Hello Vets!

Today is my first fast day for the 5.2 diet plan. So, only 500 calories for fast days and 1200 to 1500 for the feast days? Right?? I was wondering if it is ok to have coffee?

I'm so excited to try this diet and new way of eating. I'm so ready to get to goal and I'm praying that this will at least get me started in the right direction. I've gained 3 pounds recently and now am back up to 170 and I'm scared to death. I realize that weight flutuates but also I've not been doing as well as before and I can eat more usual. I know it is up to me to keep this weight off! I never want to go back! NEVER! I've been back and forth to many time in my life.

OK, so again I'm very excited to start this plan and any advice or encouragement is appreciated! Love you guys!!

A big THANK YOU to all of you who responded with what you eat on feast/fast days! I appreciate you taking time to do type it out for me.

Another question...do all of you wait 18 hours after you last eat on your feast day before eating on your fast day? From what I have read it seems that this is the key to this working? Is that right?

So far so good on my first fast day. I have just had Water and green tea. Feeling fine so far!

Hope you are doing good today, too, Sleeveofsteel.

Thanks Laura, Monday /Wednesday girl over here. Fast days are easy until I run out of calories, lol. It's that after 7 time when I get the munchies that is always the toughest part for me.

Oh boy that's the hardest part for me too!!

I can have a perfect day and 7 pm hits and bam!

Where's the peanut butter!

That's why I start eating later (lunch or after) so I can be real full for the nighttime and if I have the calories and I must I will eat a little snack after 7.

Yes sarsar,

I stop eating the night before between 7 and 8 and push my first meal to 12 or after not 18 hours but the resting period is the key (I think anyway)

Here is some screen shots of my MFP to show what I eat on fast days & feast days. I am not an expert on the 5:2 plan but I am pretty good at eating within my calorie plan. I also eat low carb because my body is very sensitive to them. There are 2 feast days shown, one is on 2 screens as I had lots of Snacks that day.

Thanks! Looks like you work out quite a bit, I do too. I was wondering how this will work with the calories. Do you subtract the exercise calories from your daily intake and eat more? I am concerned that my workouts may be compromised from not eating enough. This is why I didn't completely stick to the 5:2 plan in the past.

Thankfully I am not one of those who are carb sensitive (don't hate me ). I don't go crazy with carbs but I don't need to keep them low to lose weight or maintain.

Thanks! Looks like you work out quite a bit' date=' I do too. I was wondering how this will work with the calories. Do you subtract the exercise calories from your daily intake and eat more? I am concerned that my workouts may be compromised from not eating enough. This is why I didn't completely stick to the 5:2 plan in the past.

Thankfully I am not one of those who are carb sensitive (don't hate me ). I don't go crazy with carbs but I don't need to keep them low to lose weight or maintain.[/quote']

I work out 4-5 days a week, pretty hard. I generally don't work out on fast days because I am afraid my body would go all starvation mode on me. I generally burn 400-700 calories at the gym. I do not eat back my workout calories, but only because if I eat more than 1200 calories, even with all my exercise, I tend to gain weight. My body is crazy, I can gain on so little it is annoying.

The only reason I don't stop working out is it seems to keep my body really compact. At 180 pounds & 5'7, I am a size 8. A lot of women who are my size say they are in 12's.

Kristie

Another question...do all of you wait 18 hours after you last eat on your feast day before eating on your fast day? From what I have read it seems that this is the key to this working? Is that right?

I try to keep it over 12 hours on each end of the fast day. The following 9 hours I only have low/no carb something until dinner, like ESA protein drink in my coffee. This seems to work. If you read the 5:2 book, they show there are different ways to do it. 18 hours of nothing is just one of them. The fast time includes the food time on fast days. So, if you stop eating at 8pm one feast night, you are "fasting" through the next day until breakfast on the third day. This is called the 36 hour plan if I remember correctly. The idea is only 500 cals in period of time from 8PM or so on one night through the next day until breakfast on the day after that..... broken up however works best for you... if you need breakfast, fine, if you want three mini meals, fine, dinner only, fine.

It is supposed to be good to exercise on fast days. The 5:2 burns more fat than some other plans. When you exercise while fasting, your body more easily uses fat stores than glycogen. Thats a good thing! Helps burn belly and visceral fat! I know not all people do it, but I eat back some of my exercise calories on feast days. Whatever MFP/fitbit will give me. No exercise, 1200 calories. Exercise, up to 1500 calories. I like the 1500 calories best! I do not eat them back on fast days.

