5:2 Fast Diet

SeattleGrl

Is anyone following this method of eating?

shabaity

I'll be giving it a go starting the 4th. My class schedule for the coming semester aligns for it and it won't interfere with my training for a competition come spring. I'm curious if it could enhance my supplemental training and weight loss.

Asher_Ethan

I tried it last year and I couldn't do the 500 calorie days. It was too much for me.

lulalacroix

I have played around with some different types of fasting. I find the 500 calories easier to handle if I eat all of the calories within a couple of hours.

elsinora

What's the usual calculation for this? Ie how much do you usually eat on "normal" day and how much on a "fast" day. Ie what calculation do you use to find your normal day of eating that's tailored for you? I see the fast days are generally 500 calories but surely the normal days are dependent on your height, build etc

Dreysander

I think a "normal" day is supposed to be maintenance. A "fast" day is 500 cal. It's not a proper fast, just severe caloric restriction. I sort of did this except my 2's were 24 hour fasts instead of 500 calorie days.

jennifer_417

Yep. Like the above poster said, you eat at your maintenance 5 days per week, and 500 calories on any 2 (preferably non-consecutive) days.

elsinora

Cool, just interested as this may work for me on the weeks where I'm travelling for work / business conferences etc.

Chezzie84

I personally can not do it. My body doesn't like it. On the restrictive days, I used to go light headed and fell generally very unwell. I knew that enough was enough when I passed out and hit my head on the floor. Worried my OH to death.

That said, I know people who have massive success on it (my mom being one). She follows the Venus Factor diet.
Whether or not it is a good, healthy way to lose weight, I don't know but she has lost about 56lb so far.

TeaBea

elsinora wrote: »

What's the usual calculation for this? Ie how much do you usually eat on "normal" day and how much on a "fast" day. Ie what calculation do you use to find your normal day of eating that's tailored for you? I see the fast days are generally 500 calories but surely the normal days are dependent on your height, build etc

"Normal" days are your maintenance, and yes it will vary by weight, height, age and gender. Find a TDEE calculator (Scooby's Workshop is good). TDEE is short for total daily energy expenditure.

There are a couple groups with lots of info

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/8628-5-2-diet

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting

500 calories is too low for me also. But I do like to zig-zag my calories so I can relax on the weekend.

1961dublin

I lost 18 kilos with the 5;2 so I love it!!! Sometimes I did 4;3. Now I am at maintenance. I love the flexibility. I even lost a pound over Christmas!! To maintain I do a mix of low days and high days calorie wise. I am at it nearly 2 years now. I tried every other diet and none worked. 5;2 is all about calorie restriction, but you can work it to suit your lifestyle, and no food is forbidden. I plan to do it for the rest of my life!!

rosebarnalice

I did the math, and at 5 days x 2000 calories + 2 days at 600 calories= 11,200 calories. . . . which averages out to 1,600 calories per day.

I'll take the 1,600 calories per day, thank you.

skinnyjeansandstretchmarks

I am interested in 4:3 - I think it would work really well for me

eviegreen

elsinora wrote: »

What's the usual calculation for this? Ie how much do you usually eat on "normal" day and how much on a "fast" day. Ie what calculation do you use to find your normal day of eating that's tailored for you? I see the fast days are generally 500 calories but surely the normal days are dependent on your height, build etc

A normal day is the amount of calories it would take to maintain your current weight (reevaluate every 5-10 lbs you lose). A fast day is 500 cals for women, 600 for men, or slightly more if you work out (which I don't at all recommend; use fast days as rest days).

rybo

I had a friend who had great success with it. I've tinkered with it myself. The 500 cal days aren't that bad if you plan ahead and make a good filling meal. If choosing the right foods, you can be satiated quite well.

jennifer_417

rosebarnalice wrote: »

I did the math, and at 5 days x 2000 calories + 2 days at 600 calories= 11,200 calories. . . . which averages out to 1,600 calories per day.

I'll take the 1,600 calories per day, thank you.

*shrug* 5:2 is just another way to create a calorie deficit. If you dont like it, then don't do it.

missball

I've only been at it a week now and still very much ironing out the creases. My mother lost a good few stone through it and I'm hoping to do the same to get backlk down to a healthy weight. My first fast day was a lot more comfortable than this one, but I'm ending up between 550 and 700 so far to avoid passing out or being sick, so figured I'd keep trying until I find a formula that works and get more used to it. Surely that's better than going full throttle straight away and being put off.

mkakids

I started last year on 5:2 and loved it! I still utilize it occasionally....like if i know i have a packed weekend coming up where i will eat alot or something.

ew_david

I tried it, but it wasn't for me. My maintenance days quickly became surplus days. I had much better success with Intermittent Fasting 16:8

ahoy_m8

I did it for a couple months when my schedule got wonky & made dinner really stressful Mondays and Thursdays. It was so much easier & a relief to stop eating after a 3pm snack and just not worry about it. If I ate high fiber & high protein the day prior, I was literally still digesting yesterday's food and felt just fine on the "fast" days. Normal workouts. All good. The day following was more challenging for me. I would get kinda crashy and crave protein like a monster around dinner, but was usually feeling normal by bedtime. When my schedule changed, I went back to a normal eating pattern.

