My 11th fastiversary - and how I got my confidence back!

Today is my official 5:2 Fastiversary – eleven years to the day since I first tried intermittent fasting. And I wanted to share some really raw, personal stuff about my last 12 months - and some hard-won lessons that I hope might help you too!

I went to the Royal Pavilion in my home city of Brighton this morning as the weather was sunny for the first time in ages! But only a few months ago, I wouldn’t have posed like this or worn this dress as it was too tight and made me feel so self-conscious… read on to hear why!

My rubbish 2 years - and how I got back on track!

Right now, I’m feeling good. But this time last year, I wasn’t exactly a beacon of body positivity. OK, I was still well within the ‘healthy BMI’ range. I was fitting in my 5k runs, and squeezing into my jeans (just about). But the inner confidence fasting had given me for so long was AWOL.

Where had my confidence gone?

If you are a regular newsletter reader, you’ll know I was grieving my parents and other losses. Plus dealing with ill health issues close to home, not to mention massive work disappointments. Fasting was still part of my routine, once a week, and it saved my vegetarian bacon by helping me stay in reasonable shape.

The fast days were fine but the other days – not so much. Back in 2012, when I’d been at my heaviest (11 stone 7 or 161lbs or 73kg) and least healthy, fasting had been revolutionary. I quickly achieved my goal of breaking through the 10-stone barrier – and I found it easy to eat well and in moderation on non-fasting days. Soon I was down to 9 stone 7 (that’s 60kg or 133 lbs), even less in the summer months. I wrote the book about it - well, six in total. It was my new normal, the best thing I’d ever tried.

And I stayed that way for nearly a decade…

Moderation? What’s that again?

But in the last two years, the stress of caring and grieving made me crave sweet things again. Plus, I think I was so overwhelmed by upset that my ‘off switch’ stopped working on non-fasting days.

My weight crept up. Friends insisted it was barely noticeable, but the lovely clothes I’d made for myself were tight and I felt ashamed.

Then, in January 2023, I was ill for over a month – an ‘old school’ virus that made me eat for comfort. When I recovered, I was approaching 10 stone/63.5kg and that didn’t feel good to me. So I decided to keep fasting but add in a lower-carb veggie approach – something that had worked well for me years ago when I was in my 30s.

When you have to recalibrate…

Nothing happened. Didn’t lose a single pound. Maybe it’s being past the menopause, or due to my stress levels but low-carbing no longer works for me. I lost no weight and felt very light-headed when I tried to run.

Next, I wondered if I could reduce the emotional pressure on myself by accepting that around 10 stone (140lbs or 63.5kg) should be my new ‘comfortable’ weight. It’s in the healthy BMI zone.

But that really didn’t help either. While for many people, it’d be fine, I know what I’m comfortable with. I am pretty short and I don’t carry extra pounds very well.

I also tried the Zoe plan – I loved the science part. But though I’d always guessed that my blood sugar control was RUBBISH, having it confirmed was disheartening. My parents suffered so much with type 2 diabetes, and I feared I was destined to be the same way, despite my decade of careful fasting. The food choices the plan recommended weren’t that tempting (I will share my full review one day soon) though it reinforced what I already knew about increasing diversity in my diet.

The Embarrassment Factor

Some days I felt I’d gone back in time to my days BF: Before Fasting. Out of control, embarrassed by my rounded tummy. Even worse, I was an accidental ‘diet guru’ now, yet I wasn’t where I wanted to be. From the outside, I still looked OK, yet inside I was low.

But the darkest hour comes before dawn. Spring sprung. My grief became less acute and some of my other worries faded a little. I cut down from having a glass of wine four nights a week to two. I started to feel I was taking better care of myself. And I didn’t weigh myself for ages.

June was a month of travel – and temptations. France first, then Greece. All the delicious cheese, patisserie, baklava, and yes, I was also drinking wine most evenings at sunset. I did eat loads of salads and the food was most unprocessed and very fresh. I also walked and swam a lot every day. But even so, I dreaded getting on the scales again when we got home.

Scale Victory…

But to my surprise – I’d actually lost weight. Encouraged by that, for the last 6 weeks I’ve been experimenting with longer fasts, to boost my immunity as well as fat loss: the scientific research on fasting safely has come on so much. On fasting days I’ve extended the time without eating up to 24 hours, and it’s really added to that reset effect (it’s REALLY important to check with a doctor if it’s suitable for you before doing the same, especially if you have acute or chronic health issues).

Within 3 weeks I was back at 9 stone 7 pounds (that’s 60kg or 133 lbs) and I’ve stayed there. But it’s not the numbers on the scale I’m celebrating as much as the way I feel in my favourite clothes, the energy I have, and the confidence it gives me to be the healthiest version of myself again.

