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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:
GreenEggsAndNichts · 12/10/2012 20:37

insprog I tend to avoid breakfast at least, particularly on fast days. You say it's a non-fast day, so just eat whenever feels natural for you to do so. My avoiding breakfast on fast days mostly is because I find eating earlier in the day just sparks my hunger and makes me wonder when the next food will be all the rest of the day. :) It does have the side benefit of putting the 16 hr fast window in there, but I didn't do this on purpose.

Welcome to the thread Grin

OP posts:
insprognito · 12/10/2012 22:26

Thanks am most relieved I don't need to wait another 16 hours to eat! Its true about breakfast stimulating appetite for me too so I'll be waiting as long as poss on fast days.Can you 'buy' extra calories with Cardio in this plan like with WW or is it not allowed? Not sure I'd have the energy on 500 cals though tbh!

Sputnik · 12/10/2012 22:46

Nope you can't "buy" extra calories, but I read that if you do exercise then the fasting benefits will kick in sooner.

Breadandwine · 13/10/2012 00:11

I've been travelling about a bit, recently, with plenty of time to plough through these 5:2 threads - and I'm constantly finding stuff new to me. If I find something interesting, I post it on the Tips and Links thread.

It's well worth checking the latest one, on the subject of IGF-1 and cancer. Absolutely fascinating!

And if you do have a tip or a link, why not post it on that thread as well? Smile

Piebaldrider · 13/10/2012 06:28

I'm up and about early this morning after my very early night last night.

I would Just like to pick up on somthing SKIPPY said on page 16. I too have deep sense of well being the morning after a SLIM DAY and different people would describe it in different ways and i would say for me its a bit deeper than just well being. I also get cold on non slim days and sometimes the day after as i dont eat until 10.30-11.00 .

Im still on my 4.3 but i think the initial quick fat loss has slowed now so i will be starting my mix up process next week , swapping number of fast days and varying excersice and food to try and keep the momentum up.

I have a very busy weekend so wont have too much time to think about food and when im down the yard doing horsey stuff there is nothing to eat unless i get a craving for hay :)

Aftereightsaremine · 13/10/2012 07:43

Morning all & non fast day for me. Just as we'll as I'm off to a vairy posh dinner tonight. I'm going to try to 'save' some of my calories till later. Luckily I'm driving so won't consume loads in drinking too much wine! But I'm not convinced I'll be able to do it. I'm going to repeat over & over 'think thin'.

2beornot · 13/10/2012 08:01

Hi all.

I have a question before I start. On my non-fast days, what should I be eating? Everything I've read says you can eat what you want but that people tend to stick to their normal diet. This can't be true, can it?! There's a reason why I'm 4st overweight and I can't see it working if I eat as much as I normally do. Also I read posts like aftereightsaremine where people are restricting themselves on non fast days and the reason I've decided on this WOE is that I can go out to dinner and relax about what I'm eating.

A little confused, but do others do?

Aftereightsaremine · 13/10/2012 08:10

2beornot I'm counting my calories using my fitness pal purely because I'm 6 stone overweight & sedentary. (& i have no self control). On my non fast days my maintenance weight is 1850cals. So I'm going to that & no more. It's purely to teach me what is a 'normal' amount of food. I'm going to stop using mfp as soon as I've learnt that.

2beornot · 13/10/2012 08:46

Thanks and tbh I think I will need to do that too to begin with. I clearly don't know what normal is.

ThinkICan · 13/10/2012 09:34

I know how you feel, not losing weight in a month Happy Orchid. I haven't lost any either in 2 weeks and am wondering what to do already. Got a long way to go, you see. Sad

hoops997 · 13/10/2012 09:49

Eat day for me today, just had a couple of crumpets :) I also track my eating on eat days, just so I have an idea of just how much, I don't want to undo all my good work on fast days.ick to 1800 cals on eat days and have lost 10lbs in 4 weeks

ManOnBoard · 13/10/2012 09:55

This thing moves quickly, just catching up has made me miss a couple of meals. Fasted Mon, Tues and Thurs this week and after the two consecutive days I was ravenous, but I did see it through. Weigh in today and have now lost 18lbs in 21 fasts, although I was 57lbs above my "ideal" BMI (which I am always sceptical about being ideal)

2beornot if you are currently having 2500cals a day and two days a week you reduce this to 500 this will take your weekly cals from 17500 to 13500 and hopefully/probably your weight should reduce. Following a fast I find my appetite is reduced and have now started to not clear my plate which goes against what I have done since childhood which may explain my 57lbs excess. Try to listen to your body and eat when you are genuinely hungry not, as many of us do, out of habit or boredom and stop once you have had enough. Good luck

Thelittlestranger · 13/10/2012 10:03

Another one here who is tracking their eating on non-fast days...it's helping me, as yesterday I could eat dinner and not worry about it, as I knew I had eaten less earlier in the day to make up for it (and the wine). I still had a humongous 2000 calories, but it would have been a whole lot more not tracking.

