Weight Loss - The Fast Diet

[Andy S]

Ok so this as the title shows is about me now following the Fast diet or the 5/2 diet,

A bit of background first,

I am at the moment 46 years old and up until around 6.5 years ago had a active job as a mobile engineer, enjoyed going to the gym and keeping reasonably fit and active. This all changed when I took a role as a Consultant Engineer and became more desk bound. I was in this job for around 3 years and my weight crept up from 16 stone to over 19 stone, with a waist increase from 38 inches to 42 inches.

Prior to being made redundant, 2009, my work load decreased and to pass the time and bordom I was eating. After being made redundant, me and Hazel, my wife, were out visiting an aircraft muesum where she took apicture of me standing near an engine, I didn't like what I saw in that picture and decided to try to do something about my size.

Dug the old bike out from the shed and started cycling. Nearly keeled over going up this hill.

Brought a new bike and even went and the weight slowly started to drop off and also brought some new scales and started recording the weight. the first entry on 20/3 2010 showed the weight as 18.44 stone. In a year this had slowly came down to 17.3. and I have stayed around this weight for the last 2 years, although my fitness has increased and I can ride an easy 30 miles on the road now. I think one of the reasons I have stayed around this weight has been the availability of biscuits at work, which have been easy to eat, a lack of willpoer on my part.

Anyway upto date  a week ago last Saturday, in Sainsbury's I picked up a book called "The Fast Diet" by Dr Michael Mosley & Mimi Spencer which pricked my interest as a means of losing the excess weight. Basically what you do is Fast your body on 2 non consectiutive days, in reality what they are saying is that you reduce your calories to 500 for women and 600 for men on these 2 days.

So at the usual Sunday morning weigh in I was 110.7kG with a BMI of 34.9, i'm 178cm tall and a measurement around the belly button of 45 inches, this is the better reading a trouser measurements are not a good indicator.

 

[Andy S]

Update for this week

After 2 days of a restricted intake on Tuesday and Thursday, I have breakfast of porridge with blue berries which is around 200 calories and now drink black tea during the day, as milk contains calories which eat into the 600 limit. It's abit hard at work when colleagues are eating lunch, however it is only for a few hours and it makes you look forward the evening meal even if it is only around 300 calories we have taken a good look at what we eat and have cut back on most portion sizes,

With this diet you can eat normally on the remaining 5 days. The 2 days of fasting apparently help to set off all manner of internal health benefits, as this replicates our origins where we would not always eat every day and so to obtain food we need to be healthy and have good brain activity.

so the readings for this week are:

Weight 107.9kG

BMI 34.1

around the belly 44 1/4 inches.

so a loss of nearly 3kg in one week and I feel much better for it.

 

[** Pending Removal **]

Good for you Andy.

I started trying it after seeing a write up in the newspaper. My will power is terrible though. At the beginning I lost about 8lbs....then I lapsed again..... !!

So now you have spurred me on to have a go again....I will join you.....but please do not ask me to put measurements on here :laugh:

Best of luck. How much do you aim to lose??

 

[Maxum]

Well done Andy keep it going.

 

[Andy S]

Nic,

My short term aim is to get below 100kG which is 15.7 stone. the long term is to get to 90kg which is around 14.2 stone.

 

[** Pending Removal **]

I would like to drop 2st and find my waist again...... :laugh:

 

[Andy S]

Breif update I have now lost a stone (6.4kG) in weight on this diet :hi: We find it really easy to be able to follow. Less than 4 kG to go to hit the first target, Went out on the road bike on Friday, 1st time for a couple of weeks due to the spring weather that we have been having and it was so much easier going up the hills.

Need to start buying new smaller clothes soon reved:

 

[RobertBeard]

Well done on your progress so far and keep it up!

 

[** Pending Removal **]

Oh DUCK.......I forgot about this.......!!

 

[Andy S]

Thanks Robert, I intend to.

Nic, so it not going to well then :girlumbrage: or not at all as the case seems to be......... Hazel's left 1/2 a stone as well.

 

[Will Hewland]

I'm determined to shift some. A birthday in the house today, so more cakes than Greggs around. Out for dinner tonight too. I figure if I can get through today at a sensible calorie total I can do it anytime. Putting it off is the worst problem as there is always a reason to each too much!

 

[sibaldib]

Good luck.

