For the well padded....larger gentlemen :)

[phat_stak_tipa]

*This is a personal account of my achievements, i am not a doctor or health consultant, therefore no liability will be mine in the event of ill affects, follow this at your own risk*

Now that is out of the way, just thought i would share my experiences of a 'diet' i have been on now for almost 12 months, some of you may have heard about or seen this at some point, the 5:2 diet!

The last week of September 2014, i weighed in at 108.5kg naked on my bathroom scale, basically the heaviest i have been in my 32 years of life.

Over the years since high school i have gone up and down in weight, after some stressful family issues and 'other diets', active jobs and non active jobs. Anyway something had to change, a month before i started, my partner of 12 years told me she was pregnant after 15months of trying for a child, so happy days for us!

I had started to think about my health and also got sick of being fat and outgrowing clothes, i had also watched a story on TV about the 5:2 diet, which in a nutshell is 5 days eating normal and 2 days of only eating 2500kj, the average adult diet is 8700kj per day. Google it and check the details of the 5:2 diet for yourself.

After watching it i thought its too good to be true, but it sounded like it was a 'lazy' way to diet. Me being inclined to be lazy thought lets give it a shot!

In the lead up to hitting 108.5kg my kj intake was huge, i am a storeman and whilst i walk 15km (measured) a day around the warehouse picking stock, it is not an overly demanding or heavy environment.

A typical day of food for me was: 4 slices of vegemite toast, big bowl of cereal using 500ml of milk, small container of chicken/veg stirfry and rice (homemade) a coke and chocolate bar, then home for dinner which could be more stirfry or spaghetti or takeaway maccas, kfc, and of course some dessert mostly chocolate and of course more coke or pepsi. So rough kj count would be 12000+kj!!!

Now onto what i call the lazy 5:2 diet, the peanut butter sandwich diet, health freaks look away lol.....so i started out doing the diet on Monday and Wednesday, so you have to stick to 2500kj on those days, you can eat that how you want to but try to not to exceed it, on those days i eat a mixture of 2 apples, a peanut butter sandwich (no butter) and a big bowl of microwave vegies or vegemite toast (with butter) and a small amount of fruit juice. Sometimes its all peanut butter sandwiches and vegemite toast, other times veg and fruit, do what suits you just try not to eat more than 2500kj, so its super easy and cheap too! Years ago i did the Bodytrim diet it sucked so much, no carbs, lots protein small meals loads of prep and cooking, sure i lost weight but it was crap!

Before i explain the harder parts of the 5:2 diet il give you my weight loss, im now 90kg, im 178cm tall, instead of wearing size 38-40 im now in 32-34 pants and i have about 5kg to go until im 85kg and back to my weight when i was 21! There is no time line for that but il get there. I now do 4.5-2.5 diet which is half day friday also, reason being that i lost 12kg in about 3months and the last 6kg took until May this year doing the extra half day on Friday, as you get lighter it takes longer to lose weight.

I fell off the wagon when my son was born in May, i had a month off work and didnt stick to the diet and gained 3kg so back to 93kg, those 3kg took until now to come off, but i have not been strict on myself like when i first started. Here is the beauty of the diet on your eat days pretty much eat what you want, if you can keep it to around 8700kj combined with the 2 diet days you will lose weight, i still have eat days that exceed 10000kj but i still lose weight.

So 8 months to lose 18kg with no exercise other than work, and i mostly eat what i want, it isnt the healthiest diet but if i became more focused on healthy food it would be even better, in saying that though the warmer weather makes it easier to eat fruit and veg. I still eat bacon and eggs twice a week and pancakes on the weekends, i have chocolate and soft drink but this diet has helped me slow down on it.

Some other positives are that i have heaps more energy, im happier, my partner has lost weight also eventhough she is not on the diet because we dont eat much takeway anymore, i really dont like maccas anymore after not eating it for so long, kfc and opporto are a once a month thing now and it's usually burger meals, i had an issue with my left foot hurting (on them all day) the arch was killing me but as i have lost weight that has gone and my knees are better also.

Now the negatives on the diet days, you will feel tired and flat, i find if i am struggling il have a can of coke zero or pepsi max as i dont drink tea or coffee to get my caffeine hit and perk me up, but i find this pain for one day at a time is far better than trying be good all week or having to go to the gym, as time goes on it becomes easier to deal with it, keep yourself busy and drink lots of water.

