5 and 2 diet.

kneemos

Anybody tried this or got recommendations for the fasting days?

danlen

Is this just basically a form of IF where you fast for 2 days per week and eat for 5?

IF can be a very useful tool, depending on the individual and their goal. I have use a daily 16/8 (basically like Leangains) approach before and worked well on it. I've also used (and still am) a one 24hr fast per week which is also good for me.

I basically just eat normally Mon, Tues, Wedns, last meal on Wedns is at about 10pm, then don't eat until 10pm Thurs. I find it pretty easy to maintain and just make sure it coincides with a rest day. I'd prob have a couple of black coffees during the day.

Really though, this is an individual thing I think. Feel free to experiment with the different types of IF, as well as no fasting at all, and see what you a) get the best results with, and b) fits into your life without any hassle. If something works, great, keep with it. If not, ditch it and move on.

Ant11

Theres an IF thread here if want to gave a read.

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056608229?page=14#post_80992818

Another one here

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056738005?page=5#post_80701265

kneemos

I eat healthily and take a fair amount of exercise but could still lose a stone,middle age spread or whatever.I saw the documentary on this and I've read of people get good results from it.I think your meant to eat about 600 calories on your the fast days and was curious as to what would add up to 600 calories.

Ant11

kneemos wrote: »

I eat healthily and take a fair amount of exercise but could still lose a stone,middle age spread or whatever.I saw the documentary on this and I've read of people get good results from it.I think your meant to eat about 600 calories on your the fast days and was curious as to what would add up to 600 calories.

I suppose the 600 cal meal would be a personal choice. I do 16/8 and have never tried the 600 cal fast day but if I were to do it I reckon I'd have a lot of meat to keep me full for the day.

kneemos

Ant11 wrote: »

I suppose the 600 cal meal would be a personal choice. I do 16/8 and have never tried the 600 cal fast day but if I were to do it I reckon I'd have a lot of meat to keep me full for the day.

Don't think I could do a complete fast.The guy that made the documentary was on Marion Finucan on Radio 1 this morning and he reckoned 600 calories,so I presume porridge,fruit+veg,chicken or fish in small amounts.

Ant11

kneemos wrote: »

Don't think I could do a complete fast.The guy that made the documentary was on Marion Finucan on Radio 1 this morning and he reckoned 600 calories,so I presume porridge,fruit+veg,chicken or fish in small amounts.

You'd be better off just trying it for a week or 2 and see how you go. Everyone has different preferences to doing IF.

g'em

I've been doing 5:2 for about 5/6 weeks now, as has my partner. We usually fast on Monday and Thursday and eat lunch (salad with chicken) and dinner (omelette). I invariably have a sweet tooth in the evening so I have a small stash of cola cubes and have one after dinner (if anyone wants to berate me for a 25 calorie hard candy sweet then work away). We run three times a week, usually on fast days, and would often walk a fair bit at the weekend.

So far he's lost just under a stone and I've lost half a stone. The 5:2 looked good for us because he has a history or CVD in his family and we wanted to address that as well as his weight. I tagged along for support and it's done me a lot of good - a dress size down so far and with a wedding to prepare for next year that's a very good thing

On fast days we would find ourselves inadvertently fasting from 7pm the previous day until 12.30/1pm so I guess that's something along the lines of IF anyway? I've become less fond of breakfast recently and would often fast until lunch on a normal day anyway.

For us it's easy, very manageable and we eat well on regular days. We'd often go out for food at weekends but there's a heck of a lot less food guilt about eating a good meal when we know we'll be fasting soon.

All in all I like it as a lifestyle choice

BlueIsland

so what ya do is fast twice a week? any particular timeframe for the fasts? where could ya read up about it?

g'em

BlueIsland wrote: »

so what ya do is fast twice a week?

Yup, I get 500 cals/day, he gets 600.

BlueIsland wrote:

any particular timeframe for the fasts?

24 hours.

