The Fast Diet 5:2

OrangeVarnish

Has anyone done this before?? I'm thinking of trying it - I have heard someone at work say its good and they recommend it but I'm just looking for more opinions??

Basically its where on two days of the week (you chose them) that you eat only 500 calories - no more. The other five days, you eat as you like, but healthy! Obviously I plan on doing exercise and stuff too, but just wondering what people think??

MrStuffins

If you find out your metabolic rate and eat under that every day, you will lose weight.

If you eat 500 cals under your break even point every day, you'll lose 1lb.

No need for starving yourself 2 days a week.

OrangeVarnish

MrStuffins wrote: »

If you find out your metabolic rate and eat under that every day, you will lose weight.

If you eat 500 cals under your break even point every day, you'll lose 1lb.

No need for starving yourself 2 days a week.

And how do you work that out???

Well Mr s, some people find this easier to do only worrying about diet twice a week instead of every day. Some people also report feeling a lot more clear headed. It's also sustainable longer term if you want to.
I did it for about a month and thought it was great. I'm too scattered lately to organise doing it properly now but do give it a go OP for a few weeks or a month and see if you like it.
It's certainly good for breaking the 'I'm hungry I want to eat NOW' link and seeing your appetite doesn't necessarily build and build
do make sure to eat properly on fast days, veg and protein included, not 'low fat' rubbish

Wibbs

Plus the fasting itself causes positive changes in the body over and above simple daily calorie deficit. The theory is that the body goes into "repair mode" when hit with a fasting period.

pwurple

My husband does this, but I didn't think it was recommended for women for some reason. I'll go looking for evidence.

Happyman42

Any links to details?

LeinsterDub

bluewolf wrote: »

I did it for about a month and thought it was great. I'm too scattered lately to organise doing it properly now but do give it a go OP for a few weeks or a month and see if you like it.

So like all fad diets a long term failure. As suggested above determine your bmr and make small realistic changes.

LeinsterDub

LeinsterDub wrote: »

So like all fad diets a long term failure. As suggested above determine your bmr and make small realistic changes.

It's not a fad or a failure It takes organisation to do just like any "small changes"

LeinsterDub

bluewolf wrote: »

It's not a fad or a failure It takes organisation to do just like any "small changes"

If I was doing it and had to stop after 1 month I would consider that a failure. The fact it doesn't fit with your life long term suggests it will end up failing at some stage you can't keep it up forever. Small changes don't really required organisation. When I lost weight I just used my fitness pal and made the healthier choice

LeinsterDub

LeinsterDub wrote: »

If I was doing it and had to stop after 1 month I would consider that a failure. The fact it doesn't fit with your life long term suggests it will end up failing at some stage you can't keep it up forever. Small changes don't really required organisation. When I lost weight I just used my fitness pal and made the healthier choice

I didn't "have to" stop after 1 month, I chose to for various reasons.
Different things work for different people - if this works for some in the longer term but not for you, it doesn't make it invalid

pwurple

My husband has been doing it for just over a year. I don't think this one is as faddie as some others. It's the equivalent of Fasting on Friday which various cultures do . He returned from overweight BMI to a normal range BMI with 5:2, and then maintained it with 6:1.

Whispered

With the fast days, is 500 really very little. I mean are we talking 2 glasses of juice here for example.

Also, can anyone explain why some people advise not to under eat, because it causes your body to cling to calories when you do eat them then, but this seems to work.

Are the 2 days supposed to be done together?

Stench Blossoms

Whispered wrote: »

With the fast days, is 500 really very little. I mean are we talking 2 glasses of juice here for example.

Also, can anyone explain why some people advise not to under eat, because it causes your body to cling to calories when you do eat them then, but this seems to work.

Are the 2 days supposed to be done together?

People are advised not to under eat over long periods of time.

The two days are separate.

If you plan on doing it you should probably eat 500calories of quality food rather than 2 glasses of juice.

Jerrica

pwurple wrote: »

My husband does this, but I didn't think it was recommended for women for some reason. I'll go looking for evidence.