I’ve turned a corner, just as I did 11 years ago this month. Sure, 7lbs doesn’t make a huge difference to my health – even before this, I’d maintained 75% of the weight I lost 11 years ago. But I am back to feeling great - happy to have my photo taken by another person again (as opposed to doing a very carefully controlled selfie). Plus the ability to eat well without cravings is wonderful.

So are my lessons from the last year?

Lesson one: Keep flexing your fasting muscles

Make changes and recalibrate if your old plan isn’t working as well. Your body changes over time, and so does the science. Challenge yourself but don’t throw out an approach, like fasting, if it’s worked for you before.

Lesson two: life happens, be kind to yourself…

I’m always honest in my emails and so you may have guessed that I’m not great at cutting myself some slack, even now. But telling yourself you’re rubbish or a failure never helps… try to turn your inner voice into a supportive best mate, rather than a harsh head teacher. It’s no coincidence that I started losing the weight when I went on holiday and relaxed…

Lesson three: allow yourself the pleasure of good food

Diets are a balance – yes, my blood sugar control might predispose me to diabetes. No, it doesn’t mean the odd cake will kill me. Sometimes cake is exactly what I feel like – but the nicer I am to myself, the more I feel like eating the tasty and healthy stuff! When I was in Greece and France, I probably ate more but avoiding processed and focusing on fresh made a big difference.

So, that’s my end of year report. After 11 years, my fasting regime is off to big school – and I reckon I’m back in the top stream… If you’ve found this useful, remember you can always get inspiration from my books and podcasts!

Cocktails & mocktails for celebrations

I’m celebrating my latest novel, Owner of a Lonely Heart, which is published this week in hardback, e-book and audiobook formats.

So it seemed like a great time to share these ideas for celebrations, taken from my Ultimate 5:2 Recipe Book.

People were surprised when I included cocktail recipes in a diet cookbook, but I have always believed that fasting - and in fact all successful lifestyle changes - only work long-term if they make room for enjoyment!

The Fast Day versions are also ideal if you’re taking a break from alcohol, or don’t drink it at all.

Cocktails for everybody

I am a cocktail lover, partly from watching too much Mad Men and partly after discovering so many great cocktail bars when we lived in Barcelona – Brighton, where we now live, doesn’t disappoint on the mixology front either.

To celebrate the 5:2 red-and-green theme (they also happen to be my favourite colours), I focused on red and green cocktails.  The alcohol-free versions mean you can still enjoy a colourful and tempting drink on Fast Days – and the stronger cocktails are perfect for when you’re celebrating reaching a weight loss milestone. Cheers!

Red Drinks

At home, our favourite martini is a Cosmopolitan, made famous by the Sex and the City girls. It’s the drink my partner, Richard, makes when we’re celebrating, or before going out for a big night! Yes, it’s boozy and but there’s a Fast Day version, too.

All measures are 25ml unless otherwise stated.

Richard’s Cosmo

Calories per cocktail: 224

2 measures vodka 112 cals

1 measure triple sec (e.g. Cointreau) 85 cals

squeeze fresh lime juice 2 cals

2 measures cranberry juice 25 cals

(Adjust up for more than one person – or down for less alcohol, but the proportions stay the same!)

orange peel, to garnish

 1.       Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice. Shake well (Richard says the sound changes when you’ve shaken thoroughly to more of a ‘thump’).

2.       Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a strip of orange peel that you’ve ‘flamed’ by holding next to a lit match until the oils spit a little and release their aroma.

 Fast Day: Kate’s Cosmopo-light-an
Calories per mocktail: 23

2 measures light cranberry juice 4 cals

squeeze of fresh lime juice 2 cals

2 measures fresh orange juice or 1 measure fresh orange and 1 measure grapefruit 18 cals or 17 cals

orange peel, to garnish

 1.       Prepare in exactly the same way as a normal Cosmo including the garnish! If you want a little alcohol, 1 measure of vodka is 56 calories.  

 Green Drinks

Our favourite bar when we lived in Barcelona was called Gimlet. It really did make you feel like Don Draper or Joan Harris from Mad Men, with the polished wood bar, the even more polished bar staff and the dreadful silence if you so much as whispered the word Cosmopolitan – any drink invented post-1960 was cocktail-non-grata.

Gimlet: Calories per cocktail: 87

A knockout, although too many will also knock you out.

25ml measure gin (I like Hendrick’s –nothing to do with Christina Hendricks who plays Joan as far as I know) approx. 56 cals
25ml measure lime cordial 31 cals
cocktail cherry, to serve

1.       Shake together with ice. Strain. Serve with a cocktail cherry (green and almost red!).

 Fast Day: Noijito
Calories per mocktail: 30 (or 88 with a 25ml measure of white rum)

Just like a Mojito. But without the sugar, or the alcohol (well, you can have some if you insist). I don’t often use sweetener but this is a tiny quantity. Or use half a teaspoon of sugar, dissolved in a tablespoon of hot water, then cooled and added to the soda water.

