The 5:2 Diet – What Is It?

Firstly, what is the “5:2 diet”?

The 5:2 diet is a popular diet that is based on the concept of intermittent fasting. This is a method of eating in which you eat normally at certain times and then you also fast for the remaining time.

It’s easy to understand:

• You eat normally for 5 days of the week.

• Then fast on the remaining days.

Fast days do not need to be together, they may be spaced out if this is an easier option for the individual. Fasting most certainly doesn’t mean you do not eat, just reduce your calorie account. On average you should be aiming for 500 calories for Women, and 600 for Men.

The Breakdown:

For the 5 ‘non-fasting’ days you can essentially eat what you like. Kind of.

However ‘eat what you want’ isn’t the same as ‘eat as much as you can fit in’. Fasting for two days of the week will cut the calories that you are eating by around 3000-3500 a week (around 1 pound of fat). If you are eating to compensate the calories you missed out on then you will be cancelling it all out. Most find that this doesn’t happen and on the non-fasting days, you are more mindful of what you are eating and have learned how much we need to satisfy our cravings.

Many of us find that exercising whilst fasting has no negative effects. However, the more vigorous exercise should be advised for your non-fasting days when you have more energy. If a person is feeling too weak or tired then exercise should be left until you are feeling better to avoid injury. If you burn 500 calories at the gym then this doesn’t mean that you have an extra 500 calories to eat for the rest of the day.

Research in Health benefits of intermittent fasting:

Research all points to benefits in this way of dieting, with those headlines below:

• Reduced body weight by more than 5kg

• Reduced body mass by 3.5 kg without altering muscle mass

• Reduced blood triglycerides by 20%

• Increased LDL

• Reduced CRP (inflammation marker)

• Decreased leptin by 40%.