The FastDay Forum

Can I suggest that you definitely try 4:3 or dare I say alternate day fasting until things start to move. Also cut out all refined carbs on fast days and non-fast days. It is important to cut out refined carbs because they are responsible for making your insulin go up and that is a fat storing hormone.
Dr.Mosley found that the research showed that the longer the period you leave between your last meal & breaking your fast,on fast days, worked very well i.e. 16:8 (optimum window between 16:8 and 20:4, anything longer might not be so effective in the long term). However, he couldn't do without breakfast! Hence he leaves 12 hour gaps. I have found leaving a 16 hour gap more effective for me.
As others have said you need to check out your calorie intake on non-fast days, your TEE. I think somewhere between 1400 and 1600 might be right, but go to the Progress Tracker and check out your own details. And on fast days you might need to eat only 400 calories. I am post menopausal and my body needed this kick!
There is no magic bullet here, just a hard slog to be slim again. Trying the above isn't easy and it isn't for everyone, but try it for 2 weeks and see if it works.
Good Luck....

Thank you for all the help. I am going to do my 3rd fast for the week today and see what happens.

Auriga-you mention a16:8 fast what does that mean? On fast days I eat my 400-500 calories through out the day and usually done eating at 7pm and then don't eat until 9am the next morning. Does this mean that I should not eat until noon after my fast???

hCG stands for Human Choriogonadotropin, the hormone produced by pregnant women in the early stages of pregnancy. (Please note that the hCG used in the hCG Diet is synthetic hCG produced in a laboratory.) Research suggest a small, daily hCG injection (approx. 125 IU to 200 IU) results in a weight loss of 1 to 3 lbs per day when accompanied by a VLCD (very low calorie diet of approxiamtely 500 calories). We recommend you read Kevin Trudeau's book, "The Weight Loss Cure They Don't Want You to Know About" which contains vital information on using hCG injections for weight loss. Read more: what is the hCG weight loss protocol................................

I lifted this from an hcg site as like you Izzy, I had no idea what this was and I was curious. Can't see me ever try this but then 5:2 has worked for me so I do sympathise with anyone who is struggling to lose weight.

Ballerina x

hCG stands for Human Choriogonadotropin, the hormone produced by pregnant women in the early stages of pregnancy. (Please note that the hCG used in the hCG Diet is synthetic hCG produced in a laboratory.) Research suggest a small, daily hCG injection (approx. 125 IU to 200 IU) results in a weight loss of 1 to 3 lbs per day when accompanied by a VLCD (very low calorie diet of approxiamtely 500 calories). We recommend you read Kevin Trudeau's book, "The Weight Loss Cure They Don't Want You to Know About" which contains vital information on using hCG injections for weight loss. Read more: what is the hCG weight loss protocol................................

I lifted this from an hcg site as like you Izzy, I had no idea what this was and I was curious. Can't see me ever try this but then 5:2 has worked for me so I do sympathise with anyone who is struggling to lose weight.

Ballerina x

I see you know how to cut and paste now @ballerina I used homeopathic hCG, rather than the injections which to many is the equivalent of snake oil but it worked a treat. No idea if it was the placebo effect or just that the carb intake was so low I didn't get hungry anymore. Anyway, I truly don't recommend it to anyone. It's just not sustainable and the bollox about shifting the set point by pressing the pause button every month, taking care not to gain every other month in the book is a load of old hogwash, because THIS IS HOW I ENDED UP BIGGER THAN EVER

Hi @rawkaren, actually I've always been able to cut and paste what I struggle with is lifting and posting a link. I don't understand as I used to be able to do it but like most things in my life, advancing years are rendering me useless

Ballerina x

Thanks Izzy, I now have the 16/8 link on my signature so that make things easier for me when I want to direct someone to it, WEEEEEEE!!!!!

Ballerina x

@Ballerina - I think you should add 'the Queen of 16:8' after 'no longer ...'

I'm sorry that you are experience this and I'm sorry that some here would post to say that you are wrong or lying about your calorie intake. I have experienced long plateaus (not 6 months, but long enough) and it absolutely was not the calories. So, I will take you at your word when you say it isn't the calories.

My ideas on some other possibilities...an unknown food allergy or intolerance to something you regularly eat, an infection in your body, a medical condition that impairs metabolism--diabetes, thyroid, insulin sensitivity or resistance--intolerance to carbs or gluten or sugar, autoimmune diseases and some others are known to cause inflammation. I'm not saying that you have any of those things and I am not a doctor...just that they are some issues that can make weight loss a challenge even when it seems you are doing everything right.

I have more than one of those conditions listed above and I have been able to lose a significant amount of weight on 4:3. But, it is important to note that I was obese when I started; not in the normal BMI range like your stats show. If I were in your position I would try adding the third fast and either an 8 hour eating window OR limiting but not eliminating carbs.

Good luck to you.

I will certainly do a 4:3 a couple of weeks and limit my carbs and see if I get anywhere. Thanks for all the help everyone.

Hi youda1
I assume you looked at the link ballerina supplied to explain 16:8? It basically means only eating within the same 8 hour period each day. The theory is that you can eat normally in that time and still lose weight, due to the effect the fasting period has on your body. It is clearly working for ballerina

Sassy1 thank you for explaining that 16:8. Does that mean I should eat my meals each day from 10 am to 5pm each day for example??? Confused. I usually eat breakfast at 9am and have a snack before bed at 7pm. That may work to do a 8 hour time period.

Hi again, sorry for not giving an example the first time but I think you have the general idea.
With 16:8, whatever time you choose to start eating on a given day, say 9am, then you have to stop all eating that day by 8 hours later - ie no more food after 5pm. You repeat this pattern every day.
If you are someone who needs breakfast, then you have to put up with no evening eating. That is probably a good thing This pattern of eating used to be promoted, as it was thought better to eat when you are being more active during the day, rather than later in the day when you may be more of a couch potato (which I certainly am...). This makes sense to me, but I haven't seen it promoted much of late. With those doing 16:8 now, most people seem to leave their first meal to as late as possible - ie if you don't eat til noon, you don't need to stop eating until 8pm - tho to be fair to those who follow this pattern, I think they aim to stop eating earlier than this.
Cheers!

Sassy1 thank you for explaining that 16:8. Does that mean I should eat my meals each day from 10 am to 5pm each day for example??? Confused. I usually eat breakfast at 9am and have a snack before bed at 7pm. That may work to do a 8 hour time period.

Hi Youda. Ballerina has now added her link to 16:8 to her signature so now handy to reference. I'm a 16:8'er. Lunchtime to dinner I do when I'm busy but if I do the gym in the morning, I do breakfast and lunch and an afternoon snack. So try to fit it into my lifestyle.

'As I used to be able to do it but like most things in my life, advancing years are rendering me useless' quote from @Ballerina, all I can say is I will have what you are having as you a seem pretty much on the ball to me.


I also agree with @izzy some of us just stall doing this and it is pretty hard to say a blanket 'you are eating too much!' IMHO who needs that when feeling down ywith depressing stats. I agree that you have to mix it up when it does not seem to be working, know your TDEE fasting and feed days . I consider my body is efficient at famine effect as I have done every combination here except for standing on my head while eating. I deal with the frustration by just chilling out, reading heaps and just dig deep trying to find the motivation each week to do my 2 days

@youda1 hang in there some good support here and all the best