Slim & Save and the 5:2 diet plan review.
Are you thinking about doing a Slim & Save plan?
Dieting. You either live steadfastly in the ‘avoid-them-like-the-plague’ camp or, like, me, bounce around the fanatical ‘try-them-all’ camp. From So Shape, to Diet Bon. Many people will scoff and with stern sensibility advice ‘exercising more and eating less,’ as the only solution to weight loss. For me, I always start with the best intention but the desire to eat egg and avocado in the morning soon peters out. Sleep deprivation always leads me to sugar. And snacking. Self-control is not something I have mastered at thirty something. Meal replacement and low-calorie controlled diets kick start me back into healthier eating and a positive mindset. They are not a long-term option, more a gentle motivational nudge, and the guidance and structure help me fend off Snickers cravings.
What is the 5:2 diet?
It’s called the 5:2 diet because five days of the week you eat normally, while on the other two scheduled fasting days calories are restricted to 500–600 per day. For me and many other people, this way of eating seems to be easier to follow than traditional continuous calorie restriction, which can leave you wanting to eat the sofa. Because there are no set requirements about which foods to eat but rather when you should eat them, this diet is more of a lifestyle.
Common mistakes people make about the 5:2 diet.
#You can choose whichever two days of the week you prefer to fast but don’t restrict energy on two consecutive days. There needs to be at least one non-fasting day in between them! One common way of planning the week is to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, then eat normally for the rest of the week. Leaving weekends, which are usually social, and more difficult to stick to, free.
#Eating ‘normally’ does not mean you can eat anything. These are not CHEAT days. Yes, you may binge on junk food normally but then you are just likely to gain weight. Normal means a healthy balanced diet. You should also eat the same amount of food within your recommended intake of calories (2000 for women, 2500 for men) as if you hadn’t been fasting at all. Don’t munch on double portions.
#Don’t think you can eat anything for five days, then nothing at all for two. That is not sensible. Technically if you kept up the diet all year you would then cut the days you were ‘allowed’ to eat from 365 to 260. Just, no.
It is important to plan and think about what you’ll be eating on both fasting and non-fasting days on the 5:2 diet. Generally, people will eat lower-calorie foods on their fasting days. These could include vegetables, fish, soup, eggs, and lean meat, plus zero-calorie beverages like water and black coffee or tea. Or, you could get Slim & Save to step in and save you the hassle.
Introducing Slim & Save.
Created in 2008, leading UK diet company Slim & Save offer a full range of low-calorie food products and programmes, designed specifically for Meal Replacement and Low-Calorie Diets. With a fantastic tasting range of 54 different shakes, meals, soups & bars, providing all of your RDA of Vitamins, Minerals & Micro-nutrients there is something for all tastes. Better yet, Slim & Save has a 91% positive review score on Trustpilot. A dedicated support team and online community means that dieters are more likely to be successful, sharing their experiences and tips. What I like about the site is the huge amount of information offered, from exercise suggestions, weight and measurement trackers, to heath contraindications. The ordering service is also very easy to navigate. Products can be purchased singularly or in bulk.
Slim & Save 5:2 products #Review.
The Slim & Save 5:2 Intermittent Fasting Plan (a competitively priced £26.99 for a fortnight) offers dieting in its simplest form! On fasting days simply consume 4 Slim & Save shakes, soups, meals or bars (maximum one bar per day). I like that you can go through and pick the meal options you like so you don’t end up with flavours that you just don’t like. Yoghurt coated muesli bar, tick. Sweet and sour Noodles, tick! P.s each option is clearly marked as containing nuts, vegetarian friendly and gluten free.
The two weeks supply arrived quickly and came with an information book with everything you could possibly want to know about the company, products and the dieting options. It also arrived with a handy shaker. I measured myself beforehand and filled in the chart that’s in the back of the book which makes it super easy to keep a record of your weight and measurements.
Tip: Getting weighed multiple times per week or even on a daily basis is a recipe for disaster.
So, what about the taste?
Fancy a cup of chicken soup? The powdery sachet was misleading. As soon as water is added and the quick heating guidelines followed, I ended up with a creamy, parsley filled, slightly peppery soup. The shakes were surprisingly thick in consistency – blending with a couple of cubes of ice made them especially tasty. I added a few Chia seeds for good measure. I was really impressed by the texture of the meals. Spaghetti bolognaise which after microwaving transformed into a proper filling, and tasty lunch (made with soya not meat). Portion sizes are small so eat slowly. Breakfast porridges heat to larger portions and the chocolate option is by far my favourite. I would advise adding 100ml of water, a bit less than recommended and enjoyed the real oat flakes. The bars look like they will have the consistency of cardboard, but are rich and tasty, the size of a larger than average cereal bar (so no good proportioning!) I liked having something to sink my teeth into as most of the fast days are liquid based in soups or meals. The Caramel crunch tastes like a Toffee Crisp and a Picnic combined and fulfils all the sweet cravings! The only downside I could put forwards Is that the packaging is a bit basic. But you don’t eat that!
Tip: You need more fluids on a fasting day, so drink more calorie-free fluids than usual and aim for 3 litres. This will help you to avoid constipation and headaches. Water, herbal teas and sugar-free squash make great choice.
We lost 2lb in week one and found the two days easy to manage with the set Slim & Save meals – not finding hunger pangs setting in at all!