The FastDay Forum

Hi all - I haven't been here in a while, although I have been faithfully fasting two days a week since I last posted. I will poke around after posting this and get caught up with everyone, and look forward to that.

I really don't know where to start with my frustration. I have been fasting two days every week since starting this WoE in April (less a week on holiday in August and one week in October when I only fasted once). In that time I have lost almost 6kg, but would really like to lose another 5. I have done it in the past on other weight loss programs so it shouldn't be a completely unrealistic goal. I have been on such an up and down ride (won't call it a rollercoaster, that's so cliche) over the past 8 months. I had an initial quick loss but since then I have never been able to "bank" a loss - there are very few periods (if any) where I have shown a loss two weeks in a row - just about every week of loss has been followed by a week of some sort of gain, often completely wiping out the previous week's loss.

It doesn't matter what I do or don't do - whether I log my feed days faithfully on MFP (which definitely helps keep the feed day calories in check) or not, whether I do 10,000 steps a day on my Fitbit or not, whether I drink alcohol or not, whether I eat 5 fruits/veg a day or not, whether I exercise intensely or not - the "pattern" of loss/gain is still the same.

I suspected it might be but didn't fully realise how bad it was until I logged my weight in today - in almost 2 months I have lost a grand total of, wait for it, 100 grams! If you look at my chart it shows an almost completely level line for the last 6 weeks, although I have been keeping weekly stats on MFP and the up/down pattern you see on the weeks before October is exactly the same.

I know a lot of people will say "don't focus so much on the number - it's the overall trend and yours is down" but after the last 6 weeks I think it's entirely reasonable to have expected to have lost more than half a pound, and more than a stone in the last 8 months.

I'm really downhearted because in theory this should be the absolute ideal way of getting to a healthy weight - a way that allows you to live your life and enjoy good food and drink and not feel "on a diet" all the bl--dy time. I'm getting very worried that for me that is not an option. The thought of going back to Weight Watchers, or something like it, fills me with dread.

Am I missing something?

Hi mummybunny. Welcome back. No you are not missing anything. You are in plateauland and it can last for ages. There are some here who have waited more than 6 weeks.

I shifted mine recently with a couple of 24 hour zero calorie fasts. I have learned since starting this WOE that my weight does not come off smoothly. Its micro amounts for weeks on end and then every now and then a big drop.

However it is normally to do with my TDEE. I have absolutely no leeway. If I exceed it, then I get weight gain. I'm active (exercise every day), but I have set my activity level to sedentary which helps and my average loss is half a pound a week.

I have not had a 6 week plateau like you, but there are many here and I'm sure they will join in soon.

Have you tried cutting your carbs back?

No wonder you feel frustrated...100g in six weeks is not a lot... But people do break through the plateau; if you get a chance it's worth searching the forum for suggestions of different ways to mix up your eating, so you start to lose again.
Do you measure yourself as well as weigh? Sometimes the tape measure is kind when the scales are not. I don't quite understand how that works, but it seems to! It just helps with the motivation to know something is happening.
Good luck!

Oh the dreaded plateau!
The only consolation is :-
Everyone seems to get it sooner or later
And it doesnt last forever

I am not looking forward to when i hit it..
But at least we can come here and find reassurance in our fellow fasters postings!
Keep the faith! X

It sounds like your TDEE is lower than you think it is (or than the calculator is telling you--remember it's just an estimate). Have you tried mixing it up a bit? Throw in an extra fast day? Add in low carb or 16:8?

Good luck!!

[wildmissus]

I really don't know what to say to make you feel better but I haven't lost any weight since 24th August, which I've just worked out is 15 weeks... . And that's not the first time I've plateaued. Like you I've been a lower weight (about a stone and a half lower) before so to lose another 10 - 14lbs is not unrealistic. We both now have similar BMI's.

I agree with the others that it isn't necessarily about the total calories but what is being eaten, typically carbs. As an aside, a few weeks ago I started taking stock drinks on fast days and I started putting weight on each week so I stopped taking them and I lost 4lb in one week! I can only think that as I normally don't use salt that my body is more sensitive to the sodium in the stock drink and the weight gain was probably water retention!

For me this isn't the time of year to fret about not losing weight. My plan is to get through the festive season without putting any weight on then, in the new year start afresh...whatever that means! Probably re-read 'the book', do a bit of research on here and reduce carbs/increase veg.

I know that isn't very helpful but please don't give up and if you are anything like me it is a pretty good achievement to have lost some weight and maintain it for quite a number of weeks!

If its any consolation, I drop maybe around half a stone and will regain about half of it and then lose and regain the same couple of pounds over and over for weeks on end! I can't find any sort of formula that brings the half stone drop in the first place but there do seem to be quite a lot of us doing the same thing. Its very annoying but not as annoying as it would be on the sort of plan that required more restrictions.

I can't help you either. This morning I was 2kg heavier than 13 days ago, despite 3 successful fasts in between, low carbs on most days, 3-4 training sessions per week in the gym. My clothes feel much loser and this morning's 4.5k run on the treadmill wasn't too hard but seeing the scales go up, not down, is disheartening. I had only 530 calories today (65g carbs, 32g protein) which compared to the 470 calories I used in the gym surely must make a difference. Surely?!

Unless my muscles increase more than the fat I lose? Or is that a myth? Could this be the same for you?