I work out 4-5 days a week, pretty hard. I generally don't work out on fast days because I am afraid my body would go all starvation mode on me. I generally burn 400-700 calories at the gym. I do not eat back my workout calories, but only because if I eat more than 1200 calories, even with all my exercise, I tend to gain weight. My body is crazy, I can gain on so little it is annoying.

The only reason I don't stop working out is it seems to keep my body really compact. At 180 pounds & 5'7, I am a size 8. A lot of women who are my size say they are in 12's.

Kristie

Ok, makes sense. I am going to do a light workout here in a few minutes. I workout hard, too, so I will have to play around with this a little and see how things work. My fast days are going to need to be light workout days. Stopping my workouts isn't an option for me. I enjoy exercising, I enjoy pushing myself. It's my stress relief and I like how my body looks and feels from it.

It is supposed to be good to exercise on fast days. The 5:2 burns more fat than some other plans. When you exercise while fasting, your body more easily uses fat stores than glycogen. Thats a good thing! Helps burn belly and visceral fat! I know not all people do it, but I eat back some of my exercise calories on feast days. Whatever MFP/fitbit will give me. No exercise, 1200 calories. Exercise, up to 1500 calories. I like the 1500 calories best! I do not eat them back on fast days.

I have read the same thing from other people. I will see how it goes and play around with exercising on my fast days. I'm afraid I might pass out if I work out hard on those days. I'm pretty sure I am going to need to eat closer to 1500 calories. I'm anxious and excited to see how this works! Thanks for the response.

It is supposed to be good to exercise on fast days. The 5:2 burns more fat than some other plans. When you exercise while fasting' date=' your body more easily uses fat stores than glycogen. Thats a good thing! Helps burn belly and visceral fat! I know not all people do it, but I eat back some of my exercise calories on feast days. Whatever MFP/fitbit will give me. No exercise, 1200 calories. Exercise, up to 1500 calories. I like the 1500 calories best! I do not eat them back on fast days.[/quote']

Looks like I will have to start back my workouts on fast days. I was not aware that this can speed up the fat burn on fast days. although on tuesdays & thursdays i always work out before I break my fast at noon/1 o'clock. i am happy to know that working out on fast days is a good thing. I really enjoy my workouts. Makes me feel very happy. I think it's the endorphins.

Here is some screen shots of my MFP to show what I eat on fast days & feast days. I am not an expert on the 5:2 plan but I am pretty good at eating within my calorie plan. I also eat low carb because my body is very sensitive to them. There are 2 feast days shown, one is on 2 screens as I had lots of Snacks that day.

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Kristie, thanks for posting! Hey what is that 60 calories pumpkin Spice packet from Starbucks?? Where can I get that? Do you just mix it with Protein Shakes?

A little different since I don't drink coffee nor Protein Shakes. I try to refrain from eating before 8pm on All evenings and the day of a fast I usually have SF oatmeal (around 100 calories) or bran flakes w/ very little skim/soy milk (120-1:0 calories) around 10:30- 11 am. If I'm really hungry I might have a snack of mini babybel a couple hours later (50) or SF Jello (10 cals) and them dinner. Usually chicken stirfry (around 150 cals) or bowl homemade veggie Soup (150) or 2 extra lean turkey franks/100 cal pack guacamole and sliced cakes/red bell pepper (210 calories this is my "go to meal" on a lot of days. Then I isially have a no sugar added fudge bar (40 cals) winding up around right at or below 500. Veggies are your best friend. Low cal/carb and lots of th plus chicken or lean turkey tuna or franks.

On feast day, I hold my cals to less than 1200 (usually 1100) and eat cleanly. Mostly. Same Breakfast, go to meal for lunch, chicken or lean beef meal with veggies or Soups for dinner. Some Snacks of mini babybel cheese, fudge bars, fresh fruit like grapes, blueberries, Kroger carbmaster yogurt.

How much protien are you getting in or fast days? Feast days? I find it hard to get it in on fast days.

Fasting again today. I lost only a pound last Friday. Back to my regular schedule of Monday's and Thursdays.

I sent a request for the 5.2 forum. Will I be able to join next week??

Kristie' date=' thanks for posting! Hey what is that 60 calories Pumpkin Spice packet from Starbucks?? Where can I get that? Do you just mix it with Protein Shakes?[/quote']

Yes, I bought my Via at Starbucks. So far I haven't seen them at stores. And I have been looking. Everywhere. Lol

I mix it with Protein shakes but sometimes I mix it with Water for coffee. (The packet says milk, but I like to conserve those calories.)

Fasting again today. I lost only a pound last Friday. Back to my regular schedule of Monday's and Thursdays.

I sent a request for the 5.2 forum. Will I be able to join next week??

Lisa I got the request and I'll approve you as soon as I can

I will send you a pm when it's approved