I thought I might try to move the hot topic of the new 5:2 diet a few of us long timers are trying here, rather than in the "Gonna Get to Goal, Wanna Join Me?" Thread, so that that thread could go back to its original topic.

I do not have access to the book or video or anything that some of the other 5:2ers have, but I've been to the website and read up and today is my fourth day; so far I've done Fast Normal Fast and now today is a Normal. I aim for 500 on the fasting days but don't seem to make it under 600, and I aim for 1600 on Normals, but don't seem to make it past 1200, so I guess I'm not the poster child for this. Also, the morning after my first fast day, I was down 4 lbs, but the morning after my first Normal day I was up 3 lbs and this morning I was down 3 lbs so - no progress.

Since today is a Normal day I will do my cardio. I will report back what the scale says tomorrow morning!

I was down 2 pounds this morning - today was a regular day but I swear it was almost a fast day because I kept forgetting to eat! It's ridiculous. Yesterday was the first fast day where I went to bed really feeling hungry - hormones, I tell you. Anyway, I woke up and was so excited I could eat...and then I kept forgetting to stop working and eat my meals.

Anyway, no worries I still managed to get my calories in.

What to you guys aim for on your non-fasting days if you eat 500 or so on fast days? I know the plan is set so you'd hit 2,000 but there's no way I want to go there. I'm just trying to see where everyone else is at. I just barely got over 1,200 today (and I still have to eat a small snack and drink a Protein Shake to get there) but normally my "maintenance" window is about 1,400-1,600 calories or so. Sound about right, or are you guys going higher? I know I can eat more and not gain, or at least that I could prior to baby. I'm just not sure I want to.

Hope everyone is doing well today. I have a bunch of crabby kids and need to start bedtime, so yeah, I'm going to run off and do that.

~Cheri

I was down 2 pounds this morning - today was a regular day but I swear it was almost a fast day because I kept forgetting to eat! It's ridiculous. Yesterday was the first fast day where I went to bed really feeling hungry - hormones' date=' I tell you. Anyway, I woke up and was so excited I could eat...and then I kept forgetting to stop working and eat my meals.

Anyway, no worries I still managed to get my calories in.

What to you guys aim for on your non-fasting days if you eat 500 or so on fast days? I know the plan is set so you'd hit 2,000 but there's no way I want to go there. I'm just trying to see where everyone else is at. I just barely got over 1,200 today (and I still have to eat a small snack and drink a Protein Shake to get there) but normally my "maintenance" window is about 1,400-1,600 calories or so. Sound about right, or are you guys going higher? I know I can eat more and not gain, or at least that I could prior to baby. I'm just not sure I want to.

Hope everyone is doing well today. I have a bunch of crabby kids and need to start bedtime, so yeah, I'm going to run off and do that.

~Cheri[/quote']

No way can I eat more than 1300 calories and not gain. Truly. I am eating about 1200 on normal and 500 fast. Down 15 since starting.

And this is for some post I read ( or several). Again, MOST of us are 2 + years out. I am 3 and several others are also. I agree I had no problem after initial weight loss either for the FIRST YEAR OR SO. Then gradually you can eat more at a time, more food choices, etc and I regained about 18 lbs over a year and a half. Trying to FIND a way To maintain for me has been very difficult. Low carb actually Did not work long term for me. Too limiting, I ate too many higher calorie and fat items even though low carb didn't lose and STAY. Plus I felt my fat content was way too high for healthy living. I LOVE meat but bacon, pork, hamburger etc and cheese plus all the nuts I ate too many of. I've seen people say I will NEVER DIET again. Me either but I certainly will explore ways to help me stay healthy and finally maintain. There I said it. No apologies. Just got a little tired of some comments. . All you buddies who understand what I am saying, thanks for being there. Carry on!!!! Lol

No way can I eat more than 1300 calories and not gain. Truly. I am eating about 1200 on normal and 500 fast. Down 15 since starting.

