The FastDay Forum

Maybe we could just assume that milfrie's mother-in-law is healthy and let her have a go at the half-TDEE & overeat as necessary solution, and then change if necessary?

Dunno... I don't think that overeating is never a good idea but perhaps I'm wrong.

Hard to know if you're wrong - I can't quite tell what you are trying to say!

If she wants the benefits of the fasting, she could also try 16:8 where she would restrict all her calories to an 8 hour window each day. That means that she would be fasting for 16 hours each day. She wouldn't have to count calories.

That supposedly gives some of the same health benefits. I remember one of the studies that shows it might reduce chances of developing alzheimers looked at fasting for 14 hours overnight. Not sure about the other health issues.

I think there are two conversations going on here and I'm responding to the more general weight-loss theme.

I don't believe there is a one-size-fits-all (pun entirely incidental!) solution to weight loss. Certainly my experience has been that straightforward eat-less-than-TDEE isn't the whole story. I ate a fair bit over my TDEE on feed days for 5 months and lost weight slowly but steadily at an average of half a pound a week. For the last 6 weeks I've been eating carefully and sensibly and lost a grand total of one pound.

I'm not dismissing the science of TDEE, just saying I think it's one factor among others, even for those without attendant health problems.

Hard to know if you're wrong - I can't quite tell what you are trying to say!

That overeating is bad.

Hard to know if you're wrong - I can't quite tell what you are trying to say!

That overeating is bad.

I asked a research scientist conducting weight loss research whether it was bad to gain and lose weight over time (ie over eat and under eat - yo-yo ). He said there is no evidence that it is bad. It seems the human body is designed to get fat when food is plentiful, and then use that fat when food is scarce.

Unfortunately for overweight people in today's world, we have create the food scarcity ourselves.

Loving this thread When people say they just arent losing weight with 5:2 alone is that correct? I thought the complaint was mainly "not losing it quickly enough" or the average 1 pound a week that's cited. Does the progress tracker data suggest anyone is just not losing weight at all. ? I guess with additions of 16/8, 36 hour fasts etc the stats would be somewhat misleading. Hey we almost need progress tracker to add another dimension to their tracking e.g.

are you doing
5:2
4:3
16:8
36 hour liquid fast
Low GL eating
etc

It would be multi tick as many do combos.

I switched to 4:3 but dont know if that's why i now lose weight albeit slowly and i do know i probably, if i am honest with myself, eating 800 or even 900 on my 3 days, not 500 as i should. Which is close to what Milfrie's mother in law was contemplating.

I know i am guilty of guessing and no longer weight things out or even using Myfitnesspal

Maybe just maybe 3 days a week on 50% TDEE has some merit. (as opposed to 25% 2 days a week) It still leaves 4 days of "eat what you want" well almost.


Postscript. it wasnt till later i read she was only 45kg. then weight loss is not the aim at all but its only for health. I guess a whole different way of thinking here. No idea.

If your MIL only weighs around 45kg and is a size zero (US) and of average height, then her TDEE is only going to be around 1300-ish anyway - so "restricting" to 1200 will achieve exactly nothing.

Is there a reason for milfries mother-in-law to try fasting at all? I would suggest that if her blood-work is fine, then there is no need to change anything.

I suspect that she is already practicing calorie restriction. The science has almost nothing to say about what form it should take. Intermittent fasting is a convenient way to practice calorie restriction.

If your MIL only weighs around 45kg and is a size zero (US) and of average height, then her TDEE is only going to be around 1300-ish anyway - so "restricting" to 1200 will achieve exactly nothing.

Totally off topic, but Tara I love your avatar!!

Simcoeluv, yo-yoing is not bad, it is in the human nature. Overeating on purpose is, in my opinion.

Juliana, haven't we covered this topic already? YES, there are people who don't lose with just 5:2.

Juliana, haven't we covered this topic already? YES, there are people who don't lose with just 5:2.

TML13 yep you probably have. Sorry I get a bit obsessive about that topic.

I over ate yesterday on feast day (double cream cream potatoes, and other naughties throughout the day and the scales show. I'm doing an extra fast day this week today making it 4 days this week as punishment for bad behaviour.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm suggesting. Many people don't lose weight with 5:2 without changing it. Someone who is thin, might gain weight if they eat over their TDEE for 5 days, even if they eat less for 2.
If I do it now, for example, I will gain weight.

Why is that? Cos the TDEE figure isn't very accurate or?

It isn't necessarily that the number isn't accurate. But, the number is a guesstimation at best. Everybody's metabolism is different. The way that it is effected by diet, exercise, age, and amount of calories applies differently to each person. Medical conditions that effect metabolism, digestion and other things are not taken into consideration. Also, calorie intake is often largely underestimated by dieters. All of these things combined can result in a person cutting calories in half or more two days a week; yet not losing any weight.

Juliana, the progress tracker has limitations. The data is skewed by several different things. First, it is self reported, so the accuracy is questionable. There could be some who inflate their losses to look good on the forum. I think that would be an awful thing to do...but it doesn't mean it hasn't been done. Next, there are beginners to the plan who start the tracker, have an initial big loss of water weight and then may or may not ever return to the site when their losses are smaller. Or when their losses stop. Or when they give up on the plan all together. Yet, their big first week numbers remain in the average skewing the results higher. What measures are in place to remove that data? Also, just the fact that the plan is new and most of the dieters are new to it will cause bigger losses. There is a disproportionate number of newly started dieters. Their losses will likely average out to smaller than one pound a week losses once more people reach the stage where weight loss stalls or slows.