Instead of following the 5:2 strictly, if you want to look into having higher days and lower days then times your daily TDEE by 7, take off your two lower days, say about 800-1000 then divide the rest by 5.
E.g. TDEE 2600 * 7 = 18200 - 2000 (two 1000 days) = 16200 / 5 = 3240
So you'd eat 1000 2 days per week and 3240 for the other 5 - creating a 2000 calorie deficit (obviously you can adjust deficits to create a bigger or smaller deficit over the week i.e. to create a 1lb deficit - 16200-1500 = 14700 /5 = 2940 on your up days)
It's about playing with the numbers. To lose 1lb a week you create that 3500 cal deficit, you could do it in one day (don't) or over 7 or any method inbetween. It's whatever works for you overall in keeping to a calorie deficit (but don't create more than a 2.5-3lb deficit - that's just asking for trouble later down the line).
Hello Stackhead and thanks for being our resident mathematician! Many congrats on your massive weight loss.
I'm a bit confused now as you are taking 2,400 as my daily calorie allowance, when I'm trying to keep to 1,800. Surely if I eat my TDEE I won't lose any weight, as I won't be in deficit, but maintaining.
According to your "any method in between" theory, I could just compensate for the odd binge day simply by cutting back the next day, rather than the extreme of 2,400 for five days and 500 for two (which I might find difficult on the 500 days).
My report on yesterday's attempt at a 500-calorie "fast" day.
Right from the start I could not stop thinking about food and worrying about what I was going to spend my 500 calories on. I find I keep to a diet better if I don't think about food, so this had the opposite effect.
I had a soup for 100 calories, but by 3pm "cracked" and had a binge on two chicken breasts, diced, dipped in flour and fried. With a bowl of salad I guesstimate that at 800 calories.
But that was still only about 900c, 1000 tops, and I thought, that isn't bad, either, for a first try. I was just about to go to bed slightly hungry at 9pm, when on impulse I splurged 500 calories on a bowl of granola, a banana, and live yoghurt. But that only comes to 1400 to 1500 for the day, so still under for the day (allowance is 1800).
So, if I went over by 300 on "cake day" then I've repaid that, according to Stack's method.
I was at the surgery today seeing the nurse about an unrelated matter, when she saw my leg and called the doctor in to see me as a matter of urgency. She announced that she is "extremely worried" about the massive swelling in my right leg. She said I need to lose a substantial amount of weight as soon as I can, or it is going to cause me "serious problems". This scared the living daylights out of me and I cried all the way home in a cab.
When I got home I realised that she hadn't actually given it a name, but she said keep it elevated above the heart level as much as possible. I don't see how I can, unless I spend my days on the sofa, and I can't do any work or research in that position. She said if it changes colour or feels hot or hurts I should call an ambulance.
Basically, if I don't lose weight my life could be in danger. This is a very sobering thought. This isn't a joke any more; this isn't a "try it" any more. I now have no choice but to stick to this diet for life.
I notice that the anxiety all this produced made me want to eat a humungous amount of something, and that adds to my new theory that I am obese because of being so anxious. I think I have been subconsciously "self-medicating" with food for decades.
Yesterday I ordered herbal supplements to reduce anxiety. I also wondered about buying some kind of protein shake to have as a low calorie meal replacement on days that I'm on my 1800 limit but still want "something" to eat.
The bad news is, despite keeping to 1800 on Monday and 1500 on Tuesday, I gained 2lb each day, and so this morning I am 4lb heavier than I was on Sunday.
Helena
trying to pluck up the courage to join the weekly aqua fit class x
