5.2

@MOnica Yes, indeed green tea works. Although it is slow by itself but if it is taken with lemon and honey, the results will be increased from 20% to 80%.

There is a good guide for drinking green tea for weight loss which explains a lot more than just weight loss.

The guide is here helpinhealth.com/how-to-drink-green-tea-for-weight-loss/

For BIN please read BMI!

For long-lasting please read non-fasting!

Kick started, not lick started! Anyway, my advice to anyone thinking of starting 5:2 is to work out your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and stick with those calories.
Also, try to avoid eating breakfast on your fasting days for as long as you can. Eating makes you hungry!
Celery has few calories and is quite filling!

I've done 5:2 for several years. I started because my BIN had crept up to almost 25. I decided I wouldn't be that person and took steps! As a result, one of the biggest and best things is the huge reduction of arthritis pain in my thumbs and wrists. Originally, I lost about a stone and my weight became stable even though I carried on with fasting. I've lick started a little more weight loss by giving up 'treats' recently. I've dropped another half stone by cutting out chocolate, cakes, biscuits and buttered crumpets on my long-lasting days.

Urmstongran, I know what you mean! My whole social life revolves around food ... and wine! It has been my diet downfall on many occasions! But I know I need to lead a healthier lifestyle, before my body gives up on me!

Shysal, I will definitely join the Grand Weigh-in thread on the 1st July. Let's see how the next couple of weeks go!

I have rather a lot of weight to lose ... around 4 stones. It sort of crept up on me over the years, since having kids, I guess! ... and now I'm a grandmother!

Anyway, I've tried all sorts of diets in the past. Many have worked (until I've given up!), but I do realize that whatever I do, it needs to be a lifestyle change, and not a 'diet' just for a few weeks. My husband already has type 2 diabetes, and I know that I'm a prime candidate for it - most of my weight is around my middle, so I really need to do this now, before it's too late. I'm also starting to get painful joint problems in some of joints (my dad and his sisters suffer badly with arthritis). For this reason, I want to base my diet on anti-inflammatory foods, and BSD5:2, Fast 800, all seem to be based on a low-carb, mediterranean diet lifestyle, so I think that's going to be good us.

Now all I need to do is stick with it!

I too started earlier this year but have let it slide. This week I am at last off my steroids so have been fasting again. Hope I can stick with it this time. Nansnet welcome! there are still a few of us who use the 'Grand Weigh In' thread on the first of each month so you could join us. I keep both threads in my watching list for ease of finding. Good luck to you. It is a very effective regime which works well if you stick to it! I lost 3 stone once before and kept it off until the dreaded steroids.
www.gransnet.com/forums/dieting_and_exercise/1257444-Our-5-2-G-W-I?msgid=27258625

Hi Nansnet!
I seem to have lost my mojo. I too tarted full of enthusiasm on 2 January! After a decent start I realised I was eating (and drinking) too many calories on my 5 eating days. So my 2 fast days just stopped me from ‘gaining’ weight. I have plateaued for about 6 weeks.

I had a fast day on Friday.

It’s me that’s wrong. Not the diet. I need to try harder and change my lifestyle I suppose.

Trouble is, I enjoy socialising! Oh dear.

Hello! Is anyone there? I became quite excited when I saw this thread, specifically for 5:2, but it seems to have been abandoned!

Anyway, if there's still someone out there doing it, or anyone about to give it a go, please join me!

I tried BSD5:2 a few years ago and did really well. Unfortunately, things got in the way when my mum became very ill, and it all went out the window!

Feeling motivated now to give it another go, so if anyone else is doing it, let's get started!

Morning girls.
For those of you who may be diabetic as well as being heavier than you’d like, can I recommend you google Dr Jason Fung and IDM, also the read The Obesity Code (available on Kindle). There is a Facebook group too which has 85,000 members now and is very supportive. I’m not diabetic but have lost more in the last 3 months following his guidelines than in the past 7 years with calorie counting.

Oh me too urmstongran. Dissapointed with myself. I have remained the same, but somehow feel fatter! So maybe next week when I get weighed i will have gained.I've been too busy trying to sell my house and find another, all done now though, it'll be a few weeks before we move, so I'll try and get focused again, I've got plenty to do, that's for sure.Hope the other ladies have done better than me.

The grand weigh in tomorrow girls!

I’ve been rubbish... not done as many fast days as I ought to have done in the last 4 weeks.... eaten & drunk too much wine on ‘eating’ days - and wine is loaded with calories - 600 in a bottle and I’ve had more than my fair share.

I’m coming home tomorrow from Spain. We’ve been here a month & I've lost the plot. I’m going to weigh myself in the morning for the GWI as it’s 1st of the month, take a walk of shame and then I’m determined to ‘do better’ in May!

Hope to hear from you all on our other thread tomorrow.
?

