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 33 - Counting down to Christmas (and NOT thinking about the impending chocapocolaypse. Yet)
BetsyJingleBells · 16/12/2013 08:21
Lol! Toffee! 
- I didn't just bin the toaster because Mr Mousey Wousey was stuck in there under the lever thingamajig!!
No!! I had to free him, so he could come back to be electrocuted in a nice civilised manner didn't want him to suffer.
Once he was gone -we saw him leggit eventually- then I binned the toaster. Didn't fancy toasted mouse poop with my crumpets.
And here's another fact for you.... they are incontinent!
Wee and poo every bloody where! It's like EatRiskys house during one of their dcs' toilet tornados!! 
...... wonder if I'm part mouse...?......
turkey I think DD may well be part mouse too. You must be psychic for she treated me to another toilet tornado today! But its ok, I'm not too far from 
Ahh! SouthEast - have just read your inspirational post.
(applauding) Well Done!! So lovely to hear of others' experiences with lots of background.
Thank you for sharing that with us. You have now been added to the list of my personal motivators.
So important and so needed by me.
I have to confess this will not end as a fast day. Just couldn't manage it today. Had my soup earlier and have made a curry for dinner. Not the most calorific (except the coconut milk part!) as it's chicken breast and only serve with steamed rice anyway.
Oh and I might have eaten the Mincepie
To anyone still going with fd!! Bloomin hats off to you! Come forward and show yourselves later so we can give you your props!
Eat! Sounds like you need a plastic onesie from FC this year !
And yes festive wine and cake please!!!
hahahahahahah
got my own back for the mouse. ToffeeCat just got stuck to a bauble courtesy of her magnetic collar 
.
Southeast. Loved your story on the inspiration thread. Well done on your achievement. Amazing.
Vieenrose. Your story was fab. And I'm with you on the cheese and wine I do love it!!
Fast Day ended on 554 calories. I lof until 5pm when I had dinner with DC so that was 24 hours of LoF.
Not bad considering I wanted to eat and eat and eat.
Having had a total of 2.5 hours sleep last night and a bad cold. I am giving my self big ups innit. Seriously that to me was an effort but I did it.
Dinner was luuuurvely. I had cod steamed with parsley, kale chips (in moderation to avoid a sharting fest later!), edemame beans steam and some Remoulade (Scandinavian condiment for fish yum yum). Remoulade is similar to mayo but slightly lower in calories and ultra low in carb. Oh and a clementine.
Am so tired. DC are sitting in bed with me watching iPad. I should stick them in bed but they will probably whine lots so they are staying here and Disney Dad (MrF) can help later. If he comes home sober. Never sure this time of year. 
Thanks sweetie!!
How is your LO?? Cute squishy baby. Lucky you.
Disney dad hasn't made an appearance yet and I suspect he is at some work function and 3 sheets to the wind.
I put the DC in bed. DD is out for the count. DS is playing with his comforters telling them all to be good for when Santa comes
I Still have a quick tidy to do down stairs and then to bed! Can't wait. Disney dad better not turn up pissed and wake me up. He may find himself sleeping in the car or the shed if he does!
Hope you're all doing ok.
Dino. Yes it is indeed.
Cut it along the middle so you cut out the tough stem. Then mix olive oil with salt, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and ginger in a large bowl and and sort of turn the kale leaves around in it until they are coated. Put in a roasting tray and roast for 20 to 30 on 160c. They will turn brown but that's ok as long its its not too brown/black.
Then they are lovely crunchy crispy numbers yum. Like crispy seaweed
Don't eat too much!! Kale is hard to digest. I love kale but occasionally over indulge. Take it from me its quite painful.
Do you get Abel and Cole as well?? I got a massive bag of kale from them this week.
sweetie that's not 5:2 that's a crash low cal diet! Be kinder to yourself.
toffee hope your day has got better. Our cats bring in all sorts of things, I've got used to it now (although the dead bunny on Easter morning was a bit of a shock!)
NFD here, not bad, within TDEE. Away with work fro a couple of days so will do my best not to over indulge too much...
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turkey your month sounds like mine, depressing isn't it?
sweetie just make sure you are looking after yourself and that lovely squishy bundle 
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