Calories Burnt

The following is the calculation to work out how many calories burnt.

0.3 x weight (lb) = calories per mile walking

0.63 x weight (lb) = calories per mile running.

3500 cals = 1lb fat loss.

Intermittent fasting - the truth

Latest Diet & nutrition news

The diet buzz phrase of the moment is intermittent fasting, otherwise known as the 5:2 diet. Fasting is a concept that has been practiced for thousands of years, but until recently it hasn't had much scientific backing. Books on the topic were hugely popular last Christmas and it's easy to see why. Intermittent fasting has a lot more going for it than your run of the mill celeb endorsements. Not only does it improve your weight loss, it also benefits your health. Sounds fool proof, but do you fancy starving yourself twice a week?

What is intermittent fasting?

Not for the faint-hearted, your calories are slashed to about 600 twice a week. According to advocates, long periods without food trigger a skinny gene that burns fat. And one study led by Dr Michelle Harvie found that women on a very low calorie diet (650 calories) for two days a week had a 40% lower breast cancer risk. Although research is positive, it's hard to see how the diet can translate to real life.

A typical day

Fasting days include only one meal , but if skipping breakfast or lunch sends you into a craving frenzy then try a 300 calorie split between breakfast and dinner.
Breakfast 2 slices of wholegrain toast with 1 tbs peanut butter
100g strawberries
Dinner
Turkey stir-fry made with minced turkey, garlic, pepper, chilli, canned tomatoes, onions and a little basmati rice

Benefits of fasting

Experts claim that it helps you to lose weight and also leads to health benefits, like:

• Longer life span
• Improved brain function, including protection from Alzheimer’s
• Protection from disease like cancer and heart disease

Disadvantages of fasting

Intermittent fasting may work in a scientific study environment, but if it doesn’t fit into your daily life the benefits don't matter. Medical opinion agrees that fasting is risky. If you want to fast, you should do so under medical supervision. There are many people, such as pregnant women or diabetics, for whom it is dangerous.
Although studies into intermittent fasting are on-going, possible side effects include:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Bad breath
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Dehydration
• Sleepiness

Do your own version

Fasting twice a week isn’t for everyone, but you can do your own less drastic version. Step up your metabolism by regularly shifting your calories up or down a gear. Eat a healthy diet 5 days a week, then lower your calories to about 1200 once or twice a week and try to limit yourself to 2 or 3 main meals, with no snacks in between on these days. Yo-yoing between higher and lower calorie can wake up a sluggish metabolism.

Small steps add up

If you are brave enough to try intermittent fasting go ahead, but do you see yourself sticking to it long term? Making small healthy changes to your diet is more effective because they won't turn your life upside down. Replace your chocolate bar with a piece of fruit. Up your exercise, and walk faster for longer and watch your portion sizes. To lose weight and improve your health, you need to look at the overall shape of your lifestyle and not just your food!

Calorie Counting Ideas for 5:2 Diet

Soup

• Heinz Weight Watchers Tomato Soup = 76 Calories
• Heinz Weight Watchers Carrot & Lentil Soup = 87 Calories
• Miso Soup (1 sachet) = 14 Calories 
• Spicy Butternut Squash Soup = 113 Calories
• Spicy Tomato & Lentil Soup = 123 calories 
• Tesco Light Choices Carrot & Coriander Soup in a Mug = 65 Calories

Fillers

• Couscous (50g dried) = 158 Calories
• Hard-Boiled Egg (large) = 78 Calories
• Kingsmill Wholemeal Bread (1 medium slice) = 96 Calories 
• Oats So Simple (36g sachet + 180ml semi-skimmed milk) = 221 Calories
• Porridge Oats (40g dried) =150 Calories
• Quinoa (40g dried) = 147 Calories 
• Reduced Sugar & Salt Baked Beans (½ tin ) = 70 Calories
• Tesco Light Fresh Mash (½ pack) = 140 Calories
• 
  

