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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:
Jossysgiants · 12/12/2012 11:29

Hi all - am on second week now and finding it quite easy. Also feeling a lot slimmer as well as healthier. Good benefit of this Woe is it forces me to have alcohol free days and I had been slipping into a routine of a glass a night. I think next week is going to be tough as more social arrangements. Aiming for 4:3 this week again which might be tricky - Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Someone recommended the glorious skinny azteca soup and I second that - only 90 cals in half a pot. Tasty and filling! Good luck today everyone.

Breadandwine · 12/12/2012 12:38

" I nibble a lot while I'm cooking though, supposedly in the name of tasting as I go but I suspect it's a little more excessive than that."

snowkey It's that first nibble that does it! Just one bite has the effect of flicking the 'appetite' switch, and you're tempted from then on. If you can delay the first tasting until just before serving, you won't do all that nibbling beforehand.

(See my musings on the 'hunger switch' on the Tips and Links thread - 29th Oct)

dkoctopus · 12/12/2012 12:49

Hello everyone,

(I've joined mumsnet just for this thread as it's the best 5:2 discussion I've found online :)

I'm only on my second fasting day ever, so a complete novice compared to most of the rest of you. Reading your thread was what convinced me that I should give it a go!

I found the first day relatively easy, which came as a complete surprise to me as I'm normally the sort of person that if any meal is delayed I get really, really grumpy and unpleasant. And that is why normal calorie-restricting diets just are too hard for me to follow (I'm a real pain every day). I'm hoping (and I'm sure my family will appreciate this ;) that on a 5:2 I can limit the grumpiness to just 2 days a week.

So, on the first day I survived on a good breakfast, then just chewing gum, two fizzy diet drinks and then a cup soup for dinner. And I was ok. Not too grumpy, not to dizzy and wobbly either.

I don't normally drink fizzy drinks though, and I think that helped a lot - I haven't been able to find anyone else on the web using that as a coping strategy though and there's obviously lots of good reasons why you don't want to drink diet drinks a lot. But to start things off with - I've decided to allow myself to 'fill' my tummy with bubbles (non-alcoholic ;)).

Bye for now.

catsrus · 12/12/2012 15:38

Welcome dkoctopus if diet drinks work for you then use them :-) I indulge occasionally too. You might want to get your calories up a bit on a fast day though....

Not that I can fully concentrate on such things as I'm still reeling from the shock that TIP ate Rudolph Xmas Shock no stocking from Santa in that house this year then Xmas Smile

TalkinPeace2 · 12/12/2012 15:47

catrus
It was Blitzen actually Xmas Grin

dkoctopus
welcome
there are several people on here who have used diet fizzy asa meal supplement.
THe others will warn you that I am anti it - BUT for some people it works. You just need to be aware of the effect of the sweeteners on the insulin system.

literarygeek · 12/12/2012 17:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Breadandwine · 12/12/2012 17:51

Here are two encouraging posts from over on the Wildfood site diet thread:

"...as you know I am also a diabetic and have been for a number of years, at the beginning of the year my sugar levels and triglycerine were all over the place (doctor said well either you do something about it or as sure as damn it will do something about you) so I bought a bike and started reducing my food and cutting out fats to a great extent, it brought me back from the brink, but then I was put onto the 5:2 way of eating, went from having a BMI of over 30 to now being 26, my sugar is stable and normal and my trigycerine levels are back (almost) to normal, after the festive period I shall be coming off the Statins, I feel heathier have lost my gut and am getting into clothes that I was wearing 10 years ago. It does take will power but once you get into the routine, I don't find it at all hard and am now doing the 24 hour zero Kcals 2 days a week with no problems, no side effects and feel great."

And:
"This 5:2 diet does bring down everything that isn't supposed to be high, it has for me, resulting in reduction in doses of drugs. After all said and done about the wonderful modern drugs, they do tend to have side effects, in my case more so for some unknown reason. So I am happy not only at my weight reduction, just around one stone, but also because my blood parameters are getting better. I have reduced doses of all my medicines.
One more thing; I went to a funeral today and wore my 'posh' black trousers. They kept sliding off all morning, had to keep pulling them up !!! I will have to and get some more!"

All good stuff, eh?

