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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:
Revol · 14/02/2013 19:24

Hi, new to Mumsnet and this thread. i've been doing 5:2 for 4 weeks but 2nd week gave up as had horrible head cold and couldn't bring myself to eat healthily let alone fast. I've lost about 5lbs and my stomach is definitely flatter and feeling really positive about this. I'm new to this but would say to other newbies that my fourth week fasts were definitely easier than week one. Also, I found that initially I was having real problems getting to sleep on fast days, I was literally buzzing. Worked out it was caused by all the caffeine I was drinking to get through the fast days - I would normally only have a few cups of tea each day but was drinking mugs and mugs of the stuff to distract myself from hunger pangs! Once I cut down to 3 or 4 cups of green tea a day and had herbal tea for additional fluids on fast days I found no issues getting to sleep. Also helps me to save my cals for evening meal so my stomach isn't too empty when I go to bed. Before I discovered this I was almost ready to throw in the towel but glad that I sticked with this. Not sure if others have commented on this but Dr M and Mimi Spencer have a fast diet recipe book coming out beginning of May - saw it on Amazon today. Suppose it was only a matter of time before someone brought out a recipe book, this seems to be the diet of the moment.

mamamoomin2 · 14/02/2013 19:27

Sorry to go back to my question this morning about muscle being used by body before fat but I have been thinking about it today and so did some further reading.

I came across this interesting blog piece
healthcorrelator.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/muscle-loss-during-short-term-fasting.html?m=1

jellycat · 14/02/2013 19:28

Hi ladies (and gents?), may I join? I've been lurking on here for a while, getting ideas and inspiration, so thank you all! I've been doing 5:2 for about 3 weeks now (7 fast days so far) and am amazed. I'm not overweight according to my BMI but have steadily put on weight over the last few years and my waist to height ratio now puts me in the danger zone. Since I started I've lost about 1.5 inches on my waist! I'm not sure how much weight I've lost because I didn't weigh myself properly at the start but I reckon it's about 5 or 6lb, mainly from around my waist it would seem Grin.

I'm amazed how easy this has been to stick to. If I don't have breakfast I just don't get overwhelmingly hungry and I've found I can manage without eating at all till my evening meal, so I eat the 500 cals then which means I can have a fairly substantial evening meal.

Interested to see someone posted to say they had been able to reduce their steroid medication. I have allergic rhinitis for which I use a steroid nasal spray and antihistamines, and since I started this WOE I've been able to more than halve the dose I need to control the allergy, so really pleased with that! I wasn't expecting that at all.

Off now to put dc to bed and have glass of wine (non-fast day today!).

BsshBossh · 14/02/2013 19:37

virginposter, Laska absolutely amazing and inspirational. What great examples of just getting on with it through the highs and lows :)

BumBiscuits · 14/02/2013 19:45

Hi, I'm on my fourth fast. I had been calorie counting for 3 weeks and switched to 5:2 after reading about it on here. I'm using MFP to record my progress. I'm down 6.5 lbs so far with 3-4 stone to lose.

Today is a fast day. Coffee for breakfast. For lunch I had a large bag of m&s bistro salad with 50mls low fat dressing for 85 cals. Dinner will be half a portion of chicken tikka with a heaped tablespoon of rice and some madras sauce.

CooCoolite · 14/02/2013 20:01

I'm struggling horribly with this but really want it to work!!!

I do fine during the day as long as I don't start with breakfast and am fine until about 1pm ish when I have around a 100 - 200 kcal lunch, mainly apple, beetroot and leaves, no dressing or anything, sometimes an egg or bit of ham. An apple for a snack mid afternoon when I get the 3pm munchies.....and then I get home and I usually do a veg stir fry as its easy to manage calories. But after 4 weeks, I'm still finding it really REALLY hard!

I'm also finding it almost impossible not to drink gallons of coffee during fast days, I use it to keep myself occupied as said by another poster above. I have lost 4lbs but don't feel like I'm benefiting in other ways as some posters have noted.

I have read plenty of information on what the long term benefits of this WOE might be and if it wasn't for that, I would probably have given up by now!

