5:2 diet- curious if anyone has tried this??

angelamy1977
angelamy1977 Posts: 24 Member
edited November 28 in Health and Weight Loss
I read an article about this and joined their FB page but wanting to know if anyone has tried. Basically two days a week you eat under 500 calories then the other five you "eat what you want" but in moderation? Apparently Jimmy Kimmel did it and looks GREAT! Thoughts>
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Replies

  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Yep, tried it. If I loaded up on protein & fiber the day before "fast" days, I felt fine. Normal workouts, etc. literally still digesting yesterday's food. The day following fast days were hard. Real hard. When my schedule changed and allowed me to have normal dinners every night, I went back to a more consistent eating pattern, which is easier for me on the whole. It didn't help or hurt my weight. That depended on total weekly calories regardless of how they were distributed.

    Some people love it and you don't know unless you try. Best of luck.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    Yes, I tried it for about a month and it wasn't for me in the long run. You're supposed to have 500 calories on your fasting days and whatever your maintenance calories are the other 5 days. It's just another way to manipulate calories, but in the end it's calories in vs. calories out.
  • angelamy1977
    angelamy1977 Posts: 24 Member
    Thanks ahoy_m8 and _dracarys_ for your input! My problem is that I don't know how I could actually only eat 500 cals a day- even if it's only two days a week. someone on the FB page suggested the WW 0 points soup- but I've tried that before and it's pretty hard for me to choke down for one meal- let alone eating nothing but that for two days worth of meals LOL
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    I haven't tried that one specifically, but back in my dance years I tried all kinds of crazy stuff. The problem with diets like this is that you deprive yourself so hard on 'fast' days that you constantly feel deprived. It's not sustainable. Better to go with a healthy balanced diet with even calories every day so your body doesn't yo-yo, especially if you're at all prediabetic. That kind of yo-yoing can really mess up your insulin/sugar balance.
  • Radiant8888
    Radiant8888 Posts: 27 Member
    Instead of doing a 'day' I found it easier to fast from one lunch time to the next. Then you don't feel like you have a day stretching ahead of you where all you think about is food. People vary this - e.g. eating their calories within an 8 hour slot in the day and fasting for the other 16 hours (7 days a week). It's just a habit. I tend to not eat very much in the evening and it works for me and helps me sleep better too.
  • tasaiar1
    tasaiar1 Posts: 79 Member
    Water, low calorie fruit and veg and soups. They do the trick on fasting days :)

    I've not tried it for weight loss, but tried it because in my faith it's recommended to fast 2 days a week. (No food or drink from dawn to dusk)

    I found having dates and a glass of milk at dawn helped me keep my energy levels up during the day until sunset when i could eat again. If have soup, and because I wouldn't have eaten all day I'd feel full really quickly.

    The more days I fasted the easier it became, I fasted like this for a good few years. But again back then I didn't do ur for weight loss. Sorry if I'm no help
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    edited January 2016
    I like it yeah I'm a bit hungry but meh the biggest challenge is when I'm at work, so many easy to cook high calorie choices. I usually just chew gum to keep from mindless snacking.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    ElizabethOakes2 wrote: »
    I haven't tried that one specifically, but back in my dance years I tried all kinds of crazy stuff. The problem with diets like this is that you deprive yourself so hard on 'fast' days that you constantly feel deprived. It's not sustainable. Better to go with a healthy balanced diet with even calories every day so your body doesn't yo-yo, especially if you're at all prediabetic. That kind of yo-yoing can really mess up your insulin/sugar balance.

    5:2 is a type of zig-zag diet. Many people can sustain this over time, but no it's not for everyone.

    On this diet women eat 500 calories 2 days a week (men 600) and then eat maintenance the other 5. The way you test for binge type behavior on this diet is by logging maintenance days too.

    It won't be for people who have blood sugar issues. I tried this for awhile, but now zig-zag my calories differently. I like being able to eat at maintenance on Saturdays & Sundays. Eating at maintenance 7 days a week is the goal anyway.

    Here are a links to a couple groups
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/8628-5-2-diet
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Radiant8888 wrote: »
    Instead of doing a 'day' I found it easier to fast from one lunch time to the next. Then you don't feel like you have a day stretching ahead of you where all you think about is food. People vary this - e.g. eating their calories within an 8 hour slot in the day and fasting for the other 16 hours (7 days a week). It's just a habit. I tend to not eat very much in the evening and it works for me and helps me sleep better too.

    Another method....

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/49-intermittent-fasting
  • HelenRobertsNZ
    HelenRobertsNZ Posts: 16 Member
    We did it - loved it while I was full of fire and resolve but soon became hungry, grumpy and dreaded the low cal days. I found myself overcompensating on the other days, and getting obsessed with food.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I like having some 500 calorie days. It reminds me hunger is a signal, not an imperative or an emergency, and it helps me feel full on smaller portions on the other days. After 500 calorie days, 1500-1800 feels decadent.
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
    I basically do the opposite, 2:5 instead of 5:2. So I eat lower 5 days a week, and have 2 days at maintenance or above. That really works for me! Last week for instance, my days were 1287, 2021, 1413, 1130, 2310, 1185, 1107, which averaged out to 1493. Usually my high days are Friday and Saturday when I drink, eat out, and/or have pizza.