½ teaspoon sweetener 5 cals
1 lime, quartered, plus extra to garnish 20 cals
8 mint leaves, plus extra to garnish 5 cals
crushed ice 
25ml white rum e.g. Bacardi (optional) 58 cals
300ml soda water

1.       Pound the sweetener, lime quarters and half the mint in a pestle and mortar to release some of the flavours.

2.       Place crushed ice in a tall glass, to a quarter of the height. Add the muddled fruits and whole mint leaves and the rum, if using. Top with more ice, then fill to the top with soda water.  Garnish with slice of lime and a mint leaf.

Other lower-Calorie Alcohol Choices

• Dry sparkling wines like Champagne and cava are among the lowest (90–100 cals per 125ml) – or choose a spirit with a low-calorie mixer.

• A small glass (125ml) of red wine is 85 calories and of white wine 83.

Sweet drinks, like liqueurs (and especially the cream-based ones) contain extra sugar on top of the sugar in the alcohol, and alco-pops are often ultra-sweet to suit people who aren’t that keen on the taste of alcohol. You can wean yourself off the sweeter drinks if you want to; our taste buds are very adaptable. Remember when you first tasted alcohol? Chances are you hated the taste, but it grew on you . . .

Coconut Vegetable Curry

Sri Lankan inspired Coconut Vegetable Curry

Vegetarian/vegan/gluten free

I recently recovered from Covid-19 and since then, I’ve been craving lighter and full-flavoured food, so I started with one of my favourites, inspired by my first ever trip to Asia. I loved Sri Lanka – and even though I’m not really a big coconut fan, I loved the sweet-sour taste of their veggie dishes, which comes from coconut milk. This simple dish is always a winner.

Don’t worry if you don’t have the tamarind or the curry leaves. You can also leave out the desiccated coconut, but the coconut milk is pretty essential for this delicious dish.  Choose a rainbow of seasonal vegetables for a beautiful bowlful!

Makes 2 servings

Calories per serving: 240–265

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 13 minutes

1 tsp coconut OR olive oil 45 cals

1 tsp black mustard seeds 5 cals

1 tsp turmeric 5 cals

few black peppercorns

1 red onion, chopped 38 cals

½–1 small, hot red chilli, seeded, finely chopped 2–4 cals

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 8 cals

1–2cm-piece ginger, peeled and grated, to taste 3–4 cals

400g mixed vegetables, diced or chopped into equal-size pieces, including 80g baby aubergines 16 cals, 150g mixed butternut squash and sweet potato 92 cals, 1 medium courgette 34 cals, 1 red pepper 30 cals (150–200 cals in total)

Optional: 10g desiccated coconut, plus a little extra for serving 62 cals

1 tsp tamarind paste 7 cals or juice of ½ lime 10 cals

80ml coconut milk made up to 200ml with cold water 140 cals

100g Chinese cabbage, pak choi, or other greens 17 cals

Optional: 4 dried curry leaves, a few fresh coriander leaves, chopped to garnish

1.     Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute till they pop slightly. Reduce the heat and add the onion, chilli, garlic, ginger, turmeric, peppercorns and fry gently for 2 minutes.

2.     Add the chopped vegetables and desiccated coconut if using, and fry for 2 more minutes. Add the curry leaves, tamarind paste and coconut milk and water mixture and, bring to a simmer. Let it cook for 6 minutes.

3.     Add the Chinese cabbage or greens and cook for a further 2 minutes.

4.     Serve sprinkled with the reserved coconut and chopped coriander. Delicious served with 50g basmati or jasmine rice per person (dry weight: 166-175 calories per serving).

More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen For more protein, add tofu, cooked prawns or cooked chicken at the same stage as the coconut milk.

To freeze Simply allow the second portion to cool before freezing in an airtight plastic container. Defrost the curry before reheating in a pan or the microwave. 

For more delicious, healthy recipes like this, read my book,

5:2 Good Food Kitchen

Rarebit mushrooms - gorgeous supper dish, 280 calories

Portobello Mushroom Rarebit with Oven-Baked Tomatoes

280 calories, 16g protein, 2 portions of veg

This is a delicious dish for suppertime - or anytime. The rarebit mix keeps in the fridge in a covered container for up to two days, so you can use it on anything else you fancy. It’s great directly on toast or on top of a pre-cooked fillet of smoked fish, like haddock, finished off under the grill. Also great on sourdough served with the Cauliflower & Mustard soup.

