Adverse effects and a suggestion for adapting to 5:2

This topic contains 4 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by Jaidee09 10 years, 6 months ago.

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

bill67

6:54 am
5 May 14
Permalink

It’s great that 5:2 is being widely adopted and that there are so many enthusiastic posts on the Forum, but I suspect that a considerable number of people, like me, encounter worse side effects than the documentary, book and Forum posts would lead one to expect. Enthusiasts are likely to post comments. Those who have a tough time are likely to walk away. (My wife certainly urged me to give up even though she has been on the 5:2 diet for much longer than me.) I want to balance the preponderance of views that calorie restriction is somewhat easy.

The side effects for me have included, at different times thankfully, fairly severe stomach pains, diarrhoea, sleep disturbance, extreme loss of energy, and difficulty controlling the urge to grossly over-eat post-fast. The day after is sometimes worse than the actual fast day. The good news is that after six months it’s getting better. And after only two months some regularly scheduled blood tests showed excellent results (cholesterol, prostate (PSA), and thyroid measures). My hypothyroid condition seems to have disappeared.

No doubt the problems are related to my age (67 yo male) and delicate digestion. But all we baby-boomers have some health problems, and we are a demographic very interested in well-being. I didn’t take up IF for weight loss, though I am 6kg skinnier now, nor life extension. I want to protect my health and cognitive ability. I am very aware of declining cognitive skills as I age. As a clinical and research health professional in an unrelated area I need to keep up with scientific material that is at times highly complex. I was very pleased at a recent conference to have attention/jet lag problems in a lecture only once during the week, a noticeable improvement in focus.

I learnt a good lesson one day when I had to abort a fast because the symptoms were too severe to endure. I decided to eat much more next time, 1000+ calories. It was so much easier yet I still felt that I was fasting and I still lost a little weight. I gradually worked my way back down to 600 odd calories. I am pleased that I have persevered but I would not encourage anyone to put themselves at risk by persevering in the face of severe symptoms. Tapering down slowly to a target calorie level may be safer and easier for some of us. In time perhaps new research will develop regimes more suited to those for whom calorie restriction is not a walk in the park.

sharonC

7:48 am
5 May 14
Permalink

This is such an interesting posting, thankyou. I’ve been reading all the active topics in readiness for starting 5:2 this coming week and this has given me the most constructive insight, understanding these concerns will help me recognise them your myself and understand them as “normal”. I’m.just waiting for my books to arrive before I embark on my 1st fast day, I’m rather excited to make a start, as a woman of a certain age I’ve tried most diet plans and am currently struggling to shift 12lbs you have inspired me greatly, thank you.

franfit

12:47 pm
5 May 14
Permalink

Hi bill67, I’m glad you’ve been able to persevere and get the benefits of IF in spite of the difficulties. Although I’ve lost 37 lbs. in 37 weeks and am an enthusiast, it’s never been easy for me, hard work always, as a 57 yo with multiple medical problems (a PTRA at age 42 due to fibromuscular dysplasia, CFS/ME, melanoma at age 45, breast cancer at age 47, osteoarthritis, chronic pain issues, etc.), although it sounds like it’s been harder for you. I do get quite hungry almost every fasting day no matter how I do it. I did have trouble sleeping at the end of a fasting day in the beginning. I can’t work more than a half day or take a 10,000 step walk on a fast day — it’s just too much for me, I don’t have the energy, and if I pushed myself too much, I’m pretty sure I would get irritable and perhaps have other side effects as well. Fortunately I’ve not experienced digestive upsets, headaches, or dizziness. I heartily agree that it’s a good idea to make thoughtful modifications to the fasting regimen when side effects cause real problems rather than just transient discomfort. The reason why I’m such an enthusiast is that this is the first weight-loss method I’ve found that’s actually *doable* in the long term — and not only that — it has fantastic health benefits that make it worth sticking with for the long haul once a healthy weight is achieved. As someone who already has medical problems and is at risk for type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, whatever I can do to prevent those two scourges gets my attention.

I think it’s unfortunate if people walk away from this when they hit difficulties…
I think it would be good if we can support them better so they can problem-solve their way through the difficulties and get the benefits of IF…
Just because you can’t do it “perfectly” as written doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing at all.

