Is 5 2 just a fad?

munchkin0518

OMG this is EXACTLY the mentality I had! I just wanted to sleep away the whole friggin' day, wanted desperately to forget that it STILL wasn't the next day.

I tried it after watching the BBC program a few months ago. I only managed one single day, and that was without going to work. I was utterly exhausted, had headaches, got angry, depressed, and could think of nothing but "please let it be the next day so I can eat".

I know your body has to adjust to these things- but honestly, I never would. It definitely is NOT working for me.

perrinjoshua

Thanks stefjc! 60 is not old! I know 90 year olds that I can't keep up to and I'm not exaggerating!

SideSteel

So, is there a limit to how much energy we can get from fat stored on our body?

In theory yes there is, which is potentially why excessive caloric deficits may lead to greater losses in muscle.

Mokey41

What exactly are the purported health benefits to this way of eating and are there any actual clinical trials proving that it works? Not for weight loss because I get how that can work but actual health benefits with scientific proof to back them up.

Lemonade2013

I read an article today that said you could do some of your fasting whilst asleep - i.e. for 2 days you eat your restricted calories between the hours of 9am and 5pm and fast from 5pm to 9am - does this fit in with the 5:2 diet I wonder?

stefjc

What exactly are the purported health benefits to this way of eating and are there any actual clinical trials proving that it works? Not for weight loss because I get how that can work but actual health benefits with scientific proof to back them up.

They are many and varied and a lot of them are linked on various threads with quite a few earlier in this one.

A quick google will get you a lot of proper research, peer reviewed journals, if you prefer that to magazine style reports. JUDDD site, despite his supplement sales pitch, carries links and info.

But the benefits, include, but are not only, diabetes, insulin resistance, cholesterol, blood pressure, non obese subjects, obese subjects, insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, VO2max, brain metabolism, Alzheimers and much more.

Look it up, some of the studies are really odd/interesting.

thankyou4thevenom

I read an article today that said you could do some of your fasting whilst asleep - i.e. for 2 days you eat your restricted calories between the hours of 9am and 5pm and fast from 5pm to 9am - does this fit in with the 5:2 diet I wonder?

Restricted as in 500 cals for women on two days a week, then yes that's a variation of what we're talking about.

thankyou4thevenom

What exactly are the purported health benefits to this way of eating and are there any actual clinical trials proving that it works? Not for weight loss because I get how that can work but actual health benefits with scientific proof to back them up.

There's plenty of scientific evidence on the health benefits of fasting. I don't have any links but I'm sure there's a whole bunch of them if you bother to look it up yourself.

melaniecheeks

Starvation mode doesn't kick in after 24 hours. Your body hasnt got a watch which it's looking at and going "10 minutes to go before 24 hours is up! Quick, eat something before you starve!"

Plus it's recommended to have the 2 fasting days separated by days of healthy eating - I know for myslef I make sure I get plenty of good nutrition in on those 5 days, and that's one bit of advice I give to others.

Been visiting my parents today - my sister and her husband have been 5:2ing since May. They've lost weight - slowly - but are really enjoying how this makes them feel, and getting compliments from their friends and colleagues on thier reducing waistlines.

Sis says they all know in her office when the sweets are passed round, if she says "I'll have one tomorrow!"

Pull out section with sample menus in one of today's UK Sunday papers (Express possibly?)

Way2slk

So, my sister is evangelising about the results on the 5 2 plan. Is it just hype or should I give it serious consideration?
Does it make exercising harder when calories are this restricted?

Here is an article I found:
How to Eat Six Meals a Day for Maximum Weight Loss
By Nivedita Raghunath, eHow Contributor

How to Eat Six Meals a Day for Maximum Weight Loss
Eat Six Meals a Day for Maximum Weight Loss
The theory that eating many small meals throughout the day helps weight loss is not scientifically proven. It is true that doing so increases metabolism, keeps blood sugar levels steady and, thus, helps you avoid cravings by keeping you feeling full longer. However, the old rule of "calories in = calories out" holds true. Whether you eat six small meals a day, or three, if your total calorie intake remains the same, it won't matter if you chose one eating plan over the other. For maximum weight loss with six small meals, the key is to burn more calories and eat fewer calories at the end of the day.

