The FastDay Forum

Hi,
I need some help/advice.

I started the 5:2 diet on March 12th, so not all that long ago. In the first two weeks I lost 2lb each week then in week three Easter happened and I only managed 1 fast day but to my surprise I managed to maintain my weight rather than put back on. So last week I managed to do 3 fast days to make up for the one I missed the week before and having weighed myself today (I weigh myself each Tuesday) I still haven't lost anymore and have again stayed at the same weight for the 3rd weigh in running. What am I doing wrong? My waist measurement has gone down by 0.5" from last week but that might be more to do with how I measure myself rather than it actually being a loss if that makes sense. Luckily as I track my measurements on this website I was able to look up my previous waist measurements but all the other body measurements I was keeping a note of on my phone have disappeared so now don't know if the loss is all over or just on my waist.

I stick to the 500 calorie limit on the fast days and on my feast days try to stick to around 1600 calories. I hardly ever drink alcohol and I do enjoy the odd treat or two in the week but not enough to outweigh the good my healthy eating and fast days are doing. So what can it be? Is this weight just a hurdle I need to get over before it will continue to drop?

Granted I was not overweight to start with so don't have a great deal to lose anyway (wanted to lose 1 stone of which I have already managed 4lbs so only have 10lbs to go) so maybe I should expect it to come off slowly?! I'm just disappointed my 2lb per week weight loss has not continued. Even the average 1lb a week weight loss this diet is meant to have it's happening for me! The weight I want to lose will get me back to the weight I had previously been more or less consistently for the past 10 years or so since I was 18. It's only been in the last year or two that this extra stone has crept on and I desperately want to lose it before our wedding in August.

I have joined a gym so will start on the fitness side of things this week to help it along a bit. What else can I do? I'm feeling a bit disheartened but if anything it will make me even more determined this week because I want to see change on the scales next week again.

Help....

Check out the FAQ's section for some detailed help around what could be going on with all the things that 'add up' to your weight and the changes going on

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1006

....but simply... 1lb of weight is the equivalent of 3,500 - 2lb is 7,000 calories. You need to burn this amount more than you eat plus what your body needs to stay alive. This calorie deficit is what will drive the weight loss (or gain if you are eating more than your body needs).

You simply cannot put weight on if you are burning more than you are eating and drinking and vice versa. Hope that helps.

You lose a lot of water in the initial week or two of a diet. I lost nearly 2kgs in the first week of 5:2, then nothing for the next 2 weeks. After that there was a steady weight loss. It is normal, so stick with it and try not to feel too down. Take measurements as well as weighing yourself as you often see a result here even if the scales aren't budging.

Thank you both! Good info to know!

Hello there,

Quick answer to the question 'what am I doing wrong?' = probably nothing! Honestly, I know it's disappointing/ frustrating not to see the same 2lbs loss every week and you start hunting around for reasons why, but I think what you need to do is be a little bit patient and see how you go over the next few weeks.

If you 'tweak' what you're doing too much it ends up being impossible to figure out what actually works! Just stick with what you're doing for at least 2 or 3 more weeks and if the scales still appear to be stuck, *then* try something a bit different. (But try to be systematic and give every adjustment a few weeks to see how it averages out).

Just to point out also: if you started on 12th March you've been following the 5:2 way of eating for 4 weeks. During that time you have lost 4lbs. So actually, you are bang-on exactly 1lb loss per week, on average! Bodies are funny things, they don't run like clockwork (especially womens bodies, with extra hormonal changes and 'times of the month' etc. to contend with). It may not be exactly 1lb off each week - sometimes it will be more, sometimes less, sometimes stay the same. But as long as your weight is going in the right direction in the long-term and you're finding 5:2 easy to stick to, what's not to like?

Try to focus on the bigger picture

The average weight loss is around 1lb per week and it seems very common for people to get stuck from time to time. I was stuck on the same weight for about 10 days but felt slimmer even though the scales weren't moving. Stick with it and you will see results but it isn't a quick fix.

Thank you Gamedamsel. Good points!

I'll stick with it and up my exercise at the same time and see how it goes over the next few weeks.

Thank you Pilchards. At least it's nice to know I'm not the only one out there! I have noticed that I have more of an hour-glass waist line which I didn't have before so something must be working!

Hello. I started on the 11 March - so we're in the same week! If you look at my progress chart, you can see that I lost in the first week, then I stayed the same for 3 weigh-ins, and now it's started moving again. It seems quite common for people to stick after the initial starting loss.

The only thing you're doing wrong is being impatient!

(And I recognise this because patience isn't my thing either!)

As others have said, you seem to be right on the average for weight loss, and most people seem to plateau from time to time. Even if you only lost ½ lb a week on average, you would still be at your goal weight in a little over six months.

Enjoy the journey!