5-2 Diet - Your opinions
VintageFit
Posts: 90 Member
Let me start off by saying I'm not currently doing this diet, nor am I looking for advice on it. Please don't start posting things like 'This is ridiculous and you should stop it' or 'research more before you start something like this' or 'any diet is a bad idea'
I simply want to start a discussion about this new diet, mostly because it's hard to find proper information online apart from newspaper articles that seem very biased.
The basic idea of the 5-2 Diet is that you fast two days a week while eating normally on the other 5. So you're supposed to eat your TDEE five days a week, and on two days you have a calorie allowance of 500. Most people who seem to do this split these 500 between breakfast and dinner.
I really want to get some more opinions on this way of eating, because I'm torn between thinking it's a good aproach and wondering if it's not actually unhealthy...
I simply want to start a discussion about this new diet, mostly because it's hard to find proper information online apart from newspaper articles that seem very biased.
The basic idea of the 5-2 Diet is that you fast two days a week while eating normally on the other 5. So you're supposed to eat your TDEE five days a week, and on two days you have a calorie allowance of 500. Most people who seem to do this split these 500 between breakfast and dinner.
I really want to get some more opinions on this way of eating, because I'm torn between thinking it's a good aproach and wondering if it's not actually unhealthy...
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Replies
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Bump for when some people have commented0
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Well... two questions.
1) How are you eating now?
2) Why do you think it's a good idea?
I couldn't/wouldn't do it for myself. I would be in pure hulk rage mode for those two days and my TDEE isn't an accurate amount of calories for me..... I *guess* if you look at your calories over the course of a week and not just day by day, if you were eating a good amount at the end of the week, it wouldn't matter so much. I just would not be able to survive those two days, at all. Never. FOOD.0 -
I have friends, here and in 'real life' who have been doing this for a while. They look amazing, healthy and happy! I want to be like that too so I'm in week 2 of it. The articles I read before hand made compelling arguments for the over all long term health benefits in particular reducing the risk of dementia., or rather their tests seemed to indicate it can delay dementia. Although I don't know how long these tests have been running.
I found the fast days difficult at first and had a few stalled days, but so far so good! Any break from routine is good for the body as is putting it under some stress. Complacency and routine dulls us and hopefully this will have greater impact on my well being than just losing weight!!! (although that would be nice!)0 -
The French do something like this when they are at the weight the want to be. They eat whatever for 5 days and then on 2 days have no carbs and little calories mainly protein and it seems to work for them.
I have French friends who it works for.0 -
I think it's a good idea in so far that if you look at a week's calories instead of just daily calories, it still evens out to the same amount of deficit you'd have on a diet that just gives you a daily deficit of about 300-500 calories. So it's not like you're starving yourself.Well... two questions.
1) How are you eating now?
2) Why do you think it's a good idea?
I couldn't/wouldn't do it for myself. I would be in pure hulk rage mode for those two days and my TDEE isn't an accurate amount of calories for me..... I *guess* if you look at your calories over the course of a week and not just day by day, if you were eating a good amount at the end of the week, it wouldn't matter so much. I just would not be able to survive those two days, at all. Never. FOOD.
I'm also intrigued by a lot of people who've done this claiming that it made them feel healthier and more active, because on my current eating habits I often feel very sluggish and bloated even though I've stayed under my calories and watched my macros as well. Maybe some people need a 'reset' every few days.
On the other hand, I agree with you - I don't know if I could spend two days eating so little without my mood changing.
That said you don't have to do two days in a row, most people split it up tues-thurs or mon-wed or something like that.0 -
I did this for a few months with good results. I thought that occasional extreme deprivation would be easier to handle psychologically than constant low level deprivation. If you crave something naughty, you just have to hold off a day to have room in your calorie budget for it. It was also nice to have a buffer of extra calories for social meals on the weekend.
I did find the down days a bit tough, and cheated by netting 500 calories by doing a big cardio workout on fast days. No problems exercising when fasted. That probably means that I didn't get the supposed additional health benefits of intermittent fasting, such as lower triglycerides and improved insulin sensitivity.
