Alternate Day Diet (Up Day Down Day Diet)

[Downdog]

I've been doing this since the beginning of January and have lost about 5 kilos (weighing myself again this weekend).

Basically you eat whatever you want without overeating, on one day (UP DAY) and eat a very low calorie diet on the DOWN DAYS - about 500 cals only on down days. The theory is your cals average out over 48 hours. It is claimed to have many other health benefits re athsma etc too.

I'm finding it so easy - not only are the down days really quiet easy now (the first week was hard), but I have lost all cravings for food & am eating in a much more balanced way on the UP days. I love it as I don't have to think about food, or cooking special ways, or anything else (essentially I am lazy & would prefer to put my efforts elsewhere) - I just do veggies, miso soup, protein shakes etc up to 500 cals on down day, and all is normal on up days. My overall deist on UP days has improved because I'm making better choices & I'm also developing more awareness about my body, when I am full etc.

The weekends can get a little tougher esp if it's an indoors rainy day, so I am now trying having 3 down days (Mon, Weds, Fri) and just being relaxed in the weekends. Not sure if that will work until I weigh on the weekend.

I would like to lose 30 kilos so have a way to go, but I can imagine doing this for sometime.

I can do anything for one day - funny thing is though, at the end of a DOWN DAY I'm pretty hungry, but all I can think about is the delight of eating my porridge (no sugar) for breakfast in the morning. YES PORRIDGE!!!

I don't think it will suit everyone - if your blood sugar fluctuates wildly it wouldn't be advised. But it certainly works for me and as someone who has always overeaten, I am learning it's OK to be hungry and to actually feel comfortable with it.

I have read critisim that it encourages eating disorder, but that certainly isn't my experience. There are some silly articles out there where journalists are saying you can scoff KFC & chocolate all day & overeat if you starve the next day - that is silly & irresponsible & not how the plan works at all.

www.johnsonupdaydowndaydiet.com/html/diet-landing.html

Anyone else out there doing it? How are you getting on?

good morning! I weighed myself this morning and I've now lost 7 kilos - that's another kilo in the last week & over a stone since beginning of January (averaging just over 1 kilo per week). I'm extremely happy with that & it's great that doing 3 down days during the week is working for me (for now anyway).

This is really the easiest way to lose weight I've ever tried. I'm getting to eat what I want on UP days, but the magic is the DOWN days are affecting what I want to eat on the UP days - ie less! Not being driven by simply wanting to eat eat eat means I've changed my attitude towards food - it's just not as important as it used to be. It's lost it's all consuming hold/power over me. HOORAY!!!

On the red flag side, I am drinking very little alcohol at the moment & I am going on 3 weeks holiday in NZ soon where I will be drinking more delicious wine & no doubt eating more too (lots of catch up lunches with old friends & BBQ's). Hopefully that will be counterbalanced with doing lots of exercise while I am there esp walking & swimming.

Hope you are all getting on well & I can't wait to hear how the scales go.

Hello everyone,

Have read all the threads and i think i will be joining you ladies after the weekend. Would really like to loose around 2 stone and ideally by April in time for my birthday.

For some reason i feel better starting this 'diet' on a Monday

welcome xkelx. Looking forward to seeing how whyme & furball got on in their first week. they are just finishing their first week.

I lost a stone in 5 weeks following this - I'd like to lose two more (and then I will probably still be in the higher end of my recommended BMI)

oops - gone astray abit

wednesday had jacket potato and a couple of pints [I'm a laddyyeee emoticon]

then had huge meal yesterday with wine

supposed to be down day today but seem to have forgotten

Will try harder next week!

hey furball - huge meal & wine yesterday is fine - it was an upday for you right so just enjoy it?

yes but didn't have down day wednesday or today!

ah - yes well the key is in the down days unfortunately - otherwise everyone will be doing it .

Doing 3 DD's a week seems to be working for me - Mon/Wed/Fri. It's much easier to diet now I hardly go out - something to be said for stopping in.

have a great weekend

Thanks Downdog

I will re-start monday [honest!]

Hope you have a good (up) weekend!

Thanks for your support everyone. I couldn't resist weighing myself today and I've lost 4lbs this week.
I can't quite believe how easy it all seems, like I'm doing something wrong but the proof is in the pudding - I'll not weigh myself til Monday now.

I know it says to do alternate days so how does it still work the same doing mon/wed/fri only? at the moment I am going to stick with alternate but I am curious.

Hope you get back into the ups and downs Furball.

hey whyme2

congratulations! that is a fantastic loss. keep it up as there is more of that to come if you do!

