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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.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

5:2 Diet Thread: Part Five! Top of the Mornin' to you!

977 replies

GreenEggsAndNichts · 07/10/2012 17:53

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 a month or two ago, 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 we've filled several threads by now. Please share if you find something particularly useful, and we'll add it for the next thread.

First things first, here are links to some of our previous threads: most recent one before that another one.

Another thread which breadandwine has just started can be found here. We'll be trying to condense some of our top tips for fasting there. Keep in mind, we all do this differently, so these are just tips, not rules.

frenchfancy has a recipe thread over here, please post any low-calorie recipes there so they don't get lost in these bigger threads!

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.

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. We tend to favour lots of hot drinks during the day (count your milk if you use it!)

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

We often mention basal metabolic rate (BMR) here. This refers to the amount of energy (calories) a person uses when at rest; so, the basic number of calories a person needs to stay the same weight. This number is often quoted as being 2000 calories for the "average" woman, but of course is different depending on how tall you are, how much you weigh, etc. Here is a calculator which will easily help you to find out what your BMR is.

A BIG THANK YOU to all who have been contributing, btw. Most of us are learning this way of eating as we go along. All of the links above have been posted by others in our previous threads, 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 · 11/10/2012 15:07

I now have a craving for a cheese scone with quince and apple jelly (currently being cooked on the stove).

Will have to wait until tomorrow naturally.

MikeOxardForHalloween · 11/10/2012 15:09

Fab link breadandwine, thanks for that, very interesting.

I am in the cheese and jam is an abomination camp! Bleugh, what are you all thinking?! Wierdos! x

Aboutlastnight · 11/10/2012 15:17

The jam has to be reasonably sharp - our local coffee shop makes huge cheese scones and home made raspberry jam to go with them.

< downs yet another black coffee with Truvia>

GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 11/10/2012 15:28

Oh my god wendesleydale!!! I haven't had it for so long I've forgotten how to spell it...I miss British cheese! My parents brought some halloumi over because it's do frigging expensive and rare here, and we keep having vegetarians over for BBQs.

Funny the difference in attitudes to food AND words - I tend to call them feast days because feed or eat days sound more like the binge/starvation cycle, feast sounds like enjoying food! Personal preference....

I definitely need to change my mindset about eating more in one meal a day. Finding, for the first time in my life, that I can eat frugally during the day if I know I'm having a big evening meal, the opposite is really hard! It's like as soon as I've eaten my mind just says brilliant, we're binging all day - no matter how full I am. I find fast days much easier if I put off eating til later in the day.

Despite my parents both doing this they've arrived and think I'm starving myself, purely because I've mainly been doing 4:3, but I've lost max 1lb/week and feel much better for it - the last two weeks when I've done 5:2 the gap has ended up being 4-5 days between fasts and I've massively over eaten (feeling sick and uncomfortably full) on the final day. Wondering if I can find a way of maintaining this by doing several 16hour fasts a week rather than 6:1?

GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 11/10/2012 15:29

Cheese and marmite is the food of the gods - especially if it's a toastie

Aboutlastnight · 11/10/2012 15:32
TellMeLater · 11/10/2012 16:02

Manchego cheese and quince jam on a lump of crusty bread is very lovely. Blue cheese works well with a damson jam. Philly and strawberry jam - I am fond of mixing savoury with sweet.

I call the days I'm not fasting up days, sometimes feed days, feast days, binge days..... I'm not sensitive about the semantics unless someone tells me I must refer to how I eat by their name. - Diet for me is just the way I eat - it doesn't mean low cal or following a particular regime - but it seems to hold a deeply negative vibe for many.

TalkinPeace2 · 11/10/2012 16:03

Fasting today.
Coffee, tea and a bowl of home made (Delia's Tomato and basil recipe) soup for lunch.

Cheese is wonderful - in moderation.
I had to each myself that a 400g pack of cheshire cheese WAS NOT A SNACK !!!

And "think like a thin person"
I LOVE curry, I LOVE Chinese, BUT : I always get a set menu now as then the portions and flavour balance is controlled for you .....
Eating out at lunchtime - have two starters or as a really light lunch, just one.

Basically I have one tiny / liquid meal a day (tea and OJ - breakfast)
one small meal a day (single slice sarnie or two eggs on a slice of toast or soup - lunch)
one proper meal a day (supper - varies)
no snacks at all between meals
and booze only at the weekends (except the sneaky small nightcap last night .....)

Alaska77 · 11/10/2012 16:52

Hi All, fast day for me today and nothing but water so far. Not that that was the plan, it's just been a really busy day and I haven't had much opportunity to think about food. Small portion of Quorn bolognese for tea tonight and looking forward to a nice porridge breakfast tomorrow.

Yuck to cheese and jam, yuck to cheese and marmite but yes to cheese on it's own! Yarg, brie and camembert are my faves. I had a wonderful lunch in the South of France once of a whole baked camembert with honey, yum yum. I've tried to recreate it lots of times at home but never with the same success. Perhaps something to do with the fact that I don't eat it outdoors at a cafe overlooking the French countryside. Hmnn.

FWIW I'm doing a mixture of 4:3 and 5:2 depending on what my week looks like. Sometimes on eat/feed/feast days I massively overeat, others I eat a sensible quantity of sensible foods and other times I undereat on those days, simply because my schedule is crazy. It all evens out in the end. I've no idea how much weight I've lost (been doing this since 10th September and don't have scales) but I can tell you that I'm wearing a pair of trousers today that I haven't got into for a while. Ok, they're a tad on the snug side but I feel good nonetheless!

