5:2 I Don't understand!!!

I've actually been eating in this type of way for a while, without realizing. It's effortless. I haven't lost any weight though, just maintained, as my "non fast" days are a little higher calories than most.

I do not understand how this can possibly be a healthy way to loose weight! I am a firm believer in a total life style change. It needs to be something manageable for the rest of your life and I am sorry but I am not going to basically starve myself two days a week. Let's face it my family doesn't like me when I am hungry...I am miserable. Maybe I am missing something here but I am making the changes that I need to be healthy for the rest of my life, not some crazy diet that will make me loose weight and eventually gain it back.

If it takes me two years of eating right and getting my rear up and moving to drop the weight I am okay with that. I am doing to this in a way that I will only need to loose it once and be done. I am sure it works for certain people I am just not willing to do that to myself.

Who are you talking to??

I'm not using 5:2 but I think I understand the basic principle. I do think that it can be healthy and it can be a lifestyle change.

Can people take this diet to the extreme, and can it be unhealthy? .....I'm sure that's true too.

The basic principle .... you fast INTERMITTANTLY. One example (there are more versions) ...... you eat at maintenance for 5 days & then for 2 (non-consecutive days) you "fast" ...............the "fast" is that women eat 500 calories and men eat 600 calories..... these 2 days make up ALL your calorie deficit for the week.

So, if my maintenance was 2100 calories, I end up eating an average of 1,643 calories a day ..... over the period of a week [(5 x 2100 + 2 x 500) / 7 = 1643]. This would teach me to eat at my maintenance calories. To go off this diet, I would simple exchange 1 fast day for maintenance....... see how that went...... and then exchange the last fast day for maintenance.

Abuse of this method would be doing some incredibly heard workouts during fast days ..... or doing 1200 calories PLUS 2 fast days ..... this is not how the diet is designed.

It can be healthy and be done as a lifestyle if done properly...same for IF (problem is a lot of people don't do it properly). I personally couldn't do it 'cuz I'm a total foodie and love to eat...so I eat all day long...but it definitely works for a lot of people. Different strokes for different folks.

I do not understand how this can possibly be a healthy way to loose weight! I am a firm believer in a total life style change. It needs to be something manageable for the rest of your life and I am sorry but I am not going to basically starve myself two days a week. Let's face it my family doesn't like me when I am hungry...I am miserable. Maybe I am missing something here but I am making the changes that I need to be healthy for the rest of my life, not some crazy diet that will make me loose weight and eventually gain it back.

If it takes me two years of eating right and getting my rear up and moving to drop the weight I am okay with that. I am doing to this in a way that I will only need to loose it once and be done. I am sure it works for certain people I am just not willing to do that to myself.

OK, that's fine, you don't have to do it. Why should you worry if other people want to do it, can do it, and find that it suits THEM? It's not impacting you in any way. Move on!

"Kinda" totally unrelated to this topic/PLEASE forgive the hi-jack, BUT....

@Beattie1...Honey, you are rocking that dress--LOVE the dress and your "tude" in it:bigsmile: --72 pounds of flab&fat forever gone to the place where the sun will NEVER shine is tremendous as well. GO GIRL--you ROCK!
:drinker: :drinker:

You know, look at it this way - if you eat this way, you're basically eating like a thin person. They have days that they go over their calorie 'budget' and then they cut back the next day or so. Makes sense to me? Not the path i'm choosing, but i can see how some would embrace it.

OK, that's fine, you don't have to do it. Why should you worry if other people want to do it, can do it, and find that it suits THEM? It's not impacting you in any way. Move on!

"Kinda" totally unrelated to this topic/PLEASE forgive the hi-jack, BUT....

@Beattie1...Honey, you are rocking that dress--LOVE the dress and your "tude" in it:bigsmile: --72 pounds of flab&fat forever gone to the place where the sun will NEVER shine is tremendous as well. GO GIRL--you ROCK!
:drinker: :drinker:

I, too, can attest to the fact that Beattie does in fact ROCK! :bigsmile: :drinker: Love her!!!

I do not understand how this can possibly be a healthy way to loose weight! I am a firm believer in a total life style change. It needs to be something manageable for the rest of your life and I am sorry but I am not going to basically starve myself two days a week. Let's face it my family doesn't like me when I am hungry...I am miserable. Maybe I am missing something here but I am making the changes that I need to be healthy for the rest of my life, not some crazy diet that will make me loose weight and eventually gain it back.

If it takes me two years of eating right and getting my rear up and moving to drop the weight I am okay with that. I am doing to this in a way that I will only need to loose it once and be done. I am sure it works for certain people I am just not willing to do that to myself.

You're so misinformed, it's insulting.

I do not understand how this can possibly be a healthy way to loose weight! I am a firm believer in a total life style change. It needs to be something manageable for the rest of your life and I am sorry but I am not going to basically starve myself two days a week. Let's face it my family doesn't like me when I am hungry...I am miserable. Maybe I am missing something here but I am making the changes that I need to be healthy for the rest of my life, not some crazy diet that will make me loose weight and eventually gain it back.

If it takes me two years of eating right and getting my rear up and moving to drop the weight I am okay with that. I am doing to this in a way that I will only need to loose it once and be done. I am sure it works for certain people I am just not willing to do that to myself.

OK, that's fine, you don't have to do it. Why should you worry if other people want to do it, can do it, and find that it suits THEM? It's not impacting you in any way. Move on!

Pretty much this.

It's actually been scientifically proven to aid weight loss and help your body to detox naturally. It's not starving yourself, it's learning self control.. and you can still eat a good 2 meals a day! I can survive quite happily on 1100-1300 calories a day if I'm not doing a lot of physical activity, so dropping down to 500 once or twice a week isn't so hard. I don't follow this diet, but I know people who do and it works wonders for them.

I lived with someone a couple years ago, ate fried chicken and pizza and cakes and cream and all sorts of fattening foods... but she lost a ridiculous amount of weight over a month or so just by limiting herself for two days a week.

If you don't get the diet, then ask people about it. Don't start proclaiming that it's the worst thing ever and how on earth can people follow it, etc. If Doctors have said that it's good for you, then it's good for you.