The FastDay Forum

I expect a lot of us have been playing around with the same half stone on/off on diets over the years, till this came along.

So the first weight goes, then some more, then we get to a point below which we have not been for years. Familiar?

Now we are into 'old' fat, it's been with us a long time and doesn't want to go!
Is it really harder to lose or is it just that we need to cut back on calories a bit more now we are smaller?

Your TDEE will go down as you lose, so that's definitely part of it. Some people talk about the body getting used to particular weights that you spend alot of time at. I'm not sure I buy it. I'll be in this territory soon, though, and I'm quite curious what will happen.

Oh boy do I have some old fat 20 years to be exact. Good thing I am I. For the long haul

I definately find that my body doesn't want to go under a certain number. I can push myself down a couple of more kilos but it's very hard to maintain.
10 years ago before having kids that set point was 10 kilos lower - but there was still a specific weight my body didn't want to go below.
I'm otherwise healthy so I would be ok with my current weight but just out of curiosity I will try to loose a few more kilos

Somewhere I read that you need to maintain a certain weight for 2 years before it becomes stable?

'Somewhere I read that you need to maintain a certain weight for 2 years before it becomes stable?'

Interesting comment, I wonder if there is any truth in it?

Interesting question Gillb. Like MaryAnn, I'm not too sure I believe it but ask me again when I hit a BMI of 25... I do believe that our 'best' weight increases with age; if I was back at where I was in my late 20s, I would be way too skinny. Of course that was pre-babies too. I'm currently aiming for my best weight from 10+ years ago which I hope will be perfect.

I blame the fat on my pregnancies, however as my baby is 20 I guess I should stop using that excuse

I blame the fat on my pregnancies, however as my baby is 20 I guess I should stop using that excuse

It's definitely better than me trying to use that excuse though.

That's exactly what I still have to shift weight gained when had DS now 20. It's common I think

I'd be interested to know if there is anything to the theory that old fat is harder to shift. I put on almost a stone between Christmas and Easter (mostly due to having to be sedentary recovering from surgery, but also due to a complete lack of willpower!) and have lost over 8lbs in just 4 weeks. I have been wondering if that loss was so quick because it was "new".

It's really interesting, on and off I've been the wieght I am now for about 18 months, seems really really difficult to shift this last stone and a half, then when I do make headway BAM! I'm right back up again.

On previous diets I used to get to around 61/62kg and get stuck, but with 5:2 I managed to break that barrier and at present I am at 58.5kg. I have never been at this weight so I am very thankfull for the 5:2 plan.

Ah yes.......the "hard lard" really tries to hang on!

Thanks for cheering me up. Really having a good laugh at all the witty comments. Love it. X

I'm of the opinion that 'old fat' is fat that has built up slowly over a long period of time due to constantly eating just marginally over one's TDEE; therefore it is going to take a pretty long time to shift. I'm at that stage now where I've not lost anything for about 6 weeks. 'Extra' pounds that are put on quite quickly eg. Christmas splurge, are usually easier to shift (unless there's an underlying medical reason for it) because it's down to sheer over indulgence, so once one gets back on a sensible eating regime, the weight comes off again more easily. That's my theory anyway!