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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 9, welcoming the new year...

999 replies

GreenEggsAndNichts · 10/01/2013 00:14

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. This might be a good place to catch up with us if you're feeling a bit lost!

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.

B&W has found a new link to the aforementioned Horizon programme here. If you're keen to see it, watch it soon, because BBC has been quick to find these copies and shut them down online. We're hoping they'll re-play it again soon. I know these threads are popular, maybe they'll read my request. Wink

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 · 16/01/2013 19:33

I think if your body fat is below 10% and you are a woman then starvation mode may be an issue otherwise it's a myth. BTW eating increases your metabolic rate so does walking, standing - anything that burns energy increases it.

Now here's a funny thing. It's my TOTM and true to form i have been ravenous, I have spent all day counting down the hours to to I can eat my 300kcal egg curry on a bed of January King cabbage and I could only eat 2/3 of it - that has never happened before. [shocked] at least I won't go to bed hungry.

Laska42 · 16/01/2013 19:34

moomin starvation mode is a DIET INDUSTRY MYTH .. Ok.. its not a total myth but you'd have to go at least 2 weeks on very little .. its not going to happen on this WOE as you are only losing about 200 calories a weekover your fast days if you are doing 5:2

For more explosion of diet industry myths designed to keep you eating (and having to dieting on their regimes) I recommend you read 'Escape the diet Trap' by Dr John Briffa.. Here is his Blog

Laska42 · 16/01/2013 19:35

sorry thats 2000 calories not 200

literarygeek · 16/01/2013 19:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GreenEggsAndNichts · 16/01/2013 19:48

oh sorry, thanks literary, I don't get the MN emails. I think the email I use for my MN account is one I don't use much. I was feeling super secretive when I made the account.

I'm sure someone will come out with the info here soon. :)

OP posts:
cardiffmummy · 16/01/2013 19:50

Thanks frenchfancy and TalkinPeace2 - I'm pleased I can still have some caffeine (don't like black tea or coffee)! This thread moves so quickly its difficult to keep up, and there's so much to take in I think I'm missing some nuggets of info!

TalkinPeace2 · 16/01/2013 19:51

mammamoomin
agree about the "starvation mode" myth - I'll bet if a researcher did a a thorough search back, that it was started by the snack food industry.

After all, before food got cheap to produce in the late 1970's ther ewere no snacks.
Then food producers were able to get economies of scale so could sell more for the same cost
and snacking was invented (have a break, have a kitkat circa 1977 was one of the earliest)
before that three meals a day was enough for even the most physical of lifestyles ....

Ask your friends who have never been overweight and I'll BET that they do not eat three "meals" a day. They will have two snacks and a meal or variants thereof, or eat lots some days and very little on others
(that is the hollywood star at a burger joint trick : fast the day before and day after)

Laska42 · 16/01/2013 19:51

Hi literarygeek im waving to the 'oldies' this evening so we dont feel lost .. (ok i'm a bit - lot - bonkers!!)Grin

mamamoomin2 · 16/01/2013 19:57

Thanks all! Will check out that blog too.

I am in no danger of less than 10% body fat right now!

mamamoomin2 · 16/01/2013 20:00

Hey snowkey....what's your egg curry recipe?

nlaurak · 16/01/2013 20:20

hi all new to mumsnet and came across your thread, startd ww in sept and did quite well was really bad nov/dec and cant seem to get into it , just started back to work from maternity and am thinking 5:2 diet would suit me but have about 5stone to loose just wondering how much weight can expect to loose a week? thanks in advance xxx

Snowkey · 16/01/2013 20:22

I make up a big pot of curry sauce - Dry fry shallots - or use a light skim of oil with a spray, garlic, ginger, courgettes (mushrooms if I have any), canned chopped tomatoes, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground black pepper, habanero pepper (or mild chilli powder) turmeric, ground cloves, ground cinnamon & coconut milk (careful not to add too much it's really high in calories). I weigh everything as i go along. Divide it into 110kcal portions - I freeze the extras. Boil eggs - add 140kcal of eggs. Bowl of steamed veg - top with curry sauce and finally the boiled egg or chicken or prawns! Hth!

