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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.

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5:2 Diet Thread! Perfect number 10!

999 replies

GreenEggsAndNichts · 20/01/2013 15:24

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. 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:
BlackMaryJanes · 26/01/2013 14:02

Thanks everyone!

I can eat tomorrow. I can eat tomorrow. I can eat tomorrow!

It's going okay so far. Every Saturday DH gives me a lie in, so I didn't wake up till 12.30 Blush

So far, I've consumed 2 cans of diet pepsi, which I know is counter-productive because it makes you hungry. But I'd like to think I have a will of steel.

Have to say I'm very excited about this diet. Smile

I'm going to hold off for as long as possible before I eat my 500. My ideal is waiting until supper (8pm).

frenchfancy · 26/01/2013 14:17

chippy Fasting from 2pm to 2pm with no food is great in terms of health beneftis. But if you have 500 cals between 2pm tues and 2pm Wed then eat a late lunch then a dinner you are likely to end up eating as much if not more than normal so you won't get the weight loss benefits.

Look at the calorie deficit over a week. 5:2 is no different from any other diet, you need to have a deficit of 3500 cals over the week to lose 1lb.

BlackMaryJanes · 26/01/2013 14:28

Guys, which are the best cuppa soups to buy for fast days?

BlackMaryJanes · 26/01/2013 14:30

frenchfancy I thought the 5:2 diet wasn't just about calorie deficit? What about the 'switching on the skinny gene' theory?

frenchfancy · 26/01/2013 14:35

IMO the skinny gene theory does not change the laws of thermodynamics.

BlackMaryJanes · 26/01/2013 14:41

But it changes metabolism, which leads to less fat storage, am I right?

Do you know where I can read more about the skinny gene?

sarajaynevz · 26/01/2013 14:47

BlackMaryJanes Dr. Johnson talks about the SIRT1 gene in his book, The Alternate-Day Diet, and also on his website
www.johnsonupdaydowndaydiet.com/html/diet-why-it-works.html

invisibledolly · 26/01/2013 14:53

Our weight can't just be about the laws of thermodynamics. If your TDEE was 2000 calories, and you ate 1900 calories every day for the rest of your life, in theory eventually you'd die. Which clearly isn't the case. And I'm sure studies have shown that if you give groups the same number of calories, but with the calories made up of for example, low carbohydrate, high fat foods as opposed to low fat, high carb foods - that one group would lose weight more than the second.

BlackMaryJanes · 26/01/2013 15:03

Thanks sarajaynevz Is the book worth buying?

btw guys, which is the best cuppa soup for fast days? I'm writing a shopping list. Got low cal jelly on there, and some of my favourite chocolate for tomorrow Smile

knittingmumof4 · 26/01/2013 15:08

If your TDEE was 2000 calories, and you ate 1900 calories every day for the rest of your life, in theory eventually you'd die. Which clearly isn't the case.

Surely you'd just use up your reserves until your body was skinny enough that it could survive on the 1900 calories?

My understanding of calories is that depending where they come from they are used differently by the body. Like high fructose corn syrup is turned to fat etc.

ErikNorseman · 26/01/2013 15:10

Invisible, no, you'd lose weight until your TDEE actually became 1900, then you'd maintain your weight. TDEE is dependent on weight - it uses more energy to move a heavy body around than a light one.

BlackMaryJanes · 26/01/2013 15:19

My understanding of calories is that depending where they come from they are used differently by the body. Like high fructose corn syrup is turned to fat etc.

Interesting. Do you have any more info on this? high fructose corn syrup is found a lot in baby foods.

invisibledolly · 26/01/2013 15:21

Okay, change the parameters of my example. What about 1500 calories, or 1250?

It is true that different nutrients are absorbed differently and have different fat-storing qualities.

