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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! Number 8, fast away fast away fast away all!

999 replies

GreenEggsAndNichts · 14/12/2012 15:51

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 You'll find a lot of support here.

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. Here is a link to the programme's page on iPlayer, which features a couple of clips, and might have updates eventually. Let us know if you find another site hosting it.

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. (This is a new calculator to previous threads, this one seems to give me approximately the same results the last one did, but without the virus warnings on my browser!)

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:
Snowkey · 09/01/2013 11:26

It's a hard one today - hungry and a bit light headed and tired so struggling to keep myself busy. Just a few more hours....

literarygeek · 09/01/2013 12:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lottie63 · 09/01/2013 12:10

Anyone got a working link (to anywhere) of the Horizon programme. Only just discovered 5:2 and would like to see it. BBC iplayer doesnt seem to have an active working link

GreenEggsAndNichts · 09/01/2013 12:20

ariel I've seen Pukka teas now in a few different supermarkets (either Sainsburys, Tesco, or both) but I can't confirm if they had raspberry.

The Glorious soups are in Sainsburys but I don't know about Tesco.

OP posts:
Breadandwine · 09/01/2013 12:42

lottie Here's a couple - first one has Slovak subtitles, the second is posted in a fitness/weightlifting blog:

vimeo.com/50912488

leangainsguide.com/diet/igf-1-and-fasting/

Iwearblack · 09/01/2013 12:45

You can do it snowkey! I find the 11-11.30 time for me difficult but if you get over that hump (oh and the one at 3pm ish) then Ok for the day...

Not long till teatime now!!

think of all the lovely food tomorrow .... mmmmmm

kiwigirl42 · 09/01/2013 12:48

its so encouraging reading your messages. I did 5:2 before Xmas but got a bit down (I get lots of migraines) so stopped. Back on top of things now and are doing alternate day fasting. Have done a week now. I had about 800 cals first 2 fast days as was just SO hungry but managed 502 (!) yesterday. Could have eaten my leg at half eleven last night though. I've got about 4 stone to lose but haven't weighed myself this time - I'm just going to do my best every fast day to eat late and little and let the weight sort itself out. I've decided that I'm really going to concentrate on healthy eating. Its been so easy to just eat crap being chronically ill.
I've started shopping with Ocado and its fantastic - can use my ipad in bed to choose and browse so thats making healthier options easier.
I had a huge bowl of oats this morning for breakfast to break fast day - boy was it good! This way of eating really makes me appreciate my food and also make me think about what I choose to eat, even on normal eating day.

bubbles1231 · 09/01/2013 13:01

Yay! 2lb off after 1st week of 2:1, no headaches after last fast. Finding it ok. made a lovely pea and ham soup yesterday using the recipe from the back of the dried pea packet. 2 ladles were 250cals so I had that with a dry piece of toast and I didn't get hungry later in the evening, poss because it had quite a high protein content.

mumofcrazynamedkids · 09/01/2013 13:28

jamfiveone glad it went well, and happy to help, this board is great in that we all need and offer support at different times, and we have all had collectively the same questions.

you might find although not hungry at first today that once you start eating your appetite really kicks in...or maybe just that you feel full really quickly, there seems to be two different camps, I'm in the not hungry at all until I start eating and then want to keep snacking!

thanks literarygeek I will take care, I had 2 coffees, a miso soup and a diet dr pepper and a chammomile tea yesterday, but I used to be prone to fainting a lot when i was younger (particulalry TOTM - where is manonboard ? are you lurking/changed name or abandoned us? will always think of you and smile when TOTM mentioned!), I have low end of normal blood pressure, but I wouldn't have thought not eating would affect that? any ideas from any of the more medical people?

kiwigirl have you thought about measuring yourself rather than weighing or even the string trick someone mentioned up thread?

or you could get someone else to look at the scales when you weigh in, they can keep a note of it and not tell you and then when you've lost loads of weight you can check to see your total?

niki3108 · 09/01/2013 14:26

following the theft of my lunch by my husband, I am trying the ' no food till teatime' approach. I am feeling very hungry now! it's 2.23pm. I am following advice above of drinking lots of water but actually think I can hear myself sloshing now!
I think I will try to get through my next meeting and aim for a cup of bovril at about 3.30! I am starting to think of what I can have for tea! I Will have at least 450kcal! a positive feast!

jamfiveone · 09/01/2013 14:35

Here is a snippet from Brad Pillans EatStopEat - this is where I must have got the 24 hour thing from - as you say there are so many ways to do it - Ive only had a snack today circa 200 cals and I am full again!
*
Eat Stop Eat requires you to fast for 24 hours (e.g. 7pm on Sunday till 7pm on Monday) 1-2 times per week. On the other 5-6 days of the week, your main goal is to simply eat normal (maintenance calories).

The whole goal of fasting 1-2 times per week is to let those days create a calorie deficit of 10-15%.

Important Eat Stop Eat notes:

Even though you?re fasting for an entire 24 hours, this doesn?t mean you get a free pass to the all you can eat buffet. The main goal is to simply eat normal after each fast. Don?t over or under compensate for anything.
Despite fasting for 24 hours, you still get to eat every single day. So for example, if you start a fast on Wednesday night and end it on Thursday night, that means you get to eat a meal on Thursday night. Awesome, huh?
Eat Stop Eat is more of a lifestyle change than an actual diet since you?re only eating less for 1-2 days of the week.