Dairy

• Dairylea Triangle = 43 Calories
• Edam (28g) = 100 Calories
• Feta Cheese (38g) = 100 Calories
• Light Cottage Cheese = 70 Calories (100g) or 42 Calories (60g)
• Light Philadelphia Soft Cheese (1tbsp)= 28 Calories

Vegetables & Salad

• Asparagus (4) = 11 Calories
• Baby Beets (50g in vinegar) = 65 Calories
• Bell Peppers = 30 Calories
• Carrots (1 medium) = 25 Calories
• Cauliflower (87g) = 23 Calories
• Cucumber (1 medium) = 24 Calories
• Cucumber (8 slices) = 8 Calories
• Peas (38g) = 38 Calories
• Potatoes (1 medium) = 161 Calories
• Salad Leaves (40g) - 7 Calories
• Spinach (30g) = 7 Calories
• Spring Onions (2) = 10 Calories
• Tomatoes (1 cherry) = 4 Calories
• Tomatoes (1 medium) = 26 Calories

Dressing

• Balsamic Vinegar (1 tbsp) = 10 Calories
• Olive Oil (1 tbsp) = 120 Calories
• Tesco Light Choices French Dressing (1 tbsp) = 8 calories
• Tesco Light Choices Balsamic Dressing (1 tbsp) = 12 calories

Fruit

• Apples (1 medium) = 95 Calories
• Apricots (3) = 38 Calories
• Banana (1 medium) = 90 Calories
• Blueberries (25) = 20 Calories
• Grape = 2 Calories
• Kiwi Fruit = 46 Calories
• Nectarine = 67 Calories
• Orange = 86 Calories
• Peach = 42 Calories
• Pear = 42 Calories
• Plum = 36 Calories
• Raspberries (10) = 10 Calories
• 1 medium Strawberry = 4 Calories

Snacks

• Crispbread = 35 Calories
• Oatcake = 46 Calories
• Rice Cake = 35 Calories

Something Sweet

• Heinz Weight Watcher Vanilla & Fruit Fromage Frais = 48 Calories  
• Nakd Cocoa Orange Raw Fruit & Nut Bar =145 Calories
• Total 0% Greek Yoghurt (1 tbsp) & honey (1 tsp) = 48 Calories 
• Cadburys Giant Chocolate Buttons (1) = 15 Calories (thanks Lori)

5:2 Diet or The Fast Diet

5:2 Diet

Eat, Fast and Live Longer.

Michael Mosley,  set himself the challenge to live longer, stay younger and lose weight. Three things that I am sure we would all like to achieve. During a one hour Horizon documentary Mosley spoke to many people including scientists and found out that a low calorie diet is the secret to these three elusive goals.

There are different ways to go about this, but basically you are either looking at having a continual low calorie diet or fasting. I think I would rather shoot myself in the foot than go on a lifelong low calorie diet, so I was interested to find out how the fasting went and the results it produced.

The results were astonishing. Mosley found out that a third of his body was fat and that he stood a high chance of getting heart disease and cancer, but after he fasted for 3½ days, his chances were reduced dramatically. Here is an explanation of how it works:

1. Our bodies have  a growth hormone called IGF -1. As a child this is what helps our bodies grow, but as adults it ages us.
2. High levels of IGF-1 can lead to diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
3. Lowering your levels of IGF-1 can help prevent against these diseases and can be done through your diet.
4. When lowering your IGF-1 levels, growth stops and your body starts to repair cells. It also uses up your glucose and starts to burn fat, so you also lose weight.

Now it all begins to make sense, doesn't it? But a 3½ day fast is more than most of us could contemplate. There are another two options:

1. Fast every second day (still a stretch!)
2. Eat normally 5 days a week and fast 2 days a week.

http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/110651/BBC_Horizon_2012_Eat_Fast_and_Live_Longer/

http://www.thefastdiet.co.uk/

http://www.feedfastfeast.com/

http://www.tinnedtomatoes.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/187492001383720/

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4115289

http://feed5fast2.wordpress.com/