There are rumblings about intermittent fasting (not necessarily the same thing as 5:2) having adverse affects on women's fertility but to date nothing has been proven.

We fast every day, or night to be more specific. If you don't eat before bed after a 7pm dinner you can easily do a 12 hour fast before you wake for breakfast the next day. If you eat a small bowl of porridge and an evening meal on your fast/ 2 day then you're not fasting any longer than usual.

I've been doing it for a few months now (along with exercising 3 times a week initially, now 5 times a week) and I feel better than I have done in years. I've lost weight, I sleep well, I eat very little junk and it's perfectly easy to fit into my normal routine. 500 calories goes a long way with the right foods - a huge green salad will come in under 100 calories, throw in some diced chicken and you have a lovely dinner.

Dravokivich

Whispered wrote: »

With the fast days, is 500 really very little. I mean are we talking 2 glasses of juice here for example.

Also, can anyone explain why some people advise not to under eat, because it causes your body to cling to calories when you do eat them then, but this seems to work.

Are the 2 days supposed to be done together?

It's not that the body clings to calories, starvation mode is nothing more than scaremongering. The problem is that it's easier for your body to break down muscle when it requires energy, than to break down fat. This is why Bluewolf mentioned proteins earlier which will aid in maintaining muscle, along with other references to make sure the days feeding are with healthy nutritious foods.

SunnyDub1

Don't get how this works for anyone...

If I went a day eating only 500cals, this would most likely cause me to binge and indulge the following day and possibly the day after the following, eating anything from 3,000 up wards. Causing the high possibility of gaining weight as appose to losing it.
I wouldn't be able to work out/exercise with only 500cals in my body.
I need a cals each day for energy! I also don't sleep well when I'm hungry, and when I am tired I tend to eat more.

What's wrong with just eating your required cals, healthy and balanced diet 7 days a week and allowing a treat once in a while....

Each to their own I suppose!

Little Acorn

There is a bbc3 documentary presented by Doctor Michael Mosley called
"Eat fast and live longer". It is all about this intermittent fasting.

I can't find it on youtube but here is a link to the documentary:
http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=watch%20bbc%20eat%20fast%20and%20live%20longer&source=video&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CDkQtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.disclose.tv%2Faction%2Fviewvideo%2F110651%2FBBC_Horizon_2012_Eat_Fast_and_Live_Longer%2F&ei=kB8iUZu8JsSphAestYC4Bw&usg=AFQjCNEQfZfqUF4odYh7ldUBGf_UjI-mRQ

BBC also have some other good health related documentaries that are very interesting such as,
- the truth about exercise
-why are thin people not fat?
- the truth about your 5 a day

there is also a 6 part thing called the truth about food:http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=bbc%20the%20truth%20about%20food&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDkQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fsn%2Fhumanbody%2Ftruthaboutfood%2Fflashapp%2Fnonflash.shtml&ei=0CAiUfHRDJCJhQfgtIHYDw&usg=AFQjCNG5Iorf0gQshz0O0ISnUGnLTt1tqQ&bvm=bv.42553238,d.ZG4

username123

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

If I went a day eating only 500cals, this would most likely cause me to binge and indulge the following day and possibly the day after the following, eating anything from 3,000 up wards. Causing the high possibility of gaining weight as appose to losing it.
I wouldn't be able to work out/exercise with only 500cals in my body.

I've done this on and off for a while, not for dieting but for revitalisation.

You don't get extra hungry at all the next day, hunger doesn't store up as it were, you just eat normally the next day.

I always exercise on an empty stomach so that's not an issue for me at all.

I found I slept a lot better doing it, was far more inclined to think about what I was eating on the 5 days and felt mentally sharper overall. I did lose a few lb, but I tend to go up and down anyway so nothing major.

It was a man in his 80s gave me the idea, he reckoned he needed every bit of help he could get to feel revitalised!!

I can sometimes suffer with ibs and found this helped, having such small portions on the 500 cal days gave my stomach a rest if I was in a flare up. Must get back into it, I gave up during the very cold weather as I craved more calories.

