5-2 Diet - Your opinions

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Replies

  • AnneC77
    AnneC77 Posts: 284
    What sort of meals do you eat on the fasting days?
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    What sort of meals do you eat on the fasting days?
    Dinner. Basically you eat normally 5 days a week, and your fasting days you skip breakfast, lunch, and any snacks. So you "Eat" on a regular day, "Stop" after dinner on a regular day, then "Eat" starting at dinner on the fasting day, where you resume your regular eating schedule.
  • Siannah
    Siannah Posts: 456 Member
    I've watched the Michael Mosley documentary on this recently and it definitely is very interesting and a lot of it made sense to me.

    It's not for me though, I have a fulltime job and a family (we always eat as a family and I don't want to eat separate meals from the children), I just wouldn't have the energy.
  • megiotto
    megiotto Posts: 7 Member
    What sort of meals do you eat on the fasting days?
    Dinner. Basically you eat normally 5 days a week, and your fasting days you skip breakfast, lunch, and any snacks. So you "Eat" on a regular day, "Stop" after dinner on a regular day, then "Eat" starting at dinner on the fasting day, where you resume your regular eating schedule.

    I'm doing 3 meals a day, albeit with a very light breakfast (my least favorite meal of the day). I've been putting all my meals here: http://5and2er.blogspot.co.uk/
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I dont think Mosley ever claimed to have invented it - the original documentary had him examining various forms of restricted eating and IF.


    Aside from one not very expensive book, I'm not aware of any associated products. And even the book isn't essential. There's no supplements, no fancy shakes or replacement meal bars. If he's making any money out of it (other than his name as a TV presenter is now more widely known) I can't see where.

    What do I eat? Typically an egg white and half a banana pancake for breakfast, maybe with a few berries, a miso soup with a large salad for lunch, and a slice of ham with some sauteed leeks and mushrooms for dinner. That even allows for the odd snack of laughing cow light on crackerbread.

    Others spreading the 500 cals over 2 meals might have cottage cheese with fruit for breakfast, and some fish with green beans for dinner. Portion size is self-evidently crucial here - on non-fasting days I will eyeball most of my food, on fasting days I weigh everything.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    What sort of meals do you eat on the fasting days?
    Dinner. Basically you eat normally 5 days a week, and your fasting days you skip breakfast, lunch, and any snacks. So you "Eat" on a regular day, "Stop" after dinner on a regular day, then "Eat" starting at dinner on the fasting day, where you resume your regular eating schedule.

    I'm doing 3 meals a day, albeit with a very light breakfast (my least favorite meal of the day). I've been putting all my meals here: http://5and2er.blogspot.co.uk/
    That's not how it works. The point of fasting is to go an extended period of time without eating, not to eat smaller calorie counts for your meals. The purpose is to give your body a 20-24 hour break from food so that it can digest what you've eaten, and then use the energy it would normally use for digestion on other bodily functions, allowing for repair, maintenance, and hormonal resets. If you're still eating 3 meals throughout the day, that's not happening, you're just doing a VLCD, not intermittent fasting.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    What sort of meals do you eat on the fasting days?
    Dinner. Basically you eat normally 5 days a week, and your fasting days you skip breakfast, lunch, and any snacks. So you "Eat" on a regular day, "Stop" after dinner on a regular day, then "Eat" starting at dinner on the fasting day, where you resume your regular eating schedule.

    I'm doing 3 meals a day, albeit with a very light breakfast (my least favorite meal of the day). I've been putting all my meals here: http://5and2er.blogspot.co.uk/
    That's not how it works. The point of fasting is to go an extended period of time without eating, not to eat smaller calorie counts for your meals. The purpose is to give your body a 20-24 hour break from food so that it can digest what you've eaten, and then use the energy it would normally use for digestion on other bodily functions, allowing for repair, maintenance, and hormonal resets. If you're still eating 3 meals throughout the day, that's not happening, you're just doing a VLCD, not intermittent fasting.

