Does anyone have experience with the 5:2 diet?

jesss98765

Thinking about starting the 5:2 Diet and open to thoughts!

kikiboniki

what is it?

wsrep

Was thinking of doing 5:2 IF but seems too brutal for me lol. I'm on the 16:8 and I do like it since I tend to skip breakfast anyways.

shadow2soul

@kikiboniki - if the OP is talking about what I think, it's 5 days eating at maintenance level and then 2 where you eat very little. Basically it's building your deficit for weight loss into 2 days a week. It's a form of IF.
Some people like it. I don't think I could do it.

rdkstar

I've just completed my 6th week and I love it. It just works with my lifestyle and my eating habits. I was nervous at first to eat really low calorie twice a week but it was easy. I recommend trying it for week. If it doesn't work for you, switch to something that fits you. There is no magic to it just spacing out your calories differently. But the 5 days of maintenance eating is great.

ahoy_m8

It's great! A lot of people look at their caloric intake on a weekly basis. Some have one low day and one high day. Some eat the exact same deficit every day. 5:2 is simply 2 low days that create a deficit for the week. I did it for several months when my schedule made it impossible to have dinner two days a week. It worked great but when my schedule changed, I went back to a more consistent eating pattern. It's worth a try if your schedule supports it.

mariam_mel

rdkstar wrote: »

I've just completed my 6th week and I love it. It just works with my lifestyle and my eating habits. I was nervous at first to eat really low calorie twice a week but it was easy. I recommend trying it for week. If it doesn't work for you, switch to something that fits you. There is no magic to it just spacing out your calories differently. But the 5 days of maintenance eating is great.

How much have you lost in 6 weeks?

eyeshinebright

What kind of long term loss goals does the 5:2 support? 0.5 lbs per week, 1 lb?

kayleigh376

I did it for a year, it was hard but it did work, I lost over a around 2 stone, I lost alot of muscle and I found myself low on energy, in all honesty, it worked as an easy weightloss and helped me get to where I am today, but i definitely prefer the healthier eating and gym plan than the 5:2!

jemhh

eyeshinebright wrote: »

What kind of long term loss goals does the 5:2 support? 0.5 lbs per week, 1 lb?

Depends on your TDEE. The original plan called on women to eat 500 calories on their low cals days. A woman with a TDEE of 2000 would have a 3000 weekly deficit, or about .85 lb, based on that. Definitely not in muscle loss territory if you eat your protein and do resistance exercise.

It's not a crash diet or very low cals diet. It's just a different way of arranging callories.

jennifer_417

It's one way to create a calorie deficit. I've done it off and on, with success, for a long time. It's not for everyone. If you don't like it, or find it too difficult, there are other ways to create a calorie deficit.

TAWrensong

I did it for a few months a couple of years ago and it was a nightmare! I turned into your worse bitchmare on my low eating days! But I have heard it does work for some people.

briggsykim

I gave it a try for 2 months. It was very hard and my skin suffered from acne breakouts. It really messed with my hormones.

briggsykim

Also it was hard to workout like that.