Sounds Do-able - 5:2 for Life

jackieblack

New Member
I joined the site a couple of days ago and having spent time reading the forums, have decided this is the one for me :D

Hello all *waves*

I'd heard about 5:2 before (who hasn't right?) but initially started with 18/6. So I only eat between 12 and 6 during the day. It's funny how quickly your body gets used to something that we've all been told is 'bad' for us. I mean, how many times are we told that we MUST have breakfast??? We forget that there are plenty of places round the world where people don't eat 3 meals a day.... the human body is very adaptable.

Like many of you I've been dieting on and off since I was 15, I've tried them all. And where has it got me? Fatter than ever. But when I really thought about it, I realised that I wasn't really overweight when I was younger and the only times I've really stuck to a diet is when I didn't eat at all (VCLD anyone?).

But I don't want a 'diet' any more, I want to enjoy food not binge, I want to be healthy. My problem with food isn't that I don't eat healthily, I do, I just add lots of junk on top. I eat junk because I've had the 'good' food so I can. I eat when I'm full up just so I can have rubbish, how daft is that?

So over the last few months I've gradually moved my eating time from breakfast when I wake up to 12pm, sometimes if I'm busy not till later. I haven't ever passed out, I'm not hungry till I start eating. Then I don't eat after dinner about 6pm. My body has adapted, I'm fine, my weight has stabilised. What I still do though is eat my 'proper' food and then stuff as much 'junk' as possible, even to the point of being very uncomfortable. This is what I now need to work towards changing in order to lose weight.

I'm going to continue to do 18/6 approximately but also 5:2. I think the combination will work well for me, and the health benefits will be a welcome bonus.

So, I started yesterday with a 'fast' day. I overate because my calories came out at 800 but I figure over time I'll gradually adjust. I'm using leftover Exante packs on fast days for now so I don't waste them but had 2, a couple of calorific drinks and a bit of food yesterday.

Today I've had 'breakfast' at 12 and a bag of crisps. Breakfast was a nutri drink with spinach, 1/3 of an avocado, flax and chai seeds, 1/2 an apple, frozen raspberries and blueberries and ground oats. Lovely. The crisps were entirely unnecessary but much appreciated. I'm not going to count calories on my non fast days, I'll just be mindful of cutting down the 'junk'.

Wish me luck :thankyouthankyou:
 
So not a bad day :)

Breakfast was the nutri drink
Bag of crisps
Home made vanilla yoghurt
Few liquorice allsorts
wholewheat spaghetti with bolognese sauce, cheddar cheese and broccoli
3 Teas and 2 Coffees
1 Tunnocks tea cakes (yum)

No idea of the calories but I don't think it matters at the moment.

Roll on tomorrow!
 
Bit of a headache this morning. That might have more to do with trying to study after 30 years than the new way of eating though

Breakfast of nutri drink - spinach, half an apple, half an avocado, frozen raspberries and blueberries, ground oats and flax seeds and chai seeds. Should keep me going for a bit but if not there's a boiled egg calling.

I'm trying to focus on the reasons for doing this rather than the actual process iyswim?

My daughter's graduating this year from Cambridge..... very exciting. Although she's a mature student I'm well aware than our 'demograph' is in the minority and I don't want to stick out too much (in more ways than one). I'm hoping to lose 2 stone by then and be a comfortable size 14. I'm sure 7lbs a month is doable.

Plus, I can then justify a new outfit, result :D

This forum will be my way of keeping track of my progress.

Back later to update the day's intake. Still no calorie counting though. Should be a fast day tomorrow
 
How are you getting on Jackie? I started 5.2 last week but ended up only doing 1 day instead of 2. This week I'm doing today fasting and hoping to do Wednesday too. Too early to see how the scales will be yet, but I've got a microwave meal for when I get in as I can calorie count it and can have it quickly (last time I tried 5.2 I failed dismally once I got home and started making dinner!).

Colleagues of mine have done it for a few years now and swear by it - they've all lost weight and kept it off.
 
Hi Jackie and Loops, How are things going for both of you? Still sticking to the 5:2? I have done it for almost two years - however, not being hysterical and thereby only doing it 9-10 month each year (taking holidays off). And it works perfectly fine for me - weight going down very slowly, but I haven't gain weight for those two years as I did the three years before - and still lost around 1.5 stone :woohoo:

Hope you are both enjoying it - and wishing you all the best of luck!
 
Thanks for the good wishes. I'm not doing well on it unfortunately - I'm thinking of going back on slimming world. Glad it has worked for you :)
 
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