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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:
TalkinPeace2 · 20/12/2012 14:06

Greenegs
The anaemia was what led to family friend's death. I believe the NHS no longer offer the version where a metre of small intestine is removed - as it has dawned on the medics that the secretions at each stage of the system are different and essential.

Snowkey · 20/12/2012 14:16

Thanks for the reply Green Eggs - I have encountered a few knife happy surgeons in my time - it's not a solution I'd enter into lightly to solve any medical problem but it's clear for some people it makes a life changing difference.

Love soup too - homemade for me as it tastes better - the Covent Garden stuff like many commercial varieties is high in salt, if that's a worry for you.

cynnerthenaughtyreindeer · 20/12/2012 15:25

Fast day today for me..had a cup of tea in morning, then veg soup for lunch..I do seem to need to get something hot in my stomach at regular intervals otherwise feel sick..still have not been able to full sixteen without eating..

AmericasTorturedBrow · 20/12/2012 16:16

It'll come cynner

I normally have two meals within about 4/5hours rather than one big one and haven't quite managed 16hours for about 2 weeks what with exhaustion and illness.

Ok fast day yesterday, went a bit over in the end with a dram of whisky to aid the sore throat. Feed day today and forgot how good honey on toast is!

frenchfancy · 20/12/2012 16:27

It will come it is true. At first I couldn't go 16 hours without food, now I go 24 hours on a fast day without really think about it. Just add an extra 30 minutes each fast day.

cynnerthenaughtyreindeer · 20/12/2012 16:57

Thanks so much! I am currently suffering some hunger pains..keep repeating IT'S OK TO BE HUNGRY..IT'S OK TO BE HUNGRY..
I will try adding an extra 30 minutes each fast day..

TalkinPeace2 · 20/12/2012 16:57

agree about the something hot regularly ....
the other thing is to make sure that you stay hydrated when fasting.
I have accepted the extra 90 calories per fast day in exchange for 6 mugs of tea ....

ideally have a pint of water every couple of hours. drink a much as you can in one go. amazing how water sates hunger for over an hour !

Snowkey · 20/12/2012 17:28

I have found that accepting the hunger and not trying to keep it at bay all the time helps, deep breathing helps me deal mentally with the pangs of hunger - actually deep breathing is an amazing way to use your bodies inner resources....remember how breathing helped labour pains, it helps me with depression too. I suppose if I were at all spiritual I'd extend it further and meditate.

literarygeek · 20/12/2012 17:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cynnerthenaughtyreindeer · 20/12/2012 17:32

Too true TalkinPeace..I find myself being unusually thirsty on fast days..
Snowkey, thank you for the deep breathing tip..I used to do yoga and remember the breathing helped me with anxiety..

Aftereightsaremine · 20/12/2012 17:37

I find lots of herbal teas helps. It's hot so it keeps you warm, it has flavour so cons you into thinking you are having something & it's virtually calorie free!

Didn't see the weight loss program but surgery is not an option I would choose. My dad had some of his stomach removed earlier this year because of cancer. It has taken him a very long time to recover & he still cannot eat several foods. He was & is a very fit man & swims or walks an hour every day.

Aftereightsaremine · 20/12/2012 17:38

& it's just occurred to me that my dad has breakfast & lunch never dinner unless going out in which case he skips lunch!

TalkinPeace2 · 20/12/2012 17:39

Breathing :
My favourite at classes is this .....
Sit comfortably on a firm chair, but with your back at least four inches from the back of the chair, feet flat on the floor, back straight.
Breathe in and out through your nose
Count of three in, three out ; four in four out ; five in, five out
when you reach your maximum comfortable breath length, stay there for six breaths and then shorten it in a controlled way.
Once you are at eight in, eight out, time to add pauses
in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four
and build that up to six of each.

If you have a modern phone, download a metronome app so that your seconds actually are.

You'll find that the control of breath is a bit like the control of hunger - INCREDIBLY good for the brain.
Five or ten minutes a couple of times a day : a fab stress buster.

puds11isNAUGHTYnotNAICE · 20/12/2012 17:40

Do you think if i do 5:2 from now until the end of Jan, i can loose over half a stone?

How much exercise are you doing?

TalkinPeace2 · 20/12/2012 17:41

puds
depends where you are starting from ... I lose roughly 1lb per fast day but I'm a gym bunny :-)

puds11isNAUGHTYnotNAICE · 20/12/2012 17:43

I plan on having saturday and monday as my first fast days. I am going to try and do some exercise every day, even if its just a little bit more than usual.

Snowkey · 20/12/2012 18:10

Puds I exercise 5 times a week but I don't lose anything on 5:2, I don't have anything to lose - I eat a lot on my feed days, my body craves food to fuel the exercise.
See how it goes, do exercise because it makes you feel better, because it makes your body healthier and if it helps you to lose a bit of weight that's great but you have to exercise quite a bit to work off a daily Mars Bar.

Size10tobe · 20/12/2012 19:05

Hi puds, yes I think that is very doable by mid Jan. I started 5:2 mid November and I have lost over 8 lbs in 5 weeks, my exercise consists of a 35 min walk to work 4 days a week, so almost non existent at the moment.Xmas Smile

TalkinPeace2 · 20/12/2012 19:20

puds
I agree that is doable.

And I'm feeling STUFFED after my supper of king prawns fried in half a tin of ratatouille with some chilli on a bed of lettuce - 475 calories

My BMI is now dropping from 21 to 20 ... people starting from a higher point have lost faster than I, but almost everybody on this Way Of Eating is heading towards a lean body size - which is the aim. And once lean, like Snowkey, then its worth continuing for the other long term health benefits.

CecyHall · 20/12/2012 20:01

Have you all seen the thread in media requests asking for stories for MM's website to go along wth his book?

TalkinPeace2 · 20/12/2012 20:04

hmmm, media freeloading on the back of other people yet again

sorry but if what I have to say is worth them publishing, they can cough up.
Journos like la Toynbee are on £150,000 per year - I'm not.

CecyHall · 20/12/2012 20:10

I must be either less cynical or more naive than you TIP, I just thought it would be good to help others. As Michael Mosley has already got a lot of people started on this WOE and helped change people's lives by publicising 5:2, I'd gladly add tips and success stories. Except I haven't been very successful yet!

TalkinPeace2 · 20/12/2012 20:15

Cecy
Yup, I'm a cynic!
Yonks ago I wrote a letter to a paper, got an article published about me, got interviewed on National radio, filmed for National TV - all for no pay.
When they wanted me to go to London to be filmed again I said that I'd like paying as they were clearly getting coverage out of my story.
Never heard from them again.

I have no problem with MM doing a book - but it will have gone to print weeks ago.
Any story requests now will turn up in the Newspapers bylined by overpaid journos.

CecyHall · 20/12/2012 20:20

It's for his website just to be clear, not his book.

starlady · 20/12/2012 21:00

Been away at my work christmas dinner - so no fast today! -just wanted to say thanks to b&w for replying about the nutrients angle. Lots of walnut salad, brussel sprouts and parsnips so no worries today, and fasting tomorrow.

And TiP, I'm a writer too, so yes I agree with you. It's your profession, and you need to be paid!