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. 
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.
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!
Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.
Fasting / 5:2 diet
5:2 Diet Thread! 13! Now, the baker's dozen!
GreenEggsAndNichts · 19/02/2013 10:09
swallowed thanks for indulging me! I am very mindful these days so it really shouldn't be a problem but just needed to make some order of things bubbling around in my mind.
Kids are only primary school age but compared to the exhaustion of infancy I feel back to my old self and have glimmers of getting a semblance of a life back! It takes a lot of energy to look after a family, work (albeit part time) and think about yourself - so I always came last but now I take a bit more time for myself found a happy balance which works for now. I'm not achieving spa breaks or anything! (Not that they really appeal tbh...)
I'm interested in your decent pedometer - I cycle more than I walk and wonder if it would take that movement into account?
Well done to today's new fasters, you've probably already achieved a good 16hours of no eating 
the one i've got is specifically for walking bvb and says it can't take account of cycling or running etc.
mine is now in primary too (just one child, nearly 6) and i just went back to work in november so i do know exactly what you mean. there have been certain points in this journey that have felt like breaking the surface after being underwater so long you didn't know you were under it iyswim. not as in drowning but definitely being submerged! i think when ds started going to nursery was one of those times, starting school another obviously and now i really feel like i have reached a vantage point with a bit of a 'view' iyswim! you can look out and actually catch glimpses of your life and possibilities
fasting going well so far but this bit's always easy for me as i wouldn't normally eat by now anyway. am considering doing 4:3 this week seeing as i seem to be at a bit of a sticking point this week. we shall see.
eggs are great - complete food - really good protein. i am a huge egg advocate i'm afraid 
i had chickens but he who shall not be named got them.
Wow! Well done Aftereightsarenolongermine! 
Is that only following the 5:2? How long have you been doing it? I want to lose a good couple of stone but not been that light for so long, I've forgot how I look like that, so may want to lose more once there, or stay that weight! I've lost nearly 2stone by dieting (on and off with several breaks) over past year or so but I'm bored with points counting etc, so I'm glad of a change! :-)
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Well Done After8s That is my weight loss goal. 3.5 stone which will take me to my pre DS1 weight of 9.5. When I used to complain about being too fat 
Hello fatcowslim. Your name has really made me
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