Some people who have an eating window of 6 or 8 hours per day call that IF, too. I'm not hungry early in the day, so that works great for me.

AnvilHead

I could easily do 16:8 IF, probably even 18:6 - no way I'd even contemplate the 5:2. 500 calories a day would be a recipe for absolute misery (for me, anyway).

For anybody contemplating it explicitly for the purposes of "jump starting" or "enhancing" your weight loss, it's no more or less effective than eating at a straight deficit every day. Meal timing/frequency is irrelevant for weight loss and the body doesn't work on a 24-hour clock. Weight gain/loss is a continual, open process - the body doesn't pause at midnight, tally calories for the day and decide whether to put on or lose weight. If it works for you in terms of satiety/adherence/workout performance, cool - nothing wrong with it. But if not, there's no need to subject yourself to it in hopes that it's going to make you lose weight any faster.

ahoy_m8

AnvilHead wrote: »

I could easily do 16:8 IF, probably even 18:6 - no way I'd even contemplate the 5:2. 500 calories a day would be a recipe for absolute misery (for me, anyway).

For anybody contemplating it explicitly for the purposes of "jump starting" or "enhancing" your weight loss, it's no more or less effective than eating at a straight deficit every day. Meal timing/frequency is irrelevant for weight loss and the body doesn't work on a 24-hour clock. Weight gain/loss is a continual, open process - the body doesn't pause at midnight, tally calories for the day and decide whether to put on or lose weight. If it works for you in terms of satiety/adherence/workout performance, cool - nothing wrong with it. But if not, there's no need to subject yourself to it in hopes that it's going to make you lose weight any faster.

Yes, I forgot to add that. It made no difference whatsoever in my weight. That was total weekly calories, no matter how they came in.

boombalatty123

Men get 600 calories a day, not 500, which always makes me a bit jealous watching my husband eat his "extra" bit of food.

I've been doing it for about a month. I'm down 5 pounds, my husband is down 7. I eat 2 meals on fast days, a small brunch (150 cals) and a larger dinner (350). Generally protein and vegetables, because I don't like to waste calories on carbs (on fast days, I eat them on the regular days). It has been very easy to follow and I think this is the long term way of eating I can stick with forever.

Mediocrates55

I do 5:2 with zero days instead of 500. Its easier for me to be in compliance at zero than at 500. I'm not prone to headaches or irritability or low blood sugar so it works well. Fast days are non-gym days and we run errands, tend house, catch up on school work or chores. I rarely burn over 1800 on fast days. I just take it easy and stay busy. Whether you do 500 or true fast, MAKE SURE you stay hydrated.

Working2BBetter

I've been living 5:2 for 30 months. I prefer keeping 3 meals a day. Works for me. Fast days ain't so bad once you get used to it. It's resisting the urge to eat everything in the house the next day that is the kicker...

I did a lot of research before starting this and decided to do it because the overall health benefits, not the weight loss.

Good luck!

PinkPixiexox

Asher_Ethan wrote: »

I tried it last year and I couldn't do the 500 calorie days. It was too much for me.

Same here!

My first 500 calorie day left me feeling pretty weak and headachey and I never really wanted to try again. It certainly isn't for everyone but I have known a few people to have success with it. It won't hurt giving it a try and seeing you get on!

amusedmonkey

PinkPixiexox wrote: »

Asher_Ethan wrote: »

I tried it last year and I couldn't do the 500 calorie days. It was too much for me.

Same here!

My first 500 calorie day left me feeling pretty weak and headachey and I never really wanted to try again. It certainly isn't for everyone but I have known a few people to have success with it. It won't hurt giving it a try and seeing you get on!

It usually takes about 4 or so fast days to get used to it. All the negative symptoms disappear for me at that point and I'm left with relaxing fast days and a nicer calorie allowance on non-fast days.

Hell_Flower

I've done it and it works. Having a history of some pretty unhealthy and very restrictive eating habits, it actually worked pretty well for me as I got results and I wasn't thinking about restricting/fasting all the time. I ring fenced my two days and was able to just get on with it.

The only issue I found was if I had a 500 calorie day up to two days before or the first day of my period, I would actually not be able to function...at all.

I think the trick is to not go insane on the other 5 days...like eat just a normal maintenance amount. Dont go to a buffet every day, like.

Edited to add: if I'm having a manic day on fast days and wont get home til later, I usually just eat like 4 bananas when I feel a bit sluggish in the brain and save the other 100 for coffee