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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:
Snowkey · 04/02/2013 21:22

Here it is Betterlate Blood Orange Cake

Betterlatethan · 04/02/2013 21:32

Thanks snowkey! Guess what I'll be baking this week?! Grin

BetsyVanBell · 04/02/2013 21:50

snowkey That cake looks incredible: I'll be hunting out some blood oranges this week. Made my fasting tummy rumble Grin

Snowkey · 04/02/2013 22:02

I found mine in Waitrose and they are pretty good compared to previous harvests, now rebranded as blush oranges, if you can get the organic veg box types you're in for a real treat.

Itsaboatjack · 04/02/2013 22:06

That looks good snowkey, I might have to try that at the weekend. I did a Victoria sponge yesterday with the dc and am only just managing to resist what's left of it tonight (fast day). Would it be really bad to have cake for breakfast tomorrow?

Snowkey · 04/02/2013 22:19

I think homemade cake is probably healthier than most processed cereal. Grin

MoochaMee · 04/02/2013 22:49

Oh! homemade cake, mmm would go down a treat just now :) at the end of my first fast day, kept to 500 cals and found it not too bad all day, but feeling quite hungry now ... still bedtime and nearly done it :D

I'm doing Monday and Thursday as fast days, it says we can eat as normal other five days, bit worried my normal maybe to much or wrong food :( don't want to undo the good I've done today ... I need to loose 2 stone
Any tips for eating on these other five days please.
Thanks & Keep up the good work everyone xx

Itsaboatjack · 04/02/2013 23:10

I think you're probably right Grin

MoochaMee you don't really need to think about it too much. It's best to get used to fasting first and then maybe take a look at what you are eating on feed days. You are supposed to eat 'normally' so around 2000 cals for the average woman, or you can work out your TDEE (see link in OP). There are also plenty of menu ideas on the recipe thread. Good luck.

headintheclouds · 04/02/2013 23:23

Checking in on my second week .fast day 3 today and I found it fairly easy,it was my first fast at work so the day just flew by. Ate at 7 pm yesterday and nothing until 1pm today when I had homemade soup at 170 cals and a veg chilli pot with a little rice tonight at 7pm 260 cals ,then had a 39 cal options hot choc.
I now feel quite hungry for the first time today ,but off to bed now . I did Wed/ fri last week but will do Monday / Thurs this week. First weigh in for me tomorrow morning . Have a good day tomorrow everyone .Looking forward to breakfast!

BsshBossh · 04/02/2013 23:43

3rd 5:2 fast completed today. I had loads of energy - managed to work, do 45 mins cardio at the gym and run around with my 4yo after school. Was flagginga bit by 5pm - yawning loads - but was fine without food until DH got home around 8 and we ate homemade chicken noodle soup at around 480 cals. DH has no weight to lose but also fasted today (for the first time) as he's convinced on the health benefits.

Non-fast day tomorrow and I'll breakfast on bacon and eggs I think Grin.

kiwigirl42 · 05/02/2013 00:17

massively failed at my fast today. have had to get up and eat as couldn't sleep. its because I ate breakfast then decided to fast. I am better not eating all day then having a decent dinner. love that there is no guilt with this WOE. start again tomorrow.

Fazerina · 05/02/2013 01:09

Evening all, well night that is.. Just finished work and climbed into bed with my phone to do a bit of MNting before going to sleep...

I've had an absolutely horrrribbbllleee cold over the weekend and it still has a hold of me:(. I'm doing 4:3 and fast Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays so weekends are feeding time for me normally, but this weekend could hardly eat, as can't taste anything. Today was the first fast of the week and had a cup of coffee, a cup of tea both with a splash of semi-skimmed milk, a cup of Marigold bouillon, half a can of Heinz tomato soup and bucket loads of hot rooibos tea, as anything else made me feel sick:(.. I'm a bit concerned my body may be going into starvation mode so I'm determined to force myself to eat tomorrow..

I'm currently BFing my 21-month-old DS and was wondering if anyone else on here is also BFing and doing IF? Sorry if this has been covered already previously..

Breadandwine · 05/02/2013 01:14

I think homemade cake is probably healthier than most processed cereal.

I have a calorie counted chocolate cake on the recipe thread - so I checked it against a box of Special K (red):

The cereal - 380 calories per 100g
Chocolate cake - 340 calories per 100g

So, yes, Itsaboatjack you can have cake for breakfast!

Not sure how much the Special K costs, but! the cake costs around 70p.

The recipe is here, on my blog

Moocha the best tip I can give anyone who has a feeding day tomorrow is to wait for 20 minutes before having seconds. It takes this length of time for the food to travel through the large intestine and activate the satiety hormone.

So set your kitchen timer for 20 minutes when you've finished your breakfast, and feel your appetite subside.

And the longer you can hold off eating again, the more the 'hunger switch' resumes the off position. As soon as you eat again you flick the 'hunger switch' back on again. You can test this out next time you prepare a meal - once you've had a taste, or a nibble, you'll want to taste and nibble right up until serving up.

