Combined with Atkins… and can you change days

Welcome to The Fast Diet The official Fast forums Welcome to The Fast Diet and Exercise forums
Combined with Atkins… and can you change days

This topic contains 15 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by  wiltldnrUSA 11 years, 3 months ago.

Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)

  • I already do Atkins so the two fast days would seem easy since they are low carb days. My only confusion is that you talk about calories. When you do low carb, the calories aren’t as important as the carbs. In fact, you often are eating high fat , low carb food like steak or ceasar salad . All the low carb gurus say don’t worry about calories, worry about the carbs…and that you can’t do both low calorie and low carb successfully.

    On my fast days, will a strict low carb diet be sufficient? Or must it be low carb, low calorie.

    2nd question. What if you have an important dinner event where you are not going to be able to fast on your fasting Tuesday. Can you temporarily switch that to Wednesday on that week or does it have to be the same days every week?

    Hi imageman, this is not a low carb diet and the only thing you need to observe is not to eat more than 600 calories (500 for women) on your 2 fasting days. Since protein is more filling than carbs and you want to lose fat and not muscles many of us chose protein over carbs on fasting days, but there are plenty of stories here from people who fill up on vegetable soups and are very succesful with this regime. You can chose any 2 days that fit your life and switch them to suit you.
    Welcome to 5:2 and good luck! You may find this more appealing than Atkins as it is not as restrictive and no foods are forbidden.

    Hi not sure if I’m allowed to mention this but Dr M has done a review here on this website of an alternative diet called the “2 day diet” which IS a low carb diet and doesn’t involve counting calories – you might find that suits you better. I’m afraid I’m going to try that myself as the low calorie allowance of the 5 :2 just doesn’t suit me and I haven’t lost weight either. I like low carb high fat eating myself and never feel hungry but reached a plateau. I think having a couple of intermittent fast days where you just eat a lot less combined with LCHF could work very effectively. I personally find it easier to keep sugar and high carb foods pretty well off limits as otherwise I find I eat lots of them on my non fast days , far more than I was before I started on this 4 weeks ago -probably why I haven’t lost weight although I have been really strict on my fast days!

    Hi, imageman – I’m wondering why you are considering some kind of combination of the Atkins Diet (low carb) and 5:2 Intermittent Fasting (calorie restriction), as the two systems have totally different perspectives, as far as I can see. Is it weight-loss and insulin control you most want (at which Atkins seems more successful) or are you looking to acheive the potential increased longevity reported in connection with fasting?
    Perhaps you are seeking weight-loss but, as fastinginberlin has intimated, you are finding the Atkins regime too onerous? I don’t know what stage of the Atkins Diet you’ve reached but I’d be interested to hear how you envisage your eating plan for the week if you do incorporate two reduced-calorie days into it. I can’t quite get my head round how that might work but I’d like to hear more and explore the possible advantages – or not – of some kind of hybrid.
    I’ve only recently stumbled across the Low Carb/High Fat approach (LCHF) but am impressed by the latest science on the subject – especially the extensive research refuting the need for – or value of – a low-fat diet. However, to my mind, the strictures involved in getting into/maintaining ketosis (fat-burning mode) seem very difficult to keep to, even in the relatively short-term, let alone for a longer future.
    For anyone interested in hearing more, here’s a YouTube link to a fascinating lecture – entitled ‘The Food Revolution’ – given in 2011 by Andreas Eenfeldt, a young Swedish doctor who advises his overweight patients to follow a low-carb/high fat diet (LCHF). He has had much success, even reversing diabetes in many patients on this regime and, in Sweden, it seems that new medical thinking has led to a considerable sea-change in dietary advice, with their obesity rates actually declining in recent years.
    Video: The Food Revolution (Duration: 54 minutes – quite long but jam-packed with interesting dietary facts and new information):
    http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FSeSTq-N4U4&feature=player_embedded&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DFSeSTq-N4U4%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded

    Andreas Eenfeldt specialises in studying the latest research findings on the subject and interviewing the leading scientists behind this work. His English-language blog and the video interviews he has conducted are very informative.
    (See: http://www.dietdoctor.com/about – and click on the ‘Video’ link, in blue, near the top)

    We seem to have two separate but similar threads going at present about combining 5:2 and the LCHF approaches, so here’s a link to the other one, just so we’re all tied in: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/52-and-lchf/

    I only thought of the combination because I had seen something about the fast days being low carb. Starvation diet is supposed to mimic us when we were hunter gatherers. The availablity of carbs is only a recent phenomenon related to affluence and farming. It certainly wasn’t available in hunter gatherer days… so if there is a benefit to fasting, I would assume it would be better without carbs. I previously have used atkins successfully but it doesn’t seem to work anymore. I have been plateaued for a long time.

    I am interested in the benefits of fasting although I can’t see how a restrictive diet of 500 calories is really fasting… It is restrictive but not highly restrictive. All those studies of the benefits of fasting/starvation were much more stringent.

