{Reflections} 1 month on the 5:2 ‘diet’

Hello everyone!

Apologies for my absence during the past week, I was caught up in various work & life endeavours that blogging unfortunately fell by the wayside. The good news? Well today marks day 35 of me being on the 5:2 diet (or as I like to think of it – following the 5:2 lifestyle) which means I’ve made it past the month! Whilst I’ve seen some definite results (more below), there are definitely some pros & cons to this ‘way of eating’ & I hope to highlight what I’ve found difficult/easy over the past few weeks, plus what I’m aiming for in the future.

Anyway! Some stats to start:

I have:

• Lost 10 lbs
• Lost 5+ inches from my measurements (need to take some new ones soon!)

 

^^^ 2 weeks progress pics (left) vs. 4 weeks progress pics (right) ^^^

Learning Points So Far

• Fast days are easier than expected – a coffee in the morning followed by a substantial dinner seems to be the right fit for me.
• The hardest things on fast days (for me) are the cold & lethargy – I definitely feel the chill on fast days. I suspect as the weather continues to change I will be switching more to heart warming soups for dinner (like today’s fast day dinner – bone broth!). Hot tea is a godsend. As for lethargy, this is a harder one to be objective as life is generally a bit more busy at the moment so it’ll be interesting to see what happens to my energy levels when things start to calm down:
  

  To make bone broth, I boiled a packet of pork ribs for a few hours, adding veg for the last half hour of so.

   

• In a way, the feed days are harder than the fast days for those seeking weight loss. I type this sentence with care as I realise that this is a very individual thing & whilst I had a good few lbs ‘to lose’ at the start of this regime, I was still within the normal BMI category (though felt ‘heavy’ compared to my usual previous weight). For this reason, I tend to watch what I eat on feed days. Which was initially hard as when I started my urge was to occasionally over eat on feed days. Even to the point past feeling comfortable! Luckily, some discipline & some self-restraint & I’m getting there.
• Following that, I believe nutrition to be more-than-ever important. When I eat, I want to eat well to ensure my body is getting enough nutrients, protein, balanced carbs, good fats & vitamins. I didn’t want to have to suffer ill effects that others sometimes report e.g. hair loss so tried to ensure I was cooking some nutrient rich meals both on fast & non-fast days.

^^^ Cajun chicken cooked with turkey bacon with a side of mashed plantain & guacamole. Berry smoothie made with fresh & frozen berries, greek yoghurt, milk, chia seeds & topped with gluten-free granola. ^^^

• That said, treats are on the menu. & what’s better is that they are guilt-free! I have loved this aspect of the 5:2 lifestyle – that there is room for it to have treats, and to have them more than once a week!
  

  I may have tried BOTH the chocolate fudge & lemon drizzle tiers to this wedding cake the other day 😉

   

• I have avoided the neuroses of ‘being on a diet’ – I don’t find myself thinking about food all the time, thinking about what I can & can’t eat & beating myself up for any ‘slip ups’. Instead, I am loving getting creative in the kitchen, trying out new foods, & enjoying my time eating out with friends & family!
• Not only that, but I feel comfortable in my own skin & body – whilst I don’t like the idea of finding self-love through our exteriors, I can’t help deny that feeling at my best physically, helps me feels at my best emotionally too.

 

Thoughts for the future?

• Continue to be active – I would say I’m doing some sort of activity at least twice a week at the moment which is great. Whether it is HIIT or just having an active day, I’m not being too discerning.
• Eat whole foods. This is going to be one of my main focuses for the next month. Ideally I would like to cook unprocessed (paleoesque) wholesome meals whenever I cook for myself & relax my eating style when I’m eating out/being cooked for etc. My own cooking is the prime time to pack my meals with as much tasty goodness as possible

^^^ Roasted chicken breast with roasted veggies, & baked plantain with herbs & spices! ^^^

• Eat until I am full (a work in progress)
• Continue engaging with the fast diet/fast day forums as much as possible – the amount of support on these forums is immense!
• Read more about the evidence behind intermittent fasting.

I think that’s about it!

Have you have any lessons you have learnt through intermittent fasting that you would like to share with me? How long have you been 5:2ing for?

{Feed Day} Day 20: My Favourite Healthy Treat

 

I think it is safe to say that most people love ice cream. I am one of those people. I could easily eat a pint of good ice cream in one sitting if I put my mind to it – actually, I lie, I wouldn’t need to put my mind to it, sometimes I literally blink & it’s all gone and I’m thinking “what on earth just happened?!”

