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
Hello! Finally here, though haven't had a chance to read the rest of the thread. Wonderful title by the way 
. Almost tempted to bake a cake just for the 15 cal spoon lick, but fear I wouldn't be able to resist the remaining batter!
I'm trying to stick to 16:8 on my NFD, which basically entails skipping breakfast and not eating after 8pm. Find that it really helps me come in under my TDEE.
This has been my most successful week since starting this WOL. I have ate mindfully on all of my NFDs, I've exercised more than I have in years and I've enjoyed treats guilt free because I'd accounted for them in my TDEE.
FD for me tomorrow before my weigh in on Sat. I cheated and had a peek sense a SV!
Aw, Toffee, thanks so much for giving me French Fries with my mouse tartare on your Moreish Recipe thread.
You are so creative: the tartare sounds absolutely delicious - I think I may become BigChocMouseFrenzy.
Evening everyone.
Another FD here. Came in just over 600 but I'm claiming it anyway.
Two FDs this week but slightly over 500 on both-im blaming the colder weather. And two days over 1200 but waaaaay under TDEE.
Pat on the back because it TOMT and I've resisted the high cal mega choc frenzy.
But tomorrow will not be a FD!! Will be sensible during the day but tomorrow night 
and cheese will be involved.
Well done to all the NSV and SV!! So many amazing losses.
I forget who but someone lost 8kg since December. Wow! Well
Done.
Eatrisker. Fasting for a blood test without coffee
how did
You manage? As in without murdering anyone or collapsing.
Gosh MrsF, NFDs of 1200, that is very low. And you've resisted choc frenzy - fantastic NSV. Are you keeping NFDs low so you can eat more on the weekend?
I wonder about the NFDs and whether I need to be sure to eat up to TDEE, or close, to maintain weight loss? Or is under better? I know a lot of you "old timers"keep a deficit so you can indulge on weekends. How much should the total be for the week?
I wish I had lost 8kgs since December - well done to the PP who did!
I've been doing this,properly,since a week before Christmas, and my loss is only 1.5 kgs in total. Since I weighed myself last Friday (and I have only done one fast day) I have actually put on a kilo! How is that even possible, and that is after TOTM, and keeping track of TDEE and exercising? I feel let down and frustrated. I have measured, and my waist is up half an inch,and hips are exactly the same. Grr 
I was really hoping for a steady and slow weight loss, half a kilo a week, but to put it on just seems bloody cruel. I have a lot of weight to lose - about 15 kilos to be in a healthy BMI range, but now I wonder if I am doing something wrong?
I am planning a fast day tomorrow, to make up for the missed one this week, maybe a weigh in on Sunday morning might bring good news?
I know fasting isn't all about losing weight, but it is certainly a big part of why I am doing it.
Oh well, will soldier on. I've made seeded gluten free bread for breakfast, so I am going to go and enjoy that now. There will be no guilt!
hopeful on your behalf at the weight gain. Maybe it's just a blip
Well today's fd has got off to a shit start. Dd vomited in bed at 3am so had to sort that out. It's a bit odd she doesn't seem sick at all, she's really cheerful.
Problem is its only 4.30am and I'm already hungry ahh well back to bed.
Feeling a bit of a plonker as was wondering how everyone else uses all the other symbols. I thought I only had a few faces because I just use the mobile app. Who knew that if you just scroll across ... D'oh!!
Celebrating my new symbols by being a bit symbol trigger happy:
OMG. I can't believe the bread I made was about 200 calories per slice. And the loaf is tiny. FFS, how can gluten free bread be so calorie dense?? I really need an alternative to toast for breakfast (even though I really love it - I think I'll have to save it for weekends only). Trouble is I can't eat eggs on their own (can cope with quiche, cake etc, but eggs all alone make me feel physically sick), so I find it hard to find food for breakfasts.
I know many of you do 16:8, which would solve that problem, but some mornings I wake up hungry and really want breakfast. I don't eat cereal either. I might have to see if I can find gluten free oats as I think porridge might be a good idea. Is it as calorie crazy as bread???
I have tried to work out my TDEE again. I put details into MFP which suggests that if I want to lose 10 kilos, I need to have 1400 calories a day. So I worked out that the weekly requirement is 9800, and if I have two days of 500, the rest,divied up into 5 equal amounts is 1760 per day. I have been eating 1700 on NFD's (but sometimes more when I exercise and put the exercise into the equation. Should I leave it out?)
I also had a look on the Fast Diet website and my TDEE (at my current weight, sedentary, is 1643 calories. For my goal weight of 66.5 kgs, I would be allowed 1523 calories on NFD's. It's lower than what I worked out on MFP. Which one should I do?
I am very confused, and not sure which one to follow. And, if I have put in "sedentary" but I exercise most days,moderately, should I then allow myself more calories on the days I exercise?
Advice much appreciated.
Off to read the Fast Exercise book now. Maybe that will help burn more fat? I live in hope. I'm tired of the fight, just want to lose the weight and feel good about my body.
hopeful DON'T PANIC! Weight loss isn't a straight line and there will always be fluctuations up as well as down. It's a blip or maybe even a little plateau while your body adjusts to the weight lost so far.
Just ask toffee 
I don't calorie count I'm afraid so can't help you there. I do know that weight loss isn't as simple as calories in vs calories out though and there are various reasons why our bodies are sometimes bigger and heavier than we expect - usually water retention.
Reasons for retaining water:
Totm
Increased salt intake
Sugar/carb intake
Exercise
There's probably others too.
You are doing all the right things to get yourself fit, healthy and lean. Keep at it and you will see results. The trend will be downward but it's never a perfect line.
Keep the faith hopefulgum
mrsf my head was pounding, and the 50 min wait nearly tipped me over the edge. As did the 5 min queue in Costa afterwards. The feeling I had once the coffee was in me though . I am a complete addict!
Well done on your NSV MrsF!
Hang in there hopefulgum. I put a few pounds on and in my case I am sure it was because I wasn't eating enough on NFD. My appetite has really changed, I no longer comfort eat and I am more mindful of what I put in my mouth. I was stuck for weeks and boy did I moan about it 
but today I am the lowest I have been since getting pregnant in 2004. One stone off my weight before getting pregnant in 2000. YOU CAN DO IT!!
WhenSheWasBad - I hope your DD is okay and no more puking. Definitely rearrange your FD if it will help and plan a quiet day .
[curveballs] .. I love my new phone but miss not having ANY emoticons .
NSV - 2 cm off my tummy .
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