5/2 fasting - discuss . . .

[khushy]

Very interesting documentary on telly on monday about the health benefits of a 5/2 fasting regime - I am not going to call it a diet.

I think I could easily do this as the days I go cycling I hardly eat anything, as I will be sick if I do!

600 cals on teh 2 x days off.

Discuss please . . .

[LordGrover]

This: click?
Typical Horizon of late, nothing new or ground breaking.
IF has been utilised by many for years with a degree of success for most.

[dave_s13]

I saw this and thought it was interseting.

I tried to skip my main meal last night to see how it felt but at 9pm I cracked and had a lamb shank that was in the fridge

What does 600 cals look like, out of interest.

My usual lunch is:-

- 4x Wholegrain Ryvita
- 125g can mackeral in tom sauce
- Fruit (apple, orange, banana, other random thing).

Is that ^600 cals?

[LordGrover]

I'd guess lower, maybe 500 kcals? Easy enough to check with online kcal tools.

[LordGrover]

Now I've seen the program, I find I was a little too eager to write it off. My apologies OP.

It was interesting and while I still don't believe there was much new in it, it made some connections I'd not seen/read before. Worth a watch if you've tried IF and not got on with it.

[Hugo a Gogo]

I also saw this and thought "I can do that" (and I'm a right porker)
bloke at work had being going on previously about IF as well

so ate nothing from monday night, a kiwi during the day and a tiny tiny bit of muesli with another kiwi at about 4 - then normal dinner (veg soup) tuesday night

I'll have another 'fast' day tomorrow

[Flibble]

600 cals only just covers my breakfast. I'd be starved!

[Nimby]

LordGrover said:

... I still don't believe there was much new in it ...

Elsewhere people are criticising the program because there's not enough evidence it works yet. So at what point should Horizon report on something like this? First hypothesis, early trials, full clinical trials, accepted scientific theory, or Nobel Prize awarded?

[UncleRic]

My 60 y/o Dad called me on Wednesday night and rather excitedly told me that he'd fasted for two days after watching Horizon and would continue to do on a 5/2 basis.

I told him that eating pasties, chocolate, his packed lunch by 08:00, cheese sandwiches after dinner (before pudding) and salted peanuts and cake all day DID NOT count as fasting... but, he assure me he'd only had black tea and water all day, with no food until his single evening meal on both days and felt fine with it.

I'll make sure he re-watches the programme in a couple of weeks to keep his enthusiasm.

[Carrot]

Trying my fast day today - Have had a black coffee and some fruit salad earlier (total 360cals). Won't be eating again now until tomorrow.

[HonestIago]

Watched the programme with interest as I've been fasting in some shape or form for the last 18 months or so. Never tried 5/2 though to me eating 600cals is not a "fast" like they discussed in the programme. However I do believe that such an underfeed has much of the benefits of fasting.

I have done Intermittent fasting, alternate day fasting (no food on fast days) but now prefer an over/underfeed approach following an intermittent fasting structure to my day. I usually fast at least 18hrs of each day and eat all my calories in the evening. I never have carbs until post-workout/late in the day. Through the day I drink lots of coffee (sometimes with a dash of milk) which hugely controls hunger/aids digestion. Calorie intake is roughly adjusted depending on how much I've eaten the previous day and if I've trained or not. If I've been in the gym I eat as much sugar/ice cream I want but I limit sugar on off days. If I massively over-eat, the following day I'll eat <1000 calories or sometimes nothing.

I believe I've found an approach that works very well for me in that it has benefits to health whilst working perfectly with my lifestyle, training and love of good food! I feel absolutely fantastic, am lean/strong and have perfect digestion even though I don't live on grilled chicken breasts and salad! I am completely sold on the health/longevity benefits of routine fasting in some shape or form.

It winds me up how much garbage is pedalled with regard to nutrition and health. Eating "bad" foods (cake, biscuits, ice cream etc) is not remotely bad for you providing you maintain good insulin sensitivity by fasting during the day and intake is commensurate with activity. At the moment I am working on my type 2-diabetic father who insists he needs cereal/toast in the morning and a roll/soup at lunch, followed by a large evening meal. He suffers with fatigue and digestive discomfort...wonder how much nagging it'll take?

Apologies for a somewhat rambling post, its a fascinating topic to me!

[HBFS]

I found the TV program quite interesting. Though it wasn't as professional or as well proven as I would have liked it to have been.
However, It did help me reach the conclusion that I could not fast. It's not for me.

Anyway, I've been dieting for 6 days now. Nothing special, just calorie restriction. My daily cap is 1200, I just eat any food so long as it doesn't go over the reasonable fat and carb restrictions. I'm getting more exercise (Aiming for 3 hours a week+) and eating healthier.
So far I've lost dead on 4 pounds, apparently I should only be loosing about 1.7 a week.

