Day 23

Lunch - 247 calories

1 Itsu Spicy Tuna Maki box - 151 calories
1 Packet of Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sun-Dried Tomato ProperCorn - 96 calories

Dinner - 254 calories
1 Packet of Tesco's Mussels In White Wine And Garlic - 130 calories
1 and a half Slice of Wholemeal Bread - 124 calories

Grand Total - 501 calories 

And how did it go?

I again succumbed to the powers of the ready meal, I'm afraid. I just don't think it's worth it to make such a small amount of mussels from scratch, so I'm trying to relax a bit over ready meals. Overall a tasty, easy and light supper. You can't complain about that!

Day 22

Lunch - 222 calories

1 can of Chicken Noodle Soup (Heinz) - 126 calories
1 Packet of Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sun-Dried Tomato ProperCorn - 96 calories

Dinner - 284 calories

Courgette and Red Kidney Bean Burguer with Onion Chutney and Mediterranean Cous Cous

Vege Burguer Patty - 129 calories
5 grams of Onion Chutney - 8 calories
115 grams of  Tesco's Mediterranean Cous Cous - 143 calories
4 sprays of Fry Light - 4 calories

  

Grand Total - 506 calories 

And how did it go?

I got the idea for the vege burger from here, but adapted it to use the courgette I had in the fridge. It turned out tasty, but I'd follow that other recipe more closely next time, as it looks more like a burger than the one I made. I used 150 grams of Courgettes (30 calories), a tin of Red Kidney Beans (280 calories), 150 grams of Onion (63 calories) and 1 Egg-whites (17 calories) and got 3 patties out of it.

I grated the courgette and diced the onion and "fried" them on some water. On a separate pan, I boiled the kidney beans for 5 minutes and  added them to the courgette and onion mixture. I then mashed the ingredients as much as I could and waited for it cool down a bit before adding the egg-whites, for binding. After portioning into 3 patties, I used Fry Light on a non-stick pan and very carefully cooked the patties on both sides and Voilà! 

After a big holiday and 2 weekends away in 2 months, I'm trying to do 4:3 this week to kick start my weight loss again. While I haven't lost much in weight, I have lost in measurements and haven't put on any kilos after indulging in some, more like a lot of, Brazilian, Dutch and French food. 

Day 21

Lunch - 298 calories

1 Itsu Salmon and Avocado Midi-box - 242 calories
Half a Banana - 56 calories

Dinner - 219 calories

Ham, Courgette and Aubergine Bake
   - 130 grams of Aubergine (26 calories)
   - 150 grams of Courgettes (30 calories) 
   - 3 slices of Wafer-thin Ham (33 calories) 
   - Homemade Tomato and Onion Sauce (90 calories)
   - 10 grams of Parmesan (40 calories)

Grand Total - 517 calories (Ooops! This is what being inventive for lunch gets you...)

Exercise - 60-minute Personal Trainer session

And how did it go?

This is one of the biggest meals I had on a fast day, probably only behind the Full English Breakfast on Day 8. Dead easy to make and allows for all sorts of combination. I first made a simple tomato sauce with Italian Passata (160 calories), 150 grams of Onion (63 calories), Vegetable Stock Pot (35 calories) and Italian Herbs and divided it in 3 portions, saving 2 of those for future fast days. 

Next, I took a pie dish and covered the bottom with a thin layer of the tomato sauce. I then added a layer of grilled aubergines, followed by some more of the sauce and shredded ham, and then a layer of courgettes, sauce, ham and so on. On top of the last layer of tomato sauce, I sprinkled 10 grams of Parmesan and put it in the oven (pre-heated to 160) for around half an hour. Let it cool a bit before eating, the last thing we need on a fast day is a burnt tongue.

Day 20

Lunch - 210 calories

1 Itsu Tuna & Salmon Junior box - 165 calories
1 small pot of Miso Soup - 45 calories

Dinner - 280 calories
1 Cod Melt in the Middle Fishcake - 265 calories
30 grams of Salad - 5 calories
10 mls of Balsamic Vinegar - 10 calories
1 Lemon Wedge - 2 calories

Grand Total - 490 calories 

And how did it go?

I was feeling adventurous today and instead of the usual sushi box, I got myself a Nigiri box instead! Boy, I was clearly thinking out of the box today, han? It's not my fault that Itsu has such 5:2-friendly boxes that allow me to eat a bit more in the evening.

