The FastDay Forum

So, I've been on 5:2 for eight weeks now and I've lost a grand total of...(drum roll)...3lbs. And during that time I've been training for a half marathon, so I've been running four times a week. Every time I register a loss, it comes straight back on again. I've been consistent - I think this week is the only one when I've gone mildly off piste on a fast day. For the first couple of weeks I was definitely overdoing it on non-fast days, but that settled down and I've not been bingeing. I have plenty to lose - around five stone - so it's not that I'm close to an ideal weight. I also dont feel that I've lost size - my clothes are slightly looser, but only by as much as youd expect if you lost three pounds. Although I've been running a lot, I'm extremely slow and I couldnt homestly say that I've been developing muscle. I don't find the regime difficult these days - I was struggling with not sleeping but a very small glass of skimmed milk(a couple of mouthfuls) at bedtime has helped with that. This is very frustrating, because manageable though it is, it is still a restrictive regime. I did try 4:3 last week, and lost 2lbs (which has gone straight back on this week) but I found the third day really hard and that it affected my ability to focus and work properly, so I'm not very keen to do that. I am a 52 year old menopausal woman and I had a hysterectomy 6 months ago, so no doubt there are hormones of all kinds washing around my system. Is that enough to explain this? Or does this just not work for some people?

Hiya and welcome!
Two questions come in mind:
1. Are you sure that you have the correct TDEE?
2. Have you checked your thyroid?

Also, if there are hormones of all kinds washing around your system, perhaps it would be worth to check out which ones are and how fast they are running.

It sounds like you haven't been eating enough. Do you think that might be the case? Are you making sure to sleep 8-9 hours a night and reconstitute well between training sessions?

What does the tracker say about your TDEE ? How much training are you doing.

I am not a runner, but my daughter is. She is slim, young (20yo), no hormone issues. She runs 2 half marathons a year. I will tell you that when she started to train for her first one a few years ago, she actually gained weight, not muscle as she was already an active person. And not likely from her diet (she is a vegetarian who is a veggie eater-not one of the junk eater ones- I don't think she could fit the amount into her belly she would need to in order to over consume calories).

There is a certain amount of inflammation that occurs when we train our bodies that hard. The body tends to hold onto fluids and sadly fat in these situations. I have heard of many who gain weight when doing this sort of training that tends to not be high intensity but long low cardiac.

Hang in there, the health benefits of 5:2 will help you and I suspect after the marathon when your training eases up you will start losing.

I know my weight loss stalled at about the 8 week point, and like you I've been running. It picked up again about 3-4 weeks later. Search around for Carorees' post about 'why am I not losing weight when I've been so good?'

Also, TML is correct--definitely have your thyroid levels checked. Low thyroid output drops your metabolism like a rock.

A very big rock!

DeMuralist hit it right on the head. With excessive running, particularly marathon training, any loss you've made is masked my water retention in her muscles- which can look like you've either gained or stabilized on the scale. Whenever I stop running (or any exercise for that matter) I tend to lose water weight of about 2lbs or so after a week of eating at maintenance.

I suggest the following steps:

(1) take a week off of exercise to see whether this is the case.

(2) eat your sedentary calorie intake that's suggested on the progess tracker above to establish a baseline of your body maintenance calorie requirements. Make sure you eat this amount for a week or two, to understand if the intake is accurate for you. Record if you've gained, lost or stabilized and adjust your intake accordingly. Personally I've done this for a mnth and found I maintained on 1500-1550 w/o exercise.

(3) from here incorporate the two fast days. Over another two week period see if this results in a loss

(4)Slowly add in your exercise to your calorie intake when you resume after this short trial. Make sure you have a rough estimate considering that it's possibly real easy to overcompensate calories burned-particularly if you admit that you run a bit slow (however relative that may be).

It tends to come down two things:overcomenpsation of calories burned and/or an underestiment of calorie intake. Keep an accurate record. If the trial doesn't yeild any results be it 1lb or otherwise please consult ur doctor.

Best of luck!

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful replies. I had my thyroid function checked last summer and there was no problem with it. I guess it could be the training, as it's coincided with the fast, but I don't think I'm overcompensating - I'm a skilled calorie counter and have kept an MFP or Fitday record for years. The TDEE tracker says I need about 1980 sedentary and (from memory) 490 on fast days, so very much the average. I come off doing quite so much training next week (sincere24, I don't admit I'm slow, I just am slow!) and will give it a couple more weeks to see what happens.

Last summer is a year ago...

[carorees]

Good point from TML, your thyroid function could well have changed since last year.

Well, it could. But let's face it, I don't have any of the other symptoms of an underactive thyroid, so it's not very likely.

so do you eat 1980 plus exercise calories on training days ?

I probably don't use all the exercise calories on the same day. Over a week it try to net out to about a 1500 calorie average.

Are you measuring yourself? In my first couple of months on 5:2 I didn't lose loads of weight (about 6lbs) but did lose an inch off my waist and one and a half inches off my thighs!! Makes it all worth while as clothes fit so much better.