Today I find myself in York. I’ve never been to York before. I’m up here for two days with work attending an industry trade show with my boss. If I haven’t mentioned it before, I work in the events and hospitality industry (or, more specifically, I work for a PR consultancy specialising in this sector).

During the past 2 years of working in this industry I’ve learned that having a flexible diet regime is absolutely essential. Hospitality and events industry professionals are absolutely spoiled when it comes to food, be it an awards event with a sit down 3 course dinner, reception drinks with canapés or a breakfast meeting,  amazing food is pretty unavoidable. I’m fairly convinces that my 2 year introduction to the world of work in this field is what made me put on 2 stone in the first place. So needless to say, in terms of dietary choices, we’re in need of a little give and take which is exactly what the 5:2 offers.

Being a massive fan of food anyway, I absolutely love this about my job (although I would like to just note here that PR people aren’t just all about schmoozing, boozing and fine-dining- contrary to popular belief). The featured picture shows one of the many courses I enjoyed during a press lunch at one of our client venues in London last summer. This involved silver service, something called smoked mash and there were cloches present (if you know what a cloche is then you know more than I did before this experience!)

My point is, that when it comes to hospitality clients, the phrase ‘It’d be rude not to’ really does ring true. I was once attending a meeting in Kent for one of our catering clients, having already eaten my sensible fasting day lunch of a sushi snack pack and diet coke on the move, I was greeted with a spectacular spread which my client referred to as an ‘executive lunch’. Needless to say, this sent my fasting day into oblivion. At that moment I learned that client meeting days, it’s fair to assume, will not make for good fast days.

The beauty of the 5:2 diet though, is that tomorrow offers another opportunity for a fresh start and a fresh fast day, no guilt necessary. Non fast days are great, but the odd feast day (the ones where you can relish the fact that you work in such a great industry, not worrying about what the 3 course lunch and copious amount of red wine might have added up to in terms of calories) are absolutely essential. This is what makes the 5:2 diet a lifestyle choice, not a diet.