The FastDay Forum

I first became interested in 5:2 because of the health benefits. My blood sugar levels are high end of normal as is my cholesterol and I carry any excess weight around my middle which I know to be unhealthy. I am now within 1 pound of my target weight (no cheers please - I only had half a stone to lose so no big deal) However that half stone has been sitting there for years and every other attempt to shift it has failed, so 5:2 is working for me. I am particularly pleased to have lost 2 inches from my waist so not only have I shifted (nearly) that half stone but it has gone from the right place.

I had blood tests done today so it will be interesting to see if there is any improvement.

I want to continue with fasting for the health benefits and I wonder how much is known about 6:1. If further weight loss is not needed would this be enough to sustain any health benefits? Or perhaps I should be looking at other fasting methods? I have searched the internet but most of the information seems to be centred around weight loss.

Any ideas on how I should continue?

Hi,

Yes 6:1 is seen as a "maintenance mode" for this WOL, your weight should stay down and you still get the health benefits associated with fasting.

[carorees]

I think there are several options, depending on what your maintenance calories look like (and how much you eat on feed days!). One is 6:1, another is a 24 hour full fast, followed by normal dinner, or 5.5:1.5 (one normal fast day, one half day), or skip breakfast most days plus one fast. I have a feeling my weight loss on 5:2 will just grind to a halt & I'll stay on 5:2. Really you just have to monitor things and adjust to suit.

But how fantastic to be in that situation...wish I was!

. . . I wonder how much is known about 6:1. If further weight loss is not needed would this be enough to sustain any health benefits?

I have the same question and haven't been able to find anything definitive. There was only a comment from Dr M (on Twitter?) that at one point he'd switched to 6:1 and was still experiencing the health benefits, but I've never seen any particulars. Also, on the Horizon presentation Dr Longo hinted that he himself was doing a full fast of 3 or 4 days every few months. If any studies appear relating to 6:1, I trust that the eagle-eyed nerds here will uncover it.

Based on my experience 6:1 appears to be effective for maintenance. I am underweight and started fasting four months ago, doing one 32-hour full fast (no calories) each week, for the health benefits. To keep from losing weight I have had to increase my calories on non-fast days. I haven't yet had blood work done to find out if this is having any effect on the standard markers. What I can say is that I feel much better in every respect, and that's what has kept me at this despite finding the fasts to be challenging (mainly because of how cold I feel).

I'm now adding in five days a week with an 8-hour eating window by skipping breakfast. On the morning after a full fast I find that a small breakfast in the range of 100 to 150 calories (half a piece of fruit, small bit of dry cereal) is a gentle way to reintroduce food and gear up for a regular lunch, which I figure I need in order to keep my weight steady.

Dr MM was on Sarah Millican Show a few weeks ago as a guest. He commented then that he was on 6:1 to maintain the health benefits without losing any more weight. That's also where I first heard about the diet.