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Fasting / 5:2 diet

The 5:2 thread number 30 - Did half term bingeing make you feel dirty? Then hop on board thread number 30!

999 replies

BetsyBell · 07/11/2013 16:09

The continuing thread for those of us following the 5:2 fast or other forms of fasting such as 4:3, ADF, or daily 16:8.

The 5:2 diet was featured on Horizon in August 2012 and essentially requires you to fast for 2 non-consecutive days per week. The other 5 days, you can eat normally - or approximately your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE - see explanation below). 4:3 is the same except you fast on 3 days in the week. Alternate-day fasting (ADF) is just how it sounds; you fast every other day. 16:8 is another form where you stick to only eating in an 8 hour window each day, therefore fasting for 16 hours each day.

By "fasting", we mean that we keep our calorie consumption very low, around 500 calories on average for a woman, 600 for a man, on those days.

You'll find on these threads we use a number of acronyms. If you're new to the threads, or Mumsnet in general, they might not make much sense.

WOE/WOL = Way Of Eating/Way Of Life. We use this term instead of "diet" as many of us see this as something to do in the long term.

MFP = My Fitness Pal, a website many use for keeping track of the number of calories they're eating.

TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure, quantifies the number of calories you burn in a day. This measure is best estimated by scaling your Basal Metabolic Rate to your level of activity. TDEE is critical in tailoring your nutrition plan to desired fitness goals. Here is a link to a calculator to help you figure out how many calories you should be eating in a day.

NFD = Non fast day

NSV = Non scale victory

Michael Mosley has a website to accompany his book on the subject. Please go check it out, as he's the whole reason most of us are here!

Lurkers and new starters: please just jump in and post - you'll find a lot of support here and we’re a friendly bunch.

Here is a list of links to get you started with this way of eating. Please let us know if you find a new article or some other information online:

All our previous threads can be found by browsing through the fasting section of the site.

Another thread which breadandwine has started is a good resource for some of the tips and links that get lost in these big threads. In addition to sharing links, we try to condense some of our top tips for fasting there. Keep in mind, we all do this differently, so these are just tips, not rules. This might be a good place to catch up with us if you're feeling a bit lost!

frenchfancy has a recipe thread over here, please post any low-calorie recipes there so they don't get lost in these bigger threads!

If you've been at this a while and are moving on to maintaining your goal weight, there is a thread here to discuss that.

Here is the link to the BBC article regarding Michael Mosley's findings, which was featured on Horizon.

There's a link to the aforementioned Horizon programme here.

A blog post here gives some of the scientific explanation for why this way of eating helps you to not only lose weight, but improve your all-around health.

This link nicely demonstrates that there are many body ‘right’ body shapes and types, because what we are actually aiming for is low body fat for fitness and health.

A Telegraph article which comments on the diet and gives a brief overview by Dr Mosley himself, very informative if you're just starting. (I highly recommend this for an overview)

A study discussed here gives commentary specifically addressing the effect of this diet on obese people (both men and women), with regard to both health and weight loss. ("After 8 weeks of treatment, participants had an average 12.5 lbs reduction in body weight and a 4 cm decrease in waist circumference. Total fat mass declined by about 12 lbs while lean body mass remained relatively constant.) it also mentions "Plasma adiponectin, a protein hormone that is elevated in obesity and associated with heart disease, dropped by 30%. As did LDL cholesterol (25%) and triglycerides (32%).")

Something to consider if you are currently your ideal BMI: this appears to suggest the benefits for women at a lower BMI might not be seeing the same health benefits that are found on men at their ideal BMI.

A BIG THANK YOU to all who have been contributing. Most of us are learning this way of eating as we go along. All of the links above have been posted by others in our previous threads, and they've been very helpful.

A HUGE THANK YOU to Greeneggsandnicht for putting together all this info and resources into one concise OP text, much appreciated by so many 5:2ers!

Come join us, and tell us about your experiences with this diet!

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BetsyBell · 07/11/2013 16:10

With thanks to CuckooAtchooUhOh for the thread title!

I hope you all find the thread… last one got filled up before I got a chance to post a link Shock

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CuckooAtchooUhOh · 07/11/2013 16:11

Bah Baaaaam!!

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CuckooAtchooUhOh · 07/11/2013 16:11

Oh yeah and..

........ CLENCH..........

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BetsyBell · 07/11/2013 16:12

You win Cuckoo

Sorry you all got left without a thread for a bit...

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CuckooAtchooUhOh · 07/11/2013 16:13

Was pure fluke actually haha!

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PoshPaula · 07/11/2013 16:19

Thanks for the advice. I am at work so can't really go for a long walk (they might not like it if I leave the office...) I can up the tea intake though. Off home now to drink more tea.

I am losing weight! That's something to hold on to.

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BetsyBell · 07/11/2013 16:23

Right, I think I've just spammed everyone on the last page of thread 29 with a link to this thread - apologies to those who got it more than once or anyone I missed.

Phew! More work than I intended straight after school on a fast day - I haven't even had a hot drink yet!