    I feel like this is easier to stick to than 5 days at maintenance and 2 days at only 500, but figure out what works for you! This is also much easier if you do a couple of really big workouts a week, and you save those calories.
  • tiny_emily
    tiny_emily Posts: 1 Member
    My parents did this for a while. They call it a "lifestyle change"... In other words if you don't do it for the rest of your life, you'll just gain the weight back and more. My dad hates exercise which is why he liked it, because he could lose weight without doing anything. Now he's stopped and is back to where he started plus more. Honestly wouldn't recommend.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    Does not teach anything about healthy habits for life. Not sustainable. It's the flavor of the day diet.
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
    Yeah, I did 5:2 for a few months to lose 15 pounds and then have been in a 6:1 maintenance thing for the past year. I liked it, once I got used to what actual hunger feels like.

    Even better though, IMO, is Alternate Day Fasting (ADF). That's my go-to now if I wanna drop a little bodyfat.

    All the fasting systems are much easier if you tie them with low-carb, high-fat macro ratios though. When people fail at IF, it seems to usually be because their blood sugar dips are freaking them out.
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Does not teach anything about healthy habits for life. Not sustainable. It's the flavor of the day diet.

    I disagree. Fasting teaches you a lot about your response to food and hunger, and what blood sugar spiking and crashing feels like, and how that differs from an empty stomach. You learn that you won't die if you don't eat six times a day. It's also a chance to exercise discipline and self-control. And calorie accounting, because you'll have to manage a balance across several days, and so you learn about the flexibility of calorie and carb cycling.

    Then there's the autophagy and hormesis effects, which are emerging but fascinating prospects.

    Anyways, I like it a lot and don't know why I would stop.
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
    Agree with doing something you find sustainable. Eating less on weekdays than weekends is natural and sustainable for me. Eating only 500 cals a day every few days would not be sustainable for me.
  • kissedbythesunshine
    kissedbythesunshine Posts: 416 Member
    I don't do this type of fast but I do fast 20 hours a day and eat in the remaining 4. I like to eat nice size dinners so this works for me. Dinner, then dessert/snack and I'm done.

  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    feisty_bucket wrote: »
    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Does not teach anything about healthy habits for life. Not sustainable. It's the flavor of the day diet.

    I disagree. Fasting teaches you a lot about your response to food and hunger, and what blood sugar spiking and crashing feels like, and how that differs from an empty stomach. You learn that you won't die if you don't eat six times a day. It's also a chance to exercise discipline and self-control. And calorie accounting, because you'll have to manage a balance across several days, and so you learn about the flexibility of calorie and carb cycling.

    Then there's the autophagy and hormesis effects, which are emerging but fascinating prospects.

    Anyways, I like it a lot and don't know why I would stop.

    I agree. I like ADF best, too.
  • Anya_000
    Anya_000 Posts: 725 Member
    I did it, lost a pound every week, ate pizza, drank beer, had whatever I wanted on the feeding days. However, I couldn't stick with it long term. I was so hungry, cranky, tired and miserable on fasting days, that I just couldn't bring myself to do it anymore.
  • SeptemberFeyre
    SeptemberFeyre Posts: 178 Member
    I tried it and didn't like it because I felt weak on the fasting days. Also, I found out later I lose just as much staying at about 1400 calories per day.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    feisty_bucket wrote: »
    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Does not teach anything about healthy habits for life. Not sustainable. It's the flavor of the day diet.

    I disagree. Fasting teaches you a lot about your response to food and hunger, and what blood sugar spiking and crashing feels like, and how that differs from an empty stomach. You learn that you won't die if you don't eat six times a day. It's also a chance to exercise discipline and self-control. And calorie accounting, because you'll have to manage a balance across several days, and so you learn about the flexibility of calorie and carb cycling.

    Then there's the autophagy and hormesis effects, which are emerging but fascinating prospects.

    Anyways, I like it a lot and don't know why I would stop.

    +1
  • eviegreen
    eviegreen Posts: 123 Member
    tiny_emily wrote: »
    My parents did this for a while. They call it a "lifestyle change"... In other words if you don't do it for the rest of your life, you'll just gain the weight back and more. My dad hates exercise which is why he liked it, because he could lose weight without doing anything. Now he's stopped and is back to where he started plus more. Honestly wouldn't recommend.

    People gain back weight if they eat more calories than they burn. 5:2 is just another way of reducing calories to lose weight (CICO), with the added positive of being able to eat at maintenance 5 days a week. If your dad gained the weight back, not exercising has little to do with it. It's because he was unable to transition to maintenance. A lot of people have that problem, no matter how they limit their calories. It's more difficult to maintain weight than it is to lose weight, which is why such a high percentage of losers gain it all back. It has absolutely nothing to do with eating on this schedule.

