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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:
ToffeeChops · 06/12/2012 22:13

Sorry to sound like a party pooper and I know this might sound a bit odd, but I don't think I'd really want to meet up for real. I'm sure you'd all be even lovelier in the flesh than you are online, but I rather like being part of an online community that DOESN'T spill into other forms of contact - it sort of feels 'free' that way.

Maybe it's because this is the only thing that I do in terms of online relationships - don't do Twitter, never done Facebook and don't think I ever will, never even left a message on a thread before this one. I rather like it just as it is.

So I hope you won't think I'm rude if I don't leave a photo on my profile (you won't be missing much!!) and I probably won't check anyone else's either. It's not that I'm not interested but I quite like the mystery.

I'm not sure if that will make sense to anyone else, but hey, it takes all sorts........

TalkinPeace2 · 06/12/2012 22:18

Toffee - mine will not have my face on.
There is one picture of me on the web on this name - those who know me very well may recognise it. Others wont.

Laska42 · 06/12/2012 22:24

I wont keep mine up there for long either perhaps a week or so , and def not if we start getting tons of new people when the book comes out... Its just so you little group can have a look at me if you want . Strangely I feel sort of Ok with you lot though actually i'm quite shy in real company .. ,

I dont do a facebook or anything else though either..

TalkinPeace2 · 06/12/2012 22:29

if you put my ID (without the 2) into google images, the picture of me is easy to spot!

Laska - you could always crop the pictures or just blur out your face : then you become anonymous again ....

Laska42 · 06/12/2012 22:32

blond hair black glasses?

TalkinPeace2 · 06/12/2012 22:33

How ever did you guess!

Laska42 · 06/12/2012 22:35

and just over the water from me it seems .. no im not stalking .. its on yr profile .. anyway as i say , good idea , but i wont keep mine up there for long.. looking forward to seeing your party dress..

TalkinPeace2 · 06/12/2012 22:37

:-) I worked on the Island for a while !
The photo was taken over 25 years ago when I lived in Kent. I still have the hat...

Who else is going to be brave ?

GreenEggsAndNichts · 06/12/2012 23:39

Alright, have put up a pic for those of you up late :) I won't keep this one up for long, I look a bit less intimidating if I'm smiling a bit so I'll keep looking. I'll see if I can find my festive pics with my son last year, and put one of those up. I like a santa hat, me.

OP posts:
GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 06/12/2012 23:39

well done Laska!! You look awesome...

I'll do it later, but I'm a total social media whore!! Won't keep stuff up on MN though because I quite like the anonyminty (argh how the hell do you spell that word??!!))

GreenEggsAndNichts · 06/12/2012 23:40

oh crap have just looked at Laska's lovely smiley photos, now I really have to find something better Xmas Grin

OP posts:
pookey · 06/12/2012 23:54

I am 33 so have been worried about fertility too and initially put off this woe by the paleo article when I first read it, but that article does seem to be one persons theory.

I am not really worried that I won't be able to get pg as already have 3dc, more that if I was to get accidentally pg there may be a negative impact on the baby's health. The Dutch study which can be read about on wikipedia suggests this could be the case, however clearly there is a difference here in that the fast is broken by days of eating plentifuly unlike in a famine!

Disclaimer If squeamish about TOTM stuff don't read this para!
DP has been hasseling me for days "has your period come yet" , luckily it did this morning. My cycle is 25 days usually so if it stretches to 28 I will be happy. My period can last for over a week so again I will be pleased if it reduces. I think I will start to record my cycle and keep an eye on things. I went on a low cal diet (1400 but may have been underestimating) as a teen and my periods stopped for a while but they returned when I increased my cals and gained weight.

Maybe it's the cold but I have found fasting difficult so far this week. Aborted mon and again tue. I had about 1000 cals on tue. Feeling quite depressed initially on wed but suddenly I snapped out of it and was ok fasting again, I mainly had some herbal tea and after 21 hours some skinny new york soup from tesco (less than 100 cals per portion also a little home made wholemeal bread and cheese.

My tree was up on sat - first round my street! Xmas Smile

Snowkey · 07/12/2012 06:21

Great pics ladies, I won't post mine, I rather like being anonymous too - hence my frequent name changes.

Aftereightsaremine · 07/12/2012 07:08

Great news I now weigh less than I did last year. Yay. Bad news this means I put on most of my weight between new year & July when I started this WOE. Oh well better late than never. Not sure how to post a pic from my phone but not certain i will tho as quite like the anonymity also. I'm a bit of a technophobe & don't know how to look up someone's profile either Blush

Aftereightsaremine · 07/12/2012 07:25

That should be the same as I did last year. Oops

Bordercollielover · 07/12/2012 08:16

Another technophobe here: unless TIP is a rather charming black cat, I see no pictures.

