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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:
mommybunny · 13/09/2012 14:27

Hi - I found out about this via the Telegraph article and DH and I started today. I got through the 1st set of posts but haven't had time to get through the 2nd and 3rd sets - are any of the ones who started in early August still going, and if so, how are you finding it?

Had 2 scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast this morning with a scraping of butter, and lots of black coffee, tea and water and my breath stinks! I was heartened by the posters in the 1st set of posts who said it did get easier, but they were only at it a couple of weeks, which is why I'm curious to see if they're still on it. I'd like to lose about a stone, though I haven't weighed myself yet (and may not ever - it's all in my clothes!).

I think I'll be ok with it - it's DH who will struggle as he has no willpower and he works from home, where the biscuit tin is always calling him. But he took some online test that predicts how much longer he will live based on his current stats and he was shocked to find out that he had only "29 years left" at the rate he was going. I have jumped at the opportunity this kick in the pants has given him and have been telling him to think of every day of successful fasting as adding another year to his life (whether it would actually do that or not I have no idea).

What I like about this plan is its flexibility - we plan on fasting on Tuesday and Thursday but if either of us has a big meeting planned on either of those days we can just change the day we fast. The Telegraph article says not to fast on consecutive days, and we're going with the Mosley approach of splitting the day's calories into 2 meals. I'm trying to go for "balanced" meals each time so I am not faffing with counting how much protein and carbs I'm eating on fasting days, or calories at all on feeding days. It seems so much more sustainable than any other eating plan - I hope that turns out to be the case.

Look forward to seeing all your progress!

GreenEggsAndNichts · 13/09/2012 14:45

Not sure if it counts as early August, but I've been doing it a month today, mommybunny. I've lost approx 9 lbs so far (approx because I'm weighing in kilos) and am very pleased with that. Aside from having to plan my eating days to coincide with social plans, I really don't feel as if I'm on a diet.

As many will tell you, the first fasting day or two can be quite tough, but it does get a lot better. I'm fasting today and all I've had is coffee and water. Later on I'll have veg for dinner, and perhaps some chicken. My main struggle on fasting days now is to find things to do with the time when I'd normally be eating. The house has never been so clean. :)

OP posts:
GreenEggsAndNichts · 13/09/2012 14:47

Also, evidently I tower over the rest of this thread, at 5'8". Story of my life! :)

OP posts:
MamaGeekChic · 13/09/2012 15:07

I'm tall too GreenEggs about 5'8-9 I'm never entirely sure which Smile

toomanydaisies · 13/09/2012 15:20

Wow. This is interesting! I've got 3 stones of cake baby weight to lose. How much weight could I expect to lose in a month of adf? I'm SO sick of being in maternity clothes. Still!!

toomanydaisies · 13/09/2012 15:27

Just catching up with the posts... But I'm IN!
Tomorrow is my first fast day. Feeling positive!

BuntCadger · 13/09/2012 15:36

Im now on fast day 11 (week 5) and I've stopped logging calories on a feed day as did this for first few weeks and got a general idea of "normal consumption" and happy with it. Anyone else not logging feed days?

I still log fast days as not used to calorie counting so hard for me to judge without writing it out.

monkeybananas · 13/09/2012 15:39

I'm so pleased to have found this thread with all your helpful advice. I'm planning on starting this next week and gathering as much information and helpful hints as I can before I start so your thread has been invaluable. Grin

TalkinPeace2 · 13/09/2012 15:44

toomany
5:2 is not a really fast method for losing weight - as those never work long term.
Its a totally different way of looking at the food in your house and on your plate.
If you've been eating too much and drop your food days down to around 2100 calories ( a lot less than many think once you actually weigh and measure accurately) and on your two fast days stick to the 500 calories
you may well lose a couple of pounds a week quite quickly but it will slow as your body adapts to the new system.

bunt
I do not log anything - currently fasting : lots of black coffee and baked eggs with spinach a tad of cheese, wholemeal bread and a salad planned for supper.
Never eat breakfast anyway, lunch will be soup tomorrow and then pig out on pizza and wine for supper.
BUT the pigging out portions are dropping as the grehlin en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grehlin system is starting to get used to the new approach.

katykuns · 13/09/2012 15:50

Green Eggs, you aren't the only one who is tall... I am 5'9 :) I was beginning to think there are a lot of 'shorties' on this thread ;)

mommybunny - I know what you mean about bad breath. I need to eat something in the morning or I have a terrible taste in my mouth! I also have had quite a sore gungy throat, but that may be me coming down with a cold.

