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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! 14 threads in a stone?

975 replies

GreenEggsAndNichts · 28/02/2013 10:18

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:
Laska42 · 03/03/2013 10:46

well I thought the video was Ok actually, and it was good that they highlighted DR M rather than all the other hangers on who jumped in quick with books books ..

ErikNorseman · 03/03/2013 10:56

I'm not having breakfast today! Shock yesterday I had a huge 600 cals breakfast of two fried egg baps (yum) but I'm going out for lunch today so just thought why not wait? This is the first time I have done this on an eating day. Am I having a breakthrough?

PassTheSherry · 03/03/2013 11:06

How on earth do you keep within your calorie limits on fast days? I'm struggling - a quarter of my TDEE is 425. I haven't managed to keep within the limit yet - for the first two I think I was about 100cals over. For the third attempt, it completely went by the wayside in the evening and I ended up giving up and eating junk! Perhaps I wasn't in the right frame of mind, but it seemed so much harder this time.

None the less, perhaps because of the first two fast days, and because it was TOTM, I am 5lbs lighter this week. I think it must be water retention though as I always fluctuate by up to 7lbs or so then. I think I need to sort out the evening hunger cravings or it will be straight back up by next week.

RLJ1874 · 03/03/2013 11:08

Thanks greenfig talkinpeace and swallowed for the advice on the diet coke. I had one, but will try in future to avoid it :)

After my first fast day on Friday, I thought I would be really hungry but it was the opposite. I wasn't very hungry and ended up eating much smaller amounts. Liking the benefits already, and it's only been one day! My next fast day is tomorrow.

Good luck to everyone fasting today!

ErikNorseman · 03/03/2013 11:12

Pass the sherry, I find it easy if I limit how many cups of tea with milk I have to two-3, and drink lots of fizzy water and hot water with lemon. Then I save all my eating for an evening meal. I think you should work on the basis of 500 cals not 425 tbh. Fasting is easy if you want to do it, hard/impossible if you don't. Like giving up smoking :) so you need to sort the head out before the body follows.

BlackMaryJanes · 03/03/2013 11:24

Awesome weight loss dines

frenchfancy · 03/03/2013 11:49

Heavens, I don't post for a couple of days and you are already pages into a new thread!

I had our big birthday bash (for DSis not me) last night. I didn't eat much of the buffet but did drink a lot . I am feeling worse for wear this morning and am looking forward to getting home and fasting again. I'm going to avoid the scales until next Friday. Hopefully I won't have done too much damage.

GreenEggsAndNichts · 03/03/2013 12:07

PassTheSherry please just go with the 500 calories. :)

I really regret mentioning the 1/4 of TDEE thing. I only used it to explain to someone with a high TDEE that it wouldn't be the end of the world if she went slightly over 500.

Several people on this thread would be eating below 500 calories on fast days if they strictly followed the 1/4 thing.

I'll explain again: the original concept was to completely fast on fast days, so eat nothing. However, that's very difficult for many people, so they had to come up with an acceptable low amount of calories which would still constitute a fast. They decided on 500 for women and 600 for men, and this was based on being 1/4 of the average TDEE for those groups.

There is no need to kill yourself trying to reach 400 calories on a fast day. :) Just go with 500.

OP posts:
cardiffmummy · 03/03/2013 12:10

Just checking in! Restarted 5:2 last Monday after a 2 week break during which I gained 5lbs Blush. But have had a good week and enjoying being back on this WOE. The good news is that i weighed myself this morning and have lost the 5lbs!! Yippee!! Grin

postmanpatscat · 03/03/2013 12:45

well done cardiffmummy!

Fast day for me today, seemed easier than doing it tomorrow as I've had plenty to eat over the last few days and I'm home today doing nothing in particular. Off to make mushroom soup now!

After 9 days of 5:2 I have lost 6.5cm in total including 2cm off my waist Grin

PassTheSherry · 03/03/2013 13:08

Thanks ErikNorseman - I think on my next fast day I will try hot water with lemon as a drink, instead of coffee and veg bouillon. Could save a few calories there.

Also GreenEggs thanks for that - I have a tendency to feel like I've failed/cheated if I haven't done something by the book - it's pretty irrational, I know. The danger is I then feel like giving up if I've consistently 'failed' in my head, so it's nice to have someone talk some sense into me!

I do want this to work as it's about the one WOE that doesn't feel impossible, long-term.

It would be so nice to go clothes shopping and actually buy stuff I look great in - my old pre-kids wardrobe doesn't fit anymore, as I've gained several stones. My wardrobe atm consists of jeans, trainers and shapeless fleecey jumpers. At the moment I hate looking at myself in photographs, and usually am the one taking them. If someone else is behind the camera, I make sure I'm standing behind someone else if there's a group/family photo.

I was looking at a bunch of family photos the other day, loads of the kids, and realised there are hardly any of me with them, cos of my self-consciousness. Really don't want them to grow up and have no images of me looking active, happy, relaxed and playing with them when they were little...

Feels like I could be at the start of a journey. Smile

BlackMaryJanes · 03/03/2013 13:27

Does anyone know where I can watch the BBC4 documentary 'Inside Michael Mosley'? [insert pervy face here]

PassTheSherry · 03/03/2013 13:59

Omg did I really just say "could be at the start of a journey"? Bleurgh. And Cringe. Blush

Dotty342kids · 03/03/2013 14:34

A rather heavy eating weekend as had visitors and, as usual, my DS wanted to bake a cake (sticky ginger cake, yummy!). Fish and chips yesterday plus a chicken leg / mash type lunch today. However, will be having home made soup with some bread for tea and then fast day tomorrow. I really look forward to my Monday fast days now as feel it gets rid of some of the toxins and carbs that I consume over the weekend!

