Your Background
I have always struggled with my weight, it has gone up and down most of my life usually being kept in check with sport, so when my sporting life has slowed down my weight creeps up.
This all came to a head around four years ago when I could no longer run or play football though a mixture a age and bad knees, I went to my doctor who told me after a six week wait to see her about my bad knees and my weight gain “what do you expect your a 1962 baby” so after tipping the scales at 15st 5 lbs I felt I had to do something about it.
Discovering Fasting
I heard about the 5-2 diet on the Talk Sport Hawksbee and Jacbobs show who were interviewing a sports dietician, she was waxing lyrical about this way of eating and how she encourages a lot of her sports people to use it to lose weight. I liked the idea of not having to count calories on a daily basis just worry about it for two days a week. So I did some more research about it on the internet and I found a video called the “5-2 diet can’t be bothered to read the book video” catchy title I know that what drew me to it. It was fabulous, it talked you thought the science of the plan and all it benefits as well as weight loss. It talked me through the typical fasting day, how to plan them how not to be too rigid or to beat your self up if your didn’t keep rigidly to 500 cal on the day, and not to expect to lose any more than a 1lb a week
Your Goals
I started on 4th August 2013 weighing in at 15st 5 lbs 17.1/2in neck and a 38in waist. always been my troublesome areas my face, neck and waist, arms and legs are like pins making me look like Mr potato head .
The first goal I set myself was to loose a stone, no real time scale, just thought I would see how I would get on with the fasting really
Starting Out
I started out fasting on a Monday and a Thursday, although I lost around 4lb in the first two weeks I found fasting on a Monday really hard so I switched to a Tuesday and a Thursday. I found that this combination suited me best, losing an average of a 1lb a week, which was what I was hoping for.
Your Fasting Journey
I’m a creature of habit, so if I find something that I enjoy and works I stick to it. I am a breakfast man, can’t leave the house without something, so I decided to split my 600cals so breakfast would consist of 2 Weetabix and a drizzle of semi skimmed milk about 180 cals I switched to shredded wheat after a bit as this felt like I was eating more for my cals. I then fast for 12 hours with nothing but water and the odd cup of tea. My evening meal for many months was a stir-fry pack of veg a poached chicken breast with a drizzle of a ginger sauce around 400cals (I told you I was a creature of habit) I have now advanced on to fish with my veg every now and again.
After I lost around 10lb people started to notice, which really does spur you on I lost the stone in 16 weeks and felt great so I just kept going, I found my two fasting days really cathartic and started looking forward to them especially the Thursday one as I would weigh myself on the Friday morning that feeling when your another pound lighter.
When I fist started this plan it was interesting to see all of the health benefits that come along with it but is this just the weight loss or the whole package I’m not sure but after a fasting day I do feel great with loads of energy.
Your Success
Goals came and went but at the back of my mind I wanted to be under 13st. Booked a holiday to Egypt in the January for July so I that then became my target. I got to 12st 12lb, in June but as the holiday was all inclusive I thought I would give myself a bit of leeway. By the time of my hols I was 12st 7lb. First time for many a year I taken my shirt of on holiday. It felt great.
After my holiday where I did not fast, I came back to a 6lb increase in weight, but the upside I could not wait to fast to feel normal again, this 6lb came off in two weeks, plus another couple of pound so exactly a year to the day when I started, I had lost 3st
It does feel great, I got all my old suits out and even bought some new ones. 32In waist trousers there is no better feeling.
Your Fasting Future
This is now the hard part, since August I have only been fasting for one day a week. But the weight is still coming off, which is now annoying my other half, who is complaining i’m looking too thin. As I feel so good after a fasting day I really do not want to stop, so I’m upping my cals on my normal days to try to stabilize my weight.
Your Top Tip!
My top tips are do not be afraid to be flexible until you find what suits you best. And my Fasting day friend is a bottle of Sparkling water, I drink that at lunch time keeps you going
Fasting in a Nutshell
Our bodies are built to fast and feast. 5-2 is not a diet or a fad, it is a way of life!