MrStuffins

OrangeVarnish wrote: »

And how do you work that out???

1lb of fat = 3500cals.

7 days in a week.

500 cals a day x 7 = 3500cals.

You lose 1lb.

It works the best way IMO because, you can do it by making small sustainable changes in your diet and at no point do you ever have to feel hungry or like you are on a diet.

I started doing it last May and I am now 3 stone lighter.

I'm not sayign this 5:2 buiness doesn't work, I bet it does and a couple of weeks back I was considering testing it out, i'm just saying that it's probably not something you want to be doing for a really long period of time. At least, suffering for 2 days a week for, say, a year, doesn't sound very appealing when you can get the same results whilst also making small beneficial changes to your diet and not suffering at all.

MrStuffins

By the way, i'm guessing you can't just "eat what you want" on the other 5 days.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but if you go nuts and binge on the other 5 days, then you'll undo the work of the 2 days of 500 cals?

Lovbnmoma

MrStuffins wrote: »

1lb of fat = 3500cals.

7 days in a week.

500 cals a day x 7 = 3500cals.

You lose 1lb.

It works the best way IMO because, you can do it by making small sustainable changes in your diet and at no point do you ever have to feel hungry or like you are on a diet.

I started doing it last May and I am now 3 stone lighter.

I'm not sayign this 5:2 buiness doesn't work, I bet it does and a couple of weeks back I was considering testing it out, i'm just saying that it's probably not something you want to be doing for a really long period of time. At least, suffering for 2 days a week for, say, a year, doesn't sound very appealing when you can get the same results whilst also making small beneficial changes to your diet and not suffering at all.

Hi If you watch the documentary about this diet that is posted further up it is not only about the weight loss, it is also about reducing the risk of cancer, reducing your blood pressure and other health benefits. It is recommended as a change for life not just for a while. There is loads about it on the net.

Actually you don't binge on the other days - you can eat what you like, but what people like tends to be normal or at most a bit more.

As previously mentioned, hunger doesn't store up

Lovbnmoma

Yeah just as Bluewolf said I have found since starting this a month ago I dont want to overeat, I find myself choosing the healthier options on the other days. It seems to do something to your attitude to food. Alot of other people on this diet find they dont overeat too.

SunnyDub1

username123 wrote: »

I've done this on and off for a while, not for dieting but for revitalisation.

You don't get extra hungry at all the next day, hunger doesn't store up as it were, you just eat normally the next day.

I always exercise on an empty stomach so that's not an issue for me at all.

I found I slept a lot better doing it, was far more inclined to think about what I was eating on the 5 days and felt mentally sharper overall. I did lose a few lb, but I tend to go up and down anyway so nothing major.

It was a man in his 80s gave me the idea, he reckoned he needed every bit of help he could get to feel revitalised!!

I can sometimes suffer with ibs and found this helped, having such small portions on the 500 cal days gave my stomach a rest if I was in a flare up. Must get back into it, I gave up during the very cold weather as I craved more calories.

You don't but I would - Sorry but 500cals just about covers my daily average breakfast or lunch or dinner
Due to my current intense exercise schedule I do each evening, I'd need to be getting good amount of cals in me in each day which gives me energy to do an affective workout.
I'm not saying I workout/excersize on a full stomach of food, but I most defiantly need food in during the day to keep me functioning and give me energy to get out to gym each evening.

While you might of slept well doing it, I don't sleep right, feel good, have energy when I don't eat enough cals no matter how many days a week it is.

As I said - Each to their own. I just look upon as another sort or form of fad diet! Jmo!

Jerrica

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

You don't but I would - Sorry but 500cals just about covers my daily average breakfast or lunch or dinner
Due to my current intense exercise schedule I do each evening, I'd need to be getting good amount of cals in me in each day which gives me energy to do an affective workout.

You're comparing your hypothetical with someone else's tried and tested. Don't knock it etc. etc.

