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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:
Nyx · 08/03/2013 12:44

SwallowedAfly - thank you, your comment has given me a big smile!

I have not done a proper 'not eat at all all day' fast. You could work up to it perhaps? Probably it is a mental thing but I can't go to bed with an empty stomach...I could probably train myself out of that. You could hold off as long as possible then have a veg soup or something, like 200 cals or whatever, and see how you get on with that first?

BlackMaryJanes · 08/03/2013 12:47

Miffy it sucks being an apple. I'd much rather be a feminine pear. No matter what size jeans I wear, I always have a muffin top. Gah.

lovinfoodainteasy Wow! Great weight loss! What heigh are you? I don't think I could do 4:3 as I'm starting to get depressed on 5:2! lol

Nyx · 08/03/2013 12:47

Wow lovinfood, you are doing well, well done on 11.11!

Dotty342kids · 08/03/2013 12:52

Thanks Bssbossh, that's helpful. I might try that at some point, perhaps my non fast weekdays eg. Tues, Weds, Fri.

lovinfoodainteasy · 08/03/2013 13:00

Thanks Nyx :)

Blackmaryjanes - I am 5ft 5 the 4:3 method i chose because my fast days are Monday and Wednesday i think leaving it then until the following monday would probably hinder my weight loss although it is probably more like a half day fast on a friday. As the name suggests i have no willpower when it comes to food the restriction of fasting really works for me and i dont feel like im denied. I did overeat the first few weeks but as previous postings say this does fade. Doesnt help bloomin Krispy Kreme donughts launched hermiston gate branch a few weeks ago and my daughter wont stop going on!
Only a 10 min drive for me
x

SerotoninCanEatTomorrow · 08/03/2013 13:00

It's so heartening to see how well everyone is doing Grin

daisyji · 08/03/2013 13:02

thanks for helpful comments, encouragement. Has anyone on here tried natural ketosis or go lower as it was called before trying 5:2?

Also has anybody used the lemon detox on fast days?

Many thanks x

snoworneahva · 08/03/2013 13:42

Bmj - thighs and butt for me - have very toned upper half but bottom half feels like a sea of lard!

SerotoninCanEatTomorrow · 08/03/2013 13:53

BMJ mine is tummy deffo - although this WOE has seen me lose 2.5 inches from it so far!!

SaltyandSweet · 08/03/2013 13:55

BMJ Mine are my tummy (also after two kids in quick succession) and my horrendous upper arms!

Breadandwine · 08/03/2013 14:03

i am wondering if i could manage a whole day and to bed without eating. i haven't done that yet but i think i could really use it to remedy the last couple of days both in terms of weight but also my poor digestive system that feels like it's really struggling.

was thinking maybe black coffee and water all day as usual and then tonight let myself as many marmite drinks as i like but no food. i didn't stop eating till about ten last night so even if i didn't eat till 10am tomorrow it would only be 36hrs.

has anyone tried this yet and have any tips?

swallowedAfly, NatashaMousse does this once a week, iirc. Have a look for her posts - or she may see this and come back on it.

I've often thought about trying it - I've yet to feel hungry fasting for over 24 hours, so I'm fairly confident I could.

droopytulip · 08/03/2013 14:19

I love all the success stories I've just spent an hour reading all the many posts (any excuse not to do housework) Im two weeks in and just weighed myself and no weight loss on 5:2. I'm not giving in just a bit bemused as I have been strict on my fast days and not been too over indulgent the rest of the time. Hey ho! I wish I had measured myself as I see some reports of inch loss rather than on the scales. Just wondering if anyone else had a slow start. I'm 9st 8 so not much to lose but at 5'4 I really want to be in the 8 stones.

swallowedAfly · 08/03/2013 14:21

thanks breadandwine

rocketleaf · 08/03/2013 14:23

Hello, I am after a bit of advice. I did the 5:2 fast for 5 weeks recently, I used MFP to track my fast days and I am pretty certain I was only clocking up 450-500 cals on those days as recommended. I lost two pound the first week and thought YEY and then lost NOTHING. I am gutted because I found it fairly easy although i did feel hungry I knew I could cope, physiologically it is a great program for me. I was fasting for about 36 hours from after my evening meal although I would sometimes have a snack before bed knowing i wouldn't be eating the next day (not sure if this was detrimental). I normally skipped breakfast and then would have a circa 200 cal lunch and a 200 cal evening meal, with the odd cup of tea. I don't think I was massively over compensating on feast days apart from possibly a bit of a bigger breakfast the first day after.
Has anyone else had this program NOT work for them at all or am i some sort of fast resistant freak? I've read recently that is supposed to be a quarter of your daily calories so perhaps I need to reduce the calorie intake on fast days a bit? Or just go hard core and try zero calories :S I'd really appreciate any help as I've packed it in right now. It's not quite so easy to fast when it doesn't seem to be doing any good!

rocketleaf · 08/03/2013 14:24

x post droopytulip how weird! I hope you don't have the same experience as me!

Daisy1407 · 08/03/2013 14:29

Hi all
Im on an eating day today and just had my first bite of the day i chose a pack of melon and grapes 112 kcal Smile
So from last night till 2pm today i guess i just did a mini fast - PRAISE THE LORD woooooo!
Tonight consists of finishing work with a bottle of red, a large chicken shish kebab with all the trimmings and sauces - probably a few choccies too!