Not all the suggested coping mechanisms work for everyone. It can take some time and trial and error to find out what works for each individual. For examle, drinking plenty of water, often recommended for staving off hunger pangs, doesn’t work for everyone. It can make me feel even *hungrier*. Oddly, taking a stroll (not a brisk walk) is more likely to work for me, but oftentimes all I can do is wait it out.

I think it’s good that you pointed out that calorie restriction to a level other than the standard 25% of daily requirements can still be useful. I think many people, if they feel they need to eat an additional something on a designated fast day, then feel that they’re no longer fasting and therefore eat “normally” for the rest of the day, and feel like they have to start fasting all over again on another day. This can get discouraging if it happens frequently. On most fast days now, I allow myself up to 600 calories, which is more like 35-37% of my TDEE. I also do a “half-fasting day” where I allow myself a 200-calorie snack in mid-afternoon so I can take a walk and do an additional client visit that day, for a total of 700-800 calories, ~ 50% of my TDEE, and that day seems to still make a difference, since I have a 16-hour fast from all calories at the beginning of it. And I’m still averaging a pound a week weight loss, with 2 modified fast days, 1 half-fast day, and lots of walking. Somehow the walking helps with my weight loss more than it should, by the numbers. I’m usually pretty good at not over-eating on non-fasting days, just ignoring the late-afternoon hunger and waiting until dinner, but when I’m really hungry, I’ll eat until I’m really full (although those weeks I may not lose a whole pound). I have not tested if this lesser calorie restriction is as good for my blood work as cutting calories to 25% of requirements on fast days, so I’m encouraged to hear that your blood work results have been good.

So I would encourage anyone who’s really struggling with 5:2 to try your method, starting out with 2 days a week of a smaller degree of calorie restriction, and working up to the standard amount if and when it becomes possible. The choice of 25% of energy requirements is somewhat arbitrary, and, as far as I know, the comparative health benefits of different levels of calorie restriction on fasting days has not been researched, at least in humans. Any degree of calorie restriction is likely to have at least *some* benefits, and is unlikely to be harmful unless you’re underweight, or have type 1 diabetes or an eating disorder, so why not try it? The main drawback I can see is slower weight loss causing discouragement, but for those of us who are overweight, any weight loss is better than none; sometimes just stopping weight from continuing to creep upward is a worthwhile goal. So I really appreciate your thoughts.

Stef.

8:21 pm
5 May 14
Permalink

This is a very interesting post and I think it hits the nail perfectly well.

I have been on this way of life for six months now and over time I have adapted the diet to my very personal needs. While I can see the point of some people calling 5:2 a “way of life”, the brutal honest answer is: it is a diet nothing more and nothing less!

It might work better than other diets but at the end of the day you HAVE to cut your calories to create a caloric deficit. Yes it sound like you have to only cut your calories on two days a week, but reality is that staying under your TDEE is not easy either, at least for me. So in effect, on the remaining 5 days a week you have to cut your calories as well! Also the more weight you loose, the lower your TDEE will be and you have to cut even more!

Nevertheless…it worked and still works for me, BUT and this is a huge but…I do it MY way and I do regularly change things around according to what feels best for me. Do not get me wrong, I do not necessarily make my life easier, quite to the contrary.

I have gone onto ADF for a couple of weeks when I felt like I needed a boost. I also had weeks where I ate EVERY day just under 1200 cal, hence creating my calorie deficit this way. Whatever I did, including changing and adding to my exercise regime, getting a pedometer and now a sport/ heart rate monitor watch, I am now very very close to maintenance. I achieved my goal, albeit by following my own path.

Personally I believe, the 5:2 is a great way to start things off but by any means feel free to adapt to your needs. As long as it is successful, nothing wrong in my book.

Best of luck
Stef.

Jaidee09

2:42 am
14 May 14
Permalink

Really good post because I think it’s important that everyone be aware that there will be side-effects that are generally minor and I believe just the body’s reaction to the addiction of over eating.

I’m into week 15 and have experienced some of the side-effects mentioned. Early on I had trouble sleeping on fast days, did get dizzy spells and often get irritable very easily.
These days most of those side-effects are gone.Though there is excessive urination on day one for some reason and still the temptation to overeat on the first day after the fast.

I do consecutive fast days though as this works for me better than the non consecutive days.