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 16/01/2013 20:27

Well I couldn't manage to go full 24 hours - gave up at 23 so not done badly! Looking forward to feed day tomorrow

mamamoomin2 · 16/01/2013 20:37

Yes - thanks. Will be making next week. I'm making my way through recipe thread and simple fish and veg dishes. Hopefully when Im ready I'll be able to post some of my own.

literarygeek · 16/01/2013 20:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Laska42 · 16/01/2013 21:13

no offence literary i'Winem a real oldie at 55!

Also Hi after8's

OK im going to stop this now before I offend someone ..I'm very silly getting GrinGrin .... .. Chilli is made .. Glass of white Wine drunk .and I seem to have forgotten to eat dinner (except tastings of chilli ).. Oh well

Laska42 · 16/01/2013 21:16

(hey how did that Wineget into the I'm? Definately very silly getting.. Grin)

literarygeek · 16/01/2013 21:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Laska42 · 16/01/2013 21:25

very good LG!

Skinnyeye · 16/01/2013 21:55

Hi all just popping in before bed. Fast day for me today and struggled a bit at lunchtime a lot so split my calories today, something I have not done since the first week of my 5:2 journey. Had a WW tomato and basil soup (YUK) and made the butternut squash curry from the recipe thread with cauliflower rice for dinner and this evening has been easier. Wondering if the cold weather is responsible (my office is like a fridge) [icy icon]

Really looking forward to lunch out tomorrow with work colleagues and won't be fasting again until Sunday. Night all

Fillybuster · 16/01/2013 22:00

2nd fast day nearly over and its been a breeze. Still haven't got around to eating yet, even though my dinner arrived with the Tesco delivery man at 8.30pm Shock. I had some Itsu miso soup at 2pm (108kcal) but wasn't desperate, it felt like a good idea in a the middle of an insanely busy office day. In fact, despite colleagues mainlining Haribo during a 4 hour workshop this afternoon, I felt pretty chilled.

My favourite discovery was the realisation I could take my thermos flask into meetings with me, and then top up my black tea with lemon/herbal teabags etc as the day wore on. I don't think I've ever drunk so much...I'm going to be running to the bathroom all night :)

Thank you so much to Snowkey, Laksa, LiteraryGeek and B&W for your support and wise words, recipes and calorie calculators, when I came on here all newbie-shiny on Monday...I'm very interested to see where this journey might take me.

Anyway, for now, I'm off to eat. I've got 60cal spare and need to figure out whether thats going to be a small apple or a very small g&t....Hmm OK, no contest :) :)

TheCyclistist · 16/01/2013 22:08

Evening Laska. Grin 'Svelte' , me thinks not. Last time I could've been called that a nurse had just smacked my arse and handed me back to me mother Smile.

With the TDEE, I put myself in as heavy build and fairly high exercise level and it came back as 2800, more cake and kebabs for me then!!!! Yeah the 3000 odd cals is high but remember most of the time I've been doing 4:3 and on my TDEE that gives me a deficit of 6600 cals over the 3 days which then would allow me an extra 1600+ cals on top of my TDEE per day on the other 4 days and not to put on any weight....yet more cake and kebabs then.

Christmas though was a warning of what would happen if I stopped this WOE and kept on eating the way I've been eating on non-fast days (seems a bit hipocritical to call then normal days) 12lbs on in just over 2 weeks was er totally Sad .

Still, nearly 70lb lighter than I was this time last year with much better blood results I must be doing something right Wink.

How's your boy getting on on the mainland......is he missing your world renowned soup and chiilli dishes yet? Good luck with the Fast tomorrow, got to admit I'm looking forward to mine....got to work off todays 3000 cals Smile

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 16/01/2013 22:10

(Waves hello to laska & all oldies)

Nearly went over 500 calories thanks to dd1 (aged 14) failing to give me very important school info. Poor dds friend & mum got the brunt of my yelling. Had to massively calm down w 2 cups of tea & a very small piece of chocolate - took so much will power not to eat the whole bar!

Mintyy · 16/01/2013 22:12

Feed day here. Have had a slice of toast with peanut butter, a bowl of cauliflower soup, a sumptuous dark chocolate covered ginger biscuit, a large handful of dry roasted peanuts, scampi, chips, peas and tartare sauce, a glass of pineapple juice, 4 mugs of tea with milk and 2 mugs of coffee with milk and 1 tsp sugar. All guilt-free.

catsrus · 16/01/2013 22:17

Waves back at laska