Many people who would like to reduce their weight have two desires. These are to get quick results and to be able to eat all their favourite foods. They also do not want to feel deprived, hungry or hopeless.
The 5:2 diet (also called the Fast Diet) is an alternating diet, because there are 2 calorie constriction days and 5 eat 'normally' days. The 2 restricted days should be non-consecutive days for the best results. This diet has become one of the new trends in the weight loss world. There are several reasons for this including the lure of being able to eat your favourite foods most of the time and the ease at which it can be fitted into most lives.
It reportedly has more than weight loss benefits, with early results showing improved blood glucose, reduced blood cholesterol and decreased blood pressure in some individuals. The blogs about this diet show that it doesn't work for everyone but there is so little research that it is not yet known why it would work for some people and not for others.
The research done that has shown success with intermittent fasting was done on animals in laboratory conditions. The trails involving humans are under way with early indications being positive but not definitive. The science related to this method of weight loss and maintenance is that as cave men, we would have gone without food when it wasn't available. It is only relatively recently that we have had access to endless supplies of food, and this only applies to the Western world.
When we eat all the time without any fasts our body is in 'go go go' mode and doesn't get to rest and restore. We eat so often that the fast we have when we sleep is no longer sufficient for all our repair needs. The science shows that when we are fasting for any length of time, our cells repair themselves instead of replace themselves. This could be compared to times of financial stress when we stop buying anything new and repair and renew what we already have. For our bodies, it is comparable to a trip to the garage for a tune up and some clean oil.
On the 'fast' days, there is a calorie limit of less than 1000 calories. Different authors and creators of this diet differ slightly about the amount of calories. Dr Mosley recommends 500 calories for women and 600 for men. There has also been some debate about how these calories should be divided up. Should we eat them as two or three meals? Does it make a difference to the results if we have 600 or 700 calories?
These questions are yet to be fully answered due to the lack of completed human trials and research. The experts undertaking the studies suggest that anything less than 1000 calories is beneficial and will have some beneficial results. Those results may be quicker with slightly fewer calories.
As well as several books on this diet, there are also websites and blogs with recipes and ideas about the best way to utilize the limited calories. Protein and green vegetables are some of the most suggested food to make the most of the calories. Protein is filling and lasts longer than some other foods.
The other point to remember is that there is no completed research on what can be eaten on the other 5 days. So far people have been informed that they can eat 'anything' on their non-fasting days. However if this includes buckets of fried chicken, litres of ice-cream and several packets of chocolate buscuits, the desired results may take a lot longer than if the 5 days are full of healthier food choices.
One recent study on 100 women had them eating reduce calories (below 1000 calories) 2 days a week, and Mediterranean diet pattern of eating the other 5 days. All the women enjoyed significant weight loss and found the regime relatively easy because they were only restricted for 2 out of 7 days.
Next week we will explore another weight loss diet.
As with any change in diet, always consult your doctor first and there are a few groups of people for whom this diet is not recommended.
warmest wishes
Sarah
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