The continuing thread for those of us following either the 5:2 diet or the alternate-day fasting diet.
The 5:2 diet was featured on Horizon in August 2012, and essentially requires you to fast for 2 non-consecutive days per week. The other 5 days, you can eat what you like, or approximately your TDEE (see explanation below). Alternate-day fasting is just how it sounds; you fast every other day. By "fasting", we mean that we keep our calorie consumption very low, around 500 calories on average for a woman, 600 for a man, on those days.
You'll find on these threads we use a number of acronyms. If you're new to the threads, or Mumsnet in general, they might not make much sense.
WOE/WOL = Way Of Eating/Way Of Life. We use this term instead of "diet" as many of us see this as something to do in the long term.
MFP = My Fitness Pal, a website many use for keeping track of the number of calories they're eating.
TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure, quantifies the number of calories you burn in a day. This measure is best estimated by scaling your Basal Metabolic Rate to your level of activity. TDEE is critical in tailoring your nutrition plan to desired fitness goals. Here is a link to a calculator to help you figure out how many calories you should be eating in a day.
ADF = Alternate-day Fasting, as it says on the tin, fasting every other day rather than 5:2.
Michael Mosley has recently unveiled a new website to accompany his new book on the subject. Please go check them out, as he's the whole reason most of us are here!
I know a number of people lurk on this thread, as this is currently quite popular. Please just jump in and post if you're new- we won't bite. Well, maybe on a fast day. 
You'll find a lot of support here.
Here is a list of links to get you started with this way of eating. Please let us know if you find a new article or some other information online:
First things first, here are links to some of our previous threads: most recent one before that another one!
Another thread which breadandwine has started is a good resource for some of the links and tips that get lost in these big threads. In addition to sharing links, we try to condense some of our top tips for fasting there. Keep in mind, we all do this differently, so these are just tips, not rules. This might be a good place to catch up with us if you're feeling a bit lost!
frenchfancy has a recipe thread over here, please post any low-calorie recipes there so they don't get lost in these bigger threads!
Here is the link to the BBC article regarding Michael Mosley's findings, which was featured on Horizon.
B&W has found a new link to the aforementioned Horizon programme here. If you're keen to see it, watch it soon, because BBC has been quick to find these copies and shut them down online. We're hoping they'll re-play it again soon. I know these threads are popular, maybe they'll read my request.
A blog post here gives some of the scientific explanation for why this way of eating helps you to not only lose weight, but improve your all-around health.
A Telegraph article which comments on the diet and gives a brief overview.
A study discussed here gives commentary specifically addressing the effect of this diet on obese people (both men and women), with regard to both health and weight loss. ("After 8 weeks of treatment, participants had an average 12.5 lbs reduction in body weight and a 4 cm decrease in waist circumference. Total fat mass declined by about 12 lbs while lean body mass remained relatively constant.) it also mentions "Plasma adiponectin, a protein hormone that is elevated in obesity and associated with heart disease, dropped by 30%. As did LDL cholesterol (25%) and triglycerides (32%).")
Something to consider if you are currently your ideal BMI: this appears to suggest the benefits for women at a lower BMI might not be seeing the same health benefits that are found on men at their ideal BMI.
Another food link, here is a link to the BBC Good Food site, with a list of low-calorie soups.
A BIG THANK YOU to all who have been contributing, btw. Most of us are learning this way of eating as we go along. All of the links above have been posted by others in our previous threads, and they've been very helpful. Sorry if I haven't given credit where it's due, but it was just enough of a job getting all the links re-copied and back into one post.
Come join us, and tell us about your experiences with this diet!
Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.
Fasting / 5:2 diet
5:2 Diet Thread! 12! Cheaper by the dozen!
GreenEggsAndNichts · 08/02/2013 10:09
Ok so ive put this rather than leave it on the old thread as i could really do with some motivation...
Well after my 1st week done, my 2 fast days went well, I jumped on scales (in Boots so paid for the privilege) and 
...no change! I have stuck ridgidly to the plan, even done 2 high impact fitness classes. My BMI is 21.2 tho i'd like to lose 7lbs as well as a few inches as my waist/hip ratio is bad (ie waist too big for my hips). I suffer with the cold a lot so on fast days it was even worse, but the thought of the benefits spurred me on. I know its silly but i thought i would see some difference...
Any inspiring stories out there to give me hope that it will work please ??
So I was sitting here, looking at car hire sites, and thought I'd check the 5:2 thread (as I might obsessively do whenever I'm online 
). whew.
Welcome to the new thread!
I second TIP's post regarding calorie consumption over the course of a week. Many diets focus on daily caloric intake, but (I think) it's really best to keep an eye on your average over several days. It's very natural if you think about it- some days you might have more food than other days. You might have a drink or two with friends one day, and have a busy day at work where you forget to eat on another. There's no reason to force yourself to eat if you aren't hungry one day, because it's very likely that you'll find yourself wanting to make up for that another day.
When we bring up TDEE, that is really for a general guideline, to bring some of us who have been eating too much (or too little, if serial dieters) back to the amount which our bodies need on an average day. We don't always, every non-fast day NEED to eat TDEE. But it's something to aim for, generally. Especially if your previous consumption might have been far higher than that.
It's also to give a general idea, as many people read "eat what you like on non-fast days" to be a challenge. It's not a 5-day buffet and 2 fasting days. Or, well, it could be, but you're unlikely to lose weight for long that way. Depends on your starting weight, of course.
Mintyy that's great, re: your DH. Mine's been doing this with me ever since I told him about it, and he's had great success as well. I don't ask his weight (because then he might ask me mine 
and I'm not ready to go there) but he's definitely slimmer.
My weight is finally coming down again, and I'm very pleased with that. We're off on holiday next week, I'll try to get a fast in, and probably a few half-fasts. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to some seafood.
Artemis - I think you need to give it longer than a week quite honestly! Also, you already have a low bmi, its not like you have handfuls of flubber to lose like some of us 
.
My dh, who has lost 20ish pounds in nearly 6 months (1lb a week), for instance, is around 3 - 4 stone overweight. Its hard to tell because he's a very tall bloke, but he needs to get down from 18 stone to 15 or under.
just marking place
fast day yesterday and the one thing i craved was a beer - non fast day today and haven't eaten yet as not hungry BUT am still craving that bloody beer! got a feeling that whatever we feel we've deprived ourselves sits in our minds as an unfulfilled desire till we give in. bit like sweetener setting up an expectation of sugar that won't rest till it's satisfied.
mamamoomin2 I too have developed a sweet tooth since having my second daughter, before I was never really a chocolate person.....now I love it! I am not sure about the hot chocolate question but I'm sure one every so often can't be so bad? I enjoy the occasional hot chocolate in work on a fast day
Weigh in today and after staying the same for a few weeks I have lots another 2lb this week
though i am now wondering where my tape measure is and if i'm brave enough to take some measurements 
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