I have completed about four months of practicing 5:2, and wanted to share a summary of my experience.

Me:

5’8″, 62, US, male.

Lifestyle:

Sedentary for most of my working life. During the second week of 5:2 I began getting some light exercise – I walk 2 to 3 miles two to four times a week. I can also usually manage to get in two to three days of light strength training, doing body-exercises and free-weights. I’ve started doing a bit of yoga at home, and have practiced meditation for a long time. I also climb stairs at work and usually get in between 10 to 14 floors a day.

Measurements – from 5/26/4 to 9/18/14:

Weight: 197 to 169.4
Waist at belly-button: 45 to 37
Chest: 44 to 39
Neck: 16.5 to 15
BMI: 30 to 25.7

Other measures:

1) Sleeping much better. Stopped snoring, so my wife is also sleeping better.
2) Awake refreshed and ready to go.
3) Mentally much happier and more positive.
4) Generally much calmer than I used to be.
5) My skin is healthier – used to have problems with the back of my hands.
6) Feel consciously in charge of my eating – no more autopilot-grazing.
7) More energy than I’ve had since I was in college.
8) Numerous improvements in my marriage – no doubt due to me being happier.
9) Major improvements in my non-fast day eating – better food, and less of it.
10) An overall sense of well-being that kind of blows my mind.

My approach to 5:2:

I try to keep it simple. I just follow the 5:2. I purposely avoid trying to manipulate the procedure. I enjoy the science of 5:2 but I keep in mind that knowing is not practicing.

I feel that 5:2 fits me quite well, and while I may have to make certain adjustments in the future I now can’t imagine not practicing some form of the Fast Diet.

Hi John,

Thanks for your kind reply, and I hope all is well with you.

“5 weeks in” that’s great to hear. I remember that as being a very exciting time, having experienced several fast-days and beginning to feel the effects.

About that time I began to feel confidence in both the diet and my ability to practice it. Those feelings can be a great spring-board for moving into exercise and activity.

Practicing 5:2 was liberating for me. It gave me a break from my long unconscious nightmare of bad eating and bad living, and allowed me to wake up and consider some better ways.

Best to you and yours, D52

Hello Foxy,

Congratulations on your first week, and your weekend “hiccup.” There’s some very important things to consider about those hiccups.

First thing is – we all have them.

I’ve done 32 fast-days in four months of practicing 5:2. I decided before I began that I would keep a record of my weight, body measurements and BMI.

I also decided to weigh myself four times a week. My four weight measurements are (1) the morning of my 1st weekly fast-day; (2) the morning after my 1st weekly fast-day; (3) the morning of my 2nd weekly fast-day; (4) the morning after my 2nd weekly fast-day.

Weigh-ins (1) and (3) tell me how I’ve done on my non-fast days. This is very important for me to keep track of because I can learn things from these measurements regarding what I’m eating and how much on non-fast days.

Weigh-ins (2) and (4) tell me how my fast-days are working – again very important information.

Now, back to the “hiccups.”

In my experience of 32 fast-days there has been only one occasion when I weighed less on a pre-fast measurement than I did on the previous post-fast measurement.

In simpler language, in the past four months of practicing 5:2 I had only one fast-day where I didn’t gain weight on my non-fast days.

All but one of my non-fast days could be described as “hiccups.”

So, what do I do?

I simply don’t worry about it… and stick to my 5:2 fasting schedule.

Why?

Because over the long haul I have consistently lost weight with the 5:2 – more than 27 pounds in four months – and that has caused me to developed confidence in the 5:2 plan as well as my ability to practice it.

On way to look at practicing 5:2 is like a competitive athlete looks at their sport. They win games. They lose games. And either way they play a full season schedule. If they have a good coach they are kept on track by trying to learn and improve from both the wins and loses.

The fast-days and the non-fast-days are like our games. Win or lose we press on and play for the season, and with 5:2 chances are very good that in the end you’re going to have a really good season.

Best,
D52