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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:
GreenEggsAndNichts · 04/12/2012 11:04

Laska I know what you mean about scheduling! I set my mind for the week and if I have to switch days around (which I almost never do, because of this obsessiveness) it really throws me off. I might need to loosen up for this month with all the random invites around, though. :)

OP posts:
TalkinPeace2 · 04/12/2012 11:34

There is no way DH or I can do fast days over Christmas and New Year, but skipping the odd meal will make it manageable. Trouble is that when the eatery options include Katz's deli and Top of the Rock, all the willpower in the world will not see me to healthy options :-)

That's why we are both working hard now and will work hard in January.

Breadandwine · 04/12/2012 12:05

You can always throw in the odd day of missing breakfast, or breakfast and lunch, for that matter.

I often think, when going without breakfast if I've over-indulged the night before, that I'd had my breakfast last night! (iyswim)

About wine v apple juice - I'd rather swap apple juice at brekkie for a small glass of wine with my dinner any time! Grin

starlady · 04/12/2012 12:11

thanks greeneggs. I felt groggy and headachey, and thought I needed vitamin C, which is why I had it. My pre 5/2 obsession was making sure I got my quota of 5 fruit and veg - but on top of lots of heavy carbs.

Unfortunately I seem to be down that road today, post-fast, I have had applejuice (again!) tea, bacon roll, half a croissant, a latte, now a bowl of blueberries -although I feel really full, but I think I must eat something healthy.

catsrus · 04/12/2012 12:17

I ate cheesecake last night - with cookie dough ice cream.

Blush that was after the roast with yorkshires main course Blush which was after the pate starter Blush

Christmas season is upon us! this is going to be interesting isn't it? I felt OK about eating what everyone else ate last night (I did turn down the cheese board!) but I have another work 'do' this week (lunch this time) so I think I will try to max the fast days in between - even if I have to do consecutive ones - so that I just enjoy myself at these things.

I can't remember the last time I had cheesecake, it was wonderful Grin

TheCyclistist · 04/12/2012 13:39

Totally agree Tellmelater and Greeneggs one of the greatest things about this WOL is the fact that you can actually 'live' on it and all foods/drinks can be eaten. There is NO falling off and no need to beat yourself up if you've eaten a cream doughnut. For me the key is being in a positive can do state of mind on the morning of a fast day, if things get tough I remind myself how great everything will taste tomorrow

Happy fasting feeding all

Laska42 · 04/12/2012 14:08

Well my friend couldnt make lunch .... resheduled till thursday ( which sadly is another fast day , but she knows ill only be on the coffee) so as i didnt have anything in work with me I had an M&S new potato tomato and egg salad, with a slice of w/t ham and a beetroot . ...a surprisingly yummy and filling 267 cals and def recommended if youve forgotten your lunch one day ..

So i'm back on fasting track and not Mrs Grumpy anymore Smile

Looks like we are all going to be tested .. I have a vietnamese meal out tomorrow night, and the first of the work christmas meals on friday .. but ive worked out my 4:3 fasting plan ( though it looks like one of those days will have to be my birthday if I want to get them all in .Sad. but no matter its mid week, ill be on my own and ill be celebrating it at the weekend anyway (and will be following B&W advice on missing breakfast and or lunch on those going out days

franklyidontgiveadamn · 04/12/2012 14:37

On my second week of 5:2, still feeling very much a newbie and never quite sure whether i'm going to crack at any minute but at the same time finding it much easier than I ever expected. Definitely felt yesterday that I was eating some things I didn't really want just because I knew I wouldn't be eating today - hope that I will get over that in time.

My main problem today and the two days last week has been the cold - as it gets into the afternoon I just seem to find myself getting colder and colder and no way to warm up other than to have another cup of tea! Will treat myself to a hot bubble bath later.

catsrus was it New York style cheesecake? (drool drool)

pookey · 04/12/2012 14:56

I think christmas and fasting should work out ok here, planning to do a long fast ending christmas eve dinnertime. My birthday also falls around christmas within the week leading up to it, so that will be a feast day.

Avoided cake sale [shines halo] Main reason for this is that I am feeling quite poorly, sore throat, shivery and shakey. I used this as an excuse and just had some leftover burrito filling which needed using up- kidney beans cooked in a little oil onion and tomato puree. No idea how many calories ; it was in a childs bowl but quite dense and feel v full. Making rice and veg in slow cooker for dinner. Might save mine for tomorrow but will 'do what my body tells me' on this occasion.

pookey · 04/12/2012 15:00

FIDGAD feeling cold seems to be quite common, I am probably losing out on money saved on food savings with the heating being turned on more. I find it really hard to get on with housework when I am cold. I guess thick socks might be the way forward, it seems to be mainly my feet that are freezing. One good thing is our bodies must be burning off more calories if we are cold?

GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 04/12/2012 15:07

another one who would always rather go for wine than apple juice

fasting went well yesterday until I had to stay up working and caved to wine and two biscuits so I think went 150cals over...damnit!

Doing my first back to back fast today as I really want to get 4:3 in as well every week before Christmas, typically DD and DS both woke pre-5am so it is going to be a loooooooooong fasting day.

Thankfully I have some lush cioppiono soup in the freezer that works out as 150cals/portion so I can have that and still go for Tuesday frozen yoghurt with the DC. AM also planning on a swim today - first time exercising on a fast day so we'll see how that goes.

