5:2 diet

Yes, I've just started it with my first 500 cal day yesterday. I've chosen my 2 busiest days of the week as my fast days so I don't have time to think about food. I started with a mushroom omelette for breakfast and then stuck to homemade veggie soup and low cal jelly for lunch and dinner. Feeling OK today! Hope that helps

I'm on my first fast day today so will see how it goes - just had 30g of porridge for breakfast = 107 calories

my uncle is on it and seems to really be working for him!
Hungry Koala
its where you eat 500 calories for 2 days on the week
and normally for the rest of the week

If you type it into the "search" box you'll find lots of discussion about it already, and 2 groups where you can share ideas and support with others already on this. There's also a really active and informative Facebook page.

You're supposed to be able to eat what you want on feast days, but I'm not buying that! I've been following a normal, calorie-controlled diet program on feast days, which limits me to 1500 calories. But since I'm fasting (600 kCal) on two days, I'm not being too hard on myself on the feast days if I go over a little bit.

So far it seems to be working well for me - 4 weeks in and 14 lbs lost...

Anyone please feel free to friend me if you want to share encouragement...

Requires hard work and dedication.
If you're weak and most likely to give up easily then don't even start this diet because you'll end up craving all kinds of food that you like.
Don't even think about starting with this starvation diet when you're looking for muscle gains because your final result will be concluded as muscle loss.
Keep it simple; eat 5 meals a day and work out regularly, keep your calorie intake 500 kcal below your TDEE, then patiently wait for the results to come.

Requires hard work and dedication.
If you're weak and most likely to give up easily then don't even start this diet because you'll end up craving all kinds of food that you like.
Don't even think about starting with this starvation diet when you're looking for muscle gains because your final result will be concluded as muscle loss.
Keep it simple; eat 5 meals a day and work out regularly, keep your calorie intake 500 kcal below your TDEE, then patiently wait for the results to come.

Hiya. You are incorrect. when you say this is a 'starvation diet' I love 5:2 and I have no will power whatsoever. ;-) I enjoy the fast days and even find I have more energy than on 'feed' days. Many people think they will overindulge after a fast day. I thought I would but I don't. I find my appetite has changed and I no longer ten to just eat and eat for the sake of it. There is no reason you would experience muscle loss and the additional health benefits (other than weightloss) are well documented and researched. Check out the science behind this approach to eating before telling people things about it that simply aren't true. Here's a link to the documentary featuring Dr. Michael Mosely that explains why this is a very healthy and relatively easy 'diet' (I hate caling it a diet because I hate faddy diets. This isn't one. I love it!). Even if you don't think intermittent fasting is for you, it's still interesting viewing. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvdbtt_eat-fast-live-longer-hd_shortfilms?fb_action_ids=10151299172292643&fb_action_typ

Requires hard work and dedication.
If you're weak and most likely to give up easily then don't even start this diet because you'll end up craving all kinds of food that you like.
Don't even think about starting with this starvation diet when you're looking for muscle gains because your final result will be concluded as muscle loss.
Keep it simple; eat 5 meals a day and work out regularly, keep your calorie intake 500 kcal below your TDEE, then patiently wait for the results to come.

Hiya. You are incorrect. when you say this is a 'starvation diet' I love 5:2 and I have no will power whatsoever. ;-) I enjoy the fast days and even find I have more energy than on 'feed' days. Many people think they will overindulge after a fast day. I thought I would but I don't. I find my appetite has changed and I no longer ten to just eat and eat for the sake of it. There is no reason you would experience muscle loss and the additional health benefits (other than weightloss) are well documented and researched. Check out the science behind this approach to eating before telling people things about it that simply aren't true. Here's a link to the documentary featuring Dr. Michael Mosely that explains why this is a very healthy and relatively easy 'diet' (I hate caling it a diet because I hate faddy diets. This isn't one. I love it!). Even if you don't think intermittent fasting is for you, it's still interesting viewing. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvdbtt_eat-fast-live-longer-hd_shortfilms?fb_action_ids=10151299172292643&fb_action_typ

Actually, you are incorrect. If you read Dr. Michael Mosely's book The Fast Diet (the correct title of this fad diet), you will find that he freely admits there is little evidence or research in the field of intermittent fasting as it is still in it's infancy.

Through out the book he clearly puts it that it is an anecdotal story of a diet he made up for himself to try out as an experiment.

can someone share a link to the facebook page? pretty please

Requires hard work and dedication.
If you're weak and most likely to give up easily then don't even start this diet because you'll end up craving all kinds of food that you like.
Don't even think about starting with this starvation diet when you're looking for muscle gains because your final result will be concluded as muscle loss.
Keep it simple; eat 5 meals a day and work out regularly, keep your calorie intake 500 kcal below your TDEE, then patiently wait for the results to come.

