If I combine 5:2 with low carb

[goingmadinthecountry]

Will it work?

Low carb (India/Nerys) is the only diet that has worked for me a few years ago. Want to get going again - never regained all my weight but have got too chubby and lazy. Will combining the 2 work? Am going to give it a go anyway as a kick start - asthma disappears when I cut out carbs so good anyway.

Just wonering if anyone has already tried??

Will it work? If that doesn't work nothing short of starving yourself will!

Make sure you have plenty omega 3 and good quality protein.

I low carb on fast days but I wouldn't want to do it all the time. One of the big pluses of 5:2 is that for 5 days a week you are not on a diet.

It will a couple of low carb paleo style diets recommend it, briffa and sissons. Both recommend starting off low carb then introducing 5 2 or similar when weight plateaus.

I don't low carb but have found reducing Carbs a little helpful.

Thanks. I always have much more energy when I don't have many carbs. Had fast days on Tuesday and today as I'm out for a meal tomorrow with friends. Low carb is the easiest way to eat out on I diet I've found. Also out for lunch on Sunday.

Will keep carbs as low as possible (some evil person at work keeps leaving yummy cake stuff all over the place) for now. Already feeling much more positive after 3 days.

Hello goingmad - can you come back and update us with how you're doing. I am interested in this woe too and would love to hear how the weight loss is going. I have just lost 2 stone by low carbing and am hoping to lose a third following Briffa but I am interested in 5:2 as it seems to bring other very real benefits too. Good luck.

Mark Sissons website outline fasting while low carbing IF but not specifically 5:2 as a method.

On the Horizon programme, it said that IF worked best if you ate properly on your non-fasting days, i.e. 2000 cals.

Ido there are several ways to intermittent fast while low carbing on the link I just put on but as I said 5 2 isnt one of them so i think the common factor is have a period of 14 - 14 hours zero calorie then unrestricted calories but low carb for the rest of the time. Spontaneous fasting is poular with Briffa and Sissons where a low hunger day prompts a fast.

Some people would argue low carb/ paleo is eating properly btw ;)

I am going to do similar to frenchhFancy and low carb on fast days as it works well but I have started tracking my carbs on non fast days on MFP and think I will aim for under 700 per week yet to see if it works. The 5 :2 book said people who consumed high fat on non fast days in ADF trials were more successful at losing weight than people who ate reduced fat dairy etc and high fat is part lof low carb lifestyle.

sorry 14 - 24 hours not 14 - 14

Oh and interestingly in the Briffa book stats from diet trials suggest low carb diets where calorie allowances are higher or unrestricted produce more weightloss so possibly IF but not with 500 calorie allowance of 5 2 would be more effective...I plan to stick to 5:2 principles for now though.

Actually... Although some paleo/low carb sites recommend intermittent fasting as a method of losing weight faster- and improving biochemical markers such as blood sugar levels, cholesterol, this may not be effective in women.

A recent study looking at women and intermittent fasting found that pre menopausal women don't get the same health benefits from fasting as men, or older women (and it may interfere with hormonal cycles). This is even true for high protein diets such as paleo, but potentially very unhealthy in anyone doing 5:2 while eating a very carb heavy, low protein diet. Here are a couple of links which may be of interest.

www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/373665/Caveman-fasting-diet-may-leave-women-diabetic

www.paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/

:( if true scotchandwry ,on the other hand I think the 5 2 fast diet forum has some replies to this will post a link when I have more time. It is admittedly a bit of a leap of faith doing 5 2 as research is limited.

I know, giraffe ... Fast moving and new research, I think the problem is previous studies have looked at men, who seem to get really Health benefits (good biochemical markers, not just weight), and then it has been assumed women would react the same way, when actually we are a lot more complex because of hormone cycling and different body comp

*really marked health benefits

This is the relevant discussion re the diabetes paper on the 5:2 fast diet forum worrying study

I think I have read the paleo link before and a lot of it seemed speculative - will take another look!

FWIW there is no research in favour of most of the conventional nutritional guidance!

Indeed, talkingpeace! In fact current guidelines are contradicted, not supported, by the best designed studies.

I say, eat what we evolved to eat, unprocessed fish, eggs, meat and lots of leaves (salad), some roots, nuts and seeds and some fruit (not too much), and you won't go too far wrong.