The FastDay Forum

Well what can I say? I started 5:2 in Feb 2013 and lost 2 kilos over a period of around around 12 weeks then due to work commitments and then summer holidays with copious glasses/bottles rosé, I can honestly say I put 4 kilos back on, not good!!
So here I am, kids back at school - ME back at the gym 4 days a week and also strictly back on 5:2, Mondays and Thursdays.....and I want it to work, I really do but I am in a bit of a dilemma.....

When kids went back to school I thought help? Do I go back onto Dukan which I know worked brilliantly and quickly - instant results having lost 2 stone (and then 2 years later the weight has slowly creeped back on) OR do I go back to 5:2??? I am someone who needs strict rules and enjoys knowing my limits so having so much flexibility with the 5:2 on non fast days is LIBERATING but rather terrifying for me.....

The 5:2 worked brilliantly for my hubbie and he sticks with it and has kept off the 4/5 kilos he needed to lose....so he's happy! It didn't work quite so well for me last time and although I lost weight slowly, which I know is good, I definitely didn't get the results I had hoped for. I think perhaps I was taking the eating normally on the non-fast days a bit too normally. So this time I am going to try 16:8 for as many of the other days as possible.

I come on this forum for inspiration as most of us do - its so reassuring to see people are losing weight beautifully with this WOE and I really hope I am one of those posting my success story in the near future......

Thanks for any words of encouragement you may have....


PS I am now back to the start weight from February so I have lost the extra 2 kilos from summer indulgence in the last 3 weeks so fasting and going to gym rather than knocking back the wine from my sunlounger is taking effect but I don't feel I can celebrate as I am just back to the start again......

Hi melting and Welcome back ( well kind of )
I didn't find dukan or any other diet out there to be very sustainable
And as I have a shed load of weight to lose this is very important to me
This WORKS so well for me and I know I can do this on a smaller scale for life when the time comes
I was going to suggest a month of 4:3 as this is what I'm doing I also through a couple of 16:8s as I'm not hungry on mornings after fasting,
You may be building muscle which weighs heavier so you need to give that time but yes the gym is good. Loads of members lose weight on
16:8 so that's a good plan and you're determined so that's even better just stick with it and Good Luck Sue.

[Betsysgr8]

Welcome back! Be sure to take measurements! While you may not see the scale change a great deal (working out 4 days a week) you are bound to see changes with the tape and your clothes. You have a reasonable plan but don't beat yourself up if you don't always stick with the full plan of 16:8's just be sure to get your 2 fast days in. Be mindful, are you really hungry or are you thirsty? If you find that you are nibbling, stop and take stock and ask yourself if maybe you are in need of a 'real' meal or are you just bored? You can do this! We are here for you, everyday 24/7.

Maybe you could do what TML13 did with great success? - She combined Dukan attack phase every now and again with 5.2 and that gave her good results. Good luck

Thanks to you all for your words of encouragement - I really have been trying although this weekend I was out for dinner on Sat and lunch on Sunday so am very definitely fasting today!! I love Monday fasts, such a relief to have no choice and just not eat until dinner time! I also love the wine so a fast means no temptation as there is no question I would drink on a fast day! To those who responded sorry if you think I just disappeared, last week was manic and it meant I didn't have much time on the Forum....Is there a way I can flag my messages so they tell me someone has replied to my posts as I feel bad as I hadn't realised you had all kindly responded until I went to "View my Posts" today! I am fasting Mon and Thurs and I will make a point of taking measurements as its been a while! Happy Fasting to those of you on it today!

[Betsysgr8]

You can set up to be notified when someone replies to a topic you've commented on in the User control panel, then board preferences and edit posting options. It is set to not notify by default but it can be a bit cumbersome to your email account since this is a very chatty forum. lol
I log in daily (well all day really ) and first thing I do is check into the 'view your posts' to see what has been responded to, I find it alot easier than checking emails.

HI Melting. Welcome back. Hope fast day is going well. I'd start off slowly and just get a few 5:2 weeks under your belt first so you get back into the swing of things. I combined mine with giving up sugar which helped reduce my cravings to virtually nothing, and 6 weeks later 10lbs has disappeared. So if you start today, just think where you might be by Christmas.

Yesterday's fast went very well, not problems whatsoever but I did weigh myself this morning and it wasn't looking quite as positive as I had thought it would but I think it was due to big weekend of eating and drinking.....during the week I am being so good and fitting in lots of exercise too but I know that until I really keep a bit more on track at weekends, I can't possibly expect to lose as much as some of you!! So I have another big wedding on saturday, and I will enjoy myself for sure, then no other big social engagements for me for a while.....Christmas is the next goal of course, how many weeks? 11!!!! Come on lets get motivated and set some realistic goals.....

[Debs]

Hi Melting,
You are definitely not alone as the same thing has happened to me, or should I say I did the same thing to myself!!!

I got down to 60kg, went on holiday and put on 5kg, and am back to 63.9kg which is very frustrating so I am back to square one. Let's do this together! I am doing 5:2 and trying for 16:8 three days and then a bit more leeway on the weekends (including weekend wine). I am now keeping an eye on my TDEE and hopefully the added 16:8 will help to keep that under control. I, too, feel as though I am starting again.

Let's stick together and keep each other on the on the straight and narrow!

Thanks Betsysgr8 as I just wanted to find a quick way to see replies and now I see how easy it is, I certainly do not want email alerts! RawKaren thanks too for your support, I am definitely doing NO carb on Fast days and low carb on other days....No obvious carbs like bread/pasta etc. but for I made delicious granola the other day and with plain yogurt or Greek yogurt and red berries its DELICIOUS!! I go to the gym early in the morning and literally dream of this breakfast to keep me going...then get to office and enjoy that with cuppa coffee! Yum....This is when I have breakfast which I don't always do but its a lovely treat after gym! At weekends I would have eggs for breakfast but again if we are out for dinner I probably wont eat until later...trying the 18:6 routine....
Oh Debs I just see you replied - OK lets do it!!!!! What is your goal?

[Debs]

Sounds like a plan! I really would like to get to 60kg by Xmas, that's half a stone in old money for me! That must be achievable at 1lb a week surely!
I love this time of the day when everyone wakes up!!!

What is your goal? And where are you?

I totally agree about taking your measurements before you start as that's the best indicator of what's going on in terms of actual loss. I've been doing 5:2 for 10 weeks and have lost about 3 kilos although my weight fluctuates daily - however, the trend overall is downward (I weigh daily). More importantly, my clothes are getting looser and I've lost 10cm off my waist in 10 weeks. That's despite the scales apparently not budging a lot - it's quite clear that I am actually losing the fat.

So, get the tape measure out - measure your waist, hips, thighs and belly. Then measure again every few weeks - you *will* see it drop.

And muscle does weigh more than fat so that's another reason not to worry too much about what the scale says - what matters is are your clothes telling you that you are shrinking?

Go, girl!