Instructions
1 Split your meals in half. This is an excellent way to begin as you are starting with your original full meal, so you will not be prone to overeat. Have one half of your meal half an hour earlier than your regular mealtime, and the other half two to three hours later.

2 Snack healthy. Reduce portion sizes of breakfast, lunch and dinner, and then add a healthy snack, such a nuts, fruits or protein shakes between meals.

3 Drink plenty of water between meals. Water is not only good for health in general, it will temporarily fill you up and help you avoid food cravings.

4 Consume foods high in fiber, protein and complex carbohydrates. Fiber is the indigestible portion of plant foods. High fiber foods, especially ones with high insoluble fiber content---whole grains and vegetables such as green beans, zucchini and cauliflower---have bulking action that keeps you full longer. Complex carbohydrates are high-fiber, low sugar foods that have the same effect. Consuming protein is also known to improve satiety.

5 Avoid overeating. Eat when you're hungry and not just slightly hungry. Wait 20 minutes to see if what you're feeling is real hunger. If the last time you ate is less than three hours ago, lay your hands on a small healthy snack to keep you going until your next meal.

6 Exercise. The only way to consistently increase your basal metabolic rate, which influences how fast your body burns calories, is through exercise. Embrace an eating pattern with fewer calories at every meal and make sure to exercise regularly.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_7806310_eat-day-maximum-weight-loss.html#ixzz2bfvl9Nli

CARBLEGEND

yes it is...but its here top stay...I prefer 18 :6

MrsFitNSexySimmons

Fad plain and simple.

All you need is to make sure you are getting the appropriate water intake, eating veggies, whole grains, and some fruit with a day or two adding in lean meat such as chicken, ground turkey, and fish. Cut out the sugars and processed garbage that the food industry is programming people to think is healthy (that means pass up the frozen dinner isle people, sodium lurks there). Invest in good a good multivitamin and a great protein (1st Phorm Level 1 is amazing) and WORK OUT!!!

I saw it in another post and she had it correct. Slow and steady wins. Stop trying to take gobs of weight off your body at one time. The problem I see most people have here is that they restrict their calories so much and then bust out some cardio a few days a week and then do a fad diet here and there.....a healthy sustainable lifestyle is sustainable and can be extremely fulfilling when you do it correctly.

Eat foods from the produce section and a bit from the meat department. Shop minimally in the center isles for things like oats, quinoa, coconut oil, high quality olive oils, dry beans, coffee, agave....I shop 3 middle isles at most for these things. I thought for many years that eating healthy was too expensive but it is only expensive when you still try shopping the "convenience" foods that are masked as healthy.

Strength train, whether you choose machines or free weights, most days of the week and then do some HIIT 2-3 days a week. By adding weight training you will be protecting your bones against osteoporosis and osteopenia. You will also SEE the changes in your body vs waiting for the scale to tell you that you are "losing weight". By doing this 5.2 thing you are losing weight, muscle, water....you do not want to lose muscle! You want to lose fat and add/tone lean muscle.

When I realized all that I mentioned above I started to see major changes that I was not seeing when I was depriving myself. I gave up the fads, and the pills, and the potions and my body is rewarding me 10 fold every day!

BTW, I am 32 and recently diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis....since changing my thinking and the way that I eat and work out I have fewer flares of joint pain (honestly the only time I experience flares is when I take too many days off working out or give myself a "cheat" day...mind you there are also ways to have goodies here and there and make them healthy.

Mokey41

What exactly are the purported health benefits to this way of eating and are there any actual clinical trials proving that it works? Not for weight loss because I get how that can work but actual health benefits with scientific proof to back them up.

