What do I think? I think the “live longer” goal is a very long term and (thus) intangible goal. And because of that, honestly, it is less attractive than losing weight.

Whilst I do care about not getting diabetes, reducing the risk of heart decease or stroke, what I really care right now is whether I can fit into my pants without feeling squeezed from the inside; I care about my looks; I care about not being obese or fat.

That is my take anyway.

That is because “living longer” may or may not happen, independently of following the 5:2 regime. Who knows? One may be on an unfortunate plane that blows up, and there is no “living longer” no more.

But losing weight… that can be measured on a weekly basis.

Having experienced Weight Watchers in the past, I can say that WW works and there is no deprivation. There is no fasting. There is no calories counting. There are points or pro-points counting, portion sizes, substitutions (fatty vs non-fat ingredients), variety, and no forbidden foods.

But…

It takes discipline, accountability to the group to stay focus, and the willingness to change life style. It takes you from wishful thinking (“I wish I lost weight”) to a methodical approach to actually losing weight.

In that sense, 5:2 is not different from WW, except in that the fasting days are a test of endurance.

Both are doable. But are they both “sustainable”? That depends on results, I guess: If I will be starving twice a week, I expect results. If these results do not happen, then I will question the sacrifice (it is a sacrifice).

On WW I can lose 1 kg a week. I’ve got records of that sort of achievement to prove it.

As for “eating like a pig” on the non-fasting days, well… that I thought that was the original promise of the program. Well, perhaps not “eating like a pig” but “eat whatever you want” on the non-fasting days.

But maths do not lie (except when used in statistics): One needs X amount of calories/points/kj a day to live healthily; often, we eat more than we need; often, we have sedentary lives and do not spend the surplus of points/calories/kj injested. Consequentially we store that energy in fat, and with that we bring onto ourselves health issues (weight, diabetes, cancer, etc).

Therefore, weight loss will only occur when we limit our intake.

In that sense, 5:2 is not a miracle method. It is just the same as WW and others. We must become “mindful” of what we eat, how much we move during the day, and how much we are weighing at the end of each week.

Why do 5:2 instead of WW then? I think it is a matter of choice and experimentation. For some, it is a fad. For others, it becomes a lifestyle change. Many fall off the wagon, and return to their original “sinful” life.

As for me… I will give 5:2 a go and see what happens. But if it becomes too taxing, I know I can always go back to my proven WW method.

Very thoughtful and thought-provoking posts everyone.

I started the 5:2 WOL about the same time as you Bayleaf but I have lost 1kg/month on average. As I’ve said before on another thread, that rate fits well into my and my family’s lifestyle and is therefore sustainable for the rest of my life.

Sure, fasting is a challenge but being able to stick to it has changed my view of food and given me a such a great feeling of control and empowerment about my eating, which was in danger of becoming pathological.

Keep up the good work all and have a good weekend.

If you read the forum Jeff you will see that there are many tangible health benefits associated with intermittent fasting realised over shorter timescales, weight loss being one of them. These include reduced blood pressure/cholesterol, insulin/blood sugar control, improved mental function, reduction in inflammation, etc.

From personal experience, fasting has made me mentally sharper, improved my memory, and my mood (hence ‘HappyNow’). I have also seen a remarkable improvement in menstruation (‘Hey, I can now leave the house when having a period’ is not quite so catchy though….). I was only just on the cusp of healthy/overweight BMI, and that is the heaviest I have ever been, so any health issues were not obesity related.

Intermittent fasting is not all about living to a ripe and healthy old age, it’s also about living healthier now. Weight loss is just one benefit.

I am not aware that WW, or any other weight loss programme, achieves the same health benefits as intermittent fasting.

But if you are interested only in losing weight and looking good, and not about improving health and lifestyle change to maintain a healthy weight for life, then maybe this won’t be for you. It certainly sounds from your posts that you might not be mentally ready for it yet. Many of us who have lost our weight and have incorporated intermittent fasting into our lives do not think of it in terms of sacrifice, deprivation or starvation. I’m afraid we appear to look forward to our fasting days! And quite enjoy the emptiness/lightness/hunger of the fast!

