The 5:2 Diet

Okay it's the Monday after the holiday in the United States and a few of us are trying to recover from our Thanksgiving feasting. Now it is back to concentrating on eating clean again. Earlier this year, I heard about this diet and wondered if it could be a viable weight loss program. So, I decided to give the 5:2 diet a try this week so I can review it for my frugal exercisers.

The 5:2 diet was developed in the UK and it is a form of intermittent fasting. Five days of the week you eating normally and for 2 days, you restrict your caloric intake to 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men.                                      

  

Intermittent fasting has become popular recently with scientific research that shows that it may have positive effects on the health in rats and humans. Fasting may help to prolong longevity, decrease cardiovascular diseases and help with weight loss.

The Diet

Five days of the week you are to eat normally and two days a week you fast but the fasting days shouldn't be back to back or on consecutive days.  Men can consume 600 calories on fast days and women should have 500 calories.  A typical fasting day could be two meals or 3 meals.  Below is an example of a 500 or 600 calorie meal plan.

Breakfast 

Activia fat free peach yogurt 80 calories

Small apple 78 calories 

Lunch

100 calorie soup

Steamed broccoli 1 cup or 250ml 30 calories

Dinner

White turkey chili 217 calories 1cup or 250ml

Total: 505 calories

I will do this on Tuesday and Thursday of this week and I will let you know next week how it went. I hope I don't go overboard on eating on my off days.