I love love love food!
I love reading what everyone has been munching on.

Keep up the good work and if you are on a fast day on a friday - I SALUTE YOU!

mwah x

droopytulip · 08/03/2013 14:30

Hmmm rockeleaf that sounds very familer, are we a bit of an oddity, everyone seems to be having such great results. I don't think I could go any lower on fast day.

rocketleaf · 08/03/2013 14:34

oh NO! from reading back it would appear that 5-6 weeks before seeing any weight loss is quite normal. I kept reading about people who had lost loads in the first few weeks and thought it wasn't working! I guess I am going to have to start from scratch again. I KNEW I should have consulted the oracle of mumsnet before bailing. Well at least it might keep you on the straight and narrow droopy
daisy i love melon but that sounds very virtuous for a none fast day. ;-)

Nyx · 08/03/2013 14:47

Droopytulip and rocketleaf - I believe that if you have not got much to lose, it is much slower. However, it will work, in time. It took ages for me to see much in the way of weight loss and at the moment I have only lost just over 6lb, after two months of 5:2. However, I am 5 feet 1 inch and am now just under 10 st- size 12/14 on top due to broad shoulders and 12 on the bottom; I am seeing a steady drop of weight, although much slower than a lot of people are reporting. But I love this woe, it is not like a diet, I am finding it easy and it makes sense to me. Perhaps if you are wanting to see more results sooner, you might try alternate day fasting or 4:3? Although I personally probably wouldn't keep that up myself.

My sister is the same and has just reached her goal weight - she started off slimmer than me! - and she is doing one fast a week to maintain and to keep her hand in. We love it. Don't give up yet.

Rocketleaf - were you exercising? Maybe you had put on muscle? I do sympathise, it must be so disappointing over 5 weeks. What is your tdee? Were you eating up to your tdee on your eating days? Perhaps you weren't and your body went into 'starving mode', where it grabs every calorie it can? I have heard that people have been trying to eat up to their tdee on up days and the 5:2 thing seems to work better then. But I am not medically inclined, just thinking out loud!

Hope you both find what suits you.

headintheclouds · 08/03/2013 14:48

rocket leaf and droopytulip .Im no expert as am only into my 6th week,but my progress has been slow.The most Ive lost in a week is 2lbs and one week I actually went up 1 lb. All the experienced people on here tell you that things start to happen more consistantly after 4/5 weeks and that now seems to be the case with me. I had lost 6 lbs last WI ,today is 2nd fast of the week so WI tomorrow and hoping to make it 7lbs in 6 weeks.BUT if I havent lost tomorrow I wont give up because I feel so good knowing that it will come off eventually and Im getting all the health benefits in the meantime. All the support on this thread is amazing and motivating.
rocket you really should not have to resort to zero calories IMO that would be miserable and totally unsustainable. ( I would not have had the snack before bed though, your fast should start after your evening meal and youll incur the wrath of Talkinpeace who will state very boldy NO SNACKING )Smile Just stick with it,it really does work

rocketleaf · 08/03/2013 15:02

right oh, thanks both of you. I am going to start again next week as away over the weekend and have meals out both days. My TDEE is around 2000 or 1700 depending on whether you think looking after a toddler counts a light exercise or not ;-) nyx i was running a little bit but not too regularly which i plan to rectify as it gets lighter so i am hoping that will help. I guess i need to start using MFP every day to make sure i am eating the right amount on none fast days although i am pretty sure that wasn't a problem.
I am currently 12st, 5'6" and about a size 16 and would like to get back down to 10 stone if possible which seems like a lot to lose to me!

rocketleaf · 08/03/2013 15:04

headingtheclouds you see i had read that a fast day could be a 24 hr period but it didnt matter what time you started so if i ate at 10 pm and didn't eat til breakfast the day after next that was still over 24 hrs. but i KNOW eating before bed is the worst thing you can do so promise to be good from now on ;)

headintheclouds · 08/03/2013 15:21

Id misread your post. So youd have a snack at bedtime and then eat nothing until breakfast the day after next?. My understanding of the fast is if you are fasting tomorrow you eat normally today.After your evening meal you have nothing else until the next day. on this day you eat no more than 500 cals and do whatevers best for you.Most people either have a breakfast and evening meal or just an evening meal with drinks throught the day.
I usually have my dinner at 7 pm on a normal day, no breakfast the next day,just plenty of black tea/ coffee for as long as possible .For me its low cal soup at 3pm and then Ill have around 350 cals left for my evening meal. I will have had then a 20 hour fast before consuming my 500 cals. Ive not tried to go all day without eating yet as this seems to be working best for me.
Good luck with whatever you decide is best for you .

headintheclouds · 08/03/2013 15:22

previous post is intended for rocket

rocketleaf · 08/03/2013 15:37

yes for example. I would then only have 500 cals from 10pm sunday evening until 8 am tuesday morning. usually the smilar to you, black coffee or peppermint tea until lunchtime, have low cal soup and a rice cakes (200 cals) then roasted vege or lentil bolognese for dinner (200 cals) and that would leave me with 100 cals buffer for tea with milk if i fancied it.