5:2.
No. This isn’t a ratio telling you that your vegetable intake should be five times a day for every two servings of rice. This is the infamous number that represents the Fast Diet. This means that in a week, you will have to eat normally for five days, but fast for two. Hence, the 5:2 Fast Diet.
Popularized by Benedict Cumberbatch and Miranda Kerr, the Fast Diet originated in the UK. Authored by Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer, the diet claims to work because the two days that you will have to fast means slashing your calorie intake down to 500 calories for women and 600 for men.
What science says about fasting
First of all, don’t think for a moment that fasting will kill you. It won’t, although I must admit this statement is a bit morbid. The body is able to sustain periods of fasting. Studies even show that those who fast or lower their caloric intake experience an improvement in blood pressure regulation and lower cholesterol levels.
Why the Fast Diet works
The simple reason the Fast Diet works is because a quarter of your normal calorie intake is what you will only get on those 2 days of fasting. Since it is way below normal, it will prompt your body to use the stored energy. And what is stored is usually excess sugar and fat. So if you strictly stick to the Fast Diet, you’re to lose approximately 1 lb a week.
It is also easy to follow. All you have to do is choose the two days of the week where you will fast. The Fast Diet suggests Monday and Thursday.
The Fast Diet also banks on psychology. So if it’s Monday and you’re really getting hungry, all you have to do is think about Tuesday, when you can eat normally again.
But what do other nutrition experts say?
Nutritionists claim that the Fast Diet is not healthy and has immediate side effects. Starving yourself will result in dizziness, bad breath, dehydration, difficulty in sleeping, etc. When you’re fasting, you will feel weak, which isn’t really ideal for people who have high energy requirements at work. Starvation isn’t ideal for people who have chronic disorders or those recovering from illness.
There is also no food item restriction. Just keep your calorie intake within the Fast Diet’s recommendations. This also means that even though you’re fasting, you can still choose to eat a scoop of ice cream or a bar of chocolate if you wanted to.
Experts also say that the Fast Diet will indeed make you lose weight fast. But it will also make you gain faster if you don’t follow suit.
Here is a simple explanation of how the Fast Diet works:
Now that you’ve an idea of how the Fast Diet will transform your body, do you think that Miranda Kerr and Benedict Cumberbatch made the right decision? How about you? Do you think this diet is for you?
