I would just like to announce...

[RubyLou]

....that I have lost just under a stone in seven weeks by following the 5:2 regime, and I am well happy

The fasting days are a doddle, thanks to a lack of appetite (one advantage of a sluggish thyroid!) but I definitely feel much tireder in the fasting day evenings - must try a double espresso, that might do the trick!

Will carry on until another stone has gone, then switch to 6:1 for a while.

Must get my bloods checked next month - not sure if the 5:2 is affecting that thyroxine stuff or not, so best to have it all looked at to be certain and safe.

Very happy, and looking forward to summer - and looking forward to doing summer clothes shopping!

[helvella]

Well done.

Are you doing two fasting days in succession or separated?

Rod

[RubyLou in reply to helvella]

Separate days. It's not recommended to do two fasting days in succession, as you might be tempted to cave in. There are other reasons, but I can't remember them off-hand.

It's weird - I'm thinking about the stuff I can eat the day after, but come that day and I don't want it! Very strange. But it certainly makes you think about the nutritional value in food, that's for sure.

[helvella in reply to RubyLou]

That is what I thought - but wanted to be sure.

I did a few such days and it was less difficult than I expected.

[puncturedbicycle]

Am I correct in thinking that fasting for more than one day will reset your metabolism so you go into 'starvation mode'?

This is a genius idea (only cutting calories temporarily) and apparently it can prolong your life (or I should say there have been studies to indicate that restricted calorie intake can prolong life). I remember seeing something on telly a hundred years ago where a scientist was experimenting with this himself, I think only eating every other day, and I never heard any more about it until now.

Good for you! You must be feeling on top of the world.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to puncturedbicycle]

(I meant fasting for more than one day *in a row* will reset metabolism...)

[Hidden]

I do the 5/2 diet as well and have lost over a stone I do the two 500 calorie fast days together on a saturday and sunday, I chose thoes days as thoes are days I would pig out if im going too,, I had stopped taking my omiprazole due to being on steroids a few weeks earlier and had noticed i had no appetite at all, dont know if it was coincidence or not, but since stopping the omeprazole i dont seem to crave sweet things so much.....and my legs dont seem as puffy.That can only be a good thing lol

well done to everyone !

[Kezkinz]

That's brilliant! I've just started this week so I hope it works for me x I haven't found it too bad on the fast days.

I've also got the "My Fitness Pal" app on my phone where you can record any food you eat and it counts the calories. You can also add any exercise and set goals etc. It's a real eye opener how much you are actually eating without realising. It definitely makes you think about what you eat.

Best wishes

Kezkinz xxx

[Hidden in reply to Kezkinz]

ooo that sounds a good app to have Kezkhinz will have to download it myself thanks for that info x

[Hidden in reply to Kezkinz]

Dam spelt you name wrong sorry ! good job im picking my new specs up next week lol

[Clarebear]

Great news - well done I tried the diet myself but felt quite faint by early evening on the fast day. Maybe I should give it another go...

[RubyLou in reply to Clarebear]

It helps to eat mainly protein if you feel faint or weak. Scrambled eggs for breakfast, and a big salad with a couple of thin slices of ham for lunch should stop any feelings of weakness.

Definitely have another go

[PinkBear]

Thats fantastic! well done I'm gonna give it a go having tried slimming world & not doing to well x

[muddywaters]

That's amazing, well done!!! I have lost 12 pounds (2 more pounds and I will have lost a stone!!) but that's since August so it equals out to about 1/2 a pound per week or 2 pounds a month which is really slow - I want to try to lose it a bit quicker as still have at least 2 more stone, preferably 2.5 stone to lose to get back to my pre-illness weight. Do you think you could post a few examples of what you eat and when on your fasting days? I'm a veggie so I would skip the ham! And if anyone else sees this who is doing the 2:5 diet please feel free to share what you are eating and when!?? x

[ChemicalAngel]

Thats brilliant xxx very well done hun xx

Ann xx

[Beautifulchaos]

RubyLou

Please would you be able to write a post about it and what you need to do on the 5:2 eating plan as i'm not sure what it's all about. I've heard of it and would to start doing just not sure what i'm supposed to do.

I would be very greatful

[RubyLou in reply to Beautifulchaos]

hi, it's really simple. For five days a week, you must eat as near to 2000kc as you can. For two days a week, you restrict yourself just 500kc. Pick any days to fast, but not together. For my fasting days, I try to eat some fruit, rice cakes, veg, eggs, soup, etc. I did start a blog. I'll update it, and post a link.

[Hidden]

There are a few different variations of the 5/2 diet, Im doing the one that was in the daily express , most of the newspapers are doing them now, or the book one mentioned, they all seem to work tho so thats the main thing

[RubyLou in reply to Hidden]

I kind of scanned the papers, but decided to ignore them (ridiculous recipes), and just cut back on fasting days. I never saw the point of mucking around creating meals that are too fiddly to prepare. Done it before 20 years ago without any help, so figured I can do it again without the media's input.

[zizi]

Hi I have been doing this since last November and have lost over a stone. My husband has also lost some weight. We are following the Horizon documentary variation of this diet. We have chosen our two busiest days Tuesday and Wednesday. We have one meal of no more than 600 calories and have chosen to eat this at 5p.m. each day. We drink only black tea, fruit tea or water throughout the day. I didn't think I could survive on one meal throughout the day but we decided to have this at early evening so that we had something to look forward to. It has been surprisingly easy and definitely a routine we can live with. One thing we did find out very early on is that if we ate anything at all during the fasting time we then felt absolutely starving. If we just drank plenty of the permitted drinks, but no food at all until 5p.m. we felt fine and we try to keep busy.

The Horizon variation says it is important to do two days together and it has certainly worked for us. You can eat whatever you want for the rest of the week and as much as we want, but

we have found that we just tend to eat normally. It is nice though not to feel guilty if we fancy a cake or chocolate. As long as its on the 5 non diet days then that's fine.

Best thing is that every Thursday morning we wake up with big smiles on our faces because we can eat! In fact, my daughter made chocolate truffles a couple of weeks ago on a Tuesday. Of course, we weren't allowed to eat them so I put them in the drawer of my bedside cabinet. My husband dashed out of bed first thing Thursday to make a 'proper' cup of tea and we sat and ate the truffles at 8.30a.m. Gosh they were good!