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Fasting / 5:2 diet

Talk about intermittent fasting and 5:2, including what’s worked for others. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

5:2 Diet Thread: Part Three. Come join us!

986 replies

GreenEggsAndNichts · 07/09/2012 15:51

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.

Here is a list of the links we've gathered so far about this diet. I hope I haven't left many out, but it was a 40 page thread! This is a good start for anyone, though:

First things first, here is a link to our previous thread, which we've outgrown. Lots of good support and ideas still to be found there.

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

is a link to the first part of the aforementioned Horizon, subsequent parts of that episode are linked on that page.

There is a Wiki article here which explains intermittent fasting and gives a short summary of some studies which have been done on it.

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.

A Telegraph article which comments on the diet and gives a brief 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%).")

Important link 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.

And for those already fasting, here is a link to 100 snacks under 100 calories. :)

Another food link, here is a link to the BBC Goof Food site, with a list of low-calorie soups.

I will start a different thread just for recipe links, though, as there seems to be some demand for that.

A BIG THANK YOU to all who have been contributing, btw. Most of us are new to this diet. All of the links above have been posted by others in our previous thread, and they've been very helpful. Sorry if I haven't given credit where it's due, but it was just enough of a job getting them all in one post this afternoon. Wink

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

OP posts:
frenchfancy · 11/09/2012 11:00

Fast day 3 here. Not eaten anything for 17 hours so far. I am planning some soup in an hours time then this:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4824/squash-and-chorizo-stew

for dinner.

mistlethrush · 11/09/2012 11:02

Can I check.. on a fast day you can effectively eat lots of the less substantial vegetables (ie avoid sweetcorn, peas, carrots and parsnips) and have a modest breakfast then two plates of salad or something similar and that would fit in (ish at least) with the calorie aim? I'm not eating high cals or the wrong type of food anyway and still have real issues trying to shift any (despite low GI and not very high carb) - is this worth a go???

Sputnik · 11/09/2012 11:27

Mistlethrush most of us are doing 2 meals as it means you get something a bit more substantial. You can use peas etc as long as you keep an eye on them.

Paddington I felt really hungry after my first fast day too, after a few it did seem to get less though. That said I'm quite hungry today.

Betty you should be subtracting 700 cals per fast day not 500 which would bring the total for other days up a bit. Given that 1200 is the absolute minimum recommended you have plenty of leeway there. I would really stop worrying about calories, many of us are finding ourselves self regulating better, I certainly am.

Sputnik · 11/09/2012 11:35

Ah and coribells, I've followed a few threads in the weightloss section of mumsnet over the years, this is the first one where nearly everyone has stuck to it. Personally I've been trying and failing to lose weight for years, I can hardly believe it's working so well and how easy it is tbh, I've lost 4kg in 4 weeks. Others on here have had great results too.

BuntCadger · 11/09/2012 11:36

Fast day here, week 5 Smile

katykuns · 11/09/2012 11:39

Paddington76 - I was alright on the hunger front this morning, so I have been coping okay. I had a breakfast of weetabix though, which is probably a bit more stodgy and keeping hunger off.
I did however, sleep terribly last night, couldn't get comfortable. Didn't help I went to bed with a nasty headache... hoping that is going to get easier as time goes on!

Question: What does everyone do if there is a meal out at a restaurant on a fast day? Do you skip it and have the fast day, or are you just super careful and have a lot of self restraint? lol

katykuns · 11/09/2012 11:41

Good luck BuntCadger! How much have you lost so far if you don't mind me asking?

frenchfancy · 11/09/2012 11:41

Just realised this is fast day 4 not 3. I can't count.

Katy, I would move my fast day if I were going to a restaurant.

BuntCadger · 11/09/2012 11:45

9lb Grin that was on Friday weigh in.

BIWI · 11/09/2012 11:46

First fast day over. I had 2 boiled eggs for lunch, and then a tin of tuna (in brine) mixed with a little light salad cream and a little mayo, with a green salad (iceberg lettuce with some finely chopped shallot, and an olive oil and white wine vinegar dressing). Followed a little later by some full fat Onken yoghurt with a bit of vanilla extract.

Didn't notice that I felt any more/less hungry this morning when I woke up.

I should have weighed myself yesterday morning before I started, but I forgot. I did weigh this morning and will weigh tomorrow morning, before my second fast day.

BuntCadger · 11/09/2012 11:46

Only had diet Pepsi so far. Going to have leafy egg salad for lunch. :)

catsrus · 11/09/2012 11:51

I'd move the fast day too katy - my entire regime this week is being built around things like a friend staying on Sunday, a birthday celebration on Weds, a work pub-lunch on Thursday and travelling for work on Sat. As I'm trying to do 4:3 my fast days this week are Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

I've never done 2 fast days in a row before, so I will see how today goes (fingers crossed!). Doing it this way I can just eat what everyone else eats when I'm out with them.

Mintyy · 11/09/2012 11:52

For those of us who are hoping to lose weight - what do people think about having one of those rolling lists (I've seen on other threads) where people post their progress, if they want to obviously, might be a good motivator and would help us get to know each other better?

