Fasting two days a week?

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GimmieDatSalad
GimmieDatSalad Posts: 44
in Health and Weight Loss
I have read testimony from people who swear by fasting for two, then eating their normal 500-1000 deficit the other days. I'm not sure if this is because they have a larger deficit for the whole week or something else, I'm just curious as to why someone would do this and is it useful at all?

I'm guessing it might also have something to do with the whole "Intermittent Fasting" thing.
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  • smallbutcurvy
    smallbutcurvy Posts: 53
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    what annoys me about the two days fasting, is exactly what you just wrote, they eat the remaining five at deficit too!
    It should be done with two days very low, and 5 at maintenance, to be done according to latest research methods .
  • MsTT80
    MsTT80 Posts: 59 Member
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    Not something I have done, but friends have tried this. On fasting days (2 days per week) they stuck to 500 cals a day. On the other 5 days, they stuck to no more than 2000. They said they maintained at least and felt less bloated. As for weight loss not much difference
  • RonKay
    RonKay Posts: 85 Member
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    I'm currently doing intermittent fasting- I eat 500 cals 2 days a week and eat at my maintenance calories for 5 days a week- I do not reduce my calories on my non fasting days. I'm losing 1lb a week on average, slow and steady, which works for me.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    The 5:2 fast was never meant as a diet plan. It's been grabbed by the diet world as a great way to have an extreme deficit. It doesn't really matter if you eat at a deficit everyday or you have 2 really low days and then 5 regular days. It will all come out the same in the end. The problem comes when people do 2 500 calorie days then eat at 500 calorie deficit the other 5 days. If you figure out their average calories a day over 7 days it often comes out to be way too low.
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
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    what annoys me about the two days fasting, is exactly what you just wrote, they eat the remaining five at deficit too!
    It should be done with two days very low, and 5 at maintenance, to be done according to latest research methods .

    This ^^ It seems that so many are in a real hurry to lose weight that isn't always the healthiest way to do it. To avoid the chance of not getting a nutrient full diet or putting the weight straight back on again it is better to follow the 5 days at maintenance approach. In which case you will probably just get the same results following MFP
  • 1ZenGirl
    1ZenGirl Posts: 432 Member
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    I've been doing IF for a long time. I eat a lot on my nonfast days. I get regular physicals in which I am told I am doing very well with my blood work, etc, I have lots of energy to work out and I feel great.
  • Bssh
    Bssh Posts: 123
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    I do 5:2 too: I fast twice a week and all other days I eat at maintenance and am losing (see ticker). Fasting for me is not just about weightloss, it's about the recorded health benefits too.
  • darkrose20
    darkrose20 Posts: 1,139 Member
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    I do 5:2 too: I fast twice a week and all other days I eat at maintenance and am losing (see ticker). Fasting for me is not just about weightloss, it's about the recorded health benefits too.
    What recorded health benefits? Care to share some links?
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    No. Done properly, a 5:2 schedule means eating around 500 cals 2 days per week, and eating at maintenance the other 5. I did it for about 6 weeks with excellent results. I definitely would not recommend eating at a deficit the other 5 days.
  • angie007az
    angie007az Posts: 406 Member
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    I'm doing my own version of the 5:2 plan. I actually only drink water on the 2 fasting days. That said, I eat until I'm full the other 5 days. I have been waiting until 10AM to eat on my non-fasting days. Occasionally I don't eat until noon. In addition, I am done eating by 6PM also on a non-fasting day. Eating this way has been very easy so far. Started this plan in late September this year. I am also on Dietbet which I find to be very inspiring and helps me to stick to my plan. For me, this is going to be a plan I will stick with and make modifications to as I reach goal and beyond. Research has proven that we tend to eat too often. Leaving more hours between meals allows the body to burn off fat. Eating too often means you never get to that stored fat. Good luck everyone!!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    The myths are that fasting (1) will flush toxins out of their system and (2) make one lose weight faster.

