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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:
dines · 26/02/2013 18:30

I am 23, 24 in July

Wishihadabs · 26/02/2013 18:39

I'm 37

BlackMaryJanes · 26/02/2013 18:42

To those loosing weight on this WOE, did you have a lot of weight to loose?

Itsaboatjack · 26/02/2013 18:44

Grin saf I'm at a new pub opening - lots of free food and drink.

dines my first eat normally day after my first fast day I had chip shop fish and chips (and a bite of battered sausage) for dinner. The best thing about it was it was guilt free, I was able to join in the family dinner without having my different meal of 'diet food' and know that it was ok. It really is ok, as long as its balanced throughout the week then it's fine. I hope you enjoyed it.

I'm just turned 38, and the days of dancing till dawn to burn off all the calories are long gone.

countryhouse do you run in organised races or just for fun? I've just signed myself up for two half marathons to help give me motivation to get back to my running in this horrible weather.

Wishihadabs · 26/02/2013 18:45

So 3/4 through 1st fast day. So far had satsuma (25ish), small banana (? 75) cottage cheese salad (150).So 250 left to spend on yummy veggie soup . Not that hungry TBH. Might not bother except need to feed the troops.

For me 4-5pm was the hardest. Feel as if I am on home stretch now :)

Fillyjonk75 · 26/02/2013 18:47

I'm 37. I have a stone, sorry, now 12 lbs (yey!) to lose before being BMI 25, that's the goal for the next three months.

Itsaboatjack · 26/02/2013 18:51

Oh and BMJ no not tired on fast days, plenty of energy, usually do 4 miles of walking doing school runs, either a run or a short HIIT workout and I work on my feet and often dont finish till midnight.

artemis17 · 26/02/2013 18:52

sutinder i am nearly 46 and havent ever dieted or anything before looking into this WOE. For me its an eye opener as to the calorie content of things and am always checking in my little book lol...With not much weight to lose only really a bit of "jelly belly" that no amount of exercise has touched, im enjoying the healthy feeling more than anything.

Fillyjonk75 · 26/02/2013 18:55

I don't do any formal exercise on fast days, and I only feel tired in the evening, I just go to bed slightly earlier and sleep really well!

Chocupid · 26/02/2013 18:56

Am 43, and had quick weight loss (10lb) for first 4 wks bit have struggled in last 2 stayed the same, and gained a pound.

Doing 5:2 But I don't watch what I eat on feed days, think I may have to start 4:3 to shift more weight as I don't want to count calories all week, that and the health benefits are what drew me to this WOE in the first place.

snoworneahva · 26/02/2013 18:57

Bmj I often feel very sleepy on a fast day and when not sleepy I am wide awake and struggle to sleep. Sometimes concentration can be poor too, depending on the fast day. I find it impossible to predict which fast days will be a real struggle and which ones are a breeze, over time though i have learned to mentally deal with difficult fasts and that helps - that and a 10 min power nap!

Sutinder · 26/02/2013 19:15

We have a variety of age groups which is really good to share stories with. In the past I have tried to diet and then I would binge until I almost felt sick and then comes the sorry guilt feeling. This way of life I think is finally what I have been looking for.

I have a about a stone to lose and I am determined to lose it once and for all then I would love to maintain like catsrus. This may be the hard bit. Fasting is great as I don't need to think about food or pay amounts of money to join a club. I have everything to hand with numerous support on this site.

swallowedAfly · 26/02/2013 19:19

you can eat and drink my calories for me itsabout Smile

well i reckon i'm safe to finish today. didn't eat anything till about 20mins ago and because i had had nothing all day i was able to use all 500 in one go.

i had a whole can of baked beans with 50g of low fat dutch cheese grated in and some shredded turkey ham. a solidly filling meal. not exactly healthy but has done the trick and hopefully the fibre will mean avoiding the problems i had after my last fast day Blush

i intend to be asleep very soon.

good luck with the evening everyone.

chocolatespiders · 26/02/2013 19:35

I had the spinach and chick pea curry from the recipe thread tonight- It was amazing. I didn't put aubergine in as I didn't have any put I put small amount of cauliflower in. It was lush. may have it tomorrow on my eating day with rice and maybe a WW nann bread Smile

Thanks for the recipe.