[Hoofy]

HBFS said:

I found the TV program quite interesting. Though it wasn't as professional or as well proven as I would have liked it to have been.
However, It did help me reach the conclusion that I could not fast. It's not for me.

Anyway, I've been dieting for 6 days now. Nothing special, just calorie restriction. My daily cap is 1200, I just eat any food so long as it doesn't go over the reasonable fat and carb restrictions. I'm getting more exercise (Aiming for 3 hours a week+) and eating healthier.
So far I've lost dead on 4 pounds, apparently I should only be loosing about 1.7 a week.

Dunno how much you have to lose but let us know if you hit a plateau. I did when I was eating so little while low carbing.

[Halb]

I plan to do this.

Aim for 600 on fast days.

As an example, looks to be a bowl of porridge/milk (around 350), a chicken breast- (170) and a banana (100) should be around it.

[LimaDelta]

Wow, not the usual PH negativity I expected. Everyone at home is trying this, might have to give it a go myself. Is it better to do the two days back-to-back or spread them across the week?

[bernhund]

I'm really interested in this as I'm someone who has never needed to diet AND if I found myself having to at some future stage of my life, would struggle. This is because I can eat for 2 and at 6ft 1 weigh only 11.5 stone! Having to cut down on food would be very difficult.
I know nothing about nutrition/protein/carbs etc so would have to study the 'fasting' lifestyle carefully. The last thing I need is to lose weight, but I do like the idea of potentially having fewer problems with age. Not bothered about living to 100 but would like a comfortable existence until I turn up my toes!
My average day consists of 3 poached eggs and a cup of tea(milk and 1)at 7.30a.m, by 11 a.m I'm starving, so into a cafe for cheese and ham omelette chips and beans and a coffee, in the evening it will be 2 chicken fillets grilled (or salmon),broccoli, spuds and runner beans or similar. 1 -2 glasses of red.
What do you think? How will I cope and not lose weight?

[HBFS]

bernhund said:

I'm really interested in this as I'm someone who has never needed to diet AND if I found myself having to at some future stage of my life, would struggle. This is because I can eat for 2 and at 6ft 1 weigh only 11.5 stone! Having to cut down on food would be very difficult.
I know nothing about nutrition/protein/carbs etc so would have to study the 'fasting' lifestyle carefully. The last thing I need is to lose weight, but I do like the idea of potentially having fewer problems with age. Not bothered about living to 100 but would like a comfortable existence until I turn up my toes!
My average day consists of 3 poached eggs and a cup of tea(milk and 1)at 7.30a.m, by 11 a.m I'm starving, so into a cafe for cheese and ham omelette chips and beans and a coffee, in the evening it will be 2 chicken fillets grilled (or salmon),broccoli, spuds and runner beans or similar. 1 -2 glasses of red.
What do you think? How will I cope and not lose weight?

I know a few people like this, I wouldn't bother with fasting. Just eat good quality food within a balanced diet and you'll be just fine!


ETA When I say people like this, I mean people who eat a lot and have no visceral fat etc.
I can just imagine your build as I'm 5ft 5 and weighed 12 stone and I was only slightly over BMI!

Edited by HBFS on Saturday 11th August 19:34

[Halb]

bernhund said:

I'm really interested in this as I'm someone who has never needed to diet AND if I found myself having to at some future stage of my life, would struggle. This is because I can eat for 2 and at 6ft 1 weigh only 11.5 stone! Having to cut down on food would be very difficult.

Go to a docs and check the cholesterol levels and all that (sugar etc) and see if you need to.
The guy in the show was in his 50s? And although didn't look that bad he was unhealthy, you just couldn't see it.
He has done shows on high intensity exercise before.

[bernhund]

Halb said:

bernhund said:

I'm really interested in this as I'm someone who has never needed to diet AND if I found myself having to at some future stage of my life, would struggle. This is because I can eat for 2 and at 6ft 1 weigh only 11.5 stone! Having to cut down on food would be very difficult.

Go to a docs and check the cholesterol levels and all that (sugar etc) and see if you need to.
The guy in the show was in his 50s? And although didn't look that bad he was unhealthy, you just couldn't see it.
He has done shows on high intensity exercise before.

Had that checked out fairly recently and all was well, however my Dad has late onset diabetes and ticker problems. It would be foolish of me not to keep an eye on it, but I got the impression from the documentary that 'fasting' could create problems depending on your own metabolism etc?

[Hoofy]

bernhund said:

Had that checked out fairly recently and all was well, however my Dad has late onset diabetes and ticker problems. It would be foolish of me not to keep an eye on it, but I got the impression from the documentary that 'fasting' could create problems depending on your own metabolism etc?

Why does your dad have these health issues?