The FastDay Forum

I've been on the 5:2 for a month and am pleased with the results - nearly half a stone lost. However, I keep wondering about how long "a day" is! Some people fast from 2pm one day to 2pm the next day, so 24 hours. But if you fast (for example) on Thursdays, you might stop eating around 9pm on Wednesday and not start again until 7am on Friday - that's 34 hours. Is this loads more effective than 24 hours?

I had planned yesterday as a fast day, forgetting it was Valentine's Day. It wasn't possible to swap to another day, so I just didn't eat until dinner time, which meant a fast from 9pm Wednesday to 6pm yesterday (21 hours). I then enjoyed my M&S Valentine's special dinner which added up to about 1300 calories (a heck of a lot for one meal but after all, still comfortably within one day's allowance on a "normal" calorie-restricted diet.) Do you think my 21 hour fast still did some good, or did I blow the whole thing with my pig out dinner?!

[Moogie]

Hi onetherazzle & welcome

Most of us do the original 5:2, ie 34-36 hours (2 sleeps) as it seems to be more effective than the 24 hour/1 sleep version.

Research seems to suggest that the longer period without food is better for fat burning (someone more scientific can be a bit more helpful with this I expect - cue Caroline?) so you will have done some good with you 21 hour 0 cal fast. Sometimes if I've overindulged sigifnicantly for a few feed days, I chuck in what I call a half-fast, as in I go without food until dinner and then eat normally. I'm sure it does some good

The great thing about this way of life is its flexibility. So, you didn't do a typical 5:2 fast? Doesn't matter, you had a good length of time with 0 cals and there's always next fast day This is a long term approach so one blip doesn't matter!

Thank you! I guessed the "two sleeps" version would be more effective but it's good to have it confirmed. That's the way I'll stick to from now on!

Now I'm very confused. I fast from my meal in the evening until the following evening, and then have my 500 calories. The next day I don't usually eat until 1pmish.
How many hours am I fasting then? Help!

[Moogie]

Bellalou, that's the same as me
I go without from dinner on my feed day until dinner on my fast day (approx 24 hours with 0 cals) then I have my 500 cal dinner and don't eat again until breakfast the next day (which can any anything from 9am to 2pm depending on if I'm hugnry!).

So, that's about 34-42 hours on just 500 cals, depending on what time youe a 'breakfast' the next day.

The way I see it Bellalou is, the number of hours you fast are the hours from your last meal in the evening until you start eating normally at around 1pm. Your 500 cals don't count as that's your allowance during your fast. So you must be fasting at least 36 hours or more, which is good.

Moogie got there before I did..

Alternate day fasting is going from dinner on day 0 to breakfast on day 2 - around 36 hours without food.

Research trials on alternate day calorie reduction typically take a single 400-600 cal meal in the middle of day 1, so there are fast periods of about 17 and 19 hours or 18/18 without food. These are the trials that provide the evidence for the MM approach. The meal is done at lunchtime and provided in the lab, so the timing may simply be for convenience.

Going from dinner to small 500-600 cal dinner is 23 hours without food followed by 12 hours without food, which may be better than 18/18 if the longer period is of benefit.

Thank you so much for all your helpful replies.
No point in doing it unless your doing it right, although I know there are several ways of doing it.

[Moogie]

The only 'right' way is the way that works for you