The Complete 2-Day Fasting Diet: Delicious; Easy To Make; 140 New Low-Calorie Recipes From The Bestselling Author Of The 5:2 Bikini Diet. Jacqueline Whitehart
loss to level out after a few weeks on the 2-Day Diet. The high weight loss that you experience when you start the diet can only be maintained for two to three weeks. After that, at the same time as it gets easier and you get into a rhythm, the weight loss will diminish. This is normal and healthy. The extreme early weight loss cannot be maintained. If you have a lot of weight to lose, then you will hopefully find that the weight loss flattens out at about 0.9kg (2lb) a week. If you are nearer your target weight, your expected weight loss will be about 0.5kg (1lb) a week.
If you are not losing any weight while still following the diet plan, then you should look at what you are eating on the five normal days. You may be eating too much. Indeed this is the most likely cause of a plateau. Make a food diary for your healthy days and be a bit stricter with yourself. Most importantly steer away from the biscuit tin and any junk food.
Under 200 calories
Celeriac remoulade with smoked trout
Japanese-style sake prawn salad
Courgette ribbons with tomato and chorizo sauce
Quick tomato and mangetout curry
Under 300 calories
Baked eggs with ham and tomato
Purple sprouting broccoli with creamy caper sauce
Warming leek ‘pasta’ with olives
Asian-style stir-fried beef and mushrooms
Grilled lamb in fresh parsley and mint sauce
Slow-baked chicken rolls in tomato sauce
Baked banana with dark chocolate
Crème de menthe pudding with chocolate crunch
Under 400 calories
Grilled lamb with tangy lemon couscous
Slow-cooked stuffed cabbage rolls
Creamy purple sprouting broccoli with Parma ham
Spring is all about hope. After a long winter of cold grey days, all you want is some sun and a few green shoots. You probably want to ring the changes when it comes to food too. Are you bored of stews and soups and crave something lighter and greener?
You may find that you and your body are eager for transformation, but what about the weather? In March it may feel like the depths of winter, with snow still on the ground, but try to ignore the weather and listen to your body. Eat healthily, even on days when you are not dieting. Do some exercise: a gentle swim on any day of the week will re-invigorate you. Most importantly, if the sun does pop its head out, get outside and feel the sun on your face.
Spring recipes embrace the change but also the vagaries of the season. There are not many seasonal vegetables available and it is traditionally ‘the hungry gap’. Try out some unusual salads, explore what’s in your storecupboard, and experiment with the vegetables that are in season. Purple sprouting broccoli is an amazingly tasty green vegetable. Available from late February, it has a lot more to offer than its more familiar cousin. Spring is also the time to enjoy some tender lamb – a lean lamb steak can easily be incorporated into a diet day.
Let’s not get carried away and keep some soups and stews in reserve for the bleakest days. If you can keep a few portions of warming soups stocked in your freezer then you are fully prepared to face the challenges that spring can bring.
Stock the freezer, count the daffodils and celebrate when the clocks change. It is a season of preparation. If you stick to the diet through the spring you’ll be ready and waiting for the beach.