5:2 diet?

ashlee240892
ashlee240892 Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
Anyone else doing the 5:2 diet? Started it last week and it's not too bad so far .. Just wondering if anyone else does it and how it's worked for them?

Replies

  • Angie_Fritts
    Angie_Fritts Posts: 263 Member
    I have never heard of it. What is it?
  • ashlee240892
    ashlee240892 Posts: 8
    It's more of a 'lifestyle' change, you eat normally for 5 days and restrict yourself to 500 calories each for two days eg Monday and Wednesday, latest craze to hit the UK apparently!
  • JUDDDing
    JUDDDing Posts: 1,367 Member
    There's two groups on here about that.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/7953-5-2-fasting
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/8576-5-2-diet

    There's some info in there.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    The fact that it's "the latest craze" should scare anyone. Do some research first. It's a body recomposition plan, not a weight loss plan. And it should only be done by people who are following high intensity resistance training based workouts.
  • ashlee240892
    ashlee240892 Posts: 8
    Thanks :)

    Done quite a bit of research but just wanted to hear from people's first hand experiences, apparently it's a lot better for you than any other of the diets out there? Meh I dunno ha
  • ashlee240892
    ashlee240892 Posts: 8
    Plus want to get into something that I can see myself doing long term - for health benefits aswell as weightloss - instead of a fad diet ill want to give up after a week!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    .... And it should only be done by people who are following high intensity resistance training based workouts.

    Sorry, that's not correct. Think you must be confusing it with something else - see http://thefastdiet.co.uk/

    It's a form of alternate day fasting where you are calorie restricting on two non-consecutive days a week.
  • stacymarie01
    stacymarie01 Posts: 20 Member
    I just did some reading on this and I am very interested. Please keep us updated of how you are doing with it.
  • ashlee240892
    ashlee240892 Posts: 8
    I just did some reading on this and I am very interested. Please keep us updated of how you are doing with it.

    Will do :) feeling differences already, I feel a lot more energised and find myself being a lot more careful on the days I'm not fasting. The 500 calorie days really make you realise how much food you eat normally that you don't need!
  • buckleten
    buckleten Posts: 205 Member
    I am considering trying this, I have heard great things about it both for weight loss and long term health benefits. I would love to have some friends that are doing this or have tried it, so please add me if so :-)
  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    Any questions about 5:2 or any form of intermittent fasting, please message me. I'm a tried and tested, living, breathing, fat burning machine thanks to it!

    Lost 30lbs in 3 months. see below my results...

    a33681fc-1657-41f9-a8c3-73a431d21fe7_zpsc3b29f67.jpg
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I do not do 5:2 but I do leangains 18/8 which is a form of IF just different from 5:2.

    I fast for 18 hours and then have an 8 hour eating window..I have been doing this for about four months and have lost 3% body fat...also seen some nice strength gains...

    good luck to you ..
  • twinkletoes66
    twinkletoes66 Posts: 89 Member
    Iv just started If 18/6 ! Feel so much better already ! No cravings for sugar etc ! Iv done it as a life style as iv not got much more weight to lose! Iv done lots research into it too! Look at Precision nutrition .com there's lots info on there ! Good luck Hun x
  • alilarmour
    alilarmour Posts: 32
    I've just started and this is my first day fasting and already I am so much more aware of my calorie intake that I don't count - all those little nibbles and bites of things each day. Today sticking carefully to 500 calories I am not nibbling at all as I'm so determined to do it right. I think so far at only 1.30pm I have resisted about 300 calories of stuff I would have nibbled at without counting on a normal day. It's an eye opener. And I'm not hungry.
  • SOOZIE429
    SOOZIE429 Posts: 638 Member
    I started 5:2 last week, lost 5 lbs! Today is my third fast day. I'm hungry but I'm jugging the water and looking forward to dinner tonight :)

    Just make sure you eat enough on your feast days. Eat normally.

    Also, it's important that you fast as close to 24 hours that you can to get all the health benefits that Dr Mosley speaks of. Here's a link to his documentary if you haven't seen it yet.

    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvdbtt_eat-fast-live-longer-hd_shortfilms#.UOOjXKz47XS

    good luck!!
  • ApexLeader
    ApexLeader Posts: 580 Member
    i like the 8 and 16 fast better.

    starving myself 2 days a week with only 500 calories sounds like self torture to me. eating in an 8 hour window 7 days a week and fasting the other 16 seems easier and more natural
  • carawarren
    carawarren Posts: 1 Member
    I'm doing 5:2 too, or a reasonable version of it. I stick to around 550/day on my two 'fast' days, and around 1250 on the other five.

    So far it's working out pretty well for me. Before I started dieting, eating only 1250 cals/day seemed like torture. It now feels like a feast compared to the 550 days, but I'm finding that I really don't have a problem with them as long as I make sure I plan for them. Food during the day's not an issue because I'm at work, so that's pretty easy, but I need to know that I've something I can either cook from scratch or grab from the freezer that comes in on target for my evening meal.

    I've got a huge amount of weight to lose - at least another 120lbs - so I'm really glad (and relieved) that I've found a diet I can stick to with relatively little pain!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Horses for courses, some people find it suits them better than other approaches.

    I decided to give it a 4 week trial, and today is actually the last fasting day (strictly its not fasting, its a restricted day) of that trial. My weigh in day is tomorrow, but I've easily lost a pound a week over the time I've been doing this, and at the weekend I managed to fit into a pair of UK size 10 trousers that had been too tight for months. And my mood is very upbeat.

