The FastDay Forum

I watched the Horizon programme last year and found it fascinating and spotted the book at WH Smith at Manchester Airport just over a week ago and so bought it !

I'm hoping this way of eating will work for me. I have been dieting pretty much constantly for about 8 years and nothing works anymore. It's probably an age thing.

There is a pattern to my dieting failures. I count calories and do weigh everything but lose weight very slowly indeed- about half a pound a week or less. I usually lose about 4 pounds over a period of about 9-10 weeks, then it's usually a holiday..Easter, Christmas, a trip away...I eat like a normal person during that time (ie; I don't go mental, I just don't diet) and then all the weight I took months to lose piles pack on plus a pound. I'm slowly getting fatter.

I use myfitnesspal and on a daily basis the data base tells me at the end of the day that 4 weeks down the line I will weigh 8 pounds less..but I never do.

I'm trying this 'cause nothing else has worked and I'm fed up. I did 2 fast days last week and am on fast day number 3.

[Tracieknits]

Welcome to the forums!

Wow, that's an incredibly frustrating story. I hope this is the solution you're looking for.

That is very annoying for you but hopefully this way of eating will work for you. I am 47 and have been following the approach since October last year. Its worked well so far although the weight loss did slow down after the first few weeks.

This forum is a great place to get some tips - I found out some new approaches to try when the weight loss seemed to stop completely and some ideas for where I might be going wrong .

Also you get a bit of support if you want it which I like .

Good luck.

Thanks for your replies, I appreciate that you took the time to get back to me. I'm hoping doing something a bit different ie: the 2 days of 500calories will shock my system into losing weight. It sounds like it's really working for both of you !

I've had nothing today other than one cup of tea and lots of cups of hot water. I'm not hungry or light headed and I just went round the supermarket and quite enjoyed thinking about what I will eat tonight. Fingers crossed.

[carorees]

Hi dustwitch

I do hope this will work for you. Please, give it at least a month before deciding something needs to change. It is not a rapid weight loss system with most people losing around 1 lb a week. As your previous experience shows you may lose weight more slowly. If you find no or very slow weight loss after a month, please do post details of your calorie intake on feed and fast days etc. I am presuming mfp shows that your TDEE is about average (2000 cals to maintain your current weight) and so you will be having 500 cal on your fast days. If so, the calorie deficit is around 3000 cals and so that is less than 1lb a week. If this does not lead to weight loss we have to look and see how you can tweak the system to get more weight loss. One of the great beauties of fasting is that it is very adaptable and there are various things you can do to speed or slow weight loss according to your results/preferences.

Good luck and, again, don't judge it for at least 1 month!

Hi there i'm much the same as you dustwitch i don't lose weight either or all be it painfully slow yet can put it on at the rate of knots even just by having a family occasion.

How you doing so far? Today is my 2nd Fast day and weighing 2moro!!

I'm not finding the diet hard at the moment but that's because I seem to be on a diet all the time anyway, and of course there's the novelty factor, it's still new to me.

I haven't dared get on the scales yet, think i'm going to leave it until after my 4th fast day, so the end of my second week of doing this. If I get on the scales and there's no loss I might get dispirited so I'm trying to avoid it. I felt less bloaty this morning and wasn't at all hungry when I woke up but I had a big prawn, veg and noodle stir fry last night for my tea.

How are you getting on with it ?

You sound like me! I havent found anything that works long term and I gain weight if I eat what normal people eat! Im 5 ft 4 and 11 stone 9 and looking decidedly chubby! I just want to fit into my clothes again. Im down to two pairs of jeans and two pair of work trousers that fit - its really not good lol

I'm 5 ft 4 and 11 stone 9 too ! I look a bit of a chubster but not super fat enough for my GP to take me seriously when I say I don't lose weight. I've been tested for diabetes and thyroid but both are apparently within a normal range.

Thing is, I used to lose weight, always slowly but I DID lose weight and I was slim in my 20's and fairly slim in my 30's. I think dieting for years has messed with my metabolism, and I think eating low fat for years was probably a bad move too as when I eat normal food now my body just seems to cling onto it !

Ive been 7 1/2 stone (but that was down to a divorce and I looked ghastly!) but am finding that age makes it much much harder to lose weight - will be 45 in October. I've dieted almost constantly but would easily put between half a stone and a stone on at Christmas and on holiday and then spend the next six months trying to lose it. I always liked to be no more than 10 stone but struggled to stay there. Now Id be very happy with a stone off (or even half a stone!) As long as I can fit in my clothes again!

Im 5ft 8 and 14stone 3lb's - in 6 months of doing Slim World i lost and gained the same 2 lb's!!
I have found I used to be able to lose weight up until January 2012 when i had to have my gall bladder out - since then i just cant shift it. And like you dustwitch i have had my throid checked and been checked for diabetes too but nope they were both ok.

I really need this diet to work as its getting me down like the previous posts I can only get into 1 pair of jeans and 1 pair of work trousers. Problem being all my weight is around my middle - I'm definately apple shape!

Do you still continue to eat very low fat on this diet as I read that you should eat fat on your Up days or at least not have 0 fat!>?
T

Personally Im a great believer in good fats like butter and olive oil. I think we have been conditioned not to eat these which are vital and good for our bodies. Sugar is the greatest enemy but so many ready meals are full of sugar - esp "diet" meals you really do have to be careful. Just my opinion tho!

I'm intending to shake things up a bit by doing things differently than I have in the past, as what I have been doing obviously hasn't been working too well because of my yo-yo-ing. Losing the same 4 pounds and then putting it back on plus a few each time I diet.

On the days I'm not fasting I'm planning on eating food with fat in it, so some butter, some olive oil but eating plenty of vegetables and not going daft with it. And I think sugar is probably what I should be avoiding ! If I'm out with a friend and I'm offered cake then I will have it...just a small piece and I intend to eat cheese again...just small portions of it, rather than avoiding it.

Will just have to wait and see if it works !

I'm also going to try incorporating good fats back into my feed days and am going to endeavour to cut down on bread as i know it bloats me - but love bread so not going to forfeit it altogether

Btw i lost 3lb's!!!! Sooo happy most i've lost in my previous 6 months of doing Slimming world lol

I found exactly the same thing. Finally I promised myself I'd never diet again; but then I was diagnosed with diabetes, and more or less at the same time I noticed the 5:2 diet. It's working for me so far - 8lb lost. And more important, I'm reasonably confident I can maintain this way of eating. Good luck!