The FastDay Forum

I'm in desperate need oh help/guidence/anything really
I seem to be reverting back to pre 5:2 minus all the overeating and I'm going crazy trying to figure it all out, how I got here...
So I started 5:2 about 4-5 weeks ago and even though the first few fasts were really hard I loved this WOE I had heaps more energy my stomach must of shrunk as I wasn't craving foods every second of the day and I looked forward to fast days! It was great in my first 2 weeks I had lost 2cm off my waist and then after weighing myself the next week found that I lost heaps of weight ... Then came my last week...after my awesome weigh in on Wednesday morning I got a really vicious flu I was hardly eating anything and lost all my energy it wad horrible :/ but by Monday this week I was back at work. I decided not to do a fast day on Tuesday which is my regular day along with a Friday or Saturday as it meant I would have done a 4:3 as I had eaten so little on the days I was really sick. So Wednesday morning weigh in day came round this week and I had gained not only weight but my measurements went up as well. I was disheartened but knew that fluctuations are bound to happen. Nevertheless I decided to be extra good and work out my TREE and count calories on my feast days to make sure I wasn't going over - which I'm not - but I've weighed myself over the last 2 mornings and my weights just going up and up this morning it read 112.6kgs and I'm freaking out I also measured again this morning and they've gone up even more in the last couple of days :/ I'm feeling so out of energy and horrible and I don't know what to do?! Where am I going wrong? Why aren't I full of energy? :/ what do I do next?

Hi Ems

Don't be frustrated. you know it works. you just need to get back on track. The lack of energy is not surprising following this bad flu, Have a fast day tomorrow and then two more next week and hopefully you'll start losing weight again. Good luck!

If your measurements are going up that quickly, it is most certainly water retention. I really hate the scale, it is evil. Mine has lost it's mind. It can be VERY frustrating when you KNOW you're doing everything right and yet the flippin' scale has the nerve to advice you that you have gained weight! Really!?! It happens to all of us no matter how much we have to lose. The last 7 days my calorie deficit was 6114. Supposedly I should have lost 1.75 lbs. and yet, my scale said....um..no...you gained .3. Days like this make me want to give up. But the past has proved that, the weight will go down. And no I'm not gaining muscle...I've been a sloth this week.
So hang in there, watch you sodium intake and drink a LOT of water.

[Betsysgr8]

See the doctor, You are recovering from the flu and are gaining weight. It sounds as though you are retaining water and with the lack of energy I would be concerned. I don't know your age but I'm concerned that there is more going on and really think you should get this checked.

Thanks Kencc, I can relate to those daily ups and downs and to see it graphically really brings it into perspective. The line gets interesting between the 14th & the 18th, can you think of anything different at that time, seems to plateau for those few days...

Weight gain after an illness means that you were very weak and your body is holding on to whatever it can. Ring your doctor and ask them if there's something you can do to help your body to recover.

Thanks kencc, very helpfull, and I see what you mean about having explanations of the ups and downs if you really pay attention to the details of what's going on.

Where am I going wrong? Why aren't I full of energy? :/ what do I do next?

You're not "full of energy" because you are getting over a bout of flu. Please give yourself a break! You're not superhuman, and it takes time to get over flu.

As you've had several extra fast days because of illness, and now you've been restricting your calories on non-fast days, it may be that you've encouraged your body to think it's starving. Have a few days of eating over your usual kCalorie amount (ideally not junk foods!) so that your body knows that it doesn't need to hang on to every kCalorie by lowering your metabolism. That may be enough to kick-start the weight loss again, and it will certainly help you to recover from your flu.

And please don't be hard on yourself - this is just a temporary glitch caused by illness, it's not anything which you are doing wrong.