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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! 7 is our lucky number...

991 replies

GreenEggsAndNichts · 19/11/2012 12:57

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 2012, 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.

I know a number of people lurk on this thread, as this is currently quite popular. Please just jump in and post if you're new- we won't bite. Well, maybe on a fast day. Wink

Here is a list of links to get you started with this way of eating. Please let us know if you find a new article or some other information online:

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

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.

Here is where I would link to the aforementioned Horizon programme, but it appears as if the BBC have finally noticed it on YouTube and have taken it down. If you have another link for this episode, please PM me with it, or post it to the thread and we'll put it up for the next thread.

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 all the links re-copied and back into one post.

Come join us, and tell us about your experiences with this diet!

OP posts:
Laska42 · 26/11/2012 17:00

greeneggs chin up chuck!Thanks my son is 22 and I've still got half a stone to go to get back to what I was when he stopped Bf!! ...

But 17lbs since August .. that's so worth celebrating and you have been able to have treats and Thanksgiving and all of that , which if you'd been doing WW or the like you'd have felt guilty about ..

Right I'm over my 24 hrs total fast now .. pretty tempted to eat, but actually I'm no hungrier than I was a few hours ago and def don't feel any hungrier than I did when I first started fasting all those months ago and it felt so difficult .. so is it just the 'time clock?'? .. going to try and stick it out until the morning which will then make 36 hrs total fast . Trouble is i need to clean the freezer out this evening before bin collection tomorrow and in readiness for 'Winterval' shopping .. but I don't think there's anything in there I can just eat ..

TellMeLater · 26/11/2012 17:06

I used to post on the veggie forum - back when I was a veggie. Shame that forum was shut down, the knowledge was amazing. I learnt a huge amount about food.

NotWilliamBoyd · 26/11/2012 17:33

Hi everyone,

Great to see so many people starting this WOE and the successes of those already on it.

I think I posted a couple of threads ago - I was the one complaining of a bloated stomach on fasting days after my evening meal (I save almost all of my calories up until the evening). Well I still get a bit bloated at times, I think it's just the way my body works. I've been following this WOE since the beginning of October and I've lost over 10lbs - I'm also following the couch25k running programme, so I've been really working at getting healthier.

Interestingly none of my friends/colleagues have noticed, but I am pretty tall and I think it's easier to get away with weight change in either direction without people noticing as much.

Tbh I had expected to lose weight more quickly, but I'm 41 and trying to be realistic here - steady loss is probably better in the long term/

phlebas · 26/11/2012 17:53

I don't post v. often - am not well atm (seem to have a run of viral infections) & have backed off the fasting BUT I have maintained my weight (exactly 83kg) with only a couple of fast days for three weeks. That's pretty miraculous to me. Will go back to fasting when I shift latest illness.

I mentioned on one of the earlier threads that my mum (60 years old, 5ft 3 & 9 stone) had started doing IF - she has been trying to lose 10 pounds for 10 years & nothing (WW, SW, massive amount of exercise, super low calorie, Dukan etc etc) has worked. Well she's been doing 5:2 for 4 weeks & has lost 5lbs - she's absolutely delighted & best of all she's lost 2 inches from her waist (33 to 31) which is brilliant for health.

GreenEggsAndNichts · 26/11/2012 18:02

Thanks everyone, you're all very kind Thanks. I don't like to moan too much but it has been a tough week or so. The support is much appreciated!

TML I think that's very true. If I went by looks, I'd never be able to tell if I'd lost weight (or gained), hence the weekly weigh-ins.

Laska and others, you're right, I've been doing this a while and have had some real success with it. It definitely didn't put me off the WOE. I just am weighed down (hah) by how much more I've got to go, and wondering if I'll even look okay once I get there.

I do look much better in my clothes. I'm down a size in my jeans (er, which still appears to be a vanity size, as I tried that size on in H&M and could barely get them up Grin but it's a size down in the same brand as previous, if that makes sense. Still a size down, just obviously not the same size structure H&M uses). I'm generally happy with the progress and glad I took the leap to just do this WOE. I might just have been due a good wallow.

mumofcrazy might be the nail on the head; I think it's a combination of changes due to my weight, and also due to age. And also the realisation of how bad I must've looked before I started. grr. etc!!

VP I think hotels and changing rooms must have the worst lighting ever. :)

Thanks again everyone! Shall get some soup in a few. Tis about time to eat something.

OP posts:
literarygeek · 26/11/2012 18:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Laska42 · 26/11/2012 18:22

Eek!! Shock i've just found some 2 year old smoked salmon in my freezer . .. ! and the remains of last years Christmas pudding Ice cream....(looking pretty inedible)

.. I think I should go through my freezer more often ..

