5:2 fasting diet

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Jacquiht
Jacquiht Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
After watching the Horizon programme on this fasting diet, my husband and I decided to give it a go. We started on Monday and are making Mondays and Wednesdays our Fasting Days. Females have 500 calories and Males have 650 for those two days. The rest of the week we can eat anything that we fancy. I know it is only Wednesday but already I have lost 3 lbs. It sounds awful but in fact we have found it no problem at all - we just remember that the day after a fast we can eat ANYTHING! It fits in with our lifestyle and I think this may be the answer to my weight problems. I find that when on a diet all I can think of is food. So far I haven't given food a thought, although I have to say I have kept myself busy. Has anybody else tried this particular diet and if so I would love to hear how you are getting on.

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  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    How can you stick to a certain number of calories without giving any thought to food? If a special occasion, such as a reunion or party fall on one of those days, do you stick to the low cal, or just push the fasting day back one day?
  • rubyjune27
    rubyjune27 Posts: 87 Member
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    I started this after watching the programme in August. I didn't commence this as a means of losing weight but for the health benefits. Not that I didn't want to continue losing but I had lost the majority of my weight prior to this. I am hoping aside from the health advantages this diet may make, that this fasting will help me with maintenance, something I had never achieved previously.


    I find this easier than I expected but it still involves effort for me and I certainly think about food, I do every day whether on fast or not.

    Apparently the health benefits end at age approximately 70 years old, so I only have to do this for the next 20 years lol!

    There are groups on this site I believe about this diet

    I do Mondays and Thursday
  • Jacquiht
    Jacquiht Posts: 4 Member
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    You can have your fasting day any day you like but you must not put the two fasting days together, so if you have something special coming up you work around it.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,454 Member
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    I did it for a short time after reading about the health benefits. However, I read here that the health benefits aren't so pronounced for women and that it might not be worth doing if you're female. I already have low blood pressure and cholesterol so I decided to stop for a while.

    I did find it easier to stick to than I expected. I was flexible about the fasting days so wouldn't have chosen a day when it was hard to do it. I started off using Slimfast, then moved to having tiny meals (which was more enjoyable). The Slimfast made it particularly easy because you really don't have to think about food at all! However, I found myself thinking about food a LOT on the fast days and would find excuses to go food shopping, look at recipe books, etc.

    I didn't stick to it religiously, because I still counted calories on the days off. I did lose some weight and might give it another go if I stall.
  • hyphenbobbit
    hyphenbobbit Posts: 104 Member
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    Hi,

    Started something similar (Alternative Day Diet) and am on the second week. I'm doing 500 cals every other day and in between eating what I want but still keeping it healthy (not eating crisps & choc).

    So far is going well. The down days are sometimes a struggle around that 2-3pm time when I feel really tired but managing to get through it and by late afternoon feel fine again. It drives me on knowing it's only for a day!

    First weigh in was Tuesday and had lost 5lbs so was really pleased. Don't expect this rate of loss to continue but it's a promising start and it's something that I think I can do.

    I still count calories on up days as I want to make sure that overall through the week I don't go over a specific amount.

    Love to hear from anyone who has been doing this a while to know how it's panning out?
  • FatMalcolm
    FatMalcolm Posts: 1
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    Jacquiht - I think you are mistaken about taking the two fast days together - I've not seen anything which says this. It may be easier to split them up for some people but I've found it fits in with my work better if I fast for two days together.

    hyphenbobbit - If you get to 3pm and find that you're struggling keep 100 Kcals of so in reserve to give you a little boost. I just have a slice or two o home-baked ham with no fat. Protein fills you up and is satisfying to eat. 100g of ham - 150Kcals so I have about 70g and it gets me over that danger time. I also go for a walk around the office or take something to the mail roon at this time as a distraction from eating.

    On a general note I've found this to be the best way to lose weight and get fit since I decided to diet. I exercise on fast days - but at a gentler pace than when I'm eating. As for 'normal' days - I eat normal portions as usual but I've found tha t 'home-made' food is much easier to work with rather than 'ready-meals' etc. I eat lots of fish and chicken with vegetables and use herbs and spices to make sure my food is packed with taste. Eating a bit slower also helps to make you feel fuller, faster.

    All in all I'm so glad I saw Michael Moseley on the Horizon documentary because this way of keeping healthy really works for me

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