The 600 kcl diet

Miiimii

I've lost 15kg in half a year with MFP, gained again in winter but I'm almost there again...

I've tried a lot of things, for example drinking slimming capsules while on MFP, I still loose the same amount as weight with or without slimming capsules...

People who eat 600 cal will probably lose fast and gain fast again.

I rather stick with MFP and gain 5kg each winter instead of gaining back 15kg in a short amount of time...

Just my opinion...

I didn't bring up this topic with the goal of a quick weight loss. I brought it up because of the other health benefits which are mentioned in the articles (the links I posted).

Probably I shouldn't have named the post "The 600kcl diet". You could also name it the Two-Day-Diet or Two-Day-Fasting or what ever.

SusanLovesToEat

Actually, intermittent fasting or the 5:2 diet is a legitimate regimen with a great deal of hard science to recommend it and I'm not talking about "blog gossip", "cleansing", and what "my trainer told me".

A simple overview can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD3ug4EaKb0&feature=related

Chris187

I thought IF was designed so that you only eat in a window of 8-10 hours a day. You fast for 14-16 hours a day. You consume aprox. 500 kcal under your daily need of kcal. 45% Protein, 40% carb and 15% fat. Am I totaly wrong here?

JillyCornwall

I've lost 15kg in half a year with MFP, gained again in winter but I'm almost there again...

I've tried a lot of things, for example drinking slimming capsules while on MFP, I still loose the same amount as weight with or without slimming capsules...

People who eat 600 cal will probably lose fast and gain fast again.

I rather stick with MFP and gain 5kg each winter instead of gaining back 15kg in a short amount of time...

Just my opinion...

Actually the cycle of lose & gain that you describe (yo-yo dieting) is incredibly unhealthy and a lot of research has shown that people who continue such a lifestyle for a number of years have an increased likelyhood of heart disease, reduced immune system, depression to name a few. I do not have the time to find links this morning.
However my own health is proof enough after 40yrs of the lifestyle you are following. However my own GP agreed that the 5:2 or 4:3 lifestyle was worth a try if I can maintain it as a 'lifestyle. Resultant reduced weight AND most importantly the ability to maintain it being the objective.
I have been following the 4:3 approach since the beginning of August Mon/Wed/Fri I eat between 500-600 calories and the other days eat between 1600-2000 calories of healthy foods with the occasional treat. So far i have kept to it with absolutely no diversions or distractions and it fits beautifully into my lifestyle. Allowing me to work, exercise & socialise and maintain a CR lifestyle.
Previously all these have caused a derailing of a straightforward CR lifestyle which for 40yrs I have failed at time & time again 'losing/gaining'. So far so good. only time will tell if i can keep to it, but I see no reason why not at this stage.
The results? from August 9th to date. I have lost 11lbs & I fit in clothes that I normally need to be 14lbs less than now to wear.. My blood pressure is down 30 points!!!! My blood sugars have stabilised..no more spiking! My inflammation markers are reducing.(A fair way still to go with these!) No feeling of deprivation..and I am far from starving & medically much fitter...so please if you like the 'model' of this lifestyle, do your research & give it a try..you might just be surprised. Of course it won't suit everybody...why should it..we are all very different!

Bubble65

I saw a programme about this which was on the BBC. It was a Horizon programme if you can track it down. I've just started Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) which means I eat about 600 calories every other day. On the feast days, you can eat what you want, but I am still trying to stick to about 1500-1600 calories on my feast days. The point of ADF or even the 5-2 diet is more to do with improving your chances of surviving to an older age healthily. On these eating regimens the weight loss is a decent side effect.

BerryH

I read some research on this diet and it showed its effectiveness over regular daily calories restriction was because test participants found it easier to stick to over time. I doubt it would work for me as I detest feeling hungry, but I can see it would appeal to a lot of folk, especially being able to eat "normally" the rest of the time.

It may not "be" IF as such, but it could be an effective way of structuring the diet, i.e. skip breakfast and eat one 300 cal meal at 12pm and another at 6pm, for example.

Miiimii

I've lost 15kg in half a year with MFP, gained again in winter but I'm almost there again...

I've tried a lot of things, for example drinking slimming capsules while on MFP, I still loose the same amount as weight with or without slimming capsules...

People who eat 600 cal will probably lose fast and gain fast again.

I rather stick with MFP and gain 5kg each winter instead of gaining back 15kg in a short amount of time...

Just my opinion...

