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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:
HermioneHatesHoovering · 15/09/2012 10:05
HappyOrchid · 15/09/2012 10:10

Fasting day for me. Couple of mugs of coffee whilst downloading books from amazon and MNing cleaning the house. Then off to get hair cut. Will then play sports this afternoon and have all my 500 calories for tea tonight. Chicken and noodle salad.

Good luck to the fasters.

SolarSparkle · 15/09/2012 10:39

Fasting day for me too.... Fasted yesterday as well, going out for a big feast meal tomorrow so switching my fast days.

I've started doing situps last night as I seem to have a bit of a tummy still despite losing just almost 9lbs..... Sad

Have a good weekend everyone!

SolarSparkle · 15/09/2012 10:42

Oooops meant to say Blush......despite losing almost 9lbs

dandycandyjellybean · 15/09/2012 11:14

Back after my dad's op for prostate cancer, which went really well and he should be home today!!!

Bizzarely (sp) have actually craved that hungry feeling you get on a fast day!!! How strange is that? Also, both sister and mum noticed a difference in my face and bod, so that is a good boost, too. Will be fasting tomorrow hopefully, want to try a Sunday/Tuesday this week, see if that works for me. Need busy days.

Well done everyone!

BuntCadger · 15/09/2012 11:41

Hello :) gorgeous weather today. Fasting day here as doing 4:3 this week. Feeling great and got lots done already. Only had water and diet Pepsi so far. Egg salad for lunch and fish for dinner tonight.

katykuns · 15/09/2012 11:47

Fasting day tomorrow for me, between 2 night shifts. I am not sure if doing night shifts might confuse my body, but I don't really have the option of of working around them as I work 4 days a week and I can't fast 3 days in a row!

To the lady having 4 eggs, do it how it works for you best. As long as you stay around the 500 calorie mark, it really doesn't matter what you eat... but eating filling things is a far better idea :)
4 eggs doesn't sound like all that much to me if it's on its own without any other carbs or protein?

katykuns · 15/09/2012 11:48

And if its meant to be heavily plant based, I doubt this will work out for me, as I like cooked veg with butter and fatty flavourings on them, and I hate salad Grin

ILoveLemonCurd · 15/09/2012 11:55

I can quite easily polish off a 4 egg omelette no bother Grin.

Might make one for lunch ....

An eating day for me, my next fast is Tuesday. I feel slimmer but the scales haven't moved at all this week. My proper weigh in is Monday. Today I've done a 6 mile cross country run and eaten some toast and marmalade, my fave yum yum Wink

Good luck to those fasting at the weekend, very disciplined. I couldn't do it!

moosemama · 15/09/2012 12:32

Ended up breaking my fast yesterday. Sad Things got very stressful and home and I started to feel hungry. I knew it was just acid, as I am just getting over gastritis caused by NSAIDs, but I also knew it would feel better if I ate something. So, after fasting until 4.30 pm I decided to switch my fast day to today and eat an evening meal with the rest of the family. Nothing major and probably didn't hit my BMR kcals but psychologically I feel better about switching days, than failing a fast, iyswim.

So, it's now my third fast today instead of yesterday. Had a lovely long lie in this morning, so half my fast was already over when I got up. Going to have some porridge about 2.00 ish and then the salad I should have had yesterday for tea.

ThinkICan · 15/09/2012 13:23

Thank you Wilfsell. I don't eat meat or fish so have to fill up on veggies with perhaps just one table spoon of rice/oats/quinoa, I guess. It's true, I'm very hungry the morning after the fast, but then eating early sets off more cravings! I've never come across miso soup so am gonna look for it! Just discovered lemon tea and will look for other variations like ginger tea too which I can have without milk.

WilfSell · 15/09/2012 13:25

Could you use tofu, quorn, soya instead of more carby things?

