The FastDay Forum

Hi folks

Been doing 5:2 for 5 weeks. I had lost 10lbs but hopped on the scales today to find 2lb gain. I try to monitor my cals on feed days and manage my fasts fine but I feel let down that I do have to constantly monitor my food. I hate that I will never be able to relax around food and that I will always be a bit of a slave to calories and lbs.

I know I am whinging and I apologies for being a brat. Feel free to clip me around the head for this.

Ya know, Im not gonna clip you around the head, or anyplace else, but I will say, as I see your BMI is up there, like mine. (mine is even a wee bit higher) , and from my half century of yo yo dieting, with sucess and failure, the one thing I think I have finally learned and learned to accept is, the scale is NOT your friend.

I have promised myself not to be hopping on and off that evil monster more than once a month. Many parts of the way of life is not tied to the scale or the numbers, its about how you feel, and how you learn to flow with the wave of feast/fast to create the benefits this way of life eating has to offer.

So, please dont beat yourself up, try to see the view from 30thousand feet above, and not the day to day fluctuations of the evil metal monster.

Try to guage your progress on how you feel, the control you are able to feel good about, and the overall picture that you are doing something good for you.

NOW, remember these words to throw back at me, when or if I start complaining that Im not losing. Im only on my 3rd fast day, and just adjusting to it.

Have a GREAT DAY!

It's probably just a natural variation. I'm forever posting about my fluctuating weight and for me 2lbs wouldn't cause alarm.

It's counter-intuitive but this works better if you do chill a bit and become a believer. I don't think I lost much weight at your point but OH crunched numbers and said eventually it'll work. If you have a calorie deficit, then eventually you'll lose fat weight.

You might have added muscle, had more salt & retained water...

Particularly at your BMI, 2 lb is too small a variation to be worried about, it's just noise.

If you haven't read the FAQ...

http://www.52fastdiet.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1006

Maybe try using an app so you get a trendline that shows what is noise and what is the true trend?

Ah I hear you! I havent been on this WoE for long (about 4/5 weeks) and the last 2 weeks I have maintained.

Now I posted after my first week of maintaining saying I was annoyed, but this week not so much. So what I have maintained, but I am still sticking at it, I am trying and I am adjusting things every week. Eventually I WILL lose again, I think as long as you keep doing what you'r doing it'll start to move again. Well done on the 10lb loss in 5 weeks! I have only managed 3lbs!

I agree - scales are evil. They focus you on loosing weight, rather than just letting you acclimatise to this way of eating. You have done amazingly well to lose so much. The gain will be time of month, water retention or something similar.

However, the reason why I am really getting on well with 5:2 is that I m at last able to STOP focusing on food. I am rigorous on my fast days, but try not to think about calorie counting AT ALL on the other days. That doesn't mean I pig out, but does mean that if I want something I have it and if there's a party I'm the one with the large full glass of rose (or 3). Every weekend so far has involved weddings, barbqs and chinese food and I've enjoyed them all to the max. Because I am not focussing on food and not constantly denying myself, the anxiety has gone and I am now into my 7 week, feeling fresher, lighter, and healthier. I do think I am making healthier food choices (I can't remember my last chunky kitkat), but that is happening without trying.

...and I have lost about 7lbs in 7 weeks.

Please feel free to whinge (that's a basic right!), but I hope that overtime this WOE offers an opportunity to stop focussing on what we don't put in our mouths and gives us the ability to enjoy food as we are supposed to. It just takes a bit of time to adjust.

Hi Nelsonsmum. One of the things I had to accept is that it is entirely normal to be a slave to calorie intake and monitor your food. Absolutely everyone in the world does (either too much food or not enough food). There are some factors that affect each individual such as a sweet tooth, a slower metabolism, the level of exercise etc, that can make fat gain a bit easier, but I generally used these as excuses to not regulate my food intake (I just used exercise to try and regulate my fat). However once I totally accepted that I ate too much and it was fair that I was putting on weight, I actually felt much better about everything. I looked at skinny people who claimed they could eat what they wanted and I found that they either never snacked or never ate a large meal. They regulated their calorie iintake much more than they thought......... That meant I could lose weight too.

10 pounds in 5 or 6 weeks is amazing! There are drops and plateaus and bums along the way, but your trend is very positive and even more importantly it is doing you health A LOT of good. I got a health check up 10 weeks in and the results were fantastic. It is about so much more than just losing weight.

I would agree that you're doing really well! And weight in general, but on this diet in particular can fluctuate alot. Don't panic over a small gain. Stick with it. Can I suggest one more thing? get out your tape measure and start measuring. Waist to height ratio is a better measure of health than BMI anyway.

I agree - scales are evil.

However, the reason why I am really getting on well with 5:2 is that I m at last able to STOP focusing on food. I am rigorous on my fast days, but try not to think about calorie counting AT ALL on the other days. That doesn't mean I pig out, but does mean that if I want something I have it and if there's a party I'm the one with the large full glass of rose (or 3). Every weekend so far has involved weddings, barbqs and chinese food and I've enjoyed them all to the max. Because I am not focussing on food and not constantly denying myself, the anxiety has gone and I am now into my 7 week, feeling fresher, lighter, and healthier. I do think I am making healthier food choices (I can't remember my last chunky kitkat), but that is happening without

I totally agree. Fastidious on fast days, = Freedom on feast days, that's the real beauty and joy of this way of eating

I think you need to adapt your thinking around the scales, I aim to lose 1lb a week and you are still 3 weeks ahead of that goal even with a 2lb gain! Those lbs you have lost are now gone forever if you continue and before long fasting will just be part of your life and you will suddenly realise you have lost your first stone!
Sometimes I have felt despondent as my weight loss seems to go in spurts, so I lose/gain/maintain/lose again, but the important thing is I am losing! I started in January and have now lost nearly two and a half stone and suddenly I can see I don't look obese anymore (I still look overweight), I also feel so much better in myself and I have more energy.
Give yourself more time so you can see the benefit and feel it. It is working, keep the faith as it will be a long journey for some of us, but we will get there! Good luck :0)

I see it this way: I will watch what I'm eating until I reach my goal weight and then eat whatever I fancy for 5 days and fast for 2. Not a bad deal at all...