I have mostly cooked dinner from scratch on fast days, but since I had packing to do and a million different little details to tend to before I went to bed, I succumbed to the power of the ready meal. Plus, I quite fancied fishcakes today and after becoming traumatised by  a very disastrous first attempt at making homemade ones a long time ago, I have bought them ready ever since. Not the healthiest of options, but not so bad either.

I have to admit that this miserable day of this bloody interminable winter made me crave for comfort food and it has taken a lot of will power - and the promise of a mini-break tomorrow - to stop me from eating all sorts of food. I am not hungry, but I am definitely fantasizing about pasta today. A lot. Carbonara and Funghi to be more specific. Sweet dreams for me!

Day 19

Brunch - 207 calories

1 Itsu Spicy Tuna Maki box - 151 calories
Half a Banana - 56 calories

Dinner - 292 calories

150 grams of Turkey Breast, diced - 150 calories
1 Whole Pepper (155 grams) - 54 calories
50 grams of Courgette - 15 calories
25 grams of Spring Onions - 7 calories
25 grams of Sweet Corn - 30 calories
2 slices of Wafer Thin Smoked Ham - 24 calories
5 grams of Bouillon Stock - 12 calories

Grand Total - 499 calories 

Exercise - 60-minute Personal Trainer session

And how did it go?

And the award to the most random dish goes to this Turkey and Vegetable Stuffed Pepper. I have no idea what come over me when I was cooking this one, I had never made Turkey or Stuffed Peppers before in my life (as it shows), but it turned out great somehow. I had a lot of things in my fridge that needed using, so I just combined all of them together with the Turkey Breasts that I was convinced to buy in the supermarket after looking at the calorie count for them.

I was planning on doing something completely different with the turkey, my own 5:2-friendly version of this recipe, but when I couldn't find aubergine in my local shop, I thought of that lone orange pepper, sitting in my fridge, doing nothing and decided to use it instead.

I find that most fast days lately haven't been a chore at all, I don't even feel hungry at the 5 o'clock mark anymore. They turned into completely normal days. Whenever I am on a fast day, my boyfriend (bless him!) tries to be really careful around food when I am near, but I honestly don't mind seeing food that I can't eat. I do find that I can smell food from a greater distance when I am fasting and tell exactly what it is. Odd how your body works, no? I wonder if it my hunter-gatherer instincts kicking in... 

Day 18

Brunch - 136 calories

2 Biltong packets (70 grams) - 136 calories

Dinner - 368 calories

Burguer patty
   - 100 grams of mince (185 calories)
   - 10 grams of Red Onion (5 calories) 
   - 5 grams of Dijon Mustard (11 calories)

1 Slice of Wholemeal Bread - 83 calories
1 Slice of Wafer Thin Smoked Ham - 12 calories
1 Light Laughing Cow Cheese Triangle - 25 calories
15 mls of Ketchup - 18 calories
150 grams of Mushroom - 24 calories
Handful of Salad - 5 calories 

Grand Total - 504 calories 

And how did it go?

A great find today, people: Biltong. Low calories and full of protein, so very filling. My boyfriend and I met his parents for lunch at a pub today and this is what I had, two packets of beef jerky. Yep, beef jerky and diet coke... Happy times!

Anyway, since I had only spent 136 calories on lunch, I could splash out on some bread at dinner. This is another one of Camila's tips and she served the burger on a Portobello mushroom and topped it with an egg-white omelette. Since I didn't have a Portobello mushroom, just loads of small mixed mushrooms, and some calories from lunch to spend, this is what I came up with. Comfort food for this very cold bank holiday.

One thing I do is spend a lot of time at the supermarket looking at labels. With only 500/600 calories on your budget, any 20-30 calories variance can make or break your planned meal. Choose your products and portions wisely and you can have pretty much whatever you want on a fast day.

Day 17

Brunch - 207 calories

1 Itsu Spicy Tuna Maki box - 151 calories
Half a Banana - 56 calories

Dinner - 306 calories

Prawn, Mushroom and Vegetable Summer Rolls 
   - 100 grams of Prawns - bought cooked and peeled (80 calories)
   - 100 grams of Mushrooms (16 calories) 
   - 50 grams of Red Onion - (21 calories)
   - 50 grams of Red Pepper (18 calories)   
   - 50 grams of Spinach (15 calories) 
   - 4 Rice Papers (136 calories) 
   - 1 tablespoon of Light Soya Sauce (8 calories)
   - 5grs of Bouillon Stock (12 calories)

Grand Total - 513 calories (overindulgent!)

