The 5:2 Thread number 22! Put down that biscuit - you can eat it tomorrow

[BetsyBell]

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.

NFD = Non fast day

NSV = Non scale victory

Michael Mosley has a 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 tips and links 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. (I highly recommend this for an 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. 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.

A HUGE THANK YOU to Greeneggsandnichts for putting together all the info and resources into one concise OP text, much appreciated by so many 5:2ers!

Come join us, and tell us about your experiences with this diet!

mocnk You did better than me - I accidentally ate a portion of apple crumble and custard, that's most of my allowance gone in one fail swoop! Ah well, it'll be a very tiny dinner for me tonight.

ollieboo You're right, this isn't a quick weight loss method but it is sustainable and doesn't have an end point for us to pile all the weight back on. If it helps, I seem to have naturally become far less dependent on carbs via this WOE and often omit them from a meal (even on NFDs), though it's possible that's partly down to summer... However, if I want to have them then I do! Not being allowed something makes me crave it.

Tony Fab result, well done! Some days are a struggle for whatever reason but there's always another day to make up for it.

I saw 9 stone 6 and a half. Just breifly but

Sorry had to share, as you were.

Well done melody

Monday fasting seems to be far better. Only one Dc to worry about for most of today. Just an hour with 2. I'm less feeling the need to kill and have very much enjoyed the freedom that comes with being able to leave the house with one kid instead of 2!

Ok, note to self. Don't use aerobic weights in the evening with excitable DCs. Unless you want to bash them. Narrow miss...

Well done everyone on your weight losses and nsvictories.

Broke my fast with Thai chicken red curry and rice. Yum. And chocolate for pudding. Yum yum.

Am looking forward to my usual breakfast. I have missed not having it for two days in a row.

Just back from the pool with the kids where I swam 12 lengths. Feel quite energised now despite only 250 calories so far today. Trying to work out what I can have for supper as I've been disorganised and not bought soup. Might have the tuna pack 140 cals and a spoonful of cooked lentils from the kids tea then a yogurt. Really hungry now!!

Is this all about calories or actually not eating... So if you have a few tiny meals through the day instead of a long period of nothing followed by a biggish meal - is that ok?

Gilburtus It's more about not eating really and giving your digestive system a proper break. BUT get used to the fasting first and then work on stretching out the hours as it sounds like you've done well today :)

Having said that I usually divide my calories over 2 meals but I aim to have at least 18 or 19 hours before eating anything (most of that is overnight so quite easy!) - ie I eat dinner at 6pm before a fast day then eat 200 calories 1pm, and the rest at 6pm (with 1 to 6pm being frantically busy).

The trouble with eating little and often is that it wakes up your appetite - triggers your 'hunger switch' if you will which makes it all much harder!

melodyangel I can totally see why you needed to share! Fab, well done - hope it comes back to see you again soon

tip your post of delicious food nearly killed me today!

If I don't automatically go and help myself to a glass of wine and blow it then I have just completed my first fast day. It was a bit touch and go after lunch and I kept wandering into the kitchen to find a snack. I drank herbal tea each time and sent myself away again.

I did eat throughout the day, but I didn't have anything early morning so it was probably 1130 before I had anything and now I'm finished. Will this work if I group my meals around midday-afternoon and then fasting overnight-morning and evening-overnight?

ollieboo I once tried low-carb and lost quickly but put it all back on equally quickly when I realised I didn't want to eat low carb for life. I do best on WOEs where no food or food group is restricted; where I can eat what I eat forever. I find I'm less likely to fall off the wagon this way and yo-yo up and down. That's why I like intermittent fasting (and calorie-counting & Paul McKenna in the past) because you eat what you want (just not the quantity you may want!).

Gilburtus for weightloss you can spread those calories any which way throughout the day but for health benefits you need to allow your digestive system a complete break for several hours - I think minimum 16 hours is best though I've read 21-24 hours is optimum. I jumped right in with long 20+ hour fasts when I began but most people gradually lengthen the fasting period over weeks, even months.

(((aka))) sorry!

