The FastDay Forum

Hi

I've been on the 5:2 for 5 weeks now and have been losing 2-3lbs a week to my delight! I'm 42, female and very active in my work and have found that for the most part I haven't been over eating on my feast days although last week I did eat more bread than I normally do. I started at 12st 2lb and want to get down to 10st 7lb as I'm 5ft 7. Last week I got down to 11 st 8lb but this week shot up 3lb to 11st 11lb. Needless to say I was gutted. I still feel really good and I'm tempted to remeasure waist etc. to help me feel better but just wondered if anyone has experienced this? I normally swim 1-2 times a week but my field work so exhausting last week I was too tired to do further exercise in the evening. Fasting while fieldworking was tough!

Any comments/expewriene would be most appreciated, back on the fast today, hoping to get back on board...

Hi Fens,

Don't be too disheartened. It sounds like you're doing really great. I have a feeling that I'll have gained this week too but my philosophy is looking at the loss over a long term. I've got a similar amount to lose and my progress tracker is suggesting I should reach my target in around 13 weeks.

Maybe if you look longer term, a week of weight gain won't seem so bad? Sometimes water retention/unreliable scales play a part too...

Good luck!

I don't know how often you weigh but being someone who weighs every day, I see a lot of fluctuations in my weight over the course of a week. Also a 2-4 lb gain at my TOM. So it may just be some water weight you are holding on to that could be gone in a day or so. That is part of the reason I weigh every day so these fluctuations aren't such a shock.

You have to weigh every day so you can see the fluctuations and get a better sense of whether this truly fat or just water weight. Eating carbs the day before will make you retain water; eating all protein makes you lose water, and so on. Lots of things will make you retain or lose water. Alcohol the night before will dehydrate you, etc.

Hi Fens don't be despondent - lots of people - me included - have found their weight goes up and down quite a lot. I also weigh every day and I've using fat watch on my iPad to track my loss. The weights go up and down regularly but the trend is down. I've lost 9lbs in 10 weeks. I'm the same height as you but 11st to start with. Keep at it - you've already proved it works for you.

Wow I have always thought that weighing every day was a bad thing, but I guess it makes sense. Thanks for the heads up Rufus, I'll give it a go. I didn't realise Doey about the bread absorbing water that makes sense too and alcohol of course, all items I enjoy on feast days. I don't think I drink enough water overall as I become very thirsty on fast days and have never enjoyed drinking water much before, but do now. Good luck to you both and I'll keep you posted.

[wildmissus]

Hi Fens, I'm not going to try an explanation but have a look at my progress chart - quite a few ups but in the long term the trend is down. Try not to stress about it (easy to type it but not so easy to do it), stick with the forum and remember it's a long term thing and weight coming off slowly is a good thing. Stick with it.

Thanks Jed, great to hear from someone of similar goals to mine and that it is achievable. I think also for me it was so weird to lose 2-3lbs in the beginning, I never expeted that and knew that the weight loss would slow down to 1lb a week whih it did the week prior but then 3lb on was a nightmare, as I said, feeling great so I'm definitely keeping at it. Thanks so muh for the support, and well done you on your weight loss!

wow wildmissus your chart is a real eye opener, just showed that to my husband now too as we are both on this wol, really interesting thank you. And well done on your weight loss, its so inspiring to see that!