5:2 diet, some help please

KelCanDoThis
KelCanDoThis Posts: 83 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys

I have only just got round to watching BBC's Horizon, Eat, Fast & live longer after being told all about it from some colleagues.

I am very interested In this but I have a few questions.

The fast days 2/7, do they have to be together or can they be random days?
They are 500 calories days yes

On the days when you aren't fasting, what sort of calorie allowance is it?

Any help would be great

Thanks

Kelly

Replies

  • jillebean60
    jillebean60 Posts: 78 Member
    • With the 5:2 diet, you can eat whatever you like five days a week — so-called feeding days. On the two “fasting days” you eat 500 calories if you are a woman, or 600 calories if you are a man.
    • It doesn’t matter which days are spent “feeding” and which “fasting”, as long as the fasting days are non-consecutive and you stick to the 5:2 ratio.
    • On fasting days you can consume your calories in one go, or spread them through the day — there is no medical research into whether filling up at breakfast or snacking throughout the day is more effective for weight loss.
    • A typical fasting-day breakfast of 300 calories might consist of two scrambled eggs with ham (good sources of protein), plenty of water, green tea or black coffee. For a typical 300-calorie lunch or dinner, try grilled fish or meat with vegetables.
    • On feeding days you can eat whatever you like. Most dieters, rather than feeling a need to gorge, found that they were happy to consume around 2,000 calories — the recommended daily intake for women (2,600 for men) — and did not crave high-fat foods.
    • Contrary to popular opinion, fasting can be a healthy way to lose weight. It can reduce levels of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1, which leads to accelerated ageing), switches on DNA repair genes and reduces blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels.

    ***These are the guidelines I found and just started this myself.
  • opuntia
    opuntia Posts: 860 Member
    The fasting days don't even have to be non-consecutive. That is just what Michael Mosley chose to do because he finds it easier - but the researchers he was working with all do it on consecutive days. (He has posted this on Twitter - and I'm pretty sure there was nothing in the documentary that said the days couldn't be consecutive - just that he personally chose to have them non-consecutive).
  • opuntia
    opuntia Posts: 860 Member
    Also, there is 5:2 fasting group on MFP that you can join if you want. Lots of useful info there. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/8005-5-2-fasting
  • KelCanDoThis
    KelCanDoThis Posts: 83 Member
    Ok guys. I think I understand it all now.

    So you all seem to say the days don't have to be consecutive, which is prob best for me anyway. But .......

    Do I chose the same two days every week, or just two days every seven days.

    Thanks
  • opuntia
    opuntia Posts: 860 Member
    I've not heard anything about it having to be the same two days. Although that might be easier, simply from the angle of trying to establish a routine. But I don't think it makes a difference, healthwise.
  • wreford2012
    wreford2012 Posts: 1
    I have been doing the 5:2 diet for about a month now and I have also done some research on Michael Mosley's twitter page (he has answered several questions about it in various tweets) and other web sites on ADF diets. I have summarised some of the stuff I have read here: https://suffolkbarefootrunner.wordpress.com (the main content is about barefoot running but since I am doing the 5:2 I thought I would blog that too! :smile: )

    I now think there is a difference between the 'ADF' diet and the 5:2 diet. On the ADF diet you alternate a Fast Day with a Food Day in a constant succession of Fast/Food/Fast/Food/Fast, etc. Whereas on the 5:2 diet, you only do 2 Fast Days and 5 Food Days in every week (I am doing Monday and Wednesday fasts). Michael Mosley chose to do this version as he found it less intrusive lifestyle-wise, which is also why I am doing it.

    The key difference seems to me to be how you should treat the Food Days in the two diets: In the pure ADF, I think you can eat whatever you want and AS MUCH AS you want. Whereas, in the 5:2, I think you can only eat whatever you want. But, if you also eat as much as you want, then you may not lose weight - this is what I have found.

    On week 3, I started eating as much as I wanted on the Food days - not a huge amount, but a bit more than the standard 2500 cal - and found I was not really losing weight - in fact on week 3, I put on 0.2kg. :sad: I also didn't lose any weight on week 2. So I now eat the same as I usually would on the food days (ie. I try to keep below 2500 cal per day) and now I seem to be losing about 1 kg per week.

    I think the reason you can eat as much as you like on the ADF is because, if you think about the total calorie deficit caused by only eating 500 cal 7 days in every 14, then that is a 14,000 calorie deficit you will have built up . Sp, as long as you only eat up to 2/3 more than the usual calorie allowance, you will still have an overall calorie deficit and so lose weight. Whereas, on the 5:2 diet, I only build up a 4,000 calorie deficit, which is quite easy to make up over one week. Hope that makes sense!
  • fester1084
    fester1084 Posts: 4
    Hi , I have set up a group on Face book - 5:2 Fasting Diet , feel free to join its great to share advice and experiences.
  • SEG22
    SEG22 Posts: 5
    Hi,

    I don't know if anyone is interested but I have started doing this diet (last week) and to try and commit properly I have started blogging. I'm hoping this will help me on the days I struggle!

    Please check it out on www.eatfastblog.wordpress.com
  • lesasutton
    lesasutton Posts: 1
    My husband and i started the 5:2 diet last week i lost 2kg in a week and this 2nd week is heaps easier, we fast on tue and thurs, anyone have any recipies for us
  • angela233Z
    angela233Z Posts: 312 Member
    Hi - I have been doing 5:2 for about 4 months and LOVE IT.
    It is the only diet I have been able to stick to for longer than a month.
    I eat 500 on tuesday and Thursdays ( normally, but change according to schedule) and eat between 1500-2500 on other 5 days.
    I have been losing slowly but consistently!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Started week 3. My fast days are Monday & Thursday. I eat lunch (200 cal) & dinner (300 cal). I do eat whatever I want the other 5 but I log most days of the week....at least until 5:00 PM. This helps me keep things in check. I know where my calories are for the day and don't go crazy with late night snacking. I've lost about 1/2 pound each week (yeah!). Slow (and steady) is good for me.

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