My immediate reason for trying this woe is weight loss though but so far do not feel that I have lost much considering the gargantuan effort required and I have a fair bit to lose - carrying 2 stone extra baby weight, so would have expected better initial results.

Sigh......I'm going to keep on plugging away as I don't think 4 weeks is a fair try but really hoping that this starts to feel abit easier soon. I keep reading the thread to see if anyone else is struggling as much, but every one else seems to be doing brilliantly - that at least does give me a bit of
motivation.

politico · 14/02/2013 20:03

Well, after a wobble this morning I managed to complete my fast today! Thanks to swallowedafly and the rest of you for the encouragement, you have kept me to it today. I had a poached egg on rye bread for lunch, then a smaller portion of beef and carrot stew than my 9 month old DS, with just a spoonful of mash. I think it'll be less than 300 calories, it was just cooked in water and herbs and there wasn't much there but it was nice and I'm still satisfied 2 hours later.

Phew. Feel quite chuffed. Head is still a bit sore but I probably need to drink some more water and get an early night. Thanks lovely ladies!

swallowedAfly · 14/02/2013 20:14

i'm really pleased that you made it politico Smile

well weird event here - the tub of ben and jerry's i got out to eat last week the day after a fast (and was stunned to find made it's way back to the freezer) came out again tonight and has gone back to the freezer again Shock admittedly there's not much left in it now but i'm still amazed and in a way the fact there's not much in it is even more of a wow for me as i know i'd have pushed on through and finished it before.

this actually gives me a lot of hope for real benefits coming out of this woe for me. i hope my appetite and binge-y tendencies can be sorted.

Laska42 · 14/02/2013 20:14

coo id definitely lose the apples on fast days .. they are really just sugar and will peak your insulin.. its also best not to snack at all as you will peak it again...

i've had 2 meals the whole time though a lot of people swear by just one,, (but i've lost 22lbs on this) . sometimes i have breakfast 2 eggs slice of ham mushrooms made into an omelette with a tiny bit of butter or spray oil .
(you could do this for lunch)..if i wait to lunch I just have veggie soup.

Then in the evening go for a little protein and lots of veggies .my favourite is a 225g of prawns , stir fried with courgette, mushrooms, peppers, spring onion and broccoli.garlic ginger chilli and soy sauce

its also good to make meals as tasty as possible as this keeps you more satiated.

I drink real black coffee in the mornings ( nothing wrong with that but if you have milk you need to count it ) , and green and mint teas later on . also lots of water

My absolute top tips
if you are hungry have a drink of water and wait 20 mins
chilli sauce!

Laska42 · 14/02/2013 20:17

and other top tip from one of our most experienced posters TIP2 who sadly can no longer post here now

NO SNACKS EVER.. SNACKS are just a food and diet industry tol to make us consume MORE.. Ditch them RIGHT now.. BANISH them from your life .. (even on eating days .. you dont need them)

swallowedAfly · 14/02/2013 20:19

sorry coo i have no real advice as i haven't been doing this long - just over two weeks and this way of eating isn't too alien for me in some ways because i've never been a regular meals eater and i often didn't eat most of the day (but then got in the habit of pigging out at night somewhere along the line).

i would say eat more protein personally. also others swear by soup and it is filling and flavoursome whilst being able to be very low cal so that might be a good one for lunch that doesn't make you feel deprived.

the weight loss whilst not as great as you'd like it to be would still mean that you were steadily losing weight even if it stayed at that level but i can see that low weight loss AND struggling like mad is hard to take. if you could work out what/how/when to eat on fast days to make it comfortable for you then it would be easier. maybe experiment with that before giving up?

really love hearing the good results people who've been doing this long term have had. being able to lose a lot in a short time is a great boost but being able to continue losing and sustain the woe over time is a far better gauge.

CooCoolite · 14/02/2013 20:24

Thanks Laska, I need to tweak things a bit I think and start afresh next week....

SpiralSkies · 14/02/2013 20:30

BMJ I think it was you who came from another thread quite against the idea of 5:2. I could be wrong. I frequently am. But it seems to me you were determined this WoE wouldn't/couldn't work. I suspect you're proving yourself right. Yes, I probably sound like a cow. Hey ho.