Well, there was nothing I there I could eat, so i've still had nothing since yesterday Pm .. but the sight of all the food (even frozen in there) was a bit of a trial .. Luckily it was nearly all raw frozen meat and fish and frozen veg,

frenchfancy · 26/11/2012 19:35

B+W I remember you as PaultheBread from the food forums as well. Small world!

Our bread has just come out of the oven ready for breakfast tomorrow. Despite my lapse this morning the rest of today has been like a normal fast, and my stomach seems fine after the turmoil of the weekend.

Poppy1234 · 26/11/2012 20:24

Greeneggs sorry to hear you are feeling down, 17lbs is a fantastic weight loss, maybe it was the anticipation of Thanksgiving followed by the foodhangover?
Well my first week of fasting is over and today's my first fast day of this week. I've been weighing daily (the weightbot app on the iPhone is brilliant), I had a very relaxed weekend food wise and nearly fell off the scales this morning when I realised I'd put on 5lbs since Friday (I had lost 2lbs from when I started on Monday so a 3lb net gain). I've decided to use Thursdays as my benchmark to determine whether or not I'm losing weight so fingers crossed it's quickly on, quickly off and Thursday will show a net loss. I think my rookie mistake was getting very excited about the weekend and going completely OTT. I need to think like a skinny person rather than a child let loose in a sweet shop!

FlipFlippingFlippers · 26/11/2012 20:44

So pleased that I've actually downloaded the my fitness pal app. It's made me feel much better about my 'awful' feed day. Only gone 190 cals over what I should do on a regular day (not counting the fast days iyswim) so all in all the deficit should be ok.

I'm probably overthinking things!

Bordercollielover · 26/11/2012 21:52

I used to be very strong but exchanged it all for obesity and a sedentary job. As the weight trickles off I am beginning to think I would like some muscle back. I can't get to a gym but wondered about strength band exercises ? Anyone got any suggestions? I really would be starting from a position of nil muscle power and want something simple and fun that I might have some chance of sticking to. Unfortunately my boredom tolerance level for exercise is very low unless its disguised as an activity that I like.

literarygeek · 26/11/2012 21:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TalkinPeace2 · 26/11/2012 22:04

BCL
pick up a second hand wii and a wii fit board and wii sports
the yoga is good
the step is hilarious fun
and lots of the balancing games are even funnier for those watching than the person doing it ....
Pawn shops like cash converters are selling them cheap at the moment

nminx · 26/11/2012 22:05

Hello everyone. Some good stories of weightloss on these fast moving threads!

Others have mentioned not liking how they look in the mirror which made me want to share something I've recently been pondering.
I wondered if anyone else thinks that you just get used to the size you become and it then feels normal? I've still only lost ten pounds (it goes up and down) since the first three weeks of this WOE, (now on week 12 ish) but it IS three quarters of a stone, so I am smaller than when I started. However I think I must have forgotten what being ten pounds heavier felt like, as being this weight and size now feels normal. It is easy to forget what an achievement it is!
When I first posted I mentioned ongoing tiredness, headaches, diahorrea and flu like symptoms from this WOE. Am happy to report that has stopped. I think my body has adjusted. I hope that helps others who have experienced similar.

Thanks to all that contribute, I may not post very often, but reading all your comments is helpful. :)

Breadandwine · 26/11/2012 22:44

TellMeLater
"I used to post on the veggie forum - back when I was a veggie. Shame that forum was shut down, the knowledge was amazing. I learnt a huge amount about food."

I'll second that, it was a wonderful forum and I also gained much from it.

Hi, FF as well.

You must both be using different nicknames, since I've run both your names through Sakkarin's search engine and I get no results back.

Your posts will still be there, though, and if you want the link I'll happily PM you with it. Smile

Nowadays I post about food on these two forums - both are populated by ex-BBC foodies:

www.wildfood.info/

and this one - started by Sakkarin himself:

www.carta.co.uk/

Just realised there's a link to the search thread on the second forum.

TellMeLater · 26/11/2012 22:49

Today was my first fast till dinner time - one meal only. My mindset had to change...instead of trying to fight the hunger and beat it down, I embraced it and took deep breaths....these help, no milky drinks today.

My dinner was especially good - after making the dcs a sausage and lentil stew, how hard was that not to taste, I was glad I didn't have to cook another dinner...waitrose chicken madras was pulled from the emergency stash in the freezer and served up with some cauliflower rice - shared with dh it was a neat 300kcal. Then I was able to have a big bowl of yoghurt, mixed seeds & berries with various flavours added. My hunger pangs receded at last and my belly was happily full and I think I will try holding off eating till the evening next time too, in many ways it was easier than eating 2 small meals that were enough to wet the appetite but failed to satisfy the hunger. One big meal suits me better ....I think.

frenchfancy · 27/11/2012 06:38

B+W That second link doesn't work unfortunately, though the first looks good. I've sent you a PM.

