The Baynhams

Since Sundays tv program on the 5:2 diet I have had so many people contact me asking me about the 5:2 way of life. Can I tell them what books I bought? What recipes I would recommend? What tips I can tell them? I feel as though a lot of my friends are craving information exactly as I was almost two years ago when I first heard about 5:2 from my good friend Cathy in the UK.

I can only talk about my experiences, my tips that worked, my good days and my not-so-good ones. Everyones journey will be different. I thought it might be helpful to write a blog post summarising my journey so if you want to read more you have all the links in one easy place.

The first thing I did was watched the Dr Michael Mosley documentary "Eat, Fast, Live Longer" which you can watch online if you click here.

Then I went to the official UK 5:2 Fast Diet website here and read loads of great facts.

I bought the official book at its cheapest Australian current price (including delivery) using this website.

I blogged about my experience over the next year...

Getting ready to start: Read here.
Week one: Read here.
Week two: Read here.
Week three: Read here.
Week four: Read here.
Week five: Read here.
Week eight: Read here.
Week fourteen: Read here.
Week nineteen: Read here.
Week forty: Read here.

When I grew a bit tired of the recipes we were using on a regular basis I bought this book which has so many great and varied recipes I have still not run out of ideas a year later!

I also joined the Aussie 5:2 Facebook group. It is a wonderful group of people who share ideas, good days and bad and are amazingly supportive especially on a fast day when my stomach is grumbling and I'm wanting to eat all the contents of the fridge in one go! It is a closed group to prevent spammers and avoid negativity. Due to the massive surge in interest in 5:2 this week it is currently closed to all new members except those nominated by an existing member. If you want me to nominate you just send me a message on Facebook and I'll put your name forward.

I cannot imagine stopping doing 5:2. It has kept both my weight and Byrons stable over the last two years. We are both bang in the middle of our suggested Body Mass Index (BMI) We have both recently had our annual G.P. check up and have been given clean bills of health. Blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose readings are all normal. We get to enjoy our food at the weekends with a healthy mix of wine and treats thrown in. We have found a balance that works for us. 5 days where we do not calorie count, we just live life normally. 2 days with well planned, calorie counted food that we appreciate every single morsel of.

If you are looking for weight loss diet I would encourage you to try it. But knowing that there is also a chance that it will also give you protection from heart attack, stroke, diabetes, dementia and cancer then what have you got to lose?

If the 5:2 health claims cannot be scientifically proven over the coming years then Byron and I have still found an excellent way to stave off the middle age spread around our waistlines. If the health benefits are scientifically proven then we will hopefully be looking at a better quality of life as we grow old together.

And that's worth taking a chance on.