I did the full alternate day on/off for a month. but I found some of the weekends tough to be discplined (weekdays are easy for me) so now I'm trying out having 3 days down (mon/weds/fri) and I'm eating both days on the weekend, but watching what I eat - so not full up days, but I'm relaxed about it. It's my own experiment I guess. Seems to be working for now

I've lost everytime I've got on the scales (usually once a week) and I agree, it does seem very easy & I still feel a little 'suspicious' I guess. But the proof is in the scales & I feel really good on it. So I'm not complaining - I'm delighted.

have a good weekend & looking forward to Monday!

So I've lost 5lb this week which is great. I did have an extra up day as my dm made a surprise visit so I just swapped my days around.
I am enjoying not having to think so much about calories and meal plans although dh thinks it all sounds a bit mad so I am still persuading him.

I have a pair of size 16 jeans to fit into, will probably take me about a month to get there.

Hope everyone has a good week.

yay whyme2 - great results!

It can sound a bit crazy I guess, but also it's a very simple way of regulating calories - and if you average things out over 48 hour period (rather than the "traditional" 24 hour period) it all makes sense. Plus our systems get to have a little rest on down days. I very rarely have heartburn/reflux now.

I had a wobbly down day yesterday - but think I managed to cap it at about 700 cals. whew!

700 is an okay limit I think. Some days are like that. I've found that it is easier for me if I don't think about a meal - just have a few snacks during the day of fruit and soup.

I did explain to my dh - he isn't negative just a bit . He has lost quite a bit of weight himself recently by being more active and by cutting back a little. But he is very tall and he has found it fairly easy to do so far.

Anyway I will carry on coz I like it and it is easy to do (mostly). And my body definately feels better - less indigestion and my gallbladder is def less irritable (have gallstones).

can't wait til Sunday to weigh myself again.
Hope you have a good day.

I'm now on holiday for THREE weeks - flying to NZ to visit family & friends. I'm not planning on keeping the Up/Down day thing going while I am away, however I have a goal of maintaining my weight while I'm away.

I will be doing lots more exercise on holiday than while I'm at work so hoping that I will work of all the lovely wine & food. My appetite is much less than it was before so I'm really going to focus on portion sizes, and minimise snacking & spontaneous eating - not easy when I'm with my Mum who (still) celebrates every possible thing in a day with cake. I find myself reverting to a young teenager - dreadful.

Keep up all your good work & I will check in mid-March. Just think WHYME2 you could have lost a stone by then!

After this holiday, I have a main goal of losing for a wedding end of May - where everyone will be wearing fabulous glam dresses etc & I want to wear one too. So that's my next goal.

Hope you have a fab holiday - and still time to look sensational in May for the wedding.

Hmm - a whole stone - will be in my new jeans sooner than I thought.

Back from NZ for 10 days now - still not back on UP/DOWN day regieme!

How are you all doing?

I need a little inspiration to get back on the wagon - got wedding end of May as an interim goal.

So right here & now I will commit to starting with a DOWN day tomorrow!

Hello - Just stumbled across this thread and feel very inspired. I was depressing myself with the thought of starting a conventional diet next week to shed around half a stone, but this sounds much more my cup of tea. Does it still work with only this amount to lose do you think?

Good luck getting started again tomorrow, I think that's often the hardest bit; choosing a day and actually committing to getting going. Am giving myself the weekend to get organised then I'll make a start on Monday.

I've been doing this since the 9th February and to date have lost 20lbs. I use Cambridge Diet shakes on my down days and eat normally/healthily on my up days.
I feel for the first time in my life that I have found a way of eating that is perfect for me.

Hi Percent,

I couldn't wait til Monday to get going so had my first Down Day yesterday - wasn't as bad as I thought although I was ready for my breakfast this morning

Wow 20lbs that's fab, well done, good to hear from someone who's found that it works. Have got a few weddings coming up over Summer and really want to look slim in my party dresses so am going to keep going with it.

Hi, I'm thinking of starting this in a couple of weeks and wondered if any of you were still doing the diet and how you're all getting on.

Not sure if you'll read this bunjies, but I'm still doing this diet. I've lost another 13lbs since I last posted. So 33lbs since I started in February. It's slow and steady now and sooooooooooooooo easy to do.

Good luck if you decide to give it a go.

I will definately say it is the easiest diet to follow because there is very little thinking involved. I lost about 12lbs in March/April and then Istopped. I need to start again as I have put on a few pounds.

Starting today with a down day.

Anyone doing this?

Hi Fairyloo :)

I have started this plan today but did start on an up day!!

Down day starts tomorrow but I am looking forward to it!! If you have started this already, would love to know your experiences!!

Hiya!
Anyone still on this diet? I'm looking at starting this on Weds when I'm back at work. I'd like more ideas on 'recipes' for the down days - not too keen on the idea of meal replacement shakes - does anyone do juicing instead for these?
Sounds like a diet I could stick to tho - only being restrictive every other day...
Thx
H.