The FastDay Forum

LighterLife has been around for a while in the UK and Ireland as a VLCD (very low calorie diet), and from searching I see that a few people here on the forum have had success with them before (but the weight has crept back on afterwards, the familiar story).

Now they have launched 'LighterLife Fast' which is their version of Dr M's fast diet. Aimed at people with BMI of 20-27.9 it seems to follow Dr M's prescription except that you buy from them food packs which give you all your nutrition for the 2 fast days.

They say their plan guarantees full nutrition on a fast day. 'You can have the porridge for breakfast and then a soup or a bar for lunch, followed by a "meal" and a mousse or a shake for dinner.'

They have no commercial connection with Dr M and the Fast Diet. Nor with me...

I think it's a perfect marketing scheme particularly for that sub-group as it does get a bit harder when within a healthy weight range...mostly it being a slow process.

It's a total rip-off for sure, but having a marketable approach may make the regime more palatable for the general masses...but a rip-off nonetheless.

[Betsysgr8]

I really dislike any 'diet' that has commercial products to support it. What is wrong with learning real foods and their nutrients?

I started this WOE because it is real food in real life with real life situations and temptations. NO REAL restrictions with the exceptions of 2 days a week and even those can include the 'forbidden'. It's always your choice what foods and what days and how much or how little.

At this point, I'm more concerned with not getting enough calories and sliding into starvation mode, lol. I even went out for breakfast this morning for pancakes and eggs and saugage and hash browns to try and boost the difference between yesterday's fast and todays feed day.

Teach people how and what to eat .. don't give them more expensive 'meal packages'.

I agree Betsysgr8 but it was only a matter of time before the commercial operators tried to find a way to get into 5:2, and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. When will SW and WW catch up, or are they just hoping IF will go away?

[Betsysgr8]

True dominic, How do you count points for meals that you don't eat? lol

True dominic, How do you count points for meals that you don't eat? lol

Lol, maybe with a bonus system that's more appealing...get extra points for the next day as long as you stick below X amount. Either way it sounds so unappealing having to count, obsess and criticize your food intake with such systems.

IF's been around for quite awhile with slight variations since before Mosley so i'm thinking it's here to stay. After all it's an eating pattern and not necessarily a diet per-say.

But dang it'll certainly shake up the diet industry with the 6 meals nonsense lol. WW and SW will probably still flourish considering the health epidemic in western countries sadly and those oblivious to IF.

What % of dieters do you reckon are using IF as a tool (in any form)? That would be a neat fact to know lol

I don't like the way the article says this:

"By consuming four LighterLife Foodpacks on each fast day, you are guaranteed full nutrition without the calorie intake – it is impossible to take in 600 calories from conventional food and still get full nutrition."

I don't know about you, but I think a meal of salmon, broccoli and vegetables leaves me feeling far healthier than some artificial crappy cereal bar or milkshake full of preservatives.

I can see that this would be quite popular with people who hate cooking though!

[carorees]

I agree...my fast day meals feel much healthier than non-fast days. Also, I doubt not having optimal nutrition on 2 days out of 7 is going to create any problems. Over nutrition on the 5 days is the problem!

On fast days I think I eat really healthy and do enjoy the food ,what seems to be happening is because I enjoy the more healthy option on fast days I am eating more healthy on feast days it must be re training my brain does that make sense

On fast days I think I eat really healthy and do enjoy the food ,what seems to be happening is because I enjoy the more healthy option on fast days I am eating more healthy on feast days it must be re training my brain does that make sense

If you were to spend half the day adding up the minerals and vitamins I doubt a 500-600 calorie fast day will provide 100% of everything - it's not easy to do that with 1200 cals. Mind you I'm not sure you need to hit 100% of RDI every day as opposed to averaging it over a week.

With foodpacks priced "from just £1.80" and 4 per day it's £14.40 per week at least, so not really cheap.

I think the complete food package was £68 pw when my SiL did it so it's significantly cheaper than that. Given it's 535 cals a day every day and 5:2 is only 2 days a week on 500 cals, I could see this work for them as they lose their market.

As I mentioned before on another thread...Ive been waiting for the diet industry to jump on the 5:2 wagon!!
either with negative comments/negative research or in this case cashing in on the success of 5:2
cannt see a multi billion pound diet industry watching a totally free, workable, healthy way of life and not trying to put their spin on it to make profit!!!!

Seems like a good way to make money. Get al your food in a sachet, no need to think!
I went on this diet so that I could eat what I wanted when I wanted, even on my fast days - providing i eat less than 600 cals.
What is the point of a balanced diet on a fast day? A fast cannot achieve a balanced diet, because it is a fast and not eating normally.
It must be someones idea of a balanced diet. I wont become malnourished if I don't eat enough food on 2 days a week because I eat a "balanced" diet on my non fast days.
A good example of alternate day fasting from nature is the lion. One meal on alternate days. Nature would be cruel if she made us fat only to allow us to die of malnutrition when we don't eat.
This commercial diet is a cynical attempt to con more dieters...

So what BMI do Lighter Life think you should aim for?