Fast 5:2 diet – how it works, menu, advantages and disadvantages

Among the most popular diets in the summer period is the 5:2. Let's find out how it works and what are the reasons why it can be dangerous.

When trying to lose weight, finding the right diet can seem impossible. For this reason we find ourselves switching from one diet to another, often simply following the advice found on the web or from friends and acquaintances.
Among the most popular diets for the summer period is the 5:2 diet.
It is a form of intermittent fasting that includes a particular arrangement of meals. Let's find out what it is and what the pros and cons are.

How 5:2 works

As already mentioned, the 5:2 is based on intermittent fasting which, in this specific case, instead of proceeding with a division of hours in which to fast, is based on that of days.
In practice, in fact, the diet , as the name itself suggests, involves eating 5 days a week and fasting (or almost) for as many two.

In fact, in the two days of similar fasting, you must consume approximately ¼ calories less than your caloric needs. If you consume 2000, therefore, you will have to go down to around 500. In the remaining days, however, you can stay within your range, taking care to choose the foods to consume carefully.

Even on normal days, you should follow a healthy diet rich in nutritious foods but not rich in saturated fats or harmful ingredients. Furthermore, the two days must not be consecutive but well spaced apart. And in the subsequent ones you shouldn't try to compensate for what you didn't eat but continue eating in a normal way. Going to what to eat on the various days, you can choose to have three small meals between breakfast, lunch and dinner or to have just lunch and dinner.

An example menu could be based on a low-fat Greek yogurt with a little dried fruit to eat for breakfast. For lunch you can opt for a portion of brown rice (about 50 grams) to be seasoned with vegetables. For dinner, however, you can eat grilled chicken breast accompanied with cooked vegetables or, alternatively, with a mixed salad. The foods you choose must obviously be healthy, free of saturated fats and refined sugars.

Pros and cons of the diet

According to supporters of this diet, the 5:2 was born as a diet designed to increase lifespan and prevent brain functions from degenerating, leading to dementia such as, for example, Alzheimer's .

When it comes to diets for weight loss, however, there is not enough evidence that it works better than others. And although it is a diet capable of lowering the risk of obesity and related diseases, enormously reducing calories twice a week can lead to dizziness, bad mood and, over time, a lower metabolism.

For this reason, the advice is always to follow a regime designed for you by a nutritionist. This way the results will be safe. And all without going hungry and also enjoying delicious meals.

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