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?
The Fasting Doctor 