Eat, fast and live longer - the 5:2 lifestyle

[ElleG]

Jude, the IF is really interesting. Wonderful your husband has had relief from pain. Food can certainly cause our bodies lots of problems.

I have been doing some research - hadn't heard of it before  . Certainly suits a lot of people, I am going to discuss it with my son. He often drops meals and he would like to loose more weight. The IF gives it structure.

We also eat as natural as possible and gluten causes me lots of health problems. I have finished four weeks and DH three weeks of the 5:2, at this stage it certainly seems doable. Hopefully we will get measurable health benefits from it.

[Shazzy]

Just wondering how you are going ElleG and Rojizoja? I have just completed my 4 weeks and really struggled with the last 2 days. I havent lost any weight on it and am thinking I may stop  . I do realise that it is more than just losing weight and it is more about health but have been finding it difficult -   Just wondering how you are both going?

[ElleG]

Hi Shazzy, we are sticking to it. This week i found it quite easy. I skipped breakfast, had my normal 2 mochiattos and then found i wasnt hungry until lunch. I realised i was eating breakfast, but could easily skip it. I made a chicken salad that was just over 100 cals, so had 1/2 cp yogurt and 1/2 cup strawberries for lunch. Had enough calories over to cook an omelette for tea, then more strawberries.

Also, if I feel hungry I have been blitzing one or two trays of ice, a handful of mint and one peeled lemon together. It is really refreshing, makes a good amount, takes time to eat and helps curb hunger. Leftover ice I use in soda water.

As for weight, all I can say is that it keeps my weight stable. I have chronic pain, so the meds tend to make you put on weight. Meanwhile, my DH is the lightest since perhaps his teen years. He has lost steadily - 6 kilos!!! If I lost that amount I would be delighted, be at the weight I want to be.. I hope he stops loosing soon, he is very thin. Men are lucky as well, no menopause hormones.

I really want the health benefits. I want to stay healthy, dealing with pain is hard enough without any illness thrown in.
I can post the chicken salad, if you need more inspiration

I also wonder ow Rog is going  . Good luck Shazzy.

[Rogizoja]

Hi y'all, well done with sticking to it.  DW and I am now into our NINTH round of fasting days and getting into the rhythm though we appear to have levelled out from a weight perspective - we've both dropped about 4Kg overall and enjoying getting the (unprompted) confrimation from friends and family. I guess the levelling out is because we've been taking the guidline "eat what you want" during the 5 a bit too much to heart and have been pigging out somewhat  . So over the next 5 we're going to eat what we want but just be a bit more sensible portion-wise (and no second helpings  ); might even be able to shed a few more kilos.

On a positive note, I've been monitoring my blood pressure and that appears to have stabilised at a lower level as well (down from about 140/95 to about 130/85) - I even stopped taking one of my bp meds (I know, naughty of me) with no discernable change in my readings. So maybe I'm enjoying the emerging health benefits of the plan. I now just need to get my cholesterol checked with a full MOT to get the final verdict from the doc.

We've settled into a routine now taking Mondays and Tuesdays as fast days - we just have black coffee through the day with a cup of miso soup for lunch and something more substantial for supper e.g. we've used ElleG's lamb curry idea (great tip) or chicken lahksa (spicy meals seem to be more filling).  We're going to continue with the plan in the foreseeable future though might take a break over the Christmas hols.

Happy fasting - hang in there.

[ElleG]

Long time no activity on this thread! . Wondering if anyone has continued with the 5:2? Rog, or Shazzy are you still on it?

I have had a few trips away and a  week in hospital, so over Christmas both of us have let it go. Very hard when you are visitors! My husband had dropped back to one low calorie day a week, as he continued to loose a kilo a week! So thin. Would only happen to a man.. We will restart it next week when we go back to 'normal' life. He hasn't put any weight back on and doesn't need to loose any more. I would like to loose a few kilos but am not stressing too much.

