Thoughts on the 5:2 Fast diet

Fit_Natasha

Whilst I don't necessarily believe that it's damaging I just think... why? I did trial it...then I remembered that I can lose the same amount of weight by eating healthy and exercising. Why would I eat 500 calories a day and feel irritable, tired, unable to focus properly and do my job etc etc when I can eat 1600 calories, have epic workouts, swims and runs, sleep well, wake up feeling motivated and fresh??

The answer to your why is that a lot of people don't have a luxury of been able to do their workouts, runs, swims every day due to the nature of work (travel) or family obligations (kids and their homework and after school activities). I see how it can work for people who can exercise only three times a week and have a seating job. While I am not necessary following this diet (and just heard about it recently), I always had fasting days (I probably consumed even less than 500 cal) just because I felt like my body needs a break from food.

jamielynas

it's a great way for some people to justify binge eating

and a great way for a lot of people to lose a pound a week

So is eating the 7:0 diet, where you show moderation and self control

rainrain83

i started the 5:2 diet a week ago and its great i have lost 3kgs and is the reason i joined
this website and started counting calories. now that i am counting calories
i wonder if its better to just do the 1200 a day rather than the 5:2 diet
which is just distributing the calories differently but the same result
at the end of the week.

kae_blah

I wouldn't recommend diets full stop...but I definitely wouldn't recommended feeling as irritable and naff as the 5:2 so often makes people feel.

5:2 is a lifestyle choice for me. My interest is in the potential neurological and health benefits not weight loss (reducing calories and exercising more took care of that for me).

There seems to be a large psychological/habit aspect when it comes to eating. After a couple of fasts days it wasn't all that hard. I used to get migraines and irritable with low blood sugar - but 500 calories is enough to counter those issues.

Over time I have even been able to do my usual gym sessions on a fasting day.

FarAway02

Whilst I don't necessarily believe that it's damaging I just think... why? I did trial it...then I remembered that I can lose the same amount of weight by eating healthy and exercising. Why would I eat 500 calories a day and feel irritable, tired, unable to focus properly and do my job etc etc when I can eat 1600 calories, have epic workouts, swims and runs, sleep well, wake up feeling motivated and fresh??

The answer to your why is that a lot of people don't have a luxury of been able to do their workouts, runs, swims every day due to the nature of work (travel) or family obligations (kids and their homework and after school activities). I see how it can work for people who can exercise only three times a week and have a seating job. While I am not necessary following this diet (and just heard about it recently), I always had fasting days (I probably consumed even less than 500 cal) just because I felt like my body needs a break from food.

Please don't give me that. I WORK with kids, and I work 10.5 - 17 hour days.

If you're looking for excuses chances are you'll find them. There are people on here, people in my friends list, who get up at FOUR AM in order to fit a workout in before they go off to the daily grind or before their little darlings wake up.

If you're serious about it you'll find a way. I once lost 20 pounds in a month (and I only weighed around 170 to start with) with a crash diet. I've now lost 10 pounds in three months with 172 being my start weight. I could so easily have crash dieted again and be at 140 by now.... but my body DESERVES better. It deserves a good nights sleep, a work out, it deserves FOOD. All 1600 calories of it.

yarwell

So is eating the 7:0 diet, where you show moderation and self control

yep, that works too. But if some people find it easier to restrict on two days rather than seven it suits them well.

Often the "self control" required for 7:0 or 31:0 breaks down into a binge that erases the deficit. If they only own 2 days self control then using it on 5:2 makes sense.

FarAway02

Over time I have even been able to do my usual gym sessions on a fasting day.

....you're aware that if you exercise without enough food in your system your body starts breaking down your lean muscle mass in order to fuel itself...right? Not good.

latepaul

I've been doing it since November and lost 43lbs so far.

I get quite annoyed when people tell me it's a fad. I had one bloke in my office shake his head and suck his teeth at me and tell me he thought it wasn't healthy. Then I found out he was doing Paleo which is dubious at best.

I used to do a regime based on 1800 calories a day with a few more at the weekend and occasioan cheat days. However the longer I was on it the harder it was to maintain.

