5:2. Diet

Chriscut100

hi everyone.. Although I'm not new to mfp.. I've been playing with the same 7lbs for about a year now.. I'm going to start 5:2 diet today. Today will be my 1st fast day. Looking for any help ideas friends support.. X

catt952

Hello is the 5:2 diet basically like doing your calorie deficit everyday, but two days of the week you have an even lower deficit?

Chriscut100

Yes.. I've done a little research.. And I'm going to stick to 12/1300 cals 5 days and 500 cals for 2 days. See how I get on. I think there is a group on here doing the fasting diet, I'm looking but haven't found it yet

catt952

Okay goodluck. If you are playing with the last few lbs then i have heard strength training is good for this

Chriscut100

2stone to go! Been playing with the same 7lb s since March.. Time to get real!

KateTii

I'm not well researched into fasting, but 12/1300 calories is what you should be having at an absolute minimum. It's what your body uses to keep your heat beating, digestion etc. I think you may need to reevaluate your calories.
(Not to mention 12-1300 calories doesn't go very far). Can you sustain that for the rest of your life?

For me, missing meals = binging on junk. But if it works for you, good luck

flumi_f

Chris, come here for 5:2 support http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting
I agree with KateTii, that you are going too low on normals days...recipe for failure. Eat your TDEE on non fast days. You attain your deficit on your fast days.

KateTii, 5:2 ist just another way to reach a cal deficit of 20-25% over the course of your week. You have two low days around 500cals and eat maintainance on the other 5. It's perfect for many of the people like me, that have problems with daily restriction. I lost 28-29kg in a bit over a year and have maintained this loss for over a year. Still fasting two times a week, just not as strict with my TDEE anymore on the normal days. I was always overweight / obese....until Jan 2014. So it is sustainable, if fasting suits you. I agree, it's not for everyone, but it is perfect for me.

KateTii

flumi_f wrote: »

X

I thought it must have some merit since so many people do it but 12-1300 with fasting days of 500 just seemed like a bad idea haha.

Makes sense, and although I like the idea of 5 bigger calorie days, I would not function well at all on the smaller two haha.

Firefly0606

Your fasting days need to be 500 calories. But the idea is that you eat maintenance calories for the other 5 days. 12-1300 would still be a deficit from your maintenance/TDEE. Why 5:2 advocates say it works is because it is like NOT dieting 5 days of the week, and only worrying about if for 2 days.

Michael Mosley is the doctor behind this, you may have watched his documentary on 5:2, or read the book, or I have included the link to my personal favorite, "The fast guide - the fast diet for those too lazy to read the book" : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Aj6hRYg4A All of these sources say 500 calories x 2 days per week, and 2000 calories x 5 days per week. (11,000 calories per week)

If you do 500 x 2 days and 1300 x 5 days your weekly intake is only 7,500 calories. I don't know your stats (height, weight, age, activity level)...but man, that's REALLY low and verging on starvation.

I tried 5:2 and it didn't work for me personally. 5:2 advocates say there are other health benefits, and that when you get used to it, you learn to deal with the hunger on fast days, it makes your mind sharper. I was a cranky bear on fast days, hungry, tired, irritable and all I could think about was food. Interestingly, I have set my calories at 1500 per day now and am losing 0.5 - 1kg per week.

Good luck!

melaniecheeks

Flumi' s beaten me to it with the invitation to join the 5:2 group. We are very friendly and supportive bunch!

It's not for everyone - kudos to those who've tried it and recognised that it doesn't suit them. But there's a fair few of us who have fond this to be a sustainable long term approach.

sakurablush

For what it's worth as I do alternate day fasting as opposed to 5:2 (I just prefer it), I tend to eat between 3-500 calories in fast days and my bmr (roughly 1500 calories) on the other days.

yarwell

catwils1 wrote: »

Hello is the 5:2 diet basically like doing your calorie deficit everyday, but two days of the week you have an even lower deficit?

No, it's 5 days of maintenance and 2 of restriction.

winniemcrae

Im restarting 5:2 diet today i have done it before and lost 9lbs before i quit.my fast days will be mon and wed looking for a fasting buddY

TeaBea

Chriscut100 wrote: »

Yes.. I've done a little research.. And I'm going to stick to 12/1300 cals 5 days and 500 cals for 2 days. See how I get on. I think there is a group on here doing the fasting diet, I'm looking but haven't found it yet

NO! This is not 5:2 ....this would be called a very low calorie zig-zag diet.

5:2 IS:

5 days at maintenance also called TDEE (total daily energy expenditure): http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

2 days at 500 (for women) / 600 (for men)

At 1200/500.....you are grossing an average of 1,000 calories a day. MFP doesn't default that low for a good reason.

esaucier17

winniemcrae wrote: »

Im restarting 5:2 diet today i have done it before and lost 9lbs before i quit.my fast days will be mon and wed looking for a fasting buddY

How do you feel on your fasting days? Are you starving or feel dizzy or does your body get used to it? I feel like I would be so hungry on those days. I try to do 1200 everyday now but maybe adding in the 2 fasting days would get me better results...