5-2 Diet - Your opinions

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  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
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    I would much rather stick with eating 15% under my TDEE daily. I'm pretty sure everyone around me would prefer the same because i would be a raging b*tch if i could only have 500 calories 2 days a week.
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
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    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.

    This is exactly what started me on this route- I was panicked at the idea of fasting for a colonoscopy so decided to try it a few times beforehand. It actually worked better than I expected, so I calmed down about the test, and also learned new eating habits. My "down" days are low-calorie but, unlike the colonoscopy fast, I eat anything within the calorie allowance. I'm more likely to ignore mild hunger pangs even on my "up" days now and have learned to start with low-calorie veggies if I need a snack.
  • rosewillan92
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    I'm on my second week of doing the '5:2' except I've started off as '4:3' for my first two weeks - so fasting days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I realised when looking at my eating patterns normally that I sometimes would have fasted without realising. On busy days especially, when I was at Uni all day, I'd be distracted. I don't normally eat breakfast, after having a stomach ulcer as a child and always feeling ill on a morning, and it's always worried me when people say 'breakfast kick starts your metabolism'. In the past, I've tried to force myself to eat it but not been hungry. And actually, when I have breakfast I end up hungry all day, so eat more in the long run. As for the diet, I haven't struggled so far, and next week I'll take it down to the normal '5:2' plan, I just wanted to give myself a little boost. I only do my normal 40 minutes of cardio on a down day, but on fast days I still walk to and from Uni and might do 20 minutes of yoga. I haven't felt particularly hungrier the next day if I'm honest, I think you're appetite shrinks a little bit so I couldn't binge the whole next day. But that's just me personally. Thanks for all the posts on here, they've been a big help! :)
  • needakickuta
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    Hi I've been doing this for a while, it's been a slow steady loss but at least it's a loss as before nothing worked. I have just weighed myself however and I have remained the same for 2 weeks. I have found it difficult since xmas as there have been loads of birthdays and meals out so perhaps the fast days have compensated for the meals. I will look at it positively and at least I haven't gained anything. I don't need to lose a massive amount but I do feel better having lost 7llbs so far and am now within the upper range of the correct BMI for my weight. This is something I could carry on and intend to carry on as alife choice.
  • DelilaLightfoot
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    I posted recently on this looking for feedback from long-term or big loss 5:2 dieters but didn't get any replies. I know a few people doing this in real life but they have a lot less to lose than I do and yet they are losing pretty much the same each week as I am doing it the old way.

    I have read quite a few articles on this and most say it has fantastic health benefits but surely all weight loss has those same benefits - lower cholesterol, lower cancer and heart disease risks?

    Also Dr Michael Mosley said he fasts 2 days and eats generally within recommended calorie guidelines for the remaining 5 so articles saying you can eat what you want on non-fast days could be quite misleading - seems that 2 fast days and 5 controlled days is more accurate description as everyone's idea of 'normal' eating is different?