{"id":29021,"date":"2022-02-25T19:36:24","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T19:36:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=29021"},"modified":"2022-02-25T19:36:26","modified_gmt":"2022-02-25T19:36:26","slug":"5-2-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/5-2-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"What Dietitians Really Think About the 5:2 Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 5:2 diet is a popular form of intermittent fasting<\/a>. Learn more about if the 5:2 diet is healthy\u2014and who should (and shouldn\u2019t) consider trying it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

While it might sound like a trendy new diet, the 5:2 diet is a form of intermittent fasting (IF)<\/a>. It\u2019s been increasing in popularity because many people have found it easier to implement than other, more restrictive versions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

Chances are you have at least one friend or co-worker who won\u2019t stop talking about intermittent fasting<\/a>. Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Chris Pratt swear by it<\/a>, and countless social media<\/a> wellness influencers promote it. Plus, there\u2019s solid science<\/a> to back it up. But should you try the 5:2 diet?<\/p>\n\n\n

We spoke to dietitians and dove into the research about this popular form of intermittent fasting to get the real <\/em>skinny.<\/p>\n\n\n

What Is the 5:2 Diet?<\/h2>\n\n\n

The 5:2 diet is a cross between a diet that restricts calories and an intermittent fasting diet. \u201cIntermittent fasting is going without food for certain periods of time,\u201d says explains Elizabeth Ward, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Reading, Massachusetts and the co-author of The Menopause Diet Plan, A Natural Guide to Hormones, Health, and Happiness<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

On the 5:2 diet, you eat normally five days a week and restrict your calories to 500 to 600 calories on two non-consecutive days per week (such as Monday and Thursday).<\/p>\n\n\n

The 5:2 diet is also known as The FastDiet<\/em><\/a> (which has a companion book by British journalist Michael Mosley). Research<\/a> proves<\/a> that it might be easier to follow than a typical calorie-restricted diet for those trying to lose weight since it only requires tracking calories for two days each week instead of seven.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

How Does the 5:2 Diet Compare to Other Types of Intermittent Fasting?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The 5:2 diet isn\u2019t the only type of intermittent fasting. In fact, there\u2019s no one standard definition of intermittent fasting. The goal behind all forms of IF is to take advantage of changes in the body\u2019s metabolism (meaning how it breaks down food and turns it into energy) during times of feasting and times of fasting.<\/p>\n\n\n

Kristin Kirkpatrick, RDN, MS, a Denver, Colorado-based registered dietitian<\/a>, says other common forms of IF include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n