The 5:2 Diet Book by Kate Harrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Bought this on a whim because it sounded intriguing, and read it in one sitting. I haven’t seen the Horizon programme that prompted Kate Harrison to write this book, but she’s done a good job of selling this “diet” to me, so much so hat I’m going to try it for a month and see how it goes!
I’ve spent most of my adult life dieting, and normally lose half a stone and gain ten pounds. This time I have managed to lose 16lbs so far (it was 18 but I gained a bit over Xmas) but I feel like I’m a bit stuck now, so I’m hoping the feast and famine idea behind the 5:2 diet will kick start the weight loss again.
I’m especially intrigued by the added health benefits of this way of eating. There is a history of Alzheimer’s in my family so if I can do anything to avoid that, that’s got to be good – plus eating to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes has got to be a good thing too.
It appeals to me because its not actually a famine diet – you eat around 500 cals twice a week and then eat what you want the rest of the time. Currently I’ve been eating 1400 five days a week and 1700 twice a week (Wednesday pub night and Saturday) and that feels quite comfortable for me – and while I’m often under the limit, I do end up beating myself up when I go over. So I’m going to have tues and thurs as my fast days and then just be sensible – but not restrictive – the rest of the week – and we’ll see!
This book isn’t the best written book I’ve ever read – spotted a fair few typos, grrrr! – but it has the right balance of scientific evidence and humour to make it easy to read, and enough user testimonials and experiences to make it sound convincing.
UPDATE: Well I tried the 5:2 diet for two weeks and while I found it a really easy way to eat – the fast days were not a problem and I don’t think I completely overdid it on the feasts – after a fortnight I had actually put on four pounds! At that stage I panicked and gave up …. I might try it again and try to stick at it for a month, but I’m not so sure about it all now!
