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 TDEE calculator to help you figure out how many calories you should be eating in a day.
NFD = Non fast day
NSV/LSV = Non scale victory/Lifestyle (change) 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:
Other Threads
All our previous threads can be found by browsing through the fasting section of the site.
Tips and Links : 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!
Inspirational: 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.
Recipes: frenchfancy has a recipe thread over here, please post any low-calorie recipes there so they don't get lost in these bigger threads!
Exercise: bigchocfrenzy has an incredibly informative and helpful exercise and fitness thread for discussion and advice on combining 5:2 with an exercise regime.
Maintaining: 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.
Other links
This is a BBC article regarding Michael Mosley's findings, which was featured on Horizon - link to that programme here.
This Telegraph article comments on the diet and gives a brief overview by Dr Mosley himself, very informative if you're just starting.
This blog post 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 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 article 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. (Though anecdotal evidence from these long-running threads may suggest otherwise…)
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 way of life!
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 37 - Having our cake (batter off the spoon: 15 calories per lick - thanks MFP!) and eating it too (tomorrow).
BetsyBell · 22/01/2014 16:25
Just had my lunchtime miso. No tea yet today, not quite so addicted as I thought 
can't even go for a walk due to the stupid rain!
CinamonGirl, don't let the rain put you off going for a walk! I know, from my cycling to work days, that if you're prepared for whatever comes your way, and you're in the right rain gear - and wrapped up properly underneath - that you get a virtuous feeling out of beating the elements! Even if it's just a quick dash around the block you'll get the blood moving - and chances are you'll go a bit further afield!
And make up silly songs as you go! My daughter still remembers, 25 years later, the words we made up to go with Dvorak's Humoresque:
"Here I come to tickle your tum, and smack your brother on the bum - and do the same to yoouur mum!"
Etc, etc, etcetera!
I read something in the paper today that said being cold can help you lose weight.
I also read a letter from someone saying the 5:2 is crap and we are all silly for doing it.
I will embrace my silliness while enjoying being 11 stone 2 and no longer obese or over weight.
Afternoon all. Finished my meetings and now waiting for flight home. Feeling vvv low with work/life at the min and would sink into a bottle of wine when I get home only I realised my "plateau" this month is probably due to some miscalculations on the mfp wine calories(and drinking your emotions isn't great
)
Someone posted a formula for wine cals which seems probably in keeping with actual cals since but general logic the higher % the higher the cals, as manufacturers don't offer the info, it looks like I may have been missing out recording around half the cals! Over the weeks, adding on my dreadful choc/crisps habit, it would explain my maintenance. And knowing what I know now, I should be grateful I haven't gained. Have to ditch the chocolate as well, it's playing havoc with my bowels, tmi sorru
Dreadfully bound up over Xmas and so far this year, and the one commonality is between Xmas and January blues, I've been a choc'hog. Can't wait to get home and go to bed, cover my head and start afresh tomorrow. FD at the least is going ok, shout out to all my fellow Thursday fd'ers!
Hello - long time lurker here.
I managed to lose 21lbs in 5 months following 5:2 in early 2013, unfortunately my bad habits (a love of bread, crisps and other savouries) crept back over Autumn and Christmas time, so I've been 5:2ing for the last 3 weeks and have managed to lose 7lbs already.
Feeling great - there's nothing like seeing that weight slowly come down to keep me motivated.
quick wave, dashing through, what a busy day, topped off by a speeding fine in the post from my work trip earlier this week grrr
Good calorie day so far though, plenty left for indulgent NFD supper with wine
Welcome back Alibaba. I remember you from when we chatted about our mutual love about Green & Blacks. It won't take long before you're back on track with our help .
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Message withdrawn at poster's request.
It sounded like my stomach was plugged into an amplifier yesterday Grace
I've not told anyone I'm doing it yet because of the cynical opinions about 5:2, I was critical about the idea too until I became curious enough to research into it. I'll wait until they notice the changes
Definitely good not to drink, or eat, your emotions. I have done that for years (eating, not the drinking) and am over it now with the help of everyone on here 
.
Just enjoyed a piece of garlic bread with the kids and a half slice of oat and linseed bread and for once I have not listening to TiP saying no snacking . I will have baked fish and salad later with DH as I enjoyed it so much last night.
Planned to fast again tomorrow but will see how I feel.
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Just wrapped up fast day with a highly spicy and flavoursome prawn and veg Thai green curry.
Been an easy one today - if a Thursday one is straight forward it usually means I've been over-eating in the week. And that is definitely the case this week. Hooray for fast days! Compensating for over-munching
It's a bit early though - early night perhaps?!
Whoop whoop, and another Lil whoop for good measure - back in the 13 stone something club by 1/2 lb
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