The FastDay Forum

Well I was slowly losing weight, but now I feel like I have gone backwards, put 1 lbs on this week. Been battling with constipation and have been left bloated and feeling tired and unable to even be bothered to exercise?

I know the scales say that I did lose weight but I don't feel like I have (I don't know if this is due to me being constipated) or not? Is anyone else feeling like this or is it just me?

Maybe I should stick with it, but im wondering if its just me

[carorees]

Sorry you're feeling down!

1lb more on the scales could be due to constipation, water retention, TOTM among other things. Unless you have overeaten by 3500 calories this week (unlikely) then the 1lb is not fat!

Sometimes we all have weeks like that...but next week will most likely be different...keep soldiering on, eh?

[[[hugs]]]

Oh don't feel disappointed - how much have you lost so far - you don't say ?? If the scales say you've lost weight then surely you have, even if you don't feel like you have - that's gotta be the constipation hasn't it? Do stick with it - this is working for so many people on here - maybe you're still adjusting to it all. Now, how about some nice prune juice - would that do the trick for you ?

Stick with it jojo. Constipation can be a problem - has been for me since starting 5;2 and wasn't before. You need to keep on top of it. I take a spoonful of lactulose every day, an Actimel on eating days, benefiber and cider vinegar in a drink on fasting days. I eat loads of veg - roasted beetroot is good. All that just about keeps me comfortable - I resort to an elax tablet occasionally. If you haven't 'been' for a few days it can show on the scales but will even out eventually - you need to take the long view. If you look at my tracker you will see I had a very slow weight loss in May then a sudden (for me ) drop this week.

I've been backsliding too. Had gotten down 6 pounds and now regained four. In my case, I quit exercising and I think I overindulged in baked sweets on my feed days. So I'm back on the working out and trying to be a little more mindful rather than mindless. So...I feel your disappointment keenly!

As for the constipation, I used to have troubles with this all the time. My little boy has too, pretty much his whole life. Last year I started us on Magnesium supplements and now we take them daily with our regular vitamins. WORKS WONDERS!!! Keeps your system running smoothly pretty much regardless of what I do....or do not...put in there.

when my daughter was a baby she had terrible constipation & I used to boil up prunes & give her prune juice. worked for her. for me, I have found that drinking herbal fruit tea is making me even more regular than I was. I seem to remember that a slice of lemon in hot water used to have the same effect when I tried a detox a few years back.

dont give up. most of us have had the hiccups & I can sympathise with the lace of exercise. I have an injury that prevents me from my normal 3 times a week running & am worried that I might gain all that Ive lost.

is there anything in your diet that you have changed that may have caused the bloating or constipation? x

I was feeling like you last week and that was when I started using the Blogging tools on this site. A few days earlier I was full of the joys of spring, then suddenly felt gloomy and 'what's the point, I'll never lose weight'. Writing down how I felt really did help and - hardly surprising - a few days later I was bright and resolved again.

My mood can fluctuate with the weather (always feel brighter when the skies are blue) and with whatever's happening at work/home - and this can affect how I feel about 5:2. Blogging helps me realise that such dips in resolve are only temporary. It's one reason why I've stopped weighing myself - the numbers on the scales affect my mood disproportionately. I'm going by how my clothes feel. I had to have two tighter notches made on my belt this week (an inch per notch) so I know I must be reducing the midriff!

As for constipation, walking and lots of water seem to keep me very regular. Green smoothies (water, broccoli, spinach, ginger, a carrot and a chunk of fresh pineapple all whizzed up with a couple of teaspoons of golden linseeds)are also very helpful - packed full of fibre and vitamins and low calorie. Drink with ice and a straw and pretend it's a posh cocktail!

Thanks everyone for your reply, I have lost a total of 4lbs so far its coming off slowly but I really need to get my backside into gear and try a bit harder. Weighing myself also affects my mood too, i feel so disappointed with myself for not trying harder. Maybe i just need to exercise more..
My son too suffers from constipation and have been given medication from the Doctor as it was that bad!!!
Onwards and upwards i will hopefully feel better and try harder tomorrow is another fast day, i will hopefully take to my bike for a nice ride out (weather depending) and burn off some of my calories!!!!

Feel like I could have written your original post JoJo. No energy, craving sugar, really despondent. Im 6 weeks in, 13 fasts and 7lbs down (5 lost in the firsf 3 weeks) so I know I'm on target but tried to fast today and felt so shocking I ate every sweet thing I could get down me after dinner! Glad to read that things will look up shortly! I'll change my 2nd fast this week to tomorrow.

Oh jojo (Big Hug) Don't you dare give up coz I'm up you're way soon and I'll be round to kick you're bum if you do.
Seriously you'll never get a chance this good believe me theirs no 'so called diet out there' like the one you're on believe me I've tried Everything + a loss however small isn't a gain, so stick with it for a while so that it can prove to you it's worth it Sue

That's the shot jojo stick at it
For natural ways to get things going fibre of plant kind and prunes, enough fluids is the big one as i notice we have more than normal pees at times, then you have to watch that and replace fluids remembering teas are diuretics so water herbal teas along with you favourites. Psyllium husks can be an effection apperient eg do the job and are reported to be good in lowering cholesterol as a side benefit. Try a teaspoon and wait to see how you react. I'd be going down the natural approach as much as you can for a WOL solution
Wrote down your green smoothie mop top and gypsy bug interesting about the magnesium

Good Morning All, A new week has begun and with renewed enthusiasm hopefully.Constipation is making me think about abandoning this amazing way of eating ( I don't like the word dieting)!This is an alien problem for me as prior to eating this way I didn't have a problem.Only once though when I tried Atkins for a short time as it caused all the other uncomfortable effects ( I don't need to elaborate !!!)
Having lost a stone with just half a stone more to lose and I would like to keep to it for maintaining eventually my goal weight when I lose that last half stone.
Enough of my whingeing ! If anyone is reading this maybe you have some advice to give me I hope !!! I have All Bran with blueberries for breakfast,low cal home-made soup for lunch or hard boiled eggs.Dinner usually consists of chilli (recipe in M Mosley's book) or large mixed salad with the allotted amount of protein.Always as a treat in the evenings Cadburys Highlight hot choc drink.Lots of daily drinks ie, herbaltea,Bovril coffee etc.On non fast days I dont have constipation when I have my usual food.
I don't want to resort to having to take weekly laxatives,I did read somewhere on this site that prune juice works , ok I'll give it a go, but how much would I need to drink and is it available in supermarkets ? Any other advice would be gratefully received !!! Have a good day all you "getting slimmer people" x :

These have helped me:-
feed days started with natural yogurt with milled flaxseed, followed with a mug of hot water.
Sipping water only through the evening.
Walking, vacuuming, generally keeping active.
Good luck.

Might be TMI, but I have had weeks like this too, and as soon as I have been able to 'go', I tend to jump on the scales to see the difference it's made, and it normally makes a noticable difference, so definitely could be making you feel disheartened.

Constipation, the elephant in the room. being constipated can add 2lb or more to your weight, depending on how bad it is. I have found for me that LOTS of water on fast days helps, so does taking/having something to add fibre at the last meal before a fast also helps. Good old fashioned Senacot or a bowl of all bran could work for you. Be proactive instead of reacting with laxatives after the event.
Pysalim husks work for others (I think its spellt like that) you just sprinkle it on your food.