Don’t you want to be able to eat anything, and yet achieve weight loss? The new 5:2 fast diet brings to you just that. It is fast in the truest sense of the word. The diet claims it can help you shed pounds while you fill your face with stuff, guilt-free. Is it possible? Yes! However, there is a catch. You can eat just about anything you desire five days of the week and stay on 500-600 calories for the remaining two days. Now how hard can that be to do? Let’s look a closer look at this “fast diet”.
What Does The 5:2 Fast Diet Entail?
Followers of the diet eat two very small meals on their fasting day, each meal containing about 200-300 calories. Women are recommended to restrict their calories to 500 while for men it is 600 calories roughly.
It is suggested that you plan your fast days to be non-consecutive and eat more plant based foods and protein on those days. The idea behind this diet is that after you fast for several hours, your body alters the type of fuel you burn, and thus shutting off its ability to store fat. People who have followed this diet claim that it helps reduce their appetites.
What Does Research Have To Say About This Diet?
There have been very few controlled studies done on humans regarding this diet. It helps to reduce weight, lengthen lifespan, decrease the risk to develop diabetes and helps the brain function better, but these conclusions are from animal studies. On humans, the study of alternate-day fast diet was conducted at the University of Illinois. It was found that the diet was helpful in reducing bad cholesterol, blood pressure, and triglycerides.
Read More : 5:2 Fast Diet: Giving You “Fast” Results
Is This Diet Dangerous?
If you are looking for scientific evidence, you may have to wait a while until more research is conducted. However, nutritionists and health experts worry that such a diet could lead to nutrient deficiencies and eating disorders. However, experts agree that an intermittent diet will help people break off their strong bond with food and develop healthy eating habits, which could last long term and help in weight loss.
The creator of the diet, Dr. Mosley, has however warned for women who are pregnant and people below the age of 20, have a BMI of less than 18.5 or have an eating disorder history to avoid this diet.
Rules of the 5:2 Diet
- Stick to 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men parameters, but don’t get too particular and harsh on yourself.
- Split your fasting days and maintain a gap between them.
- Aim for a long fasting window between eating episodes. A 7 and 7 time for breakfast and supper suits most people.
- Drink lots of water and avoid refined sugars and fast release carbohydrates,
- Snack smart if you must, eating fruits should do the trick.
You do not have to be too harsh on yourself, but if you plan to follow this diet, be sure to eat healthy, stay committed and witness the results yourself!
Sohail has been searching diets and belly fat solutions for over a decade, and manage a pool of trained authors to write articles, which have helped thousands of readers to this date. He has CPD accredited Certificate in Nutrition for Weight Loss besides his MBA degree. He also owns this website, which he founded in 2013 to share his ideas and knowledge. Not to mention he has tried numerous supplements over the years and has an extensive and thorough knowledge on supplements. Besides spending time on his study, research and literature, Sohail loves swimming, gardening and travelling.
