The basic rules of the 5: 2 diet, its advantages, disadvantages and contraindications. Selection of products and menus for the week. Results and reviews.
The 5: 2 diet is a relatively new way of losing weight, which has recently become more and more popular because it gives good results. Such a diet helps not only to get rid of the hated extra pounds, but also allows you to tone the body. In addition, it is suitable for both men and women, with specific features for each gender.
Basic diet rules 5: 2
The 5: 2 diet began to gain widespread popularity in all segments of the population as soon as it appeared in 2012. Its author is a journalist and doctor from the UK - Michael Mosley, who released his film, in which he is a scientist in the story.
Michael, along with other scientists, was interested in the question of how to extend human life. And he finds the answer in the fact that people need to periodically starve in order to give the body a rest. Thus, Michael believes, our body works better, and the processes of regeneration of damaged cells start on their own. The journalist tried the 5: 2 diet on his own experience, while constantly monitoring his health and recording the results using laboratory tests.
The main principle of the 5: 2 diet is that there are no serious restrictions in terms of permitted foods, which cannot be said about other methods of losing weight. There are only certain recommendations for replacing some products so that a losing weight person feels full longer and does not suffer from hunger all day.
To lose weight on a 5: 2 diet, you need to master its basic rules:
- As the name suggests, you can eat 5 days a week according to your usual diet, and the remaining 2 (selected individually for your convenience) need to be made unloading.
- During fasting days, the calorie content of all food taken per day should not exceed 500 kcal for girls and 600 kcal for men, since they need more energy for all the processes that take place in the body.
- Each fasting day should have 2 meals - only breakfast and dinner.
- The break between breakfast and dinner should be made long, not less than 12 hours. It is best to have your meals at the same time, such as 8 am and 8 pm. A long break between breakfast and dinner starts the process of burning fatty tissue, which is accumulated in excess, and also accelerates the regeneration of damaged cells and tissues.
- You should drink as much plain purified water or herbal tea without sugar as possible. Thanks to this, the process of losing weight is more active.
- To minimize the risk of breakdown, it is better to do fasting days not on weekends. The more busy the work schedule, the less a losing weight person will think about food and experience an obsessive feeling of hunger.
- On days when the number of calories is minimized, it is advisable not to exercise. Exercise takes up a lot of energy, and 500-600 kcal is not enough for this.
- In order for weight loss on a 5: 2 diet to bring the desired results, it is advisable to go in for sports on those 5 days when meals are normal. This will speed up the process of burning those extra calories. The optimal frequency of physical activity is 3 times a week.
See also the 15-day salt-free diet rules.
Pros and cons of a 5: 2 diet
The 5: 2 diet, like any other, has its positive and negative sides.
Benefits of a 5: 2 Diet
- You need to limit yourself to food only 2 days a week, all the rest of the time you can eat as usual.
- You don't need to get used to such a diet for a long time.
- The likelihood of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes mellitus and malignant neoplasms is significantly reduced, as well as the level of glucose and cholesterol in the blood decreases.
- This method of losing weight can be used for any lifestyle - both for busy people and for young mothers on maternity leave.
- There is practically no risk of falling off the diet, because you need to endure only 2 days.
- The weight does not go away abruptly, due to which it will not quickly return in the future.
- Diet does not negatively affect health.
There are relatively few negative points. Disadvantages of a 5: 2 diet:
- Unlike other diets, extra pounds go off really slowly, which sometimes does not suit people who are losing weight.
- Between morning and evening meals, noticeable weakness may be troubling.
- Strong endurance is required, albeit only for 2 days. 12-hour breaks between meals are stressful for many.
To overcome the feeling of hunger on fasting days, between breakfast and dinner, you need to remember to drink more clean water.
There are certain contraindications for any dietary restriction. Before starting a 5: 2 diet, it is advisable to be examined and consult a doctor to make sure that you are personally allowed to lose weight in this way.
Contraindications to the 5: 2 diet:
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract … These are pathologies such as gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux, gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer. The diet in this case can significantly worsen the general condition and cause an exacerbation of the disease.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding period … Expectant mothers, like breastfeeding women, need to get more calories every day than they used to consume. If they limit themselves in nutrition, the breastfed baby will not receive enough energy and will not gain the necessary weight, and the fetus in the womb may develop more slowly than it should be in time.
- Age under 18 … A growing body requires a large amount of energy, which it uses and burns rather quickly. If a child is overweight, it is better to regulate his diet and increase the amount of physical activity, but without fasting days.
- Any chronic disease in the acute stage … In any inflammatory process, our body needs good nutrition and getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals. During such a period, the diet will only complicate the healing process.
If there are no contraindications, then a 5: 2 diet, subject to all its rules, will help to lose weight. The main thing is not to forget to drink water and not break down.
Recommendations for choosing foods for the 5: 2 diet
In the 5: 2 diet, there are no strictly prohibited and allowed foods. A losing weight person can eat what he loves and is used to. Despite this, there are a number of recommendations for the optimal choice of food.
During 2 fasting days for breakfast and dinner, you should choose such dishes that not only quickly saturate, but also allow you to keep the feeling of satiety as long as possible.