Zoe Harcombe article about the calorie myth

Betterlatethan · 26/01/2013 15:22

Hi all,

Just popped in to say that the scales are finally budging! Grin and a little quicker this time as well! In the first 3 weeks I was dropping a lb a week, this week it's been 2lb off. A total of 5lbs in a month. Am chuffed with this because I haven't felt deprived at all! In fact, I had one of my fast day recipes for a feed day last week and I didn't feel deprived one bit!
Also, for the first time I haven't got despondent that it wasn't a quicker weightless than that, I am fully expecting this to be a WOL for me and I therefore don't subscribe to the 'quick fix' mentality with this at all. I am finding so many advantages of this above and beyond just the weight, that I'm all for continuing it even if I didn't lose anything! (My asthma has improved, TOTM has passed by almost unnoticed, which hasn't happened since I was about 15, my energy has rocketed and I can sleep for England!). I've just been into town and bought some pukka teas (chai, liquorice and cinnamon) which are my lifesavers on a fast day and even though I am eating today, I have only had 2 poached eggs for breakfast, beans on toast for lunch and a gluten free raspberry muffin. In fact, I feel so full now, I think I might have to go have a lie down.....Shock

knittingmumof4 · 26/01/2013 15:33

BMJ, check out "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" on youtube. Quite scary actually!

BlackMaryJanes · 26/01/2013 15:44

God my tummy is rumbling now. But I don't think my willpower is waning. I just find the rumbling and gurgling sensations irritating. I'm looking forward to my trip to Wetherspoons tomorrow Grin

What's the average weekly weight loss on the 5:2 diet?

Also - someone recommend some cuppa soups already!!

frenchfancy · 26/01/2013 16:00

Irritating is a good way of looking at it.

I'm not sure there is an average. I've lost between 1-2lbs a week. Nice and steady. This is NOT a crash diet.

ErikNorseman · 26/01/2013 16:07

Same would happen, in theory. I've always found calorie counting to work 100% as predicted, regardless of what the source is, so I don't see calories as a myth. I realise it doesn't work like that for everyone, but I put that down to vagaries in human bodies, not that calories are a myth.

Breadandwine · 26/01/2013 16:15

knittingmum and BMJ - the link to the "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" is on the Tips and Links thread - I strongly recommend anyone new to this WOE browse the T&L thread - perhaps from the bottom up, since that's where the latest research tends to be.

However, here's the link while I'm there:

literarygeek · 26/01/2013 16:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

literarygeek · 26/01/2013 16:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sarajaynevz · 26/01/2013 16:31

BlackMaryJanes- I borrowed the book from the library and it was a good read. I think it's worth the cost of buying, if you can't borrow it. It's about an adf plan though, not the 5:2 plan. It's the one I've been following since last November and I've had great success with it :) Now I'm transitioning to 5:2 for maintenance.

Soups-I'm in the U.S. so I don't know if you have the same brands where you are, but Progresso and Campbells make canned light soups in the 60-100 calorie range per serving. Lipton makes cup o' soup mixtures (they're dry packets you mix with water and then nuke), for either 45 calories or 50 calories per serving. Otherwise plain chicken broth is good and it's only 10-15 calories per serving. I add a splash of hot sauce to give it some zip :)

BlackMaryJanes · 26/01/2013 16:39

frenchfancy - yes I'm after sensible weight loss. I'm tempted to not weigh myself for 6 weeks like that science dude did on Horizon. Good idea?

Oh I feel dizzy and light-headed now. Still haven't ate a thing Grin

literarygeek what's miso soup?

sarajaynevz DH is at the supermarket as we speak, stocking up on soup and jelly. lol

meetmeinthebathroom · 26/01/2013 16:45

Ooo hello everyone .. . . Just wanted to say a massive 'thank you' to B&W for posting the link about sugar. Watched it a couple of weeks ago (after lurking around here on and off) and what an Eyeopener it really was Shock.

I can't remember which person in the video said, may have been Dr Lustig himself, something like 'fat doesn't make you fat, sugar makes you fat'. This has changed my way of thinking about food completely. Being a SW Refugee, where fat is more or less forbidden - it's taking me a while to get my head round the idea of being able to eat butter again!

Just wondered if anyone else's head has been as thrashed as mine by it all Confused.

Been doing 5:2 for 7 weeks, just cranked it up to 4:3 last week and lost 7lbs so far.

virginposter · 26/01/2013 17:02

meetmeinthebathroom well done on the weight loss. I also was amazed by the video 'sugar: the bitter truth' what an eye opener.
For 3-4 years I did S.W. at group and then at home. At one time I was eating 4 shape fat free yoghurts a day!! They were 'free' on that regime but now I can see that they were very bad for me and I've struggled to introduce full fat into my diet but I have succeeded and now no longer have 'fat free' anything and everything tastes wonderful (and have lost loads of weight too).