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!

Sorry, am just assuming you are a woman!

lirael haven't caught up with all the posts yet so maybe someone else has mentioned this already?
When Dr MM was on the Richard Bacon radio programme he said, and I quote (because I wrote it down to tell a friend of mine who suffers from mild depression) " neuroscientists have found that I.F. stimulates the production of neurotrophic (spelling?) factor which makes you feel better and protects you against dementia. When they cut open the brains of rats they found that there were 30 percent more brain cells in the memory section of the brain" unquote.
So this looks really positive for you.

Yes I've read about that research - am very interested in the health benefits. Will let you all know how it impacts on my moods - am peri-menopausal so this is a BIG factor atm!

Have to agree with lakota, maniacbug that recipe looks wicked but if I find macademia nuts later i will be making them tomorrow! [bbiscuit] (just cos it looks funny!)

Lirael and Virginposter that's really good to know. To be honest I am worried abot dementia I use the wrong words all the time (34 yo)

Right had a rare morning to myself and watched comic relief bake off while ironing. Had a lovely cup of tea after 18 hours without milk planning to hold off for lunch a wee bit longer if I can

Hi all. Lurking since new year. Just wanted to share an unexpected, but very welcome bonus that I'm putting down to this new WOE.

I play table tennis with my 16 year old son every day. We play 5 games every day. I've never been the type of mother to "let" my children win, knowing that there would come a time when their "moment" would come! That moment has very definitely come in the last year of playing table tennis with my son - by the end of last year, he was winning 5-0. All the time, quite easily (Grrrrr!!). I've been doing 5:2 since new year. Mainly to lose the weight (which is working - I'm already 1/2 stone lighter!!)

Since new year, our games have become much closer and then I started winning the odd game, then 2 and last night, although he won 3-2, it was ONLY JUST!! The 3 games he won were very close! I'm sure being a tad lighter helps, but I really feel more "on the ball". My reactions are definitely faster.

I'm sharing this because, I really feel that 5:2 is making me more focussed and alert and the proof is in the score!!

I'm really glad I have given this a try, I was worried about doing it as I have had a problem with binge eating in the past and thought it may trigger binges on feed days. Well not so far, I had my first fast day on Wednesday and then yesterday when dh and dc normally have fish and chips, and I normally watch them eating with my plate of 'diet food', well this time I also had fish and chips, and actually wasn't able to finish it, and then eve had a couple of glasses of wine in the evening. :)

I've been doing this since August and found at the beginning that I was constantly thinking of food on my fast days and often wandered into the kitchen automatically. But I've found, like other long timers, that now I have such self control it amazes me.
Last week I went to the supermarket on my fast day and did a big shop but instead of eyeing all the goodies and buying stuff I didn't want I just did the job and really didn't think about it until I returned home and realised what I'd done.
Somehow the mind just re-sets itself. I eat nachos, love them, but now after eating a bowl full I stop and then I'm very conscious of what I eat later. I also eat avocados regularly (huge sin on S.W) and coconut, also was a sin. That's what is so wonderful about this woe, you can eat whatever you want when you are in control. In fact I'm going to make some coconut milk from desiccated coconut today and then turn it into coconut yoghurt (posts earlier have given me the idea - thanks).[bsmile]

betterlatethan i've lost 22lbs so far and the first place that I noticed it was my tummy so hopefully yours will do likewise.

Very [benvy] of people who are actually losing weight. I feel a lot better but no weight loss at all in the 4 weeks I've been doing it.

Had my second fasting day of the week yesterday so I jumped on the scale this morning, and I was shocked to see a new low for me at 142.5lbs (down from 144lbs on Tuesday). Coming from an ADF plan, I expected to either gain a bit or to maintain with 5:2. I never really imagined I'd actually lose, and a pound and a half at that! I'm now only 7.5lbs away from my goal weight

One thing I've noticed is that with ADF I was usually hungry on my fasting days. However, with 5:2 I haven't had any hunger on my fasting days this week and have actually eaten less then 500 calories (yesterday I came in at 394 calories). It seems like the two normal days in a row is changing how I'm feeling on my fasting days?

