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 32 - We can eat it tomorrow: toffees, toffee sponge or even toffee sausages!
TurkeyAtYuleHoHo · 04/12/2013 09:32
Thanks for all your kind comments!
Bigchoc. Not very au fait with Bond so had to look it up. Yikes! Old wrinkly po faced arse kicking Russian lady. I will hastily post some photos of the leather trews to change your mind!!!
NFD here. Finished on 1752 which is just under TDEE so that's good.
Not so good is that I want wine!! DC had another Xmas school party this afternoon. They came home having been filled with sugar and crap. Refused to eat their dinners (even though it was chicken Kiev and roast tatties) and the behaviour!!!! 
I've put them to bed without a story 5 mins ago. I should have done some reading with DD for school but no point as she is mucking about. Keeps coming out of her room too. I've already confiscated half a dozen toys.
Where and when will it end???!!!!!? Hence wanting a very large amount of 
Lots of fasters have done well today. It's bloody hard this time of year. People keep throwing calorie laden food at you and the shops are full of festive goodies, treats and junk. Plus raining cold miserable weather makes for a hard Fd. So to those who made today.
I have a cold (thanks DC!) but am toying with doing my JM workout anyway. But isn't it bad to do HIIT/and/or cardio with germs circulating in your system? I know strength is good but HIIT? Help me decide on that one. Don't want to make cold worse as PILs arrive Friday and prior I have a world of kiddie Xmas activities ahead
Peplum. I am amazed I wore that dress today. It's the smallest, not in label terms, but tightest/actual size that I have.
I've been with you all here since August doing 5:2 and 16:8. A few days have felt hard but mostly easy. And plenty of frenzies and wine along the way. And yet still weightloss and I've dropped well over a dress size.
Not bad considering I was close to goal to start with.
When you first start a weightloss journey, you think the beginning will be the hardest. But actually its that last stone. It's when you're likely say: "argh I'm so close to goal and I've come so far I practically there" so you stop and start scoffing again.
So it may not seem much to some but those last few lbs mean a lot for me and I want to see it through.
(Prods Turkey to sing "we are the champions"). 
Sorry 
thought I had lost that message. Duh. Can't even operate my phone.
Hey everybody. Welcome to all d newbies.
It's been a great day. I did a 24 hrs zero cal today with only water at d 23:5 hrs, yay 
.
It's Ben a busy day as I had souvenir shopping to do for my BBFs wedding coming up later this week.
How are all d masters doing. It's soooooooooo cold today, very unlike our African weather, I'm a proud Nigerian by the way, but I managed without any warm drinks.
Bssh I tink I'll have a lil dinner like u, I want roasted chicken but if I can't get that I think I'll just have a milky coffee and go to bed.
I plan on fasting during d Christmas week and I will pop in here for some inspired and laughter too.
My 24 hrs is officially over 
.
Flexibility is d name of d game 
.
oh dear, I posted on the new thread earlier but you're all still here, oops 
just back from school play, on 250 calls so far. I think I'll join others in a milky coffee then bed (although I may not actually join you in bed...)
MrsF looking v glam, wow! I'm 
of all these party shots, will try to get myself dolled up on Friday for work do
That's nice bssh thanks, and well done for being acceptable in the eyes of the american military! I should imagine they have high standards. I was quite touched by the fact that you like your own company and you like to escape now and again when you've a houseful.
festive feeling better yet? There are some odd symptoms that pop up from time to time, particularly in the early days.
Good stuffbaloo, cold in Nigeria? 
Ive done 20 hrs now, having a tin of soup soon, maybe some Brussels sprouts but I want to go the gym tomorrow and not be wary of bending the wrong way and doing loud/stinky sprout guffs.
Just had pasta prawn salad. Came in about 700 today so will call it a fast and be more mindful tomorrow.
I am so tired. House is a complete tip. Will be out most of tomorrow then DD and DS2 are off school. Eeek.. House will just get messier and messier 
.
Peplum. Yes he has. It's about 9 years old so plenty of times. Although not in the last 5 years (DC aged 4 and 2, that's why).
Sadly no occasion to wear anything like that anytime soon.
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