My husband embarked on the popular 5:2 diet about a month ago. He has tried dieting once before, he’s very tall and has never needed to lose any weight, but as he’s got older, like most of us, he has got a little more cuddly. The last diet we tried lost him the weight he wanted but it was such a faff and he got bored with it in the end. A friend of his recommended 5:2… you eat normally but healthily for five days and then restrict yourself to 600 calories on two non-consecutive days.
He was sceptical at first… 600 calories doesn’t sound very much, would he be hungry, would it be impractical, would he feel faint? Well, four weeks into it and no, he hasn’t felt hungry, no it wasn’t impractical even though he doesn’t like naturally low-calorie foods such as green vegetables or salad, and no he hasn’t felt faint. He has chosen his days carefully, no good not eating when he’s going to be doing a lot of exercise, for example when he goes to rehearsals drumming with his rock band. He was worried that he might get bored with low calorie food… well, with imagination there is plenty of variety, and in fact he has enjoyed lots of the things I have given him (He has put me as an experienced dieter in charge of his menu!)
An added bonus is that he has found he is naturally eating less on the other days, the non-fast days. He is satisfied with one piece of toast, not two, a smaller helping rather than a larger one, crispbread as a change from bread occasionally because he likes it, and he doesn’t get the naughty nibbles! So all in all, it has been a great success!
Oh, wait a minute, I forgot to tell you… he’s lost nearly a stone (14 pounds) Well done him! I’m so proud!
Lois Elsden 
Wonderful! I must try that..
LikeLike