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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.

5:2 Diet Thread! Going up to 11!

999 replies

GreenEggsAndNichts · 29/01/2013 13:17

The continuing thread for those of us following either the 5:2 diet or the alternate-day fasting diet.

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, or approximately your TDEE (see explanation below). 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 for a woman, 600 for a man, on those days.

You'll find on these threads we use a number of acronyms. If you're new to the threads, or Mumsnet in general, they might not make much sense.

WOE/WOL = Way Of Eating/Way Of Life. We use this term instead of "diet" as many of us see this as something to do in the long term.

MFP = My Fitness Pal, a website many use for keeping track of the number of calories they're eating.

TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure, 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.

ADF = Alternate-day Fasting, as it says on the tin, fasting every other day rather than 5:2.

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!

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%).")

Something to consider 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.

Another food link, here is a link to the BBC Good Food site, with a list of low-calorie soups.

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:
Ezzza · 01/02/2013 10:12

BsshBossh, Tailtwister, I think the stomach must shrink. I also found after the first week I simply couldn't fit in as much food on non-fast days as I used to eat before starting this way of eating.

64zoolane · 01/02/2013 10:17

Good morning. I think you are all right about appetites and stomach. I fasted yesterday and this morning 'treated' myself to a chocolate donut and now I feel sick and bloated. And guilty.

Does anyone else feel dizzy with possibilities the morning after a fast and choosing a treat just because they can? that's what happened to me today. It's only my second fast so perhaps it gets easier?

BsshBossh · 01/02/2013 10:28

Just re-watched the original Horizon programme to remind myself that 5:2 or ADF is not just about weightloss but about improving overall health as we age. It's really so fascinating.

mamamoomin2 · 01/02/2013 10:51

Hello fellow fasters! Well today was my weekly weigh in and I was prepared for little loss and looser clothers had been feeling snug again.

I'm delighted as 2lb down, making it 11lb in 4 weeks :)

I have a little question about those scales in boots which I have been using. I also do the body fat % reading. Whilst I lost 2lb, since last week the reading says my % has gone up from 33.7% to 35.7%....? Is it just that they aren't all that accurate? Or have I actually put fat on?

BetsyVanBell · 01/02/2013 11:02

Mamamoomin2 Congratulations! Those scales aren't particularly accurate so I wouldn't worry too much.

mamamoomin2 · 01/02/2013 11:04

That's good! Will enjoy my 2lb loss instead. So pleased :)

herbaceous · 01/02/2013 11:07

64zoolane I know what you mean! It was my second fast yesterday, and this morning had to get up at 6, thanks to DS. But instead of having a healthy breakfast, I waited until I could get to the shop to buy a pain au raisin, just because I could!

I then had a biscuit, just because I could. But didn't really enjoy it. I've got a sore tongue from drinking my lo-cal cuppa soups too quickly yesterday!

orangeandlemons · 01/02/2013 11:12

I find low sugar jelly a real help on fast days. Cannot believe how easy those fast days are. Years of bingeing and overheating....all gone....

64zoolane · 01/02/2013 11:28

herbaceous, my partner broke his fast this morning with a fried egg and bacon sandwich, and he feels fine. Biscuit

Did you find yesterday gruelling? It was my second fast yesterday too and it was agonising. And it led to this blasted donut this morning. Tuesday wasn't anywhere near so hard. Perhaps there's a pattern?

Ezzza · 01/02/2013 12:12

To those who just a few fasts in so far:- firstly: welcome! Grin, secondly: the fast days do get easier, and the crazed I'm-gonna-stuff-myself-sily-because-today-I-can eating on non-fast days does go away. As you get into the swing of it you'll realise you have months and years of non-fast days stretching ahead of you and you'll no longer want to pig out. In the meantime, if you have doughnuts and pain au chocolat etc. on your non-fast days don't feel guilty, no longer having an emotion driven attitude toward food is the thing I love the most of all about this way of eating.

Ghanagal1717 · 01/02/2013 12:14

Can i just ask.....do other people ever allow themself a packet of crisps on their non-fast days? Is this allowed? (oooooh have I just used a pre-5:2 "diet" word there i.e. the dreaded allowed/not allowed).? I know it mights seem a silly question, but I'm still in the process of changing over in my head from years and years of unsuccessful diets and woe......although I read this thread every single day and get such amazing motivation from it...I still feel hesitant that I may be doing something that will jeapordise it all. Been doing this woe now for about a month. After 2nd week I weighed myself and hadn't lost a single pound and was a bit upset. But I decided to just start using MFP, monitor what i ate exactly and continue. So am in about week 4 or 5 now doing 4:3, I am too scared to get on scales so will continue to just 'eyeball' myself to see if I can see any loss.

herbaceous · 01/02/2013 12:23

64zoolane I found it blasted agonising! Partly as I'd decided to save all my 500 calories up for my evening meal, as I hated going to bed hungry as I had done after a 300cal meal.

Oddly though, although my stomach had been grumbling away all day, by five o'clock I stopped being quite so hungry.