Exercise - 60-minute Personal Trainer session

And how did it go?

My first fast day after 3 glorious weeks of being on holiday (Did anyone miss me?), drinking loads of Prosecco and Capirinha and eating tons of food went pretty smoothly. To tell you the truth, while it was good to have a break from the diet and fitness regime, I couldn't wait to get back on it. So I decided to kick thing off again with a simple yet delicious Vietnamese dish that I had never made before (as you can see from the picture, my rolling skills aren't so developed yet).

I had picked up a pack of Rice Paper during a visit to my local Oriental food shop before I went on holiday, figuring it would be a quick, light choice for dinner on a fast day. I cut the red onion into thin, long slices and cooked it on a bit of thick Bouillon stock. I then added the peppers and a bit more stock and after it had reduced a bit I added the mushrooms and poured in a tablespoon of Light Soya Sauce. Since the prawns I bought were already cooked, I chopped and added them at the end, just to warm them up. I also put in half of the spinach for a few seconds and took of the heat before it wilted. I prepared the Rice Papers as per the packet instruction, which is to simply immerse them into warm water for a few seconds. I then transferred them to a plate and did a bad job at rolling the prawn, mushroom and vegetable mix. I should've made them thinner and longer, making it easier to eat with my hands. To serve, I put all 4 rolls onto a plate, used the other half of spinach as a salad and the mixture of stock, cooking juices and soya sauce left on the pan as a dip. It turned out pretty amazing and it took me 20 minutes to make.

A few fast days back, I mention that Camila had suggested that I start cooking the onion on some water instead of using that Fry Light thing that I hate and I have been doing that ever since, but with a bit of stock added to it. This way, you save on calories and season your food at the same time. 

Day 16

Brunch - 211 calories

1 Itsu Spicy Tuna Maki box - 151 calories
Half a pot of Itsu Miso Soup - 60 calories

Dinner - 287 calories

Mushroom Risotto - 
   - 100 grams of Mushrooms (16 calories) 
   - 50 grams of Onions - (21calories)
   - 40 grams of Basmati Rice, uncooked (163 calories)   
   - 13 grams of Parmesan (52 calories)
   - 350mls of Chicken Stock (35 calories)

Grand Total - 498 calories

Exercise - 40 minutes Personal Trainer session

And how did it go?

After declaring my undying love for Itsu and claiming to be able to do all sorts of exercise during a fast day, in comes the universe to prove me wrong! I had a lesson with my great Personal Trainer at lunchtime, which I had to run to after getting stuck at a meeting, which was quite lucky, given that he was hellbent on killing me that day and I only had to drag myself through it for 40 minutes, instead of the usual 60. I didn't feel good, I'll tell you. No nearly fainting or anything, but better not to have any more heavy exercising on an empty stomach! 

The Itsu Tuna Maki set is still a definite favourite, but I wasn't a fan of their Miso Soup. I guess they tried to elaborate on the normal Miso Soup and have added more things to it, but I was not a fan and couldn't finish it.  The bright side is that I had a bit more calories for the evening and was able to add a bit more rice to the recipe. As you can see, the risotto was a big hit and I couldn't wait to repeat it. Must be the Italian genes!

Day 15

Brunch - 260 calories

1 Itsu Spicy Tuna Maki box - 151 calories
1 Itsu Frozen Yogurt with Strawberries - 109 calories

Dinner - 237 calories

Stuffed Mushrooms 
   - 200 grams of Mushrooms (40 calories)   
   - 3 slices of Wafer Thin Ham (30 calories)   
   - 45 grams of Goats Cheese - (157 calories)
   - Salt, Pepper, Chives and Gralic Granules (10 calories)

Grand Total - 497 calories

Exercise - 40 minutes of Boxercise

And how did it go?

I had the inspiration to have stuffed mushrooms from this blog, but I used different ingredients. This is a very quick meal, yet tasty and filling. I preheated the oven and washed the mushrooms and placed them on a baking tray and then seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic granules. I then added the goats cheese and the ham (I used 3 slices, cut in half) and topped it up with Chives. Before putting the tray in the oven, I wrapped it with foil for  the first 5-7 minutes. I then removed the foil and left it to cook for a further 5-7 minutes. 

I am loving Itsu at the moment, it being very 5:2-friendly, and I even managed to squeeze in a tasty little treat, in form of a no-fat frozen yogurt with fruit. Guess what I will be having on my fast days throughout the summer?

