From 5:2 to calorie counting

[CrimsonMama]

What works for one person may not be the same for another. But I wanted to post a bit about my current experience. When I began doing the 5:2 diet (very low calories/fasting two days a week) I found it was brilliant for one with little willpower to want to feel like I was "dieting" or watching what I ate 24/7. I will always be thankful for being introduced to the 5:2 diet. I think, from my experience, if you are used to eating quite a lot of food or bad foods it is a slow way of cutting you back without overwhelming you. It's easier to "go without" all your treats if you know you can have them back the next day.

Then the true magic begins ... As you get used to having much less on your fast days you stop wanting so much on your normal days. And .. I think... recognise real hunger from boredom hunger.

Anyways... I'm not going to list anymore of the vast benefits of the 5:2! But there was some downsides. It was much harder to stick to fasting when any stressful situations arose. Not looking forward to the next day as you know it's 'diet day'.

Before December I found I had to count calories on my non-fasting days and became much more aware of what foods were giving me enormous amounts of calories for little pay off. Recently I decided to drop the fasting days and calorie count everyday. I use the NHS BMI calculator to give me my weekly allowance of calories and then divide them up to allow me more on weekends and less on week days.

And I'm loving it! I feel much better not having fast days and I look forward to my meals every day! My system seems more stable too! Less constipation!

Im not saying one method was better than the other as when I began my weight loss journey I wasn't in the right place to make the changes to my diet that I have now. 5:2 helped me with that!

This weight-loss lark is definitely a journey and small steps can be better than jumping in at the deep end and trying to change yourself too fast!

[S11m]

Intermittent Fasting works (for me) and I have been doing it for over six months, losing a pound a week without counting anything.

Many members use IF in combination with LCHF (as I do) but you still have to eat less or count calories.

IF can work long-term, but some people might choose to do it short-term to get themselves into "fat-burning mode" to get over off a plateau.

[Pineapple27]

I too now use calorie counting (I am short and fairly immobile because of disability, plus middle-aged!) but I used 5:2 for about 2 years successfully. The thing I loved about it was maximising the 500 calories and understanding the difference between "boredom" eating and real hunger.

These are some excerpts from my blog about 5:2 in case anyone is interested!

flidfit.com/2015/11/19/52-f...

flidfit.com/2014/07/15/52-f...

flidfit.com/2016/06/13/fast...

[musicalpolarbear]

I’m just starting a new regime that includes 5:2 as a way to kick start my weight in the right direction. I’ve been doing calorie counting for s while but fallen off the wagon spectacularly after surgery. Hoping that a few weeks of a strict regime will encourage me to stick with it again as I always find it motivating to see the weight coming off. Thank you for the inspiration!

[CrimsonMama Restart June 2023 in reply to musicalpolarbear]

That's very good! I like to think of the 5:2 as a very useful tool! I will always keep it in mind as a fall back if I lose my way! Or after a calorific holiday such as Christmas!

[S11m in reply to musicalpolarbear]

Hi, musicalpolarbear , Will we be seeing you on the Fasting and Furious forum here on Healthunlocked?

[musicalpolarbear in reply to S11m]

Haven’t had chance to have a good look around yet, will definitely check that out, thanks!