Thoughts on the 5:2 Fast diet

Think ndj is a serial blogger at 2500 posts. Too much posting & not enough reading? :laugh: If one reads or watches the documentary and then goes & reads the 200+ source science papers and research group publications it is clear that the restricted calorie program has real benefits on cardiovascular disease, cancer, and cognitive abilities (read dementia). On lab mice. Early days on the science but pretty encouraging. And a side effect was weight loss & higher compliance. I.e. people stayed on the program longer than conventional diet every day.
So perhaps it is better to be informed than prejudiced.

^^^ Totally agree.

So while trying to stay neutral...... Wow having read all the angst above I think some people have totally misunderstood why intermittent fasting reached headlines and became popular. Losing weight is a happy side-effect. Studies so far show that it's has a whole range of postitives on the body from blood pressure, to diabetes to chemotherapy.

Each person is individual so while I understand why it won't be for everyone, it may just help some people find the right balance.

I know people who have had a very positive experience with 5:2, I also know some people who it didn't work for. I knew a guy at school who lost weight by eating only burgers and ketchup (not even a salad or roll). So as with everything use your judgement

Wow the both of you obviously cannot read. I said that I did IF/Lean Gains for 8 months and LIKED it...I think you have me confused with someone else....please find where I said that there was a negative associated with IF/Lean Gains??? Note to rookies - read what others post before you try and bash someone...

my guess

she looks beautiful, slim and healthy and in her fifties :-)

Well I know she'd blush at that. That's my dear old Mum. The photo was taken a few weeks ago and in a couple of months time she turns 70. She's had no cosmetic work and doesn't dye her hair (she's just starting to get a few greys). Her GP says that, biologically speaking, he'd think she was in her 40s by her medicals. She's never had to watch her weight and certainly never counted a calorie in her life.

Ever since I can remember (like 35-40 years) my Mum has fasted one day a week because she's always, completely unscientifically, felt that it 'offset' the rest of the week and 'kept her body on its toes'. Her diet is mostly heaps of veg, fish, nuts, cheese and avocados but she does like her red wine and 80% dark chocolate.

When I was a kid I thought she was a nutjob and that I ate 'normally'.....and, of course, I'm the one who's had a weight problem all my life from my 'normal eating'. As I've got older I've noticed something about people like her who we usually refer to as 'naturally slim' - they often eat in a boom/bust pattern. Every time we bemoan that skinny person who seems to eat like a horse; what we're generally doing is remembering the day they spent face down in chocolate cake and forgetting the days they ate like a bird. In fact when you start looking at it, the only people who eat the same amount day in and day out are people who are calorie counting.

Every time we bemoan that skinny person who seems to eat like a horse; what we're generally doing is remembering the day they spent face down in chocolate cake and forgetting the days they ate like a bird. In fact when you start looking at it, the only people who eat the same amount day in and day out are people who are calorie counting.

Think ndj is a serial blogger at 2500 posts. Too much posting & not enough reading? :laugh: If one reads or watches the documentary and then goes & reads the 200+ source science papers and research group publications it is clear that the restricted calorie program has real benefits on cardiovascular disease, cancer, and cognitive abilities (read dementia). On lab mice. Early days on the science but pretty encouraging. And a side effect was weight loss & higher compliance. I.e. people stayed on the program longer than conventional diet every day.
So perhaps it is better to be informed than prejudiced.

^^^ Totally agree.

So while trying to stay neutral...... Wow having read all the angst above I think some people have totally misunderstood why intermittent fasting reached headlines and became popular. Losing weight is a happy side-effect. Studies so far show that it's has a whole range of postitives on the body from blood pressure, to diabetes to chemotherapy.

Each person is individual so while I understand why it won't be for everyone, it may just help some people find the right balance.

I know people who have had a very positive experience with 5:2, I also know some people who it didn't work for. I knew a guy at school who lost weight by eating only burgers and ketchup (not even a salad or roll). So as with everything use your judgement

Wow the both of you obviously cannot read. I said that I did IF/Lean Gains for 8 months and LIKED it...I think you have me confused with someone else....please find where I said that there was a negative associated with IF/Lean Gains??? Note to rookies - read what others post before you try and bash someone...

I think it's interesting. The only way I can go down to 500 calories is if I'm completely stressed out.

I've found 5:2 has opened my eyes to portion control and healthier choices. I haven't touched takeaway since beginning it, not saying I never will, but the idea of eating 1k calories per meal now turns me off when I know I can make a similar meal at home for half the calories!