Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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:
ManOnBoard · 21/10/2012 17:31

Audley No I am sure that is right and it was a pretty weak joke of mine re ADD although I would be interested in reading the book that tells tou to eat very little on two days a week. It was mentioned earlier that a WOE/diet does not count until someone writes a book about it but still think the authors and publishers have a nerve profiting out of something that has not been fully researched.

SpiralSkies · 21/10/2012 17:52

"Omnivore refers to what you eat, not when"

You're quite right, of course. But carnivores don't, I suppose, have that endless availability to food. I'm sort of thinking about eating spiders and hamsters but hey, I am on a fast day! Wink

TalkinPeace2 · 21/10/2012 17:57

Re exercise on fast days
not the point
they are a normal day where you happen to eat less
remember that this is for the next 20 - 40 years

I started doing 500 calories on Monday and Thursday, but made no changes at all to the two hours at the gym I was already doing.

One of the BIG changes from 'normal' failure diets is that this one accepts that feeling hungry is entirely natural

audley · 21/10/2012 18:16

Thanks talkinpeace2 that makes sense. Am having to boards charge the kindle before I can read the book!

audley · 21/10/2012 18:16

Blardy not boards

2beornot · 21/10/2012 18:49

Have just seen a Q&A in the times Stella supplement which confirms that doing 5:2 can reduce risks of Alzheimer's. I didn't realise this but with a grandparent currently suffering it confirms I'm doing the right thing!!

ManOnBoard · 21/10/2012 19:14

When we exercise we get our energy from glycogen, converted from carbohydrates, stored in the muscles and liver. These stores are quite small and depending on the level of exercise can be depleted fairly quickly, which is why serious sportspeople may sometimes need to top them up during a match/race. For most of us we exercise far less intensely so a restricted diet will make little difference however 500 cals for someone with a low BMR can go further than it does for others. For me, and others on here have written the same, my energy levels are fine on the morning of a fast but seem lower as the day passes. Try it and let us know.

Thelittlestranger · 21/10/2012 19:38

So, this weekend I've continued to think like a thin person, and have tried to only eat when hungry...despite neither day being a fast day. I also successfully drank a lot less, so feeling positive for next week's weigh in. Also, after a roast dinner and apple and blackberry crumble for pudding, I'm ready to fast tomorrow.

My sweet tooth has disappeared over the last 8 weeks of eating like this, and chocolate just doesn't appeal anymore. I've also made totally different food choices this weekend, at Costa coffee, prezzo and KFC (didn't have anything at costa and KFC and chose the light option at Prezzo) because of my greater understanding of calories. I love that all three of them list the calories in their food...

Oh, and breadandwine, I tried a version of chilli non carne last night and it was delicious. Am going to include on my fast day menu...

Congrats on the weight loss Helga!

Sputnik · 21/10/2012 19:40

As far as I understand it if you fast until you are glycogen depleted (ie the famous 16 hours) you then start taking energy from your own fat stores: result!
I do exercise on fast days but in the morning as that suits my schedule, so haven't yet tried it later in the day, but I don't see why not really. People also exercise low carbing, I think if your body gets used to it then it's no problem.

Thelittlestranger · 21/10/2012 19:44

Just to add as well, my mum has early onset Alzheimers (she started getting it in her mid to late 50s) and gran also had it, although at a later age. It's another key reason why I too am doing it...

And to add to manonboard, I can exercise fine on a fast day, but it's the day after a fast day that I can feel lightheaded doing weights etc...

TalkinPeace2 · 21/10/2012 19:49

for my part, I go to the gym in the morning and have never eaten breakfast, so mile swim, hour of bodypump and hour of yoga is normal having not eaten since the day before
and so long as I have a HUGE black coffee I'm OK till supper

ManOnBoard · 21/10/2012 20:06

Sputnik I agree, but it depends on the level and intensity of the execise and whether your body can process your fat reserves in sufficient quantities. When you watch tennis and they have bananas, long distance cyclists, marathon runners etc they have low body fat but still need the instant energy from carbs. As I said I do not think at our levels it should make that much difference but I have noticed that it does make some. Until I stopped through injury I used to do martial arts which after an hour and a quarter of high intensity training we finished with six lots of 2 minute sparring and were I still doing it I doubt I would have enough fuel left in the tank

ManOnBoard · 21/10/2012 20:13

TP2 Hmmm HUGE BLACK COFFEE? Caffeine? A legal stimulant reportedly given to Premiership footballers to boost performance during games and, according to some, the reason for England's poor performance against Poland which after being delayed for 24 hours they had had to have sleeping pills to come down from.