    Yes, and that's what Mosley does at the beginning of the documentary he used to publicise his book.
    He then, seemingly on a whim, started the 2 days a week eating 500-600kcal per day. It's not copying precisely Pilon, it's actually from someone else. I'll post if I can find it.


    Edit to add: http://www.johnsonupdaydowndaydiet.com/html/how-to-do-the-diet.html Is much more likely where the original idea came from. I'm a sceptic, so I assume he's already plotting a range of supplements and snacks to help follow his diet, in an Atkins stylee
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Fasting is probabaly a misnomer for the 5:2 approach, I agree "proper" fasting is going without food altogether.
  • martinh78
    martinh78 Posts: 601
    Having completed my second day of fasting yesterday I find it very interesting to read some of the dismissive comments from people who haven't actually tried it.

    I decide to try IF for four weeks rather than dismiss it without trying it. Having read quite a lot about it, and about fasting in general (journals and academic books rather than newspapers and strangers on theweb) I couldn't find any disadvantages or issues regarding health that where of a concern to me (I amnow healthy, 21% body fat, in the middle of my BMI zone, eat correctly, don't have any issues with binging or self-control, exercise regularly etc). No reason not to give it a go.

    I actually noticed that I have one day a week where I am just not hungry anyway. I eat because I "should" but at least once a week I'll skip breakfast, often lunch, and not eat until mid-afternoon. This is listening to my body and not the rubbish about "breakfast kickstarting your metabolism" and other such myths. I would not do this if I was lacking energy, irritable, hungry. I'm not so I choose to delay eating until I feel like I need something.

    So on Sunday I woke and felt just like that. I wasn't hungry so didn't eat. Then by late-lunch I had a small meal of about 300Cals. Didn't eat again until teh evening when I had 250Cals. The occassions where I felt a little hungry I had a cup of green tea.

    I did the same yesterday. Had a light lunch and a light meal at dinner. 580Cals for the day including tea/coffee etc.

    I am not stupid, I know this will result in weight loss as I haven't adjusted my other calories on feeding days. I don't need to do it for weight loss though as I've already got my weight loss sorted and maintaining a steady loss.

    What I was surprised at was the fact I didn't feel like I had less energy through either of the days. I couldn't have trained hard on these days I don't think, but that's fine by me, two rest days per week suits me anyway.

    I did feel more alert during the day and my body fat % and weight have dropped twice as quickly as they have done in the past. This is despite the same weekly calorie total.

    Another thing, which sounds odd to notice for a guy I guess, my skin definiately looks brighter and smoother in the morning after fasting, and my hair looks better also. Also when I weigh-in the day after my stomach looks flat. It has never looked flat!

    I also didn't feel the need to eat this-morning, but I did. The pont is it's not making me want to eat any differently on my feeding days.


    So for those who haven't tried it, that's fine, you don't have to. But don't dismiss it with "facts" that aren't facts.

    You may not feel hungry all day
    You may not have the lack of energy that you think you would
    You may not binge teh day before or after (if you do that is another, underlying problem that you have)
    Don't dismiss it as a fad diet. It is far more than that. It doesn't have to result in weight loss if you use it as part of a maintenance plan.

    Even if you have no intention of ever sticking to IF, it would be simple for you to try it (like I have), even for one day, to see if your fears of binging, poor energy etc are real.



    A lot of people I know have made a lot of critiscisms about my diet and calorie counting. Apparantly they could never do that either. You knwo what, after 18 months and loosing 40lbs I'm glad I had that yoguart and granola instead of the sausage sandwich every morning. The 5:2 diet doesn't suite evryone I'm sure, not sure it will suit me in the long-term, but I could find a lot of folk who don't think that your diet plan is very good either.


    If someone would like to give some actual evidence of why the 5:2 or IF is a poor choice I'd be interested to read it. All I have found so far is fears and in-ground beliefs from people who haven't tried it.