There's plenty of scientific evidence on the health benefits of fasting. I don't have any links but I'm sure there's a whole bunch of them if you bother to look it up yourself.

I already bothered and most of it was anecdotal evidence of people saying they "feel better" etc, not clinical studies showing any actual health benefits that wouldn't have been achieved by just plain losing some weight by any method.

thankyou4thevenom

What exactly are the purported health benefits to this way of eating and are there any actual clinical trials proving that it works? Not for weight loss because I get how that can work but actual health benefits with scientific proof to back them up.

There's plenty of scientific evidence on the health benefits of fasting. I don't have any links but I'm sure there's a whole bunch of them if you bother to look it up yourself.

I already bothered and most of it was anecdotal evidence of people saying they "feel better" etc, not clinical studies showing any actual health benefits that wouldn't have been achieved by just plain losing some weight by any method.

There have been many many scientific studies about the benefits of fasting and there's this brand new invention called goggle. I am not going to do the work for you.

melaniecheeks

Many of us doing this way of eating had blood tests done when starting - cholesterol in particular, but also other medical markers.

We all recognise we are the guinea pigs, this has only really taken off in the past year, but results so far are very positive, and more than just a "I feel good" way.

Now, they're not scientifically controlled, and not everyone is reporting positive results. But so far, the experimental guinea pig jury is giving the thumbs up.

Mokey41

What exactly are the purported health benefits to this way of eating and are there any actual clinical trials proving that it works? Not for weight loss because I get how that can work but actual health benefits with scientific proof to back them up.

There's plenty of scientific evidence on the health benefits of fasting. I don't have any links but I'm sure there's a whole bunch of them if you bother to look it up yourself.

I already bothered and most of it was anecdotal evidence of people saying they "feel better" etc, not clinical studies showing any actual health benefits that wouldn't have been achieved by just plain losing some weight by any method.

There have been many many scientific studies about the benefits of fasting and there's this brand new invention called goggle. I am not going to do the work for you.

In other words you have no conclusive evidence.

farway

What exactly are the purported health benefits to this way of eating and are there any actual clinical trials proving that it works? Not for weight loss because I get how that can work but actual health benefits with scientific proof to back them up.

There's plenty of scientific evidence on the health benefits of fasting. I don't have any links but I'm sure there's a whole bunch of them if you bother to look it up yourself.

I already bothered and most of it was anecdotal evidence of people saying they "feel better" etc, not clinical studies showing any actual health benefits that wouldn't have been achieved by just plain losing some weight by any method.

There have been many many scientific studies about the benefits of fasting and there's this brand new invention called goggle. I am not going to do the work for you.

In other words you have no conclusive evidence.

I think what is meant is DYOR

sijomial

What exactly are the purported health benefits to this way of eating and are there any actual clinical trials proving that it works? Not for weight loss because I get how that can work but actual health benefits with scientific proof to back them up.

Here's some light reading:

Abstracts of clinical trials:

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/1/7.abstract
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/1/69.abstract
http://www.jlr.org/content/48/10/2212.abstract
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/90/5/1138.abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3017674/
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8544422

Mokey41

What exactly are the purported health benefits to this way of eating and are there any actual clinical trials proving that it works? Not for weight loss because I get how that can work but actual health benefits with scientific proof to back them up.

Here's some light reading:

Abstracts of clinical trials:

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/1/7.abstract
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/1/69.abstract
http://www.jlr.org/content/48/10/2212.abstract
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/90/5/1138.abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3017674/
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8544422

Yes, those minor studies show that calorie restriction will result in weight loss for the obese which may lead to better health in general. Still doesn't prove that the non obese individual will see any health benefit by any kind of fasting.

Qskim

What exactly are the purported health benefits to this way of eating and are there any actual clinical trials proving that it works? Not for weight loss because I get how that can work but actual health benefits with scientific proof to back them up.

