I've heard people mention the

5:2 diet, could somebody elaborate for me?
I presume you eat normally 5 days a week then very little for 2?
Is anyone doing it? How's it going?

Replies

  • LadyRoff
    LadyRoff Posts: 56 Member
    My work colleague bought the leaflet in to work to show me which i havent read properly yet, but i think the jist is, you eat what ever you want for 5 days, then the other 2 days you have approx 500 calories, breakfast and dinner i think...
  • Emmadsc
    Emmadsc Posts: 12 Member
    If you read the book, "The Fast Diet" or watch the official programme about it, it really does make sense and is scientifically proven. The quick way to explain it is that back to stone age days, you would have to catch your food so would regularly go without food for 12 hours or more when hunting & then eat for a day or two normally. Nowadays, if you limit your calorie intake to 500 calories (for women, 600 for men) within a 24 hour period, twice every 7 days, (never consecutive days though), this triggers your body to produce, (and apologies now as I can't remember the official terms as my mum has borrowed the book!), certain chemicals etc that start repairing cells within your body and affects your metabolism to gradually & safely lose weight, on average 1lb per week until you reach your optimum weight.

    There are also certain other changes triggered in the body that improve your mental function, (it's been shown to help prevent the onset of dementia etc.), reduce & prevent the dangerous cells in your body that cause cancer, etc etc. I would recommend reading the book to fully understand it and it isn't a fad. My mum who's 77 & dad who is 80 net week have followed this diet/way of eating for the last year, my dad was diagnosed with early onset of dementia 2 years ago & suffers from Parkinsons. His last check up his memory etc was 100% & some of the problems from the Parkinsons such as shaking have reduced considerably.
  • Think it's this book which is eating 5 days and fasting (though not completely going without) for 2. It's number 1 in the uk bookcharts just now.

    http://thefastdiet.co.uk/
  • My fasting isn't as bad as it sounds, I don't eat from Sunday evening until Monday evening and from Tuesday evening until Wednesday evening, every week. I still drink plenty of water and the odd coffee ;-) on fasting days and eat low fat and low carb on the other days. I do increase my protein intake on feast days just to stop my body eating my muscles when it has been starved of fuel.

    It helped to shift a lot of weight for me and hope it can do the same for you.

    These links may help too:
    Fasting
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2240003/Its-hell-feast-famine-diet-help-drop-dress-size--live-longer.html

    and

    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvdbtt_eat-fast-live-longer-hd_shortfilms


    BMR calculator (to work out how many calories your body needs per day to maintain weight)
    http://www.diabetes.co.uk/bmr-calculator.html