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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 · 16/10/2012 20:20

lol MOB I thought the same thing.

Honestly I've been wondering when the book(s) would come out. A diet doesn't exist until someone's made loads of money writing about it.

OP posts:
MikeOxardForHalloween · 16/10/2012 20:30

Well done to all the losers, fab work!

Pabbo welcome, I would go 4:3 for a little while to shift the last few kilos. x

Skinnyeye · 16/10/2012 20:43

Back on track after a weekend of sheer indulgence and feeling good. Eating only once a fast day is really working out for me. I used to slump in the afternoon after a soup lunch when I calorie split and come home ravenous - heaven help anyone that got between me and the fridge Blush. Now I can and do hold off until 7 or 8 pm.

TalkinPeace2 · 16/10/2012 21:03

ManonBoard
Almost worth buying the book to see how much is C&P from Greeneggs wonderful threads - and then point out the plagiarism and demand copyright (to be paid in fizzy wine to the meetup bar of our choice)

rachelblythe · 16/10/2012 22:13

Hey everyone.
Some great losses reported again. Seems like a few people plateauing too. I haven't lost any weight for a few weeks either, but I'm at a lower end of healthy bmi, and had some nice meals out, etc recently, so I'm pleased not to have gained any. been doing to 30ds and can see my body starting to respond, feeling quite toned now. Wish I had checked my body fat percent before I started. I'm still doing 4:3. I'm too scared to drop down to 5:2. While I'm not concerned I'm not losing any more weight, I'm obviously slightly over consuming my base calories on feed days to create the balance. I'm happy to 4:3 at the moment.
Sorry to mention it....but has anyone put any thought into fasting over the xmas period? The festivities go on for around 10 days usually in my family and many 1000s of calories can easily be consumed on a daily basis! I don't want to undo all my good work though...humm

ManOnBoard · 16/10/2012 22:47

TP2 The reason that I watched the original programme was that I believed it was going to expose the diet industry as being a bunch of charlatans. How people wanting to lose weight pay to go to a club with a success rate that is probably close to zero, or buy meals at a premium rate for food with fewer calories - OF COURSE THERE ARE FEWER CALORIES THERE IS LESS BLOODY FOOD. It is disappointing that someone is trying to make a fast buck out of what is such a simple WOE but we can only hope nobody buys it

However having watched the programme the science just seemed to make sense as far as the health benefits were concerned and I was a few ounces overweight (912ozs to be precise) I thought I would give it a spin. Am doing your chin exercises and they, along with the 20llbs weight loss (only 592ozs to go) definitely seem to be making a difference.

Good idea about the wine but I am TT although I am pretty sure there are plenty on here who will happily have my share

Skinnyeye · 16/10/2012 23:06

Wine not me MOB I had enough at the weekend - at least until till Friday lol
sips on my new fast day drink pink grapefruit cordial Grin

Breadandwine · 17/10/2012 00:15

Just posted some interesting and informative links extracted from the first thread on the Tips and Links thread.

CrackerJackShack · 17/10/2012 06:08

On a fasting day, but starving already. Not looking forward to my weigh in tomorrow, because I think I'm really bloated, and I think I've gained weight.

We shall see.

TellMeLater · 17/10/2012 06:26

Fasting day. Off for a gentle run in the rain....brrrrrr!

I think we will probably fast a couple of days between Xmas and New year. We have an alcohol free January, so usually expect to lose Christmas excesses during that period.

Aftereightsaremine · 17/10/2012 06:46

Question for anyone who knows the answer, I try to stick to 25% of my daily calorie maintenance level on a fasting day, however if I was to go over by 50-100 calories would that adversely affect the health benefits?

Thelittlestranger · 17/10/2012 07:35

My dad always has a drink free February...because it's the shortest month! For Christmas, I may fast on 23rd, and then do the next one day after boxing day. Or may just have the week off entirely as it's a WOE.

Sarahwithafringe, I exercise on fast days and feel fine. If anything it takes my mind off eating. Today I'm only doing buggy fit but it gets me out for half an hour doing something.

Fast day here...tuna mayo salad for dinner, but haven't worked anything else out yet!

Laska42 · 17/10/2012 07:36

eating today and feeling slightly teed off as seem to have stalled at around 67.5kg..

BUT I'm reminding myself about all the good things about this WOE...so forgive me .. I'm just writing it down here in a kind of self indulgent way to try and shake myself up again.

So the good stuff..
I'm down to 67.5-=kg !!! Hey...that's 10st 9! Smile
I can go to my mums 87th birthday lunch today and eat some cake,,..Smile
I'm now in Normal BMI and sz 10 jeans and 12lb down .SmileSmile
Also that I've not had to give up wine or cheese to do this ( as evidenced the other day ..Grin

But I do also know that I have a terrible tendency to do myself down about my weight. But this is ridiculous.. What am I trying to do by being so hard on myself? .. I've lost over 3 stone in the last three years and 12lbs on this WOE .. so I need a jolly good smack in the head to make me see sense Grin

But I really do need to get the exercise routine sorted out ..
Luckily the cramps and back spasm episode seems to have calmed down again.. I'm still taking the magnesium though ..

OK... self indulgent rant over ..