There's plenty of scientific evidence on the health benefits of fasting. I don't have any links but I'm sure there's a whole bunch of them if you bother to look it up yourself.

I already bothered and most of it was anecdotal evidence of people saying they "feel better" etc, not clinical studies showing any actual health benefits that wouldn't have been achieved by just plain losing some weight by any method.

Mokey...I have lost 91lbs so far with health in mind and not a single fad in sight until now. I'm cynical of fads too but I began 5:2 this week because I had been interested in it from a behavioral view. Trying to keep this short but I lost part of my weight on 1200 (but happily zigzagged) then got to a point where I knew I needed to readjust my thinking as I got to goal. But I found the tdee - % a bit tedious and also if I had a bad day I blew out for days because I'd felt I'd screwed up the whole week. So I was back to 1200 then I'd still blowout. Something behaviorally had to shift.

I knew from lean gains that I was a natural 16/8 and when I read about 5:2 I decided that it appealed to me as a strategy to learn how to eat at tdee and to manipulate what I already did (but was trying to ignore). In effect I just skip two meals per week on low days. What I've noticed is now on my high days I don't compromise on tdee. I don't try to speed up the weightloss process and I've started to manipulate the flexibility the strategy gives me mentally. I eat higher again on nights before fast day and training. I'm still conscious of my macros but I also feel less guilty about a treat.

In all honesty, my eyes glazed over the so called health benefits too. This is in part because eating better and losing weight as a result has greatly improved my health anyway. My goal is simply to tackle my meandering mindset. If I have a number of out of contol high days then throwing in a low day helps with adherence. I don't plan on compromising my high days at all apart from any minor adjustment due to tdee. This is a big positive step for me. I only have two days of adherence (remembering that I was naturally inclined to eat in an 8hr window anyway). I don't spend all day crunching numbers or thinking about food. But I know that some people enjoy the tdee-% method..it suits their thinking. Too fine a line for me day after day. Yet with this strategy I still am achieving the tdee-% over the course of a week but it's arranged differently. I recognize that. My aim is to get to a point where I don't count calories on either day. I've played around with this over the last week by not logging until the end of the day just to see where I would end up by responding to hunger cues and was pleasantly surprised that I fell roughly within what I have set for myself on higher days. I'm back to zigzagging in a sense but with a structure I can still manipulate to suit my lifestyle.

I don't believe it's for everybody. And yes, I do think it's parameters can be abused. But people who may abuse it would probably do so whatever method or fad they used.

sijomial

What exactly are the purported health benefits to this way of eating and are there any actual clinical trials proving that it works? Not for weight loss because I get how that can work but actual health benefits with scientific proof to back them up.

Here's some light reading:

Abstracts of clinical trials:

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/1/7.abstract
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/1/69.abstract
http://www.jlr.org/content/48/10/2212.abstract
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/90/5/1138.abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3017674/
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8544422

Yes, those minor studies show that calorie restriction will result in weight loss for the obese which may lead to better health in general. Still doesn't prove that the non obese individual will see any health benefit by any kind of fasting.

And on the other hand to you have any clinical evidence or trials that show that IF is unhealthy?

Mokey41

And on the other hand to you have any clinical evidence or trials that show that IF is unhealthy?

I didn't say it was unhealthy, I just keep hearing all the hype about how good it is for you but no one seems to be able to come up with anything but weight loss if you do it at a calorie deficit. I'm at maintenance so I don't see how it would be a health benefit to me since I don't need to lose weight. If fasting is the cure for cancer or heart disease, etc then I think the world needs to know about this.

pinkraynedropjacki

And on the other hand to you have any clinical evidence or trials that show that IF is unhealthy?

