5:2 diet

debbiemcgarrity
debbiemcgarrity Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi I Am new to the board

I was using fitness pal on a phone app before my iPad and had no idea of all the resources. anyway I just wanted to ask if anyone has heard of the 5:2 diet or 3:4 or alternate day fasting?

I am so confused having started slimming world last week this diet seems more doable. It was featured on the BBC horizon and the present gave it a trail and his weight loss was astonishing. what is everyone's thought on it and is there anyone doing it successfully.


Thanks for reading x

Replies

  • scorpiotwinkles
    scorpiotwinkles Posts: 215 Member
    I gave it a go and liked it. Lost 7lb in a week (although I do have a lot to lose so others may not lose so much obviously). I found it quite easy, as I didn't "eat" breakfast it was easier to keep away from foods, although I did have the 500cals recommended throughout the day, I counted protein shakes and meal replacement shakes calories too. It seemed to kickstart my loss again as I was on a 7 week plateau. When I did it (and am thinking of continuing this way of eating) I took my last meal at around 9.30pm after training, and ate again the following evening after training about the same time. There are other variations of the same thing and it's not for everyone, but if you don't try you will never know.

    PS I didn't lose energy, in fact I felt so much better during the fast days!
  • Shelly_here
    Shelly_here Posts: 44 Member
    I am currently doing my own modified version of the 5:2 diet:-

    2-3 x a week i reduce my calorie intake to 500 calories. I read this as net calories, so I often do 30 minutes of the elliptical trainer to burns extra calories so that i can eat more.

    The days of the week I try and stay sensible on my calories, aim 1200-1500, although occasionally this can go up if I'm going out for dinner or drinking alcohol (pesky empty calories).

    You can find plenty of health benefits on the internet. Personally i find that i lose weight more consistently and i find it easier to restrict drastically myself a few times a week rather than complicated meal plans.

    HOWEVER I do think that the 5:2 fails in that it does nutritionally educate people. You are told you can basically eat what ever you want the rest of the week as long as you fast a couple of times. I don't think you can maintain a healthy diet with this mentality. Slimming World is good as it provides support and plenty of information about life style choices.

    xx
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I've just started today! If you search in groups you can find a 5:2 section there, with lots of advice and support.
  • scorpiotwinkles
    scorpiotwinkles Posts: 215 Member
    HOWEVER I do think that the 5:2 fails in that it does nutritionally educate people. You are told you can basically eat what ever you want the rest of the week as long as you fast a couple of times. I don't think you can maintain a healthy diet with this mentality. Slimming World is good as it provides support and plenty of information about life style choices.

    xx

    You are right, when I am not fasting I eat as clean and as healthy as possible. But I guess it's the same as every "diet" it seems to give a quick fix and doesn't educate people to eat healthily. Luckily - through eating the right foods so I can weightlift every day - I have already learned the right way to eat when I am not fasting.
  • debbiemcgarrity
    debbiemcgarrity Posts: 4 Member
    Hi guys

    Wow thank you for all that imput, I am really covinced by this because I have just read a book I will post the link from amazon to kindle etc was only £1 .63 anyway I find I do starve my self which were my problem is then eat at wrong times which is why I think I have gain weight. If I use that bad habit in a productive way then I could do more for my weight loss. I am on my feast day today, but the diet is misleading as in you will have no health benefits if you eat poorly on your feast day, but I like the freedom of feast day because I am a busy mum it is very difficult to be so regimental as I cannot always eat when I should.

    The problem with slimming world and what I cannot get my head around is that a bar or chocolate is the same syncs as a bowl of porridge and it seem unreal to to me. I know SW works but it has to be believable for you or you will struggle.

    Shelley I am own the same principle as you with the 1200-1500 cals on feast days. Mel keep me posted and thanks for the heads up. Scorpio are you still actively doing the diet?