And this is for some post I read ( or several). Again' date=' MOST of us are 2 + years out. I am 3 and several others are also. I agree I had no problem after initial weight loss either for the FIRST YEAR OR SO. Then gradually you can eat more at a time, more food choices, etc and I regained about 18 lbs over a year and a half. Trying to FIND a way To maintain for me has been very difficult. Low carb actually Did not work long term for me. Too limiting, I ate too many higher calorie and fat items even though low carb didn't lose and STAY. Plus I felt my fat content was way too high for healthy living. I LOVE meat but bacon, pork, hamburger etc and cheese plus all the nuts I ate too many of. I've seen people say I will NEVER DIET again. Me either but I certainly will explore ways to help me stay healthy and finally maintain. There I said it. No apologies. Just got a little tired of some comments. <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />. All you buddies who understand what I am saying, thanks for being there. Carry on!!!! Lol[/quote']

This is so me. I was hoping that low carving it would help. I even read where a dr wrote a wheat belly book that I could eat as much as I want as long as I cut bread, pastas, rice and starchy veggies out of my diet. I don't even want to go above 1300 calories bc I may gain weight. It's a vicious cycle. So. I hope this works for us.

In my initial loss, I could only eat 700-900 a day or I would not lose. But the idea of 5:2 struck me more as my maintenance program. And crazy as it sounds, I really am able to eat that many calories and maintain. Maybe I burn off more than I realize being on my feet all day or chasing my kids; I don't know. I do spend almost the entire day up and doing things - today I spent three hours baking, two hours straightening the kitchen and making dinner, killed an hour doing laundry and that's just the time I did "work" and not counting the running around I did for the kids, or the time I spent making everyone Breakfast and lunch. I'm no athlete but I'm busy all day long.

Anyway, I approached this more like my maintenance which was eating roughly 1,200-1,600 calories a day and then fasting around 500-600 calories on fast days. I think it worked pretty well but I suppose the only thing to do is wait for a normal week (while I'm not still sick and while I'm not on my cycle) and see where that sweet spot is with my intake.

I only track sporadically in maintenance - about one week out of every four, maybe - just to make sure I'm on track. But if the scale doesn't move out of my maintenance window (and it never did, until I got pregnant) I don't stress about how much I eat and I never seemed to have an issue.

I'm three years out in twelve days and am only doing 5:2 to lose the last seven (okay, almost eight) pounds I have left over from my pregnancy. Once those are gone, I plan to transition back into maintenance - this time going with a more structured plan like 6:1, though this plan is pretty much how I ate before when I was maintaining, anyway.

I suppose if those pounds came off quickly and easily (and stayed off) I might consider going a little lower if it's possible. Maybe shooting for 133 or so. I don't know. I always had trouble staying right at my goal weight. My body LOVED 137-141 and staying in that window was absolutely effortless. If I tried to get that scale just two pounds lower consistently? It was a fight to keep my calories low and I never could seem to stay there.

So either those numbers are just a "happy weight" for my body, my body doesn't want to be smaller or I just have to work harder than I was working to get past that point and be smaller.

I suppose I never stressed too much about just a couple pounds because I plan to do plastics, anyway. Some day. In my dreams. You know, once I'm not hauling a baby around...or carrying a toddler...or have some help around the house so I can recover.

~Cheri

Oh, and I logged a workout and am ending the day at 1,290 calories. Not too shabby but a little lower on the calories than I'd been doing last week. That workout was ugly. And I am not going to lie, I definitely slacked at the end. My lungs are not back up to speed, but the antibiotics seem to be doing their job and kicking this thing out of my system.

Protein Shake, hot shower, bed. Yeah...going to bed before nine pm at the start of a four day weekend. I'm old, or at least I feel old, so don't judge me!

