5-2 Diet - Your opinions

The 5:2 diet stems from the BBC documentary Horizon: Eat, Fast and Live Longer by Dr Michael Moseley.

Here is a link to information about the programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01lxyzc (although, not available on the BBC iPlayer to watch I recently found it on Daily Motion).

Since then he's written a book with references to papers and started a website called http://thefastdiet.co.uk which I suspect has most of the information you are looking for (I saw the programme so haven't explored the site yet).

In a nutshell, he advocates restricting calorie intake to 25% of normal intake for two non-consecutive days a week. This is supposed to have the effect of taking your body out of "growth mode" and into "repair mode".

Hope that helps.

No. Brad Pilon wrote "Eat, Stop, Eat," which is the concept of 5:2 intermittent fasting back in 2007. This is not a new diet at all, this guy is just trying to claim credit for other people's work, and cash in.

Oh, that is interesting. I'd not head of that. Although, judging by Brad Pilon's blog post (http://bradpilon.com/weight-loss/the-52-diet-my-review/), he doesn't appear to feel that someone is ripping him off. He appears to be happy someone else has (hopefully independently) arrived at a similar conclusion on fasting has himself. I'll do some more reading into "Eat, Fast, Eat", thanks.

Michael Moseley does state that the idea has been around for a long time. Even mentioning that major religions advocate fasting, he gives the example of Islam encouraging fasting twice a week. In the documentary he is looking for lifestyle changes to increase longevity, not loose weight. He looks at research into calorie restriction, long periods of fasting, alternate day fasting then settles on 5:2 to try out on himself. All of which have the side effect of losing weight (hence it became a "diet").

I think it would be fare to say it was this programme that re-sparked the idea of fasting with the British public last summer, even if the idea has been around for a while.

First, this is my experience as an onlooker.

I've had five friends who have done the 5--2 diet. Two stuck with it religiously for two-three weeks. Two dropped it after a week(ish, maybe two) but then restarted it later on. One stopped logging in to MFP and deleted her account entirely.

Pros:
- Most of them said that the fast days really weren't a challenge for them
- Many said they felt light, healthy

Cons:
- One woman had serious issues with exercising the morning after a fast --- ended up being in the fetal position to recover.
- One woman did really well but would always binge the day after and would get incredibly frustrated.
- One woman used it and it sparked a round of binge/purge sessions... and then she deleted her account.
- For the two others, I *assume* that they stopped monitoring their intake after quitting the 5-2 diet because they stopped logging in.

I guess what I'm saying is that I think it has limited value. There are plenty of people here in the thread who have made this a part of their life and they seem to be doing well with it. But their experience noticeably conflicts with my (secondhand) experience of the 5-2 diet. This is just my two cents -- ultimately you are the one who decides what is right for your body.

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I see that also here Moseley is credited for 5:2 but there is a substantial difference between "his" 5:2 "diet" and Pilon's ESE fasting set-up, namely that Moseley has small meals during his "fast" and Pilon's way is to EAT, then STOP eating and then EAT again, no meals in the fasting window.

In my opinion, Moseley's way is not fasting, it's a calorie restriction method. Pilon's way is actually fasting. Intermittent fasting a great way to control kcals, it also has other health benefits and this among other reasons is why I follow this eating pattern.

I can't say I felt any different yesterday than on any other day, but it was just the first one. I wasn't really hungry, and I'm not hungry now (at 11am the next day) so I doubt bingeing the day after will be a problem for me.

Sounds like a good start! I also allow myself pretty much unlimited vegetables (the near-zero calorie ones such as carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, etc.) It helps to have stuff to munch on. I even occasionally eat a mini-candy bar (50 calories). Not recommended by any nutritionist, I'm sure, but I get a brief sugar high and I like the taste.

i would ask youself if you could live on this diet for one year. When choosing a diet you want one that you can make into a lifestyle change. Im currently doing the DASH diet and doing very well with it....

I tried this for the first time today

I made a tomato and bean soup for dinner which was 180 calories, plus a couple of ryvitas and room for some fruit too.

I had work from 1-9pm which I think really helps because I could leave around lunchtime without feeling too hungry, be distracted at work all day and then by the time I get home it's too late for me to want any food

So day 1 = success! I think my next fast day will be Monday, thanks for all the posts on this

I just answered that same question somewhere else.

I don't think so. The point is not to give your body what it needs to make new cells. I wouldn't try anything too strenuous on down days, but light exercise is fine.

My reason for choosing this diet is the fact that you don't have to count calories every day. I am on my 3rd 'fast' day and already feel much better this week than I did last week... Not quite as hungry and wobbly. I am not sure I can do any hardcore exercise yet on fast days but am hoping gradually that that will change. I have soup for lunch and then salad with chicken/ tuna in the evening. And lots and lots of water. I don't usually eat until about 12pm the following day and don't feel hungry as much as you'd think. Not sure about weight loss yet - I think I've lost a bit. I am giving it 6 weeks to see how well it work.s Hubby is doing it too and is much better than me!

I'm in my second week if doing this though last week I did 4:3 .. My IBS is so much better & also my bowels seem to be working better too as I'd only usually go once a week now its maybe 1-3 times a week... You generally just feel so much better... I don't tend to exercise on a fast day as I have an active job so that's enough exercise on those days... It will work for some & not others... I find so far it's good for me as I'm a snacker!! If I see I have X amount of calories left ill eat crisps or choccy just for the sake of eating them when really I know I don't need them!!... This way of eating doing 5:2' has taught me I don't need to snack just to get the numbers up & I eat when I need to not cos you need 3 meals a day & brekkie is the most important meal of the day... Plus I like to go out & just pick something off the menu instead of panicking about calories cos that's no way to live either!!.. After talking to one of my naturally skinny friends about her eating habits she also fasts to an extent without realising & only eats when she feel she needs to not just because its brekkie or lunch time etc & that's all 5:2 teaches us...