Interesting article today in the Daily Mail, re the 8 hr diet - sounds like 16hrs fasting a day. Sounds quite doable and not as restrictive as the 5 hr window.  We had settled into the 5:2 days quite well, but life does get in the way sometimes.

[Jude59]

Sorry to hear about your week in hospital.  Hope all is well now.

My husband is very slim too and trying to not lose any more on Fast-5. Just has to eat a bit more.  We both lost weight over Christmas/ New Year haha and ate what we wanted but just once a day.  Actually went up 800 grams on Boxing Day then down 1.3 kg a couple of days later.   Have been 3 1/2 months now so pretty much second nature and very easy.

[ElleG]

Jude, well done  I really don't think I could do the 5 hrs like you do, but  8 hrs sounds so much easier! The 5:2 becomes difficult when life gets in the way, like travelling, being visitors, hospital admissions etc! I am OK, just trying to manage chronic neuropathic pain.

I will be home next week, so will start a trial of the 8 hrs then. 

[teagg]

rather late to the party here - watched the horizon programme here in Sydney via SBS online, and was intrigued.  A number of other school mothers seem to be doing it...

I have decided to try it out - and had my first fast day yesterday - and i think I over-drank... too much tea with milk... which may account for not feeling all that hungry!!

Are any of you still progressing with your fasting...?  can you update how you have fared?

I've managed to find some interesting recipes online... and as i'm now into day 2 (and mentally thinking that i'm starving... which of course I'm not) I'll try making a large soup to fill the gap...

if anyone else has any ideas or suggestions or recipes... i'd love to hear about them!!

with thanks
Gillian

[judydawn]

Gillian, I started this about 5 weeks ago and in the first month I lost 3 kg and 4" off my waist.  I'd forgotten all about this thread but noticed it just recently.  I know several people trying it but my verdict of the 'diet' is that it is so easy and not like a diet at all.  I really look forward to my 'fasting' days and at this stage I'm still quite happy to have an egg on dry toast for breakfast with a cup of coffee (yes, I do have a bit of milk), home made vegie soup for lunch and 100g baked beans on dry toast for tea with a piece of fruit.  Sometimes I have a second coffee during the day but it depends on how busy I am.  Whilst visiting Geoff in hospital for all those weeks I took cold baked beans every day for lunch - I'm lucky in that I love the 3 foods I have on my fasting day.

I also found some great recipes on the web and have printed out heaps of low calorie foods to eat on the other days but in larger quantities.  I also find I'm being careful what I eat on the other 5 days which I find easy to do once I'm in the 'diet mode'.  I make healthier choices when I dine out, don't eat cake or biscuits at home and only have a glass of wine when out.  If I feel hungry on my 'fast' day I drink a glass of water but I've had no problems with those days at all and I actually look forward to them.  I do Thursdays and Mondays and just change those days to suit what is happening in my life.  I love the flexibility of it.  I noticed on some of the blogs I read that some people do the fasting 2 days in a row - I probably would find that harder and prefer the way I do it.

One of the soups I make is the Garden Vegetable Soup from Best Recipes (recipe No. 1117) in the TMX which is a weight watchers soup and although I probably could have 2 bowls for lunch, I only have one which compensates for me having milk in a couple of coffees a day (I hope).

Will post recipes as I do them but here's a few.

Stuffed baked Potatoes - 4 serves 325 calories per serve of 2 halves of potato.  I usually only do 2 potatoes at a time and give 1 to Mum.

4 x 300g potatoes -207 cals
225g broccoli - 16 cals
4 slices (120g) ham or cooked lean bacon, diced - 49 cals
120g cheddar cheese, grated - 52 cals
S & P
Oven bake or microwave potatoes (I do m/w, it's quicker) until cooked.
Cut broccoli into small pieces and steam a few minutes until soft.
Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh.
Stir in the other ingredients, keeping back 1/4 of the cheese ( I usually add a bit of milk here, not included in the calorie count of course)
Arrange the potato skins in a large ovenproof dish and fill with the stuffing.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on the top.
Cook 10 minutes in a hot oven or longer if you have made them in advance which is what I do.

