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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:
noscat · 26/02/2013 13:53

Can I join too? Just started doing this last week, and so far the weight loss has been impressive (4 lbs). Will no doubt need some handholding over the next few months as I try to resist the crisps, the peanuts (oh the peanuts...) etc etc

tomorrowweeat · 26/02/2013 13:54

Help please! I'm fine with the fast days. Have been fasting every Mon and Weds since January and have lost 12 lbs. I have a yoghurt for lunch and veg soup for dinner and lemon tea and water to drink. Really enjoy the food and find the waves of hunger easily manageable. But! My problem is the feeding days. I never know what to eat and feel horrible when I over eat unhealthy things like cake and crisps. Don't know why I do it when I don't particularly enjoy it. Met friends in a coffee shop today and could quite easily have just had coffee but no, I also had a big slice of lemon cream ginger crunch. Home now feeling sick and miserable :(

Itsaboatjack · 26/02/2013 14:04

Kitty don't feel bad, plateaus happen to all of us, I've actually just come through a little one. You'll get there, you've only a stone to go, that's great, you'll be there soon enough.

countryhouse I try and do a short HIIT work out a couple of times a week too, the kettle bell is my favourite.

tomorrow can you try and tell yourself that you don't need the cake/crisps and you'll only feel worse after. Or maybe say I'll wait 20 mins and then if I still want I can have it then. More often than not you'll probably not want it after the wait.

ubik · 26/02/2013 14:15

tomorrow remember this is a way of life thing and take the long view.

Ok so you feel the cake was a mistake. chalk it up to experience. next time choose something lighter - a biscuit or a scone if you are feeling hungry. And then move on, don't worry too much.

I had a bit of a social weekend and ended up drinking tather too much alot so just expect to maintain weight through fasting this week, rather than put it on.

Hopefully i'll lose some more weight next week..don't stress.

terracottatoad · 26/02/2013 14:19

First day of fasting today. I'm already pretty cranky! Had a couple of crackers with cheese for lunch and that was half my calorie allowance gone. Will have to find some more efficient foods for the next day.

ubik · 26/02/2013 14:25

i'm rubbish at cooking and planning so i tend to have a two egg omelette for lunch and some baked fish with veg for tea.

BsshBossh · 26/02/2013 14:29

Itsaboatjack you're doing so well, well done!

tomorrow, what helps me is simply ordering a coffee and waiting until I'm half way through it to see whether I still want something else. If I do order cake etc then I get DH to choose and share his portion. He makes sure he gets the lion's share Grin.

Daisy1407 · 26/02/2013 14:36

Hi all!

Greenfig - i slept from 9pm till 1.30am when i thought i could hear noises (guess its gonna take me a while to get back to normal after the break in) Ill get there though!

Fast day yesterday went well

Today is a normal eating day and ive had about 750 kcal so far

Skinny latte small
Shapers chicken sarnie
Snack a jacks
A welsh cake
A few jelly sweets

Tonight after work my aim is to go to the gym and burn 300 kcal (not gonna over do it as im still exhausted)

then for tea a bacon chilli pasta dish depending if its not too late

ON my fast days - if im starving i find that a tin of BIG soup really fills me up and the tin is 212 Kcal

Lush too!

Hope all okay xx

ExitPursuedByABear · 26/02/2013 14:39

noscat I am toying with the idea of just having a bag of peanuts and a bottle of white wine on Saturday evenings. Must check how many calorires that will be.

dines · 26/02/2013 14:46

Second fast day tomorrow.. had chips from shop and a battered sausage for lunch.. was that bad? Gonna have something light wen I get home from work about 7-8

Dotty342kids · 26/02/2013 14:49

oh today started so well and has gone to crap with several things going wrong including a broken down car! So, of course when stressed I head to the cake / chocolates for comfort. However as having a really healthy tea I'm still ending up well under my TDEE for the day so I'm not going to feel in the slightest bit guilty - I love this WOE!
Keep up the good work ladies Grin

countryhousehotel · 26/02/2013 14:49

itsaboatjack glad it's not just me! i love it to be honest. Was a real gym bunny before DS came along, but it just became totally impractical. I run too, mainly at weekends when DH isn't at work. Rest of the week it's interval training first thing in the morning while the DCs play or watch tv. Pity I've carried on eating and drinking to excess though, as I'm fit but fat! Perhaps that's why I've been told I don't look as big as I weigh. Lots of muscle under all fat, and a reasonably toned shape despite the layers of blubber on top!

