5: 2 Diet: Fasting Effortlessness?

1. I've talked about fasting many times on this blog, mainly because I'm such a fan of it and the benefits are clearly underscored by science too. However, in order to give you a detailed assessment of the fasting diet - where I opted for the so-called 5: 2 diet - it was necessary to put it into action first. You can read about my experience in the article below.

1. If you've ever heard of the 5: 2 diet, you probably also know that this diet was created by Dr. Michael Mosely, who published his original book on fasting in 2013. The book was a natural follow-up to his BBC fasting program.

2. If you've heard of the 5: 2 diet, you probably also know that this diet was created by Dr. Michael Mosely, who published his original book on fasting in 2013. The book was a natural follow-up to his BBC fasting program.

1. The principle of the diet is remarkably simple:

1. You eat very few calories for two days a week, and eat whatever you want on the other five.

1. Scientific studies on fasting have shown that fasting can not only help shed pounds, but also lower your risk of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

The benefits of the fast diet

1. Most people following the 5: 2 diet are in a calorie deficit, which is vital for weight loss. Such a deficit simply means that you are burning more calories than you consume. By following two fasting days a week when you only eat 500 to 600 calories, you end up taking in a lot less energy over a whole week. Now you can of course assume that you will eat a little more on the other days, but there is still no real compensation. Let me illustrate this with an example.

1. Let's take as an example a woman who needs 2,500 calories a day to maintain her weight.

1. A normal diet would involve consuming 2500 calories per day. That's a total weekly calorie intake of 17,500.

1. On the fast diet, however, she eats 500 calories two days a week, and maybe a little extra, say 2750 kcal on the other days. That equates to 14,750 calories per week.

1. This creates a 2750 calorie deficit over a period of one week - enough to lose half a kilo every 9 to 10 days.

1. As discussed above, you don't fast on the fast days completely - you still eat 500-600 calories. Personally, I think this is a very good idea because it makes the diet easier to maintain and also encourages people to make better choices regarding their diet. The basis of your fast day should therefore be fruit and vegetables, supplemented with some lean protein sources.

2. As discussed above, you don't fast on the fast days completely - you still eat 500-600 calories. Personally, I think this is a very good idea, because it makes the diet easier to maintain and also encourages people to make better choices regarding their diet. The basis of your fast day should therefore be fruit and vegetables, supplemented with some lean protein sources.

1. If you only have 600 calories to play with, what are you going to eat?

1. For 600 calories you can consume, for example, a Mars, a small bag of chips and a coffee with milk. Or you can choose:

1. - A small piece of chicken breast, 2 boiled eggs, an apple, a green smoothie, a serving of mixed berries, and a huge salad with spinach, kale, cucumber, celery, tomatoes and carrot.]

1. Both options contain the same calories, but let's face it, if you have to survive a full day on a Mars and a bag of chips, even the biggest food addict will choose Option 1. 99% of people will choose the most nutritious choice in this case.

1. You might think that a lack of food on your fast days will lead to a huge feeling of hunger. But nothing could be further from the truth - in fact, the fast diet can help you control your hunger.

2. You might think that a lack of food on your fast days will lead to an enormous feeling of hunger. But nothing could be further from the truth - in fact, the fast diet can help you control your hunger.

1. Your body adapts easily and we only really get hungry at certain times, because we have an internal biological clock, which we have programmed to expect food at a certain time. For example, we wake up every day of our lives and automatically start having breakfast. We have a snack between breakfast and lunch. Lunch is usually about 6am after breakfast. We then consume dinner after the same interval, possibly with a different snack in between. Day in, day out, we repeat this process so that our body expects something to eat at specific times.

1. However, in a few weeks, your body will adjust to the new regimen, and fasting will become the norm, meaning there is no more hunger.

2. In a few weeks, however, your body will adjust to the new regimen, and fasting will become the norm, meaning no more hunger pangs.

1. In addition, it is your instinct to panic when you are hungry and there is nothing to eat at the time, or you are on a fast diet and you are not allowed to eat. This feeling of panic is normal because we are programmed to forage for food to survive. In our current world, however, it is no longer necessary to experience these feelings of panic, because there is always an abundance of food around us. It is therefore useful to learn to deal with these feelings. In addition, hunger can often pass on its own. For example, it is normal to be very hungry a few hours after your last meal, but if you wait another hour after that, these hunger pangs will probably have disappeared.