I just had my first food since yesterday late lunch - humungous bowl of veg soup .... now nothing till lunch tomorrow :-)

elfycat
No Wine. Its Monday. No need for booze on a Monday. Its better for your liver to take three or four days off a week

Another successful FD completed - just waiting for the kitchen builders to leave for the day so I can heat up my ready meal. So that will be 23 hours without food. I seem to be back in the 5:2 saddle - hurrah!

Fd completed! Lunch at 1.30, supper at 7.30. Looking forward to a bowl of granola tomorrow!

I've officially done my first day, and actually still have my treat (cup of tea) to go and all in at 475!

Got to 1pm before eating anything, but that actually was interrupted by a crisis at work, so it was closer to 2pm.
And just eaten now (discovered I actually do a pretty good poached egg, but am not telling DH!)

Feeling v good about it - and it may be my over active imagination, but my stomach actually does feel flatter!

Have also bullied encouraged a work colleague to join me, so we steered each other away from temptation.

Grumping my way back on to the thread.

Have decided to give fasting another go, with refinements.

I knocked it on the head for a few weeks, dipped toe into the strange land that is Slimming World, and unfortunately didn't like what I saw!

Meanwhile, my extra 35lb is still mentally and physically weighing me down.

Am just going to try harder.

Welcome home mintyy
Feel free to PM if you want to bounce ideas peacefully.
Either that or make yourself an honorary maintainer for a few days and see if the answer shows itself.

just had two trips to also for a chicken for tomorrow fricking night. forgetting your purse is one way to exercise more but is bloody embarrassing. so that's two trips to nursery and back, one into town and back plus two to aldi and back. and no collapsing from the heat or fasting.

BTW, sorry about the smell. its probably me

Aw mintyy good to see you back!

Well done on successful fast days everyone - I'm west coast America so it's only 1:22pm and just had a watermelon, beet root and ginger juice for my lunch. Been a bit hangry with the DC today so hope that Sates the hunger and grumpiness til this eves dinner of quinoa and courgettes

hey mintyy good to see you grumpy or otherwise, I'm back too, after not quite sussing out the maintaining well enough, we'll get there, persistence has to be worth a lot! your 35lb will go, agree with tip pop over to maintainers if you want to get some encouragement, many of us on there have struggled too.

Evening all. I completed my second fast day today. Went ok apart from feeling extremely nauseous this afternoon around 1pm. I had dinner last night at about 6, picked at a few things before going to bed, skipped dinner this morning, skipped lunch, then had a veggie stir fry and prawns. I felt ok after I had eaten but honestly thought I was going to barf everywhere this afternoon. Has anyone else experienced this when fasting ?

Coming to the end of my FD with maybe 50 cals to spare. Forgot to buy the sugar free jelly again I'm aiming to do a 4:3 this week as have hols from Saturday, so Wednesday & Friday to go. Agree Tip on the alcohol free 3/4 days, my weight loss turned around when I made that change. Not that I drank a lot during the week but a glass or 2 plus the nibbles that went with it were definitely my downfall. Feel like a bit of a failure, haven't ran since last Tuesday, just can't summon the get up & go. Will rectify that tomorrow, scouts honour. Erd totally got your weights comment earlier, I hate when the kids catch me doing weights or DVD, they love love love either impersonating me in a ver'ver unflattering fashion on trying to get my heels at every turn. They've been close to getting a belt of a kettle bell on more than one occasion (to be fair I've nearly smacked myself in the head with it too)
Bit excited about trying 4:3!! I wonder is it much harder? Any opinions?

well done bsshh fast day success with a sick child would definitely test my tolerance and therefore willpower, sugar seems to help me through the trying dc's really don't cope well with fasting and children, so always go for fasts on work days.

first successful fast of the week, jealous of someones poached eggs for dinner, i had asparagus and mushroom omlette, having forgotten the ready meal i had bought and left in work fridgebut poached eggs would have been yummier, maybe lunch tomorrow on some buttered toast!

another chamomile and honey tea before bed, and a weigh in tomorrow am to look forward to, night all.

I personally find 4:3 easier once I'm in the swing, hate taking lots of days between fasts!

ollieboo I tried the low-carb Briffa plan last year. I agree with his principles to an extent but found it unsustainable after a month because it got too expensive eating low-carb on the go and I also felt deprived. Lots of us here including myself have done great on this WOL whilst eating a healthy amount of carbs. You can do this.