TalkinPeace2 · 12/12/2012 17:58

literary that would freak my kids out too - they knew what they were getting, so ate it. I remember being served 'ocean cow' and being very unhappy to know it was turtle - I like meat but I like to know what I'm being served.

breadandwine
by golly, the drugs companies will start to hate us nearly as much as they do Dr Goldacre!!!

literarygeek · 12/12/2012 18:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

frenchfancy · 12/12/2012 18:32

All this talk of reindeer is making me hungry%. It is lovely with cloudberry sauce.

I'll get me coat...

Aftereightsaremine · 12/12/2012 19:25

Fast day today & I've (almost) made it! Yay, but all this talk of food is making me very hungry but going to wait for dh to come home before I start to cook otherwise ill keep going to the pan for a little taster.

Laska42 · 12/12/2012 20:22

HI all 12 12 12 and im 55 today ! have celebrated by being 10st 1 (so hats 20lbs down nowGrinGrinGrin ) I wanted to be 10st for my birthday , but can live with the extra pound .. but pretty sure I wont be the same in the morning , as today have had Shepherds pie, red wine and ice cream in a lovely country pub with my parents (a totally lush lunch , I ADORE shepherds pie and have it about once a year )

Then this evening i've had cheese and wine. ( but not too much wine as ive just managed to knock the 2nd glass all over my WI FI router!! Duh!! . but still seem to be online .. so thats ok ( except it was a VERY GOOD glass of wine and so a total waste .Angry. ,

Laska42 · 12/12/2012 20:25

yum venison yum

TalkinPeace2 · 12/12/2012 20:26

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LASKA42
And twenty pounds gone forever on this WOE followed by guilt free Birthday celebrations.
How good does it get?

Laska42 · 12/12/2012 20:39

not much better TIP" thanks.. ( apart from the waste of good wine that is.. ah well .. )

Skinnyeye · 12/12/2012 20:57

Happy birthday Laska and TIP eats Rudolph!!
I'm not doing so well today Sad first abandoned fast day went into it half hearted and didn't make it past lunch time. Wasn't in the right head space will try to find some positivity and go for it again tomorrow. Having Wine on my 3rd glass and feeling better now funny that

literarygeek · 12/12/2012 20:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TalkinPeace2 · 12/12/2012 21:07

It has to be said, fasting on these bitterly cold, dark days is harder than it was in the autumn.
BUT
even if I just hold steady till after Christmas, I know what to do and how to do it as the days get longer.

GirlWithTheMouseyHair · 12/12/2012 21:40

Happy Birthday Laska! Well done you on pretty much geting to your target weight by your target date! It's my 30th in May and hd a target of getting myself into good eating and exercise habits for life so I don't spend the next 30years yo-yo dieting and thanks to this WOE I'm well on my way!

Don't worry skinnyeye, we all have those days and yup you can always fast tomorrow. Enjoy the wine...

Fasting today and it's our first chilly day in a while (er...16degree anyway Grin), had the other half of the amazing shop bought chiopino soup I had left from Monday, planning my favourite on that telegraph list of menus as Wednesday is also family dinner night so I can make something we'll all eat together - grilled courgettes, puy lentils and feta cheese which comes in at 250kcal for me at a very decent portion (prob end up giving DS a grilled cheese sandwich after he turns his nose up at dinner though)

onit · 12/12/2012 21:53

Happy birthday Laska. Hope you enjoyed 12.12.12!

Skinnyeye · 12/12/2012 21:54

Thanks Mousey tomorrow will be a better day Grin wish it was 16 degrees here it's not been above freezing in about 2 weeks now. Getting sick of being cold Brrrrrr

catsrus · 12/12/2012 22:01

Yes -Happy birthday laska and well done at getting to 10st 1lb Grin

Aftereightsaremine · 12/12/2012 22:51

Happy birthday Laska & an extra round of applause for getting to 10st 1lb. That is a fantastic achievement & it gives hope to many of us here.

pookey · 12/12/2012 23:00

Laska 55 on 12 12 12 wow pretty cool! Happy birthday

TIP you are right about it being harder in cold weather. Really trying to fight the nighttime munchies right now...

ToffeeChops · 12/12/2012 23:05

Hi Skinnyeye, I did the same yesterday. Had a colossal cheese blow-out but got back on the wagon today, just large bowl of soup and some fruit in the evening. Feel back in control now - which is more than half the battle for me.

Happy Birthday Laska and well done for making it a slim one! We share the same target weight, though I have to say you're rather nearer to it than me. But I'm at least 10 stone something now for the first time in years so I'm happy.