Hiya. You are incorrect. when you say this is a 'starvation diet' I love 5:2 and I have no will power whatsoever. ;-) I enjoy the fast days and even find I have more energy than on 'feed' days. Many people think they will overindulge after a fast day. I thought I would but I don't. I find my appetite has changed and I no longer ten to just eat and eat for the sake of it. There is no reason you would experience muscle loss and the additional health benefits (other than weightloss) are well documented and researched. Check out the science behind this approach to eating before telling people things about it that simply aren't true. Here's a link to the documentary featuring Dr. Michael Mosely that explains why this is a very healthy and relatively easy 'diet' (I hate caling it a diet because I hate faddy diets. This isn't one. I love it!). Even if you don't think intermittent fasting is for you, it's still interesting viewing. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvdbtt_eat-fast-live-longer-hd_shortfilms?fb_action_ids=10151299172292643&fb_action_typ

Actually, you are incorrect. If you read Dr. Michael Mosely's book The Fast Diet (the correct title of this fad diet), you will find that he freely admits there is little evidence or research in the field of intermittent fasting as it is still in it's infancy.

Through out the book he clearly puts it that it is an anecdotal story of a diet he made up for himself to try out as an experiment.

Hello. I saw the results he got from doing the 5:2 approach on the documentary. I have also seen the results of many other people eating in this manner. I know first hand that I feel and look better since starting this way of eating. I feel very happy doing it and intend to keep doing it. So while the research may be in it's infancy. M.M's results are fantastic as are mine and many other people's so I'll keep going. Any 'experiment' that is resulting in the positive benefits I am experiencing is something I am delighted to be part of... I'm fasting today and feel great. Having said all that, if it doesn't appeal to you/others I'm not going to jump down your throat about it... But I just wanted to be clear that it isn't a necessarily really difficult nor does it involve 'starvation' or loss of muscle. Take care, T,

I've started it today.. And I'm only logging on fast days from now on (to endable me to calculate calories). I'm pretty sure I know what a healthy days food looks like by now so am going to trust my instincts the rest of the time... Surely the point fasting two days a week is that you can go a bit easier on yourself the rest of the time??

Yes, the theory is that you get your weekly deficit during the two fast days. You're not supposed to be doing two diets at the same time.
It was the health benefits of IF Mosley was looking for, rather than weight loss per se.

^^ Agree 100%. And I love your dog.

Apart from my childish 'fad' dig, I was only just against the well documented and researched comment that I thought was misrepresenting the diet.

It is true that it is unlikely that muscle loss would be more than other diets of similar deficit as you said and I don't have a problem with IF or the people that do them.
I do have a problem with Mosley's approach of delivery of his idea for a diet though, and I think people should be warned that there is a danger for those that have had eating disorders in the past, or indeed them triggering an underlying disorder such as binge eating (a warning most other IF diets/articles issue).

The other issue, as you can see on this page, is that the vast majority of posts I've seen concerning this diet on MFP is that people are fasting 2 days AND restricting their calories via MFP the rest of the week.

In fairness I trotted out that 'well documented..' line without thinking. I suppose I should have said Mosely's results are well documented.

I see what you mean about eating disorders but I would tend to think that if people have underlying issues they could be triggered by any diet. I suppose warning people is not a bad idea though.

With regard to people calorie counting on the other days I have to admit I am guilty. I am more curious than anything to see how my weekly intake pans out but I am logging at the end of the day (having eaten what I was happy to) rather than willfully counting every morsel). I intend after a while to stop doing that once I am content I am not overcompensating (which I am seeing already that I don't seem to at all).

As with anything I suppose people will always try to put their own slant on it. But yeah, you're right- we're not supposed to calorie count. But old habits die hard and all that.

What I really wanted to get across is that fasting for two days is not nearly as scary as I thought it would be, it's oddly enjoyable and after a short amount of time I am seeing/feeling positive results.

I hope you haven't fallen asleep there... I'm rambling a bit now. :blushing:

With regard to people calorie counting on the other days I have to admit I am guilty. I am more curious than anything to see how my weekly intake pans out but I am logging at the end of the day (having eaten what I was happy to) rather than willfully counting every morsel). I intend after a while to stop doing that once I am content I am not overcompensating (which I am seeing already that I don't seem to at all).

IMO, if you are trying to lose weight on 5:2 - you may have to calorie count a bit - especially if you are coming from overeating.

It's still calories in - calories out.

But you should not unduly restrict your calories. So, doing an MFP -2#/week restriction on top of 2 fasts is probably too much. But, IMO, making sure that you are not eating 5000 calories/day for 5 days and trying to save that with 2 down days is probably wise.

I am just 'keeping and eye' on my cals at the moment because I am curious. It's all working out well so far. I don't intend to spend my life calorie counting though. Life's too short (well hopefully it'll be a little longer now ).