5:2 - is it "bad" for women?!

SarahMZxx

Hi all,

I have heard lots of good things about 5:2 and think it could suit my lifestyle....but i am also worried about things I have read suggesting it is not as good for women as it is men. I've read that it doesn't work as well for women and also that it can have a bad effect on hormones and ovulation etc. I don't want to mess around with all of that so just wondered if anyone had any concrete evidence for or against it!?!

I am not looking for a quick fix. I am currently eating 3 healthy meals a day and only snacking on fruit. xxx

MrsK20141004

Bump to follow

Guinivere

I found it horrible. I binged on the days I was allowed to eat what I wanted and was grumpy, tired and obnoxious on the starve days.

I also experienced negative hormonal results as my periods went all over the place. Plus I put inches and weight on because my body went into full "heck I'm in a famine - store everything as fat" mode.

Now I'm eating a more balanced "diet" forever. Lots more like Paleo: easy to prepare, yummy great healthy meals. I eat about 1500-2000 cals a day depending on my needs and exercise. My hormones are back to normal and I have lost 51 lbs so far......

My personal trainer with twenty years experience and a ruck of awards and qualifications says she has had more female clients fail on that diet than any other. She would never recommend it.

Different strokes for different folks. I'd never do it again! I rarely binge now.

nomeejerome

If there is a history of eating disorders, it may not be a good idea for a man or a woman.

SarahMZxx

Thank you xxx

flumi_f

I'm healthy and fit and have lost 20kg in the last 6mth with 5:2.

No problems with my hormones, less cravings, no binging, healthier relationship with food. It is the easiest form of calorie restriction that I've ever done.

As with any eating plan, it has to be a long term change. Possibly there are people with negative side effects. But not me.

The only way to know, how your body reacts to it, is to try it out yourself.

perrinjoshua

I have been doing the 5:2 since April 2013. I am now at maintenance and love the fast days for the health benefits i have achieved as well as the weight loss. Best plan I have ever used in my life and has definitely changed my awareness about portion control.

susannamarie

Would be terrible for me -- try it and see.

angie007az

How can it possibly be bad for you? What a pile. All you're doing is lowering your calories for the week and allowing your body to burn off the fat. Plleeease.

angie007az

Since I started the 5:2 in September 2013, I've lost 14#s. I don't binge on the days I eat normally as I think my stomach has shrunk. I actually eat nothing on Monday and Thursday. On the other 5 days, I just recently started delaying breakfast until 10AM. This gives your body more time to burn that fat off. I'll not eat anything after 6PM. Join me or invite me as a friend. We can do this together. I'm in for the long haul. Taking a cruise in April and my goal is to look skinny in those vacation pictures.

einzweidrei

(1) No problems with hormones or anything going out of whack. I don't even really see how that would happen since you're supposed to eat normal calories the remaining days of the week and your body can't go into "starvation" mode after one day of fasting. My guess is if that DID happen someone is severely restricting their calories on other days as well.

(2) No binging. Which surprised me. I thought I would and I don't---in fact, I am pretty mindful of my portions now.

(3) I would say most of the people in the 5:2 group are women. And I don't see too many complaints over there.

(4) It's not for everybody.

red_road

I have been on with no problems it is possible it is more beneficial for men but honestly that seems to be most diets since they often lose so much quicker than women. So yes i have had no problems what so ever and to save my sanity I dont do 5:2 during my "time" but i still try to watch my calories.

angie007az

(1) No problems with hormones or anything going out of whack. I don't even really see how that would happen since you're supposed to eat normal calories the remaining days of the week and your body can't go into "starvation" mode after one day of fasting. My guess is if that DID happen someone is severely restricting their calories on other days as well.

(2) No binging. Which surprised me. I thought I would and I don't---in fact, I am pretty mindful of my portions now.

(3) I would say most of the people in the 5:2 group are women. And I don't see too many complaints over there.

(4) It's not for everybody.

