5.2

Katyj, I am sorry the 5:2 did not work for you, but I think there was a remark you made that could threaten any diet your do. You say Leaving me to my own devices on non fast days, meant I was eating too much of what I'd felt deprived of on fast days.

Any diet where you considered you are depriving yourself of something is going to fail sooner or later. The first stage of dieting is the mental stage when you have to accept that your current eating pattern is unhealthy, in that you put weight on if you continue to eat like that.

Then you have to look forward and plan a sustainable eating pattern, when your diet has finished to stop you putting all the weight back on. If there is any food you feel deprived of if you do not eat it for 24 hours, then you really need to think about your relationship with it and how to keep it in your diet but be happy to eat less of it.

Hello. Do you mind if I join? My husband and I have been on the 800 calorie diet since the New Year. We are doing quite well however this weekend is going to be a big test. We are visiting our eldest son and his partner. We don’t see them very often as we live abroad. I know that they will have lots of lovely food for the two of us, and some alcoholic beverages. We have not had a drink since the New Year. My worry is that we will enjoy the weekend too much food wise and struggle to get back onto it on our return. I know that sounds ridiculous but having dieted before I know how difficult it can be to get back on track. I also want to purchase a cookery book for the 800 Calorie Diet, are there any that you would recommend.

I am a very strict vegetarian and my husband is a dedicated meat eater. We have completely changed our eating pattern. We now have our main meal at 14.00 and an evening snack at 21.00 we then fast until 14.00 the following day. I find this quite easy at the moment because it is winter. We live in Spain and our lifestyle is mainly outdoors with lots of dining out in the summer. We enjoy having a glass or two and watch the world go by.
I have been tempted by some diet pills and tea that are currently being advertised on the television. I wonder if anyone has tried these with any success. My husband is very anti me trying them without medical supervision.

Bye bye Katyj we will all miss you on here - especially as you started this thread. ?

That said, please do keep posting - either on here or on 1st March for the GWI? That alone might help you to focus on your new diet plan. Good luck by the way!

I’m off to listen to Michael Mosley tomorrow night so on Saturday morning will put on here any tips for those who might be interested.

Welcome to our new join from Spain! The more the merrier on here to share tips and support.

Losing weight isn’t easy ladies. If it was there wouldn’t be a whole (very lucrative) industry devoted to it.

Do not be tempted by any diet pills or teas. There are very few proper scientifically researched reviews and the ones I can find suggest they have no significant effect on weight loss. www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320540.php.

There is some evidence that other substances are added to the tea on occasion and overuse can cause side effects. www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-960/green-tea

As or diet pills. Many of those found online can be very dangerous indeed. I suspect that anything advertised on tv will be worse than useless as the proportion of the effective substance in the pills will be so small. Listen to your husband.

If either the pills or tea worked, there would be no obesity in the world because everybody would be using them to lose weight - and that is not happening.

I find that faced with events like those you describe I decide, quite formally to take a break from the diet for the period I am with family. I do try not to gorge or stuff myself over that period. Then when I return home I g straight back on the regime you are following. It hels if you do nto weigh yourself for 3 or 4 days after you return, by then most of any gain will have dissipated and at most you will only gain half a kilo or so.

Sorry about all the typos. I am off colour today (the dreaded lurgy) and, separately, some of my finger tips are numb, making knowing how hard I am pressing some keys hard to gauge.

Welcome nookie, you seem to be doing really well. I think it is important to allow ourselves time out or we give up completely. Give yourself permission to enjoy this weekend provided that you will be back on track with the your intemittent fasting. In fact we have to find a way to make it our routine (or a modified version of it).

I too, eat only two meals a day, between 12-1 pm and between 5-6pm. The one at 6 pm is always very filling so I can sleep well. For years I had breakfast around 10 am so pushing it a bit further back is no problem.

I intend to still eat only 2 meals a day when I reach my goal but increase the calories of those meals. Also I am thinking that various festivities (birthdays, weddings and other parties) will always benefit from a bit of post enjoyment fasting. Most of my celebrations occur on the summer.

With regards to Diet pills/teas I second MOnica. Listen to her and your husband.

Morning fellow 5:2ers. I had a fast day yesterday and I’ve just weighed myself. Since last Friday morning I’ve lost a quarter of a pound!
Strangely enough I’m happy with that as I’d actually gained a couple of pounds earlier in the week. (The yo-yo effect)
As I’m half a packet of butter less (!) this Friday I’ve decided ‘every little helps’.
Wonder if the Bridgewater Hall tonight with Dr Mosley will be packed with big fat ladies? (Like me I hasten to add).
??

