5:2 diet can you eat "anything" on the five days ?

[frankishandy]

hi i was wanting to do the 5:2 diet as evreyone says its amazing , but can you eat what you want on the 5 days like anything??? i eat big bars of chocolate and pizza can i carry this on then just fast for two days ?

thanks , francesca

[lausa]

I would just recommend eating healthily and learning portion control, rather than starving yourself for 2 days a week. People who do the 5:2 tend to put the weight back on after they stop it. Also, the 5:2 diet isn't a "eat anything you like for 5 days and then nothing" it's still calorie limited in the 5 days. Basically the diet just makes you eat less calories and starve 2 days a week.

Eat heathily 7 days a week at a calorie deficit and it will be better for your body in the long run!

[gingernut49 in reply to lausa]

You do not starve two days a week and you do not put on weight when you stop! I lost three stone (42 pounds/20 kilos) up to April 2013 and I still weigh the same as I did then just by 'fasting' (500 calories) on one day a week to maintain.

I suggest you read this fastday.com/buzz/the-good-t... and watch the excellent YouTube video which sums up the way of eating very well youtu.be/W9Aj6hRYg4A(Not working as expected?)

It's a far more effective 'diet' than any other I've ever tried and it is sustainable long term too!

[fibronfedup]

I think the 5:2 is still set calories from what I've seen as in 1400 for 5 days and 500 for 2 days. Still need to eat healthier if yiu eat that type of food and still keep a deficit in calories from exercise you may still lose weight but you'd hace to do a hell of a lot of exercise.

probably be better to just eat better overall to become healthier

[Zenette]

I tried it and it didn't work for me. I gained half a kg in the week I did 5:2.

I was very well-behaved on the 2 hungry days. On my 5 'free days' when I was supposed to still limit my calories though, I became totally disobedient and ate whatever came into vision (all healthy, but of course healthy food has calories too).

Maybe it will work for you if you are more disciplined.

You can lose weight if you limit your calories enough, regardless of what you eat. Remeber the guy who lost a lot of weight eating only MacDonalds food for a year? But then you risk nutritional deficiencies, and your body will not be able to function as it is supposed to (e.g. your immune system will be weakened, your bones will suffer if they don't get enough calcium, etc etc).

[SurreyMan]

I have been following the 5:2 diet. I lost two stones in the first month and have maintained the loss for the last nine months. I find that I don't need to worry too much about what I eat on my non-fast days and do have choclates, pizzas and other things I fancy.

In general, I naturally eat less on the non fast days as I think my stomach has shrunk. I guess the fast days are effective for helping you look at portion sizes more carefully and help you reduce your food intake overall.

I guess if your intention is to eat lots of high calorie foods like choclates, biscuits and crisps on the non fast days, then the diet probably won't work. However, you can have these treats without feeling you are 'depriving' yourself. So for me this diet seems to work as I can have these treats, especially at weekends, if I stay good on my fast days on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is easier for me to stick to my fast during the working week. This seems to fit in with my lifestyle, so it has not been too difficult to stick with this 'diet'.

Hope this helps you - Good luck!

[ceejayblue]

Basically, all the 5:2 diet does is allocate the calories for the week in a different way. Usually you would have say 1400 per which is 9,800 in total. You then just allocate more calories for 5 days - ie 1760 per day and then only 500 per day for the 2 days. Total is the same!

[margrete]

I don't think the idea is to eat 'big bars of chocolate and pizza' for 5 days and then nothing for 2 days!

Maybe try eating normal food in smaller quantities - don't eat any big bars of chocolate (you don't need them) and pizza only in small quantities and not so often.

[RayC333]

Please read a 5:2 book (I recommend those by M. Mosely or K. Harrison) , try it as described and stick with it. Anecdotal evidence like 'I tried it for a week' or 'you just put it back on' is not going to help you lose and keep off body fat.

If you really want to lose, and to keep off excess body fat, it must include a positive change in the way you think about eating, what you eat and how much you eat. Fat takes a long time to accumulate, therefore it's going to take some time to lose.

After trying many diets over the years, 5:2 has done that for me. I've lost 56lbs, taken 10 ins. off my waste and enjoyed other good health benefits.

ps. No, I have not put any back on.

[returner]

Hi frankishandy,

Look at it this way - 5:2 Is really about doing the same as an ordinary diet, but taking a weekly view, rather than a daily perspective on your food/calorie intake. If you only eat 500 kcal on two days a week, but still eat say 3,000 kcal on the other five then you'll still take in 16,000 a week which is 2,285 a day. You're not very likely to loose much body fat doing that.

And just look at the back of the chocolate wrapper to find out how many calories are in it for yourself - and that's just for starters!