Nico
Sportwissenschafter
Interval Fasting 5:2 – The Fast Diet
Published: 4. November 2021
6 minutes (reading time)
Intermittent fasting is on everyone’s lips. It is said to be healthy and to “renew” the body. But there are different forms of intermittent fasting.
Many people do not eat for 16 hours a day and use the 8-hour window to eat. Others abstain from solid food two days a week.
Here we introduce you to Intermittent Fasting 5:2. It is simple and not too strict. You fast two days a week, but are still allowed to eat small amounts.
This way you can lose weight quickly with the “Fast Diet” and keep it off afterwards. Find out here what the 5:2 diet is exactly and how you should eat.
How does the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Method or “The Fast Diet” work?
Intermittent fasting 5:2 is very simple: You can eat normally on five days per week. Fasting takes place on two days. The two fasting days should not follow each other.
However, “fasting” does not mean “starving”. You should eat a small amount of calories, especially in the form of protein. This counteracts the breakdown of muscles.
It also gives you the energy you need for the day. It is recommended that you do not fast on weekends, but on normal working days. The weekly routine should always remain the same.
What should I eat on the 5-to-2 Intermittent Fast?
You can eat normally on non-fasting days during Intermittent Fasting 5:2. However, you should stick to a balanced diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, proteins and healthy carbohydrates.
If you feast after the fasting day, you often eat too many calories. You need about 1500 to 2000 calories per day. If you do sports, it is a little more.
What can I eat on a fasting day?
On fasting days, you should eat a maximum of 500 calories for women and 600 calories for men.
A healthy breakfast is the basis for an active metabolism. A light muesli with low-fat quark or yoghurt is ideal. Eat some fresh fruit with it. Depending on your appetite, you can then have either lunch or dinner.
Lean meat, tofu or eggs with vegetables are allowed. There are only a few carbohydrates. Potatoes or oat flakes are good choices. Drinking plenty of fluids is a must, as it stimulates the metabolism.
What are the advantages of the 5:2 diet?
One advantage of the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting is that it can be practically integrated into everyday life. Unlike the 16:8 method, you don’t have to go without food every day.
Moreover, with Intermittent Fasting 5:2 you lose weight constantly. As a rule, fasters lose about half a kilogram per week.
The dreaded yo-yo effect is usually absent with this diet. Like any other Intermittent Fasting, it also has the following effects:
- blood pressure-lowering
- reduces body fat
- prolongs life in the long term1
It is also discussed that intermittent fasting cleanses the cells. This may help prevent or treat cancer.2
The Fast Diet – Lose Weight with Intermittent Fasting 5:2
The Fast Diet was popularised by the British journalist Dr Michael Mosley. He was named Medical Journalist of the Year by the British Medical Association back in 1995.
Over the years, he has presented numerous award-winning television programmes. In 2013, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
He wanted to escape this and lose weight in a healthy way. So he lost nine kilos with the Fast Diet and documented his way there. It was only through him that science became aware of the method.
Intermittent Fasting 5:2 is not a permanent way of life. It is intended as a diet and works like one. You can lose between two and four kilos a month.
What are the possible risks and disadvantages of this fast diet?
Blood sugar is low on fasting days, often also blood pressure. This can lead to:
- Lack of concentration
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Headache
It is also possible that you are not taking enough nutrients. But this only happens if you don’t pay enough attention to a healthy lifestyle. On non-fasting days you should really eat enough.
Who is the Fast Diet suitable for?
Intermittent Fasting 5:2 is suitable for healthy people with a normal BMI or overweight. First of all, you should consult the BMI calculator.
If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, you should seek additional advice from your doctor before starting the diet.
Intermittent fasting is not suitable for people
- with metabolic diseases
- with an eating disorder
- Who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- have low blood pressure
- who are prone to migraines.
How long should I eat according to the Fast Diet or the 5:2 method?
You should practice the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting for as long as you want to lose weight. After that you can switch to the 6:1 or 16:8 Intermittent Fasting.
Intermittent fasting according to the 5:2 method with healthy recipes – a sample day
Finally, we show you how a fasting day can look like. We have also linked some interval fasting 5:2 recipes.
For breakfast, for example, you can treat yourself to a low-fat VERIVAL porridge, which you can garnish with fresh berries.
Low-Calorie Porridge
Simple porridge recipe for weight loss. Garnish your porridge with the right toppings and you have a fantastic, healthy porridge that will help you lose weight.
Servings: 1
Calories: 200kcal
Ingredients
- 50 g oat flakes
- 1 pinch of salt
- 130 ml water
- healthy toppings: e.g. berries, healthy fats (almond paste)
Instructions
- Heat the water (for example in a kettle)
- Put the oat flakes in a bowl with a pinch of salt
- Pour the boiling water into the bowl
- Stir the porridge well until it has reached a creamy consistency
- Decorate the porridge with your toppings
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcal
For lunch, Bircher puffers are on the menu. They contain curd cheese and egg, which means lots of protein. The dough is refined with VERIVAL Bircher Porridge, served with yoghurt or fruit puree.
Recipe: Bircher Puffers
The Bircher Puffers with our Verival Bircher Porridge are easy to prepare and taste super delicious. They can be eaten as breakfast, lunch or dinner, but also offer a good alternative as a dessert or snack between meals.
Servings: 4 portions
Calories: 380kcal
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 250 g potting
- 2 tbsp honey
- 200 g Verival Bircher Porridge
- 50 g grated hazelnuts
- 600 g apples
- oil
- Cinnamon, fruit, yoghurt, applesauce of choice
Instructions
- Beat the eggs, curd and honey until creamy.
- Stir in Bircher Porridge and hazelnuts.
- Leave the dough to stand for 20 minutes.
- Grate the apples and mix in.
- Form patties and fry in oil.
- You can serve the puffers with cinnamon, fruit, yoghurt or apple sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 380kcal
If you stick to a small portion, you can have a snack in the afternoon. Small muesli bites containing oat granola and banana provide energy for the rest of the day.
Muesli Bites
Ideal as a small snack before sports or your workout
Ingredients
- 200 g Verival Sport Granola Nuts Seeds Coconut
- 1 Banana
- A little bit of Vanilla
- 1 pinch of Cinnamon
- 2 tbsp Coconut oil
- 3 tbsp Oats
- Possibly 1-2 tsp Wholemeal spelt flour
Instructions
- First preheat the oven to 180 °C convection oven and line one or two baking trays with baking paper.
- Finely mash the banana with a fork so that there are no pieces left. Of course, you can also use a hand blender.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Warm the honey a little with the coconut oil and add to the dry ingredients with the mashed bananas.
- Mix everything together until smooth and place small mounds on the baking trays using 2 teaspoons.
- Flatten the mounds with a moistened teaspoon or your fingers and bake in the preheated oven for approx. 10 minutes.
- Then turn the muesli bites over and bake again for 7-10 minutes until golden brown.
Drink plenty of water or unsweetened tea throughout the day. In the evening you can have a warm vegetable or miso broth.
It is better not to work out on fasting days. But you can do a little yoga or go for a walk. And the next day everything goes back to normal!
Nico
Sportwissenschafter
Ich bin studierter Sportwissenschafter und angehender Journalist. Neben meiner Faszination für Sport und das Schreiben blättere ich gerne durch die Fachbücher der Ernährungswissenschaft. Sport und Ernährung gehen für mich Hand in Hand, wenn es um einen gesunden Lebensstil geht.
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