The FastDay Forum

Hi all,

Been doing the 5:2 diet since late March and over first 6 weeks or so lost 1.5kg. Stalled for a while and then another .5kg for 2kg total loss which is pretty good in my books. But...(and there is a but) then I started to relax A LOT on my non-fast days. Eating normally is a difficult thing to define but I began "treating" myself often. A muffin here, a scone there and chocolate with hubby in the evening! I was still religiously doing 2 fast days a week (which is how I justified the treats!). I managed to put back on 500g and then stay there for a couple of months.

So overall I have still lost 1.5kg (and maintained it since June) which is no mean feat but now I want to get myself back into my weight loss mode and shift the last 2kgs. IT's HARD! Almost like starting a new diet all over again. I have realised that a few extra things hjave also crept into my fast days too. Just the odd extra 100 cals but none the less, I guess, all the cals count.

So I figure I am going to start with taking out the chocolate in the evenings - except for maybe one night a week and then try to cut back to like one treat every other day. Fingers crossed I can get back on track!

Hi,
I can go through periods of "perfect" fasting with 2 days of no more than 500 cal and eating well on the other 5 days with no or few treats. If I stray from this I have found like you I maintain but no losses. This is the part I like as I don't feel down hearted about this and just get back on the wagon again (like today!)
You can get back on track too.do you have a small goal? Mine is to get under 80kg.
Good luck.x

Hi nz5:2er - I hope you are well today! Yes, it's a tricky one - I remember when I was about 15 I lost nearly two stone from just eating healthily and going all out fanatical with exercise. As soon as I got down to my goal weight I started re-introducing treats. A burger here, a chocolate bar there. I had almost completely cut out carbs (as in pastas, breads, potatoes etc - as opposed to vegetable and fruit carbs) and suddenly started eating them again, not necessarily being aware of portion control. I gained back about half a stone, which I was happy with, as it was more manageable, but then two years later I got glandular fever and all healthy aspects of my life went out of the window! 'Treats' became more like a regular part of my diet and I pretty much stopped exercising, resulting in me gaining back two stone. I have yo-yoed over the past few years, due to exactly what you are talking about. The problem for us habitual dieters is that, in many cases, we often seem to have lost any clear notion of what 'normal' eating is. Personally, having changed to this WoE, I have found myself rejecting treats, as I now automatically seem to sit back and take stock of a situation before I decided whether I really do want that bag of scampi fries or that chocolate bar. I honestly think it's about retraining our minds and learning to be honest with ourselves about what we truly are eating.

Anyway, have rambled on long enough now - good luck!

I was wondering this myself on non-fast days, how do you control yourself with treats and such? Is it okay to have treats occasionally? Or does that hinder any progress?
Congratulations on all the weight loss you have lost so far though!

Hi well we've all been there and done that !!
Good plan you've got I did simular month or so back when I thought I'd hit plateau cutting firstly cakes + biscuits out I still have a
chocky treat 3/4 nights week but they are the small funsize ones
so Good Luck with the plan. Sue.

That's the good thing about this WoE (way of eating), yes we can eat whatever we want! But not necessarily as much as we want. So treats ARE allowed.
I try to have two fast days, two lowish cal days and save treats for the weekend. Though i do have a square or two of choc most evenings. Mind you, now I'm about at goal, that may change. Also, if I know I might want a treat, eg if I'm visiting, then I skip breakfast to save the calories for later. Good luck!

I think as much as this WOE works we also have to train our minds to recognise when we're full or even have just had enough. I find that I usually end up with an upset tummy on Mondays as I completely lose the run of myself at weekends. I use my fitness pal religiously Monday to Friday but All bets are off Sat and Sun. I'm hoping to be more sensible this weekend and I'm taking a break from alcohol so I'm hoping to see a nice drop next week.

ok so treats are allowed if you stay within your TDEE or no? I have been having treats on non fast days - a biscuit or a choc bar or even just carbs. Who has had success still having treats

Me. I'm losing slowly, but my job requires me to eat out around 3 days a week. So treats tend to be glasses of wine as I have given up sugar (I know wine has the same effect on the liver). I started out recording everything within my TDEE on MFP, but it made me tense, so I'm just relaxing a bit more and make sure I'm focused on fast days. So I don't think the occasional carb treat will kill you @jmousey

Yes I agree! I have become rather lax in recording what I have eaten this week & indulged in more chocolate than usual. I think I may have been eating too little & trying too hard to stay well below my TDEE & as a consequence have gone mad on some days thinking it will all average out & be OK. I think I have become scared about putting weight on because of gaining on holiday & OK then losing that weight but I am left with a feeling of not knowing what to do to try & lose weight more quickly. The past month I have been hovering around 14 stone which is really frustrating because I think there is soon going to be a wedding in the family so I want to lose weight more quickly now. I am rather confused because although I want to eat below my TDEE I believe that eating too little is detrimental & actually stops the body releasing fat but I am a really slow loser & my TDEE of around 1650 calories seems a lot.
I really am not sure what do do now & I have been 16:8ing but it hasn't increased my weight loss.

Can I join in confessing I have slackened off lately and seem to be treating myself a bit too much. I have not been able to comfortably do 5:2 so have done 6:1 & 16:8, the miracle is that I have maintained. @jmousey I too am tucking into the chocolate with a cuppa with my DH. Agree with rawkaren a treat here and there is not so bad. The key is the 5:2 days on track and reasonable intake on free days. That is why the 16:8 window helps by creating a time barrier and an extra fast, if you can but missing breakfast can be hard for some people

I've been losing well, but my son who started at the same time and lives at home so eats the same, hasn't done well at all. So we are shifting to 5:2 with 16:8 on the normal days (its not much different as we don't eat breakfast anyway) but it will mean that there won't be any snacking after dinner, no nibbling of a bit of cheese because we fancy it hours after dinner. That plus a bit more 'mindfulness' of what we are actually eating will hopefully start to work on him and give me another boost.

The treats do slide in, plus portion size for us has gone back up to pre-diet days. I think everyone needs to review their normal days occasionally, just to reboot back into weight loss mode.

ok so treats are allowed if you stay within your TDEE or no? I have been having treats on non fast days - a biscuit or a choc bar or even just carbs. Who has had success still having treats

I have not given up treats. In my experience they are not a problem if you keep within your TDEE on four out of the five 'normal' days. One day a week of 'letting your hair down' doesn't seem to interfere with the weight loss. I have found it relatively easy to include the occasional treat (chocolate or cake in my case usually) into my TDEE 'allowance'.

ok so treats are allowed if you stay within your TDEE or no? I have been having treats on non fast days - a biscuit or a choc bar or even just carbs. Who has had success still having treats

Yes, I'm successful even though I do have treats. I don't see a problem with it.

Had a bowl of soup for lunch and inadvertently ate the two slices of bread and butter that came with it, gaaaaaagh! Two shortbread and two digestives have since gone the same way ... Seems to be a theme of two's here ... Anyway it's fishcake and crinkly chips and hard boiled egg for dinner, with some pineapple pieces and coconut for afters. I'm on 18/6 today and cals are under TDEE but carbs are up to 145g!
What a day.
Did see two hornets in the woods though :0)