Do You 5 2?
You may recall earlier this year I mentioned an elusive 7lbs? You know the one that keeps hanging around, even though I’ve asked it very politely on several occasions to leave!
Well I decided to do something about it and have taken up the 5:2 “diet” and I say diet in inverted commas because I think the general idea is it’s a way of life as opposed to an extreme system aimed at short term gain …. Or should I say loss.
I discovered it when back in the UK over the hols and it seems it’s gained an immense following pond-side although I don’t know anybody that’s actually done it. It works on the premise that short term fasting helps optimize the body’s metabolism and allows all the bits and pieces to have a wee rest. I made that last part up, but there has long been speculation about how short bursts of fasting can be good for overall health and this diet promotes it.
What it also promotes is healthy eating on your off days ie the remaining five and of course varied physical exercise. What it also promotes is gradual weight loss about a 1lb a week to be precise and that seems fair enough and easy to live with. The two fasting days are not consecutive and a woman is allowed 500 calories and a chap 600 on those days. It is best to not eat for a long as possible and then have your first 200 and then a little later the remaining 300.
Well I have to tell you dear reader as someone who eats to live, rather than lives to eat I thought rather smugly I’d have no problem with the fast days. Well no and hell no! The first day I had a raging headache and took to my bed by about 7.00pm, the 2nd fast day was better, the 3rd fast day I was about to eat my own arm and now in weeks 5 or 6, there are starvation days when honestly the cat looks tempting!
I have also cut out the al-co-hol during the week and as a result am sleeping oh so much better – this I am told is a typical middle aged thing to do and in no way should I feel virtuous. The general gist being about time too. Although not sure I could do a year without vino.
Anyway so back to the 5:2 …. Well I was feeling rather jolly around week 4, I felt skinny. I did, I felt skinny and it’s not that I advocate skinniness, I don’t it’s horrid. But that’s how I was physically feeling. So I had a lovely week/end and decided at the beginning of week 5 to weigh myself. And let me tell you 5:2 has nothing to do with healthy eating days and starvation days – it means after 5 weeks of doing this you will gain 2 lbs – YES, 2 flippin’ pounds, honestly!!! And no muscle does not weigh significantly more than fat, whoever says that is talking out of their hat in my opinion!
So maybe my 7 lbs is here to stay, maybe not because I am persevering, partly because I don’t think it hurts to have a rest from eating every now and again and partly because everyone in my household is a little heavier than industry standard!
Have you tried it, are you in the middle of it or are you thinking about it?
Meantime, Look Gorgeous, Feel Fabulous – Sophie
Disclaimer – no animals were harmed or even nibbled on, in the making of this blog!