My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

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

The 5:2 thread number 37 - Having our cake (batter off the spoon: 15 calories per lick - thanks MFP!) and eating it too (tomorrow).

999 replies

BetsyBell · 22/01/2014 16:25

The continuing thread for those of us following the 5:2 fast or other forms of fasting such as 4:3, ADF, or daily 16:8.

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 normally - or approximately your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE - see explanation below). 4:3 is the same except you fast on 3 days in the week. Alternate-day fasting (ADF) is just how it sounds; you fast every other day. 16:8 is another form where you stick to only eating in an 8 hour window each day, therefore fasting for 16 hours each 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 or app 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 TDEE calculator to help you figure out how many calories you should be eating in a day.

NFD = Non fast day

NSV/LSV = Non scale victory/Lifestyle (change) victory

Michael Mosley has a website to accompany his book on the subject. Please go check it out, as he's the whole reason most of us are here!

Lurkers and new starters: please just jump in and post - you'll find a lot of support here and we’re a friendly bunch.

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:

Other Threads
All our previous threads can be found by browsing through the fasting section of the site.

Tips and Links : Another thread which breadandwine has started is a good resource for some of the tips and links 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!

Inspirational: eatriskier’s thread has some lovely inspiring stories which are worth checking out if you want some motivation to get started or keep going through a plateau. Please add your own too.

Recipes: frenchfancy has a recipe thread over here, please post any low-calorie recipes there so they don't get lost in these bigger threads!

Exercise: bigchocfrenzy has an incredibly informative and helpful exercise and fitness thread for discussion and advice on combining 5:2 with an exercise regime.

Maintaining: If you've been at this a while and are moving on to maintaining your goal weight, there is a thread here to discuss that.

Other links
This is a BBC article regarding Michael Mosley's findings, which was featured on Horizon - link to that programme here.

This Telegraph article comments on the diet and gives a brief overview by Dr Mosley himself, very informative if you're just starting.

This blog post 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.

This link nicely demonstrates that there are many body ‘right’ body shapes and types, because what we are actually aiming for is low body fat for fitness and health.

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 article 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. (Though anecdotal evidence from these long-running threads may suggest otherwise…)

A BIG THANK YOU to all who have been contributing. 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.

A HUGE THANK YOU to Greeneggsandnicht for putting together all this info and resources into one concise OP text, much appreciated by so many 5:2ers!

Come join us, and tell us about your experiences with this way of life!

OP posts:
Report
ELR · 22/01/2014 16:31

Ooh I'm first!?,

Report
ELR · 22/01/2014 16:32

Sorry will now go back and fill up the old thread!! Thanks betsy

Report
frenchfancy · 22/01/2014 17:04

Thread 37 already, my that was quick. Well done Betsy

Report
MrsFlorrick · 22/01/2014 17:31

ThanksThanks
Back later.

Report
BigChocFrenzy · 22/01/2014 17:34

Phew, I blinked and found we've nearly filled thread 36.
Thanks Betsy
Flowers Wine

Report
RavenousRunner · 22/01/2014 17:52

Hello all, fancy meeting you here!

Report
AngieM2 · 22/01/2014 18:32

Marking place. Love the title.

Report
TalkinPeace · 22/01/2014 21:52

tee hee

Report
vvviola · 22/01/2014 22:15

Marking my place. Lunch with DH might be cancelled because of work pressures so am a few hours into my FD now :)

Report
farrowandballs · 22/01/2014 23:35

Marking place. Been ill in hospital - am fine and recovering but not gonna fast for a couple weeks but I enjoy the thread so will be lurking.

Report
BigChocFrenzy · 22/01/2014 23:38

Farrow Hope you'll soon be 100% fighting fit again and FDing with us !
Flowers

Report
hopefulgum · 23/01/2014 00:27

marking my place, will post on old thread.

Report
DottiestDoris · 23/01/2014 06:49

Marking my place having just posted on previous post about being stupid and giving myself a hangover when it's an fd today. D'oh.

Report
ShyGirlie · 23/01/2014 06:55

so happy im posting on both threads cos i wont get back online for a while (work)


just weighed - 4lb off!!! hurrah!!! FD here i come in high spirits!!Smile Grin

Report
Eatriskier · 23/01/2014 07:07

Thanks for betsy for the thread and farrow to get better soon

Well done shy.

