The 5:2 Diet: Everything You Need To Know About This Intermittent Fasting Based Diet And Weight Loss

Our physical health and fitness is an essential part of our daily routine. That’s exactly why it’s vital that we carefully pick our diet. After all, we are what we eat. Considering the ongoing dieting trend, intermittent fasting is gaining popularity, mainly because it’s a fasting based diet. Apart from fitness enthusiasts, this diet is also popular amongst those who are trying to lose weight. That being said, there are different kinds of intermittent fasting patterns, one such eating pattern is the 5:2 diet AKA the fast diet.

What Is The 5:2 Diet?

In the 5:2 diet, five days of the week are when one is permitted to eat normally while on the other two days the calorie count is restricted to 500-600 calories per day. Like any other healthy diet, this diet also does not villainize food groups, meaning that it does not restrict what you consume or segregate it into carbs, protein, fat, etc. But at the same time, it is essential to understand that you cannot consume junk food when you’re following any healthy diet. Apart from being unhealthy, junk food will only lead to weight gain and nothing else.

Also Read: 6 Diet Trends That Are Actually Harmful For Your Body

How To Follow The 5:2 Diet?

According to the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet, for 5 days per week, you are allowed to consume your regular (and healthy) home-cooked food. During these days, there is no need to count or restrict your calorie intake but at the same time, junk food is a big no-no. In the other 2 days of this diet, you have to cut down your calorie intake to 25% of your daily needs. This means that women are allowed to consume only 500 calories per day and men can consume 600 calories per day. Even on the other 2 days of your diet, there is no restriction on what you can or cannot eat. Another thing to keep in mind is that the two days of intermittent fasting cannot be back-to-back. There has to be at least one non-fasting/normal day in between them.

While there are no restrictions or rules for what or when to eat on your fasting days, it’s best to eat filling, nutritious, high-fibre, high-protein but low-calorie meals. You can either choose to have three small meals or two big meals on your fasting days while keeping your calorie intake limited to 500-600 calories. Food items like steamed or boiled vegetables, fresh fruits with yoghurt, boiled eggs, etc., make for a great meal that can keep you feeling full for long.

Does The 5:2 Diet Help With Weight Loss?

Intermittent fasting is known to have several health benefits including reduced insulin levels, improved insulin sensitivity, decreased inflammation as well as weight loss. Moreover, intermittent fasting is also known to help people in restricting their calorie consumption in an effective manner. If done right, the 5:2 diet can work wonders for your weight loss goals. But in order to lose weight, you have to make sure that you not only consume fewer calories on the fasting days but avoid binge eating or junk food consumption on the non-fasting days. Another thing to remember is that intermittent fasting will not help if you consume the same amount of calories that you normally do in a week. The aim is to cut down your calorie intake without disrupting your normal eating pattern and fasting for two days a week instead. Along with exercise, the 5:2 diet can be much more effective and aid in staying fit, healthy and reduce belly fat as well as maintain muscle mass while you shed kilos.

Psst…if done right, intermittent fasting and the 5:2 diet can also help in improving your metabolism.

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