5:2 – is it for you?

Much has been written of late about the 5:2 Diet – which even has the backing of some doctors for the way it allows people to lose weight. The idea behind this is that for 2 days a week you “fast” and for the other days you can not only eat your normal diet but indulge as much as you want – although you will lose more weight of course, if you are sensible on these days. The thinking behind this lies in our ancestors (think cavemen) where there would be periods of fast or famine – and there may well be days that would have very little food.

I can understand to some extent as I often suggest following a child’s pattern of eating where they may hardly eat for a few days (and drive you to distraction) and then eat like a horse on the other days. So, for example, if you know that you are going to have a blow out meal/weekend, that the days leading up to that and the days following, you restrict your calorie intake, so that over the week you still average out your calories.

The 5:2 diet means that on two non-consecutive days you eat only 500 calories if you are female and 600 for males. Let me tell you – this is hardly anything at all!  Juicing food helps and drinking plenty of liquids such as green tea and just hot water and lemon. Brushing your teeth and being busy can also distract you from your hunger pains...

The results can see half a kilo/1 pound loss per week, without really feeling that you are on a “diet”. Firstly, I am a bit reluctant with this part as I don’t think that being “on a diet” helps us address long term what are our food issues. So many people diet and then go back to a more “normal” eating pattern that seems to eventually lead to weight increase. There are many reasons behind this, for example, recent studies into the hormone “leptin” - a hormone that regulates feelings of hunger and appetite and how that changes on calorie restriction, plus our bodies “desire” to be around a certain weight mean that aiming to stay on a change of eating for a month and expecting the results to be permanent can be self-defeating.  And secondly, I think that the whole concept of being allowed to eat “anything” again does not help us address the underlying issues with food not encourages a healthy eating pattern.

On the other hand, there may be some merit in understanding portion size etc when we see how little food we can manage on – it may make use more conscious of what we are eating on a day to day basis and sometimes a kick start may be what we need to feel that we are getting a grip on trying to lose some weight?

The doctor who promoted this has also been in the news with his latest experiment in weight loss – tape worms! At this point I am gagging at the thought of having a meter long worm living in my body and I am relieved to find out that he actually put on weight as the worm demanded more beer and chocolate!! Lol. 

However, if you want to try the 5:2 I have listed below some suggestions that we given in a recent Marie Claire magazine to help you out – and finally, the 5:2 living method could then spill over to other areas of your life – and the ratio is much like the “Pareto Principle” which is an 80/20 spilt – e.g. – 80% of the dirt is in 20% of your house, or 20% of the workforce do 80% of the work etc...In essence a little of what you fancy does you good – but be good most of the time....

Ideas for 500/600 calorie intake on the 5:2 diet

Breakfast: 
Muller Light yoghurt (89 cals)
Banana (90 cals)
Boiled egg (89 cals)
45g porridge oats (166 cals)
Orange (59 cals)
Apple (53 cals)
Kiwi fruit (47 cals)
Crumpet (100 cals)
1 slice of brown bread (74 cals)
1/2 tin Heinz Baked Beans (100 cals)
2 egg white omelette (34cals)
1 rice cake with sugar-free jam (45 cals)
Poached egg with a slice of ham (100cals)
Alpen Fruit and Nut Bar (109 cals)
50g Total 0% Greek Yoghurt (48 cals)
Half a slice of brown bread (37 cals)
Half a grapefruit (39 cals)


Lunch: 

Half a carton of New Covent Garden Soup Winter Broth with Bacon and Kale (96cals)
Pitta (147 cals)
Rice cake (38 cals)
Celery (7 cals)
Itsu miso soup sachet (44 cals)
1 tbsp Light Philadelphia soft cheese (28 cals)
Heinz Weight Watchers tomato soup (76 cals)
One slice of smoked salmon on two wheat crackers (48 cals)
87g cauliflower (23 cals)
Tuna salad (175cals)
Waitrose Beetroot and Cheese Salad (172 cals)
Mushrooms on wholemeal toast (110 cals)
Heinz Weight Watchers Carrot & Lentil Soup (87 cals)
1 cherry tomato (4 cals)
Cadbury Highlights Hot Chocolate (40 cals)
1 Light Babybel cheese (40 cals)
Quarter of a tin of Heinz Baked Beans (49 cals)
50g cooked prawns (50 cals)

Dinner: 
Chicken breast (162 cals)
Cous cous (176 cals)
Young’s cod steak in parsley sauce (101 cals)
Tesco’s chilli chicken noodle salad (195 cals)
M&S Count on Us Asian Style Cod with Noodles (215 cals)
Roasted aubergine (18 cals)
38g peas (38 cals)
50g cooked prawns (40 cals)
10 spears of asparagus (50 cals)
Weight Watcher’s Mediterranean Veg Quiche (156 cals)
Morrisons NuMe Cottage Pie (300 cals)
Half fillet of salmon (185 cals)
1 roasted pepper (30 cals)
38g Feta cheese (100 cals)
100g brown rice (135 cals)