5:2 Diet
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herrspoons 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.
The OP asked for advice on how to do the fast days. Not opinions on the diet.
As for the OP, try going as long as possible without eating on your fast day and eat the 500/600 in the evening (that's what I find works for me anyway). Sometimes I sneak a cup a soup in at lunch time just to tide me over.
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I'm a similar diet modified to my needs and habits, and trust me, that "I can eat more tomorrow" feeling will easily get you through the day. It's really easy to go low calorie if it's not extended, or if it's not intended.
The things I felt like eating yesterday, for example, were pretty low calorie and I felt full and satisfied at barely 900 calories at the end of the day. This means I can eat more today if I feel like it (and I plan to, since I will be going out). Had I not naturally hit a low number yesterday, I would have intentionally made tomorrow a fast day to make up for today and got through it knowing I will be able to eat more later.
Some people do better on 2 meals 200/300, usually lunch and dinner, others do better at a 500 calorie late lunch/dinner. I personally do a VERY light breakfast, just something to get my blood sugar going like a 50-100 calorie slow carb meal to avoid late afternoon shakiness, then have a late lunch, then a light dinner. Try the variations and see what works for you.
For the "every other day diet" it's recommended to give it a go for 5 fasting days (or about 10 days total) until the body gets used to fast days. Not sure what the case is for 5:2, but you can give it a try for 5 fasts (2 1/2 weeks) to see if it gets easy. In some cases it gets so easy, it just becomes normal routine. In other cases people just feel unhappy. See how it goes for you and decide if you want to continue or not. I mean, it's just a diet.. you can switch to something different any time you want. It's not some kind of legal contract.
For types of foods: veggies, lots of them. Broth based soup. Things that look like a lot but are not. Lean meats. Egg whites.. etc. Basically, if you are looking for recipes on the internet look for something low fat, high in protein, high in water, high in fiber.
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Personally, I couldnt think of anything less appealing than making yourself starve for more than a quarter of your life...0
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Personally, I couldnt think of anything less appealing than making yourself starve for more than a quarter of your life...
That's not the case for everyone. You may be built that way and that is fine. For some people having to "starve just a little bit" every day for the rest of their life is way less appealing.
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amusedmonkey wrote: »Personally, I couldnt think of anything less appealing than making yourself starve for more than a quarter of your life...
That's not the case for everyone. You may be built that way and that is fine. For some people having to "starve just a little bit" every day for the rest of their life is way less appealing.
Starve - defined as having a complete lack of food. So eating regular portions on a regular basis is not starving. No one wakes up and goes 'you know what, I am starving just a little bit today'....0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Personally, I couldnt think of anything less appealing than making yourself starve for more than a quarter of your life...
That's not the case for everyone. You may be built that way and that is fine. For some people having to "starve just a little bit" every day for the rest of their life is way less appealing.
Starve - defined as having a complete lack of food. So eating regular portions on a regular basis is not starving. No one wakes up and goes 'you know what, I am starving just a little bit today'....
I would rather not talk semantics, but really.. what applies for one person may not for another. Some skip meals naturally (complete lack of food) and are not hungry. Are they starving? Some do fast days with regular small meals and feel fine. Some do regular portions on a regular basis and are still hungry. The exact point of having so many choices for handling food intake available is so that a person would find one that is the most appealing for them.
If "starving" is not appealing to you, then you've made a good choice not to do it. For me, having to stick to a strict calorie goal is way more limiting and less appealing than eating at will, naturally and comfortably controlling my intake and portions, then "making up" for higher days by fasting and/or exercise.
It actually taught me good food habits and how to naturally control my intake without deprivation for the 2 years I have been doing it, and I know maintenance will be a breeze too just as this whole diet thing is for me.
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amusedmonkey wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Personally, I couldnt think of anything less appealing than making yourself starve for more than a quarter of your life...
That's not the case for everyone. You may be built that way and that is fine. For some people having to "starve just a little bit" every day for the rest of their life is way less appealing.
Starve - defined as having a complete lack of food. So eating regular portions on a regular basis is not starving. No one wakes up and goes 'you know what, I am starving just a little bit today'....
I would rather not talk semantics, but really.. what applies for one person may not for another. Some skip meals naturally (complete lack of food) and are not hungry. Are they starving? Some do fast days with regular small meals and feel fine. Some do regular portions on a regular basis and are still hungry. The exact point of having so many choices for handling food intake available is so that a person would find one that is the most appealing for them.
If "starving" is not appealing to you, then you've made a good choice not to do it. For me, having to stick to a strict calorie goal is way more limiting and less appealing than eating at will, naturally and comfortably controlling my intake and portions, then "making up" for higher days by fasting and/or exercise.
It actually taught me good food habits and how to naturally control my intake without deprivation for the 2 years I have been doing it, and I know maintenance will be a breeze too just as this whole diet thing is for me.
"having to stick to a strict calorie goal is way more limiting and less appealing than eating at will"
This is a nonsense quote. A 5:2 diet has just the same restrictions. It is all about calories in vs calories out. So if I am limited to 14,000 calories over a week, the restrictions are the same.
