5:2 Diet Craze

krysdanly

I was looking into this new 5:2 UK diet that's been exploding in the US and wondering if anyone has tried it and if you would recommend it.

Thanks!

caribougal

There's a 5:2 group on MFP. I read through a lot of the posts before decided to try it. I'm 3 weeks in and pretty happy with it so far. I do recommend you watch the BBC documentary. It's about an hour and is interesting.

http://www.documentarytube.com/eat-fast-and-live-longer-bbc-horizon-2012

Mokey41

It was never meant to be a diet, it's supposed to be a healthy way to live but as usual someone grabbed it as a diet tool. There is no diet secret to it unless you eat fewer calories which you can do without fasting.

Graelwyn75

I could not have any days with only 500 calories. It was meant to be more about health and longevity than a weight loss diet, when it was first referred to in a BBC television programme.
I do a leangains style of fasting most days, where I fast for 14-18 hours, and eat in the remaining window.
I have found this has helped immensely with binge eating issues, and I like to have large meals with a lot of variety so it works there too.

Mummyadams

bump

Keiras_Mom

I did ADF (alternate day fasting or JUDDD) for over a year and have switched to 5:2 for maintenance. I would highly recommend it to anyone without a history or EDs or diabetes. It's phenomenal for overall health and well-being as well as for weight loss.

newdaydawning79

I think I'd go freaking nuts if I limited myself to 500 cals on any day. LOL There's no way I could do it. To each their own!

skinnydreams19

Is it still a good idea is doing 5:2 means that you end up being so hungry after the light days that you go 2000 calories over your allotment (so eating around 4000)? That's what happens to me ( Anyone who can help, please message me!

caribougal

Is it still a good idea is doing 5:2 means that you end up being so hungry after the light days that you go 2000 calories over your allotment (so eating around 4000)? That's what happens to me ( Anyone who can help, please message me!

If you're binging like that after trying it for a few weeks, then I would say 5:2 is not right for you at all. It's not for everyone and that's totally ok.

StaticEntropy

It was never meant to be a diet, it's supposed to be a healthy way to live but as usual someone grabbed it as a diet tool. There is no diet secret to it unless you eat fewer calories which you can do without fasting.

caribougal

It was never meant to be a diet, it's supposed to be a healthy way to live but as usual someone grabbed it as a diet tool. There is no diet secret to it unless you eat fewer calories which you can do without fasting.

That's true, but the "someone" who is marketing it as a diet is the same someone who produced the original documentary.., Mosley. Who after he did the documentary, came out with the book, the website, etc. It is a diet AND a healthy way to live. By fasting 1-2 days a week, this puts most people at a cal deficit and therefore they most likely will lose weight. Hence diet. I'm using it in that way just to change up my method of eating at a deficit after 10 months of eating with a daily deficit. It's a refreshing change, and helped break my plateau to drop the last 5 lbs to goal. I also intend to keep it up in maintenance mode as a healthy way to live (potentially longer and healthier). So it's both.

drchimpanzee

Over eat five days a week and make up for it by under eating two days a week? Why? Just eat better all the time. It's simply not that difficult.

Trueray

O man she called it a diet lol. Its suppose to be a lifestyle change. I personally do 20:4 or 18:6 everyday. Been doing it for 8 months and it works like a charm.

nas061

There's a 5:2 group on MFP. I read through a lot of the posts before decided to try it. I'm 3 weeks in and pretty happy with it so far. I do recommend you watch the BBC documentary. It's about an hour and is interesting.

http://www.documentarytube.com/eat-fast-and-live-longer-bbc-horizon-2012

I also highly recommend the BBC programme as it gives background to the 5:2 diet as well as Alternative day fasting, mainly with an emphasis of improving health and lifespan, but with the added benefit of significant weight loss.

JUDDDing

Is it still a good idea is doing 5:2 means that you end up being so hungry after the light days that you go 2000 calories over your allotment (so eating around 4000)? That's what happens to me ( Anyone who can help, please message me!

Wow! This is often offered as an anecdotal "risk" of fasting. But you are actually the first example of this actually happening that I have heard of.

I'm hungry the day after a fast, but not ravenous. And the psychological "I'm dieting" keeps me from eating a whole chocolate cake or anything crazy.

I guess my only advise would be to break your fast with a balanced, smallish meal and give your body time to notice that it has been fed. I break mine with 2 pieces of French toast or a couple breakfast tacos.

JUDDDing

Over eat five days a week and make up for it by under eating two days a week? Why? Just eat better all the time. It's simply not that difficult.

You're not _supposed_ to over eat. You are supposed to just eat normally. "Whatever you want" was not supposed to be translated into "eat a dozen eclairs".

JUDDDing

Just eat better all the time. It's simply not that difficult.

It's also, IMO, not that appealing. I'd rather be a bit hungry every other day than every day. I'd rather be able to eat a good amount of the things I like than nibble.

If I had to nibble on rabbit food 7 days a week in order to lose weight - I'd probably just not bother.

I'm not trying to sell it to anyone, but it is, IMO, a nice option for people to lose weight who don't want to make good choices and restrict daily for the rest of their lives. Which is me.

