Fasting two days a week does not help much in weight loss

"Intermittent Fasting" Diet: 5 Tips for Adopting It 2:03

(CNN) -

The 5: 2 diet, a type of intermittent fasting, is no more effective than traditional approaches to weight loss, according to what researchers said was the first study of the regimen in an " real life".

However, the researchers found that the approach, which involves two days of strong calorie restriction (500 calories for women, 600 calories for men) and five days of sensible eating, was rated more positively by obese people in the study because it was easy to follow.

"Here we were able to provide the first results on the effectiveness of the simple 5: 2 diet tips in a real setting. We found that while the 5: 2 diet was not superior to traditional approaches to weight loss, users preferred this approach because it was simpler and more attractive, "said Katie Myers Smith, Chartered Health Psychologist and Principal Investigator at Queen Mary University of London, in a press release.

She was one of the authors of the study that was published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.

Doctors might consider including the 5: 2 diet as part of their standard advice for managing patients' weight, he said.

The study involved 300 obese people from Tower Hamlets, a severely deprived area of ​​central London.

Participants followed the 5: 2 regimen or a more conventional approach to weight loss that emphasized eating more vegetables and whole foods, cutting out foods high in sugar and fat, eating smaller portions, and exercising.

The Help of Intermittent Fasting 2:38

"Modest" results

The results of both approaches were very similar and "modest," according to the study.

At six months, those on the 5: 2 diet had lost an average of 1.8 kilograms, compared to 1.7 kilograms on the standard diet.

At 12 months, these figures were 1.9 kilos and 1.8 kilos, respectively.

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About 18% of people on the 5: 2 diet had lost at least 5% of their body weight within a year, compared to 15% using the conventional approach.

Of the group that followed the 5: 2 diet, half attended six sessions of a support group during the first six weeks after the initial briefing.

However, the impact of group support diminished over time, according to the study.

Participants were positive about different weight loss approaches, but those on the 5: 2 diet were more likely to recommend it to others and said they were more likely to stick with the approach.

The study was a randomized control trial, considered the most rigorous type of research, and although the number of participants was greater than most previous studies on intermittent fasting, the authors said that "some findings of marginal importance could it would have been clearer if the sample size was larger. "

People who followed the conventional weight loss guidelines were also more likely to try other strategies, such as Weight Watchers, Slimming World, or other diets.

This factor could have masked the effects, but it would have been unethical or practical to prevent participants from trying alternative approaches, the study authors said.

Intermittent fasting

Some experts believe that alternating between fasting and eating can improve cellular health by causing a metabolic shift.

In the metabolic shift, cells deplete their fuel stores and convert fat into energy, which involves "flipping the switch" from storing fat to saving fat.

Intermittent fasting can lower blood pressure, help you lose weight and improve longevity, suggests a review of animal and human studies published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

However, this method is not suitable for everyone, especially pregnant women and people with health problems such as diabetes or eating disorders.

Intermittent fasting diet