If you want to see it as a fad that's up to yourself, personally I'd equate a fad with something like the Cabbage Soup diet, or the Pineapple Diet, or the absolutely disastrous Maple Syrup diet. This one is advocating very healthy meals every day, it's just that two days a week you're giving your body less calories than usual to promote a mini-hormonal overhaul. Being hungry isn't a sin, it won't undo hours of hard work in the gym. Your body really doesn't mind being hungry every so often, if anything if you want to lose weight you have to be hungry from time to time.

Lia_lia

Meh, I often eat only 500cals a day without even realising it I'd say. Then some days I could go wayyy over the recommended calorie amount.

Don't know anything about it working though.

SunnyDub1

Jerrica wrote: »

You're comparing your hypothetical with someone else's tried and tested. Don't knock it etc. etc.

If you want to see it as a fad that's up to yourself, personally I'd equate a fad with something like the Cabbage Soup diet, or the Pineapple Diet, or the absolutely disastrous Maple Syrup diet. This one is advocating very healthy meals every day, it's just that two days a week you're giving your body less calories than usual to promote a mini-hormonal overhaul. Being hungry isn't a sin, it won't undo hours of hard work in the gym. Your body really doesn't mind being hungry every so often, if anything if you want to lose weight you have to be hungry from time to time.

If it's not a "fad diet" then what is it exactly? cause it's by no means a healthy lifestyle or way of healthy balanced eating!

Surely for someone who wants to lose weight and maintain it the long run, they should just look after what they eat on a daily basis, and get enough cals from good nutritious foods (unprocessed) and regular exercise, than doing a 2:5 fast diet
It's highly unlikely someone will continue a 2:5 diet for the rest of their life.
That's why I think it's more beneficial to just eat healthy and exercise.

You can't have "very healthy meals every day" on when 2 days out of them 7 are restricted to 500cals.
It's not possibly to eat 3 square nutritious meals with only allowing 500cals, thats 166cals for each meal:rolleyes:

I never said it will any harm to your body or result in any major problems. I just don't think there is any necessity in doing it, when one can easily lose just as much weight from a healthy balanced lifestyle and exercise.

username123

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

If it's not a "fad diet" then what is it exactly? cause it's by no means a healthy lifestyle or way of healthy balanced eating!

Why is it not a healthy lifestyle? What about it makes it unhealthy? Many people do not do it for weight loss, but for general well being (me being one of them).

SunnyDub1

username123 wrote: »

Why is it not a healthy lifestyle? What about it makes it unhealthy? Many people do not do it for weight loss, but for general well being (me being one of them).

Tell me me how you classify it is a healthy balanced lifestyle and how it is so great for general well being? Any sources except from your own experience?

restricting yourself to 500cals a day 2 days a week just seems ridiculous to me and unnecessary.

What is so great about this and what extra benefits will one get from doing this as appose to one just eating the recommended amount of calories each day from good foods and exercising?

and has as I said, one can lose just as much weight and have good general well being not starving themselves for 2 days a week and eating the average recommended calories from the right foods 7 days a week with exercise .

Lovbnmoma

Lovbnmoma wrote: »

Hi If you watch the documentary about this diet that is posted further up it is not only about the weight loss, it is also about reducing the risk of cancer, reducing your blood pressure and other health benefits. It is recommended as a change for life not just for a while. There is loads about it on the net.

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

Tell me me how you classify it is a healthy balanced lifestyle and how it is so great for general well being? Any sources except from your own experience?

The source was linked on the thread already, you can see the documentary for yourself

Whispered

Can I ask the people who do this for a sample of what they might eat on a 500 day. I always assumed that a fast is when you eat nothing, but this doesn't seem as restrictive.

I'm very interested in this, not just from a weight loss point of view. I have often thought that a fast would be a good way of "resetting" your body and giving it a break, but I thought that you would have to do a 4 day long one, which I don't think I could put myself through.

MrStuffins

Whispered wrote: »

Can I ask the people who do this for a sample of what they might eat on a 500 day. I always assumed that a fast is when you eat nothing, but this doesn't seem as restrictive.