Happy fasting and feasting x

Laska42 · 11/10/2012 17:00

hi all some interesting conversations today ..though a bit too much yummy food mentioned for this fasting girl liking today ..

Look, you lot, its OK when I do it ,see?, but not you.. OK? GrinWink

but anyway.. cheese and jam? ( ridiculous!) although DH likes it ( but he's mad anyway.. look who he married ) .

Cheese and pickle is MUCH more the thing ..
Peanut butter (crunchy of course) and Marmite is also fabfab fabby .. especially also with cottage cheese and celery in a sarnie

Cyclistist i've PMd you.. (its a secret chilli thing for cyclists only , you othersSmile)

Re cramp... I thought potassium also , but the lady in H&B today said magnesium .. so i got some of that..wondering also about calcium .. will have to do some research ..

But I had another leg cramp and back spasm in my local village Co-op just now.. it nearly felled me and I swore out load thinking I was just about to drop me eggs and milk on the floor . Half the shop turned round .. I had to mumble 'Sorry! back spasm!' , whilst still clinging desperately onto the dairy shelf , off of which I couldn't physically peel myself for minute or so.. One worker tried to help me up and all I could do was cry out 'NO please leave me alone' before it did it again ..

So now they think I'm a mad old woman and ill probably be banned.. and its 12 miles to the next supermarket from here ..

Bggr the fast today .. I need WineWine..... but its 5pm... I cant cave in now

MikeOxardForHalloween · 11/10/2012 17:23

Oooooooooooh I really, really fancy a cheese and pickle sarnie now! It is an eat day but I haven't got any pickle, boooo. Marmite is for consumption on its own - well with butter, but definately not with cheese, that's just rank! Dh really needs to come home now so I can go to the shop for some pickle without dragging the kids out in the rain, it's absolutely peeing down. Hmm, maybe I'll just have a cheese and ham...

LookBehindYou · 11/10/2012 18:15

Fast day today and no idea what to eat tonight. Can't even be bothered. My breakfast tomorrow will be marmite toast soldiers with boiled egg. Yeah!

TalkinPeace2 · 11/10/2012 18:21

Do a hot salad - lettuce, peppers, scallions, hard boiled egg, capers, olives, maybe a bit of tuna
ie a Niceoise without the potatoes or dressing - make it look BEAUTIFUL

Mintyy · 11/10/2012 18:41

Every fast day at about this time I think ...aaarrrggghhh I can't do it!

But I can and I do Grin.

Its the craving for wine that's really bothersome, tbh.

LookBehindYou · 11/10/2012 18:52

Hmm, yes I could do that Talkin - thanks!
And then I'm pretty sure I'd have enough calories left over to have a big glass of wine.

GreenEggsAndNichts · 11/10/2012 18:54

mm quince jam. No idea where I'd get some here.

Fast day, going fine as still no taste buds. Grin Wouldn't taste that hypothetical cheddar and quince cracker anyway.

Laska Oh that sounds horrible! I've a history of back trouble (herniated disc when I was young, had back surgery about ten years ago to fix it) so I can empathise. It does just strike you, and you can't move because it's your back, not like one foot or something which you could just take the weight off of. I hope you're feeling better soon.

OP posts:
TalkinPeace2 · 11/10/2012 18:59

Look If you POSSIBLY can, save those empty wine calories for another night - bulk up the salad with some extra veg, tuna and maybe a parmesan shaving - proper nutritious calories

tummy rumbling now

Laska
Do you do Pilates .....

LookBehindYou · 11/10/2012 19:27

I was teasing Talkin and meant to add a winky symbol. I'm supping on a glam miso soup and reading bread recipes.

LookBehindYou · 11/10/2012 19:29

Laska this doesn't sound good - especially the back spasm. Is it worth getting checked out for a kidney infection?

TellMeLater · 11/10/2012 19:29

I always read recipes on a fast day - no idea why I torture myself like that.

GreenEggsAndNichts · 11/10/2012 19:37

I look at recipes on fast days as well. Grin It does often result in something special on the menu the next day.

Talk of all this cheese has led me to add some to my salad tonight. Good thing I save my calories for late in the day. :)

OP posts:
AGeeksWife · 11/10/2012 19:40

Urgh, worst fast day so far, I thought they'd get easier, not harder! I've been ravenous and headachy all day, maybe the weather.

Just had my tea and belly still rumbling, I've never heard noises like it! Got yogurt left to go so fingers crossed its the most filling yogurt I've ever had.

LookBehindYou · 11/10/2012 19:40

Tomorrow I'm going to make lamb and spinach curry and chappatis. I found some genuine wafer thin samosa pastry too and am very excited.

Sputnik · 11/10/2012 19:40

Yes yes to cheese and honey, it has to be strong cheese. My DH makes cheese and honey pizza, it's divine. A yes yes also to peanut butter and marmite. With coffee. I would have some tomorrow but I had to ban peanut butter from the house for my own safety. I wonder if I got some now whether I could practice moderation.
Laska, hope the cramps go, sounds awful.
Another fast day is drawing to a close here, not felt hungry really but for some reason a metallic taste in my mouth all day really bothered me.

LookBehindYou · 11/10/2012 19:43

sputnik what kind of cheese for the pizza? How much honey? Details please!