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Fasting / 5:2 diet

5:2 and low-carb - what's the best way to start?

3 replies

LokiTheCynicalCat · 30/07/2013 12:22

Hi all! I started my first Fast Day yesterday, and it went well enough. I forgot just how much green veg fills you up and I couldn't finish my 270 cal evening meal!

Anyway I'm still trying to drop the baby weight and my baby is 10 months old. After Christmas I started a very low carb diet, went into ketosis and dropped 4-5kgs the first month, buti only lasted 6 weeks (then Easter, visitors, teething, holidays, norovirus, sleep regression, more teething all got in the way)! I lost 7kgs and haven't put it back on, but I have another 10kgs to go.

I know with low carbing that loading up on the fat in the first week is the way to go in order to get your body to switch fuel sources from carbs to fat, but I don't know if 5:2 is supposed to be a good start to low-carb weight loss as you can't take in much fat on your fast days. Does it inhibit the early weight loss?

Should I concentrate on low-carb for the first week and then bring in 5:2, or is it ok to go straight into a fast day regime and presume the ketosis will kick in later and the weight loss will catch up?

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plecofjustice · 30/07/2013 16:13

Remember you will probably go into ketosis at some point on a fast day low carb or not, assuming you don't eat 5cal an hour each hour or something silly like that.

I'd say, don't make it too complicated. Cut down on carbs if that suits you (it suited me) but don't preload on fats, just fast and eat what you like within the fasting parameters. Most people who do it long-term seem to go low carb anyway,

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LokiTheCynicalCat · 30/07/2013 16:32

Thank you for that, that's helpful and reassuring.

Thanks

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TrucksAndDinosaurs · 31/07/2013 17:09

I think it's easier if your body has already switched to fat burning mode as you are less hungry and don't have the carb/sweet cravings to contend with. Many low carb people end up naturally skipping meals anyway as not hungry - it's easier to follow your body and natural hunger signals if you're not crashing up and down on insulin surges caused by sugary carbs.

I low car bed for a week and got past low carb flu/shitty stage then started 5:2; I now low carb/primal all the time (under 60g a day, sometimes lower than 20g) and fast once or twice a week, skip breakfast and exercise first thing then eat lunch early, mix it up a bit.

Good luck.

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