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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! 13! Now, the baker's dozen!

991 replies

GreenEggsAndNichts · 19/02/2013 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!

If you've been at this a while and are moving on to maintaining your goal weight, there is a thread here to discuss that.

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.

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:
mamamoomin2 · 21/02/2013 20:15

I am in my 6th week of doing IF and have somewhat lost my enthusiasm for it. I knew it would happen at some point.

Have those of you who gave been doing this a while experienced the same? Did you do your best with fasts and feed days and then the motivation and strictness returned? What tips do you have to get my head back on track?

I just want to pig out and guzzle chocolate and wine! I'm struggling over past few days to keep to 500 on fast day and to tdee on non. :( that is getting me down a bit too as feels like I am failing already.

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 21/02/2013 20:26

mama take a week off & then come back to it.

SpiralSkies · 21/02/2013 20:35

MamaMoomin I've been doing this 6 months and I definitely have days when it simply doesn't work or is just more of a struggle than others. Today has been one of those days.

But, y'know, if you're embracing all the other good things this WoE does, then a missed day or an extra 100 cals here or there are really not the end of the world.

Just be kind to yourself. Look at the long game. It's all good. Smile.

Chocupid · 21/02/2013 20:52

Hi all, new here but been lurking and finding it very helpful so far, on my 6th week of 5.2 but have stalled for the past 2wks and feel exactly the same as mamamoominn. My last 3 fasts have been a failure and I think it's because I'm not being rewarded by weight loss, although I'm 10lb down since I started so shouldn't complain. As its half term think I may just write the week off and start again next week.

mamamoomin2 · 21/02/2013 21:07

I guess its natural for how we feel about it to change as our moods do. Think I will try and relax about it over the weekend and into next week.

I also had really fast loss in first 4 weeks, then slowed last week which makes it harder to get motivated. Silly I know.

This thread is great for support. thank you. Needed it tonight.

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 21/02/2013 21:59

Sorry got called away & that's why my post seemed so abrupt. Right take a week off & reassess what you want.

Is it weight loss, health benefits or both. You will get the health benefits but may not get the weight loss all the time. Occasionally it happens I just carry on doing 5:2 & eventually it usually shifts. I bounced between 11.10 & 11.6 for 6 weeks. It was frustrating but I just concentrated on feeling good & actually not putting on weight.

ErikNorseman · 21/02/2013 22:02

Mamamoomin I do 4:3 for that reason. I don't count cals on eat days, I know I'm going to overeat some days. Doing 4:3 makes sure I keep losing.

BsshBossh · 21/02/2013 22:09

Another fast day is over. It was fine. Broke my fast with a delicious home cooked lentil curry and rice, followed by 10 calorie jelly and Options hot chocolate (both only consumed on fast days). Looking forward to meatballs in Ikea for lunch tomorrow then Japanese dinner tomorrow night to celebrate my wedding anniversary :)

orangeandlemons · 21/02/2013 22:10

I think 4:3 is more effective. Certainly for a glutton like myself. I do 2 days at 500 cals, and one day at 1000. I couldn't do 3 days full fast. But sort of 3 days gives a bit more wriggle room.

ExitPursuedByABear · 21/02/2013 23:19

Signing in as I think I am going to give 5:2 a whirl.

I have given up Bread and Wine for Lent and lost 7lbs already so I need to keep on going.

dines · 21/02/2013 23:20

I am so excited to start this diet on Monday :) I'm about 9 and half stone.. well I was the last time I weighed Havnt got scales at home. I'm aiming to lose half a stone... is there anyone in the same boats as me?
Will I lose weight slower because I have less to lose?

charliegreentea · 22/02/2013 00:21

Yippee I'm down 1kg in 1 week! I'm feeling so elated and happy to have found this WOE. It really suits my relationship with food (I tend to comfort eat) and is making me much more aware of portions and mindless eating. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm re-reading "French Women Don't Get Fat" and finding it a great read as it espouses a similar WOE, ie portion control, eating really good quality and nutritious food, enjoy everything you eat (ie don't just eat for the sake of it) avoid yoyo diets, etc. Hope everyone is having a good week :)

