Food Lover: a diet-sceptic’s trial of the 5:2

cherries

First of all, let’s be clear: I am anti-diet and proud of it. The words ‘life’s too short and diets are for losers’ have been known to come out of my mouth. Too many of my naturally beautiful female contemporaries are listening when the media dictates women’s shape. I despise calorie counting and denying oneself life’s pleasures: live for the moment! Be proud of how you are! These are my mantras.

However, last week I realised I could no longer fit into my work trousers.

Something had to change: I’d been living in denial for far too long. (Upon hearing this my mum helpfully said, ‘I thought people were supposed to lose weight when they went travelling!’ Believe me, so did I). As much as I love food and wine, there comes a time when you think… I also love feeling good in my clothes.

Unfortunately for me this realisation came on the day when my family decided to roast an entire frozen turkey with all the trimmings. It was a mock Christmas day to make up for me and my brother missing it this year and if ever anything was going to thwart your healthy eating plans, it’d probably be your grandparents bringing over 2 bottles of champers, 2 pots of custard, a christmas pud and dessert wine for afters.

Fake Christmas out of the way (avoiding alcohol and a morning bike ride helped) I’ve decided to give this 5:2 diet that everyone’s raving about a go.

The premise is straightforward: 2 non-consucutive days a week you eat 500 calories max (600 for guys). The rest of the time you eat normally.

At first I found this completely daunting: I love food. I’m always eating and when I’m not I’m thinking about it. My final thought before I go to sleep is what to have for breakfast the next morning. Understandably the thought of a day of only 2 or 3 tiny meals brought me out in cold sweats.

But one week in I’m finding it surprisingly easy: the hunger I’ve always rushed to fill passes quite quickly. You just keep busy, drink lots of water and challenge yourself to find interesting recipes under 500 calories, and the fast day passes before you know it.

I can’t stand fad diets and all the quackery that comes with them, but ultimately it’s been the anecdotal evidence that’s persuaded me to give this a go. Miraculous weight loss. ‘The diet for food-lovers’. And the one that swayed it: ‘it just makes you less interested in food‘. Just what I need!

Watch this space for my favourite 5:2 recipes so far and for updates on whether this diet-sceptic sees some actual results…

Weight loss so far: 1 tiny pound

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2 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Food, Other Things

2 Responses to Food Lover: a diet-sceptic’s trial of the 5:2

  1. This sounds interesting. I’m as anti diet as you are, so you are right, this does not actually sound that bad!

    • Anonymous

      Thanks Rachel, aside from a couple of hiccups I’m actually enjoying it, really doesn’t feel like a diet at all! check back for an update on Wednesday x

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