Not so well done doris Wink

Report
mscnile · 23/01/2014 07:37

Just updated on old thread, they seem to be filling up faster and faster!
Good luck Thursday fasters!
Thanks for new thread Betsy.

Report
Southeastdweller · 23/01/2014 08:25

Love, love, love the title Betsy, one reason of several why this WOL is so wonderful Smile.

Report
BetsyBell · 23/01/2014 08:30

Get well soon farrow x

Just tidied up the old thread so post post post away!

So, who's fasting today?

Oh dotty, this is going to be a tough one for you.

I'd love to know who weighed a lick of cake batter to get the calorie count!

OP posts:
Report
zedzedzed · 23/01/2014 08:35

Thanks for the new thread betsy.

toffee I don't know you and I'm new here, but can I just say...I'm so proud of you if iyswim! It sounds like this has been a hard fought battle that you're finally winning...which also gives me great hope! Well done you!

And well done shy

2nd FD of the week for me, harder than usual because it's totm and I know there are still cupcakes left. I only want sugar at my totm, the rest of the time I've got no interest really and would rather have cheese-related salty goods.

Help! What can I eat for dinner on a FD when, for once, all I want is sweetness!?!?! I have nothing in my cupboards for that...cous cous, salad, veg, salmon, soup...I don't want any of that good stuff...I want crap sugar; I don't want good chocolate...just crud.

I know this will pass in just a few hours and I will try to wait it out. I think I will eat a lot of bubblegum and drink gallons of buttermint tea today.

I will not break. Determined Grin

Report
zedzedzed · 23/01/2014 08:40

Ha...love the title betsy I think I was just shocked and also a little relieved to find others as mad as me had counted 'licked the spoon' and put it on MFP...and then Toffee confirmed our collective madness by counting one sprout!

Now, they just need to add 'accidental moderate lickage of fingers while making toddler toast and peanut butter, crunchy'

Report
BetsyBell · 23/01/2014 08:53

Zed That would be a good one! '1 heaped spoon of nutella furtively scoffed whilst no one is looking' would be appropriate for me at times Grin

Mind you, I worked out a few threads ago the calorie count for 1 chunk of roasted butternut squash so the madness takes us all! Sometimes I imagine us all looking at things like in Sherlock but with the calorie counts flashing up instead of clues.

OP posts:
Report
Breadandwine · 23/01/2014 09:09

Thanks, Betsy!

Only our lovely Toffee could be embarrassed about announcing her weight loss on these threads!

Bloody well done, girl! FlowersFlowersFlowersFlowersFlowers

You need to celebrate this with a bingey weekend! You deserve it!

And don't forget to give yourself an extra sprout!

Grin

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

ErrolTheDragon · 23/01/2014 09:24

I noticed how often I was saying I was a 'white tea addict' so this morning started the day with a couple of mugs of hot water and then two black coffees - one before shred, the other before my extra planks and inclined press-ups. Usually I hate black coffee, but DH had a taster pack from Whittards at xmas, the strength 2 Costa Rica was too mild for him but is drinkable black. The second mug I added a dash of cinnamon and it was almost pleasant.

Report
almostthereagain · 23/01/2014 09:27

Well done toffee shygirl & hopeful Hope I haven't missed anybody, I think I'm going to start taking notes when I catch up on the thread!
Thanks betsy Love the Sherlock ideaGrin
Am 1/4 lb off pre Christmas weight this am so after 3 weeks of healthy/mindful eating & not shifting anything I have lost almost all 4lbs excess in 2 proper fasts Yay me (sorry) Blush
Any advice as to how best to proceed today. Post 2nd fast, still not hungry since eating at 5pm last night. Should I put off or have b'fast?
Happy fasting thursday fasters.

Report
AngieM2 · 23/01/2014 09:27

I'm fasting today but dont fancy it really. Thursday fasts are so much harder, especially when you've only had one NFD inbetween. Plus, woke up with a sore throat so will see how it goes. Plus, weighed in and gained the one pound since yesterday which has pissed me off! I know, I know, dont weigh every day (slaps self across face). I need to stop moaning, turn phone off, walk upstairs to gym class and get on with it!

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.