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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! 12! Cheaper by the dozen!

999 replies

GreenEggsAndNichts · 08/02/2013 10:09

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:
swallowedAfly · 14/02/2013 08:41

politico what makes you think that food would make you feel better though?

have the nap and see how you feel - if you still feel bad and as if eating would make you feel better then eat a little something that isn't high cal and see if it helps. don't quit unless you have to. have a bowl of low cal soup or a scrambled egg. keep your options open rather than deciding to quit and eating something high cal itms.

basildonbond · 14/02/2013 08:52

Woohoo! Just finished second fast day on my third week of doing this and I've now lost half a stone!!!! And the great thing is it's been relatively easy as whenever I wobble I just think 'I can have that tomorrow'

All my clothes are just that bit looser and my BMI is down to 23 - aiming for about 21 so just under a stone to go which seems eminently doable by the summer - yay!!

politico · 14/02/2013 08:56

Thanks swallowedafly - I am just feeling knackered! I will go to bed now and see how it goes, but you're right. I have my food planned for today and it's in the fridge, no real rubbish in the house.

My TOM is approaching so that is possibly a factor in all of this. Thanks for the encouragement Smile

swallowedAfly · 14/02/2013 09:05

if it turns out you can't do today then don't worry about it politico. it's just i think there's a danger of seeing the whole day and all or nothing you know? when for all you know a small, low cal snack in a couple of hours time might be enough and you'll still be on track. if you view it in the whole day, all or nothing light you'll go eat something that makes continuing impossible. if you start with something little it might surprise you by being enough and you haven't written your day off.

just remind yourself tomorrow you will be eating cake with your friend and remind yourself that actually your feeling crap rather than starving and that food is not necessarily the cure for feeling crap. a nap, a bath, a short walk in the fresh air etc might work better.

i was the same yesterday. i have found relaxing or meditating and really switching off the mind for 20mins makes a big difference.

swallowedAfly · 14/02/2013 09:08

p.s. i think lots of us who have gotten overweight probably do have an association between food and feeling better/medicine that we have to tackle and actually fast days are quite good times for doing that and learning other ways of feeling better.

silverbeetle · 14/02/2013 09:28

That is so true swallowed for me any way. If I'm bored, tired, upset, ill or stressed - I snack. I do think it is a form a medicine and one of the challenges was to find other ways to deal with things. The awful thing is it doesn't make you feel any better, usually it makes me feel worse.

It's amazing what a nap, nice hot bath, good chat with a friend or some time to just rest and read a book or watch the telly can do.

Hang in there politico hope you feel better.

Second fast for me today, was supposed to be out all day today so nice and busy but last minute change of plan means I'm working form home - will try to be strong.

Fantastic news basildonbond

BetsyVanBell · 14/02/2013 09:43

Sounds like there's a few of trapped at home fasting today, good to know there's others out there swallowedafly and silverbeetle. Lots of wise words too - does food ever actually make us feel better if we're eating for 'comfort' - maybe if we choose a zingy carrot & ginger juice or a lovely plate of steamed veg & prawns but I suspect we've all been more inclined to choose high fat high carb at those times. One of the brilliant things about fasting is it stops me reaching for the sticky baked good, even on non-fast days I think twice about it now.

I even toasted hot cross buns for the kids this morning and didn't mind that I wasn't having one - now that is a breakthrough and a half for me.

BetsyVanBell · 14/02/2013 09:46

Congrats basildonbond excellent work Smile

Hang in there politico, you'll feel better for it.

politico · 14/02/2013 10:01

Aw, thank you all, for the support and the wise words. I couldn't sleep, but I don't feel as bad as I did. Taking my DS to the HV now, so I'm going to be out of the house for a couple of hours, which will be a nice distraction, then I'll eat something small for lunch. Good luck all you fasting ladies!! Thanks

politico · 14/02/2013 10:04

And swallowedafly - you were dead right about food as medicine. Any adversity at all and I automatically reach for something full of calories. Don't know when I started doing this. Something for me to ponder on today. Thank you.

DoubleMum · 14/02/2013 10:19

I'm fasting at home today too, I work from home so this is normal but I don't have much to do today and it's really dragging. Can't believe it's only 10.20 and I have many more hours before I can eat. I need to go do something useful.

Fazerina · 14/02/2013 10:24

Morning all! So I've officially plateaued:(! I've been on 4:3 for about 6 weeks now and so far have lost about 5-6kg, which of course is brilliant, but have now stayed the same for about a week. I feel really bloated and backed up for some reason, even though it's not really TOM. I'm also going on a holiday for 10 days next week, which is worrying me a bit.. I was wondering whether I might benefit from switching my fast days around a bit. I'm currently fasting Monday, Wednesday and Friday and was thinking to perhaps do Sundays as well this week and then Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.. Anyone had any success with switching the fast days when hitting a plateau?

