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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 Six! Now's the time to de-lurk and chat with us..

984 replies

GreenEggsAndNichts · 25/10/2012 12:49

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 in August, 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 started is a good resource for some of the links and tips that get lost in these big threads. In addition to sharing links, we try 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 mentioned BMR and TDEE often. Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) quantifies the number of calories you burn in a day. This measure is best estimated by scaling your Basal Metabolic Rate to your level of activity. TDEE is critical in tailoring your nutrition plan to desired fitness goals. Here is a link to a calculator to help you figure out how many calories you should be eating in a day.

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:
MummysHappyPills · 05/11/2012 06:33

Hi all! Weighed in this morning after a week of half hearted ADF, although really I skipped a fast, and my fast days weren't strict (Indian takeaway for tea on one of them for instance! Blush).

However I have lost a pound and a half! Grin

I have it clear in my mind now what I'm doing, so hope to do better this week. I will strictly do ADF for now, til I drop a further 5lbs and get into normal BMI territory. Then I would like to lose more, but don't mind doing it slowly so will reduce the fast days to 5:2 or even 6:1 and see how I go. I have decided to keep Mondays consistent for weigh in day and stay away from the scales in between!

I am also going to try sticking to fruit teas and water til dinner on fast days - I was previously having white tea and coffee but have decided they use up vital calories for dinner! Grin

Fast day today! Hope you are all looking forward to a good week. Smile

Piebaldrider · 05/11/2012 07:08

Laska i am not a massive consumer of protein but when i first started this woe i was eating much more protein than i am now. Firstly because i have done Atkins in the past and i know protein cant be converted into fat and also because it filled me. My initial fat loss was very quick although i wasn't weighing myself then. I would say the fat loss has definitely slowed down but i cant say that's because of the protein or not. If i have no weight loss this week i am going to up my protein again and just see if it makes any difference. I am generally trying to mix it up anyway so my body doesn't get too used any one thing .

Someone asked on the previous page how long i had been doing this and i cant remember but i think between 6-8 weeks, i didn't make a big thing of it as i didn't expect it to work or that i would be able to stick with it, but here i am . I seem to remember Yahoo running a story on it and i started on it around that time.

Today's nice little motivator was when applying my moisturiser i notice that my face now has much more definition and i can feel the shape of my cheek bones etc and it feels good.

Thelittlestranger · 05/11/2012 07:24

Morning all, first fast day of the week here and ready for it! Dropped another 1lb last week bringing my total loss to 13lbs. I think this WOE and regular trips to the gym are doing the trick and I hope to lose another 7lbs by Christmas...

Really pleased to hear about your dad sexbombbikerchick...

Re the protein discussion, I struggle to think of a meal as a meal without some kind of protein. But this is changing, I've never enjoyed veggies so much before.

Tonight's meal is going to be chilli chicken stir fry, and I'm going to make some carrot and coriander soup for the freezer. I hope I'll make it through the day without eating at all again, as I did on my last fast. Kids are still off school and keeping me busy, so should work.

Right, I have a nappy to change (not mine!!)

OHforDUCKScake · 05/11/2012 07:30

Morning!!

Fast day for me and the beginning of a 'being good!' week.

I ate my weight in doughnuts yesterday because I knew this day was coming. Wink
Probably not the best start.

Today's fast day is going to be hard as well, Im going to have to get all my will power together today.

On the plus side Im having to stay at a bnb tonight with the kids so I'll take my dinner and there'll be no temptation of food there like there is at home so that'll help.

C'mon Ducks you can do it!!

Laska42 · 05/11/2012 07:53

Right , I'm going to try for 24 hours .. am 17 in so far.. ... I think the key is to try and forget I'm doing it .. luckily have busy day ahead.

Laska42 · 05/11/2012 08:02

LOL about the cake at breakfast Bread and Wine.. I was thinking this morning as I showered my new thinner self ( sorry if too much info there) and thought about the diet industries obsession with 'starvation modes' ..

