5:2 intermittent fasting-question

Prady2012
Prady2012 Posts: 41 Member
edited December 19 in Food and Nutrition
I want to try 5:2 fasting. I am currently following 1200 calories per day. So if i want to include 5:2 fasting, i think following must be the plan

5 days 1200 cal
2 days 600 cal
My questions
1) for 5 days do i eat 2000 cal (maintainence) or 1200 cal(recommended by mfp to lose 2lb/week)?
2) can i change my fasting days every other week?

Thanks,
Prady

Replies

  • Cartagenita
    Cartagenita Posts: 11 Member
    I read about this 5:2 fasting .... 5 days u eat regularly & 2 days u fast or u can eat 500 calories for woman (600 for men)
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Your plan is not correct.

    #1 perhaps - depends if 2000 is really your average maintenance. That is probably average sedentary woman level of maintenance.

    You working out?
    Then you are not sedentary.
    Got a physical job, or frankly do you come home from even a desk job and have home responsibilities that keep you busy?
    Then you are not sedentary, probably Lightly-Active.
    Use the exercise calculator for your typical workouts part of the equation - add those to a weeks worth of honest activity level calorie burn, divide by 7.

    Then your average daily will be higher from several days spiking higher. Could be 2200, 2400, ect.

    Then indeed 2 non-consecutive days at 1/4 maintenance - whatever that works out to be.

    Sure the days can change around if you have a 2 week type schedule.

    The study showed that the 22% average deficit caused by this led to better adherence and sustaining it for the time period of study.
    It seems many keep the lifestyle when they have reached goal weight - and just eat more on the other days to compensate.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    Cartagenita wrote: »
    I read about this 5:2 fasting .... 5 days u eat regularly & 2 days u fast or u can eat 500 calories for woman (600 for men)

    5:2 is you eat maintenance calories 5 days a week and the other 2 days you eat 500-600 calories. I mean you can fast where there is no food but who wants to do that? I would pass out if I didnt eat at all (but thats me)
  • Prady2012
    Prady2012 Posts: 41 Member
    Thank you everyone
  • kteej
    kteej Posts: 46 Member
    I was trying a similar plan to yours. I just read that someone else did that, but changed to add calories on the NF days to be closer to her TDEE, and lost more. I'm debating how to handle this. That's why I'm searching. Might try it for a couple of weeks to see if it really works. I did lose 5 pounds in the first two weeks, but then no loss the past ten days. What are you doing now?
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    kteej wrote: »
    I was trying a similar plan to yours. I just read that someone else did that, but changed to add calories on the NF days to be closer to her TDEE, and lost more. I'm debating how to handle this. That's why I'm searching. Might try it for a couple of weeks to see if it really works. I did lose 5 pounds in the first two weeks, but then no loss the past ten days. What are you doing now?

    This user hasn't visited again since the day after she posted this. Not uncommon around here, unfortunately.

    The point of 5:2 is to use the 2 low days to create your overall weekly deficit. If you're eating 1200 calories 5 days a week and 500 calories 2 days, you're undereating, will likely feel like poo resulting in decreased TDEE, and will also likely "fall off the wagon"and binge back a lot of those calories you've been denying yourself.

    Weight loss isn't linear. Read the stickied posts about accurate logging and food measurement to be sure you're really eating the amount you think you are eating and consider a weight trending app to account for daily fluctuations to give you a clearer picture of what is happening overall.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    kteej wrote: »
    I was trying a similar plan to yours. I just read that someone else did that, but changed to add calories on the NF days to be closer to her TDEE, and lost more. I'm debating how to handle this. That's why I'm searching. Might try it for a couple of weeks to see if it really works. I did lose 5 pounds in the first two weeks, but then no loss the past ten days. What are you doing now?

    This user hasn't visited again since the day after she posted this. Not uncommon around here, unfortunately.

    The point of 5:2 is to use the 2 low days to create your overall weekly deficit. If you're eating 1200 calories 5 days a week and 500 calories 2 days, you're undereating, will likely feel like poo resulting in decreased TDEE, and will also likely "fall off the wagon"and binge back a lot of those calories you've been denying yourself.

    Weight loss isn't linear. Read the stickied posts about accurate logging and food measurement to be sure you're really eating the amount you think you are eating and consider a weight trending app to account for daily fluctuations to give you a clearer picture of what is happening overall.

    I agree with this^

    I just wanted to add a link: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100058-5-2-fasting

    Very strict dieting just 2 days a week is plenty of deficit unless you are very overweight. Example: Let's say your TDEE is 2,000 calories. Eating 500 for 2 days and normally the rest of the week is a 3,000 calorie deficit. That's 6/7 of a pound. 2 pounds a week is only recommended for people with a lot of weight to lose (> 75 pounds).

    A few weeks is not enough time to judge. Even so, 5 pounds in 24 days is hefty rate of loss unless you have a lot to lose. The side effects of under eating (fatigue, muscle loss, eventual hair loss) will not be mitigated because you are doing IF.
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