The FastDay Forum

Muscle mass is more than fat mass.

The calorie counting question is to find out if you actually have a calorie deficit over the week as it's actually quite a small calorie restriction, even if it doesn't feel like it and you did enquire as to why you're not continuing to lose weight.

The reason to do this diet is to lose weight and/or the health benefits but it's not a magic pill. It's easier than starving every day of the week, imho but there does actually have to be some calorie deficit. No need to actually count calories, just be aware of what you're eating on the 5 days.

You're on target with your overall weight-loss...if you look at the average loss for this group as a whole. I would think the gym is your issue here.

[carorees]

BBT053 is exactly right. You are losing fat at the rate that would be expected but the muscle gain is hiding it. No need to count calories unless you think you might be overeating and then only on a couple of typical days to get a picture of what is going on. However, I'd say that in view of you starting at the gym you have nothing to worry about and in a little while you will see a decrease in waist size even if you don't lose weight for a bit.

Am certainly not giving up yet - will keep trying and see what happens over next few weeks. But I do think that the publicity on the diet isn't right - you are told over and over that you can eat what you like on the 'days off'. Having experimented with it over the last 5 weeks, I definitely know that is not right. It would be much more honest if we were told that you have to be careful on those 5 days too. As carorees says, I too had noticed that the calorie deficit is actually really small - this means that you have to be careful on the 5 days, staying inside some sort of calorie limit and not just eating what you like. Thanks for helpful responses. I hope you're right about the gym but I am finding it hard to believe that 2 short workouts and a swim would have changed my muscle mass significantly! Sorry - for now, I am a sceptic - am going to keep going because I hope that longer term it pays off but am disappointed.

[carorees]

If you got sore muscles from the workout you will have retained water plus built scar tissue, both are denser (weigh more) than fat.

Everyone's perceptions of eating normally are different, hence the discussions on various threads about this.

Plus weightloss is personal to you. My OH loses weight very quickly and is always thin, so he'd be able to eat whatever he liked on feed days and only a minor deficit the other days would be needed (he's lost weight just with the decrease in the amount of food about in the house). I have to watch what I eat all the time, even though I don't count cals and am doing ADF fairly strictly, and "only" losing a pound a week...

My gym induction, 3 x 1 hr made a huge difference but I was very sore!

Thanks for this article. Makes sense to me. Scales showed 2 lbs gain, however jeans and dress feel loose so must be trimmer.

Thanks so much for the information, when DH and myself started the 5:2 on 28th January 2013, we lost around 2/3lbs each during the first 2 weeks. Then the weight loss started to decrease and this week I lost only one quarter of 1 lb So a bit disappointed but when I read this article it all made sense. Both DH and I have averaged 2lbs a week loss taken over the whole 4 weeks and we have both begun to exercise. The scales might not have registered much of a loss this week but the tape measure says different. 1.5 inches off my waist since 28th Jan 2013 and we both feel so much better

I need to invest in a set of scales but after reading this I might not bother! I'm one of these people who gets easily demotivated if I see numbers going in the wrong direction, unfortunately, but at the same time if they go in the right direction I'm uber motivated. I don't know what to do!

[Debs]

I'm in that position only I have not lost anything off my waist either, so completely stagnant, despite drinking plenty, eating within my TDEE, etc etc etc. Doing everything right that I can see but nada, zip, nothing happening. Bugger!

The whole point about finding a weight loss system that works - for me, that is, but I am sure I am not that different from everyone else - is to identify something where you can still have some fun! The drudgery of counting calories every day of your life is misery and I am sure that is why so many people fail. The potential beauty of ADF is that it just might work. I am still trying to workout how that might be for me. I have to have days when I can relax and eat joyfully - all the things I love. If I can do that, I can handle fasting and even tK a pleasure in it all, especially losing weight amd getting fitter. Those things have their own delight and satisfaction (as Kate Moss is quoted as saying, 'Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels!'). But I need the joyful days. Am now on week 7 and observing different ways of doing it. If, over time, I can find a way to fast 2 days a week, be very good on 3 days andhave lots of eating fun on the other day, I will be very very happy! Watch this space!

Thanks for this. I weighed my self for the third time since starting the 5:2 and there was little to no loss. Having got of to a fantastic start I was (foolishly) hoping it would carry on at the same rate. Going to stick at it for now and see where I am in two weeks.

This is all hugely helpful information, and extremely motivating. Thank you everybody. After losing, then stagnating, my ears were beginning to droop. They are now once more upright, and I am totally focused. So very many thanks

I have found all the discussion here helpful as I have done the 5:2 for just over a week now (had 3 fast days) and weighing in for the first time this morning I had lost nothing! Is this normal and will I lose weight? I was wondering whether to stick to 1200 on feed days and perhaps see if another week will see a loss. Any idea if this will work? Don't want to feel I've got nowhere before I start and give up!

[carorees]

Don't calorie restrict on feed days, just keep to around your normal calorie requirement. You don't want to slow down your metabolism!

The first few fasts seem to affect people differently. Some lose a lot of water and a bit of fat immediately and then plateau for a week or so, others don't show any loss for a while then start dropping. Don't weigh for a month after starting!

[carorees]

Please can all the people asking about no weight loss read this thread first?! It would save a lot of distress!