BlueIsland wrote:

where could ya read up about it?

l'Internet

It was documented recently on the BBC Horizon show and it's really as simple as it sounds. Article from the Telegraph here.

colman1212

Eat healthily monday to friday.
Drink heavily friday and saturday night so that you are too sick to eat all weekend. probably a lot of people following this template without realising it. lol

BlueIsland

g'em wrote: »

Yup, I get 500 cals/day, he gets 600.

24 hours.
l'Internet

It was documented recently on the BBC Horizon show and it's really as simple as it sounds. Article from the Telegraph here.

thanks ill have a gander!

Chancer3001

go to leangains.com for a read up on it. The guy there is very big into it

kneemos

I've been giving it a go today and although I'm certainly hungry and slightly light headed I didn't find it "that" difficult,might give it a go for a month or two to see what happens.

BlueIsland

g'em wrote: »

I've been doing 5:2 for about 5/6 weeks now, as has my partner. We usually fast on Monday and Thursday and eat lunch (salad with chicken) and dinner (omelette). I invariably have a sweet tooth in the evening so I have a small stash of cola cubes and have one after dinner (if anyone wants to berate me for a 25 calorie hard candy sweet then work away). We run three times a week, usually on fast days, and would often walk a fair bit at the weekend.

So far he's lost just under a stone and I've lost half a stone. The 5:2 looked good for us because he has a history or CVD in his family and we wanted to address that as well as his weight. I tagged along for support and it's done me a lot of good - a dress size down so far and with a wedding to prepare for next year that's a very good thing

On fast days we would find ourselves inadvertently fasting from 7pm the previous day until 12.30/1pm so I guess that's something along the lines of IF anyway? I've become less fond of breakfast recently and would often fast until lunch on a normal day anyway.

For us it's easy, very manageable and we eat well on regular days. We'd often go out for food at weekends but there's a heck of a lot less food guilt about eating a good meal when we know we'll be fasting soon.

All in all I like it as a lifestyle choice

Started today. Stopped eating last night at 11pm (as in it was the last thing that I ate, not that i was eating for a day solid or anything). Dont like eating in mornings myself so its grand for me. so its 600 calories for me until 10pm tonight? wont exactly be wanting to eat at 10 tonight so would that turn into a 36 hour fast if I dont? Should i eat then or leave it?This may be nitpicking but Id really like to do it right. what you think Gem considering you been doing it 5-6 weeks?

g'em

The 'diet' hasn't really been written up anywhere really so the guidelines are simply 600 cals in a day, the time of day is up to you and what you're happy with. How do you figure the 36 hour fast?

Stench Blossoms

G'em would you ever do any weight training during your fast days or it is just the runs?

BlueIsland

g'em wrote: »

The 'diet' hasn't really been written up anywhere really so the guidelines are simply 600 cals in a day, the time of day is up to you and what you're happy with. How do you figure the 36 hour fast?

Feck im doubting my maths now... 11pm Wednesday to breakfast 11 pm friday - 36 hours. so i fast from 11pm wed-11pm thursday... "feeding" should start from the 11pm Thursday but i prob wont want to eat that late so will wait until the next morning. So technically fasting for 36 hours. hope thats right.

Yeh it seems fairly vague but it just sounds like ti is actually made for me and the way i like to eat. hopefully somebody doesnt come out with a study now that shows its a load of balls for your health

hollypink

I'm debating whether to try this but I have to admit the thoughts of being hungry (and consequently grumpy and unable to think of anything but food) on the fast days puts me off I also saw a post from El Dangeroso on this thread suggesting that IF may not suit women as well as men so it's interesting that g'em is having success with it.

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Be careful if IF-ing if you are a woman. Seems to suit men way better. Women have reported increased belly fat, disturbed menstrual cycles and in my own case, bouts of rather unpleasant hypoglycaemia.

Bear in mind all research done to date has been done on men. Women do operate differently when it comes to fasting it would seem.

g'em

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

G'em would you ever do any weight training during your fast days or it is just the runs?

Not at the moment no, if I was to start training again I'd have to up my calories on my eating days.

