Confusion about these numbers (17:7, 18:6, 19:5)

joflo723

I finally figure out what 5:2, 6:1, and 4:3 is, and now I see these other numbers being thrown around in some online forums. lol I get that they somehow represent eating schedules (maybe?) in a 24 hour period, but can someone explain to me what exactly they mean?

Thanks!

jknight001

I believe they all represent hours so for example you fast 17 hours eat for 7, etc. Where as 5:2 is in days, i.e. fast for 2 days eat up to TDEE calories for 5. . And maintenance is fast for 1 day, eat up to TDEE calories for 6. I know there are other schools of thought on intermittent fasting. This group, for the most part, is following The 5:2 Fast Diet.

I am pretty new to all of this so hopefully others will correct me if I am wrong.

orlcam

Yes...you are correct mam. Those are used to push the metabolism even further...the theory being that through the millennia our bodies have developed into these efficient feast & famine machines, eating all of our calories in a short window; like after a day or two's worth of hunting/gathering when the bounty was brought back to the cave to share with the clan. Some also believe that you should only eat when you feel safe and calm...like at night when you come back to your cave (home) and sit around the fire (table) with others (family), protected from the things in the wild (modern world) that want to eat you (and other daily stresses).

Here's a pretty good article on different variations of intermittent fasting which also touches on "eating windows":
dailyburn.com/life/health/intermittent-fasting-methods/
They don't mention 5:2 though.

joflo723

Thanks for that info! So I guess on the 5:2, we wouldn't use such numbers, since we are not technically fasting...only eating significantly lower calories than usual (unless, of course, your 500 calories are all in the morning or all at night).

That link was also very helpful. Although they don't specifically mention the 5:2, the last one on that page ("UpDayDownDay") sounds very much like a 5:2 diet, or rather a 4:3.