Today, I've had breakfast, but will have a small lunch if anything, as we're eating out this afternoon and I will also try to keep it small. I'm exercising at least 4 times per week, a mixture of aerobics, body attack, strength training and squash.

As said earlier in the thread, for those of us who are used to over eating, we need to learn to moderate our food intake, otherwise the fasting days will barely make a dent.

MsIngaFewmarbles · 13/10/2012 10:10

Eat day today :)

Yesterday was a fast day and I found that I coped much better as I ate an evening meal with the family and had the same thing they did. Turkey meatballs with couscous fRom Nigella Kitchen book. 420 cals per serving and it was a generous serving.

Weighed myself again this morning and I've lost 3lbs in total. I am very excited about this :) if I keep going I will be below 13 stone for the first time in 4 years. It's so easy for me as on fast days I count calories and either have a nice soup or if suitable have supper with the family. On eating days I can eat as normal although I am only allowing myself veg sticks for evening snacks.

So so happy :)

TellMeLater · 13/10/2012 10:16

I haven't really lost much weight either - 2lbs at most in 9 weeks - I'm mostly on maintenance so I haven't gained and that's a bonus.

MsIngaFewmarbles · 13/10/2012 10:22

I am considering 30day shred. Could I still do it on fast days?

Hope you're all having a great day so far. I suppose at least with this WOE if we don't lose weight sometimes we can console ourselves that are least we are doing our health good.

Trills · 13/10/2012 10:24

2000 on an eating day is really not humongous. Just saying. Unless you mean you had that many and it was only 1pm.

frenchfancy · 13/10/2012 11:33

Lots of talk about traking your eating on feed days. Don't forget that tracking your drinking is just as important.

Alot of my excess calories come in liquid form. Not just wine (though my head tells me that last night I may have had one too many) but also soft drinks, juice, milk and tea/coffee if you take milk/sugar.

I think I may have drunk about 1000 cals yesterday. And I definately ate more than 1000 (I made profriteroles last night and they are not low in calories!)

Trills · 13/10/2012 12:03

Mmm, profiteroles!

Pint of ale 180,bottle of wine 550. 25ml single shot of spirits about 50.

ManOnBoard · 13/10/2012 12:38

MsInga you might find that the 30 day shred is a bit too intense for days on or following a fast as that form of exercise tends to burn carbs rather than fat. Marathon runners tend to have a pasta party the night before their run as the body can more easily convert carbs into energy whereas lower intensity exercise, such as walking, gives you more time to process fat reserves. On, or following, a fast day I have no problem walking up to 6 miles but when doing resistance training (weights) find that where I would normally do 13/15 reps my energy levels are stopping me at 8/9 even at lower weights.

MikeOxardForHalloween · 13/10/2012 12:44

Amazing news everyone: I cooked kind of with veg and everything! And it was seriously, bloody delicious!

Don't laugh. I chopped up spring onions, red pepper and a green pepper, stir fried, added a small pack of ready to eat chicken (it gets worse, stay with me!), then made up a thai flavour cuppa soup and added that, added nearly half a tin of light coconut milk, and then a pack of microwave rice. I know you're probably pissing yourselves but that's probably my best ever cooking effort. I served dh and I up about a quarter each (I guess maybe 400 cals, but it's an eating day, so haven't counted exactly), and dh had 2 more bowls and finished it off, it was so nice. Yay!

frenchfancy · 13/10/2012 13:15

Well done Mike.

MsIngaFewmarbles · 13/10/2012 14:03

Well done Mike :)

I love to cook but my DH really freaks out about cooking. Last year I went to the MN Christmas do and I had to prepare meals for 2 days in advance for him. Bless him, he was totally cool about having 4 DC under 10 on his own but cooking made him start sweating. Your meal actually sounds pretty nice!

Sputnik · 13/10/2012 14:07

I do the shred sometimes, I can't remember if I've ever done it on a fast day though, probably not. This week I did do it the day after a fast day no problem. I frequently do weights on fast days with no problem. However I am used to exercising in the morning, often before eating breakfast, fast day or not.
My advice would be try it and see what happens, if you are new to it you'll want to start off doing it on a feed day.

Thelittlestranger · 13/10/2012 14:12

If I were to eat 2000 calories every day, I wouldn't lose any weight...so it felt pretty humongous to me! We should definitely count all calories we drink. In fact, I put my wine calories in before the food, so I could adjust the food for the wine intake....:-)

Manonboard...interesting what you say about fasting and strength training. I find that on a fast day (after an eating day) I can do really well. But on an eating day, after only breakfast following a fast day, I really struggle and can get quite light headed.

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