MisoIsMyFriend · 09/01/2013 14:49

That's interesting, jamfive. I wonder if this would give the same health benefits as restricting to 500cals? It might be another way of fasting when goal weight is reached? What do others think?

pookey · 09/01/2013 15:22

Tesco sell a different brand of skinny soup - new york company, I loooooove the chicken minestrone one but not sure how healthy it is (has small amount of chicken and pasta and only 90 cals per portion) have stopped buying as not on 3 for 2 any more :(. My fast hasn't worked out again - I fell foul to 3 hotcross buns but I am still a bit coldy so not giving myself a hard time. Miso I think it would give the same health benefits but if no clear restriction of calories weightloss might be small.

pookey · 09/01/2013 16:16

miso No expert here but I read on B&W's link that 'sporadic bouts of hunger actually trigger new neruons to grow and create new born brain cells. Fasting stresses your brain matter in the way that fasting stresses your muscles.'

If I eat unlimited calories then nothing for 24 hours I will still be challenging my body and would be hungry during the 24 hour period and igf 1 would presumably still kick in. I would imagine total calories over the week would need to be slightly lower than the recommended average to maintain weight and just eating as many calories as we wanted prob still would cause weight gain even with 2 24 hour fasts a week .

chipstick10 · 09/01/2013 18:39

First day of my first fast. I am struggling. Not so much with hunger but with headaches and feeling very tired. I hope it gets better

puds11isNAUGHTYnotNAICE · 09/01/2013 19:04

Ive gained 2lbs!!!!!!! How??? Ive been watching what i eat for the past week and a half.

maniacbug · 09/01/2013 19:18

chipstick - snap! Yesterday was my first ever fast day and I had a lingering headache all day. Finally caved in and necked a Nurofen at about 5pm with evening stir-fry as I had to work (at home) till 11pm, drank gallons of water, slept OK, and feel absolutely fine today. Not ravenous, as I expected. And am actually looking forward to my 2nd fast day tomorrow!
Hope you feel better tomorrow too.

I was initially inspired to research 5:2 by Dom Joly comment in back of Waitrose magazine(!) then discovered this fantastic thread, and you have all given me the final bit of encouragement needed to try it myself. Thank you!

I know I could never sustain a diet involving daily 'deprivation' (like my food too much) or complex menu planning (not enough time), but really enjoy short-term will-power challenges so am determined to give it a chance. Am also having a booze-free January. Haven't read the entire thread but plan to try and work my way through it over the next few days. Some great links, delicious recipes, and inspiring + supportive, not to mention informative posts. I won't be able to check in every day, but will be following with much interest.

I am often inspired by MN threads, but this is one that I suspect could really make a difference to my lifestyle. Hope it's OK to join in...

lottie63 · 09/01/2013 19:34

Thanks BreadandWine

chipstick10 · 09/01/2013 19:43

Thanks mania
I'm being a bit of a baby and I need to get a grip. I wanted to sail through it but now I'm dreading the next one. Mind you I have just eaten 2small egg scrambled and a small slice of toast and I feel quite stuffed.[big grin]. Good luck to you honey and here's to many more fasting days.

Snowkey · 09/01/2013 19:58

Thanks ilikeblack Today was tough, had a nap and felt a bit better and I've just had a lovely dinner of roast veg and ricotta frittata with a chickpea and carrot salad - under 300 calories, so I have almost 200kcal for a light supper so I won't go to bed hungry. Funny how some days are just killers. Smile

maniacbug · 09/01/2013 20:01

chipstick knowing I had a really delicious dinner to look forward to tonight really helped me get through yesterday. Have you got some treats lined up for tomorrow?

AthenaOnOlympus · 09/01/2013 20:08

Long time lurker, first time poster.

Hello everyone, may I join? Smile

I want to give this WOE a go as I have a little (read: a lot) of weight to lose and think that I will be able to stick to this and fit it into my live. Just one thing has me confused. Is it better to consume the 500 calories in one go, say at dinner time, or is it ok to split between lunch and dinner? I am used to eating my main meal at lunch and I was wondering whether I could have two lots of 250 calories instead. Or is the idea to not eat for as long as possible on fast days?

Iwearblack · 09/01/2013 20:17

Welcome athena. The jury is still out on this one - do what works for you. Some people like 2 meals, some prefer to have one bigger one. I started on 3 small meals but have found 1 big one in the evening more satisfying...and thus more sustainable in the long term (I hope).
Well done for persevering snowkey..... Yep someways def harder than others....

Iwearblack · 09/01/2013 20:18

Oops someDays....

Piebaldrider · 09/01/2013 20:18

Getting back into 4.3 is harder than when i first started this woe but i know its achievable . Im managing the daytime with no problem but i am struggling a bit in the evenings. I also feel rather fat today but no way am i going to weigh myself. I am now working towards getting my fitness back after this everlasting virus and have ridden 3x in 3 days and tomorrow will be my second day back at the gym. Lets hope its enough to get things moving again!!!

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