I'm very interested in this, not just from a weight loss point of view. I have often thought that a fast would be a good way of "resetting" your body and giving it a break, but I thought that you would have to do a 4 day long one, which I don't think I could put myself through.

Also, am I wrong in presuming that the 500 a day is net calories, as in you could eat 1000 but exercise 500?

Or is it 500 cals regardless?

Lovbnmoma

Hi Whispered, Im on a fast day today and what I had was a lo cal cuppa soup at 11am, a salad with an egg and peppers for lunch and then for my dinner Ill have some fish and some veg. I might have a lo cal hot choc this evening and thats it. The one thing I find is if I eat breakfast it makes me hungrier earlier in the day, thats why I skip breakfast and have a cuppa soup at 11am. There is a forum on mumsnet and there is loads of people doing this diet and there is loads of info on it. If you just google 5 2 diet mumsnet it should come up.

There have been a good few reports on that site of people doing this diet and their cholesterol has dropped and overall health has improved greatly.

MrStuffins, no its 500 a day, you just eat the 500, even if you do exercise on that day you dont take the calories burned off the amount you consumed.

Dolbert

The 5:2 thing works for me as I often don't get hungry until late in the day anyway. For example, today is a fast day, so for lunch I had a sushi snack pack and small apple, later on I'll have a leafy green chicken salad with some dressing and maybe a sugar-free jelly pot for dessert. I don't find myself ravenous or low in energy at all and I'm doing it a few weeks now.

MrStuffins

So are people seeing actual weight-loss on this diet? Is this why people are doing it?

If so, how much weight are you guys losing?

Lovbnmoma

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/big_slim_whatever_weight_loss_club/1679463-5-2-Diet-Thread-12-Cheaper-by-the-dozen

This is the link to the forum on mumsnet.
Im only doing this for the past 3 weeks, I have lost 4 pounds but I dont have a whole lot to lose so mine is coming off slowly but I feel good! There are some people on that mumsnet that are doing it since last Sept and have had amazing results and are finding it alot easier to maintain once they reach their target weight by doing one day fasting instead of two.

Dolbert

Personally I've been losing a consistent 2lb per week, which is brilliant for me as I tend to lose it very slowly normally. Apart from that, my skin is better and I feel better overall. I also find myself making better choices on non-fast days, perhaps it's psychological?

gollyitsolly

I tried this diet/fast a couple of weeks ago. I fasted from 12 the night before till 12 the following night. I managed the fast day with a big salad ,cups of tea and bovril. I wasnt hungry,but I was freezing that night in bed and couldnt sleep with the windy pains in my stomach.

I did feel lighter and more lucid although this could have been false elation. Notwithstanding, I will try again.

I dont believe in ANY diet or quick fix. Its simply less food and more movement that makes one lose weight.:mad:

Whispered

This looks very doable actually. I would often have days where I eat a lot less anyway.

Thanks for the link. I'll have a look.

MrS the reason I'm looking at doing it is also to manage a hormonal condition I suffer from. I have read that intermittent fasting can help so that is another plus.

username123

Whispered wrote: »

Can I ask the people who do this for a sample of what they might eat on a 500 day. I always assumed that a fast is when you eat nothing, but this doesn't seem as restrictive.

I have probably gone slightly over the 500 sometimes but a typical fast day for me would be a late brunch of tinned soup - usually between 100 and 150 cals.

Dinner would be a huge green salad, comes in under 100 cals, and Id add some chicken or tuna. Ive also had sardines and ryvita for dinner or occasionally Id make a 'normal' dinner (my hubby and I have some of our dinners measured out so we know how many cals) and eat half of it. I aim for 300-350 cals on dinner.

Id snack on Bovril (10 cals a cup!).

I need to get some white tea, white tea is lovely without milk, and Id say tea drinking with milk pushes me over sometimes on the fast days. But Im not going to berate myself for going over by 100 cals when I also exercise the same day.

