5:2 Fasting Diet

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kiwidrop
kiwidrop Posts: 222 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone tried the 5:2 Fasting Diet, where you eat only 500 calories for 2 days a week and up to 2000 calories for the other 5 days? I'm trying this diet but using 1210 calories for my other 5 days instead. I'm just curious if anyone else has tried the diet and how well (or not) it worked for them.
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  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
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    No.

    You are supposed to eat 2000 cals plus on the feed days. if you are using 1210 cals on the other days, you are netting 1007 cals/day.

    The 5:2 is not a weightloss program as such, it just has weightloss as an added side effect - it is about lowering your risk of certain diseases by using the bodies 'repair mode'.

    What you are doing is starving yourself.
  • Malteaster
    Malteaster Posts: 75 Member
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    Hi, I'm doing my version of it but am trying to average out my non fast days at 1400 which is 200 calories below maintenance calories for me. I also haven't been going as low on fast days but basically missing breakfast and cutting down on those days and have hit about 800-1000 calories. The reason I am not going any lower at the moment is I suffer from migraines which are triggered by not eating regularly so am taking it slowly.

    I am not sure how long you could keep at it only having that many calories on your feast days. If you search in groups there are a couple of 5 2 groups which may be more helpful.
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
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    The reason I am not going any lower at the moment is I suffer from migraines which are triggered by not eating regularly so am taking it slowly....

    This suggests the 5:2 diet is probably not for you.
  • JossFit
    JossFit Posts: 588 Member
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    The reason I am not going any lower at the moment is I suffer from migraines which are triggered by not eating regularly so am taking it slowly....

    This suggests the 5:2 diet is probably not for you.

    ... and by not actually following any of the guidelines bascially you are doing a very low calorie cycle, not 5:2 at all. :huh:

    Thats like me saying that I'm doing Adkins, except I like to do it every other day and I also eat a huge bowl of oats in the morning because low-carb diets make me nauseous.
  • kiwidrop
    kiwidrop Posts: 222 Member
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    Thanks for your comment. I've done research on it and am aware of the results that are portrayed in the research and documentaries. I'm interested in those who have actually tried it and what their results were. I had WLS so my daily caloric intake is typically less that someone who hasn't had surgery. So starving, as you call it, is part of my results.
  • sharellleonard
    sharellleonard Posts: 2 Member
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    I have to reply to this bc I have tried every weight loss supplement there is..all I can say to you is ...eat less and excersise more...watch what youi eat and start walking..because you can be successful on a supplement but as soon you go back to old habits you will gain more than you lost..so its about a change of lifestyle..not taking a pill everyday......but find a multivitamin...
  • Keiras_Mom
    Keiras_Mom Posts: 844 Member
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    I'm doing 5:2 for maintenance (did JUDDD or alternate day fasting for the bulk of my loss) and I love it. I agree though, that you need to eat "regularly" on your non-fasting days. I stay around 1750 - 2000, but that's my TDEE based on rest/exercise days. If you aren't going to eat up to your TDEE on your non-fasting days, you're sabotaging yourself. Might as well just do a standard daily low calorie diet.
  • kiwidrop
    kiwidrop Posts: 222 Member
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    Thanks Malteaster.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I'm doing 5:2 for maintenance (did JUDDD or alternate day fasting for the bulk of my loss) and I love it. I agree though, that you need to eat "regularly" on your non-fasting days. I stay around 1750 - 2000, but that's my TDEE based on rest/exercise days. If you aren't going to eat up to your TDEE on your non-fasting days, you're sabotaging yourself. Might as well just do a standard daily low calorie diet.

    x2, and basically what a lot of other posters said.
  • kiwidrop
    kiwidrop Posts: 222 Member
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    Thank Everyone. I'm not planning to do this for long, just using it to jump start weight loss than transitioniing to a low calorie diet. I also take a multi-vitamin and calcium citrate supplement daily. Thanks for your suggestions. So far I'm hearing that a few are doing some altered version of the 5:2 diet, which is what I'm doing too. Really curious about people's results to see how far I want to take this.
  • pghfan
    pghfan Posts: 119
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    I have been doing it for four weeks, two fasting days @ 500 calories and four non-fasting @ around 1200-1400. Moderate cardio 3-4 days/week (eat exercise cals back only if I want them). I have lost 11 pounds in the four weeks. Quick @ first and then balancing out to 1-2 pounds per week. It's only been four weeks but I found the fasting days MUCH easier after the first week (probably a mental thing) and I feel great and have plenty of energy. I have a lot to lose, so others' may need to approach it differently. Just saying how it has worked for me for a month.
  • kiwidrop
    kiwidrop Posts: 222 Member
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    Thank you pghfan! Glad to know you still have energy. I was curious about that effect.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    I really don't get why anyone thinks this is a weight loss plan unless all you're doing is fooling yourself with your calorie intake. Why not just average out the calories and eat that every day? There's no weight loss advantage to starving one day and pigging out the next or just plain starving if you do VLC one day and LC the next. It's amazing the lengths people will go to in order to fool themselves about what is healthy.
  • kiwidrop
    kiwidrop Posts: 222 Member
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    Mokey, this is a weight loss option. It has been known to drop body fat and lower cholestoral and blood sugar in a short amount of time. I really don't understand why people can't understand that people need to try different options. Everyone's body is different and we react to food, diets, eating habits differently. That's why there are so many weight loss alternatives, because some things didn't work for everyone.

