Fasting 5/2

I have been on the 2/5 fasting diet for around 3 months now and I have come down from 90kg to around 83.5kg.  Perhaps I should expand on what the diet means in simple terms, I say that as I forget the benefits that I have read about. It is well worth getting the book and giving it a go and I will try and elaborate as to why I recommend it.

To begin with the diet involves restricting the calorie intake to 600 and 500 for men and women respectively, this equates to about a quarter of the intake you require.  The 2 refers to your choice of 2 non-consecutive days when you restrict your diet and the 5 is the rest when you can eat what you wish.  The most useful thing about this diet is that you can fit it around your social life it is not so restrictive and critical that you keep to a regime day after day for months on end.  More importantly it works, it is amazing given the lack of self control that I have exercised on my off days but the weight comes off and it stays off.

The book I read here is very interesting, in essence it is co-written by the TV presenter/doctor Michael Mosley and food journalist Mimi Spencer.  My personal opinion is that the Doc is good and the Journalist is spouting drivel, that is unkind I know but that is how I felt when I read it.  I don't want the information dressed up I just want clear and balanced information.  Don't let the suggested menus put you off, I would very much stick with practical convenient food that has a recognised calorie count.  This desire to have variety for what are two separate days in your week is fair enough but I generally stick to the same format for those days which is yogurt, black tea and 4 egg omelette.  Occasionally when I have been travelling I have popped into an M&S to get a pasta meal that falls under 400 calories, but beware this is difficult to find due to the misleading labeling that does not tell you the true calorie count for the meal.  You generally need to do some arithmetic to work out the content from the portion described on the label.  There is lots of great medical/science benefits, most of which I have forgotten so I will need to re-read the book. In essence time spent fasting allows the body to devote its resources elsewhere.

Despite the enthusiasm of the book about the effects of the diet I have not felt more alive, energetic or somehow sharper that before.  I think psychologically I have felt better because I can see the results and it works and I am much happier that this is the case.  I did think I would be less energetic or that there might be other side effects but in essence no.  If you are a healthy adult with no underlying conditions then you are fine, you can exercise and feel fine.  The most noticeable effect is that I pass water a lot more frequently when I am on the diet.  More to the point I absorb the water when I go out for a subsequent drink and do not pass water as readily as before.  Nice to talk about that eh?  Anyway, the point is that water retention can account for around 2kgs of movement in my case.  It is well not to be disheartened when the weight bounces back up as this is temporary.

The biggest challenge for me is the bit where I have to get through lunchtime without eating, by that stage my stomach is usually empty and mentally I am programmed to expect food.  It is a battle and often it is a case of, well what else do I do at lunchtime if not eat?  You can split the 600 calories into smaller portions to have a regular bite throughout the day but I think the fast is more effective the longer you leave it between meals.  Other side effects I have noticed is that I am feeling full a lot quicker on the off days, in fact if I overdo it then I feel nauseous,  I am now consciously taking smaller portions and regularly having my tea black, you get used to it.

I have to add that I still misbehave and have plenty of 'bad' things but it is open season on the off days and the weight is still coming off,  If I were better disciplined then perhaps it would go quicker!

A tip, and perhaps it is obvious really, don't have a drinking session before a planned fast day, that is too hardcore and a mistake I have made today in fact.  It is better to get the fast day out of the way first or leave it until at least a clear day after the drinking to allow a recovery.  I broke my fast today but plan to do either Friday or Saturday instead.  I have more often brought my day forward to Wednesday instead of Thursday (Monday is my other day)  I think it is more effective again when you have just one day between fasts but then that requires a little more willpower too,

One last point for now, beware the office cakes and biscuits.  It is a little anti social at times but then it is usually only a matter of holding out for a few hours extra and then you can have that cake.  I have found it easier to hold on in the evening despite the challenge of lunchtime.

I would recommend it to anyone, it is easier than you might think to stick too.