The FastDay Forum

With it being the hols last week and the hubster also being off, I decided to not bother fasting as we were planning this and that and if would've just been awkward. I drank a bit more than usual, went out for lunch and had an obscenely awesome dessert, went to a wedding, more drinking etc but don't think I went too mad. Anyway since weighing in the previous Saturday at 10 stone 7 I've gone up to 10 stone 13

Is this normal? Do any of you find if you have a week off that you pile it on? I find this a bit worrying as far as maintaining goes. I'm hoping to go 6:1 if/when I ever reach target but this isn't looking too promising.

Yes you can put on lots of weight when you give up and splurge. Its not the amount you have eaten, its probably what you have eaten. High carb foods can cause a lot of water retention. Be careful for a few days or do a fast and I bet most of it will be gone by the end of the week. I can put on 6lb between morning weigh in and an evening one if I have had a wheat heavy day.

Wow, that's good to know, thanks Julie. My weight usually varies around 4 lb - so I'm keeping fingers crossed that after a couple of fasts this week, most of it will come off.

Julie is quite right, most of it will go quickly but the truth of the matter is that even after you have reached your target weight, maintenance will not be a ticket to return to former eating ways, unless you are happy to put weight straight back on. This is where IF, in my opinion, is great as you completely retrain your brain to only eat as much as your body needs not eat as much as your eyes can see.

Ballerina x

I always seem to put startling amounts of weight on when I go away (which I am sure is related in my case to higher carbs) - when I came back after 2 wks holiday in April I had gained a staggering 5kg - which I amazingly proceeded to lose over the next 5 days so it must have been water retention. If only it normally came off that easily!

I think I need to go back to specsavers, I just read your status as week off fasting big Grin

Hope it falls back off quickly. You how weird the body is when it comes to weight!

It's reassuring to read that a week/weekend can make that dramatic gain especially with lots of carbs including alcohol. I had a weekend like that and then a lax week of what I thought was quite moderate, but can't have registered what I was doing. Weight went up 4 plus lbs.
STOP! I know that another good fasting day today, back to watching TDEE plus gym and HIIT before the next fast will sort me out.
Thank goodness for IF and the Wisdom Of the Forum! (IF & WOF ??? )

I know I keep going on about it but the inability to access other people's progress charts is very frustrating when reading a post like this

Yes, it is a bit shocking how, if you take your eye off the ball, the weight can pile back on.

I took a week off a few weeks ago.....and gained 6lbs, which really upset me! Fast forward two weeks.....and I had lost 9lbs, so was well chuffed (3lbs, then 6lbs)!!! Bodies are indeed strange things, for I have no explanation as to how or why so much weight came off in a fortnight.....

I think it all boils down to playing the long game, as they say! I wouldn't want to never have time off during high days and holidays.....so IF is the perfect way forward.

Personally, I found it a bit tricky to get back into fasting after a week away - I really had to battle the voices that were telling me to have a bit more time off for good behaviour!!!! Am so glad I didn't listen though...as I have gone from strength to strength and see just how far I have come every time I look in the mirror!

All in all then, my advice to anyone interested would be.....just don't sweat it. If you are truly committed to this WOL, everything will turn out right. Fluctuations are entirely normal....but we have to keep vigilant! Mindfulness is our friend...and denial, our foe. Failing to acknowledge that a waistband was getting tight or that I needed to go up (and up) a jeans size.....was what got me into this mess! I certainly didn't dare step on the scales to face the truth - but now, I can see that by staying aware of what's going on and taking speedy action, I can keep my weight and health under control....for the first time in my life.

Priceless....

I went away for two weeks and put on 6lbs, a week after I returned without doing any fast 2lbs came off. 2ns week of fasting since the holiday and I am hoping the last 2lbs come off this week..
You've gotta be on the ball and not indulge too much.

[carorees]

This article explains why our weight on the scales can vary so much:
https://www.fastday.com/fasting/why-the ... the-truth/

Water weight and carbs mostly but you'll soon blow that gain away, that's the beauty of this WOL its very forgiving and so sustainable unlike any other food restricting "diet" out there, couple of fastdays under your belt and you'll not only feel better for doing them the scales will be showing you some better numbers.

Well said @Hazelnut20, I agree with everything you said.
Xxx

That's nothing compared to the gain I had... 10lbs!!! In one week- shocking! I think it's mostly from carbs but I'm very disappointed with myself. I won't be seeing my boyfriend again until August, so I can really focus on fasting until then.

Woo, @daydreamer21 - that's mighty impressive! I definitely share your sadness on that one....but have every faith that you will soon shift that gain. You have done so well on this WOL and as we all know, the flexibility of 5:2 is such an attraction as it lets us live life a little!

So what if you lived life a little last week? Bravo you, I say! Hope you had a fab week with Jamie xx