Stopped doing this while on vacation and haven't started up again. I was losing more steadily doing IF, than I am now with a comparable constant daily deficit. There is a nice BBC documentary from the Horizon series on this topic. Michael Mosley was the presenter--that might help you find it on google or YouTube.0 -
Personally i would rather just eat a little less every day than LOADS less (ie just 500 cals) 2 days a week... but thats just me!
i think it also depends whether it fits into your lifestyle... though i guess being on here is all about a new lifestyle....0 -
Both my wife and I have been doing this since August.
My wife has lost 30lbs, I've lost 18lbs and got to my goal weight.
You really don't feel tired, grumpy or listless on fast days. I'm able to train without any loss of performance. Yes you do feel hungry but it's really not constant or a big issue. You just tell yourself it's only one day (the 2 days are not consecutive).
Personally when I was losing weight I preferred to take two big chunks out of my weekly deficit and eat more normally on the other five days. I'm continuing with it for the claimed health benefits rather than anything else now.0 -
I'm in my 3rd week of it. There's plenty of information available out there - there's a group here on MFP, there's a Facebook page, the book itself is esily available (i think it was on offer at Tesco), and if you're in the UK, there's a pull-out section in this week's Radio Times.
It is very simple - but that doens't make it easy. The 2 fast days are tough going, and anecdotally it seems women find this harder than men.
It is specifically NOT recommended for children who are still growing, pregnant women, and anyone with a tendency to eating disorders.
From my perspective, I said I'd give it a month's trial, so I'm more than half way through that. It's getting results - my weight is dropping after having put on a few pounds over Christmas. I feel more alert and more generally positive (though that might just be the longer daylight hours!). I don't go mad on non-fast days, but I appreciate my food much more.
A quick resume of the thinking behind it - our bodies weren't meant to be fed constantly. The analogy is of a car being driven constantly at top speed. When you do this, your body constantly makes new cells. This is good while you're still growing, not so good when you're grown. Fasting gives the body a chance to repair existing cells over making new ones.
Some people eat nothing all day and then have one 500 cal meal, many people split that between breakfast and dinner, I spread mine throughout the day.
It's a form of intermittent fasting (IF), and in that respect it's not brand new.0 -
My mum has been doing this fo rthe last few weeks and has lost 7lbs in less that 3 weeks, she has about 4 stone she wants to lose and struggles to stick to diets or healthy eating plans so thought she would try it. She says that the first few fast days were a bit difficult but she managed the 500 cals and is going to carry on for a while to see how she gets on. One thing she has noticed is that her appetite on non fast days is less and she is thinking about what she is eating on non fast days more than she would have done before.
I am considering giving it a try to get rid of my last half stone as i have got stuck for a few weeks.0 -
I thought my blood sugar and mood were very sensitive to food, but after the first week or two it stopped being a problem. I only did it for a couple of months, and then decided to up my exercise instead, and I hadn't got the point where I can train on or after a fasting day. Some people do, and good for them, but it didn't seem to work for me.
Of course, I was also restricting my calories on non-fasting days, which was what my RL friends were doing, but probably wasn't all that helpful, especially when trying to workout as well!
When I get nearer maintenance and stop trying to build muscle, I may well go back to it.0 -
I think it's a good idea in so far that if you look at a week's calories instead of just daily calories, it still evens out to the same amount of deficit you'd have on a diet that just gives you a daily deficit of about 300-500 calories. So it's not like you're starving yourself.Well... two questions.
1) How are you eating now?
2) Why do you think it's a good idea?
I couldn't/wouldn't do it for myself. I would be in pure hulk rage mode for those two days and my TDEE isn't an accurate amount of calories for me..... I *guess* if you look at your calories over the course of a week and not just day by day, if you were eating a good amount at the end of the week, it wouldn't matter so much. I just would not be able to survive those two days, at all. Never. FOOD.
I'm also intrigued by a lot of people who've done this claiming that it made them feel healthier and more active, because on my current eating habits I often feel very sluggish and bloated even though I've stayed under my calories and watched my macros as well. Maybe some people need a 'reset' every few days.
On the other hand, I agree with you - I don't know if I could spend two days eating so little without my mood changing.