However, DS (3.5) chose the wrong night to bugger about before bed - my low blood sugar level meant I had little patience for 'I need a wee wee', 'I'm thirsty', 'I'm hungry'... GET TO BLOODY BED. I HAVE GOT TO EAT MY DINNER NOOOOW.

headintheclouds · 01/02/2013 12:29

mamamoomin2 well done on your loss.The total of 11 bs in 4 weeks is so motivating &encouraging to me as a newbie on here! Im only on week 1, second fast today and so far feeling good and havent eaten anything yet! I found My first fast day surprisingly easy but I was probably abit euphoric reading everyones amazing posts on here. Ive been overweight for several years .I used to be very slim and reasonably fit until I hit my forties.Im now 11stone 2 ,and would love to be 9 st 7lbs again .also only 5 ft 3 and all the fat is on my abdomen and back ,so want the health benefits as well. Reading this thread has made me realise how achievable it is. Ive never approached a way of eating with this much positivity before!!
Ive been inspired by the recipes also and cant wait to try them.I also wanted to share that I was looking through ' the Greedy Girls Diet' recipe book by Nadia Sawalha today. it is full of great recipes and all of them apart from 1 were under 500 cals with many between 200- 300 cals. Im not going to buy it yet though,I want to see how this is going to pan out for me.At the moment I dont think I can do just 1 meal a day. Today I intend eating at 1 pm ish and then 7 pm tonight. i will have done no food for 17 hours then which Im thinking will be my limit!
sorry am rambling ,I dont think Ill be a prolific poster,but will check in on weigh days!Smile

Ghanagal1717 · 01/02/2013 12:39

oh....just re-read Ezza's post above my last post. That answers my question about crisps!! Thanks :))

GreenEggsAndNichts · 01/02/2013 12:44

Ghana anything in moderation, really. A packet of crisps is 140 calories or so. It can certainly be fit into a non-fast day. I wouldn't eat several of them, myself.

The whole point of this for me is that there isn't anything that's not "allowed", so it's very easy for me to continue to do it.

If 4:3 isn't working for you, I'd suggest going back to 5:2 and re-visiting what you're eating on non-fast days. Be honest with yourself re: activity level when you're working out what your TDEE is. Also be honest with yourself about what you're eating and put every little bit of it, including veg, milk and sugar in coffees, spoons of the kids' dinner, biscuits that no one sees you eating even though we know those don't count Grin, etc.

You should weigh yourself after your next fast day and see if 4:3 is working for you. :)

OP posts:
dalek · 01/02/2013 12:55

This is my first week - I have done my two fast days (Monday and Wednesday). Am now a bit worried that I will undo all of my good work over the weekend - have not had anything to eat yet today. Please reassure me that this works.

64zoolane · 01/02/2013 12:56

Thanks ezza for the welcome and the guilt-easing. I have never dieted before but feel so positive about this diet in particular - it is great to have your encouragement.

herbaceous Grin I was the same with my poor DD. I was in bed by 9 - what is there to do in the evening if you can't watch a film or catch up on Call the Midwife with sugary snacks on a conveyor belt?

farewellfarewell · 01/02/2013 13:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BumBiscuits · 01/02/2013 13:42

I'm going to give 5:2 a go as of Monday. I've been doing MFP which is set at 1200 cals a day (shortarse and old) for a 2lb loss per week. I've pretty much stayed the same after 2 weeks. Maybe a 1lb loss but nothing much.

I'll still count on MFP.

I'd like to know, or be pointed to a thread where someone else has asked:

  1. How long have you been 5:2/4:3-ing
  2. How much have you lost
lovinfoodainteasy · 01/02/2013 13:59

Hi everyone fast day today at the end of my third week 4:3 lost 7lbs.
I have had 50cal slim a soup and a hartleys 10 kcal jelly (lifesaver) dont usually eat during the day on a fast however i could feel myself staring at the other girls lunch at work.

Have to say the downside of this diet i have literally peed a river today am sure they all think have some kind of problem at work

Prawn thingy for dinner tonight 232cals go me!

Ghanagal1717 · 01/02/2013 14:01

Greeneggs: thanks I really like the feedback you give on these threads...I'm on my third fast day today (just slurping a boilleon drink to keep me going in work). I will try to be brave enough to get on scales tomorrow morning (G-U-L-P).

Daisy1407 · 01/02/2013 14:37

Hi all
Started this on Monday - 1st fast day and then did my next fast day Wednesday - got on the scales this morning and they havent moved - i have been so strict too! Bit gutted as i know on the weekends i do like a drink and a takeaway - im hoping they are not going to go up and then come weigh day (monday) ive put on weight!

anyone else have a gain on 1st week?

Monday isnt here yet so there is always hope - gym 2mo morning x

kiwigirl42 · 01/02/2013 14:47

I've been doing alternate day fasting for the past 4 wks with one day off but I'm going to take another 3 day break. Really struggled with my fast yesterday and had such cold feet and legs I couldn't sleep. So I'll just have a few days of eating a little of what I fancy, not very much, mostly vegetables ...

Northstarmum · 01/02/2013 14:50

Hi everyone,

A few weeks in now and the scales show a downward trend, slow and steady. I have read on this (or previous threads) about muscle cramps and what I could do to stop them but I'll be blowed if I can find it. I had a fast day Wed and an eating day yesterday but both days I got BAD cramp in my toes doing body balance. I've always been a bit prone to crampy toes but not as bad as this for ages. I can't stand bananas- and would love not to have to stop for a foot rub during my downward dogs!!!

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 01/02/2013 14:51

All of you who are worried about not losing weight remember that this is a WOE for life, so if you overeat one week it doesn't really matter. I've fluctuated since Christmas but I've not stressed about it & just carried on doing 5:2. The main point is I'm at a far healthier weight now than I was when I started this in August - & yes I'm still overweight but I consider that it's work in progress.