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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.

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Original poster

Didn't mean to but have been fasting for 36 hours

4 replies

roofergirl · 03/07/2013 21:23

Had dinner at 7pm Tuesday. No food all day Wednesday till 7pm then a 500 cal meal and now won't have anything till 7am. Thats 36 hours, isn't it? Everyone on here keeps talking about 24 hour fast. Sorry to be thick but have I missed something?

OP posts:

jellycat · 03/07/2013 21:25

Well, you've just had 500 cals so you've broken your fast! You did fast for 24 hours though, so well done!

Original poster

roofergirl · 03/07/2013 21:49

Oh ok thanks. So Jellycat that's what they mean by a fast. So is it correct to not eat anything else till Thursday AM?

OP posts:

jellycat · 03/07/2013 23:10

Well, Michael Moseley's version of the 5:2 diet suggests you allow yourself 500 cals (600 for a man) during the course of a day (so if you decide Wednesday is one of your fast days you can have those 500 cals at some stage on the Wednesday). Then you eat normally on the Thursday (assuming you are not doing another fast day straight away), starting with breakfast (if you normally have breakfast).

The 500 cals is pretty arbitrary - it ensures you have a calorie deficit but means that you do not go completely without. This makes it easier to stick to. However you can have less if you like, or even more although obviously that would reduce the amount of weight you lose. You can have the 500 cals whenever you like during the day (Moseley has them split over breakfast and an evening meal). However, Moseley suggests you aim for at least a 12 hour complete fast and there is evidence that longer periods completely without food are more beneficial to your health (so basically you have done very well). I find saving all the cals till dinner time works best for me. I can manage fine without any breakfast or lunch and for 500 cals can have a fairly normal meal in the evening. Some people have 3 very small meals but that is defeating the object of fasting really (although they will lose weight as long as they have a calorie deficit).

HTH.

frenchfancy · 05/07/2013 06:09

5:2 is 36 hours once you count the sleep.

Rather than a day being 24 hours think of calendar days:

Monday - Fast
Tuesday - eat normally
Wednesday - eat normally
Thursday - fast

etc

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