    My question was the utility of doing atkins on the fast days.. or the other days for that matter… and whether a higher calorie count without stimulating insulin would be beneficial

    Is there a link to Dr. M’s 2k day low carb diet? And why would you not be able to mention it here?

    http://thefastdiet.co.uk/the-2-day-diet/

    Hi imageman – here is the link to Dr M’s review of this diet. It is a different diet by 2 other acclaimed scientists who have done years of research and have also written a book. Dr M does say he thinks it has merit but people may find the 2 consecutive days harder plus it doesn’t allow you to eat what you like, being much more restrictive and health orientated ( Med diet) on the non fast days. I haven’t read the book yet so I certainly couldn’t recommend it as such but I like to investigate different ideas. What I’ve researched so far is that the 2 fasting days are definitely low carb which is possibly why you don’t have to restrict calories as much. I find LCHF (not sure if they allow the high fat part though) really keeps my hunger and blood sugar levels really constant which I like. Reason I wasn’t sure if could mention here is that isn’t about DrM’s 5:2 diet so it wouldn’t be right I don’t think to discuss alternatives on this forum.

    hi,
    jeanius

    thanks 4 the video and site.

    i was very successful on the atkin b4

    but it did not last. however i still felt & feel my body react 2 low fat grains etc..

    as u know been combining the med and atkins and veg but still a mess. this is is nice and clear

    especially the LCHF for Beginners

    http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

    i’m going 2 do this 7 days a week but still do 2 fast days of 500 or less

    as usual genius thanks again 4 finding cool stuff

    Thanks allybally. If they don’t allow free discussion, then the site is bascially an advertisement. It loses its credibility. If they are confident that they have a good program and are focused on the goal…not just their business, right or wrong, they should have no problem with free discussion of relevant topics.

    The second they stop discussion of relevant topics, the site loses any attraction.

    …and I definitely wouldn’t self censor.

    Good point, I’m not used to forums so wasn’t sure. Once I’ve read the book and maybe tried it out I’ll share what I think about it

    Hi, imageman – The 5:2 system does not limit food types (or even quantities) on non-fast days and does not specify any particular food type on fast days either, other than suggesting that 500/600 calories of protein and leafy vegetables are probably more filling than most other options.
    It is deliberately not severe with regard to fasting, as it aims to enable easy, long-term compliance – a big problem with many other more restrictive diets. The research behind it – and Michael M’s own experience – suggest that a calorie restriction two days a week, even when one is allowed one quarter of own’s normal daily intake of food, is a big enough ‘fasting’ stress to one’s body to provoke the reported health benefits and also lead to sustainable weight-loss.

    Reading around the forum, you will find every possible result on the weight-loss spectrum, using the 5:2 approach – from some people who have had spectacular, immediate and on-going losses, through to people with initial losses and then plateaux, right over to people with no losses at all, no matter what was tried. I’m beginning to think that, in the absence of specific details about each person’s food intake, it is impossible to evaluate what factors produce good results and what don’t. Variables like exercise, diagnosed and un-diagnosed health problems, and initial start-weight further complicate matters, not to mention each individual’s genetic make-up.

    From your comments, I take it that you are still wanting to lose more weight. It seems to me that, whichever scheme one adopts, every weight-loss programme hits the perennial fact that metabolism slows down as soon as one starts to lose any significant amount of weight. Evidently one’s body is geared to maintaining the status quo and it resists the changes one is trying to achieve. So, after a time, one always has to do work harder, do more, to get any further.

    I’m not sure I understand your final paragraph. What would ‘doing Atkins on fast days’ mean? Are you thinking of counting 600 calories but ensuring they are all low-carb calories or, alternatively, not counting calories at all and just keeping to the Atkins low-carb limits, in which case 5:2 would not really be part of the picture? Anything that moderates insulin stimulation has got to be a good thing, I would think, and on the more days of the week the better. Best wishes.

    Allybally and imageman – There’s no need to get your knickers in a twist about ‘them’ not allowing discussion! Michael M. wrote a very good review and endorsement of ‘The 2-Day Diet’ on this site. It’s too late tonight for me to find it for you. Say what you like, by all means – that’s great. Good night, I’m off to bed now!

    Oops, sorry, allybally – I didn’t see that you’ve already given the book link. Thanks.

    Hi alleybally and imageman your comments have made interesting reading.
    In response I hope you do not mind a few comments from me.
    In relation to posters making comments on this site feel free to mention your experiences, concerns, hopes etc in relation to the core subject of the 5:2 diet.
    I have only a couple of times made a complaint re posters and those were about not so sutble adverts for other things, not giving input to the subject matter.
    Michael, in his horizon programme was simply researching the effects of fasting and did his programme research in the states. His premis was the effects that certain types of “fasting” has on the body, particularly his body as he was the guinea pig.
    The programme did not visit the myriad of other health issues, diets such as Atkins, low carb etc save for a particular 1900 cal per day fruit and veg diet that for him fitted in with his research and targeted his particular health concerns and this was near the beginning of the programme. Michael eventually decided on the present 5:2 system and all it entails because it suited him, was simplistice and achievable for him and others.
    Each poster have their own issues, targets and experiences that they have chosen to share on this site related to the 5:2 diet. We all read them. Some experiences help others many do not (I suspect) but I feel each offers support for us all.
    Your experiences are interesting, you are experimenting to find something that suits yourselves. That is good, carry on, share with the posters your experiences and do not believe that relevant comments, thoughts concerns etc are not allowed.
    For me I have said elsewhere that I have certain health concerns that I hope the 5:2 diet helps with in a positive way. My two mantras, for me in my approach are – Dont sweat the hard stuff and the K.I.S.S. approach. Keep it simple stupid. These are for me, they work and help me. For others there are more complications so comments like yours could be a support and be helpful to them.
    Good luck.

    just checkmarking
    the
    Notify me of follow-up replies via email
    oh well i’ll go make my dinner & listen 2 a free book from my lbr
    on my super old mp3 😀
    while copy pasting ugh this reply 2 all
    now i wish i were a newbie 2 many 2do

Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)

You must be logged in to reply.