5+2

[FATBAR]

has anyone tried this, and what is honest opinion

[Lytham 3 stone]

Hi ive never tried the 5:2 but I do the 16/8 and I find it really good ! x

[Kelly2 in reply to Lytham]

ΗI how many times do you eat and what please during the 8 hours?

[Lytham 3 stone in reply to Kelly2]

Hi I eat between 11am and 7pm "ish" and if I have two good meals I generally don't snack in between, lchf food fills me up better so its easier not to snack x

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Kelly2]

Good to hear from you Kelly2, how are you getting on? Did you mama get to find the 12 Week plan?

Please just ask if you have any questions 😊

[bikegrrrl 1lb]

Hi FATBAR - I have done the 5:2 for a period of weeks, a few years ago. My recollections are:

- I did lose weight doing it

- however I became kindof obsessed with food on my "fast" days and got "headaches" - possibly psychosomatic...!

- when I stopped doing it because going visiting or on holiday or whatever, it was extremely difficult psychologically to get back to it!

Calorie counting suits me better.

[FATBAR in reply to bikegrrrl]

I was told drink more water on your fast days, because you are not getting as much water from your food, that stops the headache

[CrimsonMama Restart June 2023]

I did the 5:2 for a while. Maybe 8-10 months. I really appreciate it as a tool to use. I think it is ideal to start out with as you learn a lot about real hunger signals and get to learn strategies not to eat all day and appreciate what you do eat when you get to eat it!

However I much prefer calorie counting now so I can eat every day and not feel hungry. But I couldn't have started off that way so I am glad I did the 5:2 first.

Once I reach my goal weight range I will probably use the 5:2 to help maintain my weight after events such as Christmas and Easter.

[IndigoBlue61]

I like it too, read my review here healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

However, I would say it’s quite a tough regime. I was already a couple of years into my weight loss journey, had got used to reduced portions, calorie counting and eating less carbohydrates

Finding the right eating plan is key to success, so do your research and find a plan you can follow long term

Best wishes in your weight loss journey. Please just ask if you have any questions

Indigo 😊

[Algernon_Moncrieff]

5:2 is my preferred method of “dieting” so to speak and have gone 5:2 off and on when I’ve needed to lose the lbs.

Couple of things to note, the original 500-600 (and now revised 800) cals on a fasting day is hard work when you first start and if you are accustomed to larger meals it might be worth having a couple of weeks on a 1000-1200 cal day just to get you used to the calorie reduction, once you get used to it it does become much easier. I even look forward to fasting days if I’ve had a couple of more calorific days.

You do have to watch what you eat on the non-fasting days. Like all diets, to be successful in the long run does requires a change in your lifestyle and eating/exercise habits, but for me the easy thing about 5:2 is that the you are not in a counting and weighing world.

How you consume the calories on your fasting days is entirely down to you, I tend to have a light breakfast and then a ping ready meal in the afternoon with nothing else other than water until the next day. Some people prefer to have 3 smaller meals whilst others just have 1, just experiment and see what works for you. Ready meals work for me as I tend to have fasting days at work and it is just less thought and effort.

In the past I’ve found that once I’ve hit my target weight, I’ve then kept the fasting regime going, but only once or twice a fortnight.

Keep the fluids up and drink loads, some people do complain of headaches but that’s something that’s never affected me. My only side effect is that I’ve sometimes felt cold on a fasting day, but that is really only an issue in the winter.

There are of course other alleged health benefits from fasting, whether you believe all of these is up to you, personally I like the ease of doing it, if I get any other benefits along the way then that is a positive.

[Paednurse]

Good morning. I have done various diets and although I am a big fan of slimming world as I find it a balanced healthy diet I decided to give the 16/8 a go and I can’t believe how easy it is. I have lost 16 pounds now and like Lytham I also eat between 11 - 7pm. During that time I eat a Mediterranean style of eating and keep the carbs low. It’s really working for me. And I think that’s the secret, to find something that works for you and you can sustain it.

I’ve always suffered from quite bad acid reflux over the years and have found that there has been an improvement in this area too.

Best wishes

[Scubadoc 3lbs]

I have done the 5:2 and found it effective , if hard going. I was lucky in that I fasted on days at work , which helped. My son in law is good at fasting but has NO idea of proper eating in between. You have to eat a healthy amount on the none fasting days, you cannot eat ''what you like''.

[bikegrrrl 1lb in reply to Scubadoc]

" You have to eat a healthy amount on the none fasting days, you cannot eat ''what you like'' "

Oh dang.

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to bikegrrrl]

Lol 🤣. Strangely though, I find after a Very Low Calorie day my appetite seems to shrink, so I don’t go overboard.

[Scubadoc 3lbs in reply to IndigoBlue61]

You have not met my son in law, he defies nature.

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Scubadoc]

Sounds as if he is a typical yo-yo dieter, and until he achieves a good balance any weight loss will be difficult and temporary ☹️ Very sad

[Scubadoc 3lbs in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Yes , and he knows that his father died an early death as a result of obesity related cardiac death.

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Scubadoc]

Sad ☹️

[S11m]

I do Intermittent Fasting 20:4... but it takes weeks or months to transition into it. See The "Fasting and Furious" forum here on Health Unlocked for different fasting options.

He is my post re (starting) fasting:

healthunlocked.com/fasting-...

[miamia]

Hi, Not tried the 5.2 myself, But I work with someone who does. All I can say is on the fasting days he looks grey.....has no energy, walks slowly in all not good from what I can see. Yes he has lost weight, but......at what cost...