TalkinPeace2 · 21/10/2012 20:17

LOL
well amphetamines are so much harder to buy on the school run!
maybe the England footballers forgot the mantra "avoid hangovers ~ stay drunk"

Bordercollielover · 21/10/2012 20:46

Re Snacking. I followed a trail of links only yesterday which led to an article which said that a major cause of obesity has been the idea of snacking which has replaced the idea of not eating between meals. It claimed that we should eat discrete meals, allowing as long as possible between the meals for the stomach to be completely empty, which might be some time AFTER feeling hungry. The reason given was that every time we eat the insulin cycle is triggered and the stomach needs to be empty for the effects of the insulin to stop for a while.
It also said something about breakfast being the worst time to eat because it causes an insulin spike on top of the natural peak of the cortisol cycle which is apparently extra bad news.
No idea of the truth of any of this, just passing it on.

TalkinPeace2 · 21/10/2012 20:51

bordercollie
makes UTTER sense and supports articles I've been reading in New Scientist for years.

Snacking is about more money for the food industry, not nutrition.

Breakfast cereal was invented by Charles Kellogg to deal with a glut of cheap American maize and to support visits to his extremely dodgy health clinics

Trills · 21/10/2012 21:26

And to prevent masturbation of course.

ShortLass · 21/10/2012 21:48

Thought you might be interested in how I'm working things: I work Sat & Sun 6am-1pm and do a fast day on a Sat. So I eat nothing at work, then come home and split my cals between lunch and dinner.

I eat nothing at work on Sunday either, then have a Sunday lunch with a glass of Wine at a pub. My tummy has shrunk a little from not eating much and this really fills me up. So I don't want to eat in the evening. I'm consuming 1000 cals on a Sunday???

Still drinking tea with milk (I take those cals into account) both mornings. I'm a bit of an addict Blush.

I'm really liking this weekend routine. When I first started, I ate way too much during the week, but now I'm being more sensible. I seem to have lost my "need" to have a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. I also don't get as ratty if I go a long time without a meal.

Doing 6:1 at the moment as I run during the week and found it difficult to combine exercise and fasting (although I am unusual, would advise people to try it for themselves). As my body adapts, I may try going 5:2 again.

Also, I may try an alternative to pub Sunday lunch as doing this every week will cost me over ?40. I started doing it because I'm often tired after work and eat rubbish, and thought this would be a yummy alternative that includes veggies and is a reward for doing so well the past couple of days.

ShortLass · 21/10/2012 21:49

That's ?40 per month...

TalkinPeace2 · 21/10/2012 21:56

sounds like you are heading towards a long term plan
well done

Trills · 21/10/2012 22:02

I was thinking that ?40 was a lot for a lunch!

CrackerJackShack · 22/10/2012 06:05

Feast day after a very successful fast day.

Having half a grapefruit and some low fat yogurt for breakfast, have some pomegranate for a mid morning snack. Liked the salad I made so much yesterday that I made a slightly bigger one with goat cheese and steak. Thinking of having sausage and mash tonight. :D

Piebaldrider · 22/10/2012 07:03

MOnday morning and im climbing back on the wagon or the horse or something. I ate rasonably well over the weekend but also was busy doing horsey stuff so quite active . Im just about to leave and ride my horse before work , i have no issues wth energy on a fast day and i will be fine to ride again in the morning but on the day after fasting i do get tired more quickly. I have started the day well with a delicious mouth wash ( yuk) but it will keep me going till lunch . I shall either have a cuppa soup or a tin of tomatoes . Tonight i want to cook my ZERO calorie noodles but they take a bit of faffing about so it will depend on how i feel when i get home . I'm also a little concerend by comments i read about them comming out in the same state they went it ( being almost pure fibre) and now every time i look at the packet i dont fancy eating them anymore. Maybe if i hold that thought everytime i am tempted to eat i wont do it lol.

Have a great day

Thelittlestranger · 22/10/2012 09:37

The more I hear about those noodles, the less they appeal!

Fast day here supping on a milky coffee, butternut squash soup at 130/2pm and then pork stir fry for tea...

Trills · 22/10/2012 09:45

Morning all.

Fats day here.

Burgled Friday night, had takeaway Saturday night (that logically follows...)

About 3 pounds down from when I got back from holiday (about a month ago), and since my fast days have been averaging more like 600-700 I'm not going to complain there.