Laska42 · 27/11/2012 06:46

Wow I did it ...My 36 hours with no food at all experiment really wasn't that bad, didn't feel any hungrier than with normal fast but definitely thirstier..

My Scrambled egg tasted REALLY good this morning though..Grin

Not sure if that will be my Sunday./Monday routine from now on , perhaps it was a bit hardcore. (but as I've remembered that I'm going away this weekend coming I MAY do it again next Sunday /Monday after all.. will see what the damage is)

Though from now on I'm definitely going to do 24hrs total non-eating from Sunday (after a light soup-type lunch as we don't eat a big meal that day usually ) through Mondays,then 500cals for Monday evening. followed by 16hrs fast after that until Tuesday morning.

Good luck all fasters today .. ill have me nose in the trough until Thursday now.. Grin Grin

Another daft WI story this morning .... after eating nothing at all for 36 hrs I was EXACTLY the same (10.2 ), as I was Sunday morning and I'm fairly betting tomorrow after eating today it could be less, as i've noticed that seems to happen sometimes.. (its not bothering me .. just posting this observation as we've been discussing fluctuating scale weights recently )

TellMeLater · 27/11/2012 07:19

Laska can find myself lighter after a day of eating! I'm sure most of it is water, we can hold onto huge amounts - in my case anyway it's anything up to 4 kg.

tiggy114 · 27/11/2012 08:53

Only just done my second fast yesterday but does anyone find that the day after, your not that hungry? I'm finding it hard to eat normally on non fast days!

catsrus · 27/11/2012 09:33

Impressive laska !

On the looking in a mirror thing - there is a mirror downstairs that I tend to use before going out "is my skirt tucked into my knickers ?" checks - and I really don't see the difference in my weight - but there's another in the bathroom upstairs that makes me look lanky - tall and skinny. I love it! I am now seeing the weight loss in my own face - others have commented on it but I'm only just seeing it now.

I'm away for work ATM - took the opportunity to stay with a friend for a couple of nights - we went out for a great meal on Sunday night where i made sensible choices but tucked into the pitta bread and dips starter. yesterday I fasted and we had a stir fry last night. I didn't worry about the oil she liberally poured into the pan, or the Wine on the basis that I'd had a good fast day and at least had the benefits of eating very little up to that point. I got on her digital scales this morning before leaving (mine are mechanical and I know which way to lean to get the best readingBlush ) and I was 9st 12 lb. I've celebrated by coming into the work cafe and having breakfast of latte and a large bowl of fruit and very delicious (def not low fat!) yoghurt.

So that is now 20lb since August and I'm so thrilled to have found a WOE that gives me this much flexibility and control and, for me, really doesn't feel like "being on a diet". Good luck to those of you just starting out, I hope you find it as simple and positive as some of us have Smile

TroublesomeEx · 27/11/2012 10:53

I've lost 21lb on 5:2.

With all the crap I've had over the past few weeks I'd forgotten about it but I'm going to start doing it again.

I've got another 20lb to lose and I'm feeling positive about it.

I'm also waiting for my 30 day shred dvd (should be here tomorrow...)

Breadandwine · 27/11/2012 11:03

Hi TML and FF

Sorry about that last link - try this one:

www.carta.co.uk/foodforum/index.php?sid=a6cc998d0c9f92b356662a33b67bd65d

mumofcrazynamedkids · 27/11/2012 11:54

tiggy yes, lots of us have found that we're not hungry the day after a fast...go to bed thinking of all the yummy things you will have for breakfast (although this susbside as you realise that the reality is so different) then wake up and really not feel hungry.

the only thing I find recently is that once i start eating i can easily fall back into snacking mode, and i'm trying a bit harder to not do that as much, fine to have a biscuit or two if I really crave them, but not then spend the day grazing, but wait and think about what I'd really like to eat.

the hardest is finding the time to use up leftovers, today I have brought in leftover veggie pizza from Friday as well as some potato and leek dauphinoise from sunday but think I will just chuck the pizza, i don't need it, and i'd rather it went in the bin than back on my hips! Those old waste not tendencies are hard to break!

for those looking at stats, I've still only lost 11/12 pounds since beginning 16 weeks ago, I do 5:2 I've gone from low end overweight to high end normal bmi, am 40, and 5'6" now weigh 10 11 and have been around this mark for past 5 weeks, but I'm not too worried, even if this maintains, i can eat what i like on non fast and have ways of cuttingback further if i want to lose more, but I'm in no hurry, and just hope those health benefits are working in the background!

well done to all those losing lots and welcome to all the newbies.

tiggy114 · 27/11/2012 12:22

Thanks for replying mummo. I'm new at this so i can't help thinking it's too easy. I still don't believe i'll actually lose any weight like this! Too good to be true. Only my first week though so early days.

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