Mon and Fri this week for me and may throw in a half fast day on Wednesday too eg. no breakfast or lunch but a "normal" dinner, as opposed to a 500 cal one, and see what happens.

BlackMaryJanes · 03/03/2013 14:43

Dotty Sounds like a plan. How often do you weigh yourself?

Skinnyeye · 03/03/2013 14:45

Hi all and yes you did Sherry and yes you could be (if you want to that is Grin) I just realised today that I have been fasting for 6 months and have totally changed my life. I feel better than I have felt in years am exercising, eating well and looking after myself and have also lost over 2 stones and gone from size 16 to 12 (almost but not quite a 10!!) and just completed C25K week 6!!

My weigh loss stalled as I approached target (10 stone) but has started again and I am back to losing a pound a week. The best thing about it is that I normally lose weight in the summer months and gain over the winter so getting to my new target (9 and a half stone) should be easy and for the first time in my life I am confident that I can maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.

To all the "Old Guys" thanks for your support on my journey and to all the new guys play around with it until you find a way that works for you.

Fast day today and have a lovely fillet steak marinating for dinner because I'm worth it Grin happy Sunday

notapizzaeater · 03/03/2013 14:52

I fasted yesterday and had some smoked haddock for my tea last night (fighting cat and dog off !!) ith a packet of Melba toasts (fab tip btw - quick easy and gives me the crunch factor) and that's it - so 260 ish calories, saved the calories in case wanted something when DH nibbled but wasn't hungry so didn't Grin

Got up this morning and it totm time which is odd as I have been calm and sane last week - not known for my patience the week before Confused

Wasn't hungry first thing so lasted till 2 when I made everyone sausages, I just had one dry in a slice of bread. Even though I know I can eat more I just don't want to, I'm not hungry/peckish

Weigh in tomorrow so fingers crossed !

swallowedAfly · 03/03/2013 15:13

hello.

bit of an excessive night last night - alcohol rather than 'food' but scales were fine this morning and i'd held steady. have just had a marmite drink and am off to my sister's for dinner in an hour - my lovely nephew is cooking chicken and leek pie with roast potatoes and veg so a nice calorie laden plateful coming up Grin i actually feel quite confident that that is fine though.

have stuck to 16/8 over weekend and will go back to 20/4 or thereabouts in the week. may do 500 days or may not. kind of experimenting at the minute.

welcome to all the newcomers - especially those with encouraging weight loss stories Smile

Bramblesinafield · 03/03/2013 15:22

Fast day tomorrow and I'm looking forwards to it! Only one fast last week due to conferences full of cakes and family birthdays.

Dotty342kids · 03/03/2013 15:36

BMJ I weigh most mornings, just out of interest but only actually "count" the weigh in I do after my second fast of the day. So I don't worry particularly about the daily fluctuations, it's just out of interest really!

GreenEggsAndNichts · 03/03/2013 15:59

PassTheSherry no problem, I understand. :) Definitely don't stress about the fast days. Aim for 500 and you should be fine. Be moderate on your non-fast days, I think that's the real ticket.

I know what you mean re: photos. There was a Kodak (or something) advert recently which featured mum's feet at the beach etc.. something about always being behind the camera, or having your head cut off because the children were the focus of the photo. It resonated. Grin Both because of the mum thing and because I've so often been hiding rather than be in pics. I try to make an effort to be in them now, though, because I think my mum did the same thing and now I have no photos of her from those years. I think most people would agree they'd rather have a pic of their mum when she maybe felt overweight or hair not done than no photo at all. I try to keep that in mind.

Start of a journey, indeed! Grin Stick with us. We'll keep you entertained on those long fast days.

OP posts:
greenfig · 03/03/2013 16:04

pass the sherry your post made me sad. That was how I felt when I started my journayGrin Wink I find lofat protein satisfies me the best on fast days. Eggs, tinned tuna, fish, lofat cot cheese with veg & salad, also soups. Do you like cooking? Lots on Good food website, v easy, cheap, delish. You really can do itSmile
pizza your post made me realise that I have been strangely rational this week too!!! Was panicking slightly about monthly sugar cravings that will be due, wondering about best ways to combat & actually not had usual pre symptoms. Could this be another benefit? Family will be delighted if soGrin
Did JM NMTZ this am. First time I was brave enough since weds. Have been walking v carefully!

cardiffmummy · 03/03/2013 16:20

Have just done 30 day shred for the first time and am already hurting!

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 03/03/2013 16:22

Oh yes taking the photos or hiding behind someone! My tdee is 1660 but I eat between 500-600 calories in a fast day. If I stuck to 415 I think I would find it very hard! & then I may give up 500 is comfortable. It allows me two proper cups of tea :o

DoubleMum · 03/03/2013 16:31

I'm not doing 5:2 at the moment, but I think it's interesting that since I did it, I am never hungry for breakfast, and despite being peckish around 11am I easily make it until lunch every day now without eating. I'm sure this is good from a fast point of view, but it also means my calorie intake stands a good chance of being lower daily. I'm still not at the point where I'm, only eating in a 5 hr period, but probably manage a 6 or at most a 7 hr period.