The FastDay Forum

I have now had 4 fast days since starting the diet last week, and on Monday when I weighed I had lost 4lbs in my first week.

I stood on the scales this morning after my second fast day, and have only lost 1lb. I feel a bit downhearted, but trying to work out what I am doing.

My TDEE is around 2400 as I exercise at least 5 days a week (4 miles walking a day and the 30 day shred DVD 6 days a week), and I have been having 500 calories or less on my fasting days, and around 1500 on my feast days, although I went over this slightly on Sunday. According to MFP, my average daily intake last week was around 1200, and in all honesty, I did no exercise at all as I had use of a car.

Could I be eating too little on my feast days? I wondered if upping my allowance to 1600 calories would make a difference.

Am I over analysing, and should I just wait and see how things go after a month before playing about with levels?

If it is useful to know, I burn around 550 calories a day in exercise.

Thanks for any advice

Am I understanding this right, that you've lost 5 lbs in just 2 weeks? That's absolutely brilliant, you should be really pleased.
I'm sure Caroline will offer some good advice about whether to increase your calories on non-fast days, but it does seem very low to me, given the amount of exercise you do. Also, don't forget that you're probably building lots of muscle at the moment too, which weighs more than fat, so I would expect you to see a good result with the tape measure, even if the scales don't show it.
Don't get disheartened, you really are doing brilliantly!

Hi Mrs Bod I think you are doing brilliantly so don't lose heart. We are all the same, we just want this fat away as soon as possible. I've lost over the stone now but all I can do is to look at the next one to go which is plastered around my middle. It will take at least three months to shed it I know but think how quickly that time will pass and how much healthier we will be by then. Patience!

Stop thinking, just do the fasts and let things happen. This is a longer-term thing, just like gaining weight was.

I can weigh a kilo more halfway through the week. You're made up of a lot of water, just that fluctuating can mask any loss.

Read through the FAQ section, particularly the "I've been good..." thread and you'll see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks, I know the issue is probably coming from being almost into the next stone bracket, and having a fitting for my wedding dress on Saturday.

5lbs in just over a week is amazing, and I am delighted with it, think I was probably just having a wobble. I've found that bit in the FAQ, so thanks for pointing me there

[carorees]

I suspect that your calorie intake has little relationship with the numbers you are seeing on the scales. In the first week of the diet you lose a lot of water (probably 2 or 3 of the 4lb decrease you saw on the scales) this is due to burning glycogen which releases 3 parts of water for every 1 part of glycogen used. In the second week, you regained much of the water as you restored your glycogen stores and also you would have started to burn more fat which does not release so much water. Also the fat cells tend to fill with water as the fat is burned off before some time later releasing it. So probably you have lost 1 or 2lb of fat both weeks.

The exercise can cause water retention in your stressed muscles, food still in the system can result in an apparent 3kg or more greater weight. See my post on why the scales don't give the full picture: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1006

However, I do think you may be undereating slightly on feed days. If your average over the week was 1500, that's 10500 for the week, minus the 1000 on fast days = 9500 divided by 5 = 1900 on the feed days rather than your TDEE of 2400. If you ate to TDEE, your weekly average should be 1857 (2400 x 5 = 12000 + 1000 for fast days = 13000 divided by 7 = 1857). Going on my experience (so that's just me) when I don't eat up to TDEE I lose more slowly, if I overeat on some days and undereat on others I seem to lose the most weight...a great excuse for an enjoyable weekend IMHO! I would recommend that, rather than count calories, you just eat to your hunger levels. You can keep track out of interest but don't consciously restrict. And have a good weekend

Thanks Caroline, that is really helpful. I know my face certainly looks thinner. I will definitely try to relax a bit more on feed days and see what happens, the girls at reception happen to have some cake...

[carorees]

I have cake most feed days !

I have cake most feed days !

I may have just had the nicest slice of Red Velvet cake ever