Its just been amazing to me that i've simply never thought about taking a food break every so often before.. Why didn't I do that?. Oh yes. because the food industry told me I should eat 'little and often' - or lot and often in mine and many other peoples case! (oops coming on all B Dr John Briffa again!)

I also remembered an old house-share mate I had when I was in my 20s , he always fasted on Mondays.. and we all thought he was bonkers.. I might look him up and see if he's on facebook ( oh, but im not!) and see if he's still slim. I bet he is..

OHforDUCKScake · 05/11/2012 08:12

So if you did 24 hours, you'd have dinner at say, 5pm then be able to have a big dinner at 5pm the next day?
Do you just drink a lot during the 24 hours?

See Id love love to try that but I dont think it would be good for bf, Id worry it would effect it.

Good luck!!

Laska42 · 05/11/2012 09:27

Hi ducks , theres been a lot of chat about this inthe last few days,.. but all im doing is trying t extend my fast from 16 hrs to 24, as its supposed to give the better health benefits ..

So yestrday I ate my 500 cals (in 2 meals becayuse thats what ive been doing,) and yes last was 5pm.. so im planning to eat again about 5pm today.. but not going to be silly, if i feel carp later ill eat ..

This is more about the the puported health benefits now because ive lost 14 lbs on this alreadyand now 10 7 ( your highest weight for years wasnt it? but my lowest!! lol!) . So im not too worried now about weight loss as at 5'6 (and a bit older) thats ok for me I think ..

dandycandyjellybean · 05/11/2012 09:30

HI all, come on Ducks, you CAN do it. Yay!!!!!!! I am one happy sexbomb - I managed 2 fasts last week for the first time in a month. and it wasn't hard, and I'm doing it again tomorrow.

although I've been messing around alot with the actual 36 hours on 500 cals twice a week thing whilst my Dad has been poorly, etc, i have experimented a lot with total fasting, regularly doing 16-20 hours, longest I managed was 22. So although my weight loss hasn't been as fast as I would like I still feel as though perhaps I have had the health bens.

Anyway, off to gym now (well letting the chux out first), then taking ds to his sign language class.

Oh, and this time in 4 weeks I will be waking up on my first morning in Lanzarote, did I mention it's 77 degrees there this morning? Heheheheheh Grin

dandycandyjellybean · 05/11/2012 09:31

Oh and well done Laska you are a real inspiration

OHforDUCKScake · 05/11/2012 09:50

Great Laska! 14lb thats amazing!!!

And thank you Sexbomb.

mumofcrazynamedkids · 05/11/2012 11:26

Morning all, was supposed to be a fast day today....I baked at the weekend twice, carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for a Fireworks party on sat, home made lime curd, and then almond cake yesterday, that i ate way too many slices of, i brought the rest into work all happy that it's a fast day, and then remembered that it is a work pizza and cake lunch, now trying to decide whether to stick to fast, or swap til tomorrow, may wait and look at the pizza and cake before I decide!

But overall i prefer to swap days around for friends and family - out of work socialising, rather than just joning in for the sake of it.....hhmmm

lovely weekend this weekend, had a great day off with the kids on friday, and enjoyed a kids portion of fish and chips and mushy peas out with them and some friends on friday, dinner with the same friends that night for a delicious home made vindaloo and stir fried cavolo nero (really delicious tuscan cabbage), a day of housework and baking sat and following firework party with the children and then yesterday we had brunch with friends follwoed by an afternoon of play doh, baking, more tidying and sorted (I do seem to have more energy for getting on with chores that I will usually avoid at all costs - although my youngest starting school and me having 2 days off a week probably helps too!)

anyway, feeling annoyed about fridays weigh in gain, but not too disheartened, i've bene here before and it usually balances back out again, I just need to think positively and aim to get back on track for this Friday.

well done to apples for weighing in, similarly to something laska said your starting weight is close to my target weight! amusing but good that we are all so different in our targets.

TalkinPeace2 · 05/11/2012 13:10

try to stick with it.
I make my kids packed lunch each morning and normally pick as I go.
No longer on fast days!

