Is 5 2 just a fad?

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  • hollymartin90
    hollymartin90 Posts: 57 Member
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    Sorry, but I'd rather eat 500 calories on 2 days than 1000 on all 7. That doesn't sound like any kind of life. Just my opinion.

    lol i guess but its not forever...and think I would probably keel over and faint if i was only on 500!
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
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    I think the 5:2 thing is just a lil bit crazy not trying to be rude everyones entitled to their own opinion but I know people on it who eat 500 calories on 2 days and then 1500 on the other 5 with no exercise.I eat about 1000 -1200cals every day with exercise isnt this healthier than practically starving on the 500 cals??the exercise would burn off the extra cals anyway!

    O.....M....G




    Lol Yanika.


    Right, yes, leaving...
  • jetlag
    jetlag Posts: 800 Member
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    Sorry, but I'd rather eat 500 calories on 2 days than 1000 on all 7. That doesn't sound like any kind of life. Just my opinion.

    lol i guess but its not forever...and think I would probably keel over and faint if i was only on 500!

    I think you'll find you wouldn't.

    However, I KNOW I could stick to your diet for about a week, because I've tried your way and, quite frankly, it sucks for me. Awesome if it works for you, truly. But I think you're crazy and you think I am. Yay for us; let's be crazy together. The difference between us is I've seen this thing from both sides. You're just guessing at what I can see. No disrespect, truly. I know that sound harsh, but it's a fact.

    That's the majority of the problem with this thread and all the others like them. Lots of opinion based on "belief" and supposition versus opinion based on experience and a lot of reading and investigation.
  • LibertyChamp
    LibertyChamp Posts: 71 Member
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    Jetlag, I totally agree. Shhh, but be careful you might anger the great scholarly one, who will site articles and make up inferences that are not there. Shhh, please.
    Peace out :flowerforyou:
  • jetlag
    jetlag Posts: 800 Member
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    Bollox to him. I'm sick of this crap.
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
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    Sorry, but I'd rather eat 500 calories on 2 days than 1000 on all 7. That doesn't sound like any kind of life. Just my opinion.

    lol i guess but its not forever...and think I would probably keel over and faint if i was only on 500!

    Well considering you've never tried it I take your 'opinion' with a huge pinch of sodium!!

    PS I do train (6 days a week mix of strength, HIIT, walking & yoga) and on average eat more than 1500 on non-fast days.
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
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    Oh m'y god!!!!!! I should stop doing 5:2!!!!!! I Will Die and probably grow testies.....the horror.
    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • andiebaco
    andiebaco Posts: 211 Member
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  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    Just sharing my experience for anyone who would like to hear it. I started here in Aug 2012, and managed to lose from 228 to 185 in 9 months, keeping pretty much to 1200 every day, with the exception of the Holidays.

    BTW, I am 50, 5'6" and partially disabled, so fairly sedentary. My maintenance level at this point is 1500-1600.

    I finally hit 185 in May, then stalled out. I knew this would probably happen at some point, but still consider my diet strategy up to that point, a success. Life got busy and I ended up eating between1400-1600 a day, and maintained pretty much for the next 2 months, so I just looked at it as a 'diet break' and tried not to stress too much.
    I also spent a week at the beach with a bunch of teenagers, cooking 3 meals a day for 20 people, with lots of bacon, eggs, biscuits, gravy and hash browns for breakfast, and full lunches and dinners that were pretty heavy carbs. I came back with 4 extra pounds due to the higher carbs and cals.
    When I got back, I got back on track with 1200 cals and lower carbs, and within a week the water weight was gone and I was back to 185. Nice. Then nothing for the next 2-3 weeks.

    Looking at most of my friends over 50 who were managing to still lose, albeit slowly, they were all eating under 1000 on average. I was tempted to drop my cals down, as apparently my body had adjusted to the 1200, even after 2+ months at maintenance, but I just really did not want to have to go that low.
    So I looked into 5:2

    After the first fast day, I had broken the plateau by losing half a pound. I lost another half pound after the next 3 fast days, so in 2 weeks I had lost 2 pounds. Hey, I like this!

    The next fast day I didn't lose. So I thought maybe I was eating too much on my off days. So I tried lowering them, and still nothing. Then I tinkered around with staggering higher and lower and managed to lose another pound over the next 2 weeks.

    A fellow faster friend urged me to keep my off days near maintenance, so I did that the past 2 days and my weight didn't go back up. So today I start my fast at my lowest weight of 182.

    It is not a super fast loss rate for me, but it certainly has gotten the scale moving again. It is also much less frustrating than staying at 1200 EVERY day, then gaining if I go out to eat or have a higher cal day.

    I can go to eat at restaurants and eat real food! I can eat yummy foods at our church potlucks, without having to know the exact calorie count. I can even skip a day or two logging, and not see a gain. My eating life is much more flexible now, and I can fairly easily make it thru the 500 days, knowing that the next day I can have 1500.

    For those who can lose successfully eating at the same level every day- great. Keep doing what works for you.

    For many of us, the 5:2 plan is working very well.