1. The 5: 2 diet is much easier to follow than most other diet programs. Of course you will have to count calories on your fasting days, but for most of us this becomes automatic at some point. Moreover, you will soon find out that on your fasting days you will soon be choosing the same dishes, so you will quickly master counting calories after the first few weeks. [! 187717 => 1140 = 20!] Plus, calorie counting is incredibly easy with sites and apps like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer. Because you can also use your own dishes here, you are often ready after two minutes.

The Disadvantages of the 5: 2 Diet

1. Just like any other diet, the 5: 2 diet is not suitable for everyone. After all, everyone has a different lifestyle and personal preferences, and fasting may not fit in at all. For example, if you're a person who can't live without a big breakfast, fasting probably isn't for you. Diabetics should also be careful with the fasting diet, because fasting can cause the blood sugar level in these people to drop too much. So discuss it with your doctor first.

1. Despite the suggestion that your body will adapt to a different diet over time, you still have to get through this first. And believe me, this adaptation phase can be very tough at times.

1. This phase can last a week, but it can also be two, or even a month. Of course, with every diet there is a phase of adaptation, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but with the fasting diet it takes considerably longer because you only fast two days a week, so you still have 5 days of the week. retains old cartridges.

1. Of course I am not talking about the fast days themselves, after all you are only allowed to consume 500 to 600 calories here. What I'm talking about is the remaining 5 days. The chances of you stuffing yourself up may be small, but you can still undo a lot of good work when there is no control whatsoever on these days.

1. You will probably be doing just fine at the beginning of the diet, and you may be so motivated even on your normal days that you eat less than usual. However, as shown in the example earlier, most people eat slightly more than normal (or more than maintenance level) on the regular days, but this is not a problem because of the very low intake on the fasting days.

1. Nevertheless, there will be people who will see the regular days as a challenge to see how much they can possibly eat, without realizing that they will have the deficit they worked hard for on the fast days. completely undo it again. Also, there are many people who are simply unaware of the calories or how much they consume.

1. Several studies have already shown that people grossly underestimate their energy intake, sometimes by as much as 50%! Personally, I think you would do better to keep your portions under control on normal days and eat more fruits and vegetables.

My results

1. I followed the 5: 2 diet for three weeks. While you could say that this is too short to enjoy its many benefits, it is also true that I am already used to intermittent fasting as I do this regularly. So it was easier for me to start with.

1. Still it was more difficult than expected at the beginning. In this case, I had chosen to skip breakfast and lunch and consume all 600 kcal during dinner. I personally find this easier than two small meals that don't really satiate you. But what works best for you, you have to find out for yourself.

1. Although I had some trouble with daytime hunger during the first week, this was no longer a problem in the second week. In the evening I then ate a gigantic salad followed by a wrap with vegetables and hummus and some fruit. I ate this almost every day, and was completely satisfied for the rest of the evening.

1. In three weeks time I also lost 2.5 kilos, not bad at all! Please note; I also maintained a healthy diet on the regular days. I think this is the only way to keep your weight under control for a long time. Overall, after the first week, I felt best on the fast days. Definitely recommended!

Finally ...

1. Although it takes some getting used to, I am convinced that the 5: 2 diet is an ideal solution to their weight problem for many people. Actually, it is not a diet at all. You can eat whatever you want as long as you stick to your maximum on fast days. It may take a few weeks to get used to it, but it will really get easier and you will find yourself feeling better on your fast days than on your regular days. That is, as long as you also eat healthy.

1. I advise you to eat as much fruit and vegetables as possible, especially on fasting days, and to avoid fats and sugars as much as possible. This also keeps the sweet appetite under control. Moreover, it is the fats and sugars that contain the most energy, so that you can eat less volume. So avoid it!

1. I think the 5: 2 fast diet is highly recommended for people who want to lose excess pounds at a healthy pace and without too much effort!

1. Alanaragonblog.com/2009/11/22/wisdom-wisecracks/