5:2 diet??

elainemorris1982

I like the sound of this diet. Gonna look into and start next week:)

paulaslimmon

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

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

Interesting...I may have to try it.

utterbubble

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

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

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

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

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

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

genericjanedoe

I've got to say I LOVE this diet. I've tried quite a few others and have always struggled with the calorie counting after a few weeks. Working out how many calories I was eating, how many I had left, denying a drink because it would tip me over my limits etc. was just too exhausting.

But with this diet - as someone else has mentioned - you are never that far away from being able to eat "normally" again. Once you've worked out a good range of low calorie meals, it gets a lot easier to keep up.

Patterns of eating are all down to whatever you most feel comfortable with. For me, it's pretty easy to skip breakfast and just have a good black earl grey tea (0 cals). At midday I'll be hungry so would follow with something like a Pret tuna nicoise salad (no dressing, 167 cals) and small pot of mango pieces with lime juice (70 cals). This leaves me with just enough calories for something in the evening like a nice hearty soup, or skillet seared prawns with garlic, coriander and lime in a small wholemeal pitta - all of this totals up to approx 500 cals in one day.

The book and site stress that you should do the diet on non consecutive and busy days, and Mondays and Wednesdays work for me. That way I get to have a couple of drinks on Friday with friends if I want to without feeling guilty.

I started on this site by doing Diet Chef and did initially lose about 8 pounds in ONE WEEK, but in the following weeks I lost practically nothing and indeed, started putting back on the pounds I had lost! But with this diet, I'm losing about 2-3 pounds a week - less but steadily, and strangely without the usual urge to binge on non-fast days which is odd but so liberating.

The trick is just to fill up gaps by drinking plenty of low cal fluids - water or black tea; even a barley water drink made with 50ml barley mix and sparkling water is only 7 calories, but feels quite indulgent.