Good luck!

Simcoeluv – “To lose 2.2 pounds a week on 5:2, all you have to do is cut 1100 calories a day, on average, from your diet.” Excellent news (sarcasm) since my tdee is 1200 Cals!

PVE – You seem concerned about others’ overindulgence. Does it bother you if some people, as you put it, starve themselves occasionally and pig out the rest of the time? Why? If that works for them then why not? One person’s pigging out is another’s normal tdee amount anyway. My take on it is that it’s a principle (frequently switching between lower Cal days and higher Cal days) that you can adapt to your own circumstances and goals. It is whatever you make of it.

Re: do you care about how much others eat.

Yes, if it’s my friends and family and it’s harming their health/ impacting on their lives.

Yes, if it’s the population at large since the obesity crisis is putting an intolerable strain on the NHS.

You should probably try to accept those things tbh Happy. They are way outside your control and not worth the increase in blood pressure! (Not because they don’t matter, but because your being bothered by it will affect nobody but you – and the effect on you will not be positive).

Oh, and BP is fine thanks! 110/70….

Hi Kommissar.

Yes, I have worked full time since leaving university so practiced 16:8 while working.

I’m rarely hungry first thing in the morning, and don’t really believe in eating for the sake of it when I’m not hungry. So breaking my fast at maybe 11am is natural for me.

At weekends I sometimes eat earlier, especially if I’ve drunk too much the night before and need something in my stomach!

Luckily I find I’m more alert when I don’t eat (hence why many people report problems sleeping on fast days as their brains don’t switch off).

BTW, my husband has also naturally maintained a healthy weight by intermittent fasting – when he’s busy he often just ‘forgets’ to eat!

my thought is that any type of fasting, intermittent or for longer periods is a tool to do something for my health.

I am not interested in loosing weight. Some years ago I gained about 8 kilos in a short period of time cause the place I stayed during the week was close to a pizzeria. They had the best pizza salami ever plus I enjoyed the red wine. So one day by chance I saw the result on a scale and I decided to go back to normal size. It was fairly easy. I was then no longer accommodated close to the pizzeria, I cut out the daily 2 chocolate bars, the 3 heaping teaspoon of sugar for each coffee and the baklava (Turkish pastry) at the weekend. I added 30 minutes heavy exercise in the gym 3 times a week and that was it. After one year I was back to normal. The main control of changing weight in either direction is changing the ratio of spend calories versus intake. I have seen someone from my family loosing and maintaining weight with WW. I have seen my brother gaining and successfully maintaining his obese BMI for many years now by overeating. The spent intake ratio works in both directions.

I am thrilled by any lab value that shows me I can do something for my health by natural, simple live style changes. Any change from borderline bad numbers to healthy numbers for blood sugar, blood pressure, lipid profile makes me all smiles. I liked the idea of Eat Fast and Live Longer show because it MIGHT be one of those live style changes which comes free of charge, simple, natural.

2fast. I’m sorry! My response was slightly tongue in cheek but yes I will intervene when I see something illegal/ inappropriate happening. But I do know full well that there is no point in worrying about things that I cannot change.

However there is a serious point here. The population as a whole has been influenced to date by the dietary guidelines promoted by government (and as lobbied by the food industry). Our 3 meals a day/high carb/low fat/keep snacking philosophy has nothing to do with health but everything to do with business and profit.

If, by example or through discussion/information, I am able to influence someone to make a positive change as an individual that could, if enough people did it, make a difference for society as a whole then would that nor actually be the responsible thing to do?

And please! Don’t bother yourself with feeling sorry for my family and friends! They won’t appreciate it. They know that I am intelligent, educated to a high degree, generally well imformed, and confident and willing to defend my (generally evidence based) point of view. They are similarly intelligent, educated and informed, and would expect nothing less.

Another thing that life has taught me is that you should not expect to like everyone, nor everyone to like you. So please do not worry yourself about me being someone you would not like to kbow!