Besides, on the mentality of being strict, can you get any more strict than limiting yourself to around 2 calories a day for a quarter of your life?0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »I'm a similar diet modified to my needs and habits, and trust me, that "I can eat more tomorrow" feeling will easily get you through the day. It's really easy to go low calorie if it's not extended, or if it's not intended.
The things I felt like eating yesterday, for example, were pretty low calorie and I felt full and satisfied at barely 900 calories at the end of the day. This means I can eat more today if I feel like it (and I plan to, since I will be going out). Had I not naturally hit a low number yesterday, I would have intentionally made tomorrow a fast day to make up for today and got through it knowing I will be able to eat more later.
Some people do better on 2 meals 200/300, usually lunch and dinner, others do better at a 500 calorie late lunch/dinner. I personally do a VERY light breakfast, just something to get my blood sugar going like a 50-100 calorie slow carb meal to avoid late afternoon shakiness, then have a late lunch, then a light dinner. Try the variations and see what works for you.
For the "every other day diet" it's recommended to give it a go for 5 fasting days (or about 10 days total) until the body gets used to fast days. Not sure what the case is for 5:2, but you can give it a try for 5 fasts (2 1/2 weeks) to see if it gets easy. In some cases it gets so easy, it just becomes normal routine. In other cases people just feel unhappy. See how it goes for you and decide if you want to continue or not. I mean, it's just a diet.. you can switch to something different any time you want. It's not some kind of legal contract.
For types of foods: veggies, lots of them. Broth based soup. Things that look like a lot but are not. Lean meats. Egg whites.. etc. Basically, if you are looking for recipes on the internet look for something low fat, high in protein, high in water, high in fiber.
See this is what I mean. This is a very thought out answer, and I like it.
If it works for you, that's great, keep at it.
In my case, it doesn't work. Whenever I try to "go as long as possible" without eating, I get into trouble. I think hypoglycemia runs in my family, so I have to be careful. I wish I could eat that way sometimes...I actually get a bit of a high from fasting...then the bad stuff kicks in. No bueno. LOL I just want people to be careful, and if you feel bad, really, please eat something! I have learned my lesson the hard way.0 -
herrspoons wrote: »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...
I know. My comment refers to the OP's first post.
Yes accountability of a different kiherrspoons 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.
lol good to see..
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I'll be doing intermittent fasting forever. I love it! I can't stick to limiting calories every single day, that for me is too restrictive. What I can't eat today, I can simply eat tomorrow. You can pack a fair bit of healthy foods into 500 calories, lots of salad and vegies and tuna etc
I think weighing every single thing you put into your mouth is crazy obsessive, but each to their own
As for the STARVING comment. ... I don't think anyone on this forum knows what it truly feels like to starve
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"having to stick to a strict calorie goal is way more limiting and less appealing than eating at will"
This is a nonsense quote. A 5:2 diet has just the same restrictions. It is all about calories in vs calories out. So if I am limited to 14,000 calories over a week, the restrictions are the same.
Besides, on the mentality of being strict, can you get any more strict than limiting yourself to around 2 calories a day for a quarter of your life?
2 calories a day isn't exactly accurate. You may need to look more into the diet to understand.
It all IS about calorie in vs calorie out, and that is the point. If one way of calorie restriction is easier for a person than another, then why go with what is harder for them when the result is the same? For me, having "a sliver of cake" is harder and way less satisfying than having a normal portion of cake then making up for it on a day when I don't feel like eating much anyway.
For me, limiting my intake every now and then on days when I don't feel like cooking/going out/having something high in calories is barely a limitation, but having to limit on all days even when I do feel like cooking something heavy/going out is much more limiting.
Similarly, having to stuff my face when I barely have an appetite just to hit that arbitrary 1200 requirement is more limiting and annoying than just going with what I'm comfortable with.
The end result: my high and low days balance out and nearly 100 pounds were dropped with absolute ease.
I think you are stuck on the concept of limiting your intake for a quarter of your life when you already do so for 1/3 of it (we call it sleeping). The idea is scary in principle for those who haven't tried it, and bad in practice for those who have tried it and found it hard, but you would be surprised how much easier and less limiting it is for some people to do vs the conventional way of calorie restriction.
My point stands. If it's not for you don't do it, but if it's easier then why torture yourself with what is hard when the end result is the same?0 -
"2 calories a day isn't exactly accurate. You may need to look more into the diet to understand."
I was being ironic, right?
"but if it's easier then why torture yourself with what is hard when the end result is the same?"
Because a 5:2 diet is largely unsustainable, as are all fad diets. They teach a way of living that does not appeal long term and leaves people prone to go back to old ways once thinking they have done the hard work.
