Lose weight without starving? This is what the new 5: 2 diet promises. We can eat what we want five days a week. We have to be strong in two days. And allegedly lose twice as much fat as with a continuous diet.
Clear. We are fed up with the fat life. But we hate it when someone tells us about our eating or drinking habits. The nutrition expert Elisabeth Lange dispenses with her new weight loss guide The 5: 2 diet (just published by Gräfe and Unzer) on annoying regulations. The simple principle of interval fasting: eat normally for five days, fast for two days.
This is how the 5: 2 diet works:
There aren't a lot of rules. Nothing changes five days a week. You eat as always. Changes are only brought about by the two fasting days on which women are supposed to get by on around 500 calories and men on 600 calories.
What you should still pay attention to:
Before starting, pull out the calendar and consider which days of the week the fast is best. Particularly nice: the two days can either follow one another directly, i.e. Monday and Tuesday, or they can be chosen freely, e.g. B. Wednesday and Saturday. Very few opt for the weekend, many like to fast on busy working days because then you think less about food anyway. Enter the preferred days in the calendar and, if possible, not shake them too much so that you get used to the rhythm.
The fasting meals are not large, but the combination of a lot of protein and a lot of vegetables makes them very filling. The budget of 500 or 600 calories can be split over two small meals, but you can also eat everything at once if you don't want to worry about it for the rest of the day. When you treat yourself to your meals, whether in the morning and in the evening, only at noon or only in the evening, is up to you.
What is there to eat on the 5: 2 diet? The menu is simple. Bring about 250 grams of lean, protein-rich foods to the table every day, choose between fish, poultry, meat, eggs, tofu and quark, whatever you like. Use little fat when preparing and fill the plate generously with about a pound of vegetables. You have to do without foods rich in carbohydrates such as bread, pastries, potatoes, pasta or cereals. Sure, of course also on sugar and sweets of all kinds!
What to drink Basically anything that has no calories. Tea or coffee of course. And lots of water. If possible, omit alcohol - not only because of the many empty calories, but also because it weakens the will.
What are the benefits of the 5: 2 diet?
1
Flexibility. If a day of fasting has to be canceled because the circumstances require it, you choose a different one. You can stop on vacation and then continue with motivation.
2
Self-consciousness. Every well-managed fasting day strengthens self-confidence and confidence that you will continue to lose weight successfully. Justified pride is rewarded for every day of fasting.
3
Better connective tissue. The loss of kilos is the same or even greater than with a continuous diet, the loss of muscles is less. The body becomes firmer.
4
You lose weight sustainably. Of course, everyone asks himself whether after two days of barren one not hungry for everything to eat in order to compensate himself with high calories. English and American studies unanimously came to the astonishing result: those affected eat more than usual on their “free” days, but on average it is only about 10 percent more. More importantly, you won't get any cravings, and the bottom line is that you will lose a lot of calories due to the lower weekly calorie intake. And there is no yo-yo effect.
5
You are stronger The sugar metabolism becomes more stable, the blood pressure drops, as does the heart rate under stress, and the cholesterol values also improve. If you have a fatty liver, you can get well again with the 5: 2 diet.
How the implementation works even better in everyday life - and which recipes you use to make your 5-day days tastiest - you can find out in the new GU book "The 5: 2 Diet".
