The FastDay Forum

Morning all

So here it Kelkelkelster's story:

I started 5:2 in October and by the end of December I had lost 7 kilos (just over a stone). I was very surprised every time I saw a loss on the scales, and found it all a bit too good to be true. However, I reveled in my success, of course. When I told other people, they were equally as surprised as I was, and I haven't had one person tell me that they've noticed my loss. I carried on and told myself I just needed to lose more and they would notice.

I went back to the UK for the first time in 2.5 years in December... Still no comments. I had pretty much accepted that I wasn't going to fast while at home - catching up with someone different every single day and fasting do not mix. I had alcohol every single day and although I eat good stuff, my portions are way too big. My dad has been doing 5:2 for nearly a year now and he is combining it with a low carb overall diet and it is literally falling off him. He looks and feels great. I decided that I would try combining 5:2 and low carb too, from January.

Got back to Melbourne last Friday, and told myself it was still holiday time until work on Monday so over indulged all weekend. Weigh in on Monday morning told me I had put on 3 kilos over the month, which I was actually pleasantly surprised at, but it's still a gain and not where I want to be.

Back to work on Monday and had a successful fast, but felt in no way happy or proud after it, as I had done every fast day last year. Planned to fast again Thursday (today) but when I woke up yesterday I didn't feel hungry at all so thought, what the hell, I'll fast, a 4:3 week would be good to kick start the weight loss again. Got to work and there were dozens of home made rum balls on the table. Fast fail.

So I'm fasting today, and I know I'll do it, but I'm not happy about it. There are a couple of other factors affecting my mood today but I feel overwhelmingly sorry for myself and a bit like what I'm doing is pointless, I like food too much, no one notices when I lose weight anyway so why do I bother. I feel very over it today.

This is such a contrast from how I was feeling before Christmas. I was so motivated and saw every fast day as a challenge that I wanted to face head on, learned to enjoy feeling hungry and loved proving people that thought I wouldn't be so dedicated, wrong.

Very close to giving up.

Apologies for the massive vent, and for using you all to lean on. I know I this works, I know I can do it, and I know I feel good when I'm immersed in the 5:2 world. But I just.can't.get.there.

Help!!

Hi:

Is going back to how you were eating a viable option, or would you be looking for a different (better) 'diet'?

[Tracieknits]

I'm so sorry nobody noticed. A friend of mine is in the same boat -- she's lost 25 pounds and NOBODY including her husband has notices. She's gutted.

I hope that's not the source of your frustration with fasting, but I easily see how it can be.

To be honest, my commitment was flagging. I had gone forever not losing any weight because of my faulty thyroid. What finally re-energized me to fasting and weight loss was buying a Fitbit One in October. I think it's the best thing I have done on my weight loss journey so far.

I hope this helps!

Where's @janeg with her wet fish when we need her? Get back on board 5:2 straight away or else! You know it makes sense...

Hi @kelkelkelster Christmas has got a lot to answer for and for so many of us its our first so lessons learned. For me it was my first non-holiday weight gain then a little more week later this is such a struggle to get back on board for me and as you can see I've lost 50 lbs!!!
No one noticed even at the 30lb lost stage I find that amazing but it doesn't bother me one slightest because now when something is said I reply oh I lost that last year but you never noticed!!! ( with a smug look and real enjoyment) I know that's naughty of me but I can't help it yes I do enjoy it.
We can get back to successful fasting again and we'll both soon kick the gain into touch you will soon realise that if you want or need to lose weight there is know better way.
Last weeks 4:3 went well for me with 1kg lost but since then I've had 3 meals out again Tonights Indian feeling very full and uncomfortable and know way will my scales show a loss after tomorrow's willing fast but I'm determined to win this battle.

How about you? Sod the rest do the best and beat the bulge.