Target is another five pounds by the end of term - then I'll try to maintain with 6:1
or maybe relaxed 5:2 to keep DH company as he has more to lose than I did.

I saw the Times magazine this morning and the chap following the diet fell for the "the 2,500 calories I'm allowed" line
AAAAGGHHH
That figure dates back to manual workers after World War Two.
I'm 5'5" - my basic calories allowance IS NOT 2000 per day, its 1700
NO WONDER people put on weight ....

mumofcrazynamedkids · 05/11/2012 13:12

so I just resisted the pizza and cake lunch at work, feeling very proud of myself, even stayed sitting in the dining room, with the smell of 20 domino's pizza's wafting around while I ate my very delicious (and luckily strong tasting) broccoli and stilton soup, if there had been amazing cake I might have faltered but it was supemarket cakes and that just doesn't do it for me!

now I feel back in control, all good.

OHforDUCKScake · 05/11/2012 13:27

Ive always found 2000 calories a hell of a lot if, like me, you dont do exercise every day.

Laska42 · 05/11/2012 14:03

24hr update .. so far i'm fine on water tea and coffee and went out for a lunchtime walk.. but really starting to look forward to breaking my fast now..

Nice piece of salmon waiting for me at home.. Think ill have it Wagamama style with rice noodles and veggies and yes.... chilli! Wink..

I mustn't go home too early though the temptation might be to great ....

I made £175 selling (too big) clothes on ebay this weekend ... Grin Hooray! can buy some more!! i've got my eye on a lovely Coast dress.. wouldnt usually be the sort of thing I'd wear but ...might surprise the old man.. ..

OHforDUCKScake · 05/11/2012 14:26

Wowzers Laska, money, weight loss, amazing dinner to look forward to. You must be one happy lady today!!

Im struggling right now, its 2.23pm and Im SO hungry. I knew this fast day would be hard as Ive barely managed 1 fast day a week this last month, Ive been eating loads on the other days but mainly, I think its my punishment for eating 4 2 doughnuts in a row yesterday. Wink

Im still smiling though, I know after today it'll get easier. Grin

Im looking forward to a crisp sandwich tomorrow lunch time.

OHforDUCKScake · 05/11/2012 14:29

That looks as though I said I ate 42 doughnuts in a row! Goodness can you imagine?!

Trills · 05/11/2012 14:38

Fast day today, so far just coffee and tea, have homemade soup planned for dinner.

I should eat something soonish or (from past experience) I'll start to feel weird.

GreenEggsAndNichts · 05/11/2012 14:46

Hello everyone! Lovely sunny day here in the middle of nowhere, east mids. :) Inlaws are off back to Germany and I'm back in control of the food in the house. I did manage a fast day on the last day, thanks to a clever carrot soup I made for supper, so I think I'm good. I haven't weighed myself yet- I did last week and for the first time, I hadn't lost any weight. I'm still keeping with it, though, as we all know it could be anything.

I've got a fast day today, and I'm having a cup of coffee as I enjoy a bit of quiet here.

42 donuts Grin Not even I could manage that, Ducks. I do like a nice donut. It's just as well that no place around here can manage to make one. We're so far off the radar we can't even manage to have one of those Krispy Kreme cabinets at a local Tesco. (Thank bob for small favours!) Anyway, just stay focused, have another cup of tea and find something to keep yourself occupied. You'll feel better for having made it through the day, and remember, tomorrow you can have that pizza with cake and Rolos on top.

I kid, I keed. mostly.