I dont smoke and i dont drink much maybe 10 drinks a month if i am lucky, im good with money, but my weakness is food, this diet has helped me be motivated to be healthier as results have come quickly and it is easy to stick to with mildly good will power.

There is heaps of info about it online and there are other health benefits of this type of diet (not necessarily mine), that was a long post but its the truth and if it helps even one person then good stuff!

This will be my way of life now, once i reach my goal weight il do one day a week and see how it goes, and il be adding some mild exercise such as push-ups and sit-ups to get things toned up.

Cheers!

[Squalo]

Good work mate!

[deesun]

Great work mate and I too have lost weight on the 5/2 diet. About 10kg over 6/7 months, 93 down to 83. I have NEVER EVER dieted before so I can't compare with other diets. My wife asked me to do it with her. Being as it was only 2 days a week, Tues/Fri for me, couldn't imagine doing it two days a week. Milk was my enemy so I have moved to Pepsi Max. No extra exercise but like you I walk lots at work but I also walk the dog 3/4 times a week which isn't fast walking at all just a bit more than a stroll.
Like every diet it is not for everyone. My wife was on it at the same time and lost nothing. But she sits at home alone at night so chocolate is her enemy. Weight Watchers is her only way of losing weight. In 40 years and numerous diets WW has been the only way she has lost any significant amount.
Again great for you and keep up the great work. I am happy with my loss and 3 months later I have kept off all the weight mainly due to the lack of milk I guess cos that's all that has changed in my diet. WOOT WOOT.

+1 for the 5/2 diet.

[OzJavelin]

Not just for larger people.

I'm small framed .. when I was younger (early 20s) I weighed about 61kg. I never really bothered to check my weight as I "looked" thin. When I hit my mid 40s I eventually realised my belt was at it's last notch. I saw the 5:2 diet with Michael Mosley on SBS and decided to give it a go. Within about 6months I was down to my current 53kg (don't be too alarmed, I'm still "healthy" weight range for my height apparently). I'd suspect based from my clothes that I've lost at least 15kg .. that's about 1/5 my weight. And I keep it off easily. I've had numerous tests recently and apparently I'm in good health for everything.

It's an easy lifestyle change for those too busy / uninterested to exercise, and can't be bothered constatntly monitoring your eating habits; two days a week oyu just eat about 1/4 less the calories you normally would .. simple.

My personal opinion is that unless you are an elite athlete exercise will not reduce weight (fitness if something else). Weight loss is primarily in what you eat.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Congratulations phat_stak_tipa! That is an awesome result and simply reflects the effort and commitment you have made to losing weight.

I, too, am on the 5:2 diet. Not so much for weight loss but more for blood pressure and cholesterol management. I saw a segment on 60 Minutes some time back, which I suspect is the same program you saw, and then heard of colleagues at work doing the diet, so thought I'd have nothing to lose.

So, I started on the diet just before the end of last year. At that point I was on blood pressure medication to control my high blood pressure. My readings on the medication were normally around the 140/90 mark. Pretty much the instance I started the 5:2 diet, my blood pressure dropped to around the 120/70 mark and has sustained that level since.

Not long after that I had my 6 monthly check up with the quack and she put me on cholesterol medication as well, as my cholesterol was high. I've only just had the following 6 month blood test done, so it will be interesting to see if the levels have been impacted by the diet.

For me, I have not noticed much difference in my weight. I am currently around the 88kg mark and 182cm tall. Whilst I appreciate that, by the BMI system, I am overweight, I am not too unhappy with that and find that no matter what I do, I always seem to end up around that weight.

If the only impact of doing the diet is that my blood pressure remains at the levels above, I am happy with that. Really, the slight inconvenience doesn't really worry me, as I pick two days of the week to fast that I am at work, so I really don't miss that I am not eating. I have also recently moved to not having any breakfast, nothing for lunch, and then a smaller than usual tea, which is normally made up more of vegies than meat.

Anyway, that's my experience with the 5:2 diet.

Craig H

[phat_stak_tipa]

Wow! It's excellent to see so many getting good results! Top work guys!

[Adamz Ghia]

I went from 115 to 85 kilos a couple of years back, I sit at 90 now. But the hardest part I found was the first week. The cravings and constant feelings of hunger were horrible, but after the first week they went away gradually and after that it was just my new life style.

