5:2 Fasting Diet

susie well that's different, agreed

I've been doing the 5:2 now for 4 months, and it suits me. I don't find the fast days difficult at all, in fact I always feel quite virtuous at the end of the day (must be the Puritan in me!). And of course I always know that the next day I can have whatever I want. Such a treat after any other diet I've tried, as they've all spoilt my fun at some time - having a meal out with family or friends and silently calorie counting your way through it, and making dismal choices (second glass of wine or pudding?) isn't much fun.

The 5:2 has made me appreciate my food much more too, and though it sounds really pompous, it has also made me thankful for the fact that I can eat more or less what I want when I want, not a luxury afforded to most people in this world.

I'm not doing this one primarily to lose weight - though I have lost over half a stone while eating more than usual for 5 days each week. I was convinced by the health argument, and wanted to try something natural that promised to reduce my cholesterol levels, blood pressure and risk of developing Alzheimer's.

And I honestly think it is good for you. The last three times I've had my BP measured over the past 3 years, it's been a constant at around 134/85, which I haven't been happy with. I had my second Biobank check up at the weekend and it was measured at 118/74. For reasons I won't bore you with, I'm doing much less exercise now than I was at the time of the earlier checks, and I've now allowed more treats like cakes/chocolate into 5 days of my week. My job is particularly stressful at the moment too. I feel my BP should be higher now, and can't think of anything but the 5:2 that could have prompted the dramatic drop (apart from a bungling health professional doing the check, but I've discounted that - my man looked very competent!).

I found The 5:2 Diet Book: Feast for 5 Days a Week and Fast for 2 to Lose Weight, Boost Your Brain and Transform Your Health by Kate Harrison helpful - another Kindle download that's as cheap as the chips I now dare eat.

That's really positive Maggiemaybe. I'm on my second fast day tomorrow and reading your post confirms my intentions!

I hope it goes well for you, Forzanonna. I feel like a bit of a 5:2 zealot right now, so I want everyone to like it!

This is my first week on the 5:2 diet. I thought it might help to hear others experiences and keep me going! 3 years ago I lost over 5st - half of it has taken up residence once again and it is not welcome! Let's see how it goes .....

Tried the diet lost 4 lbls the first week second week nothing so have started back on Weight watchers will see how this goes - tacking food intake seems to help!

So good to read all the positive stories here, I too have read the book and felt this was something that could become a way of life. Unlike others i haven't done other diets, just lived with being a good stone overweight for years, but now in my early 60s I feel I really should do something to ensure I stay healthy.
I work full time in our family business, we work from home & neither my DH or DS are interested in cutting down so I'm trying to work out how I could stick to so few calories whilst cooking for them, any ideas &/or experience please? I enjoy cooking but don't finish work until about 7pm and then prepare our meal and when I leave them to fend for themselves their choices are not usually very healthy. I also do quite a bit of voluntary work so, as ever, time is tight.
I wish I had more time to spend on these forums, you sound such a great bunch of women. Thanks

I cook normally for my OH Cagsy and eat what I want on my fasting days, but what I do is make sure that I cook things that are freezable, such as a casserole or chilli or curry or something quite often. I make enough for three or four portions and freeze the rest. Then on my fast days I have something for him that I just heat up and don't have to slave over the cooker making something I cant eat.

For those of you who like to have something at lunch time on the fast days I have discovered Miso soup (in packets). Only 29 cals per packet and really quite tasty. I had it with two rice cakes and feel perfectly fine for a mere 89 calories!!

I agree Maggiemaybe it is the psychology of the diet that appeals to me. Me and Mr Marymore spend a lot of time on fast days planning the food we are going to eat the next day. I also love the fact that you can fit the days around your life. A lot of people have said to me 'but aren't you hungry' and I say yes I do feel hungry sometimes but it doesn't hurt any of us to be a bit hungry.

I do like to keep busy on fast days and get out of the house (not so good at this time of year)

I weighed myself the other day and I am the lightest I have been for years and years. It is such a good feeling....and yesterday I had a (small) bit of cake!

Thanks for the recipe Marymore. Sounds lovely.
I'll give that a go next week.
I am just adaptng a recipe for Roasted Leek & Yellow pepper soup that I got on Lakeland site. The trouble is home made stock -which i suspect is much higher in calories than using a cube. I have gallons of the stuff cluttering up the freezer after Christmas so would like to use it up. Hopefully if I defrost it & take off the top where any fat should have risen to the top it will be OK.
Amazingly I have just made a 5th birthday cake for my DGD & I wasn't tempted to eat the offcuts. Now that is a first & I really do NOT understand why I don't want to eat on fast days- it must be physcological.

