I Tried the 5:2 Diet for Six Weeks — This Was My Result

Was it worth it? Maybe.

Editorial disclaimer: This is not medical advice. Please consult a doctor and do thorough research before making any lifestyle and diet changes

It’s that time of the year when food cravings take over my body. With Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas and New Year celebrations closely packed together, it is difficult to resist the tantalizing dishes served in restaurants and family dinners.

So I wasn’t surprised when I noticed I had added 8 pounds overnight. I have been eating like a glutton. Plus I started seeing this exquisite chef who spoils my plate with exotic cuisines.

For real, now I see why they say “The easiest way to a man’s heart is through food.” Who would say no to a breakfast in bed with pickle cheesecake or fried egg sandwich? Or a brunch bowl filled with fish tacos garnished with vegetables? Not me.

I’ve noticed I always gain weight during the festive season so I’m unbothered about the extra pounds. I’ve got some secret tricks I use to get the fats off but I’m always on the lookout for new weight loss methods.

Last time I wrote about how I discovered the Tamarind plant’s hidden weight loss benefits. This time I decided to try the 5:2 diet Jimmy Kimmel used to lose 136 pounds.

I have been using Time-restricted eating and the Warriors dieting to keep fat off for a long time now, but I wanted an easier and adaptable diet plan that won’t require restrictions on the type of food I eat and when I eat.

So when my dietician and friend recommended I try the 5:2 method, I did some digging and found it easier compared to the strict no-food 12-hour intermittent fasting I’m used to. I jumped right in on the fast and my experiment began.

According to some researchers, fasting for 10–16 hours can cause the body to turn its fat stores into energy, which releases ketones into the bloodstream. This should encourage weight loss. And from my experiences with fasting, this study is correct.

Skipping meals has numerous benefits and if you are just starting your weight loss plan incorporating intermittent fasting will help you achieve results quickly.

Although not all intermittent fast diets are beginner-friendly, but the 5:2 is and that is why I prefer it to any other diet plan. But to my surprise, I did not lose weight on the 5:2 diet and I didn’t gain weight either.

I noticed I would lose one or two pounds within the 2 day fast but would quickly regain the fat during the 5 days I eat as I normally do. If you are considering trying intermittent fasting, here is what I’ve learned and the mistakes I made that led to my failure.

Your cognitive function will receive an instant boost

The first day of the two days no food window was tempting. I could hear my grumbling stomach. shouting “I want food” and I had this annoying headache that felt like a pin was piercing my scalp. I was tired and couldn’t think straight. It was a familiar feeling. So I did what I normally do‐ drink green tea.

For three hours, I blacked out. Staring at my keyboard but no words were popping into my head as I tried to write in my journal. It has become a force of habit to always write in my journal whenever I need a distraction. That is where I get most of my writing topics from.

As I fought to get through the hanger, my mind kept drifting to what I was going to eat later. My head wanted to keep my lunch at 250 but the temptation in my tummy wanted a heavy meal that would probably exceed my daily calorie of 500.

But I managed to overcome that pesky voice in my mind. I ate peanut butter smoothie with Greek salad, pickled beet, roasted sweet potato, one boiled egg, and two slices of bacon. The secret to sustaining hunger while keeping your calories low is to combine all types of nutrients in your meal and drink tons of water.

By the third day of my fast, my vision was clearer. I woke in the morning feeling more energetic despite eating one meal a day for the past two days. Gradually, I stopped craving food because my smoothies were backed with fiber and nuts.

You get very hungry quickly

I’m no stranger to fast diets. Every January, I join my spiritual group in doing a 21-day fasting program. And in July we do another 2 weeks of fasting. So I got on with the 5:2 diet pretty well.

But it was a struggle in the first three days just like the 16:8 fasting I usually do. I noticed that with the 5:2 dieting the hunger was more intense in the mornings of the two fasting days. Your body is in full calorie-burning mode after a long night without food.

However, since I was eating 3 square meals for 5 days, the 2 days without breakfast came with severe hydration and hunger. Instead of snacking up or giving in to the temptation of eating light food, I drink green tea. This way I get the nutrition and water in one full cup.

You need weight exercise to build muscle

One of the reasons I like losing weight is the extra pounds of muscles I gain when the fats are gone. But while doing the 5:2 diet I had no muscle growth. I was doing low-impact workouts — running, squatting and stretching and restricted the amount of food I ate, and drank fluids constantly, but I didn’t notice any visible muscle growth on my body.

To build muscles you need to eat about 1500 calories in a day and I was eating 1400 Kcals for 5 days I eat and 350 Kcals for 2 days.

Apparently, my body had little calories to convert to energy which wasn’t enough to build my muscles.

So if your goal with intermittent fasting is to maximize muscle growth, then the 5:2 fast diet isn’t a good option for you. To get bulky on a fast diet means you need to consume more calories that will be converted to energy when you add weights to your exercises.

You must incorporate all food types when you eat

Our goal in intermittent fasting is to be healthy. But your body won’t get adequate nutrients in a week if there is a window in your eating plan. Cutting out two days from your meal plan can put your life at risk.

This is why you need to stack up more fiber, protein, carbohydrates and fat on your 5 days eating windows so your body can get the required amount of nutrients it needs. And also to reserve energy for those days you eat less.

You are not restricted to a specific time for evening meals

I prefer the 5:2 diet since I don’t like committing to a strict time-based diet. I avoid restrictions on eating past a certain time in the evening because I usually attend late-night hangouts.

If I restrict my evening meals say around 6 or 7 p.m., I feel off when my friends and family are eating supper and sit there watching them. But with the 5:2, I enjoy evening meals with friends and family.

Most 5:2 dieters often eat three small meals or two large meals on their fasting days. However, the total daily calorie allotment should be kept below 500 for women and 600 for men. High fiber, high protein, and low-calorie foods are the best way to suppress hunger.

If you follow this diet plan, eat a balanced meal on the days you eat normally and take a daily multivitamin to compensate for micronutrient deficiencies on the days you eat less.

You shouldn’t expect to lose weight

I only did this intermittent fasting for six weeks. I ate the same quality of food I eat on a regular day but smaller quantity. I worked out every day like normally do, which is basically low-impact workouts. The only major change in my routine was the two days I ate low-calorie foods.

My goal was to lose the extra 8 pounds I gained recently. It seems the two-day fasting window wasn’t enough for my body to move into ketosis or I wasn’t eating enough calories needed for energy. I wasn’t eating sugar. As much as I was dying to eat chocolate, I didn’t. Most of the sugar I consumed came from citrus fruits and carbohydrates, but I ate more protein and high-fiber foods.

I also think six weeks wasn’t enough time to lose weight with intermittent fasting. Studies report that it takes about 10 weeks to lose 7 pounds on a fast diet. If I were to try this particular diet again, I would increase my fasting period and eat more calories.

But personally, I don’t think the 5:2 diet is for me. My body is used to more extreme intermittent fasting, and the 5:2 is for beginners. I will stick to my usual 12 hours of dry fasting and 20 hours of water fasting going forward.

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