Is the 5:2 Weight Loss Diet safe and effective?

[marisalacosta]

Basically you try to eat well 5 days and then two days a week eat only 500 calories. If you eat fine the rest of the week does the weight lost from the "fast" days stay off?

Thanks!

[NigelK]

I posted this message on another thread earlier today but i think you may be interested in this.

I did the fast diat (5:2) earlier this year and i had two goals one to lose weight and the second to maintain good level of health. With regards to loosing weight i noticed a differance very quickly and soon lost the 4kg i wanted and the best thing was on the 5 days i did not fast i eat the food i liked with no cal counting. 

On the fast days i wont lie sometimes it was tought but slecting the right food to eat at the right times was very important and after 10 weeks i had to switch to fasting on one day a week only becuae i clound not stop loosing weight.

For the last couple of months i have stop the fast days completly but the change to my eating habits during the 5:2 diet along with monitoring and maintaining a good level of activity I have stayed at my target weight.

I hope this information help and good luck with you venture into the world of 5:2

[StefK]

Same here, I posted the following in another thread:

I have been doing a combination of 5:2 ( fasting two days), 4:3 (fasting three days) and ADF (alternate day fasting) plus 16:8 (eating all your food within 8 hours a day and giving your body a rest for 16) for the last 7 weeks and I lost 6kg. It is very easy to do.

The best forum for tips is
http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums

In the long run I will do 6:1. I don't have that many kg to lose so I have nearly reached my goal of 58kg @ a height of 170cm, age 48.

For me this way of life (dieting) is the one that makes the most sense as I can eat whatever I like (not as much as I like) on non-fast days and on the fast days I eat less than 500 calories (for me all in one go at dinner). This gives my body a rest. I would highly recommend to read Dr. Michael Morsley's book as it makes so much sense.

All other forms of dieting might result in a great weightloss, but the question is how sustainable they are.
Stef.

[ninorc]

I did the 5/2 fast diet for the month before Christmas and I was amazed how much better I felt.  I lost 3 pounds and it was in atime  period where I gained 8 last year!  I took Christmas off and started again last week.  My schedule has changed a bit and I think I will go with the 6/1 for a while and see how that works.