Does the 5:2 Diet Work?

Does the 5:2 Diet Plan Work?Many people think that the 5:2 Diet, sometimes called the Fast Diet, sounds to good too be true. This is a diet plan where you just need to focus your dieting efforts for only two days a week, leaving you free to eat well on the remaining five days.
Does the 5:2 Diet Work?Does following the 5:2 Diet Plan lead to weight loss? The 5:2 Diet Plan works as, within a week as a whole, you consume fewer calories than your body needs to maintain your current weight.  This occurs when you combine:
• 5 days  of eating normally but healthily (non-diet days)
with
• 2 days of restricted calorie intake (dieting - known as fasting or fast-days).
It's this weekly calorie deficit generated by the 2 fast-days that leads to weight-loss. However, this will only work as long as you don’t binge or over-eat on the non-diet days. On non-diet days, you don't need to calorie-count, but you do need to eat close to your recommended daily calorie intake (roughly 2000 calories for women, 2500 calories for men).
A scientific study published in 2010 (Int J Obes (Lond)) found the 5:2 Diet to be as effective at losing weight and improving insulin sensitivity as following a daily calorie-controlled diet. You can reasonably expect that the weekly calorie deficit created by following the 5:2 Diet Plan as described below to lead to a weekly weight loss of 1-2lbs per week.
Fast-Day Calorie AllowanceTechnically, your fast-diet-day calorie allowance should be a quarter of your recommended daily calorie intake. This does vary dependent upon your current weight and level of activity. However, there's a short-cut for this calculation, with most people using a fast-day calorie allowance of:
• 500 calories for women
• 600 calories for men .
Video: The Really Simple Guide to the Fast 5:2 Diet Plan
Free 5:2 Diet 1 -Day Taster Menu & Shopping List  If you’re looking for inspiration, why not try my free 1 Fast-Diet-Day Sampler Menu? It adds up to a mere 503 calories (for women) or 575 calories (for men) but includes:Pre-Breakfast: Wake-Me-Up Morning Tonic (V)Breakfast: Toasted Quinoa & Blackberry Parfait (V)Lunch: Spinach, Tomato & Parmesan Crustless Quiche (V)Dinner: Smoked Turkey & Orzo Spiralizer Salad or Feta & Orzo Spiralizer Salad (V) Supper: Sleep-Tight Digestive Supper Cup (V).