    I am not advocating the diet one way or the other, but I am wanting to try and but a balanced argument together, hence why I am trying it.
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    Fasting is probabaly a misnomer for the 5:2 approach, I agree "proper" fasting is going without food altogether.

    I agree. I've been doing 5:2 for 2 years and have gone from 147 to 130. My workouts burn 400-500 calories every day and they aren't really affected on the "down" days. (I eat closer to 1,000 calories on down days.) I haven't had a day off from work due to illness, I run the occasional sprint triathlon, and I'm 60. Works for me.

    Actual fasting, as in "don't eat anything" would be very difficult for me.
  • Poods71
    Poods71 Posts: 502 Member
    I did the Alternate Day Diet (which is similar) and lost 2 stone. It is similar but you do 500 cals each alternate day and eat what you like on the other days. I did it during the week but not at weekends and even though I get shaky and feel sick if I don't eat for long periods of time it never happened to me on this diet. I liked the fact that you were only on a strict diet for one day and then if there was someting you really wanted you knew you could have it tomorrow. I did find my energy was good too, I thought at the time it was my thyroid tablets but I have stopped the diet and am still on the tablets but feel way less energetic!

    I researched it a lot on the internet and at the time of doing it I couldn't find anything bad about it at all, which is very unusual. Just people saying they didn't like it but not anyone with actual proof it was bad. There was proof that it had health benefits but I think these tests at the time had only been carried out on rats.

    I think the only reason I don't do it anymore is that I am very close to goal so don't have the same motivation for the down days.

    Good luck if you decide to give it a go :smile:
  • roolmc
    roolmc Posts: 47
    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.
    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.

    Oh, that is interesting. I'd not head of that. Although, judging by Brad Pilon's blog post (http://bradpilon.com/weight-loss/the-52-diet-my-review/), he doesn't appear to feel that someone is ripping him off. He appears to be happy someone else has (hopefully independently) arrived at a similar conclusion on fasting has himself. I'll do some more reading into "Eat, Fast, Eat", thanks.

    Michael Moseley does state that the idea has been around for a long time. Even mentioning that major religions advocate fasting, he gives the example of Islam encouraging fasting twice a week. In the documentary he is looking for lifestyle changes to increase longevity, not loose weight. He looks at research into calorie restriction, long periods of fasting, alternate day fasting then settles on 5:2 to try out on himself. All of which have the side effect of losing weight (hence it became a "diet").

    I think it would be fare to say it was this programme that re-sparked the idea of fasting with the British public last summer, even if the idea has been around for a while.
  • lwoodroff
    lwoodroff Posts: 1,431 Member
    Also he personally has a lot of hormone markers for various issues (eg heart disease, diabetes I think) and a lot of his programmes have been investigating health from his perspective (his previous programme looked at exercise, and he ended up trying out HIIT for example).
  • lamilli09
    lamilli09 Posts: 354 Member
    First, this is my experience as an onlooker.

    I've had five friends who have done the 5--2 diet. Two stuck with it religiously for two-three weeks. Two dropped it after a week(ish, maybe two) but then restarted it later on. One stopped logging in to MFP and deleted her account entirely.

    Pros:
    - Most of them said that the fast days really weren't a challenge for them
    - Many said they felt light, healthy

    Cons:
    - One woman had serious issues with exercising the morning after a fast --- ended up being in the fetal position to recover.
    - One woman did really well but would always binge the day after and would get incredibly frustrated.
    - One woman used it and it sparked a round of binge/purge sessions... and then she deleted her account.
    - For the two others, I *assume* that they stopped monitoring their intake after quitting the 5-2 diet because they stopped logging in.