Second fast day today, after a night shift last night and it is going better than I expected. Just had some cheese and crackers lol. Will have a small filling meal as late as I can get away with. I don't have the horrid fuzzy head or headache like last time... also don't feel like I am massively hungry or lacking in energy :)

Good luck to others fasting today!

TellMeLater · 13/09/2012 15:51

I am on week 5. Week 4 was a disaster, I had pmt and fasting was too hard and miserable. Climbed back on the wagon for week 5, felt stronger and more positive. Weight loss has been minimal though - this week I am being stricter with my low carbing and I think that is making the difference, my BMI is just under 21, so those last few pounds are hard to budge - they are fond of my thighs. Sad

mommybunny · 13/09/2012 15:52

I don't plan on logging feed days, though would need to log fast days. I am rubbish at "estimating" and would probably be far too generous with myself! But I want to give normal eating against fasting a go.

I went outside at lunchtime and I can't tell you what a comfort it was to walk past a bakery and to think "tomorrow I can have that if I want - I just have to get through today". I haven't felt that way in years - I've been on some kind of restricted-eating-plan since I finished breastfeeding my daughter, 5 years ago!

RightBuggerforGOLD · 13/09/2012 16:06

mommybunny i have been doing it since then. I found it hard for a few weeks tbh, it is much easier now. I dont get that weak faint feeling anymore on a fast day, and dont need breakfast the second i wake up the next day! I have lost 1st 2lbs so far.

Betty plain salad with a hardboiled egg is a good low cal meal. Also nimble bread is only 50 cals a slice, so i often have 2 slices with a bit of philli on for a low cal meal, but any low calorie spread or topping would work.

Fast day today swapped from yesterday. Had toast for breakfast and a ww ready meal for lunch. Will have a cup of tea later. Yet to decide whether to swap tomorrows fast to saturday so i dont have 2 consecutive fast days. Dont want to ruin my saturday though!

RightBuggerforGOLD · 13/09/2012 16:16

toomany i do 4:3, so not quite adf, and like you had about 3st baby weight when i started. I lost 1st in the first 4weeks. But i am generally good on my eating days too. I wasnt at very first, and pigged out a bit, but that settled down after a couple of weeks as my appetite is much less now than it was, and my motivation is up since seeing great visible results.

toomanydaisies · 13/09/2012 16:58

Thanks rightbugger! Inspiring stuff...

GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 13/09/2012 17:37

greeneggs and katykuns I'll join your club - I'm 5' 9" too.

I'm mainly doing this for health reasons too - I'm already 10stoneish and could just do with losing the saddlebags and pregnancy belly, but that's probably only going to happen through exercise now.

I'll be 30 next year, may parents are in their mid 50's, my grandparents are all now dead (heart disease, alzheimers, CJD, cancer) so I'm becoming a bit aware of my mortality and I'm absolutely terrified of getting old (having had a taste of what it's going to be like with a poorly functioning body after crippling SPD in pregnancy), and watching my parents working very hard to try to change their attitudes and habit re food so trying to sort that now really!

Fast day today - 3rd one this week. Mainly because I'm trying to get used to the idea I suppose. Will prob do 5:2 from next week and evetually try to maintain at 6:1

No major exercise today but have a fair bit of walking to do. Planning today on trying to hold out til late afternoon for my proper meal and make it a decent 300-400 calorie one to fill me up. Will have miso soup, tea and water in the meantime - too much coffee on a fast day makes me feel like I'm on speed!

Talkin do you have a recipe for your baked eggs? Sounds lush

TalkinPeace2 · 13/09/2012 17:57

GirlWithTheMouseyHair
The recipe derives from this
www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/vegetarian-food/alpine-eggs.html
but as its a calorific bomb, replace the lower layer of cheese with thawed and drained frozen spinach and make the upper cheese layer a tad less generous and then we do three eggs each.
Been eating it since getting the complete Delia over 25 years ago !

