Effective Weight Loss After Gestational Diabetes: The 5:2 Diet Approach

Losing weight shortly after gestational diabetes can help stave off type 2 diabetes in later life, yet finding an effective method for losing and keeping off the excess pounds may prove a challenging feat for mothers with young babies.

Studies have demonstrated that intermittent fasting diets such as the 5:2 Diet are an equally effective means of weight loss for women, offering greater freedom when selecting their weight loss solutions.

The 5:2 Diet allows for five normal eating days per week while significantly restricting calories for two of those days, unlike conventional dieting which requires daily energy restrictions.

Gestational diabetes affects one out of every five pregnancies worldwide, increasing their chances of Type 2 Diabetes by 10 times later in life. Women who were overweight when gestatingal diabetes was first diagnosed are especially at risk. Type 2 Diabetes can have lifelong repercussions including cancer and heart disease.

Consistent exercise and healthy eating practices are recommended to manage gestational diabetes effectively, with continuous energy restriction diets (or those which restrict calories by 25-30%) being the most popular method for weight loss and prevention of gestational diabetes.

However, new mothers often put themselves last when it comes to prioritizing weight loss; fatigue and juggling family responsibilities make it hard to adhere to a low-cal diet when trying to lose weight.

The 5:2 diet may present an approach that’s less strenuous for some women. Since it only involves restricting calories on two consecutive days, some might find it easier to adhere to than a constant low-calorie regimen which requires constant management.

This study shows that the 5:2 diet can be just as effective in helping gestational diabetes women lose weight as an energy-restricted diet, but provides them with more flexibility and choices.

Women should seek medical advice prior to beginning any diet plan of this nature in order to ensure it fits with their unique circumstances.

This research explored the impact of both a 5:2 diet (5 days of normal eating followed by two days with limited caloric intake of 500), as well as an energy-restricted diet of 1500 calories daily, on weight loss and risk markers associated with gestational diabetes in women who had already been diagnosed. Both diets restricted energy by approximately 25% per week.