    I'm easing myself in gradually - I find the idea of not eating anything for a long period of time too difficult, so I've spread my calories out over the day. Once I settle into that, I may progress to fewer actual eating times.

    Someone's already helpfully posted the links to the existing MFP groups, and there's also a few other discussion threads going on this - use the search function. Also, theres a really lively forum on Facebook. And quite of few of us have blogs going, with photos an' recipes an' stuff!

    A couple of caveats:

    DO NOT try this eating plan if you are
    1. already lean
    2. still a child/ growing
    3. pregnant or hoping to be
    4. have a history of eating disorders
    5. diabetic.

    If you have any medical conditions it would definitey be worth consulting your GP first.
  • JUDDDing
    JUDDDing Posts: 1,367 Member
    A couple of caveats:

    DO NOT try this eating plan if you are
    5. diabetic.

    If you have any medical conditions it would definitey be worth consulting your GP first.

    It's nice that everyone wants to look out for diabetics - and the books all say the same thing.

    But being diabetic, in and of itself, does not necessarily prevent you from fasting. The vast majority of diabetics are type 2. And of those - a large number are primarily controlling via diet or metformin (glucophage) only. If you are diabetic and controlling via diet or metformin - you should be able to safely fast. If you are on certain other medicines that increase your insulin - you might not be able to.

    Fasting may actually be very good for type 2 diabetics. There seem to be some studies that show decreases in insulin resistance when on a fasting regimen.

    Really, your last advice is best - talk to your doctor, they will be able to authoritatively answer any questions and make recommendations.
  • ashlee240892
    ashlee240892 Posts: 8
    Thanks for replies guys, not seen any negative reviews on it yet which is rare! I've got a fast day tomorrow so going to have a meal soon (7pm UK time) and then save myself for a 500cal meal tomorrow at around 7pm. On my last fast day I had a small breakfast and small dinner so going to try to save myself for a large dinner and see which I prefer. i dont have too much to lose so not expecting miracles but will weigh myself on Friday to see results!
  • JUDDDing
    JUDDDing Posts: 1,367 Member
    There was this one:

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/keen-to-try-a-fasting-diet-not-so-fast/article8461083/

    I don't know that a 1 day fast is really extreme enough to cause the issues that they suggest though.

    But, you know, in the interest of full disclosure... :)
  • dxtra30
    dxtra30 Posts: 498 Member
    For the people that do this what 2 days works best for your fasting days? Also your normal days that you eat what time do you stop eating?
  • surfinglily
    surfinglily Posts: 12 Member
    I new to MFP but I'm now into my 4th week of 5:2 and have already lost 5lbs. It really works for me and I've never done a 'fad' diet before in my life. What really swayed my decision to give it a go were the health benefits of reduced cholesterol and anti-ageing effects due to minimising the body's production of IGF-1 - all back up by actual science.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19112549

    I never feel deprived and feel that this is an entirely new way of eating for me. I'd be happy to stick to it for the foreseeable future.
  • surfinglily
    surfinglily Posts: 12 Member
    For the people that do this what 2 days works best for your fasting days? Also your normal days that you eat what time do you stop eating?

    I believe the key to this is to have 3x 12 hour periods of fasting in the space of 36 hours - that is, if you usually have your breakfast at 7 am, then have your dinner before your fast day at 7 pm, your low calorie breakfast as normal at 7am and your small meal on fast day at 7pm . . . .followed again by breakfast on your normal eating day at 7am. The 12 hrs fasting seems to be important.

    Also, two fast days should be separated by one normal eating day. I find Monday and Wednesday work well for me as I'm at work and I've more to occupy my mind - but I can easily switch my days depending on how my week is. I went out for lunch last Monday so had my fast days on Tuesday and Thursday instead.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I like Mondays and Thursdays for low days. But I had a business lunch this week on Monday, so switched to tues and thurs. next week I am away at a conference on Thursday so I might choose Monday and Wednesday as le days .

    On normal days I can often be found nibbling on a cheesey cracker at about 10.30 pm
  • Tigermad
    Tigermad Posts: 305 Member
    Horses for courses, some people find it suits them better than other approaches.

    I decided to give it a 4 week trial, and today is actually the last fasting day (strictly its not fasting, its a restricted day) of that trial. My weigh in day is tomorrow, but I've easily lost a pound a week over the time I've been doing this, and at the weekend I managed to fit into a pair of UK size 10 trousers that had been too tight for months. And my mood is very upbeat.

    I'm easing myself in gradually - I find the idea of not eating anything for a long period of time too difficult, so I've spread my calories out over the day. Once I settle into that, I may progress to fewer actual eating times.

    Someone's already helpfully posted the links to the existing MFP groups, and there's also a few other discussion threads going on this - use the search function. Also, theres a really lively forum on Facebook. And quite of few of us have blogs going, with photos an' recipes an' stuff!

    A couple of caveats:

    DO NOT try this eating plan if you are
    1. already lean
    2. still a child/ growing
    3. pregnant or hoping to be
    4. have a history of eating disorders
    5. diabetic.

    If you have any medical conditions it would definitey be worth consulting your GP first.

    I am lean and trying it. I am eating 500 cals on mon and thurs, tdee other weekdays and eating pretty much what I fancy within reason on a Saturday and Sunday. I still make sure I don't go over my tdee for the week but doing this allows me to eat over 3000 calories per day over the weekend and maintain my weight which is what I am doing now. Certainly don't intend to lose any more.

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