Saturday, March 21, 2015

Fatty two legs no more: how the 5:2 diet changed the shape of my body in a good way

Until now I’ve always been that little bit fat; always that little bit chubby and squishy around the edges. I always though my two fat legs were like pillars of the Parthenon.

Maybe it was because of my love of cheese, chocolate and bread (the joys of having a Swiss Mother) or how I would always choose to read a book over going to the gym that made me like this. Whatever the reason, seeing the Living Lighter adverts on TV convinced me that it was unhealthy to be so close to the upper end of my recommended weight range.   


The problem was that I never really understood how to shift the fat. I went to the gym and I walked everywhere but still I wasn’t size that I was happy with.

I went on like this until my Mum started the 5:2 diet and successfully 10 kilos in about a year. She inspired me to give it a go and see what would happen.

The 5:2 diet is based around the idea that you eat ¼ of the number of calories than you would normally for 2 days per week (500 calories for women and 600 for a man) and then the normal amount for the 5 days. Although I have started being more aware of what I eat on the 5 days so it isn’t exactly the same as before I started.

The way that my mum explained it to me was that during the cave men times they would find a mammoth to eat which would last them for a few days after which they would be hungry until they found and killed another animal.

According to the internet, intermittent fasting has the benefits such as reducing blood pressure and chance of cancer as well as increasing cell repair/turn over and fat burning.  It is also said to improve Blood Sugar Level control and cardiovascular function.
 
It was really hard at first and often I felt like such a stereotype, going without food so I could lose weight so I could conform to what society expected a woman to look like.



Sometimes the hunger does make me a cranky pants, like Alf in the YouTube clip below but I have got used to it and have learnt how to manage the pangs.  



Despite it being difficult I have lost almost 7 kgs since 17 April 2014 and I have dropped a dress size. Although I must admit I am not sure if I stick exactly to the 500 cal (I keep on meaning to get the book so I can follow the recipes)but I am happy with my progress and I feel like I have the tools to be in control of my weight.

Despite my success so far, what I found slightly disturbing was that once I started losing the weight, people would tell me how good (supposedly)I looked as if being skinny was the ultimate way of being.

The 5:2 diet has taught me many things. I have learnt to be conscious of what goes into my mouth and now I ask myself “am I really hungry?” and “is it the best thing to eat?” I am also better able to cope with hunger and won’t rush to eat something straight away. In the past I’d feel a pang of hunger and if I was out I’d buy a snack but now I am happy to wait until I get home for dinner.  I also feel fantastic and it is not because I am skinnier. I have more energy and feel a lot less sluggish.


2 comments:

  1. I started this last week and almost collapsed from hunger. So. Bloody. Hungry. Attempting again tomorrow - wish me luck.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good luck :) Hang in there, you're doing well

    ReplyDelete

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