That said you don't have to do two days in a row, most people split it up tues-thurs or mon-wed or something like that.
I really don't see the harm in it or why it wouldn't be worth a shot. When I started looking at my calories over the course of a week, instead of day to day, I found that I was able to relax a lot more and not feel like I had to micro-manage every single day.0 -
it sounds like the'yre just forcing a calorie deficit into two days rather than allowing for a slight deficit every day.
Honestly, for people who over estimate their calories who can actually just not eat for 2 days, it MIGHT work... but for the 3 people in the world who can do that... go for it.
Otherwise, it's just another gimmick to accomplish the same basic principal of calories in < calories out0 -
it sounds like the'yre just forcing a calorie deficit into two days rather than allowing for a slight deficit every day.
Honestly, for people who over estimate their calories who can actually just not eat for 2 days, it MIGHT work... but for the 3 people in the world who can do that... go for it.
Otherwise, it's just another gimmick to accomplish the same basic principal of calories in < calories out
^^ Sounds about right.
I don't think calorie tracking is all about day to day activity so much as average over time, so this might work for some people who can't stick to a daily discipline.
I find the idea very unappealing personally.0 -
it sounds like the'yre just forcing a calorie deficit into two days rather than allowing for a slight deficit every day.
Honestly, for people who over estimate their calories who can actually just not eat for 2 days, it MIGHT work... but for the 3 people in the world who can do that... go for it.
Otherwise, it's just another gimmick to accomplish the same basic principal of calories in < calories out
Nope, it has has documented health benefits over the long term due to the hormonal changes induced by intermittent fasting. It started out as a medical diet for maintaining weight and improving health, and has become mainstream because it can be used to lose weight.0 -
it sounds like the'yre just forcing a calorie deficit into two days rather than allowing for a slight deficit every day.
Honestly, for people who over estimate their calories who can actually just not eat for 2 days, it MIGHT work... but for the 3 people in the world who can do that... go for it.
Otherwise, it's just another gimmick to accomplish the same basic principal of calories in < calories out
Nope, it has has documented health benefits over the long term due to the hormonal changes induced by intermittent fasting. It started out as a medical diet for maintaining weight and improving health, and has become mainstream because it can be used to lose weight.
Can you point to the documentation? I don't understand this concept of hormonal changes induced by diet and I'm skeptical.0 -
I've been doing the 5:2 for just over 2 weeks. I Fast on Tuesday & Thursday. I eat my evening meal the night before at around 6pm and then don't eat till lunch time; about 12-1pm so I have reached a 18hrs Fast. I work out on the morning before my fast and feel full of energy and pumped up. the exercise will give you that boost. I am then ready to have lunch once I've finished. My profile picture is what I had today for lunch (homemade tomato, basil and chilli soup with a weight watchers petit pan).
I want to eat and therefore I find that by doing the Fast it actually makes you more aware of what is good food. Generally the 'healthy' food is the food that is lower in cals; like homemade soups or a salad!
I have lost 3lbs in the first 2 weeks (I get weighed again tomorrow - but not sure if there'll be a loss as I've been doing weights and I'm very sore so probably retaining a lot of water).
I always said I would give it 6 weeks and then review, so that's what I'll do. But so far it is working and I don't feel any worse for doing it. the hunger on the first couple of Fast days was quite intense but then your body quickly adjusts and I just try and keep busy till lunch time!
There is a very weak paper on the NHS website, but if you read the comments, these are from people who have been doing it for a while - successfully! http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/01January/Pages/Does-the-5-2-intermittent-fasting-diet-work.aspx?utm_campaign=YourHealthJanuary13&utm_source=emailCampaign
Good luck anyone doing it or thinking of trying it. x0 -
What happened during the 5 days while eating at maintenance that needs to be corrected with intermittent fasting, and intermittent fasting doesn't naturally mean eating at a deficit, it can be any calorie allotment. What mechanisms are you referring too that makes it healthier?it sounds like the'yre just forcing a calorie deficit into two days rather than allowing for a slight deficit every day.
Honestly, for people who over estimate their calories who can actually just not eat for 2 days, it MIGHT work... but for the 3 people in the world who can do that... go for it.
