Started the 5:2 Diet Today

[milovany]

Shelly, I haven't bought a book.  I did check one out from the library, but even that was not necessary.  The basics are given above -- two days a week, eat ~500 calories.  On the other days, you're free to eat normally (although many say they find they make better choices, and eat a bit less also, on those "feast" days).  That's pretty much it.  You can probably find a bunch of information at one of the websites: http://the5-2dietbook.com/. There's an introductory video on the homepage. 

 

Joy of Six, I think the idea is there's a bit more to it than straight calorie reduction   The underlying thought is that it does a body good to rest from digestion a couple of days a week. There are more benefits being ned than just weight loss as a result. 

 

Side note:  For those that are Christian (and I totally understand that this is not a Christian-based program, I just find this tidbit interesting), it's interesting to note that fasting two days a week was a practice of the early church (and from what I understood when I asked about this on this board recently, also the practice in the Jewish faith). The Didache is an early writing from the church fathers (first century, while the apostles were still alive) and in it it says, "Fast on the fourth day (Wednesday) and the Preparation (Friday)." Fasting this way means something a little bit different in this context (restriction from certain food groups), but many also limit calorie intake on these days as well.

[umsami]

Shelly, I haven't bought a book.  I did check one out from the library, but even that was not necessary.  The basics are given above -- two days a week, eat ~500 calories.  On the other days, you're free to eat normally (although many say they find they make better choices, and eat a bit less also, on those "feast" days).  That's pretty much it.  You can probably find a bunch of information at one of the websites: http://the5-2dietbook.com/. There's an introductory video on the homepage. 

 

Joy of Six, I think the idea is there's a bit more to it than straight calorie reduction   The underlying thought is that it does a body good to rest from digestion a couple of days a week. There are more benefits being ned than just weight loss as a result. 

 

Side note:  For those that are Christian (and I totally understand that this is not a Christian-based program, I just find this tidbit interesting), it's interesting to note that fasting two days a week was a practice of the early church (and from what I understood when I asked about this on this board recently, also the practice in the Jewish faith). The Didache is an early writing from the church fathers (first century, while the apostles were still alive) and in it it says, "Fast on the fourth day (Wednesday) and the Preparation (Friday)." Fasting this way means something a little bit different in this context (restriction from certain food groups), but many also limit calorie intake on these days as well.

 

On a side note, it is Sunnah (practice/tradition of the Prophet Muhammad) to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, so many Muslims do that.  Now, with a Muslim fast there is no food or drink from sunrise to sunset…but still, similar idea. :)

[milovany]

Cool, I didn't know that.  Thanks, umsami. That just adds to my slight chuckle at the statement above that this is a "new" diet.  It's been around for thousands of years. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

I think this would work but depends on how much you are eating to start with.  I did some calculations.  I eat 1800 kcal/day so 12,600 a week.  If I did 2000 a day and then 500 for 2 days I'd get 11,800 week.  An 800 calorie deficit a week would take me a month to lose a pound.  Obviously if you are eating more you'd lose faster.  It's like everything else, what works for one may not work for another.  It does seem like a way to reduce calories without impacting daily life too much.  It also seems quite safe as long as you are making healthy choices on the low calorie day.  A couple eggs for breakfast, low calorie veg soup for lunch and lean meat and giant salad is all good and easily can be done for 500 calories.  I would think it's only a problem to do this if you are insulin dependent or on a very specialized diet for a health problem.

 

 

Actually, if your maintenance cals is 2,000/day then you need 14,000/week.

Fasting for 2 days = 1,000 cals

other 5 days = 10,000 cals

Total = 3,000 cal deficit

 

Now, if you knock the maintenance days down to 1,900 cals then you are looking at one pound per week.

 

BUT, I am not sure that it works exactly like that....something about eating in intervals makes you burn more fat than you normally would eating the same amount of cals per day.

[milovany]

BUT, I am not sure that it works exactly like that....something about eating in intervals makes you burn more fat than you normally would eating the same amount of cals per day.

 

Thinking of this and my comment above, I found this at the 5-2 website: "This restriction makes changes to how your body repairs itself which may help prevent diseases including heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, type 2 diabetes and cancer."