There's a 5:2 Group? I would love to find it.

angelique_redhead

Since I'm diabetic and my blood sugars spike if I don't eat on a regular basis I think this would be a VERY BAD diet for me. YMMV.

shining_light

I found 5:2 to be a lot more difficult for me than simply 16:8 IF. Sometimes I shrink my feeding window more than that, though they say women should have a longer feeding window than men.

ashliejones13

i do it every other week. i just dont feel comfortable doing it for months at a time, but it does work and youll be ok. its about finding whats right for you. give it a try. i dont think its something you should do forever though.

MissKalhan

All I can think of is I'd be a miserable b!tch. There was a reason I was fat, I like my food to much! Lol

shining_light

i do it every other week. i just dont feel comfortable doing it for months at a time, but it does work and youll be ok. its about finding whats right for you. give it a try. i dont think its something you should do forever though.

I agree with this. Humans evolved on pretty variable and sporadic feedings and feeding times. I feel like it kind of defeats the purpose to intermittent fast if you do it exactly the same forever. Your body adapts to specific meal times hormonally. That's why we get hungry around when our typical meal times are: our hormones have adapted to eating at that time. You pretty much have to change it up if you want any kind of IF to work.

dmbjewel

I've been doing it since August and have lost 17 lbs. It was hard at first, but after a couple weeks, the fasting got pretty easy. At first i was really cold, shaky, hungry, and had difficulty concentrating on fast days. but after 4 or 5 fasts, my body seems to have gotten used to it. Now I do feel hungry, but not unbearably so, and the shakiness/concentration issues have gone away. I fast Monday and Thursday (I need at least 2 days between fasts, or I go off the rails). I watch what I eat/count calories on Tuesday, Wednesday, and (sometimes) Friday, and eat whatever I want on Saturday and Sunday. I've experienced no ill effects, and plan to keep this up long term. 15 more lbs, then I plan to switch to 6:1 for maintenance. The biggest benefits I've experienced are (1) I can tell when I'm hungry (not just bored) (2) I don't have to stuff food in my mouth just because I feel I hungry. I know being hungry for an hour won't kill me. (3) My stomach has shrunk (is that a real thing?) On non-fast days, I fill up faster on less food. So even when I totally binge on Halloween candy, I can't eat as much of it as I used to.(4) Junk food makes me feel ill (the day after Halloween was unpleasant), which makes me not want to eat it.

But, its not for everyone. I say try it if you're interested, but be sure to give it a couple weeks. Of course your first fast is going to suck. But not eating for 24hours isn't going to kill you. It'll just feel like it will until your body adjusts. :-) If, after a couple of weeks, you hate it, then stop. Missing a few meals isn't going to cause long term damage. But it is important to find a lifestyle you can stick with for the long term, so you just have to figure out what works for you.

oranje_mama

I'm on Week 9 of 5:2. I haven't experienced any hormonal/period issues.

I find 5:2 easier to sustain than daily calorie restriction. It's flexible (you can move around your fast days as needed). I take every weekend off. I am not binging on non-fast days - don't feel like doing so. But I don't hesitate to have wine on those days ! I am the primary cook in our family of 5 and the only one with weight issues. It's hard to be on a restrictive diet while cooking for skinny-mini's who can eat whatever (and as much) as they like. With 5:2 I'm "restricted" only 2 evening meals a week with my family. That doesn't mean going crazy the rest of the time, but not having to weigh, etc, food and constantly count calories on my off days is a big plus for me.

I suggest trying it out, see if the plan is for you. For me, it is working.

fatsnacker

It works for me but I do my own 5:2, I have 1000 calories on Friday and 500 on Saturday - I have lost 4 stone in 44 weeks, had headaches on my first fasting day only and constipation some weekends. I eat more fruit and less bread and still have chocolate and crisps as a treat. All this with very little exercise.
After yo-yoing previously on 1200 calorie a day diets, I am more confident with this way of eating that I will not put the weight back on when I reach my goal.
As I am eating a varied, healthier diet and have a further 3 stone worth of fat reserves to draw on during my fasting days, I don't consider it bad for anyone.