The continuing thread for those of us following the 5:2 fast or other forms of fasting such as 4:3, ADF, or daily 16:8.
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 normally - or approximately your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE - see explanation below). 4:3 is the same except you fast on 3 days in the week. Alternate-day fasting (ADF) is just how it sounds; you fast every other day. 16:8 is another form where you stick to only eating in an 8 hour window each day, therefore fasting for 16 hours each 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 or app 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.
NFD = Non fast day
NSV = Non scale victory
Michael Mosley has a website to accompany his book on the subject. Please go check it out, as he's the whole reason most of us are here!
Lurkers and new starters: please just jump in and post - you'll find a lot of support here and we’re a friendly bunch.
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 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!
eatriskier’s thread has some lovely inspiring stories which are worth checking out if you want some motivation to get started or keep going through a plateau. Please add your own too.
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.
This link nicely demonstrates that there are many body ‘right’ body shapes and types, because what we are actually aiming for is low body fat for fitness and 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 31 - Getting healthier one day at a time.
BetsyBell · 19/11/2013 10:36
Movingtoofast.
Listen to me!
I've been there too. Pregnancies made me fat. I've also found it hard to cope with DC at times and trying not to shout.
It is hard to do all of it. You shout at DC because they won't listen and you have repeated yourself 50 times in the last five minutes alone. Then you feel terrible because DC are only small and they look sad. So you eat biscuits. Then you feel fat and angry and lose it again. And so it goes.
You can do it!! If I can anyone can.
I've lost 5.5 stone in the last 2 years. It's actually 7.5 stone because I lost 4 stone the first 14 months after DC2 then put 2 stone back on and lost those and another this year and I am now 6/7lbs off target. Which is my pre preg weight and BMI of 21.
So you can easily do it.. I went from a size 10/12 to an 18+. And I am now back to size 12, and a 10 in "big" shops like uniqlo etc.
I've also found it hard to cope with DCs. DH is away a lot and not always helpful when home. With no family within a thousand miles, it all falls to me.
Add to that DS being a poor sleeper from 6months old till 23 months. He was up 9 or 10 times a night. It almost drove me insane! It really did. And I would be so short tempered with poor DD (4) and with DS even though he was only a baby. 
Such guilt from that still, I can't tell you.
I've just come through a hiccup of being home a lone with chicken poxy DC and DH aboard with work for the week. And I was naughty and ate waaaaaayyyyy too much. I gained 5lbs. And I have lost it all again 
. After two FDs this week.
This means next FD I will lose a bit more to get towards to goal which is very close.
Fwiw. My DC are happy and healthy and well adjusted so far. I was a parents afternoon for DD school yesterday - she is in reception. And my PFB is apparently a joy. Always so so happy and very engaged with learning and impeccably behaved. (Serious boasting here btw )
You love your DC, and you care for them. And I think most parents have shouted. Move onwards.
You can change this. All,of it. 5:2 is easy and flexible. No special food or recipes needed or special equipment. You can scrap a FD if you are too tired or the DC are ill. It's all to suit you.
You can still have a mini fast day (under 1000 cals) if things slip a little. It all helps. I've had lots of mini fasts. Trust me. If I struggle and I feel I can't cope with it all. I make it a mini fast and perhaps have a small treat. Could be anything from some almonds - yummy healthy and filling. To chocolate or a skinny mocha in the coffee shop while I treats the DC to a choc too.
Keep posting. All these lovely kind people here will see you through it. They have all been so lovely to me (weeps with gratitude) and helped me through some tough weeks. 
For you.
Morning all and welcome to Fanny
Feel a bit upset that I have out 0.8lbs on since yesterday when I thought I had a really low cal day if not quite a FD. I am annoyed at how I feel exactly like I used too pre 5:2 and want to stuff my face . I have had toasted teacake at half seven and a piece of cheese now as I get everything ready to make wrigglebum and Bssh's cauliflower cheese.
Absolutely tipping it down. Toaster blew up. DD a pest. Jeans too big and make me look enormous. Just feel low today. .
.Toffee. I think I've given up 
I am going to spend my time being a better mother. Making my DC happy. And concentrate on me. Ie getting to my goal with 5:2.
I think the tipping rain etc is making us all miserable.
Movingtoofast. Where are you?? Not in the biscuit tin I hope!! If you are get out of there and onto tinterweb and check out
Jillian Michaels workout DVDs. I've been using them. It's super quick 20 or 30 minutes. You can do it at home while you Palm DC off with a snack and cbeebies. It hiit with strength so firms you up amazingly well. Can't recommend it enough. Feel free to ask more.
Otherwise Bigchocfrenzy can recommend you some exercise. I think she is the authority on that really.
Or Eatriskier and the hoola hooping?
And I've just realised that I have lost 7.5 stone in 2 years and 3 months! 
That's like a whole person. Shit!
Ok ok. I know that there are the extra ones I gained last autumn in there too but it sounds impressive.
I feel impressed with myself now.
Almost time for lunch.....
mrsf amazing. I got a bit lost in the maths but when you say 'a whole person' I getcha. That is truly wonderful.
MrsF, you have done amazingly well, really inspirational! You should be bloody impressed with yourself .
I would also like to sing the praises of Jillian Michaels DVDs. Shred is a great starter and then you can try the others when you're done with that. It prepares you well for some of the harder ones! I had lost about 10lbs on 5:2 when I started Shred, I stalled for a few weeks on it whilst losing inches, then the weight started coming off again and I was at target in no time. I have now sailed past target and I'm focused on toning up those wobbly bits. You don't need to be fit to do it, but you will be after! Just give it your all and you'll be on top of the world after! The first two levels are on YouTube and you could use tins of water bottles as weights to start so you have nothing to lose but some inches!
Hula hooping fab too, easy to do in front of the telly 
.
Right, I'm just off to put on a Jillian DVD now!
Somewhere. Yes. It's garbled because I lost weight then gained some and lost that and more again.
I was just totalling up my loss since DS birth if I discount the gain for last autumn etc then its 5.5 stone. It just sounds better when I count it all.
If I counted the weight I put on with DD and what I lost after then its a scary amount. So I don't.
Anyway I am to have gotten this far!!
Wrigglebum. Enjoy JM. My hips are agony so am having a few days off. Not sure why its flared up so I am going to wait and see.
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