5:2 Diet Thread! Perfect number 10!

[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.

Michael Mosley has recently unveiled a new website to accompany his new book on the subject. Please go check them out, as he's the whole reason most of us are here!

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!

salbertina I did 4:3 for about 3-4 weeks and found it very easy, in fact I had to try very hard to go back to 5:2. Now I'm thinking about doing it again next week as I'm nearing target and my weight loss has slowed down again.
If you needed to I'm sure you could manage it :)

Well, crashed off bandwagon yesterday so doing today. Going ok. Truing Dr Ms idea of lunch only.

But well done, VP
I dont need to according to Bmi (at lower normal end) but my flabby bits.. Are flabbier! Overindulged at Xmas, like many of us.

Don't worry Salbertina I didn't think you were refering to me GL

Didn't get my question answered!

Which was:

"If we've completed a 24 hour fast - from 6pm until 6pm the next day, say - why do we then have to restrict our evening meal to

Erik thanks for the explanations (and congrats on hitting your goal!)....I think I fall into the same category - very little weight to lose, and pretty much below 'target' for most people of my height/weight, just not quite where I like to be. Which makes it much tougher to shift the last few lbs....its good to see it broken down like that to help me be patient!

2nd fast this week. Had't planned to fast until tomorrow, but had a funny tummy yesterday afternoon and through the night, didn't feel like eating this morning and felt (oddly) much happier once I'd decided to fast today instead of worrying about what I would be able to eat. I have to do tons of chores once the dcs are in bed, so probably won't eat until late...looks like I'm heading towards a 24+ hour fast (didn't fancy dinner last night, so just had half a bowl of soup....)

Missed the chat with Dr M....damn job!

Btw, I meant to add - even though my weight isn't really down, my waistline is definitely feeling better....I've been avoiding my size 10 Topshop skinny jeans for the past few weeks but they went on no trouble at all this morning . Still waiting for the muffin top to recede though....

You can still catch it here Filly (love the name! )

'Inside Health' on BBC R4 ATM, is shortly going to be discussing BMI, and how valuable it really is.

www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_radio_four

Later, it'll be on iPlayer, no doubt.

B&W

"If we've completed a 24 hour fast - from 6pm until 6pm the next day, say - why do we then have to restrict our evening meal to

B&W
I saw that post from Dr M too as I was very interested in what to do at target. I like the idea you are proposing as I too seem to like the two (or sometimes 3) days of restriction. So thanks, that is giving me ideas for doing 6:1 plus missing breakfast/lunch on other days.
Let us know how you get on please

Hi everyone. I am new to this WOE and thread. I am on my second week - today is second day of fasting this week. My problem is that I start to feel cold at about 3pm and I can't seem to warm up. Hot drinks work for a while but then I feel cold again- I am having breakfast - porridge and blueberries as per The Fast Diet book, a cuppa soup for lunch and then a meal in the evening which I am having to bring forward as I am so cold. Any ideas on how to warm up? Sadly sitting on sofa wrapped in a blanket not an option! Thank you.

Hi skippy

Here's what Mark Mattson says on the subject (quoted from the 'crabsallover' link you posted on the Tips thread. )

Mark P. Mattson:
"1. A complete fast (no food) with hydration maintained with non-caloric beverages will be superior to consuming 600 calories on the fasting days.

1. Eating the 600 calories at one meal will be superior to eating several smaller meals spread throughout the day. By eating only one meal, the body goes essentially 24 hours with no food. This results in adaptive cellular stress responses which we believe is particularly good for the brain.
2. In the case of the 5:2 diet, we do not know whether better health benefits are realized with two consecutive days of fasting versus any two days of fasting during the week.

It would be much better if you could just get through a fast day without eating at all. Obviously, very few people are able to do that, so if you are going to eat a (600 for a man, 500 for a woman) calorie reduced meal, you are much better to consume that as one meal than to spread those calories throughout the day. This is because the stress that going for 24 hours without food places on your brain actually has produced identifiable positive brain responses such as the growth of new brain cells. It?s like a workout for the brain. How to add that into an intermittent fasting or alternate day plan?

Easy. Either, take a note of what time you last ate on the feed day prior to your fast and then do not consume your 600 calorie fast day allowance until 24 hours has past. So, if you ate at 6pm on a feed day, do not eat your 600 calories until 6pm on the fast day. That way, you?ve gone 24 hours without food AND you get to eat (albeit a restricted) dinner! If that doesn?t grab you, eat breakfast on a fast day and then don?t eat again until your breakfast the next day."

I went through this with a fine tooth comb, trying to find out if I could eat normally after a 24 hour fast. However, I was unable to get past the 'restricted dinner' quote.

As to why this is necessary, I've been unable to find out.

Cheers, B&W

How to hit 24 hours without really trying ....

Sunday - have a HUGE roast lunch.
Sunday supper - still full !
Monday breakfast - tea
Monday lunch - tea
Monday supper - Beans on a thin slice of toast with a scrambled egg and a satsuma
Tuesday breakfast - tea and a glass of orange juice
Tuesday lunch - single slice ham and pickle sandwich
Tuesday supper - chicken pie and veg and fruit

so from 3pm Sunday to 6pm Monday, not a morsel of food = 27 hours
I do it most weeks!
And have steadily lost 1-2 pounds a week while pigging out (TDEE + 20%) at weekends.

B&w
. Again 5:2 ing doesn't appear to be having a cognitive improvement for me.
Thanks for reposting. Looks to me look another area open to personal interpretation. My take is that he's saying if you want to eat 600kcal, do it after fasting for 24 hours. The 600 kcal is only mentioned because the blogger who mailed him referred to it in his question, off the back of the horizon prog. Again my take on what he's saying is that the main point is to do a 24 hour fast thereafter it's eat normally again.

Also interesting to note that in the horizon prog mm said that mattson says it doesn't matter when you eat the 600 which is different to the above advice.

MiddleEnglish
Nausea is most likely dehydration.
Have a whole pint of water and a big cup of tea or coffee.
You HAVE to remember to drink if you are not eating - especially if you are new to it.

Just wanted to say hello. Am on second fast of the week and going well. Decided to save all my calories for one meal so looking forward to butternut squash and lentil curry later! Usually split cals 1/3 and 2/3 - early afternoon and evening - but have found the longer fast easier than expected. I love this time of the day when I know feeding time is approaching though!

I find it much easier to manage a longer fast than eating several times on a fast day, I've really struggled when I've experimented with splitting the calories. I usually just have dinner (except for my 70 calories for milk) 24 hours after I last ate - I'm really boring on fast days as well; I either have salad or veggies with a couple of eggs or some fish. I find it easier not to think about what I'm going to eat.

middleenglish I found the first few fasts quite difficult nausea sore throats headaches & dizziness. Now it's easy & except for a few times I've been fine.

Top tip for new fasters:- do not make your favourite meal for everyone else on a fasting day! I don't know what I was thinking! & still 2 hours before I can break my fast - grr.

Nearly gave in just now!

It's that time of the month, the two year old has whined all day, the dog is being needy, and having to make life decisions - so a fast day was hard today! Just gave in an went to get a slice of cake and my husband told me not to and that I'd regret it! He reminded me I can have thy slice of cake tomorrow! Glad he did, because I would feel worse if I ate it, but I really want the cake!