The 5:2 Diet

[feedyoureye 3,087]

Wow! I am so happy to see this post coming back to life. I need the support too. After my mom passed in July, with family things and emotional eating, I popped back up 7 pounds and feel really stuck there. The imperfect 5:2 I have been doing and the well over 1200 cals on other days have kept me from staying at goal, but even that little bit of 5:2 has helped me from just blasting off wight wise! My number one advice to myself has been "write it down and weigh every day" and I have started being spotty there as well... oops! MFP says I haven't logged in for three days? I don't even remember not doing it... thats the point...mindlessness is a slippery slope..... Back on track all? Should we at least check in on mondays with progress reports? Im in if you are! I fast mondays and Thursdays.... how about you?

[Queen of Crop 1,103]

Perfect! I am also a Monday / Thursday 5:2 person....so I am in!!! I have been bouncing between 139-142 since January and really need to get to 135 (doesn't sound that hard after losing 80+ lbs but I just cannot get there!!!). Once I am there I am going to have a tummy and pelvic lift. So I will check in with you every Monday! We can do this....we are veterans for god's sake!!!

[windycitymom 60]

I'm with you ladies, we got this!

I too fell down a slippery slope when I lost my mother to ALS last Mother's day (no less) ...... she was very angry with me and didn't really tell me about it while she was living, just left a horrible messiness when she died. I didn't really feel much like doing anything and I hovered around 139 - 142. I was in year 2 post op and really leaned into my sleeve to keep my weight down without giving any thought to healthy eating or exercise. I just moved across country with my family to get a fresh start and decided that I need to take control again like the 'good ol days' of being in year 1 post op. Thanks to 5:2 (or my first 2 weeks of good luck trying 5:2) I'm back toward my 135 goal and weighing in at 137.5 lbs this morning.

I have my father in law coming in town this weekend and dinner guests coming on Sunday (I'm not a Martha Stewart so I'm a wreck about it). It made me notice that I always over compensate for the quantity of food that is needed for the amount of people that i have. I have a real problem with estimating how much food other people eat so this will be an interesting lesson for me. My goals for this week are:

1) to learn how to cook the right amount for the 10 or so folks I am expecting for dinner

2) to find a way to fit my new 5:2 lifestyle into having my in laws stay with us for an 8 day period

Does anybody have any specific goals for this week that they want to share?

[feedyoureye 3,087]

Everyone ready to dive into the program and start checking in tomorrow/Mondays?

[windycitymom 60]

Happy Monday Ya'll! I hope everyone is doing well. I'm not sure what the check in supposed to look like but below is my update. I have my inlaws in for over a week. They are truly like kids so its always a tough time given that I already have 2 boys that keep me pretty busy Yesterday was one constant eating day. All day long! I was able to stay away from food fairly well considering how much there was. Purely by being the hostess (and not a very good and natural one). I'm usually a wreck. 3 folks didn't show up for dinner so we had lots of extras despite my attempt to keep it to what 10 folks would consume. I immediately froze things in dinner sized servings so that I could grab them when my boys got hungry.

So in terms of my goals:

1)cooking the right amount: a) I cooked the recipe size and froze left overs considering 3 "big eaters" didn't show up also when I found out I scaled back on the mini quiches I was going to heat up for appetizers and just left the in the freezer (that is something I never would have done in the past).

2) sticking to 5:2 this week: a) I last fasted on Thursday and did well. Today is my fast day but it is my son's birthday and my husbands birthday so I'm thinking I'll wait until tomorrow. I'm sticking to Tea and liquids this morning until I make up my mind fully

3) I weighed in up 2 since my last weigh in but down 3 overall since I started 5:2 to get back on track

How is everyone's Monday so far? Do you have any challenges this week coming up? Hello Thanksgiving? I am more of a "closet/emotional/grazing eater" so generally this isn't my problem area but what do others think?

Windycitymom

[Queen of Crop 1,103]

I wish I had a better report....just had company leave an hour ago and it's so hard as you all know. I didn't do my Fast today but I will tomorrow. The interesting thing is I feel BETTER when I do it! But I think I might not have done it without this check in, so THANK YOU!!!!!

I'm in Amsterdam so no worries about Thanksgiving for me. Total non-issue. Thank goodness....but I do have our family from Switzerland coming at Christmas and it's the only time of year I bake...so I need to get ready for that one!

[windycitymom 60]

I wish I had a better report....just had company leave an hour ago and it's so hard as you all know. I didn't do my Fast today but I will tomorrow. The interesting thing is I feel BETTER when I do it! But I think I might not have done it without this check in, so THANK YOU!!!!!

I'm in Amsterdam so no worries about Thanksgiving for me. Total non-issue. Thank goodness....but I do have our family from Switzerland coming at Christmas and it's the only time of year I bake...so I need to get ready for that one!

Great job Queen, good luck tomorrow!

[katesuccess 990]

I've been reading this thread on and off for a while as I've wrestled with stalls and slow loss for a while now (two+ months). Thanks to everyone who's been posting, it's great to hear the mutual support and encouragement, and that this helps so many of you. I"m hoping it'll help me as well. I can shift to the calorie changes now, but will read the book when I have some more time, unless anyone thinks it's a must-do first?

I too have slipped in terms of logging my food, since I noted I seemed to be logging just different combinations of the same food all the time, and the same numbers kept coming up--paired with no losses. So I got frustrated and blew off logging, and now that i'm doing it again I realize how I've slipped in extra calories all over the place! I"m not yet sure which will be my two days - but I'll figure that out next. This week I went lower on Sunday, and will see about which other day works.