Otherwise, it's just another gimmick to accomplish the same basic principal of calories in < calories out
Nope, it has has documented health benefits over the long term due to the hormonal changes induced by intermittent fasting. It started out as a medical diet for maintaining weight and improving health, and has become mainstream because it can be used to lose weight.0 -
Not my cup of tea. I like eating regularly, I don't like being hungry and I like eating in a way that is sustainable for a lifetime.
Each to their own, though. I suppose0 -
I've been doing intermittent fasting since September, so for approximately 4 months at time of writing. I lost a stone (14lb) in the first 4 weeks doing 4:3 (fasting Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday) then switched to 5:2 (Tuesday and Thursday) and lost another stone in the next 8 weeks. It's been coming off at around 1lb per week since, as I now only have about a stone to lose before I reach target weight (which is set to exactly in the middle of my 'normal' BMI). I am currently within my 'normal' BMI.
I have run my numbers and 'corrected' my MFP goal to be about 50 cals above my BMI, however I also use a fitbit and eat back the vast majority of my exercise cals which means that I am eating my TDEE (or just a few cals under) on non-fasting days. I have never suffered a loss of energy as a result of this diet, and I am rarely hungry even on active days.
Without offering to provide links to the relevant research (I don't have them to hand and this is not an assignment, more a simple re-telling of the gist of the widely-available available information), the reported benefits are as follows:
* Intermittent fasting does not result into your body holdng on to calories in the same way as a constant extreme deficit because it's only for 24 hours at a time, then you eat normally again.
* Intermittent fasting makes hormonal changes to your body, resulting in a heathy loss and other health benefits such as a reduced risk of getting cancer.
* Intermittent fasting often results in you having more energy and feeling younger.
* There are currently no studies that show intermittent fasting as anything other than positive, provided that it is done properly and by somebody who has a healthy relationship with food.
If the above sounds good to you and/or you want more in-depth information, Google is your friend.
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I think this way of eating is more than just a gimmick. It's a proven and tested method of maintaining health, one that has been around for centuries before calorie controlled diets were the norm. We shouldn't just dismiss time-tested methods just because they're different from ours. We have people even on this thread saying they've either tried it themself or know someone for whom it's worked. Why are others so quick to dismiss it then?0
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My friend Ellie tried this for a while. Like lots of diets though after a while it stopped being effective. She lost maybe half a stone total over two months from what I can gather?
Anyways, it can work but I think it generally depends on your normal diet, how much you exercise and how strict you are with it. If you're up for trying it though, I'd say go talk to your doctor first. 500 calories is a general rule but for a diet where you fast at all it's best to have a doctor check over what's right for you or at least advise you on how to do it c: If you don't want to see your GP though, you'll probably be okay, but it's always nice to have a bit of back up and reassurance for such things.0 -
The 5:2 diet stems from the BBC documentary Horizon: Eat, Fast and Live Longer by Dr Michael Moseley.
Here is a link to information about the programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01lxyzc (although, not available on the BBC iPlayer to watch I recently found it on Daily Motion).
Since then he's written a book with references to papers and started a website called http://thefastdiet.co.uk which I suspect has most of the information you are looking for (I saw the programme so haven't explored the site yet).
In a nutshell, he advocates restricting calorie intake to 25% of normal intake for two non-consecutive days a week. This is supposed to have the effect of taking your body out of "growth mode" and into "repair mode".
Hope that helps.0 -
From someone that has done both restricting calories on a daily basis (1200-1300) and the 5:2, I'd choose 5:2 any day. It might not be for everyone, but it is definitely for more than 3 people in the world, as I have had quite a few friends start on this since I began doing it. I feel sometimes like I'm preaching a bit, but I guess it's because it feels like I have finally managed to find a regime that I could really keep up for a long time and not only lose the weight that had crept up, but also get added health benefits.
As for the healthy and active living, I find it that indeed I have loads of energy to go to the gym on my fast days, as opposed to when I eat more on my feed days I can't do as much exercise, as I feel rather sluggish. My skin definitely looks and feels better and I have lost 11 pounds since the 7th of January.