I usually have 1 portion only (163 cals) and serve it with a salad.
On a non-fast day I would eat both halves.


Chicken Noodle soup recipe posted on forum. This makes 4 serves and is 240 cals per serve (if using the garlic paste, a wee bit higher but nothing to worry about)

Broccoli & Leek Bake - 2 serves  250 cals per serve

Chop 25g tasty, low fat cheese - set aside, divided in half.
90 g sliced leek sautéed in TMX 10 mins/varoma temp/reverse/speed 1 in a small amount of olive oil. Remove & set aside
200g florets from broccoli lightly steamed - I did in the microwave 3 mins.
100g potato, very thinly sliced - I cooked them on my microwave chip maker & sliced them on the mandolin that came with it - paper thin slices.
285 mls milk, 1/2 the cheese, 1 tsp veg stock concentrate and 15g cornflour into the TM bowl - 5 mins/90^o/speed 3.

Place the steamed broccoli into an ovenproof dish, sprinkle the sautéed leeks over the top.
Pour most of the cheese sauce over the top then arrange the thin layer of potatoes over this then the rest of the cheese sauce and the remainder of the grated cheese.
Either place into the oven or microwave and cook until vegies are soft and topping is bubbling.  I've had this on a non fasting day with other vegies or salad.

I think these recipes were from www.mumsnet.com or links from there. Just go to the site and search for 5:2 recipes.

[teagg]

My goodness - nice changes in your figure(s).... 

thank you for those recommendations... I've spent the morning and two cups of T&M (tea with milk) reading about this method... I am 'just about' to go and do some cooking... and gorge myself in the kitchen.... but I'm 'just reading' a bit more... and a bit more and a bit more...
which is great for the fasting side (my procrastination capability) seems to be coming into its own now... but has done not very much for the state of my house, the washing or my homework (now taking a tax course on a wednesday)....

nevertheless your recipes look to be very good...
you are a gem... thank you for them.

I also read online that someone in the UK has a bovril with hot water = 'soup' if she gets hungry - so i might translate that into a tablespoon of vegemite and hot water and see whether that helps!

I'm not sure if i'll go two days back to back again!!

thanks for you reply 
regards
Gillian

[judydawn]

My pleasure Gillian, been meaning to comment on here but your post made me do it today.  There are others doing it too so perhaps they will add to the recipes.

I love my roasted vegie stock concentrate as a broth on a cold day so I had intended to do that instead of the Bovril idea.

[Jude59]

Still sticking with it here after nearly 9 months.  Slightly different version of 5:2.  My husband and I do Fast 5.  In this time my husband has had his BP meds halved and is looking like being able to go off them all together.   We eat once a day and anything we feel like. No restrictions.  Have both lost over 10 kilos. My DH got his blood work done and results back yesterday and all  great  results  and significantly better than last time.  Dr printed results from past two years interesting because we certainly are not living low fat.  Great way of living for the budget too

[Wonder]

Jude, sorry If this is a stupid question and already answered in the thread but do you only eat 1 meal per day?

[judydawn]

That's how I read it Wonder.  What time of the day do you have that 1 meal Jude?

[Jude59]

Well it is an eating window of 5 hours but we can generally only fit in a snack of nuts and fruit and our usual main type meal.  There's only so much you can eat.  And of course a nice couple of wines.  our window is usually 5-10pm but saturday and sunday is generally more relaxed to fit in with famiy etc.  If there is a mid day social event through the week we just swap to say 1-6 and then the next day back to 5:00.  with Fast 5 there is only one rule and that is 5 hours a day eating window and 19 hours a day fasting.   google for the free ebook The Fast-5 Diet and the Fast-5 Lifestyle By Dr Bert W. Herring.  This is a way of life for us now and we are more than happy this way.