Cutting calories to 500-600 two days a week is still one of the best ways to lose weight, says Peta Bee — here’s how to do it.
Other weight-loss fads have come and gone, but the 5:2 diet remains as popular now as it was when we first heard about it from Dr Michael Mosley 12 years ago. Loved for its simple rules — cut calories to about 500-600 two days a week, eat what you like (within reason) on the other five — it is a form of intermittent fasting that brings proven fat-blasting results.
A big part of its appeal is that no food or food group is off limits. There’s none of the faffy shopping that comes with high-protein or low-fat diets and you can use what’s already in your cupboards. For many beginners, the trickiest challenge is working out what constitutes your 500ish-calorie allowance (in general, men can have more than women). Yes, your stomach will rumble and hunger pangs will strike when you first attempt a fasting day, but it quickly becomes bearable.
Most British adults consume about 3,000 calories a day and reducing that drastically can seem a tall order. Plan ahead, though, and the meals can be more satiating than you imagine. A boiled egg for breakfast provides protein that will fill you up but is only 80 calories — and with it you can have unlimited amounts of calorie-free drinks such as black coffee and tea. For lunch, a couple of Ryvitas with cream cheese and smoked salmon will take the edge off for only 229 calories, and an evening meal of a small sirloin steak marinated in soy, lime juice and garlic and served on a bed of rocket with lemon brings the daily total to about 500 calories.
The best part is knowing that calorie normality resumes the next morning, making it all feel more manageable. Even the most reluctant dieter can cope with the prospect of two days of calorie deprivation, especially when you don’t have to attempt them consecutively. And the rewards come with weight loss that happens quickly but without the rapid drop of a faddy crash diet. Women can expect to lose 1-2lb a week on the 5:2 diet, men slightly more. It’s weight that stays off because intermittent fasting can become a way of life, almost to the point you forget you are doing it.
In theory there’s free rein to eat what you like on nonfasting days, although try to resist the temptation to overdo the crisps. Some of the metabolic benefits of fasting will come undone if you go haywire with your food intake. Sticking to 2,500 daily calories for men and 2,000 for woman on nonfasting days — and packing in wholegrains, vegetables and fruits — will keep your body on an even keel and ensure weight falls off consistently.
Even if you don’t have much weight to lose, the 5:2 diet is still worth trying. Regular fasting days help with repair and routine maintenance within the body’s cells and there’s plenty of science showing metabolic benefits such as better blood sugar control and lower cholesterol from two days of fasting a week. Here are some ideas for your fasting days.
Breakfast
Almonds (161 calories), black coffee (0).
Lunch
Babybel cheese (58), 2 oatcakes (92).
Dinner
85g sirloin steak, 2 tomatoes, lettuce and lemon juice (190).
Total
501 calories
Breakfast
Medium skinny cappuccino (89 calories), 1 satsuma (21).
Lunch
Two Ryvitas (76) with cream cheese (60) and 50g smoked salmon (93).
Dinner
Herb omelette made using two eggs (160) and 1 tsp olive oil (40) in a nonstick pan.
Total
539 calories
Breakfast
Small bowl of yoghurt (80 calories) with blueberries (27).
Lunch
2 breadsticks (50), 4 small carrots (40), 2 tbsp hummus (93).
Dinner
Small fresh mackerel fillet (180), cherry tomatoes (21) and handful olives (28), wrap in foil and roast. Serve with lettuce leaf (3).
Total
522 calories
Breakfast
Boiled egg (80 calories), black coffee (0).
Lunch
½ carton fresh vegetable soup (150).
Dinner
Mix cherry tomatoes with a sliced medium aubergine, small courgette, 1 red pepper, half a red onion (150). Scatter with basil and drizzle with balsamic vinegar (15) and 1 tsp olive oil (40). Roast. Serve with 2 tbsp parmesan (44).
Total
479 calories
Breakfast
Boiled egg (80 calories), banana (80).
Lunch
Toast (70), 85g smoked salmon with lemon (158), thin layer of cream cheese (20).
Dinner
Grilled chicken breast (140) on lettuce (15) with 2 tbsp reduced-calorie Caesar dressing (60) and 1 tbsp grated parmesan (22).
Total
645 calories
Breakfast
Medium skinny cappuccino (89 calories).
Lunch
1 slice prosciutto (70) on sourdough (72) with fresh fig (70) and drizzle of honey (20).
Dinner
Two-egg omelette (160) made with mushrooms (15) fried in 1 tsp olive oil (40) in a nonstick pan. Serve with 2 sliced tomatoes (45).
Total
581 calories
Breakfast
Small yoghurt (80 calories), small banana (80).
Lunch
½ carton of fresh tomato soup (95), apple (60).
Dinner
Grilled plaice, handful green beans, served with lemon (260).
Total
575 calories
Breakfast
Slice of toast with ½ can of baked beans (235 calories).
Lunch
Small yoghurt (80), apple (65).
Dinner
85g sirloin steak (180), marinated in soy, lime juice and garlic, and grilled. Serve on a bed of rocket with lemon (10).