Fasting Diets (thoughts?)

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lizhitsthegym
lizhitsthegym Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys! I'm super new to dieting, but my friend recommended this system where you "fast" for 2 of 7 days a week. The fast isn't a true fast, in this case, as you're still allowed to have up to 500 calories in the day. The other five days you eat normally.

I'm trying it out now but would love some comments from people who've tried this or other similar fasting diets!
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  • Dr__Girlfriend
    Dr__Girlfriend Posts: 100 Member
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    Why not shoot for healthy lifestyle habits instead, that are small, attainable goals and can last long term instead of a short term cure-all fix-all same-size-fits-all for temporary weight loss?
  • lizhitsthegym
    lizhitsthegym Posts: 7 Member
    edited June 2017
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    Thank you for the responses, dudes!
    Dr__Girlfriend wrote: »
    Let's just start with the fact that it "recommends" 500 calories for everyone - regardless of age, height, activity, weight, medical concerns, etc...
    Dr__Girlfriend wrote: »
    Why not shoot for healthy lifestyle habits instead, that are small, attainable goals and can last long term instead of a short term cure-all fix-all same-size-fits-all for temporary weight loss?

    I totally understand that such a flat calorie recommendation doesn't take into account personal differences! I am happy to say I'm also pairing the fasting with daily gym visits, and I'm switching up my eating to feature more protein & greens than carbohydrates. I do feel though the fast days are super doable! For some reason the eating delay isn't much of a hassle and I don't find myself overeating the day after. So I'm not worried about the unattainability of the fasting goal really, mostly just about possibly shooting my metabolism in the foot! For 5'8 and 170 pounds do you think the 500 cal restriction 2 days a week is too much and will put my body in what I've heard people call "starvation mode?" Definitely don't want to harm my body's functions!


    thiosulfate wrote: »
    That is one form for Intermittent Fasting (IF). In that case, you'd want to make sure your weekly calorie goal is such to accommodate your desired weight loss. If I recall correctly, this form of IF does 2 days of very low calories and 5 days of maintenance or close to maintenance calories.

    Oh! Good to know. So I should toggle my settings here so it's not set to weight loss but maintaining weight?
  • Dr__Girlfriend
    Dr__Girlfriend Posts: 100 Member
    edited June 2017
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    Honestly, daily gym visits at 500 calories sounds like a disaster. My trainer would shoot me in the foot if I ate less than 1800-1900 calories on a cut. Its just unnecessarily extreme. I did 5:2 in the past when my eating was quite disordered and I was very unknowledgeable about how the human body works, so I'm not judging at all. You want to lose fat, while losing less muscle (You will always lose both, the key is to try and maintain as much muscle as you can while losing fat, hence strength training. No research shows that eating 500 calories helps you accomplish that - why not spread that deficit out over the whole week?). You imply you want to eat less carbohydrates as well, but if you're working out daily you need to be replacing that muscular glycogen. I'd recommend strength training three-four days a week, not daily, to avoid overtraining.
  • Dr__Girlfriend
    Dr__Girlfriend Posts: 100 Member
    edited June 2017
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    Honestly, strong curves saved my life, taught me how to lift, how to change my body, and helped me recover from an eating disorder that begun by fasting to lose weight. I can't recommend it enough, it's a great place to start your journey! It's very scientifically informative. You seem bright, you will do well no matter where you go! https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Curves-Womans-Building-Better-ebook/dp/B00C4XI0QM
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited June 2017
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    OP starvation mode is a myth and lots of people successfully use 5:2 while working out. I believe some even use it to transition to maintenance by switching to one fast day so they can eat a little more on the other days of the week.

    The benefit of IF is that it helps some people reach their weekly calorie deficit. Meal timing and volume is personal preference.

    If you are aiming to lose 1 lb per week, you need a weekly deficit of 3500 calories. If you are aiming for half-a-lb per week you need a 1750 deficit for the week. So set your daily calories accordingly. I don't do 5:2 so hopefully someone who does can chime in on the easiest way to set that up on mfp. Personally, I wouldn't do strength training on fast days, I would think that would affect your ability to progress over time, but that's just a hunch. Just play around with it until it feels right. I believe there are groups here on the forums as well, probably under Intermittent Fasting or 5:2. Good luck!
  • lizhitsthegym
    lizhitsthegym Posts: 7 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice everyone.

    I actually havent been strength training yet, since I just started! It's been a while since I've been to the gym, so I figured reacclimating to one thing first was a good idea to keep me motivated. Will start cycling in strength training next week! I think I'm going to stick with the 5:2 for a little bit to see how it works for me. So far it hasn't been any kind of struggle and when I do work out on fast days it's just a low key standing bike ride while watching an episode of Arrested Development. If it does begin to feel too extreme I'll just do the daily deficit as recommended by MFP but I think the upside of the 5:2 is on weekends with my family I can go out and eat with some freedom.

    At my next doctor's appointment, I'll also ask what they personally think given my medical history!
  • BarneyRubbleMD
    BarneyRubbleMD Posts: 1,092 Member
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    lizmclaughlin17 wrote: »
    Thanks for all the advice everyone.

    I actually havent been strength training yet, since I just started! It's been a while since I've been to the gym, so I figured reacclimating to one thing first was a good idea to keep me motivated. Will start cycling in strength training next week! I think I'm going to stick with the 5:2 for a little bit to see how it works for me. So far it hasn't been any kind of struggle and when I do work out on fast days it's just a low key standing bike ride while watching an episode of Arrested Development. If it does begin to feel too extreme I'll just do the daily deficit as recommended by MFP but I think the upside of the 5:2 is on weekends with my family I can go out and eat with some freedom.

    At my next doctor's appointment, I'll also ask what they personally think given my medical history!

