The 5:2 diet involves eating low-carb, low-calorie meals for two days a week, and following a Mediterranean-style diet for the other five days. There are some variations on the plan, but most say that women should only have 500 calories during their two “fasting” days, and eat normally on the other days.
It’s gaining a big following with health Instagrammers and one study even claims it can help lower your risk of developing breast cancer.
More than a year since they first hit the bookshops, 5:2 diet books are still bestsellers on Amazon. As a result, it is not uncommon to witness people, with that odd wind-tunnel facial effect of rapid weight loss, dishing up spaghetti fashioned from courgettes while excitedly apologising for any crankiness, because they’re “on a fast day”.
(In case you spent the last 13 months in a cave with no Wi-Fi, the idea of 5:2 is that on two “fast” days a week you get by on reduced calories, and the rest of the time you eat normally.) Its appeal lies in its perceived simplicity, and the fact that you’re on a diet for less than a third of the time.