5:2 diet- curious if anyone has tried this??
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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.0
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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.
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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.0 -
I've been on the 5:2 for about 4 months, and ignoring Christmas, have lost about 21lb.0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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.
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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!0
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Thank you everyone so much for the feedback! I wish there were "like" buttons like on FB for the comments I felt were helpful
I can tell this is a great community to be a part of already! 0 -
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.
Totally agree with this statement 0 -
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.
That's basically what I'm doing at the moment, as I find it easier to cut back when I am at work Monday to Friday, whereas the weekends are filled with family dinners and events.
So, I aim for 800 or less Monday to Friday and then allow myself to have 1,600 on Saturday and Sunday. My BMR is around 1650 I believe, though I am reasonably active in my job too. MFP recommends 1230 a day at the moment to lose 1kg a week.
How I have those 800 calories varies, but I tend to avoid eating until early afternoon when I have something protein rich like 0% fat cottage cheese on wholemeal toast, then I have dinner later on.
Some days, I clock in at around 620 calories, but the average is around 750 calories.
I track the weekend days too, of course, but I like knowing that I can have something indulgent liked a grilled sausage sandwich with tomatoes on a Saturday morning and still have enough calories left for a decent lunch and dinner. It is worth cutting back during the week for that flexibility at the weekend - for me at least.0 -
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.
I'm on a similar plan except right now I try to stick with 1:6. I'll have 1,000-1,300 calories 6 days a week and up to 2,500 on Saturday. I also try not to eat until 10-11am and stop eating by 7pm so like a 15:9 or 16:8 fasting schedule.
I'm not opposed to trying the 5:2 someday if I start to have more hunger. I think I could manage a 500 calorie day with a lot of protein like one 160 calorie protein shake followed by 3 100 calorie Greek yogurts. With coffee, tea and chewing gum in between.
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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.
That's basically what I'm doing at the moment, as I find it easier to cut back when I am at work Monday to Friday, whereas the weekends are filled with family dinners and events.
So, I aim for 800 or less Monday to Friday and then allow myself to have 1,600 on Saturday and Sunday. My BMR is around 1650 I believe, though I am reasonably active in my job too. MFP recommends 1230 a day at the moment to lose 1kg a week.
How I have those 800 calories varies, but I tend to avoid eating until early afternoon when I have something protein rich like 0% fat cottage cheese on wholemeal toast, then I have dinner later on.
Some days, I clock in at around 620 calories, but the average is around 750 calories.
I track the weekend days too, of course, but I like knowing that I can have something indulgent liked a grilled sausage sandwich with tomatoes on a Saturday morning and still have enough calories left for a decent lunch and dinner. It is worth cutting back during the week for that flexibility at the weekend - for me at least.
I don't know your stats (height, weight, age, etc), but your weekly caloric average is rather concerning. If you're eating, at the maximum, 800 calories 5 days a week (which you admit to eating under majority of the time), and at 1600 calories 2 days a week, then you are only averaging around 1000 calories a day. That's under the amount MFP is recommending for you, which is already the bare minimum for maintaining normal body function. If your BMR is indeed 1650 (BMR being the calories you burn by simply existing and doing nothing), you really ought to eat more. Fasting is meant to create a deficit, but high calorie days are supposed to keep your calories up to a healthy weekly loss. Lilawolf's weekly average is within a healthy rate of loss. Your deficit, in contrast, is very extreme.0 -
My other half's mum does 5:2 and really likes it but she just loves to eat grilled chicken and salad anyway so low cal suits her. I prefer my way of controlling my CI - like some who have already posted, I eat one large meal a day (basically fasting for 23 hours a day). It works really well for my satiety and lifestyle.0
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It's going well for me. I just don't eat breakfast or lunch on the fast days, drinks lots of tea and water (up to about 50kcal in milk) and then a nice 450kcal meal for dinner. I don't feel deprived and the weight is coming off easily. I also don't go nuts on my other days, having a light breakfast and lunch and usually 500-700 kcal dinner. This gives me flexibility to have a cheat day now and again (if I want to go out for drinks or a meal I don't have to worry). It's not for everyone though.0
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JanetYellen wrote: »Does not teach anything about healthy habits for life. Not sustainable. It's the flavor of the day diet.
It actually teaches quite a bit. If you are serious about your maintenance, normal days are a perfect chance to practice it and build new lifetime habits. The strategies you need to lose weight are slightly different from those needed to maintain it. Dieting is temporary, maintenance is (hopefully) how you will be eating for the rest of your life. I do every other day dieting (one day on one day off) and it has helped me learn quite a few things about what actually matters in this whole weight loss deal: maintenance.
Why I think this diet is personally for me:
- I get to practice maintenance. This is very important to me.
- If I ever feel like eating something on a fast day that doesn't fit my calories, it's very easy to stop myself in my tracks by simply telling myself that I can have it tomorrow.
- I get to have an actual slice of cake, not just a sliver, a moderately sized maintenance friendly slice of cake without compensating for it by modifying my other meals or doing longer workouts. Being able to eat the foods I like in non-microscopic portions without having to stress about fitting it in makes this diet sustainable to me.
- After a couple of weeks I stopped feeling hungry on fast days. I'm almost never hungry, and when I am it's the type of hunger that you acknowledge and move on, not the kind that gnaws at you nonstop and disturbs your sleep. Not being hungry makes for a sustainable diet to me.
- It's easy to correct higher than expected calorie days. The other day I was nearly done with my day when I remembered that I was invited to a birthday party. The day came at 500 calories over maintenance. To correct that all I had to do was to remove 500 calories from my next maintenance day. My weekly loss didn't suffer at all.
- As a socially active person, it's much easier for me to not be the "party grinch" who chews salad in the corner and declines eating dishes made and shared with love.
- Timing my workouts on maintenance days helps a lot with recovery and makes it easier to manage exercise munchies.
- I have a lot more freedom to experiment with interesting dishes and try new vegetable prepared in all kinds of ways and combinations.
- Even though I don't feel hungry on fast days, sometimes I feel like eating something just because it's there or just because I'm bored or out of habit. Fast days have been very helpful at teaching me how to manage that feeling.
- Binging is now a once in a blue moon thing for me. For some reason I no longer feel the desire to binge.
Mileage may vary, and different people thrive on different calorie control strategies, so dismissing a strategy that can be valid for some just because it sounds unappealing or unsustainable to one person is a bit silly. I assure you, those who tried IF and didn't like it are no longer doing it. Those who do it long term do it because it's easy, sustainable and effective in their case.
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JanetYellen wrote: »Does not teach anything about healthy habits for life. Not sustainable. It's the flavor of the day diet.
You learn portion control on a 500 calorie day, and re-acquaint yourself with hunger. You can move to 6:1 and ultimately maintain and drop into a "fast" day if your weight starts to drift up.
Perfectly sustainable, and at least as sustainable as monitoring calorie intake 24/7.0 -
I did. I was starving on the fast days and couldn't maintain it.0
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