    The truths are (1) fasting does not flush anything out of our systems, our systems flush themselves out natrually and (2) if the scale drops during fasting it's due to water shed and is not actual fat lost. Chances are that the "loss" comes back once the person starts eating normally again.
  • aKate_
    aKate_ Posts: 72 Member
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    I can't find the reference (my apologies) but the University of Utah has published a bit recently about the benefits of fasting on occasion. I believe their study determined that people who fasted one day a month reaped health benefits. Before taking this as truth or advice, you'd need to look up that study.

    If you are thinking about doing something like this, it might be worth looking into the scientific literature. Google scholar makes this easy.
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
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    Personally, the only reason I would ever consider fasting would be for religious reasons.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    people are stupid and they do 5:2 incorrectly. You don't eat at a deficit those other 5 days...especially not a huge deficit that 1000 - 1200 calories would give you...you eat to maintenance on those 5 days. If you're going to do it then at least do it right...but really, maintaining a reasonable deficit is pretty easy to do and you consistently lose weight when you do that.
  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
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    I do 5:2 too: I fast twice a week and all other days I eat at maintenance and am losing (see ticker). Fasting for me is not just about weightloss, it's about the recorded health benefits too.


    Yup. Me too! And I definitely eat maintanance on 5 days and even alot of my exercise cals ;-) I love 5:2, have lost 21.5kg since May and just passed my blood work check up with flying colors. This time last year my cholesterol was too high.

    I actually don't think it is good to eat a deficit on the normal days, as your daily average over a weeks time would drop below 1200 or lower.

    It's not a diet! It is a way of eating for life and a great tool for weightloss and maintaining that weight. The only one that has ever really worked for me, because I LOVE food and it is hard for me to restrict every day. However two fast days a week at 500 cals are very doable, if I pick the right foods (for me veggies and protein sources).
  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
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    I do 5:2 too: I fast twice a week and all other days I eat at maintenance and am losing (see ticker). Fasting for me is not just about weightloss, it's about the recorded health benefits too.
    What recorded health benefits? Care to share some links?

    Here are some good links

    Documentary from Michael Mosley
    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvdbtt_eat-fast-live-longer-hd_shortfilms#.UOOjXKz47XS

    Link to Mosley's Website
    http://thefastdiet.co.uk/

    The Fast Guide
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Aj6hRYg4A&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DW9Aj6hRYg4A&app=desktop

    http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-strategies/10-unbelievable-diet-rules-backed-science
  • brichhartem5
    brichhartem5 Posts: 1
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    The 5:2 plan has worked really well for me. I do fast 2 days a week and then the rest of the week I eat normally and eat until I am full. I started fasting July 15 of this year and to date I have lost 50 lbs. I believe you have to do whatever works for you.
  • angie007az
    angie007az Posts: 406 Member
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    Interesting that some people are "annoyed" by this under eating of calories. If you are overweight, you should be under eating. Your body can access the fat stores if you will allow it to. The problem with society now is that we have been programed to think we need to eat every 3 hours and we never give our bodies a rest. In addition, we never get to the fat stores. Now that I'm on the 5:2 plan, and yes, it's my own version of the plan, I notice all the overweight folks everywhere I go and many of them are very young. Like some of the posters mentioned, you have to do what works for you.
  • AnnElizabeth11
    AnnElizabeth11 Posts: 30
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    I'm currently doing intermittent fasting as well. my ratio is 2:5. A Little extreme but I've been doing it for a while and it's what's worked best for me. I eat a big healthy dinner between 4-7pm consisting of lean protein, lots of veggies, and carbs. I have to keep a lot of that low-fat as I got my gallbladder removed and haven't been doing so well with diet. After 7/8pm I don't eat anything until 4pm the next day. I passed this with my doctor, and he said it was fine, and all my blood work and check ups have been getting better and slowly improving. I started this Mid June of this year and since then have lost 26 lbs AND kept it off.
  • nytrifisoul
    nytrifisoul Posts: 500 Member
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    I never heard of this diet but I fast sometimes the day after if i go over my maintenance calories and dont exercise that day. Its actually easy because i noticed on days i went over, i dont feel very hungry the next day anyway. Ive gone days where i did not eat a single calorie, and some days i might only eat a small bowl of cereal before bed if i cant sleep.

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