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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:
parrotsandcarsnips · 09/03/2013 08:31

I agree with other posters emily it seems too soon, a)your body will need to recover b) you are bf and therefore need extra calories not fewer?

One thing I have noticed on reflection, is how mundane my eating habits were before this WOE. Now that I am fasting I am waiting until i am truely hungry and really enjoy making food which is nutritionally full but not calorie laden. I didnt have a great fast day yesterday (had chips) but ready for a new day now.

swallowedAfly · 09/03/2013 08:49

good yoga workout for core muslces in case anyone's looking for one

blimey! has sunk in how much fitness has gone down.

BetsyVanBell · 09/03/2013 09:11

emily I think that's a good decision :) Breastfeeding made me very hungry - and was last time I was slim! It was just when I stopped it all went wrong... forgot to cut down the calories.

Anja1Cam · 09/03/2013 09:40

Emilythornesbff another vote for waiting. Esp after the CS your body really needs some time to recover, it might not feel like it (depending) but it actually a huge intervention.

I EBF both my kids and in both cases actually lost weight without trying, eating when I was hungry and not denying any foods. I had a box of cereal bars and a jug of water in the nursery for those midnight sessions that inevitably left me ravenous and unable to get back to sleep! - it's when I stopped BFing that it started creeping back up because I still ate as before Hmm. In fact like Betsy said, though I wasn't slim to start with. But I was the 'lightest/slimmest' I'd been for a long time when DD1 was two years old...

Daisy1407 · 09/03/2013 09:40

Morning!!! Woke up to a headache this morning! Need some fluid now!!!!! Then off to walk the dog and go for breakie somewhere with the bf - then drink time for the rugby x have a lovely day all x

notapizzaeater · 09/03/2013 09:42

Don't post for a couple of days and I'd lost you ...... Am singing in a rock choir outside today and it's freezing - was going to fast today but not sure if I will be too cold. Am not going to have breakfast and if I get too cold then I will eat and do my fast on Monday instead

Dotty342kids · 09/03/2013 10:10

So weighed in after second fast of the week and I'm up 1lb. Most annoying!
Still, I feel good and I full intend to keep going as it's early days and I know from other posters that the loss can easily go up and down all over the place.
Normally I fast Mondays and Thursdays but this week I've got a killer work meeting to go to which is going to be super stressful on Monday. so that means several hours of sitting on trains when I'd normally be munching..
Can't do Tuesday as out in the evening where meals under 500 cals are not gonig to be an option.
It'll be a test for sure but hoping I can get through it ok. Will take a banana for post meeting and then might make sure my purse is empty to avoid the temptation to buy snacks at the train station!! Grin

postmanpatscat · 09/03/2013 10:10

Morning all!

There have been a few questions recently from folks with less to lose, so here's my story so far...I started 5:2 16 days ago at 10st 1lbs, my heaviest ever non-pregnant weight. So far I have lost 6lbs and 10cm.

I'd like to lose another kg by the time DP gets home next Saturday after six weeks away, but whether or not I succeed I am definitely going to continue with this woe. I want to get back to 9st or less, which I was 3 years ago.

Have a lovely Saturday :)

swallowedAfly · 09/03/2013 10:29

dotty good call on still doing monday - it's a double whammy of the good of a fast AND the good of not having eaten all the stuff you'd have munched on.

another who agrees with waiting emily you already have a headstart with being mindful (i survived on giant slabs of galaxy by my bed during nightfeeding) and you can be working on your cravings and habits and stuff now so that when you are ready to start you can really fly with it.

there's a lot to say that gradual changes are very good for retraining your appetite and metabolism so work on little steps for now. you have time to really think it out.

it's my son's birthday and i've got the camera out to take with us on our day trip and made the mistake of looking at the photos stored on there - i now feel huge and awful and have spent an age fannying around with clothes trying not to feel like a big fat middle aged woman. i SO want to do this and want it to work.

Aftereightsarenolongermine · 09/03/2013 11:00

I wouldn't get too worried about fluctuations, I think it's perfectly normal depending on how much food we have going through our bodies.

I now seem to be fluctuating (though I prefer the word bouncing) between 11.2 & 10.13. I always seem to bounce before I go down to the next bouncing level. Don't stress & the weight loss will eventually come.

BetsyVanBell · 09/03/2013 12:35

I am making this for a family thing tomorrow. Monday's fast is going be more than necessary, so is all the exercise I've failed to do this week.

