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Type 2 and 5:2 fasting

C

Craig2106

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi
does anyone use the 5:2 diet and if so do you fast completely or reduce to 25% of recommended calorie intake approx. 600?
i need to lose weight and seem to have got to a point where i cant seem to progress further having lost 14kg im stuck at 110 kg im 1.94m tall and active and quite fit

Thanks
 
In my experience of dieting, Newcastle and 5:2, I have always interpreted fasting as 24 hrs without food. I don't think it's 2 consecutive days, just 2 days in 7. The Newcastle diet was originally 600 calories a day, now 800 calories a day as it seems to have the same effect on BG and weight. I tried it for 6 weeks with occasional 24hr fasts and it worked a treat. It also showed me that despite what dieticians have been telling me for the best part of ten years, 500 calories less than Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) does not work, come to that nor did 1,000 or 1,200. However when I'm down to 1,600 calories less than RMR (2,400 for me) giving just 800 calories per day, things do move. Given your height and weight your RMR (aka BMR - Basic Metabolic Rate) is 2300 cals per day (if you're 35) down to 2200 cals per day (if you're 55), you then have to use a multiplier depending on exercise level.

BTW, welcome to the forum.
 
If you get hold of Moseley’s book you’ll find it has full explanations of how to follow a 5:2 diet plus recipes. It works. I did it as a T1 who was putting on weight and reducing to 600 calories for two days was initially hard even though I didn’t reduce for two consecutive days. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel hungry the day after.
 
Thanks very much - i may try the reduction method first im 50 so broadly 2200 kcal per day
 
Fairygodmother thanks that's my main concern 24 hours with no food seemed challenging but 6-800 calories is probably manageable
 
Craig2106 said:
main concern 24 hours with no food seemed challenging but 6-800 calories is probably manageable
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I think I've probably only been successful because I have cut calories over a long period of time. 24 hrs fasting doesn't seem so bad so long as you keep busy, mentally. I think busy physically will be problematic, with hunger ensuing pretty quickly.
 

Personally I found that skipping breakfast and eating very low carb the rest of the time had noticeable effects on both my weight and blood sugar levels without bothering with counting calories. I was 145kg 1.83m and not very active. I'm now 96 kg still 1.83 and still not very active.
 
I actually found it pretty easy to go 24 hours without food, only black coffee & water, although I was certain I couldn’t do it at first.

When I get up in the morning I’ve already fasted for at least 10 hours most days, so it’s only 14 or 15 left.

For me it’s a mind game, as once I manage to convince myself I’m not hungry, it’s plain sailing.

I did Tuesday and Thursday as no food days for over a year and it certainly helped.
 
Thanks I plan to fast tomorrow and then I will add another day in next week - have to try and fuel my gym sessions but its interesting to note your timings from last meal rather than midnight to midnight which I was planning on doing which in effect would give me 8pm to 12am to 12am to 7am or 35 hours fasting !
 
DavidGrahamJones said:
You're lucky, when weight loss stops I can't see much else to look at apart from calorie intake.
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That's when I started to look at fasting in more depth.
Extending my intermittent fasts to more extended periods. That is what I will have to do in future as I seem to have found a weight (currently) at which my body is happy but I'm not quite sure I am. If I want to loose more I will either do some more extended fasting or try a more strict OMAD protocol only eating in the evening (not the best time to eat maybe but suits me).
I hope (and have seen via some recent experiments) that I can still lose following that sort of regime. I might even revert to my Bacon and Eggs Newcastle style meal pattern. This will lead to a reduction in caloric intake indeed but by extending the fasting period I hope to not slow down my BMR unlike eating small meals often.
That's the theory anyway. As always I'll report back here on how it goes when I decide to start it.
 


Thanks all for your feedback and comments
I fasted for two 24 hour periods and actually wasn't as bad as I thought it may be - drank lots of green tea - lost 4lbs - same again this week
 
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