However, neither my wallet nor my waist line can afford to indulge in such an addiction. If you’re based anywhere ‘in the know’ which follows trends, you would have seen the sudden saturation of the streets with froyo shops (frozen yoghurt for those who are not iced goods fans like myself), they have been literally sprouting up wherever my hungry feet take me. They boast a ‘low fat’ alternative to ice cream. We all know what that means now that we are trained in the paleo & 5:2 ways… ‘Low fat’ means packed with sugar to make it taste scrummy (& by george, do they taste good)! Plus, like anything ‘in vogue’, they are pretty pricey too.

My solution? DIY froyo. My version is full fat (good fats all the way!), has no added sugar (unless you opt for a few dark chocolate chips in your toppings) and is just divine. The banana has to be ripe (the spottier the better!) as it has a natural sweetness which will be carried through the dish.

 

It is super quick & easy to make (all your need is a blender/food processor) & I’ll leave the toppings up to your imagination. Tonight I topped mine with fresh strawberries (good choice!) & some dark choc chips. I’d actually skip these next time – they look pretty but does anyone else agree that cold (especially ice cold) chocolate is just wasted on the taste buds? I’ve also had a drizzle of peanut butter on top previously & that gets a thumbs up.

Oh, if you’re on your fasting day (Monday is a common day to start… I normally do too ‘cept I fasted yesterday ) I apologise for taunting you with these pics – you know the drill, “there’s always tomorrow”. And this bowl of dreaminess will be waiting for you (I lie again, I’ll have eaten it by then, sorry).

Without further ado.

Healthy Homemade Froyo

Serves 2 people or 1 hungry ice cream monster (I fall into the latter category)

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen berries
• 1/2 – 1 cup greek yoghurt (I use full fat as I like to include fats in my diet but free feel to use your normal % !)
• 1/2 frozen banana (note to self: always peel a banana before putting it in the freezer – otherwise it is a nightmare trying to peel it when frozen!)
• Desired toppings – peanut butter, strawberries, choc chips, a drizzle of maple syrup/honey… the world is your oyster!

Blend the berries, greek yoghurt & banana. Go crazy with the toppings. It really is that simple.

{Feed Day} Day 9: A Word on Flexibility

Day 9.

Weight loss: 8 lbs

Start weight: 140 lbs

Current weight: 132 lbs

Height 5ft 5

 

Thoughts

 

First lesson learnt regarding fasting days – do not drink too much coffee as tempting as it is. Was wired all night which left me feeling exhausted all day (which literally feeds into a more vivacious appetite). On the positive, it should hopefully mean I sleep like a baby tonight. Interestingly enough, since starting the 5:2 approach (pre-excessive coffee consumption), I have slept really well. As an occasional insomniac, this has been somewhat of a welcomed rest.

 

Food

Breakfast

Full fat (5%) greek yoghurt, frozen berries & lizi’s granola. My current standard brekkie.

 

Lunch

Salmon quinoa:

Bake a salmon fillet in the oven (I marinaded mine in a sweet chilli sauce).

I like to pre-soak my 1/2 cup of quinoa – apparently it breaks down its ‘soapy’ outer shell & helps digestion. Chop up 1/2 onion, 2 celery sticks, 2 carrots, a few broccoli florets & gently fry in a tablespoon of oil (I used coconut oil). Add in the quinoa & 1 cup of water, simmer until the quinoa absorbs the water (about 10 mins). At this point I added a handful of coriander leaves.

Mix with the salmon & serve.

Dinner

Leftovers from my last feed day – baked sausages & cauliflower mash

 

Aaaand a donut. Specifically, the krispy kreme donut I had saved myself from yesterday (as it was my fast day):

A Word on Flexibility

One of the things that attracts me to the 5:2 way of eating is the lack of food guilt. A donut today in all of its glazed sugary dreaminess? Worry not, a fast day will eventually come around as  a reset. Whilst the numbers 5 & 2 can hold some magical wonders, I also feel that 80 & 20 can have important roles to play too. Namely to eat healthily 80% of the time, yet to allow a bit of naughtiness 20% of the time. It’s a vague guideline & open to tampering depending on the circumstance.