Day 14

Brunch - 235 calories

1 Scrambled Egg - 71 calories
1 Scrambled Egg Whites - 17 calories
3 Ryvita Crackerbread  - 57  calories
2 Streaky Bacon Rashers - 90 calories

Dinner - 268 calories

Red Pepper Risotto 
   - 100 grams of Red Pepper (37 calories)   
   - 30 grams of Basmati Rice, uncooked (123 calories)   
   - 50 grams of Onions - (21calories)
   - 13 grams of Parmesan (52 calories)
   - 350mls of Chicken Stock (35 calories)

Grand Total: 503 calories

And how did it go?

I could have sworn that I had Arborio Rice at home, turns out I didn't. Anyone in London today would've forgiven me for refusing to go out again to the shops in this cold weather so, fighting against my very Italian blood, I made this tasty little risotto with Basmati Rice. I didn't turn out as creamy as it would've been with the Arborio Rice and I also didn't have the budget to add the white wine, but nevertheless this dish was a success, even though the portion was on the smaller side. I used Chicken Stock, but for all of you vegetarians out there, this is easily done with Vegetable Stock. I have also given up on the Fry-Light thing and have fried the onion and the pepper with a bit of stock, as per Camila's suggestion.

To be honest with you, I find fasting on a weekend day a bit of a drag but, if you're like me and enjoy a spot of lying-in on the weekends, it has the advantage that you sleep through most (or all) of the morning. I wouldn't choose Saturday or Sunday - or even Friday for that matter - for a fast day if I had a choice, but my weeks have been a bit mad and sometimes I don't manage to find two non-consecutive days to fast from Monday to Thursday. It is a pain in the neck, but it also passes quickly. As with everything about the 5:2 diet, it is a small concession to make to feel better and be healthier.

Day 13

Brunch - 219 calories

Day 10's French Onion Soup - 123 calories
4 Ryvita crackerbread  - 76  calories
1 Extra-Light Laughing Cow Cheese Triangle - 20 calories

Dinner - 275 calories

140 grams of Chicken breast strips - 160 calories
1 teaspoon of Olive Oil (to grill the chicken) - 40 calories
1 Steam Bag of Mixed Vegetables (carrots, peas and sweetcorn) - 75 calories

Grand Total: 494 calories

Exercise - 70 minutes

10k Bike
1.3k Swimming

And how did it go?

Cooking a bigger portion and then freezing half of it for a later day is definitely a good idea. Just be sure that you are deviding the portions right. I have used my kitchen scales for that and I think that it was as accurate as possible. The Bird's Eye Steam Bags are quite convenient, but for 75 calories I could have gotten more vegetables than that if I had prepared them myself. As it was, I got home at 8.30 and needed a quick fix.

Exercise has been a great part of my life since I started on this diet. I have, in a fit of madness, enrolled myself on this year's London Triathlon and this summer I will be competing in the Sprint category, together with my boyfriend. Since I have to train to do the combination of 750m Swim, 20k Bike and 5k Run, I have been going to the gym at least 3 times of week and have been training with a Personal Trainer as well.

Some of my training days fall on my fast days, same don't. For me, it feels like I have more energy when I'm fasting, but I understand that it may not be so for everyone. This was the first time I have gone to the gym after work on a fast day and I was somewhat expecting it to be difficult, but it wasn't. I think it is because I am now quite used to the fasting days and don't feel as hungry anymore, I'm not sure how a trip to the gym this late in the day would have felt in the early days of fasting. So people, it does get better. Just remember to follow your own rhythm when exercising.

Day 12

Brunch - 287 calories

100 grams of Smoked Salmon - 180 calories
1 boiled Egg - 71 calories
1 boiled Egg Whites - 17 calories
1 Ryvita crackerbread  - 19 calories

Dinner - 215 calories

230 grams of Broccoli - 78 calories
20 grams of Stilton - 82 calories
2 teaspoons of Boullion - 20 calories
100 grams of Leeks - 25 calories
10 sprays of Fry Light - 10

Grand Total -  502

And how did it go?

I had been thinking about making this soup for a while and I roughly followed this recipe here. Just a little advice: before adding the Stilton I added some salt, and after I put in the cheese, the soup was too salty, so I had to add more water to the mixture. So be careful with your seasoning. Apart from an annoying headache in the evening, probably caused by the vast amount of salt I had ingested with the soup, this fast day was pretty much smooth sailing. 

