Is 5 2 just a fad?

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I did a stricter version of the plan (alternate day IF), for my weight loss. Fad or not, it worked brilliantly for me.

It is not a fad, Dr Michael Mosely has been doing it for over 10 years, and it was he who made the TV programme that triggered the recent interest

What's your point? Lots of "fads" have been around for years - look at the cabbage soup diet that keeps coming around in different variations but basically the same thing.

I'm not interested because I don't think it's something I can maintain, but if you think it's something that will work for you then go for it.

I'm doing it at present, 500 calories twice a week and 1300 calories on all other days. Also taking vitamins and drinking lots of water. I'm not excluding any foods but have cut out fizzy drinks, tea and coffee. For exercise I'm doing Jillian Michael's 30 day shred every other day rather than every day as I'm also doing lots of work around the house. I've lost 11 pounds in 3 weeks so far.

The only thing I will say though is that for me, having tried the 5:2 diet earlier in the year, eating anything I wanted on the 5 days didn't work as I put weight on. Lowering the 5 days calories and sticking to 2 days of 500 calories though is working and upside I feel really invigorated, no tiredness and the 500 days are easy.

I have 6 weeks off work so it will get tougher once I go back as I work at a desk job which gives me no exercise but is very busy and stressful. I am determined though to lose the weight and tone up by the third week in October.

I'm doing it at present, 500 calories twice a week and 1300 calories on all other days. Also taking vitamins and drinking lots of water. I'm not excluding any foods but have cut out fizzy drinks, tea and coffee. For exercise I'm doing Jillian Michael's 30 day shred every other day rather than every day as I'm also doing lots of work around the house. I've lost 11 pounds in 3 weeks so far.

You're losing because you're averaging 1000 calories a day, not because of the arrangement of how you're eating those calories. Not healthy or sustainable.

I just can't see that being something I could get into. I like food.

I do understand the good folks that do IF though.

If you're doing 1300 the 5 days why not just do 1300 every day? That level of constant deficit seems to work for most people who have been successful. Not being a 5:2 disciple myself, my understanding of the plan is that you eat at 500 on the low days and at maintenance the other 5 days (not binging past maintenance on these days). I guess the point is to get the same weekly deficit but only "suffering" two days of the week instead of every day. By eating at 1300 the other five days you are averaging just over 1000 every day which pretty much everyone will agree is too low. If you at least bump it up to 1500 on the other five days you'll have an average of 1200.

I've done it at times throughout the years, I don't consider it a fad. Just extremely difficult to do if you have an active job, or kids...or if you really like food.

I've done something similar to work in my planned higher-calorie days -- a low-calorie day before and/or after. I think it's a great way to have your cake and eat it it too. I only do it if it's not too much of a struggle that day, generally. Is the 5:2 diet a fad? Kinda, but it's definitely not one of the worst.

Hadn't thought about it in terms of how many calories I was having a week. The 500 days I find really easy and I'm doing them as I like the sound of the benefits that go along with it, plus these past 3 weeks I've had no flareups with my IBS which is a miracle in itself. I take the point though on overall weekly calories and will up my daily calories to 1480 with 2 days of 500 to make up to 1200 a day. Sometimes it's so easy to get lost in the details and it can take someone looking in from the outside stating the obvious to make you rethink things lol.