CiderwithBuda · 14/02/2013 10:25

Morning all. Supposed to be second fast day for me today but woke up both starving and with cystitis so won't fast - but will be sensible. Had porridge and blueberries for breakfast.

CiderwithBuda · 14/02/2013 10:30

Sorry - phone rang and I pressed post!

Will stick to 'no crap carbs' today. Planning steak and salad for dinner.

Drinking lots of water to try to flush out cystitis bugs.

Dotty342kids · 14/02/2013 10:32

headintheclouds so did you weigh today? How was it? Sounds like you've done pretty well so far!
I did first weigh in this morning (after my 2nd fast of the week) and am 3lbs down from my start weight. Not bad, but not as major as I'd have liked and of course some of that is bound to be due to weighing after a fast day. Still, that's the pattern for me now, to weigh after 2nd fast of the week so hopefully I'll see a general downward trend.
Bit worried about next week though as we've got things happening / seeing people / socialising every day so I'm going to have to fast "early" in the week on Sunday, then probably won't be able to do my second one till Sat afterwards. Plus I'll have several days of eating / drinking a lot in between them. And because of being away from home I'll be missing my usual exercise classes. Grrr! In fact the more I think about it, the more I think it might be wisest to leave it another 2 weeks before weighing in again Grin

EllieCook · 14/02/2013 11:17

Hello!

I've been doing the 5:2 for almost two months now and I quite like it. I have a lot of diabetes and strokes in my family, so I hope that this will help me out in the future.

One thing I've found is on my "fast" days, if I've got that manky, yukky taste in my mouth, it helps to cut up a raw fennel and eat it. Either that, or a smoothie made with one pear, a couple of courgettes and a bunch of parsley. The parsley and the fennel are great.

Be well, everyone!

Ellie

frenchfancy · 14/02/2013 11:33

Another housebound faster here. DD3 is ill, I've been up pretty much all night then I've had to do the rounds of doctors and lab for blood tests. I'm now back home and drinking mint tea and trying to stay awake and not think about food.

Fazerina 6kg in 6 weeks is a really good result. It seems to be quite common that when you have a good loss you have a couple of weeks when you stop losing. Often that is coupled with a loss of inches so worth measuring to keep up the motivation. I for one am not convinced that moving fast days has any effect. Most of us choose the fast days so they fit in with RL, far better to keep going if you are finding it easy, then change it around and find it more difficult. Exercise can help move off the plateaus.

politico don't give up yet, just think if you can manage it today any other fast day is going to seem easy. And if you go over 500 and end up at 6-700 that isn't a fail. It is a lot less calories than you would normally have had.

PORRIDGEANYONE · 14/02/2013 11:50

I'm on first fast day, and I'm doing well so far after yesterday 's fiasco. I want to go for a run tonight, do you think its a bad idea on fast day ?

BsshBossh · 14/02/2013 11:59

PORRIDGE why not try it and see how you go. Personally I exercise really well on fast days but others don't.

Dotty342kids · 14/02/2013 12:04

I love to exercise on fast days but I do it first thing in the morning. Not sure I could cope with it later in the day when food was longer ago!

PORRIDGEANYONE · 14/02/2013 12:10

I'll go for a little one and see how it goes, thank you for your help !

LaurieFairyCake · 14/02/2013 12:26

Not been in this thread yet and it's already 600 posts long!

First half stone gone from me in just over 2 weeks. Finding it very easy and really enjoying my food - everything tastes great!

I didn't eat healthy last week as had pmt but still managed to fast and still lost weights eating 200 grams of mini eggs and cakes.

artemis17 · 14/02/2013 12:54

porridge, i fast & exercise in the eve on the same day, have to say the Zumba goes really well, but the combat, being a lot more intense does leave me a little light headed.

BsshBossh · 14/02/2013 12:54

Well done Laurie! Fasting cleanses the palette for me too.

gonepearshaped · 14/02/2013 13:01

Wonderful to see how well people are doing with this woe, I'm finding fast days getting easier and easier except that I pretty much always end up with a head ache. Yesterday's was a proper migraine, centred behind one eye, nothing will shift it except sleep. I always drink plenty on a fast day, not excessive but more than the rest of the week and I eat small amounts of basic foods so I don't think its anything to do with dehydration or food intolerance. Does anyone else get this? I've been prone to these headaches even before IF but I wonder why they happen every time now.

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