    I guess what I'm saying is that I think it has limited value. There are plenty of people here in the thread who have made this a part of their life and they seem to be doing well with it. But their experience noticeably conflicts with my (secondhand) experience of the 5-2 diet. This is just my two cents -- ultimately you are the one who decides what is right for your body.
  • diadojikohei
    diadojikohei Posts: 732 Member
    I've just done week 2 and as far as I can see there are no restrictions on when you 'fast' just as long as they are non-consecutive days. I tried Sundays as they are less busy for me, but I found that work days when i am busy, are more manageable. I was very tired yesterday evening after 'fasting' but feel ok this morning! I like the flexibility of this plan.
  • AshS1050
    AshS1050 Posts: 43 Member
    bump
  • Garmad2
    Garmad2 Posts: 1
    It's my first day on the 5.2 diet. So far so good:
  • MissPeppers
    MissPeppers Posts: 302 Member
    I see that also here Moseley is credited for 5:2 but there is a substantial difference between "his" 5:2 "diet" and Pilon's ESE fasting set-up, namely that Moseley has small meals during his "fast" and Pilon's way is to EAT, then STOP eating and then EAT again, no meals in the fasting window.

    In my opinion, Moseley's way is not fasting, it's a calorie restriction method. Pilon's way is actually fasting. Intermittent fasting a great way to control kcals, it also has other health benefits and this among other reasons is why I follow this eating pattern.
  • VintageFit
    VintageFit Posts: 90 Member
    I've decided to give it a go.
    I try to stretch my 500cals intwo about two meals day, which I agree is not 'fasting' but it works better for me. I tried true, no-food-at-all fasting once and felt horrible. So hopefully this one will work better for me.
    Yesterday was my first fast-day and I had a scrambled egg for breakfast, and a bowl of tuna with light mayo for lunch and dinner. (for 'snacks' I couldn't resist a teapsoon of peanut butter, though) all in all it was about 550cals, and I didn't feel hungry at all. I drank 3litres of water, as well.
    I've been trying to find a good list of healthy, protein-loaded foods for these days that make feel full long enough. I've already got a few (eggs, some yummy soups, tuna etc.)

    I can't say I felt any different yesterday than on any other day, but it was just the first one. I wasn't really hungry, and I'm not hungry now (at 11am the next day) so I doubt bingeing the day after will be a problem for me.

    Thank you all for your posts! I've read some very interesting opinions and good and helpful facts about 5-2, and feel somewhat better prepared to tackle it than a few days before.
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    I can't say I felt any different yesterday than on any other day, but it was just the first one. I wasn't really hungry, and I'm not hungry now (at 11am the next day) so I doubt bingeing the day after will be a problem for me.

    Sounds like a good start! I also allow myself pretty much unlimited vegetables (the near-zero calorie ones such as carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, etc.) It helps to have stuff to munch on. I even occasionally eat a mini-candy bar (50 calories). Not recommended by any nutritionist, I'm sure, but I get a brief sugar high and I like the taste.
  • VintageFit
    VintageFit Posts: 90 Member
    I can't say I felt any different yesterday than on any other day, but it was just the first one. I wasn't really hungry, and I'm not hungry now (at 11am the next day) so I doubt bingeing the day after will be a problem for me.

    Sounds like a good start! I also allow myself pretty much unlimited vegetables (the near-zero calorie ones such as carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, etc.) It helps to have stuff to munch on. I even occasionally eat a mini-candy bar (50 calories). Not recommended by any nutritionist, I'm sure, but I get a brief sugar high and I like the taste.
    Oh, the carrot is definitely a good idea - I like to munch on those anyway!
  • fstender
    fstender Posts: 165 Member
    i would ask youself if you could live on this diet for one year. When choosing a diet you want one that you can make into a lifestyle change. Im currently doing the DASH diet and doing very well with it....
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Actually, it's the very livability which makes it attractive.

    I went out for dinner last night with my cousin and ordered whatever I like, with no thought to calories, as it was an Up day. Having to only watch calories 2 days a week - and you can switch those days round as need be - makes it much easier to have a social life.