I am not moody on my fast days and even though you can't feast on 500 calories, it does take you a long(ish) way, if you plan your meals right. I am doing the same thing as Melanie Cheeks, and spreading my calories throughout the day. Sometimes I'm hungry, of course, and I have had a bad day with poor food choices, but nothing that has threatened to kill me yet - or make me kill my boyfriend for that matter!
If you want to have an idea, I have been putting my fast days on a blog, http://5and2er.blogspot.co.uk/ Melanie Cheeks also has good ideas, that I am yet to copy! This is just a personal account, it really works for me. Will it work for you? I guess you'll need to try to see it.0 -
If you can fast without binging the day before or day after, I don't see any issue with it.
Supposedly decreasing overall caloric consumption is good even in overall healthy people.0 -
No. Brad Pilon wrote "Eat, Stop, Eat," which is the concept of 5:2 intermittent fasting back in 2007. This is not a new diet at all, this guy is just trying to claim credit for other people's work, and cash in.The 5:2 diet stems from the BBC documentary Horizon: Eat, Fast and Live Longer by Dr Michael Moseley.
Here is a link to information about the programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01lxyzc (although, not available on the BBC iPlayer to watch I recently found it on Daily Motion).
Since then he's written a book with references to papers and started a website called http://thefastdiet.co.uk which I suspect has most of the information you are looking for (I saw the programme so haven't explored the site yet).
In a nutshell, he advocates restricting calorie intake to 25% of normal intake for two non-consecutive days a week. This is supposed to have the effect of taking your body out of "growth mode" and into "repair mode".
Hope that helps.0 -
I tried it for a few weeks (fast days were Tuesday and Thursday) but by the end of Thursday I was cranky and just ate way too much. Now I've taken the plunge to straight IF (www.leangains.com). I eat now between 1 pm and 10 pm, everyday. This is how I was eating before, naturally, only my food choices are healthy now, instead of mainly Doritos and Snickers.
Good luck!0 -
It sounds extremely unpleasant to be at 500 calories per day - even if it is only 2 days per week. That being said, I can't imagine your body would suffer negative effects if you are eating at TDEE the other days.
Jillian Michaels suggests looking at weekly calories. So if your TDEE is 2500 cals/day and you want to lose 1lb per week you would eat 7(2500) - 3500 = 17500 - 3500 = 14000 calories per week. But, she doesn't recommend doing an even 2000 calories per day. Instead she recommends varying intake but keeping the weekly total at 14000 - to prevent the body from adapting to a sustained lower calorie intake
What you describe is a more severe version of it. I can't see that it would hurt. If you do this, just pay attention to the results. On your 500 calorie days it will be important to eat extremely nutrient rich foods to ensure you are getting some protein, carbs, and healthy fats. You may find that limiting calories to 500 cals per day would make it very difficult to make good choices the following day. This would probably be my experience if I cut so low. If this is true for you as well, it could be counter productive.0 -
No. Brad Pilon wrote "Eat, Stop, Eat," which is the concept of 5:2 intermittent fasting back in 2007. This is not a new diet at all, this guy is just trying to claim credit for other people's work, and cash in.The 5:2 diet stems from the BBC documentary Horizon: Eat, Fast and Live Longer by Dr Michael Moseley.
Here is a link to information about the programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01lxyzc (although, not available on the BBC iPlayer to watch I recently found it on Daily Motion).
Since then he's written a book with references to papers and started a website called http://thefastdiet.co.uk which I suspect has most of the information you are looking for (I saw the programme so haven't explored the site yet).
In a nutshell, he advocates restricting calorie intake to 25% of normal intake for two non-consecutive days a week. This is supposed to have the effect of taking your body out of "growth mode" and into "repair mode".
Hope that helps.
By using the money I'm forced to pay by the BBC or go without a TV or computer. The guy is a tool.
I can't see it ever being recommended by the NHS or a reputable doctor, due to the likelihood of it encouraging binge eating disorders (which should be fully investigated).
Don't get me wrong, it can be fine and healthy, all I'm saying is that is unlikely to be a suitable approach for the majority.
Cashing in on other's ideas? Using BBC funding to promote it with little detail, then release a book on it in January? Does he think we're stupid?0 -
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