5-2 diet?

workingtwerking
workingtwerking Posts: 34
in Health and Weight Loss
Guys, i need your advice. I just heard from my mother that she's planning on starting the 5-2 diet where you eat normally for 5 days a week and 500 kcal for 2 days a week. It is apperently supposed to speed up your metabolism somehow, and I'm actually kind of worried. She's tried so many diets with none of them giving any resluts because she just can't stop herself from eating. Like, literally can't stop herself and now she thinks that this diet will work for her God knows why.

I'm thinking that this diet should screw up your metabolism, if you eat so little for two days but maybe I'm completely wrong? Should I tell her to go for it and starve herself for two days every week (doesn't sound too healthy) (seriously, she's going to be so hungry those days) or should I suggest another diet or something. She has already tried GI and LCHF and about every diet you can name. She has tried everything except the thing that most studies show succesful, working out and eating healthy. She think's she can't work out because she had an hip operation a while back, so she actually can't run or swim and such, but she can still walk and lift but that is not of interest.

I mean, she freaking burns 1600 kcal every day doing nothing, it can't possibly be healthy eating so very little two days and it is really not the best or simplest or fastest way to do it, right? Like today she ate soup. Just soup. And she thinks it is 500 kcal. She has no clue how much she needs or how much is in what she eats. Any comments on this, guys? Is it a good diet? Have you tried it? Is it really healthy? Help me, haha.

Replies

  • harlar
    harlar Posts: 19 Member
    My understanding is that this '5-2 diet' gives you the same weekly deficit but with five 'easier' days and two 'harder' ones. it definitely wouldn't work if you weren't eating healthily on those five days, as I can imagine you would end up binging after a fast day due to hunger. It sounds neither healthy nor sustainable.

    Have you introduced your mother to MFP? It really is the easiest way to lose weight and it would be a much healthier option.
  • lavaughan69
    lavaughan69 Posts: 459 Member
    I started out on the 5/2 diet and used MFP to track, but I used the MFP guide for the calories to eat on my other five days, based on losing 1 pound a week. It worked well for me. I actually adjusted my diet to 2 lbs a week when I hit a plateau but I still fast two days from time to time when I have social events on the weekend and I know I'm going to go over on my calories.

    I suggest that you tell your Mom about MFP and let her know how easy it is to use to track her fast days and she may just progress to a low cal diet all on her own.

    Personally, I don't find the fast days that difficult after the first week and it's a great way to shrink your stomach so you're not so hungry all the time. There is a great documentary on it. You should watch it, you may not be as concerned once you see the science behind it.
  • workingtwerking
    workingtwerking Posts: 34
    My understanding is that this '5-2 diet' gives you the same weekly deficit but with five 'easier' days and two 'harder' ones. it definitely wouldn't work if you weren't eating healthily on those five days, as I can imagine you would end up binging after a fast day due to hunger. It sounds neither healthy nor sustainable.

    Have you introduced your mother to MFP? It really is the easiest way to lose weight and it would be a much healthier option.

    Yes, i have introduced my mother to MFP before but I don't think she understood it in the beginning, and neither did I. I'll try again though, now when i can explain some things. Thanks!
  • workingtwerking
    workingtwerking Posts: 34
    I started out on the 5/2 diet and used MFP to track, but I used the MFP guide for the calories to eat on my other five days, based on losing 1 pound a week. It worked well for me. I actually adjusted my diet to 2 lbs a week when I hit a plateau but I still fast two days from time to time when I have social events on the weekend and I know I'm going to go over on my calories.

    I suggest that you tell your Mom about MFP and let her know how easy it is to use to track her fast days and she may just progress to a low cal diet all on her own.

    Personally, I don't find the fast days that difficult after the first week and it's a great way to shrink your stomach so you're not so hungry all the time. There is a great documentary on it. You should watch it, you may not be as concerned once you see the science behind it.

    Glad it works for you, and I'll watch the documantary. Thank you!
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
    Im doing it. I eat 2000 calories on my feed days and the trend is Im losing between 500gr to one kilo per week.

    It doesnt work for everyone. But give it a try and give it four weeks at least. Also take photos once a month :)
  • honkytonks85
    honkytonks85 Posts: 669 Member
    My understanding is that this '5-2 diet' gives you the same weekly deficit but with five 'easier' days and two 'harder' ones. it definitely wouldn't work if you weren't eating healthily on those five days, as I can imagine you would end up binging after a fast day due to hunger. It sounds neither healthy nor sustainable.

    Have you introduced your mother to MFP? It really is the easiest way to lose weight and it would be a much healthier option.

    There's nothing wrong with this style of eating if done properly. It's called intermittent fasting and I did it for ages and lost stacks of weight (I'm on a calorie deficit hiatus now as I am breastfeeding). IF also boasts a number of health benefits which are backed by peer reviewed studies. Contrary to populate opinion short term fasting DOES NOT impact metabolism, in fact it can speed it up. I suggest checking out Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat book which talks about having 1-2 'fast' days each week. It's different from 5:2 because I believe with 5:2 you eat your 500 calories. With Eat Stop Eat you fast for 24 hours and then have a 'normal dinner' (which usually equates to 500 calories anyway).

    To me whether you get your deficit over 7 days or over 2 makes is a personal preference. I like to eat a little more on some days (like if I go out for a few beers) and so offsetting that with a low calorie day worked for me. It's only "not sustainable" if you can't stick to it. Personally I find trying to stick to a strict 500 calorie a day deficit is "not sustainable". It comes down to what works for you to perfectly honest.