    What does the DSAH diet entail?
  • strawfairy
    strawfairy Posts: 6 Member
    I tried this for the first time today

    I made a tomato and bean soup for dinner which was 180 calories, plus a couple of ryvitas and room for some fruit too.

    I had work from 1-9pm which I think really helps because I could leave around lunchtime without feeling too hungry, be distracted at work all day and then by the time I get home it's too late for me to want any food :D

    So day 1 = success! I think my next fast day will be Monday, thanks for all the posts on this
  • strawfairy
    strawfairy Posts: 6 Member
    I forgot, I have a question.

    If you exercise on 'down days' do you eat 500 net calories taking into account what you burn off during exercise or just eat 500 calories and that's it?
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I just answered that same question somewhere else.

    I don't think so. The point is not to give your body what it needs to make new cells. I wouldn't try anything too strenuous on down days, but light exercise is fine.
  • fstender
    fstender Posts: 165 Member
    Hi...The DASH diet is built on a ratio of serving sizes of all your healthy stuff...it does really well with controlling your blood sugar level so you will burn more fat and calories easier...There is a fourteen day initiating period which is tough..(im on day 6) but the after that the diet is very doable...and you can adjust it according to where you are and what your doing and still be on schedule. Google it...it is very popular actually!

    Im just starting this...but im excited as i have seen a huge change already...espically around the tummy area!
    Good luck with what ever works for you~


    Actually, it's the very livability which makes it attractive.

    I went out for dinner last night with my cousin and ordered whatever I like, with no thought to calories, as it was an Up day. Having to only watch calories 2 days a week - and you can switch those days round as need be - makes it much easier to have a social life.

    What does the DSAH diet entail?
    [/quote]
  • robinmobile
    robinmobile Posts: 5
    My reason for choosing this diet is the fact that you don't have to count calories every day. I am on my 3rd 'fast' day and already feel much better this week than I did last week... Not quite as hungry and wobbly. I am not sure I can do any hardcore exercise yet on fast days but am hoping gradually that that will change. I have soup for lunch and then salad with chicken/ tuna in the evening. And lots and lots of water. I don't usually eat until about 12pm the following day and don't feel hungry as much as you'd think. Not sure about weight loss yet - I think I've lost a bit. I am giving it 6 weeks to see how well it work.s Hubby is doing it too and is much better than me!
  • Bassgirl51
    Bassgirl51 Posts: 117
    I am a nurse, and people who have colonoscopies do this all the time. They stop eating about 5 pm. Only clear liquids the next day, all night again with no food, test done they get to eat. It is well over 36 hours AND they have a colon cleanse. Talk about being empty.

    I did this two weeks ago. I was hungry but not starving. And by the time I could eat I could only eat half of what I normally would and had to make myself eat the rest of the day.

    As far as calories, sugar free jello has only 10 calories and has protein. Broth gives you sodium which will keep you from feeling weak. Add some juice to bring your calories up to 500.

    It really wasn't hard. And I can see how it would work. No one has died from it that I am aware of. And most pt's say its not that bad.
  • sgall123
    sgall123 Posts: 133 Member
    I'm in my second week if doing this though last week I did 4:3 .. My IBS is so much better & also my bowels seem to be working better too as I'd only usually go once a week now its maybe 1-3 times a week... You generally just feel so much better... I don't tend to exercise on a fast day as I have an active job so that's enough exercise on those days... It will work for some & not others... I find so far it's good for me as I'm a snacker!! If I see I have X amount of calories left ill eat crisps or choccy just for the sake of eating them when really I know I don't need them!!... This way of eating doing 5:2' has taught me I don't need to snack just to get the numbers up & I eat when I need to not cos you need 3 meals a day & brekkie is the most important meal of the day... Plus I like to go out & just pick something off the menu instead of panicking about calories cos that's no way to live either!!.. After talking to one of my naturally skinny friends about her eating habits she also fasts to an extent without realising & only eats when she feel she needs to not just because its brekkie or lunch time etc & that's all 5:2 teaches us...

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