The FastDay Forum

hello everyone
I am new to the forum but have been on 5:2 since aug. I love it and it suits my lifestyle perfectly however I am confused. You see I lost almost 10 lb in the first month. Now what I am going to write next will sound unlikely but really it is true. The next 6 weeks I have been working/travelling and thus away from my scales. I returned and this morning weighed myself.....you will ave to read on to get to the result. I am male 57 with a BMI of 30 6foot tall and 16pllus stone.
That puts me obese but truly I am not. I train 3-4 times a week and have a relatively active job.
At the end of aug I rowed on a concept rowing machine 26 miles marathon distance for a Thai orphanage it took me 3and a half hours I did not stop or stand up so all in all I am fairly fit.
I have stuck to 5:2 for the 6 weeks and as I am on fitness pal I log my other days RELIGOUSLY.
Apart from 7das in the middle on holiday I have been 5,000-6,000 calories under my weekly goal.
I have calculated my TDEE at 2750 .
Well ere it is I have gained 5lbs !!!!
Crazy, I feel fantastic, my friends have commented that I ave lost weight and the real result is that as I wear a uniform to work it as got much looser on me, my belt has gone in 2 notches.
I could lie, my scales could lie but my uniform never lies, especially after Xmas!!
So I think I am going to carry on but will ignore the scales in future, they do look tempting though!
Happy 5:2 ing everyone.

Hi there and welcome and well done on your marathon row.

Looking at your post my immediate thought is, you're not eating enough! If you are 5000-6000 below weekly goal.
Stick your figures into your progress tracker and eat your daily calorie allowance. See if that helps.

Good luck with it

Might sound cliche, but my first thought is that you've probably gained muscle. Sounds like you're very active, and if you feel like you've lost fat, you probably have!

You could have converted fat into muscle. Muscle weighs more per cubic inch than fat. So a gain in muscle weight will LOOK smaller than a gain in fat weight.
All the exercise especially the rowing will have strained your muscles as well, all those minute tears in the muscle will need healing and protecting. So those tears will be surrounded by a layer of healing and protecting fluid, which will weigh a bit. It could take 2 weeks for the fluid to dissipate, unless you over strain them again and do more damage.

Here's a handy article about why the scales shouldn't rule your life.

http://theswole.com/concept/water-scale ... ctuations/

Thanks for the advice, firstly apologies for the poor typing I shall try to improt, impart, no it's try to improve!
5lbs of muscle seems a lot but it could be incorporated with fluid I suppose. I did wonder about eating more, I would be surprised if my metabolism is slow due to being active and not having a sedentary job.
One thing I know is that 5:2 is the way forward for me. I am far more aware of what I consume on the 5days as well as the fast days.
I am lucky enough to be going away for 5 weeks mostly holiday but I am resolved to 5:2 during this time as well.

I would weigh weekly (when in town) -- I always weigh the day after my 2nd fast. I can easily vary 3lbs first thing in the morning throughout the week, PLUS another 3lbs from morning to evening, even when I am losing consistently week to week.

I would also take a set of measurements monthly, and measure EVERYWHERE: waist, hip, thigh, bicep, neck...and anywhere else that might matter to you. Having the variety will help you see changes in visceral fat loss versus subcutaneous as well as muscle building. It will also help you know when weight loss/gain might be water loss/gain.

You weight is an important indicator, but it doesn't tell the whole story. When you combine it with your measurements, how clothes fit, and how you feel you get a more complete picture (and pictures are another tool some use).

So, don't toss the scale, but don't be disheartened if it doesn't indicate what you feel, It could be your 10lb initial loss was part water or you have muscle gain or something else. Measure, keep at it, and move forward.