BarbieAS

I've toyed around with the idea, done a bunch of reading on it and was really intrigued and thought it sounded like it could be beneficial. Then, I found some information that IF was not nearly as beneficial for women as it is for men, and can actually be harmful. Granted, these sorts of studies appeared to primarily refer to the 18/6 or similar types of IF rather than 5/2 (where you're doing all of your eating during a 6-8 hour window of each 24 hours, rather than restricting 2 days per week), but it was enough to make me take pause and decide that maybe it's not something that I was interested in trying. Not to say that it wouldn't work for someone just because they're a woman, but I like to be well-informed before I start any kind of nutritional or training plan, and if I believe enough evidence exists that it might not be beneficial (or might actually be harmful) for me based on any number of factors (in this case, including sex), then I tend to move on and consider something else.

Here's a few links; normally I wouldn't present blogs as definitive source material but these posts have good summaries and links to the actual studies and such.

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/women-and-intermittent-fasting/
http://www.paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/

perfekta

Is it still a good idea is doing 5:2 means that you end up being so hungry after the light days that you go 2000 calories over your allotment (so eating around 4000)? That's what happens to me ( Anyone who can help, please message me!

Wow! This is often offered as an anecdotal "risk" of fasting. But you are actually the first example of this actually happening that I have heard of.

I'm hungry the day after a fast, but not ravenous. And the psychological "I'm dieting" keeps me from eating a whole chocolate cake or anything crazy.

I guess my only advise would be to break your fast with a balanced, smallish meal and give your body time to notice that it has been fed. I break mine with 2 pieces of French toast or a couple breakfast tacos.

Again with the french toast!

caribougal

Over eat five days a week and make up for it by under eating two days a week? Why? Just eat better all the time. It's simply not that difficult.

If you watch the documentary or read the book, you'll learn that research shows that most people do NOT overeat significantly on the non-fast days. Even being told not to restrict at all, eat whatever you want, most people don't consume more than 10% over their normal consumption, and even that tapers off once they get used to fasting. I personally don't overeat on my non-fasting days... I still calorie count. I eat closer to my TDEE (but sometimes still at a small deficit) on non-fasting days. I don't change my approach to healthy eating on those days.

JUDDDing

Again with the french toast!

Yes, blueberry streusel bread French Toast! :smokin:

perfekta

I guess my only advise would

Wrong one!

JUDDDing

I guess my only advise would

Wrong one!

Whew! Thanks! _advice_ :drinker:

perfekta

I guess my only advise would

Wrong one!

Whew! Thanks! _advice_ :drinker:

My faith in you has been restored somewhat.

sijomial

I was looking into this new 5:2 UK diet that's been exploding in the US and wondering if anyone has tried it and if you would recommend it.

Thanks!

Tried it - it's worked for me both as a weight loss tool and now as a maintenance method to keep my weight steady while also continuing to reduce body fat.
I would recommend people first read the book and then decide to do it (or not).

Two groups on here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/7953-5-2-fasting
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/8576-5-2-diet

Mosley's site is:
http://thefastdiet.co.uk/ if you want to research it.

Today is my fasting day if you want to see what a 600 calorie day looks like (men get 600 calories - yay!).

caribougal

I was looking into this new 5:2 UK diet that's been exploding in the US and wondering if anyone has tried it and if you would recommend it.

Thanks!

Tried it - it's worked for me both as a weight loss tool and now as a maintenance method to keep my weight steady while also continuing to reduce body fat.
I would recommend people first read the book and then decide to do it (or not).

Two groups on here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/7953-5-2-fasting
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/8576-5-2-diet

Mosley's site is:
http://thefastdiet.co.uk/ if you want to research it.

Today is my fasting day if you want to see what a 600 calorie day looks like (men get 600 calories - yay!).

I peeked at your diary. What the heck is Hairy Biker Salmon???

junipearl

Just eat better all the time. It's simply not that difficult.

It's also, IMO, not that appealing. I'd rather be a bit hungry every other day than every day. I'd rather be able to eat a good amount of the things I like than nibble.

If I had to nibble on rabbit food 7 days a week in order to lose weight - I'd probably just not bother.

I'm not trying to sell it to anyone, but it is, IMO, a nice option for people to lose weight who don't want to make good choices and restrict daily for the rest of their lives. Which is me.

I get to eat whatever I want because I exercise a lot and make overall healthy choices so there is that option as well lol.

sijomial

I peeked at your diary. What the heck is Hairy Biker Salmon???

Ah yes - can see how that would be confusing! There's a couple of TV cooks over here (who are bikers and hairy...) called the Hairy Bikers. Both went on a diet and lost a load of weight and wrote a really good cook book of low calories meals.

Their salmon recipe is basically baked fillet of salmon with a chilli, garlic, soy, onion & ginger sauce.

Keiras_Mom

So much bias! Nobody's saying any of you have to try it, or even embrace it, but 5:2 and fasting in general are not unhealthy, and do not mean you overeat on your non-fasting days, or make worse choices because of fasting. I count everything (good and bad calories) on my eating days as well as my fasting days. I try to get a good variety, but I also allow myself wine and treats as I want them. I'm not sure how that translates into the free-for-all or feeding-frenzy mentality that so many of you assume we fasters employ.

JUDDDing

I get to eat whatever I want because I exercise a lot and make overall healthy choices so there is that option as well lol.

Yep, there are lots of options.

sijomial

I get to eat whatever I want because I exercise a lot and make overall healthy choices so there is that option as well lol.

You really don't get it...
I exercise a lot (over 6,000 calories last week), I make healthy food choices, I eat for taste and enjoyment as well. I also 5:2 fast and am maintaining my goal weight while improving all my fitness and strength markers.

So It seems to be a good option for me.