The FastDay Forum

Hi there,

So, I've read into the benefits of intermittent fasting for a while now and surprisingly my husband is really encouraging about it rather than dismissing it as a fad diet.

My weight's gone up and down so many times now, where I've had 2 major bouts of weight loss in the past, the first was through a doctors intervention, mostly using a drug called reductil. The second was before my wedding. I gave myself 5 months to lose 2 and a half stone to get into my wedding dress - which I did, but I was miserable and was counting calories obsessively (a lot of friends didn't want to hang around me any more because I'd whine about not eating food I liked) and working out to punish myself (think intense spin classes 5 times a week, plus boxing, plus weight lifting).

A few injuries later and my knee was in chronic pain, so I stopped exercising, got depressed, gave up on watching what I ate and the pounds piled up and up. Now I'm scared for my health again, but sugar levels crash a lot and there's diabetes in my family. And to help me knee I have to lose weight.

I'm seeing a personal trainer once a week and I've just got myself a membership at the local swimming pool (first session is tomorrow!). I'm looking for a new gym too, as boxing is very much encouraged by my PT and my physio as long as I'm not moving my legs too much.

I'm 30 years old, currently 5ft tall, 74kgs and want to get back to my wedding weight of 55kg - I'm hoping for the new year if I lose a pound a week.

Wish me luck!

Hi there mresta and welcome to the forum! Glad to hear your husband is supportive, we men aren't all such stick in the muds y'know !

Seems like you've had good success with weight loss before but of course slipped back afterwards, a familiar story. Hopefully what you will find different about 5:2 is that it is a way of life and is sustainable. It's not a rapid loss diet so discount any stories you are hearing about people losing 3kg per week. Like all diets it may start off with some big wins but after that it settles down to around 1lb per week, a bit more for some and a bit less for others. The amount of loss is less important than the direction of travel!

And when you reach your target weight, as several people here already have, you can just tweak the eating pattern a bit to a maintenance mode, but keep on doing it.

Hope that helps! If you are starting 5:2, do take your measurements and put them into the Progress Tracker here, it is very satisfying to see the graph building up (or rather down!)

Hi Dominic! I know you're not It was just surprising that he was the one saying I should try it out before I had even mentioned it.

Not planning on rapid weight loss at all, a pound a week and I'll be happy, with so much to lost, I'm expecting it to take about a year.

I'm combining it with a paleo-style diet to get as much good nutrients as possible to prepare for fast-days. There's no point in fasting if the days you're eating more doesn't do any good for your body! So it's a lot of veg (tonnes in fact, my green grocer LOVES me and my husband), protein and good fats and good dense carbs from things like sweet potatoes, pumpkins, etc. Still occasionally will eat a bit of bread and have milk in my tea - but that's more because I don't want to build up any intolerances from not eating them at all that can happen in some people.

The husband, while won't fast (he's fairly thin and wants to put weight on), he's been good about me preparing meals for the both of us rather than eating out every lunch time. I think cooking lunches and snacks for both of us at the same time (I just give him extra rice to bulk out his lunch box) doesn't make me feel like I'm doing it alone.

Welcome mresta and lots of luck with 5:2. I am only in my fifth week, but I love this way of eating and it suits me well. I have to admit that I haven't counted or measured anything on any of my eating days, and that's working well for me so far.

Enjoy your swim!

Hi Doodle! I kinda have to count calories - my portion control is terrible, so I need to weigh everything out and work it out. My stomach is definitely one of those who has a broken off-switch (I think someone snapped it off and ran away with it).

Was a normal weight until I hit puberty then BOOM cellulite city.

Another new follower here, from India

[Moogie]

Another new follower here, from India

Welcome piyuK!

Thanks Moogie.

Welcome piyuk from me too!

@mresta: you seem very well sorted and well planned. Not much for me to advise! Good luck, keep us posted on your progress and do join in the chats here...

Welcome piyuk from me too!

@mresta: you seem very well sorted and well planned. Not much for me to advise! Good luck, keep us posted on your progress and do join in the chats here...

Will do! Battle plans have been drawn up. Lost weight before and I can do it again - this time I hope to keep it off. (Third time lucky, eh?)

I've taken before pictures this morning in my undies, so hope to see a difference in a few months time. Might wait until there is a big difference before posting those as they're a bit NSFW.