Hi All, long time lurker, occasional poster. Really encouraging to see so many people getting positive results from this WOE. I started in September and had a little Christmas blip but now I'm back to it I feel so much better; sharper, more in control, stronger somehow. And FWIW I've lost 13lb.

Itsaboatjack that is the beauty of this woe and in a way all though people have been worried aboyt the example we are setting our children it actually means we can join in with their meals at least 5 days a week without eating diet food.

Well done all losing weight - pretty amazing sarajay that you have lost switching from ADF to 5:2 [bshock] I am just over my christmas blip too alaska and feel much better now, sounds like you are getting really good emotional benefits, which is amazing.

Soozagen, that's brilliant and made me laugh! I had a running race with my (very tall) 11 year old and he just beat me last week. Hopefully, with a bit more weight off, I may get one last win in before its too late!!

sooz that's great! I love that you have daily table tennis matches with your son, as well. :)

Just to add that I am still doing this WOE, started on the 4th of September and total weight loss of 23lbs. Like many, this group has been a great motivation - especially Laska, Tip2, GreenEggs, FrenchFancy to name a few. I probably only posted 2/3 times but I always read this group everyday to find out how everyone is doing. I was size 12/14 when I started this, now I'm bordering size 10/8 which is so great especially after having dd who is now 6. I can't believe that I can actually now wear my size 8 leather trousers which I couldn't fit into for nearly 10 years. That's how good this WOE is! My dh started doing this, this month only halving his calories and his weight loss so far is 10lbs. He is in the high end of normal weight but wants to loss a bit of his tummy. Good luck newbies, it does work. This WOE is the only one that I managed to stick to even when I plateau for 4 weeks, I didn't give up. I'm training for the marathon this spring and fasting does not affect my running, I don't fast on my long runs but at the moment I can run 7 miles when fasting and it will go up when my training weeks progress.

Afternoon all, I'm new to this but an old hand at yoyo dieting and all that nonsense. I now have approx 5kg to lose (i'm only 5ft.2 btw) Feel like 5:2 is finally a WOE that makes sense but I wanted to share my experience of the past three days this in case its useful to anyone who's had a nasty shock stepping on the scales

Morning weigh in before first fast 60.4kg. Post fast 59.2 kg (and that's drinking plenty water). Ate lots and lots sugary carbs - birthday blowout! This am 61.9kg! Today is a fast day and I reckon I'll be back at 60kg by tomorrow am. Just goes to show how much weight can fluctuate with water retention etc. Am really hoping this WOE will let me lose the last lbs but more crucially stop the yo yo binge thing too.

End of week 2 and still no weight loss :( Even allowing for my 'snacking' yesterday (for the record, it was: 1 apple, 50g wasabi peas, 1 small square green and blacks dark, 5 kumquats - so hardly over-the-top) this is a bit frustrating.

Can anyone help?

I'm 5'7, bmi of 21.5 (slap bang in the middle of healthy according to the NHS site), current weight (as of this morning) exactly 10 st.

I fasted on Monday (500 cals at 9pm, Tues morning weighted 9 11) and Weds (400 cals at 9.30pm, Thurs am weighed 9 12)

Normal eating yesterday: 2 pieces w/m toast, no butter, marmite, black coffee for breakfast. Lunch: itsu salmon 'wrap' (350 cal when eating wrap) plus miso soup (108cal). Afternoon snacks as above. Then no food until 10.30pm when I had a bowl of pasta with h/m (fat free) veg/quorn mince bol. One piece Hotel Chocolate dark truffle for dessert.

Weight this morning: back to 10st.

What am I doing wrong? I'm excercising as much as I can (30-45mins 3 times a week) which given that i work full time and have 3 dcs is as much as I can manage.

What needs to change?

I thought I might see a small difference by now....