~Cheri

Hi ladies, I'm back from my nature trip to Point Reyes on the North Coast above SF. It is so beautiful there! I ended going with an "eating buddy" of mine, so good restaurants and bakeries all along the way. I decided not to get too crazy with my weight watching... I skipped a fast day and decided to make it a "maintenance week" with only one fast day... on the 4th. I will weigh in the morning and see the damage. My computer could not get on the internet at the hotel, so when I got home I tried to fill in everything I ate to the best of my ability. I was over by 200-400 a day, with one day under. I exercised a ton! I hiked every day... including a 6.3 mile hike, a 5.3 mile hike and a couple of 4 mile days. My calfs are sore! So we will see how it goes. ...I just went in and weighed (it is the PM... so will see the actual results in the AM) and I only gained .3 pounds! awesome! I am looking forward to fasting day tomorrow, and really had some lovely gourmet food and drinks (half servings most of the time) on the trip. What a relief! My friend was worried that I would not be a good eating friend, and she said it was still fun to be with me, and she was only a little worried that she was a bad influence on me.

I am glad this thread was moved to the Vets forum, at least it has some context here. I tried to move it, I have some moderator status, but apparently not moving threads.

Hey! Where is Globetrotter!? MIA... Hope you are doing OK girl, where ever you are!

UGH! I am so frustrated at the moment. I am starting my second fast day of the week today, which I am fine with. But I weighed myself this morning and I am right back up to almost where I started! I just started that time of the month and logically I know that has something to do with it, even my wedding rings feel tight. But it doesn't make me feel like less of a failure. Plus I feel like I am having trouble getting my head in the game on "normal" days. There has been so much going on the last 2 weeks, that I have been eating more than normal. But the thing that makes me frustrated is I am not eating THAT much more. I just wish my body was normal. That I didn't have to stress about every morsel of food that I put in my mouth

Sorry for the morning rant, I am just not in a good place today and just feel like crying this morning.

Hi ladies' date=' I'm back from my nature trip to Point Reyes on the North Coast above SF. It is so beautiful there! I ended going with an "eating buddy" of mine, so good restaurants and bakeries all along the way. I decided not to get too crazy with my weight watching... I skipped a fast day and decided to make it a "maintenance week" with only one fast day... on the 4th. I will weigh in the morning and see the damage. My computer could not get on the internet at the hotel, so when I got home I tried to fill in everything I ate to the best of my ability. I was over by 200-400 a day, with one day under. I exercised a ton! I hiked every day... including a 6.3 mile hike, a 5.3 mile hike and a couple of 4 mile days. My calfs are sore! So we will see how it goes. ...I just went in and weighed (it is the PM... so will see the actual results in the AM) and I only gained .3 pounds! awesome! I am looking forward to fasting day tomorrow, and really had some lovely gourmet food and drinks (half servings most of the time) on the trip. What a relief! My friend was worried that I would not be a good eating friend, and she said it was still fun to be with me, and she was only a little worried that she was a bad influence on me.

I am glad this thread was moved to the Vets forum, at least it has some context here. I tried to move it, I have some moderator status, but apparently not moving threads.

Hey! Where is Globetrotter!? MIA... Hope you are doing OK girl, where ever you are![/quote']

Glad to hear from you and that you had a lovely trip. .3. Awesome! All that exercise is the key!!!

UGH! I am so frustrated at the moment. I am starting my second fast day of the week today' date=' which I am fine with. But I weighed myself this morning and I am right back up to almost where I started! I just started that time of the month and logically I know that has something to do with it, even my wedding rings feel tight. But it doesn't make me feel like less of a failure. Plus I feel like I am having trouble getting my head in the game on "normal" days. There has been so much going on the last 2 weeks, that I have been eating more than normal. But the thing that makes me frustrated is I am not eating THAT much more. I just wish my body was normal. That I didn't have to stress about every morsel of food that I put in my mouth

Sorry for the morning rant, I am just not in a good place today and just feel like crying this morning.[/quote']

Supersweetums, you are doing great! Remember, this is supposed to only give us. 1 lb loss a WEEK so you are ahead of the game. Stress also makes the body do strange things. Breathe in. Breathe out. Lol. It's all good!