Serves 4 as a main

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 14– 18 minutes

8 medium portobello mushrooms (around 50g each)

400g cherry or baby plum tomatoes

1 tsp oil

For the rarebit mix:

2 eggs

80g mature Lancashire cheese, finely crumbled or grated

2 tbsp stout or semi-skimmed milk

2 tsp English mustard

1 small red onion, finely chopped

To serve:

4 x 50g slices sourdough or gluten-free bread

50g rocket or dark leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas mark 6. Wipe the mushrooms and remove very woody stalks. Halve the cherry tomatoes and place cut side up in an ovenproof dish, then put the mushrooms on top, gill-side up. Brush with a little oil and bake till the mushrooms have just softened (the biggest mushrooms may take a little longer), around 8–10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the rarebit mix. Beat the eggs with a fork in a small bowl. Add the cheese followed by the stout/milk, mustard and onion and mix well. Season well.

3. Spoon the egg mixture on top of the mushrooms (if they’ve released a lot of liquid, pour this off the baking tray first). Place back in the oven for 6–8 minutes, until the cheese mixture puffs up and browns, but don’t let it burn.

4. Toast the bread and serve the mushrooms on top, garnished with the salad leaves. VARIATION: You could use pesto instead of mustard (1 tsp of shop-bought pesto is around 23 calories, depending on the brand).

From: The Dirty Diet: Ditch the guilt, love your food

The BEST egg-fried cauliflower rice (182 calories)

I don’t know how many calories cauliflower rice has saved 5:2 fasting people since we first posted a recipe in the Facebook group, but it must run into the millions. It’s very easy and makes a great replacement for rice or couscous: lighter, lower in calories, and you are getting a portion of vegetables. And the egg-fried version is just so tasty.

Quick everyday cauliflower rice

Serves 2

Calories per serving: 25

Preparation and cooking time: 5­–10 minutes

 200g cauliflower florets 50 cals

salt and pepper

1. Grate or finely chop cauliflower florets until they resemble rice grains. The fastest way to do this is to pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor, which gives a finer texture.

2. Place the cauliflower into a loosely covered microwaveable dish. Don't add water: there’s already enough in the cauliflower to stop it drying out. Place in the microwave and cook on full power for 2 minutes. If you are only cooking one portion, reduce the time to 60 seconds.

3. Or you can stir-fry the grated cauliflower. Add a splash of water to or spray a saucepan with 1-cal cooking spray to prevent it from sticking and set over a high heat. When hot, add the cauliflower and fry for 2–3 minutes, or until softened. If you are using spray, the rice may caramelise a little, adding a nutty flavour.

4. Season and serve alongside curries, stews and other main dishes.

More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen I like to add herbs or spices to the mixture when I process it or during cooking. You could try cumin, ginger, fresh chillis or dried chilli flakes or fresh herbs like parsley or basil.

You can freeze individual portions, too, which generally won’t take much longer to re-heat than fresh.

Recipe from 5:2 Good Food Kitchen - packed with 80 delicious recipes, inspiring real-life stories PLUS tips for healthy, fast cooking.

Egg-fried Cauliflower Rice, 182 cals

This is the more souped up version of cauli rice that makes a great main meal or side dish. It’s infinitely variable, depending on what you’ve got in the fridge or spice rack.

Serves 1 as a main course/2 as a side dish

Calories per serving: 182 for 1 main course servings, 91 cals as a side dish for 2

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 8-10 minutes

½ medium cauliflower, around 200g of florets  (50 calories)

½  teaspoon coconut or sesame oil, 22

½  teaspoon whole or ground spices e.g. garam masala, five-spice, cumin or spice paste, 3-10

 2 medium spring onions, finely chopped, 4, or ½ an onion, 19

150g vegetables e.g. sliced mushrooms, chopped pepper or carrot, frozen or fresh peas, 25-50 calories

1 medium egg, 78 cals

Optional: ½ small chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped 2-4

Splash of soy sauce, tamari or sweet chilli sauce

1.      Prepare the cauliflower as for the basic rice above.

2.      Heat half the oil in the largest frying pan or wok you have. Add the spices, onion and vegetables and cook over a high heat for 2 minutes.

3.      Add the cauliflower and the other half of the oil: cook for 2 more minutes and allow the ‘rice’ and vegetables to brown but move in the pan before they burn.

4.      Beat the egg. Lower the heat in the pan slightly, move the vegetables to one side of the pan and pour in the egg into the other half. Stir as they scramble, for 1-2 minutes.

5.      Mix the eggs and ‘rice’ together in the pan then serve. Add a splash of soy, tamari or chilli sauce to serve.

 More ideas from the 5:2 Kitchen: add chopped cashew or peanuts in place of the eggs plus some cubed tofu for a vegan version. A splash of coconut milk at the end of cooking is yummy too.