and 5 days at MAINTENANCE which is the calorie counting implementation of eating normally.
    (You probably should reconsider if you are also eating in a deficit on your 5 days, that's not the idea.)

    I started at the recommended fasting day suggestion of 600 cals for a male but over time found 600 tough but 650 far easier for just an insignificant 50 cals.
    That 100 cals extra a week would have meant I lost weight one pound slower over 35 days - big deal. :smiley:

    Curiously as the 500/600 was just arrived at by a very unscientific and not personalised about a quarter of a typical male/female TDEE my 650 actually worked out pretty close to a quarter of my (at that time) 2,600 maintenance level.

    No you haven't "ruined your fast day", you have simply had 100 cals more than you planned for and that should be kept in the proper perspective - perfection isn't required for success. Let it go and move on.

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