I decided to lose some weight this year. Found the Harcombe Diet, basically no processed food whatsoever and no carbs and protein mixed in one meal. Other than that you can eat what you want.

It's difficult at first to adapt but to be able to eat bacon,eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms is great and you soon get used to not having the carbs of toast and beans. Eating cheese without bread or biscuits was also a bit weird initially, but now it's not a problem. I still eat loads of pasta but only with tomato or vegetable sauces - no meat.

I started on 7th January at 15st 11lb and as at today weigh in at 13st 9lb. I have gone down 3 inches in waist size and 2 inches in chest size.

Diets are all very well if you can keep to them but not many do. It is more about changing the way you eat and maintaining that approach.

Hope you get to your target weight Andy.

 

[classiusclay]

sorry to wind you up Andy, but I am the same age as you.....

weight at 18yrs - 12stone - 32 inch waist

weight at 46 yrs - 12 stone - 32 inch waist

The secret .....keep active and the main one......eat half of what people say you should eat. ( people being tesco's sainsburys , macdonalds etc....)

 

[Will Hewland]

sorry to wind you up Andy, but I am the same age as you.....

weight at 18yrs - 12stone - 32 inch waist

weight at 46 yrs - 12 stone - 32 inch waist

The secret .....keep active and the main one......eat half of what people say you should eat. ( people being tesco's sainsburys , macdonalds etc....)

Yes.. The science of it is not complex. Energy in versus energy consumed. The hard part - for some of us - is trying to stop wanting to eat as we enjoy it so much. Some people are lucky and just see food as fuel, with little interest in its social or enjoyment value. How I wish I could take a pill to find that mind-set..

 

[Andy S]

sorry to wind you up Andy, but I am the same age as you.....

weight at 18yrs - 12stone - 32 inch waist

weight at 46 yrs - 12 stone - 32 inch waist

The secret .....keep active and the main one......eat half of what people say you should eat. ( people being tesco's sainsburys , macdonalds etc....)

Lucky you,  however you haven't told us about the years from 19 to 45!! :hunter:

 

[Andy S]

Good luck.

I decided to lose some weight this year. Found the Harcombe Diet, basically no processed food whatsoever and no carbs and protein mixed in one meal. Other than that you can eat what you want.

It's difficult at first to adapt but to be able to eat bacon,eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms is great and you soon get used to not having the carbs of toast and beans. Eating cheese without braed or biscuits was also a bit weird initially, but now it's not a problem. I still eat loads of pasta but only with tomato or vegetable sauces - no meat.

I started on 7th January at 15st 11lb and as at today weigh in at 13st 9lb. I have gone down 3 inches in waist size and 2 inches in chest size.

Diets are all very well if you can keep to them but not many do. It is more about changing the way you eat and maintaining that approach.

Hope you get to your target weight Andy.

 Well done,

What I like about the fast diet is that it is only for 2 days a week there is no need to worry about being calorie restrictive all the time, although ssaying that we have reduced the size of our portions as you realise that you can live on less.

 

[maddmatt]

Keep going Andy, I under took a similar journey, started on the 1st July 2012, weighed 18 1/2 stone and 40 inch waist, pretty much due to a spell working in Austria and drinking loads of beer!

1st March I weighed 13 1/2 stone and 33 inch waist, the difference for me was not drinking alcohol for 80 days straight, no bread, rice or potato's and no pasta an, loads of sea food, chicken, turkey and very lean beef. At least 2 litres of water a day and at least 30 minutes fast walking. I'd like to lose about 10 more lb and then I will be comfortable.

 

[Andy S]

Keep going Andy, I under took a similar journey, started on the 1st July 2012, weighed 18 1/2 stone and 40 inch waist, pretty much due to a spell working in Austria and drinking loads of beer!

1st March I weighed 13 1/2 stone and 33 inch waist, the difference for me was not drinking alcohol for 80 days straight, no bread, rice or potato's and no pasta an, loads of sea food, chicken, turkey and very lean beef. At least 2 litres of water a day and at least 30 minutes fast walking. I'd like to lose about 10 more lb and then I will be comfortable.

Well done Matt brilliant a 5 stone weight loss, bet you feel so much better for it.

 

[maddmatt]

Thanks Andy, the difference is staggering, it has helped the shooting as well although it did mess the gun fitting a bit, now I have stablished some what everything seems to be pointing in the right direction.