The FastDay Forum

Help, I'm supposed to be maintaining, but I am now 2/3 kilos above my target weight

I've been doing an eating window of 16/8 or less for a while now, I haven't lost any weight apart from right at the beginning, then I put on 2 kilos skiing just before Easter, and can't seem to shift them

I pretty much never eat breakfast, and 2/3 times a week I just eat dinner but I don't count cals, so it's kind of 5:2 but not exactly.

I've cut down on carbs for the last couple of weeks, but no change. I don't want to go super low carb as I am a vegan and it is just too difficult for me, but I do try and avoid all refined carbs and try and ensure that most of the carbs I have are from vegetables or pulses.

I've also upped my exercise and gained a kilo in the process

Any ideas what I can do to get back to target?

What do you think has changed from before when you did lose weight? Maybe that's the answer.

I really don't know

I must be eating more without realising it.

[carorees]

Have you measured? Are your clothes tighter?

Actually no not measured, will do that tomorrow. Clothes feel the same.

[carorees]

Might just be increased muscle if you're exercising more. Let's see what the tape measure says.

Perhaps you need to go back to 5:2. ??????

Definitely worth measuring. Upping exercise will be building muscle, and I think muscles also retain more water when they're in recovery mode and building?

Interesting, tape measure says waist is 2cms smaller, unfortunately don't have any other measurements to compare, but that reassures me a bit.

I'm confused about muscles and weight though, I thought it was only in the beginning that increased exercise could increase weight because of water retention while muscles are repairing? Or is that an ongoing thing? Or is it the actual muscle that weighs more and nothing to do with water retention?

@Auriga the problem I have with 5:2 is that I sleep really really badly after a fast, and though it was OK last year when I was staying at home with my daughter as I could nap the day after a fast if I wanted to, now I'm working again and writing a dissertation and looking after the kids outside of school it's really difficult, that's why I moved to an eating window, and I do sleep better, even on the days where I only eat one meal. I'm fasting today so will actually do a proper calorie counted one and see what happens.

[carorees]

Muscle is much denser than fat...so if you add 2kg of muscle and lose 1kg of fat you'll be thinner but weigh more. Any time you have sore muscles they will be retaining water, plus they grow a bit in response.

If your waist is smaller then you're just fine!

Thanks @carorees, will try not to panic then, I am actually still maintaining if I think about it, just above the weight I planned to be at