Do you all do the same two days each week, or mix them up? What is your higher day in terms of calories? My current calorie intake has been about 750 with 70 gm of Protein a day--slippage lately has gotten me to 850-900 a lot of days, darn it!

Kate

[lsereno 2,525]

Hi all,

I'm going to try 5:2 so just checking in on the Monday thread. I think my days will be Tuesday and Friday, with the Friday a bit variable, depending on what's going on. I am starting next week because I have drink testing tomorrow, I'm baking Cookies Wednesday, traveling Thursday, eating Thanksgiving a day late, traveling Saturday and hosting a gingerbread party for about 80 on Sunday. So, I'll check in next Monday, hopefully just 7 lbs over goal still.

I put it on over summer by eating too much Snacks during the day and sweets after dinner.

Lynda

[feedyoureye 3,087]

Hi all, had a good fast day today, came in at 557 cals. Just right for me. I have started slowing down on the big eating, but have stayed the same weight for a couple of weeks... I hope to see a little movement down over the next week with the regular two days of "fasting". You guys, drink plenty of Water, eat some raw veggies and fruit if you get the chance, and keep the other days of eating in a normal range... avoid bingeing. Also, if you miss a day, do make it happen the next.

This is really a plan for the long haul, and you have to find ways to make it work and not have all or nothing thinking... if you miss a day, the next will be just as good to do it. Good work all!

I've been reading this thread on and off for a while as I've wrestled with stalls and slow loss for a while now (two+ months). Thanks to everyone who's been posting, it's great to hear the mutual support and encouragement, and that this helps so many of you. I"m hoping it'll help me as well. I can shift to the calorie changes now, but will read the book when I have some more time, unless anyone thinks it's a must-do first?

I too have slipped in terms of logging my food, since I noted I seemed to be logging just different combinations of the same food all the time, and the same numbers kept coming up--paired with no losses. So I got frustrated and blew off logging, and now that i'm doing it again I realize how I've slipped in extra calories all over the place! I"m not yet sure which will be my two days - but I'll figure that out next. This week I went lower on Sunday, and will see about which other day works.

Do you all do the same two days each week, or mix them up? What is your higher day in terms of calories? My current calorie intake has been about 750 with 70 gm of Protein a day--slippage lately has gotten me to 850-900 a lot of days, darn it!

Kate

Kate, if you are only eating 750 calories a day, Im not sure if this is the plan for you. You might eat 500 on two days, and up your calories on the others to over 1000.... I keep it around 1200 or more on exercise days. The "5:2 girls" don't recommend this plan to those under 12 months out. You are close, but 750 cals is LOW in my opinion. Even 900 is pretty low....

[MichiganChic 3,262]

I've been watching this thread for a while, and decided I should jump on for a bit, too. My weight has been stable for the past 7 months or so, but it inches up from time to time, and I just can't seem to get to goal. I don't even know what goal should be anymore! I had been taking a diuretic, but had to come off of it because my blood pressure was too low. I gained 15 pounds in a week, and only lost 7 of it. Then I had plastics, and I've been somewhat swollen since then, so I'm still up the same 7 pounds from my lowest weight even though she removed about 6 pounds. With the holiday's coming I thought it would be good to be proactive to prevent more gain, and hopefully lose some!

So I started yesterday, and came in at 520 calories. I only had Protein Shakes and yogurt, and a cheese stick. I'm going to shoot for 900-1000 today, with super low carbs.

Have a nice day, everyone!

[erp 2,016]

@Michigan and all. I am curious to hear how it goes. I've been traveling a lot and am now at the top of my bounce range. I think I need to do 5:2 to get back down and to (finally) reach my stretch goal. Overall, I need to lose about 8-10 pounds but feel so "dieted" out from the last couple of years.

[katesuccess 990]

Hi all, had a good fast day today, came in at 557 cals. Just right for me. I have started slowing down on the big eating, but have stayed the same weight for a couple of weeks... I hope to see a little movement down over the next week with the regular two days of "fasting". You guys, drink plenty of Water, eat some raw veggies and fruit if you get the chance, and keep the other days of eating in a normal range... avoid bingeing. Also, if you miss a day, do make it happen the next.

This is really a plan for the long haul, and you have to find ways to make it work and not have all or nothing thinking... if you miss a day, the next will be just as good to do it. Good work all!

Kate, if you are only eating 750 calories a day, Im not sure if this is the plan for you. You might eat 500 on two days, and up your calories on the others to over 1000.... I keep it around 1200 or more on exercise days. The "5:2 girls" don't recommend this plan to those under 12 months out. You are close, but 750 cals is LOW in my opinion. Even 900 is pretty low....

Thanks for this, @feedyoureye. I'm finding i'm more satisfied with around 800-850 and at 7-750 I feel more like it's disciplined eating, so dripping back to 550 or so on fast days might work if I up to 850 the other days. I'll play around with it in the month to come. I finally broke my long stall after doing a modified version this week, so I'm optimistic!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

Had my second fast day today.. not perfect but not to bad ether. Going into the big feast day down 2 pounds from the beginning of the week. Last year 5:2 helped me to stay the same weight all holiday season. I am shooting for that at least.... and maybe a loss... keeping those two fast days a week is the key! We can do it ladies (and any gents out there)!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I'm hearing crickets in here! So.... fasting today... Gained over thanksgiving weekend, but feeling good fasting today. REALLY trying to do it right on fast days. I killed myself with the leftovers.... lucky there was no pie in the house! Shoping today for some good veggies and supplies for healthy meals. Drinking a ton of Water, as i think some of the weight gain is Water from all the salty stuff and carbs. Fingers crossed on that! Anyway ladies, chin up... write it all down, if you blew off your fast day today, there is always tomorrow! Lets not let this holiday bet us up! You can do it.