Any diet that you try will have hard parts, as they limit what you can eat which seems counter-intuitive to your stomach sometimes. That being said, we believe that you can accomplish any goal you set for yourself if you really want it.

Top 5:2 Diet Tips

We have compiled a list of tips to help through the 5:2 (or any) diet:

• Plan ahead so you know your fasting days (and plan your fasting-day meals so you don’t just grab anything bad as a last-minute choice)

• Hot drinks like coffee or tea can suppress your appetite, but remember to include milk and sugar in your calorie count if you need it

• Try some soup! Some instant soups (like Miso) have fewer than 20 calories and fills your stomach, but keep in mind nutrition and check out our Homemade Chicken and Cabbage Soup

• Avoid high-carb foods on normal eating days, especially starchy foods like bread or pasta, which will make you feel hungrier later

• Choose foods that take time to eat, have good nutrition and are low calorie, like vegetarian stews or soups

• Exercise can suppress your appetite and passes the time if you feel extra hungry, but take it easy on cardio during fasting days

• Plan your next regular-day meal and look forward to that. It’s like looking forward to the weekend to get through a tough work week

• On your off days, don’t overdo the bad foods. 2 Big Macs on the day after fasting pretty much negates the health benefits that you are working hard for

• Snack on filler foods like Celery between meals. 1 large stalk is only 10 calories! Or see this great resource on Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing while on the diet.

Have your own 5:2 diet fasting day tips? Please share them into the comments below!!