    OP: I've been on 5:2 since late October because I was struggling with a daily deficit after my weight dropped to a normal BMI. So far, I've lost about 5 lbs eating on this schedule (and found it especially helpful for maintaining weight around the holidays since I was well above maintenance for some of those days). Here are my thoughts so far:

    Pros: Eating at maintenance 5 days a week is great! It's nice to "eat normally", even though it's technically still at a weekly deficit. Having a few extra calories at the end of the day is lovely; sometimes it's a bit of extra ice cream, or an extra helping of dinner. Which, after work outs at the gym, is a very welcome thing. I also find I have more energy and my mood improves.

    Cons: Fasting days are occasionally difficult. I try to eat filling, low cal foods (Porridge, salads with prawns, venison steaks, soups, etc), and if I find myself still quite hungry, I drink a lot of tea and water to offset the cravings.
    I've gone to the gym a few times on fasting days (and it's recommended, this case, to raise the calories slightly to accommodate it -- so from 500 to 600 for women, 600 to 700 for men), and I don't recommend it. At all. It just made me feel ravenous and cranky. I think walks are OK, but no big workouts. I use fast days to rest.

    It's not an eating schedule for everyone. A lot of people prefer another intermittent fasting schedule (16:8, 20:4, 23:1 are quite popular). Rule of thumb is that if you find yourself really hungry and eating too much on non-fasting days (over your maintenance), then another schedule might suit better.
  • WrenTheCoffeeAddict
    WrenTheCoffeeAddict Posts: 148 Member
    I've been on the 5:2 for about 4 months, and ignoring Christmas, have lost about 21lb.
  • cblasz
    cblasz Posts: 5 Member
    I have been doing it off and on for the last 2 years and I like it. Yes, fast days can be a little tough, but it's amazing that you can get through them. I find the key is a lot of no calorie liquids during the day. And then it's nice to have more calories on the other days. And not to have to be so specific about counting. The way I do it, is I fast 2 weekdays, the other 3 I track my calories here in MFP and then I don't worry about it on the weekend. I don't go crazy on the weekends either though, because I don't want to ruin any progress I made during the week. It is a personal preference that works for some and not others, just like any diet. I once read that the best diet is the one you can stick too! If you are interested there's a forum at lots of information at www.fastday.com.
  • BoaRestrictor
    BoaRestrictor Posts: 194 Member
    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Does not teach anything about healthy habits for life. Not sustainable. It's the flavor of the day diet.

    This is the second time I've seen you tell someone IF is unhealthy. Please go look into it, it's not for everyone but just because some people work better with IF instead of eating small meals all throughout the day doesn't make it bad. It makes it different.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Dieting and weight loss isn't a "one size fits all" approach. 5:2 has been around for a few years now, and has some science to back it up. It suits some people, others not so much. But there's no harm in trying it for a while - there's no special foods or equipment involved.

    I've been doing it for 3 years now, and I know how to handle my fast days. I surf through on a raft of green tea, black coffee, rooibos tea, miso soup and a fizzy diet ginger beer (funnily enough I only drink this last one on fast days). Lunch will be a non-dressed salad or a hard boiled egg, dinner will be fish and veg. Lots and lots of water, and keeping busy.
  • sarah11918
    sarah11918 Posts: 15 Member
    kissedbythesunshine wrote: »
    I don't do this type of fast but I do fast 20 hours a day and eat in the remaining 4. I like to eat nice size dinners so this works for me. Dinner, then dessert/snack and I'm done.

    I've been doing something much like this for about a year (1 cappuccino with 35% cream in the morning, then only 1 meal later in the day. Otherwise, only water, black coffee, tea.) If you happen to be doing low carb/high fat, then as others have said, it's often easier to sustain than you'd think.

    In fact, my husband and I never intended to switch to one meal a day, but after years on LCHF, we just looked at each other one day and said, "We're not really hungry. What if we just tried waiting until we were actually hungry before we ate?" ... and that took ALL day! So, it was probably easier for us because we just stumbled into it, rather than set out to try and do this "deprivation" thing. But, it's funny that this way of eating that people are suggesting is actually what our bodies told us we wanted, not the other way around.
  • scottwblack
    scottwblack Posts: 26 Member
    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Does not teach anything about healthy habits for life. Not sustainable. It's the flavor of the day diet.

    I think it's dangerous to make generalized statements like this. Maybe it wouldn't teach *you* healthy habits and maybe *you* wouldn't find it sustainable, but everybody is different. There are lots of ways to manipulate you caloric intake, lose weight, and improve your health markers.

  • Jetamu96
    Jetamu96 Posts: 963 Member
    I tried it and know others that have as well. It was ok but I found myself dreading the fasting days and during them I would be lethargic, have headaches and not be able to concentrate, not good for a medical student!
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