Alternate day fasting

[MissMagpie]

I am just starting on this much-publicised new diet, where you eat only a very small amount (approx. 400 calories) one day, and then eat what you like the next. I'm not normally one for 'fad' diets, but this one seems to have some sensible research behind it, and a friend is doing well on it and says she has never felt better. To be on the safe side I also consulted my GP, who has given me the green light. Has anyone else tried this, and if so what do you eat on your 'down days'? (Currently I'm sticking to vegetable soup, a small bread roll and fresh fruit; sounds dreadfully worthy, but fortunately I really enjoy those foods.) How are you getting on with it?

 

[madmax]

I can see how it might work in theory as by limiting you calories on the first day you then have more to spend the next day but you have to reduce your intake OVER ALL to lose weight so if you are binnging on the "eat all you like" days then you won't lose the weight as your over all calorie consumption won't have gone down.

 

[Just Beauty Direct]

Have read a lot about and still have the Michael Mosley prog on the Sky Hard drive.

Xanthe Clay in the Sat Telegraph has done some great recipes for down days - see here. The lentil dal is delicious.

The 5:2 diet is similar but you do it on 2 days of the week and not alternate. Michael Mosley has a new book out this week on it (see Amazon). Plus there are a couple of others who have recently done books which get rave reviews. I have ordered this one as it has recipes. Hasn't arrived yet.

I am definitely thinking of doing one or other of the diets - am still getting through Christmas cheese but I have wopped on the pounds over Christmas and need to get back on track with something.

Best of luck Miss Magpie and love your avatar by the way. Love magpies

 

[Just Beauty Direct]

I can see how it might work in theory as by limiting you calories on the first day you then have more to spend the next day but you have to reduce your intake OVER ALL to lose weight so if you are binnging on the "eat all you like" days then you won't lose the weight as your over all calorie consumption won't have gone down.

V true MM, but there is a lot of evidence that you don't. I have friends and there is also a mass of publicity / evidence which say that it works.

If you are currently doing something diets and health wise that is working then stick with it. If you are stuck in a rut, like me, then definitely worth trying.

 

[MissMagpie]

One of the appealing things, to me, about this diet is that you don't have to keep thinking about food! I did Weight Watchers a while back and it worked, but eventually I just got bored of having to figure out what I could and couldn't eat and how much, and so I gave up and the weight slipped back on. With this diet, on the 'down' days you can basically stick to eating the same limited range of things, and put food out of your mind as far as possible; and if you get a craving you can just tell yourself 'I'll eat that tomorrow'!

 

[tristar]

I like the sound of it. I would gladly eat nothing one day, if I knew I could pig out and comfort eat the next day but cant see how it could work.

 

[Capirossi]

You don't pig out on 5 days, you eat normally. And you don't starve on fasting days, you eat 500 cals if you're a woman and 600 cals if you're a man. The science behind it all adds up. We evolved not knowing where our next meal was coming from...it doesn't make sense that we gorge all day every day now. We haven't evolved enough to cope with it! Michael Mosely is a credible source for all this.

Sent from my Sony Tablet S using Tapatalk 2

 

[madmax]

This is looking very interesting I am going to have to spend some time searching the "net" to try and find out more about it.
It looks so simple and relatively easy to do.
Do the fasting days have to be consecutive ? or can they be spaced out during the week?

 

[Capirossi]

They can be whenever you want. Michael does Tuesday and Thursday. There is a website due up any day, I'll look it up in the book later and let you know the address.

Sent from my Sony Tablet S using Tapatalk 2

 

[MissMagpie]

The days are supposed to be spaced out, not consecutive.
Check out this website: www.johnsonupdaydowndaydiet.com
and this article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyl...-it-help-you-lose-weight-and-live-longer.html

 

[madmax]

I am just home from Aqua fit now so am off to bed.
Thanks for the info I will have more time to look into the whole thing tomorrow.
I will let you know what I decide to do, but it is looking as though I have nothing to lose by giving it a go, it is just finding healthy filling meals for around 300 calories maybe we could start a 300 or lees calorie recipe thread.