Pretty darned windy in the Solent today and I have a ferry crossing to do ....Envy -i realise this is the wrong emoticon for how I'm feeling right now but probably will be the right one for the colour ill be later on .. !

Happy fasting and eating everyone...

skippyscuffleton · 17/10/2012 09:09

Aftereights... - I don't think anyone really knows the answer to your question. All I can say is that going over 500 0r 600 calories is working against what we saw on the Horizon prog.
As to having a negative effect on the health benefits, again we don't really know. Despite there being x000 posts on here about IF no one (unless I'm mistaken) has posted any details of blood test results showing an improvement in the markers that Dr M measured.

I hope we indeed are all getting healthier!

frenchfancy · 17/10/2012 09:23

Anyone else see this Skipping breakfast primes the brain to seek out fat

It goes against my own experience - I skip breakfast on fast days and I am fine until about midday. On feed days I eat breakfast and - like today - I am hungry by 10am.

When the researchers offered the particpants lunch at the end of the study, people ate a fifth more calories if breakfast was missed.

But the breakfast they were offered was 750cals, so even if lunch were the same and the fasters ate 20% more the fasters are still 600 cals down on those who ate breakfast.

Trills · 17/10/2012 09:24

If you ate 1/3 of your maintenance calories rather than 1/4 you'd still lose weight through general calorie deficit but the "magic" part of going into a special metabolic state might not happen, or might not happen to the same degree. Probably.

Trills · 17/10/2012 09:25

750 calories breakfast?

No thanks.

I'll save my calories for a time of day when I can enjoy and appreciate it.

Aftereightsaremine · 17/10/2012 09:36

Thanks skippy, guess none of us know the answer. Love to go on a medical trial of this WOE. Could give regular updates to all would be such fun.

frenchfancy · 17/10/2012 09:42

I agree trills I think 750 is ALOT for breakfast. I think it must be a cooked breakfast with bacon etc, I guess that would come in at 700-800 cals.

Sputnik · 17/10/2012 09:46

Interesting article, but I wonder if they would get similar results on people who skipped lunch or dinner? I'm not convinced of the magical power of breakfast specifically.
The thing about the fasting is you've made a conscious decision to eat less that day, so you may think about nice food, plan recipes etc as a lot of us do seem to do, but you defer actually eating it til your next eating day.

Trills · 17/10/2012 09:48

Alot :o

If I eat 750 calories, then an hour and a half later I am less drawn to high-calorie foods than I would be if I had not eaten that food.

Comes under "not news".

TellMeLater · 17/10/2012 09:48

If you eat a large cooked breakfast, it would be surprising if you wanted to eat a large lunch too. Most people eat a bowl of cereal or a couple of slices of toast for breakfast and are then hungry at lunch time. I've said for years that breakfast made me hungry and want to eat more...not surprisingly really when most breakfasts are made up from refined carbs.

mumofcrazynamedkids · 17/10/2012 09:52

french fancy I was just about to post the same thing, even if you normally ate 400 cals for breakfast, if you only ate 20% more cals at lunch but skipped breakfast then you would still be eating less overall, so I don't understand how they can say it in such a negative light.

i agree that naturally our bodies will demand a greater intake of calories if deprived, but what we are all experiencing is that we don't crave a total replacement of what we would normally eat, therefore for weight loss it's a good thing.

second fast day of the week for me, definitely feeling thinner, holding off on scales til Friday though.....and trying to decide whether to order a size 12 dress from Boden for my birthday party in 2 weeks, I had crept up to a 14, but I definitely think I'm back to a 12 again now.

HappyOrchid · 17/10/2012 09:59

Yep, I also saw the article and thought 730 calories for breakfast (or any meal) and you would not be hungry an hour and a half later. Crap and lazy research IMO.

Well thanks to eveyones support I fasted yesterday and felt fine apart from having tonsilitis (?sp), but am fighting off my cold and will plod on. Was suppoed to go to Italy today, but my boss (who is a real proper old fashioned kind of gent) could tell I was feeling low and offered to come here instead. So thats better, I will have to take him out for dinner tonight, but at least I'll be in my own bed tonight and hopefully anti-biotics will kick in before I go to Czech Republic on Sunday.

Will fast tomorrow and Sunday. Thanks for the reminder that this is a WOE and I am mostly enjoyingthe freedom after years of diets.

Interestingly my mom, who needs to reduce her cholesterol, blood sugars and lose about 10lb has been recommended this WOE by her GP. We were discussing it yesterday and hopefully if she decides to 5:2 we will have a guinea pig fellow faster who has at least got some bloods to check her progress with.

GreenEggsAndNichts · 17/10/2012 10:02

750 calories is ridiculous for breakfast. That's like, the breakfast you might have if you stay at a posh hotel and they've got a buffet with a waffle iron and an omelette stall. And you wouldn't eat again until supper. :)

The only thing I can say about breakfast is, when I was eating low-calorie, I found I lost weight more consistently if I ate something at breakfast time as well. I remember a period when I skipped breakfast regularly (just wasn't hungry, preferred to eat later anyway) and lost no weight, but as soon as I added a bit of breakfast, I lost weight. No net change to calories. This is anecdotal evidence, of course. :)

Another non-fast day here. Nothing to report; so far I've had a coffee as usual.

OP posts: