Diet 2 days a week diet.....what do people think of it?

clairereds
clairereds Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2071903/Strict-diet-days-better-calorie-counting-week.html

Read this article and I think it makes some sense, not sure Id risk trying it though.

Replies

  • clairereds
    clairereds Posts: 23
    It reads

    Following a strict diet for just two days of the week is a far more effective way to lose weight than trying to calorie count all the time, researchers claim.
    They found that women who stuck to fruit, vegetables and lean meat for two days a week while being allowed to eat as much as they liked on the other days lost nearly twice as much weight than those who were dieting constantly.
    Researchers at the University Hospital in South Manchester put 115 women volunteers on one of three diets.
    The first involved sticking to just 650 calories a day for two days of the week, including cutting out carbohydrates such as pasta, bread and potatoes and all fatty foods.
    For the other five days they could eat as much as they liked, although they were encouraged to stick to healthy foods.
    Women on the second diet were also banned from carbohydrates for two days of the week but they did not have a specific calorie limit.
    They could also eat as much as they wanted the rest of the week.
    The third group followed a standard weight-loss diet which involved sticking to about 1,500 calories every day and avoiding high-fat foods and alcohol.
    After three months the women on either of the two-day diets had lost an average of nine pounds (four kilos) – nearly twice as much as those on the full-time diet, who lost just five pounds (2.4 kilos).
    Dr Michelle Harvie, of the Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Centre at the hospital, said there seemed to be a ‘carry over effect’ on the two-day diet, meaning the benefits continued on the days when the women ate normally She also said women seemed to continue eating healthily even on the five days when there were no restrictions.
    Dr Harvie, who presented her findings at the Breast Cancer Symposium conference in San Antonio, Texas added: ‘What we found was that they naturally ate less.’
  • floatymonkey
    floatymonkey Posts: 4 Member
    With all due respect I wouldn't follow anything recommended by Daily Mail!
  • Stixe
    Stixe Posts: 6
    I have started the 5:2 lifestyle and have lost a small amount. I didn't eat a huge amount of processed food before and think that this may be the reason why I haven't had the typical large loss at the start of a new "diet". I am doing it for the health reasons and although not losing weight, I have lost inches around my middle (the worst type of fat to carry). It is very easy to not eat during the day and just eat a nutricious(?) meal at night. There is a small amount of hunger but it comes and goes in waves and is not unbearable. I think it is much more sustainable because you are only thinking about what to eat on two days a week not 7. Good luck if you do decide to do it!
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2071903/Strict-diet-days-better-calorie-counting-week.html

    Read this article and I think it makes some sense, not sure Id risk trying it though.

    curious...what do you see as the risk?
  • AntSteps
    AntSteps Posts: 20 Member
    its kindaa like intermittent fasting isn't it
  • clairereds
    clairereds Posts: 23
    Mainly because I think I may be tempted to over eat on days I am not supposed to be dieting on. I sometimes need routine- same thing every day in terms of eating.
  • clairereds
    clairereds Posts: 23
    I guess its a simple play on calories isn't it, a reduction over two days- may result in overall calorie deficit. If you don't have much to lose, or perhaps, don't mind how slow you use, it may be a good choice?
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    Mainly because I think I may be tempted to over eat on days I am not supposed to be dieting on. I sometimes need routine- same thing every day in terms of eating.

    ya.....I can see that

    check out leangains.com or eatstopeat,com for a better approach (imo)
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    its kindaa like intermittent fasting isn't it

    yes...a modified ADF (alternate day fasting)

    I prefer leangains.com
  • clairereds
    clairereds Posts: 23
    Il take a look Dave.
  • skessa
    skessa Posts: 13
    I tried that just after christmas when I was at my worst weight ever, and it seemed to work very well. I think the "break" in eating on those days really cuts back cravings (the oness that are more psychological then physical, but also the sugar craving), and that's what helped me so much.
    I do have to say that I at the same time stopped eating sweets on workdays, wich might have been part of why it worked so well, even if that alone didn't have the same effect (I'm still doing that.)

    The downside is that I could not have exercised on those low-calorie days if my life depended on it. I really couldn't - I'd start feeling sick if I tried. And since it is not so much weight loss I'm aiming for now but better fitness, I kinda just slipped out of it again, and started calorie counting instead, wich also workes rather well for me. (I'm not very meticulous with the counting, either - I often break my calorie-goal by a mile and a half. So yes, I'm aware a lot of people on here will think I'm not "serious enough" to have an opinion to give at all. But I do lose about 4 lb a month, and looking at myself in the mirror I'm pretty sure it's not muscle mass)

    I think the whole point is kinda: do eat healthy most of the time, avoid eating when you're not hungry, but don't obsess about what you're eating either, because then you get so bored with it so soon. Having a party now and then is fine. (After all, we do want to stay in shape to have more fun. So it's no use to sacrifice the fun in order to stay in shape.)
  • clairereds
    clairereds Posts: 23
    Yeah good points Skessa. I think my opinion is changing all the time. I used to want fast results, and punished myself on atkins. I could not make it a life changing thing, I just want to eat well, healthily and fit for purpose, realise that some days I exercise harder then others and not punish myself for a bad day. The more I have relaxed, the scales have actually started to shift.

    Really slowly

    But they do shift.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    http://youtu.be/Pfna7nV7WaM

    BBC programme about the 5:2 fast.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    http://youtu.be/Pfna7nV7WaM

    I think it would be helpful when people post a link they at least give a sentence or two saying what the link is about
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    No. :laugh:
  • Nina2503
    Nina2503 Posts: 172 Member
    I tend to find the sticking to healhy eating for 5 days and then having a little of what I fancy at weekends seems to work - I am calorie countiing but am quiet inacitve during the week so 1200 works for me. At weekends i am more active so have a few more calories to play with. Not sure I could cope with it the other way round 650 calories a day is close to nothing really! I suppose it depends on the individual but I would be totally inactive on that!

    I think one of the problems for a lot of over weight people is portion sizes. When you look at the size of things years ago compared to now and the fact that we no longer do manual work in the same way as years ago. More calories in a less out - has to make us fatter (along with all the sugar and additives and processed food available) Supersize junk food as it seems we are getting better value for money and eating when we are not hungry also doesnt help!
  • Stixe
    Stixe Posts: 6
    Think he did explain succinctly - it is about the 5:2 diet!

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