What is the 5:2 Diet? Is it effective?
These are only some of the things that come to mind when people first hear about this type of eating regimen. The 5:2 or intermittent fasting is derived from the concept of regularly allotting some days of the week for fasting to lose weight. With this type of diet, you will be limited to 500-600 calories a day twice a week-the fasting days; and then, the rest of the week you can eat ordinarily. Many people find this appealing because unlike most diet programs, it literally has more “cheat days” than low-calorie days.
Typically, people who diet have a hard time sticking to their schedule because diet plans can be quite difficult to follow. In addition, if you suddenly withdraw from your carbohydrates to lower your caloric intake, you may experience mood swings and will generally become uncomfortable. The reason for this is because your body is used to being fed with tons of sugar or carbohydrates, so abruptly removing the sugar may cause your body to experience some sort of a withdrawal.
Since most people are not too keen about sticking to their rigid diet regimen, the 5:2 plan is quite promising because there is no need to abruptly taper the calories from your food. Imagine needing to sacrifice only 2 days weekly for fasting? And even so, it will not feel like you are starving yourself because there are plenty of low-calorie recipes available in books and online to make you feel satiated. Tea, fruits, beans and vegetables are popular food items that are typically included in the intermittent fasting diet because these are low in calories.
Like most types of diet programs, keep in mind that you may need to exercise regularly for an added effect and to tone your muscles as well. It may also require you to make a shift from buying too much meat for eating to buying more healthy food items. Eventually, your body will get used to the regular fasting and you may lose at least 2 lbs a week.
One disadvantage of this type of diet is that it may cause you to have mood swings. However, 5:2 dieting is designed to gradually help your body get used to the fasting. After a few days or weeks, you may notice that any mood swings may be a lot more manageable. An excellent way to avoid terrible mood swings is to eat normally during non-fasting days.
The 5:2 Diet may be effective for some, but not for others. To ensure that it is effective, the key to being able to stick to a diet program is finding the right diet routine for your body type and lifestyle. So that the next time someone asks you the same “What is the 5:2 Diet?” You will already be able to recommend it to others. Prior to jumping at any type of diet plan, always check with your doctor if it is safe for you to try, especially if you have an underlying medical condition or are currently pregnant.