5:2 Diet

purpleberry2

Hi all,
I'm considering doing the 5:2 diet, I've heard some really amazing stories from people so was thinking of giving it a try, I have lost weight with weight watchers before but now I can't seem to get the motivation to diet every day! This seems like a good option.

Any advice people can give me, ways to make 500 calories last all day (I don't think I'd be too great skipping meals!).

Thanks

Juju1970

I don't know about fasting but I am on a VLCD and honestly, you get used to it. Google VLCD recipe and see what you find.

TimothyFish

If I were trying to limit myself to 500 calories per day, I would probably wait until late in the day to eat, so I could be thinking about what I would eat later instead of thinking about how I can't eat any more.

brntwaffles27

I would do 200 or so calories for breakfast/lunch and then 300 calories for dinner on those fasting days. Drink lots of water and eat healthy low calorie foods so it feels like more. Make sure on non fasting days you don't eat too much, I would still count calories on those days and aim for 1800.

I occasionally do weeks of 5:2 when I accidentally eat too much, but most days I do 1200.

Aemely

I have a feeling you won't get a lot of VLCD love from MFP. For me, I don't have 2 days out of 7 where I can feel miserable, hangry, and lightheaded, so I know this "eating plan" isn't for me!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/low-calorie-diets

segacs

If you're the type of person who does better with regular meals and not with intermittent fasting, I'm not sure why you're trying a diet that's all about intermittent fasting.

I suppose you could eat a lot of cucumber slices until dinnertime...

she_said

I go best when I don't have breakfast at all and have my first meal around 2pm (about 200kcal) and then my second meal (about 300-400kcal) in the evening. I also recommend counting calories as well on the "off" days (at least approximating)

Aemely

Juju1970 wrote: »

I don't know about fasting but I am on a VLCD and honestly, you get used to it. Google VLCD recipe and see what you find.

Do you really have only 12 lbs. to lose, and you're on a VLCD? That seems unnecessarily painful.

Trish12a

Aemely wrote: »

I have a feeling you won't get a lot of VLCD love from MFP. For me, I don't have 2 days out of 7 where I can feel miserable, hangry, and lightheaded, so I know this "eating plan" isn't for me!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/low-calorie-diets

I have been on 5:2 for 5 weeks now and haven't felt miserable, hangry or lightheaded. This is great for me as I know that I can eat 2000 cals the next day so sticking to 500 cals for 2 days per week is easier.

thatswhatshesaiddd

Lots of veggies for the bulk....that will make your stomach feel more full. I also agree that adding a 'fasting' period will probably help alot as well. Coffee, tea, lots of water.

Egg Whites (3)-51 cal
Laughing cow wedge-35 cals
Spinach or other veg- around 10 cals

That's a decent "meal" at around 100 cals.

4 oz chicken breast- 124 cals
8 spears asparagus- 24 cals
1 cup sweet potato- 114 cals

..and a decent dinner for 262 cals

1 cup almond milk- 30 cals
1 tbsp cocoa- 12 cals
2 tsp sugar- 32 cals

74 cals for a hot chocolate

Christine_72

Try and hold out eating for as long as you can. I save my 500 calories for my main meal at dinner. Fat burning mode kicks in around 15-18 hours after your last meal, hence the longer you can wait the better.

Qskim

herrspoons wrote: »

It might work for you, but then so might just reducing your calories on a daily basis. Bluntly, if you struggle with daily accountability, then your issue isn't which diet you choose.

You still have daily accountability...

Qskim

OP there is 5:2 group that are very supportive ...I don't have the link anymore but hopefully other 5:2ers can. They can answer any Q's.

Qskim

orlcamorlcam
October 14, 2014 12:57AM in General Diet and Weight Loss Help
This is just a public announcement for anyone searching for the original "5:2 Fasting" group. It went missing...it was there on Friday (Oct 10, 2014) and gone Saturday morning. It was not deleted by the owner.

Emails and public questions were directed to MyFitnessPal, but we've still not received a reply.

In the interim we've gathered at a newly created group:
5:2 Fasting
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting

Thank You

PikaKnight

OP, 5:2 isn't a diet/weight loss plan. It's just a different way of eating.

culo97

staceyburns2 wrote: »

Hi all,
I'm considering doing the 5:2 diet, I've heard some really amazing stories from people so was thinking of giving it a try, I have lost weight with weight watchers before but now I can't seem to get the motivation to diet every day! This seems like a good option.

Any advice people can give me, ways to make 500 calories last all day (I don't think I'd be too great skipping meals!).

Thanks

Here's my experience.