Yesterday I had a tummy upset, voiding myself in all directions and not eating much. I weighed myself this morning, and I have put on a lb

Oh MOnica I know I shouldn’t but your post made me laugh!
Hope you are better today.
Eat well eh and lose 2lbs tomorrow!

Welcome nookie. Dare I ask whether your name is for the bear or bedroom activities?
I hope you will manage to be strong during and after your weekend. I remember the last time I did intermittent fasting,several years ago, I had nearly reached my goal weight when I attended a retirement party at work. I over-ate and that was the end of my regime! I did get back to eating carefully every other day, but didn't lose any more weight. I am sure you will have more willpower than I did.
Enjoy the time with your family!

Well I was a little underwhelmed by the Michael Mosley show. He didn’t tell us anything new.

The first half of the event was about himself and how he’d appeared on TV, swallowed a tapeworm, collaborated with fellow gastroenterologists world wide and finally come up with the idea of the ‘fasting’ diet.

The second half was about the diet. Broccoli is good ✅
The Mediterranean diet is excellent ✅
What we eat (calories) determines weight loss more than doing exercise but exercise is good for our overall health ✅
Our waist measurement should be half of our height ✅
Non fast days should still not exceed 2,000 calories for women ✅

I’m struggling with it so not feeling very motivated I’m afraid.
I think I’ve been eating too much on non fast days so I need to address that.
Tomorrow!

Ps. Sorry posted too soon - how are you ladies getting on with it?

Knocked back again. I was just getting over last weeks bug when DH picked up something similar but giving him bronchitis. Being the loving man he is and remembering his wedding vows, he has shared it with me. So for the last three days I have been really feeling rough and barking like a seal.

I am not putting weight on, but my fast days are very intermittent at present as they are obviously not a good idea when I am not well. I am also completely inactive. No Tai Chi. Pilates or even walking. Did drive to the supermarket and back to do some shopping, but it is a small supermarket and I was leaning on a trolley.

I think I will suspend the diet until I am convinced I am over my winter bugs.

Hope you and DH will pick up soon, MOnica.

Sorry you learnt nothing more from the talk Urmstongran.

I am still sticking to the 4:3 but the yoyo effect is disheartening. I don't think I have had a real weight loss for a couple of weeks, but the total for my first month is 8lb so I shall focus on that.

Hope you are better soon MOnica and you are definitely sensible to suspend 5:2 until you are over your bugs.

shysal yes it was a somewhat disappointing talk. Entertaining but little substance as such. You could buy booklets in the foyer about recipes etc and MM was there for book signing but having just spent £50+ for 2. tickets I wasn’t interested! WELL DONE YOU for losing just over half a stone!! That’s pretty amazing. (I’ve done slightly less well, overall).

Onwards and upwards.

I think we have to acknowledge and be honest with ourselves where we are ‘going wrong’.

I’m very strict and focused on my fast days but obviously too relaxed and indulgent on my 5 eating days. I shall address this next week.

How are all you other ladies doing?
nookie?
Lumarei?
sunlover?
Twin2?
GPR?

Good or bad let’s share. C’mon ladies no one is here to judge, just kind support.

Well, I was doing quite well but I've totally over eaten today!! To be honest I feel rotten now and hope it will keep me on the straight and narrow on my eating(up) days in future.

Me too Sunlover! I’ve been a bit piggy ? this evening. Have been a bit despondent about this choice of diet.
Am going to draw a line in the sand though and be motivated again, starting tomorrow.

I, too fell off the wagon starting on Friday. Just clambering onto the back of the wagon again. New start sgain.

How's everyone doing this week? I'm feeling a bit fed up to be honest. Although I did eat a bit much over the weekend I'm back on track and starting my second fast day today. However, when I looked on the scales I've managed to put on 4 lbs since this time last week!! Very depressing!

I’m a bit more positive again. Scales have shown I’ve not gained yet I’ve not had a fast day since last Thursday. Sometimes you just lose your mojo don’t you?

I’m sat here trying to decide whether to fast today or tomorrow! Hmm. Tomorrow methinks. ?

I have been stuck on the same weight for 2.5 weeks now, but can feel my clothes are looser. Not having much success with only eating 500 cals on fast days but will try harder!
Good luck everybody.

Anyone brave enough to go for Alternate Day Fasting, Monday Wednesday Friday.

God no, Iris that sounds hard core! But I bet it gets results!

I’d like to do it without having to eat too low carb if that would work. Can’t change too many habits that fast.

I sometimes do 3 fast days in a week. It just depends on my social life. If I'm not going out I'll often do an extra day.