5:2 Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss

One explanation for the popularity of 5:2 fasting is the tempting idea that we can eat what we want for five days of the week without any weight gain. No eating for two days is a great bargain if you can enjoy guilt-free munching for the rest of the time – in my experience it doesn’t quite work like that.

It is Possible to Gain Weight on a 5:2 Fasting Diet

Last August I tried 5:2 intermittent fasting for the first time. I felt inspired after watching a Horizon documentary called ‘Eat, Fast, and Live Longer’. It seemed like an easy way to lose weight while at the same time reducing my risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

I remember one scene from the Horizon documentary when the presenter (Michael Mosley) drove up to a drive-in-takeaway to enjoy a nice feast. He gobbled his food without the slightest embarrassment because he had reached the end of his fast.

I don’t think the makers of the documentary intended to promote the idea that regularly eating junk food can be safe, but this is the bait that grabbed my attention. I loved the idea- I would eat without constraint for five days a week, fast for two days, and get the satisfaction of seeing the number on the weighing scales steadily decrease.

In the beginning I did lose weight on the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet – despite making no attempt to control my food intake on normal days. By the third week I’d lost 2 kg (4.4 pounds), but then my weight loss slowed down significantly. The biggest shock came on my fourteenth fast day (week seven) when my weight increased by 0.4 kg (just under a pound).

I couldn’t understand how I could be not eating for two days (losing about 5,000 calories from my diet), yet still putting on weight. I felt disillusioned and gave up.

My Second Attempt at 5:2 Intermittent Fasting

I am now in my second week of 5:2 intermittent fasting – today is my fourth twenty-four hour fast. I’ve no idea how much weight I’m losing because I’ve made the decision not to weigh myself until the end of the ten weeks. I’m hoping to lose about 4 kg (8.8 pounds). The main thing is to change my eating patterns so any weight loss is sustainable after the fast is over.

I’m approaching things a bit differently with this attempt at intermittent fasting. I no longer believe that this diet makes my body immune to junk food – I’m being careful about what I eat even on my normal days.

I’m also building up my exercise regime so that by the end of the 10 weeks, I’ll be burning enough calories that way to make up for the loss of at least one of the fast days. I’m also considering trying juice fasting for one day a week indefinitely.

Click on the highlighted text to read more about my experiences with 5:2 intermittent fasting and juice fasting