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- 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.
There's a link to the aforementioned Horizon programme here.
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 by Dr Mosley himself, very informative if you're just starting.
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! Number sweet 16!
GreenEggsAndNichts · 22/03/2013 20:05
silverbeetle 
DH already suggested that one, much to his merriment.
your 'body' is unlikely to be screaming for food or finding it gruelling to be on 1800 cals
Well if I stick to 1800 cals on non-fast days then I lose 4lbs per week. This is a little on the high-side no? Which suggests to me that my TDEE may be higher than 1800. Perhaps the breastfeeding has something to do with it, although I only feed 3 x per day. 
I know that what I feel on non-fast days is genuine rather than psychological hunger because:
- I now know what genuine hunger feels like (I'm sure you'll agree, this WOE promotes that consciousness).
- The hunger I feel causes chronic insomnia.
- I get dizzy and light-headed often.
I think BMJ is pulling our legs, yanking our chains etc. She often makes wild statements and even criticised our beloved Dr MM a few threads back! I suspect she is bored and trying to liven things up a bit
I think BMJ is pulling our legs, yanking our chains etc. She often makes wild statements and even criticised our beloved Dr MM a few threads back! I suspect she is bored and trying to liven things up a bit
Pulling your legs about the bran flake diet? Absolutely not!
As for MM, I have a love-hate (fantasy) relationship with him. It was his birthday yesterday you know 
[/bunny boiler]
the poor value of your copious consumption of Diet Pepsi
Hey! DP is the only thing getting me through today's fast I'l;l have you know! 
[cradles her can]
I'll concede on the ready meals though, they are bad tasty badness. I even lick out the plastic carton. My issue with not using ready meals, as I've stated previously, is that I would have to weigh everything I eat, not to mention [shudder] actually cook something.
Eating bran flakes, and nothing but bran flakes, forever is not a 'normal' way to eat.
My bowels would agree with you wholeheartedly. It was bloody good though. And very effective to the goal of weight-loss. A stone! You can't sniff at that! (Except in this instance, you can very much sniff and bawlk at the smell).
Hi, can I join you and ask a few questions?
I've just started reading the Fast Diet book, I'm usually a Slimming World girl but fed up of depriving myself!
So I need some inspiration, can some of you let me know the weight losses you've had please.
Has it been straightforward or difficult?
Can you really eat normally or is it limited. What do you eat on non fasting day?
I've got 2 stone to shift, how long could that take?
Thanks x
VP thank goodness someone said it.
I don't love MM. My virtual desire is saved for Paul Hollywood. sigh.
In case BMJ is actually wondering, or anyone else is, our whole reason for even bringing TDEE up is to give people a guideline as to what a non-fast day should look like. A non-fast day isn't a fry-up for breakfast, Chinese buffet for lunch, and a roast dinner. This is the virtual world; we've no idea how bad each other's eating habits are, so we bring everything back to scratch, so to speak. Look at what the calculator says, start from there. It might show you you're regularly overeating by 1000 calories, or it might show you you're undereating. It's not chapter and verse, though. If things aren't working, then adjust your caloric intake.
When I'm doing this WOE and aiming to lose weight, I'll be honest, I don't usually count calories. I know when I'm eating properly. These last two weeks, mum's been visiting and between all meals out/ home cooking, I know I won't have lost anything. However, I'm sure I haven't gained anything either, which is a change from previous visits!
When all else fails, though, clearly you should try the bran flake diet. :)
If you're losing 4 lbs a week then eat more and lose less BMJ - it's not rocket science 
My TDEE is 2000, I'm aiming to lose a pound a week (averaged over a month so I don't give a crap about the scales every week)
IMO 4 pounds a week is too much and not sustainable and it's CLEARLY not satisfying you so EAT more!!
Maybe if you eat more you'll be less bonkers, drink less diet Pepsi, eat less ready meal shite and finally get to grips with your disordered eating.
You're already light - you don't NEED to lose 4 pounds a week - you do NEED to be healthy.
LaurieFairyCake you're right. I was thinking of having a naughty day every week where I have my vices: jam on toast for breakfast, burger and chips meal out, and a pizza for supper 
With perhaps some chocolate for snacks.
If I did that once a week and kept to 1800 on my other non-fast days, do you reckon I'd still lose weight? I'm aiming for 1-2lbs per week rather than the 4lbs I'm currently losing.
I don't know, no one does honey - we're not inside your body
I DO know that the list of food you propose looks a bit devoid of nutrition so please consider plenty of veg on the other days.
And if you're going to do that, give it a good go without stressing - do it for a month and then take your weight. If you've only a small amount to lose then it matters not a jot if you do it slow - you need to enjoy it too.
This is a long term thing and you have to find a way to do it that satisfies YOU.
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If you make sensible, nutritious food for them, why can't you eat the same thing?
I don't really enjoy the things they eat - alphabet fritters, beans, mashed potato, sunday dinner, spaghetti bolognaise, typical toddler faire. Also I tend to feed them 'good' fatty stuff such as lashings of cheesy pasta which is fine for them (they're not trying to lose weight).
And if you're going to do that, give it a good go without stressing - do it for a month and then take your weight.
But what if I gain on that month? God this is so stressful.
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