I am hungry already and it's only 7:10am but I've learnt that if I say "I'm aiming" or "trying to fast" then I will ultimately fast, so I AM fasting today, and now going to plan out my food exactly so I know what I can have when, then looking forward to an amazing meal out tomorrow night

franklyidontgiveadamn · 04/12/2012 15:15

Do you think that's why pookey?
My method is to gradually add layers and layers until - well until I run out of layers! So far i'm wearing two t-shirts, a sweatshirt, a fleece, two pairs of socks, suede boots with fur lining and a woolly hat...saving my coat 'til later.

Bugs me that I can be 3 bloody stone overweight and yet it seems my body has nothing to spare for combustion or insulation...physiology is a weird thing.

MoJoRegained · 04/12/2012 15:23

I agree with catsrus, the next few weeks are going to be 'interesting'. I had a early Christmas meal out last night. Enjoyed it enormously, especially the Christmas Pudding Ice Cream! Xmas Grin

But happy to be on a fast day today as scheduled because am meeting friends for another catch-up/early Christmas lunch on Friday. Next week there is another dinner - and this is all before we even get to Christmas!

I'm also going to follow Breadandwine's suggestion of missing a meal on the days I eat out - I think it makes perfect sense, and if the meal I do have is veggie soup, I'm at least getting some of my 5-a-day.

GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 04/12/2012 15:54

I need to get myself back into that frame of mind - when I first started 5:2 I quickly grew accustomed to eating littlle during the day when I knew I was out for dinner in the evening, but with all the guests/falling off the wagon etc I have lost that totally....

kittykarate · 04/12/2012 16:10

FIDGAD - I really felt cold on fast days in the first few weeks of this WOE, starting at about 2pm until I was wrapped up in a duvet by 8pm. It definitely has eased a little over the past few weeks, now I just feel chilly at 5pm, so I have less time as a michelin man trying to keep warm.

franklyidontgiveadamn · 04/12/2012 16:34

Thanks kitty, perhaps it's just a sign that the body has to adjust to the new WOE and is conserving heat on the inside? Interesting that it has eased for you as the temperature has got colder. I'm really looking forward to that bath...

GreenEggsAndNichts · 04/12/2012 16:45

oh Laska it happened to me as well- my friend has cancelled our evening out! Oh well. More wine another time :)

OP posts:
Thegirlinbrighton · 04/12/2012 19:41

Wine or apple juice? Well, obviously red wine contains resveratrol so it wins every time (though am I the only one who is a bit dubious about taking supplements of that stuff?).

Fast day today and am hungrier than I've been before, perhaps because of the cold. Skinny Azteca for lunch (90 cals) and Waitrose Spinach Dhal (260 cals) with a little Philadelphia and tomato pickle stirred in. Since I started posting my meals on Twitter yesterday, have become rather aware that they're all a bit red and brown (even the dhal which is sort of yellowy-brown like... no, I won't go there) and mushy. More green stuff needed, I think.

SarahWithAFringeOnTop · 04/12/2012 19:43

Dr MM is back on Twitter... he's been writing a book and is still doing 6:1 apparently (reduced from 5:2 as his wife said he was getting too thin!)

SarahWithAFringeOnTop · 04/12/2012 19:49

Oh, and definitely red wine... just not for breakfast! Smile

Fast day here - was starving about 2pm but fortunately too busy at work to be tempted (not that there was anything to be tempted by anyway). Have just had a large bowl of lentil and vegetable soup, yum, and feel much better now Grin

Piebaldrider · 04/12/2012 19:49

I dislike apple juice but i luv wine Xmas Shock !

I frequently feel cold on a fast day and often the day after, nothing warms me up and i almost wish for a hot flush that never comes.

Today was an eat wot u like day but i was so busy at work i ididnt eat until after 3pm and with yetserday being a fast day i was starting to get a bit moody and struggled with concentration. I promised myself a mince pie and cream today but have swapped it for a large glass of pinot as im just to tired to be bothered now, tomorrow is fasting again and hopefuly the gym if my shins will allow.

GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 04/12/2012 20:50

I'm struggling to make it through ot having most calories in one meal but so far so good on today's fast day (tis only halfway through for me!)...planned meticulously and in the process have discovered my new favourite thing - chiopinno soup from Trader Joe's (think there are a few americans lurking around aren't there - or GreenEggs you might know what I'm talking about)...it was in the freezer section, hafl the pack (what they call a full portion) is only 170kcals and it is AMAZING!!!! filling too so even though if it were a non fast day I'd probably eat the lot, I'm pretty satisfied after one bowl...

brilliant...

Skinnyeye · 04/12/2012 22:06

Hi Losers,
Not been around much because I have a job interview tomorrow and have been doing a lot of prep for it. Fast day 2 this week has gone smoothly here's hoping for a bit more weight loss before Christmas as I would like to go into the holidays with a few pounds in hand in anticipation of festive weight gain [festive fatty icon]

literarygeek · 05/12/2012 06:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

frenchfancy · 05/12/2012 08:32

Back from my girls weekend away. Had a great time with a bit too much red wine, but I'm back on the straight and narrow now. Managed a fast day yesterday whilst travelling.

Friends were a bit sceptical when I told them about 5:2 but very interested. Seeing my friend with diabetes has made me even more determined to get my weight down and keep it down.

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