To think the 5:2 diet is just dangerous nonsense?

[MrsMattBomer]

A girl I teach in sixth form was telling me about it today. I was a bit baffled by it, brought it up to a colleague who said it was amazing and really works.

Am I right in thinking it's basically just eating what you want and then starving yourself for two days? Is this not incredibly dangerous? Surely it's an eating disorder of some kind, not a diet!

Blanche - er - I wasn't being remotely hysterical. It was responding to the OP's specific question about stuffing your face and then starving.

Maybe you should read properly before chucking out idiotic accusations. Quite clear that you are NOT any sort of genius, eh?!

It's a fad but results in you eating less, like any other diet.

Temporary maybe you are right.

But your post really did not read like that. You did not say that you were responding to anything specific, so it read like just another misinformed moan!

I did it in 2013. Lost nearly 3 stone and have never put it back on. I felt great on it to be honest and it worked very well for me.

What research has shown you it's dangerous? Where's the danger?

Insulin plays an important role in weight gain - people with insulin resistance put on weight easily. Intermittent fasting has been shown to help lower insulin levels leading to weight loss. It's not quite as simple as 'calories in/out'.

I think there's lots more research to be done. I agree there's probably more to losing weight than cals in v cals out, but, hey, it seems to work! IF is calorie restriction, after all, and many swear by it. It's quite strict imho -too much so for me, that's for sure-and like someone upthread, I'm very cynical about Michael Mosely's involvement with it (hasn't he moved on to Blood Sugar diets now, any way?).

What's the definition of a "fast"?

Sadly I'm now back on the 364:1 diet (or "Judaism", as it's more commonly known), and need to get back to 5:2.

brilliant!

Sorry Blanche, prob me being too sensitive - sadly overeating and no off switch and even trying therapy about it is no stranger to me!

The research around weight loss generally is very poor.

Yep, agree that Atkins wasn't great - or rather there was a basis but it wasn't good for you ,the whole ketones thing was the main problem? However the pretext of eating more protien less carbs and fat not being the bad guy was pretty sound - and it worked. Mosley's book however (and if interested the associated scientific studies that back up the claims for intermittent fasting) you will see that this is far from rubbish and it does have a proven scientific basis - so you are wrong in making those assumptions.

In fact studies are showing that this 'diet' (which ideally should be continued indefinitely) can reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, improve your cholesterol readings and make you live longer.

It is quite an intelligent book and some of the scientific studies are very interesting. I have met someone doing a Masters in Nutrition who is running a fascinating large scale study on elements of this way of eating.

But in answer to your original question OP - YABU & might be worth actually doing some research yourself before making assumptions about something you know nothing about? Saying that though at least you are posting here and finding stuff out rather than berating a teenager who as it turns was quite well informed..

well it worked for me...size 18 to size 10 over two to three years...
I think it does us good to know what hunger feels like tbh.

No, I was being bolshy! I fell off the bandwagon when teaching stressed the crap out of me. Gained back some weight, lost all my good eating habits, stress ate myself fat again.

2 years on and I am all geared up to go back on it.

I really miss the starchy carb heavy meals, learning new ways to use pulses and I really truly don't want to eat any more sugary crap!

Christmas dinner is looking great

I'm amazed there are people who don't know what it's like to be hungry. That is just a normal part of the day. Don't you wake up hungry?

How exactly does it work ?
I've lost 2 stone calories counting and can't shift the last half a stone

Hello OP, it was my flippant response to you on another thread that possibly prompted this thread.

You don't starve yourself really, you eat 500 calories of food on that day. Lots of people above have given reasons why this isn't dangerous and is an effective diet.

IF works really well, unlike the NHS advice. So does low carbing. I am thin because of those two diets. I am healthy.

Any form of diet can be dangerous for someone with an eating disorder.

THe MN 5:2 section is a great resource for anyone genuinely interested in the science or practicalities of following this way of eating.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/fasting_diet

Everyone I know who has done the 5:2 - and stuck to it - lost weight and kept if off.

As a PP said, I think it helps people to recognise when they are hungry and when they are full. Our constant snacking culture means that people don't get hungry - just greedy for more. It's not really that faddy - you can eat a wide range of foods just restrict the calorie intake on two out of five days.

Yes Blanche - Pulses are great. Tasty tasty lentils! Once you get used to tiny portions of pasta etc, you don't miss it.

BUT if you slip, it's so hard to reduce them again. Why don't sprouts taste as good as spaghetti?!

...although I must confess it was a bout of giardiasis that got the last dress size off....

I was doing really well at weight loss on the 5:2 diet - right up until the moment I got gout! Apparently this is a reasonably common side effect.

I'm amazed there are people who don't know what it's like to be hungry. That is just a normal part of the day. Don't you wake up hungry?

And if people do the first thing they do is eat.

As a society we are programmed to think that being hungry is bad. Look at how even with young children their is such a snacking culture.

Hmm, well it seems I should do more research! Luckily I'm happy with my weight as it is but it did make me think it was slightly dangerous with the fasting element. I've heard a lot of 15/16 year old girls going on about it too, which worries me. I brought it up with the head to see if there's more we can be doing to teach them that dieting is not the way to deal with confidence issues and you don't need to look like the stick-thin models.

I tried it but it doesn't work because actually, you have to diet on the other five days as well - it is not eat what you want!

Sadly I'm now back on the 364:1 diet (or "Judaism", as it's more commonly known), and need to get back to 5:2.

I'm on the same one, but ours is the Irish catholic strand mixed in with Eastern European cooking (where everything has potatoes and there's no such thing as low fat).

Sirzy of course you eat in the morning. That's what break-fast is all about. I thought posters above where saying it's somehow abnormal to know what hunger feels like.