The new 5:2 diet thread

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

The continuing thread for those of us following either the 5:2 diet or the alternate-day fasting diet. Both are two versions of Intermittent Fasting, which you can read more about here.

The 5:2 diet was featured on Horizon recently, and essentially requires you to fast for 2 non-consecutive days per week. The other 5 days, you can eat what you like. Alternate-day fasting is just how it sounds; you fast every other day. By "fasting", we mean that we keep our calorie consumption very low, around 500 calories on average, on those days.

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

just saying hello and marking place...

I am half a day into my first fast day (just had an Eat veg soup at 150 cals) and a couple of mostly-air frothy coffees. I will prob have some sort of Weight Watchers dinner because I think I won't feel like cooking (even cooking up a pile of veg).

I am interested in this because I was already doing a version of this to maintain weight loss. I lost about 3 stone last year doing a vlcd and that really helped me come to terms with hunger (not be afraid of it, understand that it doesn't overwhelm). I used to have blood sugar issues but I didn't get them on the vlcd and don't really get them now unless I have a baked potato for lunch so now I try to avoid that. Anyway, my maintenance strategy was just to give up breakfast and try to have small meals about four days a week - so not too far from the 5:2 and not eating for 16 hours.

I just got back from a weekend away where I ate too much so thought I might kick myself back into a regime by doing this. Would like to lose another 2st.

Hi frenchfancy

Quite simple just chop and saute 2 small onions, 1 stick of celery and 2 cloves garlic in a couple of squirts of fry light and some water with a stock cube crumbled in.
Roast (without fat) 2 halved and deseeded red peppers in a hot oven until the skins blacken a bit and then take skin off. Throw peppers in.
Add a carton (500g) of passata and a splash of balsamic and worcester sauce, plus a sprinkle of black pepper, garlic salt and paprika (to taste - you could add any herbs and spices you like).
Add at least a litre of boiling water and then just simmer for about 1 hour (add more water if needed) and blend, and I added lots of fresh flat leaf parsley at the end. Enough for at least 4 portions about 85 cals per bowl

Had a kfc at lunch today, oops. It is a feed day, but still, I regret it already! I have done some exersize though, first time in a year! I spent an hour on the cycle going really really slow and stopping. Oh well, it's a start. :)

Thanks geranium. I've got both tomatoes and peppers in the garden so that is lunch on Thursday sorted.

Had a long day out at the zoo with DS and friends. Unfortunately it was also a fast day I didn't eat anything but did have two coffees with semi-skimmed milk (skim wasn't an option).

I've just had some veg and feel better for it. :)

I don't mind making a FB group, though if I did I'd make it private as I don't really want to have to explain to all and sundry what I'm up to with this faddy diet thing.

this thread has been intresting me for a while i had lost about a stone before i went on holiday since being back about 6 weeks maybe longer ive put on a gd few pounds and lost all motivation, can i just ask if i have this right you eat what u want for 5 days starve for 2. so on your days to eat how many calories should you keep as your max and on your two days with hardly any food you should keep this below 500 calories?

have any of use actualy lost weight doing this if so how much is it sustainable im really looking for a new kick start so maybe trying something new will do the trick i only have about a stone maybe a stone and half left to lose

any advice much apreciated :)

..I don't do FB ... ...have vigorously resisted i so far ..and I'd be sad to see the informative and motivating people who post on this thread go....

Feed day but i've just had spicy vegetable stir fry (made with stock not oil ) for dinner .. really loving my veggies right now, I treated myself to a little peanut butter in it , but wouldn't on a fast day.. I'm going away for the weekend and will have a take away curry (rare treat as the ones here 'offshore' on our little island here off the south coast , are generally rubbish.) and also ,no doubt, lots of wine . so I'm considering fasting again tomorrow -which would make three this week..

Slight change of plan for tea as the scallops were so expensive I couldn't justify it

Instead I had jumbo king prawns and baby sweetcorn with a little sweet chilli sauce on a bed of rocket and tomato - absolutely gorgeous and about 200 cals (proper big plateful too)

I then had strawberries and am finishing with an options hot choc - and feel totally satisfied

I did have a few hunger pangs between 2 and 6 but rode them out- honestly can't believe how easy this was

sounds lovely geranium

Gaby thats about right , 500cals on fast days (consensus is best eaten in two meals ,) and what you want on feed days , However I looked up my basal calorie rate (its about about 1800 for me) and don't go above that if I can help it on feed days.

the Horizon programme was still available on You Tube when I last looked

BBC Horizon 2012: Eat, Fast and Live Longer

5:2 diet talk
mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2012/05/hrt_20120507_1740.mp3

5:2 diet article
www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/9480451/The-52-diet-can-it-help-you-lose-weight-and-live-longer.html

5:2 diet research
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3017674/

HTH

"Eat what you want" on feed days, btw, is so open to interpretation that I feel like I should repeat a bit from one of the articles linked earlier. The amount of food you eat on a feeding day should be around your suggested caloric intake for maintaining weight. I'll leave this for you to figure out for yourselves. :) But the point was made in at least one article, that some people might think it means you can have a huge breakfast, hit the Chinese buffet for lunch, etc, because hey, you can "eat what you want." Eating three big meals, especially meals out where one meal itself could send you over 2000 calories, is not really ideal. It's mentioned several times that the participants in these studies didn't feel the need to go over their suggested daily calories (will give the example of 2000 calories for the average woman- don't quote this, though, I'm just using it as an example! We're all different sizes!) on their eating days.