    With regards to your mum, it's probably still useful for her to understand what she's eating and aim to eat foods which have a high nutritional value - if her 500 calories on her fast day comes from a nice soup that isn't completely lacking in nutritional value (some soups can be) then I don't see the problem health wise. Some people don't need to count calories and many can successfully fast intermittently without calorie counting.

    BUT, if your mother struggles from binge eating or overeating, this may not be the best plan for her at this stage. It might be better for her to tackle the binge eating issue first and look at her diet after.
  • KathTea88
    KathTea88 Posts: 1
    First fasting today (with my mum), was easier than I thought. In fact, I felt like I was swimming better today!

    We're not out to lose much weight but more towards toning and cutting any excess.

    This may seem TMI, but I noticed reduced constipation and flatulence!

    Am I the only one annoyed that the food chart in MPL automatically reminds me that I am at risk of being at "starvation mode"? I am assuming the the "repair mode" in the 5/2 program is a relatively new or lesser heard of concept?
  • GFielding_56
    GFielding_56 Posts: 76 Member
    I started out on the 5/2 diet and used MFP to track, but I used the MFP guide for the calories to eat on my other five days, based on losing 1 pound a week. It worked well for me. I actually adjusted my diet to 2 lbs a week when I hit a plateau but I still fast two days from time to time when I have social events on the weekend and I know I'm going to go over on my calories.

    I suggest that you tell your Mom about MFP and let her know how easy it is to use to track her fast days and she may just progress to a low cal diet all on her own.

    Personally, I don't find the fast days that difficult after the first week and it's a great way to shrink your stomach so you're not so hungry all the time. There is a great documentary on it. You should watch it, you may not be as concerned once you see the science behind it.

    I think this lady has it spot on- I also used the 5:2 concept to start losing some weight and when it was my 'restricting' days around 800 -1000 calories I didn't find it too difficult.

    I think the key lies on this very program - MFP - if you log everything you eat and everything that you do you can see how well you're doing - to lose a 1lb in weight you either consume 3500 calories less or do 3500 calories worth of exercise. Over a week this amounts to 500 calories a day.

    I now use MFP only and haven't needed to us 'restricting' days (you're not fasting if you eat so I refer to them as resticting) for many months.

    Good luck
  • MsPudding
    MsPudding Posts: 562 Member
    1. Restricting calories on 2 days a week doesn't damage your metabolism, nor does it create health issues.
    2. 5:2 and the other variations of fasting, if being used for weight loss alone (rather than the health benefits), simply result in a weekly calorie deficit just like any other diet.
    3. Whether it works for any one person depends on a few things:
    - If they find they like or don't like severe restriction on two, non-consecutive days.
    - How well they keep a track of what they eat on the 5 other days. Obviously if they collapse face-down in a vat of icecream and doughnuts they'll offset the deficit from the 2 fast days and lose nothing.

    It's simply a matter of preference. Some people simply prefer being very restrictive on 2 days and 'looser' on 5 than being moderating restrictive on all 7 days as with the traditional calorie restrictive method
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    It's perfectly healthy if done properly. It will not screw up your metabolism from just restricting calories for 2 days a week.
    Read up on www.thefastdiet.co.uk if you want to understand more.

    I've been doing it for a year, both when losing weight and also at maintenance.
  • fatsnacker
    fatsnacker Posts: 209 Member
    as long as she eats healthily on the fasting days, she should be ok.

    I limited my two fasting days to 1000 calories each for the first 12 weeks and only then introduced one 500 calorie day from week 13 onwards. When I feel I need to, I go back to 1000 calories and try again the following week - I continue to lose weight each week and I am now 32 weeks in.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Some sound advice already given here.

    I'd have a number of worries about your mother doing this- it's not a shake up to your metabolism. And it's not a free for all on the other 5 days.

    But if she wants to try it, encourage her to read the book, find the horizon documentary, or search 5and 2 on here and elsewhere on the Internet for loads of advice and more info.
  • laurasmith6789
    laurasmith6789 Posts: 1
    The 5-2 diet seems like it definitely could work. You just need to monitor your energy levels on the lower eating days. If you feel like you are getting too tired or not able to do the things that you normally do then you may need to adjust your eating for those days.

    The easiest way to lose weight it to burn more calories than you take in. Of course that is not always easy to do. If your mom can find some sort of low impact workout or exercise routine that would be best. Hopefully she can find a workout that she can do.

    http://fastweightlosssolution.net/
  • donnaburnett1982
    donnaburnett1982 Posts: 7 Member
    Hi all, newbie so be gentle! I'm starting the 5:2 diet tomorrow thinking it probably wont work but giving it a go. Anyone lost a lot on this?
  • gsgitu
    gsgitu Posts: 118 Member
    Hi all, newbie so be gentle! I'm starting the 5:2 diet tomorrow thinking it probably wont work but giving it a go. Anyone lost a lot on this?
    this is a thread from a couple months ago, so i will reply directly to you. 5:2 can work for you. it is a mental game. you won't starve and your body won't shut down. it is only difficult if you let it be. prepare yourself mentally. keep busy. detach yourself from food. it is not really a diet, any form of IF is more of a lifestyle. a way of eating that is controlled by you an not letting the food control you. do some more reading on here and other places. there is an IF group on here that will answer questions. lots of info.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Donna, if you use the "search" function you'll find a really helpful 5:2 fasting group on here, with lots of advice and support.

    BUT

    If you think it wont work, then you're probably right.

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