Smoked Salmon with Lettuce Wraps

This was my lunch on what was supposed to be a fast day, but then after work I bumped into an old friend that I hadn't seen in ages and we went for dinner. And here's another reason why this diet is so great, you can do this sort of thing without feeling guilty. All you have to do is fast another day.

Smoked Salmon with Lettuce Wraps - 269 calories

100 grams of Smoked Salmon - 180 calories
100 grams of Light Cottage Cheese with Chives and Onion - 75 calories
90 grams of Little Gem Lettuce - 14 calories

Easiest thing to make and take to work. I would change a couple of things, though. I wouldn't use the Cottage Cheese with Chives and Onion again, as I found that it was too strong when combined with the already strong taste of the Smoked Salmon. I would also make a smaller portion of this and team it up with a low-calorie soup instead.

Day 11

Brunch - 155 calories

30 grams of Wild Mushroom Antipasto - 24 calories
Omelette - 131 calories
   - 1 Egg (71 calories)
   - 2 Egg Whites (34 calories)
   - 2 slices of Smoked Ham (24 calories)
   - 2 sprays of Fry Light (2 calories)

Dinner - 347 calories

3 Grilled Lamb, Garlic and Rosemary Chipolatas - 165 calories
50 grams of Petit Pois Peas - 34 calories
50 mls of Beef Gravy - 15 calories
Potato, Carrot and Spring Onion Mash - 133 calories
   - 100 grams of Potatoes (79 calories)
   - 100 grams of Carrots (41 calories)   
   - 1 Spring Onion (5 calories)
   - 15 mls of Milk (8 calories)

Grand Total -  502

And how did it go?

Having gone out on Saturday night and having a little bit too much Prosecco, I woke up on Sunday feeling like having some comfort food. Too bad I was fasting. However, after a mathematical exercise, I managed to come up with a 5:2-friendly recipe for Sausages & Mash. Was it really comfort food? Not reaaally. Do I still want Bangers and Mash? You bet. I am not going to lie to you, it was no substitute for good old pub grub, but it was really delicious, nevertheless. 

After spending approximately 45 minutes looking like a mad woman on the sausage isle at Tesco's, checking every single label while clutching at the calculator on my phone, I ended up picking some Lamb Chipolatas which were alright. For the mash I must admit I was tempted to get something ready-made, but decided to cook it from scratch and it turned out great. As with everything, it would've benefited from a knob of butter. Next time I'm having mash, I'll make sure it is on a feed day.

Day 10

Brunch - 234 calories

3 Ryvita crackerbread - 57 calories
1 boiled Egg - 71 calories
1 boiled Egg Whites - 17 calories
50 grams of Fromage Frais - 23 calories
1 teaspoon of Mustard - 10 calories
Half a Banana - 56 calories

Dinner - 268 calories


1 Slice of Wholemeal Bread - 83 calories
15 grams of Gruyere Cheese - 62 calories
French Onion Soup - 123 calories
   - 150 grams of Onions - (63 calories)
   - 25 sprays of Fry Light (25 calories)
   - 12.5 mls of Red Wine (10 calories)
   - Half a Pot of Beef stock (25 calories)

Grand Total -  502 (naughty again!)

Exercise - 30-minute running session with the Personal Trainer

And how did it go?

I love French Onion Soup and I always make it at home, so I decided to see if I could do a light version of it for dinner and it worked really well. Instead of frying the onions in butter (nham!), I used Fry Light but, having gained know-how from when I cooked the onions for Day 9's Strogonoff, I planned for a lot of it. Turns out that Fry Light is not so great to fry after all. Anyway, this soup is really easy to prepare, but it does take a bit of time, around 40-50 minutes. Again, I have made double the recipe above and kept one portion in the freezer.

Fry the onions - with a lot of Fry Light - on a very low heat for about 20 minutes, constantly stirring so as not to burn them. Ideally, once they are softened, you would crank up the heat and caramelise them, but I didn't feel confident in the Fry Light to do that, so I just added the wine  and after a minute or two, I poured in the stock. After seasoning, I just let it simmer for another 20 minutes or so. In the meantime, I toasted the bread  and after adding the cheese, I finished it off in the oven. Not a lot of cheese in it and only a small slice of brown bread, as opposed to one (or three!) massive crouton, but we are supposed to be fasting here, people!

