Disclaimer: I’m in no way a health expert; this blog post is merely sharing my thoughts and experiences. If you’re ever concerned about your health or a diet plan you should consult a doctor before starting.
A new year called for some drastic changes
to improve my lifestyle and general health. Four years of unhealthy eating and
near to zero exercise has really taken its toll on me, with my blood pressure
and BMI suffering. I was always going to start eating healthier, counting
calories but more specifically watching my carbohydrate intake. My two
colleagues have been doing the 5-2 diet and thoroughly recommend it, so I
thought I’d give it a try.
The premise of this diet is quite simple
for 5 out of 7 days you eat your recommended calorie amount, 2500 for men and
2000 for women. Then you have two non-consecutive fast days, whereby you drop
your calorie intake to 600 for men and 500 for women. This is called the
‘intermittent fasting diet’. People who have been successful with the 5:2 diet
plan claim that they lose weight but also that you can gain increased lifespan,
improved cognitive function and protection from disease.
There is a bit of science they explains why
you lose weight, I’m not qualified to understand this, but the premise seems
simple. If you continually lower your calories for an extended period, your
body panics and starts storing any calories you do get, which in turn stops you
losing weight. Whereby, if you fast and then have a completely normal eating
day, your body is tricked and goes into ‘repair mode’ and then it burns fat to
make up the calories that are missed.
However, the best part of this for me is
the psychological part. For 5 out of the 7 days in the week you eat ‘normally’
trying your best to stay under your calorie intake. For 2 of the 7 days you eat
super healthily, but whilst you’re feeling down in the dumps and hungry for the
2 days, you always know that eating something you really like is available tomorrow.
Of course, knowing whether this diet is
just a fad, or whether it actually works is pretty far in the future, but for
now I want to share my experiences with you on a weekly basis to let you know
how I’m getting on. I will share my meals and snack ideas with you, as well as
my thoughts and feelings as time goes on. I’ll be back on Monday to share my
thoughts of my first week on the 5:2 diet with you. Until then, let me know
your thoughts below!
As mentioned I’m no expert on this topic,
so if you want to learn more you can visit this NHS article and this YouTube video.