I have spent too many minutes previously umming & erring as to really whether I could ‘afford’ (calorie-wise, not money-wise) to have a treat. Interestingly enough, the 5:2 approach means that nowadays I still consider whether I should indulge but my mindset has switched from a ‘am I allowed to eat this?’ to a ‘do I really want to eat this?’ attitude. I suspect it is because my fasting days have taught me the value of foods to me personally – which foods make me feed good so that I will try & fit them into my day?

Some people follow a more rigid approach, especially with regards to their allowed calorie intake on their feed days. Personally, I do not count calories on my feed days & I don’t want to go lower than my recommended daily expenditure. If I can still lose weight with 2 fasts days a week then why would I want to deprive myself further on feed days? I understand that lots of people want results and want them now but I like to see this as a ‘slow & steady’ approach.

On a side note, the idea of the donut was actually tastier than the donut itself. A lesson for further cravings perhaps.

Are you flexible with your approach to eating on the 5:2 plan or do you like to calorie count/restrict on your feed days as well?

 

{Feed Day} Day 7: A Word on Fat

Day 7.

Weight loss: 7.5lbs

Start weight: 140lbs

Current weight: 132.5lbs

Height: 5ft 5

 

Thoughts

I have now completed 3 successful ‘fast days’ during my 7 day stint consisting of 500 calories a day – they have been a mixture of challenges & ‘oh well this is just a breeze!’ type thoughts but nothing a bit of self-discipline/a warm cuppa herbal tea couldn’t solve. I have most definitely lost a lot of water weight too having started during my womanly TOTM, & post-night-out-on-the-town-which-involved-multiple-cocktails. I have included one HIIT session consisting of sprints dispersed amongst a gentle jog but unfortunately this has angered an old knee injury so it’s back to the poolside. Le sigh. I feel svelter & I am looking forward to taking some ‘progress pics’ later this week.

Food

Breakfast

This is my new favourite ‘feed day’ breakfast – packed with nutrients, a few beloved carbs (as I miss them on fast days!), and a treat to scoff down. It’s my breakfast froyo topped with chocolate ‘icing’ (optional):

• 2 cups frozen berries
• Greek yoghurt/alternative (a small pot will suffice)
• Cocoa powder (optional)
• Granola – I like Lizi’s

Blend a cup or two of frozen berries with two heaped spoonfuls of greek yoghurt. Place in your serving bowl. In another bowl, mix a teaspoon of greek yoghurt with some cocoa powder & water until fluid enough to drizzle over the ‘froyo’. Top with granola.

Yum

Lunch

Cod fillet with tenderstem broccoli. And half a box (yes. I know.) of quality street. Something really dreadful happened at work today (I work in rather high stress situations) & it was heart breaking & shocking all at once. I guess I epitomise emotional eating. I’m not beating myself up about it as all my colleagues were doing the same for comfort too.

Dinner

Pork sausages, salad, cauliflower mash & onion gravy (simply sliced onions simmered with water & a little veg stock until gravy-like). I am an utter cauliflower mash convert. White potatoes are yummy, but are essentially a rock full of fast releasing sugar. For my cauliflower mash (provides 2 portions):

• One head of cauliflower
• One finely chopped garlic clove
• A heaped tablespoon of greek yoghurt (optional)
• A knob of butter (optional)

Cut a head of cauliflower into florets & boil in water for about 5 minutes/until tender. Blend with the garlic clove, yoghurt & butter.

Dessert consisted of nature’s ice lollies i.e. slightly frozen watermelon slices (I left them in the freezer for about half an hour). So refreshing!

A Word on Fat

I used to avoid fat like the plague (I guess you could call it my ‘low fat’ faddy diet phase), instead I would LOVE buying the ‘low fat’ products in the shopping aisle & would feel oh-so-saintly in doing so – low fat desserts, yoghurts, cheeses… You name it, it landed in my shopping trolley all in the name of good faith & keeping trim. There’s been great evidence recently that fat is no longer evil… Sugar is the new devil & I’m inclined to agree. We need fat. It keeps our brain healthy as it lines our nerve cells which are our protective connections. It allows us to absorb vitamins which are solely fat-soluble. It keeps our skin & hair healthy.

Eaten appropriately, it also gives us satisfaction when eating whereas a high sugar meal gives us a quick burst but then we have to deal with the ‘sugar hangover’ afterwards which just stimulates more eating. So now, I no longer shy away from fats. A bit of greek yoghurt here (5% if you’re wondering), a knob of butter there. I’m not a massive fryer but if I do then coconut oil is the one.

So yes, eat your fats people! Unless it is of course from crisps. Put the crisps down.