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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:
Talkinpeace · 03/03/2013 16:32

Golly gosh we have some excellent success stories going on.
A couple of points

500 calories v. 25% of TDEE
I always go with 500 calories even though my TDEE in a work week is now 1500.
Why?
Because its easier, its still a significant calorie deficit over the week
and I can always up my TDEE by going to the gym or digging the garden.

Breakfast for children
DH and I have been doing 5:2 since September. Our kids are 12 and 14. THey have seen the programme.
And they "get" the fact that there is a big difference between growing children and middle aged adults.
DD does not eat breakfast, but I do insist that she has milk or fruit juice to drink.
DS is at the hollow legs stage and gets through industrial quantities of cereal in the week and bacon at the weekend.

Overindulging at the weekend
Too right, that's the bit I love about this WOE. I eat and drink too much on the weekend and then detox and restrain myself in the week.
Plan to carry on doing so for the next 40 years.

Laska42 · 03/03/2013 17:40

Why are you going to give it up in your 80's TIP Grinwill you be going back on the sexn'drugsn'rocknroll ,fags, booze, cake and much younger men? (oh well i suppose we will have deserved it , (I'm probably going to leave the much younger men until after I'm 100! ) Wink

BetsyVanBell · 03/03/2013 17:44

Hear hear, if we couldn't indulge at the weekend then what would be the point? Would just be a diet. AND it means rather looking forward to fasting again :)

BetsyVanBell · 03/03/2013 17:51

I've just made Laska's aubergine, chickpea & spinach curry as part of a bigger curry meal and I can attest to it's awesome yumness (it's on the recipe thread). I have plenty left for a substantial fast day meal tomorrow for DH and me, unless I eat it all later a la aftereights ;)

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 03/03/2013 17:57

Have I set a precedent BVB?

Breadandwine · 03/03/2013 18:23

Good stuff, Tip

I reckon the week's basic outline, for someone on 5:2, should go like this:

2 fasting days where you eat

BetsyVanBell · 03/03/2013 18:29

Hope not aftereights, I'm pretty full already! [applecrumbleface]

Laska42 · 03/03/2013 18:56

Laska's top fasting tip for today

Sugar snap peas :- a whole 150g bag.. eaten raw in front of the computer..

..53 calories Grin

Talkinpeace · 03/03/2013 19:01

ROTFLMAOPMPL

JesusInACabbageVan · 03/03/2013 19:07

Hello! new to the thread, have been doing 5:2 for a week and hoping someone will tell me that the fast days get easier. Monday was fine but Thursday got really hard and by 5pm I had no energy at all and was very grumpy.....

Does it get easier to function while fasting?

Am only aiming to lose half a stone or so, am 5 ft 7 inches and 11 stone so in healthy range but would like to get down to 10.5 stone as I have a spare tyre going on and a wobbly belly..... Smile

Seen your tip about sugar snap peas Laska - great idea! Off to add them to my Ocado delivery Smile

Talkinpeace · 03/03/2013 19:15

cabbagevan
yup - you stop noticing other than looking forward to it
hence why me with no more weight to lose still does ...

akarucker · 03/03/2013 19:37

When do you think the best time to weigh in is? The morning of a fast day? My weight seems to fluctuate by about 4lbs during the week. I suppose as long as it's a constant day, that's ok. I see a lot of you weigh in only twice a month.

snoworneahva · 03/03/2013 19:59

Jesus Some people look forward to fasts, for others they are a necessary evil. But i think most people get better at tolerating them. Some people get a buzzy high, others feel a bit weak. And I think most still have fasts that are a challenge esp around time of the month. Easier to put off eating till the evening but that often takes a bit of working up to.

I feel quite passionately about my kids eating breakfast - unlike many adults they don't have much control over their eating on a school day. Miss breakfast and they aren't allowed to eat any proper food till lunch, especially if your kids attend a "healthy" school. I don't like them to have processed cereals or fruit juice - that is treat food reserved for high days and holidays. I like them to eat food with lots of protein and fat before they leave the house. Fortunately my kids love breakfast, always something different - it's a meal they take great pleasure in and because they eat a substantial breakfast they don't need to bother with a snack at break time because they are simply not hungry. They'll have homemade potato bread with fried eggs for breakfast tomorrow - while I fast!

