5:2 diet??

Options
2

Replies

  • latepaul
    latepaul Posts: 49 Member
    Options
    I've been doing it since November and have lost 50lb so far. That's a little slower than when I was on a straight calorie restricted diet but then again I put most of that loss back on. I used to cheat a lot and increasingly binge. 5:2 feels more maintainable to me. In fact I'm dubious about the supposed extra health benefits, for me it's mostly about a convenient way to distribute my weekly calorie deficit in a way that means I don't tend to binge.

    I do think it suits some people better than others. I've always been the kind of person that can miss a meal and hardly notice it so it's not that hard for me. Plus if I'm feeling like I need a treat I'm never more than a few hours away from a point when I can indulge. It's also really useful to be able to switch my fast days around to fit in with social engagements and so on.

    When I started my non-fast days were pretty much "eat what you like" but I only lost weight like that for a while. I find pretty much any diet works well to begin with. Anyway now I have my MFP set to lose 1lb a week and I try to eat within the suggested limit (including eating back exercise calories) on non-fast days. Maybe once a week I go over by a few hundred.

    I really like it, it's really working for me.
  • Charlieh16
    Charlieh16 Posts: 109 Member
    Options
    Question: are you supposed to do the two fast days consecutively? Or just any two days within a week?
    Whatever works for you. Some argue it's easier to do two consecutive, others fit the days into work / social constraints.

    The book say not to do your fasting days consecutively, to spread it out over the week.
  • jetlag
    jetlag Posts: 800 Member
    Options
    It was 5 weeks not 15, but I guess I have a lot to lose so first few weeks think my body went into shock and chucked out all the retained water! On non fast days I am counting my calories, trying to keep the balance of everything. I have really reduced my carb intake but only to a normal level, was eating far too much before. Eating lots more fish, eggs, veggies and less snacks and junk food. Thats not to say it is all healthy, I still manage to fit in some wine and chocolate :) I am not expecting to lose 20lb every 5 weeks, realistically I would like to lose 1-2lb per week and I will be happy...slow and steady wins the race as they say. I have also started to excerise which I didnt really do much of before. Basically..I eat less and move more..the best way to lose weight :)

    A lot of it will have been water, because when you fast you go into ketosis after your body consumes all the glycogen available. Glycogen stores water and when it's used, it releases that water. However, I would have thought that restoring the glycogen restores the water, no?
  • DancingHev
    DancingHev Posts: 30 Member
    Options
    The book is only about a fiver on Amazon so I'm gonna buy it on Friday and give this 5:2 diet a go.
    I'm hoping it'll break me out of this plateau I've hit. :) I'll try and update you all once I get going.
  • jennimc13
    jennimc13 Posts: 37
    Options
    It was 5 weeks not 15, but I guess I have a lot to lose so first few weeks think my body went into shock and chucked out all the retained water! On non fast days I am counting my calories, trying to keep the balance of everything. I have really reduced my carb intake but only to a normal level, was eating far too much before. Eating lots more fish, eggs, veggies and less snacks and junk food. Thats not to say it is all healthy, I still manage to fit in some wine and chocolate :) I am not expecting to lose 20lb every 5 weeks, realistically I would like to lose 1-2lb per week and I will be happy...slow and steady wins the race as they say. I have also started to excerise which I didnt really do much of before. Basically..I eat less and move more..the best way to lose weight :)

    A lot of it will have been water, because when you fast you go into ketosis after your body consumes all the glycogen available. Glycogen stores water and when it's used, it releases that water. However, I would have thought that restoring the glycogen restores the water, no?
  • jennimc13
    jennimc13 Posts: 37
    Options
    It was 5 weeks not 15, but I guess I have a lot to lose so first few weeks think my body went into shock and chucked out all the retained water! On non fast days I am counting my calories, trying to keep the balance of everything. I have really reduced my carb intake but only to a normal level, was eating far too much before. Eating lots more fish, eggs, veggies and less snacks and junk food. Thats not to say it is all healthy, I still manage to fit in some wine and chocolate :) I am not expecting to lose 20lb every 5 weeks, realistically I would like to lose 1-2lb per week and I will be happy...slow and steady wins the race as they say. I have also started to excerise which I didnt really do much of before. Basically..I eat less and move more..the best way to lose weight :)

    A lot of it will have been water, because when you fast you go into ketosis after your body consumes all the glycogen available. Glycogen stores water and when it's used, it releases that water. However, I would have thought that restoring the glycogen restores the water, no?

    you do not got into ketosis with 24 hour fast and eating 500kcal! sorry, mini rant coming. why is everyone on here so worried about sending the body into starvation. That takes a long time, very limited calories over a proglonged period of tme. Also do we really need to worry about the whys and where fors. I lost 20lb, I havent gained back what I lost, the day after fasting when I ate more. additionally, I have lost 26lb of fat..not water..fat!!! what I am doing works..if you want to know why it does or the additional health benefits read the book otherwise accept if you do it right it works! sorry for the rant.
  • Leslie1124
    Leslie1124 Posts: 143 Member
    Options
    This seems like a real craze at the moment, all my OHs work mates are doing it.
    Question: are you supposed to do the two fast days consecutively? Or just any two days within a week?

