I’m a 35yo lady who has always been big. Like, born 11lbs and have never not had a double chin. I’m on a journey to lose 190lbs. I’ve lost 30 so far and I’ve been thinking about intermittent fasting as a way to help. I was considering the 5:2 (I think it’s called), consuming 500 calories on the days I fast (through premier protein shakes, probably).
So here’s my question; do I recalculate my daily calorie goal? I use MyFitnessPal and eat 1810 calories a day. If 2 days I only consume 500 calories, should I up my daily calories to 2300, or should I keep them at 1810? Also, is it an okay idea to with out of those fasting days?
Thanks for any help or motivation.
I would keep to the deficit (1810) on the 5: days. If that’s not working well for you, then you can go closer to maintenance. I believe the 5:2 says to eat ‘normal’ or maintenance on those days, but realistically you don’t need more than 2000 calories a day.
But every 15 to 20 pounds, recalculate your TDEE to make sure you’re not overeating.
You do you, and I applaud your desire to get ahold of your health while you’re still relatively young. I don’t know your schedule/work but imo 16:8 is the easiest way to begin, least complicated. If you have like you say, a considerable amount to lose, you’ll probably lose 10-15lbs in the first month with 16:8, or 17:7. Counting calories may become more relevant as the months go on, but for now - and again, I don’t know your current eating habits- but stopping (eating) at 6:00P nightly & not eating breakfast until 10:00 will probably kick start you on your journey.
You might want to check out Gin Stephens books, blog, or podcasts. She’s very candid about her experiences and failures with various diets that eventually led her to IF. And the learning curve she went on with IF, such as embracing Clean Fasting and non-scale victories (NSV). She explains everything in a way that easy to grasp and also links to the science behind it.
I’m 38 and was about 260 lb when I started. I did a 16:8 schedule for months and the scale didn’t budge. At the beginning of December I added in a 36 hour fast about 1 day a week and with that, ongoing regular workouts, meeting my step count nd 16:8 fasting the rest of the week, I’m finally seeing the numbers go down. The full day of fasting was the key for me. It also allows me to eat breakfast with my family one day a week which is really nice thing for me to do.