The FastDay Forum

I have been doing 5:2 since 14th Jan and 2 weeks ago decided I'd had enough. I've done 4:3 for most of that time and it was getting really tiresome. The constant planning, preparation, and pressure were starting to get to me.

So I decided to stop. In fact I stopped immediately. It was a fast day and as soon as I'd talked to my husband and we'd decided to stop fasting ( he had been doing 4:3 with me) I had an apple, and felt totally decadent, almost the first time I'd broken a fast in just over 6 months.

One of the reasons I'd decided to stop was a feeling of dependence on fasting, a feeling of 'if I stop I'll put ALL my weight back on and it will be a disaster' or 'I HAVE to fast to maintain the weight I've lost.' These thoughts had partly come from the fact that I hadn't lost any weight at all in 4 weeks. I hate the feeling of being psychologically dependent on a diet, and its less fun doing 5:2 (or 4:3) out of fear of what will happen if you stop, than because you WANT to. Right or wrong, this was how I was feeling.

One week after stopping I was 154 lbs. Now my absolute lowest whilst following the diet was 152 lbs, so I hadn't seen the instant increase that I was worried about.

I then went on holiday for a week. Big breakfasts, grazing far more than I usually do, more booze than I'd normally drink, chocolate, ice cream, fish and chips etc, etc, etc.

Weighing on my return I was 159 lbs. To me this is fantastic. Only a four pound gain after a week of hedonistic eating.

I consider this diet to have been great for the six months I did it, I feel I quit at the right point, and can still consider going back to it in the future but I'm amaze at how it seems to be having a lasting effect even after I've quit.

Maybe it's reset my metabolism, maybe its reset my appetite, but whatever it is I'm happy and am very confident of losing those extra 4 lbs when I resume my normal exercise routine tomorrow morning which I had to abandon whilst on holiday.

5:2 a positive effect during AND after following it.

[Tracieknits]

Wow, I can't believe you maintained 4:3 for so long! that is a lot of planning and very hard work - congrats!! I honestly don't think that I could have lasted that long

I think you're right - if you're starting to feel something is wrong, by all means you should stop and reassess.

Now I'm not quite sure why you were convinced the weight would pile back on without any fasting at all - there's always a more middle ground, which is attempting to eat approximately your TDEE every day. By definition your TDEE is the level at which you will neither gain nor lose weight, and while websites can offer an approximate value, everyone needs to do some trial and error to find their own true TDEE.

In any case, good luck and feel free to come back if you need to!

I've been doing it for the same time. Interestingly, as I have a trendline, I'm getting better at matching intake to need so maybe you got to that point too.

Well done. Sometimes stopping is harder than going on and as you say you can always come back. You have the tools.

If I was 11 st something, I'd be happy to stop.

Good luck!

Bottom line - if you're happy with where you are now then stop. If you want to loose a bit more, but are finding it too much hassle to do 4:3, then you could always do 6:1 for a while. You should find that a dawdle after doing 4:3 for so long. You might not loose a lot, but you should at least maintain. Good Luck

I tried 4:3 for about a month, and like you, found it to be too much of a chore. Besides the drudgery of the extra meal planning, I noticed no additional in weight loss compared to 5:2.

I'd be curious to find out how your blood work turns out, now and later. Unfortunately, I have no health insurance so just using weight loss and measuring waist/neck as indicators of success.

Having recently watched Dr. Mosley's Horizon show again, it seems like he was mainly concerned about his high risk blood markers and weight loss was a wonderful side effect.

Best of luck to you in your future endevours.

Bobby

hi Skykitty- I hear you! I had been on 5:2 since April and went on 16:8 a few weeks ago because I got sick of feeling crappy (irritable and vague) every fast day. I lost about 2kg in that time (my BMI is about 20) which was great. I have decided to have another bash at 5:2 because my husband wants to do it again but it wont last forever. I think we will give ourselves a few months (his BMI is probably lower than mine). My view is that we can do 5:2 or 6:1 for a few months every year to do some good maintenance and resetting. I don't see myself doing this as a lifestyle as many say they do. I just cant deal with thinking about calories and what I eat all the time. Having said that I do know that this is because I don't have to. Hats off to everyone who has lost the huge amounts of weight and are determined to stay on fasting (in their place I would too- I hope!). Anyways my point is that we can come and go from the fasting- I don't think it has to be all or nothing. Congrats for lasting so long!

Hi Skykitty,

I admire your honesty and the fact that you are truly in touch with what you need and what you want. I hope things work out for you and I can empathise with your desire to not be a slave to counting calories for the rest of your life which was why I knew I could never do 6:1 for maintenance. I hope you pop back now and again, even if you never fast again, and let us all know how things are going for you.

Good luck to you and your husband,

Ballerina x

Well done on your weight loss goals.

Are the alleged long term health benefits of fasting not a consideration in your decision to stop cold turkey?

Is it that you feel these are still not 100% proven.

Not a criticism, just a very gentle question from me as eventally i guess i will reach my goal (about 4 kilos off at mo) and will have to think the same.

Thanks for the messages everyone. Just after I had hit 'post' on that, I wondered what the reception would be like, I'm glad it wasn't negative because as I said I do still feel positive about the diet.

Julianna - I was never really in it for the long term health benefits. I feel generally quite healthy, and as I haven't had any blood taken for testing in years and years I would have no idea what results would have been like before starting. I was doing it just for the weight loss and may do again in the future for the same reason.

One consideration was an upcoming move to Germany, it's difficult here when I know exactly what to buy, from what shops to find the best/most low calorie foods. I can only imagine how difficult it would be in a new country with a language barrier.

Hi Skykitty and well done because you've given this WOL a Fair go and if it's not for you then nothing or no one will convince you otherwise
I'm opposite I've been doing 4:3 for nearly 4 months with absolutely no problems whatsoever and it is so working for me
Good Luck to both of you. Sue

Skykitty.. Enjoy Germany

But dont eat too many apple strudel slices though!