BlueIsland wrote: »

Feck im doubting my maths now... 11pm Wednesday to breakfast 11 pm friday - 36 hours. so i fast from 11pm wed-11pm thursday... "feeding" should start from the 11pm Thursday but i prob wont want to eat that late so will wait until the next morning. So technically fasting for 36 hours. hope thats right.

36 hour proper fasting would be way too long wouldn't it? If you stopped eating at 11pm Wednesday, ate 600 calories between 11pm Wed - 11pm Thursday you'd go to bed and eat a regular breakfast Friday. Am I missing the point entirely here?

g'em

hollypink wrote: »

I'm debating whether to try this but I have to admit the thoughts of being hungry (and consequently grumpy and unable to think of anything but food) on the fast days puts me off I also saw a post from El Dangeroso on this thread suggesting that IF may not suit women as well as men so it's interesting that g'em is having success with it.

See I don't even see the fast days as starving days, I have a hyoooge green salad at lunch with chicken and a fairly big omelette for dinner. Piece of fruit to snack on between that and I'm sorted

Definitely haven't seen an increase in belly fat, the opposite and my periods are on track (much to himself's chagrin ). I probably do get a bit grumpy on some fast days but I can be grumpy at the best of times regardless. The better sense of well-being from having lost a bit of weight and feeling good makes up for it

BlueIsland

g'em wrote: »

Not at the moment no, if I was to start training again I'd have to up my calories on my eating days.


36 hour proper fasting would be way too long wouldn't it? If you stopped eating at 11pm Wednesday, ate 600 calories between 11pm Wed - 11pm Thursday you'd go to bed and eat a regular breakfast Friday. Am I missing the point entirely here?

If you dont eat at 11pm on the Thursday and just go to bed and not eat till the Friday morning will you not still be in fasting mode? (as in just consumed 600 cals in a 36 hour period)

Stench Blossoms

g'em wrote: »

Not at the moment no, if I was to start training again I'd have to up my calories on my eating days.


36 hour proper fasting would be way too long wouldn't it? If you stopped eating at 11pm Wednesday, ate 600 calories between 11pm Wed - 11pm Thursday you'd go to bed and eat a regular breakfast Friday. Am I missing the point entirely here?

I think I'd like to give this a go but I'd be kinda wary of fasting on my training days in case I got light headed etc.

Maybe I'll try fasting on non training days. Not sure if that would be wise though.

Orla K

I'm very sceptical about it. It started out as a longevity thing but I think that was disproven.

All I can see it as is another method to reducing calories but I don't know why anyone would want to eat so little for the day.

Chancer3001

Have you been to leangains.com yet?

Thats pretty much where it comes from afaik.

Been doing it about 3 months myself. Go there and read all the literature.

BlueIsland

Orla K wrote: »

I'm very sceptical about it. It started out as a longevity thing but I think that was disproven.

All I can see it as is another method to reducing calories but I don't know why anyone would want to eat so little for the day.

Isint this what most eating plans are- to shed pounds?

Orla K

BlueIsland wrote: »

Isint this what most eating plans are- to shed pounds?

Yeah that's what I mean, I can't see anything special about this and I'd rather eat good meals with enough protein than eat just a small meal.

BlueIsland

Orla K wrote: »

Yeah that's what I mean, I can't see anything special about this and I'd rather eat good meals with enough protein than eat just a small meal.

think myself it appeals as an idea to a specific type of eater.

Chancer3001

orla you can eat good meals. You can eat during the 5-8 hour window. Eat piles of protein.

Orla K

Chancer3001 wrote: »

orla you can eat good meals. You can eat during the 5-8 hour window. Eat piles of protein.

I'm talking more about the 5-2 one more than the 16-8 one which seems a lot more reasonable (although it doesn't suit me)

kneemos

Orla K wrote: »

Yeah that's what I mean, I can't see anything special about this and I'd rather eat good meals with enough protein than eat just a small meal.

It's being able to anything you like every other day is what I think appeals to people.I did it yesterday,it's certainly a shock but very doable.

trishasaffron

The 5 and 2 sounds like what I used to do most days when I was working in city - or maybe I've got it wrong.