Anglaise1 · 26/02/2013 19:36

I'm 47 and have lost nearly 4kgs in 4 weeks on 5:2. I didn't have an awful lot to lose (I'm 173cms tall was 62.8kgs with target weight of 57kgs).

BsshBossh · 26/02/2013 19:38

BMJ I have loads on energy fasting all day (on no food at all) and even manage a good intense workout but I hit a wall of tiredness around DD's bedtime at 7pm when I can't stop yawning and feel a bit weak - this is resolved when DH returns home around 8-ish and I eat.

Also BMJ I only had

SpiralSkies · 26/02/2013 19:42

BMJ If you're swigging loads of caffeinated drinks - I suspect you're a Diet Pepsi kinda girl - then you're not letting your body do what it needs to. Diet drinks are a nightmare and could well be the reason you're not losing the weight you hoped to? Just a thought. There are quite a lot of links floating about regarding this and what happens to your body when it gets something artificially sweet. I know a lot of people swear by sugar-free jelly and so on but that should be a treat, not a staple...

Dotty342kids · 26/02/2013 20:19

I'll be 40 in April (determind not to be fat and forty!).
I don't get either cold or tired on fast days, which is great! Mind you I work from home and my desk is next to the radiator and on most of the day at the moment anyway. And I always exercise on my fast days, though usually in the mornings when I'm at my most lively.
I find that, if anything, I'm more energetic on fast days as i don't get hit by the carb slump that I tended to before this woe so it's great as far as I'm concerned.
My difficult time of the day is around 2-4pm and that's often when I'll have a boiled egg, or banana, or small glass of diet coke, to get me through that patch. Once I've got the kids home from school I know I'm on the home stretch and food is in sight!

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 26/02/2013 20:23

I almost 48 & have 6 stone to lose & over half way there. & I have loads of energy on days following fast days. Occasionally find fast day tough then a 'proper' mug of tea helps. Usually around 6pm. Don't eat till around 8.30 when dh gets home.

ubik · 26/02/2013 20:24

yy to feeling cold

kids running about in t shirts in the park this afternoon (in Feb! in Scotland! Shock) and i stood shivering in a jumper and coat.

the only time i am really warm is at bikram yoga where it's like a sauna - on Monday i fell asleep on the lovely warm floor Blush

helen17 · 26/02/2013 20:25

BMJ, do you think it's ok to drink decaf black coffee on fast day & is having Splenda in coffee also bad? Thanks

Daisy1407 · 26/02/2013 20:31

I'm 28!
I love this thread it's keeps me entertained!
Just had my filling tea (pasta) and am thinking about my fast day tomorrow - I just bought OXO as I know a lot of u have mentioned this previously and it's like 7 kcal amazing!!!!
Can't wait to try it (I just add hot water right?)

To those who have successfully completed a fast day today wooooooo!!!
Good luck to those Tomo! We CAN do it xx

postmanpatscat · 26/02/2013 20:34

I'm almost 45, I was 7.5st at 18 so it's definitely got easier to gain weight as I've got older, although I don't think it's any harder to lose it!

Normal day for me, have mega PMS - headache, cramps so bad they reach all down my thighs, can't bear to eat much as I just want to go to bed once DD is tucked up (she's 13, so in no rush). I'm not sure whether it would have been better if today had been a fast day since I feel sh*te anyway. I threw my gym bag in the back of the car this morning but as it turned out there was no danger of me going anywhere near the gym.

MimsyBorogroves · 26/02/2013 20:40

Finished my first fast day. Despite earlier slip of scoffing a few smarties, I think I did okay. Tea was possibly a larger portion than I should have, but Quorn bolognese with no pasta hopefully isn't too bad. I'm guessing I probably did 600 calories.

BMJ - around 3pm I felt dreadful (which was when I had the smarties incident) but now I feel much better. I am also wondering if it was because of my Pepsi max addiction - I had a can at lunchtime. I may try cutting it out on Thursday...if I can prepare myself mentally to do so.

KnockMeDown · 26/02/2013 20:46

Hello again. Am now nearing the end of my first day fasting. Used up all my cals on breakfast and lunch, so this pm has been quite difficult, especially as have just cooked DS a lovely supper. But am determined now, and will certainly enjoy my breakfast tomorrow! Am keeping going on cups of tea. I know it is a slight cheat due to the semi-skimmed milk, but that must surely be ok? And Death in Paradise is on soon, so that will keep my mind off it!