    OH thought he'd try it yesterday, had nothing at all to eat at all, then a few pints and some Skyline chilli. That cant be healthy? I think I'd rather stick to my calorie counting, since it is making me eat healthily and exercise more, which is way more of a lifestyle change

    I read somewhere the fast days should NOT be consecutive. The plan is 2 non consecutive fast days, 5 "normal" days.
  • sarahf3092
    sarahf3092 Posts: 147 Member
    Options
    I find it works - whats great is I can somehow have food/booze weekends and still lose! Weird how it works but it does
  • 3shirts
    3shirts Posts: 294 Member
    Options
    I have looked into this and it does seem to have some great benefits. I don't think it would work for me because of my schedule/lifestyle but it is interesting.

    I do wish people would get off the 'we've evolved to fast' BS. That might hold up if you also spent all day on your feet, tracking wildlife and running with spears but if you did that much exercise, diet wouldn't really be a big concern.
  • coreyreichle
    coreyreichle Posts: 1,031 Member
    Options
    I have looked into this and it does seem to have some great benefits. I don't think it would work for me because of my schedule/lifestyle but it is interesting.

    I do wish people would get off the 'we've evolved to fast' BS. That might hold up if you also spent all day on your feet, tracking wildlife and running with spears but if you did that much exercise, diet wouldn't really be a big concern.

    Exactly!

    When people talk about the impact of evolution on our current diets, they seem to forget about the past 25,000 years of evolution. During which time, our appendix became a vestigial organ.

    Our diets have changed in the past few thousands of years, and our bodies have evolved along with that change.
  • elainemorris1982
    elainemorris1982 Posts: 104 Member
    Options
    I like the sound of this diet. Gonna look into and start next week:)
  • paulaslimmon
    paulaslimmon Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    The book is only about a fiver on Amazon so I'm gonna buy it on Friday and give this 5:2 diet a go.
    I'm hoping it'll break me out of this plateau I've hit. :) I'll try and update you all once I get going.

    I was stuck on a plateau for about 4 weeks when I tried the 5:2 diet and was amazed to lose 4lbs the first week. I've since gone back to cutting calories as I found it too hard with my family all eating around me but it was great to kick start the weight loss again! Also, if you live in the UK, I got the book from Tesco for £2.95 :)
  • THE_DOCTORSWIFE
    THE_DOCTORSWIFE Posts: 91 Member
    Options
    I am on my 3rd week of the 5:2 diet I have lost 5 lbs. I can honestly say that it is the BEST diet I have ever done. Easy to follow and the fast days are really not hard.On normal days you really don't have the urge to binge like with most restrictive diets. I don't work out I just fast Monday and Thursday. I try to eat 1200-1400 on Tues,Wed,Fri 3 of my normal days and no more than 1700 on Sat and Sun. As long as I am at or under my weekly calorie limit I lose. This is something I plan to continue for life if it gets the weight off and keeps it off.
  • msjames1999
    msjames1999 Posts: 528 Member
    Options
    Interesting...I may have to try it.
  • utterbubble
    utterbubble Posts: 45
    Options
    ooo Great info :) I'm going to give this a go next week

    whats better, two small meals that equal 500 or one meal in the evening~? thanks
  • gigglepiggle
    gigglepiggle Posts: 29 Member
    Options
    I've just started this week, done one fast day so far. It really wasn't bad at all, yes i got hungry but I spread the calories out over 3 small meals so once I was rumbling I had something to eat.

    It has really helped me think about how often I eat when I'm not really hungry, how much of my calorie intake is snacking because I'm bored or fed up. I'm hopeful this will work better for me than 1200/1300 a day which I struggle to maintain
  • atb0821
    atb0821 Posts: 458 Member
    Options
    I've been at it for 6 weeks now. I eat 500 twice a week (not back-to-back), and up to 2000 the other 5 days. It's getting easier as I go along. I've lost 3 pounds which may not seem like much, but keep in mind I'm really near my GW, and I've lost considerable inches as well. Two weeks ago I bought some new works pants, I put them on Monday and they were falling off of me. It's even possible to workout on fast days if you time your foods right (saving up to have a snack right before you go for an energy boost). I think it's great!
  • atb0821
    atb0821 Posts: 458 Member
    Options
    ooo Great info :) I'm going to give this a go next week

    whats better, two small meals that equal 500 or one meal in the evening~? thanks

    It's totally up to you how to want to spread out the 500 calories. I hold off on eating until around 1:00 p.m., then I'll have a couple boiled eggs or something. Later in the afternoon I'll have about 100 more calories, and for dinner I'll have a huge plate of steamed broccoli and a slice of toast.
  • SHEEZLUVLLY
    SHEEZLUVLLY Posts: 33 Member
    Options
    I have done a lot of research but its seems like a good idea. I only think it seems like a fad diet because I would have a hard time with 500 calories for 2 day.
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
    Options
    It was 5 weeks not 15, but I guess I have a lot to lose so first few weeks think my body went into shock and chucked out all the retained water! On non fast days I am counting my calories, trying to keep the balance of everything. I have really reduced my carb intake but only to a normal level, was eating far too much before. Eating lots more fish, eggs, veggies and less snacks and junk food. Thats not to say it is all healthy, I still manage to fit in some wine and chocolate :) I am not expecting to lose 20lb every 5 weeks, realistically I would like to lose 1-2lb per week and I will be happy...slow and steady wins the race as they say. I have also started to excerise which I didnt really do much of before. Basically..I eat less and move more..the best way to lose weight :)

    Ahhh, that will explain it. I also find that alot of people lose differently, slower, quicker and more in inches when the scale slows dowm. Well done on your loss so far :)

Categories