ELR · 22/02/2013 06:56

Morning, I'm up early this today woke at around 5.30 but unable to get back to sleep. Feel great after my second fast day yesterday, the morning after my first fast I also woke early but I felt a little dizzy with a slight headache.
I kept really well hydrated yesterday so think that might be it. Really want to weigh myself but am going to wait until after my 4th fast day as don't want to be disappointed but I feel slimmer so I'm sure I have lost something.

dines · 22/02/2013 07:03

Charliegreentea I'm glad the diet is goin week for u.. do u have much to lose? I'm aiming for half a stone so I think mine will be bit more slower.. I'm starting on Monday as its the half term and dieting seems harder wen u have kids to feed all day. I really have any diet food, on my fast days cud I jus have me usual Dinner but a small portion? I'd usually have spag bowl, chilli and rice, chicken breast boiled potatoes and veg. Are them foods ok on fast days in a small portions?

dines · 22/02/2013 07:04

Was ment to say well lol

dines · 22/02/2013 07:30

When people are saying 16hour fast does that mean not having anything 16hrs from ur meal the night before? Abit confused about that?

BsshBossh · 22/02/2013 07:44

Morning. Another 2 lbs lost this week. So in 4 weeks of 5:2 I have lost 8 lbs in total :)

swallowedAfly · 22/02/2013 07:55

well done bssh Smile

i'm afraid i had a bit of a pig out binge attack last night. i had a couple of beers after getting home from a long day at work and an embarrassing networking event and thought i deserved a drink. the drink would have been fine - just two beers - but the sugar pig out it triggered not so good.

fasting again today. i think i might end up needing to do ADF or thereabouts.

plan for the day is to keep busy. going to start by taking ds to school and walking one of the dogs through the fields on the way back (the one that doesn't get filthy and mud caked) and that way i owe the little one a walk later and can take her around the streets for a clean one later. i'm not working today so need to keep my activity levels up somehow. lots to do around the house so aim is not to sit still for too long at any one time.

think i might brave the scales.

Salbertina · 22/02/2013 07:55

Dines- small portion sounds sensible and fine, just make sure yr fast day calories dont exceed 500 cals/your TDEE

Yes, if someone is fasting 16 hrs from evening before fast day until first meal on fast day, cd look like this:
Dinner, eve before fast @7pm
Next day, first meal at 11am ie 16 hrs after last ate
HTH

Salbertina · 22/02/2013 07:57

Anyone else weirdly alternate between ravenous and "cant be bothered to eat" on non-fast days?

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 22/02/2013 08:03

salbertina yes I often do. Not that hungry so far today (non fast day) but craving boiled egg on toast. This is what I usually have for breakfast following a fast. Very strange.

For those of you worried about gaining & putting on weight I've fluctuated between 11.5.2 & 11.2 every day this week!

MyGlassIsJustHalfWet · 22/02/2013 08:03

Managed first fast day yesterday just under 500cals but felt shocking- lightheaded, shakes etc. Woke up ravenous but quite sickly and can't even manage half my breakfast?
Any ideas? Feel shocking so far and just hoping this is my body adjusting. Could it be sugar withdrawal?

charliegreentea · 22/02/2013 08:21

Dines, yes I have a fair amount to lose and had been overeating prior to starting this woe, so I'm hoping to lose 1-2 pounds per week.

LackaDAISYcal · 22/02/2013 08:22

Not sure MyGlass, but sounds grim Sad Could it just be a viral thing? Lots of it about at the minute.

Fasting today after my abortive attemp yesterday. Keeping busy by decorating, and I do have a lot to do so no time to stop and eat, lol!

Hi dines. The links on the OP cover just about everything you need to know about the diet. I would be wary of just small er portions of what everyone else is eating, unless you have weighed and measured everything to get an accurate calorie count, I think it would be too easy for it to run away from you. I stick to fish or chicken and veg on fast days, and eat later than the DC so I'm not tempted by whayever they are having.

Salbertina · 22/02/2013 08:22

Could be.. Body adjusting... Go with how you feel, don't eat if not hungry yet. Warm drink?

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