Especially on fasting days I hold of tasting my veg curry or whatever right up until I'm about to serve up.

Breadandwine · 05/02/2013 01:17

Fazerina there are a few BFers on here - LiteraryGeek being one of them.

Meant to say in my last post, thanks to Snowkey for that BO cake recipe. I shall be veganising it very shortly!

Snowkey · 05/02/2013 04:31

B&W Mind you comparing anything to Special K isn't exactly a high hurdle of competition. My cake is almost insulted. Wink I detest the breakfast cereal industry - sugared cardboard, with a sprinkling of factory produced vitamins - I can barely describe it as food, I won't allow it in the house!

Fazerina hope you feel better soon.

Ezzza · 05/02/2013 05:23

Weigh day today and I?m very happy as I?ve lost another 1kg this week. That?s a total of 3kg (6½lbs-ish) since my plateau broke 4 weeks ago and 12kg (1st12½lbs or 26½lbs) lost in total since starting 22 weeks ago. GrinGrin

Today also happens to be a milestone in that this is now the longest I have ever stuck to any way of eating in the hope of losing weight, my previous record being an attempt I made at dieting using daily calorie restriction last year (and I?m including the month-long wagon fall off I had in that time too!) I stopped that attempt long before reaching my target because my willpower gave out. So it?s official: this way of eating is the easiest to stick to and most sustainable I?ve ever tried. I?m still really enthusiastic and motivated to continue this way of eating. Grin

Snowkey · 05/02/2013 06:02

Oh well done Ezzza. This diet does seem to be sustainable once you get the hang of it.

swallowedAfly · 05/02/2013 06:56

morning Smile

found my second fast day yesterday really easy this morning i weighed myself and i have lost 1.8lbs since starting last wednesday. i'm actually pleased with that because on non fast days i really am eating whatever i like including a tub of ben and jerry's the other day.

i actually really like this way of eating - i can totally see this being sustainable and the fact that it turns out to be good for you on so many levels rather than just weight loss means it is sustainable. i think i'll do my next fast on thursday. don't know where i read that you should have 2 feeding days between fasts to avoid going into starvation mode or if that is true? thinking better safe than sorry.

it would actually be quite tempting to say ooh i'll do 3 a week but actually i'm going to hold off. my gut feeling (no scientist) is that if you can trigger your body to change with very little change (re:2 days a week) then go with that. if i get stuck or it stops working then i can go to 3 days a week - so in a way it's like saving the big guns iyswim. so i am resisting my inclination to go harder/more extreme/faster, more, now! and trying to be gentle.

quick q: in the horizon film there was that talk of having to lower protein when he was with one of the first scientists - by the time he got to the ADF that was no longer mentioned i noticed. does that mean that intermittent fasting had the same effects without cutting down protein?

i don't want to cut down protein as i generally already don't eat a great deal of it anyway but do rely on it on fast days to be able to have filling complete snacks like boiled egg or a portion of prawns. wondered if anyone else had noticed this in the film and done further research.

MrsJolene · 05/02/2013 07:13

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Ezzza · 05/02/2013 07:33

Sorry MrsJolene, I can't read your blog because blog sites can't get through the Great Firewall of China. Sad Well done on your success! (whatever it was Blush) Maybe you could post some of it on here?

ThinkICan · 05/02/2013 08:14

swallowed - totally agree with your logic on starting with 5:2 and going on to 4:3 if you plateau. I jumped into ADF and then wondered if I should have gone in steps so I would have somewhere to go when I plateaued, which I did. Now trying to recall what Ezzza said about breaking the plateau!

ThinkICan · 05/02/2013 08:16

She said she cut the booze - boo hoo - I don't drink!

Ezzza · 05/02/2013 08:19

swallowedAfly, about your protein question: in Dr MM's book he says that Professor Valter Longo, director of the University of Southern California's Longevity Insitute recommends eating no more than 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. So for me (67kg) I should eat no more than 53.6g of protein each day. (That's grams of pure protein, for example in 100g of raw top sirloin steak there's 20.3g protein.)

BetsyVanBell · 05/02/2013 08:23

So three weeks in, post-fast day weigh in reveals just over 6lbs lost Grin, very happy with that. And half a pound away from getting into 'normal' BMI range (though on the standard BMI not the one Ezzza (I think) linked to recently - I'll wait till I'm thinner to use that one Wink).

Good luck anyone fasting today, I've got a feeling this is going to get easier as the weather gets more springlike! Happy eating day everyone else - just broken my fast and feel stuffed even though quite modest: 1 bit of seeded granary with marmalade and a little bowl of stewed fruits with yogurt.

Ezzza · 05/02/2013 08:25

ThinkIcan, I'm back on the booze again now and the weight's still coming off, so I think sometimes just a temporary shake-up of things can get things moving. Most important thing I did was just stuck with it though. Smile