I'm not trying to send everyone for their calculators for their feeding days, but I thought it was an important point to make. (and I say this as someone who has over-indulged on one or two of my feeding days, so I'm not being judgmental about what you choose to eat! :) )

I think the fasting days help to shrink your appetite a bit, and in the long term, you will find yourself not wanting large portions on your eating days, anyway.

ooh links again, thank you maverick!

greeneggs Yes totally agree.. I didn't quite think my wording through before i typed it in ..

To calculate your basal rate

www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

and to calculate you calorie needs to stay the same weight (you need your basal rate first)

www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

oh no Laska I just wanted to repeat because 1) there's a few new people around and 2) I thought it was important to mention because I know everyone has a different idea of what is "normal" eating. Some of us are the size we are because we forgot what a normal portion size is, for example. Thanks a lot for those links!

Thanks for those links - that's really helpful

I totally agree with you about forgetting what a normal portion/eating is

Hello!! I think I've probably had about 1000 calories today. I am on holiday with my sons so don't want to just sit there with soup all the time!! I am however noticing that I'm not snacking and just eat till I'm comfortably full and then stop! I also don't actually like the taste of chocolate anymore. I'm going mad aren't I? Keep dreaming of fruit!!!!!

Lagartijadoesthecrazyshake - I'm wanting recipes that I can either have part of or can be increased for the DSs to have (maybe to include pasta or somesuch) as I'm loath to cook two meals; I also don't feel the need to tell them (as they're only 6 and 4) that I'm fasting on particular days because it would just create too many questions and reasons why they're not eating which I don't want.

In term time we eat together at about 4.30 in the afternoon, so I can just skip lunch, have a smaller breakfast and a small supper. But I need things which I can adapt.

All ideas gratefully received.

So my basal rate is 1381 calories, if i laid in bed all day...well i would take that any day lol! Chance would be a fine thing :)

Feed day for me today, had a good day. I don't actually calorie count as such on feed days, but have a decent idea of approx how many calories I've eaten. I aim for around 1700-1800 calories but if i go over i don't fret about it, as everyone says, that's the beauty of this diet.

Made a big salad to take to work tomorrow and marinated some Quorn to add. Never used Quorn like that, always in a sauce so I'm hoping it's nice and satisfying.

some one asked about best way to use the 500 calories, it's very much down to personal choice. I find one meal for late lunch works best for me by far, but others prefer two 250 meals over the course if the day. A big life saver for me though is that i have a sugar free energy drink first thing in the morning on fast days. I forgot to have one the other day and it made a big difference.

Only two more fast days for me until the wedding I'm going to on Saturday. Bit naughty but i weighed myself this morning and to date in 2.5 weeks I've lost 9lb, it's really gob smacking, particularly considering how easy in finding it. I'm really enjoying ADF and will find it strange when i drop down to 5:2 in a couple of weeks when i want to maintain my weight.

End of day 1 fast of week 2, egg and toast for breakfast, fish and veg for tea. Found today easy enough , even managed to avoid nibbling on mini chicken pies I made for dh's lunch tomororw.

Have drank lots of decaf coffee, peppermint tea and water. Feel hungry but not starving. On last week think I've lost about 3lb, well pleased !

Hello all, have had a lovely staycation day today, and finished off with dinner of hummus and focaccia . Fasting tomorrow so just about to have an little evening snack of prunes and apricots to keep things, er, moving when I fast again tomorrow!

I have officially lost half a stone now, and am in week 6. I wish I could give up the scales now and just fully choose this as a lifestyle. Maybe a touch longer till it becomes a really ingrained habit?

Hi all,

Laksa I was talking to a friend who drastically reduced her calorie intake and found her sleep very disrupted. I told her about the 5:2 version, didn't think hers sounded very healthy. How did you find your basal rate? I am a bit worried about checking mine in case it is ridiculously low.

Geranium that sounds like a great first day. It is quite tempting to splurge on fast days - sort of give yourself a lift. Did you feel a bit lethargic between 2-6?
I had a slump on my last fast day around 3, but kind of bounced back at 5.

My normal day wasn't too mad, cereal, pitta with carrot and cheese grated, 2 apples, a pork and veg stir-fry with noodles then oops! an M&S chocolate fondant cake at 612 calories! Get in! Ah well! Even with the cakey splurge I don't think I was tons over 2000 (hopeful face).
I had a bit of a sore tummy last night after my veg and meat only stir-fry and found eating it with noodles easier going. I know a lot of people go carb-free, but I kind of feel happier eating some, otherwise I get a bit of indigestion.

Has anyone seen that blood-type diet? It looks like complete quackery, but my diet was supposed to be based on early farmers, mainly veggie, but including unprocessed cereals.

Well done Will! What were you aiming to lose, if anything?
I know what you mean, I tell people about the health benefits as if they are uppermost in my mind, but I ain't fooling anyone. Knowing nods!

FAb charts, thanks.
Bookmarking my basal thingy - 1331 calories, so about 1600 calories to maintain, which is prolly about right according to my actual experience.

I should eat 2134 on my non fast days according to that thing!!!