The Complete 2-Day Fasting Diet: Delicious; Easy To Make; 140 New Low-Calorie Recipes From The Bestselling Author Of The 5:2 Bikini Diet

Getting started

The jump-start – your low-calorie days

Everyday eating for your five healthy days

The fasting phenomenon

Today, tomorrow, fovever

What to do if...

The 2-Day Diet is a diet you can stick to. People everywhere are finding that this great new diet has life-changing results. You only diet two days a week. This means that on five days a week you don’t need to worry or think about food all the time. What other diet allows you puddings and nights out and still gives you amazing results? I love it and I think you will too.

On two non-consecutive days a week, follow a calorie-restricted diet. That’s the jump-start. It means:

• 500 calories for women

• 600 calories for men

On the other five days, eat three healthy balanced meals a day.

Why it works

By markedly trimming down your calories two days a week (you are eating one-quarter of the standard amount on those two days) you can expect 0.5–0.9kg (1–2lb) a week weight loss. When you have less food on those two days, you really recognise hunger signals. We are so used to eating whenever we feel like it. We are never quite hungry when we eat, and never quite full when we stop. These two lower calorie days help you establish those signals for life.

Your two restricted calorie days are lean protein and veggie based, for adequate nutrition, and so you don’t have to worry about getting enough protein for your body’s needs.

The most amazing difference between the 2-Day Diet and other diets is that when you drastically reduce your calories on the two diet days you are burning off body fat instead of muscle.

The strict two days help you learn to recognise biological hunger and fullness. As you are eating less food you will be actively hungry for your next meal. You will learn to savour every mouthful.

You will appreciate the extra guilt-free calories on your healthy days. Appreciating and enjoying your food gives you a huge boost and is the heart of the 2-Day Diet.

Change in lifestyle

The 2-Day Diet is not a quick fix. The aim is to establish good long-term eating habits. The two diet days are a jump-start for weight loss, but it is not a miracle diet. The diet days boost your weight loss by 0.9–1.4kg (2–3lb) a week at the start of the diet, reducing to about 0.5kg (1lb) a week subsequently. The real change comes through eating healthily on your other five days. Eating three healthy meals a day and cutting out the junk food will enable you to maintain the weight loss from the diet days. You should feel better in yourself and full of energy.

The simplicity of the 2-Day Diet is extremely compelling and it is so easy to get started. As you progress with the diet, you will find that the key to long-term success is how you manage your diet days. If you don’t eat the right food, then you feel starving and unable to cope: this makes you far more likely to cheat or give up. I remember on my first day, I had a large glass of orange juice at breakfast time. This ‘wasted’ 100 or so calories which I was in desperate need of by dinner time. By eating the right food and not eating ‘empty calories’ you can eat enough to keep going throughout the day. This is the core of this cookbook. You can find the right food to eat for every day and it is always tasty and filling. If your diet day is pain-free then you can stick with the diet, change your lifestyle and ultimately your figure.

A little bit of planning will help your first few diet days fly by. Follow these steps to ease you through your first two days:

1. Decide which days you are going to diet during the week. Remember the days must be non-consecutive. Think about what you’ve got on in your schedule. The best days are busy but not social ones. So pick your boring days and you will be fine.

2. How many meals are you going to eat on your diet days? Three small meals OR breakfast and dinner OR lunch and dinner.

3. Use the appropriate meal planner as a guide. Set out what you are going to eat. Buy and prepare your food in advance.

What kind of dieter are you?

Use this handy guide to help you work out the best days to diet and the best times to eat during the day.

If you work 9–5

• Try to diet on the same days each week – try Monday and Thursday.

• Eat a filling breakfast and make it through to an early dinner as soon as you come home from work.

• Work through your lunchtime or go for a brisk, refreshing walk.

• Plan and prepare your evening meal in advance so that it is quick and easy to cook when you get home.

If you are single

• Plan your diet days for days when you are busy but have no social engagements, especially if they involve food or drink.