I generally try to do Monday and Thursday for the fast days. On Mondays I swim 1.5k in the morning, on Thursdays I run anything from 5-7k in the morning. The swim day is usually harder, running tends to kill my appetite!

Edited to add - it suits me to push out breakfast as late as possible as Im not a morning or early afternoon eater. If I can make it to 1pm without having eaten on a fast day then I actually dont suffer from hunger at all because Id have the smaller meal at 1pm, then only 4-5 hours later have dinner. But if I had breakfast at 8am I think it would be a lot more difficult.

Whispered

username123 wrote: »

I generally try to do Monday and Thursday for the fast days. On Mondays I swim 1.5k in the morning, on Thursdays I run anything from 5-7k in the morning. The swim day is usually harder, running tends to kill my appetite!

There is nothing like being at a pool, or the sea, for making me starving

I don't take milk in tea, I buy a vanilla black tea in tesco which is lovely when you're in the mood for something sweet.

Thanks for the tips!

Lovbnmoma

Yeah as username said I sometimes go a little bit over the 500 but try my best not to and also if I stopped eating at say 8pm the evening before a fast I would have something small the evening of the fast after 8pm cause I would have done the 24 hours.
I found on the first week that I did overeat on a couple of the days but the next couple of weeks after that I found I didnt have that urge to pig out.

username123

Whispered wrote: »

There is nothing like being at a pool, or the sea, for making me starving

I don't take milk in tea, I buy a vanilla black tea in tesco which is lovely when you're in the mood for something sweet.

Thanks for the tips!

Oooh - Ill have to try that out!! I do like different teas!

Another small meal I have on fast days is a curry pot noodle from LIDL - they claim 140 cals on the packaging info - theyre yum - but because they are processed they wouldnt be as healthy. But they could be a back up meal for if you were in a hurry.

Lovbnmoma

Oh must get them pot noodles cause sometimes dont have much time to prepare for the fast days. I was using the weightwatchers ocean pie aswell for dinner for a couple of the days cause its just under 200 calories.

username123

Lovbnmoma wrote: »

Oh must get them pot noodles cause sometimes dont have much time to prepare for the fast days. I was using the weightwatchers ocean pie aswell for dinner for a couple of the days cause its just under 200 calories.

Also Heinz The Big Soup (chicken and veg or beef and veg) is 200 cals a tin and its VERY filling. I add a bit of water (its quite thick) and pepper and it would fill you up for ages.

Some of the LIDL tinned soups are even less calories, 100 cals for the scotch broth and its filling as well.

Dolbert

If you're going to eat 500 cals on your fast day you need to make them count - those noodle snack pots and WW soups have no nutritional value, you need protein and as much veg as you can pack in. It takes 2 seconds to throw a salad together.

smileyj1987

http://www.slimmingworld.ie/healthy-eating/recipes.aspx

I would say look at the slimming world reciepes sections to find fat free meals to eat on your diet days .

Lovbnmoma

Dolbert wrote: »

If you're going to eat 500 cals on your fast day you need to make them count - those noodle snack pots and WW soups have no nutritional value, you need protein and as much veg as you can pack in. It takes 2 seconds to throw a salad together.

I have a salad and a good healthy dinner on most of my fast days I have had so far but sometimes its hard to have fresh food at hand or ready when Im working and picking up two kids from minders, its nearly half six when I get in the door after work. They are handy for days that you are stuck but I wouldnt eat them on every fast day.

username123

Lovbnmoma wrote: »

I have a salad and a good healthy dinner on most of my fast days I have had so far but sometimes its hard to have fresh food at hand or ready when Im working and picking up two kids from minders, its nearly half six when I get in the door after work. They are handy for days that you are stuck but I wouldnt eat them on every fast day.

+1

Rather than not stick to the fast day at all, Id rather have something quick and easy sometimes.

Dolbert

username123 wrote: »

+1

Rather than not stick to the fast day at all, Id rather have something quick and easy sometimes.

I'm sure there's no harm in having them the odd time. If you're on the go, those bags of washed salad are very handy, you can throw something together with some chicken/ tuna very easily.