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!
Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.
MNHQ have commented on this thread
Fasting / 5:2 diet
5:2 Diet Thread! Perfect number 10!
GreenEggsAndNichts · 20/01/2013 15:24
Don't tease us with tales of Wendys, sara. Am from the US originally, and that's one of the very few fast food places I liked on the east coast. (though I haven't eaten there in 10 years and it could very well have changed since then!)
Fast day here, not much to report except it's snowy and cold and I'm getting odd jobs and appointments taken care of to keep myself busy. I might be more productive on this WOE than previously. :)
hope everyone is surviving the snow and I hope those with sore joints etc feel better soon.
fast day today - had a cup of tea and some grapes this morning and just had some dinner 402 calories total including 2 squares of Lindt Sea salt and Caramel choc. Its yum!
I ate far too much yesterday but not more than I used to eat and got the most awful stomach ache. I knew I wasn't that hungry when I was stuffing myself as well - will teach me to listen to what my hunger tells me more. I find it hard getting my head round the fact that I don't have to eat at every meal time. Its socially ingrained into us to eat at least 3 times per day, isn't it?
I haven't had stomach ache since I was a kid! Stomach must be shrinking 
GreenEggsAndNichts- I actually don't care for Wendy's normally, but you just can't beat a nice sized portion of chili when it's only 210 calories and costs $1.49 It's become one of my fasting day staples!
My god ive eaten today (non fast day) 2 egg omlette,this morning ..2 small h/m tortilla with roast chicken and h/m winter slaw , 6 sqs montezumas 70% and now a bowl of h/m chilli with spinach rocket and watercress.. but have just put it all into MFP and it only comes out to under 1400 calories.
. I too reckon my stomach has got smaller along with my portions ..
Hi Laska
I'm just pondering the long term and wondering whether doing what I did at xmas is the best way forward. i.e. just put off eating until later in the day when I can I won't limit drinks (yeah to lattes!) but the evening is my danger zone. I have an elderly inlaw, who was a GP, who has done the "one good meal in the evening" thing for the 20+ yrs I've known him - he has always been fit and lean used to think he was a bit nutty, just like Cliff who evidently does the same.
I will eat breakfast and lunch sometimes, especially if I'm with people, on a work away-day etc. but I think I need to accept that the kind of eating I've been doing has led to being 2st overweight (and I'm not a cake and McDonald's fan! I have always eaten healthily - just clearly too much of it 
). I'm finding fasting a much easier way of reducing the calories I take in so I am, as I say, 'pondering' whether an eating window might be a better long term strategy for me on most days(?)
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Hi Anna yes you learn to cope with the hunger - I just try to see it as my body working hard to process the fat and you find the things that work for you to get you over it. For lots of us it's Miso soup - some people hate it and swear by herbal teas....
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