UGH! I am so frustrated at the moment. I am starting my second fast day of the week today, which I am fine with. But I weighed myself this morning and I am right back up to almost where I started! I just started that time of the month and logically I know that has something to do with it, even my wedding rings feel tight. But it doesn't make me feel like less of a failure. Plus I feel like I am having trouble getting my head in the game on "normal" days. There has been so much going on the last 2 weeks, that I have been eating more than normal. But the thing that makes me frustrated is I am not eating THAT much more. I just wish my body was normal. That I didn't have to stress about every morsel of food that I put in my mouth

Sorry for the morning rant, I am just not in a good place today and just feel like crying this morning.

I understand and have been feeling the same way. The diet part of 5:2 I find pretty easy. It's the bouncing on the scale I have trouble with - because I do notice far more fluctuation between fast and regular days.

I think I need to weigh only once a week while doing this, because it also bothers me and frustrates me, even though I know that I ALWAYS see a 3-4 pound gain when I'm on my cycle.

And I know that 1 pound a week is what we expect to see on this program. Honestly, that's about the rate I lost at from about 5 months out from surgery, so I feel like mentally I should be better about this but nope, I'm still mad every time I look at the scale and see it bounce.

I'm down half a pound from yesterday. I also feel like absolute crap. Doctor is closed today, of course, so we'll see what I can do tomorrow.

I hope everyone enjoys the holiday. We're staying in and not even venturing out for fireworks later. The rain hasn't let up here in a week so it would be a soggy mess out there, anyway!

~Cheri

Have a good 4th today ladies! I will be fasting through it.

Sweetums, I feel your frustration, I'm at the same weight all week and though I should be thankful it hasn't gone up over the vacation. I feel extra fat today and fasting has been hard this week. I'm hungry a lot, I think from over eating snack foods and I'm having a hard time getting back into it.

I know I need to detox. But it's hard when you want to eat EVERYTHING!

Ok chin up (slightly) and let's have a nice holiday.

Have a good 4th today ladies! I will be fasting through it.

Sweetums' date=' I feel your frustration, I'm at the same weight all week and though I should be thankful it hasn't gone up over the vacation. I feel extra fat today and fasting has been hard this week. I'm hungry a lot I think from over eating snack foods and I'm having a hard time getting back into it.

I know I need to detox. But it's hard when you want to eat EVERYTHING!

Ok chin up (slightly) and let's have a nice holiday.[/quote']

Yes, Laura, and remember, we now have CHIN UP not CHINS up! Lol!!!!!

Yes' date=' Laura, and remember, we now have CHIN UP not CHINS up! Lol!!!!![/quote']

Lol

yes there is a bright side to all of this!

Have a good 4th today ladies! I will be fasting through it.

Sweetums, I feel your frustration, I'm at the same weight all week and though I should be thankful it hasn't gone up over the vacation. I feel extra fat today and fasting has been hard this week. I'm hungry a lot, I think from over eating snack foods and I'm having a hard time getting back into it.

I know I need to detox. But it's hard when you want to eat EVERYTHING!

Laura, I'm taking a break from feasting today as well. I had a great eating experience on my trip . (I hope it all tasted good to you too!) I enjoyed it. I will do it again sometime., but now I am happy to be eating well and less today. There is always tomorrow to eat a little more then today and enjoy that as well.

Yes, Laura, and remember, we now have CHIN UP not CHINS up! Lol!!!!!

So true. Do turkeys have chins? Im kind of working on one of those! I have to say though, that exercise really has helped the shape of my neck.

I did enjoy my vacation and all the awesome meals yes! And though today is a holiday we are laying low. The whole family is exhausted from the trip.

I had my first meal of Greek yogurt and it feels good to be back to routine so far.

I must say I'm very emotional today though...

overeating of carbs??

I love Point Reyes by the way, it sounded like a wonderful time!