I really dont understand how you can claim eating a little less each day is torture but under the same mentality, starving yourself for 2 days is not.0 -
going on your definition of starvation being 'a complete lack of food' 5:2 isn't starving yourself. It's restricting calories for two days and not restricting calories for 5 days. what amusedmonkey is stating is that it is a choice, and if it doesn't work for you then don't do it. 5:2 isn't unsustainable and people have adopted it as a way of life. granted; limited calorie intake 7 days a week is one way of losing weight, but limited calorie intake a bit more 2 days a week is another way of losing weight.
people are different.0 -
"Because a 5:2 diet is largely unsustainable, as are all fad diets. They teach a way of living that does not appeal long term and leaves people prone to go back to old ways once thinking they have done the hard work.
I really dont understand how you can claim eating a little less each day is torture but under the same mentality, starving yourself for 2 days is not.
A few people who this appeals to on this thread have already said that they enjoy it and look forward to keeping this or a maintenance version of it up for life. If you can't see the appeal, no problem. When people say to me "I could never do that!" I reply "no, probably not". By that I don't mean that they'd fail at it due to lack of will power. I mean that if you can't imagine being able to do it then you're probably not the sort of person that should do it.
For mine, I do enjoy it. I've come to experience hunger the same way that you might notice you're tired - you feel it and you move on. I have the luxury of feeling that way because unlike someone who experiences real hunger, I know I can eat at any time. I know I will eat later. Being wary of hunger is natural and human. Being able to conquer fear of hunger through understanding you can eat at any time is an incredibly brave step for an overweight person to come to.0 -
OP- I recommend reading the Michael Mosley book about it. He has lots of tips and it's a quick read. He has an MD education and is a health journalist. It's called The Fast Diet.
Similar diets are in books by James Johnson, MD and Krista Varady, PhD. All three books have lots of tips. Most people don't get shaky and have physical symptoms. Varady's research is also in the health journals. She's been studying it for like 10 years.
I'm on my 10th week of every other day at 500 calories (Varady's plan) and feel fine. I like it. I plan to maintain on some form of IF. I have about 8 more lbs. to lose, so hopefully I can report back how that's working for me next year.
Fasting scares a lot of people so it's often going to be controversial and sound extreme to people who haven't read about it.
Good luck!0 -
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.
No thanks.....I'm trying to limit muscle loss.
I don't know about all the "science".....but I know I can diet (albeit strictly) 2 days a week on a consistent basis. Knowing the next day is maintenance keeps me on track.0 -
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
2nd post is about VLCDs....second post maybe assumes 5:2 is VLCD (like you). That's not what 5:2 is at all.
If I eat 500 calories for 2 days and my maintenance calories for 5 days....that average is not a very low calorie diet. 5:2 is not for everyone. I don't get light headed on 500 calorie days. Yes, I get hungry but that's not the end of the world. A consistent calorie deficit is needed for weight loss....my entire deficit comes from 2 days a week. I can be consistent for 2 days, and I can relax (but not go crazy) the other 5.0 -
Planning ahead will make or break your lo cal days. Get the book with the recipes, pick a few out and plan them. You can actually eat a good amount of food if you plan correctly because it will be low cal but higher volume and satiety0
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wow...ok that was a bit of an extreme reaction I think to some innocent questions...
I thought this forum was all about getting advice, help and SUPPORT, which most of the comments were (others were a little attacking). I was actually doing a LOT of research around this last night, including watching Michael Mosleys original documentary and reading his book. As I said it's not something I've tried yet but I'm considering it, obviously if I feel it's not working for me I'll stop.
It seems most of the comments here are from people who haven't done correct research around this area because if you did I think your opinion may change. My Mum actually first brought this to my attention and I, like many of you, told her it was unsafe and a fad. But after conducting my research it may seem that's not the case.
As far as I see, they're are pros and cons to every 'diet' which differ from person to person. This may work for me... it may not.
Also, I'm not an idiot and believe me I have absolutely NO intention of starving myself. I was considering using this as a bit of a kick-start, see if it will help change my eating habits, maybe help me lose a little weight so I then may have the confidence to start running again (which I did until I became heavier and the thought of running outside made me feel sick).
To those of you who actually posted their own genuine experience, advice and opinion, thank you! They have helped. And thank you to the user who posted the link for the group
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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
2nd post is about VLCDs....second post maybe assumes 5:2 is VLCD (like you). That's not what 5:2 is at all.
If I eat 500 calories for 2 days and my maintenance calories for 5 days....that average is not a very low calorie diet. 5:2 is not for everyone. I don't get light headed on 500 calorie days. Yes, I get hungry but that's not the end of the world. A consistent calorie deficit is needed for weight loss....my entire deficit comes from 2 days a week. I can be consistent for 2 days, and I can relax (but not go crazy) the other 5.
+1
I am not for or against fasting (each individual will tolerate IF differently) however I agree that this 5:2 plan is clearly NOT a VLCD. Average caloric intake over time is what matters, not specific days.
Most of the people calling IF a fad diet or VLCD have never tried or are uneducated about how it works.
I have never tried 5:2 so I am not promoting it. I am just defending it against the fools who are knocking it without having a clue what they are talking about
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