Hey we've all been residing in Struggle Town one time or another...and we all escape it sooner or later,or we get a big slap round the earhole with a wet fish!
Several people here,me included,have had very little in the way of people noticing
For me, i lost two stone before people started noticing and loads of other people say the same
However,whats more important is how ypu feel inside more than what is happening outside
Do you feel physically better,lighter,more comfy in any way Do some clothes feel looser
Have you noticed maybe you get less indigestion,heartburn Did you feel more nimble than before you lost a stone? Look how well you did losing that stone in a matter of weeks There's been reasons why youve put some back on..but no reason why you should regain the whole stone and more It sure wont make you feel any better.
just get back on that horse and pony up!
You're actually in a good place,you KNOW you can fast..maybe break yrself back in gently with just one fast then next week a fast and a 16:8.. Week after,two fasts
Or just jump straight back in and remember that F word is a swear word" Fail".. Never,just postpone til another day but dont leave it too long
Over the last few weeks most of us here have had wibblewobbles..its not easy getting back on our horses after all the Christmas goodies but we all need to bite the bullet instead of the burgers if we want to reach our goals.
You' ll be glad you did xx

[carorees]

I agree with Simon...what's your alternative? Put it all back on and more? You know you can do this successfully, so you need to ask yourself what is it that's really bothering you? Are you really trying to lose weight just to get compliments or are to trying to improve your health? Do you believe that fasting improves your health or are you sceptical? Is it just that you're feeling sorry for yourself and are blaming the fasting? If you're feeling sorry for yourself, why is that really? Why are you finding fasts hard? Is there a way of making them easier? Would a change to a different type of fasting help? Are you getting cravings, if so why?

You say you like food too much...so much that you're happy to keep gaining weight year on year until...what? This is the only diet for foodies...it's just two days a week that you can't have treats! Is it the adding low carbing that's the problem? You can reduce carbs without giving up your treats completely.

Maybe a bit of reflection will reveal what's going on...Then, if you can share it with us, we can, together, try to find a solution.

Or shall I just call janeg with her famous wet fish of persuasion?

Hi @kelkelkelster, sadly you're not the only one to be suffering from post-festive-blues, they seem to be epidemic just now - I posted this on Domanes' thread and think it applies equally here (progress-f4/domane-s-get-back-on-track-diary-t10537.html) :

I found it affy difficult to get back into the swing of things post the festive season and OH's birthday (8th Jan). It's not quite a "diet fatigue", because 5:2 is not a diet, but this WoE does require a degree of mindfulness which, after festive season busyness can seem rather demanding. I am only just now beginning to comfortably cruise - in no small part due to the morale boost engendered by the V&P vary-fairy's generosity over the last few days. Stick with it, you'll be fine soon xxx FatDog

Hang in there xxx FatDog

You guys are all so awesome. Just reading these replies, I already feel better.

simcoeluv - my old way of life is a no-go. Thanks for pointing that out. I've always been a sporty, fit girl and I was positively chubby with no self esteem, and feeling crap within myself... sluggish, bloated.

Tracieknits - I have no idea what FitBit is but by gosh I'm going to find it right now!

CreakyPete - the tough love it definitely what I need. I'm being a big baby because I KNOW I can do this and I enjoy it when I'm in the zone!

Sue.Q it's good to know I'm not alone... that is definitely the best part about this forum. I'm never a solo rider!

Thanks CandiceMarie - a wet fish is what I need. Luckily i have a lovely boyfriend who does give me a metaphorical one every now and then. I just don't think I can wait until after work today so I'm relying on you all! There are many positives which I think I have lost sight of in the last month or so. I gave up on fasting for that month not because I wanted to, but because I kind of felt like I had to. How silly.
Another problem is that I know myself so well that if I let myself only do one fast this week I will keep slipping and letting myself off more and more until I stop. I know it's sad. But two fasts a week it has to be.

and carorees - God bless you! I actually asked myself the same question over Christmas about why I want to lose weight. And the answer is I want to feel like myself again, I want to be back to that sporty girl I always was, and I don't want to feel sluggish and crap anymore. You're right. It's just two days. If I can't do this then what hope do I have. Maybe I do need janeg, but she need only bring a small fish now,

Thank you so much everyone.