[deesun]

I can be a lazy sod sometimes and I told the Mrs if she set my meals I would do the diet, so she did. Obviously I didn't have to think about those two days but for those who are on it only thinking about what to eat two days a week is a bonanza. I see my wife doing WW atm weighing stuff every day, counting points and calories etc etc which makes the 5:2 look like kindergarten. It is also a great thing for those with a limited diet like me. I'm not a vegetable eater to say the least. I have noidea what my cholesterol is and when Dr gives me a blood pressure test he says pretty normal so I think myself very lucky at my age 57.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

My personal opinion is that unless you are an elite athlete exercise will not reduce weight (fitness if something else). Weight loss is primarily in what you eat.

I think diet is important regardless of whether you exercise or not. They kind of work together though. I also noticed the scales groaning a bit more and 3 years ago I decided to do something about it, so I bought a bike. I average between 6-7000km/year, which has helped me go from 102kg back to 92kg. I'm 6'2, and although 10kg may not be a big number, a lot of that is due to gaining muscle at the same time, so the weight isn't dropping as much but still losing size around the middle.
I didn't change my diet but it wasn't that bad to start with. My daughter is type 1 diabetic and we all eat the same to make it easier, so its a good balanced diet. The thing with exercise is it allows you a lot of freedom with what you eat without the worry.

Well done to all on here for what they are doing but I would always advocate a healthy diet+ exercise rather than skipping meals.

[xisled]

Well done to everyone in this thread keep up the good work.

About 2 months ago, I watched a documentary on Netflix called Fat, Sick & Nearly dead. It is about a Aussie guy in the US who was on the larger side and he had some health problems, and started a Juice diet to help him.

This got me and my partner thinking about what we eat and how much carbs and sugars we eat everyday. I was surprised with the amount of sugar and carbs I was eating on a daily basis and this is not even looking at the Junk food such as McDonald's, KFC etc.

Basically I found that in every day products, there was a large amount of sugar and carbs. Even in low fat or no fat products, the sugar content is massive. Have a look at the sugar content in milk, I was surprised about that one.

Anyway this documentary got us talking and we decided to change our diets. So basically for the last month and half to 2 months, we have been eating more salads, veggie and meat that is all home made. We came up with a diet that would suit us. My partner is a bit more extreme with the foods than me and drinks all the shakes with kale and spirulina and a few other super foods and we purchased a nutribullet so she can make her drink.

So over the last 2 months, cutting out all pastas, breads, milks etc I feel better I do not crave junk food and find that I actually am wanting to eat the healthy option and I actually crave salad.

Only problem I am having, If I do have anything that has some sort of sugar, all I taste is the sugar, and it is not really enjoyable. It taste like you picked up a spoon and put a spoon full of sugar in your mouth. Bread I have had once and when I ate the bread, it felt really heavy and made me sick for the rest of the day. Also I did have McDonald's on the weekend as we had to go for a long driver and we did not have time to arrange food. The burger I had made me sick and tasted like salt and the bun had a very big sugary tastes, this left me never wanting to eat McDonald's again which I see as a good thing.

These changes we have made, have had a positive change on our life. I feel I have more energy, I am getting less migraines and just feeling better in general and have lost a bit of wait, lost around 10kg in 2 months. If I do eat something sugary or full of carbs, I feel it for the day. Not a good feeling. We still eat nice food, but it is basic food that is not over complicated. We do not add sauces to our meat dishes and instead of using rolls or buns for burgers we use lettuce leaves, and we find a healthier option to replace anything that is sugary or has a heap of carbs. So eating better with some exercise has made a big difference to our lives.

[phat_stak_tipa]

Xisled, my partner and i found the same thing with maccas after we both didnt eat it for 3months, i still love my sugar mainly in the form of soft drink but dont drink anywhere near the amount i used to, and yes there is certain days where if i over do it on sugar and bread i feel crap, one of the other things i like about my diet days are the fact i sleep like a log and drop off very quickly.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by xisled

So over the last 2 months, cutting out all pastas, breads, milks etc

I come from wog heritage, this is not an option

Thats why we all have diabetes at 60 and then bow out at 65

[Falcon Coupe]

Great work Phat. It's never easy to change ones body and lifestyle/eating habits. Keep up the good work!

[b0son]

I did 5:2 as well, for about 3 months, lost around 15kg. Didn't cut out junk food, was still having McD several times per week. People are way to pre-occupied with cutting out grains, cutting out carbs, cutting out fat ... all you need to do is reduce your calories, you don't have to make huge modifications.

[prydey]

Can't believe how many people admit to eating McDonalds. That stuff is disgusting. Everyone knows, ' the burgers are better at hungry jacks'!

