5:2 Diet Thread! Number 9, welcoming the new year...

[GreenEggsAndNichts]

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. 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.

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!

Hi everyone. I downloaded Kate Harrison's 5:2 diet book from Amazon a couple of days ago, which I read straight away. I've been doing more reading about this WOE on the internet - though not quite managed to read all this thread yet!

So, I'm giving it a go. Yesterday I made a huge batch of vegetable and lentil soup (which tastes really yummy - no chilli but I did add some curry powder!:-)). I used MFP to work out the calories and it's only 81 per bowl. My plan is to have a couple of bowls of soup throughout the day and something like beans on toast early evening. I've not eaten anything yet today (was going to wait until about 11 for my first bowl of soup) and I'm struggling already! I'm feeling a bit headachey and my tummy's rumbling. I guess I'm not used to feeling hungry. Did you all feel like this when you first started? Does it get easier?

Yesterday was the first time ever I failed a fast that I had started ? nearly 40 fasts over 4+ months with no problem then bang!

I know it?s because I?m not fasting next week (going skiing) but it?s so disappointing ? especially as I can?t do a makeup fast. I?d been fine all through the day eating as normal, but I got to 9pm and just could not resist a glass of wine watching the snow fall. That glass became 3, then I hit the peanuts & gummy bears!

I was so proud of never failing too!

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23313101

Hi
Not sure if anyone has posted this link before but just found it on Dr MM twitter.
Thanks B&W for all your many interesting and helpful links.

Oh, it's about the possitive effects of exercising whilst fasting.

Ezzza - I did post this information I found during my research: People holding at a plateau weight using Fast-5 have reported having increased hunger just before the weight loss begins, so try to think of increasing hunger as a good thing.

Jumping in as suggested in the OP! I started last Friday and have earmarked Mondays and Thursdays as my fast days.

Unfortunately my scales broke so couldn't weight myself, but think I've lost a couple of pounds and have working scales now so starting in earnest today.

I have 7st to shift , and am using recipes from the GI diet and Hairy Dieters on the other days and generally trying to eat less rubbish. I have a very underactive thyroid and even though I'm on meds find that I only have to look at a plate of 'normal' food to put everything I've lost over a week back on, so am hoping that the fast days will redress the balance.

I haven't struggled with my fast days this week - have had Hairy Dieters fruit compote & fat free Greek yoghurt for brekkie, homemade soup for lunch and big salads for dinner, plus fruit if I've got a bit desperate in between. Probably going a little over 500 calories, but since I have such a huge amount to lose I figure that shouldn't make too much difference in the early days at least.

I've now read both the newspaper articles linked to.

The first - The guardian one, is just a badly written rant. She has anorexia so therefore no-one else is allowed to diet. And once she started comparing it to encouraging people to self harm she lost me completely. How you can get anywhere close to that conclusion when so many people are at risk of poor health and disease because they are overweight/obese. I agree that the comments are more positive, but there was a lot of talk about how you couldn't be active or exercise if you were fasting as your body wouldn't have any energy. So all the fat that our body lays down as an energy store is obviously useless. I along with many others on here, have an active lifestyle and manage to carry on, and exercise, on fast days with no obvious bad effects.

The second, the NYTimes one, is much more convincing. It is a well written reasonably balanced article and backs up much of what I have heard or read about the bad effects of sugar recently. The big issue is not with insulin per se, but the insulin resistance cause by fatty livers. This is way, the report goes on to say, that it is the way our bodies process fructose that is the issue and why not all carbs have the same effect.

I for one have started to reduce my sugar intake. I now take my coffee black with no sugar, after 30+ years of white sweetened coffee. That alone will cut a staggering 4.3kg of sugar per year out of my diet.

And just a reminder to newbies, the idea is to diet only on your fast days, on your feed days you should be eating your TDEE. If you want to lose weight faster doing 4:3 is better than CR on your feed days.

Conversely you can't eat what you want on your feed days (or at least not how much you want), just what your body needs.

I have to admit french I am going at somewhat half-arsed (I wish! ) at the moment but probably should get the book!

LiteraryGeek sorry should have gone to specsavers...

FrenchFancy, yeah totally agree unfortunately the authors history seems to carry a lot of baggage into the Guardian piece. And 'you can't exercise on Fast days' 'not enough energy' . But to be honest if I hadn't seen the Horizon show though I probably would have been swayed by the arguments.

Good news upthread about a follow up show though so there is still a chance to save the nations health

MatildaMay, alot of people find when those 'early rumbles' start, that a cup tea/coffee/herbal or fruit tea really helps. Good luck

mathildamay welcome and yes it does get easier, much easier.
I agree with TheCyclist, have plenty of no calorie drinks and try to keep busy busy busy. This will distract you from noticing your empty tum and any growling going on. After a while you won't feel hungry and the next time you notice, just drink and find a job to do that you always put off.
It's only one day and tomorrow you can eat whatever you like.
Try to read more of these threads especially the tips and links ones as there is a wealth of information for you within.
Good luck, you can do it

TheCyclistist - I did have a couple of mugs of warm water this morning though I'll take your advice and try a fruit tea next time I get the rumbles (don't drink normal tea/coffee).

I've just had a late breakfast of homemade soup (81 cals and very filling) so feel much better now.

virginposter - thanks for the advice and welcome.

About no calorie drinks - I usually drink around 3 cans of diet coke a day (not very good I know!). I do want to cut this down, but maybe now isn't the time to start that as well. To be honest, I think a caffeine kick would make me feel better.

Do any of you drink diet drinks whilst fasting?

Morning all, and welcome to both recent converts to the cause of healthy weights as well as the stalwarts of these threads.

My plan for the day has gone totally pear shaped as the kids are not at school and my gym classes have been cancelled, so we made it an honorary Saturday (bacon and boiled egg on toasted brioche with OJ and lashings of tea for breakfast. YUMMY)
BUT
I did my fast yesterday.
Was working so just drank lots of tea and kept my mind on the spreadsheets and then drove home to a big salad for supper.
Yes, my tummy rumbled during the day but I told it to wait till supper and had more tea.

Most people around the world only eat a hot meal once a day in the evening. We think we invented it after seeing MM in August, but actually we are just reverting to a more traditional, healthy diet.

Matilda
I am utterly anti "diet drinks" as they trick your system into expecting sugar, which is not good for your insulin system.

To all those not losing weight, especially the men:
Look at your waist and collar bones, that is where DH is losing size. And it suits him

Talkinpeace and Literarygeek - yes, I know diet drinks are bad, but I seem to have a real problem giving up diet coke. I don't drink any other fizzy drinks and really don't like normal coke.

I am just finishing a glass of diet coke now! I think I'll just try to get through today anyway I can as it's the first day I've tried anything like this.

I'm just popping to the supermarket for a few bits (before all the snow arrives) so will stock up on herbal teas and I thought a big bottle of sparkling water may help too.

Matilda Have you tried sparking water with a dash or squash concentrate - a really tangy one like lemon or pink grapefruit? All the refreshment, none of the aspartame.

literary I was working on a report last night that was wall to wall doublespeak tactful language - its still whizzing round my head.

anyone else noticed this Mumsnet 5:2 page? . put up in advance of Dr Ms webchat I presume..

It has a lot of stuff from out threads . including ideas from our recipe thread and quotes from some of us (inc me! catsrus eriknorseman and others and recipes inc my carrot and red pepper soup recipe BUT no reference or link to our threads.. (there is a link to recipe thread)

I wasn't asked if they could quote me or mine and I suppose that's because if if we post here it belongs to Mumsnet , but I think at least they could have linked us in ..

Time to bombard HQ (with snowballs)