Actually the cycle of lose & gain that you describe (yo-yo dieting) is incredibly unhealthy and a lot of research has shown that people who continue such a lifestyle for a number of years have an increased likelyhood of heart disease, reduced immune system, depression to name a few. I do not have the time to find links this morning.
However my own health is proof enough after 40yrs of the lifestyle you are following. However my own GP agreed that the 5:2 or 4:3 lifestyle was worth a try if I can maintain it as a 'lifestyle. Resultant reduced weight AND most importantly the ability to maintain it being the objective.
I have been following the 4:3 approach since the beginning of August Mon/Wed/Fri I eat between 500-600 calories and the other days eat between 1600-2000 calories of healthy foods with the occasional treat. So far i have kept to it with absolutely no diversions or distractions and it fits beautifully into my lifestyle. Allowing me to work, exercise & socialise and maintain a CR lifestyle.
Previously all these have caused a derailing of a straightforward CR lifestyle which for 40yrs I have failed at time & time again 'losing/gaining'. So far so good. only time will tell if i can keep to it, but I see no reason why not at this stage.
The results? from August 9th to date. I have lost 11lbs & I fit in clothes that I normally need to be 14lbs less than now to wear.. My blood pressure is down 30 points!!!! My blood sugars have stabilised..no more spiking! My inflammation markers are reducing.(A fair way still to go with these!) No feeling of deprivation..and I am far from starving & medically much fitter...so please if you like the 'model' of this lifestyle, do your research & give it a try..you might just be surprised. Of course it won't suit everybody...why should it..we are all very different!

thanks for your interessting and helpfull post.

JillyCornwall

I thought IF was designed so that you only eat in a window of 8-10 hours a day. You fast for 14-16 hours a day. You consume aprox. 500 kcal under your daily need of kcal. 45% Protein, 40% carb and 15% fat. Am I totaly wrong here?

You are not entirely wrong I believe that it the 'LeanGains' version. There are many different ways of achieving the same result.

Ph4lanx

I read some research on this diet and it showed its effectiveness over regular daily calories restriction was because test participants found it easier to stick to over time. I doubt it would work for me as I detest feeling hungry, but I can see it would appeal to a lot of folk, especially being able to eat "normally" the rest of the time.

It may not "be" IF as such, but it could be an effective way of structuring the diet, i.e. skip breakfast and eat one 300 cal meal at 12pm and another at 6pm, for example.

The benefit of IF only occurs if you fast, rather than just calorie-restricting. You need to eat your calories for the day at one point, then fast until the same point the next day for the 5:2 diet.

Aquarian

To the people who think this is ridiculous or whatever: Don't do the diet if you don't want to, but please be kind enough to get off your high horse and accept that neither you nor anybody else knows everything about human metabolism, and that there are more truths in this world than just one. Peace.

yksdoris

Hi there,

I read about the 600kcl diet which should be very effective. You eat twice a week less than 600kcl, but the rest of the week normal. The test persons lost ariund 7kg in half a year, esspecially at the belly. This kind of diet also lowers the risc of breat cancer.

I know 600kcl is way to less, but it's only twice a week, so the risc of a misnutrition is not very high.

Sounds much easier to realize than to count calories everyday.

Did anyone of you try this or heard about it?

Here are some links:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2071903/Strict-diet-days-better-calorie-counting-week.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/12/09/cutting-carbs-for-two-days-only-doubles-weight-loss_n_1139202.html

well... depends on what you call "normal"

I've been on 1200 kcal per day, every day for the last 221 days (that's about 9 months) and I've lost 13 kg. Now, granted, this isn't "normal" eating as I'm eating every day at a deficit, and once I reach my comfort point, I'll revert to a more loose caloric intake. I won't revert to what I considered "normal" before I started on this weightloss journey though, because obviously I was overeating.

Point being, it might work IF you're not eating enormously over on the other days. Personally I probably couldn't do it, I notice that if I happen to eat less one day, I'll be extra hungry the next and usually go over my calorie goal by more than I "saved" the day before.

Dave198lbs

As I stated above, 12lbs of fat loss with 1lbs gain of LBM. I put the 1lbs gain in the percent error, so I just say "I maintained LBM"
It's not "how many calories you eat" it's how efficiently you utilize them. Dr.Barry Sears PhD(biochemistry) has produced over 25 olympic gold medal winners. He states, "none of the athletes I trained ever consumed more than 2,500 calories a day." If you have to stuff you face with calories for energy and performance, that just shows how inefficient you're utilizing the fuel.

Tell that to Michael Phelps, his 10,000+ calorie a day diet and his 18 Gold Olympic medals!