    I doubt I would have tried it from the beginning, as simply counting cals worked fine for much of the first 9 months, but when it came time to have to change things up, the 5:2 was the perfect solution for me.

    So, keep it in mind for any of you who hit a plateau, or get tired of constant restricting, and need a change.

    It really isn't that difficult at all after you make it thru the first fast day. That is mostly a mental block as well. I find if I spend my 500 on all protein and healthy fats, with lots of veggies, I can still eat a couple of tasty meals and not be 'starving' at all.

    Sorry so long!
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    I think the 5:2 thing is just a lil bit crazy not trying to be rude everyones entitled to their own opinion but I know people on it who eat 500 calories on 2 days and then 1500 on the other 5 with no exercise.I eat about 1000 -1200cals every day with exercise isnt this healthier than practically starving on the 500 cals??the exercise would burn off the extra cals anyway!

    I can understand how it would sound crazy to some people. When I first heard of it, I thought it was pretty crazy as well. Then I read as much as I could about it, and followed some people where were succeeding on it, and decided that it was worth a try.

    When I was in my 20s, I could eat around 900 cals for a couple of weeks and drop 10-15 lbs fairly easily. Then just go back to normal and maintain.

    At 50, my body doesn't work like that anymore. Seems most of the rules of 'science' kinda go out the window. So I have to be creative now. It sucks, but that is life. It isn't always fair. But if we try, we can each find the path that works for us.

    BTW, you have gorgeous eyes!

    ETA for some reason, at my age, exercise doesn't seem to burn near as many calories as it once did either. So burning off the extra calories would require more exercise and at a higher intensity than my body can handle at this point. I exercise for fitness, and count calories for weight loss.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    Oh noes! Lying? Say it ain't so. Because i was planning to emulate the 3 day full fast, daily 4 hour marathon walking miracle myself. She just is so inspiring!

    Careful, this is starting to sound a little bit like jealousy.
  • mahanaibu
    mahanaibu Posts: 505 Member
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    I love it. I feel great on it. I eat more than I would have on the non-fast days, 600 cals on fast days, so it comes out to the same as if I were at some steady level all week. But I get a little more freedom on non-fast days, and the fast days are usually fine, I'm not starving or feeling awful. Energy is improved.

    I checked this out with my nutritionist before doing it and it won her whole-hearted approval. She said this is something that many naturally thin people do...well, naturally. They don't consciously plan it and often aren't even aware they're doing it, but they tend to undereat a couple of days a week and have a little more on the other days.

    There's some solid scientific evidence for it on the whole using-up-glycogen-stores front, but there's always some evidence for everything. The main thing is, it works for me and makes the whole trip more sustainable for me. I plan to do it for life.
  • Flabulousss
    Flabulousss Posts: 106
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    Most 5:2 opponents on this thread: "Like ew omg i would starv."

    So don't do it.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    Ahhhhhhh I love it, another fast day gone yesterday eating noting & it's 8:23am and still not planning on eating anything till about 2pm. That will be over 40 hours without food. Love it, so full of energy, slept like a baby & not the smallest bit dizzy or hungry.

    Another full day of looking for work, just like yesterday...... in food places. Ahhhhhhh self control at a stressful time & in a food environment...... got to love 4:3

    ETA for some reason, at my age, exercise doesn't seem to burn near as many calories as it once did either. So burning off the extra calories would require more exercise and at a higher intensity than my body can handle at this point. I exercise for fitness, and count calories for weight loss.

    This. AT even 38, my body is not burning as much as it did before. I don't want to have to eat 1280 every day for life just to maintain.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    Oh noes! Lying? Say it ain't so. Because i was planning to emulate the 3 day full fast, daily 4 hour marathon walking miracle myself. She just is so inspiring!


    Careful, this is starting to sound a little bit like jealousy.

    bless you.
    the world record for walking marathon distance is around 4 hours.

    there is a clear difference between 'knowledge' (and a finely tuned bs detector) and 'jealousy'.

    logic. it is a wonderful thing.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    Oh wow I only just realized I can ignore people. Guess who was 1st on my list?
  • fastfoodv
    fastfoodv Posts: 41
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    It’s a fad.

    Get an exclusive look at Lisa's new book STOP THE DIET, I WANT TO GET OFF! at www.stopthediet.com and visit Lisa Tillinger Johansen at www.consultthedietitian.com on Facebook at Lisa Tillinger Johansen and on Twitter @LisaTJohansen
  • BodyReshape
    BodyReshape Posts: 4
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    Fad diets, particularly ones that require you to only eat one thing , are not healthy. And typically the result in temporary weight loss at best. I would avoid and instead look at something more long term and permanent.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Huh? Where does this require you to eat - or avoid - anything?
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    Fad diets, particularly ones that require you to only eat one thing , are not healthy. And typically the result in temporary weight loss at best. I would avoid and instead look at something more long term and permanent.


    I'm actually not restricted in what I eat. I wonder what the one thing I have only to eat may be? I'm about to enjoy a nice poppy, sesame, country grain loaf of bread from work...... right after I finish my Chobani



    Then tomorrow.... I fast with nothing to eat for the next 40 hours.

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