The FastDay Forum

Have you had any reason to tell your doctor or GP of your new lifestyle involving intermittent fasting in whichever variation you have chosen.

Dd they know about 5:2.. (has all the media hype reached the general medical community yet?)

What was their reaction?

Did you find your doctor recommending for or against your new lifestyle.

Did any doctor suggest ideas or indeed variations on 5:2 to assist?

Has anybody surprised their doctor by a great new lower weight/blood pressure or other medical test but said nothing about 5:2 till they said to you.. "Wow... look at your results.... what have you been doing to achieve such great results".

I for one seldom discuss weight issues with any of the GPs in our local practice although I did get the comment, "wow you're looking well!" at my last review. That cheered me up somewhat.

Except for those with a special interest I haven't found your average GP very good at nutrition. Most seem to send the practice nurses off on a quick course and then refer patients to them. I'm guessing they get extra from the NHS to run the obesity clinics. Now in our practice no-one on God's good earth is going to take dietary advice from the nurse seeing as she is built like the proverbial brick outhouse! (Being polite here!) She really is no advertisement for her own advice.

I do my own research and take responsibility for my own actions. So far its paying off albeit slowly.

I saw my doctor in June for regular annual checkup when I was more than half way to my goal. The first thing he said was "You've lost weight!" At first he was horrified when I told him about 5:2 because he thought I had said fasting 5 days a week! lol He seemed fine with it. Later in an electronic communication (I love that we can now see test results online and send messages to doctor that way--he always responds and I'm careful not to abuse it) he said that everyone should be as conscientious about health as I am--sorry to brag, but I think it means he approves of 5:2.

I agree, Miffy, we have to do a lot of our own research, although I'm lucky that this doc will do research to answer my questions.

No my doctor does not know. After several years of nagging me to lose weight he didn't even notice that I had finally done so! Granted it was only 15 pounds or so, but still... *grumble, grumble*

I'm not concerned about his reaction if he finds out. He's pretty open to new things. I did my own research on treatments for my anxiety and found an old drug that's recently been found to help. We discussed it and he prescribed it. He always asks about it as I'm the only patient he has on it. I feel like a guinea pig on that. I imagine 5:2 would be the same deal.

My doctor knows, because I told her, and she is very interested on how I'm getting on with it. She certainly didn't do the 'prophet of doom' bit and warn me away from it, so I was glad that I had let her know. Mind you, I wouldn't have stopped, even if she had warned me off, so perhaps it's good that she is supportive! I haven't yet raised the issue of coming off the statins with her, so it will be interesting to see what happens then!

I told my GP (a new doctor I hadn't seen before) about my weight loss and she was impressed and asked me how I'd achieved it. When I told her I'm doing 5:2, she knew about it and said she has other patients who are doing it too. Her attitude seemed very positive so I'm hopeful the word is spreading.

I have recently changed to a different practice, for the reasons that Miffy pointed out. Lack of interest apart from telling you that you should lose weight, and the nurses bigger than me telling me to eat the stuff that made me fat in the first place, so I have had to sort my self out, 5 stone lost 2 ish more to go. 4 stone between May 2011 and Jan 2013 on my own + 17lbs with 5:2 and the support of all you lovely people.

Chris x

My Doctor doesn't know yet, but I see the nurse in 2 weeks for a review and she will weigh me then see that I've lost 2stone ( hopefully bit more by then) but I'm now stuck + deffo hanging on in there.
I have photocopied the book cover to give to her so she can do her homework, she's tall very slim + attractive, lovely person
I'll let you all know how it goes. Good luck Sue

One doctor knows, but I'd never discuss anything with the other one, Doctor Death. He's a hateful man. I try never to see him unless it's dire, then he bridges his fingers, yawns, looks into space and goes, 'why are you cluttering up my surgery?' (well, perhaps not exactly, but that's how he makes me feel)

No not told my new GP but would have told my old one who has just retired. My OH has told the practice diabetic nurse he sees because he has Type 2 & she knew about 5:2 & is very supportive advising how he could reduce his medication on fasting days, because we eat our calories for dinner on fast days.

I haven't told many people, I'm afraid of jinx...

[Tracieknits]

My endocrinologist knows. In late June, I showed a 10lb loss on his scales, and he was quite pleased - this is in spite of the fact my thyroid numbers have been periodically sluggish all year and he's been having to reduce and reduce my medications accordingly. Remember slow thyroid is supposed to mean weight *gain*.

He said he had heard of it but hadn't heard much about it. It told him that you're supposed to eat about your TDEE five days per week, then 500 calories for the other two, non-consecutive days. He said it sounded like it was a reasonable plan, and was glad it was working for me.

He also said "no fasting while in Paris!" LOL (my appointment was a week before my trip to Paris)

I saw my doctor back in March, for a routine check up and she commented on my blood pressure being lower than previously. I told her I was doing the fast diet and she was very supportive. She was also very impressed with the weight loss I'd achieved at that point. Due for my next routine check up in September/October and I'm already another 1.5 stone down from my last weigh in with her.

I told my doctor about 5:2 and he is OK with it. He only said - do not 'abuse it" because it could come to "eating disorder"...No such disorder so far, LOL

Read the article via the link on PhilT's thread for the dilemma that GPs face. .

Am sure my GP will be well pleased with my results when I get around to telling her, otherwise I am responsible to take the best care I can of my body and to that end I am a work in progress every day with every decision I make with implications for my health and well being. I try!