B00AFYX78I EBOK (2 page)

But have no doubt - this is working for thousands more of us. News of the diet is spreading far and wide - because it works. And it could work for you too.

Of course, I love feeling slimmer, but this is about much more than vanity. Like most of us, I know that there are many diseases like cancer and diabetes that have blighted my family - now at last I feel I can try something practical to improve my odds.

This book isn’t about rules. It’s about freedom. What’s stopping you?

Kate Harrison

I’ve put together this guide because this way of eating has made such a big difference to me and I wanted to share my experiences and those of others who are making this work.

But this ebook is written for information only and is not intended as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. I have also included links for information and interest but have no control over their contents.

Always consult a doctor before making dietary changes, particularly if you have any pre-existing conditions. Neither the author nor publisher or associates can be held responsible for any loss or claim resulting from the use or misuse of information and suggestions contained in this book, or for the failure to take medical advice.

Finally, never disregard professional medical advice or delay medical treatment because of something you have read in this book.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Contents

Chapter One: Living the 5:2 Way: feast, fast and be happy!

No, really. I understand your scepticism. I’ve spent almost
two-thirds of my life on a diet. And ninety-nine per cent of my
adult
life
either dieting or feeling rubbish about how I look.

I’m not unusual. Most women I know – and increasing numbers
of men – have a love/hate relationship with their bodies and with food. OK, we
can blame Size Zero film actresses for giving us unrealistic expectations about
how we should look (and sending us to the biscuit tin for comfort). Or we could
pin it on multi-national food companies or takeaway joints for trying to get us
to eat more, more, MORE!

But short of avoiding Hollywood movies and growing all your
food from scratch, there’s little we can do about the external causes of what
the press call the Obesity Epidemic.

What we
can
do is find a way of eating that works for
us.

And – to my astonishment – I think I might have done that at
last, at the ripe old age of forty-four.

For me – and many others you’ll hear from in this book –
it’s
revolutionary.

What
life is like on 5:2

For
breakfast this morning, I savoured a chocolate and almond croissant from the
best bakery I know, the one that’s tormented me with its forbidden treats since
I moved into a house approximately thirty-five steps from its doors.

Except it doesn’t torment me anymore. Because thanks to the
5:2 Diet, I know I can indulge - even, occasionally, over-indulge - but still
lose a significant amount of weight.

Tomorrow I’ll be fasting, one of two Fast Days a week (the 2
in 5:2) when I make a big change. Strictly speaking, this isn’t a true fast,
because I can eat up to three small meals - but most 5:2 dieters do call these
reduced calorie days Fast Days.

I will eat roughly 25% of the calories my body actually
needs: at that level, the way my metabolism works will change, but I won’t feel
faint or unbearably hungry, as I might with a ‘true’ fast.

I’ll most likely eat at lunchtime and dinner time: as it’s
winter, I’ll probably have a soup for lunch, and a vegetable curry side dish
for dinner, with some extra veg and perhaps a yogurt or a piece of fruit for
pudding.

Yes, it
is
limited - but I don’t care because the day
after, I can forget counting calories and eat the things I enjoy.

Suddenly, food is all not about the Forbidden. I’m enjoying
a balanced diet without feeling guilty about sharing a bottle of really
delicious red wine, or having a full English for Sunday brunch.

So long as I keep a close eye on my eating habits for two
days a week, I know I can enjoy a little of what I fancy the rest of the time –
and still lose weight.

Since I discovered this way of eating just over five months
ago I’ve lost over twenty pounds (9kg), without cutting out any of the foods I
love: cheese, chocolate, the odd cocktail (make mine a Mojito
)
. I
haven’t gone crazy - I probably have shifted to a more balanced diet on my five
‘normal’ days, but without making conscious changes. I simply have a much
greater awareness of what my body needs, and when. I eat when I’m hungry and
without bingeing.

And I savour every mouthful.

But food is only part of the picture. I wake up with much
more energy, my mood is positive even though I’m writing on a wet and windy
January day,  and I feel relaxed but in control.

Don’t
just take my word for it…

I’ve
surveyed dozens of dieters who are changing their lives for good.

When Linda first contacted me in November 2012, she’d just
fasted for the first time, having tried numerous diets over the years. She was
planning to fast twice a week, and joked that if it worked, she’d be running
marathons at the age of one hundred.

Or
at least, I thought she was joking. Now it’s January and given her amazing
progress so far, I think she’s on track.

I’ve lost 2 stone 4 pounds.
I’m now 10 stone so I wouldn’t want to lose more than another 10 pounds. I’ve
been doing 5:2 or 6:1 some weeks and I certainly aim on fasting one day a week
for the rest of my life once I’ve lost the weight. I used to be really sluggish
and generally had a nap in the afternoons (I’m 63 and retired) but now I’ve
started the Couch to 5K running programme (I’m on week two) and I aim at
walking two miles each day on the days I’m not running. I’ve started running or
walking rather than catching buses.

