The FastDay Forum

So I was just entering my latest weigh-in on the progress tracker and realised that I have been following this WOE for 6 months now
This has really come as a surprise to me because I honestly don't think I've ever following any other way of eating (apart from being a pig) for as long as this. So, I thought I'd write out some of my musings about my journey.

My ultimate goal was and is to lose 3 stone 2lbs to get me to my lowest ever adult weight. I have been following the classic 5:2 WOE with vey little tweaking, I eat under 500 cals on Mondays and Thursdays and I eat pretty much what I like on the other days.

My first interim targets were to lose 10% of my body weight, go below the obese BMI and lose 1 stone.

I was delighted to have met these first interim targets all at the same time back in April. Clothes started to get lose and people have noticed I am losing weight, and best of all it was easy!! Everything seemed to be going really, really well.

My next interim target was to lose the second stone between then (April) and my holiday in August. At the initial rate of weight loss this should have been easily achievable. However since then my weight loss has slowed down drastically. I have only lost 6 lbs in the last three months and with only 4 weeks to go now to my holiday I am well short of my target .

My general eating habits haven't changed all that much since my weight loss slowed down, if anything I eat slightly better and I'm at a loss as to why this has happened. As a result of this frustration I have decided to give ADF a go until I go on my hols just to see what happens and then relax on holiday for a week and come back to 5:2 after.
The only thing I am sure of is that I am in this for life. I love eating this way, I am not feeling any ill effects from it now, only positive and I know that despite progress being painfully, frustratingly slow lately, it is still progress. I have lost 6 lbs in the last three months, in any other diet I probably would have got fed up of being on a diet, stopped it and put the first stone I'd lost right back on!! I am a dress size down and I feel happier and more confident in myself.

So, I'm getting there albeit slowly and not always surely. 20lbs gone, 24lbs still to go but as we like to say here on this fabulous, supportive, welcoming and knowledgeable forum, onwards and downwards
good luck to the rest of you

Hi Jenny Congratulations and well done on your weight lost so far!!!
I love this WOL also and am eating so much more healthier foods mine is also slowing towards what it was in the beginning (expected really) because I've been amazed so far and like you I do eat basically whatever I want 4days per week (I'm doing 4:3 ) and maybe that is the answer our feed days probably need to be looked into, that's what I've decided to do try a little less on those 4 days, don't know if that's any help to you but sometimes its the small things that help + yes mix it up a bit with 4:3 or ADF give your body something to think about, and whatever the outcome have a good time on holiday. Good luck Sue

Thanks Sue! x

Congratulations on your weight loss, and well done for sticking with 5:2, you are proof that this wol works! Now onwards and downwards as you said!!

Congratulations Jenny for your amazing achievement. One thing to keep in mind is that your TDEE decreases after such a significant weight loss, so you should onsider adjusting your eating habits in feed days or adding some physical activity instead of adding a fast day (although this might work too).

I think you're right about being more careful on my feed days and I'm going to do that when I get back from hols and back to 5:2 as at the moment I'm pretty happy doing AFD and in all honesty I CBA with the faff of calorie counting It's funny, my weight has barely changed on the scales in the last month but I have had absolutely loads of comments over the last two weeks about my weight loss, weird hey?

I am so frustrated and annoyed I could actually cry today.
I have been doing ADF for two weeks, stayed the same last week and GAINED 2lbs this week. WTF is going on?
I'm going to carry on ADF for another week I think and if it doesn't work I honestly don't know what I'm going to do. I have barely lost anything on 5:2 in the last few months and I'm feeling really, really dejected about the whole thing right now.

Hey Jenny - but you've still lost overall just over 9kg - this is just a temporary blip. If you're feeling really discouraged, do the counterintuitive thing - give yourself a rest from fasting (or do 16:8) until you go on holiday.

I think you've probably been pushing yourself too hard before going away, and that's why things have ground to a halt, and you've gained. I'm sure you will feel much better psychologically after your holibob, and even if you've gained, will lose again (see Isis's recent post on this, among others)

Let us know how you get on, and also how your hol goes, we'll look forward to hearing all about it (especially the food!) and you can always get back on the wagon when you come back!

Thanks Silverdarling, I think you were right!
I stopped worrying about it but carried on doing the ADF/4:3 for another couple of weeks before I went away, got rid of that pesky 2lb gain and lost a little bit more.

I had a wonderful week in Italy on holiday, I ate pasta and pizza, drank beer and wine and had so many ice-creams! It was fantastic . I came home (last Sunday) and weighed myself. 6lb gain, oops !!! Definitely on the higher end of what I was expecting. I got straight back into 5:2 this last week and thankfully 4 of those 6lbs have come straight back off again! I was clearly incredibly bloated from a week of carbs and booze!!!
So now I am 2lbs heavier than my lowest weight since starting 5:2, I can live with that! I have a wedding to go to in 3 weeks and I'd like to lose those 2lbs and maybe another cheeky one before then if possible as I have a nice dress to wear and I'll be seeing lots of old friends I've not seen in ages and I want to feel confident and comfortable.

So then we have about 3 months or so until Christmas. I really wanted to have been at my target weight by then and I would have done easily if I'd managed my 1lb/week loss but that was not to be and you've got to enjoy the journey haven't you? I have not wanted to sacrifice my favourite foods or social life and I haven't. If that has made my weight loss a lot slower, well so be it. Right now I'd settle for another stone gone before Christmas and that only leaves me with the final half a stone to lose. I can do this

Wow, that's fantastic news Jenny, well done! Sounds like you had a great holiday - and you are yet another to add to the growing number of people who have lost what they gained easily after returning from hols.

And as GML has so wisely said the other day, ’you have to get your head in the right place' to ride out the rough patches along the way ...

Hi Jenny glad you enjoyed your holiday because that's what they are for basically also well done on shifting 4 of those pesky ''water'' lbs that joined you as you journeyed home. Lol. Well I think we can both lose that stone together for Christmas how about that. ( I've a holiday soon )
My holiday may get in my way a little but I'm certainly up for trying.
Good Luck with the next phase Sue

Thanks Silver, my holiday was wonderful and has given me renewed enthusiasm and it definitely helps to have your head in the right place to cope with the ups and downs.

Thanks too SueQ, you're on, let's get shut of this next stone and feel better about ourselves in time for Christmas


Oh I must also add, just before I went away I bought myself a lovely new bright turquoise swimsuit from Bravissimo (the only place I've found with decent support for my boobs) and I've dropped a back and a cup size, I felt pretty good even by the pool

Wow Bravissimo very classy, well I've had to have a completely new set of everything so not wanting to spend to much on this '' interim '' wardrobe done it via yes charity shops & sales in high street & catalogue sales which brings me to my point check out ''yours clothing'' catalogue online but beware of p+p charges I sent for 4 tops so wasn't to bad, but the prices are good and the quality's good. But they have an eBay shop for leftovers really I suppose and the p+p charges are half the price The 2 bra's were priced at £16 each down to £9each and at that time the p+p was £1 this changes they've just done free p+p. Well and the quality was very good indeed. As you can see I'm very thrifty with this shopping as I want to donate it to charity in the new year Good Luck. Sue

Congratulations Jenny. Even if the weight isn't shifting as fast as we want, the internal health benefits keep building up away inside us. I can't see me ever ditching this way of eating either for exactly the same reason. This too is the only eating programme that I have stuck to for 6 months, I usually last 3 months only.
Stick with it and the results will surprise you.