    Thanks again x
  • chico101
    chico101 Posts: 2
    Hi debbie, all,
    I've been doing the 5:2 diet since early November 2012 with a 2 week break over Christmas.
    Steady loss of 1lb each week, without changing my diet/exercise other than the fast days.
    Regained some over Christmas, but back on track in Jan.
    Same steady loss, and not too much of a struggle with fast days, as I know I don't feel I have to be 'good' on other days.
    I've rediscovered the joys of tasty homemade soup, done initially as my fast-day dinner, but I enjoy it for non fast day work lunches now too.
    I'm very happy with the approach so far, even if it's slow.
  • Ciarriadh
    Ciarriadh Posts: 1
    Hello All,
    Does anybody know if there is a way to configure the Myfitnesspal iPhone App to recognise that I'm following the 5:2 diet?
    It's a really fantastic App, but it keeps giving me warnings about starvation on my starvation days and then I'm not sure how many calories I should be DEVOURING on my non-starvation days.
    I can't find any references that state what your calorie intake should be on non-starvation days.
    Any help or advice would be very much appreciated.

    Have a ginger-peachy day!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    As far as I know MFP cant cope with up days and down days. But you can avoid the "starvation mode!" warning by not actually pressing your "diary complete" button at the end of the day. All your foods are still logged there.

    On non-fast days, anything up to 2000 for women is fine.
  • sgall123
    sgall123 Posts: 133 Member
    I just started this yesterday which was my first fast day. I followed the 16 hour rule before eating so in total I was 36 hours on just 500 calories.. Had plenty of energy even though I was up at 0430 for work & I noticed by 11am I wasn't craving sugary snacks to keep me going as I do normally on early shifts.. I spead my calories out over the day but by bedtime at 11pm I was so hungry!! In fact in my 31 years of life I've never known hunger like it!!.. Just goes to she we don't know what real hunger is till you experience it.. Today was my feast day & I thought I'd be starving but I'm not & even had to force myself to make lunch at 1530 even though it was another early start & had brekkie at 0630am!! Can't believe I went that long with nothing on a feast day especially as it was an early start. Tomorrow I'm planning another fast then feast fri & sat. I'm out sat night so will consume a lot more calories than normal but I intend having another fast on Sunday so that'll be 3 this week.. I have my calories set to maintanance on here at sedentary as I have a fitbit so I get plenty of calorie adjustments as I'm not sedentary at all.. I don't intend counting calories forever its just for now as I'm still new to this!! Feel free to add me as a friend for support doing 5:2 ;)
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    Today is my first fast day, I am doing the 5:2...going to eat 550 cals in a 8 hour window bwteen 12 and 8 today, going to do mondays and wednesdays. so 2 - 36 hour windows a week at only 500 ish calories, its 2:30 now, had my first meal at 12 , doing ok so far, drinking lots of water and herbal tea.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    I prefer to eat every day.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,472 Member
    I have had a couple of tries at it, and have the Michael Mosley book. I found that I didn't feel as bad as expected on the fast days, but didn't feel as good as some people do, sadly. I do find it easier to have slightly reduced calories every day, rather than to fast on two days. One reason is that I like to have a bigger, social, family evening meal, and I don't like to be eating a tiny little portion because I think it can make other people uncomfortable.

    I also tried the modified version where you do a 24 hour fast rather than a night to night fast. This was very easy to do, BUT I found that it didn't create a calorie deficit over the week and I didn't lose weight. It might work for some though.

    I think I might keep it in the back of my mind as a way to get back on track if I start to put on weight while in maintenance. I think I would struggle to do it long term. (I know this isn't the case for everybody and that some people find it easier to do long-term).
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    I prefer to eat every day.

    While I don't follow this diet, just from reading this thread I was able to tell that you eat every day on this diet. It's just that two days you only eat 500 calories while the other five you eat up to 2000 calories. So your seven day average basically come out to the same as eating just under 1600 calories a day.

    Perhaps reading the actual thread before commenting could benefit you in the future. :wink:
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    I prefer to eat every day.

    I do eat every day :laugh:
  • Feed_the_Bears
    Feed_the_Bears Posts: 275 Member
    Fasting = rebelious metabolism that wants to store fat = crazy cravings = not worth your suffering.
  • sgall123
    sgall123 Posts: 133 Member
    I prefer to eat every day.

    While I don't follow this diet, just from reading this thread I was able to tell that you eat every day on this diet. It's just that two days you only eat 500 calories while the other five you eat up to 2000 calories. So your seven day average basically come out to the same as eating just under 1600 calories a day.

