Apologies if this has been asked many times, just didn't have time to read through the entire thread!

I'm doing 5:2 and on my fast days I drink black coffee, no sugar, splash of milk through the day. It helps my energy levels.
I know this is technically 'allowed' because I count it into my cal limit but I was wondering if anyone thought this was potentially unhealthy or counterproductive?
I do feel a bit wired but it allows me to get through to dinner time without food.
Any thoughts?

I have a different schedule, but I drink coffee during my fast periods (hi-test in the morning, decaf in the afternoon) with a spoonful of NFPM and truvia/stevia. I don't know if this disqualifies my by purist standards, but I know I'm not giving it up!

Good to know I'm not the only one! Thanks Yoyoma

I tried this for the first time today and skipped breakfast. I ate some cashews at around 1 pm and then had steak salad and veggies for dinner. Hoping to avoid the late night munchies!

This was my main reason for doing IF. I ALWAYS used to lose control in the evenings. I mean, every. single. night.

But now, since almost all of my calories are planned to be in the evening, I can eat, eat, eat all evening long and still stay on plan. It goes against what they say (don't skip breakfast, eat six smaller meals, etc.) but it's what keeps me from binging.

Well I've just finished up my first week back on campus at university and I'm finally back on plan after my cruise and down to just over the weight i was before i left for the cruise. Back doing two meals from midday to 8pm and on a deficit enough to lose 2 pounds a week.

I saw a really interesting study they are doing in my uni that includes a body composition scan and full metrics while excercising, so i might have to go see them as that would be pretty cool. Hope everyone is going well.

I'm new to this forum but I've been doing 5:2 since August of last year...figured I would post here so I can stay in touch with this thread. Sounds like there's many many different ways of doing intermittent fasting. I'm really happy with this plan and can see myself sticking to it for a long, long time.

I don't know if this is the right forum for this or not, but I am currently doing a grape fast. I have done this before for about 15 days and I lost about 8 lbs. This time I am planning for 23 days. I think it will get easier as time goes on, especially when I see the scale moving. I get really motivated when the scale moves. People say the first three days are the hardest. Today is day 2. Essentially all you eat are grapes (any color or size). You can have as many as you want. I don't count the calories, I can't imagine I'm ever consuming more than 1200 per day though, so I don't think that's an issue.
I think the grapes are better than juices because you actually have to chew grapes, so your body goes through a normal digestive process. Also, your body detoxes, which can help with weight loss.
I like it because it's so simple. I don't have to prep meals, or think about counting calories, and it's only one food. I think just eating grapes and not thinking about food will help my relationship with food, so that I am not so fixated on it all the time.

To answer your question from ages ago marthamay, I believe somewhere i read when i started is that less than 50 cals won't break your fast.

Anyway i thought i would leave a message here just to let you guys know that I'm moving on from Intermittent fasting, I've been doing it for just over 7 months and have lost ~28kg (62lbs). I'm down to my last bit of weight to lose and i'm going to head back to Insanity to hopefully tone my body and hopefully end up with like one of those after photos you see.

I think i'll be back to IF after it, if only for maintenece, but doing Insanity without my morning protein shake would be **** (and seeing as i'm straight into classes most mornings that would suck). I hope everyone has great success with IF'ing and i'll probably still be around the forums posting mini-goals and I'll be documenting my progress this round so there should be a Goal Weight post with pics.

Hello all..

I skimmed through most of the posts and will chime in here . I started IF today, and this method is my method . Its simple for me ,since am stay at home caregiver.I skipped breakfast, and snacks...and have lunch,dinner. Between I drink water,coffee,diet coke. I won't weigh in till June 1st.

Hi all,
I am new to 3FatChicks and have been doing IF off and on for a few months. It took me 7 months to lose 8 pounds. At 57 it is much harder for me to lose. I like IF because it works with so many other dieting styles: calorie counting, lo carb, rotation...whatever. Right now I have an eating window between noon and 6 pm. I workout in the morning while still fasting. My big meal is at noon. I usually have just a smoothy or small salad for dinner. This allows me to lose steadily except when I go out of town. Then I usually end up gaining a couple of pounds back. I am grateful to find support for IF. Not many people know what it is in any of its forms.

Hi all,

I've been out of the loop for a long while. I am a natural IF'er as I really only get hungry after 4p. I've been living this way most of my life, but felt like a weirdo. If'ing has become even more important for me because in the last few years, after turning 40, if I eat before 4p my digestion gets screwed up and I feel so bloated - so hard to work at my desk like that. My big problem, however, has been overeating at night. My husband blamed it on the fact that I don't eat all day, but I really think it was the fact that the daytime is so stressful and at night it is peaceful. Since I have taken steps to decrease my sress in the daytime, I haven't been overeating at night. Occassionally I will get hungry in the daytime and will eat. I don't restrict myself as I want to acknowledge my true hunger.

I am coupling this woe with the Weight Watchers Program and it is working well. The only issues that I have are with others' ideas of what my personal woe should be. The reason having a group like you all for support is so important! I don't have to tell you that though, do I.

laciemn & shr1ink1ngme, whatever keeps you from binging do it. Really, I truly believe that there is no one right woe for everyone.

ShrinkingStudent: Congratulations and the best in all of your endeavors!

Liliann: Hiya! I just returned here after a long time away. Working the method that works for you is SO much less work than going against it. I find that during those busy times of the day that I don't eat makes things go smoother for me.

YumaDeb: You are so right about it working with other styles. I am working it with Weight Watchers and it all just gels for me. Yes, support is great. I don't offer my eating plan to others, but when I am with others and it is during my fasting time and they want to eat, the questions begin followed by the needling critisism and nagging advice.

Hey yoyoma!

Still loving 5:2! My weight-loss has finally gone up a bit on a weekly basis..I think because I cut out all alcohol Mon.-Thurs (I'd usually have a glass of wine or two after work). It's still relatively slow, but steady. I just can't get over how easy eating this way is, and I never want to stop.

Also, my mom commented on how good my skin looks the other day. I don't know for sure if 5:2 is the cause, but I've heard similar things from others. So that was another bonus

Before I post a new thread, I thought I'd try here first! A lot of you are doing 5:2 diet, but have any of you attempted the alternate day fasting? I heard it's better and faster, and possibly easier to follow. The basic idea is that you eat very little calories on one day (not true fasting! But like, 350 calories for women)-- and then you eat your maintenance calories or normally the next day (most people don't count calories.. and I am not planning to. I'll just eat what I eat normally when I eat healthy stuff.)
You repeat this pattern till you lose all the weight. Anyone?

I "heard" of someone who attempted this diet and managed to lose 30 pounds in two months. I was so impressed. Just wanted to see if this was at all possible. I don't think I'll be able to lose that much, obviously, but does it work? Seems too good to be true that I could be eating burgers 4 times a week and still lose weight! Ha.

Ive never attempted ADF, but I've thought about it. Honestly, I find 5:2 so easy. Im afraid with ADF, I wouldn't be able to sustain it and switching to manitenance would be a difficult transition. I'm not in a race and this is slowly but surely working for me. I definitely would love to hear some success stories though!