Sounds substantially more stressful than IFing every day. I would personally be dreading the two day period after every "5-day island."

Whatever allows you to reduce your caloric intake sufficiently to lose weight is fair game if that's your only goal, but does that kind of regimen seem sustainable to you?

HuntingBears, didn't you also just ask a question about alternate day fasting?

http://paleohacks.com/questions/144265/alternate-day-fasting#axzz24Iam58P1

I'm worried about you, dear. I know you're basically at the end of your rope in trying to improve the appearance of your skin and also help lift your very, very low moods. I think you should just choose a plan and give it a try. Seems like you're suffering that ol' paralysis by analysis...becoming exposed to too many different ideas, searching for the one that will be your magic bullet. Honestly, you've gotta just get in there and TRY something. And give it enough time to see if it's actually working. Very stubborn problems do not go away overnight, even when a dietary or lifestyle change is working.

Ultimately, I think you might do better to just relax a little. Eat real food. Avoid trigger foods if you have any, and keep it as clean as you can manage. This quest for some sweet spot of IF, eating windows, and calorie roller coasters is, I think, doing more harm than good.

I do believe there is a sweet spot for most people, but don't obsess over finding it right now. Just do your best with eating well and loving yourself. Loving YOU, as a human being, who just happens to have skin she's unhappy with. I have upper arm batwings no matter how much triceps work I do. And a little gut roll even though I'm overall darn happy with the weight loss I've maintained over the past few years. I'm not perfect but those flaws do not define my worth as a human being.

I think you could really benefit from this beautiful, beautiful post:

Stacy's AWESOME post

and this one:

The Fattest People in Paleo

I know you're not trying to lose weight, but these address the other, deeper issues surrounding all this stuff and I think you'll find something that speaks to you.

I don't think you have to do 2 days in a row. Just 2 days out of 7.

If IF stressed you out, eating 500 calories two days in a row every week is going to be hell.

The point of the 5:2 is not so much to lose weight, but to decrease the level of human growth hormone IGF-1 which is indicated in lots of illness. Eating healthy every day won't do that for you.

The side effect of eating this way is weight loss.

Seems good to me and I'm going to try it.

Honestly, my main concern would be what "eating normally" for five days means to you. Why not eat healthy every day?

The Perfect Health diet talks about fasting to improve health. They suggest a protein sparing modified fast, which includes Minerals and bone broth, or a ketogenic fast that includes lots of coconut oil. They view fasting for health reasons, not for weight loss.

Also, the 5/2 plan isn't 2 days of fasting, they suggest breaking it up with 24 hours between. Most of the IF literature I've read focuses on weight loss as well as autophagy, so if weight loss isn't a goal, you might have to modify it or eat more on non fasting days/hours.

I've been doing 5/2 for 4 weeks and whilst it was hard at first its easy now. i even added a third fast day this week as i wanted to see how it felt. I feel great at the moment. Much more alert and clear headed and loads of energy down the gym

I personally prefer the 6 / 3 diet.

I watched it too pretty cool never seen fasting in the mainstream media before. MDA has a good series on fasting, kind of lays it all out.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting-weight-loss/#axzz241p0OWpf

Oddly enough, I bet I am close to that.

During the week I eat 3 huge meals a day plus pre/post workout drinks.

However during the weekend, I normally don't eat breakfast might eat a bowl of grapes or something else fruit based. Normally eat 1 meal on Saturday and Sunday.

I am far less active on my weekends and it seems to be what I naturally fell into so no complaints. I'm past the "I can only eat this much" or the I "can't eat because it not in my time zone" hungry I eat, when in doubt I eat more.

Counting day is as paleo as counting calories. Instead of having exact days, just fast! Sometimes it comes natural if you're not the programmed type who most eat meals the same time every day. And sometimes you might plan to skip a whole day to get another effect on your body.

And every now and then you might even take a multi-day fast with low-carb and low-protein. Those would be great days for some yoga classes I'd figure.