5:2 Fasting Diet

As this thread's become a bit stale, I was wondering how folk are finding the 5:2 diet a few months on? I'm curious because I've just started on it again (third time) and I'm hoping this time I'll be able to stick with it.

I have Tues, Thurs & Sundays as my fast days - which is working fine apart from the fact that I only lose around 3lbs every month - which I get very disheartened about, then the dreaded 'plateau' is upon me, and after eating very strictly for 12 weeks, losing around 7lb..nothing more happens - until in a fit of pique I go and eat a normal meal on a fast day and find I put on nearly 2lb (which is a mystery as the weight of the meal itself wouldn't come to that

Are others succeeding on this regime?

Thanks for the encouragement

Yes mrsrabbit, I was expecting to be ravenous on the morning following a fast day but, like you, found that it was not so.
Good luck, hope you achieve the results you are after.
It has been a year of maintenance for me after losing 2.5 stone doing alternate days. I do need to shed a bit more weight, so will start soon to be stricter on fast days. I have found that 600-700cals has allowed me to stay the same and eat very well on eating days. I have never before kept weight off for so long. At last I have found a regime for life!

Started 5:2 yesterday and survived with 500 calories and was very surprised to wake up this morning not really feeling hungry and had breakfast eventually 11ish. Has anyone noticed a reduction in appetite this quickly?

http://thefastdiet.co.uk/ - it sounds like a good idea!!
If anyone wants to know anything about the 5:2diet this is the website to log onto - it's the official one, and there is lots of information, it gives you the facts and obviously any tips can be shared here on the forum.
I do fast somedays (i.e.miss breakfast&lunch) when I am just busy out and about and have been on a calorie counting diet since Jan 6th, and have lost just over a stone and I think after over indulging at the weekend a couple of fasting days would be to try. So today is my first fast day . I have put on so much weight and just had to take myself in hand, so far so good!!! > Good Luck all <

Good luck grannygrace, let us know how you get on.

Hi all I am on my second week of the 5.2 diet,I have about 14 pounds of blubber I need to lose. Have yo yo dieted for a number of years,was at my goal weight 2 years ago and now it has crept back on. Today was my 3rd fast day and I haven't found it too difficult thankfully.I do my 2 days on working days to bust to think of food. My way is too save all my 500 calories for the evening meal.Typically I will have a whole tin of light choices soup,2 slices of Danish bread (no spread) 1 slice of wafer ham,1 tomato a little mayo, followed by 1 WW yoghurt total:376 cals,so that means when the hungry bug bites I have 100 cals to play with. Nice to read everyones views on the 5.2 diet. I have 2 dogs to walk so that's my exercise taken care of.

New year here and off we go again! I really think this is all about health so I steer away from any old dead food on my fast days (ie packaged stuff) it is a stretch to do fast days and I'm gearing myself up to choose which day next!! Putting it off... Even though I KNOW it works and I feel better afterwards. Why do I sabotage myself????

I have fallen off the diet wagon over Christmas and there is still cheese, cake and nibbles to finish off. I fasted Tuesday and will try again tomorrow. I do find it has helped me eat less on non fast days. Over about 7 months I lost 10 lbs and that is with a couple of non fasting day holidays thrown in.

I find that sipping water throughout the day works best for me but I've got to be honest and say I can't remember the last time I did that [I've even started taking a flask of coffee to the cinema instead of a bottle of water].

I'm not much of a one for water normally either, Tegan, but I enjoy the flavoured stuff on my fast days, probably because there's nothing else on offer! It definitely fills you up and stops the hunger pangs. Be careful which brand you get - the supermarkets' own are normally very low in calories, but I did once buy a brand that had loads in.

I've never been keen on fizzy water but I'll get some tomorrow. And I must get back to drinking water again; I slip out of the habit so quickly. Going to work out some calories tonight.

I've been on the 5:2 for so long it's just a way of life now. I'm not trying to lose weight, just to stop putting any more on, so I must confess to eating too much on the non-fast days, and it's been way too much over Christmas. I reckon I could lose a few pounds if I exercised a bit of control on the 5 days too - I might give it a go just out of interest over the next couple of weeks. Starting next week. of course.

I used to be paranoid about drinks on fast days, Tegan, just having fruit tea and flavoured fizzy water. I still find the fizzy water to be a real help, but I just have my usual tea with milk now during the day. There's only around 10 calories in a cup. I have nothing to eat at all during the day, then a tea of 400 calories, which sets me up for the evening. I used to find that if I ate at all before tea time it made me hungrier.

We've started buying grated cheese recently [it often works out cheaper]. I've got some in the fridge now and shall put it in the freezer. I know I can eat cake that's frozen but it should stop me eating the cheese! [I finished off the Stilton two days ago; my big treat at Christmas is wensleydale with cranberries and that went very quickly]

My cheese (Cheddar) is grated and put into the freezer once guests have left. The Camembert and Stilton, well, they don't grate or freeze so I suppose I'll just have to eat them.

I'm planning to start this but in no way can I give up tea and coffee with milk [would rather not eat than give up those!]. Thank goodness, now I've stopped work I haven't had the boxes of chocolates I used to get. Although I seem to have made up for it in other ways. I get such a taste for cream and custardy type things after Christmas. The S.O.'s mum used to make me a Christmas cake every year but I've asked her not to this time. So the only Christmassy thing left is the mulled wine and I can't drink that for fear of being over the limit for driving tomorrow. And I'm going to ban cheese from the house as well [it's my downfall!].

I really must start this again, I'd done so well last year and got down to my target weight. Then Christmas came and everything seemed to fall apart. Someone give me the willpower to start again.

Oh, sorry, the willpower has to come from me doesn't it!

Problem is that I still have an almost full box of Quality Street and there's also half a Christmas cake left

I will start again on Thursday when my visitors leave. I saw a family photograph that was taken on Christmas day and wondered who that fat lady was in the corner of the sofa. It was a bit dispiriting to realise it was me.

Shysal, the Little Dish kids meals sound a good idea. May try them.

I suppose the Lighterlife crew have just jumped on the 5:2 bandwagon. Shame on them really. Thinking about it it would not give an appreciation of what we eat etc. I am starting back on the 5:2 WOE today and feel hopeful.

Must do this for my health.

I haven't tried those, flower. If I want something easy I buy Little Dish kids' ready meals, usually chicken and butternut squash pie, at about 200 calories, or M&S meals for one, some of which are also around 200 cals. This gives plenty of room for lots of vegetables and a soup for lunch.

I like the thought of not having to think about what to eat, but are they expensive?

Has anyone on the 5:2 diet tried the Lighterlife foods on sale in Superdrug now. They contain between 500-600 cals a day and it is suggested that they are used on the fasting days. Saves a lot of calorie counting an weighing.
BTW I haven't tried them but may give them a try.

Hello mrsbennet Fast Day 1 went fine, but struggling today with Christmas cooking. How to stop myself tasting things? And after Christmas I shall be skiing so a bit worried that the Fast Days might leave me low on energy with all the exercise. If so, I shall have to do the long night version even though it will slow things down.

How are you doing icyalittle?? I had 2 days this week that went well and I do find the fast days set me up well for normal days too. Won't be doing it over Xmas week with family all with me and hope I don't slide back ...