I don't eat out a lot but that is largely due to financial constraints. When we do(birthdays etc) maccas is at the bottom of the list.... That's if it even makes the list ��

[deesun]

The burgers are better at HJ's but everything else is sh...

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by prydey

I don't eat out a lot but that is largely due to financial constraints. When we do(birthdays etc) maccas is at the bottom of the list.... That's if it even makes the list ��

I'm lucky that i live so far away from the nearest junk food place we NEVER just decide to go get it, cos its easier .. And I only ever buy lunch on Fridays

[phat_stak_tipa]

I love hungry jacks onion rings, but sadly they dont love my ring.......

[CoupeKing]

Hungry Jacks have by far the best microwaved burgers money can buy.

[xisled]

Originally Posted by b0son

I did 5:2 as well, for about 3 months, lost around 15kg. Didn't cut out junk food, was still having McD several times per week. People are way to pre-occupied with cutting out grains, cutting out carbs, cutting out fat ... all you need to do is reduce your calories, you don't have to make huge modifications.

Its a start to reduce your intake of food and if it works thats great, but you also need to take into account your sugar intake and carb intake as dropping weight is one thing, but diabetes and other diseases is another.

The problem I found in the past with eatting less was my sugar and carb intake was still at really high levels. Sugar is in most things, even if it is small amounts it can be really bad for you. When not eating anything apart from meat, vegies and salads for a week, eat somthing that you havnt ate for a week that is processed and it will taste like sugar.

So in saying that, eating less you will more than likly lose weight but eating less and making sure you are eating correctly will give you the best health results.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by xisled

Its a start to reduce your intake of food and if it works thats great, but you also need to take into account your sugar intake and carb intake as dropping weight is one thing, but diabetes and other diseases is another.

Being overweight is the primary driver, not sugar intake. Insulin sensitivity improves on calorie controlled diets, even when sugar is the primary macronutrient.

Sugar is in most things, even if it is small amounts it can be really bad for you.

Not true, sugar is just the latest in a long list of things to blame for our weight rather than ourselves. Most of the blogs cherry pick the science, but when you look at the totality of the research, their arguments fall over.

[Pis-ton broke]

Originally Posted by b0son

Not true, sugar is just the latest in a long list of things to blame for our weight rather than ourselves. Most of the blogs cherry pick the science, but when you look at the totality of the research, their arguments fall over.

i disagree with that, i watched a very good doco on sbs about sugar and how it became into main stream acceptance, and the marketing tricks the sugar industry representatives did in the 1960s to get acceptance. with documented proof . nations that are normally full of skinny people are having problems with western diets, etc. etc.
i seems to many that sugar contributes to a lot of body issues.

good on the op for his efforts. but can,t believe you eat so some food. and so much junk food. fizzy drinks are loaded with sugar.why do you do that?

i my youth i worked in a job where my weight had to be maintained, jockey. to a light weight. if u eat less , your stomach should shrink, i used to drink a large glass of milk to take hunger away, and substituting for a meal sometimes. and possibly neutralizing stomach acids too. and never eat junk food.

keep an eye out for the eating health docos on sbs and abc, like the "men that made us fat", they are worth watch imo, and it helps you understand better how your body works. they are scientific and evidenced based shows. its come to my attention that there are many varying options from so called experts. it seems to me that sugar is "ok" is one of the big scams.

good luck with it.

[Pis-ton broke]

and to add to it, after watching that show, i cut right back on sugar in take , and after a few days i had a mad craving for sugar, maybe it is addictive?

[CoupeKing]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

and to add to it, after watching that show, i cut right back on sugar in take , and after a few days i had a mad craving for sugar, maybe it is addictive?

I caught some of that docco, was very interesting. I've read that sugar is addictive. Not sure about salt though, but they call it the 'silent killer' for a number of reasons - the main one being that it raises your blood pressure, there are usually no symptoms of high blood-pressure until you curl over. Get it checked gents.

20-30 years ago, if people had some cardiovascular problem, smokes would be blamed. Now more and more people are suffering from this that have never smoked/drank.

If you have a sweet tooth, try eating carrots, pumpkin and sweet -potato. They will help with the cravings. Plus a bonus of loading your system up with beta-carotene.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

i disagree with that

disagree with science? I'm just pointing out the facts (I'm a scientist BTW, so my research goes a bit more in depth than a doco or a blog).

cutting carbs can work because it results in a calorie reduction. but if you can reduce calorie intake without cutting carbs out, you will in most cases get the same results, in outright weight loss and typical blood markers.