    Perhaps reading the actual thread before commenting could benefit you in the future. :wink:
    Well said!!... We all still eat every day
  • sgall123
    sgall123 Posts: 133 Member
    Fasting = rebelious metabolism that wants to store fat = crazy cravings = not worth your suffering.
    All the people doing this have lost a good percentage of their body fat.. My friend for example hasn't lost much weight on the scales in 4 weeks only 3lbs but she has dropped 2 dress sizes & her body looks much more lean.. Maybe a bit of research before hand.. It's a myth that if you eat less than 1200 calories you go into starvation mode the truth is it takes 4 full days of NO food before this happens.. Anyway I appreciate your only voicing your opinion & as this is a forum you are entitled... But as I say a bit more research before hand would be better
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
    I prefer to eat every day.

    While I don't follow this diet, just from reading this thread I was able to tell that you eat every day on this diet. It's just that two days you only eat 500 calories while the other five you eat up to 2000 calories. So your seven day average basically come out to the same as eating just under 1600 calories a day.

    Perhaps reading the actual thread before commenting could benefit you in the future. :wink:

    Many of us perfer to eat a fair/good/reasonable amount of calories every day. I would get all..... stabby if I relegated myself to 500 calories for a day. Even 500 net, I wouldn't be happy and fortunately I don't have to do that to lose.
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    Fasting = rebelious metabolism that wants to store fat = crazy cravings = not worth your suffering.
    All the people doing this have lost a good percentage of their body fat.. My friend for example hasn't lost much weight on the scales in 4 weeks only 3lbs but she has dropped 2 dress sizes & her body looks much more lean.. Maybe a bit of research before hand.. It's a myth that if you eat less than 1200 calories you go into starvation mode the truth is it takes 4 full days of NO food before this happens.. Anyway I appreciate your only voicing your opinion & as this is a forum you are entitled... But as I say a bit more research before hand would be better


    ^^^ this exactly
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    I prefer to eat every day.

    While I don't follow this diet, just from reading this thread I was able to tell that you eat every day on this diet. It's just that two days you only eat 500 calories while the other five you eat up to 2000 calories. So your seven day average basically come out to the same as eating just under 1600 calories a day.

    Perhaps reading the actual thread before commenting could benefit you in the future. :wink:

    Many of us perfer to eat a fair/good/reasonable amount of calories every day. I would get all..... stabby if I relegated myself to 500 calories for a day. Even 500 net, I wouldn't be happy and fortunately I don't have to do that to lose.

    I'm not doing it to lose, I am doing to lean out, drop body fat.
  • sgall123
    sgall123 Posts: 133 Member
    I prefer to eat every day.

    While I don't follow this diet, just from reading this thread I was able to tell that you eat every day on this diet. It's just that two days you only eat 500 calories while the other five you eat up to 2000 calories. So your seven day average basically come out to the same as eating just under 1600 calories a day.

    Perhaps reading the actual thread before commenting could benefit you in the future. :wink:

    Many of us perfer to eat a fair/good/reasonable amount of calories every day. I would get all..... stabby if I relegated myself to 500 calories for a day. Even 500 net, I wouldn't be happy and fortunately I don't have to do that to lose.

    I'm not doing it to lose, I am doing to lean out, drop body fat.
    I'm also not doing it to lose as I'm at maintenance now it's more for the health benefits & also many religions fast without no food & they do ok also a 101 year old Muslim man ran the London marathon & when he was asked what his secret was it was basically fasting & kid size portions when he did eat..
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    I prefer to eat every day.

    While I don't follow this diet, just from reading this thread I was able to tell that you eat every day on this diet. It's just that two days you only eat 500 calories while the other five you eat up to 2000 calories. So your seven day average basically come out to the same as eating just under 1600 calories a day.

    Perhaps reading the actual thread before commenting could benefit you in the future. :wink:


    k, thanks. I'll come to you first if I ever need help losing and maintaining weight ;p
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    It's not for everyone- young people who are still growing, pregnant women, and anyone with a history of eating disorders really shouldn't be doing it. And some people really can't manage on a low calorie day.
  • Lillyloooo
    Lillyloooo Posts: 174 Member
    Looking for active 5:2 buddies????
    Add meeee
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    It works, but I couldn't sustain it. Some weeks I was ravenous on the second fasting gay and it would all go out the window. Now I'm doing IF (intermittent fasting) everyday, eating from noon-ish to 10 pm, but I eat the same amount of calories per day. (I'm rarely hungry in the morning, so this works with what my body naturally does, anyway.)

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