Will I lose weight with the 5:2 if I am already at a healthy BMI?

This topic contains 5 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by fasting_me 6 years, 9 months ago.

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

alliex2018

11:47 pm
27 Feb 18
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I have just recently thought about starting the 5:2 diet because I haven’t seen any more weight loss results in a few weeks. I went from 175 pounds to 152 in the span of six months (July to December 2017). I am still sticking to a similar calorie intake but I have not seen any results in 2018.

Will the 5:2 diet technically make me “gain” weight since I will be increasing my weekly calorie intake from about 9,520 – 10,000 calories a week to 11,000? Or will it help me lose about 0.5-1 pound every week while on this diet?

Additional Info:
Height: 5′ 6.5
Current Weight: 152 pounds
BMI: 24.1

CalifDreamer

12:27 am
28 Feb 18
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Welcome to the 5:2 forums, alliex2018. You can calculate the amount of calories you need to maintain your present weight or TDEE here: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-calories-on-a-non-fast-day/ If you subtract the 500 or 600 calories you’ll eat each of your 2 fast days, you’ll be left with the appropriate number of calories you need to maintain your present weight for the remaining non-fasting 5 days. If you eat more than that, you’ll gain weight. If you eat less, you’ll lose.

sw600

12:05 pm
28 Feb 18
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To answer the question in the title, yes you can lose weight on 5:2 if you are already healthy BMI. I am 177cm tall, and went from 73kg (BMI 23.3) to 65kg (BMI 20.7) in 15 or so weeks on the 5:2 (which I am doing for possible health benefits related to cholesterol and blood sugar, rather than weight loss per se).

BMI is a very vague sort of measurement though. Apparently I could still be ‘healthy’ at 58kg, but I’d look dreadful at that weight I think.

aitch51

2:12 am
6 Mar 18
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Most definitely. I used the diet to go from 23 to 20.5, with a slow weight loss of about 1kg per month. At this weight I estimate that my body fat was 16% which is about as low as is healthy for a woman. One lesson I learned was that a BMI lower than this would not be healthy for someone with my build

alliex2018

5:35 am
6 Mar 18
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Oh cool! If you don’t mind me asking, how much weight did you lose and how long did it take you to lose it all?

I currently weigh 152 lbs/68.9 kg and my goal weight is 125 lbs/56.7 kg and I hope to lose it all in the next few months.

fasting_me

1:59 pm
6 Mar 18
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Yes, alliex, you will lose weight by Fasting, depending on what you eat on Slow Days. I began Fasting to keep my husband company, but I was hoping to lose a stubborn 4 pounds and keep it off. I lost that and more. Since then I have been maintaining that weight loss, with some ups and downs, for 4+ years, with a fat% in the 15 range and a BMI of 18. Nothing wrong with you getting your BMI down a few more points, since 21 is still a healthy BMI.
Good luck in your journey.