 

[Just Beauty Direct]

My Michael Mosley book arrived today - although publication date is 10th Amazon sent it early
Off to bed to read it now
Co-author is Mimi Spencer who writes in You magazine on the MoS

 

[Capirossi]

Karen am still getting you the website, book is upstairs and I keep forgetting to go and fetch it!! By the way, it's 500 cals not 300, don't do yourself out of food!!!

 

[madmax]

Ok I have just completed my first 500 calorie day and it has gone really well.
I had my porridge for breakfast with my only cup of coffee for the day.(200 cals)
I had an apple for lunch (60 cals)
Cottage cheese and pineapple salad for dinner the only time I felt hungry was at around 5.30 and I had a can of diet coke and felt fine until 8.00 when it was dinner time.(240 cals)
Making 500 in total
I will do another day over the weekend and see how it goes from there.

 

[Just Beauty Direct]

That's grand Madmax.

I am going to do my first fast day next week as this week simply isn't good.

Your day sounds bearable and you will feel so great tomorrow knowing you made it today. The evidence suggests that eventually you don't overheat by loads on the feast (up) days, but it is important to really eat, so you don't mess up your metabolism and go into starvation mode. Yes... I have read the book already!

 

[madmax]

While the original program is no longer available on the BBC or you tube it can be found here
http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/110651/BBC_Horizon_2012_Eat_Fast_and_Live_Longer/

I have watched it twice now and think that if it works as well for me it will be AMAZING.
Thank you for posting your original post miss magpie as it is something I had just never heard about before.
Karen

 

[petpixie]

Really interesting thread. I had heard of intermittent fasting and the 5:2 diet and heard good things about it. Just watched the documentary you put up MM and it's making me think seriously about giving it a go. Please keep us updated as to how you're getting on with it.

 

[kitten_with_claws]

I don't really do 'dieting' as such but like the idea of much of this in principle. Unfortunately I have Raynauds & as such would struggle to cope on only 500 calories on a given day, even with careful choosing of food items, as it's simply not sufficient fuel intake to keep me warm enough.
However, I do already follow a not dissimilar eating pattern, in that we tend to eat light meals (light pasta dishes, soup etc.) during the week & then gobble down a fairly disgraceful amount of calories at the weekend, inc. a full blown Sunday roast!

So, for anyone who would love to give it a go but like me, doesn't think they could go to such a low calorific intake, I can at least say that the principle behind it absolutely does work & seems to be beneficial on several levels, both physiologically & mentally, as there is always a 'reward' at some point in that you are not in constant self denial for one thing but the 'light eating' days do wonders for helping retrain you as regards portion control & just how much food you really need so that on days when you eat considerably more, you neither pig out to a shocking degree nor feel guilty about eating 'non diet food', so the whole thing is a fairly win-win situation I reckon! :nod:

 

[stratobuddy]

My understanding is that on the fasting days, your body uses up its internal fat.

On the gorging days, the body doesn't have time to replenish the fat.

Therefore, although your average calories may be large, you still lose weight.

I saw a good documentary on TV about it, where a doctor tried it himself for quite a while, with regular health checks. Some days, he ate nothing at all, but found that difficult.

 

[madmax]

I had my second fast day yesterday and have worked out why I felt so ill on the normal day after my first fast day if that makes any sense . I have to take several anti inflammatory medications which when I read the pack MUST be taken with or after food, now on Wednesday (my first fast day) I didn't have lunch and I ALWAYS take my meds after lunch so I took them on an empty stomach ,which made me feel sick and have really bad heart burn for almost 24 hours . So yesterday I took them with my main meal and today feel fine. It is going to be a learning curve and only time will tell if it is going to work. I am changing WW class to a Monday morning one so will be weighed after only 5 days .