Mintyy · 15/09/2012 13:31

Great news about your dad's op, sexbomb!

loulou969 · 15/09/2012 14:17

Hi everyone.Have been following this thread since I googled 5:2 after seeing Horizon programme. Found it to be a tremendous help to know others are following the same 'diet' as lots of people think I'm nuts! However it has become addictive and like others have found I actually look forward to fast days. Not lost much weight but feel so much better and after 52 years have discovered that my 'hunger' is actually cravings for carbs which I never had realised. I have digestive problems due to menopause which have been helped massively by the fast days. I am about 11 stone 9 (5ft 5) and would like to be a stone or so lighter but quite happy to plod along until I find the ideal balance of foods that suits me.Tend to eat only veg salad and bit of fruit on fast days and over two meals. Happy fasting everyone Smile

Bordercollielover · 15/09/2012 14:44

Hi everyone. I have been following avidly from the start and doing my own version of 5:2 or 4:3 depending on other commitments. I am much older than most of you, late fifties. I have been a vegetarian for 45 years. I do not eat fish, do eat free range eggs and also some dairy though have almost given that up.
With this WOE everyone seems to have their own methods which makes sense as we all vary in so many ways and therefore presumably our nutritional requirements are quite wide ranging too.
I just thought I would add my own experiences in case any of my own discoveries help anyone else. I am also prompted by the recent suggestion of portion size control pictures which worries me a bit.
I put on 4 stones before and after the birth of my DD in my early forties. I have tried every possible way of dealing with it including hypnotherapy, Diet Plate, Liter Life , low GI, raw food etc etc. nothing helped.
At the start of this year I read Wheat Belly by William Davies. This lead me on to Escape the Diet Trap by John Briffa and, best of all to Jenny Ruhl's book for non diabetics ( she has one for diabetics too). I finally understood that my "healthy" vegetarian diet heavily based on whole grains, fruit and meat substitutes was causing my own problems. By February this year I had stopped all grain based foods of any type including flour, reduced fruit to berries and an orange a day and replaced most of the vege burgers and sausages with nuts and seeds . I replaced the volume with masses of cooked and raw vegetables for the nutrients. I think my cheese intake went up significantly and my weight remained high, though stable, but for the first time in 15 years I had control of my eating and got rid of the roller coaster blood sugar highs and lows followed by head-in-the-bread-bin gorging.
Then came THE programme. So I started from a position of vegetarian and no grain based carbs or obvious sources of sugar. I don't consider this low carb because I DO eat plenty of carbs mostly from non starchy vegetables and pulses.
To me the whole thing is a miracle. No idea what is going on inside me but I can bear the fasts, and never eat anything more than a bowl of soup and a raw carrot on fast days if anything at all. I don't like scales so I tied a string round where my waist used to be and it fell off within 2 weeks. The second string has now dropped from the new waist area to the hip region. I have lost 2-3 clothes sizes. On fast days I eat whatever I like and as much as I like, but here is the interesting bit for me: what I want is now usually healthy and the volume I eat is gradually dropping. I do eat chocolate and can now eat a slice or two of toast without eating the whole loaf or having a crash 2 hours later.
This brings back to my original concern: all this has happened by itself, my only input is the fasting. I believe that if I tried to impose portion control or any other rules on myself on the eating days then I would crash and burn for the same reasons that every other diet has failed for me. I do think that initially it was easier to fast because I had got rid of the grains and sugars but I also think that I can now eat bits of those things without trouble.
Sorry for the long post, thought it might help someone else, will shut up now.
PS weird but my WEIGHT has only gone down by about 10lbs which surprised me because my volume is decreasing significantly. Some sort of black hole effect?

rosemarysage · 15/09/2012 15:49

I wonder are some people losing fat and gaining muscle, which might explain why the scales show little or no loss of weight, but the people know they are slimmer as clothes are looser? (you all probably know this but lean muscle is heavier than fat, but as it is leaner it takes less volume for the same weight)

OHforDucksCake, thanks for the tip about quinoa. I noticed I had some in my cubbard but didn't know what to do with it. It is nice to have some variety in foods.

