Wednesday 24 August 2016

First Impressions of the 5:2 Diet

There are loads of diets out there these days, each promising fabulous results and the ability to fix you up with the perfect bikini body/little black dress figure/pre-pregnancy time warp! I’ve had problems with my body image since high school – first with thinking I was too fat at a size 10, then piling on the pounds after becoming a teen parent. As an undergraduate, I struggled with my size and ballooned to the ‘obese’ BMI range, unhappily plodding through my daily routine and getting out of breath at the slightest bit of exercise. After my second child came along, I tried out Slimming World and lost 3.5 stone, finally reaching the ‘healthy’ BMI range, but was unable to sustain this and quickly gained the weight again. Fed up once more, I decided to give the 5:2 a go!


Now before I go into any more detail, I want to make absolutely clear that this blog post is not intended as medical advice for anyone unhappy with their weight. I have read up about the theory of the 5:2, and feel confident following its rules, but I do so at my own risk. If you are unsure about anything related to dieting, or you have any kind of medical condition, consult with a medical professional before starting the diet - it’s not for everyone.
 
The 5:2 diet works on the basis that two days a week, you only consume 500-600 calories (500 for women, 600 for men) and the rest of the week you eat normally – although, when I say eat normally, this means sticking to the recommended 2000 calories a day for women and 2500 calories a day for men. The temptation is to binge after a fast day, and is a common cause of failure for this diet, but sticking to the plan is key for success! After reading some of the science surrounding the diet, it’s also thought to improve cell repair and help prevent diseases such as dementia, cancer and type 2 diabetes – perfect when I have a family history of the latter!
 
My friend Laura was the one who originally mentioned the 5:2 to me – she’s been following it for a year and a half and has lost a grand total of five stone! With results like that, I felt that it sounded too good to ignore any longer! She introduced me to a handy app on my phone for counting calories and away I went with my renewed passion for weight loss.
 
Initially, I thought it would be a chore to constantly ‘calorie count’, but keeping track on my phone made it so easy – especially when the handy barcode scanner has the ability to give me the calorie content of anything with the flash of my camera – my new fav crisps are the Hula Hoop Pufts at only 72 calories per pack! While following Slimming World, I limited my consumption of anything with ‘syns’ (i.e. chocolate, biscuits, crisps) and ate as much as I wanted of the ‘free’ foods (i.e. vegetables, fruit, pasta, rice). This only served in me gorging on anything that was free and loading up my plate with far too many ‘free carbs’. After following the 5:2 for the past three weeks, I now have a much better understanding of portion control and I am eating a much more balanced diet, while still leaving room for occasional treats.
 
Another added benefit of the 5:2 is that the calorific information of most foods is easily found on the packaging. While many diet groups have their own way of attributing points for different meals, the 5:2 utilises the information we all have access to and allows us to make more informed choices. I now plan my meals much more effectively and still manage to have guilt free nights out with friends, something I struggled to do while on Slimming World.
 
While out for Laura’s birthday, we were both delighted to learn that Pizza Express served a selection of 600 calorie pizzas – perfect for a wee birthday treat! This also left plenty of room for the bottle of prosecco we also shared (225 calories each), courtesy of a birthday offer she’d been sent earlier in the week!
 
 
 
I’ve rambled on for a bit now, but no diet can really be judged unless you have results. In the three weeks since I started the 5:2, I’ve lost a total of 5 pounds. This doesn’t seem like a huge amount, but for someone who has been struggling with weight loss for the past couple of years, this is a huge step in the right direction. I’ve not particularly limited myself over these past few weeks – except for the fast days, which easily fitted around my schedule – and I have still enjoyed a social life with both friends and work colleagues! Despite my hen party approaching on the horizon, I’m confident I can reach the half stone mark by the end of the month and hopefully reach my goal by Christmas – just in time to put it all on again, haha!
 
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20 comments

  1. Well done on the loss! I am sure that you will achieve your goal :)

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    1. Thanks Nikki, I've done it before, so I'm determined to do it again! :)

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    1. You've heard me go on about how amazing it is! We will have to visit for lunch sometime soon! :)

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  3. Glad you are enjoying this diet, I have to say I am against all diets as they usually only work when you are on them.

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    1. My problem is that I lack motivation, so sticking to something like this helps with reaching my goals :)

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  4. I haven't heard of this, it sounds good. I am looking for a plan to eat better to lose weight. Well done with your loss! Kaz x

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    1. Thanks Kaz, it's definitely worth looking into to check if it's right for you, I'm enjoying it so far :)

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  5. Well done on losing 5 pounds, different things work for different people but I know how you feel about gorging on 'free carbs' with slimming world x

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    1. Thanks Rhian, slimming world was definitely getting me down, so I'm glad I've found something else that works :)

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  6. Oooh! Well done, you are doing really well. It's great that you haven't been too limited with the diet and it looks like you've had some yummy food. That pizza looks great! xo

    http://rachelnicole.co.uk/

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    1. Thanks Rachel, the pizza was totally amazing, can't wait to have it again! :)

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  7. I find Slimming World and Weight Watchers far too complicated but like the sound of the 5:2 Diet. I would be interested to see how you've got on in a few more weeks!

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    1. I will probably write another post after I've seen further results, especially if the weight loss continues at this rate! :)

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  8. I think that sounds like a manageable diet and I think 5lb loss is great. Well done.

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    1. Thanks Emma, the diet is definitely easier than anything I've done before, especially as I'm finding myself much less inclined to snack :)

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  9. Well done! I think I've never lasted more than a morning on the 5:2 plan, probably explains a lot.

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    1. Thanks, it's the fast days that are difficult, but I just keep thinking about my wedding dress and go to bed early haha!

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  10. This is interesting. I've never heard of this diet before but sounds like a doable plan. Will definitely look into it as I'm planning to cut down on a few things also.

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    1. The great thing is - aside from the fast days - it doesn't even feel like you're cutting down, I'm amazed at the results so far! :)

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