How to you approach healthy living?
The 5:2 diet has taken the weight loss world by storm, with plenty of celebrities using the plan to keep them in their best possible shape, but new research shows that people are adopting it’s methods into other ways of life.
The research from LighterLife Fast has shown that a 5:2 routine is more than just an eating choice, it’s a way of life.
Whether it’s eating junk food, exercising or having sex, for those that do any of these, a twice weekly arrangement is the norm.
As well as accumulating scientific data which shows why 5:2 fasting is beneficial sustainable, the pattern identified in this survey could explain the diet’s widespread popularity.
The 5:2 diet consists of two ‘fasting’ days per week, whereby you limit yourself to 500-600 calories on these days and eating a balanced diet for the remaining five days.
The LighterLife Fast survey found the following results:
40% of people exercise twice a week
Although we are told to exercise for 30 minutes five times a week, Brits are only getting a gym session in twice a week. Nearly 70% of people cited ‘social schedule’ as being the main hurdle standing in the way of doing more exercise, with 49% attributing a lack of motivation and ‘laziness’ as the main reasons behind their reluctance to exercise.
43% of people have sex twice a week
The majority of those surveyed answered ‘twice a week’ when asked how many times they had sex in an average week. It seems for many of us our busy schedules mean we are too tired after a long day to make love to our partner.
35% of people go out for dinner twice a week
Whether it is a social occasion or a chance to get out of the kitchen, over a third of people surveyed admitted to treating themselves twice a week to a meal out. Treating ourselves during the week gives us something to look forward to and even when following a diet, going out for dinner twice weekly seems to be the norm.
80% of people eat more unhealthily at the weekend
After a week at work, it seems the great British public are accustomed to a little food indulgence. With a massive 80% of people eating more unhealthily at the weekends than during the week it is easy to see why the 5:2 diet fits in with so many peoples’ lifestyles.
43% of people socialise with friends during the week
Nearly half of us make arrangements to see friends twice a week, which means the British public place catching up with friends as important as other weekly activities including going to the gym.
The 5:2 diet has become a global phenomenon and celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez and Phillip Schofield are all fans of the 5:2 diet pattern. It fits in with our way of life; is associated with certain health benefits such as greater metabolic efficiency, improved brain function and increased fat burning.
Head Scientist at LighterLife Fast, Kelly Johnston, comments on the effectiveness of a 5:2 fasting balance:
“Intermittent fasting is an ideal way to manage your weight by focusing on strict calorie control for only 2 days a week with the remaining 5 days off. As well a growing evidence base of scientific studies which describe additional health benefits, a two day ‘fasting’ plan affords you some flexibility in that you pick the days that suit you best to fast, and then eat normally but nutritiously for the rest of the week. By tailoring this to your individuals needs it can help you manage your weight or even drop those few unwanted pounds.”
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