The phenomena that could save your life!

[DD Diva]

Dr Michael Mosley is a brilliant scientist (and a good friend) and I'm sure many of you will get a lot of benefit from watching this report, which could be exactly as it claims be "the phenomena that could save your life"!!!

So whatever you, set your recorders and don't miss it, this Sunday night on Channel 7:
https://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/ ... your-life/

[Blitz]

Well that was a good "teaser" of an ad. Just enough to hook you in.

Will try and see if I can catch it. The mice running down the passages has me intrigued.

Kim

[DD Diva]

How disappointing, they didn't really explain the full benefits of the (dare I use that "D" word) diet plus it would have been nice to show the full success story of the woman featured as one of the regime's followers. Though from the size of her before shots, I reckon I'd have beaten her hands down, she didn't appear to lose that much!!!

[Blitz]

Well they call it a diet...so I wouldn't be scared to call it that.
I personally don't like using the word for myself...but I'm fine if others describe it for themselves as such.
Technically they are right...I just find that it is such a loaded word that can mess with your thinking.

It has an interesting idea behind it. I've said much the same about exercise in that routine can lead the body to running in comfortable mode and that variation can cause the body's metabolism to run faster. I can see how this idea can be transferred to that other lever in weight loss - food.

My concern with this diet is how workable is it for real life. Can it be continued forever or will the demands of it cause you to fold eventually? The fact that the losses that they have featured were not that spectacular (well within normal results) leads me to believe that long term it may be difficult to stay on.

I certainly concede that fasting for minimal periods can be beneficial. If only for the spiritual aspect of it (and getting your head in the right place for weight loss too) - but worry that it isn't a sustainable method for weight loss long term.

I'm pretty sure I've seen that British guy on something else before. Something about how lots of exercise isn't as useful as short intense exercise. Is he the same guy or have I got him mixed up with someone else?

Anyway...worth the watch and food for thought - or should I say lack of food for thought!
Thanks Josie for drawing it to my attention.

Kim

[DD Diva]

Well they call it a diet...so I wouldn't be scared to call it that.
I personally don't like using the word for myself...but I'm fine if others describe it for themselves as such.
Technically they are right...I just find that it is such a loaded word that can mess with your thinking.

It has an interesting idea behind it. I've said much the same about exercise in that routine can lead the body to running in comfortable mode and that variation can cause the body's metabolism to run faster. I can see how this idea can be transferred to that other lever in weight loss - food.

My concern with this diet is how workable is it for real life. Can it be continued forever or will the demands of it cause you to fold eventually? The fact that the losses that they have featured were not that spectacular (well within normal results) leads me to believe that long term it may be difficult to stay on.

I certainly concede that fasting for minimal periods can be beneficial. If only for the spiritual aspect of it (and getting your head in the right place for weight loss too) - but worry that it isn't a sustainable method for weight loss long term.

I'm pretty sure I've seen that British guy on something else before. Something about how lots of exercise isn't as useful as short intense exercise. Is he the same guy or have I got him mixed up with someone else?

Anyway...worth the watch and food for thought - or should I say lack of food for thought!
Thanks Josie for drawing it to my attention.

Kim

The only reason I don't like to use the word "diet" is because people tend to perceive diets as "temporary" things, and unlike most weight loss strategies, this (imho) is by no means a temporary plan. It is, to address your concern, a workable real life and very sustainable regime to follow; I should know, I've been on it for coming onto 18 months!!! True, I've had my setbacks, but that is my own doing not the program itself!!! I've just taken things too far, and instead of being sensible on the "non fast" days, I've gone to town for the day (and days thereafter)!!!

The amount one will lose will depend greatly on how rigid they are with the rules; I tend to be a little more lax and as such my losses have (on average) been around 500g-750g per week (give or take). Sure it's not been super lightening speed losses, but then, I don't believe the sign of a good program is one that will shed the kilos overnight; in fact, fast losses tend to cause alarm bells to ring for me; I believe that FAST LOSS = FAST REGAIN and so I am all for the tortoise approach!!! The regime can work in several ways, you can adopt (as Dr Mosley did in the first experience) a very hard nosed, days straight of fasting (very hard to do!!!) or as the 5:2 is designed to work, eat normally 5 days out of 7 and then fast for 2 (NON CONSECUTIVE) that part was omitted from the TV report!!! The 2 days should not be consecutive, that is just too difficult to maintain, and is discouraged!! The other form is (as I've been doing it for 18 months now) ALTERNATE DAY FASTING, that is, one day low, one day high and so on!! Works great!! And although the lower caloric intake (fast) days are difficult, reminding yourself it's just till tomorrow morning really helps you get through it better.