I didn't say it was unhealthy, I just keep hearing all the hype about how good it is for you but no one seems to be able to come up with anything but weight loss if you do it at a calorie deficit. I'm at maintenance so I don't see how it would be a health benefit to me since I don't need to lose weight. If fasting is the cure for cancer or heart disease, etc then I think the world needs to know about this.

You are not being told you MUST do it are you? Being forced at gunpoint? So really why do you give a toss what other people do? I was like you even 3 weeks ago..... now....... I'm a definite convert. If you don't try it...and I mean really try not like the half assed attempts by some people who find fasting for one day so damn hard..... then you have no right to complain about it at all or even really have an opinion.

Mokey41

And on the other hand to you have any clinical evidence or trials that show that IF is unhealthy?

I didn't say it was unhealthy, I just keep hearing all the hype about how good it is for you but no one seems to be able to come up with anything but weight loss if you do it at a calorie deficit. I'm at maintenance so I don't see how it would be a health benefit to me since I don't need to lose weight. If fasting is the cure for cancer or heart disease, etc then I think the world needs to know about this.

You are not being told you MUST do it are you? Being forced at gunpoint? So really why do you give a toss what other people do? I was like you even 3 weeks ago..... now....... I'm a definite convert. If you don't try it...and I mean really try not like the half assed attempts by some people who find fasting for one day so damn hard..... then you have no right to complain about it at all or even really have an opinion.

Why is everyone getting their shorts in a knot? I didn't say don't do it, didn't say it was unhealthy, just ask what the big deal is. No one seems to be able to answer that and it's fine. The OP ask if it was a fad diet and so far it seems that's just what it is. Eat whatever, whenever, however you want. I just think if something is as wonderful as the proponents of this "diet" claim it is that their would be some data to back up the claims.

pinkraynedropjacki

And on the other hand to you have any clinical evidence or trials that show that IF is unhealthy?

I didn't say it was unhealthy, I just keep hearing all the hype about how good it is for you but no one seems to be able to come up with anything but weight loss if you do it at a calorie deficit. I'm at maintenance so I don't see how it would be a health benefit to me since I don't need to lose weight. If fasting is the cure for cancer or heart disease, etc then I think the world needs to know about this.

You are not being told you MUST do it are you? Being forced at gunpoint? So really why do you give a toss what other people do? I was like you even 3 weeks ago..... now....... I'm a definite convert. If you don't try it...and I mean really try not like the half assed attempts by some people who find fasting for one day so damn hard..... then you have no right to complain about it at all or even really have an opinion.

Why is everyone getting their shorts in a knot? I didn't say don't do it, didn't say it was unhealthy, just ask what the big deal is. No one seems to be able to answer that and it's fine. The OP ask if it was a fad diet and so far it seems that's just what it is. Eat whatever, whenever, however you want. I just think if something is as wonderful as the proponents of this "diet" claim it is that their would be some data to back up the claims.

The only DATA you need is the proof of it working for people. I lost 2.5kg in 2 weeks... I only wanted to lose 5kg to get to 55kg.... for some reason eating at a deficit was not shifting a damn thing for months... even while working out daily.

I go on this 2 weeks ago..... and BAM weight starts melting off. Still working out daily.

Figure that one out.

I eat next to nothing 3 days a week (I'm on 4:3) and dont give a rats about my calories on the other 4 days a week. I'm not obsessed with calorie counting anymore (that's a big deal for so many people) and I have more energy now than I did before. I sleep through the night....have not done that since my back injury 4 years ago..... THAT is a big deal for me. That proves there are health benefits for me. I can run 10km without having to eat that day at all & still have so much energy that 40,000 steps is nothing. In fact that's daily since doing this.....a minimum.

The other benefits.....my skin looks & feels better, my nails & hair have improved so much, I'm less moody & have not had to worry about being depressed, I think better, I study better, I eat better. Other things more personal..... no more incontinence..... like really... at 38 mine was horrid. Could not walk without leakage.... now I can run without it. Hell I can do a star jump & not leak....holy cow.

