Hi everyone
Greetings from India
So I am starting the 5/2 dieting protocol as mentioned in an article by t.c. luoma…
I have to eat normally for 5 days and 800 calories for 2 days (on non consecutive non training days)
Since intermittent fasting is a new concept for me, please tell me since I’m supposed to eat 2 meals of 400 calories 12 hours apart (breakfast and dinner-9am and 9pm) , what do I eat if I am very hungry in between?
Maybe a fruit or some lassi(is an Indian drink made by mixing water in curd with some spices etc. ) Or maybe diet coke/other soda?
I plan to do some LISS cardio in the evenings on these 2 low cal days
It’s a terrible diet, so don’t worry about the contingencies. Try it, feel like shit, and you’ll understand it’s not sustainable.
Your brain alone consumes min 600kcal/day. You’ll necessarily compensate by losing lean body mass during those fasting days.
Let’s say you’re fat. What you need to do is tackle the reason you’re fat, not believing the 2 days / week of very restrictive diet will save the day.
If only the human body could store calories in some sort of a non-muscular tissue and use that for energy if you don’t eat for more than 20 minutes…
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I personally prefer full fasting to under eating. I think it’s easier to not eat than just eat a little. Try it for a while and see if it suits you.
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Intermittent fasting should be done step by step. What do you eat, when you are hungry? You aren’t hungry. This is how it works - over time you extend your fasting period, starting with jsut skipping a meal or two and at some point you are most likely able to easily fast for 20+ hours.
Do yourself a test - try to, just one time, fast for straight 24 hours. If you won’t be able to, then you should probably give up on the protocol you mentioned here and try something like 16:8 IF.
Another thing is IF isn’t for everyone. Some people simply can’t take a longer fast mentally. They aren’t really hungry, but their brain makes them feeling like on the verge of death of hunger. I and my friend started approaching IF at the same time and while I was able to reach a point at which 22 hours of fasting were easy for me, he couldn’t even follow 16/8 protocol. Some people are jsut mentally not ready to follow true IF.
If you are wondering, what do you eat, when you are hungry - nothing. Fruit will be no good and anything else as well. Of course you can always try these protocols that say low calorie meals are ok, but really - why bother? Since you are not really fasting, you are just starving. Trust me - one fruit will not make you less hungry, if you already feel hungry while fasting. But for sure it will break your fast.
Oh thank God. Let me head to the kitchen 
Hey @fatboi, during those two days of deficit you will be hungry during the day. Drinking lots of water or having a coffee can help curb your appetite, but if you’re looking to lose weight, you’re going to have to get comfortable being hungry.
Chewing gum can also work to get you by when things get tough. But it is only two days per week to get you closer to your goals, so suck it up!
Don’t eat fruit or lassi between meals on your two calorie restrictive days, and definitely don’t listen to any advice from goldenpig.
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Completely agree.
I’ve done the diet you’re talking about. The answer is to just get used to being hungry. Don’t do It on quiet days if you can avoid it, do it on busy days where you’ll be able to distract yourself. And make your 800 calories count. Protein and some fat, avoid carb sources, even fruit. It will still work, just make you hungrier.
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You lack knowledge and practical experience in this area.
You need to research it more.
Kenny Croxdale
I have more than many in this forum, you with your approximative posts included. Shoot me an argument at least.
This is not a proper way to fasting at all. The unique argument of brain consumption is sufficient to discard this diet. IT’S NOT EASY TO HIT THE ADIPOSE TISSUES when you’re fat. To some extent it’s the reason you are. So the 2 days of Caloric restiction will clearly bring about a Lean mass reduction.
5 days of eating normally? When you’re non-sick fat, like 95% of overweights, it means an unbalanced, unhealthy, hypercaloric diet 5 days / week. Great!
There no discussion with someone like you. Trying to reason with you amount to arguing with a wall, which makes it a waste of my time that could be best invested in other post.
Make an investment in researching this subject and obtaining some practical application.
I wasn’t the only one who posted concerns regarding the information that you posted…
As littlesleeper stated, “…definitely don’t listen to any advice from goldenpig.”
Time for me to move on.
Good luck to you on your future post.
Kenny Croxdale