    I am committed to eating healthy and exercise, but at different times in my life, I need to try different things. Right now, I need to lose some weight. In a few months, I might need to maintain.

    I'm really getting a negative vibe from some of these replies. I'm only interested in people's results and experiences, not opinions about how horrible of a choice I'm making and what I want to try.

    On an additional note, I hate diets, I believe that the only way to stay healthy for me is to adopt healthy eating and exercise, but there are times when people need to lose weigt. Right now, this is my time.
  • littletitch100
    littletitch100 Posts: 1 Member
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    A pal of mine has been on the 5:2 and had a steady loss of 9 lbs in 9 weeks. I am going to try it by eating 500 cals on the restricted days with no exercise, and then eat approx 1480 cals on the unrestricted days, plus eat extra calories to cover the cardiovascular aerobics and toning I will also do on the unrestricted days. This will mean a total weekly calorie intake of 8400, which is in effect 1200 average per day - the recommended calorie intake :smile:
  • kiwidrop
    kiwidrop Posts: 222 Member
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    Thanx little.
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
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    I really don't get why anyone thinks this is a weight loss plan unless all you're doing is fooling yourself with your calorie intake. Why not just average out the calories and eat that every day? There's no weight loss advantage to starving one day and pigging out the next or just plain starving if you do VLC one day and LC the next. It's amazing the lengths people will go to in order to fool themselves about what is healthy.

    5:2 isn't really supposed to be a weightloss plan - its heath effects are pretty well documented, a nice side effect is often weightloss. You generally aren't supposed to limit your cals on feast days, but I don't see why eating at maintenance would be a bad thing. I can however, see how averaging well under your BMR might be a bad thing.
  • matthewcorb
    matthewcorb Posts: 32
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    It's not the best diet out there is all I can say about it. It's really depriving yourself from what your body truly needs. You need carbs, although they can make you gain weight, you will still need them throughout the day.

    I would still prefer Paleo over 5:2 diet any day of the week. A much better option.
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
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    Last year I did a low-cal diet (1100 to 1200 cals a day) and it took me 4 months to lose 17 lbs because my body got used to the low calories and compensated. Now I'm fasting every 4th day and I've lost that much in 6 weeks. BUT it's important that you eat over BMR and below TDEE on your feast days, because the whole point is to let your body know that the Great Famine hasn't arrived and it's okay to keep your metabolism at a normal rate. If you fast 2 days and restrict 5 days, it defeats the purpose.
  • alilarmour
    alilarmour Posts: 32
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    My hubby and I have been doing it for 4 weeks. He was sceptical but loves it and I do too. We don't consider it a diet, it's just a lifestyle change. The first week was hardest, not through hunger but through thinking about food constantly on fasting days. He has lost 12lbs and I have lost 6lbs in the 4 weeks. We are delighted as we don't feel like we have been dieting!!! We had both lost weight slowly in the 7 months previous (I've lost 20lbs total now). The good thing is you can change your fasting days each week to suit your lifestyle. On 'feast' days I average about 2000 cals a day - by that I mean some days like weekends I have around 3000 and other days when being good and healthy I only have about 1400. I do not deprive myself in any way but find myself only eating half a dessert or leaving some of my lunch etc.... I'm more in tune with what my body needs and wants. Previously on normal diets having a treat would often lead to a binge. On this 'diet' cos I'm 'allowed' treats I don't feel the need to gorge on them. We try to choose healthy options and limit portions as usual but it's so nice to go for meals out and go to parties etc... and still lose weight. We both feel the best we have done in a long time and our body fat is down and muscle mass is up. I can definitely see us sticking with this long term rather than another diet where we get to goal and by that stage want to treat ourselves and the weight creeps back on. We are definitely 5:2 lovers!!!! It's not for everyone but it works for us and we actually look forward to our fast days to feel cleansed and healthy.

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