Consuming a crap load of calories with an inefficient metabolism.

inefficient? tell that to the 18 guys who got silver and the 18 guys who got bronze and the million swimmers who watched him win on tv

sijomial

To return to the original post..
I've been following the 5:2 diet for about a month and it works for me. Link to the BBC Horizon programme is in my profile for those that are interested.
It is science and evidence based so please don't just attack it without doing some research.
I'm very happy if you don't want to do it, or or don't need to do it, but it is a valid choice for some - freedom of choice and all that...

Get very frustrated when the issue is picked up by newspaper articles and the counter argument goes along lines or "I think it will encourage eating disorders, I think it will encourage gorging on non-fast days".
If the counter argument was "studies have shown that it will lead to...." then I would be more influenced by their opinion.

postcard32

Wow I can't believe the responds this post has recieved. I would have to say for me personally, I would be interested in trying this. Most of the time if I eat the daily calorie intake of 1200-1500 I gain weight. Some days it is a struggle to get to that calorie count. However I have noticed if I skip a meal ( because honestly I am not hungry) I will lose more weight that week. There may be something to this keeping the calorie count way down 1 or 2 times a week. Will it work for everyone? No of course not, we are all different. I am just surprised by the negative closeminded respondes on here. If it isn't your cup of tea then don't do it, but I am not going to sit here and bash others for their efforts at trying to reach their goals. As long as you are loseing weight in a healthy way I say go for what works for your body.

Miiimii

Wow I can't believe the responds this post has recieved. I would have to say for me personally, I would be interested in trying this. Most of the time if I eat the daily calorie intake of 1200-1500 I gain weight. Some days it is a struggle to get to that calorie count. However I have noticed if I skip a meal ( because honestly I am not hungry) I will lose more weight that week. There may be something to this keeping the calorie count way down 1 or 2 times a week. Will it work for everyone? No of course not, we are all different. I am just surprised by the negative closeminded respondes on here. If it isn't your cup of tea then don't do it, but I am not going to sit here and bash others for their efforts at trying to reach their goals. As long as you are loseing weight in a healthy way I say go for what works for your body.

Yeah, many comments are very negative and personal. But hey, let the people yell, just do your thing - that's what I do. I just started trying this two day concept and will see how it will work. For me it's not to hard to eat only 600kcl for one or two days, because you can eat a lot of veggies for that amount of calories. For example I love edamame and the really fill me up.

Wish you good luck with also trying it. If you want to you can write me about your results and experience.

Best
Miiimii

beattie1

I've been doing the 5:2 diet for about 7 weeks now, since I saw the Horizon documentary referred to above.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfna7nV7WaM

I've lost about 14lbs and find it very easy to do, most of the time. I try to stick to 500 calories (but don't stress about it if I'm a little over) twice a week, and eat 1300 -1600 calories on most other days, but don't worry if I'm over if I ate because I was hungry. I try to be guided by my appetite on non-fasting days and am getting better at noticing when I've eaten enough. On the day after a fast I find I'm hungry a little earlier than usual for the next meal, but eating lunch half an hour earlier or having a piece of fruit to tide me over works fine.

I find the 500 calorie days are getting easier. I skip breakfast as this suits me and sometimes have a light "vegetables only" salad or a diet cup soup, sometimes nothing for lunch. I eat dinner around the usual time and have no trouble with hunger making it hard to sleep. I usually do moderate exercise - walking, cleaning, normal life, and have done workouts on fast days without difficulty.

The one activity that has given problems so far has been grocery shopping - I "crumbled" & ate goodies I was supposed to be putting away! My advice is to do the grocery shopping on another day, or fast on a non-shopping day.

I had a medical a couple of weeks ago & found my blood pressure was down - now well within normal limits instead of "borderline" and my blood lipids and cholesterol had improved enough for my dose of statin to be reduced.

It's great being able to vary the "fast" days according to my social life and to be able to enjoy treat days without worrying about calories on occasion.

As I see it, if you want to try it, do so - that's the only way you'll find out if it suits you. If it does, go for it. If it doesn't, there are lots of other schedules you can try for weight loss.

I see no reason to stop doing this for the rest of my life, it's working out well for me.

Miiimii

I've been doing the 5:2 diet for about 7 weeks now, since I saw the Horizon documentary referred to above.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfna7nV7WaM

I've lost about 14lbs and find it very easy to do, most of the time. I try to stick to 500 calories (but don't stress about it if I'm a little over) twice a week, and eat 1300 -1600 calories on most other days, but don't worry if I'm over if I ate because I was hungry. I try to be guided by my appetite on non-fasting days and am getting better at noticing when I've eaten enough. On the day after a fast I find I'm hungry a little earlier than usual for the next meal, but eating lunch half an hour earlier or having a piece of fruit to tide me over works fine.