    Checking with your Dr first would be a good idea. I know for myself, if I ate 500 calories for a day I'd be passed out on the floor by the end of the day since that puts me at about a 3000 calorie deficit without any exercise.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    lizmclaughlin17 wrote: »
    Hey guys! I'm super new to dieting, but my friend recommended this system where you "fast" for 2 of 7 days a week. The fast isn't a true fast, in this case, as you're still allowed to have up to 500 calories in the day. The other five days you eat normally.

    I'm trying it out now but would love some comments from people who've tried this or other similar fasting diets!

    5:2 - 2 days at 500 calories, 5 days at maintenance.

    Here's a link to the group for more info: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting

    I couldn't make the 500 calorie days work, but zig-zagged my calories differently. Because weekends were tough to keep under control I ate maintenance Fri-Sat-Sun and lower during the week. Whatever helps you stay consistent.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
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    You're talking about the 5:2 diet. It's a pretty well established eating plan and there are lots of resources on these forums about it. Run a search on 5:2 and/or buy the Dr Mosely book on the subject.

    It's just an IF protocol and it's perfectly possible to run for long periods of time - maybe indefinitely for some. I ran it for about 12 months but there is a guy in my office that has been on it, at maintenance calorific levels, for as long as I've known him (about 3 and a half years now).

    Also, for me and others I know, exercising* whilst fasted is not a problem with respect to either health or exercise performance.

    * I've several years of training logs which shows me that my lifting and running performance is no different whether I'm fasted or fed, whether that is 5:2 or 8:16 or my modified IF protocol. Although I concede that I doubt I would have the same impression if my running training was for distance.
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
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    A deficit ...is a deficit... is a deficit. You can achieve this any way you please.
  • hungrywombat
    hungrywombat Posts: 47 Member
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    It's not for everyone but it works for me - I was expecting the 500 days to be really painful but actually they're not that bad. I make sure to schedule them on weekdays when I'm quite busy so there's less time to focus on being hungry :) Plus, knowing that I can eat well again the following day helps with adherence. I don't feel the need to go crazy and eat everything in the kitchen the next day. In fact, I found that it's helped my relationship with food because I no longer feel guilty if I have a slice of cake or a meal out with friends. Now, as long as it doesn't tip me over into a surplus that day, it's fine.

    On my 500 days I drink a LOT of water, green tea and black coffee. I'll eat a late lunch (a salad or veggies with fish or chicken usually) and home-cooked veggie soup for dinner. I usually factor in a boiled egg for if I'm feeling particularly hungry. Getting the most nutrient bang for my buck is important. I'm generally pretty energetic and clear headed on 500 days so exercise is fine for me. Not heavy lifting of course, but a cardio class or a 10K run. Again, this isn't for everyone but I've found that it works for my goals and lifestyle.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    Not for me, my blood sugar crashes. You might want to check with your doctor before embarking upon this.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited June 2017
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    If 5:2 interests you, try it out. I've thought about it, but haven't yet. A friend of mine does it and loves it -- she initially lost 10-15 vanity lbs and now maintains with it. She initially did not feel comfortable exercising on the low days, but now that she's used to it she does her usual 3-5 mile run.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Finally someone attempts an IF protocol that is actually geared towards weight loss and is a pretty good one to follow and they get destroyed for it.

    OP, there's been a lot of negative advice that isn't really founded. Yes following a fasting protocol by someone with a history of disordered eating can be bad, but don't let those opinions discourage you from trying it. There are a lot of successful people who use 5:2. And yes you can exercise while following it, you may have to tweak and adjust your schedule a little, but that's something you won't know until you try. The most important part is pre-planning your fast days. Lots of filling vegetables, & lean protein will get you through. Know what you are going to eat ahead of time, don't wing it.
  • Dr__Girlfriend
    Dr__Girlfriend Posts: 100 Member
    edited June 2017
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    I did IF for 6+ years, up until last month actually. It really just became habit. I gained weight on it, but that's due to a million reasons. It's definitely not a cure-all or fix-all. It's just another way of eating that for some people effects CICO. I started eating breakfast again and my brain is much happier, and my lifts are much stronger. Diets are cute and fun, they switch things up and there's no harm in trying them - but they are often wrongly touted as a panacea.

    Rybo, I'm interested in you lumping 5:2 into Intermittent Fasting - did Martin Berkhan also advocate for 5:2? I followed his lean-gains protocol for years, as he founded IF, but I never saw him advocate such extreme and aggressive cuts (3000+ calorie deficits)

    5:2 just doesn't make sense to me in that it recommends the same amount of calories for someone whose completely sedentary as someone who is extremely active. I lost fat on 5:2, but I lost way more muscle I had worked so hard for.

    Op, if 5:2 is working for you and you want to minimize muscle loss, resistance training will help. Don't be afraid of machines!:) And aim for high protein - .8g-1g per lb of lean body weight. This should help keep you from getting skinny fat like I did when I lived on cardio and low cals. It's scary how easy it was to eat so little for so long!

    Proud of you for starting this journey with such a level head! As I said before, I can tell you're going to go far:))) you got this!
  • tashygolean730
    tashygolean730 Posts: 92 Member
    edited June 2017
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    It's 5:2. It's barely a 3000 calorie a week deficit if followed properly and aiming for maintenance on your non fast days. You will not crash your metabolism. This way of eating is super popular in the UK. I actually follow Alternate Day Fasting which is every other day at 500 calories and every other day at slightly above maintenance. I still average 1200 calories daily or more per week. I've lost 60 pounds in 6 months and I've increased all my personal bests at the gym. There are lots of facebook groups you may want to search for in regards to 5:2. It's actually not much different than the Eat Stop Eat program that is also popular in IF.

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