The FastDay Forum

I've been more or less plateaued for about 6 weeks now, losing small amounts but really not very much compared to when I just started out. I don't have much left to lose and I have been doing 5:2 for almost 5 months to the day.

Does anyone have any special hints or tips to kick start my weight loss again? I was thinking that maybe I'll try a different exercise regime to see if moving/using my body differently will have an impact! Just interested to hear other people's tales, have you experimented with something that seemed to end your plateau? Would be great to have a bank of tips to try...maybe a pinned post somewhere...what do you guys think?

Jo

A few people say that doing 16:8 maintenance for awhile rather than fasting can kick start it again. Sometimes coming off a diet and gaining a bit can help to shift a plateau. Good luck to you hun x

Thanks daydreamer,

I actually have a weeks holiday coming up and I was going to try and stick to fast days but I may not bother and give my body a break and see if it does kick start again. It's just so frustrating!

Jo
x

Hi Jo well when I though I'd hit the plateau I went back to basics as in
my very first fasts '' the very careful ones '' but I also cut back on a few of the treats that had crept back into my life. I also reduced my carbs on all days just slightly, so yes it got broken but I don't know which one of the 3 was actually responsible
As you said you don't have much more to lose, it does slow down at this stage, also with the holiday coming up maybe the break from fasting. (assuming you are) well this could also be the trigger you need.So my advice is to enjoy your holiday then repair any damage on your return, then. Mix things up a little with 4:3 or few 16:8.
Good. Luck. Sue.

My plateau seems to have lasted nearly 2 months so far my lowest weight being recorded on 9th Aug, I'm probably bouncing around 2lb heavier now.
It's a bit disheartening but then I try to focus on the 33lb loss since I started (Jan 1st), that it's a 15% weight loss, that I'm not not gaining weight as I have inexorably done over my whole life...

and according to this last line of Carorees thread:
"...For many, a refocusing of efforts to maintain the weight that has been lost as opposed to continuing active weight loss may be desirable. After a few months of weight maintenance, a return to active weight loss is reasonable."
http://www.52fastdiet.co.uk/not-losing-weight-f27/5-2-diet-plateau-t288.html

So I'm not beating myself up about it
but hopefully I'll resume losing soon, as Sue.Q suggests, I'm going back to basics, and watching what I eat on NFD.

Today is a fast day - nothing at all so far (3pm) except a cuppa (got up very late) - so maybe I'll try a 36h liquid fast (I usually only have one meal on my fast day, so it shouldn't be too much of a stretch.

HI langtoftlad,

I watch what I eat on NFDs too, not total calorie counting but I am rarely, if ever eating more than 1300 calories a day.

I've had a look at the link too. There's some good info on there. Thanks for your post. I do hope you get of the flatline soon too!

I am one pound heavier now than at the end of July!! That's not a boast but at the same time I'm not gnashing my teeth - I have lost loads of weight since I started, feel better and am wearing a whole new wardrobe. I think of the plateau as a kind of consolidation phase, and my wobbly bits and skin are rearranging themselves into a better shape! My legs were so wobbly when I went to Sardinia in August that being able to wear a smaller swimsuit than I have for years was a mixed pleasure! Since then I have been doing more walking and even started couch to 5k!! (NEVER, ever would have believed that just a few months ago!!)
My wobbly bits are shrinking, my legs are firming up and even my bingo wings are not flapping about at half mast! I have been less strict, only fasted one day a week for several weeks because my sleep was suffering, now I am fasting one day a week and 2 or 3 days I do 16.8 - will pick up the pace soon as I'm ready to lose another few pounds but 'm not stressing about it - I know I can do it and will get there in the end.

I'm in the plateau camp, went 16:8 but tested the limits of it with chips, pizza and cake.

However, like dhana in a happy place and did the most evil workout yesterday so can't be feeling too bad.

A] AMRAP 20

- 1 KM Run
- 100 Plate GTOH
- 100 OH Lunges
- 100 Russian Twists
- 100 Burpees to Plate

B] Midline Strength

You don't have to understand it, just appreciate it was evil for me.

I double checked my TDEE and found I wasn't eating enough on normal days by near enough 600kcals a day. So I was probably in famine mode. A week of upping my calories to TDEE but still fasting, shoved my weight up a little bit, but then kickstarted it down again. I make sure I keep closer to TDEE from now on.

Mine lasted a good couple of months then all of a sudden. ..BAM....half a stone gone in 3 weeks. Odd!

[carorees]

I'm in the plateau camp, went 16:8 but tested the limits of it with chips, pizza and cake.

However, like dhana in a happy place and did the most evil workout yesterday so can't be feeling too bad.

A] AMRAP 20

- 1 KM Run
- 100 Plate GTOH
- 100 OH Lunges
- 100 Russian Twists
- 100 Burpees to Plate

B] Midline Strength

You don't have to understand it, just appreciate it was evil for me.

Hmm, let's see, what might those abbreviations stand for?
Well, OH means other half as we know so GTOH must mean 'given to other half'? You give 100 plates to your other half? Are they full of food or maybe just washed up for OH to dry?

Russian twists are a kind of cocktail aren't they?

Burpees to plate...is that like in some cultures where burping at meals is considered good manners so you practice your etiquette by burping to the plate?

Midline strength? A misprint, I'm sure...should be middling strength and refers to how strong the Russian cocktails are?

Not so keen on the idea of the 1km run though!

Ha!Ha! Thanks for the translation it all makes sense now!!

I've been hanging out at 190.4 for a few weeks now and am dying to see "189" even. Just start with a 1-8 for crying out loud. Wah!

I know I lose in a strange (non-linear) pattern, so am hoping for a whoosh soon. It's been a strange month. As an experiment, I did 16:8 one day this week and found it quite easy. So I might experiment with that and read up on how others are incorporating that into the 5:2 plan.

Thanks to others who shared their experiences. Helpful to know I'm not alone!

Oh, so funny...

Sadly for me, the plate was a 10kg piece of rubber, GTOH is ground to overhead, the Russian twists were moving said plate across my lap whilst sitting, lunges it was overhead...all for 25 mins.

I did row instead of run, still can't run...

And I'm still obese, thinking about a career change to being a personal trainer for mature people tho.

@caroreees thanks for the laugh!

I prefer Caroline's explanation to the real one...

I plateau-ed for 6 weeks. Then, at my weekly weighing last Friday I had lost a pound, and today another one. I don't understand at all what made me plateau, since I don't think I'd changed my regimen during that time or since I started losing again.

I was ready to take everyone's "change it up" advice two weeks ago, and then for no apparent reason, started losing again. Our bodies are a mystery, indeed.

My hope is to be on 6:1 by Thanksgiving (my usual fast days are Monday and Thursday, and Thanksgiving being always a Thursday, that doesn't work too well ) The tracker says November 29, so I'm right on track now!!