I find the 500 calorie days are getting easier. I skip breakfast as this suits me and sometimes have a light "vegetables only" salad or a diet cup soup, sometimes nothing for lunch. I eat dinner around the usual time and have no trouble with hunger making it hard to sleep. I usually do moderate exercise - walking, cleaning, normal life, and have done workouts on fast days without difficulty.

The one activity that has given problems so far has been grocery shopping - I "crumbled" & ate goodies I was supposed to be putting away! My advice is to do the grocery shopping on another day, or fast on a non-shopping day.

I had a medical a couple of weeks ago & found my blood pressure was down - now well within normal limits instead of "borderline" and my blood lipids and cholesterol had improved enough for my dose of statin to be reduced.

It's great being able to vary the "fast" days according to my social life and to be able to enjoy treat days without worrying about calories on occasion.

As I see it, if you want to try it, do so - that's the only way you'll find out if it suits you. If it does, go for it. If it doesn't, there are lots of other schedules you can try for weight loss.

I see no reason to stop doing this for the rest of my life, it's working out well for me.

thanks for sharing your experience. that was very helpfull. I will definetly give it a try. Good luck for you.

Respect
miiimii

psuLemon

Wow I can't believe the responds this post has recieved. I would have to say for me personally, I would be interested in trying this. Most of the time if I eat the daily calorie intake of 1200-1500 I gain weight. Some days it is a struggle to get to that calorie count. However I have noticed if I skip a meal ( because honestly I am not hungry) I will lose more weight that week. There may be something to this keeping the calorie count way down 1 or 2 times a week. Will it work for everyone? No of course not, we are all different. I am just surprised by the negative closeminded respondes on here. If it isn't your cup of tea then don't do it, but I am not going to sit here and bash others for their efforts at trying to reach their goals. As long as you are loseing weight in a healthy way I say go for what works for your body.

In reality, we are not all different. To lose weight, it is still calories in vs calories out. There really are only varies; gluten intolerance, medical conditions, metabolic dysfunctions... but the laws still apply. Unfortunately, it takes time to understand these variables. For example, after 3 years, my wife just found out she had a cardiology condition called POTS and it inherently comes with a gluten intolerance. This is why people have to give things time and require adjustment to see the point of failure. Even yourself, unless you have a medical issue, if you are active, I could probably have you lose on 1600-1900 calories, pending you are active. If you are inactive and really short then it explains your dilemma but I would ask how much you have gained and how long did you wait to see if it was just water. Because we all know it takes 3500 calories less to lose a lb of fat, but it also takes 3500 calories more than you TDEE to gain a lb of fat. I digress but below is a good link to what I mean..

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/you-are-not-different.html

The unfortunate part is many people are closed minded and assume IF is unhealthy and refused to look at the science. Another thing a lot of people don't grasp is calorie restriction isn't a daily thing but rather can be evaluated over a specific period of time (generally a week is the most acceptable). And over a weeks period, if you have a moderate deficit then you will be healthy. Now if you do two days of 600 calories and then only increase to 1200 calories the remainder, you set yourself for failure long term. You do this because your body has to adapt to burn less calories to properly fuel it. Too large of a deficit can cause a big issue as well (see link below). Essentially, you only have a few places to get energy from; fat stores (filled by calories) and muscle [muscle being the last resort]. If you aren't filling the reserves with adequate fuel, then your body is forces to find the alter fuel source, which is the amino acids from your muscle. Muscle loss can make things very difficult because lbm is what controls a lot of your body to include; movement, stability, respiration, digestion, metabolic rate and immune system responses.

This is why I ask, what did the OP mean.




http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

Miiimii

I had my first two days of fasting now and it was absolutly doable. First day was more easy. The second day I was realy hungry when I went ot bed - don't know if because it was the second day or because I had something different for dinner.

Because it's just my first week, trying the two-day-fasting, I can't say how or if it works, but I'll keep you updated. thanks for all the tipps you gave me.

Best
Miiimii

LottieLou13

I got to my goal weight by lifting weights and eating 1400-1700 EACH DAY. No starving involved! So while you're cutting yourself off at 600 calories 2 days a week, I'll come sit next to you while I enjoy my remaining 1100 calories. :laugh:
To each their own!

I also lift heavy and eat 1400-1700 calories a day (sometimes more). I also do IF. Before jumping the gun, read the links provided and check out the FFF group on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/fiercefitfearless/ ) there you will see a tonne of women who lift heavy do IF and look completely amazing for it.

Also Leangains http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html is another good place to have a read.