5:2 Diet - fast day 2

I'm giving the 5:2 diet a go and it was time for fast day 2. 

Fast day 1 went well but I was glad of the break on Tuesday. I decided to keep tracking my calories to see how many I'd consume on a normal or what they call on the diet "feast day". Tuesday clocked in at 1334 calories, not bad. Also not the 1200 calories the app I'm using recommends I have a day to lose 1lb a week. 

Wednesday arrived and I wasn't as motivated to fast as I was on Monday.

     (Breakfast: approx 2 pro points)

     (Lunch: approx 3 pro points)

All looking good so far. I felt really hungry this day. I think mainly because I didn't enjoy my lunch, I thought egg salad made with only egg whites would be nice, it works for omelettes. It does not work for egg salad. Yuck. I ate it anyway but that's where my motivation waned.

By late afternoon I was feeling hungry and grumpy when my husband called and suggested a BBQ and a few drinks. It didn't take much to cave! 

So I abandoned fast day and ate 2 cheeseburgers, 1 turkey kebab and sipped on a few ciders. Mmm I have to say it was worth it! Although the alcohol may have made me extra bold and I ate a lot of chocolate before bed too. 

Terrible calorie day - 1824 calories, way over what I should have normally never mind to lose weight! 

The next morning I decided not to abandon the diet and try fast day 2.

So here's fast day 2, take 2!

Thursday - Day 2 fasting 

    (Breakfast: 0 pro points)

      (Lunch: approx 3/4 pro points)

So far, so good. I felt I needed something filling for dinner so I decided to make my own soup. Recipe to follow.

Research shows that soups can help you lose weight: in one study, published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, people consumed the fewest calories on days when they ate soup rather than the same ingredients in solid form.

This information and some good soup recipes can be found on the eating well site:

http://www.eatingwell.com/blogs/food_blog

/the_ultimate_satisfying_weight_loss_soup

The rest of the day went well and looked like this: 

      (Dinner: approx 2 pro points)

With my tomato soup I had mushrooms stir fried. When cooked I stirred in 1/2 tbs of light cream cheese and piled this on a Ryvita Crackerbread. I had another 2 buttered to dunk in the soup.

     (approx 4 pro points)

Total daily calories = 508

I went over by 8 calories.

You'll see I use a fair portion of my daily calories for snacking. I feel like I really need these to get me through the day. Some 5:2 dieters would disagree with this, think that it's cheating to snack at all and feel weight loss will only occur when 2 meals only are consumed on fasting days. I'll have to wait and see if I lose weight this week. Although with a lot of eating and drinking in my weekend I'm not confident! 

One of the more well known fasters that feels that snacking is cheating is English chef and Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall. (If you don't know him read this article with a ridiculously posh, accent in your head.)

http://m.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/jan

/18/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall-fast-diet

Right I'm heading out now to feast!

5:2 Diet - fast day 1

I haven't posted for so long, but I haven't been eating in a very skinny style.

I'm hoping to be back to being good, healthy and motivated! 

I've been reading up on the 5:2 Diet (intermittent fasting). 

Have any of you tried it? 

It sounds very interesting. You fast 2 days a week, surviving on only 500 calories a day for women, 600 for men. Not a lot of calories but the idea is for the rest of the week you don't have to monitor what you eat.

I've never tried a "fad diet" before, I've only ever tried weight watchers really.

However this diet appeals to me as I tend to do very well at eating healthy Monday to Thursday then go a bit crazy at the weekend! 

It's also a bit like the old weight watchers plan where you could save points so I would often have very low point days to save to party at the weekend.

Plus it would be nice to have a break from points and calorie tracking for 5 days a week! 

It boasts other health benefits such as lower cholesterol and even helps fight ageing. Sounds great. 

Here's the official website to read more:

http://thefastdiet.co.uk

I didn't buy the book, I just decided to go ahead and give it a go.

So I've fasted 2 days so far and day 1 I found quite easy. Below is what I ate.

Note: I've added pro points where I can for anyone on weight watchers. Some food amounts are too low to point but I need to include every calorie to have an accurate fasting amount. 

Monday - Day 1 fasting 

Breakfast:

1 Ryvita light Crackerbread  =

19 calories (2 for 1 pro point)

I spread with a tiny bit of my favourite 

Jam from Ikea  = 6 calories & had a

Coffee with almond milk (Alpro unsweetened) = approx 4 calories.

Total breakfast = 29 calories 

(2 pro points)

These crackers do the trick for a low cal low point carb fix.

Lunch:

Egg white frittata

3 egg whites = 48 calories

2 cherry tomatoes = 6 calories 

20g Weight watchers reduced fat grated cheese = 43 calories or 1 pro point

1 tbsp of skimmed milk = 11 calories

Lunch time snack:

Tea &

2 mini weight watchers orange cookies from a pack of 8. (8 = 2 pro points)

= 11 calories each

Total lunch = 130 calories (approx 3 pro points)

Dinner: (recipe to follow)

50g King prawns = 35 calories (1 pro point)

1 pack of oodles of noodles = 89 calories (2 pro points)

2 tbs soy sauce = 20 calories

1 tbs rice wine vinegar = 5 calories

1/2 tbs shiracha sauce = 5 calories

50g Little gems lettuce = 8 calories

15 ml kraft fat free French dressing = 6 calories 

Total dinner = 167 calories ( approx 4 points)

Snacks:

1 Cadbury snack bar (purple wrapper) = 120 calories (3 pro points)

1 mini meringue shell = 19 calories

1 coolpop = 20 calories

Frozen grapes = 15 calories 

Total daily calories = 500

I didn't find day 1 difficult, I think mainly because I'd prepared so much over the weekend and was actually looking forward to it. Day 2 didn't go as well, i'll add this to my blog soon! 

In the meantime here are some articles to read more about the 5:2 diet or intermittent fasting:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken

/2013/05/17/hot-new-fasting-diet-from-

europe-hits-the-u-s/

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.

cfm?id=how-intermittent-fasting-might-help

-you-live-longer-healthier-life

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/13/

new-diet-craze-offers-five-days-feasting-for-

two-days-famine/