• The days you diet can be flexible so you can choose different days each week – check your calendar and plan accordingly.

• Prepare your food in advance. Cook batches and freeze in individual portions. Then you will have a perfect meal ready in minutes when you get home from work.

• Eat one or two small meals or snacks during the day, having most of your calories in the evening.

• Keep busy on diet day evenings – try out a hobby or go for a walk.

If you are a full-time mum

• Choose your diet days so they are your busiest days when you and the kids are out and about.

• Eat three small meals at the same time as your children.

• Prepare your food in advance so it is ready at the same time as their food.

• Eat your main meal as an early tea with your family. You may find you can eat the same meal – just without the carbs.

If you are dieting as a couple

• Try to make sure you both diet on the same days. Consult your diaries and stick to the same plan.

• Men can eat an extra 100 calories per day, so they can have a little extra for breakfast or lunch.

• Plan to sit down and eat your evening meal together.

• Go to the cinema or for a walk together on the evenings of your diet days.

If you are a serial diet failure

• Plan out your diet days carefully. Come up with a schedule and stick to it.

• Try dieting on a Monday and Wednesday as that way you will get your diet days out of the way as quickly as possible.

• If you are struggling with motivation on a diet day, remember why the 2-Day Diet is different – tomorrow you can eat normally with no guilt.

• Everyone finds some days harder than others. But as you get used to the diet it gets easier and easier.

• If you fall off the wagon one week you can always try again next week – don’t give up!

What to expect on your first diet day

If you are feeling a little nervous about your first day: don’t be. Think positive and it will fly by.

Your first day may be the hardest. This is because you may never have allowed yourself to be properly hungry before and your body is telling you that this is wrong. Rest assured, it is natural to feel hungry. Ease your hunger pangs with a calorie-free drink or go for a walk.

The most important thing to remember is that it is only one day and tomorrow you can eat like a king. Feel proud of yourself. If you are hungry you are actively losing weight. Revel in a real sense of achievement.

Headaches and light-headedness

If you are reading this on your first diet day then I suspect you are feeling one or other of these common symptoms for the first day. Not everyone gets these but if you are one of them, then read on for some simple ways to combat them and get through the day.

Headaches are a common problem in the first few days of the 2-Day Diet. I believe the main cause of this is a change in caffeine intake. If you normally have a few cups of tea and coffee then a headache is almost a given if you cut down. But as this diet is not about caffeine-reduction and you are most likely to go back to your normal intake tomorrow, then any headache you have today is in vain.

Think about what your average caffeine intake is on a regular day and try and have a similar amount of drinks on a diet day too. I normally incorporate my normal skinny latte and two cups of tea into every diet day. But you do need to count the calories so if your normal caffeinated drinks are too calorific for a diet day then you need to swap to something else. Any coffee drink without milk has negligible calories, think Americano or Espresso. If you prefer a milky drink then make sure you use skimmed milk and don’t overdo the milk. Also worth trying are drinks such as green tea, which is mildly caffeinated and, of course, diet colas are an option.

As a general guide, your caffeine intake should be below 500mg per day. But if you are sensitive to caffeine or suffer from headaches, restlessness or anxiety you should consider dropping this to less than 250mg. If you have trouble sleeping, try not to consume any caffeine after 3pm. This is because caffeine has a half-life of eight hours. If it is consumed after 3pm, it may still be affecting you at 11pm. For the purposes of the diet, you should be trying to maintain your standard consumption of caffeine so as to maintain a feeling of well-being over your diet day.

Light-headedness or dizziness can be a problem, particularly on your first diet day. This is your body ‘rebelling’ against the diet and saying it can’t cope when really it can! In fact, studies have shown that tests done on people suffering from a ‘blood sugar crash’ have actually had normal blood sugar levels. The first thing to do if you get a wave of light-headedness is to move about and get some fresh air if possible. The wave might well pass in 15 minutes.

