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MNHQ

Fast Beach Diet - are you giving it a go? Pop over here!

10 replies

AmyMumsnet · 06/06/2014 16:43

If you've heard about the Fast Beach Diet on Mumsnet and fancy giving it a go, you've come to the right place.

Share your recipes and progress with others - or just the fact that you're feeling stabby on a fast day.

Mimi Spencer will be popping in every week to see how you're doing and pass on any pearls of wisdom that might be helpful. She'll be here at 1pm next Monday and then at the same time every Thursday from the week after that.

If you're wondering what we're on about, here's some more info about the Fast Beach Diet.

Best of luck with it!

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MNHQ

KateSMumsnet · 07/06/2014 13:30

Hullo everyone,

Thank you for all your feedback. We do take on board the strength of your feelings, and will come back to you with a more considered response as soon as possible, but we're afraid it's unlikely to be today, as almost everyone is tied up with WorkFest (which is happening right now at Bafta).

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 07/06/2014 14:35

Hi all,

Just looking in from Workfest to answer questons about why we're promoting this book.

The Fasting/ 5:2 diet forum is hugely popular on MN - around 40000 different people visited it last month. Mimi Spencer is one of the original authors of the book that kicked the whole thing off and the book itself was a huge bestseller last year - number one on Amazon for months. Bottom line is that for many people fasting really works as a sustainable way of getting to and maintaining a healthy weight and there is also a fair bit of research that suggests it brings other important health benefits. Clearly it's not for everyone but it seems to work for many.

The Fast Diet book originally came about because, as Mimi Spencer says here "Michael Moseley was keen on finding out how to extend his chances of living longer - the research suggests that there are clear health benefits to be had from intermittent fasting - from guarding against cardio-vascular disease, stroke and certain cancers to improving brain power (yes, really!). One of the reasons that it has proved so popular is that it's a long-term plan for a longer life - it's absolutely not just about weight loss."

I can see the point about the language around beach body etc being a bit women's mag and not everyone's cup of tea. But there's no denying that some folks do want help/motivation to get in shape as the summer looms - that's all this is trying to do.

This is what Mimi Spencer said when asked why the need for this book here:

"This enhanced version of the original Fast Diet is aimed at people who want a short term booster plan, a more vigorous protocol either to shed those lingering pounds in preparation for your beach holiday, or if you've got a big event coming up, a wedding, a key birthday. But it's by no means for everyone. And it's certainly not designed to be a forever plan like the 5:2. If you're happy on the classic Fast Diet, if it's working for you, then stick with it. This is the Fast Diet, just a bit faster... and for six weeks only. "

On a couple of other points raised. No, we're not being paid anything to host this - we genuinely see it as useful content for some people who are interested in fasting, and that's our entire motivation for running it.

And the reason the thread is being stickied and unstickied is because we now have an automated rotation system for sticky threads. We only allow five at a time and when we have more thing than that to pin up, they are auto rotated.

We'll certainly bear in mind the criticism of this type of content being a bit too women's "maggy" and make a note to watch ourselves on that score. Thanks for the input.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 07/06/2014 14:43

@LRDtheFeministDragon

Could it at least go in the right section? Surely that only takes a minute to do.

Yes, will move it now.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 07/06/2014 14:47

@AWombWithoutARoof

For me it feels like an advert for a product. I don't have feelings either way in terms of it as a way of eating, and I'm happy enough that people talk about it on the weight loss boards. It's the promotion of it that doesn't right with me.

You mean promotion around the wider site? We promote lots of bits of content that aren't of interest to everyone, though...

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 07/06/2014 14:56

@holdyourown

wow big free advert there too MNHQ Hmm

er... don't eat much at all, lose weight. Shock hardly rocket science.

Sensible diet and exercise also work and may be preferable if you're similatneously trying to care for young children imho. Anyway, seems MNHQ are set on it. < this way sheep, lets all pretty much stop eating and see if we lose weight if we don't faint first >

Well yes, I agree, it's not rocket science holdyourown but it seems, nonetheless, to be a useful way of going about cutting calories for many - hence it's enormous popularity.

MNHQ

KateSMumsnet · 09/06/2014 13:22

Hullo everyone,

Obviously this is a very interesting debate, and we welcome all points of view, but we would ask you to keep your posts within our talk guidelines, and not stray into personal attacks (which we will delete).

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 15/06/2014 22:50

@TalkinPeace

Hear ye Hear Ye MN get paid for threads and delete posts by those who object to the cashing in.

What are you on about TalkinPeace? - as said already on this thread - none of the Fast Beach diet activitty is paid for and nor do we delete posts for objecting to how we run the site. We do delete personal attacks or and posts which potentially break the law. Eg ones calling someone a "freeloader coward".

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 15/06/2014 22:53

@Breadandwine

One of my criticisms of the FBD is that it is billed as a short term solution

This enhanced version of the original Fast Diet is aimed at people who want a short term booster plan, a more vigorous protocol either to shed those lingering pounds in preparation for your beach holiday, or if you've got a big event coming up, a wedding, a key birthday...This is the Fast Diet, just a bit faster... and for six weeks only.

Sorry, but it's a gimmick pure and simple. And the fact that Mumsnet is promoting it, frankly, stinks!

If you really wanted your contributors to eat better and adopt a healthier lifestyle, you would be be directing them to the 5:2 threads rather than helping to flog a dubious short cut. There is far more information - not to mention support - on those threads than there is in the FBD.

But you don't appear to be able to tolerate an open discussion so I expect this post will be deleted also.

No Breadandwine it won't be deleted - your post was deleted because it contained an (unpleasant and unfair) personal attack.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2014 09:24

@Breadandwine

OK, Justine, thank you for coming back to me. We'll have to agree to disagree on the content of my post; IMO it was neither unpleasant or unfair - just accurate.

But leaving that to one side, what about my point that there is more info and support on the Mumsnet 5:2 threads than there ever could be in a gimmicky 'short-term booster plan'?

I don't think you realise just what an asset you have in those 5:2 fasting and exercising threads - and in the people who are responsible for maintaining them.

IMO, Mumsnet should be taking the collective wisdom garnered in those threads and using it to persuade the NHS and NICE to take IF seriously.

Having Mimi Spencer on to talk about this 6 week plan isn't meant to be a competitive act vs the Mumsnet forums - it's meant to be an added extra! Absolutely we know how popular and supportive the 5:2/ fasting forum on Mumsnet is - I said earlier on this thread around 40000 different people visit it a month.

The very reason we're promoting Mimi's book is because of the popularity of IF - and this seemed like a good way of offering people a taster/starter/booster of something that we already know works and is popular for many (though not everyone's cup of tea).

And the more popular IF becomes, IMHO, the more likely the NHS are to take it seriously as a method of health improvement.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2014 09:27

@WaitingForMyMam

If it's not paid for then why are you pushing Mimi's book when so many have clearly said no 'thanks but no thanks'?

As said, 40,000 users visit the fasting threads and many, many more people visit MN each month. A few from the fasting boards have said they don't need any additional help from an outside voice. Some others on the wider boards have said they don't think we should be promoting ANY kind of diet/eating plan. But I'm not at all sure we can deduce that means everyone is agin.

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