The FastDay Forum

I have finally bitten the bullet and decided to return to fasting and this lovely supportive community. It is 4 years since I left 5:2 (I had a brief half-hearted try 2 years ago). I left because I hit a plateau and then got a bit fed up after I didn't make any progress for 3 months. Since then I have regained the weight I had loss and a little bit more. I am back with a new knee and I am determined to succeed this time. It's good to see some familiar names on the forum. I have been overweight since having a pituitary tumour as a teenager. 5:2 is the only way fo life ( I don't like to think of it as a diet) that has ever worked. I know the first few fasts will be the hardest but I am determined this time. It feels good to be back.

Welcome back! It's a little quiet here these days, but hopefully it will pick up. We will be starting a June Solstice challenge soon and we have weekly challenges where you try to focus on one thing each week! Feel free to jump in!

Thank you. It does seem quieter than it used to be. I've just checked my previous start weight and i actually weigh very slightly less than I did for my previous start. Yay - an early win. I'm trying to last until this evening before I eat but it's going to seem like a long afternoon.

Welcome back @esta. I too have only just returned after a similar long absence. I used to be @The Fishbaum but since I weigh more now than I did when I started back in 2013, it threw out the weight tracker (it said I gained even though I was losing weight) so I started with a new fresh identity. I have new name ... You have new knee ... Let's do this!

Welcome back @Esta. You are in good company, with some people returning and some relatively new starters to help spur you all on and keep the motivation up. Plus input from those of us who have more or less stayed since the early days.

In returning, I expect you already know so much about IF and can benefit from your previous experience and also benefit from having an understanding of why you stopped and what happened to you in the interim. Hopefully those insights will really help you this time,

5:2 fasting worked very well for me in losing weight initially, so I wish you well with it too. I am sure you are also concentrating on eating nutritiously from a wide range of foods, and doing your best to eliminate or reduce those foods that bring little benefit to your diet.

Good luck and best wishes

Hi @Esta. How was your first week back?

My first fast was easy and the second one was a complete nightmare! I was hungry all day and cold and generally fed up. However I got through it and then slept really well. So it has given me a lot of confidence. I've managed to mess up my diary this week so I have only had one fast -but will be back to two next week. I'm not going to weigh myself for a few weeks as I find it a bit of a distraction.


One of the worst things was when I went on-line for some support and found I was the only person logged on to the forum and there was no post for people fasting that day. I used to find it really helpful to see that I was not alone. I feel sad that the forum is so quiet these days.

How are you doing?

I was the only person logged on to the forum and there was no post for people fasting that day. I used to find it really helpful to see that I was not alone. I feel sad that the forum is so quiet these days.

How are you doing?

Hi @Esta, doing fine these days and yes it's quiet, but the simple way to have a topic for fasting Today is to start one Everybody can do it, always nice to be the one who starts it!

Hi @Esta

The forum is very quiet compared to 3-4 years ago and this does mean that there is often no one else online. This means this forum is not the best place to get instant response to any posts you make.

But there is still support to be had here, if you are able to wait!

Maybe you could buddy up with someone in the same time zone as you and agree to give each other support outside the forum, via whatever social media you prefer to use, for more immediate response?

I have total sympathy with you having a difficult fast day, and being hungry all day. But great that your ability to "survive" such a day has given you confidence.

As you will have read, I am supportive of not weighing yourself. Concentrate on eating healthily and managing your fast days, and hopefully in a few weeks time you will notice that clothes are looser, without even needing to weigh.

Continued best wishes.

One of the worst things was when I went on-line for some support and found I was the only person logged on to the forum and there was no post for people fasting that day. I used to find it really helpful to see that I was not alone. I feel sad that the forum is so quiet these days.

How are you doing?

I am going great, @Esta. It does get kind of lonely here at times. Sometimes I wish the Google AdSense bot was real so I could talk to it when I am mega hungry as it seems we are the only two online whenever I check. However, in the few weeks I have been back, I have seen several others return to the fold as you and I did. If we all stay here long enough then by the end of the year, at this rate, we will have quite a few. Probably not as many as in our heyday back 2013 but at least we are people who believe in this WOE/WOL and not just here for the latest fad (as many of those who came, saw and went as soon as the craze wore out) were. Every now and then, too, I see a new name pop up on a thread that I haven't seen before and, as I said, I have only been back a few weeks . This is where the worldwide community of fasters started. There are other forums on the net and on FB out there but none feel like "home" the way this forum does. Someone will always answer you overnight.

My first fast was easy and the second one was a complete nightmare! I was hungry all day and cold and generally fed up. However I got through it and then slept really well. So it has given me a lot of confidence. I've managed to mess up my diary this week so I have only had one fast -but will be back to two next week. I'm not going to weigh myself for a few weeks as I find it a bit of a distraction.


One of the worst things was when I went on-line for some support and found I was the only person logged on to the forum and there was no post for people fasting that day. I used to find it really helpful to see that I was not alone. I feel sad that the forum is so quiet these days.

How are you doing?

I've decided to return to 5:2 or 6:1 for a while too and noticed the lack of activity here.
Good luck anyway!

Nice to see you back, @Golarne - I remember your cute avatar!

What has brought you back to fasting? Good luck and best wishes for getting into the swing of it again.

Hi @Sassy1, my weight has been creeping up, and although not too bad I want to reverse the upward trend before it gets serious!

Hi - I am also returning actively to the forum although I have looked at it now and again over the past couple of years. I have made a fresh start with a new user name and will try to be a bit more active on the forum as it does seem very quiet. I have been fasting 5:2 since 2012 and initially lost half a stone very easily. However, since I retired 18 months ago we have been travelling a lot and I can't fast when I'm on holiday! I would ideally like to lose another 5lbs but at the moment just seem to be going round in circles. I find the fast days fairly easy but eat too much (and too much wine) on other days.

[Tracieknits]

Welcome back @Esta, @Golarne and @Briagha!

I'm sorry it's been so quiet! I disappeared for a few weeks because I was struggling and about to go on vacation, but I'm back from vacation and determined to repeat last year's success (a loss of 35 pounds). Heck, if I only lose 25 this year, I'll be a happy camper.