Linda, 63

This
works for all ages and both sexes. Software architect Andrew and his five
workmates all decided to begin the diet at the same time. Like many men, none
had followed ‘named’ diets before, but were inspired by the simplicity and
science of this approach. They’ve been tracking their progress for fourteen
weeks now:

I have lost 5kg over 14 weeks,
this seems to put me well within my target healthy weight. We  have noticed how
less tired we all feel and how the diet has become easy to do. In fact we look
forward to our diet days. Overall we have lost about the same but the point of
the 5:2 diet is not really about losing weight, it's about health. The
improvement in blood pressure, cholesterol etc. is why we are doing it.

Andrew, 42

Five
kilograms is eleven pounds – an impressive loss. But how are they finding it?
Thirty-four-year-old Sunil began the diet with a very clear target:

My main motivation is to
reduce my cholesterol - I'm a British Indian, so live mostly on an Indian diet
which isn't the best for reducing cholesterol. I wanted to try a diet that
doesn't have a major impact on my life and this fits the bill. It’s
so easy. The first week or two are not hard, but it just takes a little
discipline. I now don't even think about hunger on starving days. It feels
normal. I find that my general appetite is less throughout the week - I used to
have the urge to binge in evenings after dinner.  I’ve lost 3.2 kilograms and
added an extra notch to my belt. I’m getting my cholesterol tested soon.

Forty-one-year-old
software engineer Kostas has always been athletic, but has still struggled with
blood pressure and weight concerns. Until now.

I’ve lost 2 kilos, feel much
better (psychologically), less bloated so I fit better in my clothes. The diet
works, and there are hundreds of meals you can plan during a fasting day. The
diet is keeping us healthier without depriving us of anything. Eventually, it
will become a way of life. Now, even during my
non-fasting days I am aware of what I eat and how much. I don't feel that I
restrict myself from any kind of food that I like, because I can tell myself
that I can eat it in my non-fasting days. My fasting days feel like I am
cleansing myself.

The
freedom – and the cost savings – appeal to Myfanwy, who has lost nine pounds.
She was only slightly overweight to begin with and the loss has been steady. She’s
also showing a steady and welcome reduction in her blood pressure.

In terms of weight I am
delighted to be slimmer and be able to wear things I never dreamed I would
again. I can fit the diet around my life - work, teenage children, meals out,
celebrations. It costs me nothing - and saves me money (no lunches or snacks on
fasting days). There's no complicated calorie balancing and no inevitable guilt
when one cannot keep a diet up day after miserable day.

Myfanwy, 49

The
flexibility of the approach means people are trying out different variations –
several of the men I’ve surveyed have gone for a stricter fast, for simplicity
and speed:

I have had limited success
with restricted calorie diets in the past, but was unable to keep up with them
as a lifestyle. In under four weeks I’ve lost lots of weight and 2 inches off
my waist. I love it! No calorie counting makes it much more sustainable for
me. I believe it’s much easier to water fast on fasting days than to consume
the 500-600 cals that some do.

Rob, 42

The
Healthiest Diet?

So
far, so good. We’re losing weight and inches, and feeling motivated.

But there are other, even more important reasons why many of
us have decided to do this diet:

My mother had every illness
under the sun and I don’t want to follow in her footsteps. I have a young
family and wish to be around, plus weight loss and memory improvements would
be a bonus. I’ve already lost two stone and inches from the stomach (which
would suggest a reduction in the risk of heart disease). Plus, no saggy skin
and my boobs have stayed the same size, even though they’re usually the first to
go on a diet!

Fiona, 41

I wanted to lower my blood
pressure and cholesterol and after two months, so far, so good. It’s easy and
the more you do it, the easier it gets. I like that it makes scientific sense.

Paul, 47

I'm doing this for weight loss
and for health reasons. My father has Alzheimer’s, plus I have high blood
pressure.

Sarah, 49

Like Fiona and Sarah, I have concerns about my family’s
medical history, particularly diabetes and cancer. I’m still too young to be
part of the official UK screening programme, but have mammograms every year
because so many of my female relatives have developed cancer, including my
mother, my aunt and my grandmother.

But what I’ve learned since I began to research this diet,
has given me fresh hope. To give just one example: a major study has put women
of my age, with the same increased risk of breast cancer, on a 5:2 style diet,
with very encouraging results. The women have recorded good weight loss – which
in itself helps to reduce the risk of developing various cancers. However, the
researchers are also hoping that this kind of intermittent fasting might
produce changes that work specifically to reduce the risk of breast cancer.