Fasting

[PK99]

I was under the impression that men were allowed 600 calories and women were allowed 500 on the diet (2 out of 7 days). In order to follow the diet correctly, calories in need to be counted. Not being difficult, but the diet is based on restricting calorie intake to 500/600 so counting is required. It's still a counting based diet...

I have not counted calories other than identifying what a 200 calorie meal looks like and have lost nearly 10kg.
I'm out riding to day an will have big breakfast, tea and cake for 11's, pub lunch, tea and cake for 3's, banana and milk when I get home and substantial evening meal. Tomorrow will be 3 * approx 200 calorie meals.

The 5/600 rule is itself an approximation. The real "rule" is 25% of normal daily intake. Thus, if the 5/600 rule is an approximation, sticking too it rigidly is pretty pointless. Awareness of calorie load of foods and designing approximate meals are more important than strict counting. I cite my 10kg loss as evidence - lost over a period including 2 fully catered skiing holidays, Xmas/New Year, a month of a chest infection with normal appetite but no exercise, multiple dinner parties, both kids home at Easter so big family meals and a family wedding weekend. I have no idea whether on a particular diet day i am 200 calories up or down on my nominal 600.

 

[Herzog]

I have not counted calories other than identifying what a 200 calorie meal looks like and have lost nearly 10kg.
I'm out riding to day an will have big breakfast, tea and cake for 11's, pub lunch, tea and cake for 3's, banana and mile when I get home and substantial evening meal. Tomorrow will be 3 * approx 200 calorie meals.

The 5/600 rule is itself an approximation. The real "rule" is 25% of normal daily intake. Thus, if the 5/600 rule is an approximation, sticking too it rigidly is pretty pointless. Awareness of calorie load of foods and designing approximate meals are more important than strict counting. I cite my 10kg loss as evidence - lost over a period including 2 fully catered skiing holidays, Xmas/New Year, a month of a chest infection with normal appetite but no exercise, multiple dinner parties, both kids home at Easter so big family meals and a family wedding weekend. I have no idea whether on a particular diet day i am 200 calories up or down on my nominal 600.

We'll have to agree to disagree. Well done on your weight loss!

 

[Yellow Fang]

It was a fast day for me yesterday. On Monday night I weight 11st 10lbs
This morning I weighed 11st 6lbs
Still, I thought I'd be about 11 stone by now. It's been nearly six months since I started this.

 

[goo_mason]

It was a fast day for me yesterday. On Monday night I weight 11st 10lbs
This morning I weighed 11st 6lbs
Still, I thought I'd be about 11 stone by now. It's been nearly six months since I started this.

I seem to go through periods of losing weight, then for a week or so it goes up again and stays level before falling again until I get back to where I should have been.

Lack of loss seems to tie in with the fasting days when I haven't almost peed myself empty....!!

 

[The Jogger]

I'm fasting today, every other day for me at the moment, last night went out and had a three course meal and ended up only putting on a pound. It will be about 22 hours between meals for me today. I want to go below 14 st by Sunday when I head to Spain. ..

 

[Garz]

I did my longest post-illness ride today - 25 miles of cycleway and towpaths. (I have already done 19 mile loops taking in the Cragg Vale climb which were harder, but still - it's another target crossed off the list!)

 

[The Jogger]

Just went sub 14st for the first time in years happy days. So I started this about two weeks ago and lost 10 lbs.

 

[goo_mason]

Just went sub 14st for the first time in years happy days. So I started this about two weeks ago and lost 10 lbs.

10lbs in two weeks?! That's hugely impressive - 2.5lb loss on each of the 4 fast days. Were you really only fasting for two days on each of those weeks or have you fasted for 14 days?

 

[ColinJ]

10lbs in two weeks?! That's hugely impressive - 2.5lb loss on each of the 4 fast days. Were you really only fasting for two days on each of those weeks or have you fasted for 14 days?

You can't lose 2.5 lbs of fat in a day without doing silly amounts of exercise, even if you totally starved yourself. You'd be talking about 400 km of cycling with the bare minimum of food and drink.

Some of that 10 lbs would be down to fluid losses. When the weight readings are taken makes a big difference. My scales show variations of up to 5 lbs in a day, but that is easily accounted for by a litre of drink and a big meal or two. The important thing is that over a period of time, the weight steadily trickles off.

I don't really think of the fasting days as fasts because to me a 'fast' is a period of not eating, rather than a period of reduced eating. I had my low cal 'fasting' day yesterday and never felt particularly hungry. I had a banana and natural yoghurt at lunchtime and didn't feel the need for anything else until 8 pm when I steamed some carrots, broccoli, cabbage and a courgette and had that with 150g of cottage cheese.

I didn't feel the need to overcompensate when I woke up this morning so I just had my 500 cal porridge and banana rather than 200 cal of yoghurt and a banana.

The thing about this approach is that you don't cut down for long enough to actually get that hungry, so it isn't hard to stick to. Indeed, the fact that you can totally relax about food the other 5 days a week makes it very easy to stick to!

 

[PK99]

Some of that 10 lbs would be down to fluid losses. When the weight readings are taken makes a big difference. My scales show variations of up to 5 lbs in a day, but that is easily accounted for by a litre of drink and a big meal or two.

I've standardised my weight chack to first thing AM after my morning SS&S. As you say, variation during the day, and even overnight before SS&S is significant.

10lbs fat/weight loss corresponds to a calorie deficit of approx 35,000 Calories - as you say, water loss not fat!

 

[The Jogger]

I

10lbs in two weeks?! That's hugely impressive - 2.5lb loss on each of the 4 fast days. Were you really only fasting for two days on each of those weeks or have you fasted for 14 days?

I did alternate fasting day on day off and it has been easy, off on hols Sunday but will try control. ..

 

[Garz]

Some of that 10 lbs would be down to fluid losses. When the weight readings are taken makes a big difference. My scales show variations of up to 5 lbs in a day, but that is easily accounted for by a litre of drink and a big meal or two. The important thing is that over a period of time, the weight steadily trickles off.

This. I fluctuate this amount dependant on time of day and other nuances, the real indicator will be over a long period of time and the added health benefits rather than crash weight/fluid loss.

 

[PK99]

This. I fluctuate this amount dependant on time of day and other nuances, the real indicator will be over a long period of time and the added health benefits rather than crash weight/fluid loss.

While on the diet, i've had plateaus several times, but at the same time have been cutting extra belt holes, as hill training for a big ride i was doing added leg muscle. But over the period weight has trickled off

 

[The Jogger]

I am looking at this long term and especially for the health benefits though I will happily take the initial loss and look forward to a steady decrease. I just like the fact it is so doable, even doing every other day, as you are always only one day away from a good feed.

 

[Paul99]

Long term is definitely the way to look at any good, sustainable weight loss however you do it.

I've now been doing this for 5 months and have lost 31lbs, 3 inches from my waist and 6 inches from my stomach.

I have had a couple of plateau's where I didn't lose any weight - one lasted 6 weeks - but in that time I still lost inches. Measuring your self is a good motivational tool if the weight loss stalls.