This will be the first Easter for years that I will not feel guilty having a bit of Easter egg!! It dawned on me today when I was looking at them in John Lewis, and I though if I have my fasting day the day before Easter I can enjoy some guilt free choc on the Sunday. That's what I like about this way of life

Yes GrandmaH I've wondered about home made stock, I have some in the freezer as well. It's difficult to judge how many calories are in it. Hope you like the mushroom soup, we love it (but then I love any food on the fast day)

I agree with those who have said that the psychological benefit is knowing that you will be 'eating' again the next day ...no more feeling that you're stuck on a regime that is inflexible. I've tried many different ways of trying to keep my weight under control, but this seems to me to be much more workable than anything else. Also, no-one is being prescriptive about what you eat and when .. you can do your own thing. Have now bought a recipe book for when my imagination (always limited when it comes to cooking!!) needs a helping hand.

Woo hoo, four fasting days done and four lbs lost. I am aware that a lot of that is fluid, but it feels good. At least it is going in the right direction and I am definitely not struggling.
How are the rest of you doing?

I'm on my ninth and it's starting to feel like a normal pattern.Have only lost about the same as you nanap but I'm judging it more by the lack of bulge over the top of my jeans

I'm just starting today, nothing but water so far, and it is strange as I normally graze constantly - hence my weight problem.

I have some butternut squash soup in freezer for later, and may also try the Marigold bouillon powder to make a thin cup of soup if I get desperate. I have terrible will power, so fingers crossed as this is unlike any regime I've tried before, and I am very hopeful.

Make sure you do actually have your 500 cals sunflower, otherwise you will be too hungry and not succeed. I learnt this the hard way xx

Hi! I started it this week - the book is so good and he writes so well and sensibly - v realistic. Yep I've made a lovely jar of granola and have small bowl of that with no fat yoghurt for breakfast 8am and nothing till dinner time 8pm and then have something from the book - v good recipes ideas - tonight having tuna and canellini bean salad - so looking forward to it. Been drinking plenty of liquids during the day - hot water with wedge of lime in is particularly good... Good luck everyone - seems like a v good lifestyle choice.

I have recently joined slimming world and have lost 9 pounds in 3 weeks, but I really like the idea of 5-2 .i think it would do me good to have fasting days because I don't really know what it's like to be hungry has anyone managed to do both slimming world and 5-2

2nd week & lost 6lbs.I know it is just because it is the start & I know it will steady off now but even so, it really makes me feel good about this way of eating.
Funnily enough I find I am not very hungry the day after fasting which is odd but I'm not complaining.
I saw a 5:2 recipe book on Amazon for £1.99 Kindle version which I think I'll get. Also a newspaper is doing something on it this weekend but I forget which one- might have been the Mail. I'll pick it up later if I see it.
I would rather keep to set recipes than work out my own as i know I would probably get it wrong & I do a lot of cooking on the other days anyway so it saves having to think about food.
Now if I could just get DH to join in but he has an aversion to anything that is good for him- I'm not joking I really do mean ANYTHING that is good for him!!

Well done GrandmaH I haven't lost much actual weight on the scales (it seems to go up and down) but I have got noticably thinner and all my clothes are loser, I have some things that were tight before and are loose now. I find that I don't feel very hungry the day after fast day. I wonder if it's because your stomach shrinks? I have got a hard week coming up as we are staying with our grandkids next week to be with our DIL while our son is away so will be harder to do the fasting. Still I will be running around like a mad thing so that'll help.

Keep working on your DH, mine was a bit like that, he was bit of a pie and chip man really, but he's so pleased with his weight loss in fact he's more keen than I am sometimes!! There is hope

I meant that my clothes are looser (not loser) Duh!

Ah, you've got a husband like mine, GrandmaH! I'm trying to persuade him to join me on the 5:2 as I feel it would lower his cholesterol much more effectively than his statins do. It would also make life easier on fast days. We share the cooking week on, week off normally but on fast days we each fend for ourself. My problem is that my DH - like your pie and chip man, Marymore - likes his food. He's been lucky till recently though, and hasn't ever had a weight problem. I'm now working up the courage to put it to him that he's now getting...well, how shall I put it? A little portly perhaps?

Hmm- portly doesn't really do DH justice- morbidly obese is more like it!
The sad fact is he is 13 years younger than me & should be in really good health but has diabetes type 2, high blood pressure & cholesterol & is vastly over weight. Apparently this is all down to my good cooking & nothing to do with total lack of any exercise & smoking. I might add I only cook him good healthy food but his car is always full of crisp packets & chocolate wrappers.
He is not the sort of man to respond to nagging. Every now & then he does decide to lose weight & manages it easily but then slides back into old habits.
I will never give up trying though!
i'm hoping he will be inspired if I succeed on this plan as it so easy to keep to & he very often skips breakfast & lunch anyway- but then fills up on junk on the way home from work.
This may be the one to get him going too! I am an internal optimist!