Intermittent Fasting Protocols: What is the 5-2?

As you begin doing more research about intermittent fasting, you will notice many 
different protocols people try. These include LeanGains (18-16), the 24-hour protocol, 
and the Warrior protocol. Another you might want to try is called 5:2, which has you 
eating what you want 5 days out of the week, then fasting the other 2 days. Take a look 
at what this type of intermittent fasting protocol entails.

What is the 5:2 Protocol?

First of all, here is how the 5:2 intermittent fasting protocol works. You want to eat what 
you normally would for 5 days out of the week, then fast for 2 days out of the week. This 
is very similar to the Eat-Stop-Diet, except with that diet, many people only fast for 24 
hours, and there are often more rules for the fasted days. With the 5:2 protocol, you are 
told to eat a small amount on the two fasted days, often 500-600 calories for the day. 
You do not want the 2 days to be in a row either; have at least one normal eating day in 
between.

The Eating Days

One thing you want to keep in mind when doing the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet, like 
most IF protocols, is that during your eating windows, don’t worry too much about what 
you eat. It shouldn’t turn into a binge eating session, but instead you should just eat like 
you normally would. If you are on a special diet like keto or Paleo, then you should still 
stick to that on the eating days. Otherwise, just have average days of eating 5 days out 
of the week. Intermittent fasting is meant to simplify everything for you, so don’t worry 
about counting calories on the eating days unless you are following a low-calorie diet.

The Fasting Days

When it is time to fast, make sure the two days are not consecutive. You should not be 
fasting for more than 24 hours at a time. On these days, they are a little different than 
other fasting days, since you aren’t having zero calories. For women, you can have up 
to 500 calories, or up to 600 calories for men. This is still very low, but allows you to 
have a small amount of nutrients to fuel your body, from broth to fruit or veggies. Make 
those calories count with the most nutrient-dense foods you can find.