And yes Kim, it is the same good Doctor!! Michael Mosley who is the 5:2 diet pioneer, is also the same man who is advocating that 3 minutes of intense (cardiovascular) activity outstrips the benefits of prolonged gym workouts or sessions of pounding the pavement. He is not alone in this though, many of the exercise physiologists/scientist that I work with everyday, have found this too! However, much of this information is poo-pooed by the fitness industry simply because it would bankrupt most (if not all) of them!!! There are many studies that will show intense (and by that I mean INTENSE; not just a few little sweat beads, but almost at cardiac arrest level intensity) that will elevate your heart rate sufficiently to keep the body's metabolism firing for days!!!

Michael Mosley is a well respected doctor, and revered by many of the scientist I work with and I believe that the 5:2 regime which has debunked many of the weight loss myths we've been brainwashed into for decades will eventually prove that our bodies were not designed to eat X number of meals, and/or at certain times, and that we don't have to workout like maniacs to sustain a healthy and happy life. I walk now not because I HAVE TO but because I enjoy it, and that's the difference!!! If I HAD TO I probably would resent it, and consequently, not bother!!! But that's just me....

[Blitz]

I've been on it for coming onto 18 months!!! True, I've had my setbacks, but that is my own doing not the program itself!!! I've just taken things too far, and instead of being sensible on the "non fast" days, I've gone to town for the day (and days thereafter)!!!

No matter what regime you follow (someone else's or your own)...that sort of thing happens. Being human means that we are never 100% consistent and weight loss is a journey of learning experiences anyway.

The amount one will lose will depend greatly on how rigid they are with the rules; I tend to be a little more lax and as such my losses have (on average) been around 500g-750g per week (give or take). Sure it's not been super lightening speed losses, but then, I don't believe the sign of a good program is one that will shed the kilos overnight; in fact, fast losses tend to cause alarm bells to ring for me; I believe that FAST LOSS = FAST REGAIN and so I am all for the tortoise approach!!!

Another factor on how much weight a person loses per week is how much fat they are carrying in the first place! My first week weight loss was 2.5kg and all I did to get that was reduce my serve sizes, stop drinking gallons of coke and quit eating chocolate bars between meals. MUCH FAT = MUCH LOSS

The regime can work in several ways, you can adopt (as Dr Mosley did in the first experience) a very hard nosed, days straight of fasting (very hard to do!!!) or as the 5:2 is designed to work, eat normally 5 days out of 7 and then fast for 2 (NON CONSECUTIVE) that part was omitted from the TV report!!! The 2 days should not be consecutive, that is just too difficult to maintain, and is discouraged!! The other form is (as I've been doing it for 18 months now) ALTERNATE DAY FASTING, that is, one day low, one day high and so on!! Works great!! And although the lower caloric intake (fast) days are difficult, reminding yourself it's just till tomorrow morning really helps you get through it better.

It sounds like there is enough flexibility in the system to allow for individuals to tailor to their lifestyle requirements. I see that you have tailored it to suit your lifestyle thus making it your own.
One good aspect of the fast days is that it does focus the mind to meaningfully discipline itself to the task at hand.
How do you decide which days are fast days...and how do you stop the fast days from drifting away from the 5:2 ratio or worse - the fast days drifting to never never land?
I take it that fast days aren't true fast days - they are low calorie intake days. What is your calorie intake for a regular day and a fast day?

And yes Kim, it is the same good Doctor!! Michael Mosley who is the 5:2 diet pioneer, is also the same man who is advocating that 3 minutes of intense (cardiovascular) activity outstrips the benefits of prolonged gym workouts or sessions of pounding the pavement. He is not alone in this though, many of the exercise physiologists/scientist that I work with everyday, have found this too!

Good spotting or what on my behalf!

However, much of this information is poo-pooed by the fitness industry simply because it would bankrupt most (if not all) of them!!! There are many studies that will show intense (and by that I mean INTENSE; not just a few little sweat beads, but almost at cardiac arrest level intensity) that will elevate your heart rate sufficiently to keep the body's metabolism firing for days!!!

