Hi Fi
That sounds good. Yes feeling fuller for longer is important.
The 5:2 diet says 500 calories for women and 600 for men on fast days, but you can go over that slightly, wihotu being too rigid.
Some days I’ve decided to have a low calorie day, instead, where i consume no more than 700 calories and I often still lose the 1lb per fast day, which is good.
Thinking off the top of my head- One tip is keep yourself occupied as the more you think about food, the hungrier you can feel and of course as diets are all about food then it’s going to be on your mind. Another piece of advice is to eat more slowly, as this tells your gut you are full.
Eating chunks of vegetables with skins on takes longer for the body to digest, so you feel fuller. Green veg have considerably fewer calories, so lots of lettuce, spinach and kale etc. will fill you up. grating raw veg including squash and sweet potato for salads also helps. crunchy veg is more filling than cooked soft veg.
Sweet potatoes. Beans, lentils and peas and chickpeas added to salads.
Porridge oats and Chia seeds are good bulkers especially if added to smoothies. Raw, unblanched almonds and hazelnuts are a good snack, as the body only consumes half of their calories.
Soup and water fill you up, as does redbush, green tea. My favourites are Green tea with peach and cherry blossom and Rooibos with vanilla.
Apparently cinnamon helps feeling fuller for longer; Greek yoghurt or Kefir especially if you add uncooked oats, blueberries and raspberries; avocados or apples with cinnamon and a little honey.
Although snacking is discouraged in the clever guts diet book, if you’re out and about, almonds plus some dried apricots is a great go-to emergency snack to stop those cake/ pastry cravings.
If you are tired, you tend to crave sweet things.
Eat your evening meal early, so that you are fasting between 7pm – 7am or 8pm – 8am helps, too.
You may know some of this already, but I hope this helps.
Madeleine