The FastDay Forum

I have been fasting for about 8 weeks now and if I am brutally honest, I don't think my weight has changed much. My BMI is 21.2. I count calories religiously two days each week and eat well the other days. I don't eat more than I used to, I feel generally better so I will persist. I feel I have lost some belly weight but the scales disagree (I can live with that even tho' I don't understand). Interestingly my hair no longer clogs the drain after a shower and I don't have to wear my sunglasses on cloudy days (go figure). So it is all good but I would be happier if I lost another couple of kgs. I changed my fasting food to less carbs as someone suggested, I eat two meals on the fast days....... Don't know what else to do. Is it possible to just stop losing if your BMI is fine??? Sigh. I had higher hopes (please don't tell me to be happy the way I am, I am not 'unhappy', just greedy. My brother in law has lost 15lbs on this diet! more sighs.......

[Betsysgr8]

Nothing wrong with being a bit greedy. I don't think I can offer much in the way of advice. Have you measured? Are your clothes any looser? Perhaps there are others that have more experience.

thanks for the moral support Betsysgr8! I didn't measure my waist beforehand but I know I am slimmer as I can wear some pants more comfortably than I used to. So that is great- no doubt. I just don't understand why I haven't had more loss? My estimate is that I have lost about 2kg in 8 weeks or so. The scales vary a lot week to week and I have stopped weighing myself religiously!

OK - 8 weeks, something should have happened

First, you don't think your weight has changed? Did you weigh yourself when you started?

What is your TDEE? If your TDEE is fairly low, you can only expect to lose a pound every two or three weeks if you follow the 'rules' exactly. I see you have lost a little more than that, so maybe that is the issue.

And welcome!

ok good. My TDEE is 2121. What does that tell us? I think I have lost about 2kg

If your TDEE is 2121, you have been sticking to 500 cal. for each fasting day, and eating around 2121 cal. on each of your feast days, you will have been cutting from your diet about 3250 cal. each week. As there are roughly 3500 cal. in a pound, you might expect to lose a little less than a pound a week.

As you seem to be losing slightly less than that, I would guess you are either eating more than 2121 cal. (on average) on your feed days, or you have miscalculated your TDEE (usually by overestimating your activity level).

The way to overcome either issue is to eat fewer calories on either your fast or feast days, or both.

Perhaps you can work off this info and see if your weight loss picks up.

thank you very much simcoeluv. I appreciate your quick and practical comments. I will work on that over the next 4 weeks and see what happens. Cheers!

Well 2kg loss dieting only 2 days a week when ur BMI is so low is pretty good. Don't discount it as nothing.

I also recommend using a tape measure. At your BMI, weight loss is probably meaningless for your health, so probably not the most important measure.

I am in the same boat as Toad. I am 8 weeks tomorrow with this WOE. I started on 5:2 - fine, then decided to incorporate 16:8 on the other days, but I dont think it is doing me any favours as I had a 3lb weight loss in one week and I keep going up and down and have never gone down to the weight I initially lost with 16:8. I'm fed up and ever so confused so have decided to go back to just 5:2 and see how that goes.

I feel I have lost some belly weight but the scales disagree.

Ha! Now I have a mental picture of someone hoisting a huge potbelly onto the kitchen scales ! But given your BMI, I doubt very much that would be possible. So how can the scales know whether you have lost belly fat or not? If your trousers feel looser, you have.

Well done. You feel better, you reckon to have lost 2kg in 8 weeks, it's all good isn't it? I reckon slow and steady is the best way to make sure the weight stays off forever. How long did it take you to put on the pounds you want to lose?

I know you don't want to be told you should be happy, so sorry for this, but.... if you don't feel happy with your body at your BMI,can I suggest

(a)you take an honest look in the mirror and admire yourself - I suspect you look fantastic

(b) and if you don't agree, do some weight training to tone up.

Slow and steady is best.

Another thing to think about is having your body fat measured. At my work, the employee health nurse has a little device she uses that is completely painless and somehow measures your actual body fat percentage.

Also, I think your idea of low/no carbs on fasting days might give you a boost. For me, I like to extend my actual fasting hours as long as possible, but I've never liked to eat breakfast so it's not a hardship for me to 'save' all my calories for the end of the day meal with the family. Some of the research suggests (though not carved in stone!) that the longer hours you can go of full fasting, the more benefit you gain regarding the hormone changes, forcing your body to burn fat because it's used up all its glucose stores, etc.

Basically, try changing what you're doing for a little while.

Also, remember that people with a lot of weight to lose will find it easier to lose quickly, and men always lose more quickly than women. A woman who is very near her ideal BMI will lose very slowly. 1-2 pounds/month (2 kg in 8 weeks) is actually very good in your situation.

thanks everyone for your thoughts. I feel more heartened! I don't really want to eat a lot less on my feast days because if I have to be on a 'diet' 24/7 I will likely get annoyed and drift away. I think I will stick to what I am doing and take the long view. My fasting meals are composed of little carbs now but that is something I could slip on so I will be more firm with myself! thanks again and I will see what the next 6 to 8 weeks brings. cheers!