It doesn't help when movies like That Sugar Film perpetuate the myth that sugar is 'special' ... its either a colossally flawed/poorly executed trial, or an outright fraud. Either way, there's nothing particularly special about sugar in the context of an appropriate calorie intake.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by b0son

cutting carbs can work because it results in a calorie reduction. but if you can reduce calorie intake without cutting carbs out, you will in most cases get the same results, in outright weight loss and typical blood markers.

agree, especially if you exercise. carbs are your body's fuel. your car won't run without fuel, neither will you. it needs to be balanced though. no one is promoting pigging out on carbs

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by b0son

disagree with science? I'm just pointing out the facts (I'm a scientist BTW, so my research goes a bit more in depth than a doco or a blog).

cutting carbs can work because it results in a calorie reduction. but if you can reduce calorie intake without cutting carbs out, you will in most cases get the same results, in outright weight loss and typical blood markers.

It doesn't help when movies like That Sugar Film perpetuate the myth that sugar is 'special' ... its either a colossally flawed/poorly executed trial, or an outright fraud. Either way, there's nothing particularly special about sugar in the context of an appropriate calorie intake.

Yes I agree. I overheard a guy in the supermarket the other day, he was looking at a carton of milk and said to his mate "wow, they even add sugar to milk! how do they get away with it??", nevermind that the "sugar" referred to on the nutritional label is lactose, a naturally occurring sugar found in all dairy products. Honestly people should just stick to the food pyramid, but that's too hard apparently!!

[phat_stak_tipa]

In saying i still eat junk means yes i still eat some but i dont eat it everyday or in the amounts i used to, I probably wont cut it out completely.

As far as takeaway is concerned though that is literally once a month now, whereas it was 2-3 times a week before the 5:2 diet, chocolate might be a row after dinner on my normal eat days rather than half a block, soft drink consumption has gone from 600ml-1litre a day to a can on normal eat days, still too much, but i dont drink coffee or tea so soft drink is my habit, energy drinks are very rare for me, and i try to stay away from too much fatty food/deep fried as i have recently realised that i have an IBS type reaction to it.....and that includes the good old fashioned packets of chips.....

I eat alot more veg but not enough fruit, i take my diet as work in progress and will continue to improve it, i come from a family that eats loads of veg so have not learned bad habits from them, i have made my own choices but am working on changing and im super proud of how much i have changed and how much i have lost, after watching the current biggest loser im shocked at how much some people do eat and the food they choose, i feel sick watching it......they leave me for dead even comparing to my old ways....but good on them for doing the show!

[CoupeKing]

Originally Posted by phat_stak_tipa

In saying i still eat junk means yes i still eat some but i dont eat it everyday or in the amounts i used to, I probably wont cut it out completely.

As far as takeaway is concerned though that is literally once a month now, whereas it was 2-3 times a week before the 5:2 diet, chocolate might be a row after dinner on my normal eat days rather than half a block, soft drink consumption has gone from 600ml-1litre a day to a can on normal eat days, still too much, but i dont drink coffee or tea so soft drink is my habit, energy drinks are very rare for me, and i try to stay away from too much fatty food/deep fried as i have recently realised that i have an IBS type reaction to it.....and that includes the good old fashioned packets of chips.....

I eat alot more veg but not enough fruit, i take my diet as work in progress and will continue to improve it, i come from a family that eats loads of veg so have not learned bad habits from them, i have made my own choices but am working on changing and im super proud of how much i have changed and how much i have lost, after watching the current biggest loser im shocked at how much some people do eat and the food they choose, i feel sick watching it......they leave me for dead even comparing to my old ways....but good on them for doing the show!

Spot on, you're killing it. Just stick to your guns and slowly keep replacing the processed crap with wholesome foods. Even if you don't exercise, for most people that routine will shed heaps of kilos, but it will be over a long period of time, just like it took you a long time to gradually put the weight on.

You want to increase the amount of fruit in your diet? From a health standpoint this is a good strategy, but try and consume it in it's raw form rather thank via a juice - you can blend it, but keep away from supermarket juices.

[prydey]

Anyone got a nutri-bullet? Guy at work gave me a sample of one of his and I'm seriously tempted to get one. They are quite expensive but they pulp things down much finer than the cheap ones. I'm not a big fruit eater either but I admit one of those would probably get me consuming a lot more.