The FastDay Forum

Today I am feeing pretty fed up,mostly with myself.a while back I did 5/2 .some of you will remember me from my complaints.it wasn't easy for me and it took months to lose the few kilos that I struggle to get rid of.I worked so hard ,stuck to fasting two or three times a week.ate well on nonfast days and after a long time got down to a comfortable weight .then I gave up fasting but still ate well for a bit then a added some chocolate and you know the story .after a few months the weight started creeping up.i tried 5-2 again a few times but never stuck to it,mostly because it takes ages for me to see results
So now here I am again
And it's so hard.i have fasted twice this week ,I eat well on the other days and have lost 100 g
So fed up.
I know it's going to take months again and my clothes are so tight.I feel so uncomfortable
I just don't understand why for some the weight drops off but for me it's such a struggle
Sorry ,but I just needed to vent.and I know there are others here who are struggling.

It's good to vent! So sorry to hear you have struggled!
Have you worked out why? Meds etc ...

It seems like a common theme that people who need to lose just a bit struggle the most.

You might need to take a more careful look at your TDEE and how many calories you are eating on non-fast days. The bottom line is: if you create a deficit, you should lose. There are medical reasons your TDEE may be lower than predicted. If you total up your calories and it still doesn't make sense, maybe get your thyroid checked?

Good luck!

At the risk of boring you silly,I have some thoughts on why I struggle to lose weigh
I am mid fifties,I am short,I have dieted all my adult life and although blood tests show my thyroid is normal I have had thyroid problems in the past
So ,that is why it takes me ages to lose weight.the positive I am able to maintain for quite a while before it all comes back
I gave been loosing and regaining 3 to 4 kilos for 30 years.how mad( sad ) is that.my fear is ,if it let go I will just get bigger and bigger.
I think my daily calorie allowance is very low and it's possible that I don't cut back enough on fast days
I think it's around 1500 and not sure what that means I should eat on fast says
Another possibility is that I am not counting calories properly and am eating more than I realise on fast days.
I eat an apple or one wheetbix for breakfast,salad and cottage cheese fir lunch....salad lettuce roast pumpkin carrot capsicum mushroom,chicken and veg eg pumpkin eggplant for dinner but small amount
And two rice cakes and low cal hot choc during the day
So any thoughts on that from those who know?

If you get hungry on fast days, I would suggest cutting back on the carbs. In addition to the wheatabix and rice cakes, pumpkin is one of the carby-er vegetables; even carrots are quite high.
I also have a TDEE of ~1500. 25% of that is 375 cals for fast days. I usually eat in the low 400s. I'm not too worried about that. For me the trouble is fast days. If I start piling on the treats, I can go WAY over 1500!

Thanks maryann
I probably do eat too much carbs.375 seems so little.maybe I havnt been fasting properly
I am not too bad on non fast days.i haven't counted calories but don't usually eat that much
My husband thinks I have messed up my metabolism from years of dieting.
Don't know how I would fix that!

Dieting does have a way of doing that. But I think the best way forward is to let go of the past, stay hopeful, and just do your best. You won't get anywhere beating yourself up over past mistakes.

Btw, I got 375 by calculating 25% of 1500. 25% is arbitrary, so I wouldn't worry excessively if you go over. 500 is still a big reduction.

<hugs> @Sarahg

Have you considered trying a different eating configuration on your fast days? I had a really hard time my first go around (did a small breakfast, little snack at lunch, and a light dinner) and made almost no progress and gave up in despair. This time around I decided to try liquids all day until dinner... I was really worried about how I'd do at first but it seemed to work well for me. When I feel 'hungry' I have water or a cup of tea. I also prioritise my protein on FDs and just add in the super-carbs like veggies.

No idea if that will help you, but a mix-up could be useful? So so so frustrating when things aren't quite working as you'd hope.

Thanks,fasting tomorrow so will try something new
Actually last time I didn't eat anything til late afternoon.but I felt tired ,irritable and headachy all day
So this time I was trying the light breakfast and lunch as I couldn't face that feeling
Being a serial dieter I seldom get hungry,and if I do I am used to letting it pass
Sad really,my poor body .

A salty drink like Bovril or a cup a soup seems to help with the headaches on a fast day

Having a low TDEE, I can understand your frustration. However you need to give yourself a helping hand on fast days. I agree about a salty drink, however I find I'm better eating 'Varaday' style, and eating my fast day intake at the front of the day and go to bed hungry instead rather than feeling hungry all day.

Your balance of carbs and protein is out of whack and you are making it hard on yourself. Make sure you eat protein at every meal.

eg two poached eggs for breakfast and chicken soup for lunch with a slice of bread (if you are craving carbs)
or chicken salad for lunch and a small portion of low cal chilli and veg for dinner.