ILoveLemonCurd · 13/09/2012 18:24

Just had tea and my total cals for today are 599. Oops a bit over but then I did Jillian's killer buns which left me a quivering sweaty mess so I'll allow myself the extra. This is my first week of two fasts (did Tues too). I've found today easier although being stuck in with poorly children has meant I've had boredom to tackle too.

talkin I think you mentioned that you do lots of exercise. I run 3/4 times per week, cycle, swim and shred too. How do you fit your exercise round fasting? It makes me ravenous so I wonder if 6:1 might suit a bit better particularly as I am training for a half marathon. I can't shift this last stone of baby weight despite all the exercise as I am a pig!!

GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 13/09/2012 18:40

would love to know too as I'm training for a 545mile bike ride next year!

Thanks for the recipe Talkin, I love eggs and spinach and have some very strong cheddar in so will only need a little

WeShouldOpenABar · 13/09/2012 18:44

day four eating day ,i'm mostly fine on the 500 calories on fast days , occasional hunger pangs at dinner time,

ive had about 1700 on my eating days which is my maintenance calories is that right? I havent been trying to stay lower on my eating days but it just seems to be going that way.

I've been low carbing for a while and i've just abandonned that so feel like i'm going to pile on weight worried

TalkinPeace2 · 13/09/2012 19:00

Lemoncurd and Mousey
Fasting has made no real difference.
I go to the gym five mornings a week. Swim a mile every morning and do yoga / Bodybalance 5 hours a week and Bodypump once a week. Exercise suppresses the appetite as well.
I never eat breakfast anyway so all that changes on fast days is that I replace a light lunch with bucket loads of black coffee and mugs of tea.
So long as my fasting supper is high protein, I feel full pretty quickly and am fine till lunch the next day.

If I had to give up caffiene I'd be scuppered
and I gardened while supper is cooking to keep me busy.

BorisJohnsonsHair · 13/09/2012 19:42

Can I join you all? DH and I were both really impressed with the Horizon documentary and today is our first fast day. We have had 3 "meals" today though; 2 poached eggs and 1 slice of seeded toast for breakfast, salad vegetables for lunch, tuna and salad for dinner. Mine comes in at 550 and so far I feel fine. Have drunk lots of black tea, water and coffee.

Next planned fast day is Monday, when we will skip breakfast I think and just break up the meals into 2 x 250 (or 300 for DH). Thanks for such a great thread; am slowly working my way through all the good advice/tips/links Smile.

Laska42 · 13/09/2012 19:47

Well I seemed to have fasted after all today , so bang went my decision to leave it until the weekend or after Hmm, but after my big eat day yesterday and really good sleep I felt really up for it gain .. . Trouble was even though i had egg for breakfast I felt hungry earlier today than usual and had my other meal at about 2.30 , So making do with a cup of miso soup with a good splash of chilli now..but feeling fine..

Actually I love Miso soup , often have it anyway .. my favourite is Clearspring brown Miso ,.. never calorie counted it before and was surprised to see even the fairly big spoonful I use is only 20cals

HappyOrchid · 13/09/2012 19:52

bunt I too have stopped counting calories on feed / eating days. What a relief. I know that on avarage if I eat 1600 cals per day I stay the same. on 1400 cals per day I lose about ½lb per week.

Am doing 4:3 and so far lost approx 1lb per week.

This week is Week 6and today is second fast day of week. Will fast again on Saturday and then Mon / Weds / Sat again next week as I havr to go to Germany for work Thurs/Fri and having not managed a fast day in Italy on Tuesday (hotel buffet brekkie) I know I won't have the will power to do ADF.

BettyButterknife · 13/09/2012 19:57

Well, I think I managed to get back on track today, after a sugary coffee and half a packet of polos this morning! Lunch was a really nice Waitrose Singapore Noodles at 243 cals, and I'm about to tuck in(!) to half a tub of Skinny Soup at 87 cals. Plus I've snacked on a handful of blueberries. So reckon my total for today is around 500 - hooray! I bought a box of the Clearspring miso with sea veg, is the brown version much nicer laska42?

Looking forward to tomorrow - I'm envisaging a giant slice of chocolate fudge cake with a scoop of ice cream. Plus chips. And wine. And crisps :)