Laska42 · 14/02/2013 20:50

hmm.. BMJ only you can decide what you eat on eating days....and it seems you have decided that over compensating for fast days is the way to go for some reason ,, It does seem that you are more interested in 'proving' this WOE doesnt work for you and are are deliberately sabotaging yourself as your AIBU thread clearly shows .. Im sad you feel like that..

On the other side. yes we are all different with different metabolisms and it works for some people better than others ,its working for me and for many others , and I have found it it a total revelation which has solved my previous dieting 'failures' .. but I certainly do not consider that I or the others here who have had such success have an eating disorder.

But if its not working or you and daily calorie restricting is.. then no one is making you do this.

swallowedAfly · 14/02/2013 20:51

oh dear that thread's a bit telling.

shan't waste more energy on genuine advice for you bmj.

Prettymaidsallinarow · 14/02/2013 21:06

I agree, bmj you seem determined for this not to work for you or at least that is how it comes across. You were even asking people to list the scientific benefits for you cos you couldn't be arsed to look at the OP and read for yourself like the rest of us have??? What's that all about?

Anywhoo, I'm a longtime shredder too, I love Jillian Michaels. I sometimes do level 2 followed straightaway by level 3 but have been doing it for ages. She has another DVD called Ripped in 30 which is a bit newer and a good addition once you've been doing the shred a while.

Week 11 for me and 9 lb off

Snowkey · 14/02/2013 21:10

Bmj- the Eat stop eat guru suggested that shorter woman sometimes put on weight with fasting - cant be arsed to find the link now Grin, but he did say that occasionally people gained. Some people lose lots of weight, some people just maintain ( I am a 5:2 maintainer, unless I calorie count on feed days or fast more - I think it's worth it because once I've lost through more restriction I can maintain with fasting 5:2 and that's quite useful).
I'm surprised that you are hungry eating 1800kcal of food - what kind of food are you eating? I'd suggest you look at low carbing as a way of controlling your food intake - it reduces your carb craving, which is often the food group that people crave and binge on.

I wish you every success in finding the diet that works for you.

Laska42 · 14/02/2013 21:15

Respect prettymaids! We are only on day 4 of week one over on the maintainers thread, and finding it quite tough!! Blush

bitchesbrew · 14/02/2013 21:17

Hi, am newbie to the forum and WOE - came to it via the fast diet website. I am on week two of 5:2, and I have done my best to read as many posts as poss on the various threads, all great and really inspiring :) but I can't find the answer to my query. So I apologise if this has been posted before!

Question: On fast days can I not eat? I find that I don't feel the need to eat, and am fine with just drinking fruit tea or lemon in hot water. Is there any negative aspects to this? thanks in advance!

CooCoolite · 14/02/2013 21:22

Thanks swallowed, I can see that I need to have rethink about how I'm approaching this. Not snacking is quite an alien concept for me, I'm used to small meals often....

Snowkey · 14/02/2013 21:25

bitches you don't need to eat - the 500 kcal is not a target but many feel it's needed if you don't then no worries, you'll be doing yourself a big favour by fasting longer.

Ninunina · 14/02/2013 21:29

bmj this woe is quite a new way of eating, and there haven't been extensive tests done on it so it is possible that it won't work for everyone. I am only in my first I week of doing this diet, and am well aware that it might not be the optimum diet for me, but I have chosen to give it a shot. If I find it doesn't work I will not come back and blame all these lovely ladies that it is their fault I got fatter. If I were you I would seriously think about why you feel the need to blame others for something that was 100% your decision. Simply move on and go back to calorie counting if you've had success with that in the past.

ErikNorseman · 14/02/2013 21:37

What has happened to talkinpeace?

Blackmaryjanes you have posted several times on here saying that you are bingeing on eat days and asking for advice. You have been advised several times to count your calories and aim for your TDEE. If you have chosen not to do that that's completely your decision. You know you are liable to binge so this probably isn't the diet for you, but don't blame the diet, look inwards, not outwards.

bitchesbrew · 14/02/2013 21:38

thanks snowkey :)

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