The FastDay Forum

Hi there,
I am new to this group and very glad to find it. I have been doing the 5:2 diet for 4 weeks (this is my 4th) I fast on Monday and Wedesday and so far I have not found it to be difficult. I am pretty sure I am sticking to 500 calories on my fast days and am eating normally, which, does include wine on the weekends and the odd takeaway but recently my husband and I have started getting one takeaway meal between us.

I feel generally good, actually do feel a little lighter but.........the scales have not moved once in the 4 weeks!!! Every post that I have found relating to this diet is positive in terms of weight loss and I have not found one person who said they lost nothing in this time .

I have just weighed myself today (have had my porridge for breakfast) and am finishing my period so I was really hoping that this would be the one, but no! I deffinitely could be better on my non fast days but genuinely feel this would involve "dieting" as I already am used to eating on a semi weightwatcher programme and I thought the idea of this was that you could relax on your non fast days.

BTW I am 46, 5ft 5 and weigh 11st 7lb (and have done for quite a while!!) Can anyone offer any advice? Oh the other thing is I am a bi constipated but tend to be generally. I am trying to drink more water etc.

I am so sorry that my first post is a moan...I am just so disapointed

[Moogie]

Hi laureli & welcome to the forum. Really sorry to hear about your frustrations, hopefully between us all we'll be able to work out how to get this working for you

Firstly, can I ask how often you are weighing? It's best not to weigh more than once a week and when you do, make it on the same day and around the same time. Ideally in the morning, before breakfast and after the toilet if possible! This will give you a better indication as to your actual weight, as it will naturally fluctuate during the week.

You don't have as much weight to lose as some of us (I'm 5'4" and started at 13.5 stone!) so it may well come off a bit more slowly, but I'm surprised that after a month you've lost nothing.

How do you do your fasts? ie, do you do a 2 sleeps version (sleep, fast, sleep, eat normally) or a 1 sleep/24 hour version? The latter doesn't seem to yeild great results and I think many of us feel it was a mistake for Mimi to mention this 'method' in the book being that it doesn't cause much of a calorie deficit.

How do you split your calories? What times do you eat? What sort of things do you eat when fasting and have you included drinks in your calorie count?

Sorry for all the questions, but the more info we have the more chance we have of successfully 'troubleshooting' your situation!

Hi Moogie, Thanks a mil for the questions, I was afraid I was writing too much before. Okay, I stop eating Sunday night round 9 ish..probably earlier. Sleep and then consume 500c during waking hours on Monday and Wednesday. I tend to eat the same thing on thefast days...one egg and the white of an egg omelette with a couple of cherry tomatoes for breakie (spray oil). Bowl of homemade soup for lunch and dinner of either a salmon fillet or chicken fillet with courgette and peppers. I do have skimmed milk in my coffee but am counting around 50 cals for that as I would only have 2 - 3 cups. With all that I calculate it at around 420 cals and last night I did have a low cal bar of 70 cals with my coffee. I also walk and run during the week, although just walk on a fast day but do a 5k circuit quite fast. I would be reasonably fit, do zumba also on a Tuesday.
I probably do not drink enough water but would have around two glasses at least. I wouldn't mind but I have been singing the praises of this diet ever since I came across the Horizon programme and as I say, I feel good. I have no intention of giving up but naturally am just gettin disheartened. I have lost weight before on ww but it was always seriously slow....but still, I did loose every week.
Thanks for listening!!

Hi Laureli, you are not alone as I'm on week 4 & seem to lose 2lb after the 2 fast days & they go straight back on after. The last 2 weeks I haven't lost anything! I'm 54 (just) but don't have much to lose - about 9lb & that is more for vanity than being overweight. I thought that was why but it seems others in the same situation have lost. I'm an active person, work full time, go for walks & the gym, it's a mystery but so fed up!

[carorees]

Hi Laureli

Have you measured your waist etc? Has there been any change there?

If you have a history of dieting it could be that your metabolism has been slowed by the previous calorie cutting. Like you I don't want to have to restrict my calories on feed days as a) I enjoy my treats and b) I think it worsens any slow down in metabolism, so what I would do in your shoes is to try a couple of 4:3 weeks in. That should reduce your average calorie intake by at least another 1500 calories which may be enough to get things going.

Hi Carorees,

Measured waist, it may be an inch smaller but I may have been sucking in more!! ooh,I don't really want to do 4:3 but what I may do is to try to cut down on the the other days. A day is quite long when fasting and I don't like the look of my week with three of them. I appreciate your advice though, and I will keep going for another couple of weeks before changing.
Violet, sorry to hear you are like me. Lets stick with it for now. I keep imagining that one day (soon) I will get on scales and be down about 5 lbs!! I will keep you posted. BTW just back from walking my dog and consumed two slices of cheese on toast so quickly I didn't even taste them...That is how p'd off I was! (today is a non fast day but still, really??)

Hi Laureli

Well, I have to say that your situation pretty much mirrors my own too - so much so it is spooky! I have not had much weight loss either but am sticking to it for the time being although like you I am disappointed. I know I probably weigh too often but, again like you, I have always been a bit slow in the 'loo' department which may or may not have an effect I suppose given that it is my 'norm'. I have to admit to being envious of those who drop lots of pounds at once - I am not quite sure how they manage that! Perhaps we could decide to 'stick it out' together for a while?

[carorees]

Oh an inch smaller definitely. Have you looked at how much difference you can make with sucking in your stomach? I tried it and found my waist hardly changed at all!

Cutting down on feed days is not recommended as it is the big difference between fast and feed days that brings the benefits we are hoping for, including not slowing your metabolism down. Of course, if you think you are overeating on feed days that's different

Hi juw,

Yep, good that we are on same days too. I am goung to only weigh myself on Thurs mornungs from now on. Good luck tomo.
I am going to keep" feeling" lighter and maybe my body will get the message lol!

Thanks Carorees!