Afternoon all,
Weighed in today: Back at 8:12 - so have lost ALL the weight I put on pigging out over Christmas. chuffed

Waves to all the lurkers coming out of the woodwork
and a HUGE wave to those like welshmill who were on the early threads and are still in the zone.

buttonspoon
Not losing weight when ill
Chances are its because your body genuinely went into storage mode - hanging on to every calorie it could grab while your tummy was upset.
Now that you are over the bug, be as active as you can, get the feedback loops in your brain working to say you are better and it can burn that fuel now.

I'm going to pop over to the Tips & Hints thread and do a bit of a brain dump but the gist of it is

NO SNACKING - at all, ever
When you walk, up the pace a bit so you are slightly out of breath
think of your food intake over weekly periods, rather than days - you can roll over an face stuffing session into skipped meals the day after. If you know its a pig out weekend, lighten up the food during the week before ....

Fillybuster I've read several books that have stated exercise can slow weight down (from authors Gary Taubes, Jorge Cruise etc). Now these refer to low carb weight loss, but I wonder if the same applies to fasting plans? For me personally, I haven't done any exercise at all since I started working on my weight, last October, and I've lost 28lbs so far. I did just buy a pedometer and I'm going to start walking 5 days a week, but I'm only 7.5lbs from goal so I'm now starting to transition into maintenance. I wonder if your exercise regiment is why you're not losing? Have you noticed a difference in how your clothes fit though? You might be losing inches, but just haven't seen it on the scale yet.

oops-meant to say 'exercise can slow weight LOSS down' :)

On the other hand, I'm a gym bunny - 2-3 hours of exercise five days a week.
And yesterday I linked to a report that exercising on an empty stomach aids fat burning. I would strongly recommend anybody losing weight to exercise (gently and steadily) as much as they can, because it helps your circulation, so makes your skin shrink with you and means that the body that has been hiding under the fat comes out toned :-)

Fillybuster - Try not to be too frustrated. You're not at a huge weight to begin with. I started at 10st 5 (5'6) and I seem to remember it took a little while to get going. (I didn't start calorie tracking until later). Make sure you're eating sufficient calories on your 'normal' days and eat back your exercise calories (except on fast days). Also do you drink enough water? I never have done but have been making a real concerted effort in the last few months.

People with 3+ stones to lose I think see several pounds coming off immediately. If you're trying to lose 7lbs to 1.5 stone it won't be as impressively fast, but they'd see us as being at an advantage anyway with less to lose! It's like when you go to the gym - the lighter I get the harder I have to work to burn off the same calories as before - it doesn't seem fair!

Keep it up for at least 6 weeks before deciding it's not working. Also, there ARE health benefits. I've not had any insulin tests etc and only time will tell if I get cancer/dementia, but I DO know that my digestion is better, I generally feel less bloated. My cellulite is improving through the drinking more water too.

I really hope this works for you.

By the way, I only started the gym regularly a couple of months ago. I don't feel it's derailing my weight loss, although I've read that sore muscles retain water to aid healing, so you may see a gain if you over do it.

fillybuster . not wanting to be rude ..but im 10st (roughly pound or two up sometimes ) and 5'6''.. and feeling pretty slim ..

What weight do you want to be? how long have you been dieting overall and doing this WOE..? (i suppose what im getting at is maybe your body is atthe right weight for you, even if you'd like it to be slimmer.
(please dont bite.... im not trying to be controversial or saying its not right to be slimmer.. id quite like to be 9st 10 myself..but seem to be at a pleateu here right now also )

There is some evidence that woman of normal BMI may not see so many health benefits, im not too sure about weight loss?

I'll back fillybuster up here.
As of today my BMI is 20.5, but I can still pinch an inch all round my hips and under my armpits. Yes I'm comparatively very slim, but I have thin long bones so look a lot better now than I did at ten stone.
Other people my height and age would look gaunt at this weight.

Chatting to a couple of very slim friends, they were considering doing the 24 hour fast for the health benefits, but none of the calorie restriction - as their normal diet clearly suits them. It will be interesting to see how they do. One has persistent bowel problems that she'd LOVE to sort ....