Laska!! Well done! Now you've got money to buy new clothes! I really ought to go through my own wardrobe, but I've never sold on Ebay. hm.

mumofcrazy (I really like shortening your name to that) good job passing up the pizza and cake. Office life is tough on this sort of thing.

sbbc I'm so glad to hear about your father! Big un-MNetty hugs for you and your family. :)

OP posts:
catsrus · 05/11/2012 14:52

lol ducks that's what I thought you said !!

working from home today - fast day - not a good combination. Instead of making a hearty warming earthy soup to last me through the day - I made a japanesey seaweed, glue noodley, hot and sour batch. It's not hitting the spot like root veg would have Sad

Still - I can honestly say that after a bowl full I don't have genuine stomach hunger but my mouth isn't satisfied at all - will just try to live with it for a few hours.

skippyscuffleton · 05/11/2012 15:03

Greetings all. Some updates to share from my 5:2 experience which I do primarily for health benefits rather than weight loss. I recently had a blood test to see if 5:2ing has had any benefits. Prior to the test I?d been 5:2ing for 8 weeks, for the first 6 weeks was doing 600kc on fast days split over dinner and b?fast, and for the last 2 weeks was doing 24hr fasts on my fast days (b?fast to b?fast ? I can?t skip b?fast and fully concur with the Israeli prof on B&W?s latest link). In conjunction with the IF I also do a good level of exercise swimming 3x pw and cycling 60miles or so pw including 15mile rides on fasting days. It?s also worth noting that I?m male in my early 40s.
On the morning of the blood test I had fasted for about 26hrs and in the fasting period had also done a 15 mile bike ride (steady state). Unfortunately I didn?t get an IGF-1 reading nor insulin. The only test results I could compare with were from 3 yrs ago when I wasn?t doing IF but my weekly exercise was of a similar level. Key indicators showed:
Cholesterol - pre IF 5.0mmol/L, with IF 5.1mmol/L Confused
Triglycerides - pre IF 1.09mmol/L, with IF 0.9mmol/L
Blood glucose - pre IF 5.1mmol/L, with IF 4.8mmol/L
As you can see the results in themselves are fine and don?t cause me any concern but I have to say I was a little disappointed that there wasn?t more of an effect with IF and that my cholesterol is still at the high end of normal. In due course I will fork out for a test that includes IGF-1, as for me that really is the key indicator. Would also like to know about possible cognitive improvements but I guess there?s no way of measuring, although plenty of scope for improvement.
In the 10 weeks I?ve been IFing I?ve lost about 3kg, from 96kg to 93kg so not bad but not amazing either.
Other effects I?ve experienced in the last few weeks:
I really feel the cold especially in the evenings on fast days.
Cravings plus consumption of confectionary and ice cream on normal days have really increased over the last 2 weeks. My view is that it?s due to SAD effects with decreasing daylight and temp. I do wonder if I?ll be able to keep 5:2ing all the way thru the winter.
When preaching about the benefits of IF it?s best to refrain from demonstrating weight loss by wriggling out of my unbuckled trousers with button and zip done up in front of female company.

Re the 16hr fast idea that appears on this thread from time to time, I'd be v grateful is someone can send me a link to a paper (as opposed to a blog of a self proclaimed savant/dr) that details what the health benefits are. All I have found so far leads me to believe it is just a 16hr period of calorie restriction, especially when the 16hrs comprises of sleeping plus skipping b'fast. I don't think it's a bad idea and I'm sure it will go to assisting weight loss but so far I don't see it as any more than that?

Happy fasting all Smile

TellMeLater · 05/11/2012 15:05

Fast day, much, much easier this week without pmt and half term holidays. That is one double whammy I hope not to repeat. Second time I've given up fasting as a consequence of periods and school holidays but I just keep getting back on the horse again.

Have been out for a five mile run this morning, which took the edge off my hunger, have had 3 coffees and some Total yoghurt so far.

Will make some roast chicken for the dcs and chicken vindaloo and cauliflower rice for dh and me.

Laska42 · 05/11/2012 15:05

oh it was a Kaliko dress I have my eye on .. Whadaya think?

( this is displacement surfing whilst trying not to think of food.. better get back to work... )

C'mon Ducks we can do it .. Lol 42 donuts ( bleugh , I couldnt even eat one. Hate them ..

frenchfancy · 05/11/2012 15:16

Nice Laska.

Finding myself very snappy this afternoon. It is half term so I am trying to tidy the house with the help of a 6 year old. On my own I would have it finished by now, but it is taking forever and I am just getting more anoyed. Doesn't help that kids seem to get hungry every 5 minutes.