If this is still your first week of the diet and you are finding that one or other of these symptoms is limiting your ability to function normally, then you should eat something small and filling. Ideally go for about 100 calories, perhaps a small banana or a Ryvita with a light spread of soft cheese. On these days you will eat 100 calories more in total – so that is 600 for women and 700 for men.

Don’t let it put you off, and you will find the next day easier. Your body adapts quickly and after two weeks it should no longer impact on your feelings of well-being.

Finally, if you are a new starter, the great news is your weight loss in the first week or two is at its most dramatic. After two to three weeks it will stabilise. So push on through, you will see the results on the scales almost immediately.

Ten top tips to stay strong on your diet days

1 Know exactly what you are going to eat and stick to it.

2 Keep busy all the time.

3 Stay out of the kitchen and away from the smell of food.

4 Choose a guilt-free drink or nibble when you feel the urge to eat.

5 Tell yourself you can always eat [fill in the blank] tomorrow.

6 If you feel a wave of hunger, get some fresh air and it will soon pass.

7 Clear out your cupboards and fridge of tempting treats.

8 Take it one day at a time – each day gets easier.

8 Savour every mouthful of the food you eat.

10 Get on the scales the morning after your first fast day – you will have lost weight... but how much?

Guilt-free snacking: 10 foods less than 10 calories

Please note calories are approximate here.

1 Five slices of yellow pepper

2 Diet cola or lemonade

3 Two sticks of celery

4 Fruit tea

5 Five radishes

6 Small cup of hot Bovril made with 1 level tsp Bovril

7 Three cherry tomatoes

8 Sparkling water with ice and lemon

9 Two strawberries

10 Low-cal jelly

DIET DAY PLANNER

You can download and print this planner from www.52recipes.co.uk

The absolutely amazing thing about the 2-Day Diet is that you only have to be on a diet for two days. Yet to get the best results you need to make healthy choices every day of the week. There is plenty of good news for your healthy days:

• Treats are allowed.

• You should not count calories.

• Do not feel guilty if you eat something naughty.

Change your attitude to food and you will make positive lifestyle changes.

• Be aware of what you eat

• Choose three healthy balanced meals

• Eat less snacks

• Limit your food intake

By following these simple guidelines you will notice improvements in your well-being as well as your waistline.

Look for your weak spots. Is it the office treats table? Boozy drinks after work? Junk food snacking? Evening cravings? Find what you think is your worst offence and make a conscious effort to curb this every day of the week. I think one of the best ways is to set yourself a specific goal and reward.

Eat well

Eating well on your five healthy days doesn’t need to be hard. Try and cook real food every day of the week. Choose simple recipes that are balanced and low in fat. Try not to snack too much. Most importantly, banish the junk food as much as you can.

Top tips!

• Remember to eat three meals a day with not too many snacks.

• Cook food such as soups and stews and freeze in one or two person portions.

• Make a 7-day plan to incorporate your diet days and healthy days.

• Use the simple recipes in this book for healthy days too. Just add some extra carbohydrates such as rice and potatoes.

• Prepare food in advance if you can.

• Take a salad or last night’s leftovers in a lunchbox, rather than buying sandwiches for lunch.

Ten ways to be good AND have fun

1 Have set alcohol-free days every week.

2 Remove all biscuits from the house but vow to make your own at the weekend.

3 Go crisp-free.

4 Allow yourself a ‘treat’ on a Friday if you have been good all week.

5 Give yourself a time and/or drinks limit when you go out.

6 Read the ingredients and calories of any junk food before you eat it.

7 Switch from beer to spirits with a diet mixer.

8 Walk or cycle instead of taking the car.

9 Go to the greengrocer instead of the supermarket and be inspired to make something simple and different.

10 Make a home-made takeaway, such as Chicken tikka masala or Chinese chicken stir-fry.

Sample 7-day meal planner: Spring

Here is a sample weekly planner, showing both diet days and normal days. Diet days are Monday and Thursday. The season is Spring.