I did 5/2 in 2016 and lost the stone l needed to however it has “crept”back on and l am now embarking on 19/5 three days a week (the days I work part time in a care home 2 til 8) my eating window is 5 pm til 10 pm (it suits me!) l am 66 and weigh 10st 5lbs and would like to get back to 9st 7lbs.I have never really bothered with breakfast so this really is not too hard for me but obviously not for everyone....

Not been the best month for me dieting wise as I was on holiday for two weeks. I managed to only gain 3 lbs and hoping to be back to pre holiday weight by weigh in.

Another one who is flagging here . I was back on track at the beginning of the month but coping with a massive RA flare-up has left me wanting to comfort eat. I haven't gained weight which is the main thing, and my clothes do feel looser. I am not ready to give up yet, still attempting to diet on 3 days but currently giving in to 'the munchies' in the evenings. I look forward to hearing of any success stories on the GWI thread soon, hope some of you are doing well.

Urmstongran.I'm not on them now, Dr suggested trying a different one, but I'm not keen. I'm not depressed, only anxious, never taken anything before, don't think I'll bother. I'm also determined to loose at least another stone, I'll be able to fit in my summer clothes then, that's what I'm aiming for. Just had a casserole and dumplings for tea, can't say I really enjoyed them, but there dh favourite.looking forward to starting again tomorrow, I actually enjoy the food we've been having, don't think dh noticed yet, apart from there are no biscuits in the cupboard.

Thank you Katyj

It must be doubly hard for you as you are on antidepressants. You are battling on two fronts here. Makes me feel a bit flaky - full of excuses.

I’m determined not to give up! You?

Glad your feeling better MOnica, and we'll done with all those steps.Fresh start for you tomorrow, and me too, had a bad three days, totally ignored my diet, in my defence I've felt so rotten with the antidepressants, the Dr advised to stop them, but still feel ropey, first thing. Urmstongran, I know what you mean about overeating, that's what I was doing, all I was doing was maintaining my weight, which is useless when you've got a lot to loose. Have a lovely day tomorrow, and start again Tuesday.

I’ve stalled. ☹️

I’ve done 2 fast days each week. But I must still be overeating on the other 5 days. I’m on roast lamb and roast potatoes this evening and we have just opened a bottle of red to share. Which is fine. But tomorrow should be a fast day and we are going over to Yorkshire to spend the day with our eldest daughter and her partner & then a meal out is planned. That’s where is can be difficult. I’m just hoping that on April Fools Day I’ve maintained! Which is rubbish really....
?

In my case it means I am doing abysmally. I had the dreaded lurgy, right up to last Saturday, when we went away for the week, we went all at sixes and sevens because I didn't feel well first thing, though I improved. I left my computer on and forgot to turn the the heating off.

Anyway, I finally woke feeling well on Sunday and by Friday, I was ready to climb the 225 steep steps to the top of a tall mound to see the view, I manged half of themin the first go, then a quarter and then 2 one eighths and officially declared myself back in health when, breathless and panting, I got to the top.

So tomorrow, I start all over again and will weigh in on the 1 April and will hope not to look too mcu of a failure.

Hi, everyone.This thread has gone very quiet, hope that means your all doing really well, and out doing lots of walking .It's getting closer to the G.W.I. My month, so far has been very up and down, lots to worry about, and not been feeling well.Had a bad reaction to some antidepressants I started, and now my tinnitus playing up ! Hope your all well.

Oh dear, I am not sure I am up to the responsibility!

Thank you for this MOnica you are my mentor!
I shall try what you suggest for the rest of this month and see how I get on.

Well, as I said, you do not really need to calorie count on the other days, just keep an eye on how much you are eating and while the occasional big meal out doesn't do any harm, just eat carefully. Every so often I will count a day's calories to make sure I am within limits. But the key is portion control and not using lots of fat and oil for cooking.

Yesterday was a non-diet day. I had my usual breakfast of a thick slice of granary bread spread with quark, marmite and sliced cucumber, a small fruit juice and coffee. Lunch was liver and bacon with boiled potatoes (3 smallish pieces) and broccoli, followed by stewed apple and blackberry(no additional sweetening), supper was a baked potato with ratatouille, but with a small pat of butter in the potato before I added the ratatouille and grated cheese on top, followed by fresh fruit.

I have never regularly eaten between meals so snacking isn't a problem. If I do feel hungry, I usually have a small slice of cheddar cheese, or occasionally another slice of granary bread with quark and cucumber. I do not have a sweet tooth, so we do not have biscuits in the house and the only cake is in the freezer for Sunday tea. The day's food I listed will be about 1200-1400 calories.

I think that is where I’m going badly wrong MOnica so it’s something I need to address. I (misguidedly) thought 2 hard core fast days would be the key to weight loss. I didn’t want to be bluddy calorie counting on the 5 other days! Otherwise I might just as well have done a ‘regular’ diet 7 days a week. Perhaps this isn’t as great a diet as I thought!