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 26/02/2013 15:04

Ok to all you struggling & who can't be bothered to read all the thread :o

I've been doing mainly 5:2 & occasionally 4:3 since beginning of August & I've lost almost 3&half stone of the 6 stone I need to lose. Sometimes it's hard if so just try & ride through it. & yes it gets easier!

On the plus side dh & I have noticed that our complexions are much better. Don't think it's a coincidence so must be this.

PanpiperAtTheGatesOfYawn · 26/02/2013 15:05

woke up this am with a tummy bug. Feel dreadful, and, well, you all know what's happening. Am accidentally doing back-to-back fast days.

SkeletonButterfly · 26/02/2013 15:13

This is probably already on the thread and has been answered about a million times but my brain is fried from researching this WOE and I can't find the info.

I exercise 6 days a week, doing C25K as well as Jillian's 6w6p and DDP Yoga (alternate days, approx an hour a day)

Should I 'eat back' my spent cals on fast days or not? I presume not, but on a good workout I can easily burn 5-600 cals!

Thank you in advance

PanpiperAtTheGatesOfYawn · 26/02/2013 15:22

No, eat back on non-fast days.

SkeletonButterfly · 26/02/2013 15:33

Thank you Pan, appreciate the quick response! Shall have my first fast day tomorrow - Should be a busy day and will be at work in the evening, so no 'picking'.

I often get a headache and feel dizzy when I get hunger pangs - any idea how to combat this?

MimsyBorogroves · 26/02/2013 15:54

Okay, day 1 and I'm struggling with it. I knew I would. I really have issues with sugar and chocolate (too much temptation when pregnant and breastfeeding) and I've found it so hard to give up.

Today I had 2 scrambled eggs, a carrot, a red pepper and a stick of celery for lunch at 12. I now feel shaky, cranky and generally rubbish - and I've just nabbed 10 smarties out of the pile I was giving to DS1. While I know it's not the end of the world I can't help but feel a bit shite.

Mandy312 · 26/02/2013 16:00

I have reached the danger zone again!! Doing well today. Salad for lunch. Will have soup for tea.

BetsyVanBell · 26/02/2013 16:10

MimsyBorogroves Nevermind, it's not the end of the world but maybe be more prepared on your next fast day and give the kids something you won't want to nab from them - if it's not in the house it's harder to have!

Terracottatoed Veggies! You can eat masses of veg before you hit your calorie allowance. What does 200 calories look like - repost but worth a second look!

swallowedAfly · 26/02/2013 16:12

itsabout - oh that is good to hear - sounds like you lost more later than initially which has really encouraged me. where do you go to get food and wine thrown at you btw? think i might like that Grin

well my impressive new black coffee drinking skills mean i've properly fasted for nearly 20hrs now - not a calorie. i am having waves of ravenous want to eat everything in sight now - like i did last night. hope i can hold it off. think i will break my fast soon by trying making a drink with marmite as others have mentioned. salty and warm might be good.

i really don't know if i can make today a proper fast (will see if i get hit by the uber pmt cravings again) but will try and whatever else i've just given my body a really long rest from digesting. have also walked 9km today according to my pedometre.

i am absolutely bloody FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

swallowedAfly · 26/02/2013 16:15

x posted with bvb and have just realised there is no chocolate or sweets or ice cream in the house so that will definitely help tonight. ds is not impressed however

BetsyVanBell · 26/02/2013 16:20

SAF Haha, I bet he's not - send him to the fruit bowl Wink. Good luck though - I think you're pretty hardcore, are there any days when you're not trying to fast?? I'm also impressed you've gone from 'I absolutely can't drink coffee without milk' to being fine with it so quickly.

swallowedAfly · 26/02/2013 16:35

i'm only doing today because i messed up yesterday bvb. i did three days last week and was hoping to aim to do the same this week but we'll see. the milk in coffee makes a huge difference i think - i still have 500cals. have decided to put off the marmite drink and just have a herbal tea. longer i can go the more chance there is i'll make it to unconcious without eating myself silly.

swallowedAfly · 26/02/2013 16:35

unconscious. pedant attack.