As for lunch, I have learned that inspiration for the fast days come from sources you would least expect to inspire you in your diet. I have taken the recipe for this egg-mayo deliciousness from a BuzzFeed post. There are a few other 5:2-friendly ideas there, so I might be preparing some of that soon.

As you might have noticed, after a bit more research I have decided to change my meal pattern during the fast days and have abolished both breakfast and snacks and it hasn't been horrible at all. I now eat lunch at around 2pm and dinner at 8pm and then break my fast only at lunchtime the following day. This way, I created longer actual fasting periods, while still continuing to fit the diet around my life and not letting my life be dictated by my diet. I have never been a breakfast person and have now found the perfect excuse to skip it altogether on most days. I still have energy, my mood still hasn't been affected and my skin and body continue to improve. It certainly looks like this 5:2 thing is a keeper!

Day 9

Brunch - 298 calories

100 grams of Honey Roast Ham - 110 calories
36 grams of Sundried Tomatoes (canned, drained) - 55 calories
28 grams of Artichoke Heats  (canned) - 30 calories
2 Ryvita crackerbread  - 38 calories
1 pot of Strawberry Yogurt - 65 calories

Dinner - 200 calories

60 grams of boiled Basmati Rice - 78 calories
Mixed Mushroom Strogonoff - 122 calories
   - 150 grams of Mixed Mushrooms - Portobello, Shitake and Baby Button Mushrooms (24 calories)
   - 50 grams of Onions (21 calories)
   - 100 grams of Fromage Frais (46 calories)
   - 30 grams of Tomato Puree (14 calories)
   - Half teaspoon of Mustard (5 calories)
   - 7 sprays of Fry Light (7 calories)
   - Vegetable stock - (5 calories)

Grand Total - 498 

And how did it go?

Well, let me first get this off my chest: I am such an amazing cook! There, I said it! Seriously, the Mixed Mushroom Strogonoff came out really good, by far the best dinner so far. I had made two portions, as I was again planning on freezing one for a latter fast day (even though I am not completely sure you can freeze Fromage Frais), but my boyfriend asked if he could have a little taste and ended up eating the whole thing. He has even made me promise I'd cook this again.

To prepare the Strogonoff, simply fry - as well as you can with that Fry-Light thing - the onions, add the mushrooms and some stock and season well with salt, pepper and parsley. Throw in the puree and the mustard and let it cook for 5 minutes or so. Finally, turn the heat down and stir in the fromage frais. You might need to adjust the seasoning, as the cream tones it down a bit. And it is done!

Switching to two meals a day has its advantages, so I was able to eat bigger portions when I did get to ingest something. Lunch was dead easy, pretty repetitive of previous days, but this is what you get when you don't prepare the day before. Apart from the lack of meal planning, I was absolutely fine with just the two meals a day and don't foresee any problems to continue with this. 

Day 8

Brunch - 318 calories


1 boiled Egg - 71 calories
1 boiled Egg Whites - 17 calories
2 Extra-Trimmed Smoked Bacon rashers - 70 calories
180 grams of Mushrooms -  25 calories
50 grams of Baked Beans - 35 calories
1 tomato - 15 calories
3 Ryvita crackerbread - 57 calories
1 cup of English Breakfast Tea with semi-skimmed milk - 28 calories

Dinner - 198 calories

300 grams of Covent Garden Leek and Potato Soup - 108 calories
3 Ryvita crackerbread - 57 calories
1 Extra-Light Laughing Cow Cheese Triangle - 20 calories

Grand Total - 503 (naughty!)

And how did it go?

This is the first Weekend Edition and it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. True, I did wake up quite late, so when I had the brunch it was well into the afternoon, so after my 5:2 Full English I wasn't hungry at all until dinner time. Speaking of which, it was by far the bigger meal I had on a fast day and it was delicious. Of course I would've loved to have cooked the mushrooms with butter, but I settled for a bit of stock and some extra seasoning. I would've also loved to have some proper toast, so I guess you can see why I need to be on this diet, right?

A few adjustments, though... Two tomatoes was definitely overkill (I was lured by the low calorie count) and I just couldn't eat both of them and ended up having the Cheese Triangle with dinner, which explains my 3-calorie indulgence. I also can't decide whether the Extra-Trimmed Smoked Bacon rashers are really worth it. They don't taste really bad, but they were quite dry and I am thinking I might have been better off with some Ham slices.  

On another note, I am looking into changing the way I do this 5:2 diet. I am doing some extra research, so stay tuned!