Fasting 5:2

gillystevas wrote: »

It is probably not the best diet for those who prefer to graze all day, I would say they would be best to stick to something else, perhaps the GI foods that will leave them feeling fuller through the day.

Yet it was the diet recommended for 'Constant Cravers' in the recent Horizon programme "What's the Right Diet For You", as it re-educates their eating habits. Also, 5 x 100 cal snacks a day is doable. (At least, thats what I am planning on doing when I start the 5:2 diet next week )

I am doing 5:2. I have done it before and liked it. I never have to lose much weight, usually 5-10 pounds and this way works very well.

I plan my 2 days carefully and I use 600 cals as my rule. I do manage to get three small meals in and use Tuesday/Wednesday as my "fast" days. I do not get to the point where I am starving because I do work to find low calorie foods that are filling.

For breakfast I have a Vega choc a lot smoothie made with almond milk (30 cals per cup) So 120 for a good start to the day.

Lunch tends to be egg and veg bake (90 cals) with a cup of soup, usually tomato (100 cals)

A huge dish of roast veggies is easily done under 150 cals, with a small piece of haddock (60 cals). Makes great dinner.

A cup of fresh berries before bed (70 cals) and one cup almond milk to have in tea along the way.

I know this is not for everyone, but for people who already are not between meal snackers this is very doable.

The other days I eat normally, still do not snack between meals, plus right now I am doing Dry January which makes it easy to stay sensible.

When people immediately toss "starvation mode" in people faces it stops them sharing. There is not enough proof that starvation mode is a reality when doing a fasting lifestyle. MFP throws up a warning when you are under 1200 cals, that arbitrary line, does it also throw up a warning when you eat too much and might start to gain? Perhaps it should.

On non fast days you eat normal calories. As in, whatever your body needs per day to maintain it's size. For me that is 1500 cals.

Some days I run, but no more than 5k, I will often walk.

I did it for about 3 months, a combination of alternate day and 5:2. I have mixed feelings about it. I think it can work really well for some people as a weight loss tool and there are other health benefits. I lost a few inches in the short time I did it but not more than I would have just restricting calories any other way. I really wanted this to be a sustainable weight loss tool for me but it just wasn't. I liked the idea of only having to count calories 2 days a week or every other day but I got frustrated that I wasn't really losing much and was then told that I'm supposed to count calories on the non fast days too to make sure I'm not eating too much. So I thought what is the point of that, I may as well just go back to 1500 calories a day every day (which is how I initially lost 60lbs or so) and see the weight come of consistently and not starve myself for two days a week - some days I found it easy to stick to the 500 cal and some days it was really hard. So I got the myfitness pal app and have been using it consistently for the past two weeks and I'm hooked! I love seeing my nutrition tables and making sure I'm eating all the right stuff. I did like certain elements of fasting though so I am incorporating the 16:8 method too which means I only eat between 12 and 8pm which is not hard for me at all and I log everything and stick to 1500. If 5:2 works for you that's great, you'll only know by trying though. Good luck!

I've done IF for just on 2 years now...... not starving, not hungry..... I go every 2nd day with 0 calories. It's normal for me to do it now. I'd rather this than restrict daily. I run faster & have more energy on the days I don't eat. I'm not in starvation mode. I don't binge. I'm not lacking anything & not deprived of anything........ feel like a full large pizza anyone? And I don't ever count a single calorie...... like ever.

Just because YOU can't do it, or know someone who did it...... does not mean it does not work.


By the way..... it's meant for HEALTH reasons not weight reasons .....weight loss is just a bonus. I don't need to lose anything...... but I still do it..... and I've not put on even a single gram of weight.

You don't HAVE to eat the 500cals (women) or 600 (men) at all...and a true fast is just with nothing but water.

I think this fails for people because they eat too many calories on their feast day. It still takes a reduction of calories over a weeks time to burn fat so if you're eating 500 on fast days and 3,000 on feast days you won't get anywhere.

I just stick to 500 calories one day and 1550 calories the next. Pretty simple