The FastDay Forum

Hi all, this is my first post here and I am glad I have a good community to turn to for advice.

Basically my first week of fasting I followed my fast days very well, had a few naughty moments of the feast days but all was going well. Overall I started at 162.6 lbs and 34.4% body fat. I weighed myself on Saturday morning after fasting on Tuesday and Thursday and I was at 160.4 and 34.2% body fat.

This morning, I stepped on the scales and I was at 163 lbs and 35% body fat! Saturday and Sunday weren't too indulgent at all so I don't understand.

I know my first week is a little early to tell and many people note not losing weight, but loosing inches. I, however, am not losing either and seeing my fat % go up was so, so disheartening.

I had attempted the 5:2 last year and I only last 1 week but I did lose 2 lbs, which I kept off for months, so I am not sure where I am going wrong this time.

Does anyone have any advice? Is this normal? Should I ignore the scales for a while? Or do I need to restrict my feast days?

Hi Cae I'm not going to be much help really and coz I've loads to lose and on old scales I'd barely lost 2lbs after 1st week coz of my size I expected more!! Then realised I was eating exactly what I wanted on feed days so I started being more careful keeping in my TDEE ish + also changed to 4:3 simply coz found fast days so easy from day one so thought it would speed thing up more from then on have done much better ( except hold week) taken up walking 3/4 times per week which obviously helps my case. But in your case I would definitely give it a month or so as everyone has sluggish weeks and it did work for you before Sue

It's still early days, and i think the fat % thing on most scales is not entirely accurate.

I know that it takes into account water/muscle and fat (well mine does) so if i'm dehydrated, the water % goes down, it seems to make the fat/muscle change too.... i think they only need to be used as a guide and to look for an overall trend. Also i've read articles that say the way you stand on the sensors affect the readings, so if you're not standing EXACTLY the same place you'll get a different reading each time

As with the weight loss, you need to weigh at the same time every week, your weight will fluctuate daily, hourly, again you want to be looking for a general trend and dont get disheartened if it's up/down a wee while before it settles out....

[carorees]

Hi Cae

Do you think you overate by around 10,000 cals over the weekend? If not, then the increase in weight is not fat (each lb of fat gained requires you to have overeaten by 3500 cals). The variation is all down to water and food content of your body changing. Likewise the fat % given on the scales is not very accurate and is very influenced by water content.

See my post on why you can get an increase on the scales despite being good #whyscalesincrease for information. As Sue says, just keep on going for a month or so before deciding whether it's working (I bet it will be).

Great, thank you everyone. Its really has cleared up a lot of doubt!
Hoping I see some results by the end of the month!

My scales measure weight, body fat %, water %, and muscle %. Every one of those numbers bounced around the first 4-5 weeks on 5:2. My weight in particular was up and down and up and up and...

I almost gave up but I read and reread Carorees post that she's given you the link to. That kept me going. Eventually my weight and body fat % began to trend steadily downward. All while my muscle % stayed about the same.

I suggest staying away from the scales for the first few weeks.