The FastDay Forum

What was the moment that made you decide to try this WOE?

For me it was stepping on the scales one morning and realising that I was almost back at my heaviest weight ever. I felt that if things continued as they were I was always going to be fat, and I was getting fatter.

As I live in a country where I don't speak the language Weight Watchers or something like this wasn't going to work for me and having 2 small kids means I'm constantly preparing some meal or snack. I read an article on 5:2 by chance the same day and just thought, why not. I didn't even give myself my usual out of starting on Monday, I just started the next day.

I quickly learned that you can't die of starvation in 24 hours and here I still am 3 months later and almost 2 stone lighter!

Just curious about what other peoples last straw was?

Hope you don't mind me asking !

I was about 10-15 pounds heavier than my 'athletic' weight, and I wanted to not be the slowest rider on a 100 mile bicycle ride (160ish km). So I wanted to turbocharge my weight loss so I didn't have to drag an extra 15 pounds of fat. Besides, on rides like that, in Texas, you need to carry at least 10 pounds of water.

My tipping point came last summer when I wanted to take birth control and told I weighed too much and was a risk of blood clots. And at the same time the doctor took my blood pressure and it was high! At 30 years old I shouldn't have to deal with that. I thought no more, so I did calorie restriction for a year but plateaued for ages and would put weight on when visiting my boyfriend so I figured I would try this WOE, best of both worlds- I lose weight and can enjoy the same foods as my boyfriend on my feed days.

I had a bit of a wake up call when I had to have a medical for insurance purposes. My blood pressure was mildly hypertensive and I had to get on the scales (never weighed myself as in denial). The combo of the two (plus also hitting the big 5-0), made me realise that I had to get a grip. I chose this WOE principally for the health benefits and slow weightloss as I have been a diet 'veteran' all of my adult life, and feeling miserable with it. I don't want to be there any more and this is just so much better for me. Well done on your weight loss by the way! Must be hard living in a country where you don't speak the language. Where are you?

I didn't "look like myself". (TBH, I looked like mom, whom I love dearly, but I prefer to see myself in the mirror ) I had never been on a diet and had been slowly gaining weight, but menopause and a broken leg popped an extra 15-20 lbs. on. I had been putting off dieting even though I knew I needed to. (there is breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, and dementia in my family med history.) I work for a public TV station, and saw the program announcement, but missed seeing it on air. When a viewer called about it, I found it online and watched it. I also found this website, which had so much PRACTICAL information. 3 days later, I started the diet - and it worked! I just LOVE it!

[Betsysgr8]

I had lost nearly 100 lbs ten years ago, down to 135 lbs, I've been steadly creeping back up on the scales and out of my pretty tiny clothes. I could see the 200 when I stepped on the scale (I was 196) and that scared me, I did not want to be that big again! I cut back a bit and dropped 10 lbs then I heard about 5:2 on Good Morning America and the FastDiet book being released .. I went to Barnes & Noble and purchased the book and started fasting the next day and haven't looked back since. I no longer see 200 rotating around on the scale and can almost see the 130's peaking out on the dial of my scale.

I retired last spring and vowed to get in shape. I faithfully worked out for 2 months, lost 10 lbs and then injured myself. I kept it off a while, then crept it back on and was flirting adding more.

We went to a wedding which was the first time I had to dress nicer. We had our picture taken.

The next day I got an email ad from Prevention magazine selling the book. I looked at the reviews on Amazon and decided to try it. It's been working. I haven't weighed this in 15 years. I'm anxious to keep losing!

[Moogie]

I think what really sparked it for me was struggling to get my wedding ring off just over a year after getting married. Hubby told me I could get it stretched if I wanted. No way! I tried to shift some weight the usual way (eat less, move more) but failed miserably and ended up starting 5:2 a few days after seeing the Horizon documentary on the TV - I had nothing to lose but weight. So glad I saw it, it's changed my life.

Heaviest weight ever and I have carried 12-15 kg excess for 20 years unhappily. Loosing job I loved and knowing I would be at home for a bit and able to graze all day worried me. Knew I had to do something radical. Was interested in fasting as had developed routine seasonal weekend fasting to detox from dairy animal protein and wheat, was curious about 2 day fasting diet I was getting smattering about on line and in print media so searched out the book at local book store brought it and fasted next day and 7 months later still going strong.

I am my weight I was prior childbirth and ever so grateful

Heaviest ever, feeling very over stuffed with dinners. I had (ooo past tense!) huge portions in the evening.

Clothes feeling even tighter, and couldn't see my feet when looking down

Housesitting for friends in july/ aug,they had the book,so i read it and initially was intrigued by the health benefits of 5:2,as i have longterm chronic illness,plus several stones to lose.
Bought the book on Ebay,found this forum,and eventually got cracking at the end of August!x

I'd heard of it before and thought " I could do that" so I had a fairly half hearted bash at it, gave up, and spent the next few months getting bigger (at my heaviest I was 16st but haven't been that for a LONG time - still, I had nearly hit 14st again and I felt my eating was REALLY out of control - I would come home in the evenings and feel ravenous. I tried to count calories (as usual) BUT I saw a friend (not especially overweight either) who had been 5 2 ing for 6months and lost 25lbs and she said it was easy and it spurred me on - started the following Monday and have never looked back. Also I am hypertensive and my brother has type 2 diabetes on insulin (diagnosed when he was 39). I don't want to go there. And then I found this forum for the advice and the Progress Tracker!

The tipping point for me firstly was my health. and secondly my enormous bulk of hitting 18-5 st which I'd no idea off because like many I avoided scales + mirrors. This was a shock so tried dieting after Xmas as we do couldn't seem to get anywhere and went into a far deeper decline depression wise got on the scales 3 month later 19 st at this stage I had then totally resigned myself to being fat forever and dying early. Saw comment by Mimi Spencer in her column googled the fastdietI had no idea what it was all about never saw any publicity at all !!! Just thought I can do 2 days and I've absolutely nothing to lose. ( at that time I didn't think/believe I'd lose this amount so soon + so easy.
The rest is history as they say. I started next day without any planning or preparation whatsoever, and I will never look back best £5 I have ever spent, Sue.

Finding out about it. That's all I needed.

My weight has been going up and down for years. Most recently I did a year of WW and lost almost 20 pounds, then gradually put it back on, while still attending meetings, etc. I was nearing my highest weight ever number and I was frustrated. I was really looking for a way to eat intuitively, and thereby lose/maintain my weight. I didn't want to weigh, measure and journal every bite for the rest of my life to be successful.

In May we watched the documentary after it was recommended by a friend. It sounded like something I might be able to do. But we were about to go on a 2 week vacation, so I put off starting till after we got back.

I have watched the documentary 4 or 5 times now. I re-watched it during my first week to help motivate me. And have watched it with family/friends to help spread the word. We also bought the book, but I haven't read the whole thing. (Reading doesn't fit well into my schedule.)

I'm from a fat family and I've now convinced my Mom and my sister (who is a family doctor) to try the diet too. Some days I am discouraged because I have such a long way to go before getting to maintenance. But I am sticking with it.