How To Lose Weight Following The 5 And 2 Diet Rules
If you want to lose weight fast, then intermittent fasting is the road to take. Diets like the 5 and 2 diet (5:2 diet) are proven to work.
For several months, people with “weight” in the UK are conquered by a new diet that seems to work faster with less effort than other diets.
No need to complicate with elaborate recipes or buy expensive food, just follow the 5 and 2 diet – 5 days eat light and healthy, and fasting two days a week.
The recommended diet foods are low glycemic index which, in addition to helping you lose weight, is contributing to a general feeling better and is rumored to add years to your life, increasing longevity.
Scientifically-Backed 5 And 2 Diet
Diets like 5 and 2 diet that are based on fasting 1-2 days per week are increasingly popular in recent years due to scientific evidence attesting their beneficial role in the figure, and body health.
Scientific Explanation 1
A study by researcher Mark Mattson shows that intermittent periods of fasting stimulates the production of new cells in the hippocampus region of the brain responsible for memory, whose reduction was correlated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientific Explanation 2
Studies have shown that intermittent fasting stimulates the insulin function to store glucose and eliminate fat. Dr. Mosley, a follower of the diet 5:2 says: “The function of insulin reduces the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline.”
Scientific Explanation 3
Fasting can help you live longer, according to the University of Southern California, because it reduces the level of IGF-1, an insulin-like growth hormone.
Even if the body needs this hormone during childhood, over time, increase the level of this hormone is correlated with the appearance of early signs of aging and age-related diseases, including cancer.
What Happens To Your Body In The 2 Days Of Fasting?
When you do not eat, your body is forced to look for other energy sources than food and begins to feed on glucose existing in the body.
Once the glucose level in the body decreases, your body starts to use stored glucose molecules to form complex carbohydrates called glycogen.
Finally, after all the glucose is used, the body starts to use fat stores for energy and to procure the necessary glucose.
This phenomenon helps to lose weight, but it is healthy for only short periods of time, such as 1-2 days a week.
The 5 and 2 diet is not recommended for pregnant women, people with diabetes on medication or people with other health problems.
5 and 2 diet has helped many UK public figures to lose weight. Journalist Xanthe Clay has lost 10 kg in five months, the TV presenter Phillip Schofield has lost 4 kg in four weeks and diet author, Dr. Michael Mosley, gave down over 6 kg in six weeks.
The author has significantly improved health (cholesterol levels decreased to limit healthy and glucose levels returned to normal after tests had shown him that it was almost diabetic) during the 5 and 2 diet.
5 And 2 Diet Rules
Here are the rules you must follow to lose weight with the 5:2 diet:
1. Eat Healthily Five Days A Week
For 5 days a week, you can eat whatever you want, being recommended a Mediterranean diet, rich in healthy vegetables, light foods with a low glycemic index.
The basic rule is not to make excesses of any kind, and sometimes you can enjoy a burger or ice cream if you want it. The idea is not to feel frustrated and guilty but to enjoy life.
2. Fast For Two Days A Week
The remaining two days of the week are devoted to a drastic fast in which you are allowed to ingest only 500 calories/day if you are a woman or 600 calories/day if you’re a man.
You can set the days when you fasting an example Wednesday and Friday or weekend.
3. Split Your Fasting Meals Throughout The Day (Or Not)
You can split the 500/600 calories into two meals or you can consume it all at once, at breakfast or any other time of day you prefer.
Author of the 5 and 2 diet recommends that in the fasting days not to drink alcohol and not to schedule very demanding activities.
4. You Can Eat During The Fasting Days
A fast day of the 5 and 2 diet is not synonymous with the fast that we are used to.
You can eat eggs, cheese, and even very lean meat. Of course, you need to drink plenty of water, green tea or black coffee.
5. Get Creative With Your Food
On a fast day, you can eat an omelet out of 2 eggs with some bacon for breakfast and lunch or dinner you can opt for grilled fish with vegetables. All you have to do is fit in the 500 calories.
With a little creativity, you can prepare your own delicious meals, but with fewer calories and smaller portions.
6. Don’t Overeat After The Fasting Days
After days of fasting, you should not suddenly get rich eating because your body has a calorie deficit.
Do you want to excess with calories after you refrain from fasting days? Wanna lose the advantage gained in fighting with extra pounds?
The best part of the 5 and 2 diet is that you feel like you can follow a diet and longer than other restrictive diets. In this case, major restrictions apply only for two days a week, while in the other five days you can eat a little of everything you crave for.
Thought that you can taste tomorrow the cake who has tempted today is more comforting than to know that you are not allowed anything “good” for several weeks. It is important to have good self-control and not to excess when the fast has ended.
Below is a recipe idea with only 206 calories, created by one of the people who followed the 5 and 2 diet.
Chicken Liver With Green Beans And Soy Dressing
Ingredients:
– 300 g green beans (75 calories);
– 50 g of chicken liver ( about 58 calories per chicken liver);
– a quarter teaspoon of olive oil (10 calories);
– 4 chopped green onions (13 calories).
Dressing preparation:
– 1 tablespoon soy sauce;
– 1 teaspoon olive oil;
– a dash of vinegar;
– a few drops of chili sauce (optional).
Preparation:
Boil the green beans and cook the chicken liver on hot grill with olive oil for 2 minutes on each side. Cut the chicken liver into small pieces and mix with the remaining ingredients.
