The FastDay Forum

amberenchanted, I have a 7 year old daughter and I'm VERY careful about any diet talk around her - youngsters definitely need to be happy with their bodies just as they are and they learn from their parents.

Yes, I agree about treating everybody with respect. I have never "fat-shamed" anybody, unless talking about the fast diet is fat-shaming!

[carorees]

At my last weigh & measure at my gym I was asked how I was managing to lose weight. I guessed they would be anti- fasting because I have often been told not to miss breakfast, and to make sure I ate something before exercising to 'keep up your blood sugar levels'. I said I am calorie counting, but allowing myself more at weekends and making up during the week by having a couple of low calorie days in order to have an average daily intake of around 1500 calories. That was fine with the instructor.
I haven't really talked about this WOE to anyone else except my close family, who are all so used to me trying all sorts of diets that they just let me get on with it. None of my children can remember a time when I haven't been trying to lose weight. I try to explain that because I tend to eat more than I need, for me this is an easy way of reducing my overall consumption, which may also have added health benefits.

I think saying that you're trying to average 1500 cals a day but some days you have more and others less is a great way to fudge the whole fasting issue...good idea!

I've not meet any hostility but because of my work and medical research background there's not many who would dare! Not unless they wanted to be bored silly about the science (with references)!

I found if I tell people that im fasting to regenerate cells and give my body a break from digesting to it can consentrate on repairing what needs it, ...

This

Hi All,

Curious to see if any of you have had anyone "try to school you" about how "bad" this diet is. For example, I belong to a running group on Facebook and mentioned that I had lost about 9 lbs on this diet and was curious to see if anyone else was on it and whether they ran on their fasting days (many of the people on this list have weight issues and are slower runners). I immediately received a bunch of very negative responses from one woman in particular. She became so insulting that I blocked her. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but it seemed like her intent was to shut me down and discourage anyone else from responding. Sadly, despite the number of books being sold this diet doesn't seem to be taking off in the US like it did in the UK. I swear that there is a concerted effort by the diet industry here (nutritionists who give you advice like drink a lot of milk and gmos/ corn syrup are a OK, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers) to discredit this diet. And unfortunately some people are listening. I don't proselytize about the fast diet, but I'm starting to feel like I need to keep it under wraps! Geez! Done venting. Just curious if anyone else has dealt with people like this on the Internet. I guess the anonymity of the Internet brings the "mean girl" out of some people. Jenm

I think people can be so jealous!! I have only been doing this for a week, but I am not telling anyone except my husband because I find that when it comes to weight loss people, in genearl, can be mean and try to sabbatoge you!

by the way, congratulations on your weight loss you are doing awesome!! Keep it up and don't let people get you down!!

Jenm I also am interested in the effects of running while doing 5:2. I am a nurse and got alot of grief just asking if anyone saw the PBS program on TV. So I did not tell anyone at work

I will try to let you know what my experience is with fasting and running.

There are a few people I have told and actually sent the link to the original documentary, saying that it may change their life. They are good friends but even then, I don't tell them what it's about. I just say, "Watch this. Watch it all. Don't make any judgement until it finishes."

I have found if you mention "fasting" or "5:2" people's eyes roll back as if, "Yeah, yeah, another fad."

I told my sister-in-law recently when we were out to dinner and she was complaining about not losing any weight. As soon as I said, "5:2" she shut down. Didn't want to hear it, didn't want to listen. Just cut me off. Said it wouldn't work, wouldn't even hear me out. It was infuriating.

It does cop some bad flack from many longstanding nutritional experts who have not looked at any of the science (not even the little bit presented in the documentary). Many women's magazines tout it as being an eat as much as you want for five days and starve for two, which it certainly is not. There is a big difference between eat whatever you want and eat as much as you want.

It is sad, but I have found that in the majority of cases, I just say nothing. I read a piece from Rosemary Stanton, an Australian nutritionist who has been advising the Australian public for nearly all my life on how to lose weight and she slammed it as a yo-yo diet. She obviously had not looked into it at all. So Joe Bloggs on the street, who are they going to believe, me or Rosemary Stanton? So I shut up and keep losing weight while those that listen to Rosemary don't end up staying on a "balanced nutritional diet" for the long term anyway.

I guess it is a bit like religion. Some people proselytize, some people keep their religion within their home and some want to blow up the non-believers. I choose the middle option (although there are a few people with whom I have felt like doing the latter - including my sister in law)

I am not really here for the weight loss solely, it just one sliver of my pie-chart of benefits from 5:2 Fasting. If people don't want to share my pie then one day they'll be eating their own...Humble pie!

I have found this as well. The program has not yet aired in Australia and despite there already being a few articles about it, people seem quite negative to the idea. They appear to be under the impression that I am starving myself, not eating at all (despite having lunch) and that any diet that promotes not eating is unhealthy.

This is getting quite frustrating as I find myself having to explain why it is good for you etc etc and people seem quite ignorant to it despite not actually having read up on it and what it is about. I was also ill the other day (cold) and more than half of the office has been sick, yet my boss asked me today if I was making myself ill by not eating.

Kinda wished I hadn't mentioned it at the start, althogh I am having positive results and am glad I can prove people wrong when they said "you can never stick to that, it will only work for a couple of weeks before it stops working" etc etc.

I guess the main thing is stuff them - it really is none of their business

[carorees]

It is sad, but I have found that in the majority of cases, I just say nothing. I read a piece from Rosemary Stanton, an Australian nutritionist who has been advising the Australian public for nearly all my life on how to lose weight and she slammed it as a yo-yo diet. She obviously had not looked into it at all. So Joe Bloggs on the street, who are they going to believe, me or Rosemary Stanton? So I shut up and keep losing weight while those that listen to Rosemary don't end up staying on a "balanced nutritional diet" for the long term anyway!

I stopped taking notice of Rosemary Stanton years ago - if you do some research you will see she is paid by people in the food industry - can't remember whom, maybe the meat industry. Anyway she is as conservative as can be and if she gave 5:2 the thumbs up I'd be worried!

I also have the eye rollers, but I will let my friends know when it comes on TV in a couple of weeks, so they can make up their own minds. Suffice to say some need it, so hopefully they will also be liberated like us. Keep up the good work!

I haven't told many people either. Tried to talk to one who is doing a fruit diet mainly eating berries all day. Apparently that's ok but this isn't. It's also been slammed by Michelle Bridges(Australian biggest loser trainer). The annoying thing is you could tell she is only going on hear say and hasn't read the book or done any research.
Well to them

I will tell people this is what I'm doing if they comment on the weight loss but other than that there's probably not much point.

It's obvious that the diet industry and people who make their living out of overweight and obese people will not be happy about the success of 5:2. What I especially like about 5:2 is that I am the one who is in control and that this is so easy and it doesn't cost anything so that practically anyone can do it. The diet industry SHOULD be panicking!

Yes. I heard Michael Mosley talking on the ABC about this being a fad and that the thing is with fad diets that you won't keep the weight off. He said the honest truth - people advised by nutritionists to adopt a healthy eating plan don't end up keeping the weight off either.

That's why I don't think of this as a diet. It is just...life.