The thing about 5:2 is that it's not magic. It's just a way of restricting calories overall - so on a weekly basis I eat at a deficit. However because of the way it's structured I find it a lot easier to maintain. Now I understand that for some people this isn't easy but it really works for me.

yarwell

fasted exercise has demonstrably better fat loss in published studies.

http://www.drbriffa.com/2012/11/13/study-suggests-that-for-optimal-fat-loss-the-best-thing-to-eat-before-exercise-is-nothing-at-all/

RebekahR84

Over time I have even been able to do my usual gym sessions on a fasting day.

....you're aware that if you exercise without enough food in your system your body starts breaking down your lean muscle mass in order to fuel itself...right? Not good.

I was thinking that too. Do you save your 500 calories for that? Like 250 calories of a protein and carb heavy snack pre and post-workout?

yarwell

If you're looking for excuses chances are you'll find them. There are people on here, people in my friends list, who get up at FOUR AM in order to fit a workout in before they go off to the daily grind or before their little darlings wake up.

Jeez, if you implemented that regime in prison you would by in court for violating their human rights.

If 5:2 allows people to get up at a sensible time and stay away from meatheads and gyms I stand up for their right to choose.

Fit_Natasha

Please don't give me that. I WORK with kids, and I work 10.5 - 17 hour days.

If you're looking for excuses chances are you'll find them. There are people on here, people in my friends list, who get up at FOUR AM in order to fit a workout in before they go off to the daily grind or before their little darlings wake up.

May be it works for some people. For me not getting enough sleep usually results in the weight gain, so getting up at 4am to work out and then coming home to pack kids to school at 7 and going to work at 8 and work 8-10 hours -- I can't pull it. As I mentioned before, this might work for some people, like myself. I don't follow the diet, I just give my body "break" days, when I don't feel like to eat. My highest weight ever was 58 kg though. May be it works for smaller people and not as well for people with bigger weight.

nikilis

it's a great way for some people to justify binge eating

and a great way for a lot of people to lose a pound a week

So is eating the 7:0 diet, where you show moderation and self control

thanks for coming to the rescue captain obvious!

pmt9

Surely the health benefits come from just losing weight and eating better? So I think sticking to a certain level of calories to allow you to lose weight and eating clean must be just as good as IF?:blushing:

FarAway02

Jeez, if you implemented that regime in prison you would by in court for violating their human rights.

If 5:2 allows people to get up at a sensible time and stay away from meatheads and gyms I stand up for their right to choose.

Where has anyone said people can't choose? The original poster asked for thoughts on the 5:2 diet and a few of us had negative opinions - in my case after having *already tried the 5:2 diet*. I offered the original poster a well researched answer to his question. I've done both the 5:2 and the more healthy, harder work, 7:0... I stand up for my right to offer an alternative opinion to everyone saying 'I work and I have a kid and so therefore I decide to take the easy route and beat my body up in the process'.

We can all express our opinions til the cows come home.....freedom of speech an' all that. Again, as stated above, I was merely offering an alternative opinion to all those who had posted before me.

mareeee1234

bump

yarwell

Surely the health benefits come from just losing weight and eating better? So I think sticking to a certain level of calories to allow you to lose weight and eating clean must be just as good as IF?

There appear to be other effects beyond just weight loss, perhaps due to prolonged periods without food intake. There are published studies comparing ADF and 5:2 regimes with continuous calorie reduction. In one for example the retention of lean body mass was better on the intermittent regime.

tricksee

....you're aware that if you exercise without enough food in your system your body starts breaking down your lean muscle mass in order to fuel itself...right? Not good.

Over prolonged periods of calorie restriction, yes. Using 5:2 - not at all.

Periods of fasting is good for you in the same way that damaging muscle lifting weights is good for you. It makes you stronger. The human body reacts to any kind of strain by building itself up to cope with it again.

Periods of fasting have benefits to your body that normal 1600calorie consumption does not, and will never be able to provide.

kae_blah

Our bodies do not re-set at midnight where only calories in and calories out within a 24-hour period matter. As someone else just said, 5:2 is just a way at monitoring and maintaining a calorie deficit over a week.

Fasting is not a new idea. It is a part of some religious and cultural practices and was a necessity during times of scarcity and futher back during different seasons and activities.

texanintokyo

Has anyone had trouble sleeping while doing the fasting?