[Ann.without.an.e]

I've been reading this discussion and this is the first I've ever heard about this new diet.  I have to ask, is it really safe to fast if you're on any medication?  Doesn't medication need food to digest properly?  Even vitamins or supplements?  I worry about that as well as the thought that you might be triggering your body to think it's starving, therefore reversing any weight loss eventually.  Isn't that what happened with the Atkins diet?  They've been saying for decades that that's the problem with dieting.  you may have initial weight loss, but if your body decides it's starving, it will start storing whatever you eat as fat.  What does the book say about all this?

 

No judgement.  Just curiosity. :)

 

The science behind short spurts of fasting is that it takes 72+hours for your body to start hoarding your fat/cutting your metabolism.  You are tricking your body by only fasting 2-3 non-consecutive days a week, with higher cal days in between.  I am new to the 5:2 but I did intermittent fasting in the past.  I think it actually improves your metabolism, compared with sticking to a 1200 cal/day sort of diet.  Your body is accustomed to burning higher for more cals and then.... bam, you restrict, forcing it to burn fat, then you eat normal cals the next day, then you fast, etc, etc.

[Ann.without.an.e]

I just found out yesterday that I'm on the very low end of insulin resistant. Does anyone do this and have that problem? Is it safe to do? My a1c was 5.7, which is 0.1 above normal.  Thanks!

 

 

That, I have no idea about.  I will say that I once had some crazy blood sugar issues that would have killed a fast.  After I switched to a paleo style diet (which stabilizes the insulin ups and downs), I have been able to do intermittent fasting with no problem.  I fasted yesterday I wasn't that hungry and I wasn't sick, shaky, miserable like I was in the past.  I think if you are eating cake and french fries on your feast days and you have insulin issues then those fast days are going to be terrible.  I am eating lower carb & paleo even on the higher cal days. Just my two cents.

[umsami]

I just found out yesterday that I'm on the very low end of insulin resistant. Does anyone do this and have that problem? Is it safe to do? My a1c was 5.7, which is 0.1 above normal.  Thanks!

 

In the original BBC program (which you can sometimes find online, and is also sometimes shown on PBS), Michael Mosley's insulin usage improved.  That was part of his motives for trying it as he has a family history of diabetes.  So, based on that, I would assume this could help.

 

Another thing to try is simply walking 30 minutes after dinner.  Doing that has been shown to improve fasting blood glucose…which should translate into a modest improvement in HbA1c. :)

[Ann.without.an.e]

I just found out yesterday that I'm on the very low end of insulin resistant. Does anyone do this and have that problem? Is it safe to do? My a1c was 5.7, which is 0.1 above normal.  Thanks!

 

 

 

From Sarah Ballantyne's site (The Paleo Mom)

 

What are the benefits of Intermittent Fasting?  The benefits of intermittent fasting can be inferred from the effects of autophagy.  However, more and more scientific studies are being conducted to confirm the effects of Intermittent Fasting and also isolate the optimal strategy for putting it into practice.  Many of the benefits listed below have not been directly tested in humans using Intermittent Fasting; however, there is either strong evidence from animal studies or evidence from studies of autophagy itself, combined with anecdotal evidence to support these claims.  The benefits of Intermittent Fasting include:

1. Increasing lifespan. 
2. Increasing insulin sensitivity, which has many health benefits in and of itself.  Of interest, the resulting increase in insulin signaling in the brain is thought to be how fasting/calorie restriction works to increase lifespan.
3. Lowering blood lipids, triglycerides and other markers of metabolic syndrome.
4. Fighting/preventing cancer.  There is also some evidence that fasting before chemotherapy treatments can help reduce the negative side effects. 
5. Increasing growth hormone secretion (which builds muscle and burns fat).
6. Normalizing expression of the hunger hormone ghrelin, thereby reducing appetite.
7. Promoting brain and peripheral nervous system health by increasing neuronal plasticity and promoting neurogenesis, which has a large variety of effects such as boosting mood, memory, and mental clarity.
8. Increasing dopamine production, thereby boosting mood and increasing anticipation and response to rewards (meaning we get more enjoyment from less food). 
9. Increasing energy through regulating metabolic hormones.