CecyHall · 07/12/2012 09:12

I've had a name change so going to start a fresh with the thread and make a real go of this WOE, I have been doing 4:3 but massively overeating on non fast days so I need to get a grip!

So I want to change my mindset and just be 'normal', I've had food issues for a long time but I really think this is doable. And I want to do it!

I turn 30 in just over a year, I don't want to hate myself anymore so that seems like a milestone to sort myself out for!

TheCyclistist · 07/12/2012 09:18

G'mornin all.

Fast day completed yesterday so 2 days of normal eating in front of me. For me fasting isn't easy BUT as many have said it is do-able. It's important to approach the day in a positive state of mind and when the wobbles come, to focus on the positives ie how good the food will taste tomorrow, how I can eat plenty of decent food tomorrow etc.

Have stuck a couple of old photo's up on my profile in the spirit of the moment. Will put another 1 up today when the kids get back from work, as I don't have any recent ones on this computer. But won't keep them up for too long (I like the annonimty anonimity private nature of a forum Xmas Smile

Happy feeding fasting all

PS Sis your phot's look uncannily like I thought they would Smile

TheCyclistist · 07/12/2012 09:28

Good luck CecyHall. As you say, the key is knowing that it is DO-ABLE and to approach the Fast day with a 'can do' not 'might not' attitude. And remember Life is Long and if it takes 2 years it takes two years and you'll still have decades in front of you Xmas Smile

mumofcrazynamedkids · 07/12/2012 10:00

morning all, an eating day for me, and boy did I enjoy my skinny latte and konditor and cook mince pie at my desk just now, really very delicious crispy home made style pastry, i had one bite of teh xmas cookie and chucked in the bin, looked very pretty, but really didn't taste that great.

i find the same thing with this woe that I did when i read Paul McKenna, that I now find it much easier to throw food out that I am not enjoying and focus on just eating the things I really want.

laska wow, what a transformation, and you look so much younger and happier in the last photo, I'm looking forward to seeing you in your party frock....it's definitely an incentive for me. will look up some photo's (there aren't many as I am a serial camera avoider) and ad them into my profile.

thecyclistist I can't click on your profile for some reason?

mamarun · 07/12/2012 10:00

Hi I have been a lurker and decided to post. I have just finished my first week and have done 2 fast days. I am shocked as to how this has worked. I have been yoyoing between 63.5 and 62.5 kg for last 10-11 months. Over the last few years the weight has crept up as I have turned to food to cope with tiredness and busy lifestyle. I am not overweight but more than I want to be and enough to feel embarrassed to have photos of me taken or posted anywhere. It all came to a head when i had to send in a photo for a public forum at work and couldnt find anything that made me look that i didnt have a double or triple chin. coupled with an always feeling of tired I just felt that I was growing old beyond my time. I had started exercising but nothing was shifting. Well I have done 2 days fast and I weighed in at 60.9kg this morning. Sorry I can't do lbs and find easier in kg. the first fast day wasn't very easy in morning but yesterday was really easy partly because I was very busy.more importantly I feel like have so much more energy, don't feel tired and feel so light (physically and mentally). My DH is doing this with me but hasn't been tracking his weight yet. We both want to stay healthy to enjoy our future well with our kids. I am a real convert and I hope that this doesn't have any long term negative effects. I am just so chuffed about how this was progressing I had to share this. Thank you as I found out about this through mumsnet and I didn't get to see the programme.

TheCyclistist · 07/12/2012 10:08

Morning MOCNK yeah nor can I now, looks like my photo's broke Mumsnet Xmas Grin .

Welcome Mamarun brilliant news about your great start and well done for getting through that dodgy first day Xmas Smile

Laska42 · 07/12/2012 10:12

cycislistist and others , t you need toclick ,the make my photos visable to all mumsnetters tag on your profile.. ( easy to click it off later )

GreenEggsAndNichts · 07/12/2012 10:13

mumofcrazy oh yes, I am the same. We had picked up some caramel wafers, similar to Tunnocks (supposedly), for non-fast day treats. They're not terrible, but they are dry and either there is no caramel inside, or it has no flavour/ is the wrong consistency. I binned the rest of the one I tried. They're still sitting in the kitchen, though, as DH is loath to throw away food.

Fast day here. Had an evening out last night, had a bit of wine and lots of snack foods. My god, it's been so long since I had white zinfandel that I'd forgotten how sweet it is. Had several house viewings during the day (all from people who want 4-bed houses. This 3-bed isn't going to magically sprout one more Hmm ) and then proceeded to forget my son at nursery (I usually do drop off, not pick up). I'm looking forward to a quieter day today!

OP posts:
CecyHall · 07/12/2012 10:15

Thank you thecyclistist

I have a huge long way to go, but as long as there is progress I'll be happy!

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