Alternate Day Diet

BelleEarl
BelleEarl Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi there

I'm new to this site, just wondering if anyone on here has tried or it doing the alternate day diet? I watched a program about it last week where you have one day with 500 calories then eat normally the next, having 3 x down days per week.

Just wondering if there are any success/horror stories?!?!

Replies

  • louiseshaw88
    louiseshaw88 Posts: 132 Member
    I havent personally but my friend is currently following that plan and she enjoys it - i dont think the weight loss is as great as she expected just a steady 2lb a week which is great but i think their are easier ways to hit those numbers x
  • summyv
    summyv Posts: 20 Member
    Hello there,

    I have been doing the ADF since August 8th of this year, and have lost 25lbs so far. I have modified it to suit my lifestyle and weight loss goals, but the only part I follow stringently is only eating every other day. It was difficult at first, but it gets easier. There is lots of conflicting opinions and advice about this diet, so I would advise to take caution, and don't fall into the trap of eating whatever you want on the feeding days-it seems pointless to cancel out all the work you did the day before. I have a friend who has been doing the 5:2 diet(eating normally 5 days a week and fasting on 2), and he has lost a fair bit of weight also.

    Hope this helps.
  • Poods71
    Poods71 Posts: 502 Member
    Hi, I did this diet for about a year and lost 21lbs. Found it really easy to stick to the down days as I knew it was only a day and the next day I could have what I want. I don't do it anymore just normal calorie counting but it was good for teaching me that I can exist on less food. I just did alternate days during the week and then had Saturday and Sunday off.
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    I do it and like it. I also exercise on my fasting days. Some people experience light diarrhea when eating again. I think it's caused by fats lubticating your digestive system so try breaking your fast with lemonade, a salad, fiber, and eat at night in case it still happens. You don't want to be at work or school if you get diahrrea from breaking your fast.
  • BelleEarl
    BelleEarl Posts: 6 Member
    My plan is to have down days mon/wed/fri and then have weekends off. Will still be careful on 'normal' days and not at anything I want as I realise that would be pointless. Did any of you that have done it fast completely or stick to the 500 calories rule?

    Thanks for the replies so far :smile:
  • Poods71
    Poods71 Posts: 502 Member
    My plan is to have down days mon/wed/fri and then have weekends off. Will still be careful on 'normal' days and not at anything I want as I realise that would be pointless. Did any of you that have done it fast completely or stick to the 500 calories rule?

    Thanks for the replies so far :smile:


    That's exactly how I did it. I stuck to the 500 cals on the down days and didn't count at all on the up days (but didn't go crazy lol).
  • BelleEarl
    BelleEarl Posts: 6 Member
    Brilliant, now all I have to do is find some interesting meals with very low calories!!!
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    Sounds like an awful fad.
    even if it's every other day, 500 cals per day isn't enough. and would be pretty difficult to do.


    why starve yourself when you could just do some type of carb cycling and still eat well every day?
  • BelleEarl
    BelleEarl Posts: 6 Member
    Apparently it has quite a lot of health benefits, I'm interested in delaying dementia and living longer the most. Watched it on Horizon last week, here's the link if interested.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfna7nV7WaM

    Ive done it since last week and Im finding it really easy.
  • bhalo
    bhalo Posts: 2 Member
    I'm doing 5:2, standard two days 500 cals and five days eating as healthily as I can. I keep an eye on my calorie intake on the eating days, but don't always think about it. I love the fast days, I feel more together and positive because I'm doing something very good for my body. 500 cals is quite enough to get me through. Usually after the second fast of the week I am not so hungry after that fast for at least 24 hours. I think it's a win win way of eating and living. It's sustainable and I'm not having to pay anyone for keeping me straight, it's just me and myself doing this for me. :)
    I joined this forum because there is genuine help and good advice on healthy eating and 5:2 Intermittent Fasting.

    https://forum.fastday.com

    Oh, almost forgot. I've been doing 5:2 for nearly 15 weeks and have lost 7 kgs so far. Slower perhaps but the most adaptable way of weight loss I've ever experienced.
    Bhalo
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    I'm doing 5:2, standard two days 500 cals and five days eating as healthily as I can. I keep an eye on my calorie intake on the eating days, but don't always think about it. I love the fast days, I feel more together and positive because I'm doing something very good for my body. 500 cals is quite enough to get me through. Usually after the second fast of the week I am not so hungry after that fast for at least 24 hours. I think it's a win win way of eating and living. It's sustainable and I'm not having to pay anyone for keeping me straight, it's just me and myself doing this for me. :)
    I joined this forum because there is genuine help and good advice on healthy eating and 5:2 Intermittent Fasting.

    https://forum.fastday.com

    First post thread necro. Well done.
  • bhalo
    bhalo Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you. :smile:
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,222 Member
    Wow, a 2012 thread.

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