I'm with you in struggle town @kelkelkelster . I'm doing fine on fastdays but eating all the wrong foods on non-fastdays. I too went to the uk for almost a month at xmas and didn't fast. The gain is proving hard to get rid of. I want to do 4:3 but just can't bring myself to do it at the moment. I hope some of the advice off the others has helped you. I loved what @CandiceMarie had to say, it's just what I needed to hear (thanks hun). Let's leave struggle town behind us and get back in the driving seat. Good luck, you can do this. x
Dee

Just read your post. So glad you're feeling better. Let's do it!!!

I'm not denying how nice it is to have people notice whether you have lost weight or not, so I am really really sorry for your disappointment. Two points spring to mind though: firstly, even though every pound you lose is two packets of butter (which looks a lot), in terms of it noticing, because the weight is being lost all over (& even hopefully from around our vital organs, which wouldn't show anyway as it is inside) it does take a long time for people to notice. Being big, I wouldn't honestly expect many people to notice my weight loss until I have reached the 2 stone mark (have lost 19lbs to date) and until the weather gets warmer & we can cast off some layers. I know we are all different and have different amounts to lose, so it is all relative, but remember that we are not in competition with each other. I am my own worst enemy when it comes to food. Only I am to blame for the size I am now - which leads me on to my second point:-

Please don't allow what other people say or don't say to de-rail you. You are the only person who stands between you and success or failure on this WoL/WoE - no-one else. Giving others the power to de-motivate you is not the way to go. I don't mean to sound hard on you, I just want you to grab the power back for yourself. Lose weight if you feel you need to, but do it for yourself & no-one else.

I'm sure I've gone on for long enough now, but do please keep posting & keep in touch, because we do care...and want to help xx

Thanks FatDog. I need to just stick with it! I'm strong, I can do this.

I left the UK, friends, family, partner of 3 years, 2 and a half years ago, completely by myself and set up a life for myself here in Melbourne. It was the hardest, but best, thing I've ever done. Since then when I come across a challenge, I tell myself, you made that move alone, and succeeded, if you can do that, you can do this. It's just occurred to me that I can use that technique here.

And thanks justdee. I love knowing that I'm not alone. We can do this together! Actually, do you have something that you can use that you have achieved in your life, a 'I did that, now I can do this' type achievement?

and Hazelnut - you're not being hard at all. I know I have the strength to do it, and it's a really interesting perspective you've just given me, thank you. Give myself the power. And yes, it is our fault, let's turn it into our credit!! Thank you so much.

Here I go everyone !!

I did pretty much the same as you, only it was about 7 years ago, it wasn't Melbourne and I have a daughter in tow. I've always been able to do what ever it is I put my mind too, except lose weight and keep it off. 5:2 is different, no way do I want to go back to any of those other eating plans or gain back the weight I've lost. Soooo glad I came on here tonight. This thread is just what I needed to read. Thanks
Dee

I am the same as SueQ, with so much weight to lose, namely 3 years according to my progress tracker, if not more. I was down 30lbs before anyone noticed. 'I' don't see any difference in the mirror yet, even though I have had trousers literally fall off me taking my underwear with it. I just cannot 'see' the size difference.
But, I soldier on, even though I have only lost 10lb since August last year. I do it because its the only way of eating that is still working, slowly at the moment, but I'm still here. I had trouble over Christmas with over stocking and thereby over eating so I am only now back at my pre-Christmas weight, but I will carry on. I am hoping that the overeating will have broken my plateau, but if not, at the rate I am going now I will have still lost another 20lb by this time next year, which is better than putting it on.

There you go then justdee! I don't think we realise how strong we are until we are put to the test. Check us out, how well did we do?!?!?!

Where did you move to then?

Julieathome.. when you put it like that, it is amazing how it slowly but very surely comes off. I'm back to the UK in August and hoping for a stone and a half loss... which at 1lb a week should be doable. God knows I'm going to try anyway!

We're so lucky to have such a great bunch of people on here, aren't we? I cannot tell you how much better I feel after all your replies. THank you again.

PS. how do I tag people so that they know I've replied to their message? Don't want any of you awesome folk to think you've gone unnoticed. xxx