So it might go:
Mintyy
Libra
Start date: 1st September
Goal: to lose 1 stone by Christmas and then more weight next year
Weight lost to date: x lb

I don't actually know how much weight - if any - I've lost but that's just because I don't have any scales, but you can see what I'm getting at?

The zodiac sign was a joke btw Grin

catsrus · 11/09/2012 11:53

woo hoo bunt well done! Friday is my weigh in day too, 8lb for me Grin I'm wearing a sloppy / around the house dress today that was too tight to even get on a month ago!

LookBehindYou · 11/09/2012 11:54

There is a rolling list already. I will look for the thread.

MamaGeekChic · 11/09/2012 12:41

Fast day number 3 for me today, I expect to find this one hard as I'm on holiday from work and home alone. I have just realised I made a bit of a mistake though- I had my last food at 6.30pm yesterday so 16hrs would've elapsed by lunch today but i had a forkful of DPs chocolate cake at 10pm last night (we were 3hrs into a 5hr drive at this point and I was tired and not thinking) should I wait until 2pm before eating?

So far I've only had a coffee, plan for the rest of today:
1 egg on small slice of rye toast for lunch- 175cals
chicken and stirfried veg for dinner- 300cals

I've been on holiday for the last few days and eaten more than i should've so was looking forward to fasting today.

muriella · 11/09/2012 12:43

Good afternoon, hope all fasters are doing ok. Really impressed by these losses, well done ladies!

Just looked back to see how I've done overall. Started 13/8/12 at 9st 9. Am now 9st 7. My BMI is 22 and I am really aiming to be a stone lighter.

Should have worked this out before, but I need to do 4:3 and not exceed 1650 cals on feed days to lose 1lb per wk. Some weeks I've done ADF, others have been 5:2, last week was 7 feed days in a row... Blush

I was hoping to avoid exercising but I guess I can't!!!

ILoveLemonCurd · 11/09/2012 12:44

Second fast day for me. Ate loads yesterday as it was DD's birthday so had a meal out. I didn't eat from 7 pm til 11am this morning so I did 16 hours this time. I've also been for an 8 mile run which I wouldn't normally do on a fast day but I couldn't do it yesterday. I thought I would struggle but it wasn't too bad and it took my mind off eating Wink. for lunch I've had a chickpea salad with spring onions, tomato and a lemon dressing for under 200 cals. Dinner will be veg and lentils probably.

Feeling good at the moment, apart from being knackered after staying up listening to Andy Murray' match!

Everyone is doing so well, it really feels like a sustainable WOE to me and not really like a diet at all Grin

GreenEggsAndNichts · 11/09/2012 12:52

Here is the old weigh-in thread. It hasn't been updated for a couple of weeks so I'm not sure if we use that one, or start another?

OP posts:
GreenEggsAndNichts · 11/09/2012 12:53

Fast day for me as well. Not had anything yet, except a cup of coffee around 11am. I'll have another one when I'm back from dropping my DS at nursery.

Great to see so many new people. Grin

OP posts:
Laska42 · 11/09/2012 12:57

mamageek I don't think it matters much really.....

To be a bit controversial ( being one of those that originally advocated the 16hr thing..), I think its easy to get hung up on the timings when it really doesn't matter as long as you have some decent break in eating .. Its really about just limiting yourself to the 500 cals (or roundabouts) for the fast days - however many you have a week.. Most here are doing 5:2 it seems but some also alternate day and some 4:3 (which I'm trying to do at the moment) .

The Californian scientist in Dr Ms programme mentioned 16hrs as being the optimum time for the cell repair process, but also it seems that some studies showed that 14hrs was also beneficial especially for women.

I tend to eat on food days latest at 7pm , then if the next day is a fast day i have breakfast at the normal time - around 7.30 , and early dinner at 4-4.30 and then its around 16 hours until I eat again.. The beauty of this WOE (don't think of it as a diet) is that is flexible ,and hopefully much more sustainable that usual WOE if you do want to have weight loss. But IMHO a small mouthful within the 16 hour period will probably not do much to the overall effect ..

Hope that's helpful (and doesn't sound patronising - not meant to) ..

I've lost 8lb in 3 weeks on this and i've not been too hung up on going slightly over on one or two fast days

Mintyy · 11/09/2012 12:57

Feed day for me.

Don't look fasters ... left over home made pizza for lunch, yum!

Laska42 · 11/09/2012 13:06

LBY
Sounds great and I will remember that for next year (see! I think this WOE is totally sustainable for life) ..

Wish I was back there right now.....Where do you go? We go to Pelion every year .. if I won the lottery id buy a house there (even now with all the Euro thing going on)..

Don't think I could do just Wine Would be more like WineWineWine!!!

mumblechum1 · 11/09/2012 13:17

Feed day for me too. I accidentally tripped and fell into McDonalds after Zumba and somehow a Filet of Fish Meal landed in my gob.

Very nice too!

Orion1111 · 11/09/2012 13:18

BettyButterKnife. Seems your sums are wrong. 7400/5 is 1480, not 1880.