You don't need studies to prove something works when you can see it for yourself it does..... but if you don't do it then you don't know.

Mokey41

I give up. It's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Have at it.

judilockwood

bump - to read later x

Qskim

I give up. It's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Have at it.

Lol. Sorry Mokey. I'm not getting my knickers in a knot or picking on you. I responded to your comment because you did seem somewhat open about the idea.(I think you mentioned u fast too). I do understand what you are saying though. I think most diets/change of lifestyle have health benefits that are fairly comparable and equal. The 5:2 is no different but to suggest at all that it is a cure for something like cancer, for example is, well, reckless. I get your point and will not be advocating this method on the basis of such claims.

I actually went the opposite way in research to find reasons why you SHOULDN'T fast and the only negatives I could find were really related to the approach towards the method. People fasting too long consecutively, regaining after stopping the fasting altogether, not being aware of high days being too high etc. Apart from people with chronic health conditions and those with a history of ED who should avoid it, the average healthy individual will not suffer any undue affects provided they use commonsense. Im saying this for the benefit of others reading.. I won't be touting it as the end all be all approach to improved health, however I will be looking out personally, out of curiosity for any signs of change in my own health that are noticebly different such as pink stated above or anything negative.

Sometimes research arises out of anecdotal evidence....What makes research problematic is the stakeholder.

songbyrdsweet

ITT: Lots of placebo effect and people associating health improvements with the VLC days and alternating calories...when in fact it is just because they're losing adipose tissue and exercising.

Seriously, people. If you are in a caloric deficit at the end of the week, you will lose fat. If you exercise, you will improve your health. The hormonal changes that occur in 24 hours of a VLC diet amount to glycogen depletion. You won't even release cortisol at that point. Your nails and hair are dead cells that have been extruded from pores. Your IBS won't flare up if you aren't putting food in your gut.

It's not even actual fasting. You are still providing calories and on your high days you are replenishing your glycogen. It's just a way to make you feel like you've done something 'different' because eating less and moving more just isn't fancy enough. You'd get the same rapid weight loss from, say, keto or Atkins.

Yes it is a fad because it is glorified binging and fasting.

pinkraynedropjacki

ITT: Lots of placebo effect and people associating health improvements with the VLC days and alternating calories...when in fact it is just because they're losing adipose tissue and exercising.

Seriously, people. If you are in a caloric deficit at the end of the week, you will lose fat. If you exercise, you will improve your health. The hormonal changes that occur in 24 hours of a VLC diet amount to glycogen depletion. You won't even release cortisol at that point. Your nails and hair are dead cells that have been extruded from pores. Your IBS won't flare up if you aren't putting food in your gut.

It's not even actual fasting. You are still providing calories and on your high days you are replenishing your glycogen. It's just a way to make you feel like you've done something 'different' because eating less and moving more just isn't fancy enough. You'd get the same rapid weight loss from, say, keto or Atkins.

Yes it is a fad because it is glorified binging and fasting.

And it concerns you in what way now? Binging is when you have no self control over any food & just go for it. I guess you don't realize that most of us end up with better self control on our normal days & will be lucky to reach TDEE.


Also eating a deficit & exercising was not making me lose any fat at all after I hit 60kg. I was simply maintaining that weight which is not what I wanted. Doing this it's moving that fat suddenly. That means it does work...for me & for a whole lot of others.

I'm sick to death of defending my way of eating. I don't pig out, I don't overeat, I don't binge. I eat better now that I did when I was just eating less calories normally.

It's not YOU eating this way. So really YOU should have no problem with it..... yet your attitude is somewhat like you are going to be forced into taking this path.

People are not dying on this, people are doing this because it does work. It has for a long long time. What do you think cavemen did when they could not get food daily? They ate some days & when could not get food they kinda went hungry or on very little. They didn't have the ability to graze all day, or pop out for some extra. They did just damn fine..... people have for a long long time.