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 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 through our very own 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 24 - Summer's still here so skip the snack and share the meal!
BetsyBell · 22/07/2013 19:30
delilahmoo it is working, you've lost 3lbs and have done wonderful things for the health of your body. You have very little to lose so it is harder but not impossible - your Tdee will be low.
Look at how talkinpeace eats and exercises - she's tiny (slim), exercises loads and NEVER SNACKS!
Go look at her words on the tips and links thread (linked on OP), she's the model you need to follow.
tortoise kindness, thank you 
. I'm going to have to make sure I follow Tip's example too or I'll put loads back on over the summer holidays... I can already feeling it creeping back on thanks to celebratory bottle of fizz and some chocolate last night - last day of term is an honorary Friday.
Determined to Shred first thing, while the kids have breakfast.
Hi everyone. You are all doing pretty good, I would say. Betsy -wow, just wow!
Fd here today. Shredded already [slightly smug icon] 
. I am level 2, have been on this level for about 2 and a half weeks. I am not moving on till I can do it like Natalie - I'm getting there!
Notastired Just came on here to gloat that I'd Shredded already! I'm starting back on level 1 as it's been a while... it was easier than last time I started out but I still ended up in a big old sweat and puffed out so all good! The kids sat and told me how easy it looked - until they joined in
Again, thank you for the wonderful compliments - remember: If I can do it you all can too, just stick at it everyone.
Also, the lycra holds everything in - it's all a bit 'loose' under there, but I'm working on it. I've got the general body size I'm after but now it's time to focus on toning up.
Oh well done itsaboat. Enjoy the holiday.
betsy. I've got to say, I am the same in terms of squishyness. I may be a size ten but I still need to firm up . We will get there.
woohoo itsaboat that's great! Where are you off to for your holidays?
I'm still above a healthy BMI range so would love to see it in the magic "green" healthy zone. I will get there, at some point
Fast day disaster yesterday!!
I'd planned and calculated my calories to include homemade coconut sorbet, was really really looking forward to it, bought all the ingredients.
Then threw the coconut milk all over the floor 
No yummy sorbet for me. Still is it good that I saved 100 cals, and couldn't find anything I wanted to replace it with?
well done itsa and think
apparently I've told my body enough now that it is a 14 and its listened.
except all my summer bottoms are 16+ and are literally falling off me in some cases. so I used a tip tip! I just raided the local charity shops. 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 skirts and a dress all for under £21, and all in the pocket of charities.
however my celebration at that haul has meant me and Percy pig having a fling. thankfully its an nfd and I skipped breakfast!
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