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:
All our previous threads can be found by browsing back through the fasting section of the site.
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 Greeneggsandnicht for putting together all this 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!
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
The 5:2 Thread Number 23: Summer's really here - time to melt off those extra pounds!
BetsyBell · 08/07/2013 22:49
Hi 
sorry I've been lurking for a couple of weeks. Thanks for the help you've given me, I can see how this thread is really inspirational
I seem to have lost few pounds so I may be here for a while....I started about 3 weeks ago, and I've just completed my 7th fast.
I'm 51, 5'7" and my starting weight was 13 stone 9. I lost 2 and a half stone a couple of years ago (my starting weight then was the same) by doing an extremely low carb diet (not at all sustainable) looked and felt fab. at 11 stone. I've done a lot of exercise over the last 20 years, so I'm quite fit for my age, but definitely over weight. Last year I started to put some weight back on and told myslef that I must do something about it, but then I very suddenly and shockingly lost my much loved partner, and I've piled all that weight back on in next to no time.
Since doing 5:2, I've lost about 6 pounds in 3 weeks. I know that's not astonishing but if I can keep it up, then it would be wonderful. I'm finding my fasting days easier and easier (and this is someone who thought breakfast was an absolute MUST), and I often used to say to John, "I'm STARving! whenever I felt any hunger pangs; John was one of those naturally slim people who, if he happened to by busy, might "forget" to have lunch, which was something I could never have done. I would always be encouraging him to eat more, because I never thought he'd had enough, when in fact he had the natural wisdom to know when he was full. Alll things that I'm now learning at the age of 51!!!
I'm going on holiday to Greece on Thursday, and I'm planning on having a fasting day while I travel, something I never wouldv'e considered before. And I know that while I'm there for 10 days I can have at least two or three days where I only have Greek salad in the evening and no booze...probably something I wouldn't have done before...
PooBah Some days are just like that, shrug it off and try and make better choices today. I ate too much bread yesterday too 
wrigglebum That's the key isn't it? Paying attention to your body rather than just mindlessly stuffing it down anyway. I find I have to remind myself that it's ok to not feel full to bursting after a meal. In fact it's a whole lot more pleasant not to feel stuffed - I can't bear that over-full feeling anymore, it's just painful!
skyblue welcome! Thanks for de-lurking, I think so many of us can relate to your story :) Sounds like you're doing fabulously - have a great holiday and don't panic if you go off track while away, you'll know what to do when you get back to reality!
Skybluesea 
to you and so sorry for the loss of your DP. It's wonderful that you can take inspiration from his good eating habits. I think 6lbs in 3 weeks is amazing. It's more than many of us manage. Have a lovely time in Greece and make sure you enjoy some treats as holiday gain is easily lost when you return.
skyblue Just re-read your post with less tired eyes, for your loss xxx
Hi all,
Not been able to check the threads properly since last Thursday, glad its all still going strong, I really need this forum for motivation as left to my own devices I seem to revert to type. This involves over consumption of anything fattening. The scales and waist band of pants indicate I need to find a measure of self control- somehow! Last week I seemed to have finally left the seemingly endless plateau, just to put it all back on again in less than a week. 
Not got much to say tbh, just wanted to say hi to skyblue, , sorry for your loss, hope you enjoy your holiday despite it. The sad and sudden demise of a loved one is a good reminder that weight, and trying to fit society's ideals isn't the be all and end all, being healthy in mind and body is a better goal.
minty, hope you manage to get to the bottom of your lack of results. Did you lose anything at SW?
Hi to all other delurkers, and to the usual crew. Hope you're all managing well. southeast would love to know more about your planned move!
skyblue sorry for the loss of your DP. As bssh says, it's great that you have taken inspiration from his eating habits. 6lbs in 3 weeks is fabulous. Enjoy your Greek holiday.
Well done aphraben - was this your first fast? Do whatever works for you in terms of eating - so 2 meals instead of one is perfectly fine. What you will probably find is that eventually you will manage to do fine with one meal in the day.
FD here. Keeping busy. Was a bit miffed that tesco shorts that I tried on in size 10 this morning were too tight - every other brand has been comfortable. Ah well, lesson learned.
Thanks Southeast for the reminder of the documentary, it looks interesting.
My condolences for you loss Skyblue. 
Have a fab holiday!
NFD for me and I'm going to make a cheesecake.
Skyblue so sorry for your loss!
But good that you can take inspiration from the way your partner would eat! I'm sure your weight will come off in no time. Good plan for the holiday, too!
Tony I blame the parents!
Not really! 
Itsaboatjack has it about right - mini-fasts and a bit of your cooking should do the trick. You could even go over to 16:8, if you wished.
roma if you're planning to do three consecutive days of
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hi all, welcome to newbies and lurkers and a special welcome to skyblue very sorry for your loss, but I ditto what many have said, so good that you have taken some positive control of your life, great weight loss so far and slow and steady definitely wins the race.
mintyy good luck with dr's tomorrow, I know how long you've been working at this. whenI began last august I started looking at calories much more often to remind myself, even on NFD's. I checked my TDEE which was around the 2100 mark and don't count calories other than on a fast day, but will check and reject high cal options, i agree with what others have said about takeaway food, i still have it, but with a stronger awareness that it is hugely calorific, so have it less frequently and eat less of it. and choose not to buy indian ready meals, that I might have done occasionally for convenience in the past, the calories just so high that i would rather cook my own from scratch with much less oil.
like others I tend to have a weekend of really splurging, and tend to be pretty healthy during week days and then strict on fast days, For me I would say that I lose weight (rather than maintain) when i don't drink much alcohol, (I usually only drink socially which is about 2-3 times a week max)
I haven't lost lots of weight, but didn't need to lose lots, only about 12 pounds to get into normal bmi, I'd like to lose more, to get lower bmi, but have found that more difficult and think I will need to get more careful about what I eat on NFD's.
have you maintained when previously were gaining? (i.e has fasting helped at all?)
for those of you questioning the US size 2, I think i should point out that it is a UK size 6 and a current uk size 6 would have been around a size 10 in the 1970's as vanity sizing has had a massive effect! anyone buying vintage clothes will know how much current sizes have increased! depressing but true! hence if I was to get below the middle of my normal bmi I would be around 9 stone, if I was 9 stone I would be a size 8, but that's probably about right for my small frame, but involves giving up too much yummy food!
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