All about the
The diet allows you to eat what you want for five days of the week, then cut calories for the other two days
What is the 5:2 diet?
The 5:2 diet came to prominence after the publication of The Fast Diet book by Dr Michael Mosley in 2013. It’s based on intermittent fasting, a way of eating where you avoid food for specific periods – whether that be an entire day w ithout eating, or ensuring that you don’t eat bet ween 7pm and 7am. Intermittent fasting has been a ssociated with severa l potentia l hea lth benefits, as well as weight loss. The 5:2 diet allows you to eat what you want for five days of the week, but requires you to dramatica lly cut calories for the other two days. It’s a ‘par t-time’ approach that focuses on how you eat, rather than what you eat.
What’s the theory behind it?
The diet is based on the idea that, after a period of hours with limited ca lories, the body sw itches from the ready supply of energ y from food to burning its fat stores. The fact you can eat pretty much what you like for the majority of the week is key to the diet’s popularity.
What can and can’t I eat?
Dieters are recommended to consume a ‘norma l’ number of calories for five days, then for two non-consecutive days, eat just 25 per cent of their usua l calorie tota l (500 calories for women and 600 for men).
There are no restrictions on the ty pes of food you can eat; however, a ba la nced diet is adv ised across the whole week to ensure you get the nutrients you need. Even on low-calorie days, try to ensure you choose nutrient-dense foods. So, although you might think it’s easier to resor t to ca lorie-counted ready-mea ls, you’d be better opting for lean protein like poultry and vegetables. And, on your non-fast days, pack your mea ls with hea lthy fats and nutritious options, including fruit, veg, wholegrains and protein.
Stay hydrated and don’t fast on consecutive days to avoid tiredness. You could ease into fasting before starting the diet by extending the time between your evening meal and breakfast, starting with a minimum gap of 12 hours.
Will it work?
The diet’s creators suggest that women following the diet may expect to lose about 1lb a week, with men losing about the same or a little more. However, indiv idua ls’ results will vary, depending on circumsta nces and the amount of weight you have to lose.