ExitPursuedByABear · 09/03/2013 13:39

After moaning yesterday that I had not lost any weight - I am down 2lbs this morning Smile

BlackMaryJanes · 09/03/2013 13:48

Okay I had my weekly weigh-in this morning folks!

Lost a (quite disappointing) 1 pound. Confused

However...

Lost 1% bodyfat and 1 inch off my middle.

Why isn't the fat loss reflected in the weight lost? Hmm

BlackMaryJanes · 09/03/2013 14:03

Okay, here's my theory why some of us are loosing inches but not many pounds:

When you fast your body releases large amounts of growth hormone (this doesn't occur when you just reduce cals - you have to fast). The increase in growth hormone shuts off protein metabolism, directing your body to burn fat instead of muscle. So you retain muscle and burn fat. These are scientific facts.

Muscle is heavier than fat yes? (Or is that just a myth?)

Thinking aloud here.

Anja1Cam · 09/03/2013 15:07

BMJ well done on your losses - glad you have alternative mesaures to hand I wish I had! I have 'gained' 1/2 lb, but I know (not measured) that my waist /belly had shrunk - I'm back to wearing a dress that just before Christmas made on of the other school mums ask me if I was pregnant again Blush - at least I know she meant it as a compliment... Well this time I look definitely not pregnant!

Muscle is heavier than fat yes? (Or is that just a myth?) Muscle is denser - while a kilo will be a kilo - a kilo of fat takes up more space so yes, in that sense it is correct.

Anja1Cam · 09/03/2013 15:09

Ohh and I wanted to say BetsyVanBell I've had a peek at that recipe! It's now bookmarked for my big Easter family dinner - unless I have second thoughts as there will already be lots of chocolate around on that day...

Talkinpeace · 09/03/2013 15:15

Muscle is only 8% denser than fat though ....

Sutinder · 09/03/2013 15:30

Shred or not to shred.. Never done it before

ELR · 09/03/2013 15:39

Sutinder if you shred today you will be having breakfast in bed because you can't make it down the stairs not because its Mother's Day!!
Wait till Monday as it really makes you ache after xx

Sutinder · 09/03/2013 15:42

Oh ok thanks for that ELR. Kids are taking me out so won't chance it xx

BlackMaryJanes · 09/03/2013 15:50

TIP Do you have any thoughts on the scenario of loosing significant inches, but not much weight?

leelteloo · 09/03/2013 15:54

Hi everyone, can I join? I started the fasting diet last week. I am using cambridge diet shakes and soups for fast days (was previously doing cd but just couldn't handle it this time). It's working really well for me and it suits me. I can't do calorie counting diets like ww very well. I have a couple of questions: will you lose weight quicker doing 3 days fasting instead of 2? Can the days be consecutive? Can you exercise on fast days?
Sorry if these q's have been answered million times up thread.
Started at 10:8 now 10:3 Grin

Talkinpeace · 09/03/2013 15:59

BlackMaryJanes
Have given it thought because its what DH has done!
I think a lot of it comes down not only to fat / muscle but also fluid / fat.

Fat cells are like balloons that fill up with fluid ready to be stored as long term fat.
If you have been constantly eating too much then there are steady flows of excess waiting to be turned into storage fat.
By interrupting that supply the body stores some as fat and uses some - so the liquid stores are depleted, leaving the denser laid down fat.
So the weight moves by little, but the density increases.
Over time, that laid down fat is used - resulting in long term weight loss.
If at the same time you start exercising, flabby muscle becomes more toned and therefore takes up less space - compare a dancer's arms with those of a body builder ; the same weight of muscle but less volume.

I can do a web search for the science articles, but that is a very rough distillation of lots of relevant articles in New Scientist.

So in short : you are becoming more dense Grin

Talkinpeace · 09/03/2013 16:01

leetleloo
Welcome
Have a read through this thread :
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/big_slim_whatever_weight_loss_club/1581821-Tips-and-links-for-those-practicing-Intermittent-Fasting-IF-5-2-or-Alternate-Day-Fasting-ADF
its where we hide more of the useful answers than just in Greeneggs opening posts

BlackMaryJanes · 09/03/2013 16:42

Hurrah for being more dense! Grin

So basically, the inch-loss is fluid loss? I'm quite confused Confused

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