So e.g. dinner on Thur finished at 6.30pm - have small breakfast (e.g. natural yoghurt and prunes), small lunch (e.g. poached egg on toast) and then dinner at 6.30pm Friday - that it?

If that's it I can't say it does much for me. I was so hungry I'd eat like a horse - didn't put on weight but didn't lose any either. Now I'm at home more I have 3 balanced meals and clothes a little looser - don't think I've lost any weight though.

Hailhail1967

Only starting to read abut this now, I must say some of the studies are interesting, I might give it a go just to see what it feels like.

If I eat at 7pm friday, then eat 600 kcals on saturday breakfast, I'm eating again at 7pm saturday? Is that right, seems a tad easy to be called fasting to be honest.

greendom

Hailhail1967 wrote: »

Only starting to read abut this now, I must say some of the studies are interesting, I might give it a go just to see what it feels like.

If I eat at 7pm friday, then eat 600 kcals on saturday breakfast, I'm eating again at 7pm saturday? Is that right, seems a tad easy to be called fasting to be honest.

Saw the Horizon programme and thought it was fascinating. I have no interest in losing weight, but very keen on switching off the cell growth trigger and switching on the cell repair one. I don't suppose there's been enough research yet into the minimum fasting period to enable this to be triggered ? Also does anyone know if there's been any books on the subject yet? Diets to follow, best ways to incorporate it into a working life ?

Hailhail1967

^^^ I doubt there has been, seen as allot of the research has been animal research so far. I haven't delved into any research to see whats out there now but might make an effort over the weekend.

I know people have been intermittent fasting for ages but its interesting that they are finding new angles all the same.

tommyboy2222

greendom wrote: »

Saw the Horizon programme and thought it was fascinating. I have no interest in losing weight, but very keen on switching off the cell growth trigger and switching on the cell repair one. I don't suppose there's been enough research yet into the minimum fasting period to enable this to be triggered ? Also does anyone know if there's been any books on the subject yet? Diets to follow, best ways to incorporate it into a working life ?

Eat Stop Eat and Leangains are quite popular.

kimokanto

I have read this thread with interest as I have been trying the 5:2 diet for 5/6 weeks now. The horizon documentary convinced me on a number of different levels. I found the evolutionary argument convincing ie in an evolutionary time-frame we have gone (very quickly)from being routinely hungry & foraging for what we can get-to a time of plenty, with high cal high fat & high protein options readily available. Also the blood test analysis in the documentary regarding quantifiable changes was convincing. My own experience has been that I find the fast days easier as I go along & plan fast day meals better. I have a job which doesn't involve much calories being burned so fast days coincide with work days. Rest days are subsequently all the nicer !:) I was heading towards being slightly overweight & have slightly reversed this. I plan to start training again & will be interested to see the changes then. All in all a positive exprience, including a new view on food as I am moving away from over eating on non-fast days and really appreciating food.

kneemos

Definitely the same experience as yourself Kimokanto,I've lost a bit of weight since I started a couple of months ago.I don't weigh myself so I don't know how much but I wasn't much overweight to start with just developing a bit of a paunch. The fast days do get easier,the only problem I have is an interesting diet with rix hundred calories,I seem to be stuck on chicken,eggs and salad.

Frank Bullitt

Bit of a bump on this.

Am I reading it right that you take it as a day by day basis? so Say on Monday you eat normal, then on the Tuesday you would eat your limited calories (600 etc)?

banbhaaifric

They have a website now which has loads of useful info. The gist is to have two non consecutive fasting days per week and then eat normally the other days. In order to get the full benefit of the fast I think it runs from when you go to bed the night before until you wake up the day after. You then have a 32 hour block but are asleep for 16 hours of it. The danger of going say from 6pm to 6pm is that you manage to fit in a full meal at the beginning an end of it and so don't get the extended fasting time.

The other good advice is to take your measurements (waist, neck, hips, body fat and muscle percentages etc) and watch those numbers and your shape change rather than focus on weight alone.

Good luck! Am just starting out myself. Day 1 tomorrow :0