There is no doubt about it.  I love giving myself challenges.  There is another issue though.  Sometimes I don’t manage to succeed with them.  I first tried the 5:2 diet a couple of years ago.

Firstly let me explain what the 5:2 diet is. Basically on two days during the week you have to fast.  This fast means limited calories, for me as a woman, it entails reaching only 500.  For the other days you can eat what you want, but up to a point.  I have worked out that I can consume up to 1800 calories.  A big difference.  But even being fairly good during the day, it is amazing how easily you can reach that total (particularly with 1.5 pieces of cheesecake.)

I wanted to succeed but I didn’t.  I didn’t harness enough willpower to deprive myself or rather limit myself to 500 calories a day.  When I first tried this diet I had one day where I used up 80 of my 500 calories by eating a Lindt chocolate.  Treats should definitely not feature on fast days.  So clearly the only way was down from there.

I first heard of the 5:2 diet when I overheard other ladies at zumba class say that they were giving it a go.  Then they stopped speaking about it, and I went through a period of not going to zumba so I don’t know whether they are still doing it.

Then I read an article by Darren Rowse about how he has been on this diet.

So my interest picked up.

I started off by getting a book from the library by Kate Harrison and devouring that.  Then I bought myself a copy of ‘The Fast Diet’ by Dr Michael Mosley and read it rather quickly. Since then my Mosley library has increased.  I now own four of his books.

When I first tried the diet I followed Harrison’s soup idea more than getting inventive with what to cook on fast days.  Initially I found the hardest challenge on fast days was preparing meals for my husband and teen children and not eating what they were eating.  Particularly pasta dishes!

But late last year I re-watched the Horizon program where Dr Mosley talks about the diet and I thought to myself that I would like to give it another go.  The plan was to start the new year.

Plus I felt that I also need to exercise more.  But in terms of exercising outside I am a fair weather person.  Although as I love to walk I am trying to get to 10,000 steps a day.

Back when I first toyed with this idea, I wanted it to be a lifestyle change, but it wasn’t something that I’ve kept to.  Ideally I would like it to be a long term thing but I will see how I go.  There have been many studies of the health benefits of fasting in this way.

But I don’t think I could ever totally deprive myself of treats, like cake.  I enjoy eating too much.

Have you heard of the 5:2 diet? Have you tried it?  Do you know someone who has?