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! 14 threads in a stone?
GreenEggsAndNichts · 28/02/2013 10:18
Thank you all for your help Friday - I got through the night with just an extra 40 calories.
I then ate normally Saturday and decided to fast Sunday too so I could get my optimum negative 3000 calories for the week on MFP.
It paid off and I have woken up 1.5 pounds lighter.
6 full weeks of 5:2 and 11.5 pounds gone 
Very interested in the new statistics on the 5:2 site - that people lose in the first week, then often don't lose for a month and then they keep losing. That's totally what happened for me, but reading that it happened for others on here, coupled with the fact that I'm doing this for health helped me get through.
Question - would your weight be a little bit higher during your TOM? And therefore will go down to a nicer number after it's over? Or is that wishful thinking? 
Morning all, hope anyone fasting today has a good one, i have the infamous Aubergine,chick pea spinach curry cooking for later.
The scales dropped 1lb on my last WI,so 6 lbs in 7 wks, pretty much on track with other people's losses.
The weekend was fairly active and indulgent,my littlest had his 4th birthday party on Saturday and DH and myself ended going into Dublin on Friday night to see a band, i managed to quaff a whole bottle of red 
.....oh dear....
quick update on DH and his weight loss journey.
He gave up smoking in the new year and decided to get fit, he was 18 1/2 st ,BMI 35, BP 156/99 (he told me it was 140/90) and started the 5;2 and using the gym.
Today he has lost 2 1/2 st, 6 in off his waist and his BP is now 114/51, all in 6 wks..... how did he do that?....
I'm amazed that his bp has come down so quickly,is this possible? he is exercising for a hour everyday and walking everywhere .
Ahh I'm finally WARM again! Had to go shopping, by the end thought my hands would drop off - esp transferring/sorting the shopping into the boot (Aldi), my hands stopped cooperating.
Now at home, put on an extra fleece, put the heating on, cup of ginger tea - ahhhh BETTER
Fast day today going fine otherwise, must do some DIY and not wander around Mumsnet
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Hi all! Did Jillians 6w6p yesterday, went out for lunch & didn't eat all the french fries
Did however drink way too much when I got home, had no supper & a hangover today so am not fasting. I had a new low a few days ago but have bounced back up. Am going to do Safs yoga tonight. Need to go and do some work now! Good luck to fasters.
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