It is advisable to abandon foods that contain carbohydrates that are quickly broken down. These include:
- Any cereals;
- Wheat flour products (bread, pasta);
- Sweet in any form;
- Bananas and avocados (they contain a lot of calories, which is not suitable for this diet, the rest of the fruits are allowed).
It is also advisable to give up sausages, because they are also too high in calories.
Preference should be given to vegetable salads, light soups, permitted fruits, lean meats, fish, dairy products, nuts, legumes, herbs, and citrus fruits.
If between meals there is simply an intolerable feeling of hunger, you must first try to satisfy it with a glass of water. If this does not help in any way, it is allowed to eat any fruit at will (apples, orange or tangerine are best suited). It needs to be cut into small pieces and eaten, chewing very slowly. Nuts are also fine, but only a few can be eaten. You should also drink a glass of water before your two main meals.
Diet menu 5: 2 for a week
For a 5: 2 diet, the menu per week can be quite varied. On "non-dietary" 5 days, you can eat anything you want, but, of course, try not to pounce on any food after 2 days of abstinence.
There are 4 main options for distributing meals on fasting days:
- Before the day of the diet, it is necessary to have dinner at 19:00. Then the first meal should be carried out at 8:00, distributing 300 kcal out of 500 on it. After that, at 19:00 there should be dinner, which will fall on the remaining 200 kcal. The next day, you only need to drink water.
- Dinner before the first fasting day should be at 20:00. In the morning, you should skip breakfast and only have lunch at 12:00. In this case, 300 kcal should fall for lunch. Then at 19:00 you need to have dinner, leaving 200 kcal for this meal.
- You can distribute calories in equal proportions over 2 days. For this, dinner on a normal day must be at 19:00. On the following days, you only need to have breakfast. It is advisable that for each breakfast there is 250 kcal (for men - 300 kcal). You cannot have dinner on these days.
- The last dinner should be at 19:00. In the morning of the first fasting day, you need to have a hearty breakfast, trying to fit all 500 kcal in this meal. For the rest of the first day and the entire second, only drinking water is allowed. This is the most difficult diet option of all, and many people break down on it.
There are certain recipes for the 5: 2 diet directly for fasting days, separately for breakfast and dinner.
Breakfast examples:
- 1 chicken egg omelet, small plate of vegetable salad, seasoned with sunflower oil.
- Low fat cottage cheese (100 g), 1 tbsp. l. any berries, nuts.
- Smoothie based on vegetables, 1 fruit and greens.
- Flax seeds mixed with coconut flakes and any berries.
- Boiled egg with finely chopped grapefruit.
Dinner examples:
- Boiled or baked fish and vegetable salad in sunflower oil.
- Low-fat vegetable soup.
- Salad with seafood, boiled chicken breast or steamed fish and herbs.
- Boiled chicken breast with vegetable salad in sunflower oil.
- Mushroom soup.
- A small amount of stewed potatoes and chicken fillets.
It is necessary to combine the proposed recipes in such a way that the two-day diet is as varied and rich as possible for the allowed number of calories. You should also try to evenly distribute foods so that proteins, fats and carbohydrates enter the body, just in less quantities than usual.
Diet results 5: 2
The results of the 5: 2 diet are quite tangible. However, it should be borne in mind right away that there will be no quick weight loss. Kilograms will go away gradually, but, unlike other diets, after that there will not be a sharp return, and even with a surplus.
On average, according to observations, with a diet of 5 kg in 2 weeks, it is quite possible to lose. At the same time, it is important during non-fasting days to drink at least 1.5 liters of liquid per day and exercise regularly.
Real Reviews of the 5: 2 Diet
Despite the fact that such a power system is only 7 years old, many have already tried it. Reviews about the 5: 2 diet are only positive.
Julia, 37 years old
I have been struggling with being overweight for a long time. At the same time, I regularly go to fitness and even excluded flour and sweets from the diet. But, unfortunately, I practically did not see the results. Colleagues at work advised the 5: 2 diet. I decided to do the fasting days during the working week, and not on weekends, so I wanted to think less about food. I have been eating this way for 4 weeks now and have lost 7.5 kg. This is my best result ever! There weren't even any breakdowns. I recommend to everyone.
Inna, 25 years old
For all the time I have tried many diets, even tried to sit on complete starvation. My exposure is not very good, so there were constant breakdowns, and I wanted to give up. But recently I came across a 5: 2 diet on the Internet. She really helps. In order not to break down again, I distribute the calories equally over 2 days and almost all the time I drink a little water. For a week it took 1, 5 kg, and I'm happy!
Ksenia, 30 years old
I have never suffered from excess weight, but over the past six months I gained a lot due to constant stress. I was also not particularly interested in the topic of diets, but decided that it was time to get in shape. I started my weight loss with a 5: 2 diet. I have been holding on for a month and a half, and during this time it took 11 kg, and the size of the clothes decreased by 2. So I recommend this particular diet to everyone who is ready to go towards their goal.
Watch the video about the 5: 2 diet:
The 5: 2 diet is the easiest and least tangible way to lose weight. If done correctly, the numbers on the scales will start to decrease pretty soon. The results and reviews of the 5: 2 diet are mostly positive.