Gosh...I do intense - and prolonged!...goodness only knows what my metabolism would be like if I just did the one.
As for sweat...I go through two big hand towels (soaked in sweat) on my exercise bike sessions and my wife daily cleans up the swamp that forms underneath the bike! As for heart rate elevation - there were quite a few days during my weight loss that I was sure the process would lead me to death by heart attack rather than death by fat!

Michael Mosley is a well respected doctor, and revered by many of the scientist I work with and I believe that the 5:2 regime which has debunked many of the weight loss myths we've been brainwashed into for decades will eventually prove that our bodies were not designed to eat X number of meals, and/or at certain times, and that we don't have to workout like maniacs to sustain a healthy and happy life. I walk now not because I HAVE TO but because I enjoy it, and that's the difference!!! If I HAD TO I probably would resent it, and consequently, not bother!!! But that's just me....

I've seen the 5:2 book on shelves of local bookshops but haven't got it yet. My policy is to buy diet books once they hit the second hand shops...which they do often - then I save lots of money on them. I usually buy the "sound" books but occasionally buy one of the sillier books just to see what people would swallow. My favourite of those is "What's Your Diet Sign?; A New Method For Losing Weight and Eating Well"

Kim

[DD Diva]

It sounds like there is enough flexibility in the system to allow for individuals to tailor to their lifestyle requirements. I see that you have tailored it to suit your lifestyle thus making it your own.
One good aspect of the fast days is that it does focus the mind to meaningfully discipline itself to the task at hand.
How do you decide which days are fast days...and how do you stop the fast days from drifting away from the 5:2 ratio or worse - the fast days drifting to never never land?
I take it that fast days aren't true fast days - they are low calorie intake days. What is your calorie intake for a regular day and a fast day?

I have modified the 5:2 to alternate day fasting, that is one day normal, one day fast and it just continues. If I have a special event like a birthday dinner then I will either have:
2 semi-fast days or 2 normal eating days (one being the night out)
OR
Switch the days so that routine basically changes pattern eg. Monday was meant to be a "fast" day but due to Saturday dinner event, is now a normal (or non fast day)
(I hope that makes sense?)
Yes the "fast" days are not TOTALLY devoid of food, they are simple very low or restrictive in the number. They are classed as "fast" days because you are supposed to have a quarter of your normal day's intake, eg. (women) 2000 calories normal days, 500 calories fast days....that's about what I would have (give or take)!!

[Blitz]

A friend of mine saw this segment and was impressed by it.
He was thinking about doing it himself (he doesn't have much to lose...more of a question of maintaining his weight).
He asked me what I thought of it. Pretty well told him what I wrote above about it.
He got the idea that a fast day was quarter of normal calorie intake.
The only thing he didn't realise was that the fast days were non-consecutive.

Kim

[DD Diva]

He got the idea that a fast day was quarter of normal calorie intake.
The only thing he didn't realise was that the fast days were non-consecutive.

Kim

Most people would have got that from either the documentary, or the actual name of the plan, ie. the "5:2" diet. It suggests 5 normal eating days, 2 fast days but fails to explain that they need not (they can be if you so choose, but it's tough!) be consecutive.
As I said, I have adopted the AF (alternate fast) days. One normal, one low and repeat.....
50kg later (I'm proof that it works)!!!

[Blitz]

50kg later (I'm proof that it works)!!!

...and counting! - You're not finished yet!
Should be the poster girl for the cause!

Kim

[DD Diva]

...and counting! - You're not finished yet!
Should be the poster girl for the cause!

Kim

Haha...me on a poster??!! Heavens no, I'm sure they'd recruit more followers if they used a pretty young thing rather than some middle aged old bag!!!
Who by the way, is (yes) still counting down to goal, but at least, if anyone has doubts about it's effectiveness I can tell them that (if done right) it can work!!!
The real key is to not treat the "non fast" days as a licence to gorge yourself!!!
If your friend needs any information; I've got HEAPS!!!

[Blitz]

The real key is to not treat the "non fast" days as a licence to gorge yourself!!!
If your friend needs any information; I've got HEAPS!!!

You have rightly identified the key to your success. The "non fast" days are not a licence to pig out. It's always about moderation in the end when it comes to food eh?

Rather have a poster of a middle aged success story than a young wannabe!

Kim