Why I love the 5:2 diet

I'm on the 4:2:1 diet. Works for me.

DH and I started the 5:2 for Lent and are finding it easy to do. I have a little book where I keep a tally of our eats. We just have lunch and evening meal on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I find I have loads more time to do things on those days as I'm not spending much time on the kitchen. Also money saved which I have donated to a friend's charity for the Lent aspect of it. We haven't lost masses of weight yet but I think we'll continue.

Hope it goes well apoteknit. Hopefully the better weather will mean you are less tempted by comfort food. I have been eating huge salads on my fast days, take ages to eat and fill me up.

Apoteknit: Do come back on and let us all know how it is going. X

Have swithered around about whether to take the plunge with this diet but have heard so many good reports that think tomorrow will be the first D-Day! Keeping fingers crossed and hands off the cutlery.

And I just spelt it wrong as well. Sorry.

Bohemian I lost at about a pound a week as well but that is a loss and as it is easy to keep to the diet it might be more successful. I think it has changed my eating patterns for the better.
Fluid retention is a different issue anyway but it will add to your "weight" .

Sorry Boheminan I pad auto corrected your name. X

Bohemian, a pound a week is about right. Some weeks 2 lbs go and some weeks nothing. I used to think that all the weight gone had gone for ever and as long as I was moving in the right direction it was OK, no matter how slowly. It took about a year to lose 3st, using that alternate day method. Another 9 mths on, I have maintained the loss. This because I now eat in a completely different way, more healthily.
This does not mean that I cut anything out, but eat what I chose, in moderation. Good luck with your progress. X

Sticking my neck out a bit here, but…

Reading through a lot of responses, it seems like most 5:2 dieters lose quite a lot of weight quickly (eg: annodoini 4lb in 2 weeks). Last year I started the 5:2 diet but lost nothing after 'fasting' for around 10 weeks. I had a lot of water retention, so I gave in. I started it again at the end of January and am so determined to shift my spare tyres that I've been on a very strict (no cheating) regime, doing 4:3 for 10 weeks - but have 'only' lost 11lb, which after reading most other posts on here, feels very disheartening. Is anyone else finding the weight slow to shift?

I started it again two weeks ago and have lost four pounds. So far, so good. I have managed to observe the rules pretty well.

sillynanny It's not so difficult to work around. I have been doing the vege version. Once you get the hang of it it get much easier to remember the quantities of ingredients to get just 500 in a day.

I have never been able to stick to a diet like I do this one. I am about right now but it's a a good way of maintaining my weight loss after a holiday or festive season.

DD always makes Spag. Bog with Quorn mince it is rather good !

Quorn is good, it's high in protein and low in calories.

sillynanny65. Do you eat Quorn? You don't need to rigidly stick to the book - make up your own 'plan'. Just about all vegetables are low in fat, and a good combination eg: Vegetable Casserole, makes for a filling meal with few calories. I don't eat meat but find I don't really have to vary my eating habits a lot - apart from not having cheese on 'fast' days. I agree with the suggestion that the middle age spread's more difficult to budge - I've lost 11lbs but my belly's still looking like three spare tyres but - 'Hey ho! and downwards I go'…..

I want to get started on this 5 2 diet,but need HELP, PLEASE. I'm a vegetarian, and all the meals that are recommended include meat, or fish, and I don't eat either! Really not sure what to do. Also is it true what they say the older you get the harder it is to move the weight from round the 'middle area'. Don't know how to get started, any suggestions?

Love this eating plan...it was very hard at first, I read about it and thought about it for ages and it was filled with dread at the thought of the depravation! Finally took the plunge and the first day was very tough....well first couple of weeks were. It's been about 5 weeks now and I'm far more used to it and like others have said, I look forward to the fast days, and LOVE the feeling of lightness. I've lost 2 kilos but only have another 3 to lose. My FAT jeans didn't fit anymore let alone my skinny ones - back in the fat ones now (a bit loose too!). Very interesting what goes on in your head and body on the fast days. You become so aware about food and what you eat and how you give in to the hunger triggers often without thinking. By bedtime I'm promising myself anything my heart desires the next (non-fast) day but amazingly the hunger has gone and food in general is of little interest and that pattern continues resulting in better choices and more trust in letting go. I wish I started when I first heard about it.
One thing though I havn't gone out socialising on it - I plan my social life around the fast days and on fast days will not go out where food and drink would be a challenge. Those temptations are at home too of course but easier to resist.

Since doing this my cholesterol has dropped significantly.

"Yey!" Been on 5:2 since Sept not just to loose weight but also like Dr Moseley to stop the "creeping" diabetes threat,,, yet to know if that works
-but I have lost 2 stone.. ( and 2 dress sizes) which for me is a fantastic result - have no hunger pangs on Fast days in fact I love them.. usually do a hours swim - then light lunch @ 1 ish followed by a " main" meal about 6-7.. feeling good!

Woo woo! Well done Rockgran

Finally!!! Broken the ten stone barrier by about a gram but hey! Nine stone something! Yippee!

Thanks, shysal. I don't suppose it will come off at that rate all the time but if it just goes down instead of up I'll be happy. I'm sure I could do this for a long time. It's actually quite a relief to not eat much for a couple of days a week - I hardly get heartburn now and used to have it all the time!

I'm on a fasting day today. Having a prawn omelette with salad for tea. It's easy to stick to as I just think forward to a normal eating day tomorrow.

That is good progress rockgran!

I wish I'd been given permission to miss breakfast years ago. It's never been my favourite meal and now on the 5;2 I am allowed to miss it on fast days. I've been doing 5;2 for a month now and find it quite easy. You can have normal days for entertaining and going out and then fasting days for catching up on chores and not having to cook much. Works for me. Lost 8 pounds so far.