Very disheartening and frustrating for you
Is it possible that you are losing fat but gaining muscle and are better hydrated?
As mentioned by others, looking at what you eat may be worth doing, and double checking your TDEE. I know that ideally this WOL is meant to allow us to eat what we want on non-fast days providing it is within the TDEE, but it may be that for some of us, in practice, we do need to limit some types of food. (Or it may be the other way - limiting the range of foods too much may make the body over reactive - in terms of weight gain - to other foods.)
What time of day you eat may also be an issue - for some, evening eating is not good; for others, having snacks is not good.
Though it does sound like you have tried all sorts of permutations to no avail
As others have also mentioned, this time of year may not be the best time to be trying to increase weight loss - maybe give yourself a break over this period, and then start afresh in the New Year.
Best wishes for finding a regime that will work for you

Interesting post because I, too am floundering. I reached my goal last May, tried 6.1 but the weight started to creep up, just a kilo. I am doing 5.2 since Sep and am only just managing to stick to my goal. I have reduced my intake alot so this is very frustrating. I don't want to be on a 5.2 WOE for the rest of my life.I had hoped to go a little below my goal but to do so I think I would have to stop eating!

Its really annoying isn't it? I really don't like to be beaten but I can't work out what I'm doing now that is different from when the weight loss was going well.

I'm thinking that it has to be more than a number on a scale because, for me at least, the fat does still seem to be moving. I know I was doing weights and now I do a bit of yoga for sculpting but its more than could be explained by toning up. Does anyone else find that the fat seems to be in lumps? I used to be pretty well evenly covered but now I can see the better muscle tone but have lumpy bits on top. Its sure not an attractive sight! I'm certainly getting smaller but why the scales don't bear that out I really couldn't say!

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful replies and support. It really helps to know I'm not the only one in this situation.

Heavy sigh. Today I weighed myself and I was 800 g down. Usually that would have had me ecstatic for the day but today I was a bit "meh - it won't last" about it. I did nothing special to "deserve" it and am not kidding myself that I did. Maybe I am finally getting the right attitude - if I don't deserve an almost 2 pound loss in a week I don't deserve a 2 pound gain either.

For all my anguish yesterday (which was genuine frustration), I am being stubborn - I am determined to give this a good year and see where I am then. I don't have that much longer to go. As I alluded to above, I don't really feel there is any viable alternative that can fit within my life, and I am not in a rush to lose weight as I am at a healthy BMI right now. It's vanity that is making me do this, and the legendary "health benefits" from fasting. I don't like fasting but with not working anymore it really isn't that much of a hardship and I have gotten quite used to it. I have also gotten used to tracking food in myfitnesspal, which I hated almost as much as fasting at first. My blood pressure was taken recently and is on the reassuringly low side of normal, even while I was fighting an infection, which the GP said they would have expected to raise it.

And when I want to relax and enjoy myself with my family and friends, so long as I have done my 2 days' fasting for the week there is nothing stopping me. Husband wants wine with our roast chicken dinner on Friday and I say "don't forget my glass!" Girlfriends come round for steak and triple fried chips at the weekend and I make sure there are enough for us all to have double portions (and they go!). Kids have a Halloween party and I'm standing there in the queue at the barbecue with my roll to get my banger. Thanksgiving comes and I have two spoonfuls of whipped cream with my apple pie. This is the new dieting!

My tentative plan for the next couple of weeks is to fast next week as normal, but not weigh myself anymore till after Christmas is over. My weight today is the lowest I have been since I started this, so I will let myself think, for the Christmas period, that that is my "true" weight. I leave next Friday for New Jersey, and while I may try to fast once or twice while I am there I do not know how sustainable it is. I plan to do lots of mall and NYC shopping so hoping all those steps will balance some of the eating and drinking out! When I get back to the UK just after the New Year I will do 2 fast days and see where I am, and get back into the swing of things from there. I tried 16:8 on holiday in August and it didn't go well for me, so I am not going to rely on it as I know others have done with such success.

Good luck everyone with your plateaus.

Good plan
Xxx julianna

Hi mummybunny nice to see you back and I can concur with your frustration this is a longer journey for some of us.

I seemed to lose the successful downward trajectory in July after a week off 5:2 and ever since am snail pacing even with mixing it up. Have had to just chill completely and go with the flow. I am sure there is some solution there for you.

Enjoy your Christmas and face your new year with goals which will work for you.

My weight has been bouncing around now since September. I have kept faithfully to my 2 days of fasting and now have to push the plate away because my 'full' trigger has re-appear. All good stuff. But this plateau is disheartening for me too. I need to lose the weight for surgery.

Something to look into is the set point theory. It goes by the assumption that the body trundles along happily within a certain weight range. Its happy there, everything is balanced. But when you go and upset this balance by putting on or taking off weight (it seems to be about 10% to 15% of your old weight) your body puts the brakes on so it has time to re-balance the bodily processes for the new weight. All those hormones and chemical reactions that are going on constantly are working at the assumed higher weight and are not appropriate at the lower weight. Once your body is happy and balanced at the new weight you can acrry on losing weight again, until you lose another 10% to 15% of your new body weight. Theoretically plateuas, or re-set points will come more frequently the closer to goal weight you are, as 15% of a smaller number is a smaller number. At my weight 10% is still 24lb's, but at your weight of 137lbs, 10% is only 13lbs before you hit your next reset point.
Perseverence does seem to be the way to go, with a review of your lowered TDEE.