I looked for a book about the approach, but all I could find seemed to be written by body builders, or Paleo dieters, who follow a stone age style regime involving a lot of meat - as a long-term vegetarian, that didn't seem relevant. The Mediterranean Style Diet is inspired by the dietary and lifestyle patterns of Greece, Spain and southern Italy, as research was indicating that people living in these regions were experiencing a lower rate of heart disease, cancer and had an increased life expectancy. From curry to stir fry, from omelette to soup, our 5:2 diet meal plans below will help guide you through your 500 calorie days with ease. Whether you’re hoping to lose weight fast or just want to manage your food a little better, the 5:2 diet is a part-time diet that has grown in popularity over the past few years.

Lunch:Young’s Cod Steak in Parsley Sauce (101cals) is perfect. Eat it on a bed of 60grams of lettuce (8cals). Calories so far = 261 Another study by researchers at the University of Surrey examined the impact of the 5:2 diet on the body’s ability to metabolise and clear fat and glucose after a meal in 27 participants. (5)Although this regime had no different effect on weight loss compared to eating at 'normal' times in the 5:2 diet, just changing the timing of meals, by eating earlier in the day and extending the overnight fast, significantly benefited metabolism even in people who didn’t lose any weight at all. Moreover, the eight-hour group also had a significantly decreased appetite and weren’t as hungry." This book works as a good introduction if you are new, hesitant or simply would like to know more about this diet (though it is, as she says herself, more a lifestyle or a way of eating than a form of dieting). The book is quite short, concise and easy to read and offers a number of ideas and recipes as well as personal anecdotes and testimonies of people following this way of eating. On the days you eat normally, you should be aiming for around 2,000 calories a day, but don’t worry if you have a blowout, such as going out for a meal and/or drinks, a couple of times a week. You can drink as much water as you like on the 5:2 diet, and you should aim to drink as much as possible during your fasting days, it’ll keep you hydrated, and may help you to stave off hunger for a little longer. Depending on your daily maintenance calories you could have calories spare for extra foods and drinks.

Toast a slice of your favourite wholemeal bread and top with peanut butter. PB is great for slow releasing energy to keep you full all morning.The book contained a lot of random meal suggestions (which weren't relevant for me, since I don't live in the UK).