BetsyVanBell · 03/03/2013 20:19

arucker I weigh most mornings (after a wee, before eating or drinking) but only pay attention to the lowest weight of the week - usually the day after my second fast of the week. You can weigh in as much as you like, it's quite fun to record all the weights on an app and look at the spiky graph, which hopefully should have a downward trend overall.

Talkinpeace · 03/03/2013 20:20

snow
it is NOT hypocricy to get your kids to eat different food than you

  • often because kids will not eat sophisticated food
  • but when fasting, be honest
  • mine get a me prepared packed lunch and I shop the snacks
and my point is that my kids should have no higher a BMI that I do - as I'm 47 not an unreasonable goal

and my kids do not "do" big breakfasts - and I'll not shout at them to make it

notapizzaeater · 03/03/2013 20:21

Ooh what app do you track iron - really must keep a record so. Can see trend !

BetsyVanBell · 03/03/2013 20:29

You can use MFP but I also quite like one called TactioHealth on which you can input other stuff too and it automatically works out your BMI, waist to height ratio, you can also track any blood work on it too. I expect there's hundreds of them out there, I only have that one as it was one of the first ones I downloaded!

Sutinder · 03/03/2013 20:41

Can't wait to fast... Have really indulged this weekend. Will fast mon, tues and wed to make up for it.

snoworneahva · 03/03/2013 20:41

Talkinpeace I never mentioned hypocracy - are you suggesting that feeding my kids breakfast while I fast is hypocritical - I'm confused. My kids are fully aware that I fast, how could they not - before fasting we ate the same meals together as a family every night - it would have been impossible to hide it. No shouting about not eating in this house, they enjoy a wide varied diet which avoids processed food as much as possible, sometimes they eat plain food sometimes sophisticated but eating and preparing food is a pleasure not a chore, they are skinny - so much so that I struggle to find jeans to fit them.

We are all different, with different nutritional needs and the same rules do not apply to all people - some need breakfast some don't!!!

Talkinpeace · 03/03/2013 20:50

snow
how old are your kids ....
mine ate what was offered until that dreaded "een" arrived on the end of their ages
at which point you have to justify every breath you take
and on this matter I have done - to their and my satisfaction
mine are built like brick outhouses - like their dad
but luckily have his brains too

ellenbrody · 03/03/2013 21:07

Well, eating 2 thick pieces of white toast for breakfast was bad new! Cue carb craving, which I really had under control :(. I've eaten nearly 2000 cals today, mostly stodgy, sugary carp!
Fast tomorrow thank goodness, I've just got my salad ready for lunch and a pot of beany chilli soup ready for dinner.

Bring it on!

ELR · 03/03/2013 21:29

Just finished my food input onto MFP and I am 2612 under weekly goal so hopefully will lose 1/2-1 lb this week.
I am not actually gonna get weighed until after tomorrow's fast or may even wait till Wednesday which is when I weighed last week.
Looking forward to fasting tomorrow as feel like I have over eaten since my fast day on Thursday even though I haven't really it just feels strange to have had alcohol and cake and not feel bad!
Good luck everyone for tomorrow if you are fasting.

Talkinpeace · 03/03/2013 21:42

ELR
the point is that there is NOTHING wring with booze (piss head, moi?) cake cheese etc etc
so long as they are balanced out by restraint at other times
which is why I bang on about weekly calories rather than daily
because daily is like the bankers and their bonuses - all short term, not dealing with the long term impacts

ELR · 03/03/2013 22:00

I always work on weekly calories my best mates a dietician and she's always banging on about weekly intake!!

It just feels so weird knowing that just those two days of restriction which are really quite easy to do can finally get the scales moving. I have maintained the same weight 10st 10lb for over ten years! So I know I don't really over eat I just need a good weight loss boost then can maintain again when I ge to my target weight.
This is the end of my second week of 5:2 and I'm really enjoying it I don't usually add in my calorie totals till the end of each day and usually I'm about right but have gone a little over this week. Last week I came in at 3240 under my weekly goal and lost 3lb so it will be interesting to see what I lose this week.

sausages51 · 03/03/2013 22:20

Yes after you precedent-setter ! Love it because that really is me too and I just love that we're all just giggling humans so comforting these threads I can't emphasise their motivation - with humour! Love 'em!

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