The 5:2 diet or fast diet is one of the latest diet fads currently
being promoted. Many people have tried it and had success with it, but what
does it involve? It is all about intermittent fasting two days out of the week.
Many health benefits are claimed with this diet, however none as yet, are
clinically proven.
Many people find this diet easier to stick to than
continuously limiting certain food groups and fasting as is done in traditional
dieting, due to only having to comply with limiting food two days per week.
This blog will explain how the 5:2 diet works, with some low calorie meals at
the end, suitable for those low calorie days. However I would like to be clear
that I do not advocate this diet, as a dietitian, I still behold the belief
that you can’t beat healthy eating with ample exercise for weight loss. All
these fad diets that include eliminating and limiting food groups, help you
lose weight temporarily, however unless you make healthy permanent changes to
your lifestyle, the weight will be put back on.
The 5:2 diet suggests eating normally five days per week,
and for the other two days, if you are a woman, eating 500kcal, or a man;
600kcal. This can either be consumed in one regular sized meal, or spread out
throughout the day in smaller snacks/meals. It claims by doing this, you should
lose around 1lb per week or a little more if you are a man, and you should see
improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin sensitivity.
So here are a few meal options for breakfast, lunch and
dinner that can help you stick to your fasting days.
Breakfast:
Bran flakes (30g) with skimmed milk – approximately 166kcal
Fat free yoghurt (150g) with blueberries (handful) – 177kcal
Lunch:
Salad, no dressing with grilled chicken – 197kcal
Skinny soup with two Ryvita – 127kcal
Dinner:
Grilled chicken breast with steamed cauliflower, carrots and
broccoli – 203kcal
The best way to keep the hunger away on those fasting days
is to snack on low calorie foods such as carrots, celery and broccoli, so chop
some up in the morning before heading off for the day, to stave off the hunger
cramps and keep your energy up.
Time-restricted feeding is a great program to follow for weight loss and body composition improvements as well as some other overall health benefits. intermittent fasting meal plan
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