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BsshBossh · 07/11/2013 16:31

Thank you Betsy Thanks.
And thanks everyone on the previous thread for the heating advice :)

Really really struggling through my FD today. But am holding firm (particularly difficult atm as DD is chowing down on some lovely roasted mixed nuts). My mantra right now? I can chow down tomorrow.

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Talkinpeace · 07/11/2013 16:37

dashed off to make soup for supper!

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BetsyBell · 07/11/2013 16:38

Bssh That's what I would really like now too. Tomorrow…

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Dotty342kids · 07/11/2013 16:42

Aha, hello all!
Ok, had mini brownie earlier than intended but casserole is now warming up and then will be off to meeting and away from all temptation, thank goodness Smile

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MrsFlorrick · 07/11/2013 16:45

Thank you Cookoo and Betsy Grin

DH is away so having dinner with DC beef mushroom casserole with dumplings. But "healthy" whole meal olive oil dumplings. If I can keep away from the kitchen after that then my total for today should be 900 cals so its a proper mini fast.

Am doing the two mini fasts this week as well the first one was supposed to be an actual fast but I ate too much and this one isnt entirely intentional. I was going to be a normal day but I wasn't that hungry with my cheese and wine hangover Blush

Hope everyone else is doing good.

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whimsicalname · 07/11/2013 16:53

Thanks betsy. Present and correct!

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BeCoolFucker · 07/11/2013 16:59

Hello I'm here - thanks for new thread.
End of the working day nearly here. I'm hungry and looking forward to a lowcal dinner.

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AngieM2 · 07/11/2013 17:14

My name's Angie and I'm a dirty half term binger. I've come here for therapy....before the next half term in 5 weeks! Aaarrgghhhh

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GrandstandingBlueTit · 07/11/2013 17:26

Hi all, I'm new to the chat threads, although have posted on some of the others.

I've been doing 5:2 for 8 months now and have lost 8 kilos. Just another kilo and a half to get to my goal weight by the time I'm 40 at the end of next month!

Absolutely LOVE 5:2 and know that I will eat this way for the rest of my life.

Looking forward to joining in the thread. :)

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BsshBossh · 07/11/2013 17:36

Great work Grand and welcome!

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BetsyBell · 07/11/2013 17:55

Very impressive Grand! Welcome to the threads :) I'm sure people would love to hear more details about your fasting methods, hints and tips as those sorts of stats are inspirational.

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GrandstandingBlueTit · 07/11/2013 18:17

Really? I thought my progress was quite slow by others' standards - a kilo a month. :)

Admittedly, I didn't have a huge amount to lose, and so it has been relatively slow and steady progress.

I found fast days really tough initially, but now they're just part of the routine.

I skip breakfast - a bit of a revelation for me, as I've never, for as long as I can remember, been a breakfast person. I've always felt obliged to eat it in the past (breakfast is the most important meal of the day, etc, etc), and rather than sustaining me until lunch time, it kicks starts my hunger and makes me want to eat again mid-morning.

I drink a lot of water on fast days, have a small lunch around 1 and then a small dinner in the evening.

I know that on some NFDs I definitely go over my TDEE (not loads, but some) which is maybe why my weight loss has been a bit slower, but that's fine with me.

That's the beauty of is WOE - the best of both world's - eating what you fancy, enjoying food (and wine!) - I'm a bit of a foodie and love to cook - and being slim.

DH started on it a couple of weeks ago having seen my results, and my 73 year old Dad told me hat he goes on it for a couple of weeks at a time of he notices his belt is feeling a bit tight! Grin

Nobody else IRL knows I'm following it as I'm aware that diet talk is dull as shite for most people, so it will be good to chat on this thread. :)

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BsshBossh · 07/11/2013 18:26

Grand "slow", "fast", it's all relative. What matters is you're 8 kg lighter this year and that's brilliant. Happy chatting :)

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toffeesponge · 07/11/2013 18:28

Found you!

I didn't get a PM Grin.

I am feeling really thin today in my size 12 trousers. I know I am probably still classed as over weight (am I??) but for me, this is skinny! Grin.

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BetsyBell · 07/11/2013 18:31

Grand achieving that steadiness is impressive - I've been around 7lbs above my goal weight for months! (Though I'm actually perfectly happy with current weight). This is such a great place to vent the boring diet chat - we all love it and then no one in real life has to listen. Also, most of us are foodies (why we're here…) so the food talk is great too Grin.

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GrandstandingBlueTit · 07/11/2013 18:34

Ah fab, thanks for the warm welcome!

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BetsyBell · 07/11/2013 18:37

Sorry Toffee Sad I blame the fasting! What's your BMI? Size isn't a great indicator - my thighs are size 12!

Just had a fast day dinner which I know was a fair bit over - I really wanted to make my salmon and veg Thai-esque so the creamed coconut would have added a fair whack of calories. Full now and very satisfied.

Have made hungry DH eat the rest of the tempting sugary yogurt. So apart from the 30g or so of sugar I had in the yogurt yesterday I have managed to keep clear of the stuff since Monday :)

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toffeesponge · 07/11/2013 18:49

I am 5 foot 6ish (think I have lost 1/2-1inch) and weigh 11 stone 4.4lbs.

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