Hi everyone, how does 5:2 fast diet work?

[Lisa1970]

[bispers]

For a non medical answer, two non consecutive days a week you have 500 calories if female, 600 male. The other five days you eat normally (but don't pig out). I'm in my third week, mixed feelings, fast days are fine, but the next day I am starving. If you Google the 5 2 diet, Michael moseley, there is a very good website explaining everything and the medical side.

Good luck.

[vandame]

I have been on the 5.2 diet for nearly 1 year, I have lost nearly 3 stone. I am currently in maintainence where I only restrict to 500/600 calories 1 day per week.

I start my 24 hours at midday and finish the following day at midday. I also use Myfitnesspal which is an application for PC, tablet, smart phone which totals your calorie intact which I have found is very useful.

It is not a diet as such but a change in habbits that you are looking for. You need it to be sustainable so I have reduced portion size rather than eliminated a particular food or drink.

You need to watch the drink calories, i.e it can be quite enlightening when you see the calories in say orange juice or tea with milk.

Good luck on your journey.

[Penel]

Michael Moseley tried the 5:2 diet because he wanted to find a way to avoid type 2 diabetes (and it worked, along with a lot of exercise). One of it's effect is that the body is producing a lower level of insulin, because of the limiting of foods like carbohydrates on fasting days. This could mean that the body does not become resistant to insulin, so can use it more efficiently and avoid weight gain and conditions like diabetes. The jury is still out on whether or not it has other health benefits, research has been limited.

scientificamerican.com/arti...

Some people cannot cope with the hunger and drop in blood glucose on fasting days. You can get a similar weight loss/insulin reduction results by cutting down on eating carbohydrates generally, particularly processed carbohydrates, and increasing protein.

Different diets suit different people.

[gingernut49 in reply to Penel]

Hunger goes in waves and doesn't increase. You can easily cope with it by having a hot drink and distracting yourself.

Your first point about Michael Mosley taking a lot of exercise is untrue - his exercise study is a totally different one. If you watch the programme you'll see that.

As far as research is concerned, I know from thousands on the Facebook groups that I belong to that it definitely does work and the weight stays off afterwards easily by just fasting one day a week. With every single other diet I've tried before (I'm 64 now) the weight has always gone straight back on again. I've never been so slim and healthy and I have so much energy now.

[Penel in reply to gingernut49]

I'm very glad that the diet has been so successful for you. I am having success with a low carb diet.

Michael Mosley has been in so many science programs I am having difficulty sorting one from another!

[gingernut49 in reply to Penel]

Do watch the "Eat, Fast and Live Longer" programme that I supplied the link to vimeo.com/54089463. It really was excellent and, at 64, I aim at living another 40 years, but healthy and fit! Apparently it's fasting that is really good for you and I actually find it far more doable than I originally thought and the more I do it the easier it is. (And it's only one or two days a week.) My daughter thought it sounded ridiculous but now she's very happy as she's losing half a stone a month of the 'baby weight' she put on.

[GoogleMe]

It works because over a week you average a lower calorie intake than would be prudent if you did it on a daily basis. My impression is that if you are someone who tends to skip meals regularly (by choice 'don't feel like eating' rather than 'don't have time') it could work (and the likes of Dr Moseley who has been a medical student will have been 'trained' in a pretty skewy eating habit if my experience of medical students is anything to go by) It's not for me (I can occasionally not bother with an evening meal if I've had a late lunch and still feel full, but then I do go to bed very, very early) it still means keeping an eye on calorie content of food, you can't eat 'whatever you like' on your non-fasting days... and if we were good at keeping to a healthy food intake by ourselves we wouldn't be overweight in the first place.

[gingernut49]

I lost three stone in six months on it and have maintained my weight loss since last April by just fasting one day a week (fasting is eating less than 500 calories for a woman, 600 for men).

Two videos for you to watch:

The original BBC Horizon programme "Eat, Fast and Live Longer" (which changed my life!) vimeo.com/54089463

The Fast Guide to the Fast Diet youtu.be/W9Aj6hRYg4A(Not working as expected?)

[Hidden]

Hi Dick1970,

Basically, as already said, the notion is that you reduce your weekly calorie intake, rather than you daily one, by reducing significantly the amount you eat on two days of the week.

With all the usual caveats about being sensible about getting in the full range of nutrition and that it doesn't mean you can go too 'over the top' on your 'normal' eating days, but quite a lot of people report that it works for them.

And the weight loss regime that works for your lifestyle and that you actually do, is always going to be more effective that the one you struggle with, cheat on and give up!

Having said that, the REAL measure of weight loss "success" isn't some dramatic, theatrical, "I lost blah blah stones in only blah blah weeks" - it's in the longer term and it's "but did you keep at an appropriate weight, or did you put it back on again?".

My understanding is that currently there is limited information about the longer term successfulness of these types of weight loss regimes.

Good luck with your weight loss efforts.

[gingernut49 in reply to Hidden]

If you follow the Facebook groups for the 5:2 Diet you will see that there are thousands of us who are maintaining their weight loss and that for all of us it's the most effective method of keeping the weight off. We are now keeping the weight off easily with 6:1 and many have lost far more than I have. My daughter is losing half a stone a month and is finding it very easy.

It is not a diet, it is not a phase, it is a way of life, and one I shall continue to keep with for the rest of my life for the health benefits.