2012fan · 15/09/2012 18:44

welcome BorderCollieLover! Someone after my own heart! I too love Border Collies (is there a separate thread?) and am in my late 50's (60 actually...just). I also think this way of eating is miraculous and simplicity itself. I am doing so well on 5:2 and want to spread the word!!!!

WilfSell · 15/09/2012 19:00

I just handed over my Saturday Night Dinner over to DH cos I don't fancy it. It consists of pepperoni pizza, houmous, grilled artichokes, coleslaw.

That NEVER happens.

Pizza is god in my world. WTF is happening? Grin

Honestly, if I can findmy 'natural' appetite again which means I don't have to eat everything in sight, then that is a bloody revelation.

I am still having my beer though Grin

Bordercollielover · 15/09/2012 19:36

Hi 2012fan, good to know its going so well for you too; I had heard rumours that intermittent fasting might not work so well post menopause but that seems to be a false alarm!

catsrus · 15/09/2012 20:20

Hi bordercollielover - another post menopausal late 50's (mainly veggie) person here - and this is the first thing I've tried that has shifted any of my post-M waistline :-) 8lb in 5 weeks Grin. This last week I don't seem to have lost any more - most of it was in the first few weeks, but I am down one clothes size and feeling very positive about this as a way of eating in general.

Finally seem to have found something that works and is sustainable! I'm not worried about the lack of loss this week - it's been a heavy week, but back on track now I hope. Today was going to be a fast day, but turned into a non-fast day - and that's OK, not a problem Smile

meagain9 · 15/09/2012 20:30

Thought I would check in. Have done 5 fast days so far and doing 5:2. East fast day gets easier. An not weighing myself yet, have decided to do it for a couple of months & see how much I weigh or have done after that.
But I can tell I am loosing inches as bras are gaping & am back in jeans I haven't fitted for over 11 months.
But what is amazing me is just how reduced my appetite has become on my feed days. Had a McD's today and could only eat half of a small meal. Am snacking far less and am wanting to eat far more healthy things. Although still enjoys lots of chocolate.
And like some others have said I am almost ready for when each fast day comes around - sort of looking forward to it?????

WilfSell · 15/09/2012 20:34

Welcome all newbies. Yeah the appetite thing is really interesting isn't it? I do hope we get to see some more of the science of this. I know that hormones (ghrelin and leptin?) are interesting the obesity scientists these days and I do wonder if fasting is somehow re-setting these a bit?

I also am looking forward to fast days sometimes. Another thing I 'notice' a lot more on this WoE is how crap some of the crap I like to eat makes me feel. I look forward to the alertness of a fast day and the lack of sluggishness I get after a [weekend] feed day which includes junk. This is a brilliant thing for me, as I've never really been able to regulate my junk food intake until now.

Mintyy · 15/09/2012 20:41

I know what you mean about looking forward to fast days. I would make tomorrow a fast day (last one was Thursday) but its ds's birthday and we are going out to Pizza Express. I am sure I will almost enjoy my fast day on Monday.

GreenEggsAndNichts · 15/09/2012 20:59

Back from a conference, so today was an eating day. Tomorrow will be a rare fasting Sunday. Grin

Friday (I had two eating days in a row) I had fish and chips as a treat when I went out with friends. I haven't eaten that sort of thing in months. Needless to say, I felt HORRIBLE, and I had only eaten half of it.

I actually am still feeling the effects. I can't wait to be rid of it.

So, I can commiserate, Wilf.

Today my eating was fine, the conference had a selection of food and the choices were good.

I'm now having a cup of soup because I'm cold! Looking forward to fasting tomorrow and clearing the rest of what's in my system at the moment. Confused

OP posts:
BuntCadger · 15/09/2012 21:34

Another here with taste changes. I still have options hot choc but even on my feed days I don't really fancy chocolate to munch, and I used to eat it daily also fish and chips make me feel ill now and ice cream or anything rich like that.