I think we have finally cracked it at last. If you can stick with the 5:2 diet, and try out different things I think it should work for almost everyone. Husband is now the weight and fitness level he was when he was 15 (so he says….) and best of all a client who had multiple failed IVFs and needed to lose weight before another one was attempted just did it, lost the weight, looks fabulous and is pregnant at last. And after hearing more anti-aging validation on Radio 4’s The Food Programme, I am filled with renewed enthusiasm!
My friend said she wouldn’t be able to do it as skipping meals was meant to be bad for you wasn’t it, and it was good to eat regularly? Well, yes and no really. If you skip meals you tend to overeat and/or make poor food choices because your blood sugar levels are low, and then you fall into a pattern of what I call random eating. And on the 5:2 you just can’t do that, you have to keep going with the fasting stage and that’s when all the benefits happen. And let’s face it; we were designed to eat when we could and the idea that we always have to eat every couple of hours just doesn’t make sense to me, especially as most of us barely move anyway, nor do we have to keep ourselves warm.
The most important thing is making a good plan, and working out when the most important meal of the day is for you. If you want to skip breakfast and make up the calories in the evening then do. Almost everyone I have seen for this is sticking to it and is used to it, and feels pretty good too.
This is an email I received from a client:
" Just wanted to say thanks so much for putting me on the 5,2 diet, it’s been quite revolutionary! I’ve lost 9lbs already from it, and it’s become so much easier these days. And often on the non-fast days I hardly feel hungry either. And not only that but I’ve got loads more energy, my hair and skin look better, and it’s totally worked like a natural antidepressant – walk round on a high quite a lot. It’s been awesome. I think it’s going to change the world! Hoping to get down to my ultimate goal of 9 1/2 stone and think it can happen, feels like the first thing ever that really works! "
I love the idea of all that energy and good mood!
This is another typical meal on one of the fast days and the evening meal is pretty filling.
Breakfast
Medium poached egg - 77 cals
On Rude Health Multigrian Thin - 23 cals
Cup of tea with semi skimmed milk - 20 cals
Total - 120 cals
Lunch
Green soup (see first blog) - 80 cals
Cup of tea with semi skimmed milk - 20 cals
Sub Total - 220 cals
Evening meal
Chicken breast with herbs, garlic & lemon - 150 cals
Baked sweet potato in skin, 100g - 90 cals
Watercress, celery & cucumber salad - 10 cals
1 tsp butter or olive oil OR 100g honeydew melon - 30 cals
TOTAL - 500 cals
Steamed chicken breast with herbs, garlic and lemon
Trim all the fat from the chicken breast with scissors. Then cut three slits in it and fill with crushed garlic and finely chopped fresh herbs like basil, thyme and parsley. Stuff a slice of lemon into each slit, sprinkle with black pepper and Seagreens the Mineral Salt (a delicious rock salt mixed with crushed seaweed) and then steam it for about 20-25 minutes until cooked all the way through. Steaming it keeps it from becoming dry, as you have no oil. It is surprisingly delicious.
Men can have a slightly bigger lunch eg a Pret soup up to 180 calories. Their cream of mushroom has 148 calories.
It can be done!