I tried this alternate fasting day schedule for about 3 weeks:
- eat regularly 5 days out of 7.
- eat a maximum of 600 calories on the 2 "fasting" days
- let a minimum of 16 hours pass between the last regular meal and the first fasting meal
- no consecutive fasting days.

The good thing is that I dropped about 5 pounds right away. Unfortunately the side effects were too overwhelming so I gave up.

The mornings after the fasting days, I felt so dizzy, weak and a little head achy. I literally had to hold onto the walls and furniture to make it to the bathroom then to get something to eat. When I took my glucose reading, I saw that my blood sugars had dropped at least 50 points lower than my usual morning reading.

I figured my body was just adjusting to the diet changes so I kept going with the 5:2 diet. One evening on a fast day, after I had already eaten my calories for the day, I started shaking uncontrollably. My teeth were literally chattering. That old queasy and weak feeling was back, even though it wasn't the morning. As soon as nausea allowed me to move, I got something to eat. That was the last day I tried fasting.

I never lost another pound after that initial 5 and those have since returned. Just thought I'd share another point of view.

fluffyasacat

PS I've been following EOD for 3 months and 10kg lost easily and happily with daily tracking, major accountability, increased fitness and plenty of personal goals achieved.

fatcity66

culo97 wrote: »

staceyburns2 wrote: »

Hi all,
I'm considering doing the 5:2 diet, I've heard some really amazing stories from people so was thinking of giving it a try, I have lost weight with weight watchers before but now I can't seem to get the motivation to diet every day! This seems like a good option.

Any advice people can give me, ways to make 500 calories last all day (I don't think I'd be too great skipping meals!).

Thanks

Here's my experience.

I tried this alternate fasting day schedule for about 3 weeks:
- eat regularly 5 days out of 7.
- eat a maximum of 600 calories on the 2 "fasting" days
- let a minimum of 16 hours pass between the last regular meal and the first fasting meal
- no consecutive fasting days.

The good thing is that I dropped about 5 pounds right away. Unfortunately the side effects were too overwhelming so I gave up.

The mornings after the fasting days, I felt so dizzy, weak and a little head achy. I literally had to hold onto the walls and furniture to make it to the bathroom then to get something to eat. When I took my glucose reading, I saw that my blood sugars had dropped at least 50 points lower than my usual morning reading.

I figured my body was just adjusting to the diet changes so I kept going with the 5:2 diet. One evening on a fast day, after I had already eaten my calories for the day, I started shaking uncontrollably. My teeth were literally chattering. That old queasy and weak feeling was back, even though it wasn't the morning. As soon as nausea allowed me to move, I got something to eat. That was the last day I tried fasting.

I never lost another pound after that initial 5 and those have since returned. Just thought I'd share another point of view.

Personally, I can't do it either. I waited too long to eat one day last week by accident (work schedule changed up and didn't have my usual time for meals), while I was at work. I started getting lightheaded and shaky, and I couldn't concentrate, I could barely even stand. I ate half of a burrito bowl from Chipotle with rice, beans, everything...but it I still didn't feel well. I couldn't leave work because I didn't feel well enough to drive! I ended up taking my lunch break and lying down on the floor in the darkened corner office for 45 min. After that, I finally felt better.

If you don't have problems going long periods without eating, it might be perfect for you, I can't say. I just know, it's potentially dangerous for me, so I won't try it again. I'm having success just counting calories and exercising, anyway, so there's no real reason for me to change.

If you want to try it, I recommend choosing a day or two when you don't have much you have to do. I work extended hours, and my job takes a lot of concentration and multi-tasking, and I just can't risk it.

Qskim

It's generally understood that if you don't react well on it then you shouldn't continue.

Fluffy...lol

Herrspoon ever smile? C'mon mate you can do it.

fatcity66

_SKIM_ wrote: »

It's generally understood that if you don't react well on it then you shouldn't continue.

Fluffy...lol

Herrspoon ever smile? C'mon mate you can do it.

Well, duh. I think that's true of pretty much ANYTHING, right? But some people think, oh it's just the beginning stages, my body will get used to it. That's what people who do keto are told all the time.

fatcity66

herrspoons wrote: »

_SKIM_ wrote: »

It's generally understood that if you don't react well on it then you shouldn't continue.

Fluffy...lol

Herrspoon ever smile? C'mon mate you can do it.

All the time, bro.

But let's be honest - OP asks for opinions on 5:2, OP gets positive and negative viewpoints, intolerant poster takes offense at viewpoint that differs from their own.

That screams anger issues to me.

No disagreements allowed!