The FastDay Forum

Kencc I have done just what you said, also it has been too hot to exercise and my gym hasn't got air condition, really hard core there as it's a fight club and air con is for pansies hahahaha I'm a right woss and will return in milder weather, a fair weather fighter hahaha

TML 13, May I ask do you have the bran on the Dukan attack days?

No, I don't. It is not available (or I didn't search thoroughly enough) in Greece.

Hi

you've probably heard enough already but I am with those people who think you need to relax a bit. exercise is great but it does build up muscle which then messes up your weight loss. Do your clothes fit better? Maybe you are toning up and while the scales are not going down for you your body is shaping up nicely.

Agree with those who say too much exercise. Why not give yourself a couple of weeks off (the exercise, counting calories on feed days) stick to some walking as advised up-thread, and just chill. You may surprise yourself ...

I started power walking 3- 5 times a week for the first 5 weeks and then noticed I wasn't losing any weight even though I kept within the recommended calorie limits, so I stopped the exercise and the weight dropped off over a matter of weeks. Now I walk to the supermarket (approx 20 mins) and go for a stroll in the evening most days and weight remains within 3lbs of my last weigh-in record.

(this is from Navwoman on the KISS 5:2 thread - so may be worth considering?)

I'm sorry all but it really bothers me that anyone is recommending less exercise. pretty much all of us dont do enough. exercise and being a healthy weight are the most important things you can do for your health.

to the OP i really admire your commitment to do four days a week of boot camp. its impressive and i am sure that you will start to see the loss and or a change of shape.

i lost a lot initially and then plateaued for about 2 months. i didnt have a lot to loose and had amped up the exercise. suddenly in the last two weeks, with no changes at all and completely not paying any attention to my TDEE, i have the flat toned stomach and upper thighs that i wanted.

i ignored the lack of weight loss. being strong is the best thing you can do for your body.

Thank you Bumble10 for saying what I was thinking but couldn't express as well.

I would hate to see anyone reduce their exercise just to get a better number on the scales. Someone who is MASSIVELY overdoing the exercise may not be doing themselves any good, but sensible exercise has wonderful benefits for our health, looks, happiness.

I hope the OP has kept going with 5:2 and exercise - she will see the results in the long term, just as you did. My opinion (FWIW!)is that any early rapid weight loss is partly an illusion (loss of water or something), so it is normal to follow it with a plateau. The plateau is also an illusion. Underneath, the weight loss is probably quite constant: slower at the start than it looked but carrying on during the "plateau". Eventually the scales catch up.

Same story here. I am hitting a plateau in the last few fasts but I will persevere. Hang in there and take it easy!

to Kencc, the point that i am trying to make is that this isnt a quick fix rapid weight loss diet. its a way of living and trying to be healthier. to discard exercise because it interferes with weight loss is to throw the baby out with the bath water. if the OP is enjoying the exercise then definitely continue.

I think the advice the OP actually needs is to persevere and its a long game not a sprint to loose as much weight as possible. its about creating healthy habits and i think its counterproductive to encouraging people to be focussed only on as much weight loss as possible.

it takes many of us years to gain weight. we loose it just as gradually. its about realistic expectations.

[Betsysgr8]

My TDEE is 1857 when I choose sedentary. I do 4 days a week of a strenuous boot camp workout that burns on average 500-600 calories in an hour according to some who wear a heart rate monitor. I work hard at it and assume I, too, am burning a similar amount of calories.

I got on the scale this morning just sure I would see a loss, but I'm up a 1/2 lb from last Friday! I know someone will say that I need to eat more, but I'm scared to death to do that! I have to get this diet mentality out of my head. It's just hard to believe that I won't gain even more if I eat more!

If you have had success by increasing your calories on Feast days, please post your experience. As I said, I love this WOE and want it to work!

My take on this is that the OP is surprised at gaining weight when she's been working out so hard. Well, she shouldn't be surprised ! She is working really really hard .. on exercise! The body will retain some fluid while the muscles repair! But she should start seeing some results in muscle tone and inch loss. If she's more interested in what the scale says then she needs to cut back on the strenous exercise and go for the long walks that kencc suggested, If she wants to ignore the scale and wants a more toned look then just keep on keeping on.

Thank you one and all! I have since come to grips with the number on the scale and am not worrying about it. I have made great strides in strength etc with boot camp....been doing it for 8 months. I want to keep getting stronger and more fit, so I have to realize that the number on the scale is not the most important measure. Clothes are fitting better and I feel good so that is the main thing.

Thanks again for taking the time to comment here. I really appreciate all the feedback!

Yes, eating too few calories can cause diet distress and it slows your metabolic process and can even cause weight gain.

You are obessing about this too much. I calculated your calorie intake and exercise and you saved about 4402 calories in a week. That is way too much. You are sabotaging yourself.

You need to set your daily limit according to an active lifestyle, not sedentary.

If you ever look at what athletes eat, they eat A LOT. That is because they need the calories, yet they are slim.

I have been on the fast diet about six weeks now and have plateau'd a bit so I share your discouragement. I wonder though........maybe our expectations are a bit high? On reading the book Mimi and Michael talk about the fact that it's more than losing weight, it's about reducing risk factors for serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Yet most of the discussions I have read are all about weight loss. Perhaps we just need to relax into it and give up a bit of control of the non fast days food. I know, I am trying to convince myself that this isn't all about weight loss for me. With both parents type 2 , dad with heart disease and mum with breast cancer I suppose it's easier to look at it that way. Well, I have fallen of the wagon and over eaten on non fast days, so I haven't lost weight for a while. Am fed up too!

Whether we like it or not, when we have weight to lose, dieting and exercise at the same time won't be of the liking of our scales. If we want to lose weight quickly, or quicker than the average, then we have to choose.
Nobody said to stop exercising forever. But if you want those scales to move, you probably have to stop for sometime.